TO SERVE GOD IS AN HONORNOV. 11, 2014: 32nd WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading” Tit 2:1-8, 11-14 Responsorial Psalm: Psa 37:3-4, 8, 23, 27, 29 “The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.” GOSPEL: LK 17:7-10 Key Verse: “We are unfaithful servants;” (v.10) There is in this short Gospel passage a message that tells us about the kind of service that we are to render not only for others but for God as well. But what Jesus was saying in this parable contradicts not only a common practice in today’s contemporary setting as it runs counter to what has become a tradition in the workplace. The Holiday Season is just around the corner and we can now feel the cool and soothing breeze brushing our cheeks. And in the corporate world, this season is highly anticipated because this is the time when mandated yearend benefits and bonuses are apportioned to the rank and file. To give out bonuses based on performance is not unusual and there are many companies especially the ones that monopolize certain industries are known to hand out fat bonuses just to keep their top executives from looking elsewhere. In other words, expecting rewards for a job well done has become a practice not only in the corporate world but even in the most ordinary setting as supermarkets where tips are given to salaried bagmen, waiters, taxi-drivers, hotel doormen, bellboys, utility boys, or even in farmlands where farmhands are rewarded for a good harvest. You name it, just about everybody nowadays are and are expecting a reward for the amount of work they have put in. But Jesus in this parable is telling us that to perform our tasks in obedience to what we are supposed to do is our duty and that we actually haven’t done anything yet. Which is why there are some cultures where people are very particular to time. If say their work an eight-hour shift, expect them to pack up after faithfully giving out an eight-hour workload. This is why Filipino workers for some reason are preferred especially overseas because they stand out as Filipinos are known to be industrious and diligent as they also work even beyond the required eight-hour shift sans the extra pay. And as dutiful servants we cannot obligate God to reward us for the amount of work that we put in in pursuit of our profession. Translated into our lives in the Church and or in the Community if ever we are involved in serving in a ministry or apostolate it means serving in relation to the gifts that we have received is our duty and that we should not think that God owes us. This is why we must practice our calling to serve in the Church relative to the gift we have received if it inconveniences us. To serve God by serving others in the Church and or Community is our response in praise and worship to him who ransomed us from our slavery to sin. Just as God came not be served but to serve (Mk 10:45) so we too must toil in his vineyard because it is not only a privilege for those who are called but a sacred duty as well. WE ARE A GOSPEL IN THE MAKINGSEPT. 3, 2014: 22ND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
First Reading: 1 Cor 3:1-9 Responsorial Psalm: Psa 33:12-15, 20-21 “Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to his own.” GOSPEL: LK 4:38-44 Key Verse: “You are the Son of God.” (v.41) Today’s Gospel narrative can be likened to a fruiting tree because it is so pregnant with meaning that it shows us three characteristics of Jesus that we can actually learn from as we set out on our way to bring glad tidings to the poor. This Gospel passage which is a continuation from the previous passages should also provide us with the capacity to confront demons in both our own lives and others as well emboldened by the fact that demons recognize Jesus as the Son of God (v.41). Here, we see Jesus showing his nature as the Messiah when he healed Peter’s mother-in-law whose health was restored that she immediately moved about to serve Jesus and his disciples and, towards the setting of the sun as the day of the Sabbath ends, Jesus healed everyone by laying hands on those who came with various forms of illnesses and sickness. Not only do we see Jesus demonstrating with conclusive proof his divine power as he healed all forms of sickness and diseases (v.40) but it also brought to light His compassion for those who are in need. This should provide us with a clear image of our roles as disciples in terms of how we relate to those who are not as fortunate or blessed as we are. Like Jesus, are we compassionate about helping those in need even if we are being inconvenienced especially when these circumstances come at a time when we are on our way to work, to a vacation, to attend a party or on our way to the mall. Or do we forego these opportunities to be a Christian by withholding our help to those who come to us. At the house of Peter, Jesus demonstrated his heart that is predisposed to serving others. Remember that he just came from the synagogue where he also healed many who were sick and he may be looking forward to taking a rest he badly needed at the house of Peter, but did not have a chance to even grasp a deep breath as he went on to heal Peter’s mother-in-law and countless others who came after news of his healing power spread throughout the region like wildfire. This only shows us that as disciples we no longer own our time. That if we are to follow Jesus we are to deny ourselves (Lk 9:23), we are to deny certain pleasures to come to the aid of others. We are to deny ourselves the luxuries that we enjoy in favor of the need of others. In other words, we all must have the heart of Jesus that is bent towards serving others. There was a movie I once saw and one of the lines struck me and it goes like this: “When you are in love, you lose yourself as the love that you have for one another fills you and that love controls you.” This is actually what happens with us. The love of Jesus for us that is so great such that He gave his life for us should overpower and control us which means this same love should move us to help the sick, the beggar on the streets, the homeless, out-of-school youths and, the spiritually impoverished. At His voice and command, Jesus demonstrated the second reality in this Gospel as the demons came out of the people who were at the house of Peter. As it was customary in those days to equate certain forms of illness to being possessed by evil spirits, Jesus healed everyone by laying hands on each one of them. He didn’t have to but to be touched by someone in authority is a privilege and an honor and again, it shows the compassion of Jesus for he didn’t categorize the class of people who came to him to be healed as He healed them all. Now we need to ask ourselves what are the demons in our lives. Could these be our vanities, judgments, criticality, prejudices, arrogance and pride, self-exaltation, wealth? |
And in everything that we do as professionals and or in Church ministry, we must not forget God in what we do because it is God himself who calls each one of us to our vocation and God gives everyone the graces necessary to our calling.
As our vocation comes from God, in the end it is God whom we serve especially when it is done out of love flowing from our hearts. At some point in time, we leave our gods to serve the one true God which happens when we turn away from things that we idolize in our lives to serve him by serving others. But let it not be said, our work also obtains for us both a temporal and an eternal recompense because the kind of work that we put in as a response to our calling or station in life is a symbol of divine worship. The temporal reward is contentment and earthly happiness but the eternal recompense still awaits us when we are finally invited to the feast. If you will notice, most of the readings for the past several days now are eschatological in nature. Where before I wonder why these readings are arranged this way. Now I realize that these readings are meant to remind us of the need to reorient our priorities in life and hew it closely to our calling. In this parable, Jesus is reminding us that we should not expect an extra credit for serving God through others because obedience to our calling should not be treated as something extra out of what we do but it is our duty. Nor is he suggesting that our service is meaningless because God is pleased at anything that we do that is done for the glory of God as St. Paul reminds us in 1 Cor 10:31 “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” What should remain etched in our minds and hearts is the fact that God doesn’t owe us anything and we have no claim in him but his love should compel us to give him the best that we can give. Paul also tells us in 1 Thes 5:17 “pray continually.” As pilgrims who are in a journey, we must accustom ourselves in uttering ejaculatory prayers in everything that we do and we can do well by adopting as our personal theme “Ora et Labora” which means work and pray and while putting our hands to work, we need to raise our hearts to God in prayer. This is what makes our work pleasing to God by the love we express out of the work of our hands. Do our priorities stand in the way of our relationship with God? We may also be under the spell of the Jezebel spirit and yet be on denial and this affects our motivation to serve.
As we stand face-to-face with Jesus at the Eucharistic Celebration and at our Prayer Meetings, these demons must come out in order for us to be healed. As Christians, Jesus must take the place of the demons in our lives. This is the abundant life (Jn 10:10) that He promised us. At the end of the Gospel, it tells us that Jesus probably just had enough time to rest as he went out at daybreak to pray. This should be the same for us because evangelization which is our primary duty as Christians doesn’t start with programs, projects or with a pretentious attitude but with prayer. For many of us, life continues to be a blur because we don’t spend enough time in prayer which is not only our link to God but prayer brings clarity and purpose to the busyness of our lives and the confusion in our world. Often we prioritize ministry work ahead of prayer but Jesus shows us that communion with God through prayer must precede everything else. And finally Jesus gives us the primary reason why we were created when he stopped those who were looking for him by telling them: “I must preach the Good News…because this is why I was sent.” (v.43) This resolve came after Jesus prayed and this gives credence to what He said in Jn 5:19 “the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does." And He went on to preach throughout Judea because this is the reason why He was sent. This is also our reason for being and that is to preach the Good News and this is the reason why we have to give up the demons in our lives and allow Jesus to enter and take His seat in our hearts because if we are to become the Good News we have to have the humility to allow the Holy Spirit to move in us, take control of our lives and change us. If not, we become bad news and we can’t preach that. To be the disciples of Jesus that we hope to be, we must grasp the meaning of the Lord’s Prayer: “Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Unless we can do this, we will never be able to enjoy the freedom from slavery to sin and selfishness. The CCC primarily states in Para 2818: “In the Lord's Prayer, "thy kingdom come" refers primarily to the final coming of the reign of God through Christ's return. But, far from distracting the Church from her mission in this present world, this desire commits her to it all the more strongly. Since Pentecost, the coming of that Reign is the work of the Spirit of the Lord who "complete[s] his work on earth and brings us the fullness of grace." We, in fact, can experience the joy of living in the Kingdom of God by allowing the Holy Spirit to reside in our hearts and we can begin by allotting time for prayer, ministering to our marginalized brethren and, denying ourselves, take up His cross and follow Him (Lk 9:23-25) and be the Good News to others. |
OUR END-GOAL IS TO BE LIKE CHRIST
AUG. 8, 2014: EIGHTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
First Reading: Nahum 2:1, 3; 3:1-3, 6-7
Responsorial Psalm: Deut 32:35-36, 39, 41 “It is I who deal death and give life.”
GOSPEL: MATT 16:24-28
Key Verse: “But if you give up your life for me,
you will find it.” (v.25)
“If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and let him follow me.” (v.24)
In just this one verse of Matthew’s 16th chapter, Jesus sums up the parameters of what it is to be his disciple and he narrows it down to just three underlying principles which are clearly specified in this verse.
First Reading: Nahum 2:1, 3; 3:1-3, 6-7
Responsorial Psalm: Deut 32:35-36, 39, 41 “It is I who deal death and give life.”
GOSPEL: MATT 16:24-28
Key Verse: “But if you give up your life for me,
you will find it.” (v.25)
“If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and let him follow me.” (v.24)
In just this one verse of Matthew’s 16th chapter, Jesus sums up the parameters of what it is to be his disciple and he narrows it down to just three underlying principles which are clearly specified in this verse.
The first of these three sets of discipling principles is to deny himself. To some this may be as easy as going on a fast or abstaining from your favorite food or activity to merit the favor of God.
But what Jesus Christ is referring to when he said anyone who wishes to follow him must deny himself is for that would-disciple to put to death his own character or persona and put on the person of Christ. To deny oneself is to deny that your original personhood even exist and putting on the character and person of Christ in you. In other words, a would-be disciple is one who dies to himself and is resurrected to a new life clothe with the character of the person he wants to follow or emulate. In simpler terms, this is like the slaves employed by their master during the time of Jesus. In those days, the slave has no character of his own since he is considered owned by his Master. He literally only waits for what his master will tell him to do for the day such that his entire life is spent in the service of the Master until such time he is given his freedom if ever such time will come. To deny oneself is to step down from your throne and to put God at the throne of your entire being. The second principle is for the would-be disciple to take up his cross. This simply means that those who want to follow Christ and end up being glorified with him must embrace a life of sacrificial service. To sacrifice is to forego certain pleasures enjoyed by a would-be disciple and exchange this for an opportunity to serve without expecting any reward at all. It also means putting oneself at a disadvantage especially when responding to the needs of the marginalized ones. There are times when a would-be disciple will have to face persecution in the pursuit of what he believes is a noble cause and or inconvenience when being asked to serve in the mission field that is not entirely to his liking. Crosses come in different forms and shapes. It could be as simple as being asked to serve in the service ministry in an Life in the Spirit Seminar in a place bereft of the comforts of home to the struggle that you face in being moved to forgive someone who may have wronged you. The Christian life is filled with crosses but one thing is clear, the glory that Christ spoke of is there at the foot of the cross. The third principle is a would-be disciple has to follow Christ. To follow Christ is to obey, obey, obey, obey. There is no other way and there are no ifs and buts. A would-be disciple will just have to obey all the things that Christ taught which is encapsulated in the two most important commands that Christ gave to his disciples: “Love the Lord your God with all your mind, heart, soul and strength.” And the second is more like it: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” On these twin commandments are founded the Christian life because love is what will propel a would-be disciple into denying himself, carry his cross and follow Christ. And after he laid down the principles of discipleship, Christ reminded his disciples anew that judgment will definitely be levied on those who will persist in living a sinful life. What Christ warns is the tendency of some to give up on the difficult and sacrificial life of discipleship and exchange these with the comforts that the world brings. |
To Christ, such an attitude is foolishness because no man can bring with him any of these material possessions to the afterlife when his end of age comes as these worldly wealth also cannot stop the inevitable – death – from happening nor can it add any years, months, weeks, or days to one’s life.
What Christ is simply telling us in this Gospel passage is for us to turn our back on the world and to offer ourselves wholly and completely to him and to the Church as a living sacrifice. True discipleship is real and genuine commitment. This is the idea behind the 8-point Covenantal pledge that Covenanted Disciples of the Bukas Loob sa Diyos (Open in Spirit to God) Covenant Community sign before sealing their Covenants with the Lord. Lest our Covenanted Disciples still don’t understand, it is a pledge of our whole existence that we dedicate to the service of his kingdom. We cannot avoid or turn away from the pain and suffering in serving God through the Community because if we do run away from these inconveniences and sacrifices, we risk the possibility of dying a spiritual death. In reality, being in the Community and remaining faithful to our Covenantal pledge to serve without counting the cost actually takes us on the road to eternity. How we live this short span of our lives determines our eternal goal and what we accumulate on earth has no value whatsoever in the Heavenly Kingdom which is our final destination. Even our professional titles, positions, education and learning cannot earn for us the right to enter heaven but only in following Christ can we be assured of salvation. But while our own salvation has been assured, we as Christians will still be evaluated by the Supreme Judge and Author of Life on whether we have been faithful in the use of the gifts that have been given to us. When the LSS activity run short of Shepherds, mission activities that are wanting in workers, when pastoral authority are no longer respected and where there is a breakdown in the flow of authority, when attendance in Corporate Worships and Word Sharing Circles decline, it is time that each member especially the Covenanted Disciples to start reviewing their 8-point Covenant to evaluate themselves and see where they currently stand in relation to the Covenantal pledge they signed. Perhaps it is also time to look back and ask what are we in this for. Are we in community, ministry or apostolate to make ourselves bigger by making others smaller. Are we using the community and or church to flaunt our knowledge of the Catechism and or liturgical structure of the Mass. Do we really understand the mission entrusted to us by Jesus? In other words what are we in it for. Is it to serve or is it a platform to display our personal ego. And this brings us back again to the question of whether we are spending our lives for God, and in God or with God. To know the difference definitely matters insofar as it will point us to the right direction in life. To deny yourself, take up your cross and follow him is the key to discipleship the end goal of which is to become a Christ to others. # # # |
WHO IS JESUS TO US?
AUG. 7, 2014: EIGHTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME First Reading: Jer 31:31-34 Responsorial Psalm: Psa 51:12-15, 18-19 “Create a clean heart in me, O God.” GOSPEL: MATT 16:13-23 Key Verse: “Who do you say I am?” (v.15) This is probably one of the most dramatic stories in the Gospel as we see Jesus beginning to get worried that his teachings have not taken root among his disciples and there was very little time left in his earthly ministry. So he decides to make a headcount who among his disciples know him. As Caesarea Philippi was also outside the jurisdiction of Herod Antipas, Jesus must have mused that it would be an ideal place for his disciples to be at peace with themselves so they could collect their thoughts when he finally throws the question at them. For his disciples to come up with an honest response to what Jesus will ask, their subconscious must be at peace and this city was the right place. Caesarea Philippi is also a non-Jewish region where there are numerous temples or places of worship that do not exactly conform to the religious standards that Jesus is trying to establish among the Jews but which are of historical value. It is against this backdrop that Jesus wanted to know from his disciples if they really know him and the setting he chose should provide his disciples with a comparative view of the world and its religions and the divinity of Jesus himself. But when Jesus first posed the question: “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” (v.13) Jesus received divergent points of views as some said he was John the Baptist, others say Elijah and others Jeremiah. Again, there was a reason for these differences of opinion.
This was borne out of the refusal of the Jews to acknowledge him as coming from God. While many Jews admired and actually believed in him, Jesus was not received as the Messiah the Jewish nation had been waiting for but equated him with some of the prophets who merely heralds the coming of the Messiah. After listening to the different interpretations as to how he was perceived to be, Jesus now turns to his inner core of disciples. He knows his earthly ministry was coming to an end, and Jesus needed to know if his disciples have absorbed everything that he has said and seen what he has done because if they have not at least understood, then it will reduce to waste everything that he has done. As in the feeding of the 5,000 which Jesus could not have done so by himself, he needs his disciples to continue his mission of spreading the Good News to the world and turning to his disciples particular at Peter Jesus asked: “What about you? Who do you say that I am?” (v.15) From wanting to know what others know about him, Jesus now turns to his own flock to make sure they “know” him. In both the Hebrew and Greek language, to “know” a person is not just to know about his persona, his family lineage, his ethnicity or his profession. To “know” is to get into the person himself, to empathize with him, to get to know his feelings. In other words, to “know” is to be one with the person. This was the rationale behind the question that Jesus asked of his |
disciples. And this is the same question that Jesus is now asking us. Do we really “know” him? Do we “know” what is in his heart? Do we “know” his thoughts, his emotions, his goals and mission, the Words he spoke and which were handed down from generation to generation.
This is important because it would be pointless for us to join in this crusade of spreading the Good News if we do not know the person we are trying to introduce to the world. Like Peter who was blessed by the Father in heaven that helped him make the great discovery that Jesus “was the Christ, the Son of the Living God” we, too, must on our own accord discover what Peter discovered. This should be the foundation of our faith because Christianity is not just knowing about Jesus but in truly knowing Jesus because this is the only way that we can let others get into the heart of Jesus. With the assurance that there was at least one among his disciples who know him, Jesus described Peter as the rock upon whom the Church shall be founded and the debate on this particular verses rages on and we would not venture into dipping our minds into this seemingly endless debate. One of the many interpretations that I subscribe to is that of Peter to be one of the first stones for the whole Church that Christ had established but the rock referred to was none other than Christ himself. In other words, since Peter has been designated by Christ himself to be the first member of the Church being the first man to have discovered who Jesus was, the whole Church is built around Peter but the rock is Jesus himself. Equally perplexing is what some scholars describe as a rebuke of Peter and again, we will not get into the debate of whether Peter was possessed by the devil at the time he cautioned Jesus on his impending salvific death. But when Jesus said: “Get behind me Satan” (v.23) what he merely meant was for Peter to take his usual and natural place which was behind him, not in front of Jesus nor to his side but behind him. The description of Peter as Satan was figurative because Satan means adversary and Jesus simply took it as Peter becoming adversarial when he tried to stop Jesus from going through his Passion, Death and Resurrection. What I view as important in this passage is that of binding and loosing. These phrases are parabolic in a sense because it describes the custom of the Jews in deciding which needed to be bound or prohibited and which can be loosed or allowed. And when Jesus directed this verse to Peter, he was actually giving Peter the responsibility to make decisions for the Church that was yet to be established. This same responsibility is what is being passed on to us today. One of these is to live in peace with one another, not insisting on the righteousness of one’s actions against the other but communal living in which we all recognize the strengths and weaknesses of one another. Community living is not about imposing our ideas, thoughts, perceptions, feelings and our will on the other be it in an apostolate or ministry, but in living as one thoroughly accepting the fact that while one is different from the other we have all been predestined to be God’s adopted sons through Jesus Christ Thus, we all share in the same glory of God in union with the Rock who is the foundation of our faith – Jesus Christ Our Lord. # # # |
GOD TELLS US, LISTEN TO JESUS!
AUG. 6, 2014: THE FEAST OF THE TRANSFIGURATION
OF JESUS First Reading: Dan 7:9-10, 13-14 Responsorial Psalm: Psa 97:1-2, 5-6, 9 “The Lord is King, the Most High over all the earth.” Second Reading: 2 Pet 1:16-19 GOSPEL: MATT 17:1-9 Key Verse: “This is my Son, whom I love…. Listen to him.” (v.5) Much of what has been written about the Transfiguration of the Lord at Mt. Hermon spoke of the appearance of Elijah and Moses and how our Lord Jesus was transfigured in the company of two of the greatest leaders the Jews have ever known. But there was more to this Gospel scenario than just the meeting between Our Lord, Elijah and Moses and to be able to understand this event deeper than what it suggests it is important that we try “to know” and get into the very character of Jesus. And for us to understand what transformation means, let me provide you with some words used to define what it is and these include metamorphosis, conversion and, transformation. I believe it is necessary for us to know what transfiguration means so that we will at least have an idea of what took place at Mt. Hermon that the Church describes as the Transfiguration of Our Lord. The fact that this event was depicted in all the Synoptic Gospels (Matt 17:1-9; Mk 9:2-10 and Lk 9:28-36) makes the Transfiguration one of the most significant events in the life of Jesus. Mark’s and Matthew’s account say that Jesus was transfigured while he was with Peter, James and John on high mountain as his clothes turned into dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them (v.2) and before them appeared Elijah and Moses who talked to Jesus (v.3). There was also something peculiar and common to all of these three major characters in this event and that is the mountain. We see in the Scriptures that Jesus always goes to a mountain or something higher especially at night where he stops for the night to pray. The same holds true for Moses who was given the Ten Commandments written on tablets of stone on Mt. Sinai and Elijah encountered God in Mt. Horeb. There was no clear explanation for their choice of a mountain to pray and the only plausible explanation could be that it brings them closer to heaven where God is supposed to be, and it could also be the stillness of the place that makes it conducive to prayer. The significance of this event is what was in the heart and mind of |
Jesus but which has not yet been revealed to his Apostles and this was the exact time and day of his impending sacrifice and death on the cross. We should remember that the Transfiguration happened after Jesus gave his Apostles in the previous chapter a prediction of his coming passion, death and resurrection.
But to Jesus he knew what lies ahead for him and his going up to Mt. Hermon was simply to pray and ask God what his Will was for him and whether he should now begin the salvific journey to finally bind the powers of Satan and the world with his death on the cross. And the appearance of Elijah and Moses was not a coincidence but part of God’s design so that the Apostles – at least the three of them Peter, James and John – can testify to the truth that Jesus indeed was the Son of God. The presence of Elijah and Moses affirmed this truth because the Jews in the olden times believed that Elijah was a prophet and will return to herald the coming of the Messiah while, Moses who was known as the greatest lawmaker who gave the people the Pentateuch will accompany the Messiah when he comes. Take note also that in everything that he does, Jesus always asks the Father to direct his works and this decision to go to Jerusalem was no different. Jesus was actually placing his life in the hands of the Father in heaven and what Jesus was actually telling his disciples was to put all their trust in God.
What makes this narrative significant was the transfiguration of the personhood of Jesus Christ from being a Teacher or Rabbi into the sacrificial lamb who will be offered as an expiation for our sins. When God spoke in v.5, Jesus sensed that indeed it was the will of the One who sent him that he should go to Jerusalem and suffer for all of mankind. In this Gospel narrative, Jesus is actually inviting each one of us to take a |
leap of faith and step out of our comfort zones and into the unknown. When Jesus went up to Mt. Hermon, he was stepping into the unknown and he needed to pray and ask God for an affirmation that going to Jerusalem to suffer and die was the right thing to do.
Serving God is filled with “unknowns” and only those among us who are bold enough to go up to our own Mt. Hermon and seek God in prayer will be equipped with the strength to enable us to also carry our crosses. Our Lord wants us to experience our own transfiguration so that we may also know that we do not belong to this generation. There is nothing that God wants than to share his glory with us and the transfiguration that gave Peter, James and John the unique opportunity to have witnessed the glory of God in its fullness as Jesus appeared in glory with Moses and Elijah can also happen to us if we will only abide by his Word. We as disciples of Christ are called to be witnesses of his glory and when we make it a habit to listen to Jesus as the Father said we “who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Cor 3:18) Thus we must ask in faith what God wants from us today. The transfiguration shows us that God simply wants us to obey his Son. When God spoke from the clouds and said “listen to him” it meant we are not to just read the Scriptures, enroll in seminars and workshops, go to prayer meetings and attend Bible-sharing sessions but what he wants is for us to move and act on what we hear. To listen is to obey. That’s the bottom line. To listen is to obey. That’s the bottom line. This means that we are die to our human nature and be transfigured into the nature of Christ. It also means we are to serve God by serving men without counting the cost. And if we as disciples want to give honor and glory to Jesus and look forward to joining him in heaven where we can behold His majesty and power, then all we need to do is to heed what the Apostle Paul told the people of Corinth: “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” (1 Cor 11:1) Today let us spend a quiet time and let us look deeply into our hearts and souls and see what hinders our transfiguration into the image and likeness of the One who created us. This is also an opportune time to come to grips with the fact that God’s desire is for us to simply obey what He said at the mountain: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” (v.5) # # # |
RISE UP AND DEFEND YOUR FAITHAUG. 5, 2014: 18TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
First Reading: Jer 30:1-2, 12-15, 18-22 Responsorial Psalm: Psa 102:16-21, 29, 22-23 “The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all His Glory.” GOSPEL: MATT 15:1-2, 10-14 Key Verse: “If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.” (v.14) The Church suggests two gospel readings for today. Since we have already shared on the event concerning Peter in Matt 14:22-36, allow me to instead share on this other gospel passage where we see Jesus speaking in parables to provide the people with a picturesque description of the Father’s love to his people. This time, however, goes on the offensive and faces his critics head-on on matters pertaining to age-old tradition of the Jews that defines the things that are clean and separate these from what in their belief to be unclean. What Jesus presented not only caught the Pharisees off-guard but the way Jesus reduced the religious beliefs of the people to nothing more than just preferences of the Pharisees but which are not written on tablets of stone placed Jesus on a collision course with the religious leaders of his time. What Jesus is actually telling in today’s reading us is that we, too, should not mouth kind words when our Catholic faith is being challenged such as what is happening now in our political and social environment. Then and now, we whom Jesus has entrusted with the unenviable task to proclaim the Gospel of truth, love and light have to keep our bearings aright and go into battle in defense of our Catholic faith. The Pharisees, based on their religious practices, questioned Jesus why his disciples do not wash their hands when they eat a meal. This was a tradition handed down to the Jews from generations past but to Jesus, religious should be a matter of the heart, which should be borne out of love which as he had always claimed during his ministry to be superior than the law. While washing the hands may be a ceremonial matter, the Pharisees believed that man must be clean for man to be able to approach and worship God. But to Jesus, worship evolves from a clean heart and a life that is governed by love. And this was where the clash comes from because Jesus was speaking of attitude as a disposition of the heart which to him transcends beyond the written laws and traditions of the Pharisees because for Jesus, worshipping God should not be anchored on ceremonies and or rituals but on personal relationships among men and God.
In this passage, Jesus laid down the parameters of how to worship God and that what should really matter is not the observance of rituals but the state of man’s heart. SECURED IN THE CROSSAUG. 4, 2014: EIGHTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Firs Reading: Jer 28:1-17 Responsorial Psalm: Psa 119:29, 43, 79-80, 95, 102 “Lord, teach me your statutes” GOSPEL: MATT 14:22-36 Key Verse: “You really are the Son of God.” (v.32) We are coming into the Gospel reading of today with the assumption that almost everyone are already familiar with the events depicted in this gospel. We have heard many times how the faith and or lack of faith of Peter has been highlighted by some and we will no longer add to that as we already know what happened. The boat boarded by Peter and the Apostles encountered a storm as they were crossing to the other side of the lake and while the boat was being tossed around, the Apostles saw Jesus walking on the water. Peter also got out of the boat to meet Jesus and he did walk on the water but when Peter felt the strong wind, he began to sink and the key statement here which has an impact in our lives is the verse that says “but when Jesus got into the boat, the wind sank.” There are two things that may remain unnoticed if we will only look at the most common event in this Gospel as we are tempted to focus on the faith of Peter and these are the matter of the (1) wind and the (2) response we need to make once we have encountered Jesus Christ. Many times in our lives we don’t give much thought of what the winds may represent in our lives. We look at it as one of the components of our environment. We know and feel the wind is important as we also cannot live without as it provides us with the air that we breathe. At times the wind refreshes our tired bodies parched by the noonday sun. But that’s all there is to it. But as with the wind that nearly capsized the boat where Peter and the other Apostles were on board, the wind could also represent the struggles that we experience in our lives. It could be the circumstances that weigh down heavily on us as we set out to meet the challenges of everyday living. The winds could also be the temptations that we face and which could separate us from the source of joy and happiness if we don’t deal with it in a godly way. Frustrations over our failure to meet our targets, loss of business opportunities, failed business or even the sorrows we experience over the loss of our loved ones could be the strong winds which may create instability in our lives. But as with the wind that nearly capsized the boat where Peter and the other Apostles were on board, the wind could also represent the struggles that we experience in our lives. It could be the circumstances that weigh down heavily on us as we set out to meet the challenges of everyday living. |
In effect, this remains true today because no one
among us can rightfully say we are worshipping God if we are not in a state of Grace. And this is what Jesus is actually telling us today that to worship God, we must be in a state of Grace which means that we must be reconciled with God and men and this is what Jesus is telling the Pharisees but who did not understand because of their rigid laws. Though the Pharisees perhaps knew Jesus was right, they just couldn’t accept the fact that they are wrong because if they did so then it would mean that the entire religious principles they received from the time of Moses were wrong. And this not only became contentious but it has reached a point that either one has to give. And we already know Jesus gave in not because the Pharisees were right but because of his obedience to the Father that only his death can save men from eternal damnation and from these laws. For us Catholics, to be in a state of Grace is to go and observe the Sacrament of Reconciliation so that we can become like clean vessels to receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist which is actually the body and blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the essence and summit of our Catholic faith. The danger to our faith nowadays is there are times when we supplant our worship of God with plans, programs and projects. We may be going to Church as regularly as possible and give generously to the Church and its projects. We may also have the time to spare for us to attend catechism or Bible study groups or join other members of the Church to help build houses and or, feed the street children. These are means towards religion but they are not what religion is all about. Religion is what our heart tells us to do not what we actually do and even within us, this clash of religious principles that punctuated the relationship of Jesus with the Pharisees is still going on in our own lives as we sometimes are drawn to work in God’s vineyard but being moved by a different intention other than to worship God. For all intents and purposes this confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees was in fact a teaching that should convict and condemn us because no man can rightfully say he is good by the work of his hands that others see, but a man is good only if his heart is pure. In the book Little Prince, we read: “It is only with the heart that one can see clearly. What is essential is invisible to the eye.” Thus, worship is a disposition of the heart that is purely a spiritual transaction between God and man. As St. Thomas Aquinas said: “Man sees the deed, but God sees the intention.” We’re not saying what we are doing now are wrong but we need to search into the innermost recesses of our hearts to bring out the real intention of why we are doing these things. This exchange between Jesus and the Pharisees should also impel us to defend our faith against the onslaught of false doctrines that lead the less-equipped to doubt the authenticity of their Catholic faith and the church that Jesus has established. The autobiography of Cardinal John Henry Newman that I leafed through last night left an indelible impression on my heart and mind especially the conviction that he had in defending the Catholic faith amidst the persecution that he faced. Cardinal Newman was able to remain true to his faith in the Catholic church by directing his entire being at the incomparable love that Jesus shared with the church. # # # The winds could also be the temptations that we face and which could separate us from the source of joy and
happiness if we don’t deal with it in a godly way. Frustrations over our failure to meet our targets, loss of business opportunities, failed business or even the sorrows we experience over the loss of our loved ones could be the strong winds which may create instability in our lives. It is during these storms in our lives that we can find stability in the cross of Jesus. And we find assurance in one of the letters written by St. Francis de Sales who was telling his friend what he noticed as the practice of the people in the village where he lived. Always the observant person that he is, St. Francis de Sales noticed that those who fetch water from the well near the house where he lived always place a piece of wood on the pail of water that they draw from the well and when he asked why, he was told it is to keep the water from spilling because the wood keeps the water stable. St. Francis de Sales later wrote that this is a picturesque analogy with the Cross of Jesus that brings peace into our lives. On the cross we can put our trust and confidence to bring stability to our lives when we are buffeted with strong winds. This also brings us to the need for us to develop the habit of listening and we can draw inspiration from Moses who told the people in Deut 5:1 “Listen carefully now to all these laws God has given you; learn then, and be sure to obey them!” During this time the people have entered into a covenant with God, and Moses was commanding them to hear, learn and follow his statutes. We Christians by virtue of our baptism are also in a covenant with God through Jesus Christ. As such, we should be responsive to what God expects. We can learn from the three-fold command of Moses to the Israelites by (a) Hearing which means absorbing and accepting information about God and from God. (b) Learning which is to understand its meaning and implications, and(c) Following which mandates us to put into action all we have heard and learned. All three parts are essential to a growing relationship with God. This is also what Pope Francis is saying in his encyclical – LUMEN FIDEI (Light of Faith). All of 88 pages, this encyclical can be summarized to mean that for faith to be complete, it must be learned, lived and shared with others. The Gospel reading ends with Matthew writing that Jesus healed everyone who came to him and all those who touched him were restored to health. And this is also the same with many of us. Most often people go to Jesus when they need something. People at times go to Jesus to take advantage of what he can give, of what he can do for us. In other words, we think of Jesus whenever there is something that we want to ask. And how we ask him for all the things in life and the only thing that we don’t ask is for Jesus to pay our rent. But that is as far as we go. We go to Church and join some of the organizations and or Communities in the Church because we want to enjoy the benefits of being a Christian but we shun the corresponding responsibility that Jesus asks of those who come to him and are alleviated from the burdens they carry. For us to enjoy the eternal salvation that Jesus promised us, we need to respond positively to his invitation for us to a life of holiness in Him. We have been predestined after all and anyone who will come to him and accept his invitation to discipleship are assured of his Grace that flows from the cross which puts stability in our lives. And we can remind ourselves of Paul’s letter to the Eph 2:10 "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." # # # |
GOD'S GRACE IS FOR EVERYONE
TIME FOR CORRUPT TO REPENT
JULY 31, 2014: ST. IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA
First Reading: Jer 18:1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 146:1-6 “Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob.”
GOSPEL: MATT: 13:47-53
Key Verse: “Have you understood all these things.” (v.51)
For the people to be able to understand his teachings, Jesus used parables to make it easier for his listeners to discover the truth and most often he usually adapts his teachings either to the existing landscape and or seascape such as this one depending on the place where he was giving a teaching.
And this was probably one of the most significant parables of Jesus in that he gave his disciples also a foreshadow of their future commission which Jesus will give to them before he takes his seat at the right hand of God.
If you have been following through the readings in the past several days, you will notice that some of the gospels were being repeated even within days apart from each other and, while I’m not aware of any particular reason at this time, I would venture to say that the Church probably believes there is a need to drum in us these gospel passages to help develop the faith of believers and also as a guide for us to remember and keep the Words of Jesus to heart.
Speaking to fishermen this time and drawing their attention to the similarity between what he is preaching and their occupation so that they can easily identify themselves with the parable, Jesus talked of how all types of fish are caught in the net when fishermen adopt the trawl fishing method.
As in the parable of the weeds and the wheat that are separated at harvest, the fishermen also wait until they reach the shore where they will separate their catch. They will throw away the bad ones and keep the good ones to be sold.
If we are to relate this scenario to our present situation, what Jesus was saying in this parable is that we who are in the Church today cannot discriminate and be exclusive in our approaches to draw people in but it must be inclusive which means that when we evangelize we have to keep our doors open to all kinds of people and leave to God the authority to judge and sift who among those in the Church will finally enter the Kingdom of Heaven on judgment day.
What this parable emphasizes is what Jesus also pointed out in the parable of the weeds and the wheat – that the time for separation will definitely come when the bad and the useless will be thrown away to fiery furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, while the good and useful ones will be allowed to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
This parable should also serve as a grim reminder for those who patronized and supported the passage of the RH Law that as we can see has opened up the floodgates for the introduction of the so-called death bills such as abortion, same-sex marriage and divorce. There are also moves to constitutionalize the much maligned Development Assistance Fund by involving the legislature in the enactment of laws that would regularize the realignment of idle funds and savings but which many fear will only enhance the propensity of corrupt government officials to exploit the poor and use their positions to enrich themselves.
Let me stress, however, that we don’t know who among us will be allowed entry into the Kingdom of Heaven for it is God alone who judges. But we know who among us will not make it to the Kingdom of Heaven which is why we constantly need to look inwardly and see how near or far are we to God. Having faith is not enough in the same way that knowing about God is also not enough.
Now is also the time for those who may have soiled their hands with the stain of corruption to spend a few moments and reflect on their future especially the time when they will find themselves standing before the Lord on the last day. Now is the time for the corrupt to repent and turn back to God.
Be it known also that corruption does not refer only to those who are engaged in shenanigans in government service but it includes even those who lead the people to believe in wrong doctrines and false teachings. In the same vein, church leaders who manipulate situations for their own aggrandizement also fall into the same category.
Over the past few days we often hear Jesus saying “those who have ears, let them hear” and in today’s gospel we hear Jesus asking his disciples “have you understood all these things?” (v.51) and this brings to light the need to hear in order for us to understand. Jesus knew at this point the presumptive nature of the response the disciples gave and this was the reason why he told them the parable of the householder to provide them with a preview of how they are to use what they learned when they begin to evangelize.
In adding this parable, Jesus was telling his disciples that the teacher of the law should be like the householder or owner of a house who regales his visitors with old heirloom pieces that he has kept and some of the new things he recently purchased that are also of value.
What Jesus actually told his disciples and he is telling us now that we are to bring the Good News to others who are in the world and for us to draw on our old faith experiences and training that we have gathered in the past and to apply these biblical truths to new and current situations.
We are not being compelled to set aside the old traditions and everything we have learned but that we should make use of these knowledge and old practices that are good to put light to the present that will help keep these truths fresh and alive for Jesus did not come to remove the law but to enrich it with his teachings and his love.
And as with his disciples, Jesus is also telling us whom he has commissioned to preach and teach to make use of the old treasures of knowledge and wisdom that we may have picked up along the way to illuminate the present world that we live in.
In other words, our primary duty is to evangelize and to go and make disciples of all nations (Matt 28:18) by using our gifts culled from the teachings we have received in the past and driven by our commitment to the gospel to help bring to light in this present time the truths about the Kingdom of Heaven. # # #
First Reading: Jer 18:1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 146:1-6 “Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob.”
GOSPEL: MATT: 13:47-53
Key Verse: “Have you understood all these things.” (v.51)
For the people to be able to understand his teachings, Jesus used parables to make it easier for his listeners to discover the truth and most often he usually adapts his teachings either to the existing landscape and or seascape such as this one depending on the place where he was giving a teaching.
And this was probably one of the most significant parables of Jesus in that he gave his disciples also a foreshadow of their future commission which Jesus will give to them before he takes his seat at the right hand of God.
If you have been following through the readings in the past several days, you will notice that some of the gospels were being repeated even within days apart from each other and, while I’m not aware of any particular reason at this time, I would venture to say that the Church probably believes there is a need to drum in us these gospel passages to help develop the faith of believers and also as a guide for us to remember and keep the Words of Jesus to heart.
Speaking to fishermen this time and drawing their attention to the similarity between what he is preaching and their occupation so that they can easily identify themselves with the parable, Jesus talked of how all types of fish are caught in the net when fishermen adopt the trawl fishing method.
As in the parable of the weeds and the wheat that are separated at harvest, the fishermen also wait until they reach the shore where they will separate their catch. They will throw away the bad ones and keep the good ones to be sold.
If we are to relate this scenario to our present situation, what Jesus was saying in this parable is that we who are in the Church today cannot discriminate and be exclusive in our approaches to draw people in but it must be inclusive which means that when we evangelize we have to keep our doors open to all kinds of people and leave to God the authority to judge and sift who among those in the Church will finally enter the Kingdom of Heaven on judgment day.
What this parable emphasizes is what Jesus also pointed out in the parable of the weeds and the wheat – that the time for separation will definitely come when the bad and the useless will be thrown away to fiery furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, while the good and useful ones will be allowed to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
This parable should also serve as a grim reminder for those who patronized and supported the passage of the RH Law that as we can see has opened up the floodgates for the introduction of the so-called death bills such as abortion, same-sex marriage and divorce. There are also moves to constitutionalize the much maligned Development Assistance Fund by involving the legislature in the enactment of laws that would regularize the realignment of idle funds and savings but which many fear will only enhance the propensity of corrupt government officials to exploit the poor and use their positions to enrich themselves.
Let me stress, however, that we don’t know who among us will be allowed entry into the Kingdom of Heaven for it is God alone who judges. But we know who among us will not make it to the Kingdom of Heaven which is why we constantly need to look inwardly and see how near or far are we to God. Having faith is not enough in the same way that knowing about God is also not enough.
Now is also the time for those who may have soiled their hands with the stain of corruption to spend a few moments and reflect on their future especially the time when they will find themselves standing before the Lord on the last day. Now is the time for the corrupt to repent and turn back to God.
Be it known also that corruption does not refer only to those who are engaged in shenanigans in government service but it includes even those who lead the people to believe in wrong doctrines and false teachings. In the same vein, church leaders who manipulate situations for their own aggrandizement also fall into the same category.
Over the past few days we often hear Jesus saying “those who have ears, let them hear” and in today’s gospel we hear Jesus asking his disciples “have you understood all these things?” (v.51) and this brings to light the need to hear in order for us to understand. Jesus knew at this point the presumptive nature of the response the disciples gave and this was the reason why he told them the parable of the householder to provide them with a preview of how they are to use what they learned when they begin to evangelize.
In adding this parable, Jesus was telling his disciples that the teacher of the law should be like the householder or owner of a house who regales his visitors with old heirloom pieces that he has kept and some of the new things he recently purchased that are also of value.
What Jesus actually told his disciples and he is telling us now that we are to bring the Good News to others who are in the world and for us to draw on our old faith experiences and training that we have gathered in the past and to apply these biblical truths to new and current situations.
We are not being compelled to set aside the old traditions and everything we have learned but that we should make use of these knowledge and old practices that are good to put light to the present that will help keep these truths fresh and alive for Jesus did not come to remove the law but to enrich it with his teachings and his love.
And as with his disciples, Jesus is also telling us whom he has commissioned to preach and teach to make use of the old treasures of knowledge and wisdom that we may have picked up along the way to illuminate the present world that we live in.
In other words, our primary duty is to evangelize and to go and make disciples of all nations (Matt 28:18) by using our gifts culled from the teachings we have received in the past and driven by our commitment to the gospel to help bring to light in this present time the truths about the Kingdom of Heaven. # # #
ABANDONMENT TO DIVINE PROVIDENCE
JULY 30, 2014: 17th WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
First Reading: Jer 15:10, 16-21 Responsorial Psalm: Psa 59:2-4, 10-11, 17-18 “God is my refuge on the day of distress.” GOSPEL: MATT 13:44-46 Key Verse: “..sells all he has and buys it.” (v.46) The beauty of this gospel passage today is that it gives us an idea on how we should respond when confronted with issues concerning our future. While some of these parables are difficult to understand, we should keep in mind that Jesus was addressing the Jews and the target audience of Matthew was also the Jewish nation. As such, both Jesus and Matthew who recorded and later wrote about the spoken words that were drawn from the preaching and teaching of his Master, the parables are a reflection of the Jewish way of life and culture. And Jesus uses this methodology of delivering his message in a way that the Jews can easily understand because the people can identify with the situation that they experience in their lives and this parable is no different because many of the Jews at that time work on the land and on the fields.
Because there were no depository banks at the time, it was also natural for some of the Jews to keep their valuable items and or treasure for that matter in carefully dug-up holes on the ground which will also explain why the worthless servant in the parable of the talents decided to dig a hole to keep the money entrusted to him instead of investing it. What Jesus through this parable is trying to tell us is for us to have the attitude of the man who found the treasure hidden on a field or what the merchant did when he found a pearl of great price. The reality that we can draw in this gospel is a parallelism with our present-day lives in that the man and the merchant were doing what they are supposed to do everyday except on the Sabbath. Both were working at the time – the man was working on the field. He must have been a tenant otherwise he could have been identified as the owner of the field. When he found the treasure hidden beneath the ground he sold all his possessions and bought the field he was working on. The merchant, on the other hand, did his daily rounds looking for something that he could invest and later on sell at GOD LOVES THOSE WHO SERVEJULY 29, 2014: FEAST OF ST. MARTHA
First Reading: Jer 14:17-22 Responsorial Psalm: Psa 79:8-9, 11, 13 “For the glory of your Name, O Lord, deliver us.” GOSPEL: MATT 13:36-43 Key Verse: “He who has ears, let him hear.” (v.43) If there is anything that we can grasp from this Gospel passage it is the reality that the devil does exist and that its primary aim is to destroy the good seed that God has planted in us. Today’s gospel reading also tells us to be aware that judging others is not one of the many privileges that God gave to man because the power to judge rests on God alone. We need to recognize that there are hostile forces in our midst whose powers are greater than us mere mortals and that we also have to recognize that although we have a God who has already conquered the evil in the world we live in (Jn 16:33), these evil forces still exist and will always try to deceive us and snare us from the hands of Our God. In this Gospel passage, what Jesus is telling us is that we all need to be awake and aware that evil exists and that we should be on guard to remain in control of ourselves against whatever evil tendency that may enter out hearts. Jesus also presents us with what will happen to those who allowed evil to gain control of their lives. He likened them to the weeds that will be thrown into the furnace of hell where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (v.42). But Jesus also provides us with a picture of what the wheat or those who chose to do good can expect “then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father” and he ends by saying “he who has ears, let him hear” (v.43) Indeed, there is an ocean of difference between listening and hearing. Many of us attend Mass on Sundays, Weekdays, during the Liturgical Seasons and we listen to the Word of God being pronounced. We listen to the Homilies that illuminate the Word spoken during the Liturgy of the Word. At times we listen to resource speakers who are invited in our parishes during the period of recollections and these should become avenues to help us achieve what is called ‘metanoia’ or the transformation of our inner selves. The Church provides us these opportunities so that we may be able to use what we hear to shore up our faith to help us put order into our disordered lives and bring us to a closer relationship with Our God. But while God has laid down before us his plan of salvation including what we may expect, a life of eternity with Him, God still doesn’t impose his Will on us as he gives us the freedom to choose for ourselves. And many times, many of us choose the lure and fleeting comforts that the world offers exchanging these to what is more important – the salvation of our souls from eternal damnation. One of the reasons why there are those in our midst who are unhappy with the way their lives are turning out is because we tend to qualify the weight of sin that pervades in our lives. JULY 28, 2014: 17TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
First Reading: Jer 13:1-11 Responsorial Psalm: Deut 32:18-21 “You have forgotten God who gave you birth.” GOSPEL: MATT 13:31-35 Key Verse: “The kingdom of heaven is like a yeast…” (v.33) Today’s Gospel passage should be viewed with great interest for it was here that Jesus began to make full use of parables as his method of teaching. But even before this passage, his previous teachings already had some traces of a parable in it and we can see this in his teaching on the salt and light (Mt 5:13-16), the birds in the sky and lilies of the field (Mt 6:26-30), the wise and foolish builders (Mt 7:24-27), garments and wineskins (Mt 9:16-17), and of the children playing in the marketplace (Mt 11:16-17). These are what we may view as the beginning of his teaching in parables which are illustrations that allow listeners to discover the truth for themselves. Jesus knew it would be difficult to tell the Jews the truth especially when it differs with what they have become used to and the use of parables puts the Jews in a position to discover the truth themselves. To add to our understanding of what a parable is, we should bear in mind that a parable, as told by Jesus, was spoken and it brings out only one point which means that its effect and or influence once it is heard must be immediate as it brings out the truth just as when a lightning suddenly flashes on the sky. So today Jesus uses another parable to illustrate how big things start from small beginnings and as he equates the Kingdom of Heaven with a mustard seed. The mustard seed, however, is not the smallest of seeds because the seed of the cypress tree is even smaller but in the time of Jesus the mustard seed was proverbial for smallness. The point that Jesus wanted to make was clear in that the Kingdom of Heaven starts from a tiny seed which in the fullness of time will become a shelter for many nations and people. Even historically, many of the greatest things we have come to know began from small and humble beginnings. Take for example the church that Christ established out of the seed that he planted in his 12 Apostles and other disciples and which literally grew into the One, Holy, Apostolic and Catholic church that we now have. Close to home, we are reminded of the history of the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community (Open in Spirit to God) which came into being in 1985 as a prayer group that conducts Marriage Encounter Weekends for married couples in the Catholic Church. It grew from there and onto the Life in the Spirit Seminars and some 29 years after the BLD has now grown to 51 Districts in the Philippines, HK, USA and Canada and currently maintains outreach programs at the National Bilibid Prisons, Correctional Institute for Women, Philippine General Hospital and in several parishes throughout the country. And soon, the BLD is looking at Manitoba, Canada; Paris, France; Italy, Germany, Dubai and even some parts of Africa as new mission fields with which to plant the seed of the Christian Catholic faith. All things considered, to plant the seed and witness for Christ must begin with one man and that means it begins with each one of us and what Jesus was saying here in this parable was that we must not give in to despair and disappointment when we are faced with trials and rejection. The message is that we must move on because a Christian is always a man on the move and we must never lose track of the fact that we are the small beginnings from |
a profit. This is what he does for a living. And in those times, the pearl was the loveliest thing in the world. The people during the time of Jesus were fascinated by the pearl not only because it is valuable but because of its beauty and they take pleasure in just holding it in their hands and looking at it.
And the merchant like everyone else like him are always in search of a pearl of unparalleled beauty and just like the man who dug up a treasure, the merchant who saw the pearl of great price left and later on returned after selling everything he had to buy and take possession of the pearl which to him was the loveliest pearl he ever saw. Similarly, we spend almost a lifetime in our search for true peace and genuine happiness and when we find it, we may have to give up certain if not many things in our lives be it ambition, position, fame and or the insatiable appetite to accumulate wealth; turn away from what to us has become a habit and a way of life which we find difficult to give up; we may need to give up on our comfortable lifestyles in exchange for the cross in the mission field; and certainly the vices that gives us pleasure that are fleeting like smoking, drinking, sex, gambling that we need to give up. Both the man and the merchant may have lived a clean life but we don’t know that. Or they may have spent their lives in pleasure whenever they earned from the pursuit of their work. We don’t know that either. But in my lifetime especially when I was still single, I used my money for things that I thought would give me pleasure. I smoked three packs of imported cigarettes a day, I got drunk almost every night, I gambled and, I frequented nightclubs and bars. Nothing changed when I got married except that now I have a family to go home to. But the craving for material things persisted especially when I started earning from the business I was involved in. The standard also changed. Instead of bars and nightclubs, now my friends and I frequented the bars at the five-star hotels. I still gambled but no longer on the gaming tables but on the golf course. But everything changed when I was invited to the Marriage Encounter Weekend of the Open in Spirit to God (Bukas Loob sa Diyos) charismatic community and when I took the Life in the Spirit Seminar, it transported me to the same situation that the man and the merchant were in when they found the treasure and the pearl of great price. The moral in these two situations was that both the man and the merchant gave up their possessions to acquire that which to them was worth than everything they had. I too have to give up practically everything that I possessed including my job in the media when I found what to me is the treasure and the pearl of great price – the Kingdom of Heaven. And Jesus likened the treasure that the man discovered and the pearl of great price that the merchant found and bought to the Kingdom of Heaven. This is so because there is no other way that will lead us to peace and happiness in this life and to the glory of the life to come than to give up everything to accept the Will of God because to enter the Kingdom of Heaven is premised on our abandonment of our human will to the Divine Providence. # # # TO BE THE LEAVEN IS OUR CALLING There is a tendency among us to allow venial sins
to enter into our hearts premised on the assumption that venial sins can be forgiven as against what we believe are mortal sins. Many do believe that because we didn’t kill or murder anyone, we didn’t commit abortion or help in the abortion of an unborn child, and or we didn’t commit acts that are sacrilegious, that it is all right for us to commit what to us are venial sins or those little acts of spiritual infractions that we believe can be forgiven. But what we may be forgetting is that these little acts of sinfulness regardless of how minute these are will infect our souls especially if we allow these little sins to persist and will eventually choke the wheat in us if we are not cognizant of the evil effects these will have in our lives. In the community or in the church, one of the most common of these little sins is the habit of talking negatively about someone or other members of the Church, self-exaltation by regarding ourselves as higher in stature than others, rationalizing our disobedience, disrespect and disregard to pastoral authority, refusal and or choosing when or where to serve. We may assume that these bad habits may be inconsequential but when allowed to percolate, these evil tendencies will separate us from the flow and source of Grace. This gospel passage also provides us with a clearer understanding that there will always be a time of harvest in which Our God will send his angels to separate the weeds from the wheat. This means that judgment is in the hands of God alone and that while we mortals are given all the privileges in life, to judge one another is not among these perks in life for it is God alone who judges the good and the bad. It is God alone who sees all of what man is made of because he is the one who created us and he alone has the right to separate the weeds from the wheat. Today is also the feast day of St. Martha in whom we see ourselves -- worried and distracted by all we have to do in the world and forgetting to spend time with Jesus. It is, however, comforting to note that Jesus loved her just the same. The next time Martha was mentioned in the Bible was when she was grieving the death of her brother and when she heard that Jesus has just come to the area she gets up immediately and leaves the guests, leaves her mourning, and goes to meet him. Her conversation with Jesus shows her faith and courage. In this dialogue she states clearly without doubt that she believes in Jesus' power, in the resurrection, and most of all that Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus tells her that he is the resurrection and the life and then goes on to raise her brother from the dead. Our final picture of Martha in Scripture is the one that sums up who she was. Jesus has returned to Bethany to share a meal with his good friends. In this home were three extraordinary people. We hear how brother Lazarus caused a stir when he was brought back to life. We hear how Mary causes a commotion at dinner by anointing Jesus with expensive perfume. But all we hear about Martha is the simple statement: “Martha served.” She isn't in the spotlight, she doesn't do showy things, she doesn't receive spectacular miracles. She simply serves Jesus. We know nothing more about Martha and what happened to her later. According to an unverified legend Martha accompanied Mary to evangelize in France after Pentecost. But wouldn't it also be wonderful if the most important thing that could be said about us is what was said of Martha: “They served?” Martha is the patron saint of servants and cooks. We who serve Jesus might as well make her our patron saint too. which the Kingdom grows.
But we also must not lose our focus in Jesus who is the message and content of our proclamation of the gospel. It is sad that communities have instead chosen to form committees and offices instead of ministries in pursuit of the New Evangelization creating activities and programs that are ephemeral as it lack the substance that would make such programs last. Anything short of the spiritual will not last because genuine evangelization rests on the transformative power of the Holy Spirit that turns a person into a leaven that will influence his environment. What we also should remember is that we are like the leaven and again the message for us is that there shouldn’t be any stopping what we have started. Just like the leaven (proclamation of the Kingdom of heaven), we may not actually see how it works but it will definitely have an impact on the flour such that in time the leaven will affect the entire dough (the world). As such, we may not see how the Kingdom works but when we allow God to use us and when we abandon ourselves to Divine Providence, the Holy Spirit whom Christ gave to his disciples and to us now will continue to work and draw people and the world closer to God. However, the main point of this parable is that adverse to being unseen the work of the Kingdom can be seen as the work of the leaven is there for all to see. Just as when the leaven changes the dough, the work we do to establish the Kingdom turns into a violent force for all to see. Such is the power of Christ who transforms men from their indifference, passiveness, doubts and unbelief. Thus the message of today’s Gospel is that the work of the Spirit of God may be like an underground river that glides under the earth’s surface unseen but there are times when its work is so obvious and so powerful that everyone can see it. What God is actually telling us today is for us to be the small seed whose faith will grow into a tree providing shelter for others and, the leaven who will make a difference in the world. # # # |
JESUS: THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE
BELIEF OVERCOMES DOUBT
JULY 3, 2014: FEAST OF ST. THOMAS, Apostle
First Reading: Eph 2:19-22
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 117:1bc, 2 “Go out to all the world and tell the good news.”
GOSPEL: JN 20:24-29
Key Verse: “blessed are those who have not seen
and yet have believed.” (v.29)
In these days of uncertainty it has become natural for people to doubt something that they only heard about and have not seen. This is especially true with regards to the many vanity products such as those that make your skin whiter or one that makes you taller that are being marketed through aggressive marketing campaigns such that people no longer know what to believe in.
At times, our belief and faith in God even turn to doubt and unbelief when we encounter storms in our lives, sickness and death in the family, loss of job and income opportunities, inability to settle and pay financial obligations, failed relationships and, broken friendships are some of the things that unnerve us and there are times we feel that God has abandoned us.
On the other hand, these uncertainties and life’s storms should be viewed as an opportunity for us to reflect on our relationship with God and we probably should ask ourselves the question – if God seems so far away, ask yourself who moved? Was it God or was it you because God will never move away from you.
There may also be times we may ask why there are challenges in our lives when we have been serving God through the church and are active in ministry work. In this situation, we probably need to also look inwardly and reflect on the kind of motivation that we have. Are we in it to really serve God or are we propelled by other personal motives.
In today’s gospel reading, it’s not really the uncertainties in life that keep the Jews from believing in Jesus but it was their unbelief that a carpenter’s son was the Messiah who has been prophesied.
Even after news of the resurrection of Jesus had spread like wildfire in Jerusalem the Jews persisted in their doubts and unbelief and today more than 2,000 years later, we are still caught up in our own doubts and or indifference that prevent us from establishing a more concrete relationship with God that is rooted in humility and obedience. Why? Because the world itself is preventing us from doing so as it offers us a comparative view of life.
On one hand is the material world we live in, the fast-paced search for comfort and luxury, anything that would bring us fame, prestige and wealth have kept us glued in this mundane world. The other dimension is the eternal life that was promised to those who will believe in him.
Such belief, however, is premised on our subservience to his Holy Will and a life that is anchored on sacrifice and suffering. This last part is what makes people think because most often we want to reap the promise of eternal joy but without the pain and sacrifice attached to it.
The world has become too fast that anything you need is available at the press of a button. Everything can be procured and acquired and transactions are consummated within minutes. Every bit of information is available in this wired world we are in. Even Bible verses and inspirational message are now being disseminated through e-Mail and SMS or text.
But has this connectivity contributed to forming Christians to become a replica of Jesus in all aspects of his life? From the time we received Jesus in our baptism – whether sacramental or para-liturgical – have we allowed the Holy Spirit to take control of our entire persona?
Have we become forgiving of one another or do we persist in our unbelief, doubt and meaningless pursuit of what we perceive to be a joyful life.
And how many of us demand a physical evidence before they will believe. “Unless I see I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe." (V.25)
It is not that the people now do not really believe that Jesus Christ is Lord but the circumstances of our present lives lead us to unbelief. The economic difficulties that we experience these days also contribute to the estranged relationship between God and the people He has created.
When Jesus appeared to his disciples he offered proofs of his resurrection by showing them the wounds of his passion, his pierced hands and side. He calmed their fears and brought them peace, the peace that reconciles sinners and makes one a friend of God.
Today this has not changed as Jesus still is offering the same proof at the table of the Paschal sacrifice each time Mass is celebrated and this should serve as a memorial for us that God already took our sins and sufferings to the cross and the peace that He offered to his disciples in the Upper Room is the same kind of peace he is offering to us now.
But in us there will always be a Thomas who will doubt not because we love the Lord less but because we simply lack the courage to stand with Jesus and share his passion and crucifixion. Like Thomas we also run away from the Church not only because we lack motivation but because we only want to earn the glory of heaven without the sacrifice needed to get there.
Jesus came back and appeared to his disciples not only to prove he had resurrected from death but he came back because he needed his disciples to establish his Church. In the same way, we who now comprise the Church also need Jesus. As we are being sent to make disciples of all nations, we need someone to send us and without Jesus we have no message to bring to all the nations. This means that as Jesus is dependent on us to keep his message alive, we also need Jesus to equip us and empower us by His Holy Spirit.
There may be times doubt will cloud our faith but there is something in Thomas that we also need to emulate. Thomas believed and became one of the most faithful messengers of God’s love and forgiveness who is credited for bringing Christianity to India.
There are times when differences and disputes arise within the Church that move us to leave and there will be times we will experience some low points in our life and we find ourselves going back to God. But why wait for the light to run out of our lives before we believe and realize that all we need is the light that comes from God.
When Thomas recognized his Master, he believed and exclaimed that Jesus was truly Lord and truly God! The gift of faith infused in us at our baptism should move us to also proclaim Jesus as our personal Lord and our God. He died and rose that we, too, might have new life in him.
And today, the same Jesus who appeared to Thomas is offering each one of us a new life in his Holy Spirit that we may know him personally and walk in this new way of life through the power of his Resurrection.
We don’t actually have to put our fingers in his wounds to believe that Jesus is real as we only need faith to believe that he has indeed resurrected from the dead and we have the Scriptures and the Church as it stands today as permanent proofs of his passion, death and resurrection.
The one thing to remember is that Jesus needs the Church to keep the fire burning and we need Jesus because he is the message that we only need to know and bring to others. As God sent Jesus to the cross, so Jesus is also sending us now and no one can truly understand why unless we come to realize that the relationship between God and Jesus is premised on Jesus’ obedience and love.
And so it must be with us. For us to develop a truly meaningful relationship with Jesus we need to humble ourselves and go down from our pedestal and obey whatever He tells us to do but this subservience to His will must be anchored on love for God and neighbor which is what true conversion is all about.
First Reading: Eph 2:19-22
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 117:1bc, 2 “Go out to all the world and tell the good news.”
GOSPEL: JN 20:24-29
Key Verse: “blessed are those who have not seen
and yet have believed.” (v.29)
In these days of uncertainty it has become natural for people to doubt something that they only heard about and have not seen. This is especially true with regards to the many vanity products such as those that make your skin whiter or one that makes you taller that are being marketed through aggressive marketing campaigns such that people no longer know what to believe in.
At times, our belief and faith in God even turn to doubt and unbelief when we encounter storms in our lives, sickness and death in the family, loss of job and income opportunities, inability to settle and pay financial obligations, failed relationships and, broken friendships are some of the things that unnerve us and there are times we feel that God has abandoned us.
On the other hand, these uncertainties and life’s storms should be viewed as an opportunity for us to reflect on our relationship with God and we probably should ask ourselves the question – if God seems so far away, ask yourself who moved? Was it God or was it you because God will never move away from you.
There may also be times we may ask why there are challenges in our lives when we have been serving God through the church and are active in ministry work. In this situation, we probably need to also look inwardly and reflect on the kind of motivation that we have. Are we in it to really serve God or are we propelled by other personal motives.
In today’s gospel reading, it’s not really the uncertainties in life that keep the Jews from believing in Jesus but it was their unbelief that a carpenter’s son was the Messiah who has been prophesied.
Even after news of the resurrection of Jesus had spread like wildfire in Jerusalem the Jews persisted in their doubts and unbelief and today more than 2,000 years later, we are still caught up in our own doubts and or indifference that prevent us from establishing a more concrete relationship with God that is rooted in humility and obedience. Why? Because the world itself is preventing us from doing so as it offers us a comparative view of life.
On one hand is the material world we live in, the fast-paced search for comfort and luxury, anything that would bring us fame, prestige and wealth have kept us glued in this mundane world. The other dimension is the eternal life that was promised to those who will believe in him.
Such belief, however, is premised on our subservience to his Holy Will and a life that is anchored on sacrifice and suffering. This last part is what makes people think because most often we want to reap the promise of eternal joy but without the pain and sacrifice attached to it.
The world has become too fast that anything you need is available at the press of a button. Everything can be procured and acquired and transactions are consummated within minutes. Every bit of information is available in this wired world we are in. Even Bible verses and inspirational message are now being disseminated through e-Mail and SMS or text.
But has this connectivity contributed to forming Christians to become a replica of Jesus in all aspects of his life? From the time we received Jesus in our baptism – whether sacramental or para-liturgical – have we allowed the Holy Spirit to take control of our entire persona?
Have we become forgiving of one another or do we persist in our unbelief, doubt and meaningless pursuit of what we perceive to be a joyful life.
And how many of us demand a physical evidence before they will believe. “Unless I see I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe." (V.25)
It is not that the people now do not really believe that Jesus Christ is Lord but the circumstances of our present lives lead us to unbelief. The economic difficulties that we experience these days also contribute to the estranged relationship between God and the people He has created.
When Jesus appeared to his disciples he offered proofs of his resurrection by showing them the wounds of his passion, his pierced hands and side. He calmed their fears and brought them peace, the peace that reconciles sinners and makes one a friend of God.
Today this has not changed as Jesus still is offering the same proof at the table of the Paschal sacrifice each time Mass is celebrated and this should serve as a memorial for us that God already took our sins and sufferings to the cross and the peace that He offered to his disciples in the Upper Room is the same kind of peace he is offering to us now.
But in us there will always be a Thomas who will doubt not because we love the Lord less but because we simply lack the courage to stand with Jesus and share his passion and crucifixion. Like Thomas we also run away from the Church not only because we lack motivation but because we only want to earn the glory of heaven without the sacrifice needed to get there.
Jesus came back and appeared to his disciples not only to prove he had resurrected from death but he came back because he needed his disciples to establish his Church. In the same way, we who now comprise the Church also need Jesus. As we are being sent to make disciples of all nations, we need someone to send us and without Jesus we have no message to bring to all the nations. This means that as Jesus is dependent on us to keep his message alive, we also need Jesus to equip us and empower us by His Holy Spirit.
There may be times doubt will cloud our faith but there is something in Thomas that we also need to emulate. Thomas believed and became one of the most faithful messengers of God’s love and forgiveness who is credited for bringing Christianity to India.
There are times when differences and disputes arise within the Church that move us to leave and there will be times we will experience some low points in our life and we find ourselves going back to God. But why wait for the light to run out of our lives before we believe and realize that all we need is the light that comes from God.
When Thomas recognized his Master, he believed and exclaimed that Jesus was truly Lord and truly God! The gift of faith infused in us at our baptism should move us to also proclaim Jesus as our personal Lord and our God. He died and rose that we, too, might have new life in him.
And today, the same Jesus who appeared to Thomas is offering each one of us a new life in his Holy Spirit that we may know him personally and walk in this new way of life through the power of his Resurrection.
We don’t actually have to put our fingers in his wounds to believe that Jesus is real as we only need faith to believe that he has indeed resurrected from the dead and we have the Scriptures and the Church as it stands today as permanent proofs of his passion, death and resurrection.
The one thing to remember is that Jesus needs the Church to keep the fire burning and we need Jesus because he is the message that we only need to know and bring to others. As God sent Jesus to the cross, so Jesus is also sending us now and no one can truly understand why unless we come to realize that the relationship between God and Jesus is premised on Jesus’ obedience and love.
And so it must be with us. For us to develop a truly meaningful relationship with Jesus we need to humble ourselves and go down from our pedestal and obey whatever He tells us to do but this subservience to His will must be anchored on love for God and neighbor which is what true conversion is all about.
PRAYER PLEASES GOD
JUNE 19, 2014: ELEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
First Reading: Sir 48:1-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 97:1-7 “Rejoice in the Lord, you just.”
GOSPEL: MATT 6:7-15
Key Verse: “If you forgive others… your Father
in heaven will forgive you.” (v.14)
As we step deeper into what we know as the Ordinary Time, we see Jesus telling his disciples the kind of discipline that they need to put in whenever they pray and he bares the foundation that should provide us with the right atmosphere for prayer.
Jesus begins by stressing that prayer must be seen and heard primarily by God and God alone and not by man for it is God who is the object of our prayers. In the same way, we should not look at prayer as a duty or as an obligation but prayer must come from the disposition of our hearts as an act of humility through which we can obtain God’s mercy and favor.
When and where to pray is unimportant and we should deviate from the common practice that prayer is efficacious when said inside the Church, chapel or similar edifices or places where God seems to be present and or confined to certain sacred places which might lead us to forget that the whole world is the temple of God.
But even during the time of Jesus, the wisest among the Rabbis already felt the danger of this practice of praying only in the synagogue which was why some of them also advised the people saying: “God says to Israel, pray in the synagogue of your city; if you cannot, pray in the field; if you cannot, pray in your house; if you cannot, pray on your bed; if you cannot, commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still.”
Praying to be seen by men was what Jesus criticized in this Gospel passage for today and he gave his disciples two important guidelines for prayer. One is that prayer must be offered to God which means that whether in public or in private prayer, we should have no other thought in mind and desire in our hearts but to offer our prayers to God.
The other rule to remember is that the God to whom we pray is a God of love who is more than willing to answer our prayers when done in utter humility and sincerity. In praying, we should remember that we don’t need to cajole, batter or pester God into answering our prayers because we have a God whose very nature is to give. What we should keep in mind is that we must come to God with these words written on our lips “Thy will be done” because at the end of the day it is his Will alone that matters.
As we go to the main message of this passage the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples to pray, we need to spend time reflecting on this prayer to be able to grasp its meaning. And while the Church has adopted this prayer to become the Lord’s Prayer that every believer young and old should pray, the Lord’s Prayer is, for all intents and purposes, a prayer that only a disciple can pray because it is a prayer that only one who is committed to Jesus Christ can utter with his lips.
Simply put, the Lord’s Prayer can only be prayed when we who will pray it know what we are saying and an average person won’t be able to grasp what this prayer really means unless that person enters into discipleship.
The whole point of this Gospel today is that prayer is our lifeline to God. Prayer establishes a connection with God and it’s like there is an imaginary path that we can tread leading to the Kingdom of God. Prayer is in fact entering into a conversation with God and the Lord’s Prayer brings us to the very presence of God.
The first three petitions are directed to the glory of God whereas the second three petitions pertain to our needs. The second part of the prayer deals with the three essential needs of men. First, it asks for bread that is necessary for our daily sustenance. It also asks for forgiveness that brings our past before God and it also seeks the help of God to keep us free from temptation as we commit our future into the hands of God. In these three petitions, Jesus is teaching us to present before God the present, the past and, the future before the footstool of the God’s Grace.
Thus, prayer is an elevation of our hearts to God and we must find a way that will allow us to direct all the powers of our souls to God. The mere thought of God is not a prayer because the devils also think of God but they do not pray to Him. So when we pray, we must commune with him and shut ourselves from the world around us and take delight only in the presence of the Almighty God.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus said: “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.” (v.2) The CCC 2787 also says that: “when we say ‘Our Father’ we recognize first that all his promises of love announced by the prophets are fulfilled in the new and eternal covenant in his Christ: we have become “his” people and he is henceforth “our” God. This new relationship is the purely gratuitous gift of belonging to each other: we are to respond to “grace and truth” given us in Jesus Christ with love and faithfulness.”
Thus, St. John Chrysostom said that “to be permitted to talk with his Creator and hold familiar intercourse with Him, is the greatest honor and privilege mortal man can enjoy.”
While there is also no doubt that we can obtain all things from God through prayer, we must also be resigned to God’s will: “Not my will, but yours be done.” (Lk 22:42) We must all remember that our prayers are never in vain but the time and manner of its fulfillment lie in the hands of God which means that everything depends upon the will of God.
With this prayer Jesus makes forgiveness the cornerstone of our relationship with God. As God has forgiven our sins, we too are also obliged to forgive those who may have wronged us without conditions. To persist in unforgiveness means that we do not understand what we pray.
As St. Alphonsus once said: “The souls in heaven are there because they have prayed well; the condemned are in hell because they have not prayed.” Thus, failure to pray is the first step to unbelief and, eventually to hell. “Prayer is the one thing that men have in common with angels.” (St. John Chrysostom) because prayer unites the created with His Creator.
JUNE 19, 2014: ELEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
First Reading: Sir 48:1-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 97:1-7 “Rejoice in the Lord, you just.”
GOSPEL: MATT 6:7-15
Key Verse: “If you forgive others… your Father
in heaven will forgive you.” (v.14)
As we step deeper into what we know as the Ordinary Time, we see Jesus telling his disciples the kind of discipline that they need to put in whenever they pray and he bares the foundation that should provide us with the right atmosphere for prayer.
Jesus begins by stressing that prayer must be seen and heard primarily by God and God alone and not by man for it is God who is the object of our prayers. In the same way, we should not look at prayer as a duty or as an obligation but prayer must come from the disposition of our hearts as an act of humility through which we can obtain God’s mercy and favor.
When and where to pray is unimportant and we should deviate from the common practice that prayer is efficacious when said inside the Church, chapel or similar edifices or places where God seems to be present and or confined to certain sacred places which might lead us to forget that the whole world is the temple of God.
But even during the time of Jesus, the wisest among the Rabbis already felt the danger of this practice of praying only in the synagogue which was why some of them also advised the people saying: “God says to Israel, pray in the synagogue of your city; if you cannot, pray in the field; if you cannot, pray in your house; if you cannot, pray on your bed; if you cannot, commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still.”
Praying to be seen by men was what Jesus criticized in this Gospel passage for today and he gave his disciples two important guidelines for prayer. One is that prayer must be offered to God which means that whether in public or in private prayer, we should have no other thought in mind and desire in our hearts but to offer our prayers to God.
The other rule to remember is that the God to whom we pray is a God of love who is more than willing to answer our prayers when done in utter humility and sincerity. In praying, we should remember that we don’t need to cajole, batter or pester God into answering our prayers because we have a God whose very nature is to give. What we should keep in mind is that we must come to God with these words written on our lips “Thy will be done” because at the end of the day it is his Will alone that matters.
As we go to the main message of this passage the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples to pray, we need to spend time reflecting on this prayer to be able to grasp its meaning. And while the Church has adopted this prayer to become the Lord’s Prayer that every believer young and old should pray, the Lord’s Prayer is, for all intents and purposes, a prayer that only a disciple can pray because it is a prayer that only one who is committed to Jesus Christ can utter with his lips.
Simply put, the Lord’s Prayer can only be prayed when we who will pray it know what we are saying and an average person won’t be able to grasp what this prayer really means unless that person enters into discipleship.
The whole point of this Gospel today is that prayer is our lifeline to God. Prayer establishes a connection with God and it’s like there is an imaginary path that we can tread leading to the Kingdom of God. Prayer is in fact entering into a conversation with God and the Lord’s Prayer brings us to the very presence of God.
The first three petitions are directed to the glory of God whereas the second three petitions pertain to our needs. The second part of the prayer deals with the three essential needs of men. First, it asks for bread that is necessary for our daily sustenance. It also asks for forgiveness that brings our past before God and it also seeks the help of God to keep us free from temptation as we commit our future into the hands of God. In these three petitions, Jesus is teaching us to present before God the present, the past and, the future before the footstool of the God’s Grace.
Thus, prayer is an elevation of our hearts to God and we must find a way that will allow us to direct all the powers of our souls to God. The mere thought of God is not a prayer because the devils also think of God but they do not pray to Him. So when we pray, we must commune with him and shut ourselves from the world around us and take delight only in the presence of the Almighty God.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus said: “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.” (v.2) The CCC 2787 also says that: “when we say ‘Our Father’ we recognize first that all his promises of love announced by the prophets are fulfilled in the new and eternal covenant in his Christ: we have become “his” people and he is henceforth “our” God. This new relationship is the purely gratuitous gift of belonging to each other: we are to respond to “grace and truth” given us in Jesus Christ with love and faithfulness.”
Thus, St. John Chrysostom said that “to be permitted to talk with his Creator and hold familiar intercourse with Him, is the greatest honor and privilege mortal man can enjoy.”
While there is also no doubt that we can obtain all things from God through prayer, we must also be resigned to God’s will: “Not my will, but yours be done.” (Lk 22:42) We must all remember that our prayers are never in vain but the time and manner of its fulfillment lie in the hands of God which means that everything depends upon the will of God.
With this prayer Jesus makes forgiveness the cornerstone of our relationship with God. As God has forgiven our sins, we too are also obliged to forgive those who may have wronged us without conditions. To persist in unforgiveness means that we do not understand what we pray.
As St. Alphonsus once said: “The souls in heaven are there because they have prayed well; the condemned are in hell because they have not prayed.” Thus, failure to pray is the first step to unbelief and, eventually to hell. “Prayer is the one thing that men have in common with angels.” (St. John Chrysostom) because prayer unites the created with His Creator.
GOD LISTENS TO THE HEART
JUNE 18, 2014: ELEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
First Reading: 2 Kgs 2:1, 6-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 31: 20, 21, 24 “Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.”
GOSPEL: MATT 6:1-6, 16-18
Key Verse: “And your Father… will reward you.” (v.18)
In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus gave two teachings to his disciples that highlighted the importance of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Jesus knew whereof he speaks because the Jews regarded these three as the cardinal works of their religious life.
To the Jews, a person is considered as pious if the person faithfully observes these key signs of piety on which the good life was based. Jesus immediately went to the crux of religiosity as he gave his disciples a teaching on the importance and significance of prayer.
In some way, these three cardinal works practiced by the Jews are similar to what we Catholics know as the Corporal Works of Mercy (CCC 2447) or seven practices of charity toward our neighbor that we also need to observe because these will have a bearing on our final destiny. These are: 1) Feed the hungry; 2) Give drink to the thirsty; 3) Clothe the naked; 4) Shelter the homeless; 5) Visit the sick; 6) Visit those in prison, and; 7) Bury the dead.
These corporal works of mercy was culled from the Words of Jesus in Matt 25:34 when he said: “Then the King will say to those at his right hand, ’Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ’Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink?’ And the king will answer them, ’Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of my brethren, you did it to me.”
Our Church teaches us that these corporal works of mercy are oriented toward the body. But we also have what are known as the spiritual works of mercy which are oriented toward the soul. These seven practices of Catholic charity that are directed toward the soul are: 1) Admonish sinners; 2) Instruct the ignorant; 3) Counsel the doubtful; 4) Comfort the sorrowful; 5) Bear wrongs patiently; 6) Forgive injuries, and; 7) Pray for the living and the dead.
In faith, we must believe that these practices are based on the teachings of Christ which have been handed down to the Church since the apostolic times.
Why then do we need to pray, fast, and give alms? Is it to draw attention to ourselves so that others would notice and think highly of us? Or do we do these things to give glory to God? The Lord warns his disciples against seeking glory for themselves and he is also reminding us today not to preoccupy ourselves with trying to look good and to seek praise from others.
True piety is more than just feeling good or appearing to be holy. True piety is our expression of our deep and loving devotion to God without attracting attention to ourselves. Piety is an attitude of awe, reverence, worship, obedience and the total yielding of ourselves to God. Piety is a gift of the Holy Spirit that empowers us to surrender our lives to God with a holy desire to please him in all things (Isa 11:1-2).
And Jesus assures us of a just reward when we can do all these things. This reward is not in any way material but the opportunity to come into communion with God our Father for only in Him can we find the fullness of life, truth, love and joy. There are many who think in terms of honor and praise for themselves as their reward but can there be anything more valuable than the fullness of life that we can only find in God through Christ.
Perhaps we can draw inspiration from Saint Augustine who prayed: “When I am completely united to you, there will be no more sorrows or trials; entirely full of you, my life will be complete.” The Lord indeed rewards those who seek him with humble and repentant hearts as He renews us each day and he gives us new hearts of love and compassion that we may serve him and our neighbor with joy and generous hearts.
Jesus warns us: “Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.” (v.1) Such should serve as a guide for us not to fall into the trap of becoming hypocrites who, in the time of Jesus, were described as those who do good acts for appearances only – not out of compassion or good motives.
What Jesus is actually telling us in today’s Gospel passage is that we don’t need to exert any effort for our actions to be seen because God sees everything and that God will reward those who are sincere in their faith. This is the same with our calling as disciples. The call comes from the Lord which means we wait and we do what God tells us to do and go where we are sent.
So, if we all want to grow in our love for God and for our neighbor let us all seek God in prayer, by fasting, and through generous giving to those in need. It is often said that you will know a person by his attitude towards giving especially to those in need because giving most often defines the character of a true Christian. And in praying, make sure that your prayers come from the heart because God listens to what is in your heart.
Because of the material world that we grew up in, there is a natural tendency among us to work our butts off just so we can be comfortable and live in luxury with all the amenities that money can buy. Last Sunday as we went around the Rockwell Mall after the Father’s Day dinner hosted by my daughter Patti, we chanced upon a beautiful convertible manufactured by Morgan Motor Company of England.
These cars are different because they are hand-made and the car bodies are made out of aluminum. The only downside is that the cheapest model is priced at P5.5-million, pretty stiff for people like me but probably loose change to those who have money to splurge and four units have already been sold since the car was introduced in the Philippines two weeks ago.
The Morgan cars are mostly two-seaters and the equivalent of P5.5-million is 18 class rooms that can house 650 students at an average population of 35 students per class room. I will not judge those who bought and will buy these cars but I guess we are also accountable in the way we dispense of the blessings that we have received.
First Reading: 2 Kgs 2:1, 6-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 31: 20, 21, 24 “Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.”
GOSPEL: MATT 6:1-6, 16-18
Key Verse: “And your Father… will reward you.” (v.18)
In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus gave two teachings to his disciples that highlighted the importance of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Jesus knew whereof he speaks because the Jews regarded these three as the cardinal works of their religious life.
To the Jews, a person is considered as pious if the person faithfully observes these key signs of piety on which the good life was based. Jesus immediately went to the crux of religiosity as he gave his disciples a teaching on the importance and significance of prayer.
In some way, these three cardinal works practiced by the Jews are similar to what we Catholics know as the Corporal Works of Mercy (CCC 2447) or seven practices of charity toward our neighbor that we also need to observe because these will have a bearing on our final destiny. These are: 1) Feed the hungry; 2) Give drink to the thirsty; 3) Clothe the naked; 4) Shelter the homeless; 5) Visit the sick; 6) Visit those in prison, and; 7) Bury the dead.
These corporal works of mercy was culled from the Words of Jesus in Matt 25:34 when he said: “Then the King will say to those at his right hand, ’Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ’Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink?’ And the king will answer them, ’Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of my brethren, you did it to me.”
Our Church teaches us that these corporal works of mercy are oriented toward the body. But we also have what are known as the spiritual works of mercy which are oriented toward the soul. These seven practices of Catholic charity that are directed toward the soul are: 1) Admonish sinners; 2) Instruct the ignorant; 3) Counsel the doubtful; 4) Comfort the sorrowful; 5) Bear wrongs patiently; 6) Forgive injuries, and; 7) Pray for the living and the dead.
In faith, we must believe that these practices are based on the teachings of Christ which have been handed down to the Church since the apostolic times.
Why then do we need to pray, fast, and give alms? Is it to draw attention to ourselves so that others would notice and think highly of us? Or do we do these things to give glory to God? The Lord warns his disciples against seeking glory for themselves and he is also reminding us today not to preoccupy ourselves with trying to look good and to seek praise from others.
True piety is more than just feeling good or appearing to be holy. True piety is our expression of our deep and loving devotion to God without attracting attention to ourselves. Piety is an attitude of awe, reverence, worship, obedience and the total yielding of ourselves to God. Piety is a gift of the Holy Spirit that empowers us to surrender our lives to God with a holy desire to please him in all things (Isa 11:1-2).
And Jesus assures us of a just reward when we can do all these things. This reward is not in any way material but the opportunity to come into communion with God our Father for only in Him can we find the fullness of life, truth, love and joy. There are many who think in terms of honor and praise for themselves as their reward but can there be anything more valuable than the fullness of life that we can only find in God through Christ.
Perhaps we can draw inspiration from Saint Augustine who prayed: “When I am completely united to you, there will be no more sorrows or trials; entirely full of you, my life will be complete.” The Lord indeed rewards those who seek him with humble and repentant hearts as He renews us each day and he gives us new hearts of love and compassion that we may serve him and our neighbor with joy and generous hearts.
Jesus warns us: “Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.” (v.1) Such should serve as a guide for us not to fall into the trap of becoming hypocrites who, in the time of Jesus, were described as those who do good acts for appearances only – not out of compassion or good motives.
What Jesus is actually telling us in today’s Gospel passage is that we don’t need to exert any effort for our actions to be seen because God sees everything and that God will reward those who are sincere in their faith. This is the same with our calling as disciples. The call comes from the Lord which means we wait and we do what God tells us to do and go where we are sent.
So, if we all want to grow in our love for God and for our neighbor let us all seek God in prayer, by fasting, and through generous giving to those in need. It is often said that you will know a person by his attitude towards giving especially to those in need because giving most often defines the character of a true Christian. And in praying, make sure that your prayers come from the heart because God listens to what is in your heart.
Because of the material world that we grew up in, there is a natural tendency among us to work our butts off just so we can be comfortable and live in luxury with all the amenities that money can buy. Last Sunday as we went around the Rockwell Mall after the Father’s Day dinner hosted by my daughter Patti, we chanced upon a beautiful convertible manufactured by Morgan Motor Company of England.
These cars are different because they are hand-made and the car bodies are made out of aluminum. The only downside is that the cheapest model is priced at P5.5-million, pretty stiff for people like me but probably loose change to those who have money to splurge and four units have already been sold since the car was introduced in the Philippines two weeks ago.
The Morgan cars are mostly two-seaters and the equivalent of P5.5-million is 18 class rooms that can house 650 students at an average population of 35 students per class room. I will not judge those who bought and will buy these cars but I guess we are also accountable in the way we dispense of the blessings that we have received.
LOVE EVEN THE UNLOVEABLE
JUNE 17, 2014: ELEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
First Reading: 1 Kgs 21:17-29
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 51:3-6, 11, 16 "Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned."
GOSPEL: MATT 5:43-48
Key Verse: "Pray for those who persecute you." (v.44)
Many who continue to harbor grudges in their hearts against those who may have wronged them must have found yesterday’s Gospel reading to be a difficult act to follow as Jesus commanded us to stretch their patience a little longer than usual.
Today’s Gospel passage is even tougher and will definitely be a problem for those who are enslaved by their hatred, anger, resentment and bitterness towards those with whom they are in conflict with because today Jesus is asking us to: “Love your enemies and, pray for those who persecute you.” (v.44)
As we are on the subject of love, it would be much easier for us to grasp what Jesus meant when he tells us to love our enemies by looking back and see how love was understood in the time of Jesus. As Greek was the common language at the time, the Greeks apply four different words for love.
Love could mean “storge” which was used to describe family affection. Then there is also “eros” which describe the passion of human love of a man towards the opposite sex. Love could also be referred to as a “philia” kind of love which was the warmest kind of love that connotes real love and tender affection which the Jews regard as the highest kind of love.
There was, however, a fourth type of love and this was “agape” which means “unconquerable benevolence and invincible goodness” and this is the kind of love that Jesus wants us to have when relating to those whom we perceive to be our enemies.
By having this kind of “agape” love, it means that regardless of what a person does to us, no matter how we are treated by that person, insulted, injured or grieved, Jesus is telling us never to allow any bitterness against that person to inhabit our hearts. Instead we are to extend to our enemies that unconquerable benevolence and invincible goodness that will seek nothing but the highest good.
What makes “agape” love different is that it is not a feeling but a determination of the mind that moves us to love those whom we do not like and who also may not like us. What makes it easy to do is the Grace that comes from Jesus Christ that will enable us to conquer our natural tendency to hate and resent our enemies and replace it with “agape” love.
This is what makes Christians different from others and what makes Christianity distinct from any other religion. It is this Grace of Christ that leads us to treat others, not as they deserve, but as God wants them to be treated – with loving-kindness and mercy.
We must always remember that God is good to the unjust as well as to the just. His love encompasses both the saint and sinner alike. God only seeks our highest good and he teaches us to seek the greatest good of others, even those who hate and abuse us.
By commanding us not to retaliate, Jesus wants us not to take the law into our own hands and loving and praying for our enemies is the best antidote to overcome evil with good. The Pharisees used Lev 19:18 in teaching the Jews to love those who love in return and Psa 139:19-22 as a basis to hate their enemies.
But Jesus in today’s Gospel was saying we are to love our enemies and by doing so we are proclaiming to the heavens that Jesus is the Lord of our life. Loving our enemies is possible only for those who give themselves fully to God because only God can deliver us from our natural tendency to be selfish and vengeful.
We must trust the Holy Spirit to fill us and show us how to love even those whom we may find difficult to love. What the late Fr. Pascual Adorable said in one of his homilies still ring clear in my ears: “Love even the unlovable.” was what Fr. Adorable said in his booming voice and I and maybe others who were spiritual infants in those days could not make out what he meant for how can you love someone who has wronged you and has caused you many a sleepless nights.
But as I was growing up in the community I clearly saw that Fr. Adorable merely echoed the words of Jesus Christ who stood by the words he spoke which meant that what Jesus said in his preaching was what he did. In other words there was unanimity in the words and actions of Jesus and this is also expected of Christian disciples.
Jesus also tells us in today’s Gospel to “be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect!” (v.48). And the question we probably would ask ourselves is how is this possible. There are four ways in which perfection can be seen in our lives. First is in our character. We cannot be flawless but we can always try to be Christ-like in all our ways. We can also strive to be perfect in holiness by separating ourselves from the world’s sinful values and obeying the Will of God for us to proclaim and share his love with the world around us.
We can work to become perfect in maturity by growing in Grace as we allow the trials and challenges we face in life to become tools that would shape and mold us to become perfect in the eyes of God. And we can be perfect in the way we love by loving others in the same way that God loves us. Men will always have a tendency to sin but this should not stop us from striving to be like Christ.
Jesus is calling on all of us to rise above our mediocrity, for us to excel and mature in every area of our lives because as man was created “in the image and likeness of God” (Gen 1:16) we must realize that our goal in life is to become godlike and the way we can be like God is when we can love even the unlovable.
When we learn to forgive as God forgives and, to love as God loves that is the time when we shall have reached the perfection that God wants us to have (1 Jn 3:2-3). To end please pray with me: “Lord Jesus, fill my heart now with your Holy Spirit and set my heart on fire with your love so that nothing may make me lose my temper, disturb my peace or rob me of the joy I have in you or make me bitter towards anyone. May your love also bring me freedom and pardon for my sins. In the Name of Jesus, this I pray, AMEN!”
First Reading: 1 Kgs 21:17-29
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 51:3-6, 11, 16 "Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned."
GOSPEL: MATT 5:43-48
Key Verse: "Pray for those who persecute you." (v.44)
Many who continue to harbor grudges in their hearts against those who may have wronged them must have found yesterday’s Gospel reading to be a difficult act to follow as Jesus commanded us to stretch their patience a little longer than usual.
Today’s Gospel passage is even tougher and will definitely be a problem for those who are enslaved by their hatred, anger, resentment and bitterness towards those with whom they are in conflict with because today Jesus is asking us to: “Love your enemies and, pray for those who persecute you.” (v.44)
As we are on the subject of love, it would be much easier for us to grasp what Jesus meant when he tells us to love our enemies by looking back and see how love was understood in the time of Jesus. As Greek was the common language at the time, the Greeks apply four different words for love.
Love could mean “storge” which was used to describe family affection. Then there is also “eros” which describe the passion of human love of a man towards the opposite sex. Love could also be referred to as a “philia” kind of love which was the warmest kind of love that connotes real love and tender affection which the Jews regard as the highest kind of love.
There was, however, a fourth type of love and this was “agape” which means “unconquerable benevolence and invincible goodness” and this is the kind of love that Jesus wants us to have when relating to those whom we perceive to be our enemies.
By having this kind of “agape” love, it means that regardless of what a person does to us, no matter how we are treated by that person, insulted, injured or grieved, Jesus is telling us never to allow any bitterness against that person to inhabit our hearts. Instead we are to extend to our enemies that unconquerable benevolence and invincible goodness that will seek nothing but the highest good.
What makes “agape” love different is that it is not a feeling but a determination of the mind that moves us to love those whom we do not like and who also may not like us. What makes it easy to do is the Grace that comes from Jesus Christ that will enable us to conquer our natural tendency to hate and resent our enemies and replace it with “agape” love.
This is what makes Christians different from others and what makes Christianity distinct from any other religion. It is this Grace of Christ that leads us to treat others, not as they deserve, but as God wants them to be treated – with loving-kindness and mercy.
We must always remember that God is good to the unjust as well as to the just. His love encompasses both the saint and sinner alike. God only seeks our highest good and he teaches us to seek the greatest good of others, even those who hate and abuse us.
By commanding us not to retaliate, Jesus wants us not to take the law into our own hands and loving and praying for our enemies is the best antidote to overcome evil with good. The Pharisees used Lev 19:18 in teaching the Jews to love those who love in return and Psa 139:19-22 as a basis to hate their enemies.
But Jesus in today’s Gospel was saying we are to love our enemies and by doing so we are proclaiming to the heavens that Jesus is the Lord of our life. Loving our enemies is possible only for those who give themselves fully to God because only God can deliver us from our natural tendency to be selfish and vengeful.
We must trust the Holy Spirit to fill us and show us how to love even those whom we may find difficult to love. What the late Fr. Pascual Adorable said in one of his homilies still ring clear in my ears: “Love even the unlovable.” was what Fr. Adorable said in his booming voice and I and maybe others who were spiritual infants in those days could not make out what he meant for how can you love someone who has wronged you and has caused you many a sleepless nights.
But as I was growing up in the community I clearly saw that Fr. Adorable merely echoed the words of Jesus Christ who stood by the words he spoke which meant that what Jesus said in his preaching was what he did. In other words there was unanimity in the words and actions of Jesus and this is also expected of Christian disciples.
Jesus also tells us in today’s Gospel to “be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect!” (v.48). And the question we probably would ask ourselves is how is this possible. There are four ways in which perfection can be seen in our lives. First is in our character. We cannot be flawless but we can always try to be Christ-like in all our ways. We can also strive to be perfect in holiness by separating ourselves from the world’s sinful values and obeying the Will of God for us to proclaim and share his love with the world around us.
We can work to become perfect in maturity by growing in Grace as we allow the trials and challenges we face in life to become tools that would shape and mold us to become perfect in the eyes of God. And we can be perfect in the way we love by loving others in the same way that God loves us. Men will always have a tendency to sin but this should not stop us from striving to be like Christ.
Jesus is calling on all of us to rise above our mediocrity, for us to excel and mature in every area of our lives because as man was created “in the image and likeness of God” (Gen 1:16) we must realize that our goal in life is to become godlike and the way we can be like God is when we can love even the unlovable.
When we learn to forgive as God forgives and, to love as God loves that is the time when we shall have reached the perfection that God wants us to have (1 Jn 3:2-3). To end please pray with me: “Lord Jesus, fill my heart now with your Holy Spirit and set my heart on fire with your love so that nothing may make me lose my temper, disturb my peace or rob me of the joy I have in you or make me bitter towards anyone. May your love also bring me freedom and pardon for my sins. In the Name of Jesus, this I pray, AMEN!”
STRETCH YOUR PATIENCE FURTHER
JUNE 16, 2014: ELEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
First Reading: 1 Kgs 21:1-16
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 5: 2-7 “Lord, listen to my groaning.”
GOSPEL: MATT 5:38-42
Key Verse: “do not resist an evil person.” (v.39)
Tit for tat is a term that connotes equivalent retaliation, measure for measure, blow for blow or what is referred to in ancient times as eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. It simply means exacting revenge in the same measure as the wrong done.
This was the law that the Jews followed in those days (Lev 24:19-20; Deut 19:21 but its original intention was not to turn the Jews into bloodthirsty hounds but simply to limit the act of vengeance and help the Jewish courts administer punishment that was neither too strict or too lenient.
This law, however, was abused by some Jews to justify their personal vendettas against their enemies or those with whom they were in conflict. But the original intent was not to give the individual the right and or privilege to exact vengeance but to help the judge and the courts determine the corresponding penalty that is equivalent to the wrong done.
In fact, there were interpretations made to indicate that this ancient Jewish law was written down to serve as a warning for wrongdoers and for the people to think about the consequences of their actions. It can even be said that this law served as a reminder to the Jews to be merciful towards others and these reminders were also written down for the Jews to observe: “You shall not take vengeance or bear any grudge against the sons of your own people.” (Lev 19:18).
The Book of Proverbs also says: If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he is thirsty, given him water to drink.” (Prov 25:21) This means that even if this provision on “eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth” was included as part of the ancient Jewish law, it’s intent was merely to serve as a warning and or as a precaution for the Jews to always be aware of their actions.
What is sad and unfortunate is that this ancient law is still being quoted even up to this present age to justify personal vengeance or “taking the law into our own hands” as a response to the wrong that may have been committed against us.
The Gospel reading today is actually a continuation of the Sermon on the Mount and here we hear Jesus contradicting the issue of just retribution with a surprising revelation of how God wants us to treat others, especially those who have been unfair to us. To the amazement of those listening to him, Jesus spoke of a new standard based not just on the requirements of justice that was practiced in those days but an amendment to the then existing law that was based on the law of grace and love.
The words that Jesus spoke was unheard of as he literally revised the law whose intention was actually to teach the people to be merciful to others into a new law that was founded on grace and loving-kindness. Jesus made clear that there should be no room for retaliation of any kind even in self defense as he admonished the people “do not resist one who is evil.” (v.39).
Jesus commands us not only to avoid returning evil for evil but that we must seek the good of those who wish us ill. This means that we are to humble ourselves and accept insults, as Jesus did, with no resentment or malice. It also means doing more than what is expected of us. This means that we need to rise above the level of expectations when we are confronted with insults, intrigues, wrongdoing, and persecution and that we must respond with grace and cheerfulness.
When we are wronged the human tendency is always to get even. But what Jesus is telling us in this Gospel reading is to good to those who wrong us. Our Lord commands us that we should not keep score of whatever wrongs done to us but to just love and forgive.
This reminds me of someone who accused me of wrongdoing and as I sat down to iron out our differences my accuser came out with a list of wrongdoings that I allegedly committed against him. The dialogue never led to a resolution as the person concerned would not accept anything beyond the mindset that he has already created for himself. Still, I humbled myself and asked for his forgiveness for whatever wrong I may have committed against him. But I never heard the person say he was accepting my apology. And the dialogue ended the way it started.
While being patient and forgiving may indeed be hard and difficult to do, you must remember that you are a supernatural being and that you can rely on God to give you the strength to love as he does and instead of seeking vengeance, it would be a much better proposition if you can just pray for those who may have hurt you. In simpler terms, even when you find yourself on the edge in your relationship with others, God prefers that you stretch your patience further.
How you will respond to difficult situations such as when others wrong you or hurt you will define your character and this is what makes a Christian stand out in the crowd. To be a Christian is to be different from everyone else because a Christian is someone who is filled with Grace in the way we treat others not because they deserve it but because this is the way God wants us to treat others – with loving kindness and mercy.
When you are encountering difficulty in forgiving others, you only have to look at the cross of Jesus Christ and you will be freed of malice, hatred, revenge, and resentment and Christ Himself will give you the courage to return evil with good. It is this kind of love and grace which will give you the power to be healed of your hatred and bitterness that will eventually save you from your own destruction.
Let me end with this prayer: “Merciful and loving God, fill our hearts today with the graces of your Holy Spirit. May the fruits of the Holy Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control be manifest in our lives today. Teach us to love and grant us the grace to pray for those who have wronged us and hurt us. In times of adversity grant us the grace to be patient and in prosperity make us humble and we know that your plan for us is that we may live a fruitful and disciplined lives and become productive so that our lives will bear fruit as you have planned it to be. All these we pray in the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ and through the intercession of Virgin Mary, our blessed Mother, AMEN!
First Reading: 1 Kgs 21:1-16
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 5: 2-7 “Lord, listen to my groaning.”
GOSPEL: MATT 5:38-42
Key Verse: “do not resist an evil person.” (v.39)
Tit for tat is a term that connotes equivalent retaliation, measure for measure, blow for blow or what is referred to in ancient times as eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. It simply means exacting revenge in the same measure as the wrong done.
This was the law that the Jews followed in those days (Lev 24:19-20; Deut 19:21 but its original intention was not to turn the Jews into bloodthirsty hounds but simply to limit the act of vengeance and help the Jewish courts administer punishment that was neither too strict or too lenient.
This law, however, was abused by some Jews to justify their personal vendettas against their enemies or those with whom they were in conflict. But the original intent was not to give the individual the right and or privilege to exact vengeance but to help the judge and the courts determine the corresponding penalty that is equivalent to the wrong done.
In fact, there were interpretations made to indicate that this ancient Jewish law was written down to serve as a warning for wrongdoers and for the people to think about the consequences of their actions. It can even be said that this law served as a reminder to the Jews to be merciful towards others and these reminders were also written down for the Jews to observe: “You shall not take vengeance or bear any grudge against the sons of your own people.” (Lev 19:18).
The Book of Proverbs also says: If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he is thirsty, given him water to drink.” (Prov 25:21) This means that even if this provision on “eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth” was included as part of the ancient Jewish law, it’s intent was merely to serve as a warning and or as a precaution for the Jews to always be aware of their actions.
What is sad and unfortunate is that this ancient law is still being quoted even up to this present age to justify personal vengeance or “taking the law into our own hands” as a response to the wrong that may have been committed against us.
The Gospel reading today is actually a continuation of the Sermon on the Mount and here we hear Jesus contradicting the issue of just retribution with a surprising revelation of how God wants us to treat others, especially those who have been unfair to us. To the amazement of those listening to him, Jesus spoke of a new standard based not just on the requirements of justice that was practiced in those days but an amendment to the then existing law that was based on the law of grace and love.
The words that Jesus spoke was unheard of as he literally revised the law whose intention was actually to teach the people to be merciful to others into a new law that was founded on grace and loving-kindness. Jesus made clear that there should be no room for retaliation of any kind even in self defense as he admonished the people “do not resist one who is evil.” (v.39).
Jesus commands us not only to avoid returning evil for evil but that we must seek the good of those who wish us ill. This means that we are to humble ourselves and accept insults, as Jesus did, with no resentment or malice. It also means doing more than what is expected of us. This means that we need to rise above the level of expectations when we are confronted with insults, intrigues, wrongdoing, and persecution and that we must respond with grace and cheerfulness.
When we are wronged the human tendency is always to get even. But what Jesus is telling us in this Gospel reading is to good to those who wrong us. Our Lord commands us that we should not keep score of whatever wrongs done to us but to just love and forgive.
This reminds me of someone who accused me of wrongdoing and as I sat down to iron out our differences my accuser came out with a list of wrongdoings that I allegedly committed against him. The dialogue never led to a resolution as the person concerned would not accept anything beyond the mindset that he has already created for himself. Still, I humbled myself and asked for his forgiveness for whatever wrong I may have committed against him. But I never heard the person say he was accepting my apology. And the dialogue ended the way it started.
While being patient and forgiving may indeed be hard and difficult to do, you must remember that you are a supernatural being and that you can rely on God to give you the strength to love as he does and instead of seeking vengeance, it would be a much better proposition if you can just pray for those who may have hurt you. In simpler terms, even when you find yourself on the edge in your relationship with others, God prefers that you stretch your patience further.
How you will respond to difficult situations such as when others wrong you or hurt you will define your character and this is what makes a Christian stand out in the crowd. To be a Christian is to be different from everyone else because a Christian is someone who is filled with Grace in the way we treat others not because they deserve it but because this is the way God wants us to treat others – with loving kindness and mercy.
When you are encountering difficulty in forgiving others, you only have to look at the cross of Jesus Christ and you will be freed of malice, hatred, revenge, and resentment and Christ Himself will give you the courage to return evil with good. It is this kind of love and grace which will give you the power to be healed of your hatred and bitterness that will eventually save you from your own destruction.
Let me end with this prayer: “Merciful and loving God, fill our hearts today with the graces of your Holy Spirit. May the fruits of the Holy Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control be manifest in our lives today. Teach us to love and grant us the grace to pray for those who have wronged us and hurt us. In times of adversity grant us the grace to be patient and in prosperity make us humble and we know that your plan for us is that we may live a fruitful and disciplined lives and become productive so that our lives will bear fruit as you have planned it to be. All these we pray in the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ and through the intercession of Virgin Mary, our blessed Mother, AMEN!
LUST IS A SIN
JUNE 13, 2014: TENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
First Reading: 1 Kgs 19:9, 11-16
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 27:7-9, 13-14 “I long to see your face, O Lord.”
GOSPEL: MATT 5:27-32
Key Verse: “Be faithful in marriage.” (v.27)
Today’s gospel passage should serve as a stern warning to everyone who have been promoting the idea that the time is now right for Philippine society to adopt what has in truth destroyed most of Western society – divorce – and this topic remains to be the subject of endless and at times heated debates in the halls of the country’s legislature.
While there are many factors that guide the judicial courts in Western countries in the conduct of divorce cases filed before them, adultery has become one of the primary basis that is used in seeking favor from the courts in the grant of divorce to couples wanting to terminate their marriages.
Many of us may go about our day-to-day business with the confidence that the values that we grew up in are still being observed today. What we don't know is that many of these values have already been thrown out the window long ago such that what may have been taboo during our youth has somewhat become the culture of today’s society.
But when we speak of adultery, there is a tendency to take it lightly and many of us think of adultery in terms of the actual act of either having an illicit affair or cohabiting with another who is not your spouse. We may not think of it as a serious offense but it is in the eyes of God who placed adultery just below that of murder (Exo 20:13-14).
And in today’s gospel passage, Jesus Christ included lust as a sinful act that is on the same level as adultery. Perhaps, this passage is as timely as the current headlines in that there are many in today’s society also think of lust either in a passive sense or as an ordinary occurrence.
Though lust is ordinarily used to refer to sexual desire, it also includes all other desires of the flesh and Christ equated lustful acts as a sin because lust is desiring something in a cunning and luring manner. Perhaps it would be a good idea if we try to find time to open our Bibles to Lev 20:10 that states in specific terms that God considers adultery as a capital offense that is worthy of the death penalty and God promised to judge those who commit adultery in Heb 13:4 and 1 Cor 6:9-10.
St. Paul also lists several types of the sins of the flesh (Gal 5:19-21) saying that those who practice such works will have no part in the Kingdom of God. We probably will ask why God is so particular about this sin of lust and adultery. It is because adultery destroys friendships, marriages, familial relationships and most especially it affects the lives and future of children whose parents are caught up in adulterous behavior.
How then can we avoid or stay away from the sin of adultery? While flight or running away from such sins is a sure way of avoiding it, the Bible itself presents the solutions that can help man from the consuming desire for such things as sex, money, possessions, and fame.
Even those who serve in a church or community are not immune to the sin of lust because desiring for positions and power are also considered a sin especially when the flesh is involved and it is in this area in which even Christian disciples falter.
Christ in Mk 7:21-23 pointed out that the problem begins in the heart “for from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man unclean.”
When Jesus said: “pluck it out and throw it away.” (v.29) what he meant was that we need to take some radical decisions to get rid of that which causes us to sin. In as much as it requires taking action to increase our faith, so is turning away from sin. Prayer definitely helps and by some mysterious action the Holy Spirit will provide us the strength and endurance to avoid sin but we need to cooperate with the Spirit of God by taking drastic action to avoid temptation that leads to sin.
As sin is to the soul as cancer is to the body, God expects us to perform radical surgery to treat the cancer of sin by cutting off the things that lead us to look at the opposite sex with lust and diverting our thoughts to absorbing “what is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such thigs.” (Phi 4:8)
We may not know it but books, movies, DVDs, magazines that contain pornographic materials encourage us to sin. To stretch this situation even further, even friends, co-workers, associates, can become stepping stones that may lead us to sin especially if they encourage or influence us to situations that are sinful: “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.” (1 Cor 15:33)
So again, we ask how then can we avoid sin? Run for crying out loud run! “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.” (1 Cor 6:18) for the simple reason that our body is the “temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you.” (1 Cor 6:19)
What we should remember is that there is hope for those who give in to lustful desires and even for those who find themselves in adulterous situations and that hope for salvation lies in God alone. With God’s help, anyone who sins can still rise above their desires that have consumed them. As Christ rebuilt his Temple in three days, we can also hope that God will also rebuild the Temple of the Holy Spirit in us but only if we will humble ourselves and come to him in prayer and repentance.
Bear in mind that human nature is atoned for and forgiven. We should, for all intents and purposes, ask God for the gift of temperance and self-control so that anyone who is weak in this particular area of lustful desires can acquire control of this sin.
Since Christ included divorce in today’s gospel passage, allow me to end with this quote from Archbishop Sheen: “Your marriage will become like a tuning fork to the song of the angels. It will be like a river that runs into the sea where the romance and the marriage fuse into one; or since God is boundless eternal love, it will take that eternal chase to sound its depths; that in one and the same moment, a limitless receptivity and a boundless gift. This is what you marry for: for love—and love leads you to God.”
First Reading: 1 Kgs 19:9, 11-16
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 27:7-9, 13-14 “I long to see your face, O Lord.”
GOSPEL: MATT 5:27-32
Key Verse: “Be faithful in marriage.” (v.27)
Today’s gospel passage should serve as a stern warning to everyone who have been promoting the idea that the time is now right for Philippine society to adopt what has in truth destroyed most of Western society – divorce – and this topic remains to be the subject of endless and at times heated debates in the halls of the country’s legislature.
While there are many factors that guide the judicial courts in Western countries in the conduct of divorce cases filed before them, adultery has become one of the primary basis that is used in seeking favor from the courts in the grant of divorce to couples wanting to terminate their marriages.
Many of us may go about our day-to-day business with the confidence that the values that we grew up in are still being observed today. What we don't know is that many of these values have already been thrown out the window long ago such that what may have been taboo during our youth has somewhat become the culture of today’s society.
But when we speak of adultery, there is a tendency to take it lightly and many of us think of adultery in terms of the actual act of either having an illicit affair or cohabiting with another who is not your spouse. We may not think of it as a serious offense but it is in the eyes of God who placed adultery just below that of murder (Exo 20:13-14).
And in today’s gospel passage, Jesus Christ included lust as a sinful act that is on the same level as adultery. Perhaps, this passage is as timely as the current headlines in that there are many in today’s society also think of lust either in a passive sense or as an ordinary occurrence.
Though lust is ordinarily used to refer to sexual desire, it also includes all other desires of the flesh and Christ equated lustful acts as a sin because lust is desiring something in a cunning and luring manner. Perhaps it would be a good idea if we try to find time to open our Bibles to Lev 20:10 that states in specific terms that God considers adultery as a capital offense that is worthy of the death penalty and God promised to judge those who commit adultery in Heb 13:4 and 1 Cor 6:9-10.
St. Paul also lists several types of the sins of the flesh (Gal 5:19-21) saying that those who practice such works will have no part in the Kingdom of God. We probably will ask why God is so particular about this sin of lust and adultery. It is because adultery destroys friendships, marriages, familial relationships and most especially it affects the lives and future of children whose parents are caught up in adulterous behavior.
How then can we avoid or stay away from the sin of adultery? While flight or running away from such sins is a sure way of avoiding it, the Bible itself presents the solutions that can help man from the consuming desire for such things as sex, money, possessions, and fame.
Even those who serve in a church or community are not immune to the sin of lust because desiring for positions and power are also considered a sin especially when the flesh is involved and it is in this area in which even Christian disciples falter.
Christ in Mk 7:21-23 pointed out that the problem begins in the heart “for from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man unclean.”
When Jesus said: “pluck it out and throw it away.” (v.29) what he meant was that we need to take some radical decisions to get rid of that which causes us to sin. In as much as it requires taking action to increase our faith, so is turning away from sin. Prayer definitely helps and by some mysterious action the Holy Spirit will provide us the strength and endurance to avoid sin but we need to cooperate with the Spirit of God by taking drastic action to avoid temptation that leads to sin.
As sin is to the soul as cancer is to the body, God expects us to perform radical surgery to treat the cancer of sin by cutting off the things that lead us to look at the opposite sex with lust and diverting our thoughts to absorbing “what is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such thigs.” (Phi 4:8)
We may not know it but books, movies, DVDs, magazines that contain pornographic materials encourage us to sin. To stretch this situation even further, even friends, co-workers, associates, can become stepping stones that may lead us to sin especially if they encourage or influence us to situations that are sinful: “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.” (1 Cor 15:33)
So again, we ask how then can we avoid sin? Run for crying out loud run! “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.” (1 Cor 6:18) for the simple reason that our body is the “temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you.” (1 Cor 6:19)
What we should remember is that there is hope for those who give in to lustful desires and even for those who find themselves in adulterous situations and that hope for salvation lies in God alone. With God’s help, anyone who sins can still rise above their desires that have consumed them. As Christ rebuilt his Temple in three days, we can also hope that God will also rebuild the Temple of the Holy Spirit in us but only if we will humble ourselves and come to him in prayer and repentance.
Bear in mind that human nature is atoned for and forgiven. We should, for all intents and purposes, ask God for the gift of temperance and self-control so that anyone who is weak in this particular area of lustful desires can acquire control of this sin.
Since Christ included divorce in today’s gospel passage, allow me to end with this quote from Archbishop Sheen: “Your marriage will become like a tuning fork to the song of the angels. It will be like a river that runs into the sea where the romance and the marriage fuse into one; or since God is boundless eternal love, it will take that eternal chase to sound its depths; that in one and the same moment, a limitless receptivity and a boundless gift. This is what you marry for: for love—and love leads you to God.”
ALWAYS LOOK TO JESUS
JUNE 12, 2014: TENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
First Reading: 1 Kgs 18:41-46
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 65: 1-13 “It is right to praise you in Zion, O God.”
GOSPEL: MATT 5:20-26
Key Verse: “first be reconciled to your brother.” (v.24)
To steal, kill, covet the property of the neighbor, indiscretion, lying, think and speak ill of others, resentment and bitterness, hatred, anger and other forms of emotional outbursts. All these constitute sinful acts. One need not go to the extent of killing another to commit sin. Just by being angry or insult someone is in itself a sin.
Why? Because man was not created to be angry, bitter or resentful of others. Man who was created out of God’s love for the world is obliged to also share this same love with others especially our neighbor. As C.S. Lewis said: “Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses. Christ’s body is as hidden in the least of us, as it is hidden under the appearances of bread and wine.”
In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus makes a stand against emotional outbursts that impair the image of God in men and he reminds the Jews that “unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. You have heard that it was said to the men of old, `You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.” (vv.20-21)
To kill is a serious sin because no one can take the life of another as this is a privilege that can only be exercised by God alone who is the Creator of all things but Jesus raised the bar even higher by saying: “But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says, `You fool!' shall be liable to the hell of fire.” (v.22)
Perhaps it would be a good idea if we all spend some time and look at how we have lived our lives in retrospect. Was there ever a time when you were driven by anger? Because people who are angry are liable to give vent to their anger in order to exact revenge over what they perceive to be a wrong done to them and such is not strange because feeling angry has a precedent.
The first person to have gotten angry and whose anger turned to hate was Cain. And we come to know from the Scripture that God had warned Cain: ‘Why are you angry? .. Sin is couching at the door; it’s desire is for you, but you must master it (Gen 4:6-7). Sin doesn’t just happen to sprout in our midst. Sin can be likened to a tiny seed that we ourselves planted in our heart. It may grow from just a thought and like a tree sin in all likelihood will grow until it consumes our being especially if we nurture it by keeping it in our hearts.
Until such time that sin which is fanned and fueled by anger and hate is uprooted by the power of God’s encompassing grace, sin will grow and turn into a weed that will choke the vine and prevent it from bearing.
As Jesus addressed this issue by reminding his disciples to keep the commandments but he also advised his followers not to subscribe to the belief of the Scribes and Pharisees who equated righteousness with a public display of obedience to the law.
In this Gospel passage today, Jesus is clearly telling us that we need to remove all the evil and forbidden desires from our midst as it will only corrupt our hearts. Jesus is pointing out to us that harboring anger in our hearts will manifest in the words that will come out of our lips and evil thoughts as well what we say that come as a result of anger towards another are forbidden by God.
Man has been imbued by God with an intelligence that is higher than other mammals although there are times when it’s difficult to tell the difference. And the evil that is sin should not be boxed only on the physical commission of such because even actions regardless of how harmless and inconsequential these may could also constitute wrongdoing.
This scenario is most often present among those who hold positions of leadership where bias and prejudice come into play. Decisions that favor one over the other keel towards who has dispensed the most favor especially in the determinance of rules and regulations. Evidently this is due in large part to the lack of respect that a person has towards another.
Such anomalous behavior almost always is widespread in financial transactions even in a Christian setting where charity has become an abused word. I know that St. Paul said those who have benefitted from spiritual instructions should take care of their rabbis or teachers but that doesn’t mean someone who teaches in a church or community should make a living out of it. As I have always said in the teachings that I facilitate – “teachers in the church should eat to teach and not teach to eat.”
In the same manner, it would be very difficult to present yourself as a witness when you cannot back this up with good witnessing. Many times we talk of good witnessing yet many times our actions are in contradiction to what we say.
Again, this is prevalent in business and financial transactions among members of church ministries and or communities who do business with one another. It is so embarrassing when you are asked to comment about the personal and business affairs of a brother in the community because these should not be happening to Christian disciples in the first place. Difficult also when decisions of leaders are influenced by favors received.
What then we may ask is the antidote to anger, rage and sinful behavior? Jesus also shows us that mercy, kindness, and forbearance are the fruits that will grow from a heart that is filled with love and forgiveness. God has forgiven us and he expects us to also extend forgiveness towards those who may have caused us grief and harm.
In Jesus who was crucified for our sins, we see the supreme example of what love and forgiveness are all about and the cross should always remind us of the power of love and mercy for overcoming evil. God’s love and Grace are what will set our hearts and minds free from the tyranny of wounded pride that leads us to exact revenge.
It would do us good in this our spiritual journey to try and recall the times we may have harbored anger towards another person. Are we quick to reconcile when our relationship with our neighbor has been impaired by misunderstanding and disagreement?
When we find ourselves in this kind of a situation, we should ask God to set us free from the impure thoughts borne out of anger and to instead fill our hearts and minds with his love and goodness. The words of St. Paul should serve as a fitting reminder for all of the us that: “God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us.” (Rom 5:5).
Through the Grace and help of the Holy Spirit we can overcome malice with good, hatred with kindness, and injury with pardon. Our goal in life is to be a friend to everyone as we who are sinners have been treated as friends by Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Let me end with this prayer of St. Eusebius in the Third Century: “May I be no man’s enemy, and may I be the friend of that which is eternal and abides. May I never quarrel with those nearest me: and if I do, may I be reconciled quickly. May I love, seek, and attain only that which is good. May I wish for all men’s happiness and envy none. May I never rejoice in the ill-fortune of one who has wronged me. When I have done or said what is wrong, may I never wait for the rebuke of others, but always rebuke myself until I make amends. May I win no victory that harms either me or my opponent. May I reconcile friends who are angry with one another. May I never fail a friend who is in danger. When visiting those in grief may I be able by gentle and healing words to soften their pain. May I respect myself. May I always keep tame that which rages within me. May I accustom myself to be gentle, and never be angry with people because of circumstances. May I never discuss who is wicked and what wicked things he has done, but know good men and follow in their footsteps.”
First Reading: 1 Kgs 18:41-46
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 65: 1-13 “It is right to praise you in Zion, O God.”
GOSPEL: MATT 5:20-26
Key Verse: “first be reconciled to your brother.” (v.24)
To steal, kill, covet the property of the neighbor, indiscretion, lying, think and speak ill of others, resentment and bitterness, hatred, anger and other forms of emotional outbursts. All these constitute sinful acts. One need not go to the extent of killing another to commit sin. Just by being angry or insult someone is in itself a sin.
Why? Because man was not created to be angry, bitter or resentful of others. Man who was created out of God’s love for the world is obliged to also share this same love with others especially our neighbor. As C.S. Lewis said: “Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses. Christ’s body is as hidden in the least of us, as it is hidden under the appearances of bread and wine.”
In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus makes a stand against emotional outbursts that impair the image of God in men and he reminds the Jews that “unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. You have heard that it was said to the men of old, `You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.” (vv.20-21)
To kill is a serious sin because no one can take the life of another as this is a privilege that can only be exercised by God alone who is the Creator of all things but Jesus raised the bar even higher by saying: “But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says, `You fool!' shall be liable to the hell of fire.” (v.22)
Perhaps it would be a good idea if we all spend some time and look at how we have lived our lives in retrospect. Was there ever a time when you were driven by anger? Because people who are angry are liable to give vent to their anger in order to exact revenge over what they perceive to be a wrong done to them and such is not strange because feeling angry has a precedent.
The first person to have gotten angry and whose anger turned to hate was Cain. And we come to know from the Scripture that God had warned Cain: ‘Why are you angry? .. Sin is couching at the door; it’s desire is for you, but you must master it (Gen 4:6-7). Sin doesn’t just happen to sprout in our midst. Sin can be likened to a tiny seed that we ourselves planted in our heart. It may grow from just a thought and like a tree sin in all likelihood will grow until it consumes our being especially if we nurture it by keeping it in our hearts.
Until such time that sin which is fanned and fueled by anger and hate is uprooted by the power of God’s encompassing grace, sin will grow and turn into a weed that will choke the vine and prevent it from bearing.
As Jesus addressed this issue by reminding his disciples to keep the commandments but he also advised his followers not to subscribe to the belief of the Scribes and Pharisees who equated righteousness with a public display of obedience to the law.
In this Gospel passage today, Jesus is clearly telling us that we need to remove all the evil and forbidden desires from our midst as it will only corrupt our hearts. Jesus is pointing out to us that harboring anger in our hearts will manifest in the words that will come out of our lips and evil thoughts as well what we say that come as a result of anger towards another are forbidden by God.
Man has been imbued by God with an intelligence that is higher than other mammals although there are times when it’s difficult to tell the difference. And the evil that is sin should not be boxed only on the physical commission of such because even actions regardless of how harmless and inconsequential these may could also constitute wrongdoing.
This scenario is most often present among those who hold positions of leadership where bias and prejudice come into play. Decisions that favor one over the other keel towards who has dispensed the most favor especially in the determinance of rules and regulations. Evidently this is due in large part to the lack of respect that a person has towards another.
Such anomalous behavior almost always is widespread in financial transactions even in a Christian setting where charity has become an abused word. I know that St. Paul said those who have benefitted from spiritual instructions should take care of their rabbis or teachers but that doesn’t mean someone who teaches in a church or community should make a living out of it. As I have always said in the teachings that I facilitate – “teachers in the church should eat to teach and not teach to eat.”
In the same manner, it would be very difficult to present yourself as a witness when you cannot back this up with good witnessing. Many times we talk of good witnessing yet many times our actions are in contradiction to what we say.
Again, this is prevalent in business and financial transactions among members of church ministries and or communities who do business with one another. It is so embarrassing when you are asked to comment about the personal and business affairs of a brother in the community because these should not be happening to Christian disciples in the first place. Difficult also when decisions of leaders are influenced by favors received.
What then we may ask is the antidote to anger, rage and sinful behavior? Jesus also shows us that mercy, kindness, and forbearance are the fruits that will grow from a heart that is filled with love and forgiveness. God has forgiven us and he expects us to also extend forgiveness towards those who may have caused us grief and harm.
In Jesus who was crucified for our sins, we see the supreme example of what love and forgiveness are all about and the cross should always remind us of the power of love and mercy for overcoming evil. God’s love and Grace are what will set our hearts and minds free from the tyranny of wounded pride that leads us to exact revenge.
It would do us good in this our spiritual journey to try and recall the times we may have harbored anger towards another person. Are we quick to reconcile when our relationship with our neighbor has been impaired by misunderstanding and disagreement?
When we find ourselves in this kind of a situation, we should ask God to set us free from the impure thoughts borne out of anger and to instead fill our hearts and minds with his love and goodness. The words of St. Paul should serve as a fitting reminder for all of the us that: “God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us.” (Rom 5:5).
Through the Grace and help of the Holy Spirit we can overcome malice with good, hatred with kindness, and injury with pardon. Our goal in life is to be a friend to everyone as we who are sinners have been treated as friends by Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Let me end with this prayer of St. Eusebius in the Third Century: “May I be no man’s enemy, and may I be the friend of that which is eternal and abides. May I never quarrel with those nearest me: and if I do, may I be reconciled quickly. May I love, seek, and attain only that which is good. May I wish for all men’s happiness and envy none. May I never rejoice in the ill-fortune of one who has wronged me. When I have done or said what is wrong, may I never wait for the rebuke of others, but always rebuke myself until I make amends. May I win no victory that harms either me or my opponent. May I reconcile friends who are angry with one another. May I never fail a friend who is in danger. When visiting those in grief may I be able by gentle and healing words to soften their pain. May I respect myself. May I always keep tame that which rages within me. May I accustom myself to be gentle, and never be angry with people because of circumstances. May I never discuss who is wicked and what wicked things he has done, but know good men and follow in their footsteps.”
ETERNAL LIFE IN THE CROSS
JUNE 3, 2014: SEVENTH WEEK OF EASTER
First Reading: Ac 20: 17-27
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 68: 10-11, 20-21 “Sing to God, O Kingdoms of the earth.”
GOSPEL: JN 17:1-11
Key Verse: “And this is eternal life,” (v.3)
This entire chapter of John’s Gospel is all about the prayer of Jesus for the world that has been turned into a battleground where the forces of Satan are constantly at war with those who are under the authority of God.
As we all know by now, Satan and his minions are moved by their deep and bitter hatred for Christ and those who follow the Son of God and in this Gospel passage we see Jesus praying not only for his disciples but for all those who follow him today. He prayed that God would keep us safe from the influence of Satan by setting us apart and making us pure and holy by uniting us with God through him.
What Jesus is also telling us in this passage is that we shouldn’t be afraid of the cross because it is through the cross that we can have eternal life. In this life something has to give and we may have to give up something to which we are so attached so we can enjoy the victory that Christ promised.
Jesus found his glory in the cross because the cross brought to completion his earthly mission. The cross symbolized the depth of his great love for us because his death on the cross canceled the debt of sin that is upon us and erased the curse of our condemnation.
How then is the cross related to eternal life and how can we have eternal life through the cross. Jesus tells us in this passage that we can have eternal life by simply knowing God the Father through him. And for us to gain this eternal life, we need to enter into a personal relationship with God through Christ.
Having a personal relationship with God is not just confessing our sins and turning away from sinful tendencies but pursuing a life of total obedience to God. As Jesus brought honor and glory to God by his perfect obedience, we too can give glory and honor that God deserves when we yield in complete obedience to His Will for us.
Jesus could have avoided the cross but in the end he submitted to the Will of God: “Father, if you are willing take this cup away from me, yet not my will but yours be done.” (Lk 22:42) At the end of the day, it was the Will of God that Jesus obeyed because he knew this was the only way that God could be glorified.
We must remember that before Jesus was sent down from heaven, he was already one with God. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (Jn 1:1) And when his mission was almost finished, Jesus asked the Father to restore him to his original place of honor and authority (v.5) and this was attested to by Stephen who in his hour of death saw a vision of heaven being opened and he saw the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God (Ac 7:56).
And when Jesus said: “And all of them, since they are mine, belong to you; and you have given them back to me, so they are my glory!” (v.10) it means that as God’s glory was fully revealed in his character, this same character of God that was in Jesus and which was passed on to his disciples by the power of the Holy Spirit is being passed on to us and by our obedience to his Will our lives must be reflective of the character of Jesus.
We actually should not look at the cross as the end. The cross is simply the means by which we can gain eternity. As such, we must look beyond the cross and with great expectation and hope look towards the resurrection that follows. Jesus had to face his cross because it was the way to return to God. We too must embrace our cross because it is through the cross that we will find our way to God.
This passage also gives us a glimpse of what discipleship is all about. As Jesus asked God that his disciples be united in harmony and love in the same way that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are united (v.11) we must come to a realization that discipleship is premised on obedience because a disciple is one who keep’s God’s Word as spoken by Jesus.
While we have been given the privilege of having a free conscience, the reality is that we cannot be called a disciple of Christ for as long we persist in doing what we like because discipleship involves complete submission. What we all must know is that we are destined to a life of discipleship as we have all been given by God to Jesus so that we will all be united with the Triune God (v.11).
It is also a fact of life that it is in death that the great men have found their glory. It is in death, how they died that provides the people a picture of who they really were. Many of those who have gone ahead of us have been misunderstood, undervalued, condemned as criminals in their lifetime, but their deaths showed their true worth. Similarly, we see people saying good things to a person who died something that they may have not done when that person was still living and these are times when you appreciate the value of the person who died whom you may have misunderstood.
The underlying message in this passage today is not just about we being united with God in the same way that God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit were united but we whom Jesus has predestined to become his disciples must also be united with one another.
In other words, today’s gospel passage also speaks of discipleship and when Jesus said that “now they know everything that you gave me is from you… and they accepted them and truly understood that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me.” Translated into today’s reality, a disciple is one who sees God in Jesus and is aware that no one is one with God as Jesus is. And if we regard ourselves as disciples of Christ, we must realize that we must keep God’s Word as we hear it spoken by Jesus. It means that we as disciples are given to Jesus by God and it is the Spirit of God who moves in us such that we can respond to the call of Jesus.
Thus, the unity of the Church and or of the Community is what will bring glory and honor to the Father and it is only through such unity that we can achieve victory over the dominions and principalities that are at work to separate us from God.
Living in unity and harmony as a Community of disciples is the greatest proof of the existence of God's love for each and every person on earth and at the core of the Church is the cross of Jesus Christ which gives us an unbridled view of the unconditional love of God. Our task then as disciples is to make this love known to the ends of the earth.
First Reading: Ac 20: 17-27
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 68: 10-11, 20-21 “Sing to God, O Kingdoms of the earth.”
GOSPEL: JN 17:1-11
Key Verse: “And this is eternal life,” (v.3)
This entire chapter of John’s Gospel is all about the prayer of Jesus for the world that has been turned into a battleground where the forces of Satan are constantly at war with those who are under the authority of God.
As we all know by now, Satan and his minions are moved by their deep and bitter hatred for Christ and those who follow the Son of God and in this Gospel passage we see Jesus praying not only for his disciples but for all those who follow him today. He prayed that God would keep us safe from the influence of Satan by setting us apart and making us pure and holy by uniting us with God through him.
What Jesus is also telling us in this passage is that we shouldn’t be afraid of the cross because it is through the cross that we can have eternal life. In this life something has to give and we may have to give up something to which we are so attached so we can enjoy the victory that Christ promised.
Jesus found his glory in the cross because the cross brought to completion his earthly mission. The cross symbolized the depth of his great love for us because his death on the cross canceled the debt of sin that is upon us and erased the curse of our condemnation.
How then is the cross related to eternal life and how can we have eternal life through the cross. Jesus tells us in this passage that we can have eternal life by simply knowing God the Father through him. And for us to gain this eternal life, we need to enter into a personal relationship with God through Christ.
Having a personal relationship with God is not just confessing our sins and turning away from sinful tendencies but pursuing a life of total obedience to God. As Jesus brought honor and glory to God by his perfect obedience, we too can give glory and honor that God deserves when we yield in complete obedience to His Will for us.
Jesus could have avoided the cross but in the end he submitted to the Will of God: “Father, if you are willing take this cup away from me, yet not my will but yours be done.” (Lk 22:42) At the end of the day, it was the Will of God that Jesus obeyed because he knew this was the only way that God could be glorified.
We must remember that before Jesus was sent down from heaven, he was already one with God. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (Jn 1:1) And when his mission was almost finished, Jesus asked the Father to restore him to his original place of honor and authority (v.5) and this was attested to by Stephen who in his hour of death saw a vision of heaven being opened and he saw the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God (Ac 7:56).
And when Jesus said: “And all of them, since they are mine, belong to you; and you have given them back to me, so they are my glory!” (v.10) it means that as God’s glory was fully revealed in his character, this same character of God that was in Jesus and which was passed on to his disciples by the power of the Holy Spirit is being passed on to us and by our obedience to his Will our lives must be reflective of the character of Jesus.
We actually should not look at the cross as the end. The cross is simply the means by which we can gain eternity. As such, we must look beyond the cross and with great expectation and hope look towards the resurrection that follows. Jesus had to face his cross because it was the way to return to God. We too must embrace our cross because it is through the cross that we will find our way to God.
This passage also gives us a glimpse of what discipleship is all about. As Jesus asked God that his disciples be united in harmony and love in the same way that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are united (v.11) we must come to a realization that discipleship is premised on obedience because a disciple is one who keep’s God’s Word as spoken by Jesus.
While we have been given the privilege of having a free conscience, the reality is that we cannot be called a disciple of Christ for as long we persist in doing what we like because discipleship involves complete submission. What we all must know is that we are destined to a life of discipleship as we have all been given by God to Jesus so that we will all be united with the Triune God (v.11).
It is also a fact of life that it is in death that the great men have found their glory. It is in death, how they died that provides the people a picture of who they really were. Many of those who have gone ahead of us have been misunderstood, undervalued, condemned as criminals in their lifetime, but their deaths showed their true worth. Similarly, we see people saying good things to a person who died something that they may have not done when that person was still living and these are times when you appreciate the value of the person who died whom you may have misunderstood.
The underlying message in this passage today is not just about we being united with God in the same way that God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit were united but we whom Jesus has predestined to become his disciples must also be united with one another.
In other words, today’s gospel passage also speaks of discipleship and when Jesus said that “now they know everything that you gave me is from you… and they accepted them and truly understood that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me.” Translated into today’s reality, a disciple is one who sees God in Jesus and is aware that no one is one with God as Jesus is. And if we regard ourselves as disciples of Christ, we must realize that we must keep God’s Word as we hear it spoken by Jesus. It means that we as disciples are given to Jesus by God and it is the Spirit of God who moves in us such that we can respond to the call of Jesus.
Thus, the unity of the Church and or of the Community is what will bring glory and honor to the Father and it is only through such unity that we can achieve victory over the dominions and principalities that are at work to separate us from God.
Living in unity and harmony as a Community of disciples is the greatest proof of the existence of God's love for each and every person on earth and at the core of the Church is the cross of Jesus Christ which gives us an unbridled view of the unconditional love of God. Our task then as disciples is to make this love known to the ends of the earth.
ASCENSION KICKS OFF THE MISSION
JUNE 1, 2014: SEVENTH WEEK OF EASTER
First Reading: Ac 1:1-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 47:2-3, 6-9 “God mounts his throne to shouts of joy, a blare of trumpets for the Lord.”
Second Reading: Eph 1:17-23
GOSPEL: MATT 28:16-20
Key Verse: “And I am with you always…” (v.20)
Today we celebrate one of the most important solemnities in the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church – the Solemnity of the Ascension for the simple reason that this biblical event finally puts a cap on the questions that non-believers have raised with regards the coming back to life of Jesus Christ and his ascension into heaven.
The other reason which is also important is the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ marks the beginning of the mission of the church that he has established which has been tasked to proclaim the gospel of love the ends of the world.
As we also are celebrating World Communications Sunday, we ponder on the gospel that speaks of what we now know as the Great Commission. This commission or the marching orders given to the Apostles at the end of Matthew’s Gospel was to baptize all nations in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. The Church must have seen this gospel reading as appropriate for today’s celebration since this is one of two Scripture passages where Jesus has explicitly given specific orders on what his Apostles are to do.
Conversely, this gospel reading also refers to the presence of the Trinitarian God in the mission of the church as also commissions us to: “go and make disciples of all nations and baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (v.19) and I view this passage as very appropriate indeed because it doesn’t just provide us with our own marching orders as disciples but it defines the Trinitarian life that we all must live out.
And for us to fathom what this Trinitarian life is all about, there is a need for us to at least acquire even a little knowledge of what our Trinitarian God is all about. Our Catholic faith actually only require us to know and accept that there are three persons in one God – the Father who was the Creator of all things seen and unseen and, the Son and the Holy Spirit who proceeded from the Father.
Thus a strong faith is necessary to believe in the Trinitarian God because of all the revealed truths of our Catholic faith, this is considered as the most impenetrable to reason. With only our feeble understanding, we cannot grasp the doctrine of the Holy Trinity and, this is the reason why it is called a mystery as we are unable to comprehend that there are three persons in one God.
As Catholics who have been baptized in the Spirit, we are merely called to believe in the Trinity. Not to believe in the Trinity is like gazing at the sun trying to understand its properties but losing our sight in the process. Also, one of the reasons why it becomes difficult for us to understand the Trinity is because this is not explicitly spelled out in the Bible. In fact the very word "Trinity" is not found in the Bible.
Rather early Christians arrived at the Doctrine of the Trinity when they applied their God-given reason to the revelation which they had received in faith. In Jn 16: 12:15 Jesus spoke about the Father who sent Him who is the Son of God and about the Holy Spirit whom he was going to send. He said that the Father had given Him all that he has and that he in turn has given to the Holy Spirit all that he has received from the Father.
The inner relationship of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is in such a way that each of them is fully and equally God, yet there are not three Gods and this is the fact that becomes incomprehensible to the human mind which is why it is called a mystery. Like Augustine we may not be able to understand the how of the Trinity but I think it is very important to understand the why. The importance of this doctrine lies in this: We are made in the image of God, therefore, the more we understand God the more we can understand ourselves.
And when we talk of mission, we neither refer to the physical work that we do or the projects and programs that we promote as a church or community as many have wrongly perceived but mission per se refers to the proclamation of the gospel of Christ to others and the setting may be varied for this mission can start in the home and progress to the community or neighborhood, the church or parish and eventually to those who have not had the experience of knowing Christ in a more personal way.
Over the weekend, I went to the wake of my second-degree cousin – Natividad Mercado De Castro who was particularly close to my mother as they share the same passion for cooking and baking. I used to tag along my mother whenever they will have baking sessions and I got used to calling her Tita Nita because she was older than me.
In the several words spoken by those who knew Tita Nita during the eulogy that followed the mass, it was evident that all who spoke have very memorable recollection of how good she was as a faithful and loving spouse to her husband the late Capt. Ricardo de Castro and the love and compassion she had in raising three beautiful children – Dr. Priscilla De Castro Salonga, Elizabeth De Castro Aramburo and Cecille De Castro Tuason who now have families of their own.
If I were to equate the role that my late cousin Natividad played as a dutiful wife and loving mother to her children with the mission of the church then I can easily conclude that she has succeeded in the way that God wants her to succeed because her children have not only taken after her in terms of how they relate to others but theyembody the image of what a Christian is and should be.
And yesterday as we were waiting for the cremation of her remains, I had an interesting chat with a friend of mine who told me of his experience with the personnel in some of the crematorium that he has been to where he was told that they can tell if the dead that was cremated was a good person if there are traces of green color in the ashes as with the ashes of Tito Carding, the late husband of Tita Nita.
And some of these personnel reportedly went on to say that they were surprised to find that the bones of a dead government official was practically black in color and they interpreted that to mean that the person may have lived an unclean life.
I am not sure whether I am going to believe this or if there was any truth to this story but it left me wondering that perhaps the kind of life a person lived will manifest in some way or the other and the question is why wait until you are cremated to find out if you lived a good life or not.
As I have always stressed in some of my teachings, everyone can actually chart their own future by living the present in the way they want their future to be. It simply means that if you want to have a future that will guarantee you a room in the mansions that Jesus has reserved for you in heaven, then live your life in complete obedience to Christ who commands us to love God with all our hearts, mind and strength and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Difficult it may be but these two commandments assure us of our heavenly future.
In today’s gospel, Jesus promised us that he would be with us always to the end of time and he assures us of his power – a power which overcame sin and death. Now as the glorified and risen Lord and Savior, ascended to the right hand of the Father in heaven, Jesus has given us the power of his Holy Spirit and this is the same power that will guide us in living our heavenly future in the here and now.
Jesus' last words to his apostles and he is also telling us now that we have to take over his mission to be witnesses of his death and his glorious resurrection and to proclaim the Good News of salvation to all the world. This is the Trinitarian life that we are called to live and the purpose for which we have been called – God, we and the world around us.
First Reading: Ac 1:1-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 47:2-3, 6-9 “God mounts his throne to shouts of joy, a blare of trumpets for the Lord.”
Second Reading: Eph 1:17-23
GOSPEL: MATT 28:16-20
Key Verse: “And I am with you always…” (v.20)
Today we celebrate one of the most important solemnities in the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church – the Solemnity of the Ascension for the simple reason that this biblical event finally puts a cap on the questions that non-believers have raised with regards the coming back to life of Jesus Christ and his ascension into heaven.
The other reason which is also important is the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ marks the beginning of the mission of the church that he has established which has been tasked to proclaim the gospel of love the ends of the world.
As we also are celebrating World Communications Sunday, we ponder on the gospel that speaks of what we now know as the Great Commission. This commission or the marching orders given to the Apostles at the end of Matthew’s Gospel was to baptize all nations in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. The Church must have seen this gospel reading as appropriate for today’s celebration since this is one of two Scripture passages where Jesus has explicitly given specific orders on what his Apostles are to do.
Conversely, this gospel reading also refers to the presence of the Trinitarian God in the mission of the church as also commissions us to: “go and make disciples of all nations and baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (v.19) and I view this passage as very appropriate indeed because it doesn’t just provide us with our own marching orders as disciples but it defines the Trinitarian life that we all must live out.
And for us to fathom what this Trinitarian life is all about, there is a need for us to at least acquire even a little knowledge of what our Trinitarian God is all about. Our Catholic faith actually only require us to know and accept that there are three persons in one God – the Father who was the Creator of all things seen and unseen and, the Son and the Holy Spirit who proceeded from the Father.
Thus a strong faith is necessary to believe in the Trinitarian God because of all the revealed truths of our Catholic faith, this is considered as the most impenetrable to reason. With only our feeble understanding, we cannot grasp the doctrine of the Holy Trinity and, this is the reason why it is called a mystery as we are unable to comprehend that there are three persons in one God.
As Catholics who have been baptized in the Spirit, we are merely called to believe in the Trinity. Not to believe in the Trinity is like gazing at the sun trying to understand its properties but losing our sight in the process. Also, one of the reasons why it becomes difficult for us to understand the Trinity is because this is not explicitly spelled out in the Bible. In fact the very word "Trinity" is not found in the Bible.
Rather early Christians arrived at the Doctrine of the Trinity when they applied their God-given reason to the revelation which they had received in faith. In Jn 16: 12:15 Jesus spoke about the Father who sent Him who is the Son of God and about the Holy Spirit whom he was going to send. He said that the Father had given Him all that he has and that he in turn has given to the Holy Spirit all that he has received from the Father.
The inner relationship of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is in such a way that each of them is fully and equally God, yet there are not three Gods and this is the fact that becomes incomprehensible to the human mind which is why it is called a mystery. Like Augustine we may not be able to understand the how of the Trinity but I think it is very important to understand the why. The importance of this doctrine lies in this: We are made in the image of God, therefore, the more we understand God the more we can understand ourselves.
And when we talk of mission, we neither refer to the physical work that we do or the projects and programs that we promote as a church or community as many have wrongly perceived but mission per se refers to the proclamation of the gospel of Christ to others and the setting may be varied for this mission can start in the home and progress to the community or neighborhood, the church or parish and eventually to those who have not had the experience of knowing Christ in a more personal way.
Over the weekend, I went to the wake of my second-degree cousin – Natividad Mercado De Castro who was particularly close to my mother as they share the same passion for cooking and baking. I used to tag along my mother whenever they will have baking sessions and I got used to calling her Tita Nita because she was older than me.
In the several words spoken by those who knew Tita Nita during the eulogy that followed the mass, it was evident that all who spoke have very memorable recollection of how good she was as a faithful and loving spouse to her husband the late Capt. Ricardo de Castro and the love and compassion she had in raising three beautiful children – Dr. Priscilla De Castro Salonga, Elizabeth De Castro Aramburo and Cecille De Castro Tuason who now have families of their own.
If I were to equate the role that my late cousin Natividad played as a dutiful wife and loving mother to her children with the mission of the church then I can easily conclude that she has succeeded in the way that God wants her to succeed because her children have not only taken after her in terms of how they relate to others but theyembody the image of what a Christian is and should be.
And yesterday as we were waiting for the cremation of her remains, I had an interesting chat with a friend of mine who told me of his experience with the personnel in some of the crematorium that he has been to where he was told that they can tell if the dead that was cremated was a good person if there are traces of green color in the ashes as with the ashes of Tito Carding, the late husband of Tita Nita.
And some of these personnel reportedly went on to say that they were surprised to find that the bones of a dead government official was practically black in color and they interpreted that to mean that the person may have lived an unclean life.
I am not sure whether I am going to believe this or if there was any truth to this story but it left me wondering that perhaps the kind of life a person lived will manifest in some way or the other and the question is why wait until you are cremated to find out if you lived a good life or not.
As I have always stressed in some of my teachings, everyone can actually chart their own future by living the present in the way they want their future to be. It simply means that if you want to have a future that will guarantee you a room in the mansions that Jesus has reserved for you in heaven, then live your life in complete obedience to Christ who commands us to love God with all our hearts, mind and strength and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Difficult it may be but these two commandments assure us of our heavenly future.
In today’s gospel, Jesus promised us that he would be with us always to the end of time and he assures us of his power – a power which overcame sin and death. Now as the glorified and risen Lord and Savior, ascended to the right hand of the Father in heaven, Jesus has given us the power of his Holy Spirit and this is the same power that will guide us in living our heavenly future in the here and now.
Jesus' last words to his apostles and he is also telling us now that we have to take over his mission to be witnesses of his death and his glorious resurrection and to proclaim the Good News of salvation to all the world. This is the Trinitarian life that we are called to live and the purpose for which we have been called – God, we and the world around us.
BLESSED ARE YOU MARY
MAY 31, 2014: FEAST OF THE VISITATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
First Reading: Rom 12:9-16
Responsorial Psalm: Isa 12:2-6 “Among you is the great and holy one of Israel.”
GOSPEL: LK 1:39-56
Key Verse: “My soul glorifies the Lord.” (v.46)
The Gospel reading that we have today is probably one of the most moving passages in the Scriptures as it conveys at least two messages – one that spells out the blessedness of Mary the Mother of God which to some extent also influences our nature as having been blessed by God, and the other which speaks of the revolution that Mary may have initiated through her subservience to the Will of God.
That Mary was blessed can be seen in the way her cousin Elizabeth exclaimed upon seeing her: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” (v.42) and there shouldn’t be any doubt in our minds that Mary was indeed blessed from the time the angel Gabriel appeared to her and said: “Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women… Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. (Lk 1:28, 30)
What made Mary blessed was that the child that she will carry in her womb “shall be called the Son of God.” (Lk 1:35) And what sealed the glorious fate of the world was when Mary humbly and meekly responded: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.” (Lk 1:38)
Thus it follows that if Mary who is the Mother of the Church was blessed then we her children are also blessed especially for those who have responded to the call of discipleship and we can see this in St. Paul’s Letter to the church in Ephesus: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” (Eph 1:3-7)
But to be blessed by God carries certain responsibilities and for us the new Christian disciples that means responding positively to the call of Jesus to: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” (Mk 16:15) and Jesus promised that: “In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” (Mk 16:17-18)
Hence, there shouldn’t be any doubt in our minds that like Mary, we too are blessed and similarly as her blessedness became a sword that pierced her heart which came when her son Jesus was crucified, our own blessedness will invite trials and challenges because our Christian values are opposed to that of the world. This is the paradox of blessedness in that while it brings us joy we also cannot escape the sorrow that comes from the persecution we will face.
As to the second part of this Gospel reading we see Mary saying: “Magnificat anima mea Dominum” (v.46). This is the first line in the Latin language of what has been widely received as the prayer or the Canticle of Mary. This first line of the Magnificat as what Mary’s prayer is commonly called opens the heart of Mary for all men to see not just how she felt but the humility she possessed notwithstanding the blessing she received.
We must view the Magnificat in terms of the blessings that await those who will abandon themselves to divine providence like what Mary did. At the same time it should also serve as a warning to those who will persist in separating themselves from the love of God because the Magnificat speak of three types of life-changing scenarios: 1) It symbolizes a moral revolution within our souls as God “scatters the proud in their inmost thoughts” (v.51); (2) It also speaks of a social uprising when he “brings down rulers from their thrones but lifts up the humble” (v.52) and, (3) It partakes of an economic overhaul of the system when he “fills the hungry with good things and sends the rich away empty” (v.53).
In effect, the Magnificat is similar to what the Beatitudes is all about because Mary’s hymn of praise was not just about a song or a Canticle that we recite during the Liturgy of the Hours but it serves as a guide to which we pattern our lives to that which was proclaimed by God through Mary.
It actually warns us to be careful and “not to conform to this world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds” (Rom 12:2). We are to fear him and remain humble for “whoever humbles himself shall be exalted” (Matt 23:12). We are to feed those who are hungry because “blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they will be filled” (Matt 5:7).
And we end this reflection with the words of St. Ambrose who said: “Let Mary’s soul be in us to glorify the Lord; let her spirit be in us that we may rejoice in God our Savior.” There is no doubt from the foregoing that Mary deserves to be given not just an honorific title of being the blessed Mother of God but to be honored as such. And the question we need ask is not why do we honor Mary but why not? And it would be foolhardy for anyone not to honor the Mother of God without whose cooperation salvation would not have come into the world.
First Reading: Rom 12:9-16
Responsorial Psalm: Isa 12:2-6 “Among you is the great and holy one of Israel.”
GOSPEL: LK 1:39-56
Key Verse: “My soul glorifies the Lord.” (v.46)
The Gospel reading that we have today is probably one of the most moving passages in the Scriptures as it conveys at least two messages – one that spells out the blessedness of Mary the Mother of God which to some extent also influences our nature as having been blessed by God, and the other which speaks of the revolution that Mary may have initiated through her subservience to the Will of God.
That Mary was blessed can be seen in the way her cousin Elizabeth exclaimed upon seeing her: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” (v.42) and there shouldn’t be any doubt in our minds that Mary was indeed blessed from the time the angel Gabriel appeared to her and said: “Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women… Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. (Lk 1:28, 30)
What made Mary blessed was that the child that she will carry in her womb “shall be called the Son of God.” (Lk 1:35) And what sealed the glorious fate of the world was when Mary humbly and meekly responded: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.” (Lk 1:38)
Thus it follows that if Mary who is the Mother of the Church was blessed then we her children are also blessed especially for those who have responded to the call of discipleship and we can see this in St. Paul’s Letter to the church in Ephesus: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” (Eph 1:3-7)
But to be blessed by God carries certain responsibilities and for us the new Christian disciples that means responding positively to the call of Jesus to: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” (Mk 16:15) and Jesus promised that: “In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” (Mk 16:17-18)
Hence, there shouldn’t be any doubt in our minds that like Mary, we too are blessed and similarly as her blessedness became a sword that pierced her heart which came when her son Jesus was crucified, our own blessedness will invite trials and challenges because our Christian values are opposed to that of the world. This is the paradox of blessedness in that while it brings us joy we also cannot escape the sorrow that comes from the persecution we will face.
As to the second part of this Gospel reading we see Mary saying: “Magnificat anima mea Dominum” (v.46). This is the first line in the Latin language of what has been widely received as the prayer or the Canticle of Mary. This first line of the Magnificat as what Mary’s prayer is commonly called opens the heart of Mary for all men to see not just how she felt but the humility she possessed notwithstanding the blessing she received.
We must view the Magnificat in terms of the blessings that await those who will abandon themselves to divine providence like what Mary did. At the same time it should also serve as a warning to those who will persist in separating themselves from the love of God because the Magnificat speak of three types of life-changing scenarios: 1) It symbolizes a moral revolution within our souls as God “scatters the proud in their inmost thoughts” (v.51); (2) It also speaks of a social uprising when he “brings down rulers from their thrones but lifts up the humble” (v.52) and, (3) It partakes of an economic overhaul of the system when he “fills the hungry with good things and sends the rich away empty” (v.53).
In effect, the Magnificat is similar to what the Beatitudes is all about because Mary’s hymn of praise was not just about a song or a Canticle that we recite during the Liturgy of the Hours but it serves as a guide to which we pattern our lives to that which was proclaimed by God through Mary.
It actually warns us to be careful and “not to conform to this world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds” (Rom 12:2). We are to fear him and remain humble for “whoever humbles himself shall be exalted” (Matt 23:12). We are to feed those who are hungry because “blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they will be filled” (Matt 5:7).
And we end this reflection with the words of St. Ambrose who said: “Let Mary’s soul be in us to glorify the Lord; let her spirit be in us that we may rejoice in God our Savior.” There is no doubt from the foregoing that Mary deserves to be given not just an honorific title of being the blessed Mother of God but to be honored as such. And the question we need ask is not why do we honor Mary but why not? And it would be foolhardy for anyone not to honor the Mother of God without whose cooperation salvation would not have come into the world.
WHAT AN AWESOME PRIVILEGE
MAY 30, 2014: SIXTH WEEK OF EASTER
First Reading: Ac 18:9-18
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 47:2-7 “God is King of all the earth.”
GOSPEL: JN 16:20-23
Key Verse: “no one will take your joy from you.” (v.22)
In today’s Gospel reading Jesus presents a glaring contrast between what the world represents and the kind of situation the disciples will find themselves in when he leaves them albeit temporarily. And for the disciples and even for some of us including the learned, this is probably one of the greatest yet perplexing paradoxes coming from the teachings of Jesus and only those who are deep in their faith can decipher the meaning of this passage.
Sounding prophetic, Jesus in very clear terms said his disciples will weep and will be stricken with sorrow even if this will be for a little while and during this time that they will be wailing and weeping the world, on the other hand, will be rejoicing.
Jesus is actually giving his disciples a preview of what will happen when he is finally handed over to the Sanhedrin so that they will not be caught by surprise and we very well know what happened. The disciples except for John hid in the Upper Room for fear they would be next in line to be crucified. Notwithstanding the teachings and on on-the-job training they received from Jesus, to be gripped with fear was a natural consequence of the fact that it was their leader no less who would be arrested and crucified.
In contrast, the Sanhedrin, Pharisees and, Scribes who were opposed to Jesus out of envy because Jesus not only spoke with authority but more so because Jesus was able to feed 5,000 people with only five pieces of bread and two fish, raised the dead to life, gave sight to the blind and, drove demons out of those possessed by the evil one would be rejoicing because no longer will they have to fear the growing influence of Jesus.
If it was natural for the disciples to weep and wail, so too it was for the religious leaders who would rejoice when Jesus was finally removed from their midst as they no longer have to worry about the increasing number of Jews whose eyes have been to the truth about God.
Indeed, the values and priorities of the world will always be opposed to the values of Christ and we see this in the inner struggle being experienced by those who have responded to the call of Jesus. Spiritual growth differs in each person. While there are some whose transformation may be immediate, some will take a longer time before they can finally gather the courage to place their lives in the hands of Jesus.
This again is understandable because for those who have been basking in the glitter of the worldly life, giving up all the perks the world offers would not be that easy because the force of the worldly life is so great that it creates an imaginary vision of paradise.
In contrast, those who have become slaves to their consciences and who try to live exemplary lives are at times faced with tremendous financial burdens and difficulties to make ends meet but we see them live on whatever fruits their labor will bring.
Let’s use as an example the usual scene in some sensitive income-generating government agencies where we see icons and statues of Jesus, the Virgin Mary and Saints adorning the desks and or altar tables of officials whose graft and corrupt-ridden life are known to all. Ordinary office clerks were caught owning a high-end Porsche SUV while middle-level officials own houses in plush subdivisions and these own real properties they have no way of acquiring out of their low-grade salaries.
There also was the case of a Senator who ran in the last 2013 mid-term polls who failed to declare a property worth millions of pesos. The Filipino electorate need not conduct a lifestyle check on those who are seeking elective positions because all they need to do is wait at the parking entrance of the Senate building and check who steps out of a flashy SUV escorted by a phalanx of security aides also on board high-end SUVs.
In 2016, the Filipino people will once go to the polls and elect a new President and a new set of legislators in both houses of Congress who will sit in the 17th Congress which we pray and hope will display a higher level of decency and integrity than the present set of legislators that we have today.
As in 2013, there are only two choices we can make in 2016. We can either elect those who are committed to defend the sacredness of life and the sanctity of the family regardless of the consequences and or, we can choose to keep the status quo and see our moral foundations reduced to smithereens with graft and corruption becoming more institutionalized.
What the Filipino people will be looking at in 2016 will be the question of which road they would want to take. Will it be the road that leads to eternal life or the road that leads to perdition. Between now and 2016, every Filipino who love his country will need to search deep into their hearts and bank on their consciences to guide them through.
We can be likened to the people who mourn but since we are in Christ we can go through life with the joyful expectation that God will not let us down. Life may prove difficult for us now but we know that somewhere along the way, God will appear in our lives and there will be cause for rejoicing.
Jesus likened this contrast between the time the disciples will weep and lament and the time they will rejoice to the mother who labors for nine months and forgets the pain when the child comes. This is also the same with those who suffered death for their faith as they forget the agony of martyrdom for the glory in heaven.
This is the same with those who had to give up everything they may have acquired in the world. The cost of giving up on the world and turning your life around to Jesus will soon be forgotten when we look with hope at the joy of being with Christ through eternity.
The underlying message that can only be seen by those with an spiritual vision is that Jesus is inviting us to a new level of relationship with God that is rooted in sharing in the suffering and mourning with Jesus because it is only then that we can identify ourselves with Him and, thus be given the privilege and authority to use His Name whenever we come to ask anything of the Father in prayer (v.23).
This new relationship with God is possible only through Jesus and the fact that He allows us to use His Name means that we are united with Him and it is this unity forged by the Holy Spirit that will bring us unsurpassed joy and the knowledge that the heart of God has been made open for us but only if we can say “Thy Will be done in my life.”
First Reading: Ac 18:9-18
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 47:2-7 “God is King of all the earth.”
GOSPEL: JN 16:20-23
Key Verse: “no one will take your joy from you.” (v.22)
In today’s Gospel reading Jesus presents a glaring contrast between what the world represents and the kind of situation the disciples will find themselves in when he leaves them albeit temporarily. And for the disciples and even for some of us including the learned, this is probably one of the greatest yet perplexing paradoxes coming from the teachings of Jesus and only those who are deep in their faith can decipher the meaning of this passage.
Sounding prophetic, Jesus in very clear terms said his disciples will weep and will be stricken with sorrow even if this will be for a little while and during this time that they will be wailing and weeping the world, on the other hand, will be rejoicing.
Jesus is actually giving his disciples a preview of what will happen when he is finally handed over to the Sanhedrin so that they will not be caught by surprise and we very well know what happened. The disciples except for John hid in the Upper Room for fear they would be next in line to be crucified. Notwithstanding the teachings and on on-the-job training they received from Jesus, to be gripped with fear was a natural consequence of the fact that it was their leader no less who would be arrested and crucified.
In contrast, the Sanhedrin, Pharisees and, Scribes who were opposed to Jesus out of envy because Jesus not only spoke with authority but more so because Jesus was able to feed 5,000 people with only five pieces of bread and two fish, raised the dead to life, gave sight to the blind and, drove demons out of those possessed by the evil one would be rejoicing because no longer will they have to fear the growing influence of Jesus.
If it was natural for the disciples to weep and wail, so too it was for the religious leaders who would rejoice when Jesus was finally removed from their midst as they no longer have to worry about the increasing number of Jews whose eyes have been to the truth about God.
Indeed, the values and priorities of the world will always be opposed to the values of Christ and we see this in the inner struggle being experienced by those who have responded to the call of Jesus. Spiritual growth differs in each person. While there are some whose transformation may be immediate, some will take a longer time before they can finally gather the courage to place their lives in the hands of Jesus.
This again is understandable because for those who have been basking in the glitter of the worldly life, giving up all the perks the world offers would not be that easy because the force of the worldly life is so great that it creates an imaginary vision of paradise.
In contrast, those who have become slaves to their consciences and who try to live exemplary lives are at times faced with tremendous financial burdens and difficulties to make ends meet but we see them live on whatever fruits their labor will bring.
Let’s use as an example the usual scene in some sensitive income-generating government agencies where we see icons and statues of Jesus, the Virgin Mary and Saints adorning the desks and or altar tables of officials whose graft and corrupt-ridden life are known to all. Ordinary office clerks were caught owning a high-end Porsche SUV while middle-level officials own houses in plush subdivisions and these own real properties they have no way of acquiring out of their low-grade salaries.
There also was the case of a Senator who ran in the last 2013 mid-term polls who failed to declare a property worth millions of pesos. The Filipino electorate need not conduct a lifestyle check on those who are seeking elective positions because all they need to do is wait at the parking entrance of the Senate building and check who steps out of a flashy SUV escorted by a phalanx of security aides also on board high-end SUVs.
In 2016, the Filipino people will once go to the polls and elect a new President and a new set of legislators in both houses of Congress who will sit in the 17th Congress which we pray and hope will display a higher level of decency and integrity than the present set of legislators that we have today.
As in 2013, there are only two choices we can make in 2016. We can either elect those who are committed to defend the sacredness of life and the sanctity of the family regardless of the consequences and or, we can choose to keep the status quo and see our moral foundations reduced to smithereens with graft and corruption becoming more institutionalized.
What the Filipino people will be looking at in 2016 will be the question of which road they would want to take. Will it be the road that leads to eternal life or the road that leads to perdition. Between now and 2016, every Filipino who love his country will need to search deep into their hearts and bank on their consciences to guide them through.
We can be likened to the people who mourn but since we are in Christ we can go through life with the joyful expectation that God will not let us down. Life may prove difficult for us now but we know that somewhere along the way, God will appear in our lives and there will be cause for rejoicing.
Jesus likened this contrast between the time the disciples will weep and lament and the time they will rejoice to the mother who labors for nine months and forgets the pain when the child comes. This is also the same with those who suffered death for their faith as they forget the agony of martyrdom for the glory in heaven.
This is the same with those who had to give up everything they may have acquired in the world. The cost of giving up on the world and turning your life around to Jesus will soon be forgotten when we look with hope at the joy of being with Christ through eternity.
The underlying message that can only be seen by those with an spiritual vision is that Jesus is inviting us to a new level of relationship with God that is rooted in sharing in the suffering and mourning with Jesus because it is only then that we can identify ourselves with Him and, thus be given the privilege and authority to use His Name whenever we come to ask anything of the Father in prayer (v.23).
This new relationship with God is possible only through Jesus and the fact that He allows us to use His Name means that we are united with Him and it is this unity forged by the Holy Spirit that will bring us unsurpassed joy and the knowledge that the heart of God has been made open for us but only if we can say “Thy Will be done in my life.”
TURNING SORROW INTO JOY
MAY 29, 2014: SIXTH WEEK OF EASTER
First Reading: Ac 18:1-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:1-4 “The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.”
GOSPEL: JN 16:16-20
Key Verse: “but your grief will turn to joy.” (v.20)
Today’s Gospel passage is a continuation of what appears to be the valedictory address of Jesus Christ as he takes this occasion as well as the preceding passages to give his disciples last minute instructions to prepare them for the events that are yet to unfold.
But if we are to look at the way his disciples have been reacting to his teachings it would seem that the more bewildered they have become each time Jesus spoke and today was no different as the disciples just couldn’t make out what Jesus was saying.
And who wouldn’t? Anyone who was there would probably scratch their heads upon hearing him say: “In just a little while, I will be gone, and you won’t see me anymore. Then, just a little while after that you will see me again.” (v.16)
Was Jesus trying to put his disciples to a test or was he trying to draw them to play a game of hide and seek. Perplexed they may seem, Jesus was actually looking beyond the present time towards the future and what he was saying was deeply ingrained in the traditional Jewish belief in that time was divided into two time frames, the present age and the age that is yet to come.
His disciples could not be faulted for letting this belief slip from their minds as they were gripped with worry and anxiety over the uncertainty they face if Jesus was to leave them. Jesus was well aware of this fear of his disciples which was probably the reason why he had to walk them through his death on the cross that was inevitable and his resurrection from death three days after which was the culmination of his salvific mission as the Messiah.
Jesus was familiar with this Jewish belief that there is a present time and an age that is to come and that somewhere between these two time stages was what the Jews refer to as the Day of the Lord that will bring in desolation and gloom (Isa 13:9; 2 Pet 3:10).
What Jesus was saying was that in the interregnum between his death on the cross and his resurrection three days after, his disciples will have to prepare themselves as they will go through some terrible things as their faith will not only be challenged to the hilt but they may be looking at death in the eye.
However, Jesus was also saying that anyone of his disciples who will faithfully endure and remain in him, the corresponding blessings will be unsurpassed as their grief and sorrow will turn into joy (v.20).
What the disciples experienced was no different from our own experiences as living a Christian life is never easy and will never be. We may not suffer crucifixion as what some of the Apostles suffered but we can feel the pain of the cross as nails pierce our hands and feet each time Jesus asks us to give up the idols to which we have been so attached.
As we can never live a dichotomous kind of life, we cannot bask in what the world offers especially if these are opposed to the teachings of Christ and still expect to live in eternity. We have to detach ourselves from the world that is finite and look towards the infinite joy that can only be found in heaven.
In other words, something has to give. It’s either we are with Jesus or not. It’s as simple as that and it would be best to take heed of what Jesus says: “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.” (Matt 12:30) Suffice it to say, I don’t think I am bold enough to take the risk of separating myself from the source of Grace.
And one of the areas that we as the laity are called upon to get involve is in the political realm. Sadly, however, the lay faithful are confused about their getting involved in political activities and the reason behind it is because the laity are not adequately informed of their calling much less of the realities of their faith.
In his encyclical Christi Fidelis Laici, St. John Paul II said: “Lay people are called, especially in their action in the political, social, and cultural realms, to overcome all assaults against human dignity, and to build God’s Kingdom here on earth: The lay faithful have an essential and irreplaceable role in this announcement and in this testimony: through them the Church of Christ is made present in the various sectors of the world as a sign and source of hope and of love.”
Today, as we brace ourselves from the impact of the controversy created by the anomalies related to the disbursement of public funds it would be good if we ask ourselves where we as the bastion of Christianity in this part of the world have gone wrong.
Many of those linked to the scam surrounding the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or what is called as the “pork barrel” are baptized Catholics and we see them acting as sponsors in baptismal, confirmation and wedding ceremonies. We also see them going to church and sharing with us the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ that are present in the Holy Eucharist.
What happened? Are the legal perks of their offices not enough that they still have to dip their hands into funds earmarked for the development of the countryside. The nature of the fund diversion is astonishing as most of the funds went to finance training seminars of NGOs that are not even operative.
There is indeed much to do and we the laity are being called upon to bring the gospel of Christ not just to those who do not know him but more so to those who already knew him but have strayed away from the faith.
Let us call to mind the words of Blessed John Paul II who said: “Near the heart of the mission of the laity is the restoration of the dignity of the human person, which has been badly abused in the world today, in many ways: the killing of unborn babies, failure for governments to provide adequate food and housing to their people, governments taking away the right to have a family, governments taking over control of peoples by military conquest, and many other forms.”
The road ahead may not be easy for the laity but what Jesus was telling his disciples in today’s Gospel is what he is also telling us – that all of life’s trials and tribulations, frustrations, destitution, sicknesses, demise of love ones and, all challenges and setbacks we experience such as the passage of the RH Law are part and parcel of our lives as Christians but it is when we drink the cup that God has given us that all these sorrow becomes the crowning glory of our faith.
Today we may be at the crossroad of our faith but when the Holy Spirit comes, the old order will be gone and the new will come (2 Cor 5:14) and we all be ushered into a new lifestyle – a life that is immersed in the Spirit who pours out his gifts that we can use so we can bear fruit that will help transform the world.
This transformation will definitely be painful as what we the Catholic laity are undergoing now but the presence of Christ in our lives is what makes our joy complete.
First Reading: Ac 18:1-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:1-4 “The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.”
GOSPEL: JN 16:16-20
Key Verse: “but your grief will turn to joy.” (v.20)
Today’s Gospel passage is a continuation of what appears to be the valedictory address of Jesus Christ as he takes this occasion as well as the preceding passages to give his disciples last minute instructions to prepare them for the events that are yet to unfold.
But if we are to look at the way his disciples have been reacting to his teachings it would seem that the more bewildered they have become each time Jesus spoke and today was no different as the disciples just couldn’t make out what Jesus was saying.
And who wouldn’t? Anyone who was there would probably scratch their heads upon hearing him say: “In just a little while, I will be gone, and you won’t see me anymore. Then, just a little while after that you will see me again.” (v.16)
Was Jesus trying to put his disciples to a test or was he trying to draw them to play a game of hide and seek. Perplexed they may seem, Jesus was actually looking beyond the present time towards the future and what he was saying was deeply ingrained in the traditional Jewish belief in that time was divided into two time frames, the present age and the age that is yet to come.
His disciples could not be faulted for letting this belief slip from their minds as they were gripped with worry and anxiety over the uncertainty they face if Jesus was to leave them. Jesus was well aware of this fear of his disciples which was probably the reason why he had to walk them through his death on the cross that was inevitable and his resurrection from death three days after which was the culmination of his salvific mission as the Messiah.
Jesus was familiar with this Jewish belief that there is a present time and an age that is to come and that somewhere between these two time stages was what the Jews refer to as the Day of the Lord that will bring in desolation and gloom (Isa 13:9; 2 Pet 3:10).
What Jesus was saying was that in the interregnum between his death on the cross and his resurrection three days after, his disciples will have to prepare themselves as they will go through some terrible things as their faith will not only be challenged to the hilt but they may be looking at death in the eye.
However, Jesus was also saying that anyone of his disciples who will faithfully endure and remain in him, the corresponding blessings will be unsurpassed as their grief and sorrow will turn into joy (v.20).
What the disciples experienced was no different from our own experiences as living a Christian life is never easy and will never be. We may not suffer crucifixion as what some of the Apostles suffered but we can feel the pain of the cross as nails pierce our hands and feet each time Jesus asks us to give up the idols to which we have been so attached.
As we can never live a dichotomous kind of life, we cannot bask in what the world offers especially if these are opposed to the teachings of Christ and still expect to live in eternity. We have to detach ourselves from the world that is finite and look towards the infinite joy that can only be found in heaven.
In other words, something has to give. It’s either we are with Jesus or not. It’s as simple as that and it would be best to take heed of what Jesus says: “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.” (Matt 12:30) Suffice it to say, I don’t think I am bold enough to take the risk of separating myself from the source of Grace.
And one of the areas that we as the laity are called upon to get involve is in the political realm. Sadly, however, the lay faithful are confused about their getting involved in political activities and the reason behind it is because the laity are not adequately informed of their calling much less of the realities of their faith.
In his encyclical Christi Fidelis Laici, St. John Paul II said: “Lay people are called, especially in their action in the political, social, and cultural realms, to overcome all assaults against human dignity, and to build God’s Kingdom here on earth: The lay faithful have an essential and irreplaceable role in this announcement and in this testimony: through them the Church of Christ is made present in the various sectors of the world as a sign and source of hope and of love.”
Today, as we brace ourselves from the impact of the controversy created by the anomalies related to the disbursement of public funds it would be good if we ask ourselves where we as the bastion of Christianity in this part of the world have gone wrong.
Many of those linked to the scam surrounding the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or what is called as the “pork barrel” are baptized Catholics and we see them acting as sponsors in baptismal, confirmation and wedding ceremonies. We also see them going to church and sharing with us the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ that are present in the Holy Eucharist.
What happened? Are the legal perks of their offices not enough that they still have to dip their hands into funds earmarked for the development of the countryside. The nature of the fund diversion is astonishing as most of the funds went to finance training seminars of NGOs that are not even operative.
There is indeed much to do and we the laity are being called upon to bring the gospel of Christ not just to those who do not know him but more so to those who already knew him but have strayed away from the faith.
Let us call to mind the words of Blessed John Paul II who said: “Near the heart of the mission of the laity is the restoration of the dignity of the human person, which has been badly abused in the world today, in many ways: the killing of unborn babies, failure for governments to provide adequate food and housing to their people, governments taking away the right to have a family, governments taking over control of peoples by military conquest, and many other forms.”
The road ahead may not be easy for the laity but what Jesus was telling his disciples in today’s Gospel is what he is also telling us – that all of life’s trials and tribulations, frustrations, destitution, sicknesses, demise of love ones and, all challenges and setbacks we experience such as the passage of the RH Law are part and parcel of our lives as Christians but it is when we drink the cup that God has given us that all these sorrow becomes the crowning glory of our faith.
Today we may be at the crossroad of our faith but when the Holy Spirit comes, the old order will be gone and the new will come (2 Cor 5:14) and we all be ushered into a new lifestyle – a life that is immersed in the Spirit who pours out his gifts that we can use so we can bear fruit that will help transform the world.
This transformation will definitely be painful as what we the Catholic laity are undergoing now but the presence of Christ in our lives is what makes our joy complete.
THE SPIRIT THAT SPEAKS TRUTH
MAY 28, 2014: SIXTH WEEK OF EASTER
First Reading: Ac 17:15-22 – 18:1
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 148:1-2, 11-14 “Heaven and earth are full of your glory.”
GOSPEL: JN 16:12-15
Key Verse: “he will declare to you
the things that are to come.” (v.13)
Truth is defined in the dictionary as fact or reality and truth is something that we do not create nor is it something that came out of what we discovered. Truth is something that has been there all along and we can’t change the circumstance of what the truth is. In other words, truth is something we can’t change. It’s either we accept truth as it is or we ignore it.
As man was created by God to possess all the faculties that would provide him with the opportunity to live life to its fullest potential, man is also in possession with the gift to discern the truths that he needs to know for himself the purpose and meaning of life and it should not surprise us to see man expending all his energies to know the truth.
In the spiritual realm we are in, the transmission of truth is usually referred to as “revelation” and this Gospel passage today shows us how we can grasp the truths concerning our faith and the role of the Holy Spirit whom Jesus Christ pointed to not only as the harbinger of truth but someone who will move in us and give us the power to know and accept the Words of Jesus as truth.
This passage should also end all arguments about the Third Person of the Trinity because it is as clear as day that Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as a person when he said: “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” (v.13)
Many including those who call themselves Christians find themselves living a roller-coaster life and the only plausible explanation is because they may have taken the Holy Spirit for granted and we can’t fault them for that because it is difficult at times to regard the Holy Spirit who is a Spirit as a person and it would take tons of faith to look at the Holy Spirit as a person.
However, if Jesus Christ defers to the Holy Spirit as a person need we do otherwise. This is actually the first truth or revelation that we see and which we must accept from this Gospel passage – that the Holy Spirit is the one who will guide us to all the truths we need to know that we may know the purpose for why we were created and the meaning of life.
There is also something very important that we all need to come to grips with in today’s Gospel and this is when Jesus said: “he will declare to you the things that are to come.” (v.13) in reference to what the Holy Spirit can do among other things. This is relatively important because if the Holy Spirit is going to reveal to us things and events that are yet to come, it means that there is no end to what God is going to reveal to us in our lifetime.
The most common mistake that people make is to equate revelation to what the Scriptures say (Sola Scriptura) but what we should not forget is that when Jesus said the Holy Spirit will declare the things that are to come it means that the truths about God will be revealed to us based on our capacity to understand and comprehend these truths.
And the reason why some people fear or would not care to listen to the truths about God is because of their apprehensions it would inhibit their freedom to think and act. But Jesus Himself said “the truth will set you free” (Jn 8:32) and so we must look at these truths objectively because these revelations do not come from the Holy Spirit but which the Spirit only takes from Jesus Christ and declare it to us (v.14).
These truths are what will free us from doubts, anxiety, unbelief and fears and when we accept these truths the more predisposed we will be to listen to His Word and our obedience is what brings us to a deeper knowledge of God and it is when we come to know Him more that we will also come to know the plan of God for us.
When Jesus told his disciples the Holy Spirit will reveal the things that are yet to come, it also means it will be the Holy Spirit who will guide them in their mission and, comfort them when they are faced with persecution as they testify in his behalf.
In like manner, it is the Holy Spirit in whom we can rely on for help as we also set out in our own mission as witnesses. It is through the gift of the Holy Spirit that is poured out in our community of faith and it is this gift that equips and empowers us to proclaim the truths about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
By the same token, it is also by the power of the Holy Spirit that enables us to speak boldly about what Christ has done for us and how we too have been crucified with Him on the cross and how we also have been resurrected and given new life (2 Cor 5:14).
Though it may also be a gift from God, faith will not grow without any effort on our part. This means that for faith to grow in us we have to work on it which means we have to truly believe the truths that have been revealed to us and are being revealed to us each day.
If at all, it will serve us well to know that not only do we have the same faith given to the Apostles but we also have the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead.
First Reading: Ac 17:15-22 – 18:1
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 148:1-2, 11-14 “Heaven and earth are full of your glory.”
GOSPEL: JN 16:12-15
Key Verse: “he will declare to you
the things that are to come.” (v.13)
Truth is defined in the dictionary as fact or reality and truth is something that we do not create nor is it something that came out of what we discovered. Truth is something that has been there all along and we can’t change the circumstance of what the truth is. In other words, truth is something we can’t change. It’s either we accept truth as it is or we ignore it.
As man was created by God to possess all the faculties that would provide him with the opportunity to live life to its fullest potential, man is also in possession with the gift to discern the truths that he needs to know for himself the purpose and meaning of life and it should not surprise us to see man expending all his energies to know the truth.
In the spiritual realm we are in, the transmission of truth is usually referred to as “revelation” and this Gospel passage today shows us how we can grasp the truths concerning our faith and the role of the Holy Spirit whom Jesus Christ pointed to not only as the harbinger of truth but someone who will move in us and give us the power to know and accept the Words of Jesus as truth.
This passage should also end all arguments about the Third Person of the Trinity because it is as clear as day that Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as a person when he said: “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” (v.13)
Many including those who call themselves Christians find themselves living a roller-coaster life and the only plausible explanation is because they may have taken the Holy Spirit for granted and we can’t fault them for that because it is difficult at times to regard the Holy Spirit who is a Spirit as a person and it would take tons of faith to look at the Holy Spirit as a person.
However, if Jesus Christ defers to the Holy Spirit as a person need we do otherwise. This is actually the first truth or revelation that we see and which we must accept from this Gospel passage – that the Holy Spirit is the one who will guide us to all the truths we need to know that we may know the purpose for why we were created and the meaning of life.
There is also something very important that we all need to come to grips with in today’s Gospel and this is when Jesus said: “he will declare to you the things that are to come.” (v.13) in reference to what the Holy Spirit can do among other things. This is relatively important because if the Holy Spirit is going to reveal to us things and events that are yet to come, it means that there is no end to what God is going to reveal to us in our lifetime.
The most common mistake that people make is to equate revelation to what the Scriptures say (Sola Scriptura) but what we should not forget is that when Jesus said the Holy Spirit will declare the things that are to come it means that the truths about God will be revealed to us based on our capacity to understand and comprehend these truths.
And the reason why some people fear or would not care to listen to the truths about God is because of their apprehensions it would inhibit their freedom to think and act. But Jesus Himself said “the truth will set you free” (Jn 8:32) and so we must look at these truths objectively because these revelations do not come from the Holy Spirit but which the Spirit only takes from Jesus Christ and declare it to us (v.14).
These truths are what will free us from doubts, anxiety, unbelief and fears and when we accept these truths the more predisposed we will be to listen to His Word and our obedience is what brings us to a deeper knowledge of God and it is when we come to know Him more that we will also come to know the plan of God for us.
When Jesus told his disciples the Holy Spirit will reveal the things that are yet to come, it also means it will be the Holy Spirit who will guide them in their mission and, comfort them when they are faced with persecution as they testify in his behalf.
In like manner, it is the Holy Spirit in whom we can rely on for help as we also set out in our own mission as witnesses. It is through the gift of the Holy Spirit that is poured out in our community of faith and it is this gift that equips and empowers us to proclaim the truths about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
By the same token, it is also by the power of the Holy Spirit that enables us to speak boldly about what Christ has done for us and how we too have been crucified with Him on the cross and how we also have been resurrected and given new life (2 Cor 5:14).
Though it may also be a gift from God, faith will not grow without any effort on our part. This means that for faith to grow in us we have to work on it which means we have to truly believe the truths that have been revealed to us and are being revealed to us each day.
If at all, it will serve us well to know that not only do we have the same faith given to the Apostles but we also have the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead.
THE HOLY SPIRIT IS IN US
MAY 27, 2014: SIXTH WEEK OF EASTER
First Reading: Ac 16:22-34
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 138:1-3, 7-8 “Your right hand saves me, O Lord.”
GOSPEL: JN 16:5-11
Key Verse: “but if I go, I will send him to you.” (v.7)
No other group of men in the New Testament were as bewildered and perplexed as the disciples of Jesus especially during those times when he told them he was going away and that he would suffer death on the cross.
And now we read in today’s gospel passage that Jesus was telling his disciples he will be going to the one who sent him (v.5) and because they could not grasp the depth of what he was saying no one dared ask him where he was going (v.5) and sorrow filled their hearts when he said he was leaving (v.6).
If you were there you probably would feel the same way and you’d wish the opportunity to be part of Jesus’ entourage would not see an end. You saw how he fed 5,000 people from just five loaves of barley bread and two fish. You were there when he raised Lazarus from death.
You heard him preach and you walked with him as he taught you and the other disciples on the road. You witnessed the many instances of healing miracles and you never doubted his claim that he was the Messiah who had been prophesied. Under these circumstances, your life-long wish would be that all of these would never end.
And now Jesus is telling you he is returning to the one who sent him. It means the end of what has been an enjoyable journey that took you to places you have never been before. And just like the rest of the disciples, this is something that your finite mind could not grasp.
As we sit comfortably in our homes and read through this Gospel passage today we will definitely feel the same way the disciples felt at the time and for us to fully understand what Jesus is telling us we will have to break this passage down to what, according to Jesus, is the work of the Holy Spirit, what he does and what we can expect from the Third Person of the Trinitarian God. (Some manuscripts refer to the Holy Spirit as Helper, Counselor or Advocate.)
And in this Gospel passage, Jesus gives us at least three major areas in our lives where the Holy Spirit will be at work: “And when he comes, he will convince the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.” (v.8)
These are the three important tasks of the Holy Spirit when he indwells in every individual and the word that John the Evangelist used to describe what Jesus said was the word “convince” and for the purpose of understanding this passage we will have to draw on the relative meaning of convince which is “to convict.”
Thus, when we try to digest what Jesus was saying in this Gospel today and apply it to our own setting, we will see that one of the things the Holy Spirit does is to convict us of our sins especially for some of us who dwells in unbelief and are in a state of denial.
The Jews have experienced this when they did not believe they sinned when they crucified Jesus on the cross but when this greatest event in history was preached, it pricked their hearts and were convinced the crucifixion was the greatest crime in history (Ac 2:27). Don’t we also feel remorseful when we are confronted and convicted by sins we have committed. This conviction is made possible by the work of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit also convicts us of righteousness especially in believing all the truths of what Jesus said and did. Though we were created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26) we also were clothed with free will which means we are free to choose to do what we believe is right but which sometimes is not really right. We tend to veer away from the Church because worship is in conflict with the ways of the world that provide us power, fame, comfort and wealth. And the words of Jesus is the last thing that we would want to hear.
Time comes, however, when we are moved to hear and listen to what Jesus is saying and are convicted of the righteousness of Christ which is backed by his death and resurrection. Such realization is beyond our finite minds and is made possible only when we are convicted of such by the Holy Spirit who sanctifies us and makes us pleasing in God’s eyes.
It is also by the power of the Holy Spirit that we are led to a complete conviction that we will stand before God when our time on earth is up. From the carefree ways of the world that we immersed ourselves in, there comes a time when we will accept that there is a God who will judge the way we have made use of our lives. Such conviction comes not from us but from the Holy Spirit who makes us holy as God is holy.
To sum it up, what this Gospel passage is telling us is that when we are convicted of our sins, when we have become convinced of God’s righteousness and, when we are convinced that there is a final judgment that awaits us, it is then that we are reconciled not only with our inner selves but with God who is the source of true peace, joy and, reconciliation.
Paul tells the Christians in Rome: "Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus" (Rom 8:39). By sending us the Holy Spirit, Jesus is making his presence known and he did not leave us as orphans, but the Lord himself dwells within us through the power of the Holy Spirit (2 Cor 4:9; 6:16b) and it is by the same Spirit that we are forgiven of our sins, healed of our infirmities and, sanctified through his manifold graces so that we will merit the salvation that he has promised.
First Reading: Ac 16:22-34
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 138:1-3, 7-8 “Your right hand saves me, O Lord.”
GOSPEL: JN 16:5-11
Key Verse: “but if I go, I will send him to you.” (v.7)
No other group of men in the New Testament were as bewildered and perplexed as the disciples of Jesus especially during those times when he told them he was going away and that he would suffer death on the cross.
And now we read in today’s gospel passage that Jesus was telling his disciples he will be going to the one who sent him (v.5) and because they could not grasp the depth of what he was saying no one dared ask him where he was going (v.5) and sorrow filled their hearts when he said he was leaving (v.6).
If you were there you probably would feel the same way and you’d wish the opportunity to be part of Jesus’ entourage would not see an end. You saw how he fed 5,000 people from just five loaves of barley bread and two fish. You were there when he raised Lazarus from death.
You heard him preach and you walked with him as he taught you and the other disciples on the road. You witnessed the many instances of healing miracles and you never doubted his claim that he was the Messiah who had been prophesied. Under these circumstances, your life-long wish would be that all of these would never end.
And now Jesus is telling you he is returning to the one who sent him. It means the end of what has been an enjoyable journey that took you to places you have never been before. And just like the rest of the disciples, this is something that your finite mind could not grasp.
As we sit comfortably in our homes and read through this Gospel passage today we will definitely feel the same way the disciples felt at the time and for us to fully understand what Jesus is telling us we will have to break this passage down to what, according to Jesus, is the work of the Holy Spirit, what he does and what we can expect from the Third Person of the Trinitarian God. (Some manuscripts refer to the Holy Spirit as Helper, Counselor or Advocate.)
And in this Gospel passage, Jesus gives us at least three major areas in our lives where the Holy Spirit will be at work: “And when he comes, he will convince the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.” (v.8)
These are the three important tasks of the Holy Spirit when he indwells in every individual and the word that John the Evangelist used to describe what Jesus said was the word “convince” and for the purpose of understanding this passage we will have to draw on the relative meaning of convince which is “to convict.”
Thus, when we try to digest what Jesus was saying in this Gospel today and apply it to our own setting, we will see that one of the things the Holy Spirit does is to convict us of our sins especially for some of us who dwells in unbelief and are in a state of denial.
The Jews have experienced this when they did not believe they sinned when they crucified Jesus on the cross but when this greatest event in history was preached, it pricked their hearts and were convinced the crucifixion was the greatest crime in history (Ac 2:27). Don’t we also feel remorseful when we are confronted and convicted by sins we have committed. This conviction is made possible by the work of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit also convicts us of righteousness especially in believing all the truths of what Jesus said and did. Though we were created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26) we also were clothed with free will which means we are free to choose to do what we believe is right but which sometimes is not really right. We tend to veer away from the Church because worship is in conflict with the ways of the world that provide us power, fame, comfort and wealth. And the words of Jesus is the last thing that we would want to hear.
Time comes, however, when we are moved to hear and listen to what Jesus is saying and are convicted of the righteousness of Christ which is backed by his death and resurrection. Such realization is beyond our finite minds and is made possible only when we are convicted of such by the Holy Spirit who sanctifies us and makes us pleasing in God’s eyes.
It is also by the power of the Holy Spirit that we are led to a complete conviction that we will stand before God when our time on earth is up. From the carefree ways of the world that we immersed ourselves in, there comes a time when we will accept that there is a God who will judge the way we have made use of our lives. Such conviction comes not from us but from the Holy Spirit who makes us holy as God is holy.
To sum it up, what this Gospel passage is telling us is that when we are convicted of our sins, when we have become convinced of God’s righteousness and, when we are convinced that there is a final judgment that awaits us, it is then that we are reconciled not only with our inner selves but with God who is the source of true peace, joy and, reconciliation.
Paul tells the Christians in Rome: "Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus" (Rom 8:39). By sending us the Holy Spirit, Jesus is making his presence known and he did not leave us as orphans, but the Lord himself dwells within us through the power of the Holy Spirit (2 Cor 4:9; 6:16b) and it is by the same Spirit that we are forgiven of our sins, healed of our infirmities and, sanctified through his manifold graces so that we will merit the salvation that he has promised.
PERPETUAL SECURITY
MAY 26, 2014: SIXTH WEEK OF EASTER
First Reading: Ac 16:11-15
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 149:1-6, 9 “The Lord takes delight in his people.”
GOSPEL: JN 15:26b-16:4a
Key Verse: “… so that you may not fall away.” (16:1)
It is normal for anyone who finds himself in a hole to be calling on their closest friends if not their trusted relatives to help them out of their predicament whatever it may be. But supposing there is no one who will sympathize with you, to whom will you turn to?
If you reflect on the gospels you will find that the disciples of Jesus also found themselves in the same situation you could be in when the world seems to have caved in on you. But Jesus being the best and truest of a friend that you can ever find had offered his disciples his very own Spirit whom he called the paraclete or helper. Other translations also referred to the Holy Spirit as Advocate or Counselor the latter being a legal term for the one who will defend someone against an adversary and who guides that person during the ordeal of trial.
Thus the Holy Spirit is in a sense our Advocate and Helper who will lead us safely through the challenges and adversities we will face in life. As the hour of the passion and death of Jesus approached he began revealing more fully to his disciples the person and role of the Holy Spirit.
What does Jesus tell us about the Holy Spirit? First, the Holy Spirit is inseparably one with the Father and the Son. It is the Holy Spirit who gives life which is the very life of God that is being handed to us and it is also the same Holy Spirit who kindles our faith especially if we become receptive to Word of God.
The Spirit also paves the way that allows us to know God personally as he fills our minds and our hearts with the wisdom and knowledge of God. In the same way, the Spirit inspires us and moves in our soul to lead us into accepting Jesus Christ as the Messiah whom the Father has sent his Son to redeem the world from its sinful nature.
The Holy Spirit reveals to us the plan of God for all of his creation and he enables us to discern God’s plan with the “eyes of faith.” It is through the gift of faith that we are given the empowerment and inspiration to testify to the transforming power of God in our life.
Yesterday, I was in Baguio City to facilitate a talk on the Catholic Church and Discipleship and when we talk of discipleship or the spiritual process through which we are encouraged to become Christ-like, we cannot but regard discipleship as the work of the Holy Spirit and this is something that we cannot argue with.
I believe that many find it difficult understanding the nature of the Holy Spirit is because of the wrong teachings that are being made to appear that the Spirit of God is like a gift that is being given to us in the here and now. What we must understand is that the Holy Spirit indwells in everyone who receives the sacrament of baptism and consequently the Spirit infuses into everyone being baptized the virtues of faith, hope and love.
When a baptized Catholic is confirmed seven years following his baptism, the same Holy Spirit by some mysterious action also infuses what is called the Gifts of the Holy Spirit (Isa 11:1) and these are: the gifts of Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Courage or Boldness, Knowledge, Piety and Fear of the Lord. The infusion of these gifts are also referred to as sanctifying graces because when practiced these gifts are designed to sanctify us and bring us into a close relationship with God.
For those who have attended the Life in the Spirit Seminar or LSS, the Holy Spirit also distributes other gifts and we can see these in 1 Cor 12:1ff and these are the so-called spiritual or charismatic gifts: Wisdom, Knowledge, Faith, Prophecy, Discernment of Spirits, Healing, Miracles, Tongues and, Interpretation of tongues. These gifts are intended not only to enable a person receiving these gifts to live as a Christian but these are given for the common good which means that we are to use these gifts to help the Church, the Community and others as well.
We are given the Holy Spirit to help us live as disciples of Jesus Christ because the Spirit provides us with courage and perseverance when we face adversities in life. Hence, it is incumbent upon us all to also pray for the Holy Spirit to strengthen us in faith, hope and love and to give us the strength to endure with hope when we encounter difficulties in life no matter how difficult these may be.
It is not easy to live a Christian life because to do so we need to take that leap of faith so we can step into the same path that Jesus walked on. When Jesus summarized the Mosaic Laws into two – love of God and love of neighbor – many of us balked at the prospects of loving those who hurt us, who offended us, who caused us pain and at times ruin.
And I am no different than some of you as I too was in a situation when I could not forgive my former business partners who duped me of my rightful share in a financial transaction. God led me to the community where I am serving now and he impressed upon me the need to forgive and love even the unlovable.
With the formation programs that followed after my baptism in the Spirit, I found myself forgiving those who swindled me and as times passed I eventually forgot all about it and I was even more surprised that there were several instances when I was able to talk to my former business partners without the anger and the rage that filled me before God came into the picture.
This is what the Holy Spirit does and when Jesus said that he is going to send the Holy Spirit to make sure that we don’t fall away, this was what he did because if I was not found by God I could have persisted in filling my heart and mind with anger and hatred towards those who wronged me and which could have separated me from God and thus deprived of the salvation of my soul.
Christian discipleship is not for the faint-hearted because everyone who wants to become a disciple of Christ must make a choice and that is what is most difficult and it would take a great deal of obedience that is steeped in humility to follow Christ. But follow him we must if we want to take our places in one of the rooms in the heavenly mansion that Christ has prepared for us. The good thing is that we have the Holy Spirit who will provide us with the wisdom, knowledge, counsel, boldness and piety that are anchored on fear of the Lord to get us to where we are going.
First Reading: Ac 16:11-15
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 149:1-6, 9 “The Lord takes delight in his people.”
GOSPEL: JN 15:26b-16:4a
Key Verse: “… so that you may not fall away.” (16:1)
It is normal for anyone who finds himself in a hole to be calling on their closest friends if not their trusted relatives to help them out of their predicament whatever it may be. But supposing there is no one who will sympathize with you, to whom will you turn to?
If you reflect on the gospels you will find that the disciples of Jesus also found themselves in the same situation you could be in when the world seems to have caved in on you. But Jesus being the best and truest of a friend that you can ever find had offered his disciples his very own Spirit whom he called the paraclete or helper. Other translations also referred to the Holy Spirit as Advocate or Counselor the latter being a legal term for the one who will defend someone against an adversary and who guides that person during the ordeal of trial.
Thus the Holy Spirit is in a sense our Advocate and Helper who will lead us safely through the challenges and adversities we will face in life. As the hour of the passion and death of Jesus approached he began revealing more fully to his disciples the person and role of the Holy Spirit.
What does Jesus tell us about the Holy Spirit? First, the Holy Spirit is inseparably one with the Father and the Son. It is the Holy Spirit who gives life which is the very life of God that is being handed to us and it is also the same Holy Spirit who kindles our faith especially if we become receptive to Word of God.
The Spirit also paves the way that allows us to know God personally as he fills our minds and our hearts with the wisdom and knowledge of God. In the same way, the Spirit inspires us and moves in our soul to lead us into accepting Jesus Christ as the Messiah whom the Father has sent his Son to redeem the world from its sinful nature.
The Holy Spirit reveals to us the plan of God for all of his creation and he enables us to discern God’s plan with the “eyes of faith.” It is through the gift of faith that we are given the empowerment and inspiration to testify to the transforming power of God in our life.
Yesterday, I was in Baguio City to facilitate a talk on the Catholic Church and Discipleship and when we talk of discipleship or the spiritual process through which we are encouraged to become Christ-like, we cannot but regard discipleship as the work of the Holy Spirit and this is something that we cannot argue with.
I believe that many find it difficult understanding the nature of the Holy Spirit is because of the wrong teachings that are being made to appear that the Spirit of God is like a gift that is being given to us in the here and now. What we must understand is that the Holy Spirit indwells in everyone who receives the sacrament of baptism and consequently the Spirit infuses into everyone being baptized the virtues of faith, hope and love.
When a baptized Catholic is confirmed seven years following his baptism, the same Holy Spirit by some mysterious action also infuses what is called the Gifts of the Holy Spirit (Isa 11:1) and these are: the gifts of Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Courage or Boldness, Knowledge, Piety and Fear of the Lord. The infusion of these gifts are also referred to as sanctifying graces because when practiced these gifts are designed to sanctify us and bring us into a close relationship with God.
For those who have attended the Life in the Spirit Seminar or LSS, the Holy Spirit also distributes other gifts and we can see these in 1 Cor 12:1ff and these are the so-called spiritual or charismatic gifts: Wisdom, Knowledge, Faith, Prophecy, Discernment of Spirits, Healing, Miracles, Tongues and, Interpretation of tongues. These gifts are intended not only to enable a person receiving these gifts to live as a Christian but these are given for the common good which means that we are to use these gifts to help the Church, the Community and others as well.
We are given the Holy Spirit to help us live as disciples of Jesus Christ because the Spirit provides us with courage and perseverance when we face adversities in life. Hence, it is incumbent upon us all to also pray for the Holy Spirit to strengthen us in faith, hope and love and to give us the strength to endure with hope when we encounter difficulties in life no matter how difficult these may be.
It is not easy to live a Christian life because to do so we need to take that leap of faith so we can step into the same path that Jesus walked on. When Jesus summarized the Mosaic Laws into two – love of God and love of neighbor – many of us balked at the prospects of loving those who hurt us, who offended us, who caused us pain and at times ruin.
And I am no different than some of you as I too was in a situation when I could not forgive my former business partners who duped me of my rightful share in a financial transaction. God led me to the community where I am serving now and he impressed upon me the need to forgive and love even the unlovable.
With the formation programs that followed after my baptism in the Spirit, I found myself forgiving those who swindled me and as times passed I eventually forgot all about it and I was even more surprised that there were several instances when I was able to talk to my former business partners without the anger and the rage that filled me before God came into the picture.
This is what the Holy Spirit does and when Jesus said that he is going to send the Holy Spirit to make sure that we don’t fall away, this was what he did because if I was not found by God I could have persisted in filling my heart and mind with anger and hatred towards those who wronged me and which could have separated me from God and thus deprived of the salvation of my soul.
Christian discipleship is not for the faint-hearted because everyone who wants to become a disciple of Christ must make a choice and that is what is most difficult and it would take a great deal of obedience that is steeped in humility to follow Christ. But follow him we must if we want to take our places in one of the rooms in the heavenly mansion that Christ has prepared for us. The good thing is that we have the Holy Spirit who will provide us with the wisdom, knowledge, counsel, boldness and piety that are anchored on fear of the Lord to get us to where we are going.
OBEY AND BE SAVED
MAY 25, 2014: SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
First Reading: Ac 8:5-8, 14-17
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 66:1-7, 16, 20 “Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.”
Second Reading: 1 Pt 3:15-18
GOSPEL: JN 14:15-21
Key Verse: “… whoever loves me will be loved
by my Father.” (v.21)
There is one particular virtue in our Christian life that we need to develop to enable us to come into a complete union with Christ Jesus. Why many Christians are having a difficult time acquiring this primary virtue is also because this is opposed to our common perception with regards the freedom of the human will and also because this is being subjected to an incessant attack by the evil one.
What I am referring to as the primary virtue that we need to acquire and develop is obedience. St. Teresa de Avila once said: “Since the devil knows that obedience is the quickest road to perfection, he makes it distasteful and offers many objections to it under the pretext of a higher good.”
As the gospel passage in today’s Sixth Sunday of Easter speaks of obedience to God, let me refresh your memories that in both the Old and New Testaments, obedience to God represents itself as a basic Christian attitude. The Reverend Doctor Karl H. Peschke, S.V.D., in his book Moral Theology in the Light of Vatican II emphasizes that “in every community, obedience to the laws of the social body and to its authority is absolutely necessary to ensure the common welfare of its members and efficiency in the accomplishment of its tasks.” In addition, Fr. Peschke pointedly said that “no community can exist and work if there is no order in it.”
Christian Ethics, a book also written by Fr. Peschke which he based on the concilliar documents of the Vatican II Council, painted an analogy of obedience to the governing authorities in a community as to an orchestra in which many musicians must work together to achieve a good, pleasing performance of a musical composition. The skills of everyone are needed yet there must be someone to coordinate the activities of all.
While it is understood that the conductor should be open to the suggestions of his musicians, the last word, however, is left to him as long as he is the leader and qualifies as the leader. The leader or the conductor is expected to make the final decisions, and his subjects must be ready to submit to them.
A certain Fr. Alvarez who is also considered a doctor of the church once said that: “Obedience is the compendium of perfection and of the entire spiritual life. It is the easiest, safest, surest and shortest way to acquire every virtue and reach the goal of every desire, eternal life.” In effect, what Fr. Alvarez is saying was that obedience opens the door to all the different virtues which make up a Christian. And we can all draw an example from that shown by Christ who was obedient unto death. St. Francis de Sales also gives us an insight of what obedience should be for every Christian when he said: “Everyone, upon entering into a communion with God, should leave his will outside the door, so as to have no other will than God’s.”
What this means is that every disciple who has explicitly expressed his desire to follow Christ must leave his old self behind to give life to the new creation which he has acquired through the Baptism in the Spirit.
“It is no longer I who lives, but Christ who lives in me.” (Gal 2:20) These are powerful words spoken by Paul when he addressed the Galatians and if anyone who claims to be a disciple must have the ability to dissociate himself from all things which are human and to have that ability to make that transition into the divine.
If we read through this verse from Paul’s exhortation, we will come to a full realization that Christ who loved us even before we came to know Him and gave Himself to us is expecting nothing less than a life lived in complete dependence or faith in Him. As such, disciples especially those who claim to have acquired a high level of spirituality must learn how to detach themselves from what is of this world and to focus only on that one basic objective of our existence - that God may be glorified in us.
It is indeed sad that there are still many disciples who have not completely understood the terms of their discipleship and are still controlled by human nature, unaware that such subservience to worldly nature results in death (Rom 8:6). If we go through both the Old and New Testaments, we will find that God has prescribed a set of laws for His disciples to follow.
To put this into the context of community life, obedience to the Community Spiritual Director, Servant Leaders as well as Pastoral Leaders flows from obedience to God’s will, for authorities are willed by God. Christ himself was obedient to his parents (Lk 2:51) and he was also obedient to the law (Matt 5:17).
The epistles of St. Paul stresses obedience as the foundation of Christian community life. Wives must submit to their husbands (Eph 5:22; Col 3:18; 1 Pet 3:1-6), children to their parents (Eph 6:1-3; Col 3:20), servants to their masters (Eph 6:5-8; Col 3:22-24; 1 Pet 2:18), the younger members of the community to their elders (1 Pet 5:5), and citizens to civil authority (Rom 13:1-7; 1 Pet 2:13). And if we are to stress such obedience to authority, we should only read Paul when he addressed the Romans: “Let every person be subordinate to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority opposes what God has appointed, and those who oppose it will bring judgment upon themselves.”(Rom 13:1)
And in motivating the Hebrews to acquire the spirit of obedience, the writer of the epistle also emphasized that authority stands in the service of the subjects themselves and accordingly also obedience to authority. Heb 13:17 says: “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as men who will have to give account. Let them do this joyfully, and not sadly, for that would be of no advantage to you.”
Would-be followers of Christ should try singing the song Amazing Grace every now and then and if it doesn't feel amazing anymore and you’re having problems dealing with obeying your pastoral authority, then it is time to get down on your knees and pray until such time when it becomes amazing again.
On the other hand, this Amazing Grace that comes from Jesus should never even depart from our lives and we can do this by allowing Jesus Himself to take total control of our lives and let him run our day-to-day affairs through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. That my brothers and sisters is what obedience is all about.
First Reading: Ac 8:5-8, 14-17
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 66:1-7, 16, 20 “Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.”
Second Reading: 1 Pt 3:15-18
GOSPEL: JN 14:15-21
Key Verse: “… whoever loves me will be loved
by my Father.” (v.21)
There is one particular virtue in our Christian life that we need to develop to enable us to come into a complete union with Christ Jesus. Why many Christians are having a difficult time acquiring this primary virtue is also because this is opposed to our common perception with regards the freedom of the human will and also because this is being subjected to an incessant attack by the evil one.
What I am referring to as the primary virtue that we need to acquire and develop is obedience. St. Teresa de Avila once said: “Since the devil knows that obedience is the quickest road to perfection, he makes it distasteful and offers many objections to it under the pretext of a higher good.”
As the gospel passage in today’s Sixth Sunday of Easter speaks of obedience to God, let me refresh your memories that in both the Old and New Testaments, obedience to God represents itself as a basic Christian attitude. The Reverend Doctor Karl H. Peschke, S.V.D., in his book Moral Theology in the Light of Vatican II emphasizes that “in every community, obedience to the laws of the social body and to its authority is absolutely necessary to ensure the common welfare of its members and efficiency in the accomplishment of its tasks.” In addition, Fr. Peschke pointedly said that “no community can exist and work if there is no order in it.”
Christian Ethics, a book also written by Fr. Peschke which he based on the concilliar documents of the Vatican II Council, painted an analogy of obedience to the governing authorities in a community as to an orchestra in which many musicians must work together to achieve a good, pleasing performance of a musical composition. The skills of everyone are needed yet there must be someone to coordinate the activities of all.
While it is understood that the conductor should be open to the suggestions of his musicians, the last word, however, is left to him as long as he is the leader and qualifies as the leader. The leader or the conductor is expected to make the final decisions, and his subjects must be ready to submit to them.
A certain Fr. Alvarez who is also considered a doctor of the church once said that: “Obedience is the compendium of perfection and of the entire spiritual life. It is the easiest, safest, surest and shortest way to acquire every virtue and reach the goal of every desire, eternal life.” In effect, what Fr. Alvarez is saying was that obedience opens the door to all the different virtues which make up a Christian. And we can all draw an example from that shown by Christ who was obedient unto death. St. Francis de Sales also gives us an insight of what obedience should be for every Christian when he said: “Everyone, upon entering into a communion with God, should leave his will outside the door, so as to have no other will than God’s.”
What this means is that every disciple who has explicitly expressed his desire to follow Christ must leave his old self behind to give life to the new creation which he has acquired through the Baptism in the Spirit.
“It is no longer I who lives, but Christ who lives in me.” (Gal 2:20) These are powerful words spoken by Paul when he addressed the Galatians and if anyone who claims to be a disciple must have the ability to dissociate himself from all things which are human and to have that ability to make that transition into the divine.
If we read through this verse from Paul’s exhortation, we will come to a full realization that Christ who loved us even before we came to know Him and gave Himself to us is expecting nothing less than a life lived in complete dependence or faith in Him. As such, disciples especially those who claim to have acquired a high level of spirituality must learn how to detach themselves from what is of this world and to focus only on that one basic objective of our existence - that God may be glorified in us.
It is indeed sad that there are still many disciples who have not completely understood the terms of their discipleship and are still controlled by human nature, unaware that such subservience to worldly nature results in death (Rom 8:6). If we go through both the Old and New Testaments, we will find that God has prescribed a set of laws for His disciples to follow.
To put this into the context of community life, obedience to the Community Spiritual Director, Servant Leaders as well as Pastoral Leaders flows from obedience to God’s will, for authorities are willed by God. Christ himself was obedient to his parents (Lk 2:51) and he was also obedient to the law (Matt 5:17).
The epistles of St. Paul stresses obedience as the foundation of Christian community life. Wives must submit to their husbands (Eph 5:22; Col 3:18; 1 Pet 3:1-6), children to their parents (Eph 6:1-3; Col 3:20), servants to their masters (Eph 6:5-8; Col 3:22-24; 1 Pet 2:18), the younger members of the community to their elders (1 Pet 5:5), and citizens to civil authority (Rom 13:1-7; 1 Pet 2:13). And if we are to stress such obedience to authority, we should only read Paul when he addressed the Romans: “Let every person be subordinate to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority opposes what God has appointed, and those who oppose it will bring judgment upon themselves.”(Rom 13:1)
And in motivating the Hebrews to acquire the spirit of obedience, the writer of the epistle also emphasized that authority stands in the service of the subjects themselves and accordingly also obedience to authority. Heb 13:17 says: “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as men who will have to give account. Let them do this joyfully, and not sadly, for that would be of no advantage to you.”
Would-be followers of Christ should try singing the song Amazing Grace every now and then and if it doesn't feel amazing anymore and you’re having problems dealing with obeying your pastoral authority, then it is time to get down on your knees and pray until such time when it becomes amazing again.
On the other hand, this Amazing Grace that comes from Jesus should never even depart from our lives and we can do this by allowing Jesus Himself to take total control of our lives and let him run our day-to-day affairs through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. That my brothers and sisters is what obedience is all about.
SACRIFICE TO DEFEND YOUR FAITH
MAY 24, 2014: FIFTH WEEK OF EASTER
First Reading: Act 16:1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 100:1b-3, 5 “Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.”
GOSPEL: JN 15:18-21
Key Verse: “I have chosen you out of the world.” (v.19)
When Jesus told his disciples “you do not belong to the world” (v.19) he was preparing them for their final destination which is a place in the presence of God in heaven. But Jesus was also telling his disciples that to get to that eternal destination, they will face persecution not only because of their faith but because they chose to be different from the world they were in.
Similarly, Jesus could be addressing these same words to us especially those who have made a decision to be a disciple of Christ because the world has become so perverted that it has come to a point that it hates what is good.
And this culture of hate for something that is out of synch with the ways of the world is not new and we should not be surprised if people will sneer at us because we chose to differ from the ordinary practice of the Christian faith.
In fact this same situation has not changed since the early years of Christianity and we see this in the writing of Tacitus who in 32-37 A.D. wrote: “Ours is a time of religious decay. The permanent vitality of religion is gone. The mass of people have become superstitious, credulous or indifferent to religion. The elite of society are agnostic or skeptical. The political leaders are hypocrites. The youth are in open conflict with established society and with the authority of the past. People are experimenting with the Eastern religions and techniques of meditation. The majority of mankind is affected by the decay of the times.”
This only shows that the problems that Christians face today have remained the same since time immemorial and we may not be able to change this situation in our lifetime but it is always good to start somewhere.
And Jesus knew what will befall his disciples which was why he never fell short in reminding his disciples of what they are up against and through the Scriptures, Jesus is also reminding us that we must “be on guard against me, they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in the synagogues. On my account you will be brought before governors and kinds as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles…All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” (Matt 10:17-18, 22)
The world actually hates people whose lives bring to light the perverse society we live in. Some years back they only talked about aborting a child in the womb and some countries actually legalized it and went as far as subsidizing the cost of abortion and Christians who raised their voices in protest were persecuted.
Now, we see persons of the same gender being allowed to marry and there is a danger this could sweep even the largest Christian nation in the world especially now that its President has made his bias known in favor of same-sex marriage. I wonder what kind of Bible does Barack Obama has in his hands because nowhere in the Scriptures does it say man and man or woman and woman can be united and become one flesh.
What Jesus said in Mark 10:6-8 in reference to Gen 2:24 was very explicit in that “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” And nowhere was there any reference in the Scriptures that persons of the same gender can get married.
There will come a point when we Christians will have to take a stand and there is a possibility we will be persecuted and we can only take comfort and consolation that the world rejected Christ first and we can expect the same treatment as what Christ suffered especially if our ways do not conform to the pattern of the world around us.
Today the world we live has embraced hedonism, individualism and relativism as an acceptable norm and we merely stand on the sidelines or sit idly by while we witness the moral fiber of the family and society break into loose strands of incompatible behavioral patterns.
But do we have any choice? I don’t think we have because as John the Evangelist wrote in this Gospel passage today, we are either of this world or of Christ and there is nothing in-between. We are either in and for Christ or against him. It is actually a choice between the kingdom of light or the kingdom of darkness.
If we want to live in the light of God's truth, we must draw on the power of the Holy Spirit to help us distinguish good from evil. If we truly love God as we confess with our lips during our prayer meetings then we will submit to his truth and Will for our lives.
We cannot live in two worlds as we cannot take what the world gives and still be in Christ because the world will always be in opposition to God. Christians are called to be different and this is a condition that is fraught with danger but none of us can ever live a truly Christian life unless we are willing to take the risk.
In his epistle, John warned: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If any one loves the world, love for the Father is not in him (1 Jn 2:15). Thus, we Christian disciples need to check where our loyalty lies. Are we to remain in the world or are we going to follow Christ?
The choice is actually easy to make. What the world offers will not last and that’s a fact. What Jesus is offering us is something that is engraved in blood. As Fr. Bill Adams said during his talk before the community about two weeks ago, “you can trust the man who died for you.” Indeed, “Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one’s live for a friend.” (Jn 15:13)
First Reading: Act 16:1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 100:1b-3, 5 “Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.”
GOSPEL: JN 15:18-21
Key Verse: “I have chosen you out of the world.” (v.19)
When Jesus told his disciples “you do not belong to the world” (v.19) he was preparing them for their final destination which is a place in the presence of God in heaven. But Jesus was also telling his disciples that to get to that eternal destination, they will face persecution not only because of their faith but because they chose to be different from the world they were in.
Similarly, Jesus could be addressing these same words to us especially those who have made a decision to be a disciple of Christ because the world has become so perverted that it has come to a point that it hates what is good.
And this culture of hate for something that is out of synch with the ways of the world is not new and we should not be surprised if people will sneer at us because we chose to differ from the ordinary practice of the Christian faith.
In fact this same situation has not changed since the early years of Christianity and we see this in the writing of Tacitus who in 32-37 A.D. wrote: “Ours is a time of religious decay. The permanent vitality of religion is gone. The mass of people have become superstitious, credulous or indifferent to religion. The elite of society are agnostic or skeptical. The political leaders are hypocrites. The youth are in open conflict with established society and with the authority of the past. People are experimenting with the Eastern religions and techniques of meditation. The majority of mankind is affected by the decay of the times.”
This only shows that the problems that Christians face today have remained the same since time immemorial and we may not be able to change this situation in our lifetime but it is always good to start somewhere.
And Jesus knew what will befall his disciples which was why he never fell short in reminding his disciples of what they are up against and through the Scriptures, Jesus is also reminding us that we must “be on guard against me, they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in the synagogues. On my account you will be brought before governors and kinds as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles…All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” (Matt 10:17-18, 22)
The world actually hates people whose lives bring to light the perverse society we live in. Some years back they only talked about aborting a child in the womb and some countries actually legalized it and went as far as subsidizing the cost of abortion and Christians who raised their voices in protest were persecuted.
Now, we see persons of the same gender being allowed to marry and there is a danger this could sweep even the largest Christian nation in the world especially now that its President has made his bias known in favor of same-sex marriage. I wonder what kind of Bible does Barack Obama has in his hands because nowhere in the Scriptures does it say man and man or woman and woman can be united and become one flesh.
What Jesus said in Mark 10:6-8 in reference to Gen 2:24 was very explicit in that “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” And nowhere was there any reference in the Scriptures that persons of the same gender can get married.
There will come a point when we Christians will have to take a stand and there is a possibility we will be persecuted and we can only take comfort and consolation that the world rejected Christ first and we can expect the same treatment as what Christ suffered especially if our ways do not conform to the pattern of the world around us.
Today the world we live has embraced hedonism, individualism and relativism as an acceptable norm and we merely stand on the sidelines or sit idly by while we witness the moral fiber of the family and society break into loose strands of incompatible behavioral patterns.
But do we have any choice? I don’t think we have because as John the Evangelist wrote in this Gospel passage today, we are either of this world or of Christ and there is nothing in-between. We are either in and for Christ or against him. It is actually a choice between the kingdom of light or the kingdom of darkness.
If we want to live in the light of God's truth, we must draw on the power of the Holy Spirit to help us distinguish good from evil. If we truly love God as we confess with our lips during our prayer meetings then we will submit to his truth and Will for our lives.
We cannot live in two worlds as we cannot take what the world gives and still be in Christ because the world will always be in opposition to God. Christians are called to be different and this is a condition that is fraught with danger but none of us can ever live a truly Christian life unless we are willing to take the risk.
In his epistle, John warned: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If any one loves the world, love for the Father is not in him (1 Jn 2:15). Thus, we Christian disciples need to check where our loyalty lies. Are we to remain in the world or are we going to follow Christ?
The choice is actually easy to make. What the world offers will not last and that’s a fact. What Jesus is offering us is something that is engraved in blood. As Fr. Bill Adams said during his talk before the community about two weeks ago, “you can trust the man who died for you.” Indeed, “Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one’s live for a friend.” (Jn 15:13)
CLOTHED WITH THE BIBLE
MAY 23, 2014: FIFTH WEEK OF EASTER
First Reading: Ac 15:22-31
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 57: 8-10, 12 “I will give you thanks among the people, O Lord.”
GOSPEL: JN 15:12-17
Key Verse: “This is my command, love each other.” (v.17)
There are at least three things that Jesus pointed out to his disciples and which he is also telling us now. 1) Those who will obey him have transitioned from servants to being friends; 2) That those who will follow him should go and bear the kind of fruit that abides in him, and; 3) That we are to love another.
Even if being slaves or servants of and for God was nothing to be ashamed of as Moses once was (Deut 34:5) and so was Joshua (Jos 24:29) and David (Psa 89:20). In the New Testament, St. Paul regarded it as an honor to be called a servant (Tit 1:1) and so did James (Jam 1:1).
But when Jesus called his disciples as friends he was offering them an intimacy with God which no other men regardless of how great they may have been has ever known. Remember that before Jesus was borne into humanity no one has ever seen God.
And now his disciples are no longer followers or learners but have become his friends and we too should consider it an honor to be regarded as his friends and the friends of God. It is in fact a tremendous honor that as a result of this intimacy Jesus who is the Son of God has allowed us to use his Name whenever there is something we want to ask from God.
The deeper reality of this particular passage is that as friends of Jesus we have been given the privilege to enter into the presence of God unlike a slave who could only look from a distance with longing for God. As friends, Jesus brought down the barriers that separated us from God as this intimacy brought us right at the center court of worship.
What we should realize, however, is that this intimacy goes beyond friendship for friendship’s sake. What Jesus is actually saying is that we have not only become his friends but his partners for the tasks that are yet to come. This was the reason why he told his disciples this: “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” (v.15)
As slaves simply do what their master tells them, Jesus restructured this kind of relationship between the Master and his followers and now as his friends Jesus gives us the honor of being his partners as he shares with us not only his own thoughts but everything that he heard from God the Father through the Sacred Scriptures.
Another realization here is that slaves do not have a choice of their own whereas as friends we have before us a choice of whether to accept or refuse this partnership with Jesus Christ in the work of going to all the nations to baptize them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matt 28:19).
If we shall so choose to be his friends we might as well know that this intimacy goes beyond sharing a meal with Jesus and sharing his thoughts and wisdom that he passes on to us through the Scriptures. We are actually being appointed as his ambassadors to represent him in the world.
Jesus chose us and appointed us so that we may go and bear fruit (v.16) so that others may know who Christ is by the fruit that is in us (Gal 5:22-23). What Jesus is actually saying is that the only way to spread Christianity is to be a Christian whose life can be defined by the fruit of the Spirit that is in them.
In other words, we are to clothe ourselves with what the bible speaks about. We are to become an advertisement for Christ. Let us not forget that the primary purpose of advertisements is to draw the attention of the people to the product being advertised and so patronize them. In like manner, the only way we can bring others to the Christian faith is to show them the fruit of the Christian life that will stand the test of time.
Thus, as representatives of Jesus Christ who are given the privilege to speak in his behalf we are given the assurance that the Father in Heaven will give us whatever we ask in His Name. However, we are not to assume that we will receive whatever we ask in prayer but only those that will merit approval by Jesus Christ.
This means that whatever we ask God even if these were made in the Name of Jesus we must not preempt God because at the end of the day everything begins and ends with the Will of God. Prayer to be effective must be premised not on the things we wish for but for the Grace of God that would make us accept the things that He Wills.
As we have been chosen to become friends and privileged members of God’s family we have been authorized by Jesus to bring everything to God in prayer but we must accept what God will give us in response based on His perfect wisdom and love.
And Jesus commands us to love each other (v.17) not that we have to die for someone although it would be the highest form of expressing what true love is but there are other ways by which sacrificial love can be expressed and that is through listening to those who need counsel, by encouraging those who may have lost hope and, by helping and giving to those who are in need.
Jesus wants us to love one another just as he loved us because it is only by opening our hearts to his love and obeying his command to love each other that we will bear much fruit in our lives.
First Reading: Ac 15:22-31
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 57: 8-10, 12 “I will give you thanks among the people, O Lord.”
GOSPEL: JN 15:12-17
Key Verse: “This is my command, love each other.” (v.17)
There are at least three things that Jesus pointed out to his disciples and which he is also telling us now. 1) Those who will obey him have transitioned from servants to being friends; 2) That those who will follow him should go and bear the kind of fruit that abides in him, and; 3) That we are to love another.
Even if being slaves or servants of and for God was nothing to be ashamed of as Moses once was (Deut 34:5) and so was Joshua (Jos 24:29) and David (Psa 89:20). In the New Testament, St. Paul regarded it as an honor to be called a servant (Tit 1:1) and so did James (Jam 1:1).
But when Jesus called his disciples as friends he was offering them an intimacy with God which no other men regardless of how great they may have been has ever known. Remember that before Jesus was borne into humanity no one has ever seen God.
And now his disciples are no longer followers or learners but have become his friends and we too should consider it an honor to be regarded as his friends and the friends of God. It is in fact a tremendous honor that as a result of this intimacy Jesus who is the Son of God has allowed us to use his Name whenever there is something we want to ask from God.
The deeper reality of this particular passage is that as friends of Jesus we have been given the privilege to enter into the presence of God unlike a slave who could only look from a distance with longing for God. As friends, Jesus brought down the barriers that separated us from God as this intimacy brought us right at the center court of worship.
What we should realize, however, is that this intimacy goes beyond friendship for friendship’s sake. What Jesus is actually saying is that we have not only become his friends but his partners for the tasks that are yet to come. This was the reason why he told his disciples this: “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” (v.15)
As slaves simply do what their master tells them, Jesus restructured this kind of relationship between the Master and his followers and now as his friends Jesus gives us the honor of being his partners as he shares with us not only his own thoughts but everything that he heard from God the Father through the Sacred Scriptures.
Another realization here is that slaves do not have a choice of their own whereas as friends we have before us a choice of whether to accept or refuse this partnership with Jesus Christ in the work of going to all the nations to baptize them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matt 28:19).
If we shall so choose to be his friends we might as well know that this intimacy goes beyond sharing a meal with Jesus and sharing his thoughts and wisdom that he passes on to us through the Scriptures. We are actually being appointed as his ambassadors to represent him in the world.
Jesus chose us and appointed us so that we may go and bear fruit (v.16) so that others may know who Christ is by the fruit that is in us (Gal 5:22-23). What Jesus is actually saying is that the only way to spread Christianity is to be a Christian whose life can be defined by the fruit of the Spirit that is in them.
In other words, we are to clothe ourselves with what the bible speaks about. We are to become an advertisement for Christ. Let us not forget that the primary purpose of advertisements is to draw the attention of the people to the product being advertised and so patronize them. In like manner, the only way we can bring others to the Christian faith is to show them the fruit of the Christian life that will stand the test of time.
Thus, as representatives of Jesus Christ who are given the privilege to speak in his behalf we are given the assurance that the Father in Heaven will give us whatever we ask in His Name. However, we are not to assume that we will receive whatever we ask in prayer but only those that will merit approval by Jesus Christ.
This means that whatever we ask God even if these were made in the Name of Jesus we must not preempt God because at the end of the day everything begins and ends with the Will of God. Prayer to be effective must be premised not on the things we wish for but for the Grace of God that would make us accept the things that He Wills.
As we have been chosen to become friends and privileged members of God’s family we have been authorized by Jesus to bring everything to God in prayer but we must accept what God will give us in response based on His perfect wisdom and love.
And Jesus commands us to love each other (v.17) not that we have to die for someone although it would be the highest form of expressing what true love is but there are other ways by which sacrificial love can be expressed and that is through listening to those who need counsel, by encouraging those who may have lost hope and, by helping and giving to those who are in need.
Jesus wants us to love one another just as he loved us because it is only by opening our hearts to his love and obeying his command to love each other that we will bear much fruit in our lives.
FULLNESS OF JOY
MAY 22, 2014: FIFTH WEEK OF EASTER
First Reading: Ac 15:7-21
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 96:1-3, 10 “Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.”
GOSPEL: JN 15:9-11
Key Verse: “that your joy may be complete.” (v.11)
Just so we will be able to grasp what Jesus was really trying to make his disciples understand in this short Gospel passage today it would be best to draw an imagery of what it was that Jesus was saying.
When reading this passage it would lead us to assume that Jesus may be equating obedience with love but this is not necessarily so because these two emotional expressions are not entirely the same.
This may in fact fall under the principle of cause-and-effect where love is the cause and the effect of that would be obedience. Simply put, love is what brings a person to obey such that it was out of love that Jesus obeyed the Father’s Will that He offers His life on the cross that we may all be redeemed.
It is also very clear in today’s Gospel that the true joy that comes from heaven can only work wonders in us if we will abide in His love by keeping His commandments. Where joy is the effect, obedience to everything that Jesus tells us is the cause which means that this kind of joy that Jesus says we can have is largely dependent on our subservience to his commandments.
As we also cannot outdo God in love and generosity, the only response that we can give is to abide in His love in the best possible way we can and that is to also share this love we have received with others. As St. Paul says that it is out of God’s immeasurable love that was poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit that we are moved into responding in abounding joy and hope (Rom 5:5).
What this Gospel passage is actually telling us is for us to strive in building and developing a closer relationship or intimacy with God through Jesus for it is only in having such kind of a relationship that we can enjoy the fullness of God’s love that produces the kind of joy that He has promised us.
This true joy is what removes the state of depression that we may sink into when things are not going well in our lives because true joy transcends the waves of pitiable uncertainties and difficulties we may be experiencing in life.
Such joy comes from a constant, consistent, continuing and enduring relationship with Jesus Christ. This kind of relationship is one that is founded on our strict adherence to everything that He has taught us which when translated into action means denying ourselves (Lk 9:23) and clothing ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom 13:14).
The key word in this passage is abide and there is one meaning of abide that I would want to use in reference to this Gospel passage and that is – reside. The Roget’s Thesaurus that I have defines “abide” in so many ways: endure, wait, continue, reside, be quiescent, await, tolerate. Of these, I would like to use “reside” which means “inhabit, indwell, occupy, live, stay, lodge.”
Thus, to abide in Jesus Christ is to reside which means to dwell in Him. As such, it is understood that when we dwell in Him and Him in us we are placing ourselves at the disposal of Jesus Christ. It is also understood that this habitation that is consummated out of love is what will move us to obey his commandments which eventually will allow us to experience and enjoy the fullness of the joy that will be in us.
The secret of Jesus was his contact with God. We see Jesus going into a solitary place to commune with God and it is out of this unity with the Father that Jesus can confidently say: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.” (vv.9-10)
This is the message behind this Gospel today because this same unity that Jesus had with the Father is the same kind of indwelling unity that He wants us to have with Him. In this our journey of faith, keeping close to Jesus is necessary so that we will not lose our way but in order for us to reside in Him and Him in us we have to deliberately take steps to do it.
This means that we will need to act on our faith by putting in regular prayer times and communing with Jesus in silent meditation until such time that we reach that point when abiding in Christ becomes a mystical experience that we cannot express in words.
And out of this mystical experience will come the true joy that Jesus Christ says will be in us. As free will doesn’t give us the freedom to commit wrong but to do what is right, Christians must find joy in doing the right thing. As Christians, we are a people of joyful disposition because a gloomy Christian will be a contradiction to what Jesus has achieved with His death and resurrection.
While we may have been sinners, the greater truth is that we are a redeemed sinner and this reality is what brings joy – the kind of joy that will move us to prove our love for Jesus Christ and for one another by embracing the way of the cross.
This cross turns to joy when our human will crosses with God’s Will for us and it is only then that we will experience true joy marked by a life that is surrendered to Jesus Christ and consumed by His love. Perhaps we should also ask ourselves what is it that you that brings joy to your life.True joy is also doing what you love to do. In my case, I love to preach and it really isn’t easy. Besides the long hours that I need to put in to study and reflect on the Word of God, it also entails preparing the materials especially the visuals. The beauty of it all is that I don’t feel tired as there seems to be a strong driving force that’s propping me up to plod on and I attribute this to the joy that comes in doing this.
My only regret was the precious time I wasted in my younger years when I took for granted the call of Our Lord to serve him. In looking back, I’ve been given many opportunities to serve God but there was a wide chasm between the world I was in at that time and the heavenly realm.
I gave a reflection last night at the Prayer Meeting of the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Catholic Charismatic Community and I briefly touched on men who turn back to God when they realize that the joy they had in the world was not complete. And this is what normally happens and we should be glad that we have a God who is omniscient, patient and understanding who untiringly waits until we find our way back to him.
Today, this true joy is in me as I delight in serving our Lord Jesus Christ wherever I am sent. I may be a Servant Leader for Formation of the community I am in but just like any other member I am at the disposal of the head of the ministry I am attached to which is the Formation Ministry and I simply go to where I am assigned to. Knowing that I am serving God who created me and who is the source of everything that I have and possess is what gives me joy.
First Reading: Ac 15:7-21
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 96:1-3, 10 “Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.”
GOSPEL: JN 15:9-11
Key Verse: “that your joy may be complete.” (v.11)
Just so we will be able to grasp what Jesus was really trying to make his disciples understand in this short Gospel passage today it would be best to draw an imagery of what it was that Jesus was saying.
When reading this passage it would lead us to assume that Jesus may be equating obedience with love but this is not necessarily so because these two emotional expressions are not entirely the same.
This may in fact fall under the principle of cause-and-effect where love is the cause and the effect of that would be obedience. Simply put, love is what brings a person to obey such that it was out of love that Jesus obeyed the Father’s Will that He offers His life on the cross that we may all be redeemed.
It is also very clear in today’s Gospel that the true joy that comes from heaven can only work wonders in us if we will abide in His love by keeping His commandments. Where joy is the effect, obedience to everything that Jesus tells us is the cause which means that this kind of joy that Jesus says we can have is largely dependent on our subservience to his commandments.
As we also cannot outdo God in love and generosity, the only response that we can give is to abide in His love in the best possible way we can and that is to also share this love we have received with others. As St. Paul says that it is out of God’s immeasurable love that was poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit that we are moved into responding in abounding joy and hope (Rom 5:5).
What this Gospel passage is actually telling us is for us to strive in building and developing a closer relationship or intimacy with God through Jesus for it is only in having such kind of a relationship that we can enjoy the fullness of God’s love that produces the kind of joy that He has promised us.
This true joy is what removes the state of depression that we may sink into when things are not going well in our lives because true joy transcends the waves of pitiable uncertainties and difficulties we may be experiencing in life.
Such joy comes from a constant, consistent, continuing and enduring relationship with Jesus Christ. This kind of relationship is one that is founded on our strict adherence to everything that He has taught us which when translated into action means denying ourselves (Lk 9:23) and clothing ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom 13:14).
The key word in this passage is abide and there is one meaning of abide that I would want to use in reference to this Gospel passage and that is – reside. The Roget’s Thesaurus that I have defines “abide” in so many ways: endure, wait, continue, reside, be quiescent, await, tolerate. Of these, I would like to use “reside” which means “inhabit, indwell, occupy, live, stay, lodge.”
Thus, to abide in Jesus Christ is to reside which means to dwell in Him. As such, it is understood that when we dwell in Him and Him in us we are placing ourselves at the disposal of Jesus Christ. It is also understood that this habitation that is consummated out of love is what will move us to obey his commandments which eventually will allow us to experience and enjoy the fullness of the joy that will be in us.
The secret of Jesus was his contact with God. We see Jesus going into a solitary place to commune with God and it is out of this unity with the Father that Jesus can confidently say: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.” (vv.9-10)
This is the message behind this Gospel today because this same unity that Jesus had with the Father is the same kind of indwelling unity that He wants us to have with Him. In this our journey of faith, keeping close to Jesus is necessary so that we will not lose our way but in order for us to reside in Him and Him in us we have to deliberately take steps to do it.
This means that we will need to act on our faith by putting in regular prayer times and communing with Jesus in silent meditation until such time that we reach that point when abiding in Christ becomes a mystical experience that we cannot express in words.
And out of this mystical experience will come the true joy that Jesus Christ says will be in us. As free will doesn’t give us the freedom to commit wrong but to do what is right, Christians must find joy in doing the right thing. As Christians, we are a people of joyful disposition because a gloomy Christian will be a contradiction to what Jesus has achieved with His death and resurrection.
While we may have been sinners, the greater truth is that we are a redeemed sinner and this reality is what brings joy – the kind of joy that will move us to prove our love for Jesus Christ and for one another by embracing the way of the cross.
This cross turns to joy when our human will crosses with God’s Will for us and it is only then that we will experience true joy marked by a life that is surrendered to Jesus Christ and consumed by His love. Perhaps we should also ask ourselves what is it that you that brings joy to your life.True joy is also doing what you love to do. In my case, I love to preach and it really isn’t easy. Besides the long hours that I need to put in to study and reflect on the Word of God, it also entails preparing the materials especially the visuals. The beauty of it all is that I don’t feel tired as there seems to be a strong driving force that’s propping me up to plod on and I attribute this to the joy that comes in doing this.
My only regret was the precious time I wasted in my younger years when I took for granted the call of Our Lord to serve him. In looking back, I’ve been given many opportunities to serve God but there was a wide chasm between the world I was in at that time and the heavenly realm.
I gave a reflection last night at the Prayer Meeting of the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Catholic Charismatic Community and I briefly touched on men who turn back to God when they realize that the joy they had in the world was not complete. And this is what normally happens and we should be glad that we have a God who is omniscient, patient and understanding who untiringly waits until we find our way back to him.
Today, this true joy is in me as I delight in serving our Lord Jesus Christ wherever I am sent. I may be a Servant Leader for Formation of the community I am in but just like any other member I am at the disposal of the head of the ministry I am attached to which is the Formation Ministry and I simply go to where I am assigned to. Knowing that I am serving God who created me and who is the source of everything that I have and possess is what gives me joy.
THE SOURCE TO LIFE
MAY 21, 2014: FIFTH WEEK OF EASTER
First Reading: Ac 15:1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 122:1-4ab, 4cd-5 “Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: JN 15:1-8
Key Verse: “..apart from me, you can do nothing.” (v.5)
In very specific terms, Jesus speaks today of the need for people to establish and maintain their connectivity with the source of power that fuels life in the universe. As we read in today’s Gospel passage Jesus makes it clear that if life were to be seen as a vine it will only bear fruit if its branches are to remain attached to the vine.
In like manner, the Jews may not have realized it at that time but this particular passage may have been the platform from which the principle of networking and of the digital age all began.
When we reflect on the message of the Gospel, we cannot help but see its relevance to the advent of computer networks which play an important role in the world of business today which is marked with fierce competition. These computers provide workers even those operating in different sites around the world with connectivity that help them perform their tasks that would prove difficult to carry out if they are not joined together by their network that makes use of a central computer system that manages the primary programming systems, storage, communications functions with remote workstations. The central computer systems becomes the hub that gives life to the workstations and such inseparability ensures the flow of information to and from the hub.
This idea of connectivity in today’s digital world is similar to the situation that Jesus used in reference to Him being the vine and the people as the branches. When Jesus drew a picture of the vine he knew what he was talking about as the vine was grown in all of Palestine at that time and it still is today.
The grapevine is a prolific plant as a single vine can produce many grapes which symbolizes Israel’s fruitfulness in relation to their doing God’s work on earth (Isa 5:1-7; Ezek 19:10-14). And in today’s Gospel, Jesus presents Himself as the vine and God as the gardener who takes care of the branches to make them fruitful. The branches are the true believers of Christ who by their being inseparably linked to Him who is the vine will produce much fruit.
Jesus, however, said that we who are the branches must remain attached to Him: “As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” (v.4) This simply means that we have to listen to Him and we have to obey Him if we want to see our lives bear fruit for “apart from me, you can do nothing.” (v.5) These are not only strong words but it actually establishes the premise towards a blessed life for those who will heed His words.
To abide in Him means to die to ourselves and it pains me to see those professing to have accepted Christ as their Savior have turned instead into spiritual self-righteous demigods. And we see them in our Church or Community where they at times have become a dominant force not because they have a positive influence on others but because they simply are the loudest. To them, no reason nor rationale would ever satisfy them for they feed on their own mindsets galvanized by their titles and positions.
What those who are full of themselves may not be aware of is that they may be turning into an unproductive branch and Jesus makes a distinction between two kinds of pruning that was widely used then. One was cutting off and, the other is cutting back the branches.
Fruitful branches are cut back to promote growth and God disciplines us to strengthen our character and faith. But branches that don’t bear fruit are cut off from the trunk not only because they are worthless but also because they often infect the rest of the tree. People who don’t bear fruit for God or who block the efforts of God’s followers will be cut-off from his life-giving power.
There are many who try to be good, honest and do what is right or what they believe is right. But what Jesus is saying is that the only way for us to live a truly good life is to abide in Him as those of us who will do so will bear much fruit because Jesus will abide in us (v.5).
The very simple truth that we all need to see from this Gospel today is that we can be a fruit-bearing branch by aligning our priorities, our attitude and our character with the character of Christ who humbled Himself and accepted death on the cross. Or we can be non fruit-bearing by persisting in our self-righteousness and pride.
Jesus is the key (v.1) the CPU of a computer system as He provides us life, direction and the commands for us on how to live a fruitful life. To be effective, we must maintain this relationship with Jesus (v.4) to become fruit-bearing because if sign out we lost our access to the network. In similar fashion, when we allow sin into our lives, it disrupts our connectivity with the network and other believers (1 Jn 1:6-7).
Jesus wants us to become productive and as the workstations that He has established we cannot allow ourselves to become underutilized which means that as Christ established this connectivity at a great cost to Him we should take care of our connectivity to the network of life.
There will be times when we will receive an error message in our computer screen meaning that we didn’t follow the instruction of the program. Similarly, we need to follow the commands of Christ for this is the only way we can live an error-free life and become fruit-bearing as had designed us to be.
So the question now is, are we “on-line” with Jesus? Do we look at ourselves as productive branches by the way we respond to our calling as disciples? Remember too that fruit-bearing is not limited to soul-winning that is equated with the number of people that you have brought to the Church or Community.
For in addition to the fruit that St. Paul described in Gal 5:22-24, it would be worth our while to digest what St. Peter said in 2 Pet 1:5-8 and use as our additional guide.
First Reading: Ac 15:1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 122:1-4ab, 4cd-5 “Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: JN 15:1-8
Key Verse: “..apart from me, you can do nothing.” (v.5)
In very specific terms, Jesus speaks today of the need for people to establish and maintain their connectivity with the source of power that fuels life in the universe. As we read in today’s Gospel passage Jesus makes it clear that if life were to be seen as a vine it will only bear fruit if its branches are to remain attached to the vine.
In like manner, the Jews may not have realized it at that time but this particular passage may have been the platform from which the principle of networking and of the digital age all began.
When we reflect on the message of the Gospel, we cannot help but see its relevance to the advent of computer networks which play an important role in the world of business today which is marked with fierce competition. These computers provide workers even those operating in different sites around the world with connectivity that help them perform their tasks that would prove difficult to carry out if they are not joined together by their network that makes use of a central computer system that manages the primary programming systems, storage, communications functions with remote workstations. The central computer systems becomes the hub that gives life to the workstations and such inseparability ensures the flow of information to and from the hub.
This idea of connectivity in today’s digital world is similar to the situation that Jesus used in reference to Him being the vine and the people as the branches. When Jesus drew a picture of the vine he knew what he was talking about as the vine was grown in all of Palestine at that time and it still is today.
The grapevine is a prolific plant as a single vine can produce many grapes which symbolizes Israel’s fruitfulness in relation to their doing God’s work on earth (Isa 5:1-7; Ezek 19:10-14). And in today’s Gospel, Jesus presents Himself as the vine and God as the gardener who takes care of the branches to make them fruitful. The branches are the true believers of Christ who by their being inseparably linked to Him who is the vine will produce much fruit.
Jesus, however, said that we who are the branches must remain attached to Him: “As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” (v.4) This simply means that we have to listen to Him and we have to obey Him if we want to see our lives bear fruit for “apart from me, you can do nothing.” (v.5) These are not only strong words but it actually establishes the premise towards a blessed life for those who will heed His words.
To abide in Him means to die to ourselves and it pains me to see those professing to have accepted Christ as their Savior have turned instead into spiritual self-righteous demigods. And we see them in our Church or Community where they at times have become a dominant force not because they have a positive influence on others but because they simply are the loudest. To them, no reason nor rationale would ever satisfy them for they feed on their own mindsets galvanized by their titles and positions.
What those who are full of themselves may not be aware of is that they may be turning into an unproductive branch and Jesus makes a distinction between two kinds of pruning that was widely used then. One was cutting off and, the other is cutting back the branches.
Fruitful branches are cut back to promote growth and God disciplines us to strengthen our character and faith. But branches that don’t bear fruit are cut off from the trunk not only because they are worthless but also because they often infect the rest of the tree. People who don’t bear fruit for God or who block the efforts of God’s followers will be cut-off from his life-giving power.
There are many who try to be good, honest and do what is right or what they believe is right. But what Jesus is saying is that the only way for us to live a truly good life is to abide in Him as those of us who will do so will bear much fruit because Jesus will abide in us (v.5).
The very simple truth that we all need to see from this Gospel today is that we can be a fruit-bearing branch by aligning our priorities, our attitude and our character with the character of Christ who humbled Himself and accepted death on the cross. Or we can be non fruit-bearing by persisting in our self-righteousness and pride.
Jesus is the key (v.1) the CPU of a computer system as He provides us life, direction and the commands for us on how to live a fruitful life. To be effective, we must maintain this relationship with Jesus (v.4) to become fruit-bearing because if sign out we lost our access to the network. In similar fashion, when we allow sin into our lives, it disrupts our connectivity with the network and other believers (1 Jn 1:6-7).
Jesus wants us to become productive and as the workstations that He has established we cannot allow ourselves to become underutilized which means that as Christ established this connectivity at a great cost to Him we should take care of our connectivity to the network of life.
There will be times when we will receive an error message in our computer screen meaning that we didn’t follow the instruction of the program. Similarly, we need to follow the commands of Christ for this is the only way we can live an error-free life and become fruit-bearing as had designed us to be.
So the question now is, are we “on-line” with Jesus? Do we look at ourselves as productive branches by the way we respond to our calling as disciples? Remember too that fruit-bearing is not limited to soul-winning that is equated with the number of people that you have brought to the Church or Community.
For in addition to the fruit that St. Paul described in Gal 5:22-24, it would be worth our while to digest what St. Peter said in 2 Pet 1:5-8 and use as our additional guide.
IN JESUS WE FIND PEACE
MAY 20, 2014: FIFTH WEEK OF EASTER
First Reading: Ac 14: 19-28
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 145: 10-13ab, 21 “Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom.”
GOSPEL: JN 14: 27-31
Key Verse: “Peace I leave with you.” (v.27)
There are at least two things that we can derive from this Gospel passage today. Here we see Jesus in what appears to be a continuation of his last minute instructions to his disciples before he leaves and giving them the assurance there was nothing to fear.
We also see what appears to be the premise to the roles the disciples will play when Jesus goes back to the Father and when they are finally commissioned to take over Jesus’ ministry (Matt 28:18-20).
But what I found to be the most striking of all that Jesus said was when he told his disciples he would leave with them the gift of peace for this is a kind of peace that was different from what the world gives and which would ultimately serve as a balm for their fear and troubled hearts. Indeed the kind of peace that Jesus gives is the peace of God that transcends all understanding that will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Phi 4:7).
And for us to be able to fully understand this Gospel passage today we have to go back to yesterday’s Gospel reading when Jesus said that the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in His Name will teach the disciples all things and will remind them of everything he said to them (Jn 14:26).
An understanding of what the Holy Spirit does is needed because the peace that Jesus gave to his disciples and which he is giving to us now can only find fruition when the Holy Spirit is at work in our lives.
As we often regard peace as the absence of conflict, the peace that Jesus gives is the confident assurance that in any disconcerting situation or circumstances we may find ourselves in, we need not fear nor allow our hearts to be troubled because of the presence of the Holy Spirit who helps sustain the peace that comes from Christ – the kind of peace that transcends all boundaries of fear and anxiety.
What we must also realize is that we – our bodies – have become the battlegrounds between the forces of good and evil. Sin, temptations, fear, uncertainty, anxiety, doubts, unbelief, indifference and, numerous other negative forces such as pride, envy, gluttony, sloth, lust, avarice and wrath are at war with the forces of good within us and this should explain why there are times when we find that our lives are not progressing the way it should or in the way that we planned it to be.
It is because we are not aware of the peace of God that moves into our hearts which has the power to restrain these negative forces and provide us with comfort and peace in times of trouble and conflict. But such peace is largely dependent on our acceptance of the gift. Just as he leaves us with his peace, such will be ineffective unless we receive it from him.
In the Scriptures, the word used for peace is shalom which is not the absence of conflict but which when used as a greeting means everything that leads to the highest good of the person. Contrast this with the kind of finite peace in the world today that offers us a way to escape rather than confront conflicts when it happen. What Jesus is offering is the kind of peace that can conquer all the trials and challenges that come.
What we also see in today’s Gospel reading is the highest form of obedience that Jesus wants us to emulate. As Jesus fully submitted to the Will of God the Father as well as to the physical limitations of his being human (Phi 2:6-8), he wants us to also yield to God’s Will because as God exalted Jesus as a result of his obedience (Phi 2:9) then we too will appear with him in glory when Christ who is in us appears (Col 3:4).
To remain in Him (Jn 15:5) is necessary because this puts us in a position when nothing can ever take us away from the peace and joy of Jesus Christ in which no sorrow or grief, no danger, no suffering can ever make us doubt the peace that conquers the world.
Towards the end of the Gospel reading, Jesus speaks of his destination and ultimate triumph over the powers of evil in the world. While the death of Jesus on the cross was viewed at that time it happened as a crushing defeat for Jesus and those who followed him, the Cross will eventually rise as a symbol of victory over the powers of death and sin.
This prince of the world will always be around to try and influence our lives but Jesus assures us that this prince of darkness has no hold on Him (v.30) which means that those who will accept from Jesus his gift of peace and who has the Cross stamped in their hearts are assured of the peace and security in Christ Jesus.
This simply means that in order for us to enjoy this peace and security amidst the troubles the world brings, we have to align our goals and objectives in life with the plan of God for us and this should be founded on listening and obeying the Word of God.
How then would you know that you are at peace with yourself, with others and with God? Easy. You can safely say that peace is in you when you are confident and comfortable with your actions and when the words that come out of your mouths edify God and no one else. But this is the hard part because people human as they are tend to justify their actions as being godly in order to make a point. And some people think that going to church and going through all the practices of their faith give them the privilege to be called Christians and we see this in our everyday lives.
Perhaps there is truth to the claim that of all the denominations the Catholics are the most difficult to unite and this is clearly evident in the current move of the Church for the lay faithful to come up with a united stand in the coming electoral process. Several organizations have sprouted all claiming to be vested with holiness espousing the same goal but are struggling in the diversity on the means of how to deliver a message in the coming elections with some claiming ownership of the right to represent the church.
How sad indeed especially if one will go through the spite and diatribes with which some of these groups have resorted to utterly forgetting the greater need to look beyond the elections which is to evangelize the perverted political order now currently prevailing.
And when Jesus said: “Come now; let us leave.” (v.31) what He probably was thinking was for his disciples to go and preach everything they learned from him. This, however, will only be realized when the Holy Spirit came and breathe on them and gave them the power to proclaim the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
As with his disciples, it is only by the power of the Holy Spirit that we can bring Christ to others.
First Reading: Ac 14: 19-28
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 145: 10-13ab, 21 “Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom.”
GOSPEL: JN 14: 27-31
Key Verse: “Peace I leave with you.” (v.27)
There are at least two things that we can derive from this Gospel passage today. Here we see Jesus in what appears to be a continuation of his last minute instructions to his disciples before he leaves and giving them the assurance there was nothing to fear.
We also see what appears to be the premise to the roles the disciples will play when Jesus goes back to the Father and when they are finally commissioned to take over Jesus’ ministry (Matt 28:18-20).
But what I found to be the most striking of all that Jesus said was when he told his disciples he would leave with them the gift of peace for this is a kind of peace that was different from what the world gives and which would ultimately serve as a balm for their fear and troubled hearts. Indeed the kind of peace that Jesus gives is the peace of God that transcends all understanding that will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Phi 4:7).
And for us to be able to fully understand this Gospel passage today we have to go back to yesterday’s Gospel reading when Jesus said that the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in His Name will teach the disciples all things and will remind them of everything he said to them (Jn 14:26).
An understanding of what the Holy Spirit does is needed because the peace that Jesus gave to his disciples and which he is giving to us now can only find fruition when the Holy Spirit is at work in our lives.
As we often regard peace as the absence of conflict, the peace that Jesus gives is the confident assurance that in any disconcerting situation or circumstances we may find ourselves in, we need not fear nor allow our hearts to be troubled because of the presence of the Holy Spirit who helps sustain the peace that comes from Christ – the kind of peace that transcends all boundaries of fear and anxiety.
What we must also realize is that we – our bodies – have become the battlegrounds between the forces of good and evil. Sin, temptations, fear, uncertainty, anxiety, doubts, unbelief, indifference and, numerous other negative forces such as pride, envy, gluttony, sloth, lust, avarice and wrath are at war with the forces of good within us and this should explain why there are times when we find that our lives are not progressing the way it should or in the way that we planned it to be.
It is because we are not aware of the peace of God that moves into our hearts which has the power to restrain these negative forces and provide us with comfort and peace in times of trouble and conflict. But such peace is largely dependent on our acceptance of the gift. Just as he leaves us with his peace, such will be ineffective unless we receive it from him.
In the Scriptures, the word used for peace is shalom which is not the absence of conflict but which when used as a greeting means everything that leads to the highest good of the person. Contrast this with the kind of finite peace in the world today that offers us a way to escape rather than confront conflicts when it happen. What Jesus is offering is the kind of peace that can conquer all the trials and challenges that come.
What we also see in today’s Gospel reading is the highest form of obedience that Jesus wants us to emulate. As Jesus fully submitted to the Will of God the Father as well as to the physical limitations of his being human (Phi 2:6-8), he wants us to also yield to God’s Will because as God exalted Jesus as a result of his obedience (Phi 2:9) then we too will appear with him in glory when Christ who is in us appears (Col 3:4).
To remain in Him (Jn 15:5) is necessary because this puts us in a position when nothing can ever take us away from the peace and joy of Jesus Christ in which no sorrow or grief, no danger, no suffering can ever make us doubt the peace that conquers the world.
Towards the end of the Gospel reading, Jesus speaks of his destination and ultimate triumph over the powers of evil in the world. While the death of Jesus on the cross was viewed at that time it happened as a crushing defeat for Jesus and those who followed him, the Cross will eventually rise as a symbol of victory over the powers of death and sin.
This prince of the world will always be around to try and influence our lives but Jesus assures us that this prince of darkness has no hold on Him (v.30) which means that those who will accept from Jesus his gift of peace and who has the Cross stamped in their hearts are assured of the peace and security in Christ Jesus.
This simply means that in order for us to enjoy this peace and security amidst the troubles the world brings, we have to align our goals and objectives in life with the plan of God for us and this should be founded on listening and obeying the Word of God.
How then would you know that you are at peace with yourself, with others and with God? Easy. You can safely say that peace is in you when you are confident and comfortable with your actions and when the words that come out of your mouths edify God and no one else. But this is the hard part because people human as they are tend to justify their actions as being godly in order to make a point. And some people think that going to church and going through all the practices of their faith give them the privilege to be called Christians and we see this in our everyday lives.
Perhaps there is truth to the claim that of all the denominations the Catholics are the most difficult to unite and this is clearly evident in the current move of the Church for the lay faithful to come up with a united stand in the coming electoral process. Several organizations have sprouted all claiming to be vested with holiness espousing the same goal but are struggling in the diversity on the means of how to deliver a message in the coming elections with some claiming ownership of the right to represent the church.
How sad indeed especially if one will go through the spite and diatribes with which some of these groups have resorted to utterly forgetting the greater need to look beyond the elections which is to evangelize the perverted political order now currently prevailing.
And when Jesus said: “Come now; let us leave.” (v.31) what He probably was thinking was for his disciples to go and preach everything they learned from him. This, however, will only be realized when the Holy Spirit came and breathe on them and gave them the power to proclaim the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
As with his disciples, it is only by the power of the Holy Spirit that we can bring Christ to others.
THERE'S GLORY IN OBEDIENCE
MAY 19, 2014: FIFTH WEEK OF EASTER
First Reading: Ac 14:5-18
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 115: 1-4, 15-16 “Not to us, O Lord, but to your name give the glory.”
GOSPEL: JN 14: 21-26
Key Verse: “My Father will love him, and we will come to him
and make our home with him.” (v.23)
St. Paul in his letter to the Christian community in Rome said that those whom Christ has “predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.” (Rom 8:30)
And today, our Gospel speaks of the glory that await the disciples of Christ and which also awaits us when we die to ourselves and our lives are hidden with Christ in God and when Christ who is your life appears, then we will also appear with him in glory (Col 3:3-4).
As the words of the Sacred Scriptures will never lie as these were written with the prompting and guidance of the Holy Spirit the Gospel passage that we have today presents another truth that of something we can look forward to in this our journey of faith – that the Father and the Son will definitely come and dwell in each one of us who has faith.
But as faith is a verb which means it is an action word and that we have to work on it if we want our faith to produce results because faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead (Jam 2:17).
This is the lesson behind this Gospel passage we have for today and Jesus was not only emphatic but his words were carefully spoken so that his disciples would understand the depth and meaning of what he was saying.
The beauty of the Scripture is that this was not only intended for the benefit of the early Christian Church but also for our own benefit for it is in the Scriptures that we will come to know God and the purpose for which we have been created.
And what was the glory that Jesus was telling his disciples and which he is telling us now? This glory is the time when the Father and the Son will dwell and inhabit the deepest recesses of our being such that our lives are transformed by the renewing of our minds.
However, as this Gospel passage today suggests this glorious habitation is largely dependent on one primary consideration – love – which is the one important thing that ushers in a compendium of all the others virtues particularly that of obedience which is what unites us with the Father and the Son.
This is what is clear in today’s Gospel in that there shouldn’t be any doubt that God, Jesus and man are all bound together by the bond of love and the only proof of love is obedience and we can see this from Jesus whose love for the Father moved him to be obedient to death, even death on the cross and Jesus appeared when he rose from the dead not to the Scribes and the arrogant teachers of the law but to those who loved him.
This is what Jesus is impressing upon us today that our obedience would provide us security and a fuller revelation of God. In reciprocity to our love and obedience, Jesus assures us that if we love and obey him that we too will be loved by the Father and that Jesus too will love us and show Himself to us (v.21).
We are secure because the presence of the God in our lives will spare us from the ruinous flow of the material world around us. The revelation of God, however, will be costly for us because it means we will have to turn away from many of the things that make us happy but it is when we deny ourselves and reach out to God that God also reaches down to have fellowship with us but this revelation of God is dependent on obedience and love.
For many this mutually-beneficial exchange between God and man will be hard to comprehend as the revelation of God in itself is a mystery. It is in situations like these when the Holy Spirit will come and teach us everything we need to know.
As we have said many times before, a Christian is a man on the move which means we should not remain immobile or fixed wherever we may be. A Christian especially a disciple must be a learner by being open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit who will lead us to a deeper truth of God. This simply means that we will have to jettison our all-knowing nature in favor of the wisdom and knowledge of the Holy Spirit which means that we don’t move or make decisions unless we are pretty sure that such come from the counsel of the Holy Spirit.
When Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit that the Father will send in His Name (v.26), it meant that there are at least two things the Holy Spirit will do in our lives and also to those who will love and obey Jesus. In terms of faith, the Holy Spirit will teach us that we may know the deeper meaning of the truth of the teachings of Jesus. In terms of human behavior, the Holy Spirit is the one who will make us aright in our conduct.
This is how much God loves us and this is love is as real and tangible as the love of a mother for her child and the love of a lover who gives all for his beloved. God made us for love – to know him personally and to grow in the knowledge of his great love for us. And the Holy Spirit not only helps us grow in the knowledge of God’s love but the Spirit assures us of God’s abiding presence in us and with us.
First Reading: Ac 14:5-18
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 115: 1-4, 15-16 “Not to us, O Lord, but to your name give the glory.”
GOSPEL: JN 14: 21-26
Key Verse: “My Father will love him, and we will come to him
and make our home with him.” (v.23)
St. Paul in his letter to the Christian community in Rome said that those whom Christ has “predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.” (Rom 8:30)
And today, our Gospel speaks of the glory that await the disciples of Christ and which also awaits us when we die to ourselves and our lives are hidden with Christ in God and when Christ who is your life appears, then we will also appear with him in glory (Col 3:3-4).
As the words of the Sacred Scriptures will never lie as these were written with the prompting and guidance of the Holy Spirit the Gospel passage that we have today presents another truth that of something we can look forward to in this our journey of faith – that the Father and the Son will definitely come and dwell in each one of us who has faith.
But as faith is a verb which means it is an action word and that we have to work on it if we want our faith to produce results because faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead (Jam 2:17).
This is the lesson behind this Gospel passage we have for today and Jesus was not only emphatic but his words were carefully spoken so that his disciples would understand the depth and meaning of what he was saying.
The beauty of the Scripture is that this was not only intended for the benefit of the early Christian Church but also for our own benefit for it is in the Scriptures that we will come to know God and the purpose for which we have been created.
And what was the glory that Jesus was telling his disciples and which he is telling us now? This glory is the time when the Father and the Son will dwell and inhabit the deepest recesses of our being such that our lives are transformed by the renewing of our minds.
However, as this Gospel passage today suggests this glorious habitation is largely dependent on one primary consideration – love – which is the one important thing that ushers in a compendium of all the others virtues particularly that of obedience which is what unites us with the Father and the Son.
This is what is clear in today’s Gospel in that there shouldn’t be any doubt that God, Jesus and man are all bound together by the bond of love and the only proof of love is obedience and we can see this from Jesus whose love for the Father moved him to be obedient to death, even death on the cross and Jesus appeared when he rose from the dead not to the Scribes and the arrogant teachers of the law but to those who loved him.
This is what Jesus is impressing upon us today that our obedience would provide us security and a fuller revelation of God. In reciprocity to our love and obedience, Jesus assures us that if we love and obey him that we too will be loved by the Father and that Jesus too will love us and show Himself to us (v.21).
We are secure because the presence of the God in our lives will spare us from the ruinous flow of the material world around us. The revelation of God, however, will be costly for us because it means we will have to turn away from many of the things that make us happy but it is when we deny ourselves and reach out to God that God also reaches down to have fellowship with us but this revelation of God is dependent on obedience and love.
For many this mutually-beneficial exchange between God and man will be hard to comprehend as the revelation of God in itself is a mystery. It is in situations like these when the Holy Spirit will come and teach us everything we need to know.
As we have said many times before, a Christian is a man on the move which means we should not remain immobile or fixed wherever we may be. A Christian especially a disciple must be a learner by being open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit who will lead us to a deeper truth of God. This simply means that we will have to jettison our all-knowing nature in favor of the wisdom and knowledge of the Holy Spirit which means that we don’t move or make decisions unless we are pretty sure that such come from the counsel of the Holy Spirit.
When Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit that the Father will send in His Name (v.26), it meant that there are at least two things the Holy Spirit will do in our lives and also to those who will love and obey Jesus. In terms of faith, the Holy Spirit will teach us that we may know the deeper meaning of the truth of the teachings of Jesus. In terms of human behavior, the Holy Spirit is the one who will make us aright in our conduct.
This is how much God loves us and this is love is as real and tangible as the love of a mother for her child and the love of a lover who gives all for his beloved. God made us for love – to know him personally and to grow in the knowledge of his great love for us. And the Holy Spirit not only helps us grow in the knowledge of God’s love but the Spirit assures us of God’s abiding presence in us and with us.
NO ROOM FOR FEAR
MAY 18, 2014: FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
First Reading: Ac 6:1-7
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 33 “Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.”
Second Reading: 1 Pt 2:4-9
GOSPEL: JN 14:1-6
Key Verse: “… to prepare a place for you.” (v.2)
As the thought of the betrayal of Jesus and his impending arrest began to sink in among his disciples, the room where they settled for the Passover Feast was charged with fear. And who wouldn’t feel anxious about the events that are about to unfold which Jesus himself bared.
If the religious authorities at that time could order the arrest of Jesus who claimed he was from God and who was sent by God to save the world, certainly his disciples knew that it would be less difficult for the Sanhedrin to round them up and subject them to the same fate as those accused of rebellion.
His disciples believed everything that Jesus said. They also witnessed the many instances of miracles such as the water that turned into wine, the multiplication of the five loaves and two fish, the blind from birth who was able to see, the lame at the pool of Bethesda who was able to walk, the daughter of the synagogue official who was brought back to life, and Lazarus whom Jesus raised back to life and they all believed and followed him because they saw God in him. They knew that no harm would come to them for as long as they were with him.
But supposing he will indeed be arrested as he says and tried for blasphemy and rebellion for which the penalty is death, what will the future hold for them. Will they also be arrested? What will now happen to the eternal kingdom that Jesus foretold and which they believed. There was nothing that his disciples could ever think of at that moment except fear and anxiety.
This was the reason why Jesus had to reassure his disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.” (v.1) Because he also knew that his disciples are at a loss as to where they will go without him, Jesus had to restore their confidence by saying: In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.” (v.2)
As if this was not enough, made it clear to them that: “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you may also be where I am.” (v.3)
Like the disciples there have been times when we too felt fearful of many things. And the most common was being afraid of the dark when we were still kids and our mothers would encourage by saying “Do not be afraid, Jesus will protect you. All you need to do is pray and Jesus will send his angels to cover you.” And in our young minds we believed that. Our fears are similar to that of the disciples because they are afraid of facing the world without Jesus.
And Jesus did what our mothers did as he reassured his disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled” (v.1a). To further build the confidence of his disciples, Jesus told them: “Trust in God, trust also in me” (v.1b). In some other bible versions, the word used was “believe” instead of trust. There was no doubt that the Jews at that time believed in God. Even the Scribes and Pharisees believed in God. What they couldn’t believe was the assertion of Jesus to place himself in the same level as God: “I and the Father are one.” (Jn 10:30)
And to further boost their confidence, Jesus told them that if God can work through him they it follows that God can also work through them as he told his disciples: “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father,” (v.12)
Today, we are in a better position than the disciples and the early Christians because it is to know who God is and who Jesus is with all the kinds of advanced communications medium that we now have. I went to a worship service one time I felt antiquated because those beside were reading through the Scriptures using their iPhones and iPads.
But many of us are like Thomas who asked: “so how can we know the way?” (v.5) or Philip who told Jesus: “Lord, show us the Father, and that we will be enough for us.” (v.8). And sometimes it’s really hard to see God in the events of our everyday life. Climate change may have adversely created a dramatic change in our weather patterns that we are now experiencing severe weather disturbances even during summer and thousands have lost their lives and those who survived lost all their possessions. Cases of corruption in the corridors of power, high crime rate, hedonism and relativism appear to have become the norm. So the question is where is God in all these. How else can I see God when my life and my environment are dotted with what is immoral.
Indeed, it would be difficult for us to see the Father in all of these because it is probable that we have not seen Jesus himself. It is easy to say we have faith but to believe in him is another thing if we are to digest what the word believe means. The root word of believe comes from the German word “liebe” which means love. Thus to believe in Jesus is to love him which is why we can only see Jesus if we love him and by loving him we also acknowledge him to be our Lord and Savior who is the source of everything that we have.
What Jesus said to Philip is what he is also telling us now: “Don’t you know me Philip,… Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work/” (vv.9-10)
We are also hard-pressed in seeing God and Jesus in the circumstances of our lives because many of us regard Christianity and or our faith as a religion which is why there are many among us who are stuck with the head-knowledge about who God is. We must remember that when God sent his only begotten Son to become incarnate the great divide that separated the Divine God and humanity was removed.
Thus, what we now have is no longer just a religion but a relationship with God through Jesus. And the way to believing is not to argue about Jesus but to listen to what he is telling us in the Sacred Scriptures and to fix our eyes on him.
That relationship must be founded on mutual love – the love of Jesus for us who though he was in the form of God did not deem equality with God as something to be grasped at but he humbled himself and became obedient to death on the cross and, our commitment to love him in all the circumstances of our lives.
As we recite the Apostle’s Creed when we attend the celebration of the Holy Eucharist let us do so with conviction in that we truly believe in what it says it is:
I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation He came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, He suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and His kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.
I believe in one, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.
Amen.
First Reading: Ac 6:1-7
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 33 “Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.”
Second Reading: 1 Pt 2:4-9
GOSPEL: JN 14:1-6
Key Verse: “… to prepare a place for you.” (v.2)
As the thought of the betrayal of Jesus and his impending arrest began to sink in among his disciples, the room where they settled for the Passover Feast was charged with fear. And who wouldn’t feel anxious about the events that are about to unfold which Jesus himself bared.
If the religious authorities at that time could order the arrest of Jesus who claimed he was from God and who was sent by God to save the world, certainly his disciples knew that it would be less difficult for the Sanhedrin to round them up and subject them to the same fate as those accused of rebellion.
His disciples believed everything that Jesus said. They also witnessed the many instances of miracles such as the water that turned into wine, the multiplication of the five loaves and two fish, the blind from birth who was able to see, the lame at the pool of Bethesda who was able to walk, the daughter of the synagogue official who was brought back to life, and Lazarus whom Jesus raised back to life and they all believed and followed him because they saw God in him. They knew that no harm would come to them for as long as they were with him.
But supposing he will indeed be arrested as he says and tried for blasphemy and rebellion for which the penalty is death, what will the future hold for them. Will they also be arrested? What will now happen to the eternal kingdom that Jesus foretold and which they believed. There was nothing that his disciples could ever think of at that moment except fear and anxiety.
This was the reason why Jesus had to reassure his disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.” (v.1) Because he also knew that his disciples are at a loss as to where they will go without him, Jesus had to restore their confidence by saying: In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.” (v.2)
As if this was not enough, made it clear to them that: “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you may also be where I am.” (v.3)
Like the disciples there have been times when we too felt fearful of many things. And the most common was being afraid of the dark when we were still kids and our mothers would encourage by saying “Do not be afraid, Jesus will protect you. All you need to do is pray and Jesus will send his angels to cover you.” And in our young minds we believed that. Our fears are similar to that of the disciples because they are afraid of facing the world without Jesus.
And Jesus did what our mothers did as he reassured his disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled” (v.1a). To further build the confidence of his disciples, Jesus told them: “Trust in God, trust also in me” (v.1b). In some other bible versions, the word used was “believe” instead of trust. There was no doubt that the Jews at that time believed in God. Even the Scribes and Pharisees believed in God. What they couldn’t believe was the assertion of Jesus to place himself in the same level as God: “I and the Father are one.” (Jn 10:30)
And to further boost their confidence, Jesus told them that if God can work through him they it follows that God can also work through them as he told his disciples: “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father,” (v.12)
Today, we are in a better position than the disciples and the early Christians because it is to know who God is and who Jesus is with all the kinds of advanced communications medium that we now have. I went to a worship service one time I felt antiquated because those beside were reading through the Scriptures using their iPhones and iPads.
But many of us are like Thomas who asked: “so how can we know the way?” (v.5) or Philip who told Jesus: “Lord, show us the Father, and that we will be enough for us.” (v.8). And sometimes it’s really hard to see God in the events of our everyday life. Climate change may have adversely created a dramatic change in our weather patterns that we are now experiencing severe weather disturbances even during summer and thousands have lost their lives and those who survived lost all their possessions. Cases of corruption in the corridors of power, high crime rate, hedonism and relativism appear to have become the norm. So the question is where is God in all these. How else can I see God when my life and my environment are dotted with what is immoral.
Indeed, it would be difficult for us to see the Father in all of these because it is probable that we have not seen Jesus himself. It is easy to say we have faith but to believe in him is another thing if we are to digest what the word believe means. The root word of believe comes from the German word “liebe” which means love. Thus to believe in Jesus is to love him which is why we can only see Jesus if we love him and by loving him we also acknowledge him to be our Lord and Savior who is the source of everything that we have.
What Jesus said to Philip is what he is also telling us now: “Don’t you know me Philip,… Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work/” (vv.9-10)
We are also hard-pressed in seeing God and Jesus in the circumstances of our lives because many of us regard Christianity and or our faith as a religion which is why there are many among us who are stuck with the head-knowledge about who God is. We must remember that when God sent his only begotten Son to become incarnate the great divide that separated the Divine God and humanity was removed.
Thus, what we now have is no longer just a religion but a relationship with God through Jesus. And the way to believing is not to argue about Jesus but to listen to what he is telling us in the Sacred Scriptures and to fix our eyes on him.
That relationship must be founded on mutual love – the love of Jesus for us who though he was in the form of God did not deem equality with God as something to be grasped at but he humbled himself and became obedient to death on the cross and, our commitment to love him in all the circumstances of our lives.
As we recite the Apostle’s Creed when we attend the celebration of the Holy Eucharist let us do so with conviction in that we truly believe in what it says it is:
I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation He came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, He suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and His kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.
I believe in one, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.
Amen.
SEE GOD THROUGH JESUS
MAY 17, 2014: FOURTH WEEK OF EASTER
First Reading: Ac 13:44-52
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:1-4 “All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.”
GOSPEL: JN 14:7-14
Key Verse: “And I will do whatever you ask in my Name.” (v.13)
People from all walks of life especially today when materialism has become the norm are driven by one goal and one goal alone and that is to succeed in their respective careers and consequently enjoy life to its fullness and many would go to great lengths to reach this goal. And a joyful life is almost always equated with how much a person possesses and has achieved in life.
But there comes a time when enough is not just enough and either we start looking for more or we end up depressed as our riches can no longer satisfy our inner desire for peace, security and joy that has no end and we begin to realize that all our possessions, titles, achievements are temporal and will not merit our salvation.
Then and only then will we realize that God who has been present in our lives all along but whom we not only took for granted but we simply ignored him as we gave more priority to our pursuit of our human desires.
There may have been instances when we did feel the presence of God in the encounter programs and or Life in the Spirit Seminars that we were invited to. We went through some of the formation programs of the Church and or Community that we joined and yet there was a duality in the kind of life we lived. One was with God and the other was with the world.
This is because we at times have created our own image of God in our minds that to some God is an invisible God and people sometimes find it hard to relate much more establish a relationship with someone they can’t see.
This was the predicament of the Jews and even of the disciples of Jesus because to them God was invisible and that no one had ever seen God and this was not something the Jews made up because God Himself told Moses “you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.” (Exo 33:23)
But Jesus stood before his disciples and boldly proclaimed: “If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” (v.7) Simply put, to see Jesus is to see what God is like and God was such a good God that in order for men to appreciate his person, He sent His only begotten Son to sanctify human birth and to sanctify the humble home of Joseph and Mary. What God did was He showed how the work of the ordinary man – carpenter and fishermen – was clothed with glory because they have been touched by the hand of God through Jesus.
What this Gospel passage actually represents was that Jesus was the Messiah who had been prophesied by the prophet Isaiah. He allowed Himself to be baptized even if he had no need for one just so He could identify Himself with humanity. He preached and taught, healed the sick, drove demons out of those possessed by evil and towards the end of His earthly ministry He declared: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except by me.” (Jn 14:6)
This indeed was not just a bold proclamation because no other prophet or teacher who came before Jesus ever claimed the character that the Jews have reserved only for God. As the way, Jesus is our path to the Father. As the truth, he is the reality of all of God’s promises. And as the life, he joins his divine life to ours both now and through eternity.
In Jesus, God was no longer the invisible God that the Jews never even dared to have seen because Jesus was the visible and tangible image of the invisible God as He represents the complete revelation of what God was like.
What Jesus was telling Philip is what Jesus is also telling us now. If you want to see God, listen to me and look at me and believe. The way to authentic Christian belief is not to argue about Jesus but to listen to Him and to look at Him. And Jesus assures those who will believe in Him that they, like his disciples, “will do greater works than these.” (v.12)
We may be led to imagine that we too can do greater things, Jesus simply meant that while his disciples can also heal the sick and cast out demons it does not necessarily mean that they did greater things compared to what Jesus did and we definitely cannot outdo the One who sends us.
The greater things that the disciples did was to go beyond the limits of what Jesus did whose evangelization campaign only took him around the Palestine region whereas the Apostles, empowered by the Holy Spirit, went to the ends of the earth to proclaim the Good News. And this is what Jesus also expects from us – that is to take the Gospel of Christ to those who will listen and believe.
What we should also keep engraved in our minds is the promise that Jesus made at the end of this Gospel passage: “You can ask for anything in my Name, and I will do it, because the work of the Son brings glory to the Father. Yes, ask anything in my Name, and I will do it.” (vv.13-14)
This means that not all our prayers would be granted but only prayers made in his Name will be granted. The question is can we really invoke the Name of Jesus when we pray. What we’re trying to point out is that we must be careful when praying because we have to ask ourselves if we can really make our prayers in the Name of Jesus.
This means that when we ask, our prayers must always be in accordance with the character and will of God because to use the Name of Jesus is a great privilege and we should not assume that we can use the Name of Jesus as a magic formula to get answers to our prayers.
When Jesus allows us to use His Name when we pray, He is actually giving us the authority to use His Name and we should give honor and reciprocate this trust that He has given us and not use His Name in vain.
We must know that using the Name of Jesus also carries with it tremendous responsibility because we must be aware that we are not only using the name of just another person but we are using the name of the one who not only created us but someone in whose hands our lives rest.
This knowledge of God must not just be a head knowledge but one that is founded on a relationship that is borne out of believing in him and sharing in his passion, death and resurrection. Thus to know him is to die to our own sinful nature, accept him as our personal Lord and Savior so that we may also be resurrected with him and in him for it is only in knowing Jesus that we can see God.
First Reading: Ac 13:44-52
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:1-4 “All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.”
GOSPEL: JN 14:7-14
Key Verse: “And I will do whatever you ask in my Name.” (v.13)
People from all walks of life especially today when materialism has become the norm are driven by one goal and one goal alone and that is to succeed in their respective careers and consequently enjoy life to its fullness and many would go to great lengths to reach this goal. And a joyful life is almost always equated with how much a person possesses and has achieved in life.
But there comes a time when enough is not just enough and either we start looking for more or we end up depressed as our riches can no longer satisfy our inner desire for peace, security and joy that has no end and we begin to realize that all our possessions, titles, achievements are temporal and will not merit our salvation.
Then and only then will we realize that God who has been present in our lives all along but whom we not only took for granted but we simply ignored him as we gave more priority to our pursuit of our human desires.
There may have been instances when we did feel the presence of God in the encounter programs and or Life in the Spirit Seminars that we were invited to. We went through some of the formation programs of the Church and or Community that we joined and yet there was a duality in the kind of life we lived. One was with God and the other was with the world.
This is because we at times have created our own image of God in our minds that to some God is an invisible God and people sometimes find it hard to relate much more establish a relationship with someone they can’t see.
This was the predicament of the Jews and even of the disciples of Jesus because to them God was invisible and that no one had ever seen God and this was not something the Jews made up because God Himself told Moses “you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.” (Exo 33:23)
But Jesus stood before his disciples and boldly proclaimed: “If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” (v.7) Simply put, to see Jesus is to see what God is like and God was such a good God that in order for men to appreciate his person, He sent His only begotten Son to sanctify human birth and to sanctify the humble home of Joseph and Mary. What God did was He showed how the work of the ordinary man – carpenter and fishermen – was clothed with glory because they have been touched by the hand of God through Jesus.
What this Gospel passage actually represents was that Jesus was the Messiah who had been prophesied by the prophet Isaiah. He allowed Himself to be baptized even if he had no need for one just so He could identify Himself with humanity. He preached and taught, healed the sick, drove demons out of those possessed by evil and towards the end of His earthly ministry He declared: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except by me.” (Jn 14:6)
This indeed was not just a bold proclamation because no other prophet or teacher who came before Jesus ever claimed the character that the Jews have reserved only for God. As the way, Jesus is our path to the Father. As the truth, he is the reality of all of God’s promises. And as the life, he joins his divine life to ours both now and through eternity.
In Jesus, God was no longer the invisible God that the Jews never even dared to have seen because Jesus was the visible and tangible image of the invisible God as He represents the complete revelation of what God was like.
What Jesus was telling Philip is what Jesus is also telling us now. If you want to see God, listen to me and look at me and believe. The way to authentic Christian belief is not to argue about Jesus but to listen to Him and to look at Him. And Jesus assures those who will believe in Him that they, like his disciples, “will do greater works than these.” (v.12)
We may be led to imagine that we too can do greater things, Jesus simply meant that while his disciples can also heal the sick and cast out demons it does not necessarily mean that they did greater things compared to what Jesus did and we definitely cannot outdo the One who sends us.
The greater things that the disciples did was to go beyond the limits of what Jesus did whose evangelization campaign only took him around the Palestine region whereas the Apostles, empowered by the Holy Spirit, went to the ends of the earth to proclaim the Good News. And this is what Jesus also expects from us – that is to take the Gospel of Christ to those who will listen and believe.
What we should also keep engraved in our minds is the promise that Jesus made at the end of this Gospel passage: “You can ask for anything in my Name, and I will do it, because the work of the Son brings glory to the Father. Yes, ask anything in my Name, and I will do it.” (vv.13-14)
This means that not all our prayers would be granted but only prayers made in his Name will be granted. The question is can we really invoke the Name of Jesus when we pray. What we’re trying to point out is that we must be careful when praying because we have to ask ourselves if we can really make our prayers in the Name of Jesus.
This means that when we ask, our prayers must always be in accordance with the character and will of God because to use the Name of Jesus is a great privilege and we should not assume that we can use the Name of Jesus as a magic formula to get answers to our prayers.
When Jesus allows us to use His Name when we pray, He is actually giving us the authority to use His Name and we should give honor and reciprocate this trust that He has given us and not use His Name in vain.
We must know that using the Name of Jesus also carries with it tremendous responsibility because we must be aware that we are not only using the name of just another person but we are using the name of the one who not only created us but someone in whose hands our lives rest.
This knowledge of God must not just be a head knowledge but one that is founded on a relationship that is borne out of believing in him and sharing in his passion, death and resurrection. Thus to know him is to die to our own sinful nature, accept him as our personal Lord and Savior so that we may also be resurrected with him and in him for it is only in knowing Jesus that we can see God.
IN JESUS THERE IS PEACE
MAY 16, 2014: FOURTH WEEK OF EASTER
First Reading: Ac 13:26-33
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 2:6-11ab “You are my Son, this day I have begotten you.”
GOSPEL: JN 14:1-6
Key Verse: “Let not your hearts be troubled;” (v.1)
To better understand this Gospel passage today, it would help if you take time to go back and read at least the preceding Chapters 12 and 13 because these will provide you with the reason why the disciples of Jesus appeared troubled and bewildered at this point.
In these two chapters you will see that Jesus not only predicted his suffering and death on the cross that will be precipitated by the betrayal of one of his trusted disciples and highlighted by the surprising denial of Peter who had vowed to lay down his life for Jesus (Jn 13:37).
Wouldn’t you too be troubled and confused if the person whom you have been following around for three years will tell you he is going to leave you and you don’t even know where he will be going. What about the ministry that he has established? Will it all be for naught? What now?
These are probably some of the questions running through the minds of the disciples when Jesus seemed to be bidding them adieu and so he implores them not to be troubled (v.1) as he assures them: “In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” (vv.2-3)
But Jesus also laid down the parameters that we all need to follow if we are to go where he would go and that is to believe in God and believe also in him (v.1). This is in fact the underlying message of this Gospel today that in times of trouble and when our world seemed like it is going to collapse, when everything in our life is not progressing as we planned it to be, when our human will can no longer respond to the challenges of the world, the only recourse we have is to believe in God and to believe in Jesus.
In our lifetime, there is a time and there will be times when we find that we are incapable of meeting the trials that come our way and of understanding the difficult circumstances in our lives and it is in these times when belief and faith in God through Jesus will bring in comfort and peace.
What we all must bear in mind is that we should not allow our troubles to rob us of God's peace. Inevitably, we will all encounter trouble and difficulties and some of these will be hard to endure. But when we find that there is a purpose for these dark hours and moments in our lives it is then when even the unbearable becomes bearable especially when we know that Jesus will never leave us as orphans (Jn 14:18).
There are two choices we can make when trials and tribulations come. We can give in to our human tendencies and lose hope and be discouraged or, we can choose to remain close to God encouraged by his promise: "It is the LORD who goes before you; he will be with you, he will not fail you or forsake you; do not fear or be dismayed" (Deut 31:8).
What we should always keep in our minds and hearts is the fact that God Himself led the Israelites out of the wilderness and into the promised land and in this Gospel today Jesus is also telling us that that he is going ahead to prepare a place for us in God's house and he will return and take us with him so that we may be with him forever (vv.2-3).
The beauty of the New Testament Scriptures is the realization that we are not and are never alone to face life’s challenges because Jesus always goes ahead of us and leads us to follow. He opens and shows us the way for us to follow in His footsteps and if we will only grasp the depth and meaning of the Gospel we will come to grips of where and what our final destination will be – a place of refuge, peace, and security, and everlasting happiness.
“In my Father's house are many rooms;” (v.2) which could only mean that heaven is not and will never be crowded or filled as there will be plenty of room for everyone who will believe in God and in His Son Jesus Christ.
But like Thomas, who asked: "we neither know where you are going nor how we shall get there on our own?" (v.5) we at times are unsure of where we are going. The first time I went to the United States was in 1982 and back then I had a map to guide me to where I was going and it was so difficult looking at the map while driving at the same time. When I visited the US again in 2010 and rented a car in Los Angeles, I was surprised to find that cars nowadays are already equipped with a GPS (Global Positioning System) gadget that gives you the direction by just keying in the address of the place you are going to.
Today, Jesus is our GPS and we are blessed that in our journey of faith we have Jesus who leads us and shows us the Way to His Father’s house. We should be grateful that He speaks to us through the Words of the Holy Gospel that illumine our minds and hearts of the Truth we need to know that we are not swayed to believe in the lies and deception of this world. And we are thoroughly blessed that came in love to save us from our sins to show us what Life lived out in love really means.
Let us thus raise our hearts to Our Lord Jesus and thank Him for giving us the joy of His saving presence and the hope of everlasting life with the Father in Heaven.
First Reading: Ac 13:26-33
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 2:6-11ab “You are my Son, this day I have begotten you.”
GOSPEL: JN 14:1-6
Key Verse: “Let not your hearts be troubled;” (v.1)
To better understand this Gospel passage today, it would help if you take time to go back and read at least the preceding Chapters 12 and 13 because these will provide you with the reason why the disciples of Jesus appeared troubled and bewildered at this point.
In these two chapters you will see that Jesus not only predicted his suffering and death on the cross that will be precipitated by the betrayal of one of his trusted disciples and highlighted by the surprising denial of Peter who had vowed to lay down his life for Jesus (Jn 13:37).
Wouldn’t you too be troubled and confused if the person whom you have been following around for three years will tell you he is going to leave you and you don’t even know where he will be going. What about the ministry that he has established? Will it all be for naught? What now?
These are probably some of the questions running through the minds of the disciples when Jesus seemed to be bidding them adieu and so he implores them not to be troubled (v.1) as he assures them: “In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” (vv.2-3)
But Jesus also laid down the parameters that we all need to follow if we are to go where he would go and that is to believe in God and believe also in him (v.1). This is in fact the underlying message of this Gospel today that in times of trouble and when our world seemed like it is going to collapse, when everything in our life is not progressing as we planned it to be, when our human will can no longer respond to the challenges of the world, the only recourse we have is to believe in God and to believe in Jesus.
In our lifetime, there is a time and there will be times when we find that we are incapable of meeting the trials that come our way and of understanding the difficult circumstances in our lives and it is in these times when belief and faith in God through Jesus will bring in comfort and peace.
What we all must bear in mind is that we should not allow our troubles to rob us of God's peace. Inevitably, we will all encounter trouble and difficulties and some of these will be hard to endure. But when we find that there is a purpose for these dark hours and moments in our lives it is then when even the unbearable becomes bearable especially when we know that Jesus will never leave us as orphans (Jn 14:18).
There are two choices we can make when trials and tribulations come. We can give in to our human tendencies and lose hope and be discouraged or, we can choose to remain close to God encouraged by his promise: "It is the LORD who goes before you; he will be with you, he will not fail you or forsake you; do not fear or be dismayed" (Deut 31:8).
What we should always keep in our minds and hearts is the fact that God Himself led the Israelites out of the wilderness and into the promised land and in this Gospel today Jesus is also telling us that that he is going ahead to prepare a place for us in God's house and he will return and take us with him so that we may be with him forever (vv.2-3).
The beauty of the New Testament Scriptures is the realization that we are not and are never alone to face life’s challenges because Jesus always goes ahead of us and leads us to follow. He opens and shows us the way for us to follow in His footsteps and if we will only grasp the depth and meaning of the Gospel we will come to grips of where and what our final destination will be – a place of refuge, peace, and security, and everlasting happiness.
“In my Father's house are many rooms;” (v.2) which could only mean that heaven is not and will never be crowded or filled as there will be plenty of room for everyone who will believe in God and in His Son Jesus Christ.
But like Thomas, who asked: "we neither know where you are going nor how we shall get there on our own?" (v.5) we at times are unsure of where we are going. The first time I went to the United States was in 1982 and back then I had a map to guide me to where I was going and it was so difficult looking at the map while driving at the same time. When I visited the US again in 2010 and rented a car in Los Angeles, I was surprised to find that cars nowadays are already equipped with a GPS (Global Positioning System) gadget that gives you the direction by just keying in the address of the place you are going to.
Today, Jesus is our GPS and we are blessed that in our journey of faith we have Jesus who leads us and shows us the Way to His Father’s house. We should be grateful that He speaks to us through the Words of the Holy Gospel that illumine our minds and hearts of the Truth we need to know that we are not swayed to believe in the lies and deception of this world. And we are thoroughly blessed that came in love to save us from our sins to show us what Life lived out in love really means.
Let us thus raise our hearts to Our Lord Jesus and thank Him for giving us the joy of His saving presence and the hope of everlasting life with the Father in Heaven.
WE ARE UNIMPORTANT
MAY 15, 2014: FOURTH WEEK OF EASTER
First Reading: Ac 13:13-25
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 89:2-3, 21-22, 25, 27 “For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: JN 13:16-20
Key Verse: “.. no servant is greater than his master,” (v.16)
Today’s gospel passage may be short but there are two significant verses that serve as a reminder of our calling as disciples of Jesus Christ. One is found at the beginning of the gospel when Jesus told his disciples: “I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.” (v.16)
The preceding scenario has Jesus washing the feet of his Apostles, an act that could be equated to that which slaves do during his time. Tradition has it that for someone regarded as a Rabbi and or Prophet to wash the feet of the guests at a feast was to be done only by a slave and what Jesus did was something no one could have ever dreamed of.
The symbolism of this event was not on the act itself although Jesus may have done so to set an example of humility for his Apostles especially when they will be on the road to proclaim the Good News to the world. We probably missed the highlight of this scenario which was on the water which even during the time of Jesus was associated with baptism.
In the early Church and even today, baptism with water is normally referred to as the washing of entry which means that it is through baptism that we are admitted into the body of Christ which is the Church. As men have all been created in the image and likeness of God, it presupposes that we all need to remain connected with Christ through the Church in order for us to remain in the image and likeness of God.
But that is not the case as men are corrupted between the time we have been baptized to the time that God finds us and brings us back into the heavenly path. I grew up in a deeply religious family setting. I studied in a Catholic School but the world got the better of me as I stepped into my professional life as a media practitioner.
It was good while it lasted but notwithstanding the material rewards of my worldly preoccupation, frustration and even depression began to set in as none of these could satisfy my hunger for that kind of joy that wouldn’t last and I’m grateful that God found me at a time when I was sinking deeper into sin and brought me to the Community where I have been serving the Lord in the past 25 years.
And today around 187 people have been found by the Chief Shepherd and have been brought into the sheepfold which is the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Catholic Charismatic Community where they are now being pastored over four weeks that will culminate on June 8 on Pentecost when they will be baptized in the Spirit and be readmitted to the Body of Christ. The Life in the Spirit Seminar No. 50 also coincides with the 29th founding anniversary of the BLD and will have for its LSS coordinator none other than Rey Florogo, a diminutive disciple with a big heart for service.
It would be wise for everyone both the shepherds and the lambs alike to understand what today’s gospel passage means because this is what Jesus wants us to do as he said: “If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it.” (v.17)
What Jesus asks of us is to grasp the meaning of the washing of the feet because if we understand that no slave is greater than their master, the inclination would be for us to also be happy to wash one another’s feet. Thus, we should all be reminded of this foot-washing event as an analogy for service and knowing that we are the slaves and Jesus is the Master, then we can actually say proudly: “I am not and cannot be greater than Jesus whom I serve then I can also be happy if I am given the opportunity to serve others.”
The problem most of the time is that many of us take reading of the Word of God for granted. While using the literal translation as our way of reading the Scriptures is good, there are times when we are unable to go deeper than the surface of what we read such as today’s gospel passage.
Perhaps it would be a great daily exercise to include in our examen of conscience to always ask, am I more important than God? Do I know that I am not important than God? When we know this and that we can never be more important than God, then serving others can become second nature to us and we will find joy in serving others.
But this is not always the case because more so often even in churches or communities, trouble arises when someone does not get the place or position he desires. Most of the time, this is caused by self-centeredness and looking at others with contempt. At times, even leaders of religious congregations are offended when they do not receive the honor and recognition they feel they are entitled to.
There are times when leaders resign or step away from positions of responsibilities when they can’t have their way around and many forget that leadership is not about leading but it’s all about inspiring others to become servants and to lead others to Christ. This is what New Evangelization is all about – the proclamation of the Gospel to the world (Missio ad Gentes) and to lead others to a glorious re-encounter with Christ.
Again, many forget that evangelization does not start with programs and projects but with prayer and it is through prayer that establishes our connectedness with God who is more important than we are. It saddens me to see apostolates and ministries taking great pains looking at ways to increase their members and, to keep their members from leaving and fall into the trap of adopting programs and plans to revive their ranks.
But lost in translation is the need to encounter and re-encounter Christ which should set the tone for the yielding of the human spirit to the Will of God and the recognition that God owns us and that we can never be more important than God who is the source of everything that we have and of life itself.
The only way an apostolate, ministry, community and Church can be revived to its former glory is when you can redirect your members to appreciating once again the joy of the gospel. To do otherwise is to share the bread with Christ but lift up our heels against him (v.18). Problems set in when the Word of God is set aside and or when it is either used sparingly or used selectively to satisfy your preferences and bias.
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Ti 3:16) Perhaps it would be well worth the time to heed what St. Paul is saying and go back to the Word of God as the foundation of our faith.
We lost or could lose the light that illumines our apostolates, ministries, and communities when we begin to rely on our human wisdom as more important than the Word of God. “I tell you the truth, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.” (v.20) We are not drawing people in and keeping them in because they could not see in us the one who sent us. And the only way this declining interest of the people in God can be reversed is for us to proclaim once again the gospel of joy with joy and in joy.
First Reading: Ac 13:13-25
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 89:2-3, 21-22, 25, 27 “For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: JN 13:16-20
Key Verse: “.. no servant is greater than his master,” (v.16)
Today’s gospel passage may be short but there are two significant verses that serve as a reminder of our calling as disciples of Jesus Christ. One is found at the beginning of the gospel when Jesus told his disciples: “I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.” (v.16)
The preceding scenario has Jesus washing the feet of his Apostles, an act that could be equated to that which slaves do during his time. Tradition has it that for someone regarded as a Rabbi and or Prophet to wash the feet of the guests at a feast was to be done only by a slave and what Jesus did was something no one could have ever dreamed of.
The symbolism of this event was not on the act itself although Jesus may have done so to set an example of humility for his Apostles especially when they will be on the road to proclaim the Good News to the world. We probably missed the highlight of this scenario which was on the water which even during the time of Jesus was associated with baptism.
In the early Church and even today, baptism with water is normally referred to as the washing of entry which means that it is through baptism that we are admitted into the body of Christ which is the Church. As men have all been created in the image and likeness of God, it presupposes that we all need to remain connected with Christ through the Church in order for us to remain in the image and likeness of God.
But that is not the case as men are corrupted between the time we have been baptized to the time that God finds us and brings us back into the heavenly path. I grew up in a deeply religious family setting. I studied in a Catholic School but the world got the better of me as I stepped into my professional life as a media practitioner.
It was good while it lasted but notwithstanding the material rewards of my worldly preoccupation, frustration and even depression began to set in as none of these could satisfy my hunger for that kind of joy that wouldn’t last and I’m grateful that God found me at a time when I was sinking deeper into sin and brought me to the Community where I have been serving the Lord in the past 25 years.
And today around 187 people have been found by the Chief Shepherd and have been brought into the sheepfold which is the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Catholic Charismatic Community where they are now being pastored over four weeks that will culminate on June 8 on Pentecost when they will be baptized in the Spirit and be readmitted to the Body of Christ. The Life in the Spirit Seminar No. 50 also coincides with the 29th founding anniversary of the BLD and will have for its LSS coordinator none other than Rey Florogo, a diminutive disciple with a big heart for service.
It would be wise for everyone both the shepherds and the lambs alike to understand what today’s gospel passage means because this is what Jesus wants us to do as he said: “If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it.” (v.17)
What Jesus asks of us is to grasp the meaning of the washing of the feet because if we understand that no slave is greater than their master, the inclination would be for us to also be happy to wash one another’s feet. Thus, we should all be reminded of this foot-washing event as an analogy for service and knowing that we are the slaves and Jesus is the Master, then we can actually say proudly: “I am not and cannot be greater than Jesus whom I serve then I can also be happy if I am given the opportunity to serve others.”
The problem most of the time is that many of us take reading of the Word of God for granted. While using the literal translation as our way of reading the Scriptures is good, there are times when we are unable to go deeper than the surface of what we read such as today’s gospel passage.
Perhaps it would be a great daily exercise to include in our examen of conscience to always ask, am I more important than God? Do I know that I am not important than God? When we know this and that we can never be more important than God, then serving others can become second nature to us and we will find joy in serving others.
But this is not always the case because more so often even in churches or communities, trouble arises when someone does not get the place or position he desires. Most of the time, this is caused by self-centeredness and looking at others with contempt. At times, even leaders of religious congregations are offended when they do not receive the honor and recognition they feel they are entitled to.
There are times when leaders resign or step away from positions of responsibilities when they can’t have their way around and many forget that leadership is not about leading but it’s all about inspiring others to become servants and to lead others to Christ. This is what New Evangelization is all about – the proclamation of the Gospel to the world (Missio ad Gentes) and to lead others to a glorious re-encounter with Christ.
Again, many forget that evangelization does not start with programs and projects but with prayer and it is through prayer that establishes our connectedness with God who is more important than we are. It saddens me to see apostolates and ministries taking great pains looking at ways to increase their members and, to keep their members from leaving and fall into the trap of adopting programs and plans to revive their ranks.
But lost in translation is the need to encounter and re-encounter Christ which should set the tone for the yielding of the human spirit to the Will of God and the recognition that God owns us and that we can never be more important than God who is the source of everything that we have and of life itself.
The only way an apostolate, ministry, community and Church can be revived to its former glory is when you can redirect your members to appreciating once again the joy of the gospel. To do otherwise is to share the bread with Christ but lift up our heels against him (v.18). Problems set in when the Word of God is set aside and or when it is either used sparingly or used selectively to satisfy your preferences and bias.
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Ti 3:16) Perhaps it would be well worth the time to heed what St. Paul is saying and go back to the Word of God as the foundation of our faith.
We lost or could lose the light that illumines our apostolates, ministries, and communities when we begin to rely on our human wisdom as more important than the Word of God. “I tell you the truth, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.” (v.20) We are not drawing people in and keeping them in because they could not see in us the one who sent us. And the only way this declining interest of the people in God can be reversed is for us to proclaim once again the gospel of joy with joy and in joy.
BOUND IN LOVE
MAY 14, 2014: FOURTH WEEK OF EASTER (Feast of St. Matthias)
First Reading: Ac 1:15-17, 20-26
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 113:1-8 “The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.”
GOSPEL: JN 15:9-17
Key Verse: “You did not choose me, but I chose you” (v.16)
If and when you have the time to look into your spiritual journey, you will realize that there are many among you who regard your relationship with God in terms of a master-servant relationship and this is so because this is what the Church taught us from the catechism class during our childhood days in that God is a sovereign king and master and thus must be feared and obeyed.
In fact some of us grew up fearing a punishing God who dishes out the corresponding penalty for the sins we commit and for disobeying the Ten Commandments as well as the other rules that we were told to follow. There is actually nothing wrong with such a scenario because many of these precepts form part of our Church traditions that were passed on to us from generations to generations since the time of the ancient Jews when God was pictured as someone to be feared.
In today’s gospel, Jesus presents us with two models of relationship with God. One was merely a recollection of how the Jews related to God, a relationship that was premised on God being the master and the people as slaves.
But Jesus in this gospel gave his disciples a new paradigm in that they will no longer be regarded as his servants but as his friends: “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have all you friends, for everything that I have learned from my Father I have made known to you.” (v.15)
Wow! Isn’t that amazing that Jesus who is the Son of God but who did not deem equality with God as something to be grasped has set aside any reference to his disciples as servants and who from hereon shall be called his friends.
Hence, if we consider ourselves as disciples Jesus is also addressing this to us and what a marvelous opportunity indeed that through the Scriptures, Jesus is making known to us everything that is in his heart that he learned from the Father and which he is making known to us now.
This gospel actually challenges us to rethink the kind of relationship we have with Christ because if we are aware of where we stand in terms of our religiosity we will come to realize that relationship with Christ go through different stages. It may start within the purview of a master-servant relationship especially when we are new to the faith, but this relationship with Christ will deepen depending on the level of our commitment and it changes into a less formal friend-friend type of relationship.
While some may prefer to remain in that master-servant stage of relationship, the gospel passage today reminds us that Christ is giving us the opportunity to move beyond this master-servant mindset into a relationship with Him as a friend.
This particular type of relationship that is rooted on friendship should bring about a dramatic change in the way we live and pray for in this kind of friendly relations we can ask Our Lord Jesus Christ whatever we wish and it will be given to us (Jn 15:7) for as long as what we ask would bring us good.
We may at some point balk at this idea of Jesus as someone to whom we can relate to in a more familiar circumstance just as we relate to our friends with whom we have become familiar. But Jesus provides us the inspiration that we have been chosen from among the people in the crowd “you did not choose me, but I chose you.” (v.16)
As such, Jesus knew what he was getting into. He knows that we are unworthy and that it would probably have been much better for us to remain as servants but He also knew the kind of potential that we have and He commands us “to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last.” (v.16).
This I believe is the key to a fruitful relationship with Christ for it is only when we bear fruit that God will give us whatever we ask in the Name of Jesus. This means that God will not give us what we pray for unless we bear fruit (Gal 5:22) – fruit that is nurtured by our love for one another because love is the key that will help us unlock the gates of heaven.
Last night members of BLD Manila gathered to listen to a spirit-filled talk by Fr. Bill Adams, a visiting Redemptorist priest from Portland, Oregon who now serves in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and who conducts regular healing masses for BLD Los Angeles and other charismatic communities in LA.
The highlight of his talk was on Jesus as a model of discipleship and whom he referred to not only as the Son but also a disciple of God the Father especially if we are to look at the kind of abiding love shared between them. Fr. Adams says Jesus is passing on to us his own pattern of discipleship that is conditioned on our being transformed in the image and likeness of God.
Today what everyone should keep etched in their hearts are the words of Jesus in v.16 “You did not choose me, I chose you and sent you out to produce fruit, the kind of fruit that will last. Then my Father will give you whatever you ask for in my name.” This my friends is what I believe to be the key to living a fulfilled life to produce that lasting fruit in our lives which is a requisite for all the answers that we seek from God. Because to love puts us right into the presence of the One from whom love flows.
There are three important things that we need to remember with regards to why Jesus chose us. First, we were chosen to become ambassadors and as his partner in evangelizing the world. God did not create us to live a life that is retired from the world but he brought us into the world to be his representative, to speak through him that others will know about who God is.
We were also chosen to become an interactive form of advertising. Jesus wants us to bear fruit because he wants to send us out because the only way to spread Christianity is for us to become a Christian. And the way to draw others to the Christian faith is to show them the fruit of a truly Christian way of life. Our calling is not to enter into a debate with those who are in doubt or who do not believe in God but to attract them to the joy and fruitfulness of being a Christian.
First Reading: Ac 1:15-17, 20-26
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 113:1-8 “The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.”
GOSPEL: JN 15:9-17
Key Verse: “You did not choose me, but I chose you” (v.16)
If and when you have the time to look into your spiritual journey, you will realize that there are many among you who regard your relationship with God in terms of a master-servant relationship and this is so because this is what the Church taught us from the catechism class during our childhood days in that God is a sovereign king and master and thus must be feared and obeyed.
In fact some of us grew up fearing a punishing God who dishes out the corresponding penalty for the sins we commit and for disobeying the Ten Commandments as well as the other rules that we were told to follow. There is actually nothing wrong with such a scenario because many of these precepts form part of our Church traditions that were passed on to us from generations to generations since the time of the ancient Jews when God was pictured as someone to be feared.
In today’s gospel, Jesus presents us with two models of relationship with God. One was merely a recollection of how the Jews related to God, a relationship that was premised on God being the master and the people as slaves.
But Jesus in this gospel gave his disciples a new paradigm in that they will no longer be regarded as his servants but as his friends: “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have all you friends, for everything that I have learned from my Father I have made known to you.” (v.15)
Wow! Isn’t that amazing that Jesus who is the Son of God but who did not deem equality with God as something to be grasped has set aside any reference to his disciples as servants and who from hereon shall be called his friends.
Hence, if we consider ourselves as disciples Jesus is also addressing this to us and what a marvelous opportunity indeed that through the Scriptures, Jesus is making known to us everything that is in his heart that he learned from the Father and which he is making known to us now.
This gospel actually challenges us to rethink the kind of relationship we have with Christ because if we are aware of where we stand in terms of our religiosity we will come to realize that relationship with Christ go through different stages. It may start within the purview of a master-servant relationship especially when we are new to the faith, but this relationship with Christ will deepen depending on the level of our commitment and it changes into a less formal friend-friend type of relationship.
While some may prefer to remain in that master-servant stage of relationship, the gospel passage today reminds us that Christ is giving us the opportunity to move beyond this master-servant mindset into a relationship with Him as a friend.
This particular type of relationship that is rooted on friendship should bring about a dramatic change in the way we live and pray for in this kind of friendly relations we can ask Our Lord Jesus Christ whatever we wish and it will be given to us (Jn 15:7) for as long as what we ask would bring us good.
We may at some point balk at this idea of Jesus as someone to whom we can relate to in a more familiar circumstance just as we relate to our friends with whom we have become familiar. But Jesus provides us the inspiration that we have been chosen from among the people in the crowd “you did not choose me, but I chose you.” (v.16)
As such, Jesus knew what he was getting into. He knows that we are unworthy and that it would probably have been much better for us to remain as servants but He also knew the kind of potential that we have and He commands us “to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last.” (v.16).
This I believe is the key to a fruitful relationship with Christ for it is only when we bear fruit that God will give us whatever we ask in the Name of Jesus. This means that God will not give us what we pray for unless we bear fruit (Gal 5:22) – fruit that is nurtured by our love for one another because love is the key that will help us unlock the gates of heaven.
Last night members of BLD Manila gathered to listen to a spirit-filled talk by Fr. Bill Adams, a visiting Redemptorist priest from Portland, Oregon who now serves in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and who conducts regular healing masses for BLD Los Angeles and other charismatic communities in LA.
The highlight of his talk was on Jesus as a model of discipleship and whom he referred to not only as the Son but also a disciple of God the Father especially if we are to look at the kind of abiding love shared between them. Fr. Adams says Jesus is passing on to us his own pattern of discipleship that is conditioned on our being transformed in the image and likeness of God.
Today what everyone should keep etched in their hearts are the words of Jesus in v.16 “You did not choose me, I chose you and sent you out to produce fruit, the kind of fruit that will last. Then my Father will give you whatever you ask for in my name.” This my friends is what I believe to be the key to living a fulfilled life to produce that lasting fruit in our lives which is a requisite for all the answers that we seek from God. Because to love puts us right into the presence of the One from whom love flows.
There are three important things that we need to remember with regards to why Jesus chose us. First, we were chosen to become ambassadors and as his partner in evangelizing the world. God did not create us to live a life that is retired from the world but he brought us into the world to be his representative, to speak through him that others will know about who God is.
We were also chosen to become an interactive form of advertising. Jesus wants us to bear fruit because he wants to send us out because the only way to spread Christianity is for us to become a Christian. And the way to draw others to the Christian faith is to show them the fruit of a truly Christian way of life. Our calling is not to enter into a debate with those who are in doubt or who do not believe in God but to attract them to the joy and fruitfulness of being a Christian.
THE THREE GREAT PROMISES
MAY 13, 2014: FOURTH WEEK OF EASTER
First Reading: Ac 11:19-26
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 87:1-7 “All you nations, praise the Lord.”
GOSPEL: JN 10:22-30
Key Verse: “... and I give them eternal life,” (v.28)
Being a weekday you might be led to think that today’s liturgical readings may be unimportant or insignificant but that isn’t the case for in it you will see the three great promises made by Jesus which should bring us joy and comfort knowing that we have a God in whom our lives depend.
What are these three promises that only Jesus who is one with the Father (v.30) can make? These are: (1) Jesus promised to give us eternal life; (2) He promised to give us imperishable life, and; (3) Jesus promised to give us a life that is secure in his hands.
These promises are ours for the taking but not so easily because we can only take possession of these promises if we will abide by the condition that Jesus has set – that is to believe in him (v.25). He promised to give us eternal life but this is premised on our acceptance of his as our Lord and Master.
To follow him is to become members of his flock which means that we need to become active in the practice of our faith in the Church especially in the liturgical celebration and our reception of the Sacraments and also when the opportunity arises to become part of a community of believers. To fill our days with prayer and good deeds will allow us to live in the world but detached from worldly concerns and this would open for us the prospects of living under the splendor and magnificence of life in God.
Jesus also assures us that if we accept him as our Lord and Savior and obey his commandments, he will provide for us a life that knows no end (v.28). This means that our physical and mortal bodies may pass on to death but this would not be the end but the beginning of life that is yet to come – a life spent in the company of the angels and the saints. It is only in believing in him that we will come to know the glory of the indestructible life.
He promised us a life that is secure when he said: “No one can take them out of the Father’s hands.” (v.29) which means that there is nothing, absolutely nothing, that can snatch us from his hand. We will enjoy an eternal protection not only from temptations but even from the devious designs and deceitful schemes of the devil but again this is preconditioned on our believing and yielding our lives to him who ransomed us at such a great cost on the Cross.
When Jesus gives this assurance of being secured in his hands, it doesn’t mean we will be spared from experiencing sorrow, pain and suffering. What Jesus’ assurance means is that amidst all the setbacks that we face in life, we can be doubly sure that we can always find peace and serenity in him who will provide us shelter from all the storms that we may experience.
We should also know that when Jesus made this assurance he was also speaking on behalf of the Father since he and the Father are one (v.30). This was probably one of the many claims of Jesus that got him into trouble with the religious leaders of his day. But even today, there are still some who could not reconcile the fact that there could be three persons in one God and because of the difficulty in finding an explanation for such they would rather not talk of the Trinitarian God at all.
But is it really hard for anyone much less the religious leaders such as the Scribes and the Pharisees to grasp the truth behind the claim of Jesus to be one with the Father? Because even if you turn to the Bible for interpretation, you will find that this claim is so simple that even the simplest mind would be able to comprehend it.
If you turn to the gospel of John and reflect on the prayer of Jesus before his arrest: “Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.” (Jn 17:11) and as we go down further, we will read that Jesus again repeated this unity of man with God: “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one.” (Jn 17:20-22)
Today’s gospel is actually a reminder for all of us that we can claim as our own the three promises that Jesus made for as long as we remain united to God, to him and to one another. The true essence of today’s gospel is that we should all remain connected to him who is the source of joy and unity the proof of which lies in our subservience to him.
Christians must be one not only with God but with one another and this bond of unity can only become real when love is shared with one another and also when we obey the words of Christ. Jesus is one with the Father not only because he is God’s Son but more so because of his obedience and love for God. This bond of unity between the Father and the Son is a unity that is engraved in perfect love arising from perfect obedience.
Let us not forget that Jesus was one with God because of his love for the Father that was perfected in obedience and that he became incarnate not only to redeem us from our sins, provide us eternal life, a life that will not perish and a life that is secure in him but more importantly to transform us into becoming like him.
Sure we can all say that we can live our lives the way we want it but the alternative is frightening because if we miss our Way that is in Jesus, we have to be prepared to a life that has little or no direction on earth, death as a result of our sins that will separate us from the love of God, a life that is in a state of confusion and go through physical death in eternal condemnation.
On the other hand, a life spent in complete obedience to Jesus assures us of a fulfilled life even in the absence of material comforts, forgiveness of our sins, a loving and close relationship with God, a clear direction in life and a guarantee of an eternal life with all the glory of heaven. Because life is a choice as they say it, the choice is yours.
First Reading: Ac 11:19-26
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 87:1-7 “All you nations, praise the Lord.”
GOSPEL: JN 10:22-30
Key Verse: “... and I give them eternal life,” (v.28)
Being a weekday you might be led to think that today’s liturgical readings may be unimportant or insignificant but that isn’t the case for in it you will see the three great promises made by Jesus which should bring us joy and comfort knowing that we have a God in whom our lives depend.
What are these three promises that only Jesus who is one with the Father (v.30) can make? These are: (1) Jesus promised to give us eternal life; (2) He promised to give us imperishable life, and; (3) Jesus promised to give us a life that is secure in his hands.
These promises are ours for the taking but not so easily because we can only take possession of these promises if we will abide by the condition that Jesus has set – that is to believe in him (v.25). He promised to give us eternal life but this is premised on our acceptance of his as our Lord and Master.
To follow him is to become members of his flock which means that we need to become active in the practice of our faith in the Church especially in the liturgical celebration and our reception of the Sacraments and also when the opportunity arises to become part of a community of believers. To fill our days with prayer and good deeds will allow us to live in the world but detached from worldly concerns and this would open for us the prospects of living under the splendor and magnificence of life in God.
Jesus also assures us that if we accept him as our Lord and Savior and obey his commandments, he will provide for us a life that knows no end (v.28). This means that our physical and mortal bodies may pass on to death but this would not be the end but the beginning of life that is yet to come – a life spent in the company of the angels and the saints. It is only in believing in him that we will come to know the glory of the indestructible life.
He promised us a life that is secure when he said: “No one can take them out of the Father’s hands.” (v.29) which means that there is nothing, absolutely nothing, that can snatch us from his hand. We will enjoy an eternal protection not only from temptations but even from the devious designs and deceitful schemes of the devil but again this is preconditioned on our believing and yielding our lives to him who ransomed us at such a great cost on the Cross.
When Jesus gives this assurance of being secured in his hands, it doesn’t mean we will be spared from experiencing sorrow, pain and suffering. What Jesus’ assurance means is that amidst all the setbacks that we face in life, we can be doubly sure that we can always find peace and serenity in him who will provide us shelter from all the storms that we may experience.
We should also know that when Jesus made this assurance he was also speaking on behalf of the Father since he and the Father are one (v.30). This was probably one of the many claims of Jesus that got him into trouble with the religious leaders of his day. But even today, there are still some who could not reconcile the fact that there could be three persons in one God and because of the difficulty in finding an explanation for such they would rather not talk of the Trinitarian God at all.
But is it really hard for anyone much less the religious leaders such as the Scribes and the Pharisees to grasp the truth behind the claim of Jesus to be one with the Father? Because even if you turn to the Bible for interpretation, you will find that this claim is so simple that even the simplest mind would be able to comprehend it.
If you turn to the gospel of John and reflect on the prayer of Jesus before his arrest: “Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.” (Jn 17:11) and as we go down further, we will read that Jesus again repeated this unity of man with God: “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one.” (Jn 17:20-22)
Today’s gospel is actually a reminder for all of us that we can claim as our own the three promises that Jesus made for as long as we remain united to God, to him and to one another. The true essence of today’s gospel is that we should all remain connected to him who is the source of joy and unity the proof of which lies in our subservience to him.
Christians must be one not only with God but with one another and this bond of unity can only become real when love is shared with one another and also when we obey the words of Christ. Jesus is one with the Father not only because he is God’s Son but more so because of his obedience and love for God. This bond of unity between the Father and the Son is a unity that is engraved in perfect love arising from perfect obedience.
Let us not forget that Jesus was one with God because of his love for the Father that was perfected in obedience and that he became incarnate not only to redeem us from our sins, provide us eternal life, a life that will not perish and a life that is secure in him but more importantly to transform us into becoming like him.
Sure we can all say that we can live our lives the way we want it but the alternative is frightening because if we miss our Way that is in Jesus, we have to be prepared to a life that has little or no direction on earth, death as a result of our sins that will separate us from the love of God, a life that is in a state of confusion and go through physical death in eternal condemnation.
On the other hand, a life spent in complete obedience to Jesus assures us of a fulfilled life even in the absence of material comforts, forgiveness of our sins, a loving and close relationship with God, a clear direction in life and a guarantee of an eternal life with all the glory of heaven. Because life is a choice as they say it, the choice is yours.
SECURE IN LOVE
MAY 12, 2014: FOURTH WEEK OF EASTER
First Reading: Ac 11:1-18
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 42:2-3; 43:3-4 “Athirst is my soul for the living God.”
GOSPEL: JN 10:11-18
Key Verse: “I am the good shepherd.” (v.11)
It has always been said that the whole of the Sacred Scriptures can be defined in just one word – love. It is so indeed for there is nothing in the Scriptures that do not speak of love from the Old Covenant to the time Jesus laid down his life for the world. It is as if the Sacred Scriptures was written to assure us of his presence and of his undying love for us.
And today we are being reminded once again of the Good Shepherd who remains watchful of the sheep that he calls his own: “I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me, as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.” (vv.14-15) Understandably, those whom Christ was referring to in this particular passage are those who believe and abide in him.
That is not to say that Our Lord has no compassion for those who may have lost their way and whose vision of their heavenly destination may have been clouded by the lures of this world because Christ also made room for those who at the moment are lost: “And I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd.” (v.16)
Love is what this Gospel passage today is all about as it is does not only speak of Christ being the Good Shepherd who watches over those whom he considers his own but this gospel lays bare the kind of love that God has for his people. But to believe in God is to love him. As I have written a few days ago, the root word of believe is “liebe” which means love. Thus to believe is to love which means that if we say we believe in Jesus, then it means that we also love him.
The Old Testament spoke of God as the Shepherd of Israel: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want (Psa 23:1). Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock! (Psa 80:1) We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture (Psa 100:3).
And Jesus as the Good Shepherd has also been prophesied in the Old Testament: “He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arms (Isa 40:11).”
As the Scriptures unfold we will see that the Bible speaks of the love story between God and his people, a kind of love that has no parallel and whose depth cannot be measured as it tells of a love that was engraved in sacrificial offering of Himself to seek out and save the sheep of his pasture (Matt 18:12, Lk 15:4) with Jesus as the Shepherd and Guardian of our souls (1 Pet 2:25).
As we read in the New Covenant, Jesus made three promises to those who will deny themselves, take up their cross daily and follow him (Lk 9:23) and he promised those who will abide by his terms that they will enjoy everlasting life which means that those who will follow him will be ushered into the very life of God Himself.
Jesus also promised those who will obey and follow him a life that has no end. As he explained then and which he is also telling us now that death is not the end but only the beginning of a glorious and indestructible life.
Christ also promised his disciples and is making the same promise to us now that our lives are secure in him. Jesus said that nothing could ever take us away from his hand, not even sorrow and death, since he is everlasting life itself. Thus, our lives are secure in his hands.
But why is it that many still are thrown into bowls of the earth where there is gnashing and grinding of teeth. Was it because they did not hear the Gospel of Christ preached to them? Or was it because they chose not to listen to it much more take heed of what the Gospel says – to love God and neighbor as well.
The presence of Jesus especially his teachings were rejected by the Jews because they could not accept that a carpenter’s son from Nazareth was the Son of God whom the Old Testament spoke of. Even his kin thought he was insane. He cured the sick, gave sight to the blind, made the lame walk and, cast out demons from those possessed by it but the Jews remained indifferent.
But for those who heard, listened and obeyed, Jesus offered them peace and joy of life that has no end. Cyril of Alexander, one of the earliest Fathers of the Church said: “He shows in what manner a shepherd may be proved good; and He teaches that he must be prepared to give up his life fighting in defense of his sheep, which was fulfilled in Christ. For man has departed from the love of God, and fallen into sin…, but after Christ was announced as the True Shepherd of all men, He laid down his life for us (1 Jn 3:16), fighting for us against that pack of inhuman beasts. He bore the Cross for us, that by His own death he might destroy death. He was condemned for us, that He might deliver all of us from the sentence of punishment: the tyranny of sin being overthrown by our faith: fastening to the Cross the decree that stood against us, as it is written (Col 2:14)
What St. Cyril was saying is what the Gospel today is also saying – that there are two kinds of shepherds in this life, the world which is the bad shepherd who flees and deserts us when the going gets tough and Christ the Good Shepherd who is prepared to lay down his life for us.
What this Gospel passage is actually telling us is that we must take time to listen attentively to the voice of the Good Shepherd and obey his Word for there is much to gain from listening to him and abiding by his commands and precepts.
While others may say they are the master of their fate and the captain of their souls it doesn’t mean we are to put our lives at great risk. It doesn’t mean we can live our lives in wild abandon because at the end of the day we have to think of life’s end. Will we end in life’s bitter pool or are we going to come to a glorious end in heaven?
Let us not play with our lives and listen we must to the Words of Jesus because it is in them that we will find the plan of God for us. If we say no to God’s invitation to follow him, we have actually condemned ourselves and deprive ourselves of the joy of an eternal life. If we say maybe, tomorrow may never come. But if we say yes, we have God’s assurance that we will have a share of his endless glory in heaven.
First Reading: Ac 11:1-18
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 42:2-3; 43:3-4 “Athirst is my soul for the living God.”
GOSPEL: JN 10:11-18
Key Verse: “I am the good shepherd.” (v.11)
It has always been said that the whole of the Sacred Scriptures can be defined in just one word – love. It is so indeed for there is nothing in the Scriptures that do not speak of love from the Old Covenant to the time Jesus laid down his life for the world. It is as if the Sacred Scriptures was written to assure us of his presence and of his undying love for us.
And today we are being reminded once again of the Good Shepherd who remains watchful of the sheep that he calls his own: “I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me, as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.” (vv.14-15) Understandably, those whom Christ was referring to in this particular passage are those who believe and abide in him.
That is not to say that Our Lord has no compassion for those who may have lost their way and whose vision of their heavenly destination may have been clouded by the lures of this world because Christ also made room for those who at the moment are lost: “And I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd.” (v.16)
Love is what this Gospel passage today is all about as it is does not only speak of Christ being the Good Shepherd who watches over those whom he considers his own but this gospel lays bare the kind of love that God has for his people. But to believe in God is to love him. As I have written a few days ago, the root word of believe is “liebe” which means love. Thus to believe is to love which means that if we say we believe in Jesus, then it means that we also love him.
The Old Testament spoke of God as the Shepherd of Israel: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want (Psa 23:1). Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock! (Psa 80:1) We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture (Psa 100:3).
And Jesus as the Good Shepherd has also been prophesied in the Old Testament: “He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arms (Isa 40:11).”
As the Scriptures unfold we will see that the Bible speaks of the love story between God and his people, a kind of love that has no parallel and whose depth cannot be measured as it tells of a love that was engraved in sacrificial offering of Himself to seek out and save the sheep of his pasture (Matt 18:12, Lk 15:4) with Jesus as the Shepherd and Guardian of our souls (1 Pet 2:25).
As we read in the New Covenant, Jesus made three promises to those who will deny themselves, take up their cross daily and follow him (Lk 9:23) and he promised those who will abide by his terms that they will enjoy everlasting life which means that those who will follow him will be ushered into the very life of God Himself.
Jesus also promised those who will obey and follow him a life that has no end. As he explained then and which he is also telling us now that death is not the end but only the beginning of a glorious and indestructible life.
Christ also promised his disciples and is making the same promise to us now that our lives are secure in him. Jesus said that nothing could ever take us away from his hand, not even sorrow and death, since he is everlasting life itself. Thus, our lives are secure in his hands.
But why is it that many still are thrown into bowls of the earth where there is gnashing and grinding of teeth. Was it because they did not hear the Gospel of Christ preached to them? Or was it because they chose not to listen to it much more take heed of what the Gospel says – to love God and neighbor as well.
The presence of Jesus especially his teachings were rejected by the Jews because they could not accept that a carpenter’s son from Nazareth was the Son of God whom the Old Testament spoke of. Even his kin thought he was insane. He cured the sick, gave sight to the blind, made the lame walk and, cast out demons from those possessed by it but the Jews remained indifferent.
But for those who heard, listened and obeyed, Jesus offered them peace and joy of life that has no end. Cyril of Alexander, one of the earliest Fathers of the Church said: “He shows in what manner a shepherd may be proved good; and He teaches that he must be prepared to give up his life fighting in defense of his sheep, which was fulfilled in Christ. For man has departed from the love of God, and fallen into sin…, but after Christ was announced as the True Shepherd of all men, He laid down his life for us (1 Jn 3:16), fighting for us against that pack of inhuman beasts. He bore the Cross for us, that by His own death he might destroy death. He was condemned for us, that He might deliver all of us from the sentence of punishment: the tyranny of sin being overthrown by our faith: fastening to the Cross the decree that stood against us, as it is written (Col 2:14)
What St. Cyril was saying is what the Gospel today is also saying – that there are two kinds of shepherds in this life, the world which is the bad shepherd who flees and deserts us when the going gets tough and Christ the Good Shepherd who is prepared to lay down his life for us.
What this Gospel passage is actually telling us is that we must take time to listen attentively to the voice of the Good Shepherd and obey his Word for there is much to gain from listening to him and abiding by his commands and precepts.
While others may say they are the master of their fate and the captain of their souls it doesn’t mean we are to put our lives at great risk. It doesn’t mean we can live our lives in wild abandon because at the end of the day we have to think of life’s end. Will we end in life’s bitter pool or are we going to come to a glorious end in heaven?
Let us not play with our lives and listen we must to the Words of Jesus because it is in them that we will find the plan of God for us. If we say no to God’s invitation to follow him, we have actually condemned ourselves and deprive ourselves of the joy of an eternal life. If we say maybe, tomorrow may never come. But if we say yes, we have God’s assurance that we will have a share of his endless glory in heaven.
THE DOOR TO SUPERABUNDANCE
MAY 11, 2014: FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
First Reading: Ac 2:14, 36-41
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 23:1-6 “The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.”
Second Reading: 1 Pet 2:20-25
GOSPEL: JN 10:1-10
Key Verse: “I came that they may have life..” (v.10)
Although the Jews understood the role shepherds play in tending the herd of sheep that dot the Judean landscape in ancient times which was also analogous to the character of God whom the Jews acknowledged as the shepherd of Israel yet it comes as a surprise why the Jews could not grasp the meaning of the parable Jesus used in this Gospel passage.
Scriptures tell us of the Old Testament that speaks of God as the shepherd of his people, Israel. “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want” (Psa 23:1). “Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock” (Psa 80:1). “We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture” (Psa 100:3).
The New Testament also speaks of Jesus as the shepherd of God's people whose coming was prophesied in the Old Covenant: “He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arms” (Isa 40:11). “Jesus says he is the Good Shepherd who will risk his life to seek out and save the stray sheep” (Matt 18:12, Lk 15:4). “He is the Shepherd and Guardian of our souls” (1 Pet 2:25).
Notwithstanding the existence of these words in the Scriptures, the Jews could not understand what Jesus meant when he told of the story of the Good Shepherd and this was probably the reason Jesus had to draw the attention of the Jews to himself as the door through which life could be found when he said: “I am the door; if any one enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” (v.9)
But even among us we will definitely have a difficult time grasping the true meaning of what this Gospel conveys if we are to only read it as it is. We will have to go back in time and understand what a shepherd goes through when tending the herd of sheep under his care.
Shepherding in the time of Jesus requires a high degree of knowledge, skill and dedication such that a shepherd at that time even has the ability to communicate with the sheep in a most unique way. When Jesus talked of himself as the door, he was referring to what was then known as the “sheepfolds” or the place where the herd of sheep are brought in for the night to secure them from wolves and wild beasts.
In those days there were two types of “sheep-folds.” One is the so-called communal sheep-fold where all the herd are brought to shelter them for the night. These types of sheep-folds have only one door that and only the guardian holds the key. The other kind of sheep-fold is found in the hills where the sheep are pastured and is nothing more than an open space that is enclosed by a high wall of rocks and boulders. There is normally only one opening to this hillside sheep-fold where the sheep comes in and goes out and it is in this opening where the shepherd sleeps and no sheep can get out unless it goes over his body. In others words, the shepherd literally acts as the door through which the sheep pass.
This was what Jesus was trying to illustrate to the Jews in this parable and this is what Our Lord is also telling us now. As the sheep then were familiar with the voice of the shepherd who commands the sheep where to go, we too need to be familiar with the voice of Jesus so we can understand where he wants us to go.
The Scriptures describe God as the shepherd who brings security and peace to his people and we should look at Jesus as the door who will keep our going out and our coming in to the Kingdom of God from this time forth and for evermore (Psa 120:8).
As with the leaders of Israel are also referred to as shepherds: “they shall lead them out and bring them in; that the congregation of the Lord may not be as sheep which have no shepherd” (Num 27:17) we too who have been called to become God’s under-shepherds must now keep watch over his sheep and protect them from danger, as “Jesus stands watch over his people as the Shepherd and Guardian of our souls” (1 Pet 2:25).
St. Augustine once wrote: “He has accomplished what he taught us: He has shown us what He commanded us to do. He laid down his own life for his sheep, that within our mystery he might change his body and blood into food, and nourish the sheep he had redeemed with the food of his own flesh. He has shown us the way we must follow, despite fear of death. He has laid down the pattern to which we must conform ourselves. The first duty laid on us is to use our worldly goods in mercy for the needs of his sheep, and then, if necessary, give even our lives for them. He that will not give of his substance for his sheep, how shall he lay down his life for them?”
This was what Jesus meant when he said “I am the door” (v.9) because through him we now have access to God the Father and when he added: “if any one enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” (v.9) Jesus simply meant that it is only through him that we can be saved and this was accomplished by his death on the cross and his resurrection.
What probably was the most meaningful and significant statement in this Gospel was when Jesus said: “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (v.10) because what Jesus was saying here was not just our needs being made available to us but that there is a superabundance of the things we need to make our lives worthwhile. It simply means that we can still live an abundant life sans the materialism that has become the standard of the world when we are attached to Jesus who is the door through which we can pass through and be assured of eternal life.
To enter into the door that is Jesus also assures us of a new vitality, a new passion to live life and, a new purpose because in walking with Him and obeying His Word we will find that life not only becomes abundant but the security, peace and joy that can be found in Jesus translates into a superabundant life that is rooted in love.
We are also celebrating Mother’s Day and if we are to take a second look at the role our mothers played we could actually equate them with the character of a shepherd. They are in fact the first shepherd whom we laid our eyes on when we began to see. And just like shepherds, our mothers reared, nurtured, fed, guarded, and protected us. They also made sure we are healthy and, most importantly they took great pains making sure that we will not be lost as we go through life.
Today is an opportune time to look back and remember not only the joys and happiness we shared with them but above all let us recall the sacrifices, suffering, the pains that our mothers went through from the time they carried us in their wombs to the time when we can stand on our own two feet.
If your mothers are still around, hug them, kiss them, hold their hands and pray over them and tell them how much you love them. If they have passed on to the next life, offer them a prayer just to remind them that you have not forgotten everything they did for you. After all, you would not have been here if not for your mother. Happy Mothers’ Day to all mothers out there.
First Reading: Ac 2:14, 36-41
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 23:1-6 “The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.”
Second Reading: 1 Pet 2:20-25
GOSPEL: JN 10:1-10
Key Verse: “I came that they may have life..” (v.10)
Although the Jews understood the role shepherds play in tending the herd of sheep that dot the Judean landscape in ancient times which was also analogous to the character of God whom the Jews acknowledged as the shepherd of Israel yet it comes as a surprise why the Jews could not grasp the meaning of the parable Jesus used in this Gospel passage.
Scriptures tell us of the Old Testament that speaks of God as the shepherd of his people, Israel. “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want” (Psa 23:1). “Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock” (Psa 80:1). “We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture” (Psa 100:3).
The New Testament also speaks of Jesus as the shepherd of God's people whose coming was prophesied in the Old Covenant: “He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arms” (Isa 40:11). “Jesus says he is the Good Shepherd who will risk his life to seek out and save the stray sheep” (Matt 18:12, Lk 15:4). “He is the Shepherd and Guardian of our souls” (1 Pet 2:25).
Notwithstanding the existence of these words in the Scriptures, the Jews could not understand what Jesus meant when he told of the story of the Good Shepherd and this was probably the reason Jesus had to draw the attention of the Jews to himself as the door through which life could be found when he said: “I am the door; if any one enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” (v.9)
But even among us we will definitely have a difficult time grasping the true meaning of what this Gospel conveys if we are to only read it as it is. We will have to go back in time and understand what a shepherd goes through when tending the herd of sheep under his care.
Shepherding in the time of Jesus requires a high degree of knowledge, skill and dedication such that a shepherd at that time even has the ability to communicate with the sheep in a most unique way. When Jesus talked of himself as the door, he was referring to what was then known as the “sheepfolds” or the place where the herd of sheep are brought in for the night to secure them from wolves and wild beasts.
In those days there were two types of “sheep-folds.” One is the so-called communal sheep-fold where all the herd are brought to shelter them for the night. These types of sheep-folds have only one door that and only the guardian holds the key. The other kind of sheep-fold is found in the hills where the sheep are pastured and is nothing more than an open space that is enclosed by a high wall of rocks and boulders. There is normally only one opening to this hillside sheep-fold where the sheep comes in and goes out and it is in this opening where the shepherd sleeps and no sheep can get out unless it goes over his body. In others words, the shepherd literally acts as the door through which the sheep pass.
This was what Jesus was trying to illustrate to the Jews in this parable and this is what Our Lord is also telling us now. As the sheep then were familiar with the voice of the shepherd who commands the sheep where to go, we too need to be familiar with the voice of Jesus so we can understand where he wants us to go.
The Scriptures describe God as the shepherd who brings security and peace to his people and we should look at Jesus as the door who will keep our going out and our coming in to the Kingdom of God from this time forth and for evermore (Psa 120:8).
As with the leaders of Israel are also referred to as shepherds: “they shall lead them out and bring them in; that the congregation of the Lord may not be as sheep which have no shepherd” (Num 27:17) we too who have been called to become God’s under-shepherds must now keep watch over his sheep and protect them from danger, as “Jesus stands watch over his people as the Shepherd and Guardian of our souls” (1 Pet 2:25).
St. Augustine once wrote: “He has accomplished what he taught us: He has shown us what He commanded us to do. He laid down his own life for his sheep, that within our mystery he might change his body and blood into food, and nourish the sheep he had redeemed with the food of his own flesh. He has shown us the way we must follow, despite fear of death. He has laid down the pattern to which we must conform ourselves. The first duty laid on us is to use our worldly goods in mercy for the needs of his sheep, and then, if necessary, give even our lives for them. He that will not give of his substance for his sheep, how shall he lay down his life for them?”
This was what Jesus meant when he said “I am the door” (v.9) because through him we now have access to God the Father and when he added: “if any one enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” (v.9) Jesus simply meant that it is only through him that we can be saved and this was accomplished by his death on the cross and his resurrection.
What probably was the most meaningful and significant statement in this Gospel was when Jesus said: “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (v.10) because what Jesus was saying here was not just our needs being made available to us but that there is a superabundance of the things we need to make our lives worthwhile. It simply means that we can still live an abundant life sans the materialism that has become the standard of the world when we are attached to Jesus who is the door through which we can pass through and be assured of eternal life.
To enter into the door that is Jesus also assures us of a new vitality, a new passion to live life and, a new purpose because in walking with Him and obeying His Word we will find that life not only becomes abundant but the security, peace and joy that can be found in Jesus translates into a superabundant life that is rooted in love.
We are also celebrating Mother’s Day and if we are to take a second look at the role our mothers played we could actually equate them with the character of a shepherd. They are in fact the first shepherd whom we laid our eyes on when we began to see. And just like shepherds, our mothers reared, nurtured, fed, guarded, and protected us. They also made sure we are healthy and, most importantly they took great pains making sure that we will not be lost as we go through life.
Today is an opportune time to look back and remember not only the joys and happiness we shared with them but above all let us recall the sacrifices, suffering, the pains that our mothers went through from the time they carried us in their wombs to the time when we can stand on our own two feet.
If your mothers are still around, hug them, kiss them, hold their hands and pray over them and tell them how much you love them. If they have passed on to the next life, offer them a prayer just to remind them that you have not forgotten everything they did for you. After all, you would not have been here if not for your mother. Happy Mothers’ Day to all mothers out there.
JESUS IS THE RIGHT CHOICE
MAY 10, 2014: THIRD WEEK OF EASTER
First Reading: Ac 9:31-42
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 116:12-17 “How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me?”
GOSPEL: JN 6:60-69
Key Verse: “It is the Spirit that gives life.” (v.63)
Notwithstanding the many technological advances that make life more bearable and comfortable these days, life is and has not been easy especially for those who keep an 8:00 to 5:00 discipline. And because of the spiraling cost of consumer items particularly the basic necessities, we become witnesses to all forms of poverty around us and it’s not because people chose to be poor but because there aren’t enough opportunities that the poor can avail of for them to find life.
And what I believe to be the worst kind of poverty is the poverty of spirit to which many people have succumbed into including those who are blessed materially. It’s understandable because those who are in this state of life have not been provided with the opportunities to experience that it is the Spirit that gives life (v.63) and not the material possessions that perishes.
For some reason the Church itself may have to take part of the blame because of the slowness with which it moves to meet the challenges of the times. The Vatican II which was convened by then Pope and now Saint John XXIII was supposed to give the Church a facelift but the changes that were introduced took some time before it could impact the 2,000 year old church.
As the charismatic renewal movement was introduced and established a beachhead in 1967, Pope Paul VI issued in 1975 his Apostolic Exhortation titled Evangelii Nuntiandi which opened the eyes of the Christian Catholic world to the reality that the mission to proclaim the gospel of Christ rightfully belongs to the lay faithful and that every baptized Catholic has the duty to be the Good News to others.
Pope and now Saint John Paul II followed suit in 1983 when he addressed a gathering of Bishops from Latin American and told them that what is needed is an evangelization that is new in ardor, methods and expressions. And 20 years after in 2013, Pope Benedict XVI called for the convening of the Synod of Bishops to put substance into the pursuit of New Evangelization and as of late, Pope Francis has issued his own Apostolic Exhortation – Evangelii Gaudium – which also hopes to rally the 1.5 billion Catholics around the world to proclaim the gospel of Christ with joy.
It’s sad that 29 years after Evangelii Nuntiandi was issued that we are still talking, discussing, planning about new evangelization. Meanwhile, the world that we are looking to evangelize has given in to hedonism, individualism, minimalism and relativism embracing turning these into the standards of the world today. And as we wade through the myriad of trials and challenges we face in life we will have realized that we may be wilting from the pressures we face each day for lack of knowledge and proper catechetical instruction. The time for action is now and we'd better get moving now, today.
When these times come our natural tendency is to draw on our own strength, talent and skill or, on our own resources. And our world comes crashing down on us when all our efforts prove futile or are not enough to deliver us from our problems. Why? Because our human abilities are merely palliatives and have no power on its own.
Again, this was what Jesus was trying to tell the Jews but they had difficulty accepting and believing what he was saying. There was a dichotomy in the way the Jews were relating to Jesus as they were drawn to him for what he offered in visible terms meaning the healing and the miracles he had performed but that was as far as they went. Sadly too that this dichotomy in the way we live continue to exist to this day.
The ancient Jews witnessed how the lame walked. The blind were able to see. Those stricken with evil spirits were delivered from demonic possession. Some 5,000 men, women and children were fed with Jesus multiplying five pieces of barley loaves and two pieces of small fish.
But when Jesus started talking of discipleship that was anchored on a deep and intimate relationship with him, most of the Jews balked and faltered. In fact, even some of his disciples left his company when Jesus started talking of the need for them to eat his flesh and drink his blood (Jn 6:51-59).
Jesus claimed to be the bread of heaven, the very life of God he was prepared to give to the Jews and to us as spiritual food to help sustain us in our journey to the promised land of heaven but the Jews either could not grasp what Jesus was saying or they simply did not want to bother to understand because it will create a paradigm shift in the practice of their faith.
This is also not new to us as there were times in our lives when we also refused to believe in what Jesus was saying. As Catholics we go to Church on Sundays and we go through the entire process in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist without really understanding the depth and meaning of the Mass.
We all saw how our churches were filled to the rafters during the Lenten Season especially on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. The lay faithful took a break on Black Saturday and took a festive air again on Easter Sunday. The same is true with the so-called charismatic communities where the Baptism in the Spirit is the cornerstone of their encounter with the Lord and yet we hear of divisions and splits. What is worst is when these differences are being fanned by the leaders themselves who have become subjective and who took sides rather than take the middle road and restore harmony and unity in their ranks.
Pardon me but this has become a big farce for me. I could understand the disciples who ran and hid after Jesus was arrested except for John who was with Mary, the mother of Jesus, at the foot of the cross. I could feel the fear of the disciples who probably thought they were next in line to be arrested following the death of Jesus. But they were clothed with power and authority when Jesus rose from his grave to become the banner of Christians all over the world.
What I could not understand was how today’s Christians were there when Jesus went through his passion and death but were seemingly nowhere to be found when he resurrected and this was supposed to be the defining moment for us Christians. And this was very evident when our churches looked deserted on Easter Monday right after the resurrection of Our Lord.
Let it be known that there is no compromise when it comes to the practice of our faith. It’s either we are with Jesus by believing everything that he says or we are not. We must either accept his word as divine or reject it as the claim of an impostor. The root word of believe comes from the German word “liebe” which means love. In other words, to believe Jesus is to love him and to love him is to obey his commands and believe the truths that he said.
It may have been hard for the Jews and his disciples to accept and abide by what Jesus was saying in those days because what he said was something new and was a radical departure from what they have believed in for the longest time. But we should not find it hard to believe the Gospel because of the advent of information that makes it easy for us to understand.
The reality was that it was not hard for the Jews then to accept what Jesus was saying but what proved difficult was in admitting what he was saying to be true. Jesus promised his disciples nothing less than the full blessing of eternal life and union with God and he is also telling us now that only in him can we find eternal life and this is available to everyone who has faith.
This is where the difference lies and communities, organizations, ministries and apostolates fall victim to divisions and splits because of the superficiality in the practice of their faith. What we see is not what they seem to be which means that attendance in prayer meetings, Eucharistic celebrations, ministry work, leadership roles do not a disciple make.
People may have been introduced to the Lord in an encounter program like the Marriage Encounter, Singles Encounter, Solo Parents Encounter and have encountered him in a more personal way in an Life in the Spirit Seminar yet that is not where it ends for unless the self gives way to the personhood of Jesus Christ (Jn 3:30) that encounter amounts to nothing and this lack of faith and yieldedness becomes evident in our actions and practice of our faith.
True faith is not blind nor ignorant but an authentic faith is a disposition of the heart that seeks to understand and yield to the life-giving Spirit. For those who find it difficult to understand the whys and the wherefores of true discipleship we can always rely on the Holy Spirit to not only open our hearts to his truth and wisdom (Eph 1:17-18) but the power to believe in faith.
Faith is our response to God’s revelation of himself to us. It is the key that unlocks our minds that we may understand and experience God’s plan for us. At the end of the day, we will find out we have no other choice but to abide in him for he is what life is all about.
First Reading: Ac 9:31-42
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 116:12-17 “How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me?”
GOSPEL: JN 6:60-69
Key Verse: “It is the Spirit that gives life.” (v.63)
Notwithstanding the many technological advances that make life more bearable and comfortable these days, life is and has not been easy especially for those who keep an 8:00 to 5:00 discipline. And because of the spiraling cost of consumer items particularly the basic necessities, we become witnesses to all forms of poverty around us and it’s not because people chose to be poor but because there aren’t enough opportunities that the poor can avail of for them to find life.
And what I believe to be the worst kind of poverty is the poverty of spirit to which many people have succumbed into including those who are blessed materially. It’s understandable because those who are in this state of life have not been provided with the opportunities to experience that it is the Spirit that gives life (v.63) and not the material possessions that perishes.
For some reason the Church itself may have to take part of the blame because of the slowness with which it moves to meet the challenges of the times. The Vatican II which was convened by then Pope and now Saint John XXIII was supposed to give the Church a facelift but the changes that were introduced took some time before it could impact the 2,000 year old church.
As the charismatic renewal movement was introduced and established a beachhead in 1967, Pope Paul VI issued in 1975 his Apostolic Exhortation titled Evangelii Nuntiandi which opened the eyes of the Christian Catholic world to the reality that the mission to proclaim the gospel of Christ rightfully belongs to the lay faithful and that every baptized Catholic has the duty to be the Good News to others.
Pope and now Saint John Paul II followed suit in 1983 when he addressed a gathering of Bishops from Latin American and told them that what is needed is an evangelization that is new in ardor, methods and expressions. And 20 years after in 2013, Pope Benedict XVI called for the convening of the Synod of Bishops to put substance into the pursuit of New Evangelization and as of late, Pope Francis has issued his own Apostolic Exhortation – Evangelii Gaudium – which also hopes to rally the 1.5 billion Catholics around the world to proclaim the gospel of Christ with joy.
It’s sad that 29 years after Evangelii Nuntiandi was issued that we are still talking, discussing, planning about new evangelization. Meanwhile, the world that we are looking to evangelize has given in to hedonism, individualism, minimalism and relativism embracing turning these into the standards of the world today. And as we wade through the myriad of trials and challenges we face in life we will have realized that we may be wilting from the pressures we face each day for lack of knowledge and proper catechetical instruction. The time for action is now and we'd better get moving now, today.
When these times come our natural tendency is to draw on our own strength, talent and skill or, on our own resources. And our world comes crashing down on us when all our efforts prove futile or are not enough to deliver us from our problems. Why? Because our human abilities are merely palliatives and have no power on its own.
Again, this was what Jesus was trying to tell the Jews but they had difficulty accepting and believing what he was saying. There was a dichotomy in the way the Jews were relating to Jesus as they were drawn to him for what he offered in visible terms meaning the healing and the miracles he had performed but that was as far as they went. Sadly too that this dichotomy in the way we live continue to exist to this day.
The ancient Jews witnessed how the lame walked. The blind were able to see. Those stricken with evil spirits were delivered from demonic possession. Some 5,000 men, women and children were fed with Jesus multiplying five pieces of barley loaves and two pieces of small fish.
But when Jesus started talking of discipleship that was anchored on a deep and intimate relationship with him, most of the Jews balked and faltered. In fact, even some of his disciples left his company when Jesus started talking of the need for them to eat his flesh and drink his blood (Jn 6:51-59).
Jesus claimed to be the bread of heaven, the very life of God he was prepared to give to the Jews and to us as spiritual food to help sustain us in our journey to the promised land of heaven but the Jews either could not grasp what Jesus was saying or they simply did not want to bother to understand because it will create a paradigm shift in the practice of their faith.
This is also not new to us as there were times in our lives when we also refused to believe in what Jesus was saying. As Catholics we go to Church on Sundays and we go through the entire process in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist without really understanding the depth and meaning of the Mass.
We all saw how our churches were filled to the rafters during the Lenten Season especially on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. The lay faithful took a break on Black Saturday and took a festive air again on Easter Sunday. The same is true with the so-called charismatic communities where the Baptism in the Spirit is the cornerstone of their encounter with the Lord and yet we hear of divisions and splits. What is worst is when these differences are being fanned by the leaders themselves who have become subjective and who took sides rather than take the middle road and restore harmony and unity in their ranks.
Pardon me but this has become a big farce for me. I could understand the disciples who ran and hid after Jesus was arrested except for John who was with Mary, the mother of Jesus, at the foot of the cross. I could feel the fear of the disciples who probably thought they were next in line to be arrested following the death of Jesus. But they were clothed with power and authority when Jesus rose from his grave to become the banner of Christians all over the world.
What I could not understand was how today’s Christians were there when Jesus went through his passion and death but were seemingly nowhere to be found when he resurrected and this was supposed to be the defining moment for us Christians. And this was very evident when our churches looked deserted on Easter Monday right after the resurrection of Our Lord.
Let it be known that there is no compromise when it comes to the practice of our faith. It’s either we are with Jesus by believing everything that he says or we are not. We must either accept his word as divine or reject it as the claim of an impostor. The root word of believe comes from the German word “liebe” which means love. In other words, to believe Jesus is to love him and to love him is to obey his commands and believe the truths that he said.
It may have been hard for the Jews and his disciples to accept and abide by what Jesus was saying in those days because what he said was something new and was a radical departure from what they have believed in for the longest time. But we should not find it hard to believe the Gospel because of the advent of information that makes it easy for us to understand.
The reality was that it was not hard for the Jews then to accept what Jesus was saying but what proved difficult was in admitting what he was saying to be true. Jesus promised his disciples nothing less than the full blessing of eternal life and union with God and he is also telling us now that only in him can we find eternal life and this is available to everyone who has faith.
This is where the difference lies and communities, organizations, ministries and apostolates fall victim to divisions and splits because of the superficiality in the practice of their faith. What we see is not what they seem to be which means that attendance in prayer meetings, Eucharistic celebrations, ministry work, leadership roles do not a disciple make.
People may have been introduced to the Lord in an encounter program like the Marriage Encounter, Singles Encounter, Solo Parents Encounter and have encountered him in a more personal way in an Life in the Spirit Seminar yet that is not where it ends for unless the self gives way to the personhood of Jesus Christ (Jn 3:30) that encounter amounts to nothing and this lack of faith and yieldedness becomes evident in our actions and practice of our faith.
True faith is not blind nor ignorant but an authentic faith is a disposition of the heart that seeks to understand and yield to the life-giving Spirit. For those who find it difficult to understand the whys and the wherefores of true discipleship we can always rely on the Holy Spirit to not only open our hearts to his truth and wisdom (Eph 1:17-18) but the power to believe in faith.
Faith is our response to God’s revelation of himself to us. It is the key that unlocks our minds that we may understand and experience God’s plan for us. At the end of the day, we will find out we have no other choice but to abide in him for he is what life is all about.
FOOD THAT IS ETERNAL
MAY 9, 2014: THIRD WEEK OF EASTER
First Reading: Ac 9:1-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 117:1bc, 2 “Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.”
GOSPEL: JN 6:52-59
Key Verse: “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood
has eternal life.” (v.54)
In order for us to grasp the deeper meaning of this Gospel passage today we need to go back in time and try to understand how the Jewish people perceive who God was. In the olden times no one has ever seen God. In Exo 13:22, God revealed himself “as a column of fire by night” and, a “column of clouds by day.”
Though they can’t see God, the people in those days felt the love of God who fed the Jews with manna for 40 years. In God there was no light or darkness but there was a continuous day “without daytime or nighttime.” (Zec 14:7)
So the Jews looked at God as someone whom they cannot see but one who was so powerful that there will be light even evening comes. They knew who God was and what he was capable of doing and so the Jews were shocked when Jesus appeared on the scene and offered himself as “food and drink” (Jn 6:53).
When Jesus did this, the Jews were scandalized and the disciples were divided when Jesus said “unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you have no life in you.” (Jn 6:53) This was not only a hard saying and unless you understand who Jesus was and why he calls himself the bread of life.
The miracle of the multiplication of the loaves (Jn 6:1-15), when Jesus said the blessing, broke and distributed the loaves through his disciples to feed the multitude, prefigured the superabundance of the unique bread of the Eucharist, or Lord’s Supper. The Gospel of John has no account of the Last Supper meal (just the washing of the feet ceremony and Jesus' farewell discourse). Instead, John quotes extensively from Jesus' teaching on the bread of life.
In the Old Covenant bread and wine were offered in sacrifice as a sign of grateful acknowledgment to their Creator. Melchizedek’s offering of bread and wine, who was both priest and king (Gen 14:18), prefigured the offering made by Jesus, our high priest and king. The remembrance of the manna in the wilderness recalled to Israel that it lives by the bread of the Word of God (Deut 8:3).
When at the Last Supper Jesus described his blood “poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matt 26:28), he was explaining his coming crucifixion as a sacrifice for sins. His death on the cross fulfilled the sacrifice of the paschal lamb. That is why John the Baptist called him the “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.”
Jesus made himself an offering and sacrifice, a gift that was truly pleasing to the Father. He “offered himself without blemish to God” (Heb 9:14) and “gave himself as a sacrifice to God” (Eph 5:2).
Jesus chose the time of Passover to fulfill what he had announced at Capernaum – giving his disciples his body and his blood. Jesus’ passing over to his Father by his death and resurrection, the new Passover, is anticipated in the Last Supper and celebrated in the Eucharist, which fulfills the Jewish Passover and anticipates the final Passover of the church in the glory of God’s kingdom.
When the Lord Jesus told his disciples in this Gospel passage to eat his flesh and drink his blood, he is also extending the same invitation to us to take his life into the very center of our being. That life which he offers is the very life of God himself.
So the question we need ask ourselves is what is it that we are looking for in life? What do we hunger for? How do we spend our time? How do we make use of our resources? How about the blessings we have received, how do we use them? What about our gifts and talents, what do we do with these? Do we use these to accumulate more wealth or do we use these to share with those who have less?
Today as we participate in the Celebration of the Holy Eucharist, let us remind ourselves of the reasons why Jesus came as the incarnate Son of God. Let us recall to mind his teachings and why he died on the cross. And as we partake of his Body and Blood, let us do so with reverence and be reminded that we too are made not only for ourselves but to be a blessing to others. Let us come to him and yield to him in undying devotion so that his death may not have been in vain.
As his Body and Blood commingles with our own, let us ask our Lord Jesus Christ to nourish and sustain us with His very own presence and life. Jesus is indeed the bread of life – the bread that will sustain us not only at this moment but for eternity. May we always hunger for this bread never perish and move us to be satisfied in Him alone.
First Reading: Ac 9:1-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 117:1bc, 2 “Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.”
GOSPEL: JN 6:52-59
Key Verse: “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood
has eternal life.” (v.54)
In order for us to grasp the deeper meaning of this Gospel passage today we need to go back in time and try to understand how the Jewish people perceive who God was. In the olden times no one has ever seen God. In Exo 13:22, God revealed himself “as a column of fire by night” and, a “column of clouds by day.”
Though they can’t see God, the people in those days felt the love of God who fed the Jews with manna for 40 years. In God there was no light or darkness but there was a continuous day “without daytime or nighttime.” (Zec 14:7)
So the Jews looked at God as someone whom they cannot see but one who was so powerful that there will be light even evening comes. They knew who God was and what he was capable of doing and so the Jews were shocked when Jesus appeared on the scene and offered himself as “food and drink” (Jn 6:53).
When Jesus did this, the Jews were scandalized and the disciples were divided when Jesus said “unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you have no life in you.” (Jn 6:53) This was not only a hard saying and unless you understand who Jesus was and why he calls himself the bread of life.
The miracle of the multiplication of the loaves (Jn 6:1-15), when Jesus said the blessing, broke and distributed the loaves through his disciples to feed the multitude, prefigured the superabundance of the unique bread of the Eucharist, or Lord’s Supper. The Gospel of John has no account of the Last Supper meal (just the washing of the feet ceremony and Jesus' farewell discourse). Instead, John quotes extensively from Jesus' teaching on the bread of life.
In the Old Covenant bread and wine were offered in sacrifice as a sign of grateful acknowledgment to their Creator. Melchizedek’s offering of bread and wine, who was both priest and king (Gen 14:18), prefigured the offering made by Jesus, our high priest and king. The remembrance of the manna in the wilderness recalled to Israel that it lives by the bread of the Word of God (Deut 8:3).
When at the Last Supper Jesus described his blood “poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matt 26:28), he was explaining his coming crucifixion as a sacrifice for sins. His death on the cross fulfilled the sacrifice of the paschal lamb. That is why John the Baptist called him the “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.”
Jesus made himself an offering and sacrifice, a gift that was truly pleasing to the Father. He “offered himself without blemish to God” (Heb 9:14) and “gave himself as a sacrifice to God” (Eph 5:2).
Jesus chose the time of Passover to fulfill what he had announced at Capernaum – giving his disciples his body and his blood. Jesus’ passing over to his Father by his death and resurrection, the new Passover, is anticipated in the Last Supper and celebrated in the Eucharist, which fulfills the Jewish Passover and anticipates the final Passover of the church in the glory of God’s kingdom.
When the Lord Jesus told his disciples in this Gospel passage to eat his flesh and drink his blood, he is also extending the same invitation to us to take his life into the very center of our being. That life which he offers is the very life of God himself.
So the question we need ask ourselves is what is it that we are looking for in life? What do we hunger for? How do we spend our time? How do we make use of our resources? How about the blessings we have received, how do we use them? What about our gifts and talents, what do we do with these? Do we use these to accumulate more wealth or do we use these to share with those who have less?
Today as we participate in the Celebration of the Holy Eucharist, let us remind ourselves of the reasons why Jesus came as the incarnate Son of God. Let us recall to mind his teachings and why he died on the cross. And as we partake of his Body and Blood, let us do so with reverence and be reminded that we too are made not only for ourselves but to be a blessing to others. Let us come to him and yield to him in undying devotion so that his death may not have been in vain.
As his Body and Blood commingles with our own, let us ask our Lord Jesus Christ to nourish and sustain us with His very own presence and life. Jesus is indeed the bread of life – the bread that will sustain us not only at this moment but for eternity. May we always hunger for this bread never perish and move us to be satisfied in Him alone.
TO BELIEVE IS TO LOVE
MAY 8, 2014: THIRD WEEK OF EASTER
First Reading: Ac 8:26-40
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 66:8-9, 16-17, 20 “Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.”
GOSPEL: JN 6:44-51
Key Verse: “I am the bread of life.” (v.48)
This was the second time that Jesus told the Jews “I am the bread of life.” (v.48) as the people kept arguing among themselves as they could not figure out how someone they knew who came from humble beginnings could come forward to say he was the one whom God has sent to redeem Israel.
What was apparent in the story of Jesus as depicted in the four Gospels was that Jesus and the Jews were coming from two different planes. Jesus knew whereof he comes from but the Jews were consumed by their passion to judge things by human values and by external standards.
This was evident in this Gospel passage today and we see that the Jews have already judged Jesus for what he was. To them, Jesus was the son of a carpenter. They saw him grow up in Nazareth. It doesn’t matter if he was the best yoke maker in Judea. What consumes them was their judgment that a tradesman who came from humble beginnings could become a messenger of God.
And this was their undoing because what they didn’t know at this point was that when they rejected Jesus their actions kept them away from the eternal life that he was offering them. What was also clear at this point was that the Jews did not learn anything from what Jesus was saying.
There are actually different levels of listening to someone. We listen to find fault and to criticize. We sometimes listen but we resent what we hear. At times we listen only to make a judgment that our views are superior to what the other person says. We also listen but remain indifferent to what we heard and there are times we listen simply because we are not given the opportunity to speak.
And the Jews missed the point of what Jesus was saying because for all the religiosity that they have this was one instance when they failed to ask God to guide them in qualifying the words they heard from Jesus. What they failed to realize was that salvation was an initiative of God and not from men.
The Jews or at least those to whom Jesus was talking to in this passage failed to grasp what he was saying because they failed to draw on the power of God and this remains true to this day. God initiates and we are given the choice to believe or not such that no one can believe in Jesus without the help of God and this was what he meant when he said: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him” (v.44)
In this Gospel passage, Jesus makes a claim that only God can make that He was and is the true bread of heaven that can satisfy the deepest hunger we experience. When Jesus told the Jews and he is telling us now “I am the bread of life” he is saying something that is essential for life and to refuse or reject what he says is to miss out on that life he is offering us and this could mean death.
Conversely, as with Jesus in this Gospel today we sometimes experience a heavy load when we can’t seem to get our friends converted to share the faith we have but this shouldn’t preoccupy us because we can only go as far as tell them about the eternal life that they can have by believing in Jesus.
And the eternal life Jesus offers is largely dependent on how well we listen and this was what Jesus emphasized when he said: “he who believes has everlasting life.” (v.47) because to believe in Jesus is a continuing process and not just a one-time happening. To believe in Jesus is to keep on believing and trusting Jesus with our life.
Jesus drew on the Old Testament Scripture to remind the Jews that their forefathers died in the in the wilderness because they refused to listen to God who urged them to go to the promise land. What Jesus was also telling the Jews when he claimed to be the “bread of life” was a prefigurement of the abundance of the supernatural life of God that sustains us for all eternity that we can find in the Holy Eucharist.
When we receive Jesus who is present in the Eucharist, we not only unite ourselves with Christ but it also makes us sharers in his body and blood and partakers of his divine nature. St. Ignatius of Antioch describes the Eucharist as the “one bread that provides the medicine of immortality, the antidote for death, and the food that makes us live for ever in Jesus Christ.”
To reject Jesus as what the Jews did in this Gospel today is to refuse eternal life and an unending life in the bosom of the Heavenly Father. To accept Jesus as the bread of heaven is not only life and spiritual nourishment for this world but glory in the world to come.
Jesus is offering us much more than what we can ask for and we cannot imagine the width and breadth of the life he offers. There are two ways we can be united with Christ and these are by believing in his death and his resurrection that we can relive each time we partake of his body and blood present in the Holy Eucharist and, by living our lives as Jesus had commanded us – a life spent in believing and trusting in his Word with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
First Reading: Ac 8:26-40
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 66:8-9, 16-17, 20 “Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.”
GOSPEL: JN 6:44-51
Key Verse: “I am the bread of life.” (v.48)
This was the second time that Jesus told the Jews “I am the bread of life.” (v.48) as the people kept arguing among themselves as they could not figure out how someone they knew who came from humble beginnings could come forward to say he was the one whom God has sent to redeem Israel.
What was apparent in the story of Jesus as depicted in the four Gospels was that Jesus and the Jews were coming from two different planes. Jesus knew whereof he comes from but the Jews were consumed by their passion to judge things by human values and by external standards.
This was evident in this Gospel passage today and we see that the Jews have already judged Jesus for what he was. To them, Jesus was the son of a carpenter. They saw him grow up in Nazareth. It doesn’t matter if he was the best yoke maker in Judea. What consumes them was their judgment that a tradesman who came from humble beginnings could become a messenger of God.
And this was their undoing because what they didn’t know at this point was that when they rejected Jesus their actions kept them away from the eternal life that he was offering them. What was also clear at this point was that the Jews did not learn anything from what Jesus was saying.
There are actually different levels of listening to someone. We listen to find fault and to criticize. We sometimes listen but we resent what we hear. At times we listen only to make a judgment that our views are superior to what the other person says. We also listen but remain indifferent to what we heard and there are times we listen simply because we are not given the opportunity to speak.
And the Jews missed the point of what Jesus was saying because for all the religiosity that they have this was one instance when they failed to ask God to guide them in qualifying the words they heard from Jesus. What they failed to realize was that salvation was an initiative of God and not from men.
The Jews or at least those to whom Jesus was talking to in this passage failed to grasp what he was saying because they failed to draw on the power of God and this remains true to this day. God initiates and we are given the choice to believe or not such that no one can believe in Jesus without the help of God and this was what he meant when he said: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him” (v.44)
In this Gospel passage, Jesus makes a claim that only God can make that He was and is the true bread of heaven that can satisfy the deepest hunger we experience. When Jesus told the Jews and he is telling us now “I am the bread of life” he is saying something that is essential for life and to refuse or reject what he says is to miss out on that life he is offering us and this could mean death.
Conversely, as with Jesus in this Gospel today we sometimes experience a heavy load when we can’t seem to get our friends converted to share the faith we have but this shouldn’t preoccupy us because we can only go as far as tell them about the eternal life that they can have by believing in Jesus.
And the eternal life Jesus offers is largely dependent on how well we listen and this was what Jesus emphasized when he said: “he who believes has everlasting life.” (v.47) because to believe in Jesus is a continuing process and not just a one-time happening. To believe in Jesus is to keep on believing and trusting Jesus with our life.
Jesus drew on the Old Testament Scripture to remind the Jews that their forefathers died in the in the wilderness because they refused to listen to God who urged them to go to the promise land. What Jesus was also telling the Jews when he claimed to be the “bread of life” was a prefigurement of the abundance of the supernatural life of God that sustains us for all eternity that we can find in the Holy Eucharist.
When we receive Jesus who is present in the Eucharist, we not only unite ourselves with Christ but it also makes us sharers in his body and blood and partakers of his divine nature. St. Ignatius of Antioch describes the Eucharist as the “one bread that provides the medicine of immortality, the antidote for death, and the food that makes us live for ever in Jesus Christ.”
To reject Jesus as what the Jews did in this Gospel today is to refuse eternal life and an unending life in the bosom of the Heavenly Father. To accept Jesus as the bread of heaven is not only life and spiritual nourishment for this world but glory in the world to come.
Jesus is offering us much more than what we can ask for and we cannot imagine the width and breadth of the life he offers. There are two ways we can be united with Christ and these are by believing in his death and his resurrection that we can relive each time we partake of his body and blood present in the Holy Eucharist and, by living our lives as Jesus had commanded us – a life spent in believing and trusting in his Word with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
IN HIM THERE IS LIFE
MAY 7, 2014: THIRD WEEK OF EASTER
First Reading: Ac 8:1-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 66:1-7 “Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.”
GOSPEL: JN 6.35-40
Key Verse: “I am the bread of life.” (v.35)
This is probably one of the greatest passages in the New Testament and in it we will find two great truths that we need to reflect upon as these have a bearing on the life we now live. There will be some who may look at what Jesus said in a poetic sense but the truth is that it presents us with the reality that we cannot live without him for he is the only one who can sustain us.
Right from the beginning of this passage when Jesus said: “I am the bread of life.” (v.35) Jesus already equated himself with bread that sustains life. However, we need to go beyond the words of this passage to fully understand how it is related to life.
An authentic Christian life is one that is lived in perfect harmony with God, a kind of relationship that is anchored on complete trust and obedience to everything that Jesus tells us to do because the truth is that apart from him we are nothing. We may continue to exist yes but we won’t have life in us without Jesus and this should bring us to the real meaning of life.
A truly Christian life is one that is filled with the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22) that was borne out of the gifts of the Spirit that have been given to us on the day of our baptism at which time we also laid to rest our sinful nature as we accepted Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior.
In other words, if Jesus is the essence of life through whom our life revolves then it is only right that we look up to him as the bread of life and the hunger that our human nature experiences ends when we come to know him through whom we are also brought before God and the restless souls in us is out to rest and our hunger is satisfied.
We also see in this particular gospel passage the progression of the Christian life that we live and this should also lead us to a recollection of our spiritual experience during our baptism in the Spirit for those who have attended a Life in the Spirit Seminar.
As in the LSS, the first stage is when we see Jesus as we are introduced into the Sacred Scriptures, in the readings and homilies during the Mass, and in most cases in face-to-face encounter with people whom we meet on the street and at the workplace although there may be times that the image of Jesus may be clouded by our biases and prejudices.
Having encountered Jesus in whatever way, the natural tendency is to come to him especially when we are made aware that he is a God whom we can always come to in every circumstance we are in. We regard him not as a distant God and Savior although he now sits at the right of the Father in heaven, but someone who will always lend a listening ear to the cry of our hearts.
Having been led to the knowledge that only those who believe in him will be saved, the grace of faith that has been given us moves us to offer our lives in complete submission to him who gives us life. However, we should not regard this as a form of submission that is one way rather this submission of our human will to him who saved us elevates us to a position in which we have passed on from being a slave into becoming an a friend.
If there is one thing that we need to understand and keep in mind, it is the reality that without Jesus the bread of life it would be utterly impossible to live a new life and it becomes impossible still if we are to live our lives that is apart from him.
What we should be grateful for is the fact that God has taken the initiative to give us the gift of faith that enables us to approach Jesus and fan the flames that burns away the rebellion and the pride that has separated us from God. In effect, it is God who seeks us first as he gathers all those whom he had created into the sheepfold of his Kingdom.
How foolish I was to even think and say before that I came and remained in the renewal because I found God not knowing that it is God who searches and keeps us when we are found. As I have always shared in all the teachings that I have facilitated, life is built around the choices that we make.
The authentic Christian life that is built and filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control is there for us to take and refuse. When we decide to take, there are two things that happen – one is that life becomes complete with hunger and thirst for the ephemeral world gone and, the other is the realization that God assures us of eternity.
When Jesus made the claim which only him and he alone can make: “I am the bread of life.” (v.35) he was referring to none other than the very life of God. Jesus is indeed the true bread which can truly satisfy the hunger in our hearts. The manna from heaven sustained the Israelites on their journey but it could not produce eternal life.
But the unique bread that Jesus is offering which is repeated in the celebration of the Eucharist will sustain us not only in our journey to the heavenly paradise but it will give us the abundant supernatural life of God that will sustain all of us who will believe.
The reality is that when we receive from the Lord’s table of Grace His Body and Blood at every celebration of the Holy Eucharist that we attend we are actually being grafted to Jesus Christ who makes us sharers of His Body and Blood and partakers of his divine life. What happens is that when we are ushered into that state of Grace through our reception of the Sacrament of Confession and as we partake of the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist we are being restored to our original nature.
St. Ignatius of Antioch (35-107 A.D.) calls it the “one bread that provides the medicine of immortality, the antidote for death, and the food that makes us live for ever in Jesus Christ.” This supernatural food is the healing for both body and soul and strength for our journey heavenward. The question we need ask is do we hunger for God and for the food that produces everlasting life?
Today would be a good opportunity for us to ask Jesus Christ to satisfy the hunger in our hearts that will help sustain us in our journey of faith to the Kingdom of Heaven which is our home.
First Reading: Ac 8:1-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 66:1-7 “Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.”
GOSPEL: JN 6.35-40
Key Verse: “I am the bread of life.” (v.35)
This is probably one of the greatest passages in the New Testament and in it we will find two great truths that we need to reflect upon as these have a bearing on the life we now live. There will be some who may look at what Jesus said in a poetic sense but the truth is that it presents us with the reality that we cannot live without him for he is the only one who can sustain us.
Right from the beginning of this passage when Jesus said: “I am the bread of life.” (v.35) Jesus already equated himself with bread that sustains life. However, we need to go beyond the words of this passage to fully understand how it is related to life.
An authentic Christian life is one that is lived in perfect harmony with God, a kind of relationship that is anchored on complete trust and obedience to everything that Jesus tells us to do because the truth is that apart from him we are nothing. We may continue to exist yes but we won’t have life in us without Jesus and this should bring us to the real meaning of life.
A truly Christian life is one that is filled with the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22) that was borne out of the gifts of the Spirit that have been given to us on the day of our baptism at which time we also laid to rest our sinful nature as we accepted Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior.
In other words, if Jesus is the essence of life through whom our life revolves then it is only right that we look up to him as the bread of life and the hunger that our human nature experiences ends when we come to know him through whom we are also brought before God and the restless souls in us is out to rest and our hunger is satisfied.
We also see in this particular gospel passage the progression of the Christian life that we live and this should also lead us to a recollection of our spiritual experience during our baptism in the Spirit for those who have attended a Life in the Spirit Seminar.
As in the LSS, the first stage is when we see Jesus as we are introduced into the Sacred Scriptures, in the readings and homilies during the Mass, and in most cases in face-to-face encounter with people whom we meet on the street and at the workplace although there may be times that the image of Jesus may be clouded by our biases and prejudices.
Having encountered Jesus in whatever way, the natural tendency is to come to him especially when we are made aware that he is a God whom we can always come to in every circumstance we are in. We regard him not as a distant God and Savior although he now sits at the right of the Father in heaven, but someone who will always lend a listening ear to the cry of our hearts.
Having been led to the knowledge that only those who believe in him will be saved, the grace of faith that has been given us moves us to offer our lives in complete submission to him who gives us life. However, we should not regard this as a form of submission that is one way rather this submission of our human will to him who saved us elevates us to a position in which we have passed on from being a slave into becoming an a friend.
If there is one thing that we need to understand and keep in mind, it is the reality that without Jesus the bread of life it would be utterly impossible to live a new life and it becomes impossible still if we are to live our lives that is apart from him.
What we should be grateful for is the fact that God has taken the initiative to give us the gift of faith that enables us to approach Jesus and fan the flames that burns away the rebellion and the pride that has separated us from God. In effect, it is God who seeks us first as he gathers all those whom he had created into the sheepfold of his Kingdom.
How foolish I was to even think and say before that I came and remained in the renewal because I found God not knowing that it is God who searches and keeps us when we are found. As I have always shared in all the teachings that I have facilitated, life is built around the choices that we make.
The authentic Christian life that is built and filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control is there for us to take and refuse. When we decide to take, there are two things that happen – one is that life becomes complete with hunger and thirst for the ephemeral world gone and, the other is the realization that God assures us of eternity.
When Jesus made the claim which only him and he alone can make: “I am the bread of life.” (v.35) he was referring to none other than the very life of God. Jesus is indeed the true bread which can truly satisfy the hunger in our hearts. The manna from heaven sustained the Israelites on their journey but it could not produce eternal life.
But the unique bread that Jesus is offering which is repeated in the celebration of the Eucharist will sustain us not only in our journey to the heavenly paradise but it will give us the abundant supernatural life of God that will sustain all of us who will believe.
The reality is that when we receive from the Lord’s table of Grace His Body and Blood at every celebration of the Holy Eucharist that we attend we are actually being grafted to Jesus Christ who makes us sharers of His Body and Blood and partakers of his divine life. What happens is that when we are ushered into that state of Grace through our reception of the Sacrament of Confession and as we partake of the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist we are being restored to our original nature.
St. Ignatius of Antioch (35-107 A.D.) calls it the “one bread that provides the medicine of immortality, the antidote for death, and the food that makes us live for ever in Jesus Christ.” This supernatural food is the healing for both body and soul and strength for our journey heavenward. The question we need ask is do we hunger for God and for the food that produces everlasting life?
Today would be a good opportunity for us to ask Jesus Christ to satisfy the hunger in our hearts that will help sustain us in our journey of faith to the Kingdom of Heaven which is our home.
JESUS: THE WAY TO GOD
MAY 3, 2014: STS. PHILIP AND JAMES, Apostles
First Reading: 1 Cor 15:1-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 19:2-5 “Their message goes out through all the earth.”
GOSPEL: JN 14:6-14
Key Verse: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.” (v.6)
The Gospel passage for today is probably one of the most important passages in the Sacred Scriptures because it points to us in no uncertain terms the way to God. When Thomas told Jesus that since they didn’t know where Jesus was going, they too would not know the way (v.5).
It was a good thing that Jesus was with his disciples, a captive audience as we may call it, because he could have been driven away had he said what he told Thomas in front of the Jews and religious leaders. In response to Thomas, Jesus said: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also; henceforth you know him and have seen him.” (vv.6-7)
Why was it so? Because in the eyes of the Jews, Jesus was usurping the character that can only be used when referring to God and to both the Greeks and the Israelites at the time, God was an invisible God and the Jews would not dare to even think that they could see God.
But here we see Jesus telling Thomas and his disciples that he is the way, the truth and the life and that anyone who has seen him has seen the Father. There are, in fact, three realities here that make this statement relevant to the pursuit of our Christian faith.
As the Jews were so enamored by how men should walk in accordance with the ways of God (Deut 5:32-33; 31:29) which they also digested from the words of the prophet Isaiah (Isa 30:21) and from when the Psalmist said: “Teach me thy way, O Lord” (Psa 27:11) the Jews knew and were familiar with the way of God in which man should walk.
And Jesus brought in a new dimension to this understanding because now walking in the way of God was no longer limited to prophesies and prayer of the Psalmist but has become a personal one in that Jesus not only gives us advice and direction in life, but he takes us by the hand and leads us and guides us in the way we should go. In other words, Jesus does not just tell us about the way, he is the way Himself.
In our lifetime, many will come and go and they will also speak the truth but no other man has ever lived out the truth except Jesus. When Jesus said: “I am the good Shepherd. The good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (Jn 10:11) this was not just a parable to mesmerize his disciples but he spoke the truth that came to fruition when he died on the cross for us. Hence, there will be others who will say, I have taught you the truth or I have told you the truth but only Jesus could say: “I am the truth.” Moral truth cannot be spoken only in words, it must be conveyed by example and this was what Jesus did in Calvary.
Jesus also said: “I am the life.” As man is always in search for the meaning of life, such will become elusive until the man in search of life has found love because love is what brings life. This is what Jesus does as his love that is rooted in his sacrifice on the cross is what leads us to live life to the full (Jn 10:10). Jesus conquered the power of death and sin when he rose from the dead such that death no longer has power over us and those who will walk in the truth of Jesus are assured of everlasting life.
We also find a part of ourselves in Philip who said: “Lord, show us the Father and we shall be satisfied” (v.8) because this is actually the goal for many of us and that is to know who God is because deep inside we know that knowledge and presence of God in our lives is what brings joy, contentment and happiness.
And we pore on the pages of the Bible, books and prayers in our search for God. We sometimes go hopping from one religion to another to find God. One of the greatest truths of the Christian faith is that we can know the living God and we should not limit our knowledge of God to knowing something about God but we can actually know God personally.
The essence of Christianity and what makes it different from other religions is our personal knowledge of God as our Father and Jesus makes it possible for each one of us to personally know God as our Father.
We can do this by looking at Jesus and through Him we can see what God is like. In Jesus we see the perfect love of God – a God who loves us to the point of sacrificing his life upon the cross for wretched sinners like us. What this Gospel passage today is telling us is that in Jesus we can see a revelation of God – a God who loves us unconditionally, without reservation and, unselfishly for our sake and not his and, perfectly without neglecting or forgetting us even for a brief moment.
And Jesus promises us that God the Father will hear our prayers when we pray in His Name. This was why Jesus taught his followers how to pray in confidence (Matt 6:9-13). In very simple terms, what Jesus is saying in this Gospel today is “listen to me, look at me and, believe!”
To find the way, live the truth and enjoy life all that we as Christians have to do is not to argue about Jesus but to look at him as He guides us along the way, listen to Him that we may know the truth and, believe in Him for it is in believing that we will have life. And to believe is to obey all the truths that he teaches – and that’s the way to eternity.
First Reading: 1 Cor 15:1-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 19:2-5 “Their message goes out through all the earth.”
GOSPEL: JN 14:6-14
Key Verse: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.” (v.6)
The Gospel passage for today is probably one of the most important passages in the Sacred Scriptures because it points to us in no uncertain terms the way to God. When Thomas told Jesus that since they didn’t know where Jesus was going, they too would not know the way (v.5).
It was a good thing that Jesus was with his disciples, a captive audience as we may call it, because he could have been driven away had he said what he told Thomas in front of the Jews and religious leaders. In response to Thomas, Jesus said: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also; henceforth you know him and have seen him.” (vv.6-7)
Why was it so? Because in the eyes of the Jews, Jesus was usurping the character that can only be used when referring to God and to both the Greeks and the Israelites at the time, God was an invisible God and the Jews would not dare to even think that they could see God.
But here we see Jesus telling Thomas and his disciples that he is the way, the truth and the life and that anyone who has seen him has seen the Father. There are, in fact, three realities here that make this statement relevant to the pursuit of our Christian faith.
As the Jews were so enamored by how men should walk in accordance with the ways of God (Deut 5:32-33; 31:29) which they also digested from the words of the prophet Isaiah (Isa 30:21) and from when the Psalmist said: “Teach me thy way, O Lord” (Psa 27:11) the Jews knew and were familiar with the way of God in which man should walk.
And Jesus brought in a new dimension to this understanding because now walking in the way of God was no longer limited to prophesies and prayer of the Psalmist but has become a personal one in that Jesus not only gives us advice and direction in life, but he takes us by the hand and leads us and guides us in the way we should go. In other words, Jesus does not just tell us about the way, he is the way Himself.
In our lifetime, many will come and go and they will also speak the truth but no other man has ever lived out the truth except Jesus. When Jesus said: “I am the good Shepherd. The good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (Jn 10:11) this was not just a parable to mesmerize his disciples but he spoke the truth that came to fruition when he died on the cross for us. Hence, there will be others who will say, I have taught you the truth or I have told you the truth but only Jesus could say: “I am the truth.” Moral truth cannot be spoken only in words, it must be conveyed by example and this was what Jesus did in Calvary.
Jesus also said: “I am the life.” As man is always in search for the meaning of life, such will become elusive until the man in search of life has found love because love is what brings life. This is what Jesus does as his love that is rooted in his sacrifice on the cross is what leads us to live life to the full (Jn 10:10). Jesus conquered the power of death and sin when he rose from the dead such that death no longer has power over us and those who will walk in the truth of Jesus are assured of everlasting life.
We also find a part of ourselves in Philip who said: “Lord, show us the Father and we shall be satisfied” (v.8) because this is actually the goal for many of us and that is to know who God is because deep inside we know that knowledge and presence of God in our lives is what brings joy, contentment and happiness.
And we pore on the pages of the Bible, books and prayers in our search for God. We sometimes go hopping from one religion to another to find God. One of the greatest truths of the Christian faith is that we can know the living God and we should not limit our knowledge of God to knowing something about God but we can actually know God personally.
The essence of Christianity and what makes it different from other religions is our personal knowledge of God as our Father and Jesus makes it possible for each one of us to personally know God as our Father.
We can do this by looking at Jesus and through Him we can see what God is like. In Jesus we see the perfect love of God – a God who loves us to the point of sacrificing his life upon the cross for wretched sinners like us. What this Gospel passage today is telling us is that in Jesus we can see a revelation of God – a God who loves us unconditionally, without reservation and, unselfishly for our sake and not his and, perfectly without neglecting or forgetting us even for a brief moment.
And Jesus promises us that God the Father will hear our prayers when we pray in His Name. This was why Jesus taught his followers how to pray in confidence (Matt 6:9-13). In very simple terms, what Jesus is saying in this Gospel today is “listen to me, look at me and, believe!”
To find the way, live the truth and enjoy life all that we as Christians have to do is not to argue about Jesus but to look at him as He guides us along the way, listen to Him that we may know the truth and, believe in Him for it is in believing that we will have life. And to believe is to obey all the truths that he teaches – and that’s the way to eternity.
A FUTURE FILLED WITH ABUNDANCE
MAY 2, 2014: SECOND WEEK OF EASTER
First Reading: Ac 5:34-42
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 27:1, 4, 13-14 “One thing I seek, to dwell in the house of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: JN 6:1-15
Key Verse: “that nothing may be lost.” (v.12)
This Gospel passage today has been referred to as one of the most memorable of the many miracles that Jesus had performed but there was certainly more to the feeding of the 5,000 than meets the eye. In fact, there are several realities in this event that will give us a clearer picture of who Jesus was and what defines him and what we are to him.
For us to grasp the significance of this event we must first try to understand what a miracle is. A miracle is an extraordinary event that is beyond the power or scope of any created being and thus, a miracle is something that could only come or created by God Himself as no natural forces could account for it.
Such was this event at Bethsaida Julias where Jesus and his disciples went apparently to rest and probably to gather his disciples and teach them that they may have a deeper understanding of who he was. Jesus probably also needed time and space for prayer and this place was ideal for R & P (rest and prayer) as it was located some four miles across Capernaum on the other side of the Sea of Galilee.
And for us to be able to picture how this miracle progressed at that particular time and place we need to switch on our time capsule and try to transport ourselves to where Jesus and his disciples were gathered as they went up the hill as the large crowd who have been following them from Capernaum began to assemble at the grassy plain at the foot of the hill.
As the Passover Feast was near it was also possible that the crowd were on their way to their annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem and the sight of such a large crowd moved Jesus to compassion knowing that the people were hungry and tired and thus must be fed.
This event also reveals the character of Jesus who identifies himself with the poor and this was evident in the type of bread that Andrew found from a boy among the crowd: “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what are they among so many?” (v.9)
In those days, bread that was made from barley flour was the cheapest of all types of bread and was held in contempt. In the Jewish Mishnah (a Jewish book of regulations based on the Torah) it was specified that barley flour was to be used as an offering by a woman who committed adultery because barley was considered as the food of the beasts and the woman’s sin of adultery was the sin of a beast. Hence, the Jews regarded bread made from barley flour as the bread of the very poor.
What makes this event a great a miracle was the two fish that the boy had because the two pieces of pickled fish could not have been bigger than sardines. It could not have been otherwise because there was no way fish could be kept fresh and in eatable condition at that time which was why sardine types of fish were usually pickled and this was what many of the people travelling long distances normally bring.
And here Jesus for the first time revealed what could be considered as a prefigurement of the Last Supper as he took the five barley loaves and the two fish, blessed them and gave them to his disciples who also gave them to the people and all who were there ate and were filled. It also shows us that he came so that we may have life, life in its fullness (Jn 10:10). While we may look at the fullness of life in terms of material blessings, the coming of Jesus actually is tied in to the gifts of the Holy Spirit such that when these gifts are used wisely will lead us to live our lives to its fullest potential.
It is also in this Gospel passage that we can see the plan of God for us when Jesus said: “Gather up the fragments left over, that nothing may be lost.” (v.12) Just as in the parable of the lost sheep (Matt 18:10-13; Lk 15:4-7) we can look at ourselves as one of the fragments of bread that Jesus told his disciples to gather which could mean that Jesus came to gather those of us who are lost.
But more than anything else, this miracle prefigures the superabundance of the unique bread of the Holy Eucharist that we partake each time we celebrate the Mass. And when we receive His Body from the Lord’s table we unite ourselves to Jesus Christ, who makes us sharers in his body and blood.
St. Ignatius of Antioch (35-107 A.D.) calls it the “one bread that provides the medicine of immortality, the antidote for death, and the food that makes us live for ever in Jesus Christ.” This supernatural food brings healing for both body and soul and strength for our journey heavenward.
When we come to the Table of the Lord, we must reflect on what we expect to receive? Do we come and receive Him that we may be healed, forgiven or, comforted? But these are not the only things that Jesus Christ has prepared for us because what he is prepared to give us is more than we can ever ask or imagine – eternal life.
We must also remember that the principal end to our receiving His Body and Blood at the celebration of the Holy Eucharist is the intimate union with Christ. His Body and Blood that we receive restores our strength that we may keep the fire of our faith going to walk where he walked, to do what he did and, to love as he loved.
But we can only do these things if we are to going to bring to Jesus Christ what he needs. The boy had nothing much to offer but Jesus found what he needed in the five barley loaves and two pieces of fish for the miracle that would still be talked about 2,500 years later.
What we bring to Jesus may not be much. We may look at our finite selves with contempt as how Jesus treated the barley bread but Jesus can still use us and turn our lives into a miraculous conversion experience that others may be drawn to him. When we surrender ourselves to him we do not know what he will do with us and through us.
We may have second thoughts of going to Jesus because we don’t have much to bring as others have but that is not enough reason for us not to go and bring what we have even our sinful selves because Jesus can use even the little that we have and multiply it for the good of others. It is in this context that we can become the light that will draw others to Christ by the little things that we do for others. When Jesus said: "that nothing may be lost." (v.12) he was actually giving us an instruction to gather all those whom God has created so that they can be led back to the path of righteousness. This is the spirit behind the New Evangelization as we the laity are duty bound to bring the joy of gospel to the world especially to those who are no longer practicing their Catholic faith.
First Reading: Ac 5:34-42
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 27:1, 4, 13-14 “One thing I seek, to dwell in the house of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: JN 6:1-15
Key Verse: “that nothing may be lost.” (v.12)
This Gospel passage today has been referred to as one of the most memorable of the many miracles that Jesus had performed but there was certainly more to the feeding of the 5,000 than meets the eye. In fact, there are several realities in this event that will give us a clearer picture of who Jesus was and what defines him and what we are to him.
For us to grasp the significance of this event we must first try to understand what a miracle is. A miracle is an extraordinary event that is beyond the power or scope of any created being and thus, a miracle is something that could only come or created by God Himself as no natural forces could account for it.
Such was this event at Bethsaida Julias where Jesus and his disciples went apparently to rest and probably to gather his disciples and teach them that they may have a deeper understanding of who he was. Jesus probably also needed time and space for prayer and this place was ideal for R & P (rest and prayer) as it was located some four miles across Capernaum on the other side of the Sea of Galilee.
And for us to be able to picture how this miracle progressed at that particular time and place we need to switch on our time capsule and try to transport ourselves to where Jesus and his disciples were gathered as they went up the hill as the large crowd who have been following them from Capernaum began to assemble at the grassy plain at the foot of the hill.
As the Passover Feast was near it was also possible that the crowd were on their way to their annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem and the sight of such a large crowd moved Jesus to compassion knowing that the people were hungry and tired and thus must be fed.
This event also reveals the character of Jesus who identifies himself with the poor and this was evident in the type of bread that Andrew found from a boy among the crowd: “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what are they among so many?” (v.9)
In those days, bread that was made from barley flour was the cheapest of all types of bread and was held in contempt. In the Jewish Mishnah (a Jewish book of regulations based on the Torah) it was specified that barley flour was to be used as an offering by a woman who committed adultery because barley was considered as the food of the beasts and the woman’s sin of adultery was the sin of a beast. Hence, the Jews regarded bread made from barley flour as the bread of the very poor.
What makes this event a great a miracle was the two fish that the boy had because the two pieces of pickled fish could not have been bigger than sardines. It could not have been otherwise because there was no way fish could be kept fresh and in eatable condition at that time which was why sardine types of fish were usually pickled and this was what many of the people travelling long distances normally bring.
And here Jesus for the first time revealed what could be considered as a prefigurement of the Last Supper as he took the five barley loaves and the two fish, blessed them and gave them to his disciples who also gave them to the people and all who were there ate and were filled. It also shows us that he came so that we may have life, life in its fullness (Jn 10:10). While we may look at the fullness of life in terms of material blessings, the coming of Jesus actually is tied in to the gifts of the Holy Spirit such that when these gifts are used wisely will lead us to live our lives to its fullest potential.
It is also in this Gospel passage that we can see the plan of God for us when Jesus said: “Gather up the fragments left over, that nothing may be lost.” (v.12) Just as in the parable of the lost sheep (Matt 18:10-13; Lk 15:4-7) we can look at ourselves as one of the fragments of bread that Jesus told his disciples to gather which could mean that Jesus came to gather those of us who are lost.
But more than anything else, this miracle prefigures the superabundance of the unique bread of the Holy Eucharist that we partake each time we celebrate the Mass. And when we receive His Body from the Lord’s table we unite ourselves to Jesus Christ, who makes us sharers in his body and blood.
St. Ignatius of Antioch (35-107 A.D.) calls it the “one bread that provides the medicine of immortality, the antidote for death, and the food that makes us live for ever in Jesus Christ.” This supernatural food brings healing for both body and soul and strength for our journey heavenward.
When we come to the Table of the Lord, we must reflect on what we expect to receive? Do we come and receive Him that we may be healed, forgiven or, comforted? But these are not the only things that Jesus Christ has prepared for us because what he is prepared to give us is more than we can ever ask or imagine – eternal life.
We must also remember that the principal end to our receiving His Body and Blood at the celebration of the Holy Eucharist is the intimate union with Christ. His Body and Blood that we receive restores our strength that we may keep the fire of our faith going to walk where he walked, to do what he did and, to love as he loved.
But we can only do these things if we are to going to bring to Jesus Christ what he needs. The boy had nothing much to offer but Jesus found what he needed in the five barley loaves and two pieces of fish for the miracle that would still be talked about 2,500 years later.
What we bring to Jesus may not be much. We may look at our finite selves with contempt as how Jesus treated the barley bread but Jesus can still use us and turn our lives into a miraculous conversion experience that others may be drawn to him. When we surrender ourselves to him we do not know what he will do with us and through us.
We may have second thoughts of going to Jesus because we don’t have much to bring as others have but that is not enough reason for us not to go and bring what we have even our sinful selves because Jesus can use even the little that we have and multiply it for the good of others. It is in this context that we can become the light that will draw others to Christ by the little things that we do for others. When Jesus said: "that nothing may be lost." (v.12) he was actually giving us an instruction to gather all those whom God has created so that they can be led back to the path of righteousness. This is the spirit behind the New Evangelization as we the laity are duty bound to bring the joy of gospel to the world especially to those who are no longer practicing their Catholic faith.
VICTORY IN REJECTION
MAY 1, 2014: FEAST OF ST. JOSEPH THE WORKER
First Reading: Gen 1:26-2:3
Responsorial Psalm: Psa Psa 90:2-4, 12-14, 16 “Lord, give success to the work of our hands.”
GOSPEL: MATT 13:54-58
“..and they were amazed.” (v.54)
What probably is one of the most difficult things to do is to speak before an audience or a crowd who is familiar with everything there is to know about the speaker. This was what Jesus faced when he returned to Nazareth to speak at the synagogue and the people did not listen because they could not see beyond the person of Jesus.
This was not the first time, however, that a prophet was rejected as Jeremiah also experienced the same fate when he experienced rejection in his hometown even from the members of his own family (Jer 12:5-6).
But what struck me in the Gospel passage today was what Matthew wrote about at the end of this narrative: “And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.” (v.58)
While it did not say if Jesus left when the people in his own town of Nazareth and his kinsfolks took to his teaching with unbelief and refused to believe even if they were astonished (v.54) this passage showed what awaits those who will refuse to listen to Him.
It also means that as taking the Words of Jesus to our hearts has its rewards of an eternal inheritance, and so too do unbelief and rejection has its corresponding pitfall. For if we are to translate what the last verse really meant, it simply says that Jesus will not come or reveal Himself to anyone who does not believe.
What happened following his discourse at the synagogue at Nazareth was that the people already stood condemned for rejecting Jesus because only those “whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” (Jn 3:16)
What Jesus faced in Nazareth was part of the natural human process because no person could be more critical of us than our own kin and neighbors who have known us from our childhood days. In fact, if you will only take stock of your present situation, you will realize that you too have at times been critical of the person beside you especially in the Church or Community you go to.
Jesus faced a severe test when he returned to his hometown and the people at the synagogue though astonished and marveled at his wisdom could not admit that the son of someone they knew as a carpenter could speak with such authority. In this situation you can see part of yourselves because this is what happens when you sneer and or not listen to the homily of the priest-celebrant at Mass because of your personal bias.
The same is true with someone who was invited to give the reflection before a Community and your listening ears are influenced by your judgment against the invited speaker. This is why the Scriptures is such a beautiful book because what happened some 2,500 years ago is still happening today.
In other words, the Scriptures should serve as a manual for daily living in the present time and the beauty of it all is that the Scriptures allows you to stay away from situations that will cause you to veer away from the path leading to the Kingdom of God. But if you do, then you are no different from the people of Nazareth who rejected Jesus and if you find the door to heaven is shut you only have yourself to blame.
Many times we too come to Jesus not for what he is saying but for what he can do for us. While relationship is a two-way process, we look at relationships in terms of what we can get out of it. The people of Nazareth have heard of the miracles Jesus had performed in other towns and they also want the same.
But instead of performing a miracle to feed their curiosity, Jesus startled them with a seeming rebuke that no prophet or servant of God can receive honor among his own people. (v.57) The people of Nazareth took offense and retaliated by refusing to listen to him not knowing that their action will forever keep them out of the sheepfold.
Isn’t this the same with some of us as we tend to look down on the workingman, carpenters, farmers, fishermen and we dismiss whatever they say because they could not possibly be more wiser than we are. We look at our lowly neighbors with contempt and indifference.
But what many of us don’t know is that we are blocking the flow of Grace into our own lives because Jesus will not work in the hearts of those who are filled with unbelief and discrimination.
This is also what happens when people in a Church or a Community come together and talk negatively about another person because when they do this they also effectively block any other view regardless of how positive these may be and believe only in themselves.
The word Gospel means the Good News and the prophet Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would come in the power of the Holy Spirit to bring freedom to those oppressed by sin and evil (Isa 61:1-2). Jesus came to set us free from the worst tyranny of all -- the tyranny of slavery to sin and the fear of death, and to reject Him leads to the destruction of our bodies and souls.
We all must always keep in mind that man cannot save himself as it is God's power alone that can save us from emptiness and poverty of spirit, from confusion and error, and from the fear of death and hopelessness. And we cannot preach the Gospel of Christ to the ends of the earth unless we too have heard the Good News and have taken it to heart.
It is thru obedience to His Word that we can become the “Good News.” In other words, if we preach what Jesus has done to our life, we do not preach ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord and our self as servants for Jesus’ sake. (2 Cor 4:5)
If at all, we all should remember that there is victory in rejection. Jesus was rejected even by his own kinsfolk but he has since been glorified and now sits at the right hand of the Father. We too can bask in the victory from whatever humiliation we may experience from the rejection we may face on account of our subservience to Christ and the hope for the eternal reward should move us to persevere in our proclamation of the Gospel.
First Reading: Gen 1:26-2:3
Responsorial Psalm: Psa Psa 90:2-4, 12-14, 16 “Lord, give success to the work of our hands.”
GOSPEL: MATT 13:54-58
“..and they were amazed.” (v.54)
What probably is one of the most difficult things to do is to speak before an audience or a crowd who is familiar with everything there is to know about the speaker. This was what Jesus faced when he returned to Nazareth to speak at the synagogue and the people did not listen because they could not see beyond the person of Jesus.
This was not the first time, however, that a prophet was rejected as Jeremiah also experienced the same fate when he experienced rejection in his hometown even from the members of his own family (Jer 12:5-6).
But what struck me in the Gospel passage today was what Matthew wrote about at the end of this narrative: “And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.” (v.58)
While it did not say if Jesus left when the people in his own town of Nazareth and his kinsfolks took to his teaching with unbelief and refused to believe even if they were astonished (v.54) this passage showed what awaits those who will refuse to listen to Him.
It also means that as taking the Words of Jesus to our hearts has its rewards of an eternal inheritance, and so too do unbelief and rejection has its corresponding pitfall. For if we are to translate what the last verse really meant, it simply says that Jesus will not come or reveal Himself to anyone who does not believe.
What happened following his discourse at the synagogue at Nazareth was that the people already stood condemned for rejecting Jesus because only those “whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” (Jn 3:16)
What Jesus faced in Nazareth was part of the natural human process because no person could be more critical of us than our own kin and neighbors who have known us from our childhood days. In fact, if you will only take stock of your present situation, you will realize that you too have at times been critical of the person beside you especially in the Church or Community you go to.
Jesus faced a severe test when he returned to his hometown and the people at the synagogue though astonished and marveled at his wisdom could not admit that the son of someone they knew as a carpenter could speak with such authority. In this situation you can see part of yourselves because this is what happens when you sneer and or not listen to the homily of the priest-celebrant at Mass because of your personal bias.
The same is true with someone who was invited to give the reflection before a Community and your listening ears are influenced by your judgment against the invited speaker. This is why the Scriptures is such a beautiful book because what happened some 2,500 years ago is still happening today.
In other words, the Scriptures should serve as a manual for daily living in the present time and the beauty of it all is that the Scriptures allows you to stay away from situations that will cause you to veer away from the path leading to the Kingdom of God. But if you do, then you are no different from the people of Nazareth who rejected Jesus and if you find the door to heaven is shut you only have yourself to blame.
Many times we too come to Jesus not for what he is saying but for what he can do for us. While relationship is a two-way process, we look at relationships in terms of what we can get out of it. The people of Nazareth have heard of the miracles Jesus had performed in other towns and they also want the same.
But instead of performing a miracle to feed their curiosity, Jesus startled them with a seeming rebuke that no prophet or servant of God can receive honor among his own people. (v.57) The people of Nazareth took offense and retaliated by refusing to listen to him not knowing that their action will forever keep them out of the sheepfold.
Isn’t this the same with some of us as we tend to look down on the workingman, carpenters, farmers, fishermen and we dismiss whatever they say because they could not possibly be more wiser than we are. We look at our lowly neighbors with contempt and indifference.
But what many of us don’t know is that we are blocking the flow of Grace into our own lives because Jesus will not work in the hearts of those who are filled with unbelief and discrimination.
This is also what happens when people in a Church or a Community come together and talk negatively about another person because when they do this they also effectively block any other view regardless of how positive these may be and believe only in themselves.
The word Gospel means the Good News and the prophet Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would come in the power of the Holy Spirit to bring freedom to those oppressed by sin and evil (Isa 61:1-2). Jesus came to set us free from the worst tyranny of all -- the tyranny of slavery to sin and the fear of death, and to reject Him leads to the destruction of our bodies and souls.
We all must always keep in mind that man cannot save himself as it is God's power alone that can save us from emptiness and poverty of spirit, from confusion and error, and from the fear of death and hopelessness. And we cannot preach the Gospel of Christ to the ends of the earth unless we too have heard the Good News and have taken it to heart.
It is thru obedience to His Word that we can become the “Good News.” In other words, if we preach what Jesus has done to our life, we do not preach ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord and our self as servants for Jesus’ sake. (2 Cor 4:5)
If at all, we all should remember that there is victory in rejection. Jesus was rejected even by his own kinsfolk but he has since been glorified and now sits at the right hand of the Father. We too can bask in the victory from whatever humiliation we may experience from the rejection we may face on account of our subservience to Christ and the hope for the eternal reward should move us to persevere in our proclamation of the Gospel.
A GOD WHO SEARCHES FOR US
APRIL 30, 2014: SECOND WEEK OF EASTER
First Reading: Ac 5:17-26
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 34:2-9 “The Lord hears the cry of the poor.”
GOSPEL: JN 3:16-21
Key Verse: “Light has come into the world…” (v.19)
In this Gospel passage for today lies one of the great texts in the Sacred Scriptures as it reminds us once again of the special kind of love that God has for us. To begin with, there shouldn’t be any doubt as to where we all began – not from an atom as what Darwin claims nor from an ape as what our science teachers have lectured us on.
While science tells us otherwise, man was created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26) and it is for this reason that God has bestowed on us our senses and the gift of speech among the many other gifts that He has conferred upon our souls. God gave us understanding, free will and memory and he has given us everything that we need for our sustenance. Such is the love of God for the creatures he created.
And it is because of this realization that we also respond in love but our love for God can never be as great as the love of God for each one of us that “He gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (v.16)
Great also is the love of Christ for us “Greater love no man has than this, that a may lay down his life for his friends” (Jn 15:13) as he humbly embraced his sacred passion and death in order to prove the excess of his love for us. With this manifestation of love from a God who loves us beyond our capacity to understand it would seem natural for man to include in his daily preoccupation his search for God.
This, however, is far from the realities of the present age as many still feel that God is missing from their lives if not from the world we live in. Amidst the vast technological advances of this wired world around us the search of for God appears irrelevant and meaningless to many as unbelief and doubt has become the norm today rather than the exception.
Notwithstanding the reality of God’s sacrificial love for us, there are times we fail to see God in a more tangible way for the simple reason that we find difficulty detaching ourselves from our pursuit of gods that would bring us comfort and luxury such as material wealth, social standing, worldly happiness, power and influence and, for as long as we are in search of these we will never find God.
And we find ourselves searching for the one true and living God when the world we have created for ourselves collapses and crumbles. This is the reality of life that we sometimes have to go through times of trials and rejection that we may arrive at a more mature faith that would lead us back to God.
It is out of his great love for us that God actually respects our freedom and our persona but what is unknown to us is that God is calling each of us by our own name and as he enters into that intimate relationship with us, he enables us to develop into our maximum potential as a person.
What we actually have is a God who is reaching out to us even in times when we bask in the freedom that we have. But because God is omniscient and omnipresent, he is involved in all aspects of our lives such that he actually suffers and rejoices with us as he also went through with what we experience including our hopes, fears, joys and sorrows. God need not go through these but because he loves us so much that he becomes so involved in our lives even if we are not entirely aware of it.
And in today’s Gospel passage, Jesus also shows us the paradox of love and judgment. As God is a respecter of our free will, we are given the choice to love the darkness of sin and unbelief or we can love the light of God's truth, beauty, and goodness. If our love is guided by what is true, and good, and beautiful then we will choose God and love Him more than anything else.
The object of our attention or the manner by which we pursue life belies our nature and this is a fact of life. What we love and do defines who we are. If we love God then it follows that he should take first place in our lives, our thoughts and, our actions. If we love God less, then it explains why there are some among us who go through life with wild abandon and setting aside even their morality in search of what they believe will make them happy.
Today, Jesus impresses upon Nicodemus and he is telling us also that only those who will believe in him will not perish but are assured of eternal life for “God did not send His Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.” (v.17) Again, we have to go back to the reality that God doesn’t condemn us and will never do because je created us. If our lives do not turn out the way we expected then we must realize that it is us who brought condemnation to ourselves as we gave in to our own will rather than obey the Will of God.
To believe in God is not just an intellectual agreement between us and God but to believe in the words of Jesus is to place all our trust and confidence in him and accept that we cannot work out our own salvation but it is only through Jesus that we can be saved.
There are many who “stay away from the light” (v.20) because they are afraid that the light will expose their unrighteousness and are unwilling to avail of the new birth that Christ offers through His Holy Spirit.
Many avoid the light simply because they don’t want to change their behavior, attitude or way of life. There is a duality in the lives of many Christians even to those who are already in the Church or Community as they project two different sets of persona – one that caters to their social network and one that projects an image of holiness in the Church and such can only be determined by the level of commitment that one has in terms of service to God.
In other words, what comes out of our lips are opposed to what we do. We confess and we shout that we glorify and magnify the Lord but don’t we choose the time and place where we serve and don’t we also run away from our responsibilities as Christians because the standards in the places we are told to go do not measure up to our own standards?
In closing, when Jesus talks of unbelievers (v.18) he was referring to those who ignore and reject him and there is a tendency, albeit unknown to us, that we may be veering towards unbelief by our refusal to change our ways. What we may not realize is that it is much better to live in the light than in darkness.
First Reading: Ac 5:17-26
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 34:2-9 “The Lord hears the cry of the poor.”
GOSPEL: JN 3:16-21
Key Verse: “Light has come into the world…” (v.19)
In this Gospel passage for today lies one of the great texts in the Sacred Scriptures as it reminds us once again of the special kind of love that God has for us. To begin with, there shouldn’t be any doubt as to where we all began – not from an atom as what Darwin claims nor from an ape as what our science teachers have lectured us on.
While science tells us otherwise, man was created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26) and it is for this reason that God has bestowed on us our senses and the gift of speech among the many other gifts that He has conferred upon our souls. God gave us understanding, free will and memory and he has given us everything that we need for our sustenance. Such is the love of God for the creatures he created.
And it is because of this realization that we also respond in love but our love for God can never be as great as the love of God for each one of us that “He gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (v.16)
Great also is the love of Christ for us “Greater love no man has than this, that a may lay down his life for his friends” (Jn 15:13) as he humbly embraced his sacred passion and death in order to prove the excess of his love for us. With this manifestation of love from a God who loves us beyond our capacity to understand it would seem natural for man to include in his daily preoccupation his search for God.
This, however, is far from the realities of the present age as many still feel that God is missing from their lives if not from the world we live in. Amidst the vast technological advances of this wired world around us the search of for God appears irrelevant and meaningless to many as unbelief and doubt has become the norm today rather than the exception.
Notwithstanding the reality of God’s sacrificial love for us, there are times we fail to see God in a more tangible way for the simple reason that we find difficulty detaching ourselves from our pursuit of gods that would bring us comfort and luxury such as material wealth, social standing, worldly happiness, power and influence and, for as long as we are in search of these we will never find God.
And we find ourselves searching for the one true and living God when the world we have created for ourselves collapses and crumbles. This is the reality of life that we sometimes have to go through times of trials and rejection that we may arrive at a more mature faith that would lead us back to God.
It is out of his great love for us that God actually respects our freedom and our persona but what is unknown to us is that God is calling each of us by our own name and as he enters into that intimate relationship with us, he enables us to develop into our maximum potential as a person.
What we actually have is a God who is reaching out to us even in times when we bask in the freedom that we have. But because God is omniscient and omnipresent, he is involved in all aspects of our lives such that he actually suffers and rejoices with us as he also went through with what we experience including our hopes, fears, joys and sorrows. God need not go through these but because he loves us so much that he becomes so involved in our lives even if we are not entirely aware of it.
And in today’s Gospel passage, Jesus also shows us the paradox of love and judgment. As God is a respecter of our free will, we are given the choice to love the darkness of sin and unbelief or we can love the light of God's truth, beauty, and goodness. If our love is guided by what is true, and good, and beautiful then we will choose God and love Him more than anything else.
The object of our attention or the manner by which we pursue life belies our nature and this is a fact of life. What we love and do defines who we are. If we love God then it follows that he should take first place in our lives, our thoughts and, our actions. If we love God less, then it explains why there are some among us who go through life with wild abandon and setting aside even their morality in search of what they believe will make them happy.
Today, Jesus impresses upon Nicodemus and he is telling us also that only those who will believe in him will not perish but are assured of eternal life for “God did not send His Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.” (v.17) Again, we have to go back to the reality that God doesn’t condemn us and will never do because je created us. If our lives do not turn out the way we expected then we must realize that it is us who brought condemnation to ourselves as we gave in to our own will rather than obey the Will of God.
To believe in God is not just an intellectual agreement between us and God but to believe in the words of Jesus is to place all our trust and confidence in him and accept that we cannot work out our own salvation but it is only through Jesus that we can be saved.
There are many who “stay away from the light” (v.20) because they are afraid that the light will expose their unrighteousness and are unwilling to avail of the new birth that Christ offers through His Holy Spirit.
Many avoid the light simply because they don’t want to change their behavior, attitude or way of life. There is a duality in the lives of many Christians even to those who are already in the Church or Community as they project two different sets of persona – one that caters to their social network and one that projects an image of holiness in the Church and such can only be determined by the level of commitment that one has in terms of service to God.
In other words, what comes out of our lips are opposed to what we do. We confess and we shout that we glorify and magnify the Lord but don’t we choose the time and place where we serve and don’t we also run away from our responsibilities as Christians because the standards in the places we are told to go do not measure up to our own standards?
In closing, when Jesus talks of unbelievers (v.18) he was referring to those who ignore and reject him and there is a tendency, albeit unknown to us, that we may be veering towards unbelief by our refusal to change our ways. What we may not realize is that it is much better to live in the light than in darkness.
HEAVEN IS FOR THOSE WHO UNDERSTAND
APRIL 29, 2014: SECOND WEEK OF EASTER
First Reading: Ac 4:32-37
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 93:1-2, 5 “The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.”
GOSPEL: JN 3:7-15
Key Verse: “…that everyone who believes in him
may have eternal life.” (v.15)
When we talk of misunderstanding in the way when Jesus questioned the capacity of Nicodemus to understand (v.10) there are two things that immediately come to mind – one is a person can have difficulty understanding certain things if he has does not have any knowledge or first-hand experience of that which is before him.
The other is also the case of a person who do not understand because he or she simply doesn’t want to understand which means that a person in this state of mind can literally close his perception, his thoughts, his ability to digest and understand by just shutting off his mind.
Take for example the issues related to the questionable use of the so-called Priority Development Assistance Fund or PDAF. For those who have been linked to the highly anomalous disbursement of these public funds, is it difficult for those involved to understand that what they are accused of doing was wrong?
Which is why it is necessary for everyone who has been baptized with water and spirit to nourish their faith with prayer and a diligent reflection of the Word of God because the Scriptures will eventually serve as our manual of Christian living.
When Nicodemus heard about Jesus' miracles and extraordinary teaching, he decided to meet with him privately, away from the crowds and the public spotlight because Nicodemus was nor just an ordinary Jew. He was a religious ruler and a member of the Sanhedrin, which at that time was regarded as the supreme court of the Jewish nation.
Nicodemus was also a teacher of Israel (Jn 3:10) and he lived a devout life as a Pharisee who sought to perfectly follow the law of Moses, as prescribed in the Five Books of Moses (Genesis, Exodus, Deuteronomy, Leviticus, and Numbers) and he sustained his faith through his faithful observance of the numerous scribal laws, recorded in the Mishnah and the Talmud.
Thus, Nicodemus met with Jesus at night and this could have been prompted by two possibilities – that he doesn’t want to be seen as publicly associating himself with Jesus since many Pharisees were opposed to the teachings of Jesus and, because nighttime was the best time to meet with Jesus in private away from the noise of the maddening crowd.
It was also customary for teachers of the Law and the rabbis to study the law at night after the day's work was completed and the household was at rest. When Nicodemus saw Jesus he addressed him as Rabbi which meant that he acknowledged Jesus to be a prophet and teacher of the Law whose teachings came from God.
Not wasting any time Jesus immediately struck up a conversation with Nicodemus that touched on the essence of the Mosaic law, the question of how can one get right with God and enter God's kingdom and the response of Jesus was brief yet shocking for Nicodemus: “Unless one is born anew, he cannot see God.” (v.3)
It was hard for Nicodemus as it is hard for many of us to understand what Jesus meant because the new birth that Jesus spoke of was not a physical birth but the beginning of a spiritual birth that is something completely new and radical, and from above, namely from God himself.
Jesus said that this rebirth was necessary if one was to enter God's kingdom. Nicodemus thought that to be born again, even spiritually, was impossible. He probably knew too well from experience that anyone who wants to be changed, can't change himself. Jesus explained that this change could only come about through the work and action of the Holy Spirit.
For many of us who have experienced being baptized in the Spirit, this rebirth in the Spirit is very real and experiential, like the wind which can be felt and heard while it is visibly unseen to the naked eye. But the question still remains – what does it mean to be reborn in the Spirit?
This new birth that Jesus spoke about is a spiritual birth to a new life and experiential relationship with God as his adopted sons and daughters (Rom 6) and this is made possible only when one is baptized by dying to your self and accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior and receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit.
What many of us don’t know especially those who are still in the world is that God wants to renew all his people in the gift of new life in his Holy Spirit but this is contingent in our capacity to understand that the new life which God is offering us by way of the baptism in the Spirit will transport into the heavenly realm and provide us with the privilege to enjoy the heavenly way of life while we are still on this earth.
What then is the Kingdom of God? Can we experience the joyous atmosphere in God's kingdom even if remain trapped in the worldly environment that we are in? Yes it is possible if we are to reorient our concept of the nature of God’s Kingdom where peace and joy reigns.
Such is also possible when we can turn the place where we are now into a society of men and women who acknowledge God as their Lord and who live according to his will on earth as it is in heaven (Matt 6:10).
To be reborn is to live and exist in a society where God is honored and obeyed, to live as citizens of heaven and members of God's family – his sons and daughters, and to enter into possession of that life which comes from God himself, a never-ending life of love, peace, joy, and freedom from sin and the fear of death.
Many of us are like Nicodemus. Christian Catholics we may be but we move in the shadows of the night as if we are embarrassed to be identified as Catholics and chances are we cannot even defend our Catholic faith. Lack of knowledge and understanding of the Catholic faith has made it possible for cultic organizations to entice Catholics from leaving their faith even using Scriptures to feast on the selective hearing of Catholics to sustain their arguments against the Catholic Church.
This leaves us with the question of the kind of faith that we have. Faith is contingent on our belief and the only way we can experience the joy and freedom of a new life in Jesus Christ is by believing. To believe is to obey what Christ teaches and to do what Christ did – to love God and those around us. Difficult it may be but we actually don’t have any choice if our ultimate goal is to be in the company of the angels and saints in heaven.
First Reading: Ac 4:32-37
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 93:1-2, 5 “The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.”
GOSPEL: JN 3:7-15
Key Verse: “…that everyone who believes in him
may have eternal life.” (v.15)
When we talk of misunderstanding in the way when Jesus questioned the capacity of Nicodemus to understand (v.10) there are two things that immediately come to mind – one is a person can have difficulty understanding certain things if he has does not have any knowledge or first-hand experience of that which is before him.
The other is also the case of a person who do not understand because he or she simply doesn’t want to understand which means that a person in this state of mind can literally close his perception, his thoughts, his ability to digest and understand by just shutting off his mind.
Take for example the issues related to the questionable use of the so-called Priority Development Assistance Fund or PDAF. For those who have been linked to the highly anomalous disbursement of these public funds, is it difficult for those involved to understand that what they are accused of doing was wrong?
Which is why it is necessary for everyone who has been baptized with water and spirit to nourish their faith with prayer and a diligent reflection of the Word of God because the Scriptures will eventually serve as our manual of Christian living.
When Nicodemus heard about Jesus' miracles and extraordinary teaching, he decided to meet with him privately, away from the crowds and the public spotlight because Nicodemus was nor just an ordinary Jew. He was a religious ruler and a member of the Sanhedrin, which at that time was regarded as the supreme court of the Jewish nation.
Nicodemus was also a teacher of Israel (Jn 3:10) and he lived a devout life as a Pharisee who sought to perfectly follow the law of Moses, as prescribed in the Five Books of Moses (Genesis, Exodus, Deuteronomy, Leviticus, and Numbers) and he sustained his faith through his faithful observance of the numerous scribal laws, recorded in the Mishnah and the Talmud.
Thus, Nicodemus met with Jesus at night and this could have been prompted by two possibilities – that he doesn’t want to be seen as publicly associating himself with Jesus since many Pharisees were opposed to the teachings of Jesus and, because nighttime was the best time to meet with Jesus in private away from the noise of the maddening crowd.
It was also customary for teachers of the Law and the rabbis to study the law at night after the day's work was completed and the household was at rest. When Nicodemus saw Jesus he addressed him as Rabbi which meant that he acknowledged Jesus to be a prophet and teacher of the Law whose teachings came from God.
Not wasting any time Jesus immediately struck up a conversation with Nicodemus that touched on the essence of the Mosaic law, the question of how can one get right with God and enter God's kingdom and the response of Jesus was brief yet shocking for Nicodemus: “Unless one is born anew, he cannot see God.” (v.3)
It was hard for Nicodemus as it is hard for many of us to understand what Jesus meant because the new birth that Jesus spoke of was not a physical birth but the beginning of a spiritual birth that is something completely new and radical, and from above, namely from God himself.
Jesus said that this rebirth was necessary if one was to enter God's kingdom. Nicodemus thought that to be born again, even spiritually, was impossible. He probably knew too well from experience that anyone who wants to be changed, can't change himself. Jesus explained that this change could only come about through the work and action of the Holy Spirit.
For many of us who have experienced being baptized in the Spirit, this rebirth in the Spirit is very real and experiential, like the wind which can be felt and heard while it is visibly unseen to the naked eye. But the question still remains – what does it mean to be reborn in the Spirit?
This new birth that Jesus spoke about is a spiritual birth to a new life and experiential relationship with God as his adopted sons and daughters (Rom 6) and this is made possible only when one is baptized by dying to your self and accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior and receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit.
What many of us don’t know especially those who are still in the world is that God wants to renew all his people in the gift of new life in his Holy Spirit but this is contingent in our capacity to understand that the new life which God is offering us by way of the baptism in the Spirit will transport into the heavenly realm and provide us with the privilege to enjoy the heavenly way of life while we are still on this earth.
What then is the Kingdom of God? Can we experience the joyous atmosphere in God's kingdom even if remain trapped in the worldly environment that we are in? Yes it is possible if we are to reorient our concept of the nature of God’s Kingdom where peace and joy reigns.
Such is also possible when we can turn the place where we are now into a society of men and women who acknowledge God as their Lord and who live according to his will on earth as it is in heaven (Matt 6:10).
To be reborn is to live and exist in a society where God is honored and obeyed, to live as citizens of heaven and members of God's family – his sons and daughters, and to enter into possession of that life which comes from God himself, a never-ending life of love, peace, joy, and freedom from sin and the fear of death.
Many of us are like Nicodemus. Christian Catholics we may be but we move in the shadows of the night as if we are embarrassed to be identified as Catholics and chances are we cannot even defend our Catholic faith. Lack of knowledge and understanding of the Catholic faith has made it possible for cultic organizations to entice Catholics from leaving their faith even using Scriptures to feast on the selective hearing of Catholics to sustain their arguments against the Catholic Church.
This leaves us with the question of the kind of faith that we have. Faith is contingent on our belief and the only way we can experience the joy and freedom of a new life in Jesus Christ is by believing. To believe is to obey what Christ teaches and to do what Christ did – to love God and those around us. Difficult it may be but we actually don’t have any choice if our ultimate goal is to be in the company of the angels and saints in heaven.
WE MUST BE BORN AGAIN
APRIL 28, 2014: SECOND WEEK OF EASTER
First Reading: Ac 4:23-31
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 2:1-9 “Happy are all who put their trust in the Lord.”
GOSPEL: JN 3:1-8
Key Verse: “You must be born again.” (v.7)
This Gospel today reminds me of the time I wasted when I was ensconced with the world and the joy of what I am doing now. It makes me feel bad that I didn’t realize at that time that the talent I had was in fact a God-given gift that I am to use to honor the God who created me.
And yesterday as I was facilitating the second session of the Discipling Program at the BLD Lipa District, I realized that I am now reaping the fruit of being born again in the Holy Spirit for I could not imagine myself preaching about how good God is if I turned down God’s invitation for me to join the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Catholic Charismatic Community and being born again in his love.
At 68 I know that I am not getting any younger and there are times when it’s becoming harder for me to stand for five to six hours to facilitate a teaching series. But you know what? It’s not only joy that I feel when I am sent to facilitate a teaching but a deeper sense of gratitude for serving the God who has given me everything in life.
When God found me while I was wallowing in the world and brought me to the BLD in 1989 I never asked nor probed what I was getting into which was unlike me given the media orientation that I was in at the time. But the moment I stepped into my first prayer meeting after completing our Marriage Encounter Weekend, I knew then that this was what I have been searching for all my life.
And as I grew in the BLD community I learned to obey our pastoral authorities and never even for once did I looked at the legalese of what I was doing or what I was being told to do. What was drummed up in my head and heart was the need for me to dirty my hands in serving in the vineyard of the Lord.
There are many ways of serving and worshiping God and what we should not forget is that worship in essence is “worthship” because the object of our worship is someone who is worth worshipping. It presupposes that if the object of worship is someone worthy of praise and worship then the source of worship or the one who is engaged in the act of worship should also be a worthy vessel if we are to worship God in Spirit and in truth.
And to be a worthy vessel of worship that will rise like incense to the altar of Grace, we “must be born anew” (v.7) and this state of being was at the heart of the dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus a respected teacher of the law in those days who told Jesus: “How can this be?” (v.9)
And Jesus laid down the principle that would be at the heart of Christianity beginning at the Upper Room up to today where Christian revival is present through the different Charismatic movements throughout the world when he said: “Do not marvel that I said to you, `You must be born anew.' The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with every one who is born of the Spirit.” (vv.7-8)
What Jesus told Nicodemus was indeed true for we cannot control how the Holy Spirit works as he works in ways we cannot predict and understand. Just as we were not in control of our physical birth, so it is also with our spiritual birth (v.8) which is a gift from God who acts through his Holy Spirit and this spiritual action is what makes us children of God (Rom 8:16).
It is also this Spirit of God that gives us the power to understand those things that come from God (1 Cor 2:12) and it is by this same Spirit that we have received that empowers us to accept our spiritual rebirth in spite of the sufferings we face as imitators of Jesus Christ (1 Thes 1:6). But when our actions in the church or community are already headed toward a direction other than to foist unity, harmony, peace and communion, then it is about time to check and discern if are still motivated by the Holy Spirit and not by other spirits.
Jesus in this Gospel passage emphasizes that spiritual rebirth or being born again is a prerequisite to admission to the heavenly Kingdom because knowledge alone like what the teachers of the law such as Nicodemus had will not lead to salvation. While it is important for us to know what the Bible says, it is equally imperative that we must understand and know in a very personal way the God who offered his life for us that we may also have life.
Just as when he spoke in parables before, Jesus also compared his crucifixion as an atonement for sins with the bronze serpent that Moses lifted up in the desert that brought healing and deliverance to the Jews who looked up at the serpent. What he was telling Nicodemus at that time and what Jesus is telling us now is that anyone who will believe in his death and resurrection will bring upon himself the new birth in the Spirit that will fill us with his own divine life by the power of His Spirit.
And let us not make any mistake about it. It is only by the power of the Holy Spirit working in us that provides us the courage, confidence and the boldness to share the Good News and to defend our faith by our words and action and never to be ashamed of the Cross of Christ.
As with the Israelites who looked up at the bronze serpent with the belief that God will heal them if they did, so must we also look up to the Cross of Jesus to remind us of our salvation and by believing we are healed of the deadly bite of sin. Nicodemus knew from experience that anyone who wants to be changed, can't change himself and this was what Jesus explained to him that this change could only come about through the work and action of the Holy Spirit. And we who have experienced this rebirth in the Spirit know this is not only experiential but very real like the wind that we can feel and hear yet we cannot see.
This new life in the Holy Spirit prequalifies us into admission in God's kingdom which is a society of men and women who acknowledge God as their Lord and who live according to his will on earth as it is in heaven (Matt 6:10). To be reborn is to enter that society where God is honored and obeyed and where we live as His sons and daughters.
To be born again is to gain possession of that life which comes from God himself, a life of never-ending love, peace, joy, and freedom from sin and the fear of death.
First Reading: Ac 4:23-31
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 2:1-9 “Happy are all who put their trust in the Lord.”
GOSPEL: JN 3:1-8
Key Verse: “You must be born again.” (v.7)
This Gospel today reminds me of the time I wasted when I was ensconced with the world and the joy of what I am doing now. It makes me feel bad that I didn’t realize at that time that the talent I had was in fact a God-given gift that I am to use to honor the God who created me.
And yesterday as I was facilitating the second session of the Discipling Program at the BLD Lipa District, I realized that I am now reaping the fruit of being born again in the Holy Spirit for I could not imagine myself preaching about how good God is if I turned down God’s invitation for me to join the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Catholic Charismatic Community and being born again in his love.
At 68 I know that I am not getting any younger and there are times when it’s becoming harder for me to stand for five to six hours to facilitate a teaching series. But you know what? It’s not only joy that I feel when I am sent to facilitate a teaching but a deeper sense of gratitude for serving the God who has given me everything in life.
When God found me while I was wallowing in the world and brought me to the BLD in 1989 I never asked nor probed what I was getting into which was unlike me given the media orientation that I was in at the time. But the moment I stepped into my first prayer meeting after completing our Marriage Encounter Weekend, I knew then that this was what I have been searching for all my life.
And as I grew in the BLD community I learned to obey our pastoral authorities and never even for once did I looked at the legalese of what I was doing or what I was being told to do. What was drummed up in my head and heart was the need for me to dirty my hands in serving in the vineyard of the Lord.
There are many ways of serving and worshiping God and what we should not forget is that worship in essence is “worthship” because the object of our worship is someone who is worth worshipping. It presupposes that if the object of worship is someone worthy of praise and worship then the source of worship or the one who is engaged in the act of worship should also be a worthy vessel if we are to worship God in Spirit and in truth.
And to be a worthy vessel of worship that will rise like incense to the altar of Grace, we “must be born anew” (v.7) and this state of being was at the heart of the dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus a respected teacher of the law in those days who told Jesus: “How can this be?” (v.9)
And Jesus laid down the principle that would be at the heart of Christianity beginning at the Upper Room up to today where Christian revival is present through the different Charismatic movements throughout the world when he said: “Do not marvel that I said to you, `You must be born anew.' The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with every one who is born of the Spirit.” (vv.7-8)
What Jesus told Nicodemus was indeed true for we cannot control how the Holy Spirit works as he works in ways we cannot predict and understand. Just as we were not in control of our physical birth, so it is also with our spiritual birth (v.8) which is a gift from God who acts through his Holy Spirit and this spiritual action is what makes us children of God (Rom 8:16).
It is also this Spirit of God that gives us the power to understand those things that come from God (1 Cor 2:12) and it is by this same Spirit that we have received that empowers us to accept our spiritual rebirth in spite of the sufferings we face as imitators of Jesus Christ (1 Thes 1:6). But when our actions in the church or community are already headed toward a direction other than to foist unity, harmony, peace and communion, then it is about time to check and discern if are still motivated by the Holy Spirit and not by other spirits.
Jesus in this Gospel passage emphasizes that spiritual rebirth or being born again is a prerequisite to admission to the heavenly Kingdom because knowledge alone like what the teachers of the law such as Nicodemus had will not lead to salvation. While it is important for us to know what the Bible says, it is equally imperative that we must understand and know in a very personal way the God who offered his life for us that we may also have life.
Just as when he spoke in parables before, Jesus also compared his crucifixion as an atonement for sins with the bronze serpent that Moses lifted up in the desert that brought healing and deliverance to the Jews who looked up at the serpent. What he was telling Nicodemus at that time and what Jesus is telling us now is that anyone who will believe in his death and resurrection will bring upon himself the new birth in the Spirit that will fill us with his own divine life by the power of His Spirit.
And let us not make any mistake about it. It is only by the power of the Holy Spirit working in us that provides us the courage, confidence and the boldness to share the Good News and to defend our faith by our words and action and never to be ashamed of the Cross of Christ.
As with the Israelites who looked up at the bronze serpent with the belief that God will heal them if they did, so must we also look up to the Cross of Jesus to remind us of our salvation and by believing we are healed of the deadly bite of sin. Nicodemus knew from experience that anyone who wants to be changed, can't change himself and this was what Jesus explained to him that this change could only come about through the work and action of the Holy Spirit. And we who have experienced this rebirth in the Spirit know this is not only experiential but very real like the wind that we can feel and hear yet we cannot see.
This new life in the Holy Spirit prequalifies us into admission in God's kingdom which is a society of men and women who acknowledge God as their Lord and who live according to his will on earth as it is in heaven (Matt 6:10). To be reborn is to enter that society where God is honored and obeyed and where we live as His sons and daughters.
To be born again is to gain possession of that life which comes from God himself, a life of never-ending love, peace, joy, and freedom from sin and the fear of death.
BELIEVE AND YOU WILL SEE
APRIL 27, 2014: DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY
First Reading: Ac 2:42-47
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24 “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting.”
Second Reading: 1 Pet 1:3-9
GOSPEL: JN 20:19-31
Key Verse: “Peace be with you.” (v.19)
It is natural for people especially nowadays when there are tons of information that are available in the market of ideas to doubt something that they only heard about and something they don't see or haven’t seen. This was the predicament of many of the Jews even after news of the resurrection of Jesus had spread like wildfire in Jerusalem.
And today more than 2,000 years later, we are still caught up in our own doubts and or indifference that prevent us from establishing a more concrete relationship with God that is rooted in humility and obedience. Why? Because the world we are in actually is preventing us from doing so as it offers us a comparative view of both dimensions.
On one hand is the material world where we live in, the fast-paced search for comfort and luxury, anything that would bring us fame, prestige and wealth have kept us glued in this mundane world.
On the other is the eternal life that was promised to those who will believe in him. Such belief, however, is premised on our subservience to his Holy Will and a life that is anchored on sacrifice and suffering. This last part is what makes people think because most often we want to reap the promise of eternal joy but without the pain and sacrifice attached to it.
The world has become too fast that anything you need is available at the press of a button. Everything can be procured and acquired and transactions are consummated within minutes. Every bit of information is available in this wired world we are in. Even Bible verses and inspirational message are now being disseminated through e-Mail and SMS or text.
But has this connectivity contributed to forming Christians to become a replica of Jesus in all aspects of his life? From the time we received Jesus in our baptism – whether sacramental or para-liturgical – have we allowed the Holy Spirit to take control of our entire persona?
Have we become forgiving of one another especially now that we are celebrating the Feast of the Divine Mercy. Or do we persist in our unbelief, doubt and meaningless pursuit of what we perceive to be a joyful life.
And how many of us demand a physical evidence before they will believe. “Unless I see I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe." (V.25)
It is not that the people now do not really believe that Jesus Christ is Lord but the circumstances of our present lives move people to dwell in their unbelief. The economic difficulties that people experience nowadays are also a factor that contribute to the estranged relationship between God and the people He has created.
When Jesus appeared to his disciples he offered proofs of his resurrection by showing them the wounds of his passion, his pierced hands and side. He calmed their fears and brought them peace, the peace which reconciles sinners and makes one a friend of God.
Today this has not changed as Jesus still is offering the same proof at the table of the Paschal sacrifice each time Mass is celebrated and this should serve as a memorial for us that God already took our sins and sufferings to the cross and the peace that He offered to his disciples in the Upper Room is the same kind of peace he is offering to us now and this is what the Feast of Divine Mercy is all about.
But in us there will always be a Thomas who will doubt not because we love the Lord less but because we simply lack the courage to stand with Jesus and share his passion and crucifixion. Like Thomas we also run away from the Church not only because we lack the motivation to do so but we just want to earn the glory of heaven without the sacrifice needed to get there.
Jesus came back and appeared to his disciples not only to prove he had resurrected from death but he came back because he needed his disciples to establish his Church. In the same way, his disciples and we who now comprise the Church also need Jesus. As we are being sent to make disciples of all nations, we need someone to send us and without Jesus we have no message to bring to all the nations. This means that as Jesus is dependent on us to keep his message alive, we also need Jesus to equip us and empower us by His Holy Spirit.
There may be times we will allow doubt to cloud our faith but there is something in Thomas that we also need to emulate. Thomas believed and became one of the most faithful messengers of God’s love and forgiveness who is credited for bringing Christianity to India.
There are times when differences and disputes arise within the Church that move us to leave and there will be times we will experience some low points in our life and we find ourselves going back to God. But why wait for the light to run out of our lives before we will believe and realize that all we need is the light that comes from God.
When Thomas recognized his Master, he believed and exclaimed that Jesus was truly Lord and truly God! The gift of faith infused in us at our baptism should move us to also proclaim Jesus as our personal Lord and our God. He died and rose that we, too, might have new life in him.
And today, the same Jesus who appeared to Thomas is offering each one of us a new life in his Holy Spirit that we may know him personally and walk in this new way of life through the power of his Resurrection.
We don’t actually have to put our fingers in his wounds to believe Jesus is real as we only need faith to believe that Jesus had indeed resurrected from the dead and we have the Scriptures and the Church as it stands today as permanent proofs of his passion, death and resurrection. Today, we should no longer subscribe to the dictum “to see is to believe” but our faith must be founded on “believe and see” greater things that God has prepared for us.
The one thing to remember is that Jesus needs the Church to keep the fire burning and we need Jesus because he is the message that we only need to know and bring to others. As God sent Jesus to the cross, so Jesus is also sending us now and no one can truly understand why unless we come to realize that the relationship between God and Jesus is premised on Jesus’ obedience and love.
And so it must be with us. For us to develop a truly meaningful relationship with Jesus we need to humble ourselves and go down from our pedestal and obey whatever He tells us to do but this subservience to His will must be anchored on love for God and neighbor.
First Reading: Ac 2:42-47
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24 “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting.”
Second Reading: 1 Pet 1:3-9
GOSPEL: JN 20:19-31
Key Verse: “Peace be with you.” (v.19)
It is natural for people especially nowadays when there are tons of information that are available in the market of ideas to doubt something that they only heard about and something they don't see or haven’t seen. This was the predicament of many of the Jews even after news of the resurrection of Jesus had spread like wildfire in Jerusalem.
And today more than 2,000 years later, we are still caught up in our own doubts and or indifference that prevent us from establishing a more concrete relationship with God that is rooted in humility and obedience. Why? Because the world we are in actually is preventing us from doing so as it offers us a comparative view of both dimensions.
On one hand is the material world where we live in, the fast-paced search for comfort and luxury, anything that would bring us fame, prestige and wealth have kept us glued in this mundane world.
On the other is the eternal life that was promised to those who will believe in him. Such belief, however, is premised on our subservience to his Holy Will and a life that is anchored on sacrifice and suffering. This last part is what makes people think because most often we want to reap the promise of eternal joy but without the pain and sacrifice attached to it.
The world has become too fast that anything you need is available at the press of a button. Everything can be procured and acquired and transactions are consummated within minutes. Every bit of information is available in this wired world we are in. Even Bible verses and inspirational message are now being disseminated through e-Mail and SMS or text.
But has this connectivity contributed to forming Christians to become a replica of Jesus in all aspects of his life? From the time we received Jesus in our baptism – whether sacramental or para-liturgical – have we allowed the Holy Spirit to take control of our entire persona?
Have we become forgiving of one another especially now that we are celebrating the Feast of the Divine Mercy. Or do we persist in our unbelief, doubt and meaningless pursuit of what we perceive to be a joyful life.
And how many of us demand a physical evidence before they will believe. “Unless I see I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe." (V.25)
It is not that the people now do not really believe that Jesus Christ is Lord but the circumstances of our present lives move people to dwell in their unbelief. The economic difficulties that people experience nowadays are also a factor that contribute to the estranged relationship between God and the people He has created.
When Jesus appeared to his disciples he offered proofs of his resurrection by showing them the wounds of his passion, his pierced hands and side. He calmed their fears and brought them peace, the peace which reconciles sinners and makes one a friend of God.
Today this has not changed as Jesus still is offering the same proof at the table of the Paschal sacrifice each time Mass is celebrated and this should serve as a memorial for us that God already took our sins and sufferings to the cross and the peace that He offered to his disciples in the Upper Room is the same kind of peace he is offering to us now and this is what the Feast of Divine Mercy is all about.
But in us there will always be a Thomas who will doubt not because we love the Lord less but because we simply lack the courage to stand with Jesus and share his passion and crucifixion. Like Thomas we also run away from the Church not only because we lack the motivation to do so but we just want to earn the glory of heaven without the sacrifice needed to get there.
Jesus came back and appeared to his disciples not only to prove he had resurrected from death but he came back because he needed his disciples to establish his Church. In the same way, his disciples and we who now comprise the Church also need Jesus. As we are being sent to make disciples of all nations, we need someone to send us and without Jesus we have no message to bring to all the nations. This means that as Jesus is dependent on us to keep his message alive, we also need Jesus to equip us and empower us by His Holy Spirit.
There may be times we will allow doubt to cloud our faith but there is something in Thomas that we also need to emulate. Thomas believed and became one of the most faithful messengers of God’s love and forgiveness who is credited for bringing Christianity to India.
There are times when differences and disputes arise within the Church that move us to leave and there will be times we will experience some low points in our life and we find ourselves going back to God. But why wait for the light to run out of our lives before we will believe and realize that all we need is the light that comes from God.
When Thomas recognized his Master, he believed and exclaimed that Jesus was truly Lord and truly God! The gift of faith infused in us at our baptism should move us to also proclaim Jesus as our personal Lord and our God. He died and rose that we, too, might have new life in him.
And today, the same Jesus who appeared to Thomas is offering each one of us a new life in his Holy Spirit that we may know him personally and walk in this new way of life through the power of his Resurrection.
We don’t actually have to put our fingers in his wounds to believe Jesus is real as we only need faith to believe that Jesus had indeed resurrected from the dead and we have the Scriptures and the Church as it stands today as permanent proofs of his passion, death and resurrection. Today, we should no longer subscribe to the dictum “to see is to believe” but our faith must be founded on “believe and see” greater things that God has prepared for us.
The one thing to remember is that Jesus needs the Church to keep the fire burning and we need Jesus because he is the message that we only need to know and bring to others. As God sent Jesus to the cross, so Jesus is also sending us now and no one can truly understand why unless we come to realize that the relationship between God and Jesus is premised on Jesus’ obedience and love.
And so it must be with us. For us to develop a truly meaningful relationship with Jesus we need to humble ourselves and go down from our pedestal and obey whatever He tells us to do but this subservience to His will must be anchored on love for God and neighbor.
TO PREACH CHRIST IS OUR MISSION
APRIL 25, 2013: FEAST OF ST. MARK THE EVANGELIST
First Reading: 1 Pet 5:4b-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 89:2-3, 6-7, 16-17 “Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: MK 16:15-20
Key Verse: “He who believes and is baptized
will be saved” (v.16)
This is it. For the Apostles and other disciples, the time to put into practice all the things they learned from their close association with Jesus has now come. Some probably felt anxious or even fear at the big responsibility ahead of them, while the others may have been filled with excitement at the prospects of taking over from where Jesus left off. Regardless of whatever they may have felt at the time, they also probably knew that the Holy Spirit will be with them.
They all walked, ate and, prayed with him Jesus. They saw him up close when he healed the sick and raised the dead to life. He taught them everything they needed to know. And now it’s time for them to take over the mission. Their mission was no different from the mission that has been entrusted to us who have been baptized in the Spirit.
But this learning curve of the early Christians may not be enough if we are to look at the enormity of the tasks ahead of them as well as the persecution that the followers of Jesus would be subjected to in those days. But if there was one thing going in their favor, it was the continuing presence of the Holy Spirit whom Jesus gave to those whom he sends to bring the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
And in this Gospel passage, Jesus issues the directive on what the disciples are to do. They are to: (1) Cast out devils, (2) Speak new tongues, (3) Pick up serpents, (4) To place their hands on the infirm and they will be well and, (5) Even if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them (vv.17-18).
These are what we call the action part of what the Apostles and his disciples are to do that are similar to what we as Christian disciples do in the ministries where we serve. But over and above these is the need to proclaim the Kingdom of God to all who will hear and listen. I have been saying this all along that evangelization does not start with programs and projects but with prayer.
This is the reason why some communities and ministries are not progressing is because of the wrong concepts they have of what constitute mission. When referring to mission, the Church per se considers evangelization as its primary mission. While some ministries and communities may go into the construction of homes for the poor, soup kitchen, medical missions, livelihood and educational programs, these activities should not supplant the primary mission of the church which is to bring the Gospel of Christ to the world. Unfortunately, such programs and projects may be easier to undertake than to point others to Christ.
The directives given to the Apostles might as well be ours also especially for those who have made a commitment to follow Jesus Christ our Savior and what we see in this Gospel passage is the primary task that we are to pursue as Christian disciples.
Jesus is calling on us to preach the Gospel everywhere and he assures us that he will continue to work with us and that he will confirm the message we are to proclaim with signs that will accompany our work. (v.20)
You will notice that the instructions given by Jesus to the Apostles are the same as what He has been doing during his earthly ministry. It presupposes that the Apostles have already been trained on how to heal the sick, raise the dead to life, cleanse the lepers and cast out demons and Jesus also expect that we who have been baptized, formed and weaned in the Church or Community that we belong to can replicate what the Apostles did when we go out to the mission field.
Raising the dead to life can actually be a metaphor because a dead person need not necessarily be dead physically but anyone whose life is consumed by darkness is considered dead. The Jews then and now equate death with sinfulness in the same way that it is also the belief of the Jews that persons afflicted with leprosy are as a result of their sins.
And what Jesus is actually saying is that we can help bring back to life a person who is unclean if we can help them heal themselves and provide them with the antidote to their unforgiveness, bitterness and, resentments which may have been lingering in their lives that make them unclean.
As with the Apostles, we are to do this in conjunction with the more important task of proclaiming the Kingdom of God. The Jews longed to have their own Kingdom and be freed from the oppression of the Romans who have occupied their land but they had a different mindset of the Messiah. And what Jesus was saying was that His coming into the world heralds the coming of the Kingdom of God.
This pronouncement rings true even today when we hear that the Kingdom of God is near. Jesus has actually begun His Kingdom in the hearts of His Apostles and his disciples and in us whom He has gathered from the dark valleys where we dwelt before Jesus found us. The time will come when this Kingdom will be fully realized and evil will be erased from the face of the earth and the people will live in peace with one another.
He is also telling us that the gift of life that we received has been freely given by Our God and that we are to also give this gift to others as a free gift. Translated into action, what Jesus is saying is that for all the many blessings that we have received, we are now called upon to give generously of our time, love and possessions.
Today we also celebrate the Feast of St. Mark the Evangelist. Each of the four gospel accounts gives us a portrait of Jesus, his life, mission, and teaching. Each one has a different style. But they all have one thing in common – the proclamation of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.
Among the four gospels, Mark's account is unique in many ways and it was significant that Mark, as well as Luke, were chosen by the Holy Spirit to write the gospel account even though they weren’t among the twelve Apostles. St. Augustine of Hippo said: “The Holy Spirit willed to choose for the writing of the Gospel Mark and Luke who were not even from those who made up the Twelve, so that it might not be thought that the Grace of evangelization had come only to the Apostles and that in them the fountain of Grace had dried up.”
Jesus' last words to his Apostles was to be witnesses of his death and his glorious resurrection and to proclaim the Good News of salvation to all the world. Their task was to proclaim the Good News of salvation not only to the people of Israel but to all the nations.
This is what the Church refers to as the Great Commission which the risen Christ gave to the whole church. Those who believe in Him have been given a share in this task – to be heralds of the Good News and Ambassadors for Jesus Christ. The best part is that we are not alone in this task because Jesus continues to work in and through us by the power of his Holy Spirit.
To empower us in this task of proclaiming the Good News of salvation to the ends of the earth, we should invoke the power of the Holy Spirit to fill us with an indomitable spirit of praise and joy that can overcome all forms of trials and challenges. To be effective witnesses, we must be filled with a strong faith in His resurrection because it is only through the risen Christ that we can share the gift of life with others.
First Reading: 1 Pet 5:4b-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 89:2-3, 6-7, 16-17 “Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: MK 16:15-20
Key Verse: “He who believes and is baptized
will be saved” (v.16)
This is it. For the Apostles and other disciples, the time to put into practice all the things they learned from their close association with Jesus has now come. Some probably felt anxious or even fear at the big responsibility ahead of them, while the others may have been filled with excitement at the prospects of taking over from where Jesus left off. Regardless of whatever they may have felt at the time, they also probably knew that the Holy Spirit will be with them.
They all walked, ate and, prayed with him Jesus. They saw him up close when he healed the sick and raised the dead to life. He taught them everything they needed to know. And now it’s time for them to take over the mission. Their mission was no different from the mission that has been entrusted to us who have been baptized in the Spirit.
But this learning curve of the early Christians may not be enough if we are to look at the enormity of the tasks ahead of them as well as the persecution that the followers of Jesus would be subjected to in those days. But if there was one thing going in their favor, it was the continuing presence of the Holy Spirit whom Jesus gave to those whom he sends to bring the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
And in this Gospel passage, Jesus issues the directive on what the disciples are to do. They are to: (1) Cast out devils, (2) Speak new tongues, (3) Pick up serpents, (4) To place their hands on the infirm and they will be well and, (5) Even if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them (vv.17-18).
These are what we call the action part of what the Apostles and his disciples are to do that are similar to what we as Christian disciples do in the ministries where we serve. But over and above these is the need to proclaim the Kingdom of God to all who will hear and listen. I have been saying this all along that evangelization does not start with programs and projects but with prayer.
This is the reason why some communities and ministries are not progressing is because of the wrong concepts they have of what constitute mission. When referring to mission, the Church per se considers evangelization as its primary mission. While some ministries and communities may go into the construction of homes for the poor, soup kitchen, medical missions, livelihood and educational programs, these activities should not supplant the primary mission of the church which is to bring the Gospel of Christ to the world. Unfortunately, such programs and projects may be easier to undertake than to point others to Christ.
The directives given to the Apostles might as well be ours also especially for those who have made a commitment to follow Jesus Christ our Savior and what we see in this Gospel passage is the primary task that we are to pursue as Christian disciples.
Jesus is calling on us to preach the Gospel everywhere and he assures us that he will continue to work with us and that he will confirm the message we are to proclaim with signs that will accompany our work. (v.20)
You will notice that the instructions given by Jesus to the Apostles are the same as what He has been doing during his earthly ministry. It presupposes that the Apostles have already been trained on how to heal the sick, raise the dead to life, cleanse the lepers and cast out demons and Jesus also expect that we who have been baptized, formed and weaned in the Church or Community that we belong to can replicate what the Apostles did when we go out to the mission field.
Raising the dead to life can actually be a metaphor because a dead person need not necessarily be dead physically but anyone whose life is consumed by darkness is considered dead. The Jews then and now equate death with sinfulness in the same way that it is also the belief of the Jews that persons afflicted with leprosy are as a result of their sins.
And what Jesus is actually saying is that we can help bring back to life a person who is unclean if we can help them heal themselves and provide them with the antidote to their unforgiveness, bitterness and, resentments which may have been lingering in their lives that make them unclean.
As with the Apostles, we are to do this in conjunction with the more important task of proclaiming the Kingdom of God. The Jews longed to have their own Kingdom and be freed from the oppression of the Romans who have occupied their land but they had a different mindset of the Messiah. And what Jesus was saying was that His coming into the world heralds the coming of the Kingdom of God.
This pronouncement rings true even today when we hear that the Kingdom of God is near. Jesus has actually begun His Kingdom in the hearts of His Apostles and his disciples and in us whom He has gathered from the dark valleys where we dwelt before Jesus found us. The time will come when this Kingdom will be fully realized and evil will be erased from the face of the earth and the people will live in peace with one another.
He is also telling us that the gift of life that we received has been freely given by Our God and that we are to also give this gift to others as a free gift. Translated into action, what Jesus is saying is that for all the many blessings that we have received, we are now called upon to give generously of our time, love and possessions.
Today we also celebrate the Feast of St. Mark the Evangelist. Each of the four gospel accounts gives us a portrait of Jesus, his life, mission, and teaching. Each one has a different style. But they all have one thing in common – the proclamation of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.
Among the four gospels, Mark's account is unique in many ways and it was significant that Mark, as well as Luke, were chosen by the Holy Spirit to write the gospel account even though they weren’t among the twelve Apostles. St. Augustine of Hippo said: “The Holy Spirit willed to choose for the writing of the Gospel Mark and Luke who were not even from those who made up the Twelve, so that it might not be thought that the Grace of evangelization had come only to the Apostles and that in them the fountain of Grace had dried up.”
Jesus' last words to his Apostles was to be witnesses of his death and his glorious resurrection and to proclaim the Good News of salvation to all the world. Their task was to proclaim the Good News of salvation not only to the people of Israel but to all the nations.
This is what the Church refers to as the Great Commission which the risen Christ gave to the whole church. Those who believe in Him have been given a share in this task – to be heralds of the Good News and Ambassadors for Jesus Christ. The best part is that we are not alone in this task because Jesus continues to work in and through us by the power of his Holy Spirit.
To empower us in this task of proclaiming the Good News of salvation to the ends of the earth, we should invoke the power of the Holy Spirit to fill us with an indomitable spirit of praise and joy that can overcome all forms of trials and challenges. To be effective witnesses, we must be filled with a strong faith in His resurrection because it is only through the risen Christ that we can share the gift of life with others.
CHRIST: ONLY WAY TO PEACE
APRIL 24, 2014: THURSDAY OF THE OCTAVE OF EASTER
First Reading: Ac 3:11-26
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 8:2ab, 5-9 “O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth.”
GOSPEL: LK 24:35-48
Key Verse: “Peace be with you.” (v.36)
“I will believe it when I see it.” Most often what we hear people say is: “To see is to believe.” This is an expression we hear from those who would not believe anything unless they can see them with their eyes, touch and feel them or for that matter speak to them.
Too often we also fall into this same tendency of wanting to see some hard evidence before we will believe and this is predominantly so in legal disputes or in cases in which concrete evidence is necessary.
Notwithstanding the fact that the body wasn’t there when Mary Magdalene, Peter and John rushed to the tomb on Easter Sunday should have been enough for the disciples of Jesus to accept and believe that he has resurrected.
But his death on the cross so depressed his disciples that they not only felt defeated but they forgot altogether all about what the Scriptures said and what Jesus preached and now the bigger problem was that they are in danger of being rounded up and suffer the same fate as Jesus.
Cleopas and another disciple went home to Emmaus in exasperation and amidst their dwindling faith Jesus appeared to them whom they recognized as he broke the bread and gave it to them and this reignited their faith that they rushed back to Jerusalem to share with the other disciples their experience.
But the disciples still feared for their lives despite what had been told of his appearance to Mary Magdalene (Jn 20:16-17), to the two disciples in Emmaus (Lk 24:13-35) and to Peter (1 Cor 15:5) which by the way was not written in any of the four Gospels.
As we read through this beautiful Gospel narrative let us ask ourselves why the disciples are having difficulty believing that Jesus has fulfilled his promise to resurrect on the third day? Wasn’t there enough evidence or not enough faith?
Imagine yourself to be in that Upper Room in the middle of all the ifs and buts and the confusion that reigned among the disciples and Jesus appears saying: “Peace be with you.” (v.36) a salutary greeting that was said in a most assuring way. Wouldn’t that erase whatever fears you may have at that moment when everything else seemed hopeless?
This is what Jesus Christ does even today as his presence brings peace amidst the troubled circumstances of our life. The reality of his resurrection provides us not only with the inspiration to restructure our lives and make it compatible with the standards of the Heavenly Kingdom but also the assurance that we too will be resurrected with him in glory (1 Cor 15:42-50).
His resurrection also reinforces our belief that the cross was not a spur of the moment decision by Jesus nor by God but the crucifixion was part of the plan of God for it is the cross that gives concrete evidence of the eternal love of God for us.
In other words, Jesus Christ the Living God brings peace and joy into our troubled lives in contrast to the strife, confusion, crass materialism, the senseless and disordered priorities of the world around us. As Jesus opened the minds of his disciples that they may understand the Scriptures (v.45) we too must make it a daily habit to dwell into the Sacred Texts because it is in them that we will find the reason and the purpose why we were created.
This is what the Holy Spirit does whenever we apportion a regular time to read the Scriptures. There will be times when you meet difficulty understanding a Bible passage. Besides sharing the Word with others and learning from their own experiences, you must pray that the Holy Spirit open your mind to understand the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit will respond by giving you the insight to put God’s Word into action in your life.
There shouldn’t be any doubt that the Scriptures from the Old Testament to the New Testament bear witness to Jesus Christ as the Messiah. The writings of Moses, the other prophets and the Psalms in the Old Testament points to the Messiah (vv.45-46) which has been fulfilled in the New Testament.
And his appearance before his disciples gives us an insight into what his disciples then and now us the modern-day disciples are to do now that we know Jesus Christ has risen. The experience of the disciples are not meant to remain in the Upper Room but was to be shared with the world. Beginning in Jerusalem and to where we are now the repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be preached in His Name to all nations (v.47).
Our faith experiences culled from our encounter and meeting Jesus makes us witnesses of these things and Jesus gives us the privilege and the responsibility to tell the Good News about his forgiveness and eternal life to all who will listen.
Our relatives and friends must know what Christ has done for them and what he continues to do in their lives and in us the new breed if disciples and it would be a terrible act of omission if we will deprive them of hearing the Gospel of Love.
The cross is the centerpiece of the Gospel because it is on the cross from where love flows to the world. It is through the cross that we pass from death to life in glory and we need to tell others about it. To ignore the cross and or to run away from it would be the height of ingratitude towards a person who laid down his life for our sakes.
In closing let me bring you to an excerpt from the homily of Pope Francis during the first mass that he celebrated at the Sistine Chapel following his election as Pope during the Concave and this is what the Holy Father said: “When we walk without the Cross, when we build without the Cross, and when we confess a Christ without a Cross, we are no longer disciples of the Lord. We are mundane. We are bishops, priests, cardinals, Popes, everyone, but we are no longer disciples of the Lord.”
How true indeed because the cross is the mark of every Christian. The cross is the seal that unites us with Christ because our lives have been grafted to the cross for it is also on the cross where our old selves died and a new life was infused into us. To believe what is written in the Scriptures and what the Church teaches requires a lot of faith but faith we must have in order for us to embrace the peace that can only be found in Jesus and live the abundant life that has been made available to those who will believe and have faith in him.
First Reading: Ac 3:11-26
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 8:2ab, 5-9 “O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth.”
GOSPEL: LK 24:35-48
Key Verse: “Peace be with you.” (v.36)
“I will believe it when I see it.” Most often what we hear people say is: “To see is to believe.” This is an expression we hear from those who would not believe anything unless they can see them with their eyes, touch and feel them or for that matter speak to them.
Too often we also fall into this same tendency of wanting to see some hard evidence before we will believe and this is predominantly so in legal disputes or in cases in which concrete evidence is necessary.
Notwithstanding the fact that the body wasn’t there when Mary Magdalene, Peter and John rushed to the tomb on Easter Sunday should have been enough for the disciples of Jesus to accept and believe that he has resurrected.
But his death on the cross so depressed his disciples that they not only felt defeated but they forgot altogether all about what the Scriptures said and what Jesus preached and now the bigger problem was that they are in danger of being rounded up and suffer the same fate as Jesus.
Cleopas and another disciple went home to Emmaus in exasperation and amidst their dwindling faith Jesus appeared to them whom they recognized as he broke the bread and gave it to them and this reignited their faith that they rushed back to Jerusalem to share with the other disciples their experience.
But the disciples still feared for their lives despite what had been told of his appearance to Mary Magdalene (Jn 20:16-17), to the two disciples in Emmaus (Lk 24:13-35) and to Peter (1 Cor 15:5) which by the way was not written in any of the four Gospels.
As we read through this beautiful Gospel narrative let us ask ourselves why the disciples are having difficulty believing that Jesus has fulfilled his promise to resurrect on the third day? Wasn’t there enough evidence or not enough faith?
Imagine yourself to be in that Upper Room in the middle of all the ifs and buts and the confusion that reigned among the disciples and Jesus appears saying: “Peace be with you.” (v.36) a salutary greeting that was said in a most assuring way. Wouldn’t that erase whatever fears you may have at that moment when everything else seemed hopeless?
This is what Jesus Christ does even today as his presence brings peace amidst the troubled circumstances of our life. The reality of his resurrection provides us not only with the inspiration to restructure our lives and make it compatible with the standards of the Heavenly Kingdom but also the assurance that we too will be resurrected with him in glory (1 Cor 15:42-50).
His resurrection also reinforces our belief that the cross was not a spur of the moment decision by Jesus nor by God but the crucifixion was part of the plan of God for it is the cross that gives concrete evidence of the eternal love of God for us.
In other words, Jesus Christ the Living God brings peace and joy into our troubled lives in contrast to the strife, confusion, crass materialism, the senseless and disordered priorities of the world around us. As Jesus opened the minds of his disciples that they may understand the Scriptures (v.45) we too must make it a daily habit to dwell into the Sacred Texts because it is in them that we will find the reason and the purpose why we were created.
This is what the Holy Spirit does whenever we apportion a regular time to read the Scriptures. There will be times when you meet difficulty understanding a Bible passage. Besides sharing the Word with others and learning from their own experiences, you must pray that the Holy Spirit open your mind to understand the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit will respond by giving you the insight to put God’s Word into action in your life.
There shouldn’t be any doubt that the Scriptures from the Old Testament to the New Testament bear witness to Jesus Christ as the Messiah. The writings of Moses, the other prophets and the Psalms in the Old Testament points to the Messiah (vv.45-46) which has been fulfilled in the New Testament.
And his appearance before his disciples gives us an insight into what his disciples then and now us the modern-day disciples are to do now that we know Jesus Christ has risen. The experience of the disciples are not meant to remain in the Upper Room but was to be shared with the world. Beginning in Jerusalem and to where we are now the repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be preached in His Name to all nations (v.47).
Our faith experiences culled from our encounter and meeting Jesus makes us witnesses of these things and Jesus gives us the privilege and the responsibility to tell the Good News about his forgiveness and eternal life to all who will listen.
Our relatives and friends must know what Christ has done for them and what he continues to do in their lives and in us the new breed if disciples and it would be a terrible act of omission if we will deprive them of hearing the Gospel of Love.
The cross is the centerpiece of the Gospel because it is on the cross from where love flows to the world. It is through the cross that we pass from death to life in glory and we need to tell others about it. To ignore the cross and or to run away from it would be the height of ingratitude towards a person who laid down his life for our sakes.
In closing let me bring you to an excerpt from the homily of Pope Francis during the first mass that he celebrated at the Sistine Chapel following his election as Pope during the Concave and this is what the Holy Father said: “When we walk without the Cross, when we build without the Cross, and when we confess a Christ without a Cross, we are no longer disciples of the Lord. We are mundane. We are bishops, priests, cardinals, Popes, everyone, but we are no longer disciples of the Lord.”
How true indeed because the cross is the mark of every Christian. The cross is the seal that unites us with Christ because our lives have been grafted to the cross for it is also on the cross where our old selves died and a new life was infused into us. To believe what is written in the Scriptures and what the Church teaches requires a lot of faith but faith we must have in order for us to embrace the peace that can only be found in Jesus and live the abundant life that has been made available to those who will believe and have faith in him.
AN HONOR TO WALK WITH JESUS
APRIL 23, 2014: WEDNESDAY OF THE OCTAVE OF EASTER
First Reading: Ac 3:1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 105:1-9 “Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord”
GOSPEL: LK 24:13-35
Key Verse: “Were not our hearts burning within us…?” (v.32)
How far would you go to share with others a beautiful experience you just had? Passing a board exam, getting wed to your childhood sweetheart, birth of a first-born child, moving in to a new home and, promotion perhaps?
Let’s go straight to the point since this is the message of the Gospel today. What if you had an encounter with Jesus Christ? Let’s say you were seated in a park pondering your future and Jesus sat beside you. You didn’t recognize him at first but it seemed odd that he was dressed in that seamless flowing robe not to mention that he was bearded with his hair reaching to his shoulders. And what you couldn’t forget that will remain etched in your memory were those piercing eyes and the love that you could feel from the way he looked at you.
Sensing your frustration and despondency at the way your life had turned out Jesus spoke calmly and said to you: “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jer 29:11) And after he had said this he vanished from your sight. Then and only then did you realize that it was Jesus who sat beside you and spoke to you and gave you hope at a time when you couldn’t make anything out of your life.
Won’t your heart burn from the excitement that your first reaction was to jump and run to share the news with your family and peers? Such is natural because every piece of good news that we have received or joyous events we have experienced in our life are not kept to ourselves but are shared with others.
This was what the two disciples experienced who on their way home to Emmaus was joined by Jesus along the way and although they didn’t recognize him at first they probably had this eerie feeling there was something different with this person who was walking with them because he seemed to know the reason why Christ suffered and died (vv.25-27).
Jesus came at the right time because these two disciples – one was identified as Cleopas – have lost hope “but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel” (v.21) and their dreams of being liberated was shattered when Jesus was crucified and died on the cross.
These two disciples actually must have felt a double whammy had hit them because not only was Jesus put to death by crucifixion but even his body was nowhere to be found. Jesus actually could have changed the mindsets of these two disciples right there but this was typical of Jesus who does not force himself on anyone. As they neared their destination, Jesus acted as if he were going farther (v.28) but they insisted that he stays with them for the night (v.29).
Cleopas and the other disciples actually could have recognized Jesus early on especially when he chided them on the road to Emmaus for their slowness of heart to believe what the scriptures had said concerning the Messiah (v.25). Surely they must have recognized his voice but couldn’t because they felt defeated and downcast. Some of us may have experienced the same thing when we can’t think straight when things don’t turn out right and frustration and depression set in.
St. Augustine of Hippo explained why these two disciples acted this way: "They were so disturbed when they saw him hanging on the cross that they forgot his teaching, did not look for his resurrection, and failed to keep his promises in mind" (Sermon 235.1). And from the Harmony of the Gospels 3.25.72 it says: “It was not that the truth himself was misleading them, but rather that they were themselves unable to perceive the truth."
As they sat down at the table, Jesus explained the Scriptures to them and as he took the bread, gave thanks, broke it and gave it to them, their eyes were opened and they recognized him and he disappeared from their sight (vv.31-32). It was only then that they recognized who he was since they may have also been present at the feeding of the 5,000 and or at the last Passover meal of Jesus at the Upper Room.
There are at least two points that make this narrative remarkable. First is that Emmaus is to the West of Jerusalem. Hence, the two disciples were walking towards the sunset as it was already dusk. This is the exact opposite of what a Christian should be. It has been said that a Christian must set his sights towards the sunrise and not towards the sunset which means that we as Christians must not allow whatever frustrations or problems that come our way to hinder us from seeking that which is good.
They were also walking in the wrong direction because they headed for Emmaus when the rest of the disciples remained in Jerusalem. In other words, these two disciples were walking away from the fellowship of other believers in Jerusalem. We too will probably fail to recognize Jesus as with these two disciples if we separate ourselves from the Church and or Community. The beauty of this Gospel was that Jesus will not leave us wandering in our dashed hopes and frustrations as he will bring us back to the fold if we are willing.
The second point was that the joy the two disciples experienced moved them to rise and head back to Jerusalem. This was a seven-mile journey on foot and it we go by what this Gospel passage says the two disciples did not have time to rest as they stood up the moment Jesus vanished.
All that they thought of was to share their experience with the other disciples and this is what the question at the beginning meant – how far would you go to share a beautiful experience you had or to be more straightforward about it, how far would you go to bring Christ to others?
When they reached Jerusalem, they found their fellow disciples sharing their own experiences of their encounters with Jesus. They told of Jesus appearing to Peter (1 Cor 15:5) and the two disciples shared their own experiences with Jesus who broke bread with them (v.35).
This should be the same with us. As with the two disciples who trekked back to Jerusalem because they could not contain the joy of encountering Jesus, we too should not keep the Gospel to ourselves because the gift we have received we must give as a gift to others.
First Reading: Ac 3:1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 105:1-9 “Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord”
GOSPEL: LK 24:13-35
Key Verse: “Were not our hearts burning within us…?” (v.32)
How far would you go to share with others a beautiful experience you just had? Passing a board exam, getting wed to your childhood sweetheart, birth of a first-born child, moving in to a new home and, promotion perhaps?
Let’s go straight to the point since this is the message of the Gospel today. What if you had an encounter with Jesus Christ? Let’s say you were seated in a park pondering your future and Jesus sat beside you. You didn’t recognize him at first but it seemed odd that he was dressed in that seamless flowing robe not to mention that he was bearded with his hair reaching to his shoulders. And what you couldn’t forget that will remain etched in your memory were those piercing eyes and the love that you could feel from the way he looked at you.
Sensing your frustration and despondency at the way your life had turned out Jesus spoke calmly and said to you: “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jer 29:11) And after he had said this he vanished from your sight. Then and only then did you realize that it was Jesus who sat beside you and spoke to you and gave you hope at a time when you couldn’t make anything out of your life.
Won’t your heart burn from the excitement that your first reaction was to jump and run to share the news with your family and peers? Such is natural because every piece of good news that we have received or joyous events we have experienced in our life are not kept to ourselves but are shared with others.
This was what the two disciples experienced who on their way home to Emmaus was joined by Jesus along the way and although they didn’t recognize him at first they probably had this eerie feeling there was something different with this person who was walking with them because he seemed to know the reason why Christ suffered and died (vv.25-27).
Jesus came at the right time because these two disciples – one was identified as Cleopas – have lost hope “but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel” (v.21) and their dreams of being liberated was shattered when Jesus was crucified and died on the cross.
These two disciples actually must have felt a double whammy had hit them because not only was Jesus put to death by crucifixion but even his body was nowhere to be found. Jesus actually could have changed the mindsets of these two disciples right there but this was typical of Jesus who does not force himself on anyone. As they neared their destination, Jesus acted as if he were going farther (v.28) but they insisted that he stays with them for the night (v.29).
Cleopas and the other disciples actually could have recognized Jesus early on especially when he chided them on the road to Emmaus for their slowness of heart to believe what the scriptures had said concerning the Messiah (v.25). Surely they must have recognized his voice but couldn’t because they felt defeated and downcast. Some of us may have experienced the same thing when we can’t think straight when things don’t turn out right and frustration and depression set in.
St. Augustine of Hippo explained why these two disciples acted this way: "They were so disturbed when they saw him hanging on the cross that they forgot his teaching, did not look for his resurrection, and failed to keep his promises in mind" (Sermon 235.1). And from the Harmony of the Gospels 3.25.72 it says: “It was not that the truth himself was misleading them, but rather that they were themselves unable to perceive the truth."
As they sat down at the table, Jesus explained the Scriptures to them and as he took the bread, gave thanks, broke it and gave it to them, their eyes were opened and they recognized him and he disappeared from their sight (vv.31-32). It was only then that they recognized who he was since they may have also been present at the feeding of the 5,000 and or at the last Passover meal of Jesus at the Upper Room.
There are at least two points that make this narrative remarkable. First is that Emmaus is to the West of Jerusalem. Hence, the two disciples were walking towards the sunset as it was already dusk. This is the exact opposite of what a Christian should be. It has been said that a Christian must set his sights towards the sunrise and not towards the sunset which means that we as Christians must not allow whatever frustrations or problems that come our way to hinder us from seeking that which is good.
They were also walking in the wrong direction because they headed for Emmaus when the rest of the disciples remained in Jerusalem. In other words, these two disciples were walking away from the fellowship of other believers in Jerusalem. We too will probably fail to recognize Jesus as with these two disciples if we separate ourselves from the Church and or Community. The beauty of this Gospel was that Jesus will not leave us wandering in our dashed hopes and frustrations as he will bring us back to the fold if we are willing.
The second point was that the joy the two disciples experienced moved them to rise and head back to Jerusalem. This was a seven-mile journey on foot and it we go by what this Gospel passage says the two disciples did not have time to rest as they stood up the moment Jesus vanished.
All that they thought of was to share their experience with the other disciples and this is what the question at the beginning meant – how far would you go to share a beautiful experience you had or to be more straightforward about it, how far would you go to bring Christ to others?
When they reached Jerusalem, they found their fellow disciples sharing their own experiences of their encounters with Jesus. They told of Jesus appearing to Peter (1 Cor 15:5) and the two disciples shared their own experiences with Jesus who broke bread with them (v.35).
This should be the same with us. As with the two disciples who trekked back to Jerusalem because they could not contain the joy of encountering Jesus, we too should not keep the Gospel to ourselves because the gift we have received we must give as a gift to others.
SEE HIM AND BE BORN ANEW
APRIL 22, 2014: TUESDAY OF THE OCTAVE OF EASTER
First Reading: Ac 2:36-41
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 33:4-5, 18-20, 22 “The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: JN 20:11-18
Key Verse: “I have seen the Lord!” (v.18)
Regardless of the different versions of the stories we have read and heard that weren’t exactly kind to Mary Magdalene, she will go down in history as the first person to see the Risen Christ.
As it was customary for Jews to visit the tomb of their loved one for three days after the body had been buried, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early morning of the third day and finding the tomb open she ran back to the city where the disciples were hiding to report what she had seen.
She raced back to the tomb with Peter and John and finding the tomb to be empty the two Apostles left (v.10) and Mary who just stood outside the tomb weeping decided to look “into the tomb, and saw two angels in white seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.” (vv.11-12)
How about you? When was the last time you visited the tomb of your loved one? And how did you feel? We read Mary wept but what was it that she felt after Jesus died and now his body was nowhere to be found? Did she felt deserted by Jesus who saved her from being stoned to death? Was she angry that somebody had taken the body away? (v.13) Or was she in shock and couldn’t comprehend what had happened? But definitely she felt depressed because everyone had high expectations of Jesus.
Don’t we also find a part of Mary in us? Don’t we also feel grief and sense of loss at the death of a loved one especially someone with whom we spent a great deal of our lives. At times, we feel angry and felt abandoned by God.
And then Mary turned around and saw Jesus standing but she did not realize it was Jesus. This was an interesting angle because for someone like Mary who was one of the disciples who were close to Jesus it was unlikely she will not recognize him. The only explanation was that Mary was weeping and her sight was blurred and or she did not expect that Jesus would really rise again.
It was probable that Jesus stood as the sun brought in the light of day and Mary was having difficulty looking against the light and she did not recognize it was Jesus. This is the same for some of us who couldn’t see Jesus in our midst. It may be that we also don’t want to see Jesus because we are afraid he might ask of us something we are not prepared to give at this time – our time, talent and treasure perhaps. Worst, we can’t see Jesus simply because we are so full of ourselves such that our pride and arrogance block our view of Jesus.
As Mary heard a voice: “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” As she thought it was the gardener and Mary implored him to tell her where she could find the body of Jesus (v.15). And Jesus said to her: “Mary.” Mary must have heard this greeting many times in the past. Her recollection of the fondness in the way she was addressed by Jesus before must have come to life and she immediately recognized Him.
Jesus is near each one of us and He is calling our name. Close your eyes for the moment and draw a picture of Jesus standing near you and calling your name in a most loving way. Will you do what Mary did as she turned toward Him and cried out: “Rabboni!” which means Teacher (v.16).
Mary did not meet the Risen Christ until she saw the empty tomb and she reacted with joy as she ran to tell the other disciples. Conversely, we too cannot meet Christ until we discover that He is alive and, until we find that our tomb (hearts) has been emptied of sin, bitterness, anger, resentment, envy, arrogance and pride. When we empty our tomb of all these infirmities, then and only then can we be filled with the joy of the Good News and the impetus to share it with others.
Thus, Mary went back to where the disciples were assembled and gave them the news: “I have seen the Lord!” (v.18) In this one particular verse lies the very essence of Christianity because a Christian is someone who can say “I have seen the Lord” which means that there is in us a personal conviction that we have met him which means that we encountered him and have come to know him.
With an enlightened heart (Eph 1:18) we are able to see the truth of his resurrection and victory over sin and death. His death and resurrection was the great turning point in human history because it is through his death that an old world had ended and a whole new life entered the world through his resurrection.
More importantly, the death and resurrection of Jesus gives us the privilege of reaching God because Christ had become our perfect mediator and he has united us to Himself so that now we could share not only in what he did but we can now reach God through Him.
This day (April 22) is particularly special to me because it is on this day that I was born some 68 years ago. I have celebrated my birthday many times in the past and I have received a variety of gifts from my family, relatives and friends but the greatest gift I have received was when Jesus revealed Himself to me and gave me a new birth and a new life.
The resurrection of Jesus reminds me of my own resurrection when I was led to die to my sinful nature as I was baptized in the Holy Spirit and became born again. Thus, the resurrection of Jesus is such a glorious event because it provides me with the opportunity to see God face to face and share in his everlasting glory and joy especially in the Celebration of the Holy Eucharist such that each time we receive him in the breaking of the bread we can say readily say: “I have seen the Lord!”
First Reading: Ac 2:36-41
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 33:4-5, 18-20, 22 “The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: JN 20:11-18
Key Verse: “I have seen the Lord!” (v.18)
Regardless of the different versions of the stories we have read and heard that weren’t exactly kind to Mary Magdalene, she will go down in history as the first person to see the Risen Christ.
As it was customary for Jews to visit the tomb of their loved one for three days after the body had been buried, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early morning of the third day and finding the tomb open she ran back to the city where the disciples were hiding to report what she had seen.
She raced back to the tomb with Peter and John and finding the tomb to be empty the two Apostles left (v.10) and Mary who just stood outside the tomb weeping decided to look “into the tomb, and saw two angels in white seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.” (vv.11-12)
How about you? When was the last time you visited the tomb of your loved one? And how did you feel? We read Mary wept but what was it that she felt after Jesus died and now his body was nowhere to be found? Did she felt deserted by Jesus who saved her from being stoned to death? Was she angry that somebody had taken the body away? (v.13) Or was she in shock and couldn’t comprehend what had happened? But definitely she felt depressed because everyone had high expectations of Jesus.
Don’t we also find a part of Mary in us? Don’t we also feel grief and sense of loss at the death of a loved one especially someone with whom we spent a great deal of our lives. At times, we feel angry and felt abandoned by God.
And then Mary turned around and saw Jesus standing but she did not realize it was Jesus. This was an interesting angle because for someone like Mary who was one of the disciples who were close to Jesus it was unlikely she will not recognize him. The only explanation was that Mary was weeping and her sight was blurred and or she did not expect that Jesus would really rise again.
It was probable that Jesus stood as the sun brought in the light of day and Mary was having difficulty looking against the light and she did not recognize it was Jesus. This is the same for some of us who couldn’t see Jesus in our midst. It may be that we also don’t want to see Jesus because we are afraid he might ask of us something we are not prepared to give at this time – our time, talent and treasure perhaps. Worst, we can’t see Jesus simply because we are so full of ourselves such that our pride and arrogance block our view of Jesus.
As Mary heard a voice: “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” As she thought it was the gardener and Mary implored him to tell her where she could find the body of Jesus (v.15). And Jesus said to her: “Mary.” Mary must have heard this greeting many times in the past. Her recollection of the fondness in the way she was addressed by Jesus before must have come to life and she immediately recognized Him.
Jesus is near each one of us and He is calling our name. Close your eyes for the moment and draw a picture of Jesus standing near you and calling your name in a most loving way. Will you do what Mary did as she turned toward Him and cried out: “Rabboni!” which means Teacher (v.16).
Mary did not meet the Risen Christ until she saw the empty tomb and she reacted with joy as she ran to tell the other disciples. Conversely, we too cannot meet Christ until we discover that He is alive and, until we find that our tomb (hearts) has been emptied of sin, bitterness, anger, resentment, envy, arrogance and pride. When we empty our tomb of all these infirmities, then and only then can we be filled with the joy of the Good News and the impetus to share it with others.
Thus, Mary went back to where the disciples were assembled and gave them the news: “I have seen the Lord!” (v.18) In this one particular verse lies the very essence of Christianity because a Christian is someone who can say “I have seen the Lord” which means that there is in us a personal conviction that we have met him which means that we encountered him and have come to know him.
With an enlightened heart (Eph 1:18) we are able to see the truth of his resurrection and victory over sin and death. His death and resurrection was the great turning point in human history because it is through his death that an old world had ended and a whole new life entered the world through his resurrection.
More importantly, the death and resurrection of Jesus gives us the privilege of reaching God because Christ had become our perfect mediator and he has united us to Himself so that now we could share not only in what he did but we can now reach God through Him.
This day (April 22) is particularly special to me because it is on this day that I was born some 68 years ago. I have celebrated my birthday many times in the past and I have received a variety of gifts from my family, relatives and friends but the greatest gift I have received was when Jesus revealed Himself to me and gave me a new birth and a new life.
The resurrection of Jesus reminds me of my own resurrection when I was led to die to my sinful nature as I was baptized in the Holy Spirit and became born again. Thus, the resurrection of Jesus is such a glorious event because it provides me with the opportunity to see God face to face and share in his everlasting glory and joy especially in the Celebration of the Holy Eucharist such that each time we receive him in the breaking of the bread we can say readily say: “I have seen the Lord!”
NEW LIFE: A CALL TO WITNESS
APRIL 21, 2014: MONDAY OF THE OCTAVE OF EASTER
First Reading: Ac 2:14, 22-33
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 16:1-2a, 5, 7-11 “Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.”
GOSPEL: MATT 28:8-15
Key Verse: “fearful yet overjoyed.” (v.8)
The best way to grasp the beauty and magnitude of this gospel passage is to close your eyes and imagine that you were one of those who went to the tomb of Jesus and found it to be empty. How would you feel if you found the stone rolled back and an angel sitting on it?
You would probably feel the same way the two Mary’s felt - one was Mary Magdalene and the other was Mary who could be the wife of Clopas (Jn 19:25) or the mother of James and John (Matt 27:56) – after an angel sitting on the stone leading to the tomb told them to tell the other disciples that Jesus has risen from the dead and where they could find him. They “hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy.” (v.8)
How would you feel if you were there? Shocked? Scared to death? Wondering who took the body? Would you be overcome with grief telling yourself this is too much for me to take? Or would you feel joyful that Jesus kept his promise and rose from the dead on the third day as he had promised?
However way you may have felt had you been there, you will probably feel the same way – afraid yet filled with joy – especially if you’d happen to meet Jesus Christ in an alley today and he tells you “believe in me and I will give you eternal life.”
Joyful because meeting him would erase all doubts you may have been harboring relative to his resurrection. Did he really rise from the dead? How was it possible? Afraid because you also know that the eternal life Jesus is offering does not come free. This eternal life is conditional and it is given only to those who will believe in Him and to believe in Him means to yield and subordinate our own will to His Will.
But this is getting ahead of this Gospel passage for today that speaks of the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ which was the fulfillment of his promise to rise again on the third day (Lk 18:33) and this event is an undoubted fact.
The Jews claim that his disciples have stolen his body (v.13) but this was not possible because the stone could not have been moved without waking up the guards. If the guards were sleeping, how could they have known that it was the disciples who stole the body of Jesus. The truth was the guards were even bribed to say his body was stolen (vv.14-15).
Today more than 2,500 years later, the Resurrection of Jesus is still being debated but there is just no point discussing this matter any further as there are actually only two choices we can make – to either believe that Jesus died and had indeed rose from the dead, or ignore this truth.
And Christians shouldn’t find it difficult to believe in the Resurrection because of the gift of faith that has been infused in us at the time of our Baptism. This faith that we have is the firm conviction, arrived at with the Grace of God, that moves us to believe all that Jesus Christ taught on earth are true, as well as all that the Catholic Church teaches by the commission she has received from Him.
While we do need faith to believe in the Resurrection, it would help us to believe if we will consider that there are at least four major pieces of evidence that would show that Jesus indeed rose from the dead.
First and foremost was that Jesus had died (Jn 19:33). The second point was that Jesus was buried in a new tomb (Jn 19:41) but his body wasn’t there when Mary Magdalene, Peter and John went to tomb on the morning of the third day (Jn 20:1-9).
The third point was that there were at least 12 instances when Jesus appeared or was seen by his disciples and the number of witnesses who attested to these appearances more than satisfies the Jewish tradition to have at least two or three witnesses when presenting a case (Deut 17:6).
The fourth and last point was that many people have encountered Jesus and were changed by Him and this turns the Resurrection into a personal experience rather than a theological discussion.
Indeed, from that time on until today there have been countless number of people including many known atheists who have been converted and transformed from their unbelief to belief in God. What might or could have changed them? Well, they met the living Jesus.
This is the same with us. Many of us were skeptics. We lived in a world that was devoid of His presence in the true sense of the word. We compromise our baptism by living in a world that has been perverted by materialism, hedonism and relativism. We go through our obligations like attendance in Sunday masses but we remain non-committal to further involvement in church activities.
And many of us feel we have everything we need in life until such time we find that even the world can no longer satisfy the emptiness inside us. I was like many others who lived in my own world. During my time as a media practitioner I would go to great lengths even stepping on other people’s toes just so I could get the story I want – not just to be the first to break the news but to become popular. I also wanted to get rich and maintainers of gambling dens went their way without fear of being raided by law enforcers because of my patronage.
But God loves us so much that He will not allow us to wallow in misery and sin and he will reveal Himself to us at the time when we need him most. When everything in our life seems to be going wrong that is when we will meet Him and he did reveal himself to me when I found myself on the pit of desperation when the throne I thought I had crumbled.
And when we do meet him, there are at least three things required of us as with His disciples following his Resurrection. (1) We have to believe every Word that Jesus said and we will be saved (Ac 16:31); (2) We are to share what we know of the Risen Christ. We are to go and preach the Good News (Mk 16:15). The Good News is our personal experience of our own resurrection that was made possible by the love of Christ, and; (3) Rejoice in the Lord always (Phi 4:4). The man who has met the Risen Lord must live life to the full (Jn 10:10) making known His presence in our life.
While there are some even today who claim that the resurrection of Jesus was a great hoax, such claims are not only ludicrous but totally devoid of reason. Why? Because the Resurrection of Jesus was not only the greatest event in history but its authenticity was witnessed not just by two or three but countless witnesses who gave empirical testimonies attesting to its truthfulness.
The question now is what would you do with what has been revealed to you? Like the Apostles and his other disciples, will you testify that Jesus is risen? Regardless of what others think, Jesus died and rose again so that we may have new life and this new life that we now live requires us to bear witness to the truth that Jesus is indeed the Son of God.
First Reading: Ac 2:14, 22-33
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 16:1-2a, 5, 7-11 “Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.”
GOSPEL: MATT 28:8-15
Key Verse: “fearful yet overjoyed.” (v.8)
The best way to grasp the beauty and magnitude of this gospel passage is to close your eyes and imagine that you were one of those who went to the tomb of Jesus and found it to be empty. How would you feel if you found the stone rolled back and an angel sitting on it?
You would probably feel the same way the two Mary’s felt - one was Mary Magdalene and the other was Mary who could be the wife of Clopas (Jn 19:25) or the mother of James and John (Matt 27:56) – after an angel sitting on the stone leading to the tomb told them to tell the other disciples that Jesus has risen from the dead and where they could find him. They “hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy.” (v.8)
How would you feel if you were there? Shocked? Scared to death? Wondering who took the body? Would you be overcome with grief telling yourself this is too much for me to take? Or would you feel joyful that Jesus kept his promise and rose from the dead on the third day as he had promised?
However way you may have felt had you been there, you will probably feel the same way – afraid yet filled with joy – especially if you’d happen to meet Jesus Christ in an alley today and he tells you “believe in me and I will give you eternal life.”
Joyful because meeting him would erase all doubts you may have been harboring relative to his resurrection. Did he really rise from the dead? How was it possible? Afraid because you also know that the eternal life Jesus is offering does not come free. This eternal life is conditional and it is given only to those who will believe in Him and to believe in Him means to yield and subordinate our own will to His Will.
But this is getting ahead of this Gospel passage for today that speaks of the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ which was the fulfillment of his promise to rise again on the third day (Lk 18:33) and this event is an undoubted fact.
The Jews claim that his disciples have stolen his body (v.13) but this was not possible because the stone could not have been moved without waking up the guards. If the guards were sleeping, how could they have known that it was the disciples who stole the body of Jesus. The truth was the guards were even bribed to say his body was stolen (vv.14-15).
Today more than 2,500 years later, the Resurrection of Jesus is still being debated but there is just no point discussing this matter any further as there are actually only two choices we can make – to either believe that Jesus died and had indeed rose from the dead, or ignore this truth.
And Christians shouldn’t find it difficult to believe in the Resurrection because of the gift of faith that has been infused in us at the time of our Baptism. This faith that we have is the firm conviction, arrived at with the Grace of God, that moves us to believe all that Jesus Christ taught on earth are true, as well as all that the Catholic Church teaches by the commission she has received from Him.
While we do need faith to believe in the Resurrection, it would help us to believe if we will consider that there are at least four major pieces of evidence that would show that Jesus indeed rose from the dead.
First and foremost was that Jesus had died (Jn 19:33). The second point was that Jesus was buried in a new tomb (Jn 19:41) but his body wasn’t there when Mary Magdalene, Peter and John went to tomb on the morning of the third day (Jn 20:1-9).
The third point was that there were at least 12 instances when Jesus appeared or was seen by his disciples and the number of witnesses who attested to these appearances more than satisfies the Jewish tradition to have at least two or three witnesses when presenting a case (Deut 17:6).
The fourth and last point was that many people have encountered Jesus and were changed by Him and this turns the Resurrection into a personal experience rather than a theological discussion.
Indeed, from that time on until today there have been countless number of people including many known atheists who have been converted and transformed from their unbelief to belief in God. What might or could have changed them? Well, they met the living Jesus.
This is the same with us. Many of us were skeptics. We lived in a world that was devoid of His presence in the true sense of the word. We compromise our baptism by living in a world that has been perverted by materialism, hedonism and relativism. We go through our obligations like attendance in Sunday masses but we remain non-committal to further involvement in church activities.
And many of us feel we have everything we need in life until such time we find that even the world can no longer satisfy the emptiness inside us. I was like many others who lived in my own world. During my time as a media practitioner I would go to great lengths even stepping on other people’s toes just so I could get the story I want – not just to be the first to break the news but to become popular. I also wanted to get rich and maintainers of gambling dens went their way without fear of being raided by law enforcers because of my patronage.
But God loves us so much that He will not allow us to wallow in misery and sin and he will reveal Himself to us at the time when we need him most. When everything in our life seems to be going wrong that is when we will meet Him and he did reveal himself to me when I found myself on the pit of desperation when the throne I thought I had crumbled.
And when we do meet him, there are at least three things required of us as with His disciples following his Resurrection. (1) We have to believe every Word that Jesus said and we will be saved (Ac 16:31); (2) We are to share what we know of the Risen Christ. We are to go and preach the Good News (Mk 16:15). The Good News is our personal experience of our own resurrection that was made possible by the love of Christ, and; (3) Rejoice in the Lord always (Phi 4:4). The man who has met the Risen Lord must live life to the full (Jn 10:10) making known His presence in our life.
While there are some even today who claim that the resurrection of Jesus was a great hoax, such claims are not only ludicrous but totally devoid of reason. Why? Because the Resurrection of Jesus was not only the greatest event in history but its authenticity was witnessed not just by two or three but countless witnesses who gave empirical testimonies attesting to its truthfulness.
The question now is what would you do with what has been revealed to you? Like the Apostles and his other disciples, will you testify that Jesus is risen? Regardless of what others think, Jesus died and rose again so that we may have new life and this new life that we now live requires us to bear witness to the truth that Jesus is indeed the Son of God.
PROMISE FULFILLED
APRIL 20, 2014: EASTER SUNDAY
First Reading: Ac 10:34a, 37-43
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 118: 1-2, 16-17, 22-23 “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.”
Second Reading: Col 3:1-4
GOSPEL: JN 20: 1-9
Key Verse: “He saw and believed.” (v.8)
The Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ without any doubt is the greatest story the world has ever come to know. And for those who have faith even the size of a mustard seed, believing may not prove difficult but for those who will hear of the Resurrection for the first time may need time before they can fully comprehend and grasp this amazing story.
When Mary Magdalene, Peter and John saw that the body of Jesus was no longer in the tomb it only meant one thing – that he did what he said he would do and that he will rise from the dead on the third day. And if Jesus rose from the dead on that first Easter morning, walked the earth for the next 40 days and ascended into heaven on the 40th day after his Resurrection – it means that Jesus was indeed the Son of God and is very much alive today.
There are three characters in this story and we actually have a piece of each of these three personages. As it was the belief of the Jews that the spirit of the dead hovered around the tomb for at least three days and would only depart when the body had become unrecognizable due to decay, it became customary for the Jews to visit the tomb of a loved one for three days.
But because it was Sabbath the next day after Jesus died and was buried the disciples of Jesus could not come to the tomb and this was the reason why Mary Magdalene went right when the Sabbath ended when the night ended at the break of dawn.
Mary ran back to tell the other disciples when she found the body of Jesus was no longer in the tomb. Peter and John tried to outrun each other into the tomb (v.4) but John looked inside and only saw the burial cloth lying at the tomb. Peter rushed in and saw the napkin that covered the face of Jesus to be neatly folded and placed separately from the burial cloth. Both Mary and Peter, however, remained bewildered by what they were seeing and couldn’t make anything out of what was before them.
But what was clearly evident in this scenario was the bond of love that all three, Mary, Peter and John, had for Jesus. It was Mary who loved Jesus so much that she anointed the feet of Jesus with an expensive perfume (Jn 12:3) who was the first to come to the tomb.
Regardless of the three times he denied Jesus (Jn 18:17, 25-27), Peter out of love was the first to go inside the tomb. And John the disciple whom Jesus loved and who loved Jesus finally went in and “he saw and he believed.” (v.8). It was not what John may have read in the Scriptures that convinced him that Jesus would resurrect but what he saw in his own eyes.
Today we as Christians believe not only in the Resurrection of Jesus as an historical event in the history of the Church but that Jesus had truly risen from the dead and who is alive today, now and forever. Such belief is necessary because this is the key to our Christian faith – to believe in the fulfillment of His promise.
To help us understand and believe, let me just run through at least four major pieces of evidence that Jesus had indeed risen from the dead: (1) Jesus died and this could not be denied (Jn 19:33). (2) There was no way anyone could have gone past the guards at the entrance to the tomb. And Jesus could not have rolled the stone from the inside. The linen used to wrap his body appeared as if Jesus passed through them (vv.5-9). (3) Jesus had appeared to many witnesses after his death. Mary Magdalene saw him (vv.11-18). He appeared before his disciples (vv. 19-20). Jesus appeared to Thomas (Mk 16:14). He appeared to seven disciples in the Sea of Galilee (Jn 21: 1-25). (4) The countless number of people who have encountered him who have been transformed from their unbelief, skepticism, doubt, indifference to Christianity. What could have changed them including atheists? They met the living Jesus.
Jesus is alive now as he was on that first Easter morning and he still invites people today to know Him (Jn 17:33), love Him (Matt 22:37), serve Him (Jn 12:26) and be happy with Him (Jn 16:22) in eternity. Many of us who were brought into the Church and the Community especially those who have been baptized in the Spirit have been transformed because we have encountered Jesus the living God.
And Jesus revealed Himself to us out of his great love for those whom God has created in “His own image and likeness” (Gen 1:26). In the same way, it is out of love flowing from our hearts that we allow the Holy Spirit to keep touching us with His life and power.
This is the great law of life in that there can never be a union among us unless there is a bond of love and sympathy that exists in us. A music concert conductor for example cannot interpret the composition of a composer unless he is filled with love for the music he is to conduct.
Love is the greatest purveyor of truth because we can easily grasp the truth when there is love even if our finite minds grope and struggle with the truth. There was once a story about the great French artist Paul Gustave Dore’ (Jan. 6, 1832 - Jan. 23, 1883) when a young artist brought a picture of Jesus to him for his review and evaluation. It took Dore’ some time and when he finally spoke, he said: “You don’t love him, or you would paint him better.”
This is the same with us. Like the young artist, we will only come to know Him, love Him, serve Him and be happy with Him if we will step out of our unbelief and believe and have faith in Him who said he will rise from the dead and he did. And one thing is certain. If Jesus had not risen from the dead, we would not have heard of him.
What makes Easter more significant is that our own resurrection has become certain because of Christ’s resurrection which is the center of the Christian faith. Because Christ rose from the dead as he had promised, we not only know now that what he said was true that he was and is God, but that we now are certain without any doubt that our sins are forgiven. As he rose from death and is now seated at the right hand of God the Father, we are assured that Jesus continues to represent us to God and because he has already triumphed over sin and death by his resurrection, we know now that we too will also be raised.
A promise fulfilled and no other god or prophet has risen from the dead except Jesus the one true God. Surely this man was the Son of God! (Mk 15:39). Today, we continue to draw on the power of the Holy Spirit who gives us the eyes of faith and the joy to personally know Jesus our Savior and King!
First Reading: Ac 10:34a, 37-43
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 118: 1-2, 16-17, 22-23 “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.”
Second Reading: Col 3:1-4
GOSPEL: JN 20: 1-9
Key Verse: “He saw and believed.” (v.8)
The Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ without any doubt is the greatest story the world has ever come to know. And for those who have faith even the size of a mustard seed, believing may not prove difficult but for those who will hear of the Resurrection for the first time may need time before they can fully comprehend and grasp this amazing story.
When Mary Magdalene, Peter and John saw that the body of Jesus was no longer in the tomb it only meant one thing – that he did what he said he would do and that he will rise from the dead on the third day. And if Jesus rose from the dead on that first Easter morning, walked the earth for the next 40 days and ascended into heaven on the 40th day after his Resurrection – it means that Jesus was indeed the Son of God and is very much alive today.
There are three characters in this story and we actually have a piece of each of these three personages. As it was the belief of the Jews that the spirit of the dead hovered around the tomb for at least three days and would only depart when the body had become unrecognizable due to decay, it became customary for the Jews to visit the tomb of a loved one for three days.
But because it was Sabbath the next day after Jesus died and was buried the disciples of Jesus could not come to the tomb and this was the reason why Mary Magdalene went right when the Sabbath ended when the night ended at the break of dawn.
Mary ran back to tell the other disciples when she found the body of Jesus was no longer in the tomb. Peter and John tried to outrun each other into the tomb (v.4) but John looked inside and only saw the burial cloth lying at the tomb. Peter rushed in and saw the napkin that covered the face of Jesus to be neatly folded and placed separately from the burial cloth. Both Mary and Peter, however, remained bewildered by what they were seeing and couldn’t make anything out of what was before them.
But what was clearly evident in this scenario was the bond of love that all three, Mary, Peter and John, had for Jesus. It was Mary who loved Jesus so much that she anointed the feet of Jesus with an expensive perfume (Jn 12:3) who was the first to come to the tomb.
Regardless of the three times he denied Jesus (Jn 18:17, 25-27), Peter out of love was the first to go inside the tomb. And John the disciple whom Jesus loved and who loved Jesus finally went in and “he saw and he believed.” (v.8). It was not what John may have read in the Scriptures that convinced him that Jesus would resurrect but what he saw in his own eyes.
Today we as Christians believe not only in the Resurrection of Jesus as an historical event in the history of the Church but that Jesus had truly risen from the dead and who is alive today, now and forever. Such belief is necessary because this is the key to our Christian faith – to believe in the fulfillment of His promise.
To help us understand and believe, let me just run through at least four major pieces of evidence that Jesus had indeed risen from the dead: (1) Jesus died and this could not be denied (Jn 19:33). (2) There was no way anyone could have gone past the guards at the entrance to the tomb. And Jesus could not have rolled the stone from the inside. The linen used to wrap his body appeared as if Jesus passed through them (vv.5-9). (3) Jesus had appeared to many witnesses after his death. Mary Magdalene saw him (vv.11-18). He appeared before his disciples (vv. 19-20). Jesus appeared to Thomas (Mk 16:14). He appeared to seven disciples in the Sea of Galilee (Jn 21: 1-25). (4) The countless number of people who have encountered him who have been transformed from their unbelief, skepticism, doubt, indifference to Christianity. What could have changed them including atheists? They met the living Jesus.
Jesus is alive now as he was on that first Easter morning and he still invites people today to know Him (Jn 17:33), love Him (Matt 22:37), serve Him (Jn 12:26) and be happy with Him (Jn 16:22) in eternity. Many of us who were brought into the Church and the Community especially those who have been baptized in the Spirit have been transformed because we have encountered Jesus the living God.
And Jesus revealed Himself to us out of his great love for those whom God has created in “His own image and likeness” (Gen 1:26). In the same way, it is out of love flowing from our hearts that we allow the Holy Spirit to keep touching us with His life and power.
This is the great law of life in that there can never be a union among us unless there is a bond of love and sympathy that exists in us. A music concert conductor for example cannot interpret the composition of a composer unless he is filled with love for the music he is to conduct.
Love is the greatest purveyor of truth because we can easily grasp the truth when there is love even if our finite minds grope and struggle with the truth. There was once a story about the great French artist Paul Gustave Dore’ (Jan. 6, 1832 - Jan. 23, 1883) when a young artist brought a picture of Jesus to him for his review and evaluation. It took Dore’ some time and when he finally spoke, he said: “You don’t love him, or you would paint him better.”
This is the same with us. Like the young artist, we will only come to know Him, love Him, serve Him and be happy with Him if we will step out of our unbelief and believe and have faith in Him who said he will rise from the dead and he did. And one thing is certain. If Jesus had not risen from the dead, we would not have heard of him.
What makes Easter more significant is that our own resurrection has become certain because of Christ’s resurrection which is the center of the Christian faith. Because Christ rose from the dead as he had promised, we not only know now that what he said was true that he was and is God, but that we now are certain without any doubt that our sins are forgiven. As he rose from death and is now seated at the right hand of God the Father, we are assured that Jesus continues to represent us to God and because he has already triumphed over sin and death by his resurrection, we know now that we too will also be raised.
A promise fulfilled and no other god or prophet has risen from the dead except Jesus the one true God. Surely this man was the Son of God! (Mk 15:39). Today, we continue to draw on the power of the Holy Spirit who gives us the eyes of faith and the joy to personally know Jesus our Savior and King!
HE HAS BEEN RAISED!
APRIL 19, 2014: BLACK SATURDAY - EASTER VIGIL
First Reading: Gen 1:1-2:2
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 118:1-23 “Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!”
Second Reading: Gen 22:1-18
Epistle: Rom 6:3-11
GOSPEL: MATT 28:1-10
Key Verse: “He has been raised to life…” (v.7)
As we await the glorious resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ as he had promised, let us just establish the predicate so that we may have a greater appreciation of the redemptive work of Jesus the Christ. This is also important to clear some of the wrong impressions we may have about Jesus descending into hell although this is what we pray in the Apostles’ Creed.
The Church refers to this day as Holy Saturday and or Black Saturday which means that the Church is in mourning. In Roman Catholic churches, the sanctuary remains stripped completely bare (following the Mass of Holy Thursday) while the administration of the sacraments is severely limited.
Holy Communion after the Good Friday service is given only as Viaticum to the dying. Baptism, Penance, and Anointing of the Sick may be administered because they, like Viaticum, are helpful to ensuring salvation for the dying. Masses are severely limited and no Mass at all is celebrated in the normal liturgy for this day, although Mass can be said on Good Friday and on Holy Saturday for an extremely grave or solemn situation with a dispensation from the Vatican or the local bishop.
Many of the churches of the Anglican Communion as well as Lutheran, Methodist, and some other Churches observe most of the same; however, their altars may be covered in black instead of being stripped.
In some churches, provision is made for a simple Liturgy of the Word on this day, with readings commemorating the burial of Christ while the Daily Offices are still observed.
Liturgically speaking, Holy Saturday lasts until 6:00 p.m. of Saturday, after which the Easter Vigil is celebrated, marking the official start of the Easter season. The service may start with a fire and the lighting of the new Paschal candle. In the Roman Catholic tradition, the “Gloria” of the Mass is recited once again and the church statues and icons that were covered with purple veils during Passiontide, are dramatically unveiled.
Now let us qualify what the reference that Jesus descended into hell means. While the ancient writings that found their way into the Apostles’ Creed said that: “He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell…” It is probably the intention of the Church to clarify this particular understanding of Holy Saturday that the Church has deigned it necessary to bring back the Nicene Creed where this scenario is simply stated as: “He suffered, died, and was buried.”
While the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC633) says that Christ went down into hell, the situation of the souls that were there were not identical which means that Jesus did not descend into hell to deliver the damned, nor to destroy the hell of damnation, but to free the just who had gone before him.
The place that Christ went into was called “limbo” and this is quite distinct from purgatory although both share one thing in common that the souls who are there have no vision of God. The difference is that while there may be pain being suffered in purgatory there is none in the place called limbo and limbo is also different from hell where the pain is eternal. Limbo is what is called in the Scripture as the “bosom of Abraham” (Lk 16:22).
When Christ died, he went down into limbo to announce to the souls detained there the news of the redemption and to set them free. St. Ephiphanius affirmed this to be true and so did St. Irenaeus and St. Ignatius of Antioch saying that Christ returned with a large company of souls.
As he did this, Christ also revealed himself even to the souls in hell, and they were compelled to bow their knee to him (Phi 2:10). CCC634 says: “The gospel was preached even to the dead.” (1 Pet 4:6) The descent into hell brings the Gospel message of salvation to complete fulfillment. This is the last phase of Jesus' messianic mission, a phase which is condensed in time but vast in its real significance: the spread of Christ's redemptive work to all men of all times and all places, for all who are saved have been made sharers in the redemption.
And CCC635 states that: Christ went down into the depths of death so that “the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.” (Jn 5:25; Matt 12:40; Rom 10:7; Eph 4:9) Jesus, “the Author of life", by dying destroyed "him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and [delivered] all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage.” (Heb 2:14-15; Acts 3:15) Henceforth the risen Christ holds “the keys of Death and Hades,” so that “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.” (Rev 1:18; Phi 2:10)
So tonight, we gather together to celebrate the Resurrection of Our Lord as he had promised. As revealed in this gospel passage which can also be read in Luke, Mark, and John, Jesus Christ rose from the dead to prove to one and all that He is God and that we too, are to rise again.
There was no way for his disciples to have rolled away the stone without waking up the guards and if indeed his body was stolen the guards could have been punished. To further prove that he indeed has risen from the dead, Jesus appeared to many of His disciples and it is this realization of his deity that his disciples would later become witnesses of the resurrection.
The nature of their witness does not allow an option to deceive others because they confessed to empirical evidence, claiming to have eaten and drank with Him, touched Him, and walked with Him and if Jesus was not raised from the dead, there could only be one alternative – that the witnesses who testified to His death and Resurrection were liars and deceivers and it is just not possible that men would be willing to suffer and die to propagate a lie.
When we carefully examine the lives and testimony of the witnesses of the resurrection, the only reasonable conclusion to draw was that they really saw what they claimed concerning Jesus regarding Jesus – that “He is risen!”
And in the words of St. Ambrose, if we are to rise from the grave of the flesh, we must also rise from the grave of our sins. Let his resurrection then provide us with the realization that His death on the cross has given us the power to rise from our sinful nature and live again.
First Reading: Gen 1:1-2:2
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 118:1-23 “Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!”
Second Reading: Gen 22:1-18
Epistle: Rom 6:3-11
GOSPEL: MATT 28:1-10
Key Verse: “He has been raised to life…” (v.7)
As we await the glorious resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ as he had promised, let us just establish the predicate so that we may have a greater appreciation of the redemptive work of Jesus the Christ. This is also important to clear some of the wrong impressions we may have about Jesus descending into hell although this is what we pray in the Apostles’ Creed.
The Church refers to this day as Holy Saturday and or Black Saturday which means that the Church is in mourning. In Roman Catholic churches, the sanctuary remains stripped completely bare (following the Mass of Holy Thursday) while the administration of the sacraments is severely limited.
Holy Communion after the Good Friday service is given only as Viaticum to the dying. Baptism, Penance, and Anointing of the Sick may be administered because they, like Viaticum, are helpful to ensuring salvation for the dying. Masses are severely limited and no Mass at all is celebrated in the normal liturgy for this day, although Mass can be said on Good Friday and on Holy Saturday for an extremely grave or solemn situation with a dispensation from the Vatican or the local bishop.
Many of the churches of the Anglican Communion as well as Lutheran, Methodist, and some other Churches observe most of the same; however, their altars may be covered in black instead of being stripped.
In some churches, provision is made for a simple Liturgy of the Word on this day, with readings commemorating the burial of Christ while the Daily Offices are still observed.
Liturgically speaking, Holy Saturday lasts until 6:00 p.m. of Saturday, after which the Easter Vigil is celebrated, marking the official start of the Easter season. The service may start with a fire and the lighting of the new Paschal candle. In the Roman Catholic tradition, the “Gloria” of the Mass is recited once again and the church statues and icons that were covered with purple veils during Passiontide, are dramatically unveiled.
Now let us qualify what the reference that Jesus descended into hell means. While the ancient writings that found their way into the Apostles’ Creed said that: “He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell…” It is probably the intention of the Church to clarify this particular understanding of Holy Saturday that the Church has deigned it necessary to bring back the Nicene Creed where this scenario is simply stated as: “He suffered, died, and was buried.”
While the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC633) says that Christ went down into hell, the situation of the souls that were there were not identical which means that Jesus did not descend into hell to deliver the damned, nor to destroy the hell of damnation, but to free the just who had gone before him.
The place that Christ went into was called “limbo” and this is quite distinct from purgatory although both share one thing in common that the souls who are there have no vision of God. The difference is that while there may be pain being suffered in purgatory there is none in the place called limbo and limbo is also different from hell where the pain is eternal. Limbo is what is called in the Scripture as the “bosom of Abraham” (Lk 16:22).
When Christ died, he went down into limbo to announce to the souls detained there the news of the redemption and to set them free. St. Ephiphanius affirmed this to be true and so did St. Irenaeus and St. Ignatius of Antioch saying that Christ returned with a large company of souls.
As he did this, Christ also revealed himself even to the souls in hell, and they were compelled to bow their knee to him (Phi 2:10). CCC634 says: “The gospel was preached even to the dead.” (1 Pet 4:6) The descent into hell brings the Gospel message of salvation to complete fulfillment. This is the last phase of Jesus' messianic mission, a phase which is condensed in time but vast in its real significance: the spread of Christ's redemptive work to all men of all times and all places, for all who are saved have been made sharers in the redemption.
And CCC635 states that: Christ went down into the depths of death so that “the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.” (Jn 5:25; Matt 12:40; Rom 10:7; Eph 4:9) Jesus, “the Author of life", by dying destroyed "him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and [delivered] all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage.” (Heb 2:14-15; Acts 3:15) Henceforth the risen Christ holds “the keys of Death and Hades,” so that “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.” (Rev 1:18; Phi 2:10)
So tonight, we gather together to celebrate the Resurrection of Our Lord as he had promised. As revealed in this gospel passage which can also be read in Luke, Mark, and John, Jesus Christ rose from the dead to prove to one and all that He is God and that we too, are to rise again.
There was no way for his disciples to have rolled away the stone without waking up the guards and if indeed his body was stolen the guards could have been punished. To further prove that he indeed has risen from the dead, Jesus appeared to many of His disciples and it is this realization of his deity that his disciples would later become witnesses of the resurrection.
The nature of their witness does not allow an option to deceive others because they confessed to empirical evidence, claiming to have eaten and drank with Him, touched Him, and walked with Him and if Jesus was not raised from the dead, there could only be one alternative – that the witnesses who testified to His death and Resurrection were liars and deceivers and it is just not possible that men would be willing to suffer and die to propagate a lie.
When we carefully examine the lives and testimony of the witnesses of the resurrection, the only reasonable conclusion to draw was that they really saw what they claimed concerning Jesus regarding Jesus – that “He is risen!”
And in the words of St. Ambrose, if we are to rise from the grave of the flesh, we must also rise from the grave of our sins. Let his resurrection then provide us with the realization that His death on the cross has given us the power to rise from our sinful nature and live again.
VICTORY IN DEATH
APRIL 18, 2014: GOOD FRIDAY – Celebration of the Lord’s Passion
First Reading: Isa 52:13 – 53:12
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 31: 2, 6, 12-13, 15-16, 17-25 “Father, into Your hands I commend my Spirit.”
Second Reading: Heb 4:14-16; 5:7-9
GOSPEL: JN 18:1-19, 42
Key Verse: “It is finished.” (v.30)
Whenever I hear the Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper (Holy Thursday) I always feel a deep sense of joy not at the remembrance of the final act of humility of Jesus (Washing of the Feet) before his betrayal and arrest that was about to take place but of my being blessed with the realization that I belong to the Catholic Church that is steeped in tradition.
As the events of the final hours of the life of Jesus was being relived before my eyes, I felt a profound sense of gratitude for the immense wealth of tradition that has been made available for us the lay faithful that helps strengthen my Catholic faith.
The annual observance of what is to me the most important Catholic tradition was particularly special because I truly felt the presence of the Holy Spirit especially when I gave a talk at the Diocesan Pastoral Center in Pagadian City on the morning of Tuesday (April 15, 2014) amidst the power outage that lasted for hours. I felt anxious at first but then I hanged on guided by the belief that there must be something that the priests, nuns and lay leaders who were in attendance needed to hear. I was also humbled by the presence of Bishop Emmanuel Cabajar who patiently sat throughout the talk that centered on the program of the CBCP “Called To Be Saints, Sent Forth As Heroes.”
As Jesus went through with his mocked trial before Pilate, this should help us feel the humiliating and sacrificial character of this event in the life of Jesus by looking back and recall how we have lived our lives and we will find that there is in each of us a personification of the disciples of Jesus.
Personally, I was like Judas who betrayed Jesus when I wallowed in sin in the past. I sold Jesus each time I accepted bribes when I was still in the media to make right what from the beginning was already wrong. I was like his disciples who deserted him following his arrest when I turned my back on those who ask me for help. I deserted Jesus when I turned a blind eye at the corruption I was exposed to and not doing my part to stop it even when I could.
Like Peter, I too denied him when I turned down invitations for us to attend the Marriage Encounter Weekend and the Life in the Spirit Seminar and when I failed to defend my Catholic faith from those who make a mockery of our Catholic tradition and practices.
And today as we are reminded of the suffering that Jesus had to endure we must appreciate the fact that we can find no greater proof of God's love for us than the willing sacrifice of his Son on the cross. As Jesus breathed his last and said: “It is finished!” (v.30) this was actually an expression of victory rather than defeat for when Jesus bowed his head and gave up his spirit he knew that the battle was over and had been won.
Even on the cross Jesus knew the joy of victory. What the Father sent him into the world to do has now been accomplished. Christ offered himself without blemish to God and he put away sin by the sacrifice of himself “…but now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” (Heb 9:26)
In the words of St. Augustine, he said that those who stood at the cross of Jesus: “As they were looking on, so we too gaze on his wounds as he hangs. We see his blood as he dies. We see the price offered by the Redeemer, touch the scars of his resurrection. He bows his head, as if to kiss you. His heart is made bare open, as it were, in love to you. His arms are extended that he may embrace you. His whole body is displayed for your redemption. Ponder how great these things are. Let all this be rightly weighed in your mind: as he was once fixed to the cross in every part of his body for you, so he may now be fixed in every part of your soul.”
It would also help increase our faith if we can see in the cross the triumph of Jesus over his enemies – sin, Satan, and death. “But far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal 6:14). Gregory of Naziansus, a 6th century father of the Church, also said: “Many indeed are the wondrous happenings of that time: God hanging from a cross, the sun made dark and again flaming out; for it was fitting that creation should mourn with its creator. The temple veil rent, blood and water flowing from his side: the one as from a man, the other as from what was above man; the earth shaken, the rocks shattered because of the rock; the dead risen to bear witness to the final and universal resurrection of the dead. The happenings at the sepulcher and after the sepulcher, who can fittingly recount them? Yet no one of them can be compared to the miracle of my salvation. A few drops of blood renew the whole world, and do for all men what the rennet does for the milk: joining us and binding us together.” (Holy Pasch, Oration 45.1)
Abbot Rupert of Deutz, also wrote in the early 12th century: “The cross of Christ is the door to heaven, the key to paradise, the downfall of the devil, the uplifting of mankind, the consolation of our imprisonment, the prize for our freedom.”
Indeed, these testimonies will help us acknowledge that the Cross of Christ is the safeguard of our faith, the assurance of our hope, and the throne of love. It is also the sign of God's mercy and the proof of forgiveness. By his cross Jesus Christ has pardoned us and set us free from the tyranny of sin. He paid a glorious price for us when he atoned for our sins and we are now assured that the Cross is the way to peace, joy, and righteousness in the kingdom of God and the way to victory over
sin and corruption, fear and defeat, despair and death.
This is why we should not, for all intents and purposes, run away from the cross for it is the link that will connect us to heaven. It is the bridge that will allow us to cross over from the world marked in sin and to our glorious redemption.
On this Good Friday, let us remember that it is paradoxical that we can be drawn to do things that do not really matter in life but we turn our backs on things that are of supreme importance such as the salvation of our souls. We can from hereon make a Good Friday resolution to nail our sinful nature on the Cross of Christ on Calvary so that we may also be with him when he is resurrected and enters His heavenly Kingdom.
Let the Lenten Season and the Holy Week be a journey of faith with the glory of Easter as the goal which is Christ’s victory over death but this victory can only be ours if we will all believe and put all our trust in Him. This again is paradoxical because it is in dying that we can experience life. It is also when we are baptized that we are put to death.
First Reading: Isa 52:13 – 53:12
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 31: 2, 6, 12-13, 15-16, 17-25 “Father, into Your hands I commend my Spirit.”
Second Reading: Heb 4:14-16; 5:7-9
GOSPEL: JN 18:1-19, 42
Key Verse: “It is finished.” (v.30)
Whenever I hear the Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper (Holy Thursday) I always feel a deep sense of joy not at the remembrance of the final act of humility of Jesus (Washing of the Feet) before his betrayal and arrest that was about to take place but of my being blessed with the realization that I belong to the Catholic Church that is steeped in tradition.
As the events of the final hours of the life of Jesus was being relived before my eyes, I felt a profound sense of gratitude for the immense wealth of tradition that has been made available for us the lay faithful that helps strengthen my Catholic faith.
The annual observance of what is to me the most important Catholic tradition was particularly special because I truly felt the presence of the Holy Spirit especially when I gave a talk at the Diocesan Pastoral Center in Pagadian City on the morning of Tuesday (April 15, 2014) amidst the power outage that lasted for hours. I felt anxious at first but then I hanged on guided by the belief that there must be something that the priests, nuns and lay leaders who were in attendance needed to hear. I was also humbled by the presence of Bishop Emmanuel Cabajar who patiently sat throughout the talk that centered on the program of the CBCP “Called To Be Saints, Sent Forth As Heroes.”
As Jesus went through with his mocked trial before Pilate, this should help us feel the humiliating and sacrificial character of this event in the life of Jesus by looking back and recall how we have lived our lives and we will find that there is in each of us a personification of the disciples of Jesus.
Personally, I was like Judas who betrayed Jesus when I wallowed in sin in the past. I sold Jesus each time I accepted bribes when I was still in the media to make right what from the beginning was already wrong. I was like his disciples who deserted him following his arrest when I turned my back on those who ask me for help. I deserted Jesus when I turned a blind eye at the corruption I was exposed to and not doing my part to stop it even when I could.
Like Peter, I too denied him when I turned down invitations for us to attend the Marriage Encounter Weekend and the Life in the Spirit Seminar and when I failed to defend my Catholic faith from those who make a mockery of our Catholic tradition and practices.
And today as we are reminded of the suffering that Jesus had to endure we must appreciate the fact that we can find no greater proof of God's love for us than the willing sacrifice of his Son on the cross. As Jesus breathed his last and said: “It is finished!” (v.30) this was actually an expression of victory rather than defeat for when Jesus bowed his head and gave up his spirit he knew that the battle was over and had been won.
Even on the cross Jesus knew the joy of victory. What the Father sent him into the world to do has now been accomplished. Christ offered himself without blemish to God and he put away sin by the sacrifice of himself “…but now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” (Heb 9:26)
In the words of St. Augustine, he said that those who stood at the cross of Jesus: “As they were looking on, so we too gaze on his wounds as he hangs. We see his blood as he dies. We see the price offered by the Redeemer, touch the scars of his resurrection. He bows his head, as if to kiss you. His heart is made bare open, as it were, in love to you. His arms are extended that he may embrace you. His whole body is displayed for your redemption. Ponder how great these things are. Let all this be rightly weighed in your mind: as he was once fixed to the cross in every part of his body for you, so he may now be fixed in every part of your soul.”
It would also help increase our faith if we can see in the cross the triumph of Jesus over his enemies – sin, Satan, and death. “But far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal 6:14). Gregory of Naziansus, a 6th century father of the Church, also said: “Many indeed are the wondrous happenings of that time: God hanging from a cross, the sun made dark and again flaming out; for it was fitting that creation should mourn with its creator. The temple veil rent, blood and water flowing from his side: the one as from a man, the other as from what was above man; the earth shaken, the rocks shattered because of the rock; the dead risen to bear witness to the final and universal resurrection of the dead. The happenings at the sepulcher and after the sepulcher, who can fittingly recount them? Yet no one of them can be compared to the miracle of my salvation. A few drops of blood renew the whole world, and do for all men what the rennet does for the milk: joining us and binding us together.” (Holy Pasch, Oration 45.1)
Abbot Rupert of Deutz, also wrote in the early 12th century: “The cross of Christ is the door to heaven, the key to paradise, the downfall of the devil, the uplifting of mankind, the consolation of our imprisonment, the prize for our freedom.”
Indeed, these testimonies will help us acknowledge that the Cross of Christ is the safeguard of our faith, the assurance of our hope, and the throne of love. It is also the sign of God's mercy and the proof of forgiveness. By his cross Jesus Christ has pardoned us and set us free from the tyranny of sin. He paid a glorious price for us when he atoned for our sins and we are now assured that the Cross is the way to peace, joy, and righteousness in the kingdom of God and the way to victory over
sin and corruption, fear and defeat, despair and death.
This is why we should not, for all intents and purposes, run away from the cross for it is the link that will connect us to heaven. It is the bridge that will allow us to cross over from the world marked in sin and to our glorious redemption.
On this Good Friday, let us remember that it is paradoxical that we can be drawn to do things that do not really matter in life but we turn our backs on things that are of supreme importance such as the salvation of our souls. We can from hereon make a Good Friday resolution to nail our sinful nature on the Cross of Christ on Calvary so that we may also be with him when he is resurrected and enters His heavenly Kingdom.
Let the Lenten Season and the Holy Week be a journey of faith with the glory of Easter as the goal which is Christ’s victory over death but this victory can only be ours if we will all believe and put all our trust in Him. This again is paradoxical because it is in dying that we can experience life. It is also when we are baptized that we are put to death.
I CANNOT BE GOD
APRIL 11, 2014: FIFTH WEEK OF LENT
First Reading: Jer 20: 10-13
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 18: 2-7 “In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.”
GOSPEL: JN 10:31-42
Key Verse: “I am God’s Son.” (v.36)
Was it right to accuse Jesus of blasphemy for claiming he was the Son of God? Or were the Scribes and Pharisees the ones guilty of that which they accuse Jesus of? Weren’t the Jews guilty of irreverence, impiety, profanity and sacrilege for ascribing the power of Jesus to heal to Beelzebul? Aren’t we also guilty when we reject and disobey God?
It was probable that the religious leaders of his time has some reservation when Jesus claimed he was the one sent by God and that they knew that his claim was true but they could not accept him not only because he did not fit into the image of a messianic king they were expecting but mainly out of selfishness and vainglory.
The Scribes and the Pharisees could lose everything they enjoyed if they were to proclaim the truth of the claim of Jesus. Besides the honor and the prestige attached to their positions as religious leaders and teachers of the law, they are also regarded as “gods” (Psa 82:6) and this what Jesus pointed out to Jews.
In ancient Israel, tradition has it that Jewish rulers and judges are also called “gods” (Exo 4:16; 7:1) because the people at that time believed that they were agent’s of God’s revelations and this was the why Jesus asked how could it have been blasphemous for him to claim he was the Son of God since he knew the truthfulness of his claim.
But the Jewish leaders would have none of it and they wanted to carry out the sentence right there and there as blasphemy was considered as a heinous crime because it was an offense committed against God for which the instant penalty was stoning.
Their hatred and desire to put Jesus away by whatever means because of the humiliation and embarrassment they were confronted with each time Jesus preached was evident when they tried to seize him and stone him.
Stoning was an ancient practice of capital punishment that is levied for the most serious crimes against the Mosaic law and this includes crimes involving child sacrifice (Lev 20:2), consulting with mediums and those engaged in the occult (Lev 20;27), blasphemy (Lev 24:16), breaking of the law of the Sabbath (Num 15:32-36), worship of false gods (Deut 13:10), rebellion against parents (Deut 21:21), adultery (Ezek 16:40), direct disobedience to God’s commands (Josh 7:25).
This form of punishment is usually carried out by the men in a community but only after the testimony of at least two witnesses shall have been heard (Deut 17:5-7) and the execution normally was carried out outside the city (Lev 24:14, 23).
Jesus knew what they were planning when the Jews surrounded him but he slipped away from them (v.39). In a way, this Gospel passage also has some connection with the way we live especially for those who are wallowing in their sinful desires and tendencies.
There is in us the desire to be the boss – to be in command. Some of us find ourselves in such a situation because our families probably owned the company we are working for. Some will go to great lengths to climb up the corporate ladder to be on top. There are those whose sights are aimed at amassing wealth by whatever means because with wealth comes power. In other words, we want to be god and when we are in this state we tend to forget that there is a God who is the source of everything we have and possess.
Time was when I credited myself for the talent I had as a News Reporter for a big TV Network and later on for a major daily Newspaper. Banner headlines with my by-line became daily fare that readers would think there was no other reporter besides me.
I basked in my success and became arrogant in the process. I was on top of my world. I could easily get the stories that other reporters could not get access to until one fateful day when I was called to the office of the News Director. I have become so brazen that I treated even my superiors with contempt and my employers will have none of it.
I was suspended without pay and if I will not agree to such a suspension the TV network was prepared to fire me. It was then that I realized that I was not god after all. Humbly, I accepted and came out of the suspension period of 30 days a much better man.
This Lenten Season, Holy Week and the Octave of Easter would be a good opportunity for us to look back into our lives for when we do we will realize that Jesus made himself as a sin-offering for us, to ransom us from condemnation and slavery to sin. That even in the darkest moments of our lives Jesus was there and he still is through his Holy Spirit in us.
He spoke of his Father consecrating him for this mission of salvation but the religious leaders charged him with blasphemy because he claimed to be the Son of God.
Jesus challenged his opponents to accept his works if they could not accept his words (vv.37-38). Anyone can always argue with words, but deeds are non-debatable. Jesus is the perfect teacher because he does not base his claims on what he says but on what he does.
Let us bear in mind that the Word of God gives life and power to those who will believe in it and it is only through Jesus in whom we can see the path of truth and holiness. The challenge for us which we should deal with during this Lenten Season is to surrender that god that is in us.
The Scriptures cannot be altered (v.35) and we have to accept the letter of the Scriptures that testifies to him who was sent to save us and to accept and believe that Jesus is indeed the Son of God. We must clothe ourselves with the humility to accept that there is a God and it’s not you or me.
First Reading: Jer 20: 10-13
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 18: 2-7 “In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.”
GOSPEL: JN 10:31-42
Key Verse: “I am God’s Son.” (v.36)
Was it right to accuse Jesus of blasphemy for claiming he was the Son of God? Or were the Scribes and Pharisees the ones guilty of that which they accuse Jesus of? Weren’t the Jews guilty of irreverence, impiety, profanity and sacrilege for ascribing the power of Jesus to heal to Beelzebul? Aren’t we also guilty when we reject and disobey God?
It was probable that the religious leaders of his time has some reservation when Jesus claimed he was the one sent by God and that they knew that his claim was true but they could not accept him not only because he did not fit into the image of a messianic king they were expecting but mainly out of selfishness and vainglory.
The Scribes and the Pharisees could lose everything they enjoyed if they were to proclaim the truth of the claim of Jesus. Besides the honor and the prestige attached to their positions as religious leaders and teachers of the law, they are also regarded as “gods” (Psa 82:6) and this what Jesus pointed out to Jews.
In ancient Israel, tradition has it that Jewish rulers and judges are also called “gods” (Exo 4:16; 7:1) because the people at that time believed that they were agent’s of God’s revelations and this was the why Jesus asked how could it have been blasphemous for him to claim he was the Son of God since he knew the truthfulness of his claim.
But the Jewish leaders would have none of it and they wanted to carry out the sentence right there and there as blasphemy was considered as a heinous crime because it was an offense committed against God for which the instant penalty was stoning.
Their hatred and desire to put Jesus away by whatever means because of the humiliation and embarrassment they were confronted with each time Jesus preached was evident when they tried to seize him and stone him.
Stoning was an ancient practice of capital punishment that is levied for the most serious crimes against the Mosaic law and this includes crimes involving child sacrifice (Lev 20:2), consulting with mediums and those engaged in the occult (Lev 20;27), blasphemy (Lev 24:16), breaking of the law of the Sabbath (Num 15:32-36), worship of false gods (Deut 13:10), rebellion against parents (Deut 21:21), adultery (Ezek 16:40), direct disobedience to God’s commands (Josh 7:25).
This form of punishment is usually carried out by the men in a community but only after the testimony of at least two witnesses shall have been heard (Deut 17:5-7) and the execution normally was carried out outside the city (Lev 24:14, 23).
Jesus knew what they were planning when the Jews surrounded him but he slipped away from them (v.39). In a way, this Gospel passage also has some connection with the way we live especially for those who are wallowing in their sinful desires and tendencies.
There is in us the desire to be the boss – to be in command. Some of us find ourselves in such a situation because our families probably owned the company we are working for. Some will go to great lengths to climb up the corporate ladder to be on top. There are those whose sights are aimed at amassing wealth by whatever means because with wealth comes power. In other words, we want to be god and when we are in this state we tend to forget that there is a God who is the source of everything we have and possess.
Time was when I credited myself for the talent I had as a News Reporter for a big TV Network and later on for a major daily Newspaper. Banner headlines with my by-line became daily fare that readers would think there was no other reporter besides me.
I basked in my success and became arrogant in the process. I was on top of my world. I could easily get the stories that other reporters could not get access to until one fateful day when I was called to the office of the News Director. I have become so brazen that I treated even my superiors with contempt and my employers will have none of it.
I was suspended without pay and if I will not agree to such a suspension the TV network was prepared to fire me. It was then that I realized that I was not god after all. Humbly, I accepted and came out of the suspension period of 30 days a much better man.
This Lenten Season, Holy Week and the Octave of Easter would be a good opportunity for us to look back into our lives for when we do we will realize that Jesus made himself as a sin-offering for us, to ransom us from condemnation and slavery to sin. That even in the darkest moments of our lives Jesus was there and he still is through his Holy Spirit in us.
He spoke of his Father consecrating him for this mission of salvation but the religious leaders charged him with blasphemy because he claimed to be the Son of God.
Jesus challenged his opponents to accept his works if they could not accept his words (vv.37-38). Anyone can always argue with words, but deeds are non-debatable. Jesus is the perfect teacher because he does not base his claims on what he says but on what he does.
Let us bear in mind that the Word of God gives life and power to those who will believe in it and it is only through Jesus in whom we can see the path of truth and holiness. The challenge for us which we should deal with during this Lenten Season is to surrender that god that is in us.
The Scriptures cannot be altered (v.35) and we have to accept the letter of the Scriptures that testifies to him who was sent to save us and to accept and believe that Jesus is indeed the Son of God. We must clothe ourselves with the humility to accept that there is a God and it’s not you or me.
MY GOD, THE GREAT I AM
APRIL 10, 2014: FIFTH WEEK OF LENT
First Reading: Gen 17:3-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 105:4-9 “The Lord remembers his covenant forever.”
GOSPEL: Jn 8:51-59
Key Verse: “If anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” (v.51)
If someone were to stand before you and say: “I assure you, anyone who obeys my teaching will never die!” (v.51) how would you react. Are you going to react with amazement and disbelief just as the Jews did when Jesus said these words?
Not only were the Jews astonished at the claim of Jesus but they were angered when Jesus brought himself to the level of Abraham whom we of course know was regarded as the father of ancient Israel. What was equally amazing in this Gospel passage was the progression in the claims made by Jesus that came in staccato fashion with each of his claim becoming stranger than the preceding.
In Bible study we know of several approaches in trying to understand the Scriptures and we know of at least two that are taught in the Basic Bible Seminar – the Contextual Approach and the Thematic Approach. There is, however, a third type and this is the Literal Approach which is to understand each word or phrase in the way it is said. This means that in the Literal Approach there is no room for interpretation and or evaluation.
This was how the Jews understood the teachings of Jesus which was why he needed to speak in parables most of the time in order to provide an illustration to what his teachings wanted to convey. And in this particular scenario, this was how the Jews understood his teaching but Jesus wasn’t talking of physical death but spiritual death.
And it is this literal-mindedness of the Jews that hindered them from fully understanding what Jesus meant which simply put was that death has no claim on any man who will fully accept him and obey his Words.
What the Jews also could not or refused to understand was the fact that Jesus knew whereof he speak such that when he said he existed even before Abraham was born, he was proclaiming his divinity. Not only did Jesus claim to be divine but he also claimed the holy name of God when he said: “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was born, I am!” (v.58)
This must have brought the Jews to the edge of their limited understanding because the next thing they did was they picked up stones to kill him but Jesus slipped away from the temple grounds.
If we are to reread and reflect upon this Gospel today, we will note that there are two claims that Jesus made that has became the foundation of his life. One was that he claims to have personal knowledge of God saying: “I know him.” and the other was that he claims obedience to God: “I know him and obey him.” (v.55)
The Jews were at a disadvantage and their stubbornness was understandable because it was difficult for them to go beyond the literal meaning of what Jesus was saying or has said in his teachings because what he was saying was incompatible with the religious training and study the Jews have received.
It is different with us because we have at our disposal the many tools of communications that provides us with the information we need. There is also no shortage of preachers and teachers who amplify the Scriptures for us which is why there is no way we will ever miss what Jesus wants to convey to us unless, of course, if we will become as stubborn as the Jews.
What Jesus said in this Gospel need not take a bright mind to understand – that the only way to know the heart and mind of God is through him. Our finite minds are capable of receiving bits and pieces of knowledge of God but only in Jesus can we see what God is like.
Jesus claims obedience to God and that was what we saw when he went through his passion and death on the cross. What Our Lord was also trying to impress upon us was that “this was how I lived, in perfect obedience to the Father. This is also how I want you to live – to obey and serve God through me.”
The Jews accused Jesus of blasphemy for claiming to be God. The incongruity of it all was that the Jews were the ones who blasphemed God because they not only opposed God but they were bent to kill Jesus in whom God was personified.
Perhaps this Holy Week would be an appropriate time for us to look into our lives and see if we too are also guilty of blaspheming God. And we might ask, when did we blaspheme God?
When? In the times we refused to heed the call to serve God in the church or ministry. When we held back on our tithes and love offerings or when we give but with strings attached. When we make claims that the church where we worship, community or ministry or apostolate will not survive without us. When we placed idols above God. When we failed to give God the credit for the talent we have acquired and the material possessions we may have amassed. In other words, it is blasphemy when we remove God from our life’s equation.
“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world and all who live in it.” (Psa 24:1) If take this in the context of how the Psalmist said it, there is nothing on earth that do not belong to the Lord. To think otherwise is to blaspheme God.
But the Pharisees accused Jesus of blasphemy because of his use of the word “I Am” which the Jewish people use when they define the character of God. What the religious leaders didn’t know at the time was that Jesus took a big leap when he revealed his divinity when he said he existed even before Abraham was born.
And when God’s divinity is made known it actually demands a response. How then will we respond to God if ever he will reveal himself to us? Are we going to accept him or are we going to reject him as the Pharisees did? What many of us aren’t aware of is that we are in fact guilty of blaspheming God whenever we commit a sin because sin is a rejection of God not only of his lordship over us but also a rejection of his divine nature.
First Reading: Gen 17:3-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 105:4-9 “The Lord remembers his covenant forever.”
GOSPEL: Jn 8:51-59
Key Verse: “If anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” (v.51)
If someone were to stand before you and say: “I assure you, anyone who obeys my teaching will never die!” (v.51) how would you react. Are you going to react with amazement and disbelief just as the Jews did when Jesus said these words?
Not only were the Jews astonished at the claim of Jesus but they were angered when Jesus brought himself to the level of Abraham whom we of course know was regarded as the father of ancient Israel. What was equally amazing in this Gospel passage was the progression in the claims made by Jesus that came in staccato fashion with each of his claim becoming stranger than the preceding.
In Bible study we know of several approaches in trying to understand the Scriptures and we know of at least two that are taught in the Basic Bible Seminar – the Contextual Approach and the Thematic Approach. There is, however, a third type and this is the Literal Approach which is to understand each word or phrase in the way it is said. This means that in the Literal Approach there is no room for interpretation and or evaluation.
This was how the Jews understood the teachings of Jesus which was why he needed to speak in parables most of the time in order to provide an illustration to what his teachings wanted to convey. And in this particular scenario, this was how the Jews understood his teaching but Jesus wasn’t talking of physical death but spiritual death.
And it is this literal-mindedness of the Jews that hindered them from fully understanding what Jesus meant which simply put was that death has no claim on any man who will fully accept him and obey his Words.
What the Jews also could not or refused to understand was the fact that Jesus knew whereof he speak such that when he said he existed even before Abraham was born, he was proclaiming his divinity. Not only did Jesus claim to be divine but he also claimed the holy name of God when he said: “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was born, I am!” (v.58)
This must have brought the Jews to the edge of their limited understanding because the next thing they did was they picked up stones to kill him but Jesus slipped away from the temple grounds.
If we are to reread and reflect upon this Gospel today, we will note that there are two claims that Jesus made that has became the foundation of his life. One was that he claims to have personal knowledge of God saying: “I know him.” and the other was that he claims obedience to God: “I know him and obey him.” (v.55)
The Jews were at a disadvantage and their stubbornness was understandable because it was difficult for them to go beyond the literal meaning of what Jesus was saying or has said in his teachings because what he was saying was incompatible with the religious training and study the Jews have received.
It is different with us because we have at our disposal the many tools of communications that provides us with the information we need. There is also no shortage of preachers and teachers who amplify the Scriptures for us which is why there is no way we will ever miss what Jesus wants to convey to us unless, of course, if we will become as stubborn as the Jews.
What Jesus said in this Gospel need not take a bright mind to understand – that the only way to know the heart and mind of God is through him. Our finite minds are capable of receiving bits and pieces of knowledge of God but only in Jesus can we see what God is like.
Jesus claims obedience to God and that was what we saw when he went through his passion and death on the cross. What Our Lord was also trying to impress upon us was that “this was how I lived, in perfect obedience to the Father. This is also how I want you to live – to obey and serve God through me.”
The Jews accused Jesus of blasphemy for claiming to be God. The incongruity of it all was that the Jews were the ones who blasphemed God because they not only opposed God but they were bent to kill Jesus in whom God was personified.
Perhaps this Holy Week would be an appropriate time for us to look into our lives and see if we too are also guilty of blaspheming God. And we might ask, when did we blaspheme God?
When? In the times we refused to heed the call to serve God in the church or ministry. When we held back on our tithes and love offerings or when we give but with strings attached. When we make claims that the church where we worship, community or ministry or apostolate will not survive without us. When we placed idols above God. When we failed to give God the credit for the talent we have acquired and the material possessions we may have amassed. In other words, it is blasphemy when we remove God from our life’s equation.
“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world and all who live in it.” (Psa 24:1) If take this in the context of how the Psalmist said it, there is nothing on earth that do not belong to the Lord. To think otherwise is to blaspheme God.
But the Pharisees accused Jesus of blasphemy because of his use of the word “I Am” which the Jewish people use when they define the character of God. What the religious leaders didn’t know at the time was that Jesus took a big leap when he revealed his divinity when he said he existed even before Abraham was born.
And when God’s divinity is made known it actually demands a response. How then will we respond to God if ever he will reveal himself to us? Are we going to accept him or are we going to reject him as the Pharisees did? What many of us aren’t aware of is that we are in fact guilty of blaspheming God whenever we commit a sin because sin is a rejection of God not only of his lordship over us but also a rejection of his divine nature.
SALVATION THROUGH LISTENING
APRIL 9, 2014: FIFTH WEEK OF LENT
First Reading: Dan 3:14-20, 24-25, 28
Responsorial Psalm: Dan 3:52-56 “Glory and praise forever!”
GOSPEL: JN 8:31-42
Key Verse: “…and the truth will make you free.” (v.32)
If there is anything that will strike you while you are digesting the meaning of the liturgical readings of today, it would be that obedience to the Word of God can save you from certain death and or from the eternal flame that awaits those who will reject God’s offer of salvation.
The salvific benefits of obedience became evident in the lives of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego when they walked out of the fiery furnace that was heated seven times hotter than the usual (vv.19-25). And in this scenario in the first reading we are given a vivid picture of what confronts us as we go through our paces each day.
As life is a matter of choice, God gives us free will to choose the way we want to go. There is, however, a big difference between choice and discernment. Too often even in the community that we belong to, many teachers tell members to use discernment when making a decision and they are oriented on the process of discernment. Yet too often also they are nor told the most important component of discernment differentiating it from making a choice by including prayer and using the Word of God as a guide in their discernment process.
This is entirely incorrect because making a choice is different from discernment. Choice is choosing between what is bad and what is right, what is good and what is evil. Choice therefore is a matter of choosing between two contrasting choices. Discernment, on the other hand, is choosing what is better between two good choices.
This gospel passage impresses upon us that we can either listen and be subservient to His Word or we can ignore it altogether and go about our lives in reckless abandon. What we are saying is that God has made available his Word for all of us and He gives us a choice to take it or leave it.
But we should not even for once surmise that God doesn’t care because he does and this is the reason why he sent his only begotten Son to become one of us that we may come to know Him (Jn 17:33), to love Him (Matt 22:37), to serve Him (Jn 12:26) and to be happy with Him forever (Jn 16:22).
In fact, God cared for us so much that he accepted without any reservation the Will of God that he should die on the cross. As Christ was obedient till death, God also requires the same level of obedience from us. At the end of the day, obedience is what will save us from the fiery furnace of hell.
As in the first reading, it was the obedience of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to God’s Will that saved them from death that they were willing to suffer rather than disobey their God. And God Himself rewarded them for their obedience and faithfulness that they were led out of the furnace.
And we see perfect obedience in Jesus who came to do the Will of his Father in heaven. He knew what was before him. Jesus knew he will be betrayed (Jn 13:21) but he did not run away from the cross that he was only more than willing to embrace for our sake.
As we step into the observance of the Holy Week, let us ponder on the obedience of Christ because this was what reversed the curse of Adam’s disobedience that brought sin into the world and which through the death of Jesus on the cross has restored us into the image and likeness of God who created us. And it was also when he was lifted up on the cross that the Father crowned him with victory over sin, death, and Satan.
As Jesus goes through his Passion, Death and Resurrection, he is actually showing us that the way to true freedom and victory is by freely submitting our hearts, minds, and Will to an all-merciful, all-loving, and all-wise God.
In essence, the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus provides us with a perfect view of the kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy that is being offered to us by God through the Holy Spirit (Rom14:17) and the Gospel passage today gives us an almost complete lesson in discipleship right at the beginning – “If you remain in my Word, you are truly my disciples. You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” (vv.31-32)
Indeed, discipleship begins with believing and accepting that Jesus taught about the love of God, the destructive effects of sin and the true purpose and meaning of life are true. It also means that are to constantly remain in the Word of God and this involves listening, learning, immersion and obeying what Jesus says.
To learn from Jesus is to also learn the truth and while many of us might venture to ask what the truth is, the truth that Jesus brings is the real and true value of life and this should bring us to the question of what we are to do with our life. Are we going to join the frenetic pace that we may succeed in our chosen careers? Do we set aside what is moral in order to amass material possessions? Do we exist to have a leisurely and pleasurable life? Or did God bring us into the world to know him, love him, serve him and be happy with him in eternity. As we go through life, we will know the truth if we remain in Jesus because it is in him that we will see what is important in life and what is not.
Christian discipleship leads us to freedom and in Jesus we can experience freedom from fear as we will never be alone when we seek the company of Jesus. Discipleship also liberates from us from the sinful tendencies that has enslaved us. True discipleship also delivers us from fear of what other people think and say about us. A disciple is one who is no longer concerned what people say because he thinks only of what God says.
This Gospel shows us that while the Jews never thought of themselves as having been enslaved, Jesus confronts them with a different concept of slavery – that of being slaves to sin and here Jesus makes a veiled threat as he equates a Jewish household with the Kingdom of God in which the Son remains in the household but the slave can be ejected anytime.
What Jesus meant was that those among us who have become slaves to sin will be ejected and or evicted from the Kingdom of God while those who abides in the Son of God will remain.
Disciples of Jesus are assured of true freedom and deliverance from slavery to pride, arrogance and false humility, disbelief and ignorance, selfishness and greed, hatred and revenge, fear and anxiety, despair and depression, and habits and addictions that cripple our lives.
This is what the Good News is all about as it sets us free from sin that disfigures our image. Through the gift and power of the Holy Spirit we can choose to turn away from sin and yield instead to God's Grace that empowers us to walk constantly in and with Christ.
A disciple follows and listens. If we want to follow Christ and live as his disciples, then we must listen and put the Word of God on our minds, hearts and our lips. As we listen to Jesus in faith, we must clothe ourselves with a humble and teachable spirit and obey God with complete trust which means we simply have to forget who we once were.
First Reading: Dan 3:14-20, 24-25, 28
Responsorial Psalm: Dan 3:52-56 “Glory and praise forever!”
GOSPEL: JN 8:31-42
Key Verse: “…and the truth will make you free.” (v.32)
If there is anything that will strike you while you are digesting the meaning of the liturgical readings of today, it would be that obedience to the Word of God can save you from certain death and or from the eternal flame that awaits those who will reject God’s offer of salvation.
The salvific benefits of obedience became evident in the lives of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego when they walked out of the fiery furnace that was heated seven times hotter than the usual (vv.19-25). And in this scenario in the first reading we are given a vivid picture of what confronts us as we go through our paces each day.
As life is a matter of choice, God gives us free will to choose the way we want to go. There is, however, a big difference between choice and discernment. Too often even in the community that we belong to, many teachers tell members to use discernment when making a decision and they are oriented on the process of discernment. Yet too often also they are nor told the most important component of discernment differentiating it from making a choice by including prayer and using the Word of God as a guide in their discernment process.
This is entirely incorrect because making a choice is different from discernment. Choice is choosing between what is bad and what is right, what is good and what is evil. Choice therefore is a matter of choosing between two contrasting choices. Discernment, on the other hand, is choosing what is better between two good choices.
This gospel passage impresses upon us that we can either listen and be subservient to His Word or we can ignore it altogether and go about our lives in reckless abandon. What we are saying is that God has made available his Word for all of us and He gives us a choice to take it or leave it.
But we should not even for once surmise that God doesn’t care because he does and this is the reason why he sent his only begotten Son to become one of us that we may come to know Him (Jn 17:33), to love Him (Matt 22:37), to serve Him (Jn 12:26) and to be happy with Him forever (Jn 16:22).
In fact, God cared for us so much that he accepted without any reservation the Will of God that he should die on the cross. As Christ was obedient till death, God also requires the same level of obedience from us. At the end of the day, obedience is what will save us from the fiery furnace of hell.
As in the first reading, it was the obedience of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to God’s Will that saved them from death that they were willing to suffer rather than disobey their God. And God Himself rewarded them for their obedience and faithfulness that they were led out of the furnace.
And we see perfect obedience in Jesus who came to do the Will of his Father in heaven. He knew what was before him. Jesus knew he will be betrayed (Jn 13:21) but he did not run away from the cross that he was only more than willing to embrace for our sake.
As we step into the observance of the Holy Week, let us ponder on the obedience of Christ because this was what reversed the curse of Adam’s disobedience that brought sin into the world and which through the death of Jesus on the cross has restored us into the image and likeness of God who created us. And it was also when he was lifted up on the cross that the Father crowned him with victory over sin, death, and Satan.
As Jesus goes through his Passion, Death and Resurrection, he is actually showing us that the way to true freedom and victory is by freely submitting our hearts, minds, and Will to an all-merciful, all-loving, and all-wise God.
In essence, the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus provides us with a perfect view of the kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy that is being offered to us by God through the Holy Spirit (Rom14:17) and the Gospel passage today gives us an almost complete lesson in discipleship right at the beginning – “If you remain in my Word, you are truly my disciples. You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” (vv.31-32)
Indeed, discipleship begins with believing and accepting that Jesus taught about the love of God, the destructive effects of sin and the true purpose and meaning of life are true. It also means that are to constantly remain in the Word of God and this involves listening, learning, immersion and obeying what Jesus says.
To learn from Jesus is to also learn the truth and while many of us might venture to ask what the truth is, the truth that Jesus brings is the real and true value of life and this should bring us to the question of what we are to do with our life. Are we going to join the frenetic pace that we may succeed in our chosen careers? Do we set aside what is moral in order to amass material possessions? Do we exist to have a leisurely and pleasurable life? Or did God bring us into the world to know him, love him, serve him and be happy with him in eternity. As we go through life, we will know the truth if we remain in Jesus because it is in him that we will see what is important in life and what is not.
Christian discipleship leads us to freedom and in Jesus we can experience freedom from fear as we will never be alone when we seek the company of Jesus. Discipleship also liberates from us from the sinful tendencies that has enslaved us. True discipleship also delivers us from fear of what other people think and say about us. A disciple is one who is no longer concerned what people say because he thinks only of what God says.
This Gospel shows us that while the Jews never thought of themselves as having been enslaved, Jesus confronts them with a different concept of slavery – that of being slaves to sin and here Jesus makes a veiled threat as he equates a Jewish household with the Kingdom of God in which the Son remains in the household but the slave can be ejected anytime.
What Jesus meant was that those among us who have become slaves to sin will be ejected and or evicted from the Kingdom of God while those who abides in the Son of God will remain.
Disciples of Jesus are assured of true freedom and deliverance from slavery to pride, arrogance and false humility, disbelief and ignorance, selfishness and greed, hatred and revenge, fear and anxiety, despair and depression, and habits and addictions that cripple our lives.
This is what the Good News is all about as it sets us free from sin that disfigures our image. Through the gift and power of the Holy Spirit we can choose to turn away from sin and yield instead to God's Grace that empowers us to walk constantly in and with Christ.
A disciple follows and listens. If we want to follow Christ and live as his disciples, then we must listen and put the Word of God on our minds, hearts and our lips. As we listen to Jesus in faith, we must clothe ourselves with a humble and teachable spirit and obey God with complete trust which means we simply have to forget who we once were.
OBEDIENCE PLEASES GOD
APRIL 8, 2014: FIFTH WEEK OF LENT
First Reading: Num 21:4-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 102:2-3, 16-21 “O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you.”
GOSPEL: JN 8:21-30
Key Verse: “When you have lifted up the Son of man,
then you will know that I am he…”(v.28)
Dying without being forgiven of your sins and or to breathe your last without knowing that you could be saved by Jesus our Savior is probably the worst that could happen to any man.
This is actually the main message in today’s Gospel passage and when Jesus said: “I told you that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am he" (v.24) he meant that it would not be good for the light of the world to go out on any man without him realizing and repenting of his sins for it is only through repentance and forgiveness that will help us unlock the gates of heaven for us to enter in.
As we are on the subject of salvation, let me run you through with what our Catholic doctrine says about salvation of which there has been some confusion with regards to claims there is salvation outside the Catholic Church and this appears to oppose all the past teachings of the Holy Church. This is why we need to spend some time to review some of those teachings that are found within the Catechism.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church par # 816 reads: “The Second Vatican Council's Decree on Ecumenism explains: 'For it is through Christ's Catholic Church alone, which is the universal help toward salvation, that the fullness of the means of salvation can be obtained. It was to the apostolic college alone, of which Peter is the head, that we believe that our Lord entrusted all the blessings of the New Covenant, in order to establish on earth the one Body of Christ into which all those should be fully incorporated who belong in any way to the People of God.”
As stated, not only is salvation found in the Catholic Church, but also the “fullness of the means” of salvation. In addressing the needs of our separated brothers and sisters, CCC #818 says: “However, one cannot charge with the sin of the separation those who at present are born into these community [that resulted from such separation' and in them are brought up in the faith of Christ, and the Catholic Church accepts them with respect and affection as brothers... All who have been justified by faith in Baptism are incorporated into Christ; they therefore have a right to be called Christians, and with good reason are accepted as brothers in the Lord by the children of the Catholic Church.”
These statements, however, do not imply that all religions are equal but it teaches us a number of things, that: (1) Individuals have a free will to choose their faith; (2) Today's members of the worldwide separated Churches cannot be held guilty for the Church division that their ancestors have caused; (3) Through faith in Jesus and the proper administration of the Sacrament of Baptism, our separated brothers and sisters are justified (reconciled with God by the Blood of Christ), their past sins having been erased forever. As such, although they are not members of the physical Catholic faith, they meet the conditions to be admitted into the spiritual Body of Christ.
Again, we need to understand the two planes from which the Catechism of the Catholic Church is coming from. While it is true that the spiritual Body of Christ is the Church of Christ and that the physical Catholic Church is also the Church of Christ, the membership of these two bodies varies greatly.
To become a member of the spiritual Body of Christ, a person, Catholic or non-Catholic, is required to: (a) Repent of his sins; (b) Have faith in the Lord Jesus, and; (c) Receive the Sacrament of Baptism. These requirements makes the believer "a new creation" (2 Cor. 5:17) thus qualifying him to receive his free membership in the spiritual Body of Christ. These requirements are not the same as the gift of salvation, however, because these requirements only provide the believer with his "first installment" (Eph. 1:13-4; 2 Cor. 1:22, 5:5) towards the inheritance of salvation in the Kingdom of God.
We should also remember that when Jesus instituted His Church, He instituted the spiritual Body of Christ and its physical counterpart, the Catholic Church. This is not to imply that Jesus instituted two Churches. In truth, He instituted only one Church, the physical Catholic Church being a reflection of the spiritual Body of Christ. (Matt 16:17-19)
When Jesus instituted His Church He simultaneously instituted its spiritual and its physical counterparts as these are inseparable. To receive and maintain membership in the spiritual Body of Christ, believers would be required to enter the door through the physical Catholic Church.
This truth is affirmed in the characteristics of both, the spiritual and the physical counterparts of the Church of Christ. Both are characterized as being One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic. Without getting into the specifics, it is sufficient to just believe that to maintain our membership in the spiritual Body of Christ we must seek and maintain his righteousness and to maintain His righteousness, he must have access to the Sacraments of Confession and the Holy Eucharist, over and above being of one mind with the Catholic faith.
The unity that proceeds from the reception of these Sacraments is what brings us to unity with God and with one another “The glory that you have given Me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and You in Me, that they may become completely one...” (Jn. 17:22-3).
What this Gospel passage is telling us and which we should reflect upon as we prepare for the Holy Week is that the Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation - that Christ is the mediator and the only way to salvation. While Jesus spoke many believed him but the religious leaders persisted in opposing him and mocked him when he warned them about their sin of unbelief.
As we go through life, let us remember that we cannot remain indifferent to Jesus, His Word and his judgments. We are either for him or against him. There is no middle ground or neutral parties. When Jesus spoke about going away he was speaking about his return to his Father and to his glory.
The people who opposed him and even those of us who continue to sin could not follow him because by their and our continuous disobedience to the Word of God they and we have closed the door to the Kingdom of God. Jesus warned them that if they continued to refuse him they would die in their sins. Jesus' words echoed the prophetic warning given to Ezekiel (Eze 3:18; 18:18) where God warns his people to heed his word before the time is too late.
Sin diverts us from God and from our true purpose in life – to know the source of all truth and beauty who is God himself and to be united with God in everlasting joy. And out of the goodness of his heart, Christ still gives us an opportunity to recognize him when he is "lifted up" on the cross of Calvary.
This is a one-time opportunity that may come and not return but each of us is given the opportunity to know and to accept Jesus Christ, as our Lord and Savior. But that opportunity can be rejected and lost. Life here on earth is limited and short, but how we live it has everlasting consequences. God gives us time to turn to him and to receive his grace, but that time is RIGHT NOW!
First Reading: Num 21:4-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 102:2-3, 16-21 “O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you.”
GOSPEL: JN 8:21-30
Key Verse: “When you have lifted up the Son of man,
then you will know that I am he…”(v.28)
Dying without being forgiven of your sins and or to breathe your last without knowing that you could be saved by Jesus our Savior is probably the worst that could happen to any man.
This is actually the main message in today’s Gospel passage and when Jesus said: “I told you that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am he" (v.24) he meant that it would not be good for the light of the world to go out on any man without him realizing and repenting of his sins for it is only through repentance and forgiveness that will help us unlock the gates of heaven for us to enter in.
As we are on the subject of salvation, let me run you through with what our Catholic doctrine says about salvation of which there has been some confusion with regards to claims there is salvation outside the Catholic Church and this appears to oppose all the past teachings of the Holy Church. This is why we need to spend some time to review some of those teachings that are found within the Catechism.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church par # 816 reads: “The Second Vatican Council's Decree on Ecumenism explains: 'For it is through Christ's Catholic Church alone, which is the universal help toward salvation, that the fullness of the means of salvation can be obtained. It was to the apostolic college alone, of which Peter is the head, that we believe that our Lord entrusted all the blessings of the New Covenant, in order to establish on earth the one Body of Christ into which all those should be fully incorporated who belong in any way to the People of God.”
As stated, not only is salvation found in the Catholic Church, but also the “fullness of the means” of salvation. In addressing the needs of our separated brothers and sisters, CCC #818 says: “However, one cannot charge with the sin of the separation those who at present are born into these community [that resulted from such separation' and in them are brought up in the faith of Christ, and the Catholic Church accepts them with respect and affection as brothers... All who have been justified by faith in Baptism are incorporated into Christ; they therefore have a right to be called Christians, and with good reason are accepted as brothers in the Lord by the children of the Catholic Church.”
These statements, however, do not imply that all religions are equal but it teaches us a number of things, that: (1) Individuals have a free will to choose their faith; (2) Today's members of the worldwide separated Churches cannot be held guilty for the Church division that their ancestors have caused; (3) Through faith in Jesus and the proper administration of the Sacrament of Baptism, our separated brothers and sisters are justified (reconciled with God by the Blood of Christ), their past sins having been erased forever. As such, although they are not members of the physical Catholic faith, they meet the conditions to be admitted into the spiritual Body of Christ.
Again, we need to understand the two planes from which the Catechism of the Catholic Church is coming from. While it is true that the spiritual Body of Christ is the Church of Christ and that the physical Catholic Church is also the Church of Christ, the membership of these two bodies varies greatly.
To become a member of the spiritual Body of Christ, a person, Catholic or non-Catholic, is required to: (a) Repent of his sins; (b) Have faith in the Lord Jesus, and; (c) Receive the Sacrament of Baptism. These requirements makes the believer "a new creation" (2 Cor. 5:17) thus qualifying him to receive his free membership in the spiritual Body of Christ. These requirements are not the same as the gift of salvation, however, because these requirements only provide the believer with his "first installment" (Eph. 1:13-4; 2 Cor. 1:22, 5:5) towards the inheritance of salvation in the Kingdom of God.
We should also remember that when Jesus instituted His Church, He instituted the spiritual Body of Christ and its physical counterpart, the Catholic Church. This is not to imply that Jesus instituted two Churches. In truth, He instituted only one Church, the physical Catholic Church being a reflection of the spiritual Body of Christ. (Matt 16:17-19)
When Jesus instituted His Church He simultaneously instituted its spiritual and its physical counterparts as these are inseparable. To receive and maintain membership in the spiritual Body of Christ, believers would be required to enter the door through the physical Catholic Church.
This truth is affirmed in the characteristics of both, the spiritual and the physical counterparts of the Church of Christ. Both are characterized as being One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic. Without getting into the specifics, it is sufficient to just believe that to maintain our membership in the spiritual Body of Christ we must seek and maintain his righteousness and to maintain His righteousness, he must have access to the Sacraments of Confession and the Holy Eucharist, over and above being of one mind with the Catholic faith.
The unity that proceeds from the reception of these Sacraments is what brings us to unity with God and with one another “The glory that you have given Me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and You in Me, that they may become completely one...” (Jn. 17:22-3).
What this Gospel passage is telling us and which we should reflect upon as we prepare for the Holy Week is that the Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation - that Christ is the mediator and the only way to salvation. While Jesus spoke many believed him but the religious leaders persisted in opposing him and mocked him when he warned them about their sin of unbelief.
As we go through life, let us remember that we cannot remain indifferent to Jesus, His Word and his judgments. We are either for him or against him. There is no middle ground or neutral parties. When Jesus spoke about going away he was speaking about his return to his Father and to his glory.
The people who opposed him and even those of us who continue to sin could not follow him because by their and our continuous disobedience to the Word of God they and we have closed the door to the Kingdom of God. Jesus warned them that if they continued to refuse him they would die in their sins. Jesus' words echoed the prophetic warning given to Ezekiel (Eze 3:18; 18:18) where God warns his people to heed his word before the time is too late.
Sin diverts us from God and from our true purpose in life – to know the source of all truth and beauty who is God himself and to be united with God in everlasting joy. And out of the goodness of his heart, Christ still gives us an opportunity to recognize him when he is "lifted up" on the cross of Calvary.
This is a one-time opportunity that may come and not return but each of us is given the opportunity to know and to accept Jesus Christ, as our Lord and Savior. But that opportunity can be rejected and lost. Life here on earth is limited and short, but how we live it has everlasting consequences. God gives us time to turn to him and to receive his grace, but that time is RIGHT NOW!
LET JESUS SHINE IN US
APRIL 7, 2014: FIFTH WEEK OF LENT
First Reading: Dan 13:1-62
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 23:1-6 “Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for You are at my side.”
GOSPEL: Jn 8:12-20
Key Verse: “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness.” (v.12)
When Jesus spoke claiming to be the Light of the World the Pharisees were quick to challenge him (v.12) because to them he was already claiming not only to be the Messiah but he was claiming something that the Jews associate only to God.
Understandably so because the Jews have always associated light with God: “The Lord is m light” (Psa 27:1), “The Lord will be your everlasting light” (Isa 60:19), “By his light I walked through darkness” (Job 29:3), “When I sit in darkness the Lord will be a light to me” (Mic 7:8).
What Jesus said next is what I believe to be as important as recognizing him as the light because it doesn’t only mean taking a leap of faith from the dark-caressed world that we are in into the light of our salvation but it means a whole lot more. When Jesus said that anyone who follows him “will never walk in darkness” he actually was giving the Pharisees and the Jews who were listening to him and he is telling us now that it is only in him that we can find the light to help find our way.
In fact, Jesus does not only provide us the light but he actually accompanies us in our journey since we are bound to stumble and fall into sin and we grope to keep our balance when we walk alone as many of the problems that we face in life are beyond our human capacity to solve. Many times we take the wrong turn and persist on the wrong way because we cannot see our spiritual road map.
There is no doubt that some of us will succeed through our own efforts but only those who will put his complete trust and confidence in Jesus is assured of finishing the race and reaching his goal.
However, to follow him means that by the Grace of God we have finally found our home because to follow Jesus Christ is more than just tagging along. To follow him means a life lived in complete subservience to the Will of God. It means placing ourselves – body, soul and spirit – in the palm of His hand.
Conversely, there are three things that we must bear in mind with regards to the light who is Christ and we becoming the light that others may see.
1. The light can also represent our relationship with Jesus Christ and again this simply means that for anyone who has made a commitment to follow him must also become a light (Mt 5:15-16). And it begins with the fact that by following him, we have him as the light and if we live for Christ we certainly will glow like a light drawing others to the source of light.
2) The light may represent the effect of our life on others. Translated into our present reality, it would be pointless if we will not let others see the light that is in us. This means that we cannot hide the light (Mk 4:21) because if we are to look at ourselves as a lamp then we have to let our lives shine and be useful. As Christian disciples who have made a decision to follow Christ, our lives must become the means through which other people can find God and how to live for him. We must refrain from dwelling in complacency, stubbornness of heart and disobedience because these negative tendencies will keep God’s light from shining through us.
3) The light also represent the level in the growth of our knowledge of God. As the light of the truth of Jesus is revealed to us, we are obliged to put into practice the teachings of Christ as we are able to understand and grasp its meaning and significance as we see it. While the truth of Christ is clear and unchangeable, our human capacity to understand is imperfect and it is only by having an obedient heart that we will see with a clearer vision and understanding (Jam 1:22-25).
The crux of this Gospel passage can be seen when Jesus said: “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (v. 12) And many of us will ask what is the relationship between light and life. Jesus himself provides us the answer in Jn 1:4 when he said: “In him was life, and the life was the light of men.”
In the course of this life that God has so generously allowed us to live, we must not forget that this light that illumines our lives has Jesus as the source from whom comes the light. This is what happens to those who have strayed away from the light and have remained blind to the light but whom God found and drawn to receive their second baptism for it is only when the Spirit of God is imparted to us that we regain our sight and our ability to see the light.
In my past life I thought that I was good enough and that whatever success I had was on account of my own ability and though I know that there is a God little did I know that I do not have the power to keep the light that I thought I had from remaining lit. I went about my life my own way and the only connection I had with God was during Sunday Mass.
But success acquired outside of the sphere of God’s influence brings with it manifold problems and this was precisely what happened as the ivory tower that I built started crumbling down to the ground. And God who is gracious and kind picked me up from the abyss I was in and brought me back to his light and in his light I saw myself as I am – a sinner who was in need of a Savior.
When we follow Jesus who is the true light, we can avoid walking in darkness and falling into sin. In Jesus our paths are lighted so we can see the abundance of life that he promised us. In becoming a reflection of the light of Jesus we must not forget that we are not the source of light but merely a reflection of the light of Christ.
This Lenten Season is an opportune time for us to ask ourselves if we are ready to become a reflection of Christ’s light. If we do, what are the things that we are prepared to give up so that the light of Christ can shine through us.
First Reading: Dan 13:1-62
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 23:1-6 “Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for You are at my side.”
GOSPEL: Jn 8:12-20
Key Verse: “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness.” (v.12)
When Jesus spoke claiming to be the Light of the World the Pharisees were quick to challenge him (v.12) because to them he was already claiming not only to be the Messiah but he was claiming something that the Jews associate only to God.
Understandably so because the Jews have always associated light with God: “The Lord is m light” (Psa 27:1), “The Lord will be your everlasting light” (Isa 60:19), “By his light I walked through darkness” (Job 29:3), “When I sit in darkness the Lord will be a light to me” (Mic 7:8).
What Jesus said next is what I believe to be as important as recognizing him as the light because it doesn’t only mean taking a leap of faith from the dark-caressed world that we are in into the light of our salvation but it means a whole lot more. When Jesus said that anyone who follows him “will never walk in darkness” he actually was giving the Pharisees and the Jews who were listening to him and he is telling us now that it is only in him that we can find the light to help find our way.
In fact, Jesus does not only provide us the light but he actually accompanies us in our journey since we are bound to stumble and fall into sin and we grope to keep our balance when we walk alone as many of the problems that we face in life are beyond our human capacity to solve. Many times we take the wrong turn and persist on the wrong way because we cannot see our spiritual road map.
There is no doubt that some of us will succeed through our own efforts but only those who will put his complete trust and confidence in Jesus is assured of finishing the race and reaching his goal.
However, to follow him means that by the Grace of God we have finally found our home because to follow Jesus Christ is more than just tagging along. To follow him means a life lived in complete subservience to the Will of God. It means placing ourselves – body, soul and spirit – in the palm of His hand.
Conversely, there are three things that we must bear in mind with regards to the light who is Christ and we becoming the light that others may see.
1. The light can also represent our relationship with Jesus Christ and again this simply means that for anyone who has made a commitment to follow him must also become a light (Mt 5:15-16). And it begins with the fact that by following him, we have him as the light and if we live for Christ we certainly will glow like a light drawing others to the source of light.
2) The light may represent the effect of our life on others. Translated into our present reality, it would be pointless if we will not let others see the light that is in us. This means that we cannot hide the light (Mk 4:21) because if we are to look at ourselves as a lamp then we have to let our lives shine and be useful. As Christian disciples who have made a decision to follow Christ, our lives must become the means through which other people can find God and how to live for him. We must refrain from dwelling in complacency, stubbornness of heart and disobedience because these negative tendencies will keep God’s light from shining through us.
3) The light also represent the level in the growth of our knowledge of God. As the light of the truth of Jesus is revealed to us, we are obliged to put into practice the teachings of Christ as we are able to understand and grasp its meaning and significance as we see it. While the truth of Christ is clear and unchangeable, our human capacity to understand is imperfect and it is only by having an obedient heart that we will see with a clearer vision and understanding (Jam 1:22-25).
The crux of this Gospel passage can be seen when Jesus said: “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (v. 12) And many of us will ask what is the relationship between light and life. Jesus himself provides us the answer in Jn 1:4 when he said: “In him was life, and the life was the light of men.”
In the course of this life that God has so generously allowed us to live, we must not forget that this light that illumines our lives has Jesus as the source from whom comes the light. This is what happens to those who have strayed away from the light and have remained blind to the light but whom God found and drawn to receive their second baptism for it is only when the Spirit of God is imparted to us that we regain our sight and our ability to see the light.
In my past life I thought that I was good enough and that whatever success I had was on account of my own ability and though I know that there is a God little did I know that I do not have the power to keep the light that I thought I had from remaining lit. I went about my life my own way and the only connection I had with God was during Sunday Mass.
But success acquired outside of the sphere of God’s influence brings with it manifold problems and this was precisely what happened as the ivory tower that I built started crumbling down to the ground. And God who is gracious and kind picked me up from the abyss I was in and brought me back to his light and in his light I saw myself as I am – a sinner who was in need of a Savior.
When we follow Jesus who is the true light, we can avoid walking in darkness and falling into sin. In Jesus our paths are lighted so we can see the abundance of life that he promised us. In becoming a reflection of the light of Jesus we must not forget that we are not the source of light but merely a reflection of the light of Christ.
This Lenten Season is an opportune time for us to ask ourselves if we are ready to become a reflection of Christ’s light. If we do, what are the things that we are prepared to give up so that the light of Christ can shine through us.
IN JESUS THERE IS LIFE
APRIL 6, 2014: FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT
First Reading: Eze 37:12-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 130:1-8 “With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.”
Second Reading: Rom 8:8-11
GOSPEL: JN 11:3-7, 17, 20-27, 33-45
Key Verse: “I am the resurrection and the life.” (v.25)
Of the numerous miracles that Jesus did, the raising of Lazarus from death will probably rank as the most awesome among the miraculous events that the people witnessed at the time. Why? Because Lazarus was already dead for four days and technically and based on the Jewish tradition, the soul of a person hovers with the mortal remains for three days.
The Jews believed that the soul leaves the body of the dead person permanently after three days from this day forward and there would be stench because corruption of the body will begin from this day onwards. This was why Martha objected when Jesus said: “Take away the stone,” (v.39) Martha, however, has no way of knowing that Jesus may have intentionally delayed his coming so that he will have the opportunity to turn what to many seem to be a hopeless situation which was also the reason he said: “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” (v.4)
We cannot second guess what Jesus really had in mind but you will note that this event happened in Bethany which is just two miles from Jerusalem and this was the reason why the chief priests and the Pharisees have finally decided put the capstone to their plot to kill Jesus for they feared the kind of publicity related to the miracles and healings attributed to Jesus will provide undeniable proof to the claim that he was indeed the Son of God.
And the situation may have reached its turning point when Jesus addressed Martha: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live even if he has died; and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” (v.25) and statements such as these became a cause of worry for the Pharisees because these are not empty words since these were accompanied by a factual deed when Lazarus actually rose when Jesus commanded him to come out even if he had been dead for four days.
This event certainly will have serious political repercussions and the Pharisees used this to finally muster the courage to plan and bring Jesus before the Roman on a charge of rebellion. The chief priests actually succeeded in their plot as we saw what happened to Jesus but what Caiaphas failed to comprehend was they may have done Jesus a favor because by his death Jesus finally proved once and for all that he spoke the truth when he said: “I am the resurrection and the life.” (v.25) The rest is history and his death and resurrection led a multitude to finally believe and have faith in him which eventually led to the downfall of the Roman empire and the spread of Christianity throughout the world.
But when we look deeper into the Gospel of John we will find that these manifestations of healings and miraculous events have also been happening in our lives and are still taking place in the lives of many believers and converts both now and those that are yet to come.
In each one of us there is a Lazarus that is waiting to be resurrected. There is also a Martha in us who is always on the move. And there is also a Mary in some of us who have found “the one thing that is necessary.”
That Lazarus had been laid out in a tomb for four days was in keeping with the tradition in those days that the dead need to be buried within 24 hours since they yet do not have an advanced embalming process at that time. For all intents and purposes, there was no way that Lazarus could rise up and live. At least to Martha and Mary the people who were there.
But what this event is telling us is that for us who are already dead to sin can still be resurrected and brought out of darkness and into a marvelous light if we will only believe in Jesus. Belief in Jesus is the key to being resurrected from the depth of our sinfulness.
We suffer spiritual death when we ignore the needs of others and or when we become insensitive to the feelings of others. We put to death our honor and integrity when we engage in a dishonest pursuit of livelihood especially when we take advantage of our positions in the public sector, corporate world, church or community. There is no life in us when we prefer to sow disunity and disharmony in the Church and or in the Community by our disrespect to the flow of pastoral authority.
We are dead when we refuse to use our hands for the building of God’s Kingdom on earth by our refusal to serve in the mission field or when we don’t evangelize. We are dead when we allow pride to rule our lives thinking highly of ourselves instead of embracing the humility and obedience that Christ has set as a standard. We can be dead by our endless pursuit of fame, power and honor in both our temporal lives and even inside the Church.
And like Lazarus, Jesus Christ can resurrect our bodies that are dead to sin and bring us into a renewed relationship with God and with life itself for life begins the moment a person accepts Jesus as his personal Lord and Savior. We begin to enjoy life because the fear of death is removed from our midst as we begin to believe in Jesus who is the source of life.
We are also ushered into a relationship with life itself by our resurrection because believing in Jesus means not only observing but following his commands of which there are only two – “love the Lord Thy God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your might.” And the second is more like it “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.
This means that we are resurrected to a new life when we find joy in the company of fellow believers and finding joy in bringing the Good News to others as we have been commanded to do.
To evangelize is to be like Martha who is a woman of action. Some of us may be hard and unkind to Martha for the way she acted towards Mary (Lk 10:38-42) but impatient though she may be there was no doubt she has the faith bigger than a mustard seed when she told Jesus: “Yes Lord, I am convinced that you are God’s Anointed One, the Son of God, the One who is to come into the world.” (v.27)
This was also what Mary found when instead of helping Martha she chose to stay with Jesus kneeling down in front of him and listening to him. And when Martha protested and complained of Mary’s childish behavior Jesus only said “one thing is needed.” (Lk 10:42) At this very moment, Mary became like the man who found the treasure and the merchant who found the pearl of great price when she found joy in the Word of God while listening to Jesus – the one thing that is necessary.
And it is the same with us. When we believe in Jesus and accept everything that he says to be true and if we stake everything we have in our possession to gain the truth that Jesus brings then we are resurrected for we are released from the fear that punctuates the godless life that we lived in the past.
What happens is that when we are raised to a new life in Jesus, our lives become so fulfilled that death has no more power over us and it is also through Jesus and with the Holy Spirit working in us that we are being transported to our place in the Kingdom of Heaven.
First Reading: Eze 37:12-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 130:1-8 “With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.”
Second Reading: Rom 8:8-11
GOSPEL: JN 11:3-7, 17, 20-27, 33-45
Key Verse: “I am the resurrection and the life.” (v.25)
Of the numerous miracles that Jesus did, the raising of Lazarus from death will probably rank as the most awesome among the miraculous events that the people witnessed at the time. Why? Because Lazarus was already dead for four days and technically and based on the Jewish tradition, the soul of a person hovers with the mortal remains for three days.
The Jews believed that the soul leaves the body of the dead person permanently after three days from this day forward and there would be stench because corruption of the body will begin from this day onwards. This was why Martha objected when Jesus said: “Take away the stone,” (v.39) Martha, however, has no way of knowing that Jesus may have intentionally delayed his coming so that he will have the opportunity to turn what to many seem to be a hopeless situation which was also the reason he said: “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” (v.4)
We cannot second guess what Jesus really had in mind but you will note that this event happened in Bethany which is just two miles from Jerusalem and this was the reason why the chief priests and the Pharisees have finally decided put the capstone to their plot to kill Jesus for they feared the kind of publicity related to the miracles and healings attributed to Jesus will provide undeniable proof to the claim that he was indeed the Son of God.
And the situation may have reached its turning point when Jesus addressed Martha: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live even if he has died; and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” (v.25) and statements such as these became a cause of worry for the Pharisees because these are not empty words since these were accompanied by a factual deed when Lazarus actually rose when Jesus commanded him to come out even if he had been dead for four days.
This event certainly will have serious political repercussions and the Pharisees used this to finally muster the courage to plan and bring Jesus before the Roman on a charge of rebellion. The chief priests actually succeeded in their plot as we saw what happened to Jesus but what Caiaphas failed to comprehend was they may have done Jesus a favor because by his death Jesus finally proved once and for all that he spoke the truth when he said: “I am the resurrection and the life.” (v.25) The rest is history and his death and resurrection led a multitude to finally believe and have faith in him which eventually led to the downfall of the Roman empire and the spread of Christianity throughout the world.
But when we look deeper into the Gospel of John we will find that these manifestations of healings and miraculous events have also been happening in our lives and are still taking place in the lives of many believers and converts both now and those that are yet to come.
In each one of us there is a Lazarus that is waiting to be resurrected. There is also a Martha in us who is always on the move. And there is also a Mary in some of us who have found “the one thing that is necessary.”
That Lazarus had been laid out in a tomb for four days was in keeping with the tradition in those days that the dead need to be buried within 24 hours since they yet do not have an advanced embalming process at that time. For all intents and purposes, there was no way that Lazarus could rise up and live. At least to Martha and Mary the people who were there.
But what this event is telling us is that for us who are already dead to sin can still be resurrected and brought out of darkness and into a marvelous light if we will only believe in Jesus. Belief in Jesus is the key to being resurrected from the depth of our sinfulness.
We suffer spiritual death when we ignore the needs of others and or when we become insensitive to the feelings of others. We put to death our honor and integrity when we engage in a dishonest pursuit of livelihood especially when we take advantage of our positions in the public sector, corporate world, church or community. There is no life in us when we prefer to sow disunity and disharmony in the Church and or in the Community by our disrespect to the flow of pastoral authority.
We are dead when we refuse to use our hands for the building of God’s Kingdom on earth by our refusal to serve in the mission field or when we don’t evangelize. We are dead when we allow pride to rule our lives thinking highly of ourselves instead of embracing the humility and obedience that Christ has set as a standard. We can be dead by our endless pursuit of fame, power and honor in both our temporal lives and even inside the Church.
And like Lazarus, Jesus Christ can resurrect our bodies that are dead to sin and bring us into a renewed relationship with God and with life itself for life begins the moment a person accepts Jesus as his personal Lord and Savior. We begin to enjoy life because the fear of death is removed from our midst as we begin to believe in Jesus who is the source of life.
We are also ushered into a relationship with life itself by our resurrection because believing in Jesus means not only observing but following his commands of which there are only two – “love the Lord Thy God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your might.” And the second is more like it “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.
This means that we are resurrected to a new life when we find joy in the company of fellow believers and finding joy in bringing the Good News to others as we have been commanded to do.
To evangelize is to be like Martha who is a woman of action. Some of us may be hard and unkind to Martha for the way she acted towards Mary (Lk 10:38-42) but impatient though she may be there was no doubt she has the faith bigger than a mustard seed when she told Jesus: “Yes Lord, I am convinced that you are God’s Anointed One, the Son of God, the One who is to come into the world.” (v.27)
This was also what Mary found when instead of helping Martha she chose to stay with Jesus kneeling down in front of him and listening to him. And when Martha protested and complained of Mary’s childish behavior Jesus only said “one thing is needed.” (Lk 10:42) At this very moment, Mary became like the man who found the treasure and the merchant who found the pearl of great price when she found joy in the Word of God while listening to Jesus – the one thing that is necessary.
And it is the same with us. When we believe in Jesus and accept everything that he says to be true and if we stake everything we have in our possession to gain the truth that Jesus brings then we are resurrected for we are released from the fear that punctuates the godless life that we lived in the past.
What happens is that when we are raised to a new life in Jesus, our lives become so fulfilled that death has no more power over us and it is also through Jesus and with the Holy Spirit working in us that we are being transported to our place in the Kingdom of Heaven.
JESUS IS COUNTING ON US
APRIL 5, 2014: FOURTH WEEK OF LENT
First Reading: Jer 11:18-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 7:2-3, 9-12 “O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge.”
GOSPEL: JN 7:40-53
Key Verse: “He is the Christ.” (v.41)
There is probably no one in this planet who is not looking for God or a god for that matter. Those who have been through thick and thin maybe looking for the One True God who could bring them out of the darkness they are in and into the marvelous light.
But there are some who will follow their own will and search for god that comes in different forms and shapes. This god could be in the way of a career, wealth, fame, position and possessions and they have become so driven to achieve success and bring in the rewards of their labor and they put in all their trust in this god that has become their messiah.
And this Messianic search has been going on for ages and what was ironic was that the religious leaders in the olden days not only tried to kill Jesus who identified himself as the Messiah that the Jews have been waiting for but they actually succeeded in putting him to death on the cross.
It is sad that this search for a god has spilled over even to the political arena because today we are no better than the Pharisees, Scribes and the Sadducees by our rejection of the person of Jesus Christ and we are actually crucifying him once again by our patronage of the RH Law.
It may also sound alien to the government functionaries who worked for the passage into law of the contentious Reproductive Health Bill last year that they were actually reenacting the passion and death of Jesus Christ and this time there were not only three nails that were driven onto the hands and feet of Christ but dozens of nails representing the number of Representatives, Senators and government executives who were instrumental in the passage of the RH Bill into law.
As if the RH Law was not enough, the same set of legislators who pushed or the RH Bill are now also pushing for the enactment of the so-called “death bills” such as abortion, divorce and same-sex marriage. Like the Pharisees we seem oblivious to the presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ in our midst that we are now also trying to kill the very source of Grace and our salvation.
In today’s Gospel reading we see the religious leaders saying: “Surely this man is the Prophet.” (v.40) and others said, “He is the Christ.” (v.41) But the Scribes, Pharisees and the religious leaders do not know what to make out of Jesus. Having gotten used to the stringent laws they have imposed on the people, many of the Jews were amazed at the way Jesus taught at the synagogues. In fact, they were mesmerized by the kind of authority that Jesus exuded that introduced a new dimension to the Old Testament traditions that the Jews grew up with.
But this was as far as they would go and they will continue to reject Jesus simply because he did not fit into the image they have created of the Messiah. In fact, these religious leaders and many of the Jews have become selective listeners. They perhaps agreed with what Jesus said but only if this will not compromise their position as teachers of the law.
While this was the pervading mood at the time, this culture of unbelief is still in vogue these days as there remains a certain degree of resistance to the Word of God and it is not unusual to see that there are around us who still could not subordinate their human nature to God’s Will.
This is because the battle between good and evil is still raging and although Christ has already conquered the world, the evil one remains active and on the prowl like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Pet 5:8) which is why we need to be alert all the time to resist the devil and stand firm in the faith (1 Pet 5:9).
In the first reading, the prophet Jeremiah was also opposed by his own people because the words he spoke was not accepted by the people and they plotted to silence him and to “cut him off from the land of the living.” (Jer 11:19).
We may not be aware of it but we are also rejecting Jesus by shunting aside the beneficial value of his Gospel because his teachings do not sit well with us. The thing is we cannot remain indifferent when we come across the message of Christ.
Notwithstanding the abject refusal of the Jews to accept him as the Messiah his presence caused a division for many in Israel. There are those who believed he was a prophet, some said the Messiah and, some believed he was neither. The reaction of the temple guards who were sent to arrest Jesus was one of bewildered amazement.
They went to arrest him and they returned empty-handed because “no one ever spoke the way Jesus did.” (v.46) but the reaction of the chief priests and the Pharisees was one of contempt. Contrary to this misdemeanor, the reaction of Nicodemus was at most timid. His heart moved him to defend Jesus, but his head told him not to take the risk.
This brings us to the question in the present form – “Who is Jesus for you?” Having known him as the one who created us, who gave up his life and died on the cross to ransom us and who purchased us with his own blood, why is it that we cannot bring ourselves to submit to his Will and defend him from those who ignore him.
Because to stand up for Jesus will invite mockery into our lives. We can even become unpopular in the way we live our lives. To follow Jesus as a disciple would entail hardship, sacrifice, and suffering. And in our lifetime, we will be confronted with choices from which we must choose from: 1) To have our lives fueled by God’s selfless love for others or by our own self-centered love and selfish desires; 2) To be loyal to God’s wise rule and kingdom laws or to the standards of a worldly kingdom opposed to God; 3) To be servants of Jesus our King or to be slaves to sin and Satan.
There will be times when we will find ourselves wanting to defend Jesus when we hear him being mocked and ridiculed but we can’t gather the boldness to do so because our lives do not mirror the authority that is needed for us to preach the Word of God in spirit and in truth.
In other words, we are incapable of defending Jesus because we do not want to risk the specter of being rejected ourselves. What we may be forgetting is what Jesus has said that he would confess before God the Father those who would confess him here on earth. Worst still is the probability that Jesus would deny before the Father in heaven those who would deny him on earth.
In this Lenten Season, it would be of immense benefit to us if we could spend some quiet time to ask ourselves if we are prepared to stand up for Jesus not only to defend him but to bring the Gospel of love to others. Are we prepared to give him honor and be loyal to him regardless of the cost to us?
When we hold back on our subservience to Jesus because we still could not dissociate ourselves from the world we must remember that if we persist in doing this, we are losing our rights to earn a piece of the Kingdom of God that has been reserved for us.
The paradox of life is that it is through the cross of sacrifice and suffering that will earn for us an abundant life that is filled with eternal joy. This is why the cross is something we should not avoid but which we should embrace for our salvation depends on the cross.
Let me end with this quote from Pope Francis who said in one of his homily: “My wish is that all of us, after these days of grace, will have the courage to walk in the presence of the Lord, with the Lord's Cross; to build the Church on the Lord's blood which was poured out on the Cross; and to profess the one glory: Christ crucified. And in this way, the Church will go forward.”
First Reading: Jer 11:18-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 7:2-3, 9-12 “O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge.”
GOSPEL: JN 7:40-53
Key Verse: “He is the Christ.” (v.41)
There is probably no one in this planet who is not looking for God or a god for that matter. Those who have been through thick and thin maybe looking for the One True God who could bring them out of the darkness they are in and into the marvelous light.
But there are some who will follow their own will and search for god that comes in different forms and shapes. This god could be in the way of a career, wealth, fame, position and possessions and they have become so driven to achieve success and bring in the rewards of their labor and they put in all their trust in this god that has become their messiah.
And this Messianic search has been going on for ages and what was ironic was that the religious leaders in the olden days not only tried to kill Jesus who identified himself as the Messiah that the Jews have been waiting for but they actually succeeded in putting him to death on the cross.
It is sad that this search for a god has spilled over even to the political arena because today we are no better than the Pharisees, Scribes and the Sadducees by our rejection of the person of Jesus Christ and we are actually crucifying him once again by our patronage of the RH Law.
It may also sound alien to the government functionaries who worked for the passage into law of the contentious Reproductive Health Bill last year that they were actually reenacting the passion and death of Jesus Christ and this time there were not only three nails that were driven onto the hands and feet of Christ but dozens of nails representing the number of Representatives, Senators and government executives who were instrumental in the passage of the RH Bill into law.
As if the RH Law was not enough, the same set of legislators who pushed or the RH Bill are now also pushing for the enactment of the so-called “death bills” such as abortion, divorce and same-sex marriage. Like the Pharisees we seem oblivious to the presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ in our midst that we are now also trying to kill the very source of Grace and our salvation.
In today’s Gospel reading we see the religious leaders saying: “Surely this man is the Prophet.” (v.40) and others said, “He is the Christ.” (v.41) But the Scribes, Pharisees and the religious leaders do not know what to make out of Jesus. Having gotten used to the stringent laws they have imposed on the people, many of the Jews were amazed at the way Jesus taught at the synagogues. In fact, they were mesmerized by the kind of authority that Jesus exuded that introduced a new dimension to the Old Testament traditions that the Jews grew up with.
But this was as far as they would go and they will continue to reject Jesus simply because he did not fit into the image they have created of the Messiah. In fact, these religious leaders and many of the Jews have become selective listeners. They perhaps agreed with what Jesus said but only if this will not compromise their position as teachers of the law.
While this was the pervading mood at the time, this culture of unbelief is still in vogue these days as there remains a certain degree of resistance to the Word of God and it is not unusual to see that there are around us who still could not subordinate their human nature to God’s Will.
This is because the battle between good and evil is still raging and although Christ has already conquered the world, the evil one remains active and on the prowl like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Pet 5:8) which is why we need to be alert all the time to resist the devil and stand firm in the faith (1 Pet 5:9).
In the first reading, the prophet Jeremiah was also opposed by his own people because the words he spoke was not accepted by the people and they plotted to silence him and to “cut him off from the land of the living.” (Jer 11:19).
We may not be aware of it but we are also rejecting Jesus by shunting aside the beneficial value of his Gospel because his teachings do not sit well with us. The thing is we cannot remain indifferent when we come across the message of Christ.
Notwithstanding the abject refusal of the Jews to accept him as the Messiah his presence caused a division for many in Israel. There are those who believed he was a prophet, some said the Messiah and, some believed he was neither. The reaction of the temple guards who were sent to arrest Jesus was one of bewildered amazement.
They went to arrest him and they returned empty-handed because “no one ever spoke the way Jesus did.” (v.46) but the reaction of the chief priests and the Pharisees was one of contempt. Contrary to this misdemeanor, the reaction of Nicodemus was at most timid. His heart moved him to defend Jesus, but his head told him not to take the risk.
This brings us to the question in the present form – “Who is Jesus for you?” Having known him as the one who created us, who gave up his life and died on the cross to ransom us and who purchased us with his own blood, why is it that we cannot bring ourselves to submit to his Will and defend him from those who ignore him.
Because to stand up for Jesus will invite mockery into our lives. We can even become unpopular in the way we live our lives. To follow Jesus as a disciple would entail hardship, sacrifice, and suffering. And in our lifetime, we will be confronted with choices from which we must choose from: 1) To have our lives fueled by God’s selfless love for others or by our own self-centered love and selfish desires; 2) To be loyal to God’s wise rule and kingdom laws or to the standards of a worldly kingdom opposed to God; 3) To be servants of Jesus our King or to be slaves to sin and Satan.
There will be times when we will find ourselves wanting to defend Jesus when we hear him being mocked and ridiculed but we can’t gather the boldness to do so because our lives do not mirror the authority that is needed for us to preach the Word of God in spirit and in truth.
In other words, we are incapable of defending Jesus because we do not want to risk the specter of being rejected ourselves. What we may be forgetting is what Jesus has said that he would confess before God the Father those who would confess him here on earth. Worst still is the probability that Jesus would deny before the Father in heaven those who would deny him on earth.
In this Lenten Season, it would be of immense benefit to us if we could spend some quiet time to ask ourselves if we are prepared to stand up for Jesus not only to defend him but to bring the Gospel of love to others. Are we prepared to give him honor and be loyal to him regardless of the cost to us?
When we hold back on our subservience to Jesus because we still could not dissociate ourselves from the world we must remember that if we persist in doing this, we are losing our rights to earn a piece of the Kingdom of God that has been reserved for us.
The paradox of life is that it is through the cross of sacrifice and suffering that will earn for us an abundant life that is filled with eternal joy. This is why the cross is something we should not avoid but which we should embrace for our salvation depends on the cross.
Let me end with this quote from Pope Francis who said in one of his homily: “My wish is that all of us, after these days of grace, will have the courage to walk in the presence of the Lord, with the Lord's Cross; to build the Church on the Lord's blood which was poured out on the Cross; and to profess the one glory: Christ crucified. And in this way, the Church will go forward.”
JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY
APRIL 4, 2014: FOURTH WEEK OF LENT
First Reading: Wis 2:1a, 12-22
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 34:17-21, 23 “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.”
GOSPEL: JN 7: 1-2, 10, 25-30
Key Verse: “I am from him who sent me.” (v.29)
As with the religious leaders in the time of Jesus there are also many of us today who cannot accept Jesus as Lord and Savior of all and this is borne out by the battle for possession that is ongoing in our lives. Worse still are those committing apostasy or those who already knew Jesus, who have been sacramentally baptized in the church that Christ has established, who knew who he was and is and yet turn around and reject him.
What many of us do not know is that God has a plan and that is for us to live an abundant life. On the other hand, the devil also has a plan and that is to separate us from the love of God and from the promise of eternal life. On one side is our God who desires to possess us but he requires of us a life surrendered to his Will. And on the other hand is Satan who is present in the material world that the devil uses to deceive us and lure us into thinking that the world is where we can find happiness.
There is a tendency we may feel helpless to put a stop to this battle between good and evil that still rages today but we shouldn’t because we have the power to put a stop to it and this we can do by simply making a choice, by coming to a decision as to which side we are on and arriving at such a decision should not pose any difficulty at all. If we choose good we are assured of the eternal salvation that God had promised. If we choose evil, then be prepared for the eternal damnation that awaits us. That’s all there is to it.
In today’s Gospel reading we see at least two reasons why the religious leaders of his time could not accept Jesus as the Messiah whom God has sent to liberate Israel from bondage. One was that they expected the Messiah to ride into Israel as a conquering king and not as a son of a carpenter from Nazareth.
The other reason was because many of the religious leaders never had it so good. They have expanded the Ten Commandments and the Mosaic Law into hundreds of minute laws such that the people became subservient to them rather than to God who was supposed to be object of their worship. In addition, the religious leaders were treated like royalty seating at the head table and being honored when they walk on the streets or in market places with large tassels adorning the edge of their robes.
The situation must have become worse that Jesus on second thought decided to go and attend the Festival of Tabernacles even after he told his kin that he was not going because “the right time for me has not yet come” (v.6) but he went in secret (v.10) because the people were watching out for him – some to listen to him preach while some wanted to harm him.
The reaction of the crowd at the Temple was mixed – some were amazed at the kind of authority with which he taught while others accused him of imagining the threats to his life even ascribing his works to the demon (v.20).
This reaction was not surprising because Jesus came with a new version of Theology. While he proclaimed he came not to abolish the law, he reformatted the teachings of the Scribes and the Pharisees and gave it a new dimension. The law on forgiveness for example limits the Jews to forgiving someone who have wronged them at least three times but Jesus said God prefers that we must forgive at least 70 times 7 which actually meant a never-ending process of forgiveness.
The Jews also rejected him because they knew where he came from and his coming did not conform to popular belief that the Messiah would burst upon the world in a mysterious way and Jesus did not fit into the standard by which the Jews measured the coming of the Messiah.
It was not because the Jews were less religious except that they worshipped God as the magnificent God in whom all things were made but they could see God in ordinary things much less see God as a son of an ordinary carpenter. To them the coming of the Messiah has to be an extraordinary event such as the parting of the Red Sea. There was no doubt either that they worshipped God except that their worship was governed by the expanded Mosaic law.
The kind of religion that Christ brought was a radical departure from the way the Jews worshipped and with the objections of the Jews in mind, Jesus shocked the people at the Temple with two shocking statements. He said that while it was true the Jews knew where he came from, it cannot be disputed that he came direct from God. Jesus also said that the people did not know God but he did (vv.28-29).
This was probably the biggest insult that anyone can levy on the Jews – to say they did not know God. Up to this time, the religious leaders treated him as a rabble rouser but after he had spoken these words Jesus now was to be accused of blasphemy.
There was an underlying reality from all these and it was possible that the Jews just could not accept Jesus even if they knew he spoke with authority but because they could no longer change their ways. In fact, it was probable the Jews were struck with fear of the unknown if they were to listen and believe in Jesus.
This is the same choice that is being placed on the table before us. On one side is the world to which we grew up in and all the allurements that have been made available to us to make our lives comfortable. The advent of technology has provided us with ease in the way we go through life.
On the other side is Jesus through whom eternal salvation is available but without any assurance that life would be easy. In fact, it was Jesus Himself who said that anyone who wants to become his disciple will have to deny himself, take up his cross and follow him (Lk 9:23).
A deeper understanding of this passage means we need to die to ourselves by detaching ourselves from the world and also to accept and endure all the trials that will come our way as part of God’s plan. There is no doubt that it is difficult to live as a Christian. The reality, however, is we have no choice because we cannot possibly live in eternity apart from Christ.
Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) put it this way: “Our Lord had the power to lay down his life and to take it up again. But we cannot choose how long we shall live, and death comes to us even against our will. Christ, by dying, has already overcome death. Our freedom from death comes only through his death. To save us Christ had no need of us. Yet without him we can do nothing. He gave himself to us as the vine to the branches; apart from him we cannot live.”
Jesus claimed to have a unique relationship with God something the Jews failed to comprehend. To identity himself as being one with God was blasphemous as far as the Jews are concerned. But we cannot be indifferent to this proclamation of Jesus because we are blessed with all the necessary information relative to our Christian faith.
Which is why today there are only two choices we can make – it’s either we are for him or against him. There is no middle ground. We can either remain in the world and try to fit Jesus in the way we live, in the way we pursue our business, and in the way we relate to others.
Or we can allow Jesus to take control of our life and allow him to deliver us from own ignorance and pride. It would help perhaps if we will ask ourselves if we recognize all that Jesus has done for us with faith and reverence or do we shun Jesus with disbelief and contempt?
Making a choice as to which side we are with is the same as the choices we will make in the coming May 13, 2013 elections. On one side are a group of senatorial candidates who by their actions have expressed their conviction to preserve life and the Filipino family.
On the other side are another group of senatorial aspirants who believe in destroying the moral fiber of society by their bias in favor of the so-called “death bills” that are disguised as abortion, divorce, and same-sex marriage. The consequences of our choices are tremendous, both in this life and in eternity.
We cannot play with our lives. If we say no then we have already condemned ourselves. If we say maybe, tomorrow may never come. But if we say yes, then we are assured of the eternal life Jesus has promised.
First Reading: Wis 2:1a, 12-22
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 34:17-21, 23 “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.”
GOSPEL: JN 7: 1-2, 10, 25-30
Key Verse: “I am from him who sent me.” (v.29)
As with the religious leaders in the time of Jesus there are also many of us today who cannot accept Jesus as Lord and Savior of all and this is borne out by the battle for possession that is ongoing in our lives. Worse still are those committing apostasy or those who already knew Jesus, who have been sacramentally baptized in the church that Christ has established, who knew who he was and is and yet turn around and reject him.
What many of us do not know is that God has a plan and that is for us to live an abundant life. On the other hand, the devil also has a plan and that is to separate us from the love of God and from the promise of eternal life. On one side is our God who desires to possess us but he requires of us a life surrendered to his Will. And on the other hand is Satan who is present in the material world that the devil uses to deceive us and lure us into thinking that the world is where we can find happiness.
There is a tendency we may feel helpless to put a stop to this battle between good and evil that still rages today but we shouldn’t because we have the power to put a stop to it and this we can do by simply making a choice, by coming to a decision as to which side we are on and arriving at such a decision should not pose any difficulty at all. If we choose good we are assured of the eternal salvation that God had promised. If we choose evil, then be prepared for the eternal damnation that awaits us. That’s all there is to it.
In today’s Gospel reading we see at least two reasons why the religious leaders of his time could not accept Jesus as the Messiah whom God has sent to liberate Israel from bondage. One was that they expected the Messiah to ride into Israel as a conquering king and not as a son of a carpenter from Nazareth.
The other reason was because many of the religious leaders never had it so good. They have expanded the Ten Commandments and the Mosaic Law into hundreds of minute laws such that the people became subservient to them rather than to God who was supposed to be object of their worship. In addition, the religious leaders were treated like royalty seating at the head table and being honored when they walk on the streets or in market places with large tassels adorning the edge of their robes.
The situation must have become worse that Jesus on second thought decided to go and attend the Festival of Tabernacles even after he told his kin that he was not going because “the right time for me has not yet come” (v.6) but he went in secret (v.10) because the people were watching out for him – some to listen to him preach while some wanted to harm him.
The reaction of the crowd at the Temple was mixed – some were amazed at the kind of authority with which he taught while others accused him of imagining the threats to his life even ascribing his works to the demon (v.20).
This reaction was not surprising because Jesus came with a new version of Theology. While he proclaimed he came not to abolish the law, he reformatted the teachings of the Scribes and the Pharisees and gave it a new dimension. The law on forgiveness for example limits the Jews to forgiving someone who have wronged them at least three times but Jesus said God prefers that we must forgive at least 70 times 7 which actually meant a never-ending process of forgiveness.
The Jews also rejected him because they knew where he came from and his coming did not conform to popular belief that the Messiah would burst upon the world in a mysterious way and Jesus did not fit into the standard by which the Jews measured the coming of the Messiah.
It was not because the Jews were less religious except that they worshipped God as the magnificent God in whom all things were made but they could see God in ordinary things much less see God as a son of an ordinary carpenter. To them the coming of the Messiah has to be an extraordinary event such as the parting of the Red Sea. There was no doubt either that they worshipped God except that their worship was governed by the expanded Mosaic law.
The kind of religion that Christ brought was a radical departure from the way the Jews worshipped and with the objections of the Jews in mind, Jesus shocked the people at the Temple with two shocking statements. He said that while it was true the Jews knew where he came from, it cannot be disputed that he came direct from God. Jesus also said that the people did not know God but he did (vv.28-29).
This was probably the biggest insult that anyone can levy on the Jews – to say they did not know God. Up to this time, the religious leaders treated him as a rabble rouser but after he had spoken these words Jesus now was to be accused of blasphemy.
There was an underlying reality from all these and it was possible that the Jews just could not accept Jesus even if they knew he spoke with authority but because they could no longer change their ways. In fact, it was probable the Jews were struck with fear of the unknown if they were to listen and believe in Jesus.
This is the same choice that is being placed on the table before us. On one side is the world to which we grew up in and all the allurements that have been made available to us to make our lives comfortable. The advent of technology has provided us with ease in the way we go through life.
On the other side is Jesus through whom eternal salvation is available but without any assurance that life would be easy. In fact, it was Jesus Himself who said that anyone who wants to become his disciple will have to deny himself, take up his cross and follow him (Lk 9:23).
A deeper understanding of this passage means we need to die to ourselves by detaching ourselves from the world and also to accept and endure all the trials that will come our way as part of God’s plan. There is no doubt that it is difficult to live as a Christian. The reality, however, is we have no choice because we cannot possibly live in eternity apart from Christ.
Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) put it this way: “Our Lord had the power to lay down his life and to take it up again. But we cannot choose how long we shall live, and death comes to us even against our will. Christ, by dying, has already overcome death. Our freedom from death comes only through his death. To save us Christ had no need of us. Yet without him we can do nothing. He gave himself to us as the vine to the branches; apart from him we cannot live.”
Jesus claimed to have a unique relationship with God something the Jews failed to comprehend. To identity himself as being one with God was blasphemous as far as the Jews are concerned. But we cannot be indifferent to this proclamation of Jesus because we are blessed with all the necessary information relative to our Christian faith.
Which is why today there are only two choices we can make – it’s either we are for him or against him. There is no middle ground. We can either remain in the world and try to fit Jesus in the way we live, in the way we pursue our business, and in the way we relate to others.
Or we can allow Jesus to take control of our life and allow him to deliver us from own ignorance and pride. It would help perhaps if we will ask ourselves if we recognize all that Jesus has done for us with faith and reverence or do we shun Jesus with disbelief and contempt?
Making a choice as to which side we are with is the same as the choices we will make in the coming May 13, 2013 elections. On one side are a group of senatorial candidates who by their actions have expressed their conviction to preserve life and the Filipino family.
On the other side are another group of senatorial aspirants who believe in destroying the moral fiber of society by their bias in favor of the so-called “death bills” that are disguised as abortion, divorce, and same-sex marriage. The consequences of our choices are tremendous, both in this life and in eternity.
We cannot play with our lives. If we say no then we have already condemned ourselves. If we say maybe, tomorrow may never come. But if we say yes, then we are assured of the eternal life Jesus has promised.
BE STILL AND LISTEN
APRIL 3, 2014: FOURTH WEEK OF LENT
First Reading: Exo 32:7-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 106:19-23 “Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.”
GOSPEL: Jn 5:31-47
Key Verse: “I have come in my Father’s Name.” (v.43)
Was there a time in your life when you felt like you were an outsider even when you were with friends? This usually happens when you have been away for quite sometime and you find it hard getting back into the groove especially when you find you have missed a lot of things during your absence.
And do you also remember the time when you left your hometown to move into the big city in search of the proverbial green pastures and was away for quite sometime and upon going back home you find the scenery was not as it used to be and almost everything has changed.
We have been told many times that our life is like a journey that takes you from one place to another depending on where you want to go. Or you can choose to remain stationary or stagnant that clips your potential for growth.
But life is more than just a journey. Life is also like a classroom and Saint Augustine of Hippo once wrote: “As Christians, our task is to make daily progress toward God. Our pilgrimage on earth is a school in which God is the only teacher, and it demands good students, not ones who play truant. In this school we learn something every day. We learn something from commandments, something from examples, and something from sacraments. These things are remedies for our wounds and materials for study.”
From Ash Wednesday up to today and all the way towards our observance of the Holy Week and the Easter Season, we should look at the Liturgical Readings at the Eucharistic Celebrations as lessons and instructions that come in the form of teachings, narratives, testimonies and parables culled from the Sacred Scriptures.
And the whole objective of these lessons in this Season of Lent is to turn us from being an ordinary person who is struggling to survive and whose goal is just to keep his head above the water into an extraordinary person who is capable of swimming against the current of life’s challenges.
From the rising to the setting of the sun, we are faced with trials and problems that put to a test not only our patience but also our own nature. How we deal with life’s challenges will define who we are. We should therefore look at life as one big classroom and we shouldn’t miss or run away from any of these trials and challenges that come our way because God is using these as opportunities that we may ultimately find our way back to the original image and likeness to which we have all been created. To do this, we must search the Scriptures, ponder upon the Word of God, believe in them and obey them for it is only through Christ in whom we can find our salvation.
This was what Jesus kept telling the Scribes and Pharisees but they failed to recognize the Messiah to whom the Scriptures pointed. Not only did they looked for signs but they demanded evidence of his divinity. Their attitude towards Jesus was probably due to their expectation of a conquering king rather than a Messiah dressed as a carpenter’s son.
What comes as a surprise was how the Scribes and the Pharisees could have closed their eyes to the reality that there have been witnesses pointing to Christ beginning from Moses (Gen 3:15; Num 21:9; Num 24:17; Deut 18:15). God also sent John the Baptist to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah (Jn 1:19, 20, 26) and two times God the Father Himself testified to the divine nature of Christ, once at the Jordan River (Matt 3:17) and at the Transfiguration (Mk 9:7) that was also witnessed by Peter, James and John.
These testimonies would have sufficed but the religious leaders still rejected Christ thus moving him to deliver what appears to be the coup de’ grace when he said: “Yet it is not I who will accuse you of this before the Father. Moses will accuse you! Yes Moses on whom you set your hopes.” (v.45). This was not only a stinging rebuke against the Jews who not only obeyed the Mosaic law but even expanded them into some 613 different rules.
What Jesus was saying here was that the Scribes and Pharisees cannot presume they are saved because they believed in Moses and they missed that which was important in that Moses himself spoke of Jesus.
There are times when we also find ourselves in the same situation. We bask in the approval of our superiors and peers, of the social circle to which we belong, or to some extent even from our ministry heads, elders and servant leaders.
Like the Pharisees, we too desired the praise of fellow humans and we have become so focused on our reputation that we have become oblivious to God’s presence. In the busyness of life, we have become preoccupied with the mundane concerns that fill our lives that there are times our hearts and hearing become hardened and unable to understand the word of God. Worst, we pay lip service when we dwell on the Word of God and our pride made us deaf to what God is telling us.
The Sacred Scripture shows us that God reveals himself to the lowly, to those who trust not in themselves, but those who trust God and listen to God's word with an eagerness to learn and to obey. Let us therefore spend this Fourth Week of Lent to search the Sacred Scriptures to enter into the inner sanctum of the mind and heart of God.
Let us invite the Holy Spirit to open our minds, our ears and our hearts that we may hear only his voice and let us pray for the Grace to listen and obey the Word of God for in them we can find our salvation and the power to stand up for God.
As Christ stood as a representation of God, we too who have been created in his own image and likeness (Gen 1:26), was made new by the power of the Holy Spirit (2 Cor 5:17), and in whom Christ now lives (Gal 2:19-20) and having been predestined in conformity with the purpose and his will for us (Eph 1:11), we too are expected to stand up as ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor 5:20) because it is through us that Christ is now making his appeal to the world.
But the question that remains is do we really know Jesus? I was in a meeting one time where one of those present was Bro. Mike Velarde, founding servant leader of the El Shaddai Prayer Partners Foundation, and he said the problem with the world that we live in today is that many of us don’t recognize the voice of God.
Bro. Mike went on to say that even the strong winds calmed down when it heard the voice of Jesus. So did the waves that buffeted their boat as he and the other Apostles were crossing Lake of Galilee and the fig tree as well. On the other hand, peace will elude those who continue to ignore the voice of God who speaks to us through the Scriptures and through the ordinary events in our lives.
Let this Lenten Season be a time of becoming still so that we can hear the voice of God and listen with our hearts that we may know his Will for us.
First Reading: Exo 32:7-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 106:19-23 “Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.”
GOSPEL: Jn 5:31-47
Key Verse: “I have come in my Father’s Name.” (v.43)
Was there a time in your life when you felt like you were an outsider even when you were with friends? This usually happens when you have been away for quite sometime and you find it hard getting back into the groove especially when you find you have missed a lot of things during your absence.
And do you also remember the time when you left your hometown to move into the big city in search of the proverbial green pastures and was away for quite sometime and upon going back home you find the scenery was not as it used to be and almost everything has changed.
We have been told many times that our life is like a journey that takes you from one place to another depending on where you want to go. Or you can choose to remain stationary or stagnant that clips your potential for growth.
But life is more than just a journey. Life is also like a classroom and Saint Augustine of Hippo once wrote: “As Christians, our task is to make daily progress toward God. Our pilgrimage on earth is a school in which God is the only teacher, and it demands good students, not ones who play truant. In this school we learn something every day. We learn something from commandments, something from examples, and something from sacraments. These things are remedies for our wounds and materials for study.”
From Ash Wednesday up to today and all the way towards our observance of the Holy Week and the Easter Season, we should look at the Liturgical Readings at the Eucharistic Celebrations as lessons and instructions that come in the form of teachings, narratives, testimonies and parables culled from the Sacred Scriptures.
And the whole objective of these lessons in this Season of Lent is to turn us from being an ordinary person who is struggling to survive and whose goal is just to keep his head above the water into an extraordinary person who is capable of swimming against the current of life’s challenges.
From the rising to the setting of the sun, we are faced with trials and problems that put to a test not only our patience but also our own nature. How we deal with life’s challenges will define who we are. We should therefore look at life as one big classroom and we shouldn’t miss or run away from any of these trials and challenges that come our way because God is using these as opportunities that we may ultimately find our way back to the original image and likeness to which we have all been created. To do this, we must search the Scriptures, ponder upon the Word of God, believe in them and obey them for it is only through Christ in whom we can find our salvation.
This was what Jesus kept telling the Scribes and Pharisees but they failed to recognize the Messiah to whom the Scriptures pointed. Not only did they looked for signs but they demanded evidence of his divinity. Their attitude towards Jesus was probably due to their expectation of a conquering king rather than a Messiah dressed as a carpenter’s son.
What comes as a surprise was how the Scribes and the Pharisees could have closed their eyes to the reality that there have been witnesses pointing to Christ beginning from Moses (Gen 3:15; Num 21:9; Num 24:17; Deut 18:15). God also sent John the Baptist to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah (Jn 1:19, 20, 26) and two times God the Father Himself testified to the divine nature of Christ, once at the Jordan River (Matt 3:17) and at the Transfiguration (Mk 9:7) that was also witnessed by Peter, James and John.
These testimonies would have sufficed but the religious leaders still rejected Christ thus moving him to deliver what appears to be the coup de’ grace when he said: “Yet it is not I who will accuse you of this before the Father. Moses will accuse you! Yes Moses on whom you set your hopes.” (v.45). This was not only a stinging rebuke against the Jews who not only obeyed the Mosaic law but even expanded them into some 613 different rules.
What Jesus was saying here was that the Scribes and Pharisees cannot presume they are saved because they believed in Moses and they missed that which was important in that Moses himself spoke of Jesus.
There are times when we also find ourselves in the same situation. We bask in the approval of our superiors and peers, of the social circle to which we belong, or to some extent even from our ministry heads, elders and servant leaders.
Like the Pharisees, we too desired the praise of fellow humans and we have become so focused on our reputation that we have become oblivious to God’s presence. In the busyness of life, we have become preoccupied with the mundane concerns that fill our lives that there are times our hearts and hearing become hardened and unable to understand the word of God. Worst, we pay lip service when we dwell on the Word of God and our pride made us deaf to what God is telling us.
The Sacred Scripture shows us that God reveals himself to the lowly, to those who trust not in themselves, but those who trust God and listen to God's word with an eagerness to learn and to obey. Let us therefore spend this Fourth Week of Lent to search the Sacred Scriptures to enter into the inner sanctum of the mind and heart of God.
Let us invite the Holy Spirit to open our minds, our ears and our hearts that we may hear only his voice and let us pray for the Grace to listen and obey the Word of God for in them we can find our salvation and the power to stand up for God.
As Christ stood as a representation of God, we too who have been created in his own image and likeness (Gen 1:26), was made new by the power of the Holy Spirit (2 Cor 5:17), and in whom Christ now lives (Gal 2:19-20) and having been predestined in conformity with the purpose and his will for us (Eph 1:11), we too are expected to stand up as ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor 5:20) because it is through us that Christ is now making his appeal to the world.
But the question that remains is do we really know Jesus? I was in a meeting one time where one of those present was Bro. Mike Velarde, founding servant leader of the El Shaddai Prayer Partners Foundation, and he said the problem with the world that we live in today is that many of us don’t recognize the voice of God.
Bro. Mike went on to say that even the strong winds calmed down when it heard the voice of Jesus. So did the waves that buffeted their boat as he and the other Apostles were crossing Lake of Galilee and the fig tree as well. On the other hand, peace will elude those who continue to ignore the voice of God who speaks to us through the Scriptures and through the ordinary events in our lives.
Let this Lenten Season be a time of becoming still so that we can hear the voice of God and listen with our hearts that we may know his Will for us.
MADE TO DO GOOD 24/7
APRIL 2, 2014: FOURTH WEEK OF LENT
First Reading: Isa 49:8-15
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 145:8-9, 13-14, 17-18 “The Lord is gracious and merciful.”
GOSPEL: Jn 5:17-30
Key Verse: “My Father is still working, and I am working.” (v.17)
“By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” (Gen 2:1-3)
If God rested and blessed the seventh day which in time became the Sabbath, it follows that man who was created by God will have to keep this day holy and do nothing except think of God in worship. This was how the Jewish religious leaders interpreted the Scriptures and you cannot blame them.
The problem was that the Scribes and Pharisees have expanded the coverage of the Ten Commandments and the teachings of Moses contained in the Torah into hundreds and thousands of laws and imposed these on the people to follow.
One such law was that it was forbidden to do anything on the Sabbath. If someone was sick and in pain, the law of the Sabbath will only allow a doctor or a healer to alleviate the pain of the sick person but it would be against the law of the Sabbath to go beyond relieving the pain and make the person well. In other words, it was alright to apply ointment or herbs to reduce the pain of a sick person but not to make him totally well.
This was why the Pharisees took issue with the man who lifted up his mat and walked because this took the nature of work. And they vented their ire on Jesus because he healed the man who was an invalid for 38 years and made him walk and this was a big no-no.
So the question is: 1) Was the interpretation of Gen 2:1-3 by the Jews correct? (2) Would you defer, postpone or ignore the opportunity to do good just because it fell on a Sabbath or Sunday for that matter? (3) While we may believe that God is our Father in heaven, why can’t we believe then that Jesus the incarnated Son of God co-exists with God?
These are the issues in this Gospel passage today that we need to confront and resolve especially during this Season of Lent and as we step into the Holy Week our appreciation of the nature of Christ in relation to our own identities will determine our salvation.
To be able to digest the substance of this Gospel today, let us look at the nature of the three moving characters in this passage. First we have God the Father who was the Creator of the universe and everything in it and God continues to move in each and everyone one of us and using the skills, talents and gifts he has given us we continue to create that which are good – roads, buildings, schools, hospitals, places of worship, etc.
We also see Jesus in this passage who presented himself as being one with God and this was what infuriated the Jews because they could not accept the mystery of the incarnation. And we see Jesus meeting their objections head-on (Lk 6:11) and Jesus was not only challenging their view of holiness but he established Himself as the Lord of the Sabbath and the Lord of all creation (Lk 6:5; Col 1:15-18).
What Jesus was impressing upon the Jews was that as the Son of Man whose origin was from God the Father, he derives from God His divine nature and by being born of Mary derives from her his human nature. While he claimed to have both divine and human attributes, Jesus acknowledges that “the Father is greater than I” (Jn 14:28) even if “the Father and I are one” (Jn 10:30).
In Christ there are two natures – human and divine – which presupposes that Jesus has a two-fold knowledge – human and divine. As God he knew all things even the thoughts of man on account of the hypostatic union. He also has a two-fold will – human and divine – although his human will is subject to the divine Will (Lk 22:42). And he also has a two-fold activity – a divine activity such as miracles and prophecies and a human activity such as preaching, teaching, praying, eating, sleeping and suffering.
And because of his unity with God, Jesus lived as God wanted him to live and because of our identification with Jesus having been chosen by God (Jn 15:16) and predestined (Eph 1:3-10) which means that God already held us in the palm of His hands even before we were born, we are thus mandated to honor him and live as he wants us to live.
The Pharisees also called God their Father, but they could not grasp the enormity of Jesus who claimed a unique relationship with God and under the circumstances they were in, the Pharisees were confronted with two choices to make: to believe in Jesus or to reject and accuse him of blasphemy. They chose the second (v.17).
This Gospel passage therefore has a two-fold message: One is that God works even on the Sabbath because when the opportunity to do good presents itself it should not be ignored because that which is good is not bound by time nor rules. The other message is that we shouldn’t do what the Pharisees did because Jesus was specifically sent and that those who will listen to him and believe in him will have eternal life (v.24).
Here Jesus was also saying that even the dead (spiritually dead) who have ears to hear, minds to understand, and who will accept him are also assured of eternity. And those who will reject him will also be resurrected (vv.28-29) but they will be subject to God’s final judgment.
Indeed, there are those who live in today’s world in wild abandon crediting themselves for their good fortune claiming that the fruits of their labor were as a result of their talent, wealth, education, connections, and industriousness and they totally ignored the role of God in their human development.
As we step deeper into our Lenten observance, let us dwell on the promise of Christ that those who will accept him will have life in them – a life of abundant peace and joy (Jn 10:10). But if we will reject him then we will have to prepare for an eternal separation from an all-loving God who makes Himself available even on a Sabbath.
First Reading: Isa 49:8-15
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 145:8-9, 13-14, 17-18 “The Lord is gracious and merciful.”
GOSPEL: Jn 5:17-30
Key Verse: “My Father is still working, and I am working.” (v.17)
“By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” (Gen 2:1-3)
If God rested and blessed the seventh day which in time became the Sabbath, it follows that man who was created by God will have to keep this day holy and do nothing except think of God in worship. This was how the Jewish religious leaders interpreted the Scriptures and you cannot blame them.
The problem was that the Scribes and Pharisees have expanded the coverage of the Ten Commandments and the teachings of Moses contained in the Torah into hundreds and thousands of laws and imposed these on the people to follow.
One such law was that it was forbidden to do anything on the Sabbath. If someone was sick and in pain, the law of the Sabbath will only allow a doctor or a healer to alleviate the pain of the sick person but it would be against the law of the Sabbath to go beyond relieving the pain and make the person well. In other words, it was alright to apply ointment or herbs to reduce the pain of a sick person but not to make him totally well.
This was why the Pharisees took issue with the man who lifted up his mat and walked because this took the nature of work. And they vented their ire on Jesus because he healed the man who was an invalid for 38 years and made him walk and this was a big no-no.
So the question is: 1) Was the interpretation of Gen 2:1-3 by the Jews correct? (2) Would you defer, postpone or ignore the opportunity to do good just because it fell on a Sabbath or Sunday for that matter? (3) While we may believe that God is our Father in heaven, why can’t we believe then that Jesus the incarnated Son of God co-exists with God?
These are the issues in this Gospel passage today that we need to confront and resolve especially during this Season of Lent and as we step into the Holy Week our appreciation of the nature of Christ in relation to our own identities will determine our salvation.
To be able to digest the substance of this Gospel today, let us look at the nature of the three moving characters in this passage. First we have God the Father who was the Creator of the universe and everything in it and God continues to move in each and everyone one of us and using the skills, talents and gifts he has given us we continue to create that which are good – roads, buildings, schools, hospitals, places of worship, etc.
We also see Jesus in this passage who presented himself as being one with God and this was what infuriated the Jews because they could not accept the mystery of the incarnation. And we see Jesus meeting their objections head-on (Lk 6:11) and Jesus was not only challenging their view of holiness but he established Himself as the Lord of the Sabbath and the Lord of all creation (Lk 6:5; Col 1:15-18).
What Jesus was impressing upon the Jews was that as the Son of Man whose origin was from God the Father, he derives from God His divine nature and by being born of Mary derives from her his human nature. While he claimed to have both divine and human attributes, Jesus acknowledges that “the Father is greater than I” (Jn 14:28) even if “the Father and I are one” (Jn 10:30).
In Christ there are two natures – human and divine – which presupposes that Jesus has a two-fold knowledge – human and divine. As God he knew all things even the thoughts of man on account of the hypostatic union. He also has a two-fold will – human and divine – although his human will is subject to the divine Will (Lk 22:42). And he also has a two-fold activity – a divine activity such as miracles and prophecies and a human activity such as preaching, teaching, praying, eating, sleeping and suffering.
And because of his unity with God, Jesus lived as God wanted him to live and because of our identification with Jesus having been chosen by God (Jn 15:16) and predestined (Eph 1:3-10) which means that God already held us in the palm of His hands even before we were born, we are thus mandated to honor him and live as he wants us to live.
The Pharisees also called God their Father, but they could not grasp the enormity of Jesus who claimed a unique relationship with God and under the circumstances they were in, the Pharisees were confronted with two choices to make: to believe in Jesus or to reject and accuse him of blasphemy. They chose the second (v.17).
This Gospel passage therefore has a two-fold message: One is that God works even on the Sabbath because when the opportunity to do good presents itself it should not be ignored because that which is good is not bound by time nor rules. The other message is that we shouldn’t do what the Pharisees did because Jesus was specifically sent and that those who will listen to him and believe in him will have eternal life (v.24).
Here Jesus was also saying that even the dead (spiritually dead) who have ears to hear, minds to understand, and who will accept him are also assured of eternity. And those who will reject him will also be resurrected (vv.28-29) but they will be subject to God’s final judgment.
Indeed, there are those who live in today’s world in wild abandon crediting themselves for their good fortune claiming that the fruits of their labor were as a result of their talent, wealth, education, connections, and industriousness and they totally ignored the role of God in their human development.
As we step deeper into our Lenten observance, let us dwell on the promise of Christ that those who will accept him will have life in them – a life of abundant peace and joy (Jn 10:10). But if we will reject him then we will have to prepare for an eternal separation from an all-loving God who makes Himself available even on a Sabbath.
JESUS WANTS US TO BE WELL
APRIL 1, 2012: FOURTH WEEK OF LENT
First Reading: Eze 47:1-9, 12
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 46: 2-3, 5-6, 8-9 “The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob.”
GOSPEL: JN 5:1-16
Key Verse: “Would you like to get well?” (v.6)
Today’s Gospel reading reveals in no uncertain terms the plan of God for each one of us beginning from the man who had been sick for 38 years to whom Jesus posed this question: “Would you like to get well?” (v.6)
In this very simple question we find the totality of God’s plan for all whom he has created who are only a notch below the angels in heaven. And that plan is for all of us to be well which simply means that God wants us all to be sound in body, mind and spirit. An abundant life that he cited as the reason for why he came (Jn 10:10) is what God wants us to have. Again, an abundant life meaning we are at peace with everyone including ourselves and with everything that is around us.
And who wouldn’t want to live in abundance? Anyone who has been sick for that long would definitely jump to his feet if such an opportunity presents itself. I may not have experienced what this man underwent for 38 years and I could only imagine the torment, the struggle, the humiliation and the self-pity at being immobile not to mention the feeling of unworthiness.
His illness and pitiable state has become a way of life for this man. Notwithstanding the fact that there was no one to help him to bring him to the pool of Bethesda (some manuscripts says Bethsaida while some said Bethzatha), this man lay at the portico leading to the pool hoping against hope for a miracle.
The Jews at that time believed that the pool was endowed with healing properties and this was the reason why the gate to the pool was crowded with sick people – blind, lame, or paralyzed (v.2) and it was this scene that Jesus saw upon his return to Jerusalem following his journey to Cana where he turned the water into wine, in Galilee where he healed the dying son of a government official.
But historians claim that beneath the pool was a subterranean stream that releases bubbles that creates a stir at the water’s surface and the Jews in those days believed that this stirring of the pool was caused by an angel and the belief then was that the first person to get into the pool after the water had been stirred would be healed from any illness.
And for 38 years this man waited for his chance to get near the pool but since there was no one to help him into the pool when the water is stirred, someone else manages to get before he could (v.7). Then and now, we see invalids who have not only lost hope of being cured but have even used their afflictions to an advantage.
But this man was different and Jesus probably saw through his desire to get well if only there was someone who will help him get into the pool. His desire to get well was what moved Jesus to say: “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk” (v.8).
In effect, what this Gospel passage is showing us is that like the man in this narrative we need to have the desire to be healed before we could be healed. What we can learn from this passage is that Jesus is compassionate to those who recognize their own helplessness and their dependency on God and miracles do happen when we are able to subordinate our human will to God’s Will and power.
What this passage also shows is that regardless of the kind of afflictions that we are experiencing at the moment or no matter how big our problems may be, God can meet our deepest needs for his Grace is more than sufficient for our needs.
Let us not dwell anymore on the actuations of the religious leaders who accused Jesus of violating the law of the Sabbath but let us look closely and reflect on the last few verses towards the end of this Gospel passage.
When Jesus met the man again at the Temple, he told the man: “See you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you” (v.14). As we draw near towards the Holy Week, it is important that we are reminded of the connectedness between sin and sickness. As the Jews generally believed then that when a man suffers or becomes ill the assumption was that he has sinned and the Rabbis claim: “The sick arises not from sickness, until his sins are forgiven.”
This Gospel passage also shows us the life-giving properties of water. In the First Reading we see water flowing out in trickles until it became a torrent and into a river where trees at its banks grew and bore much fruit. In the Gospel of John, we read of the water in the pool that anyone who dips in it when the water was stirred would be healed.
Such is also the Grace of God that is given to all. It starts as a trickle until such time that we can comprehend the beauty and vastness of God’s Grace and it is by this Grace that we are able to love God more and our neighbor as well.
In this Lenten Season, let us spend some time to look at how we have lived our lives and see the parts where we have become like the invalid man in this Gospel passage. It would probably be a good idea if we will score ourselves in relation to the following six situations in the next paragraph which actually puts in motion our calling as Christian disciples (Matt 25:35-36).
1) Was there a time when you just threw away left-over food yet you were stingy in sharing food with the hungry? (2) Did you refuse to give a drink to someone who was thirsty? (3) Did you ignore a stranger who knocked at your doors? (4) Do you have clothes in your closet that you have not worn for over a year, knowing there are hundreds if not thousands who do not have any clothes on their backs? (5) When was the last time you visited a relative, friends or neighbor who was sick? and, (6) Was there a time you ignored an invitation for you to visit the prison because you felt it was not your idea of ministry?
You may not be aware of it but if you came up short in at least four of these six situations and if you scored anything below 4 you may be experiencing the symptoms of becoming an invalid. Being an invalid does not necessarily mean a physical disability but also spiritual disability.
This happens when we become oblivious to the situation around us and we tend to look at the poverty that pervades in our society as being part of the landscape. It is when we close our fists and withhold our help to those in need that we suffer from becoming an invalid spiritually.
And we can be cured of this sickness by simply having the desire to seek the power of Christ to fill our lives for it is only through Jesus that we can emerge victorious in this life.
First Reading: Eze 47:1-9, 12
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 46: 2-3, 5-6, 8-9 “The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob.”
GOSPEL: JN 5:1-16
Key Verse: “Would you like to get well?” (v.6)
Today’s Gospel reading reveals in no uncertain terms the plan of God for each one of us beginning from the man who had been sick for 38 years to whom Jesus posed this question: “Would you like to get well?” (v.6)
In this very simple question we find the totality of God’s plan for all whom he has created who are only a notch below the angels in heaven. And that plan is for all of us to be well which simply means that God wants us all to be sound in body, mind and spirit. An abundant life that he cited as the reason for why he came (Jn 10:10) is what God wants us to have. Again, an abundant life meaning we are at peace with everyone including ourselves and with everything that is around us.
And who wouldn’t want to live in abundance? Anyone who has been sick for that long would definitely jump to his feet if such an opportunity presents itself. I may not have experienced what this man underwent for 38 years and I could only imagine the torment, the struggle, the humiliation and the self-pity at being immobile not to mention the feeling of unworthiness.
His illness and pitiable state has become a way of life for this man. Notwithstanding the fact that there was no one to help him to bring him to the pool of Bethesda (some manuscripts says Bethsaida while some said Bethzatha), this man lay at the portico leading to the pool hoping against hope for a miracle.
The Jews at that time believed that the pool was endowed with healing properties and this was the reason why the gate to the pool was crowded with sick people – blind, lame, or paralyzed (v.2) and it was this scene that Jesus saw upon his return to Jerusalem following his journey to Cana where he turned the water into wine, in Galilee where he healed the dying son of a government official.
But historians claim that beneath the pool was a subterranean stream that releases bubbles that creates a stir at the water’s surface and the Jews in those days believed that this stirring of the pool was caused by an angel and the belief then was that the first person to get into the pool after the water had been stirred would be healed from any illness.
And for 38 years this man waited for his chance to get near the pool but since there was no one to help him into the pool when the water is stirred, someone else manages to get before he could (v.7). Then and now, we see invalids who have not only lost hope of being cured but have even used their afflictions to an advantage.
But this man was different and Jesus probably saw through his desire to get well if only there was someone who will help him get into the pool. His desire to get well was what moved Jesus to say: “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk” (v.8).
In effect, what this Gospel passage is showing us is that like the man in this narrative we need to have the desire to be healed before we could be healed. What we can learn from this passage is that Jesus is compassionate to those who recognize their own helplessness and their dependency on God and miracles do happen when we are able to subordinate our human will to God’s Will and power.
What this passage also shows is that regardless of the kind of afflictions that we are experiencing at the moment or no matter how big our problems may be, God can meet our deepest needs for his Grace is more than sufficient for our needs.
Let us not dwell anymore on the actuations of the religious leaders who accused Jesus of violating the law of the Sabbath but let us look closely and reflect on the last few verses towards the end of this Gospel passage.
When Jesus met the man again at the Temple, he told the man: “See you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you” (v.14). As we draw near towards the Holy Week, it is important that we are reminded of the connectedness between sin and sickness. As the Jews generally believed then that when a man suffers or becomes ill the assumption was that he has sinned and the Rabbis claim: “The sick arises not from sickness, until his sins are forgiven.”
This Gospel passage also shows us the life-giving properties of water. In the First Reading we see water flowing out in trickles until it became a torrent and into a river where trees at its banks grew and bore much fruit. In the Gospel of John, we read of the water in the pool that anyone who dips in it when the water was stirred would be healed.
Such is also the Grace of God that is given to all. It starts as a trickle until such time that we can comprehend the beauty and vastness of God’s Grace and it is by this Grace that we are able to love God more and our neighbor as well.
In this Lenten Season, let us spend some time to look at how we have lived our lives and see the parts where we have become like the invalid man in this Gospel passage. It would probably be a good idea if we will score ourselves in relation to the following six situations in the next paragraph which actually puts in motion our calling as Christian disciples (Matt 25:35-36).
1) Was there a time when you just threw away left-over food yet you were stingy in sharing food with the hungry? (2) Did you refuse to give a drink to someone who was thirsty? (3) Did you ignore a stranger who knocked at your doors? (4) Do you have clothes in your closet that you have not worn for over a year, knowing there are hundreds if not thousands who do not have any clothes on their backs? (5) When was the last time you visited a relative, friends or neighbor who was sick? and, (6) Was there a time you ignored an invitation for you to visit the prison because you felt it was not your idea of ministry?
You may not be aware of it but if you came up short in at least four of these six situations and if you scored anything below 4 you may be experiencing the symptoms of becoming an invalid. Being an invalid does not necessarily mean a physical disability but also spiritual disability.
This happens when we become oblivious to the situation around us and we tend to look at the poverty that pervades in our society as being part of the landscape. It is when we close our fists and withhold our help to those in need that we suffer from becoming an invalid spiritually.
And we can be cured of this sickness by simply having the desire to seek the power of Christ to fill our lives for it is only through Jesus that we can emerge victorious in this life.
ASK IN FAITH
MAR. 31, 2014: FOURTH WEEK OF LENT
First Reading: Isa 65:17-21
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 30:2, 4-6, 11-13 “I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.”
GOSPEL: Jn 4:43-54
Key Verse: “So he and all his household believed.” (v.53)
Healing in whatever form be it physical, emotional or spiritual is contingent on two factors. These are the Will of God and the faith of the person who is asking to be healed. From the accounts of the writers of the Synoptic Gospels, we are given the privilege to witness the different instances of healing that took place throughout the ministry of Jesus.
That healing is contingent on the Will of God can be read in Lk 5:13 when a man stricken with leprosy came rushing and knelt before Jesus saying: “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” And here we see Jesus’ response: “I am willing,” he said, “be clean!”
If we are to examine the healing of the servant of the Roman Centurion and compare it with preceding events that were recorded by Luke in his Gospel, we will see that the first instance of healing that Jesus did was when He drove out the evil spirit from a man possessed by the demon (Lk 4:33) at the synagogue in Capernaum where Jesus was preaching.
From the synagogue, Jesus proceeded to the home of Simon where He probably wanted to relax and be among His disciples but He had to heal the mother-in-law of Simon who was suffering from high fever and Jesus rebuked the fever and it left her (Lk 4:39) and she began to wait on them.
But the people in the area learned of the presence of Jesus and there were many who were stricken with various forms of illnesses came and Jesus laid hands on each one of them and he healed them as “demons came out of many people shouting, “You are the Son of God.” (Lk 4:41)
And we see Jesus again in Lk 5:24 telling a paralyzed man “I tell you, get up, take up your mat and go home.” But not after Jesus told the paralyzed man “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”
The reason why I am citing these healing events is because of the probability that the Royal Official may have already heard by word of mouth and the testimony of others of the teachings, discourses and instances of healing that Jesus made particularly when he turned water into wine at the wedding at Cana.
Nothing much was said of the official but being such we can only deduce that he must have been a highly respected man who enjoyed certain privileges in Capernaum where he lived and where he left his ailing son to make the four-hour trek to see and ask Jesus to come with him to heal his son. Such faith of a father for his son is something that Jesus will just ignore because the 20-mile distance over rugged terrain between Capernaum and Cana is no easy task.
And if you’re going to spend some time digesting this Gospel reading you will note that Jesus actually rebuked the Royal Official when he said: “Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders, you will not beliebed.” (v.48) It was clear in this verse that Jesus did not only rebuke the Royal Official but also those within hearing distance.
What was striking was the fact that the Royal Official could have left and abandoned is plan to seek the help of Jesus but he did not mind being rebuked as he stood his ground and implored Jesus to come with him “before my child dies.” (v.49)
Again, here we will see the compassion of Jesus for those who despite the pride and honor attached to their position will humble themselves as what the Royal Official did and such humility has its rewards when Jesus said: “You may go, your son will live.” (v.50)
This Gospel passage ends with the Royal Official and all his household taking that big leap of faith to become believers of Jesus and this is what normally happens to anyone who have lost all possible options and who in their time of need turn to God for help.
I have no problem recognizing who God is because religion has become our daily fare during my primary and elementary years at the Paco Catholic School in Manila. But the Catechism classes that we had only provided me with the head knowledge of prayer and the different aspects of my Catholic faith particularly the Sacraments. But God remained up there and I’m down here.
And I was never told that this wide divide between heaven and earth can actually be bridged with us being able to enter into a personal relationship with a loving God. To enter into and have an intimate relationship with God is in fact part of God’s four-fold plan that we were all created – to know Him (Jn 17:3); to love Him (Mt 22:37); to serve Him (Jn 12:26) and to be happy (Jn 16:22).
Out of God’s overflowing goodness, he found me and brought me to the renewal and out of the desert I was in and healed me of all my iniquities. Like the court official who believed in Jesus took his word without doubt or hesitation that his son will live and was ready to return home and face ridicule and laughter because he trusted in Jesus' word, I too was prepared to be ridiculed by my friends who tagged me as a fanatic when they learned I joined a charismatic community. All that is now water under the bridge as I am not only comfortable where I am now but I know I have a God who is healing me of all my imperfections.
And the healing that we received is what should impel us to also proclaim that healing can take place if only we will have the faith of the Royal Official who placed his trust in Jesus and believed in His Word. Belief is what will also move us to proclaim the truth of God’s salvation and as St. Paul tells us in Rom 10:14-17 "How can they call to God for help if they have not believed? And how can they believe if they have not heard the message? And how can they hear if the message is not proclaimed? And how can the message be proclaimed if the messengers are not sent out? Faith, then, comes from hearing the message, and the message comes through preaching Christ."
This then is our primary duty as disciples – to proclaim the Good News that brings not only healing but will also take us to the path that leads to the Kingdom of Heaven because it is in the Good News that we can find the Way, the Truth and the Life (Jn 14:6).
First Reading: Isa 65:17-21
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 30:2, 4-6, 11-13 “I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.”
GOSPEL: Jn 4:43-54
Key Verse: “So he and all his household believed.” (v.53)
Healing in whatever form be it physical, emotional or spiritual is contingent on two factors. These are the Will of God and the faith of the person who is asking to be healed. From the accounts of the writers of the Synoptic Gospels, we are given the privilege to witness the different instances of healing that took place throughout the ministry of Jesus.
That healing is contingent on the Will of God can be read in Lk 5:13 when a man stricken with leprosy came rushing and knelt before Jesus saying: “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” And here we see Jesus’ response: “I am willing,” he said, “be clean!”
If we are to examine the healing of the servant of the Roman Centurion and compare it with preceding events that were recorded by Luke in his Gospel, we will see that the first instance of healing that Jesus did was when He drove out the evil spirit from a man possessed by the demon (Lk 4:33) at the synagogue in Capernaum where Jesus was preaching.
From the synagogue, Jesus proceeded to the home of Simon where He probably wanted to relax and be among His disciples but He had to heal the mother-in-law of Simon who was suffering from high fever and Jesus rebuked the fever and it left her (Lk 4:39) and she began to wait on them.
But the people in the area learned of the presence of Jesus and there were many who were stricken with various forms of illnesses came and Jesus laid hands on each one of them and he healed them as “demons came out of many people shouting, “You are the Son of God.” (Lk 4:41)
And we see Jesus again in Lk 5:24 telling a paralyzed man “I tell you, get up, take up your mat and go home.” But not after Jesus told the paralyzed man “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”
The reason why I am citing these healing events is because of the probability that the Royal Official may have already heard by word of mouth and the testimony of others of the teachings, discourses and instances of healing that Jesus made particularly when he turned water into wine at the wedding at Cana.
Nothing much was said of the official but being such we can only deduce that he must have been a highly respected man who enjoyed certain privileges in Capernaum where he lived and where he left his ailing son to make the four-hour trek to see and ask Jesus to come with him to heal his son. Such faith of a father for his son is something that Jesus will just ignore because the 20-mile distance over rugged terrain between Capernaum and Cana is no easy task.
And if you’re going to spend some time digesting this Gospel reading you will note that Jesus actually rebuked the Royal Official when he said: “Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders, you will not beliebed.” (v.48) It was clear in this verse that Jesus did not only rebuke the Royal Official but also those within hearing distance.
What was striking was the fact that the Royal Official could have left and abandoned is plan to seek the help of Jesus but he did not mind being rebuked as he stood his ground and implored Jesus to come with him “before my child dies.” (v.49)
Again, here we will see the compassion of Jesus for those who despite the pride and honor attached to their position will humble themselves as what the Royal Official did and such humility has its rewards when Jesus said: “You may go, your son will live.” (v.50)
This Gospel passage ends with the Royal Official and all his household taking that big leap of faith to become believers of Jesus and this is what normally happens to anyone who have lost all possible options and who in their time of need turn to God for help.
I have no problem recognizing who God is because religion has become our daily fare during my primary and elementary years at the Paco Catholic School in Manila. But the Catechism classes that we had only provided me with the head knowledge of prayer and the different aspects of my Catholic faith particularly the Sacraments. But God remained up there and I’m down here.
And I was never told that this wide divide between heaven and earth can actually be bridged with us being able to enter into a personal relationship with a loving God. To enter into and have an intimate relationship with God is in fact part of God’s four-fold plan that we were all created – to know Him (Jn 17:3); to love Him (Mt 22:37); to serve Him (Jn 12:26) and to be happy (Jn 16:22).
Out of God’s overflowing goodness, he found me and brought me to the renewal and out of the desert I was in and healed me of all my iniquities. Like the court official who believed in Jesus took his word without doubt or hesitation that his son will live and was ready to return home and face ridicule and laughter because he trusted in Jesus' word, I too was prepared to be ridiculed by my friends who tagged me as a fanatic when they learned I joined a charismatic community. All that is now water under the bridge as I am not only comfortable where I am now but I know I have a God who is healing me of all my imperfections.
And the healing that we received is what should impel us to also proclaim that healing can take place if only we will have the faith of the Royal Official who placed his trust in Jesus and believed in His Word. Belief is what will also move us to proclaim the truth of God’s salvation and as St. Paul tells us in Rom 10:14-17 "How can they call to God for help if they have not believed? And how can they believe if they have not heard the message? And how can they hear if the message is not proclaimed? And how can the message be proclaimed if the messengers are not sent out? Faith, then, comes from hearing the message, and the message comes through preaching Christ."
This then is our primary duty as disciples – to proclaim the Good News that brings not only healing but will also take us to the path that leads to the Kingdom of Heaven because it is in the Good News that we can find the Way, the Truth and the Life (Jn 14:6).
ANOINTED TO EVANGELIZE
MAR. 30, 2014: FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT
First Reading: 1 Sam 16:1, 6-7, 10-13
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 23 “The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want.”
Second Reading: Eph 5:8-14
GOSPEL: JN 9:1,6-9, 13-17, 34-38
Key Verse: “I do believe, Lord!” (v.38)
When I was in my youth I loved playing with mud figures that we fashion out of the soil that we mix with the right amount of water to create a firm mound of malleable mud. At times we even shape them into marble-like projectiles that we use to throw at one another. And for the girls in our group, they create pies from the mud and they role play the vendors who sell cupcakes and pies in real life.
In today’s gospel as we usher in the fourth Sunday of Lent, the Apostle John wrote in detail the healing of a man who had been “born blind,” by Jesus who formed mud in his hands from the soil that he picked up and mixed with his saliva.
We read Jesus spitting on the ground and making mud and I’m sure this would bring us back to that time when we too played with mud. But Jesus had no intention of playing with the mud. While spittle is and was considered to be a pollutant and even today it would not only be unethical to spit at someone but it would be a sign of contempt. But in the time of Jesus, some of the people believed that the saliva coming from honorable and respectable men did have healing properties.
Such that when Jesus encountered the man who was born blind from birth or someone who had never received the gift of sight, he acted by spitting. This action of Jesus somehow recreated the first act of creation when God created materiality out of nothing.
The first mud pie made from the creative touch of God the Father resulted in the creation of the first human being. Although it was not known if the man’s eyes had sockets in them, Jesus nevertheless showed that he can create something out of nothing to prove that he was the Son of God.
There is another reality that we can digest from the gospel passage today and it is in that many of us today are actually blind – although not in a physical sense – because we have become selective in the things that we see or hear as our minds are constantly being filled with tons and tons of data from the different forms of media not to mention the endless gossip and negative stories that are being passed on to us in the guise of information.
We would actually go crazy just to process every piece of data that our bodies sense and that part of the brain that filters and processes all these information which is called the Reticular Activating System is at work almost 24/7 and what it does is it provides us with the right amount of data that we can handle.
This is also the time when our human will springs into action as it helps us decide the course of action we will take. Most often, we miss what God wants us to do because we are busy doing other things. At times we set aside the Will of God and follow our own desires because we believe that our ideas are better than that of God. We fall into this trap because of the assent of the right to free choice that God has given us.
We are, however, missing the point if we think that way because free choice is not about choosing to do what we want but choosing in doing what is compatible with the Will of God.
There was a popular story that is still being told today and it goes like this: Satan gathered his followers in a conference and he told them saying: “We should stop Christians from going to church. We should discourage them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth. We need to stop from them from forming an intimate, abiding relationship with Christ. If they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken. So let them go to church, let them have their conservative lifestyles, but steal their time, so they can't gain that experience in Jesus Christ and this is what I want you to do. Distract them from knowing their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!”
“How shall we do this?” his followers asked. “Keep them busy in the nonessentials of life and create diversionary schemes to occupy their minds,” he told them. “Tempt them to shop at malls and spend and spend, and urge them to use their credit cards if they don’t have cash. Inspire them to focus on wealth-creation by encouraging them to work long hours so they can afford their lifestyles and will keep them from spending time with their children. As their family becomes fragmented their homes will be open to our influence.”
"Keep their minds preoccupied with the mundane concerns so that they cannot hear that still small voice. Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive to keep them from praying the Rosary. Keep the TV, iPads, CDs and their computers operating constantly in their homes so that they will have no time to think of their Savior. And make sure that every store and restaurant plays standard music and not praise songs so that this break their connection with Christ.”
“Fill their minds with news of calamities, accidents, crimes and fill the highways with pornographic billboards so that they will keep guessing why their Savior is allowing all these misfortunes. Load their eMail folders with offers to buy jewelries, clothes and accessories, wellness and beauty products. Discourage them from appreciating nature that will lead them to reflect on God's wonders. Urge them to go instead to amusement parks, sporting events, concerts and movies instead.”
“And when they meet for corporate worship and prayer meetings, drive them to engage in gossip and small talk so that they will leave their places of worship with troubled consciences and pent-up emotion. Fill their hearts with envy and move them to gather and plot against their pastoral leaders so that this will disunite their community. Let them be involved in evangelization but overload them with projects and programs and many good causes that they forget to seek power from Christ. In this way they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of their projects and programs.”
“Let them think highly of themselves so that they will start looking down on their leaders. Let them believe in themselves that their church will not survive without them. In this way, their church will break at the seams and their members will get discourage and go back into the world where they came from. Keep them divided and in disagreement with one another especially their music ministries so that they won’t be able to sing and please their Savior.”
There were hundreds of other to-do list that Satan gave his followers and it was indeed an successful conference that the evil forces left and started implementing their marching orders. And so you probably would ask why the Christian world appears to be moving the way it is now. You probably will also ask why Christian churches and or communities remain divided even today in a world that has been evangelized since Jesus walked the earth.
In the midst of our Lenten journey, God doesn't see us as everyone else sees us. People around us may see us as successful or as a failure, attractive or unattractive, popular or prominent, old and young, whatever. It doesn't really matter how others see us. What is important is that God sees our hearts and this is the Season that we need to come to Jesus Christ, confess our shortcomings and omissions and recommit our lives to him who made us and sustains us. Let us examine our consciences and ask in what ways have we failed God and ourselves? We can't hide from God and it’s no use to continue denying our sins, minimizing them, justifying them and blaming others for our misfortune.
Today let me encourage you to go to an examen and ask the Holy Spirit to search into the deepest recesses of our hearts so that we can see ourselves in the way God sees us. Let us be reminded of our anointing so that we can respond to the call to New Evangelization. Let us all Choose to be Brave by brings Christ into the world.
First Reading: 1 Sam 16:1, 6-7, 10-13
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 23 “The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want.”
Second Reading: Eph 5:8-14
GOSPEL: JN 9:1,6-9, 13-17, 34-38
Key Verse: “I do believe, Lord!” (v.38)
When I was in my youth I loved playing with mud figures that we fashion out of the soil that we mix with the right amount of water to create a firm mound of malleable mud. At times we even shape them into marble-like projectiles that we use to throw at one another. And for the girls in our group, they create pies from the mud and they role play the vendors who sell cupcakes and pies in real life.
In today’s gospel as we usher in the fourth Sunday of Lent, the Apostle John wrote in detail the healing of a man who had been “born blind,” by Jesus who formed mud in his hands from the soil that he picked up and mixed with his saliva.
We read Jesus spitting on the ground and making mud and I’m sure this would bring us back to that time when we too played with mud. But Jesus had no intention of playing with the mud. While spittle is and was considered to be a pollutant and even today it would not only be unethical to spit at someone but it would be a sign of contempt. But in the time of Jesus, some of the people believed that the saliva coming from honorable and respectable men did have healing properties.
Such that when Jesus encountered the man who was born blind from birth or someone who had never received the gift of sight, he acted by spitting. This action of Jesus somehow recreated the first act of creation when God created materiality out of nothing.
The first mud pie made from the creative touch of God the Father resulted in the creation of the first human being. Although it was not known if the man’s eyes had sockets in them, Jesus nevertheless showed that he can create something out of nothing to prove that he was the Son of God.
There is another reality that we can digest from the gospel passage today and it is in that many of us today are actually blind – although not in a physical sense – because we have become selective in the things that we see or hear as our minds are constantly being filled with tons and tons of data from the different forms of media not to mention the endless gossip and negative stories that are being passed on to us in the guise of information.
We would actually go crazy just to process every piece of data that our bodies sense and that part of the brain that filters and processes all these information which is called the Reticular Activating System is at work almost 24/7 and what it does is it provides us with the right amount of data that we can handle.
This is also the time when our human will springs into action as it helps us decide the course of action we will take. Most often, we miss what God wants us to do because we are busy doing other things. At times we set aside the Will of God and follow our own desires because we believe that our ideas are better than that of God. We fall into this trap because of the assent of the right to free choice that God has given us.
We are, however, missing the point if we think that way because free choice is not about choosing to do what we want but choosing in doing what is compatible with the Will of God.
There was a popular story that is still being told today and it goes like this: Satan gathered his followers in a conference and he told them saying: “We should stop Christians from going to church. We should discourage them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth. We need to stop from them from forming an intimate, abiding relationship with Christ. If they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken. So let them go to church, let them have their conservative lifestyles, but steal their time, so they can't gain that experience in Jesus Christ and this is what I want you to do. Distract them from knowing their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!”
“How shall we do this?” his followers asked. “Keep them busy in the nonessentials of life and create diversionary schemes to occupy their minds,” he told them. “Tempt them to shop at malls and spend and spend, and urge them to use their credit cards if they don’t have cash. Inspire them to focus on wealth-creation by encouraging them to work long hours so they can afford their lifestyles and will keep them from spending time with their children. As their family becomes fragmented their homes will be open to our influence.”
"Keep their minds preoccupied with the mundane concerns so that they cannot hear that still small voice. Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive to keep them from praying the Rosary. Keep the TV, iPads, CDs and their computers operating constantly in their homes so that they will have no time to think of their Savior. And make sure that every store and restaurant plays standard music and not praise songs so that this break their connection with Christ.”
“Fill their minds with news of calamities, accidents, crimes and fill the highways with pornographic billboards so that they will keep guessing why their Savior is allowing all these misfortunes. Load their eMail folders with offers to buy jewelries, clothes and accessories, wellness and beauty products. Discourage them from appreciating nature that will lead them to reflect on God's wonders. Urge them to go instead to amusement parks, sporting events, concerts and movies instead.”
“And when they meet for corporate worship and prayer meetings, drive them to engage in gossip and small talk so that they will leave their places of worship with troubled consciences and pent-up emotion. Fill their hearts with envy and move them to gather and plot against their pastoral leaders so that this will disunite their community. Let them be involved in evangelization but overload them with projects and programs and many good causes that they forget to seek power from Christ. In this way they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of their projects and programs.”
“Let them think highly of themselves so that they will start looking down on their leaders. Let them believe in themselves that their church will not survive without them. In this way, their church will break at the seams and their members will get discourage and go back into the world where they came from. Keep them divided and in disagreement with one another especially their music ministries so that they won’t be able to sing and please their Savior.”
There were hundreds of other to-do list that Satan gave his followers and it was indeed an successful conference that the evil forces left and started implementing their marching orders. And so you probably would ask why the Christian world appears to be moving the way it is now. You probably will also ask why Christian churches and or communities remain divided even today in a world that has been evangelized since Jesus walked the earth.
In the midst of our Lenten journey, God doesn't see us as everyone else sees us. People around us may see us as successful or as a failure, attractive or unattractive, popular or prominent, old and young, whatever. It doesn't really matter how others see us. What is important is that God sees our hearts and this is the Season that we need to come to Jesus Christ, confess our shortcomings and omissions and recommit our lives to him who made us and sustains us. Let us examine our consciences and ask in what ways have we failed God and ourselves? We can't hide from God and it’s no use to continue denying our sins, minimizing them, justifying them and blaming others for our misfortune.
Today let me encourage you to go to an examen and ask the Holy Spirit to search into the deepest recesses of our hearts so that we can see ourselves in the way God sees us. Let us be reminded of our anointing so that we can respond to the call to New Evangelization. Let us all Choose to be Brave by brings Christ into the world.
GOD MADE US UNIQUE
MAR. 29, 2014: THIRD WEEK OF LENT
First Reading: Hos 6:1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 51:3-4, 18-21 “It is mercy I desire, and not sacrifice.”
GOSPEL: LK 18:9-14
Key Verse: “and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (v.14)
Today we are treated to another lesson on humility and we see this in the examples of the Pharisees and the tax collector who went to the temple to pray. We also see in this parable of Jesus that no two persons are alike because even for twins there are will be a thing or two that makes one different from the other. And this Gospel passage is a beautiful lesson not only on the manner with which we are to pray but also in the way that we get on with our lives.
Yesterday, we read about the scribe who in humility went to Jesus not to test him as the Pharisees have done but to hear Jesus say with authority the two greatest commandments of God. And today, as we await with anticipation the Holy Week Jesus gives us a timely lesson through this parable that will help us establish our identities as Christian disciples. While all created beings were created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26) each one of us is unique and one-of-a-kind. One very remarkable proof of our uniqueness is that no two persons have the same fingerprints or ears for that matter.
But what really makes us different from the person beside us is something that we cannot see but which God sees – our souls. This is what makes us unique and different. God gave us different gifts and we are to make use of these gifts for the upbuilding of the body of Christ to which we are grafted.
Sadly, however, it is also our being distinct to one another that at times moves us to compare ourselves with others and we may not be aware that the habit of comparing one person with another has afflicted many of us and we may not be aware that this attitude may have already turned a habit.
To think that we are better, smarter and more talented than others should not be regarded as just a feeling or an opinion because this attitude is most certainly rooted in envy which in itself is a sin. Perhaps we are envious of our neighbor over a new car, his job that fetches a higher salary than yours, a new designer dress, a branded bag, or it could even be an inheritance. At times it may be as personal as envying one who speaks better than you are and, or one who is probably more popular than you are.
What we may not be aware of is that this habit of comparing ourselves with another person will only lead us to a loveless and heartless pursuit of life. In other words, we will turn into a “Christ-less” person instead of being Christ-like which is supposed to be our original nature and identity. We must confront this attitude if ever this is happening to us and the worst that could happen is to turn away and be in denial because if we do that we are teetering on the edge of living a loveless life.
Those afflicted with this disease are those who are fueled by vanity and their incessant desire to seek admiration for themselves and belittling others in the process. This reminds me of an elder in one of the charismatic communities that I go to who is not only full of himself but one who has the habit of bad mouthing those whom he considers a threat to him. But this habit of comparing one with the other is not a new disease. It is actually an ancient disease and can be traced all the way to the time of Jesus as we read in this parable.
This was the reason why St. Paul recognized how deadly this disease and has given us an antidote when he said: “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith of faith has given you.” (Rom 12:3) What Paul was saying was that we should not see ourselves as how others see us but how God sees us.
In effect, what is important is how God will define us and God is not particular about our gender, ethnicity, family heritage, possessions, achievements, titles because these are not important to God. And it’s all about how willing are we to allow the Grace of God to be at work in us (1 Cor 15:10).
Jesus is thus using this parable to teach us the real value of prayer as he pointed to the Pharisee who went to the church in this parable “who stood up and prayed about himself: God I thank you that I am not like other men – robbers, evildoers, adulterers – or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.” (v.11-12)
The Pharisee that Jesus cited in this parable did not actually go to God to pray as he not only prayed with himself but he went to the Temple to inform God of what he does while at the same time comparing himself with those around him whom he believes were irreligious. Again, this reminds of me of a sharer in an Life in the Spirit Seminar who instead of testifying to what God has done in his life instead recited a litany of his accomplishments in both his workplace and the socio-civic circle he belongs to.
What the Pharisee in the gospel forgot was the most basic premise of prayer which is to pray with humility acknowledging his own weakness and unworthiness. “The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds; it does not rest till it reaches its goal; Nor will it withdraw till the Most High responds.” (Sir 35:21) Prayer is in itself an act of humility, for by it we testify a sense of our dependence upon the Lord who rules the heaven above and earth below.
In other words, we should actually assume the position of a beggar knocking at the door of the Almighty God our Father just as the Tax Collector did standing at a distance who did not even look up to heaven “but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” (v.13)
The difference between the two characters in this parable was that the Tax Collector knew how despised he was and how others looked at him and he looked to God so that he could see himself properly and his admission of his sin brought God’s forgiveness and restoration upon him. Self-righteousness as what the Pharisee did is a dangerous preoccupation because it not only leads to pride but it makes us despise others that prevents us from hearing what God is telling us.
The Tax Collector was actually showing us the path we need to take to discover our real identity for it is only in being honest with ourselves that we can become more like Christ. Just like the Tax Collector, we should know that humility is the proper attitude before God and it also prevents us from depending too much on our own strengths especially in the way we relate to others including those who exercise pastoral authority over us.
What I also found interesting in this Gospel passage was that the humility of the Tax Collector made his prayer direct and honest and though I highlighted the negative aspect of making comparison, I also cannot help but compare the attitude of the Tax Collector with those who are fond of lengthy and verbose type of prayers.
The Lenten Season would be a great opportunity for all of us to become content in the knowledge that we are unique. We must come to terms of who we are and the purpose for which God made us for “blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding” (Prov 3:13).
God didn’t make us to become a carbon copy of the person beside us. God’s desire if for us to become the best of what we can be with the gifts that he has entrusted to us. And one of the ways to become what God intended us to be is to develop the character traits of Jesus – his love and compassion, honesty, integrity, credibility, and above all his humility and obedience. And we must keep in mind that our calling is to serve others and not to impress others and that takes humility.
First Reading: Hos 6:1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 51:3-4, 18-21 “It is mercy I desire, and not sacrifice.”
GOSPEL: LK 18:9-14
Key Verse: “and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (v.14)
Today we are treated to another lesson on humility and we see this in the examples of the Pharisees and the tax collector who went to the temple to pray. We also see in this parable of Jesus that no two persons are alike because even for twins there are will be a thing or two that makes one different from the other. And this Gospel passage is a beautiful lesson not only on the manner with which we are to pray but also in the way that we get on with our lives.
Yesterday, we read about the scribe who in humility went to Jesus not to test him as the Pharisees have done but to hear Jesus say with authority the two greatest commandments of God. And today, as we await with anticipation the Holy Week Jesus gives us a timely lesson through this parable that will help us establish our identities as Christian disciples. While all created beings were created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26) each one of us is unique and one-of-a-kind. One very remarkable proof of our uniqueness is that no two persons have the same fingerprints or ears for that matter.
But what really makes us different from the person beside us is something that we cannot see but which God sees – our souls. This is what makes us unique and different. God gave us different gifts and we are to make use of these gifts for the upbuilding of the body of Christ to which we are grafted.
Sadly, however, it is also our being distinct to one another that at times moves us to compare ourselves with others and we may not be aware that the habit of comparing one person with another has afflicted many of us and we may not be aware that this attitude may have already turned a habit.
To think that we are better, smarter and more talented than others should not be regarded as just a feeling or an opinion because this attitude is most certainly rooted in envy which in itself is a sin. Perhaps we are envious of our neighbor over a new car, his job that fetches a higher salary than yours, a new designer dress, a branded bag, or it could even be an inheritance. At times it may be as personal as envying one who speaks better than you are and, or one who is probably more popular than you are.
What we may not be aware of is that this habit of comparing ourselves with another person will only lead us to a loveless and heartless pursuit of life. In other words, we will turn into a “Christ-less” person instead of being Christ-like which is supposed to be our original nature and identity. We must confront this attitude if ever this is happening to us and the worst that could happen is to turn away and be in denial because if we do that we are teetering on the edge of living a loveless life.
Those afflicted with this disease are those who are fueled by vanity and their incessant desire to seek admiration for themselves and belittling others in the process. This reminds me of an elder in one of the charismatic communities that I go to who is not only full of himself but one who has the habit of bad mouthing those whom he considers a threat to him. But this habit of comparing one with the other is not a new disease. It is actually an ancient disease and can be traced all the way to the time of Jesus as we read in this parable.
This was the reason why St. Paul recognized how deadly this disease and has given us an antidote when he said: “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith of faith has given you.” (Rom 12:3) What Paul was saying was that we should not see ourselves as how others see us but how God sees us.
In effect, what is important is how God will define us and God is not particular about our gender, ethnicity, family heritage, possessions, achievements, titles because these are not important to God. And it’s all about how willing are we to allow the Grace of God to be at work in us (1 Cor 15:10).
Jesus is thus using this parable to teach us the real value of prayer as he pointed to the Pharisee who went to the church in this parable “who stood up and prayed about himself: God I thank you that I am not like other men – robbers, evildoers, adulterers – or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.” (v.11-12)
The Pharisee that Jesus cited in this parable did not actually go to God to pray as he not only prayed with himself but he went to the Temple to inform God of what he does while at the same time comparing himself with those around him whom he believes were irreligious. Again, this reminds of me of a sharer in an Life in the Spirit Seminar who instead of testifying to what God has done in his life instead recited a litany of his accomplishments in both his workplace and the socio-civic circle he belongs to.
What the Pharisee in the gospel forgot was the most basic premise of prayer which is to pray with humility acknowledging his own weakness and unworthiness. “The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds; it does not rest till it reaches its goal; Nor will it withdraw till the Most High responds.” (Sir 35:21) Prayer is in itself an act of humility, for by it we testify a sense of our dependence upon the Lord who rules the heaven above and earth below.
In other words, we should actually assume the position of a beggar knocking at the door of the Almighty God our Father just as the Tax Collector did standing at a distance who did not even look up to heaven “but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” (v.13)
The difference between the two characters in this parable was that the Tax Collector knew how despised he was and how others looked at him and he looked to God so that he could see himself properly and his admission of his sin brought God’s forgiveness and restoration upon him. Self-righteousness as what the Pharisee did is a dangerous preoccupation because it not only leads to pride but it makes us despise others that prevents us from hearing what God is telling us.
The Tax Collector was actually showing us the path we need to take to discover our real identity for it is only in being honest with ourselves that we can become more like Christ. Just like the Tax Collector, we should know that humility is the proper attitude before God and it also prevents us from depending too much on our own strengths especially in the way we relate to others including those who exercise pastoral authority over us.
What I also found interesting in this Gospel passage was that the humility of the Tax Collector made his prayer direct and honest and though I highlighted the negative aspect of making comparison, I also cannot help but compare the attitude of the Tax Collector with those who are fond of lengthy and verbose type of prayers.
The Lenten Season would be a great opportunity for all of us to become content in the knowledge that we are unique. We must come to terms of who we are and the purpose for which God made us for “blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding” (Prov 3:13).
God didn’t make us to become a carbon copy of the person beside us. God’s desire if for us to become the best of what we can be with the gifts that he has entrusted to us. And one of the ways to become what God intended us to be is to develop the character traits of Jesus – his love and compassion, honesty, integrity, credibility, and above all his humility and obedience. And we must keep in mind that our calling is to serve others and not to impress others and that takes humility.
PROOF OF AUTHENTICITY
MAR. 28, 2014: THIRD WEEK OF LENT
First Reading: Hos 14:2-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 81:6-11, 14-17 “I am the Lord your God; hear my voice.”
GOSPEL: MK 12:28-34
Key Verse: “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” (v.34)
How would you go about your life if you were to obey some 613 precepts related to the practice of your religion? Surprising as it may be, this was what the Jews were required to observe. The fact that these set of laws were given to Moses – 365 based on the days of the year and 248 according to the generations of men – make it all the more mandatory for the Jews to follow.
In time, even the religious leaders tried to put a distinction as to which of these were to be categorized as major laws and which were to be classified as minor laws. Some actually believed that all the 613 precepts were binding and this was what must have prompted one of the religious leaders to ask Jesus the question in this Gospel passage today.
The great kings and prophets may have seen the difficulty of having such number of religious precepts which was why in the course of time David reduced this to 11 (Psa 15). Then the prophet Isaiah trimmed it down to six (Isa 33:15). Again, Micah brought this down to three (Mic 6:8) and Isaiah again reduced it to just two (Isa 56:1) until the prophet Habakkuk reduced them to just one (Hab 2:4).
Actually it comes as a surprise why the religious leaders still asked Jesus the question as to which of the commandments was the most important because they knew their Old Testament Scripture and love God who is their one Lord (Deut 6:4-9, 11:13-21, Num 15:37-41) was their creed or Shema and these three passages of the Shema are written in the phylacteries that devout Jews wore on their forehead and wrists when in prayer. As religious leaders they also knew what love of neighbor was all about because this was one of the laws of Moses (Lev 19:18).
It was probable that they asked asked Jesus the question as to which of the commandments was the most important (v.28) because they knew that he was someone who spoke with authority (Mk 1:21-28) and possibly to guide them as to which of the divergent positions they were arguing was correct.
Up to that time when Jesus answered, no other prophet or teacher before him had ever spoken who put these two commandments together and made them one “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself.” (vv.30-31) His response simply meant that religion was all about loving God and loving men and that a man can only prove that he loves God if he also has love for his neighbor.
But these are easier said than done and today we see nations saddled with hunger and famine, tribal wars, internal conflicts that have caused thousands of casualties. Even the religious sector have not been spared as divisions have crept into some churches and communities and all these may be due to our lack of love for God and for our neighbor or perhaps our ignorance to what these two commandments represent.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that these two commandments are actually a representation of the Ten Commandments with love of God encapsulated in the first four of the commandments and love of neighbor covers the remaining six commandments.
As deigned by God who gave us the Ten Commandments, the first is all about worship and fidelity; the second, respect; the third, service; and the fourth – respect for his representatives on earth. The other six commandments show out duty to our neighbor forbidding us to injure our neighbor in the fifth; honor his purity in the sixth; his property in the seventh; preserving and respecting his honor in the eighth; respecting his family in the ninth and tenth.
And the Apostle John put it in a more simpler way “Anyone who does not love remains in death.” (1 Jn 3:14) In other words, to love God is of great advantage and benefit to us because through it we are united to God here on earth with our minds enlightened, our will is strengthened and, we obtain pardon for our sins and we are assured of God’s presence in our lives: “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him and we will come to him and make our home with him.” (Jn 14:23) These are not just powerful words but it provides us with the inspiration to look towards the eternal reward that God has promised us.
The CCC also says that without the love of God and of our neighbor no man can be saved. St. Augustine said that as we require two feet to walk, so must we have the love of God and of our neighbor if we want to reach heaven. As the bird cannot fly without two wings, so must we also be borne aloft upon these two pinions if we want to soar up to heaven.
As the Saints in heaven love God and one another, so must we also do the same here on earth if we desire to be in their company in heaven. We should, however, remember that by ourselves we are incapable of loving God and our neighbor and we can only do so through the gift of sanctifying Grace which is given to us if we will allow the Holy Spirit to take possession of our souls and spirits.
And for this Grace to become operative in our lives, we need to dispossess ourselves of our human nature by dying on the cross with Christ so that we can be resurrected into a new life in him and with him that will be reflective of the image and likeness to which we have all been created. This means that since we have all been created from the same source, it follows that we are to love that which God has also created in his image and likeness.
Perhaps we will ask who is our neighbor. The CCC decrees that every human being is our neighbor without distinction of religion, race, age, sex or of occupation. Hence, the love of one’s neighbor is the distinctive mark of the true Christian. “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me.” (Matt 25:40)
Our love of our neighbor therefore is the best test of our love of God. “By this all men will know that you are truly my disciples, if you love one another.” (Jn 13:35) And love of our neighbor is manifested in our desiring the good of our neighbor, abstaining from hurting him and in doing him good. It means rejoicing with him in his prosperity and grieving with him in his adversity. It is our proof of authenticity as a Christian.
First Reading: Hos 14:2-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 81:6-11, 14-17 “I am the Lord your God; hear my voice.”
GOSPEL: MK 12:28-34
Key Verse: “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” (v.34)
How would you go about your life if you were to obey some 613 precepts related to the practice of your religion? Surprising as it may be, this was what the Jews were required to observe. The fact that these set of laws were given to Moses – 365 based on the days of the year and 248 according to the generations of men – make it all the more mandatory for the Jews to follow.
In time, even the religious leaders tried to put a distinction as to which of these were to be categorized as major laws and which were to be classified as minor laws. Some actually believed that all the 613 precepts were binding and this was what must have prompted one of the religious leaders to ask Jesus the question in this Gospel passage today.
The great kings and prophets may have seen the difficulty of having such number of religious precepts which was why in the course of time David reduced this to 11 (Psa 15). Then the prophet Isaiah trimmed it down to six (Isa 33:15). Again, Micah brought this down to three (Mic 6:8) and Isaiah again reduced it to just two (Isa 56:1) until the prophet Habakkuk reduced them to just one (Hab 2:4).
Actually it comes as a surprise why the religious leaders still asked Jesus the question as to which of the commandments was the most important because they knew their Old Testament Scripture and love God who is their one Lord (Deut 6:4-9, 11:13-21, Num 15:37-41) was their creed or Shema and these three passages of the Shema are written in the phylacteries that devout Jews wore on their forehead and wrists when in prayer. As religious leaders they also knew what love of neighbor was all about because this was one of the laws of Moses (Lev 19:18).
It was probable that they asked asked Jesus the question as to which of the commandments was the most important (v.28) because they knew that he was someone who spoke with authority (Mk 1:21-28) and possibly to guide them as to which of the divergent positions they were arguing was correct.
Up to that time when Jesus answered, no other prophet or teacher before him had ever spoken who put these two commandments together and made them one “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself.” (vv.30-31) His response simply meant that religion was all about loving God and loving men and that a man can only prove that he loves God if he also has love for his neighbor.
But these are easier said than done and today we see nations saddled with hunger and famine, tribal wars, internal conflicts that have caused thousands of casualties. Even the religious sector have not been spared as divisions have crept into some churches and communities and all these may be due to our lack of love for God and for our neighbor or perhaps our ignorance to what these two commandments represent.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that these two commandments are actually a representation of the Ten Commandments with love of God encapsulated in the first four of the commandments and love of neighbor covers the remaining six commandments.
As deigned by God who gave us the Ten Commandments, the first is all about worship and fidelity; the second, respect; the third, service; and the fourth – respect for his representatives on earth. The other six commandments show out duty to our neighbor forbidding us to injure our neighbor in the fifth; honor his purity in the sixth; his property in the seventh; preserving and respecting his honor in the eighth; respecting his family in the ninth and tenth.
And the Apostle John put it in a more simpler way “Anyone who does not love remains in death.” (1 Jn 3:14) In other words, to love God is of great advantage and benefit to us because through it we are united to God here on earth with our minds enlightened, our will is strengthened and, we obtain pardon for our sins and we are assured of God’s presence in our lives: “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him and we will come to him and make our home with him.” (Jn 14:23) These are not just powerful words but it provides us with the inspiration to look towards the eternal reward that God has promised us.
The CCC also says that without the love of God and of our neighbor no man can be saved. St. Augustine said that as we require two feet to walk, so must we have the love of God and of our neighbor if we want to reach heaven. As the bird cannot fly without two wings, so must we also be borne aloft upon these two pinions if we want to soar up to heaven.
As the Saints in heaven love God and one another, so must we also do the same here on earth if we desire to be in their company in heaven. We should, however, remember that by ourselves we are incapable of loving God and our neighbor and we can only do so through the gift of sanctifying Grace which is given to us if we will allow the Holy Spirit to take possession of our souls and spirits.
And for this Grace to become operative in our lives, we need to dispossess ourselves of our human nature by dying on the cross with Christ so that we can be resurrected into a new life in him and with him that will be reflective of the image and likeness to which we have all been created. This means that since we have all been created from the same source, it follows that we are to love that which God has also created in his image and likeness.
Perhaps we will ask who is our neighbor. The CCC decrees that every human being is our neighbor without distinction of religion, race, age, sex or of occupation. Hence, the love of one’s neighbor is the distinctive mark of the true Christian. “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me.” (Matt 25:40)
Our love of our neighbor therefore is the best test of our love of God. “By this all men will know that you are truly my disciples, if you love one another.” (Jn 13:35) And love of our neighbor is manifested in our desiring the good of our neighbor, abstaining from hurting him and in doing him good. It means rejoicing with him in his prosperity and grieving with him in his adversity. It is our proof of authenticity as a Christian.
YES THERE IS AN UNPARDONABLE SIN
MAR. 27, 2014: THIRD WEEK OF LENT
First Reading: Jer 7:23-28
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 95:1-2, 6-9 “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.”
GOSPEL: LK 11:14-23
Key Verse: “He who is not with me is against me.” (v.23)
The Gospel today speaks of an unpardonable sin. And the question we might ask is if God is a forgiving God, how come there is such a thing as an unpardonable sin? What sin would be so great that God cannot forgive? We may perhaps even ask is there such a thing as an unforgiveable sin?
Yes there is and the Pharisees may have committed it without their knowing it especially when they attributed the healing miracles of Jesus to Beelzebub, the prince of demons (v.15-16). A similar event reported by Mark quoted Jesus describing this claim of the Pharisees as blaspheming the Holy Spirit (Mk 3:29).
To blaspheme is “to speak reproachfully, revile, calumniate, cuss, and or use foul language.” Thus, to speak ill of the Holy Spirit who empowers Jesus to heal the mute (v.14) was a grievous sin because it was tantamount to calling the Holy Spirit a demon. Hence, when the Pharisees ascribed the miracles of Jesus to the prince of demon, they denied that Jesus was truly from God thus divesting themselves of any hope of forgiveness that comes only through Jesus.
The question now is whether we who have been baptized as Christians are still capable of committing this unforgiveable sin? Yes and we might not be aware of it. We are guilty of committing an unforgiveable sin “if those who have tasted the goodness of the Word of God will fall away and crucify the Son of God all over again and subject him to public disgrace.” (Heb 6:4-6).
We also may be committing an unforgiveable sin “if we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and raging fire that will consumer the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treat as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of Grace? (Heb 10:26-29)
In other words, we can be guilty of committing an unforgiveable sin if we persist in sinning and if we desecrate the sanctity of the Body and Blood of Christ that is present in the Eucharist and if we insult the Holy Spirit. This was why Jesus used such strong words when he said that “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters.” (v.23)
This could only mean that in this life we cannot be neutral or remain in the sidelines. In one way or the other we will have to take sides and it’s either we are on the side of Jesus or we are not, it’s as simple as and these are the only two choices we have. Do we want to enter the kingdom of God or do we want to remain in the kingdom of darkness. There are no ifs and buts when it comes to our salvation.
If we want to live in true freedom from the power of sin and Satan, then Jesus must reign in the temple of our hearts and minds. This Gospel passage is actually a warning for us to avoid this unforgiveable sin but with it comes his assurance that the Holy Spirit himself will empower us by making the Grace of God active when we are faced with adversities in life.
God’s mercy and compassion may be infinite but those who refuse to acknowledge and confess their sins and ask God for forgiveness has already condemned themselves as they have closed the door to God's offer of mercy, pardon, grace, and healing.
Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Lord empowers us to live our lives in absolute freedom from slavery to sin and the Scriptures will tell us that Jesus is our refuge and strength because our lives are hidden in him who created us.
In this Lenten Season, let us make it habit to spend a few moments reading the Sacred Scriptures and God Himself assures us that it will be a time well spent. We should look at the Bible as our personal manual of operations that teaches us how to remain on the road leading to the kingdom of God. To disobey these sacred instructions from God, we open ourselves to the influence of the evil one whose main objective is to separate us from the Grace of God. This is why Jesus must fill our souls and he will provide us the strength to resist the evil one.
What then is the best protection that brings lasting security to our lives? Scripture tells us that true peace and security come to those who trust in God and obey his Word. “Obey my voice and walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you” (Jer 7:23). The struggle between choosing to do good or evil, yielding to our will or God's will, God's way or our way, cannot be won by human strength or will-power alone.
Our enemy conspires with the world and our flesh to lead us into sinful desires. Peter the Apostle tells us that the devil prowls the earth seeking the ruin of souls (1 Pet 5:8-9). In this light, God Himself offers us Grace and protection if we are willing to obey his Word and resist the devil. “Because you have made the Lord your refuge, the Most High your habitation, no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent. For he will give his angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways.” (Psa 91:9-11)
First Reading: Jer 7:23-28
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 95:1-2, 6-9 “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.”
GOSPEL: LK 11:14-23
Key Verse: “He who is not with me is against me.” (v.23)
The Gospel today speaks of an unpardonable sin. And the question we might ask is if God is a forgiving God, how come there is such a thing as an unpardonable sin? What sin would be so great that God cannot forgive? We may perhaps even ask is there such a thing as an unforgiveable sin?
Yes there is and the Pharisees may have committed it without their knowing it especially when they attributed the healing miracles of Jesus to Beelzebub, the prince of demons (v.15-16). A similar event reported by Mark quoted Jesus describing this claim of the Pharisees as blaspheming the Holy Spirit (Mk 3:29).
To blaspheme is “to speak reproachfully, revile, calumniate, cuss, and or use foul language.” Thus, to speak ill of the Holy Spirit who empowers Jesus to heal the mute (v.14) was a grievous sin because it was tantamount to calling the Holy Spirit a demon. Hence, when the Pharisees ascribed the miracles of Jesus to the prince of demon, they denied that Jesus was truly from God thus divesting themselves of any hope of forgiveness that comes only through Jesus.
The question now is whether we who have been baptized as Christians are still capable of committing this unforgiveable sin? Yes and we might not be aware of it. We are guilty of committing an unforgiveable sin “if those who have tasted the goodness of the Word of God will fall away and crucify the Son of God all over again and subject him to public disgrace.” (Heb 6:4-6).
We also may be committing an unforgiveable sin “if we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and raging fire that will consumer the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treat as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of Grace? (Heb 10:26-29)
In other words, we can be guilty of committing an unforgiveable sin if we persist in sinning and if we desecrate the sanctity of the Body and Blood of Christ that is present in the Eucharist and if we insult the Holy Spirit. This was why Jesus used such strong words when he said that “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters.” (v.23)
This could only mean that in this life we cannot be neutral or remain in the sidelines. In one way or the other we will have to take sides and it’s either we are on the side of Jesus or we are not, it’s as simple as and these are the only two choices we have. Do we want to enter the kingdom of God or do we want to remain in the kingdom of darkness. There are no ifs and buts when it comes to our salvation.
If we want to live in true freedom from the power of sin and Satan, then Jesus must reign in the temple of our hearts and minds. This Gospel passage is actually a warning for us to avoid this unforgiveable sin but with it comes his assurance that the Holy Spirit himself will empower us by making the Grace of God active when we are faced with adversities in life.
God’s mercy and compassion may be infinite but those who refuse to acknowledge and confess their sins and ask God for forgiveness has already condemned themselves as they have closed the door to God's offer of mercy, pardon, grace, and healing.
Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Lord empowers us to live our lives in absolute freedom from slavery to sin and the Scriptures will tell us that Jesus is our refuge and strength because our lives are hidden in him who created us.
In this Lenten Season, let us make it habit to spend a few moments reading the Sacred Scriptures and God Himself assures us that it will be a time well spent. We should look at the Bible as our personal manual of operations that teaches us how to remain on the road leading to the kingdom of God. To disobey these sacred instructions from God, we open ourselves to the influence of the evil one whose main objective is to separate us from the Grace of God. This is why Jesus must fill our souls and he will provide us the strength to resist the evil one.
What then is the best protection that brings lasting security to our lives? Scripture tells us that true peace and security come to those who trust in God and obey his Word. “Obey my voice and walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you” (Jer 7:23). The struggle between choosing to do good or evil, yielding to our will or God's will, God's way or our way, cannot be won by human strength or will-power alone.
Our enemy conspires with the world and our flesh to lead us into sinful desires. Peter the Apostle tells us that the devil prowls the earth seeking the ruin of souls (1 Pet 5:8-9). In this light, God Himself offers us Grace and protection if we are willing to obey his Word and resist the devil. “Because you have made the Lord your refuge, the Most High your habitation, no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent. For he will give his angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways.” (Psa 91:9-11)
IT'S ALL ABOUT LOVE
MAR. 26, 2014: THIRD WEEK OF LENT
First Reading: Deut 4:1, 5-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 147:12-13, 15-16, 19-20 “Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.”
GOSPEL: MATT 5:17-19
Key Verse: “I have not come to abolish the law,
but to fulfill them.” (v.17)
Laws are necessary because these put order in what otherwise may be an unruly society, church or community perhaps. In fact, there are rules that are observed even in the most basic unit of society which is the family. What do you think would happen if there are no traffic rules to regulate the flow of traffic in the city that we live in. Won’t there be chaos and anarchy on the streets?
I am sure many of you have heard this saying before – “if you want to know the character of a person, give him power.” Indeed, power corrupts and for many of the religious leaders in the time of Jesus, they power they possessed as it gave them the authority to expand the Mosaic law into hundreds of laws that became a burden for the people.
By just glancing at the Scriptures without getting inside it we may be drawn to think that there is a contradiction in the way Jesus pursued his ministry in that while he was emphatic when he said in this Gospel passage that he did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill them (v.17), we also know that Jesus had broken some of the Laws that were in place in his time.
But before we go further, we need to have a clear understanding of what the Law was all about in the life of the ancient Jews since this passage speak of its abolition and fulfillment at the same time.
We must understand that Jesus came at a time when the life of the Jews were governed by “The Law” which refers not just to the Ten Commandments but also to the first five books of the Bible known as the Pentateuch, the entire Scripture and, the Scribal Law.
The Law as the Jews have accepted it was also divided into three categories and these are the ceremonial law that pertains to how Israel should worship (Lev 1:2-3), the civil law that applies to how Jews should live (Deuteronomy) and, the moral law which includes the Ten Commandments that the Jews acknowledge as a direct command of God and thus requires strict obedience. The moral law bares the nature and will of God and Jesus obeyed this law to its fullest.
Of these, it was the Scribal Law that Jesus condemned. In the course of time prior to the coming of Jesus, the Scribes have expanded The Law into numerous rules and regulations that the Pharisees kept and which they passed on to the people. And the rigidity of these expanded Laws was what kept the Jews from a true worship of God that is rooted in having a relationship with God and this was what Jesus was against.
An example of this was the law that says to heal someone during the Sabbath constitutes work and this was prohibited. But the Scribes inserted in the law that healing was allowed if there was danger to life such as afflictions that affect the ear, nose and throat. However, the Scribal Law directs that such healing was limited only to prevent the person afflicted from getting worse but it is against the Scribal Law if the healing will make the person better.
Jesus came at this time when the Jewish topography was dotted with laws that the Scribes believed were in compliance to the Will of God. What Jesus actually did was that he brought a paradigm shift in the way The Law was to be observed. Jesus was not against The Law but he condemned the expanded rules because it kept the people from getting a clearer view of God. What Jesus did was that he wanted the people to refresh their memories as to the original purpose of The Law which was to unite the people with God.
Jesus also did not come to abolish The Law because that same law contains prophecies about the coming of the Messiah and Jesus was right in saying that he came not to abolish The Law because it spoke of his coming as the Messiah and that this can only be fulfilled by his death on the cross (v.18).
We also need to go beyond what is before us in this Gospel passage because what lies hidden from our eyes was the underlying prescription for every Christian to supplant the righteousness of the Scribes and the Pharisees with love that will propel us to an authentic reverence for God.
What the Scribes failed to grasp in those days is what Jesus is telling us to do today. What Jesus is actually saying is that it is only through love that we can obey God’s laws and teach them to others and he assures us that those who do so will be great in the Kingdom of Heaven (v.19).
What Jesus was pointing out in this Gospel passage was that this new law will never pass away and even the smallest detail of this new law will remain until its purpose is achieved (v.18) and its fulfillment comes when we heed and obey the Law of God that includes our complete reverence for God that will cascade down into our reverence for the Lord’s Day, respect for parents, life, property, upholding the reputation of the other person, respect for oneself and for our neighbor.
If the ancient Jews tried to follow even the burdensome Scribal Laws because they believe these set of laws was the Will of God, I was the exact opposite not that I still wasn’t in the renewal at the time but I then thought that the power I had as a media practitioner gave me the right to disobey and go against the law especially traffic rules and regulations. I have been driving since I was 17 and I only applied for a driver’s license when my second child was born and I was 34 at the time. It meant that I was driving without a driver’s license in all of those 17 years. I only came to realize that this was wrong as well as the other stupid things I did when Our Lord Jesus Christ found me and brought me to the renewal. The rest is history. That was then. The now is a life that is predisposed to serving God.
In this Season of Lent, let us take this opportunity to look into our relationship with God and our neighbor as well. And we can all begin by developing a deeper relationship with God because it is this reverence for God that will move us to love our neighbor as well.
We may find ourselves struggling especially for those who find it hard to lay to rest their pride and worldly attachments. But what maybe impossible to men is possible to God especially for those of us who will put our faith and trust in God.
We can find strength in the fact that God gives us the grace to love as he loves, to forgive as he forgives, to think as he thinks, and to act as he acts. During this season of purgation, Jesus is giving us the opportunity to renounce sin and to turn away from what is harmful and destructive to our minds and hearts, and our very lives. As Christians we must love and respect his commandments and hate every form of sin. And God who is love is the one who will make this possible.
First Reading: Deut 4:1, 5-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 147:12-13, 15-16, 19-20 “Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.”
GOSPEL: MATT 5:17-19
Key Verse: “I have not come to abolish the law,
but to fulfill them.” (v.17)
Laws are necessary because these put order in what otherwise may be an unruly society, church or community perhaps. In fact, there are rules that are observed even in the most basic unit of society which is the family. What do you think would happen if there are no traffic rules to regulate the flow of traffic in the city that we live in. Won’t there be chaos and anarchy on the streets?
I am sure many of you have heard this saying before – “if you want to know the character of a person, give him power.” Indeed, power corrupts and for many of the religious leaders in the time of Jesus, they power they possessed as it gave them the authority to expand the Mosaic law into hundreds of laws that became a burden for the people.
By just glancing at the Scriptures without getting inside it we may be drawn to think that there is a contradiction in the way Jesus pursued his ministry in that while he was emphatic when he said in this Gospel passage that he did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill them (v.17), we also know that Jesus had broken some of the Laws that were in place in his time.
But before we go further, we need to have a clear understanding of what the Law was all about in the life of the ancient Jews since this passage speak of its abolition and fulfillment at the same time.
We must understand that Jesus came at a time when the life of the Jews were governed by “The Law” which refers not just to the Ten Commandments but also to the first five books of the Bible known as the Pentateuch, the entire Scripture and, the Scribal Law.
The Law as the Jews have accepted it was also divided into three categories and these are the ceremonial law that pertains to how Israel should worship (Lev 1:2-3), the civil law that applies to how Jews should live (Deuteronomy) and, the moral law which includes the Ten Commandments that the Jews acknowledge as a direct command of God and thus requires strict obedience. The moral law bares the nature and will of God and Jesus obeyed this law to its fullest.
Of these, it was the Scribal Law that Jesus condemned. In the course of time prior to the coming of Jesus, the Scribes have expanded The Law into numerous rules and regulations that the Pharisees kept and which they passed on to the people. And the rigidity of these expanded Laws was what kept the Jews from a true worship of God that is rooted in having a relationship with God and this was what Jesus was against.
An example of this was the law that says to heal someone during the Sabbath constitutes work and this was prohibited. But the Scribes inserted in the law that healing was allowed if there was danger to life such as afflictions that affect the ear, nose and throat. However, the Scribal Law directs that such healing was limited only to prevent the person afflicted from getting worse but it is against the Scribal Law if the healing will make the person better.
Jesus came at this time when the Jewish topography was dotted with laws that the Scribes believed were in compliance to the Will of God. What Jesus actually did was that he brought a paradigm shift in the way The Law was to be observed. Jesus was not against The Law but he condemned the expanded rules because it kept the people from getting a clearer view of God. What Jesus did was that he wanted the people to refresh their memories as to the original purpose of The Law which was to unite the people with God.
Jesus also did not come to abolish The Law because that same law contains prophecies about the coming of the Messiah and Jesus was right in saying that he came not to abolish The Law because it spoke of his coming as the Messiah and that this can only be fulfilled by his death on the cross (v.18).
We also need to go beyond what is before us in this Gospel passage because what lies hidden from our eyes was the underlying prescription for every Christian to supplant the righteousness of the Scribes and the Pharisees with love that will propel us to an authentic reverence for God.
What the Scribes failed to grasp in those days is what Jesus is telling us to do today. What Jesus is actually saying is that it is only through love that we can obey God’s laws and teach them to others and he assures us that those who do so will be great in the Kingdom of Heaven (v.19).
What Jesus was pointing out in this Gospel passage was that this new law will never pass away and even the smallest detail of this new law will remain until its purpose is achieved (v.18) and its fulfillment comes when we heed and obey the Law of God that includes our complete reverence for God that will cascade down into our reverence for the Lord’s Day, respect for parents, life, property, upholding the reputation of the other person, respect for oneself and for our neighbor.
If the ancient Jews tried to follow even the burdensome Scribal Laws because they believe these set of laws was the Will of God, I was the exact opposite not that I still wasn’t in the renewal at the time but I then thought that the power I had as a media practitioner gave me the right to disobey and go against the law especially traffic rules and regulations. I have been driving since I was 17 and I only applied for a driver’s license when my second child was born and I was 34 at the time. It meant that I was driving without a driver’s license in all of those 17 years. I only came to realize that this was wrong as well as the other stupid things I did when Our Lord Jesus Christ found me and brought me to the renewal. The rest is history. That was then. The now is a life that is predisposed to serving God.
In this Season of Lent, let us take this opportunity to look into our relationship with God and our neighbor as well. And we can all begin by developing a deeper relationship with God because it is this reverence for God that will move us to love our neighbor as well.
We may find ourselves struggling especially for those who find it hard to lay to rest their pride and worldly attachments. But what maybe impossible to men is possible to God especially for those of us who will put our faith and trust in God.
We can find strength in the fact that God gives us the grace to love as he loves, to forgive as he forgives, to think as he thinks, and to act as he acts. During this season of purgation, Jesus is giving us the opportunity to renounce sin and to turn away from what is harmful and destructive to our minds and hearts, and our very lives. As Christians we must love and respect his commandments and hate every form of sin. And God who is love is the one who will make this possible.
LOOK TO MARY AS OUR MODEL
MAR. 25, 2014: THE ANUNCIATION OF THE LORD
First Reading: Isa 7:10-14, 8-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 40: 7-11 “Here I am Lord; I come to do your Will.”
Second Reading: Heb 10:4-10
GOSPEL: Luke 1:2-38
Key Verse: “May it be to me as you have said.” (v.33)
The Gospel today speaks of Mary who was the main character in this passage and we can only grasp the meaning of this story of the Annunciation if we go back in time and try to appreciate the situation that Mary found herself in when this event happened.
If there was one thing that stood out relative to this story, it was the perfect obedience of Mary to God who spoke through the angel Gabriel for without such subservience Jesus could not have been incarnated and we probably would have remained in our sinful nature.
Mary was a young maiden who was betrothed to Joseph. A betrothal normally lasts for a year and was generally regarded as binding as if they are already married. Such betrothal can only be recalled or cancelled either by divorce or death of either one of the contracting parties. And in the event that a man to whom a woman was betrothed dies, the woman would be regarded as a widow.
A young and an unmarried maiden who gets pregnant outside of marriage will invite disaster. And for Mary to tell her story of becoming pregnant by the Holy Spirit also risked being considered crazy. This was the predicament to which Mary was in when the angel Gabriel told her: “You will be child and give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus” (v.31). Disbelief and wonderment must have filled Mary at that very moment but the angel assured her “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (v.35).
Despite the risks of being ridiculed and the possibility of divorce, Mary’s response stood out and would be hailed from that time on till now as a primary model of obedience. Her docility to the Will of God was not only unparalleled but it became the avenue through which Salvation came into the world. The only thing she knew was that she was being asked by God to serve him and she willingly obeyed.
The hope and future of mankind rested on that simple phrase that Mary uttered: “I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as you have said” (v.38). In that short response, Mary became the vessel through which Our Lord Jesus Christ will come into the world but we should not also forget the sacrifice and humility of Joseph who took Mary as his spouse and who stood as guardian of the Savior of all humanity.
While Eve was regarded as the mother of humanity who was doomed to sin, Mary was considered as the mother of the new Adam who by his Grace will save man from sin. (Rom 5:19) As the angel Gabriel instructed Mary and Joseph, the child to be born was to named Jesus which was a Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua meaning “the Lord saves.” This was also a fulfillment of God’s promise to David that his kingdom will last forever (2 Sam 7:16). And rightly so, for Jesus who came from the house of David (Matt 1) has reigned since then and continues to rule today in the hearts of men.
Although the Virgin birth has largely remained a mystery that many people find hard to believe, we should remember that Luke was a medical doctor and while it was hard for him to believe how a baby can be conceived in the case of Mary, he wrote about it based on the facts or interviews he made with witnesses and his own conversation with Mary.
But the most important facet of this Virgin birth was that there shouldn’t be any doubt in our minds that God has the power to create a child even in the womb of a virgin.
What then is the message for us in this Gospel reading as well as the inference in the 1st Reading (Isa 7:12) when Ahaz refused to seek God’s favor which was the exact opposite of Mary’s response. The readings invite us not only to seek God’s favor but for us to put all our trust in Our Lord.
We should remember, however, that God’s favor doesn’t mean success or fame overnight because as with Mary being favored at times would lead to pain and ridicule. At times, being favored by God will bring hardships and difficulties but it is in these trying times when our faith is tested that God is present.
And like Mary whose obedience was the embodiment of the world’s greatest prayer: “Thy Will be done” (Matt 6:10), God will also pour out on us his manifold Graces that will allow us not only to endure suffering but we will experience joy amidst the pain and tribulations in life because the Grace of God will be upon anyone who will completely trust God like Mary.
What we all must remember was that Mary withstood the predicament she was in because God favored her and blessed all the circumstances in her life. This simply means that God will also provide us the strength, endurance and perseverance to go through with life but this is anchored on our saying “Yes, Thy Will be done.” Thus, it wouldn’t be such a bad idea if we are going to make Mary as our model to guide us in our spiritual journey.
In our profession of faith when we recite the Apostles’ Creed during the Eucharistic Celebration, we must not only understand what the Creed is but we must comprehend the depth of what it is. In so doing, we must understand and believe when we say: “I believe in God the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, Our Lord; who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit; born of the Virgin Mary…”
The Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed in the New Roman Missal will mean much more if we will truly understand and believe what it says. And ask God for faith if anyone of you lack wisdom (Jam 1:5).
First Reading: Isa 7:10-14, 8-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 40: 7-11 “Here I am Lord; I come to do your Will.”
Second Reading: Heb 10:4-10
GOSPEL: Luke 1:2-38
Key Verse: “May it be to me as you have said.” (v.33)
The Gospel today speaks of Mary who was the main character in this passage and we can only grasp the meaning of this story of the Annunciation if we go back in time and try to appreciate the situation that Mary found herself in when this event happened.
If there was one thing that stood out relative to this story, it was the perfect obedience of Mary to God who spoke through the angel Gabriel for without such subservience Jesus could not have been incarnated and we probably would have remained in our sinful nature.
Mary was a young maiden who was betrothed to Joseph. A betrothal normally lasts for a year and was generally regarded as binding as if they are already married. Such betrothal can only be recalled or cancelled either by divorce or death of either one of the contracting parties. And in the event that a man to whom a woman was betrothed dies, the woman would be regarded as a widow.
A young and an unmarried maiden who gets pregnant outside of marriage will invite disaster. And for Mary to tell her story of becoming pregnant by the Holy Spirit also risked being considered crazy. This was the predicament to which Mary was in when the angel Gabriel told her: “You will be child and give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus” (v.31). Disbelief and wonderment must have filled Mary at that very moment but the angel assured her “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (v.35).
Despite the risks of being ridiculed and the possibility of divorce, Mary’s response stood out and would be hailed from that time on till now as a primary model of obedience. Her docility to the Will of God was not only unparalleled but it became the avenue through which Salvation came into the world. The only thing she knew was that she was being asked by God to serve him and she willingly obeyed.
The hope and future of mankind rested on that simple phrase that Mary uttered: “I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as you have said” (v.38). In that short response, Mary became the vessel through which Our Lord Jesus Christ will come into the world but we should not also forget the sacrifice and humility of Joseph who took Mary as his spouse and who stood as guardian of the Savior of all humanity.
While Eve was regarded as the mother of humanity who was doomed to sin, Mary was considered as the mother of the new Adam who by his Grace will save man from sin. (Rom 5:19) As the angel Gabriel instructed Mary and Joseph, the child to be born was to named Jesus which was a Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua meaning “the Lord saves.” This was also a fulfillment of God’s promise to David that his kingdom will last forever (2 Sam 7:16). And rightly so, for Jesus who came from the house of David (Matt 1) has reigned since then and continues to rule today in the hearts of men.
Although the Virgin birth has largely remained a mystery that many people find hard to believe, we should remember that Luke was a medical doctor and while it was hard for him to believe how a baby can be conceived in the case of Mary, he wrote about it based on the facts or interviews he made with witnesses and his own conversation with Mary.
But the most important facet of this Virgin birth was that there shouldn’t be any doubt in our minds that God has the power to create a child even in the womb of a virgin.
What then is the message for us in this Gospel reading as well as the inference in the 1st Reading (Isa 7:12) when Ahaz refused to seek God’s favor which was the exact opposite of Mary’s response. The readings invite us not only to seek God’s favor but for us to put all our trust in Our Lord.
We should remember, however, that God’s favor doesn’t mean success or fame overnight because as with Mary being favored at times would lead to pain and ridicule. At times, being favored by God will bring hardships and difficulties but it is in these trying times when our faith is tested that God is present.
And like Mary whose obedience was the embodiment of the world’s greatest prayer: “Thy Will be done” (Matt 6:10), God will also pour out on us his manifold Graces that will allow us not only to endure suffering but we will experience joy amidst the pain and tribulations in life because the Grace of God will be upon anyone who will completely trust God like Mary.
What we all must remember was that Mary withstood the predicament she was in because God favored her and blessed all the circumstances in her life. This simply means that God will also provide us the strength, endurance and perseverance to go through with life but this is anchored on our saying “Yes, Thy Will be done.” Thus, it wouldn’t be such a bad idea if we are going to make Mary as our model to guide us in our spiritual journey.
In our profession of faith when we recite the Apostles’ Creed during the Eucharistic Celebration, we must not only understand what the Creed is but we must comprehend the depth of what it is. In so doing, we must understand and believe when we say: “I believe in God the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, Our Lord; who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit; born of the Virgin Mary…”
The Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed in the New Roman Missal will mean much more if we will truly understand and believe what it says. And ask God for faith if anyone of you lack wisdom (Jam 1:5).
UNCOMPROMISING FAITH
MAR. 24, 2014: THIRD WEEK OF LENT
First Reading: 2 Kgs 5:1-15ab
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 42:2-3; 43:3-4 “Athirst is my soul for the living God, when shall I go and behold the face of God?”
GOSPEL: LK 4:24-30
Key Verse: “..no prophet is accepted in his own hometown.” (v.24)
“No prophet is accepted in his own hometown.” Jesus told the people who were present at the synagogue of Nazareth in observance of the Sabbath. Being the God that he is, he perfectly knew the kind of reaction he would elicit at his teachings.
But what was remarkable not only in this Gospel passage but even in the other times that he was confronted with disbelief by the religious leaders and teachers of the law was that Jesus never wavered in his conviction that the Word of God must be proclaimed even at the risk of losing your own life.
The message rings clear in that the Gospel must be proclaimed not just to one class of people but to all without fear or favor. What happened to Jesus may have happened to us and is still happening now. Those who are asked to teach or give a talk find themselves being contradicted and sneered at in their own Parishes or Community.
To some extent there was much more honesty on the part of the Pharisees who confronted and debated with Jesus on his face as against what is happening these days when present-day teachers and speakers are criticized behind their back and this stems from the sinful pride, indifference and unbelief that blocks the flow of Grace in a person for it is this Grace that opens the hearts and minds of a person to believe the Gospel when it is preached.
Even men of the cloth suffer from similar state when their homilies and or reflection do not sit well with their audiences and this brings to light the human tendency of selective listening. Most often we open our ears and our hearts to what we want to hear especially if it will subscribe to our own set of beliefs but which we reject as fast as we hear especially if these will expose our negative attributes.
This was the sin of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law as well as the people who may have been influenced by their ways as the did not only believe in what Jesus said and taught but their failure to seek healing and pardon was what became an abomination to God.
Today in this present age the advent of modern communications that has made it more convenient and accessible for all to hear and listen to the Word of God has provided us the means to understand our need to be aware of and to appreciate the fact that God's grace flows through us and in us that leads us to understand the purpose and meaning of life.
We read from Scriptures that “the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning” (Lam 3:22-23). This is an assurance that God readily gives Grace to those who will seek him with sincerity, expectant faith and a repentant heart who desire to be made whole and clean again.
This was what happened to Naaman who was instructed by the prophet Elisha to bathe seven times in the Jordan river to cleanse him of his leprosy. Though a king he was, Naaman humbly followed the prophet's instructions and was immediately restored in body and spirit.
When Jesus proclaimed the Gospel to his own people in Nazareth, he minced no words to confront them of their sin of indifference and unbelief and he went to rebuke them saying that no prophet or servant of God can receive honor among his own people.
The Jews believed that they were truly the chosen ones and they were angered when Jesus said “there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed – only Naaman the Syrian.” (v.27) What Jesus was trying to impart was the God’s Grace also flows to both Jews and Gentiles alike and that God was not selective as to whom He will apportion is gift of salvation.
This blindness and indifference of the Pharisees to the new message that Jesus brought has now taken different forms and shapes and is no longer limited to the reception of the Word of God. Many of those in the Church and or Community for that matter have become Pharisaical in their ways especially those who exercise governance functions.
Love of God and neighbor has either been relegated to the backseat in favor of policies and rules that govern the primary mission of the church and or community which is to proclaim the Word of God and or, the rules and policies have been disguised as in pursuit of love of God and neighbor.
There is nothing wrong with having policies and rules to put a structure and or order in the church and or community for that matter but such policies and rules should not be the be-all and the end-all of church and community life.
The goal of bringing others to reconcile with God should be premised on the love we have received that we also have to share in love. This means that we cannot convert an unbeliever, a marginalized Catholic, the unchurched and or bring light to those who live in darkness by reading to him such policies and rules but by the Gospel of salvation.
Conversion comes when people hear the Word of God being proclaimed to them. Thus, to proclaim the Gospel to the ends of the earth is the be-all and end-all of the New Evangelization for which we all have to subscribe to because it is to this mission that we all being called.
In this Gospel passage, Jesus shows that God gives healing and pardon to all who will humbly ask for his mercy and help and he will set us free from every sinful habit that makes us indifferent to our neighbor and God alone can restore our disfigured nature if we will allow him to cleanse us and heal us.
As we embark on the New Evangelization to which we are being called, we must all grow in love and holiness fueled by the Grace of God. As with Jesus, to evangelize is stand on what we believe in that is rooted on an uncompromising faith that is secured in our subservience to God’s Will.
First Reading: 2 Kgs 5:1-15ab
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 42:2-3; 43:3-4 “Athirst is my soul for the living God, when shall I go and behold the face of God?”
GOSPEL: LK 4:24-30
Key Verse: “..no prophet is accepted in his own hometown.” (v.24)
“No prophet is accepted in his own hometown.” Jesus told the people who were present at the synagogue of Nazareth in observance of the Sabbath. Being the God that he is, he perfectly knew the kind of reaction he would elicit at his teachings.
But what was remarkable not only in this Gospel passage but even in the other times that he was confronted with disbelief by the religious leaders and teachers of the law was that Jesus never wavered in his conviction that the Word of God must be proclaimed even at the risk of losing your own life.
The message rings clear in that the Gospel must be proclaimed not just to one class of people but to all without fear or favor. What happened to Jesus may have happened to us and is still happening now. Those who are asked to teach or give a talk find themselves being contradicted and sneered at in their own Parishes or Community.
To some extent there was much more honesty on the part of the Pharisees who confronted and debated with Jesus on his face as against what is happening these days when present-day teachers and speakers are criticized behind their back and this stems from the sinful pride, indifference and unbelief that blocks the flow of Grace in a person for it is this Grace that opens the hearts and minds of a person to believe the Gospel when it is preached.
Even men of the cloth suffer from similar state when their homilies and or reflection do not sit well with their audiences and this brings to light the human tendency of selective listening. Most often we open our ears and our hearts to what we want to hear especially if it will subscribe to our own set of beliefs but which we reject as fast as we hear especially if these will expose our negative attributes.
This was the sin of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law as well as the people who may have been influenced by their ways as the did not only believe in what Jesus said and taught but their failure to seek healing and pardon was what became an abomination to God.
Today in this present age the advent of modern communications that has made it more convenient and accessible for all to hear and listen to the Word of God has provided us the means to understand our need to be aware of and to appreciate the fact that God's grace flows through us and in us that leads us to understand the purpose and meaning of life.
We read from Scriptures that “the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning” (Lam 3:22-23). This is an assurance that God readily gives Grace to those who will seek him with sincerity, expectant faith and a repentant heart who desire to be made whole and clean again.
This was what happened to Naaman who was instructed by the prophet Elisha to bathe seven times in the Jordan river to cleanse him of his leprosy. Though a king he was, Naaman humbly followed the prophet's instructions and was immediately restored in body and spirit.
When Jesus proclaimed the Gospel to his own people in Nazareth, he minced no words to confront them of their sin of indifference and unbelief and he went to rebuke them saying that no prophet or servant of God can receive honor among his own people.
The Jews believed that they were truly the chosen ones and they were angered when Jesus said “there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed – only Naaman the Syrian.” (v.27) What Jesus was trying to impart was the God’s Grace also flows to both Jews and Gentiles alike and that God was not selective as to whom He will apportion is gift of salvation.
This blindness and indifference of the Pharisees to the new message that Jesus brought has now taken different forms and shapes and is no longer limited to the reception of the Word of God. Many of those in the Church and or Community for that matter have become Pharisaical in their ways especially those who exercise governance functions.
Love of God and neighbor has either been relegated to the backseat in favor of policies and rules that govern the primary mission of the church and or community which is to proclaim the Word of God and or, the rules and policies have been disguised as in pursuit of love of God and neighbor.
There is nothing wrong with having policies and rules to put a structure and or order in the church and or community for that matter but such policies and rules should not be the be-all and the end-all of church and community life.
The goal of bringing others to reconcile with God should be premised on the love we have received that we also have to share in love. This means that we cannot convert an unbeliever, a marginalized Catholic, the unchurched and or bring light to those who live in darkness by reading to him such policies and rules but by the Gospel of salvation.
Conversion comes when people hear the Word of God being proclaimed to them. Thus, to proclaim the Gospel to the ends of the earth is the be-all and end-all of the New Evangelization for which we all have to subscribe to because it is to this mission that we all being called.
In this Gospel passage, Jesus shows that God gives healing and pardon to all who will humbly ask for his mercy and help and he will set us free from every sinful habit that makes us indifferent to our neighbor and God alone can restore our disfigured nature if we will allow him to cleanse us and heal us.
As we embark on the New Evangelization to which we are being called, we must all grow in love and holiness fueled by the Grace of God. As with Jesus, to evangelize is stand on what we believe in that is rooted on an uncompromising faith that is secured in our subservience to God’s Will.
GOD ALWAYS WELCOMES THE SINNER
MAR. 22, 2014: SECOND WEEK OF LENT
First Reading: Mic7:14-15, 18-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 103:1-4, 9-12 “The Lord is kind and merciful.”
GOSPEL: LK 15:1-3, 11-12
Key Verse: “…he was lost and is found.” (v.32)
The civil war that tore the United States apart must have been hard for acquaintances who found themselves facing one another not as friends but as enemies. And when it was finally over and the southerners who rebelled against the emancipation of the slaves were defeated and had rejoined the Union, then President Abraham Lincoln was asked how we was going to treat the rebels.
Many thought that Lincoln would be unforgiving for the rebellion cost so much in terms of lives lost and resources and many were surprised when the American President said: “I will treat them as if they had never been away.”
I also personally remember how the late Ilocos Sur Rep. Floro Crisologo in the mid-60s had confronted the suspect who lobbed a grenade at him as he was delivering a political speech. Crisologo survived that attempt in his life and when the suspect was traced and arrested, Crisologo not only forgave but he even hired the suspect to become one of his household hand who served him until a bullet fired by an assassin felled him while he was hearing Mass at Sto. Domingo Church in Quezon City.
Today’s Gospel passage is a beautiful story about forgiveness and many times you will ask how you can still love someone who turns their back on you and still forgive them from the heart? The prophets remind us in the first reading that God does not abandon us, even if we turn our backs on him (Mic 7:18). He will call us back to himself – over and over and over again.
Jesus' parable of a father and his two sons and which is commonly referred to as the parable of the prodigal son is the longest parable in the Gospels. Everyone probably is familiar with the story but for those who hasn’t come across it yet the focal point of the parable is the younger of the two sons who took out his inheritance from his father and squandered it.
Finding himself impoverished he was forced to work feeding the pigs feeding the pigs which was a most despicable job because Jews are forbidden to do this task as it runs counter to the law that says: “Cursed is he who feeds swine.” Then Jesus said: “When he came to his senses” (v.17) the young son was reduced to repentance and was led to a decision to return to his home.
This verse was not only the turning point in the life of the young son but Jesus said this because Our Lord believes that a man or anyone who turns away from God was not in himself or was not in his right sense or frame of mind and Jesus believes that man is in his right sense when he finds his way back to God.
Just like in the story of the Transfiguration we noted that it was not actually the Lord who was transfigured because Jesus never lost his original nature as God. The reverse was what happened as it were Peter, James and John who were transfigured when the Holy Spirit removed the veil from their eyes and they were able to see the light that was in Jesus.
Similarly, this parable was not about the prodigal son because he was not the hero in this story. The Father who out of his great love and compassion for his son was the real hero in this parable because it reveals the kind of forgiveness the Father, a forgiveness without recrimination.
And what we see in the attitude of the elder brother is what we see happening around us such that it will be much easier for us to appreciate that God is more merciful in his judgments than many of us. In this parable we see that the love of God is broader than the love of man and that God can forgive when men refuse to forgive as in the case of the elder brother.
Those of us who have been conferred a second baptism can easily relate to the robe, the ring, and the festive banquet that the Father gave to welcome his son because these symbolize the pure, worthy, and joyful life that is given to anyone who returns to God.
Here in this parable, Jesus gives us a very clear picture of the attributes of God, a God whose loving kindness is bigger than we could ever imagine and definitely deeper than the kindness we could ever give to others.
Many of us easily lose hope when things don’t turn out the way we expected and we sink into the pit of depression and despair. But in this parable we see a God who does not lose hope or give up when we go astray and He rejoices when the Holy Spirit finds us and brings us back to our senses and leads us home.
I too was once like the prodigal son in this gospel passage as I lived my life then as I pleased. But I guess God had other plans and in looking back I knew that he has been searching for me and when he found me, he led me back to the path of repentance. Now I know that I have been forgiven of all my sins and while I may not yet be perfect, I know that I am not alone in facing whatever trials may come my way.
“We don’t leave anyone behind” is what the US Marines usually say when they are faced with tremendous pressure on the battlefield and are forced to withdraw. Jesus is like that. He doesn’t leave anyone behind and he will go to great lengths even death on the cross to look for us and bring us back to God as he did with the prodigal son and me.
First Reading: Mic7:14-15, 18-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 103:1-4, 9-12 “The Lord is kind and merciful.”
GOSPEL: LK 15:1-3, 11-12
Key Verse: “…he was lost and is found.” (v.32)
The civil war that tore the United States apart must have been hard for acquaintances who found themselves facing one another not as friends but as enemies. And when it was finally over and the southerners who rebelled against the emancipation of the slaves were defeated and had rejoined the Union, then President Abraham Lincoln was asked how we was going to treat the rebels.
Many thought that Lincoln would be unforgiving for the rebellion cost so much in terms of lives lost and resources and many were surprised when the American President said: “I will treat them as if they had never been away.”
I also personally remember how the late Ilocos Sur Rep. Floro Crisologo in the mid-60s had confronted the suspect who lobbed a grenade at him as he was delivering a political speech. Crisologo survived that attempt in his life and when the suspect was traced and arrested, Crisologo not only forgave but he even hired the suspect to become one of his household hand who served him until a bullet fired by an assassin felled him while he was hearing Mass at Sto. Domingo Church in Quezon City.
Today’s Gospel passage is a beautiful story about forgiveness and many times you will ask how you can still love someone who turns their back on you and still forgive them from the heart? The prophets remind us in the first reading that God does not abandon us, even if we turn our backs on him (Mic 7:18). He will call us back to himself – over and over and over again.
Jesus' parable of a father and his two sons and which is commonly referred to as the parable of the prodigal son is the longest parable in the Gospels. Everyone probably is familiar with the story but for those who hasn’t come across it yet the focal point of the parable is the younger of the two sons who took out his inheritance from his father and squandered it.
Finding himself impoverished he was forced to work feeding the pigs feeding the pigs which was a most despicable job because Jews are forbidden to do this task as it runs counter to the law that says: “Cursed is he who feeds swine.” Then Jesus said: “When he came to his senses” (v.17) the young son was reduced to repentance and was led to a decision to return to his home.
This verse was not only the turning point in the life of the young son but Jesus said this because Our Lord believes that a man or anyone who turns away from God was not in himself or was not in his right sense or frame of mind and Jesus believes that man is in his right sense when he finds his way back to God.
Just like in the story of the Transfiguration we noted that it was not actually the Lord who was transfigured because Jesus never lost his original nature as God. The reverse was what happened as it were Peter, James and John who were transfigured when the Holy Spirit removed the veil from their eyes and they were able to see the light that was in Jesus.
Similarly, this parable was not about the prodigal son because he was not the hero in this story. The Father who out of his great love and compassion for his son was the real hero in this parable because it reveals the kind of forgiveness the Father, a forgiveness without recrimination.
And what we see in the attitude of the elder brother is what we see happening around us such that it will be much easier for us to appreciate that God is more merciful in his judgments than many of us. In this parable we see that the love of God is broader than the love of man and that God can forgive when men refuse to forgive as in the case of the elder brother.
Those of us who have been conferred a second baptism can easily relate to the robe, the ring, and the festive banquet that the Father gave to welcome his son because these symbolize the pure, worthy, and joyful life that is given to anyone who returns to God.
Here in this parable, Jesus gives us a very clear picture of the attributes of God, a God whose loving kindness is bigger than we could ever imagine and definitely deeper than the kindness we could ever give to others.
Many of us easily lose hope when things don’t turn out the way we expected and we sink into the pit of depression and despair. But in this parable we see a God who does not lose hope or give up when we go astray and He rejoices when the Holy Spirit finds us and brings us back to our senses and leads us home.
I too was once like the prodigal son in this gospel passage as I lived my life then as I pleased. But I guess God had other plans and in looking back I knew that he has been searching for me and when he found me, he led me back to the path of repentance. Now I know that I have been forgiven of all my sins and while I may not yet be perfect, I know that I am not alone in facing whatever trials may come my way.
“We don’t leave anyone behind” is what the US Marines usually say when they are faced with tremendous pressure on the battlefield and are forced to withdraw. Jesus is like that. He doesn’t leave anyone behind and he will go to great lengths even death on the cross to look for us and bring us back to God as he did with the prodigal son and me.
NEVER, NEVER DISOBEY GOD
MAR. 21, 2014: SECOND WEEK OF LENT
First Reading: Gen 37:3-4, 12-13a, 17b-28a
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 105: 16-21 “Remember the marvels the Lord has done.”
GOSPEL: MATT 21:33-43, 45-46
Key Verse: The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone”
There was a time in my life as a farm lessor when the tenant to whom I entrusted the care of my rice land abandoned my farm and never even bothered to hand over my share from the income of the farm which in the first place was not even an astronomical amount.
But these things are ordinary fare among farmland owners and tenants and those who are familiar with farming can easily relate to this parable. Vineyard owners in this parable do not actually manage their vineyards and the same goes true for some farm owners in the Philippines today.
In my case my property was being tilled by a tenant who gets a third out of the income from the harvest which was at least two times a year. This is one of three ways by which a farm or a vineyard can be operated. The other two ways is either to rent the vineyard or the farm or to get a fixed amount out of the harvest.
As a lessor, I pay for all the costs of the farm inputs including the grains or seeds that are to be planted and my caretaker merely watches over the farm to make sure that it is free from snails and to keep stray animals away.
The parable today speak of the vineyard which is actually the nation of Israel and God is pictured as the vineyard owner. Here we see the generosity of God in providing for everything that vineyard workers will need to make their work easy. The tenants are the religious leaders of Israel. The messengers whom the owner sent and who were killed were the prophets sent by God to proclaim his kingdom. And the son who the workers also killed was none other than Jesus himself.
In the same way, I view this Gospel passage as a prefigurement of our salvation history when God sent prophets in the Old Testament times and yet the people persisted in their sinful ways. This prompted God to send his own Son hoping the people will listen to him. We all know the story as Jesus was also manhandled and killed on orders of the religious leaders at that time.
In today’s passage, we can equate the world that God created for us as our vineyard. The Book of Genesis tells us that God provided everything that we need to live on this planet and this parable highlights how much God trusts us as he gave us the authority to “rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (Gen 1:28)
And while the parable speak of God’s patience as the owner sent his messengers one after the other which was typical of his character in Deut 7:9 “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping is covenant of love to a thousand generations…,” it also tells us of his judgment when he took the vineyard from the tenants and gave it to others.
Similarly, we will also experience God’s judgment when he takes away from us the task that he gave us to do and there is a danger we may even suffer the consequences of “every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Matt 3:10)
Jesus in this parable may have been referring to the tenants as the religious leaders of Israel but he could also be referring to us on account of the rebellious spirit that is present in us. As the religious leaders of Israel rejected Jesus and his teachings, we too stand accused of rejecting Jesus when we persist in living in sin which is a deliberate opposition to God.
As with the vineyard workers, God also gave us the freedom to run our lives the way we choose it. Some of us may have spent our lives in the way that God wants, but as with the tenants we may also be wasting the gifts that God has given us to be productive and make something of their lives.
And again in this parable, Jesus gives a preview of his coming passion, death and resurrection when he spoke of the son of the vineyard owner being killed by the tenants. As with the religious leaders at that time and with some of us today, Jesus is still suffering this kind of rejection from those who rebel against the Will of God.
Because of the influence of the material world that we are in, we abuse the freedom that God gave us as we go about our own way unmindful of the way, the truth and the life that God wants us to live. And we remain oblivious to the fact that when we persist in our rebellion and disobedience to God we are actually declaring war on God and turning ourselves into his enemies.
What we are forgetting is that Jesus who is the stone and the rock of our faith whom the religious leaders have rejected and whom we are rebelling against today because his ways are incompatible with the carefree lives that we want to pursue has become the cornerstone who is the source of our salvation.
Jesus knew he would be rejected and killed but he also knew that the glory of resurrection and his ascension will spring from his being rejected. With his death on the cross which has conquered death and evil and, with the Holy Spirit dwelling in us following his ascension to heaven Jesus has poured out on us the many gifts as with the tenants in this parable and he assures us that we will all bear fruit if we will only remain in him.
As he entrusts us with the tools to enable us to work in his vineyard – our Church and Community – he also enjoins us to “stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourself fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor n the Lord is not in vain.” (1 Cor 15:58)
There is just one thing we should not forget and that is we cannot abuse the patience and generosity of the Lord. Despite the evil that the tenants showed, the Landlord sent his servants whom the tenants manhandled and some were killed until the Landlord sent his son and heir whom the tenants also put to death. And Jesus posed a question as to what will the owner of the vineyard and they answered “he will put those wretched men to a wretched death.” (vv.35-41).
This parable should remind our legislators in both the Senate and the House of Representatives in the Philippines that to espouse and support the so-called “anti-Christ bills” is a form of rebellion against God because these pieces of legislation will eventually stamp out not just the flow of life but it will ultimately destroy the family. What they are forgetting is that when God chose to become a human person by incarnation then it presupposes that there must be something good and beautiful in the human body such that what these death bills including the RH law will destroy is the human body which is the personification of the image and likeness of God.
Jesus ends the parable saying the Kingdom of God will be taken away from the unrepentant sinner, the stubborn, the unbeliever, those who will reject his Son and will be given to whom God’s Grace will flourish.
In our work in the vineyard of the Lord, we will definitely face trials, challenges and persecution but the victory is ours if we stand firm on the cornerstone – Jesus Himself!
First Reading: Gen 37:3-4, 12-13a, 17b-28a
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 105: 16-21 “Remember the marvels the Lord has done.”
GOSPEL: MATT 21:33-43, 45-46
Key Verse: The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone”
There was a time in my life as a farm lessor when the tenant to whom I entrusted the care of my rice land abandoned my farm and never even bothered to hand over my share from the income of the farm which in the first place was not even an astronomical amount.
But these things are ordinary fare among farmland owners and tenants and those who are familiar with farming can easily relate to this parable. Vineyard owners in this parable do not actually manage their vineyards and the same goes true for some farm owners in the Philippines today.
In my case my property was being tilled by a tenant who gets a third out of the income from the harvest which was at least two times a year. This is one of three ways by which a farm or a vineyard can be operated. The other two ways is either to rent the vineyard or the farm or to get a fixed amount out of the harvest.
As a lessor, I pay for all the costs of the farm inputs including the grains or seeds that are to be planted and my caretaker merely watches over the farm to make sure that it is free from snails and to keep stray animals away.
The parable today speak of the vineyard which is actually the nation of Israel and God is pictured as the vineyard owner. Here we see the generosity of God in providing for everything that vineyard workers will need to make their work easy. The tenants are the religious leaders of Israel. The messengers whom the owner sent and who were killed were the prophets sent by God to proclaim his kingdom. And the son who the workers also killed was none other than Jesus himself.
In the same way, I view this Gospel passage as a prefigurement of our salvation history when God sent prophets in the Old Testament times and yet the people persisted in their sinful ways. This prompted God to send his own Son hoping the people will listen to him. We all know the story as Jesus was also manhandled and killed on orders of the religious leaders at that time.
In today’s passage, we can equate the world that God created for us as our vineyard. The Book of Genesis tells us that God provided everything that we need to live on this planet and this parable highlights how much God trusts us as he gave us the authority to “rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (Gen 1:28)
And while the parable speak of God’s patience as the owner sent his messengers one after the other which was typical of his character in Deut 7:9 “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping is covenant of love to a thousand generations…,” it also tells us of his judgment when he took the vineyard from the tenants and gave it to others.
Similarly, we will also experience God’s judgment when he takes away from us the task that he gave us to do and there is a danger we may even suffer the consequences of “every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Matt 3:10)
Jesus in this parable may have been referring to the tenants as the religious leaders of Israel but he could also be referring to us on account of the rebellious spirit that is present in us. As the religious leaders of Israel rejected Jesus and his teachings, we too stand accused of rejecting Jesus when we persist in living in sin which is a deliberate opposition to God.
As with the vineyard workers, God also gave us the freedom to run our lives the way we choose it. Some of us may have spent our lives in the way that God wants, but as with the tenants we may also be wasting the gifts that God has given us to be productive and make something of their lives.
And again in this parable, Jesus gives a preview of his coming passion, death and resurrection when he spoke of the son of the vineyard owner being killed by the tenants. As with the religious leaders at that time and with some of us today, Jesus is still suffering this kind of rejection from those who rebel against the Will of God.
Because of the influence of the material world that we are in, we abuse the freedom that God gave us as we go about our own way unmindful of the way, the truth and the life that God wants us to live. And we remain oblivious to the fact that when we persist in our rebellion and disobedience to God we are actually declaring war on God and turning ourselves into his enemies.
What we are forgetting is that Jesus who is the stone and the rock of our faith whom the religious leaders have rejected and whom we are rebelling against today because his ways are incompatible with the carefree lives that we want to pursue has become the cornerstone who is the source of our salvation.
Jesus knew he would be rejected and killed but he also knew that the glory of resurrection and his ascension will spring from his being rejected. With his death on the cross which has conquered death and evil and, with the Holy Spirit dwelling in us following his ascension to heaven Jesus has poured out on us the many gifts as with the tenants in this parable and he assures us that we will all bear fruit if we will only remain in him.
As he entrusts us with the tools to enable us to work in his vineyard – our Church and Community – he also enjoins us to “stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourself fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor n the Lord is not in vain.” (1 Cor 15:58)
There is just one thing we should not forget and that is we cannot abuse the patience and generosity of the Lord. Despite the evil that the tenants showed, the Landlord sent his servants whom the tenants manhandled and some were killed until the Landlord sent his son and heir whom the tenants also put to death. And Jesus posed a question as to what will the owner of the vineyard and they answered “he will put those wretched men to a wretched death.” (vv.35-41).
This parable should remind our legislators in both the Senate and the House of Representatives in the Philippines that to espouse and support the so-called “anti-Christ bills” is a form of rebellion against God because these pieces of legislation will eventually stamp out not just the flow of life but it will ultimately destroy the family. What they are forgetting is that when God chose to become a human person by incarnation then it presupposes that there must be something good and beautiful in the human body such that what these death bills including the RH law will destroy is the human body which is the personification of the image and likeness of God.
Jesus ends the parable saying the Kingdom of God will be taken away from the unrepentant sinner, the stubborn, the unbeliever, those who will reject his Son and will be given to whom God’s Grace will flourish.
In our work in the vineyard of the Lord, we will definitely face trials, challenges and persecution but the victory is ours if we stand firm on the cornerstone – Jesus Himself!
LOVE THE POOR - THE ONLY CHOICE
MAR. 20, 2014: SECOND WEEK OF LENT
First Reading: Jer 17:5:10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 1:1-6 “Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.”
GOSPEL: LK 16:19-31
Key Verse: “..they will not be convinced even
if someone rises from the dead.” (v.31)
What is very clear in this Gospel passage today is that there are only two choices we have in life. One of these leads to our salvation and the eternal joy that God promised and, the other leads to purgatory and or even hell depending on the gravity of our offenses against God.
The two characters in this passage actually represent the choices before us. The rich man whom Biblical scholars named Dives was the picture of the obnoxious and ostentatious behavior of one who was oblivious to the plight of the poor around him. Lazarus the poor man was the personification of humility, patience and suffering, someone whose only hope was in God.
This brings us to the question of can wealth and fame, title and position be regarded as a sign of righteousness? Not that the rich are unrighteous but this situation was brought to the fore in this Gospel passage because this was how the Pharisees felt as it was the general belief among the religious leaders during the time of Jesus that wealth was a proof of a person’s righteousness.
As we step deeper into the Lenten Season, this Gospel passage gives us another lesson in life as it paints a picture of a very dramatic contrast of wealth and poverty, of heaven and hell, compassion and indifference, as well as inclusion and exclusion.
On this occasion, Jesus once again startled the Pharisees who were present when he narrated a story about a beggar who was named Lazarus who was rewarded and a rich man who was punished. Lazarus was not only poor, he was also sick and unable to even lift himself. He lay at the gate of the rich man’s house and the story tells of dogs licking at his sores.
It follows that Lazarus was competing with the dogs for the crumbs that fall from the table of the rich man. The crumbs were all that Lazarus was waiting for and this was probably the way he survived. To grasp the drama of this scenario, we must understand that in those days even the wealthy do not use knives, forks, spoons or napkins.
They ate with their hands and in very lavish surroundings such as the house of this rich man, the traces of food on their hands were wiped with the use of bread that they throw away after wiping their hands and this was what Lazarus was waiting for.
On the other hand, dogs in those days were not regarded with fondness as they are now because in the time of Jesus dogs symbolized contempt. To endure the torment of dogs licking at the sores of Lazarus must have added to his pain and suffering. His misery was compounded even more by the way he was treated by the rich man who simply ignored him.
And Jesus seized this opportunity to hammer down the message behind the story and the Pharisees was probably flabbergasted when Jesus went on to say that when both the rich man and the beggar died at almost the same time the situation was dramatically reversed with the rich man’s soul going to the place of the dead while he saw Lazarus farther away in the company of Abraham.
As abrupt and dramatic this reversal of fortune was, the underlying message was that the rich man did not go to hell just because he was wealthy but because of his selfishness highlighted by his abject refusal to feed Lazarus and or even care for him. Notwithstanding the tremendous blessings that he enjoyed, the rich man was hard-hearted and treated the beggar with indifference and contempt.
The name Lazarus means “God is my help” and to a certain degree, we should see ourselves in the person of the beggar. In his pitiful condition Lazarus did not lose hope in God. And in this Lenten Season, this Gospel passage should remind us that whatever material possessions and wealth we may be enjoying now should not cloud our vision of God. In other words, the amount of money or wealth that we have is not as important as how we use them.
The sin of the rich man in this passage that earned him his place in hell was that he never took notice of the beggar treating him with such contempt as if he was not there at all. The rich man did not remove the beggar from his gate. He did not kick as he would a dog and he was not cruel to the beggar but the rich man merely looked at the beggar to be non-existent and it was not what he did that got him to hell but what he did not do.
In this Season of Lent, God is asking us to look at ourselves especially our attitude towards money and possessions. Do we hoard these or do we use them to help others? And to be more clear about it, wealth should not be confined to material possessions but should include gifts, talents and skills that we have for these are also blessings that could not have come from any other source but from God.
As such, we are to use such blessings not just for our own satisfaction but that through these gifts we may be a blessing to others. The sin of the rich man was that he was indifferent to the grief and pain of the beggar who lay at his gate and whom he never even noticed. He was thrown to hell because he never noticed that he had a neighbor who needed help. This is what this Gospel passage is all about.
As the story went, Jesus said the rich man became the beggar as he begged Abraham to send the poor man to remind his brothers of his misfortune but which Abraham rejected saying “if they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t listen even if someone rises from the dead” (v.31).
Today, we should ask ourselves what we consider as the true and lasting treasure. Do we put all our fortunes and our security on our possessions? This Gospel passage is a terrible warning for all of us that we may be aware that it is not enough that we refrain from doing wrong but we must at every opportunity do something for someone beside us who is in need.
Jeremiah tells us in the First Reading that whoever looks to God in hope will not be disappointed or be in want when everything around them dries up or disappears. When we put our trust and confidence in God, He will not only be our consolation, but He will be the inexhaustible source of our joy as well.
This Gospel passage should remind us that in the economy of God those who cling to what they have will lose it all in the end while those who make use of their gifts to bless others by sharing generously of what they have and possess will be rewarded even more. Such is the Grace that comes from God which is endless. In the end, Lazarus did not just get the crumbs but God gave him the complete course – eternal life in the company of Abraham and all the great prophets of his time.
First Reading: Jer 17:5:10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 1:1-6 “Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.”
GOSPEL: LK 16:19-31
Key Verse: “..they will not be convinced even
if someone rises from the dead.” (v.31)
What is very clear in this Gospel passage today is that there are only two choices we have in life. One of these leads to our salvation and the eternal joy that God promised and, the other leads to purgatory and or even hell depending on the gravity of our offenses against God.
The two characters in this passage actually represent the choices before us. The rich man whom Biblical scholars named Dives was the picture of the obnoxious and ostentatious behavior of one who was oblivious to the plight of the poor around him. Lazarus the poor man was the personification of humility, patience and suffering, someone whose only hope was in God.
This brings us to the question of can wealth and fame, title and position be regarded as a sign of righteousness? Not that the rich are unrighteous but this situation was brought to the fore in this Gospel passage because this was how the Pharisees felt as it was the general belief among the religious leaders during the time of Jesus that wealth was a proof of a person’s righteousness.
As we step deeper into the Lenten Season, this Gospel passage gives us another lesson in life as it paints a picture of a very dramatic contrast of wealth and poverty, of heaven and hell, compassion and indifference, as well as inclusion and exclusion.
On this occasion, Jesus once again startled the Pharisees who were present when he narrated a story about a beggar who was named Lazarus who was rewarded and a rich man who was punished. Lazarus was not only poor, he was also sick and unable to even lift himself. He lay at the gate of the rich man’s house and the story tells of dogs licking at his sores.
It follows that Lazarus was competing with the dogs for the crumbs that fall from the table of the rich man. The crumbs were all that Lazarus was waiting for and this was probably the way he survived. To grasp the drama of this scenario, we must understand that in those days even the wealthy do not use knives, forks, spoons or napkins.
They ate with their hands and in very lavish surroundings such as the house of this rich man, the traces of food on their hands were wiped with the use of bread that they throw away after wiping their hands and this was what Lazarus was waiting for.
On the other hand, dogs in those days were not regarded with fondness as they are now because in the time of Jesus dogs symbolized contempt. To endure the torment of dogs licking at the sores of Lazarus must have added to his pain and suffering. His misery was compounded even more by the way he was treated by the rich man who simply ignored him.
And Jesus seized this opportunity to hammer down the message behind the story and the Pharisees was probably flabbergasted when Jesus went on to say that when both the rich man and the beggar died at almost the same time the situation was dramatically reversed with the rich man’s soul going to the place of the dead while he saw Lazarus farther away in the company of Abraham.
As abrupt and dramatic this reversal of fortune was, the underlying message was that the rich man did not go to hell just because he was wealthy but because of his selfishness highlighted by his abject refusal to feed Lazarus and or even care for him. Notwithstanding the tremendous blessings that he enjoyed, the rich man was hard-hearted and treated the beggar with indifference and contempt.
The name Lazarus means “God is my help” and to a certain degree, we should see ourselves in the person of the beggar. In his pitiful condition Lazarus did not lose hope in God. And in this Lenten Season, this Gospel passage should remind us that whatever material possessions and wealth we may be enjoying now should not cloud our vision of God. In other words, the amount of money or wealth that we have is not as important as how we use them.
The sin of the rich man in this passage that earned him his place in hell was that he never took notice of the beggar treating him with such contempt as if he was not there at all. The rich man did not remove the beggar from his gate. He did not kick as he would a dog and he was not cruel to the beggar but the rich man merely looked at the beggar to be non-existent and it was not what he did that got him to hell but what he did not do.
In this Season of Lent, God is asking us to look at ourselves especially our attitude towards money and possessions. Do we hoard these or do we use them to help others? And to be more clear about it, wealth should not be confined to material possessions but should include gifts, talents and skills that we have for these are also blessings that could not have come from any other source but from God.
As such, we are to use such blessings not just for our own satisfaction but that through these gifts we may be a blessing to others. The sin of the rich man was that he was indifferent to the grief and pain of the beggar who lay at his gate and whom he never even noticed. He was thrown to hell because he never noticed that he had a neighbor who needed help. This is what this Gospel passage is all about.
As the story went, Jesus said the rich man became the beggar as he begged Abraham to send the poor man to remind his brothers of his misfortune but which Abraham rejected saying “if they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t listen even if someone rises from the dead” (v.31).
Today, we should ask ourselves what we consider as the true and lasting treasure. Do we put all our fortunes and our security on our possessions? This Gospel passage is a terrible warning for all of us that we may be aware that it is not enough that we refrain from doing wrong but we must at every opportunity do something for someone beside us who is in need.
Jeremiah tells us in the First Reading that whoever looks to God in hope will not be disappointed or be in want when everything around them dries up or disappears. When we put our trust and confidence in God, He will not only be our consolation, but He will be the inexhaustible source of our joy as well.
This Gospel passage should remind us that in the economy of God those who cling to what they have will lose it all in the end while those who make use of their gifts to bless others by sharing generously of what they have and possess will be rewarded even more. Such is the Grace that comes from God which is endless. In the end, Lazarus did not just get the crumbs but God gave him the complete course – eternal life in the company of Abraham and all the great prophets of his time.
GOD EXALTS THE HUMBLE
MAR. 19, 2014: SOLEMNITY OF ST. JOSEPH
First Reading: 2 Sam 7:4-5, 12-14, 16
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 89:2-5, 27, 29 “The son of David will live for ever.”
Second Reading: Rom 4:13, 16-18, 22
GOSPEL: MATT 1:16, 18-21, 24
Key Verse: “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give
him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (v.21)
Many times in our life we change and or completely abort a plan that we took pains in preparing because we don’t want to be criticized if the plan goes awry. There were instances when we either put off making a decision or avoid doing what is right because of what others might think even if we know that it was the right thing to do.
In other words, some of us think more of what others will say about us, of how others perceive us and we go to great lengths to keep our reputations from being soiled by rumors and we rue the times people talk about us behind our backs.
But what if the woman you are to marry suddenly told you she was pregnant and you knew it wasn’t possible because you treated her with respect and honor and didn’t have sex with her. Like St. Joseph, your first impulse would be to cancel the wedding and terminate the engagement. And under Jewish law such an engagement could be broken through a divorce and Joseph had every right to resort to what the law says. But since the reason for the divorce was Mary’s apparent unfaithfulness, it follows that the Jewish authorities will have her stoned to death (Deut 22:23-24).
Joseph did what a rational man should do under the circumstances. He pondered his move and as he fell asleep an angel appeared to him in a dream and told him not to be afraid to proceed with his marriage to Mary because the child in her womb has been conceived by the Holy Spirit (v.20).
As the Jews generally believed that God speaks to them in their dreams, Joseph woke up and did what the angel said and brought Mary home to be his spouse (v.24). His relatives, friends and neighbors may not have agreed with his decision but Joseph obeyed what he was told also because it was the right thing to do.
What could have possibly changed the mind of Joseph? It was the mention of the Holy Spirit that moved Joseph to accept that what was happening to Mary was a supernatural event. The Jews in those days generally believed that the Holy Spirit was the person who brought God’s truth to men which means that it was the Holy Spirit who taught the prophets what to say and do. In particular, the Jews connected the Holy Spirit to the work of creation and re-creation as well.
We too have experienced what Joseph experienced when we were faced with difficult choices to make. And like Joseph, there were times when we found ourselves with only two options from which to choose from. Joseph’s option was (1) to divorce Mary and, (2) have her stoned. But God gave Joseph a third option – marry her.
What God is telling us in this Gospel passage is that there are more options available to us than we think. Under Jewish law it was right for Joseph to divorce Mary but God’s guidance that came through a dream helped him make the best decision. This is the same with us. When we are faced with decisions to make that affect the lives of others, we must always go to God and rely on God’s wisdom for guidance.
Many times we are too preoccupied by what others will say such that our decisions have not only become too generic but were made to please others. Joseph certainly gave his reputation some amount of thought because he knew how his relatives, friends and neighbors would perceive him but he took Mary as his spouse because he had character.
This Gospel passage reminds us that Joseph was definitely a godly man of character who has a genuine light that shines for the world to see. When right-thinking men see this light they glorify God (Matt 5:16).
The reputation seeker has no real light, but he or she works very hard at giving the impression that he/ she has the light and we see them in our parishes and or community for that matter. Their artificial light changes color as it radiates in different directions. It is adjusted so that men who see it will glorify him instead of God being glorified.
What we can see in the character of Joseph is the need for us to work to become a man or woman of character. To do this, we must start on the inside and the outside will follow. Those who love truth and right, though they may be few, will love you and God will love and reward you. We must not forget that the applause of men is fleeting and cannot match the authentic approval of heaven or that of your own conscience. At the end of the day, character is what God sees and not our reputation.
The main message of this Gospel story today is that the birth of Jesus would not have been possible had not Joseph obeyed God. It also showed the movement and power of the Holy Spirit in the lives of men for it is the Holy Spirit who was God’s agent in the creation of the world and who alone can re-create the human soul when it has lost its life. Joseph obeyed and this was the reason God rewarded him with holiness that we continue to recognize and remember till the fullness of time.
In gratitude, we all should thank God for entrusting this silent, humble man with the unique privilege of raising, protecting, teaching, and training Jesus as a growing child. Joseph accepted his role of fatherly care with faith, trust, and obedience to the will of God. We should look at Joseph as a model especially for those of us who are entrusted with the care, instruction, and protection of the young.
Joseph was a faithful witness and servant of God's unfolding plan of redemption. During this Lenten Season we too must learn to put our trust in the Lord and come to him to help and guide us in fulfilling our responsibilities as Christian disciples. Out of the abundance of his heart, God will give us strength and guidance when we seek his help especially in times of trials, doubts, fears, perplexing circumstances, and what we think are insurmountable problems and challenges in our personal lives.
God our heavenly Father has not left us alone, but has given us his only begotten Son Jesus as our savior, teacher, and healer. During this Lenten observance, let us ask ourselves what areas in our lives do we need God's help and guidance? Let us ask Him to increase our faith and trust in his promises and in his guiding hand in our life. Let us model our lives to the humility and obedience of St. Joseph whom God highly favored.
First Reading: 2 Sam 7:4-5, 12-14, 16
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 89:2-5, 27, 29 “The son of David will live for ever.”
Second Reading: Rom 4:13, 16-18, 22
GOSPEL: MATT 1:16, 18-21, 24
Key Verse: “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give
him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (v.21)
Many times in our life we change and or completely abort a plan that we took pains in preparing because we don’t want to be criticized if the plan goes awry. There were instances when we either put off making a decision or avoid doing what is right because of what others might think even if we know that it was the right thing to do.
In other words, some of us think more of what others will say about us, of how others perceive us and we go to great lengths to keep our reputations from being soiled by rumors and we rue the times people talk about us behind our backs.
But what if the woman you are to marry suddenly told you she was pregnant and you knew it wasn’t possible because you treated her with respect and honor and didn’t have sex with her. Like St. Joseph, your first impulse would be to cancel the wedding and terminate the engagement. And under Jewish law such an engagement could be broken through a divorce and Joseph had every right to resort to what the law says. But since the reason for the divorce was Mary’s apparent unfaithfulness, it follows that the Jewish authorities will have her stoned to death (Deut 22:23-24).
Joseph did what a rational man should do under the circumstances. He pondered his move and as he fell asleep an angel appeared to him in a dream and told him not to be afraid to proceed with his marriage to Mary because the child in her womb has been conceived by the Holy Spirit (v.20).
As the Jews generally believed that God speaks to them in their dreams, Joseph woke up and did what the angel said and brought Mary home to be his spouse (v.24). His relatives, friends and neighbors may not have agreed with his decision but Joseph obeyed what he was told also because it was the right thing to do.
What could have possibly changed the mind of Joseph? It was the mention of the Holy Spirit that moved Joseph to accept that what was happening to Mary was a supernatural event. The Jews in those days generally believed that the Holy Spirit was the person who brought God’s truth to men which means that it was the Holy Spirit who taught the prophets what to say and do. In particular, the Jews connected the Holy Spirit to the work of creation and re-creation as well.
We too have experienced what Joseph experienced when we were faced with difficult choices to make. And like Joseph, there were times when we found ourselves with only two options from which to choose from. Joseph’s option was (1) to divorce Mary and, (2) have her stoned. But God gave Joseph a third option – marry her.
What God is telling us in this Gospel passage is that there are more options available to us than we think. Under Jewish law it was right for Joseph to divorce Mary but God’s guidance that came through a dream helped him make the best decision. This is the same with us. When we are faced with decisions to make that affect the lives of others, we must always go to God and rely on God’s wisdom for guidance.
Many times we are too preoccupied by what others will say such that our decisions have not only become too generic but were made to please others. Joseph certainly gave his reputation some amount of thought because he knew how his relatives, friends and neighbors would perceive him but he took Mary as his spouse because he had character.
This Gospel passage reminds us that Joseph was definitely a godly man of character who has a genuine light that shines for the world to see. When right-thinking men see this light they glorify God (Matt 5:16).
The reputation seeker has no real light, but he or she works very hard at giving the impression that he/ she has the light and we see them in our parishes and or community for that matter. Their artificial light changes color as it radiates in different directions. It is adjusted so that men who see it will glorify him instead of God being glorified.
What we can see in the character of Joseph is the need for us to work to become a man or woman of character. To do this, we must start on the inside and the outside will follow. Those who love truth and right, though they may be few, will love you and God will love and reward you. We must not forget that the applause of men is fleeting and cannot match the authentic approval of heaven or that of your own conscience. At the end of the day, character is what God sees and not our reputation.
The main message of this Gospel story today is that the birth of Jesus would not have been possible had not Joseph obeyed God. It also showed the movement and power of the Holy Spirit in the lives of men for it is the Holy Spirit who was God’s agent in the creation of the world and who alone can re-create the human soul when it has lost its life. Joseph obeyed and this was the reason God rewarded him with holiness that we continue to recognize and remember till the fullness of time.
In gratitude, we all should thank God for entrusting this silent, humble man with the unique privilege of raising, protecting, teaching, and training Jesus as a growing child. Joseph accepted his role of fatherly care with faith, trust, and obedience to the will of God. We should look at Joseph as a model especially for those of us who are entrusted with the care, instruction, and protection of the young.
Joseph was a faithful witness and servant of God's unfolding plan of redemption. During this Lenten Season we too must learn to put our trust in the Lord and come to him to help and guide us in fulfilling our responsibilities as Christian disciples. Out of the abundance of his heart, God will give us strength and guidance when we seek his help especially in times of trials, doubts, fears, perplexing circumstances, and what we think are insurmountable problems and challenges in our personal lives.
God our heavenly Father has not left us alone, but has given us his only begotten Son Jesus as our savior, teacher, and healer. During this Lenten observance, let us ask ourselves what areas in our lives do we need God's help and guidance? Let us ask Him to increase our faith and trust in his promises and in his guiding hand in our life. Let us model our lives to the humility and obedience of St. Joseph whom God highly favored.
GOD FAVORS THE HUMBLE
MAR. 18, 2014: SECOND WEEK OF LENT
First Reading: Isa 1:10, 16-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 50:8-9, 16bc-17, 21-23 “To the upright I will show the saving power of God.”
GOSPEL: MATT 23:1-12
Key Verse: “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled and, whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” (v.12)
Today we live in a society that rewards accomplishments and achievements. And we often see this in the corporate sector where new graduates from exclusive institutions with honors tucked under their belt have more chances of landing a job with a lucrative starting pay than the average applicant armed with a so-so transcript of records.
People nowadays also love to be recognized, appreciated, honored and praised and it’s perfectly normal especially for people who are propelled by success that drives them to aim for more honors. There are some, however, who will resort to publicity and spending quite a sum just to fain attention to themselves. Accomplished athletes, on the other hand, are a different breed and they don’t normally rest until they have broken all the records in their field.
In my younger days, a large TV news network I worked for has a policy that offered monetary rewards for exclusive stories or what was commonly referred to as a “scoop.” Enterprising as I was and having developed a network of contacts I posted and reported scoop after scoop that left the competition behind. But success got into my head and I became arrogant and indifferent. I became discourteous even to my superiors.
Then one day, the general manager of the network called me to his office and let me listen to a recording of a radio communication I had with one of our News Editors where I uttered expletives that the network management do not allow. I knew it was wrong but arrogance got the better of me and instead of apologizing I stood up and said I will resign and move to another network.
As I headed for the door, the general manager said: “Ed if you step out of that door there will be countless others who will be scrambling to get your job. You can go on leave for 15 days without pay and come back.” I was taken aback and it put me back into my senses and I said: “Yes Sir, I’ll take the leave. I’m sorry Sir.”
Then there was this time when I got into an argument with someone over a parking space and I blurted out: “Do you know who I am? And the man said: “No.” Then I proudly said: “I’m from the Office of the President.” I was prepared to lock horns with the man but for some reason, guilt overcame me and I left and decided to park somewhere else.
As I mused about the incident I immediately uttered a short prayer and asked God to forgive me for allowing my pride to manifest. I’ve been in the Media all my life and somehow developed a flair for flaunting my influence and reputation. I resigned from the Media when God found me and brought me to the renewal. That was 25 years ago and I definitely do not regret having made the decision to allow God to turn my life around.
In today’s Gospel passage we see Jesus directing the attention of the crowd who were listening to him on the hypocrisy of the religious leaders who were making it hard for the people to know God as a loving God.
While Jesus was telling the people to respect the Scribes and Pharisees who sit on Moses’s seat he was also telling the people to refrain from doing what the Pharisees are doing. In effect, what Jesus was saying was that many of the Pharisees only have a head knowledge of the Scriptures but they do not do what they teach. Knowledge is not enough and at times pure knowledge can be disastrous as we may be drawing too much on our human wisdom instead of God’s wisdom.
Knowledge must be accompanied by obedience which is one of the two pillars of a fruitful and fulfilled Christian life – the other being humility which Christ also teaches at the end of this passage.
And here Jesus outlined the things that the Pharisees do which contradict their teachings. Beginning in v.3, Jesus accused the Pharisees of “not practicing what they preach.” Walk the talk is what we often hear not only in the Church and even in the secular world. What this simply means is to do what we proclaim with our lips.
Jesus never taught what he had not done or experienced. Let’s say for example that you took up law or engineering, it follows that you can teach law or engineering but not chemistry or English. In the Church, we cannot teach about obedience if we ourselves are not. We must have a first-hand knowledge of how it is to be obedient.
He also criticized the Pharisees for their vainglory saying: “everything they do is done for men to see.” (v.5) The Pharisees loved to sit at the head table, in front of the congregation and at times pray aloud on street corners for people to see. This is the same with us at times. Don’t our ears flap at each flattery that comes our way?
It is not at all bad to ask others what they think of your teaching or your talk for as long as you will use these to further improve your skills. In my life in the Church I have seen many who have fallen into this error. Desire for positions of leadership in business and in the church is common. But it becomes a dangerous proposition when love for position becomes stronger than love for God.
We can make use of this Lenten Season to reflect on what Jesus is saying in that holiness is basically internal and not an external disposition. And the only connection between the two is the fact that this internal holiness is the one that drives us to love our neighbors.
As Jesus gives us a teaching on humility he warns us not to be carried away by titles and honors that come our way because titles and honors have no value in the kingdom of God and at the end of the day we will be judged by how well we obeyed his Word.
We are clothed with authentic and true humility when we can place ourselves in the service of the church and others without any expectation whatsoever. Jesus is challenging us now to give of ourselves to God and to others because greatness comes from serving God and our neighbor.
St. Bonaventure describes humility as a voluntary self-abasement resulting from our understanding and knowledge of our own frailty. In other words, humility should move us to trust wholly in God and not fear men and or attach our hearts to things that are transitory regardless of how good these may be.
Humility is the surest way to sanctity for as St. Peter says in 1 Pet 5:5 “God opposes the proud but gives Grace to the humble.” Indeed, humility is the most powerful weapon to defeat the evil one because humility is the virtue that the devil fears most because this is a virtue that the devil is unable to imitate.
First Reading: Isa 1:10, 16-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 50:8-9, 16bc-17, 21-23 “To the upright I will show the saving power of God.”
GOSPEL: MATT 23:1-12
Key Verse: “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled and, whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” (v.12)
Today we live in a society that rewards accomplishments and achievements. And we often see this in the corporate sector where new graduates from exclusive institutions with honors tucked under their belt have more chances of landing a job with a lucrative starting pay than the average applicant armed with a so-so transcript of records.
People nowadays also love to be recognized, appreciated, honored and praised and it’s perfectly normal especially for people who are propelled by success that drives them to aim for more honors. There are some, however, who will resort to publicity and spending quite a sum just to fain attention to themselves. Accomplished athletes, on the other hand, are a different breed and they don’t normally rest until they have broken all the records in their field.
In my younger days, a large TV news network I worked for has a policy that offered monetary rewards for exclusive stories or what was commonly referred to as a “scoop.” Enterprising as I was and having developed a network of contacts I posted and reported scoop after scoop that left the competition behind. But success got into my head and I became arrogant and indifferent. I became discourteous even to my superiors.
Then one day, the general manager of the network called me to his office and let me listen to a recording of a radio communication I had with one of our News Editors where I uttered expletives that the network management do not allow. I knew it was wrong but arrogance got the better of me and instead of apologizing I stood up and said I will resign and move to another network.
As I headed for the door, the general manager said: “Ed if you step out of that door there will be countless others who will be scrambling to get your job. You can go on leave for 15 days without pay and come back.” I was taken aback and it put me back into my senses and I said: “Yes Sir, I’ll take the leave. I’m sorry Sir.”
Then there was this time when I got into an argument with someone over a parking space and I blurted out: “Do you know who I am? And the man said: “No.” Then I proudly said: “I’m from the Office of the President.” I was prepared to lock horns with the man but for some reason, guilt overcame me and I left and decided to park somewhere else.
As I mused about the incident I immediately uttered a short prayer and asked God to forgive me for allowing my pride to manifest. I’ve been in the Media all my life and somehow developed a flair for flaunting my influence and reputation. I resigned from the Media when God found me and brought me to the renewal. That was 25 years ago and I definitely do not regret having made the decision to allow God to turn my life around.
In today’s Gospel passage we see Jesus directing the attention of the crowd who were listening to him on the hypocrisy of the religious leaders who were making it hard for the people to know God as a loving God.
While Jesus was telling the people to respect the Scribes and Pharisees who sit on Moses’s seat he was also telling the people to refrain from doing what the Pharisees are doing. In effect, what Jesus was saying was that many of the Pharisees only have a head knowledge of the Scriptures but they do not do what they teach. Knowledge is not enough and at times pure knowledge can be disastrous as we may be drawing too much on our human wisdom instead of God’s wisdom.
Knowledge must be accompanied by obedience which is one of the two pillars of a fruitful and fulfilled Christian life – the other being humility which Christ also teaches at the end of this passage.
And here Jesus outlined the things that the Pharisees do which contradict their teachings. Beginning in v.3, Jesus accused the Pharisees of “not practicing what they preach.” Walk the talk is what we often hear not only in the Church and even in the secular world. What this simply means is to do what we proclaim with our lips.
Jesus never taught what he had not done or experienced. Let’s say for example that you took up law or engineering, it follows that you can teach law or engineering but not chemistry or English. In the Church, we cannot teach about obedience if we ourselves are not. We must have a first-hand knowledge of how it is to be obedient.
He also criticized the Pharisees for their vainglory saying: “everything they do is done for men to see.” (v.5) The Pharisees loved to sit at the head table, in front of the congregation and at times pray aloud on street corners for people to see. This is the same with us at times. Don’t our ears flap at each flattery that comes our way?
It is not at all bad to ask others what they think of your teaching or your talk for as long as you will use these to further improve your skills. In my life in the Church I have seen many who have fallen into this error. Desire for positions of leadership in business and in the church is common. But it becomes a dangerous proposition when love for position becomes stronger than love for God.
We can make use of this Lenten Season to reflect on what Jesus is saying in that holiness is basically internal and not an external disposition. And the only connection between the two is the fact that this internal holiness is the one that drives us to love our neighbors.
As Jesus gives us a teaching on humility he warns us not to be carried away by titles and honors that come our way because titles and honors have no value in the kingdom of God and at the end of the day we will be judged by how well we obeyed his Word.
We are clothed with authentic and true humility when we can place ourselves in the service of the church and others without any expectation whatsoever. Jesus is challenging us now to give of ourselves to God and to others because greatness comes from serving God and our neighbor.
St. Bonaventure describes humility as a voluntary self-abasement resulting from our understanding and knowledge of our own frailty. In other words, humility should move us to trust wholly in God and not fear men and or attach our hearts to things that are transitory regardless of how good these may be.
Humility is the surest way to sanctity for as St. Peter says in 1 Pet 5:5 “God opposes the proud but gives Grace to the humble.” Indeed, humility is the most powerful weapon to defeat the evil one because humility is the virtue that the devil fears most because this is a virtue that the devil is unable to imitate.
BEWARE OF GOD'S JUDGMENT
MAR. 18, 2014: SECOND WEEK OF LENT
First Reading: Isa 1:10, 16-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 50:8-9, 16bc-17, 21-23 “To the upright I will show the saving power of God.”
GOSPEL: MATT 23:1-12
Key Verse: “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled and,
whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” (v.12)
Today we live in a society that rewards accomplishments and achievements. And we often see this in the corporate sector where new graduates from exclusive institutions with honors tucked under their belt have more chances of landing a job with a lucrative starting pay than the average applicant armed with a so-so transcript of records.
People nowadays also love to be recognized, appreciated, honored and praised and it’s perfectly normal especially for people who are propelled by success that drives them to aim for more honors. There are some, however, who will resort to publicity and spending quite a sum just to fain attention to themselves. Accomplished athletes, on the other hand, are a different breed and they don’t normally rest until they have broken all the records in their field.
In my younger days, a large TV news network I worked for has a policy that offered monetary rewards for exclusive stories or what was commonly referred to as a “scoop.” Enterprising as I was and having developed a network of contacts I posted and reported scoop after scoop that left the competition behind. But success got into my head and I became arrogant and indifferent. I became discourteous even to my superiors.
Then one day, the general manager of the network called me to his office and let me listen to a recording of a radio communication I had with one of our News Editors where I uttered expletives that the network management do not allow. I knew it was wrong but arrogance got the better of me and instead of apologizing I stood up and said I will resign and move to another network.
As I headed for the door, the general manager said: “Ed if you step out of that door there will be countless others who will be scrambling to get your job. You can go on leave for 15 days without pay and come back.” I was taken aback and it put me back into my senses and I said: “Yes Sir, I’ll take the leave. I’m sorry Sir.”
Then there was this time when I got into an argument with someone over a parking space and I blurted out: “Do you know who I am? And the man said: “No.” Then I proudly said: “I’m from the Office of the President.” I was prepared to lock horns with the man but for some reason, guilt overcame me and I left and decided to park somewhere else.
As I mused about the incident I immediately uttered a short prayer and asked God to forgive me for allowing my pride to manifest. I’ve been in the Media all my life and somehow developed a flair for flaunting my influence and reputation. I resigned from the Media when God found me and brought me to the renewal. That was 25 years ago and I definitely do not regret having made the decision to allow God to turn my life around.
In today’s Gospel passage we see Jesus directing the attention of the crowd who were listening to him on the hypocrisy of the religious leaders who were making it hard for the people to know God as a loving God.
While Jesus was telling the people to respect the Scribes and Pharisees who sit on Moses’s seat he was also telling the people to refrain from doing what the Pharisees are doing. In effect, what Jesus was saying was that many of the Pharisees only have a head knowledge of the Scriptures but they do not do what they teach. Knowledge is not enough and at times pure knowledge can be disastrous as we may be drawing too much on our human wisdom instead of God’s wisdom.
Knowledge must be accompanied by obedience which is one of the two pillars of a fruitful and fulfilled Christian life – the other being humility which Christ also teaches at the end of this passage.
And here Jesus outlined the things that the Pharisees do which contradict their teachings. Beginning in v.3, Jesus accused the Pharisees of “not practicing what they preach.” Walk the talk is what we often hear not only in the Church and even in the secular world. What this simply means is to do what we proclaim with our lips.
Jesus never taught what he had not done or experienced. Let’s say for example that you took up law or engineering, it follows that you can teach law or engineering but not chemistry or English. In the Church, we cannot teach about obedience if we ourselves are not. We must have a first-hand knowledge of how it is to be obedient.
He also criticized the Pharisees for their vainglory saying: “everything they do is done for men to see.” (v.5) The Pharisees loved to sit at the head table, in front of the congregation and at times pray aloud on street corners for people to see. This is the same with us at times. Don’t our ears flap at each flattery that comes our way?
It is not at all bad to ask others what they think of your teaching or your talk for as long as you will use these to further improve your skills. In my life in the Church I have seen many who have fallen into this error. Desire for positions of leadership in business and in the church is common. But it becomes a dangerous proposition when love for position becomes stronger than love for God.
We can make use of this Lenten Season to reflect on what Jesus is saying in that holiness is basically internal and not an external disposition.
And the only connection between the two is the fact that this internal holiness is the one that drives us to love our neighbors.
As Jesus gives us a teaching on humility he warns us not to be carried away by titles and honors that come our way because titles and honors have no value in the kingdom of God and at the end of the day we will be judged by how well we obeyed his Word.
We are clothed with authentic and true humility when we can place ourselves in the service of the church and others without any expectation whatsoever. Jesus is challenging us now to give of ourselves to God and to others because greatness comes from serving God and our neighbor.
St. Bonaventure describes humility as a voluntary self-abasement resulting from our understanding and knowledge of our own frailty. In other words, humility should move us to trust wholly in God and not fear men and or attach our hearts to things that are transitory regardless of how good these may be.
Humility is the surest way to sanctity for as St. Peter says in 1 Pet 5:5 “God opposes the proud but gives Grace to the humble.” Indeed, humility is the most powerful weapon to defeat the evil one because humility is the virtue that the devil fears most because this is a virtue that the devil is unable to imitate.
First Reading: Isa 1:10, 16-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 50:8-9, 16bc-17, 21-23 “To the upright I will show the saving power of God.”
GOSPEL: MATT 23:1-12
Key Verse: “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled and,
whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” (v.12)
Today we live in a society that rewards accomplishments and achievements. And we often see this in the corporate sector where new graduates from exclusive institutions with honors tucked under their belt have more chances of landing a job with a lucrative starting pay than the average applicant armed with a so-so transcript of records.
People nowadays also love to be recognized, appreciated, honored and praised and it’s perfectly normal especially for people who are propelled by success that drives them to aim for more honors. There are some, however, who will resort to publicity and spending quite a sum just to fain attention to themselves. Accomplished athletes, on the other hand, are a different breed and they don’t normally rest until they have broken all the records in their field.
In my younger days, a large TV news network I worked for has a policy that offered monetary rewards for exclusive stories or what was commonly referred to as a “scoop.” Enterprising as I was and having developed a network of contacts I posted and reported scoop after scoop that left the competition behind. But success got into my head and I became arrogant and indifferent. I became discourteous even to my superiors.
Then one day, the general manager of the network called me to his office and let me listen to a recording of a radio communication I had with one of our News Editors where I uttered expletives that the network management do not allow. I knew it was wrong but arrogance got the better of me and instead of apologizing I stood up and said I will resign and move to another network.
As I headed for the door, the general manager said: “Ed if you step out of that door there will be countless others who will be scrambling to get your job. You can go on leave for 15 days without pay and come back.” I was taken aback and it put me back into my senses and I said: “Yes Sir, I’ll take the leave. I’m sorry Sir.”
Then there was this time when I got into an argument with someone over a parking space and I blurted out: “Do you know who I am? And the man said: “No.” Then I proudly said: “I’m from the Office of the President.” I was prepared to lock horns with the man but for some reason, guilt overcame me and I left and decided to park somewhere else.
As I mused about the incident I immediately uttered a short prayer and asked God to forgive me for allowing my pride to manifest. I’ve been in the Media all my life and somehow developed a flair for flaunting my influence and reputation. I resigned from the Media when God found me and brought me to the renewal. That was 25 years ago and I definitely do not regret having made the decision to allow God to turn my life around.
In today’s Gospel passage we see Jesus directing the attention of the crowd who were listening to him on the hypocrisy of the religious leaders who were making it hard for the people to know God as a loving God.
While Jesus was telling the people to respect the Scribes and Pharisees who sit on Moses’s seat he was also telling the people to refrain from doing what the Pharisees are doing. In effect, what Jesus was saying was that many of the Pharisees only have a head knowledge of the Scriptures but they do not do what they teach. Knowledge is not enough and at times pure knowledge can be disastrous as we may be drawing too much on our human wisdom instead of God’s wisdom.
Knowledge must be accompanied by obedience which is one of the two pillars of a fruitful and fulfilled Christian life – the other being humility which Christ also teaches at the end of this passage.
And here Jesus outlined the things that the Pharisees do which contradict their teachings. Beginning in v.3, Jesus accused the Pharisees of “not practicing what they preach.” Walk the talk is what we often hear not only in the Church and even in the secular world. What this simply means is to do what we proclaim with our lips.
Jesus never taught what he had not done or experienced. Let’s say for example that you took up law or engineering, it follows that you can teach law or engineering but not chemistry or English. In the Church, we cannot teach about obedience if we ourselves are not. We must have a first-hand knowledge of how it is to be obedient.
He also criticized the Pharisees for their vainglory saying: “everything they do is done for men to see.” (v.5) The Pharisees loved to sit at the head table, in front of the congregation and at times pray aloud on street corners for people to see. This is the same with us at times. Don’t our ears flap at each flattery that comes our way?
It is not at all bad to ask others what they think of your teaching or your talk for as long as you will use these to further improve your skills. In my life in the Church I have seen many who have fallen into this error. Desire for positions of leadership in business and in the church is common. But it becomes a dangerous proposition when love for position becomes stronger than love for God.
We can make use of this Lenten Season to reflect on what Jesus is saying in that holiness is basically internal and not an external disposition.
And the only connection between the two is the fact that this internal holiness is the one that drives us to love our neighbors.
As Jesus gives us a teaching on humility he warns us not to be carried away by titles and honors that come our way because titles and honors have no value in the kingdom of God and at the end of the day we will be judged by how well we obeyed his Word.
We are clothed with authentic and true humility when we can place ourselves in the service of the church and others without any expectation whatsoever. Jesus is challenging us now to give of ourselves to God and to others because greatness comes from serving God and our neighbor.
St. Bonaventure describes humility as a voluntary self-abasement resulting from our understanding and knowledge of our own frailty. In other words, humility should move us to trust wholly in God and not fear men and or attach our hearts to things that are transitory regardless of how good these may be.
Humility is the surest way to sanctity for as St. Peter says in 1 Pet 5:5 “God opposes the proud but gives Grace to the humble.” Indeed, humility is the most powerful weapon to defeat the evil one because humility is the virtue that the devil fears most because this is a virtue that the devil is unable to imitate.
MAR.17, 2014: SECOND WEEK OF LENT
First Reading: Dn 9:4b-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 79:8,9,11-13 “Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.”
GOSPEL: LK 6:36-38
Key Verse: “Give and it will be given to you.” (v.37)
Do you know that the Lenten Season starting from Ash Wednesday up to Easter Sunday can be compared to a 47-day crash course on how to live life as an authentic Christian and anyone who will devoutly contemplate on the Liturgical Readings throughout this season and listen to what God is saying through the Scriptures that are amplified by the homily of the Priests at Mass will emerge from it as a new person inside out.
The Readings are so organized that it serves as a guide for everyone who wants to step out of the darkness to which they are mired and onto the marvelous light of God. The focal point of the season of repentance and forgiveness is all about metanoia or the complete transformation of the person (Rom 12:2) through our immersion in the Word of God which should transfigure us into the image of God that will make it easy for us to understand and abide by the Will of God for us.
This is what the Lenten Season is all about. It is about God recreating us by the example he has set and it begins with our turning away from sin and being faithful to the Gospel (Mk 1:15; Acts 3:19), for us to be humble as Jesus Christ himself did (Phil 2:6), and he came to serve and to offer his life as a ransom for us all (Mk 10:45).
Lent is about God reshaping us by impressing upon us the need to die to our own self by denying ourselves and through humility learn to seek forgiveness and in the same way extend forgiveness to those who may have wronged us. Through his Holy Spirit he comes into our lives to give us the inspiration, strength and perseverance to take up our cross daily and, the spirit of obedience to follow him wherever he takes us (Lk 9:23).
Humility, obedience, forgiveness and love are the core of the Lenten Season and these are the Christian ethics that God wants us to possess because these are the standards that will help transform us through prayer into becoming not only children of God but being God-like which is the nature to which we have all been created.
This outpouring of God’s incomparable and unparalleled love is what we call Grace and it is this Grace that that allow us to treat others as God wishes them to be treated with loving-kindness and mercy. God is good that he sends rain on the just and the unjust as well as to the evil and the good (Matt 5:43-48).
His love encompasses both the saints and sinners alike and God doesn’t distinguish as to whom he will apportion his love because God seeks man’s highest good. In the same, what he is telling us is that we must also seek the greatest good of others including those who may hate and abuse us.
We all should emerge out of the Lenten Season without the negativity that have ruled our lives in the past. God’s instructions that are in the Liturgical Readings during the season are designed to transform us into better persons because the standards that God wants is for us to do good instead of just avoiding sin.
From school we often read a sign on top the blackboard that reads “Don’t do unto others what you don’t want others do unto you.” But this is the negative connotation of the Golden Rule and God’s ethics is not just for us not to do what is bad but primarily to “do unto others what you want others do unto you.” This is the very essence of Christian conduct which should move us to actively do good and not simply refrain from doing what is bad.
To be a Christian is not at all easy and at some point in time we all have to carry our crosses and be nailed to it. I have been in the Media Business all my life. I started as a Radio Announcer then progressed to Television until I was moved to the Print Sector where I established a reputation as a fearless journalist.
I became arrogant in the process as I moved with the thought that the power of the pen was mightier than the sword. I carried a gun on my waist and did not hesitate to pull it out when I felt threatened. The insatiable appetite for material possessions drove me to set aside all ethical standards of my profession. I had it all. That’s what I thought. But I wasn’t happy. Inside me was the longing for true joy and not just fleeting happiness. My heart wanted peace, the kind of serenity that has no room for fear and anxiety.
God found me in this state and he brought me to the renewal. He led me to my second baptism where God changed the dichotomous life that I lived. As God poured out his kindness and mercy on me he also gave me the courage to take that leap of faith from the dark world I was in and into his marvelous light.
As I grew in my spirituality, I learned to seek forgiveness of those I have wronged including government officials who became the constant target of my reportage some of whom I met as they too were brought by God to the renewal movement. As I felt the joy of being forgiven, I too forgave those who have wronged me including my two business partners who gypped me of my share in the business and the architect whom I harbored a grudge after he botched the renovation of my house.
What then is the reason why God wants us to adapt to his standards of humility, obedience, forgiveness and love. The reason is that when we are able to do these, it will make us look like God for that is the way he acts. Jesus says in Matthew “be perfect as my Heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matt 5:48) and we rationalize that God is perfect because he is God and we ignore that which will make us perfect because of our resistance to disrobe ourselves of our pride.
God’s perfection lies in our being able to love everyone including those whom we perceive to be our enemies. This is what Lent is all about. This season has been so designed to give us the opportunity to turn away from sin through fasting and prayer and to turn to God who is the source of the true joy and eternal life that can only be found in Him and to also give to others what we have received.
First Reading: Dn 9:4b-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 79:8,9,11-13 “Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.”
GOSPEL: LK 6:36-38
Key Verse: “Give and it will be given to you.” (v.37)
Do you know that the Lenten Season starting from Ash Wednesday up to Easter Sunday can be compared to a 47-day crash course on how to live life as an authentic Christian and anyone who will devoutly contemplate on the Liturgical Readings throughout this season and listen to what God is saying through the Scriptures that are amplified by the homily of the Priests at Mass will emerge from it as a new person inside out.
The Readings are so organized that it serves as a guide for everyone who wants to step out of the darkness to which they are mired and onto the marvelous light of God. The focal point of the season of repentance and forgiveness is all about metanoia or the complete transformation of the person (Rom 12:2) through our immersion in the Word of God which should transfigure us into the image of God that will make it easy for us to understand and abide by the Will of God for us.
This is what the Lenten Season is all about. It is about God recreating us by the example he has set and it begins with our turning away from sin and being faithful to the Gospel (Mk 1:15; Acts 3:19), for us to be humble as Jesus Christ himself did (Phil 2:6), and he came to serve and to offer his life as a ransom for us all (Mk 10:45).
Lent is about God reshaping us by impressing upon us the need to die to our own self by denying ourselves and through humility learn to seek forgiveness and in the same way extend forgiveness to those who may have wronged us. Through his Holy Spirit he comes into our lives to give us the inspiration, strength and perseverance to take up our cross daily and, the spirit of obedience to follow him wherever he takes us (Lk 9:23).
Humility, obedience, forgiveness and love are the core of the Lenten Season and these are the Christian ethics that God wants us to possess because these are the standards that will help transform us through prayer into becoming not only children of God but being God-like which is the nature to which we have all been created.
This outpouring of God’s incomparable and unparalleled love is what we call Grace and it is this Grace that that allow us to treat others as God wishes them to be treated with loving-kindness and mercy. God is good that he sends rain on the just and the unjust as well as to the evil and the good (Matt 5:43-48).
His love encompasses both the saints and sinners alike and God doesn’t distinguish as to whom he will apportion his love because God seeks man’s highest good. In the same, what he is telling us is that we must also seek the greatest good of others including those who may hate and abuse us.
We all should emerge out of the Lenten Season without the negativity that have ruled our lives in the past. God’s instructions that are in the Liturgical Readings during the season are designed to transform us into better persons because the standards that God wants is for us to do good instead of just avoiding sin.
From school we often read a sign on top the blackboard that reads “Don’t do unto others what you don’t want others do unto you.” But this is the negative connotation of the Golden Rule and God’s ethics is not just for us not to do what is bad but primarily to “do unto others what you want others do unto you.” This is the very essence of Christian conduct which should move us to actively do good and not simply refrain from doing what is bad.
To be a Christian is not at all easy and at some point in time we all have to carry our crosses and be nailed to it. I have been in the Media Business all my life. I started as a Radio Announcer then progressed to Television until I was moved to the Print Sector where I established a reputation as a fearless journalist.
I became arrogant in the process as I moved with the thought that the power of the pen was mightier than the sword. I carried a gun on my waist and did not hesitate to pull it out when I felt threatened. The insatiable appetite for material possessions drove me to set aside all ethical standards of my profession. I had it all. That’s what I thought. But I wasn’t happy. Inside me was the longing for true joy and not just fleeting happiness. My heart wanted peace, the kind of serenity that has no room for fear and anxiety.
God found me in this state and he brought me to the renewal. He led me to my second baptism where God changed the dichotomous life that I lived. As God poured out his kindness and mercy on me he also gave me the courage to take that leap of faith from the dark world I was in and into his marvelous light.
As I grew in my spirituality, I learned to seek forgiveness of those I have wronged including government officials who became the constant target of my reportage some of whom I met as they too were brought by God to the renewal movement. As I felt the joy of being forgiven, I too forgave those who have wronged me including my two business partners who gypped me of my share in the business and the architect whom I harbored a grudge after he botched the renovation of my house.
What then is the reason why God wants us to adapt to his standards of humility, obedience, forgiveness and love. The reason is that when we are able to do these, it will make us look like God for that is the way he acts. Jesus says in Matthew “be perfect as my Heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matt 5:48) and we rationalize that God is perfect because he is God and we ignore that which will make us perfect because of our resistance to disrobe ourselves of our pride.
God’s perfection lies in our being able to love everyone including those whom we perceive to be our enemies. This is what Lent is all about. This season has been so designed to give us the opportunity to turn away from sin through fasting and prayer and to turn to God who is the source of the true joy and eternal life that can only be found in Him and to also give to others what we have received.
RUN TO AVOID SIN
MAR. 14, 2014: FIRST WEEK OF LENT
First Reading: Eze 18:21-28
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 120:1-7a, 7bc-8 “If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?”
GOSPEL: MATT 5:20-26
Key Verse: “First go and be reconciled with your brother,
then come and offer your gift.” (v.24)
This is a beautiful Gospel passage because a clear understanding of what this passage say will make us right with Our God and will allow us to surpass the righteousness of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law which will qualify us to enter the Kingdom of Heaven (v.20).
As this passage brings us to the topic of sin, it is imperative that we as Christians must have a complete grasp of what sin is all about because this is the one thing that severs our relationship with God and blocks the flow of Grace into our lives.
We must all remember that the devil is so cunning that we oftentimes fail to recognize the presence of sin until it has clothed our nature. Knowing that sin separates us from God, there is thus a felt need to understand how sin works.
The Apostle Paul equated the condition of a man who sins to that of a man who was shipwrecked (1 Tim 1:19) and who loses all that he has because a man who falls into sin especially mortal sin loses all the perfection in virtue and all the merits that he has acquired.
St. Bonaventure defines sin as the act of turning towards the world and turning away from God. The Catechism of the Catholic Church also describes sin as the only evil upon the earth because it robs man of the supernatural beauty of the soul as sin makes man resemble the devil and brings misery upon him while he remains on the earth.
This Season of Lent is a good opportunity for us not only to reflect on our relationship with Our God but most importantly to look deeply into our hearts and see if there is any residue of sin that may reside there which is why it is necessary that we come to know how sin works.
We must understand that in our hearts there are two characters who are diametrically opposed to one another – one who praises you (conscience) and the other who blames (concupiscence). These two characters bounce into action whenever an evil thought comes into our minds and conscience will always restrain us from entertaining such evil thoughts while concupiscence will naturally incite and even urge us that it is okay to keep these thoughts in our minds.
Let’s use adultery as an example. If the thought of committing adultery is not expunged from our minds it will lead us to complacency and the evil desire then comes and finally the decision to commit the sin and if the occasion presents itself the exterior act of the sin is committed.
This is not confined only to the sin of adultery but it also pertains to other forms of transgressions and iniquities that we can all fall into and it will be good for us to be aware of such especially the so-called seven capital sins (Pride, Envy, Gluttony, Sloth or laziness, Lust, Avarice or insatiable appetite for worldly things and, Wrath.)
The same is true with murder (v.21) and the one who says to another “You fool!” (v.22) and destroys someone else’s reputation in the process will stand before the judgment seat unless the contending parties are reconciled to one another (v.24) as Jesus insists that injuring the reputation of others is equivalent to murder.
Many sins are so great that they separate us entirely from God and deprive us of his friendship and the Church refers to these as mortal sins and at times it is difficult to qualify which is which. One thing is certain though. Mortal sin is that which God is the final end. One example of this is abortion which can only be brought before a Bishop.
While the so-called venial sins are lighter it nevertheless deprives us of that which is good and if left to percolate it will gradually lead to mortal sin and eventually the loss of sanctifying grace. Take for example a situation wherein the fault of another is disclosed to another, such remains a venial sin. But when we lodge or make a false accusation against another it partakes of a mortal sin because it is already injurious to the character of the person.
In the same way idolatry, heresy, blasphemy, perjury, serious desecration of Sundays and Holy Days fall under the category of mortal sins because these are a direct affront to the majesty of God.
On the other hand, why should we risk the judgment of God when we as Christians have the ability to resist all occasions of sin through the Holy Spirit whom we have received in Baptism. And the only reason we fall into sin is because we refuse to allow the Holy Spirit to take control of our lives.
Hence, to be able to spot the circumstance that may lead us to sin we must recognize what these occasions of sins are. By occasions we refer to persons, places, things and such occasions of sin may be voluntary or involuntary and the most common and most dangerous occasions of sins are night clubs, beer joints, pornographic films and videos, magazines and posters and persons who lead us to these things must be avoided.
We should put into our lips the watchword that has guided the Saints when they were exposed to occasions of sin: “Safety is in flight” which means we must not only stay away from sin but we must run away to avoid sin.
And in His goodness, God also provided us with the means by which we can defend ourselves when we are confronted with sin. Prayer provides us with the shield to immediately resist occasions of sin. When faced with temptation a “Hail Mary” and or uttering the names of Jesus and Mary would be helpful. As St. John Chrysostom says: “These holy names have an intrinsic power over the devil, and are a terror to hell.”
Prayer is the weapon we can use to ward off the assaults of our spiritual enemy because in prayer we secure the assistance of God and nothing can withstand His might.
Let me end with this prayer of Eusebius, a 3rd century church father: "May I be no man's enemy, and may I be the friend of that which is eternal and abides. May I never quarrel with those nearest me: and if I do, may I be reconciled quickly. May I love, seek, and attain only that which is good. May I wish for all men's happiness and envy none. May I never rejoice in the ill-fortune of one who has wronged me. When I have done or said what is wrong, may I never wait for the rebuke of others, but always rebuke myself until I make amends. May I win no victory that harms either me or my opponent. May I reconcile friends who are angry with one another. May I never fail a friend who is in danger. When visiting those in grief may I be able by gentle and healing words to soften their pain. May I respect myself. May I always keep tame that which rages within me. May I accustom myself to be gentle, and never be angry with people because of circumstances. May I never discuss who is wicked and what wicked things he has done, but know good men and follow in their footsteps."
First Reading: Eze 18:21-28
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 120:1-7a, 7bc-8 “If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?”
GOSPEL: MATT 5:20-26
Key Verse: “First go and be reconciled with your brother,
then come and offer your gift.” (v.24)
This is a beautiful Gospel passage because a clear understanding of what this passage say will make us right with Our God and will allow us to surpass the righteousness of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law which will qualify us to enter the Kingdom of Heaven (v.20).
As this passage brings us to the topic of sin, it is imperative that we as Christians must have a complete grasp of what sin is all about because this is the one thing that severs our relationship with God and blocks the flow of Grace into our lives.
We must all remember that the devil is so cunning that we oftentimes fail to recognize the presence of sin until it has clothed our nature. Knowing that sin separates us from God, there is thus a felt need to understand how sin works.
The Apostle Paul equated the condition of a man who sins to that of a man who was shipwrecked (1 Tim 1:19) and who loses all that he has because a man who falls into sin especially mortal sin loses all the perfection in virtue and all the merits that he has acquired.
St. Bonaventure defines sin as the act of turning towards the world and turning away from God. The Catechism of the Catholic Church also describes sin as the only evil upon the earth because it robs man of the supernatural beauty of the soul as sin makes man resemble the devil and brings misery upon him while he remains on the earth.
This Season of Lent is a good opportunity for us not only to reflect on our relationship with Our God but most importantly to look deeply into our hearts and see if there is any residue of sin that may reside there which is why it is necessary that we come to know how sin works.
We must understand that in our hearts there are two characters who are diametrically opposed to one another – one who praises you (conscience) and the other who blames (concupiscence). These two characters bounce into action whenever an evil thought comes into our minds and conscience will always restrain us from entertaining such evil thoughts while concupiscence will naturally incite and even urge us that it is okay to keep these thoughts in our minds.
Let’s use adultery as an example. If the thought of committing adultery is not expunged from our minds it will lead us to complacency and the evil desire then comes and finally the decision to commit the sin and if the occasion presents itself the exterior act of the sin is committed.
This is not confined only to the sin of adultery but it also pertains to other forms of transgressions and iniquities that we can all fall into and it will be good for us to be aware of such especially the so-called seven capital sins (Pride, Envy, Gluttony, Sloth or laziness, Lust, Avarice or insatiable appetite for worldly things and, Wrath.)
The same is true with murder (v.21) and the one who says to another “You fool!” (v.22) and destroys someone else’s reputation in the process will stand before the judgment seat unless the contending parties are reconciled to one another (v.24) as Jesus insists that injuring the reputation of others is equivalent to murder.
Many sins are so great that they separate us entirely from God and deprive us of his friendship and the Church refers to these as mortal sins and at times it is difficult to qualify which is which. One thing is certain though. Mortal sin is that which God is the final end. One example of this is abortion which can only be brought before a Bishop.
While the so-called venial sins are lighter it nevertheless deprives us of that which is good and if left to percolate it will gradually lead to mortal sin and eventually the loss of sanctifying grace. Take for example a situation wherein the fault of another is disclosed to another, such remains a venial sin. But when we lodge or make a false accusation against another it partakes of a mortal sin because it is already injurious to the character of the person.
In the same way idolatry, heresy, blasphemy, perjury, serious desecration of Sundays and Holy Days fall under the category of mortal sins because these are a direct affront to the majesty of God.
On the other hand, why should we risk the judgment of God when we as Christians have the ability to resist all occasions of sin through the Holy Spirit whom we have received in Baptism. And the only reason we fall into sin is because we refuse to allow the Holy Spirit to take control of our lives.
Hence, to be able to spot the circumstance that may lead us to sin we must recognize what these occasions of sins are. By occasions we refer to persons, places, things and such occasions of sin may be voluntary or involuntary and the most common and most dangerous occasions of sins are night clubs, beer joints, pornographic films and videos, magazines and posters and persons who lead us to these things must be avoided.
We should put into our lips the watchword that has guided the Saints when they were exposed to occasions of sin: “Safety is in flight” which means we must not only stay away from sin but we must run away to avoid sin.
And in His goodness, God also provided us with the means by which we can defend ourselves when we are confronted with sin. Prayer provides us with the shield to immediately resist occasions of sin. When faced with temptation a “Hail Mary” and or uttering the names of Jesus and Mary would be helpful. As St. John Chrysostom says: “These holy names have an intrinsic power over the devil, and are a terror to hell.”
Prayer is the weapon we can use to ward off the assaults of our spiritual enemy because in prayer we secure the assistance of God and nothing can withstand His might.
Let me end with this prayer of Eusebius, a 3rd century church father: "May I be no man's enemy, and may I be the friend of that which is eternal and abides. May I never quarrel with those nearest me: and if I do, may I be reconciled quickly. May I love, seek, and attain only that which is good. May I wish for all men's happiness and envy none. May I never rejoice in the ill-fortune of one who has wronged me. When I have done or said what is wrong, may I never wait for the rebuke of others, but always rebuke myself until I make amends. May I win no victory that harms either me or my opponent. May I reconcile friends who are angry with one another. May I never fail a friend who is in danger. When visiting those in grief may I be able by gentle and healing words to soften their pain. May I respect myself. May I always keep tame that which rages within me. May I accustom myself to be gentle, and never be angry with people because of circumstances. May I never discuss who is wicked and what wicked things he has done, but know good men and follow in their footsteps."
PERSISTENCE PAYS
MAR. 13, 2014: FIRST WEEK OF LENT
First Reading: Es 12, 14-16, 23-25
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 138:1-3, 7-8 “Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.”
GOSPEL: Matt 7:7-12
Key Verse: “how much more will your Father in heaven
give good gifts to those who ask him!” (v.11)
The topic of prayer is a boring proposition and you can only get the attention of the people in a room if you invite a powerful speaker who can introduce new disciplines in prayer that will not compromise the busyness of the people’s everyday life.
Perhaps the reason why our current social environment has been infected not just by secularism but by relativism which has practically destroyed the moral fibers of society is because the people are no longer praying as they should.
I grew up in a purely Catholic home, studied in a Catholic school and my mother kept badgering me about the importance of prayer and I’m perfectly comfortable with prayer and praying. But those who may not be predisposed to prayer should know that it is our lifeline to God, that it is a platform through we can come to God for our needs.
And as we are on the subject of prayer, let me quote from what St. John Chrysostom said: “Prayer is an all-efficient panoply, a treasure undiminished, a mine never exhausted, a sky unobstructed by clouds, a haven unruffled by storm. It is the root, the fountain, and the mother of a thousand blessings. It exceeds a monarch’s power. I speak not of the prayer which is cold and feeble and devoid of zeal. I speak of that which proceeds from a mind outstretched, the child of a contrite spirit, the offspring of a soul converted – this is the prayer which mounts to heaven. The power of prayer has subdued the strength of fire, bridled the rage of lions, silenced anarchy, extinguished wars, appeased the elements, expelled demons, burst the chains of death, enlarged the gates of heaven, relieved diseases, averted frauds, rescued cities from destruction, stayed the sun in its course, and arrested the progress of the thunderbolt. In sum prayer has power to destroy whatever is at enmity with the good.”
That God will never refuse our prayers is seen in the Gospel passage today that speaks of the kind of persistence that we need to put in our prayers. Roget’s Thesaurus defines persistence as perseverance, constancy, staying power, pertinacity, tenacity, tenaciousness, doggedness, indefatigability, boldness and relentless. There are other words related to persistence but what are enumerated here more or less provides us an idea of what persistence means.
Of these words, I particularly like tenaciousness, doggedness, boldness and relentless since these words aptly describe the action of the man in this parable who went to his friend and neighbor to ask for bread in the middle of the night because a friend of his who was on a journey stopped over his house and he was caught unprepared.
We need to gloss on the culture of the people at the time so that we can at least grasp the scenario in this parable. Many travelers in those days travel at night to avoid the day’s hot temperature and this particular traveler went to the man’s house because the man was his friend and he knew perfectly well that he would not be refused.
The man was embarrassed because he had ran out of bread and so he, in turn, mustered all the tenacity that he could to knock and wake up his neighbor to ask for bread. Tradition has it that bread which is the primary staple of the Jews in those days was baked at home but households would normally bake just enough for the needs of the family for the day.
The family of the neighbor was already asleep and he didn’t want to open his door lest the commotion wake up his family but there were two compelling reasons why he did open his door and give the man the bread he was asking for.
One is because of the “shameless persistence” (v.8) of the man. The other reason is that hospitality was a sacred duty at that time and to refuse to give bread to a neighbor in need would bring shame because it was a sign of inhospitality and the neighbor couldn’t risk being labeled as inhospitable especially to a friend who had a valid reason for waking him up even in the dead of the night.
Which is why this parable is not just about persistent prayer which is our common understanding of this parable but this Gospel is also about us particularly in the way we relate to our neighbor and we might again ask “who is my neighbor?” Well, anyone who is in need is our neighbor and in this parable the man who was traveling and who dropped in unannounced definitely fell into the category of what a neighbor was.
I am sure that there are some of you who was like the neighbor who at first refused to get up and open his door. There were times before in my life when I also acted in the same way when I refused to help even a friend who would pop out from nowhere and especially if they would come when I am in a bad mood.
What this parable is telling us is that generosity knows no bounds and, similar to the tradition of the Jews we are obliged to be hospitable and help our friends and neighbors when they come to us for help even if they come at a most inopportune time which means we are not to refuse anyone who will ask us for help. In other words, we are to be ready to help 24/7.
Such generosity on our part finds a model in the magnanimity of Our Lord Jesus Christ who said: “if we believe you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” (Matt 21:22) And in this parable, Jesus provides us with three types of cause and effect when he said: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (v.9)
Ask, seek and knock are the causes which means these are the three things that we need to do to find answers to our prayers. And Jesus assures us he will grant whatever we ask in faith and in this parable he shows us the effect or the result when he said: it will be given us if we ask, we will find if we will only seek, and the door will be opened and all we have to do is knock.
This parable shows that if the boldness of the man could propel his neighbor “to get up and give him as much as he needs,” (v.8) how much more hospitable can God be who is sure to give us what we need.
But such generosity on the part of God is conditioned on the level of trust and confidence that we have in God. And in this parable, God raised the bar even higher because what he is prepared to give us is none other than the Holy Spirit who will not only shower us with his many different gifts but will “…help us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will" Romans 8:26-27 (NIV); CCC 741
The Spirit is the Father's very best gift. It is the gift of Himself to dwell with us and within us forever. The Catechism of the Catholic Church also states in CCC 2652 that: “The Holy Spirit is the living water welling up to eternal life in the heart that prays. It is he who teaches us to accept it at its source: Christ. Indeed in the Christian life there are several wellsprings where Christ awaits us to enable us to drink of the Holy Spirit.”
And “because we are dead or at least wounded through sin, the first effect of the gift of love is the forgiveness of our sins. The communion of the Holy Spirit in the Church restores to the baptized the divine likeness lost through sin.”
First Reading: Es 12, 14-16, 23-25
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 138:1-3, 7-8 “Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.”
GOSPEL: Matt 7:7-12
Key Verse: “how much more will your Father in heaven
give good gifts to those who ask him!” (v.11)
The topic of prayer is a boring proposition and you can only get the attention of the people in a room if you invite a powerful speaker who can introduce new disciplines in prayer that will not compromise the busyness of the people’s everyday life.
Perhaps the reason why our current social environment has been infected not just by secularism but by relativism which has practically destroyed the moral fibers of society is because the people are no longer praying as they should.
I grew up in a purely Catholic home, studied in a Catholic school and my mother kept badgering me about the importance of prayer and I’m perfectly comfortable with prayer and praying. But those who may not be predisposed to prayer should know that it is our lifeline to God, that it is a platform through we can come to God for our needs.
And as we are on the subject of prayer, let me quote from what St. John Chrysostom said: “Prayer is an all-efficient panoply, a treasure undiminished, a mine never exhausted, a sky unobstructed by clouds, a haven unruffled by storm. It is the root, the fountain, and the mother of a thousand blessings. It exceeds a monarch’s power. I speak not of the prayer which is cold and feeble and devoid of zeal. I speak of that which proceeds from a mind outstretched, the child of a contrite spirit, the offspring of a soul converted – this is the prayer which mounts to heaven. The power of prayer has subdued the strength of fire, bridled the rage of lions, silenced anarchy, extinguished wars, appeased the elements, expelled demons, burst the chains of death, enlarged the gates of heaven, relieved diseases, averted frauds, rescued cities from destruction, stayed the sun in its course, and arrested the progress of the thunderbolt. In sum prayer has power to destroy whatever is at enmity with the good.”
That God will never refuse our prayers is seen in the Gospel passage today that speaks of the kind of persistence that we need to put in our prayers. Roget’s Thesaurus defines persistence as perseverance, constancy, staying power, pertinacity, tenacity, tenaciousness, doggedness, indefatigability, boldness and relentless. There are other words related to persistence but what are enumerated here more or less provides us an idea of what persistence means.
Of these words, I particularly like tenaciousness, doggedness, boldness and relentless since these words aptly describe the action of the man in this parable who went to his friend and neighbor to ask for bread in the middle of the night because a friend of his who was on a journey stopped over his house and he was caught unprepared.
We need to gloss on the culture of the people at the time so that we can at least grasp the scenario in this parable. Many travelers in those days travel at night to avoid the day’s hot temperature and this particular traveler went to the man’s house because the man was his friend and he knew perfectly well that he would not be refused.
The man was embarrassed because he had ran out of bread and so he, in turn, mustered all the tenacity that he could to knock and wake up his neighbor to ask for bread. Tradition has it that bread which is the primary staple of the Jews in those days was baked at home but households would normally bake just enough for the needs of the family for the day.
The family of the neighbor was already asleep and he didn’t want to open his door lest the commotion wake up his family but there were two compelling reasons why he did open his door and give the man the bread he was asking for.
One is because of the “shameless persistence” (v.8) of the man. The other reason is that hospitality was a sacred duty at that time and to refuse to give bread to a neighbor in need would bring shame because it was a sign of inhospitality and the neighbor couldn’t risk being labeled as inhospitable especially to a friend who had a valid reason for waking him up even in the dead of the night.
Which is why this parable is not just about persistent prayer which is our common understanding of this parable but this Gospel is also about us particularly in the way we relate to our neighbor and we might again ask “who is my neighbor?” Well, anyone who is in need is our neighbor and in this parable the man who was traveling and who dropped in unannounced definitely fell into the category of what a neighbor was.
I am sure that there are some of you who was like the neighbor who at first refused to get up and open his door. There were times before in my life when I also acted in the same way when I refused to help even a friend who would pop out from nowhere and especially if they would come when I am in a bad mood.
What this parable is telling us is that generosity knows no bounds and, similar to the tradition of the Jews we are obliged to be hospitable and help our friends and neighbors when they come to us for help even if they come at a most inopportune time which means we are not to refuse anyone who will ask us for help. In other words, we are to be ready to help 24/7.
Such generosity on our part finds a model in the magnanimity of Our Lord Jesus Christ who said: “if we believe you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” (Matt 21:22) And in this parable, Jesus provides us with three types of cause and effect when he said: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (v.9)
Ask, seek and knock are the causes which means these are the three things that we need to do to find answers to our prayers. And Jesus assures us he will grant whatever we ask in faith and in this parable he shows us the effect or the result when he said: it will be given us if we ask, we will find if we will only seek, and the door will be opened and all we have to do is knock.
This parable shows that if the boldness of the man could propel his neighbor “to get up and give him as much as he needs,” (v.8) how much more hospitable can God be who is sure to give us what we need.
But such generosity on the part of God is conditioned on the level of trust and confidence that we have in God. And in this parable, God raised the bar even higher because what he is prepared to give us is none other than the Holy Spirit who will not only shower us with his many different gifts but will “…help us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will" Romans 8:26-27 (NIV); CCC 741
The Spirit is the Father's very best gift. It is the gift of Himself to dwell with us and within us forever. The Catechism of the Catholic Church also states in CCC 2652 that: “The Holy Spirit is the living water welling up to eternal life in the heart that prays. It is he who teaches us to accept it at its source: Christ. Indeed in the Christian life there are several wellsprings where Christ awaits us to enable us to drink of the Holy Spirit.”
And “because we are dead or at least wounded through sin, the first effect of the gift of love is the forgiveness of our sins. The communion of the Holy Spirit in the Church restores to the baptized the divine likeness lost through sin.”
JESUS IS THE ONLY SIGN
MAR. 12, 2014: FIRST WEEK OF LENT
First Reading: Jon 3:1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 51:3-4, 12-13, 18-19 “A heart contrite and humbled O God, you will not spurn.”
GOSPEL: Lk 11:29-32
Key Verse: “This is a wicked generation,
it asks for a sign…” (v.29)
“Prove it to me!” is what we often hear in this perverse world that we live in and even what was before immoral has now become a pervading culture. This is what people who commit wrong say when they are corrected and as the growing culture of relativism sweeps through our society what may be wrong in our eyes may be right for others.
With the Chinese New Year that we just celebrated a couple of weeks back, many people especially those with Chinese ancestry looked to feng shui for signs and some even relied on the position of the sun and planets and the weather as determining factors to guide their business and personal decisions. Doors, windows and even the kind of furniture that you bring into your homes must conform to what feng shui principles say in order to harness positive energies that bring luck and fortune.
Today, many motorists, travellers, hikers, trekkers, mountaineers, or those who step out of the safe confines of their homes to go to an appointment, meeting, or workplace have also made it a habit to look for signs such as road signs to guide them to where they are headed. When we go on out-of-town jaunts I normally look for signs so that I won’t get lost on the way.
Specifically, we need to pay careful attention especially to warning signs because fatal accidents could be avoided if people will only pay attention to such signs especially in Metro Manila where an average of three fatal accidents involving motorcyclists are recorded in the metropolis almost everyday.
Signs are important in the life of the Jew and we see it in this Gospel passage today when the religious leaders demanded a sign from Jesus who in turn gave them a serious warning to avert spiritual disaster. It has been the culture of the Jews to ask for a sign as a way of verifying the authenticity of those claiming to be messengers from God and when the religious leaders asked Jesus for signs he simply responded by saying that he was God's sign and that they need no further evidence from heaven than his own person.
Notwithstanding the many instances of healings, of the dead rising again and, of people freed from demon-possession the religious leaders and some of the Jews in the early days kept pressing on Jesus to give them a sign to support his claim that he is indeed the Son of God.
And this unbelief was what moved Jesus to say what a wicked generation it was that the Jews kept asking for a sign that hides their real intent which was they just couldn’t accept that Jesus to be the Son of God because the Jews were expecting someone more than just a carpenter’s son to save and liberate them.
But instead of providing them with a sign which was yet to come and which was going to be biggest sign the world will ever see, Jesus brought those listening to him to the events of the past when the people of Nineveh repented after they heard Jonah preached to them (v.30) even if Jonah resented it for he was biased against the Ninevites.
Jesus also refreshed their memories to the events surrounding the Queen of Sheba who praised God whom she recognized after she heard Solomon speaking words of wisdom despite the fact that Solomon had many faults of his own.
What Jesus was trying to emphasize to the Jews was the irony behind these two events in the Old Testament in that God can use even those who are imperfect to bring the message of salvation to the people and that he whom the Jews do not recognize was greater than Jonah or Solomon for that matter.
What Jesus was also pointing out was that the healings, the miracles and deliverance from demon-possession were enough signs of someone greater than Jonah or the wisdom of Solomon that the religious leaders refuse to acknowledge.
In effect what Jesus was saying in this Gospel is that “I have given you everything. You have seen what I can do. What sign do you still need for you to believe that I am the Messiah?” What he was trying to stress was that the Jews stand to be condemned because they had more privileges than the people of Nineveh or the Queen of Sheba who both repented after they heard the Word of God spoken to them.
And this is what Jesus is telling our present generation that He has practically given us all the privileges to live our lives as comfortably as we can so that we can find the time to abide by his statutes and yet there are still many in today’s generation who appear to be waiting for a sign before they turn away from their sinfulness.
Compared to the people of Nineveh, to the Queen of Sheba and even to the Jews in the olden times, we all have seen the signs that should make us accept Jesus as the Son of God. The more than 2,000 years following his passion, death and resurrection were filled with accounts of those who were witness to his ministry, to the greatest sign on Calvary, the Pentecost event. All these have been captured in the Scriptures. There also are the messages of Fatima, apparitions in Naju, Akita and Medjugorje that call on the world to be faithful to God.
What more signs do we need to make us believe and live the kind of life that God wants us to live – a life that is disposed to serving Him by serving our neighbor.
Today, the Holy Scriptures is available to anyone who would devote time to know God – who He is and what He did and what He continues to do for us. No other book in history has survived the test of time, translated into practically all the languages of the world and, used as reference for millions of books that has been printed ever since.
Accounts of healing and even incidents of those who have been pronounced as clinically dead but who miraculously rose and lived, of the many prayers that have been answered, these are signs that have been available to us for which we are to believe that Jesus is Lord. Our faith is even sustained with the help of new technologies as the Word of God is also now on cyberspace.
With these privileges to know God more and what he has given us including the material comforts that we now enjoy – jobs, homes, clothes, cars, jewelries and, food on our table – we are now called upon to be responsible for what God has provided for us and we can begin by acknowledging him as the source of all we have (1 Cor 10:26) “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything on it.”
Out of what Our Lord has made available to us, we as Christians especially disciples must respond to the Lord with complete devotion and setting aside whatever doubt or unbelief we have because “to all who received him, to those who believed in his name he gave the right to become children of God” (Jn 1:12)
And those who will continue and persist in their refusal to accept him as Lord and Savior will be condemned. Let us not miss the opportunity to meet, know and be faithful to someone greater than Jonah or Solomon for there are only two choices in life – it’s either we are for him or against him. So don’t play with your lives, it’s the only life we’ve got.
First Reading: Jon 3:1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 51:3-4, 12-13, 18-19 “A heart contrite and humbled O God, you will not spurn.”
GOSPEL: Lk 11:29-32
Key Verse: “This is a wicked generation,
it asks for a sign…” (v.29)
“Prove it to me!” is what we often hear in this perverse world that we live in and even what was before immoral has now become a pervading culture. This is what people who commit wrong say when they are corrected and as the growing culture of relativism sweeps through our society what may be wrong in our eyes may be right for others.
With the Chinese New Year that we just celebrated a couple of weeks back, many people especially those with Chinese ancestry looked to feng shui for signs and some even relied on the position of the sun and planets and the weather as determining factors to guide their business and personal decisions. Doors, windows and even the kind of furniture that you bring into your homes must conform to what feng shui principles say in order to harness positive energies that bring luck and fortune.
Today, many motorists, travellers, hikers, trekkers, mountaineers, or those who step out of the safe confines of their homes to go to an appointment, meeting, or workplace have also made it a habit to look for signs such as road signs to guide them to where they are headed. When we go on out-of-town jaunts I normally look for signs so that I won’t get lost on the way.
Specifically, we need to pay careful attention especially to warning signs because fatal accidents could be avoided if people will only pay attention to such signs especially in Metro Manila where an average of three fatal accidents involving motorcyclists are recorded in the metropolis almost everyday.
Signs are important in the life of the Jew and we see it in this Gospel passage today when the religious leaders demanded a sign from Jesus who in turn gave them a serious warning to avert spiritual disaster. It has been the culture of the Jews to ask for a sign as a way of verifying the authenticity of those claiming to be messengers from God and when the religious leaders asked Jesus for signs he simply responded by saying that he was God's sign and that they need no further evidence from heaven than his own person.
Notwithstanding the many instances of healings, of the dead rising again and, of people freed from demon-possession the religious leaders and some of the Jews in the early days kept pressing on Jesus to give them a sign to support his claim that he is indeed the Son of God.
And this unbelief was what moved Jesus to say what a wicked generation it was that the Jews kept asking for a sign that hides their real intent which was they just couldn’t accept that Jesus to be the Son of God because the Jews were expecting someone more than just a carpenter’s son to save and liberate them.
But instead of providing them with a sign which was yet to come and which was going to be biggest sign the world will ever see, Jesus brought those listening to him to the events of the past when the people of Nineveh repented after they heard Jonah preached to them (v.30) even if Jonah resented it for he was biased against the Ninevites.
Jesus also refreshed their memories to the events surrounding the Queen of Sheba who praised God whom she recognized after she heard Solomon speaking words of wisdom despite the fact that Solomon had many faults of his own.
What Jesus was trying to emphasize to the Jews was the irony behind these two events in the Old Testament in that God can use even those who are imperfect to bring the message of salvation to the people and that he whom the Jews do not recognize was greater than Jonah or Solomon for that matter.
What Jesus was also pointing out was that the healings, the miracles and deliverance from demon-possession were enough signs of someone greater than Jonah or the wisdom of Solomon that the religious leaders refuse to acknowledge.
In effect what Jesus was saying in this Gospel is that “I have given you everything. You have seen what I can do. What sign do you still need for you to believe that I am the Messiah?” What he was trying to stress was that the Jews stand to be condemned because they had more privileges than the people of Nineveh or the Queen of Sheba who both repented after they heard the Word of God spoken to them.
And this is what Jesus is telling our present generation that He has practically given us all the privileges to live our lives as comfortably as we can so that we can find the time to abide by his statutes and yet there are still many in today’s generation who appear to be waiting for a sign before they turn away from their sinfulness.
Compared to the people of Nineveh, to the Queen of Sheba and even to the Jews in the olden times, we all have seen the signs that should make us accept Jesus as the Son of God. The more than 2,000 years following his passion, death and resurrection were filled with accounts of those who were witness to his ministry, to the greatest sign on Calvary, the Pentecost event. All these have been captured in the Scriptures. There also are the messages of Fatima, apparitions in Naju, Akita and Medjugorje that call on the world to be faithful to God.
What more signs do we need to make us believe and live the kind of life that God wants us to live – a life that is disposed to serving Him by serving our neighbor.
Today, the Holy Scriptures is available to anyone who would devote time to know God – who He is and what He did and what He continues to do for us. No other book in history has survived the test of time, translated into practically all the languages of the world and, used as reference for millions of books that has been printed ever since.
Accounts of healing and even incidents of those who have been pronounced as clinically dead but who miraculously rose and lived, of the many prayers that have been answered, these are signs that have been available to us for which we are to believe that Jesus is Lord. Our faith is even sustained with the help of new technologies as the Word of God is also now on cyberspace.
With these privileges to know God more and what he has given us including the material comforts that we now enjoy – jobs, homes, clothes, cars, jewelries and, food on our table – we are now called upon to be responsible for what God has provided for us and we can begin by acknowledging him as the source of all we have (1 Cor 10:26) “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything on it.”
Out of what Our Lord has made available to us, we as Christians especially disciples must respond to the Lord with complete devotion and setting aside whatever doubt or unbelief we have because “to all who received him, to those who believed in his name he gave the right to become children of God” (Jn 1:12)
And those who will continue and persist in their refusal to accept him as Lord and Savior will be condemned. Let us not miss the opportunity to meet, know and be faithful to someone greater than Jonah or Solomon for there are only two choices in life – it’s either we are for him or against him. So don’t play with your lives, it’s the only life we’ve got.
PRAYER PLEASES GOD
MAR. 11, 2014: FIRST WEEK OF LENT
First Reading: Isa 55:10-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 34:4-7, 16-19 “From all their distress God rescues the just.”
GOSPEL: MATT 6:7-15
Key Verse: “If you forgive others… your Father
in heaven will forgive you.” (v.14)
As we step into the second day of the first week of Lent we see Jesus telling his disciples the kind of discipline that they need to put in whenever they pray and he bares the foundation that should provide us with the right atmosphere for prayer.
Jesus begins by stressing that prayer must be seen and heard primarily by God and God alone and not by man for it is God who is the object of our prayers. In the same way, we should not look at prayer as a duty or as an obligation but prayer must come from the disposition of our hearts as an act of humility through which we can obtain God’s mercy and favor.
When and where to pray is unimportant and we should deviate from the common practice that prayer is efficacious when said inside the Church, chapel or similar edifices or places where God seems to be present and or confined to certain sacred places which might lead us to forget that the whole world is the temple of God.
But even during the time of Jesus, the wisest among the Rabbis already felt the danger of this practice of praying only in the synagogue which was why some of them also advised the people saying: “God says to Israel, pray in the synagogue of your city; if you cannot, pray in the field; if you cannot, pray in your house; if you cannot, pray on your bed; if you cannot, commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still.”
Praying to be seen by men was what Jesus criticized in this Gospel passage for today and he gave his disciples two important guidelines for prayer. One is that prayer must be offered to God which means that whether in public or in private prayer, we should have no other thought in mind and desire in our hearts but to offer our prayers to God.
The other rule to remember is that the God to whom we pray is a God of love who is more than willing to answer our prayers when done in utter humility and sincerity. In praying, we should remember that we don’t need to cajole, batter or pester God into answering our prayers because we have a God whose very nature is to give. What we should keep in mind is that we must come to God with these words written on our lips “Thy will be done” because at the end of the day it is his Will alone that matters.
As we go to the main message of this passage the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples to pray, we need to spend time reflecting on this prayer to be able to grasp its meaning. And while the Church has adopted this prayer to become the Lord’s Prayer that every believer young and old should pray, the Lord’s Prayer is, for all intents and purposes, a prayer that only a disciple can pray because it is a prayer that only one who is committed to Jesus Christ can utter with his lips.
Simply put, the Lord’s Prayer can only be prayed when we who will pray it know what we are saying and an average person won’t be able to grasp what this prayer really means unless that person enters into discipleship.
The whole point of this Gospel today is that prayer is our lifeline to God. Prayer establishes a connection with God and it’s like there is an imaginary path that we can tread leading to the Kingdom of God. Prayer is in fact entering into a conversation with God and the Lord’s Prayer brings us to the very presence of God.
The first three petitions are directed to the glory of God whereas the second three petitions pertain to our needs. The second part of the prayer deals with the three essential needs of men. First, it asks for bread that is necessary for our daily sustenance. It also asks for forgiveness that brings our past before God and it also seeks the help of God to keep us free from temptation as we commit our future into the hands of God. In these three petitions, Jesus is teaching us to present before God the present, the past and, the future before the footstool of the God’s Grace.
Thus, prayer is an elevation of our hearts to God and we must find a way that will allow us to direct all the powers of our souls to God. The mere thought of God is not a prayer because the devils also think of God but they do not pray to Him. So when we pray, we must commune with him and shut ourselves from the world around us and take delight only in the presence of the Almighty God.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus said: “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.” (v.2) The CCC 2787 also says that: “when we say ‘Our Father’ we recognize first that all his promises of love announced by the prophets are fulfilled in the new and eternal covenant in his Christ: we have become “his” people and he is henceforth “our” God. This new relationship is the purely gratuitous gift of belonging to each other: we are to respond to “grace and truth” given us in Jesus Christ with love and faithfulness.”
Thus, St. John Chrysostom said that “to be permitted to talk with his Creator and hold familiar intercourse with Him, is the greatest honor and privilege mortal man can enjoy.”
While there is also no doubt that we can obtain all things from God through prayer, we must also be resigned to God’s will: “Not my will, but yours be done.” (Lk 22:42) We must all remember that our prayers are never in vain but the time and manner of its fulfillment lie in the hands of God which means that everything depends upon the will of God.
With this prayer Jesus makes forgiveness the cornerstone of our relationship with God. As God has forgiven our sins, we too are also obliged to forgive those who may have wronged us without conditions. To persist in unforgiveness means that we do not understand what we pray.
The Season of Lent is an opportune time for us to become prayerful again because prayer benefits us in that it pleases God who will return the favor. I grew up in a Catholic school and while I may have slipped in my growing up years and was influenced by the world, prayer was one thing that I did not forget. Perhaps this was one reason why God watched over me even during those times when I wallowed in sin.
As St. Alphonsus once said: “The souls in heaven are there because they have prayed well; the condemned are in hell because they have not prayed.” Thus, failure to pray is the first step to unbelief and, eventually to hell. “Prayer is the one thing that men have in common with angels.” (St. John Chrysostom) because prayer unites the created with His Creator.
First Reading: Isa 55:10-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 34:4-7, 16-19 “From all their distress God rescues the just.”
GOSPEL: MATT 6:7-15
Key Verse: “If you forgive others… your Father
in heaven will forgive you.” (v.14)
As we step into the second day of the first week of Lent we see Jesus telling his disciples the kind of discipline that they need to put in whenever they pray and he bares the foundation that should provide us with the right atmosphere for prayer.
Jesus begins by stressing that prayer must be seen and heard primarily by God and God alone and not by man for it is God who is the object of our prayers. In the same way, we should not look at prayer as a duty or as an obligation but prayer must come from the disposition of our hearts as an act of humility through which we can obtain God’s mercy and favor.
When and where to pray is unimportant and we should deviate from the common practice that prayer is efficacious when said inside the Church, chapel or similar edifices or places where God seems to be present and or confined to certain sacred places which might lead us to forget that the whole world is the temple of God.
But even during the time of Jesus, the wisest among the Rabbis already felt the danger of this practice of praying only in the synagogue which was why some of them also advised the people saying: “God says to Israel, pray in the synagogue of your city; if you cannot, pray in the field; if you cannot, pray in your house; if you cannot, pray on your bed; if you cannot, commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still.”
Praying to be seen by men was what Jesus criticized in this Gospel passage for today and he gave his disciples two important guidelines for prayer. One is that prayer must be offered to God which means that whether in public or in private prayer, we should have no other thought in mind and desire in our hearts but to offer our prayers to God.
The other rule to remember is that the God to whom we pray is a God of love who is more than willing to answer our prayers when done in utter humility and sincerity. In praying, we should remember that we don’t need to cajole, batter or pester God into answering our prayers because we have a God whose very nature is to give. What we should keep in mind is that we must come to God with these words written on our lips “Thy will be done” because at the end of the day it is his Will alone that matters.
As we go to the main message of this passage the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples to pray, we need to spend time reflecting on this prayer to be able to grasp its meaning. And while the Church has adopted this prayer to become the Lord’s Prayer that every believer young and old should pray, the Lord’s Prayer is, for all intents and purposes, a prayer that only a disciple can pray because it is a prayer that only one who is committed to Jesus Christ can utter with his lips.
Simply put, the Lord’s Prayer can only be prayed when we who will pray it know what we are saying and an average person won’t be able to grasp what this prayer really means unless that person enters into discipleship.
The whole point of this Gospel today is that prayer is our lifeline to God. Prayer establishes a connection with God and it’s like there is an imaginary path that we can tread leading to the Kingdom of God. Prayer is in fact entering into a conversation with God and the Lord’s Prayer brings us to the very presence of God.
The first three petitions are directed to the glory of God whereas the second three petitions pertain to our needs. The second part of the prayer deals with the three essential needs of men. First, it asks for bread that is necessary for our daily sustenance. It also asks for forgiveness that brings our past before God and it also seeks the help of God to keep us free from temptation as we commit our future into the hands of God. In these three petitions, Jesus is teaching us to present before God the present, the past and, the future before the footstool of the God’s Grace.
Thus, prayer is an elevation of our hearts to God and we must find a way that will allow us to direct all the powers of our souls to God. The mere thought of God is not a prayer because the devils also think of God but they do not pray to Him. So when we pray, we must commune with him and shut ourselves from the world around us and take delight only in the presence of the Almighty God.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus said: “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.” (v.2) The CCC 2787 also says that: “when we say ‘Our Father’ we recognize first that all his promises of love announced by the prophets are fulfilled in the new and eternal covenant in his Christ: we have become “his” people and he is henceforth “our” God. This new relationship is the purely gratuitous gift of belonging to each other: we are to respond to “grace and truth” given us in Jesus Christ with love and faithfulness.”
Thus, St. John Chrysostom said that “to be permitted to talk with his Creator and hold familiar intercourse with Him, is the greatest honor and privilege mortal man can enjoy.”
While there is also no doubt that we can obtain all things from God through prayer, we must also be resigned to God’s will: “Not my will, but yours be done.” (Lk 22:42) We must all remember that our prayers are never in vain but the time and manner of its fulfillment lie in the hands of God which means that everything depends upon the will of God.
With this prayer Jesus makes forgiveness the cornerstone of our relationship with God. As God has forgiven our sins, we too are also obliged to forgive those who may have wronged us without conditions. To persist in unforgiveness means that we do not understand what we pray.
The Season of Lent is an opportune time for us to become prayerful again because prayer benefits us in that it pleases God who will return the favor. I grew up in a Catholic school and while I may have slipped in my growing up years and was influenced by the world, prayer was one thing that I did not forget. Perhaps this was one reason why God watched over me even during those times when I wallowed in sin.
As St. Alphonsus once said: “The souls in heaven are there because they have prayed well; the condemned are in hell because they have not prayed.” Thus, failure to pray is the first step to unbelief and, eventually to hell. “Prayer is the one thing that men have in common with angels.” (St. John Chrysostom) because prayer unites the created with His Creator.
REPENT AND BE BLESSED
MAR. 8, 2014: SATURDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY
First Reading: Isa 58: 9-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 86:1-6 “Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.”
GOSPEL: LK 5:27-32
Key Verse: “I have not come to call the righteous,
but sinners to repentance.” (v.32)
Imagine yourself to be someone with a flourishing career in the corporate world, a successful business and or, a profitable practice. You are someone who has everything in life. You are never in want and what you desire you can easily get hold of.
In other words, there is nothing you could still want. You are on top of the world. You throw parties for no occasion at all but just to show off that your labor has borne fruit. You move with a certain gait projecting an image of being somebody. And you can’t be faulted for that because this is the way to belong in today’s world.
And in one of those bright and sunny days you went out to play a round of golf and while you were on the fairway exchanging banters with those in your flight and out of nowhere Jesus appears and walks beside you and he tells you: “Follow me” (v.27).
How would you respond? Will you say yes? Or will you put it off to some other time? As a Sunday parishioner or whenever you go to Mass, you often hear from priests during the homily about the eternal life that awaits those who will opt to follow Jesus. How did you take it then? How did you react? Did you give it some serious thought or did you dismiss it as a marketing campaign by the priest to raise more funds for the Church?
There have been times that God worked through your friends and family and was calling you to the renewal but you didn’t pay heed because you were afraid to commit your life to Jesus as this will compromise your life and you just couldn’t turn away from the comforts and luxury that you basked in.
Levi who would later be known as Matthew was just like many of us. He lived a lucrative life even if he was not exactly honest in the way he collected taxes from the people. The tax collection system in those days opened itself to abuse.
The Roman government that ruled Judea at the time outsourced the tax collection system to bidders who were given the right to collect taxes for as long as they remit to the Romans a certain percentage of their collection. Levi was one of those contracted to collect taxes.
While there was a scale to determine the amount of taxes to be collected, Levi and the other tax-collectors are also empowered to dictate the amount of levy they would want to collect. This was the reason why Levi was regarded as the most hated man in Capernaum. As such, Levi was barred from entering the synagogue and was regarded as unclean.
But despite all these Jesus saw there was something in Levi that could be put to good use. Jesus saw what Levi could eventually become when given the chance to change his life and when he told Levi to “come, follow me” he gave the despised tax collector the chance of a lifetime. Levi stood up, left a profitable career. He turned away from his kind of life and followed Jesus.
With joy in his heart, Levi threw a feast and he invited all the other tax-collectors and when Jesus was criticized by the Pharisees for dining with sinners he justified his action by saying: “It’s not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick” (v.31) Translated into present-day reality, Jesus is commanding us now to go where there is a need to bring healing and, where the Gospel must be proclaimed.
But the underlying message here is that Jesus is not inviting people who believe that they are already good enough and are not in need of help. Jesus has no need for those who think highly of themselves because the first step in following Jesus is to acknowledge our need for a savior and admit that we don’t have all the answers.
"I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (v.32) serves as a reminder for us that our main preoccupation is to help bring others to repentance which is the key that will unlock the gates of heaven. To follow Christ is difficult and at times we will have to make painful decisions like Matthew who had to leave everything behind.
And what holds us back is the thought that “God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable” (Rom 11:29) and if we are to follow Jesus, we just have to put aside all fears and anxiety and hold on to his hand and go where he leads us even to unfamiliar, uncomfortable, and inconvenient territory.
When Levi stood up and left, he did not bring with him nor offered anything to Jesus. In the same way, Jesus is not interested in our sacrifices because God has said many times that he doesn’t want our gifts and sacrifices when we give them for others to see. Mic 6:6-8 “God is not satisfied with offerings; he wants us to do what is right, love mercy, and walk humbly with him.”
The true and authentic Christian life is not a popularity contest because like Matthew, to follow Christ is to turn our backs from the world that we basked in. We will find ourselves poorer in terms of material possessions. But through it all, following Christ will bring joy and peace and the privilege to become co-heir in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Like Levi, Jesus is calling us now because he knows there is something in us that he can use. How you will respond is up to you.
First Reading: Isa 58: 9-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 86:1-6 “Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.”
GOSPEL: LK 5:27-32
Key Verse: “I have not come to call the righteous,
but sinners to repentance.” (v.32)
Imagine yourself to be someone with a flourishing career in the corporate world, a successful business and or, a profitable practice. You are someone who has everything in life. You are never in want and what you desire you can easily get hold of.
In other words, there is nothing you could still want. You are on top of the world. You throw parties for no occasion at all but just to show off that your labor has borne fruit. You move with a certain gait projecting an image of being somebody. And you can’t be faulted for that because this is the way to belong in today’s world.
And in one of those bright and sunny days you went out to play a round of golf and while you were on the fairway exchanging banters with those in your flight and out of nowhere Jesus appears and walks beside you and he tells you: “Follow me” (v.27).
How would you respond? Will you say yes? Or will you put it off to some other time? As a Sunday parishioner or whenever you go to Mass, you often hear from priests during the homily about the eternal life that awaits those who will opt to follow Jesus. How did you take it then? How did you react? Did you give it some serious thought or did you dismiss it as a marketing campaign by the priest to raise more funds for the Church?
There have been times that God worked through your friends and family and was calling you to the renewal but you didn’t pay heed because you were afraid to commit your life to Jesus as this will compromise your life and you just couldn’t turn away from the comforts and luxury that you basked in.
Levi who would later be known as Matthew was just like many of us. He lived a lucrative life even if he was not exactly honest in the way he collected taxes from the people. The tax collection system in those days opened itself to abuse.
The Roman government that ruled Judea at the time outsourced the tax collection system to bidders who were given the right to collect taxes for as long as they remit to the Romans a certain percentage of their collection. Levi was one of those contracted to collect taxes.
While there was a scale to determine the amount of taxes to be collected, Levi and the other tax-collectors are also empowered to dictate the amount of levy they would want to collect. This was the reason why Levi was regarded as the most hated man in Capernaum. As such, Levi was barred from entering the synagogue and was regarded as unclean.
But despite all these Jesus saw there was something in Levi that could be put to good use. Jesus saw what Levi could eventually become when given the chance to change his life and when he told Levi to “come, follow me” he gave the despised tax collector the chance of a lifetime. Levi stood up, left a profitable career. He turned away from his kind of life and followed Jesus.
With joy in his heart, Levi threw a feast and he invited all the other tax-collectors and when Jesus was criticized by the Pharisees for dining with sinners he justified his action by saying: “It’s not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick” (v.31) Translated into present-day reality, Jesus is commanding us now to go where there is a need to bring healing and, where the Gospel must be proclaimed.
But the underlying message here is that Jesus is not inviting people who believe that they are already good enough and are not in need of help. Jesus has no need for those who think highly of themselves because the first step in following Jesus is to acknowledge our need for a savior and admit that we don’t have all the answers.
"I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (v.32) serves as a reminder for us that our main preoccupation is to help bring others to repentance which is the key that will unlock the gates of heaven. To follow Christ is difficult and at times we will have to make painful decisions like Matthew who had to leave everything behind.
And what holds us back is the thought that “God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable” (Rom 11:29) and if we are to follow Jesus, we just have to put aside all fears and anxiety and hold on to his hand and go where he leads us even to unfamiliar, uncomfortable, and inconvenient territory.
When Levi stood up and left, he did not bring with him nor offered anything to Jesus. In the same way, Jesus is not interested in our sacrifices because God has said many times that he doesn’t want our gifts and sacrifices when we give them for others to see. Mic 6:6-8 “God is not satisfied with offerings; he wants us to do what is right, love mercy, and walk humbly with him.”
The true and authentic Christian life is not a popularity contest because like Matthew, to follow Christ is to turn our backs from the world that we basked in. We will find ourselves poorer in terms of material possessions. But through it all, following Christ will bring joy and peace and the privilege to become co-heir in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Like Levi, Jesus is calling us now because he knows there is something in us that he can use. How you will respond is up to you.
FASTING: A KEY TO HOLINESS
MAR. 7, 2014: FRIDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY
First Reading: Isa 58:1-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 51:3-6, 18-19 “A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.”
GOSPEL: MATT 9:14-15
Key Verse: “then they will fast.” (v.15)
For those familiar with Jewish tradition, this brief exchange between the disciples of John the Baptist and Jesus on the matter of fasting shouldn’t come as a surprise because the Jews regard almsgiving, prayer and fasting as the three most important component of a religious life.
It probably was a big issue in those days when Jews do not observe their religious laws particularly the law as important as fasting. And it appears from this Gospel passage that the disciples of John the Baptist were strictly following the law on fasting as a sign of mourning for their Master who was in prison and to prepare for the coming of the Messiah and they want to know why the disciples of Jesus did not fast (v.14).
In response, Jesus simply recalled what happens during a wedding banquet that in those days was a time of special festivity as the house where the wedding reception was being celebrated was kept open for nearly a week.
This means that the people, at least those who are known to the couple, shared in the joy and festivities with the wedded couple and this was no time for fasting but for rejoicing. In responding to the disciples of John the Baptist, Jesus was comparing himself to the bridegroom and his disciples to the relatives and close friends of the bridegroom.
As such, his disciples do not need to fast because he was still with them but that they will also fast when he is taken from them (v.15) and this day will come when he enters Jerusalem and be rejected by the chief priests and the teachers of the law, to suffer, to be crucified and die on the cross and to rise again on the third day (Lk 9:22).
No matter how short this passage may be there are three significant things that will be of benefit to us when we reflect on this Gospel of Matthew. One is that it tells us that we should look at our lives as a wedding banquet and that we should remain joyful in the company of the bridegroom because the Christian who walks with Christ should walk with a joyful disposition.
This passage was also paradoxical in a sense because Jesus also hinted that no joy would last forever. At some point in time, even what may appear as an everlasting joy would still come to an end and the time for sorrow would definitely come. The disciples of John the Baptist were fasting because John was in prison while for the disciples of Jesus their time to fast will come when Jesus as the bridegroom will be taken away by his death on the cross.
Short this passage may be, it also poses a challenge for us the pilgrim church because what Jesus was impressing upon his disciples then and to us now is are we prepared to go through the pain, the difficulties and suffering that is attached to the cross?
In other words, what Jesus was saying was that while a life in and with Jesus will bring joy, we cannot turn away from the blood, sweat and tears of the Christian life. To follow Christ, we must be prepared to enjoy his company but we also must be ready to carry our cross and die.
As with the Gospel passage that we read for Ash Wednesday when Jesus gave his disciples a picture of what his passion, death and resurrection would be like (Lk 9:22), Jesus in today’s passage showed his firm conviction and undying obedience to abide by the Will of the Father and there never was a time that he even thought of vacillating from his mission.
And in the literal sense, hunger always follows fasting and as with the Jews who fast when they are in mourning, we too must fast as we mourn the painful experience Jesus will suffer at the hands of the Sanhedrin. This is the time for us look at how we have lived our lives, and use this season to pray and fast for the right reasons and these may include our deliverance from some bad habit, addiction, infidelity, vice, indifference, bitterness and resentments, unforgiveness, anger, pride and, to share in the suffering of the poor.
As hunger comes after a period of fasting, our Lenten experience should lead us to grow in our hunger for God and for the things that will please God. St. Basil the Great once wrote: “Take heed that you do not make fasting to consist only in abstinence from meats. True fasting is to refrain from vice. Shred to pieces all your unjust contracts. Pardon your neighbors. Forgive their trespasses.”
It is in this context that our Catholic Church encourages us in the Catechism of the Catholic Church 1438 to observe the seasons and days of penance in the course of the liturgical year (Lent, and each Friday in memory of the death of the Lord) that the Church defined as intense moments of the Church's penitential practice. These times are particularly appropriate for spiritual exercises, penitential liturgies, pilgrimages as signs of penance, voluntary self-denial such as fasting and almsgiving.
Perhaps this is also the time for us to ask ourselves: Do we want to know God more and grow in his holiness? Do we also want the abundant life of Grace that he is offering us? Then pray and fast about it.
First Reading: Isa 58:1-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 51:3-6, 18-19 “A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.”
GOSPEL: MATT 9:14-15
Key Verse: “then they will fast.” (v.15)
For those familiar with Jewish tradition, this brief exchange between the disciples of John the Baptist and Jesus on the matter of fasting shouldn’t come as a surprise because the Jews regard almsgiving, prayer and fasting as the three most important component of a religious life.
It probably was a big issue in those days when Jews do not observe their religious laws particularly the law as important as fasting. And it appears from this Gospel passage that the disciples of John the Baptist were strictly following the law on fasting as a sign of mourning for their Master who was in prison and to prepare for the coming of the Messiah and they want to know why the disciples of Jesus did not fast (v.14).
In response, Jesus simply recalled what happens during a wedding banquet that in those days was a time of special festivity as the house where the wedding reception was being celebrated was kept open for nearly a week.
This means that the people, at least those who are known to the couple, shared in the joy and festivities with the wedded couple and this was no time for fasting but for rejoicing. In responding to the disciples of John the Baptist, Jesus was comparing himself to the bridegroom and his disciples to the relatives and close friends of the bridegroom.
As such, his disciples do not need to fast because he was still with them but that they will also fast when he is taken from them (v.15) and this day will come when he enters Jerusalem and be rejected by the chief priests and the teachers of the law, to suffer, to be crucified and die on the cross and to rise again on the third day (Lk 9:22).
No matter how short this passage may be there are three significant things that will be of benefit to us when we reflect on this Gospel of Matthew. One is that it tells us that we should look at our lives as a wedding banquet and that we should remain joyful in the company of the bridegroom because the Christian who walks with Christ should walk with a joyful disposition.
This passage was also paradoxical in a sense because Jesus also hinted that no joy would last forever. At some point in time, even what may appear as an everlasting joy would still come to an end and the time for sorrow would definitely come. The disciples of John the Baptist were fasting because John was in prison while for the disciples of Jesus their time to fast will come when Jesus as the bridegroom will be taken away by his death on the cross.
Short this passage may be, it also poses a challenge for us the pilgrim church because what Jesus was impressing upon his disciples then and to us now is are we prepared to go through the pain, the difficulties and suffering that is attached to the cross?
In other words, what Jesus was saying was that while a life in and with Jesus will bring joy, we cannot turn away from the blood, sweat and tears of the Christian life. To follow Christ, we must be prepared to enjoy his company but we also must be ready to carry our cross and die.
As with the Gospel passage that we read for Ash Wednesday when Jesus gave his disciples a picture of what his passion, death and resurrection would be like (Lk 9:22), Jesus in today’s passage showed his firm conviction and undying obedience to abide by the Will of the Father and there never was a time that he even thought of vacillating from his mission.
And in the literal sense, hunger always follows fasting and as with the Jews who fast when they are in mourning, we too must fast as we mourn the painful experience Jesus will suffer at the hands of the Sanhedrin. This is the time for us look at how we have lived our lives, and use this season to pray and fast for the right reasons and these may include our deliverance from some bad habit, addiction, infidelity, vice, indifference, bitterness and resentments, unforgiveness, anger, pride and, to share in the suffering of the poor.
As hunger comes after a period of fasting, our Lenten experience should lead us to grow in our hunger for God and for the things that will please God. St. Basil the Great once wrote: “Take heed that you do not make fasting to consist only in abstinence from meats. True fasting is to refrain from vice. Shred to pieces all your unjust contracts. Pardon your neighbors. Forgive their trespasses.”
It is in this context that our Catholic Church encourages us in the Catechism of the Catholic Church 1438 to observe the seasons and days of penance in the course of the liturgical year (Lent, and each Friday in memory of the death of the Lord) that the Church defined as intense moments of the Church's penitential practice. These times are particularly appropriate for spiritual exercises, penitential liturgies, pilgrimages as signs of penance, voluntary self-denial such as fasting and almsgiving.
Perhaps this is also the time for us to ask ourselves: Do we want to know God more and grow in his holiness? Do we also want the abundant life of Grace that he is offering us? Then pray and fast about it.
GOD FAVORS OBEDIENCE
MAR. 4, 2013: EIGHTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
First Reading: 1 Pet 1:10-16
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:1-4 “The Lord has made known his salvation.”
GOSPEL: MK 10:28-31
Key Verse: “and last will be first.” (v.31)
Please don’t fault Peter for asking what he can get out of his decision to follow Jesus Christ. Such is the natural behavior that is present among many of us because we will not just give up anything without getting something in return especially if it will affect our comfort zones.
This was what Peter wanted to know in this Gospel passage today when he told Jesus “we have left everything to follow you.” (v.28) And it was just right for Peter and the other disciples to ask since they left everything behind for an objective that still wasn’t clear to them.
We could also surmise that Peter and his brother Andrew were not entirely poor for they were gainfully employed as fishermen and Peter was also a zealot – a group of Jewish men who have made it a vow to kill the Roman invaders at any given opportunity. So it was understandable that Peter wanted to be sure what they will get in exchange for that which they gave up.
Aren’t we also like Peter especially in this material world that we live in? Don’t we normally adopt the quid pro quo process when we deal with others? Haven’t we become so caught up in this dog-eat-dog world that we aren’t going to part with something that we value if we aren’t going to get something of equal value? Don’t we at times subscribe to the dictum of I scratch your back, you scratch mine.
By this time Peter and the disciples have practically seen what Jesus can do and following the Transfiguration event they must have come to a conclusion that Jesus was indeed the Son of God who was prophesied to be the Messiah in the Old Testament and the disciples certainly would like to have a share of the glory when Jesus finally liberates the Jewish nation from captivity.
And what Jesus said was not only encouraging but it gave Peter and the other disciples the hope that their decision to give up everything and follow Jesus was not in vain. “I tell you the truth, no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in the present age.” (vv.29-30)
This was literally true especially in the early days of the Church when conversion to Christianity involved the loss of homes, friends and loved ones but their entry into the Christian church gave them a wider and bigger family than what they left behind, a family with whom they have a shared faith and spirituality.
What happened to Peter also happened to Paul who found the door of his own home closed and his own family disowning him. But in every city that he went to, Paul found a new home waiting for him and a family in Christ to welcome him and he testified as to how the mother of Rufus was like a mother to him (Rom 16:13) and Onesimus who became like a son to him (Phi 10).
Didn’t we experience the same thing when our family and friends found us weird especially after we have been baptized in the Holy Spirit. Gone were the inhibitions in the exercise of our faith as we began to sing and dance and raise our hands in our prayer meetings. As the veil of bias and prejudice that covered our eyes was removed we began to see more clearly and our lifestyle changed as we became more discerning.
Jesus in this Gospel passage today assures us that anyone who gives up something valuable for his sake will be repaid a hundred times over in his life, although not necessarily in the same way. And what may be turnoff was when Jesus included persecutions (v.30) as among the things we will receive if we decide to follow him.
This is so because the values of the world has dramatically changed over the years and those who seek status and importance today will have none in heaven and those who will humble themselves and see themselves as least are the ones who will be great in heaven (v.31).
The present condition of society which has been corrupted by misplaced values leads to confusion in the practice of our faith as it encourages men to pursue a dichotomous life. What we may not be aware of is that even if the final standard of judgment is with God, we may be writing our own epitaph if we persist in embracing these worldly values that are opposed to the values of Christ.
As we reflect on this Gospel reading for today, let us keep in mind the promise of Christ that those who will follow him will be amply rewarded: “and in the world to come they will have eternal life.” (v.31) The promise of an eternal life should actually move us to “deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow him.” (Lk 9:23)
We must bear in mind that we will not be judged by what we may have accomplished or achieved in our lifetime. We may have been involved in some projects that may have benefitted others especially the poor but are we motivated by our desire to really help alleviate the plight of the poor or just earn points for ourselves and look good in the eyes of the world. This reading is actually a warning against pride and the need for us to really humble ourselves by acknowledging that we are nothing.
First Reading: 1 Pet 1:10-16
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:1-4 “The Lord has made known his salvation.”
GOSPEL: MK 10:28-31
Key Verse: “and last will be first.” (v.31)
Please don’t fault Peter for asking what he can get out of his decision to follow Jesus Christ. Such is the natural behavior that is present among many of us because we will not just give up anything without getting something in return especially if it will affect our comfort zones.
This was what Peter wanted to know in this Gospel passage today when he told Jesus “we have left everything to follow you.” (v.28) And it was just right for Peter and the other disciples to ask since they left everything behind for an objective that still wasn’t clear to them.
We could also surmise that Peter and his brother Andrew were not entirely poor for they were gainfully employed as fishermen and Peter was also a zealot – a group of Jewish men who have made it a vow to kill the Roman invaders at any given opportunity. So it was understandable that Peter wanted to be sure what they will get in exchange for that which they gave up.
Aren’t we also like Peter especially in this material world that we live in? Don’t we normally adopt the quid pro quo process when we deal with others? Haven’t we become so caught up in this dog-eat-dog world that we aren’t going to part with something that we value if we aren’t going to get something of equal value? Don’t we at times subscribe to the dictum of I scratch your back, you scratch mine.
By this time Peter and the disciples have practically seen what Jesus can do and following the Transfiguration event they must have come to a conclusion that Jesus was indeed the Son of God who was prophesied to be the Messiah in the Old Testament and the disciples certainly would like to have a share of the glory when Jesus finally liberates the Jewish nation from captivity.
And what Jesus said was not only encouraging but it gave Peter and the other disciples the hope that their decision to give up everything and follow Jesus was not in vain. “I tell you the truth, no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in the present age.” (vv.29-30)
This was literally true especially in the early days of the Church when conversion to Christianity involved the loss of homes, friends and loved ones but their entry into the Christian church gave them a wider and bigger family than what they left behind, a family with whom they have a shared faith and spirituality.
What happened to Peter also happened to Paul who found the door of his own home closed and his own family disowning him. But in every city that he went to, Paul found a new home waiting for him and a family in Christ to welcome him and he testified as to how the mother of Rufus was like a mother to him (Rom 16:13) and Onesimus who became like a son to him (Phi 10).
Didn’t we experience the same thing when our family and friends found us weird especially after we have been baptized in the Holy Spirit. Gone were the inhibitions in the exercise of our faith as we began to sing and dance and raise our hands in our prayer meetings. As the veil of bias and prejudice that covered our eyes was removed we began to see more clearly and our lifestyle changed as we became more discerning.
Jesus in this Gospel passage today assures us that anyone who gives up something valuable for his sake will be repaid a hundred times over in his life, although not necessarily in the same way. And what may be turnoff was when Jesus included persecutions (v.30) as among the things we will receive if we decide to follow him.
This is so because the values of the world has dramatically changed over the years and those who seek status and importance today will have none in heaven and those who will humble themselves and see themselves as least are the ones who will be great in heaven (v.31).
The present condition of society which has been corrupted by misplaced values leads to confusion in the practice of our faith as it encourages men to pursue a dichotomous life. What we may not be aware of is that even if the final standard of judgment is with God, we may be writing our own epitaph if we persist in embracing these worldly values that are opposed to the values of Christ.
As we reflect on this Gospel reading for today, let us keep in mind the promise of Christ that those who will follow him will be amply rewarded: “and in the world to come they will have eternal life.” (v.31) The promise of an eternal life should actually move us to “deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow him.” (Lk 9:23)
We must bear in mind that we will not be judged by what we may have accomplished or achieved in our lifetime. We may have been involved in some projects that may have benefitted others especially the poor but are we motivated by our desire to really help alleviate the plight of the poor or just earn points for ourselves and look good in the eyes of the world. This reading is actually a warning against pride and the need for us to really humble ourselves by acknowledging that we are nothing.
BE AN ENCOURAGER
FEB. 27, 2014: SEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
First Reading: Jam 5:1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 49:14-20 “Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs.”
GOSPEL: MK 9:41-50
Key Verse: “Everyone must be salted with fire.” (v.49)
There is probably no one among you who would want to lose their greatest possession and then suffer the consequences of his or her negligence.
And if we are to acknowledge God to be the source of abundant Grace and eternal joy, certainly you would not even want to imagine what it would be like to be separated from your greatest possession who is none other than God Himself whom we know as St. Paul reminds tells us that “God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.” (Rom 5:5) which means that God's love is what purifies our hearts and serves as the moving force that prompts us to be kind and charitable towards our neighbor who like us is also created in the image and likeness of God.
As we have all been born into the world out of the immeasurable love of God, it follows that our primary purpose for existence is also to love God and other as well. And to love as God has commanded us to has it corresponding reward and this we can expect from the very nature of Christ who will never hold back on his generosity towards anyone who will ask, seek and knock at the door of his heart for help.
Gregory of Nyssa (330-395 AD), an early church father once wrote: “God never asks his servants to do what is impossible. The love and goodness of his Godhead is revealed as richly available. It is poured out like water upon all. God furnishes to each person according to his will the ability to do something good. None of those seeking to be saved will be lacking in this ability, given by the one who said: ‘whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ, will by no means lose his reward.”
And we can see in today’s Gospel passage (Mk 9:41-50) how Jesus outlined the principle that each one of us must embrace if we want to live a happy life and this was very clear at the beginning of the Gospel when Jesus said: “Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.” (v.41)
Jesus also said: “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.” (Mt 10:40-42)
Conversely even the smallest acts of kindness we have shown towards others will not escape the attention of Jesus who always takes notice of how we express our love for others (Mt 25:34-40) because it is in loving others that we can actually show our love for God.
This is also the reason why I am very emphatic about the need for Christian disciples especially those who belong to a Charismatic community to go to the mission field because it is there where we can truly see the face of God.
A Christian disciple is a man on the move and no one can possibly grow spiritually unless they have experienced what it is to be in mission. But just as we are being moved to go and proclaim the Gospel to the world and to others, Jesus also warns us of the consequences if by our actions we cause others especially the little ones to stumble which to Jesus is a great offense (v.42).
Thus, this Gospel for today should serve as a warning for those who are given the authority to minister to others to be very careful of their actions and their influence on the little ones because anyone of us is a role model, either for good or for evil.
We should also not look at this Gospel literally because the little ones referred to here can also be grown ups who have no knowledge or concept of who God is or those whose faith are yet to mature to its fullness. Perhaps we should take to heart what John said in 1 Jn 5:2 “This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands.”
Indeed we see in this passage (vv.42-50) at least five principles of discipleship: 1) He who is not against us is on our side; 2) A cup of water in His name given; 3) Causing little ones to stumble; 4) Radical surgery to avoid hellfire; 5) Seasoning effects of fire.
These may seem unrelated to one another but these are nevertheless important helps if we are to respond to the call to serve Jesus. Simply put, what we put in when we serve others is not important. The value of our helping others may not mean much but God who sees everything is pleased with even the little that we offer to help the little ones especially when we do this at the expense of our own comforts.
To acquire the generous nature of Christ entails a lot of sacrifice especially when we are not used to giving up what we value most in life simply because man is usually attached to certain things and Jesus is urging us to adopt drastic measures in order for us to avoid evil and its consequences (vv.42-47)
Today Jesus is telling us that to respond to God’s call should be our primary goal because this would lead us to lead us to everlasting peace and happiness. Just as a surgeon might remove a limb or some part of the body in order to preserve the life of the whole body, so we must also be ready to part with anything that causes us to sin that leads to a spiritual death and eternal damnation.
Jesus warns us of the terrible responsibility that we must not put a stumbling block in the way of another and we might not know it but we are actually guilty of this offense when we become the cause of division in the church or community instead of being the purveyor of unity and peace.
Only a few days ago I was told of a couple who serves as pastoral head of a charismatic community in the US West Coast who discouraged the leaders of this community under their care from attending an important conference that was supposed to discuss how this community can respond to the New Evangelization program of the church. To stand between other persons and Christ as was in this case will make you liable to judgment.
We may not know it but our influence on others will be judged by God and this should remind us of Zechariah who was an evil king who encouraged Israel to sin by worshiping idols. To sin is serious but it is even more serious to encourage others to disobey God because we are responsible for the way we influence others.
As Christians, we must always be aware of the influences of our surroundings. People tend to believe lies that reinforce their own perceptions and beliefs. More than ever, we need to digest all the information that we absorb that form our beliefs. TV, radio, music, movies and now the social media often promote indecent and immoral lifestyles and unpleasant values that are opposed to biblical standards which is why we need to evaluate all these influences in the light of the teachings in the Bible which is the only standard of truth.
First Reading: Jam 5:1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 49:14-20 “Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs.”
GOSPEL: MK 9:41-50
Key Verse: “Everyone must be salted with fire.” (v.49)
There is probably no one among you who would want to lose their greatest possession and then suffer the consequences of his or her negligence.
And if we are to acknowledge God to be the source of abundant Grace and eternal joy, certainly you would not even want to imagine what it would be like to be separated from your greatest possession who is none other than God Himself whom we know as St. Paul reminds tells us that “God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.” (Rom 5:5) which means that God's love is what purifies our hearts and serves as the moving force that prompts us to be kind and charitable towards our neighbor who like us is also created in the image and likeness of God.
As we have all been born into the world out of the immeasurable love of God, it follows that our primary purpose for existence is also to love God and other as well. And to love as God has commanded us to has it corresponding reward and this we can expect from the very nature of Christ who will never hold back on his generosity towards anyone who will ask, seek and knock at the door of his heart for help.
Gregory of Nyssa (330-395 AD), an early church father once wrote: “God never asks his servants to do what is impossible. The love and goodness of his Godhead is revealed as richly available. It is poured out like water upon all. God furnishes to each person according to his will the ability to do something good. None of those seeking to be saved will be lacking in this ability, given by the one who said: ‘whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ, will by no means lose his reward.”
And we can see in today’s Gospel passage (Mk 9:41-50) how Jesus outlined the principle that each one of us must embrace if we want to live a happy life and this was very clear at the beginning of the Gospel when Jesus said: “Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.” (v.41)
Jesus also said: “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.” (Mt 10:40-42)
Conversely even the smallest acts of kindness we have shown towards others will not escape the attention of Jesus who always takes notice of how we express our love for others (Mt 25:34-40) because it is in loving others that we can actually show our love for God.
This is also the reason why I am very emphatic about the need for Christian disciples especially those who belong to a Charismatic community to go to the mission field because it is there where we can truly see the face of God.
A Christian disciple is a man on the move and no one can possibly grow spiritually unless they have experienced what it is to be in mission. But just as we are being moved to go and proclaim the Gospel to the world and to others, Jesus also warns us of the consequences if by our actions we cause others especially the little ones to stumble which to Jesus is a great offense (v.42).
Thus, this Gospel for today should serve as a warning for those who are given the authority to minister to others to be very careful of their actions and their influence on the little ones because anyone of us is a role model, either for good or for evil.
We should also not look at this Gospel literally because the little ones referred to here can also be grown ups who have no knowledge or concept of who God is or those whose faith are yet to mature to its fullness. Perhaps we should take to heart what John said in 1 Jn 5:2 “This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands.”
Indeed we see in this passage (vv.42-50) at least five principles of discipleship: 1) He who is not against us is on our side; 2) A cup of water in His name given; 3) Causing little ones to stumble; 4) Radical surgery to avoid hellfire; 5) Seasoning effects of fire.
These may seem unrelated to one another but these are nevertheless important helps if we are to respond to the call to serve Jesus. Simply put, what we put in when we serve others is not important. The value of our helping others may not mean much but God who sees everything is pleased with even the little that we offer to help the little ones especially when we do this at the expense of our own comforts.
To acquire the generous nature of Christ entails a lot of sacrifice especially when we are not used to giving up what we value most in life simply because man is usually attached to certain things and Jesus is urging us to adopt drastic measures in order for us to avoid evil and its consequences (vv.42-47)
Today Jesus is telling us that to respond to God’s call should be our primary goal because this would lead us to lead us to everlasting peace and happiness. Just as a surgeon might remove a limb or some part of the body in order to preserve the life of the whole body, so we must also be ready to part with anything that causes us to sin that leads to a spiritual death and eternal damnation.
Jesus warns us of the terrible responsibility that we must not put a stumbling block in the way of another and we might not know it but we are actually guilty of this offense when we become the cause of division in the church or community instead of being the purveyor of unity and peace.
Only a few days ago I was told of a couple who serves as pastoral head of a charismatic community in the US West Coast who discouraged the leaders of this community under their care from attending an important conference that was supposed to discuss how this community can respond to the New Evangelization program of the church. To stand between other persons and Christ as was in this case will make you liable to judgment.
We may not know it but our influence on others will be judged by God and this should remind us of Zechariah who was an evil king who encouraged Israel to sin by worshiping idols. To sin is serious but it is even more serious to encourage others to disobey God because we are responsible for the way we influence others.
As Christians, we must always be aware of the influences of our surroundings. People tend to believe lies that reinforce their own perceptions and beliefs. More than ever, we need to digest all the information that we absorb that form our beliefs. TV, radio, music, movies and now the social media often promote indecent and immoral lifestyles and unpleasant values that are opposed to biblical standards which is why we need to evaluate all these influences in the light of the teachings in the Bible which is the only standard of truth.
KEEP THE FIRE OR DIE
FEB. 26, 2014: SEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
First Reading: Jam 4:13-17
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 49:2-3, 6-11 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, the Kingdom of heaven is theirs.”
GOSPEL: MK 9:38-40
Key Verse: “..whoever is not against us is for us.” (v.40)
Although today’s gospel reading doesn’t mention anything about covetousness or desiring something that belongs to another, it could still fall into the category of enviousness or what we may call veiled envy or the state of being envious that is expressed in a different way.
I would not want to second-guess what the disciples of Jesus felt but it was apparent that they thought of their roles as their inalienable right having received their mandate to proclaim the Word of God, cast out demons and heal the sick from their Master.
Regardless of what was or what wasn’t in the scenario in today’s gospel let me talk to you about the subject of envy because oftentimes this is what breaks relationships apart. Why? Because envy is an ungodly habit that contradicts the theological virtues of faith, hope and love.
Primarily, envy demonstrates a lack of trust in God. Envy is a faithless exercise because God is able to provide everything we need even if he does not always give us everything we want. To always be in control not only of ourselves but even of situations we are in is inherent in every person. We probably relied on William Ernest Henley who in his poem Invictus wrote: “I am the master of my fate, the captain of my soul…” more than what the Bible says.
Envy is also an evidence of lack of confidence in your own God-given gifts such that you either wallow in self-exaltation such that you have become full of yourself or you look at others with a supercilious attitude because you know those others are better than you. Either way, such an attitude if you have it doesn’t jibe with the enfleshed word that is in you because it is contradictory to the very nature of the God who made you.
In today’s gospel we are ushered into the pervading sentiment of the News during the time of Jesus who believed that both mental and physical illness are caused by the influence of evil spirits. And the Jews also believed in a rather uncanny way of exorcising demons and that is to call on a more powerful spirit to command the evil demon to come out of a person. This was the kind of picture that Jesus painted in this passage because He knew how the Jews behaved at the time with respect to their beliefs.
John saw a man using the Name of Jesus to defeat the demons and he tried to stop him because he was not one of the disciples who followed Jesus. And look at how Jesus admonished John saying no man who could do a mighty work in His Name can be His enemy. And this was where Jesus laid down the great principle that “he who is not against us is for us.” (v.40)
This Gospel passage was a lesson in tolerance that Jesus wanted to impart not only to His disciples but also to the modern-day Christians who want to follow in His footsteps such that:
- Each man has a right to his own thoughts. He has a right to think of what he may want to entertain in his mind until he himself comes to a conclusion and his own belief and that is a right we should all respect. There are many instances in our lives that we are quick to condemn that which we do not understand. What we must all remember is that there is only one way to the God’s Kingdom and that is through Jesus Christ.
- It is necessary to remember that truth is always bigger than any man’s grasp of it. No man can possibly grasp all truth. The basis of tolerance is not just the acceptance of anything but tolerance means reverence for all the possibilities of truth. Opposed to this, intolerance is a sign of arrogance and ignorance, for it is a sign that a man believes that there is no truth beyond the truth he sees.
- We must not only concede to every man the right to his own thinking but also the right of man to his speech. The only limitation is when a man speaks of doctrines designed to destroy the morality of a civilized Christian society. Everyone must also remember that any doctrine or belief must finally be judged by the kind of people it produces. The question that must always be asked is not how is a church and or community governed? But what kind of people does a church or community produce?
We must also ask ourselves how could the man cast out demons if he was not filled with the Holy Spirit. It is not everyone who can cast out demons. In Matt 17:19, we read that some of the disciples of Jesus were unsuccessful in casting a demon out of a boy. In Ac 19:13-17, we read of the seven sons of a high priest named Sceva who tried to exorcise an evil spirit. They were overpowered by the evil spirit.
From this, it can be concluded that unless one live by the teachings of Jesus, not some of them, but all of them, in the Spirit of Truth, he cannot do the work of the Lord Jesus, nor be of the Body of Christ. Jesus said, “Whoever is not against us is for us.” (v.40) These Sacred Words shine in perfect unity. There is no division. All are of the same faith. When the two men prophesied, they did so for the people of God, not for the pagans in the surrounding nations. When the man casted out a demon in the Name of Jesus, he did so according to the teachings of Jesus, not the teachings of the Jewish people or of those who adored idols. These men were in perfect unity with the Divine Will of God.
When the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church says that the fullness of salvation can only be obtained through the Mother Church that enjoys the fullness of revelation, that is exactly what it meant! For how can one enter the Kingdom of God if he has not been baptized and, consequently not having received the new creation that qualifies him as a member of the invisible Body of Christ?
How can one have salvation if he has not and does not regularly receive the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, the Living Bread that gives life to the soul? How can one obtain the forgiveness of sins if he rejects Jesus' command for the priests to forgive sins as the ministers of the Church? How can one say that he belongs to the true Church where there is one Body, one Spirit, one hope of our calling, one Lord, one faith, and one baptism (Eph. 4:4-5) How can one say that he belongs to the true Church where the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church is the only Church that has been instituted by Jesus Christ. Is it not the only Church that has persisted for two thousand years in the purity of its teachings and traditions?
The Catholic Church can be compared to a cake. Many religions possess a cake but only the Catholic Church has sweet icing on the cake. Without the Sacraments, there is no life that leads to salvation in a religion or a Church. The man who cast out the demons was filled with the Holy Spirit. In the Epistle of James, we heard that the rich people should weep and wail for the miseries that are coming to them. They spend their lives accumulating wealth.
When one becomes obsessed with money, he cuts corners. If he is a contractor, he will build with low grade material. If he is a retailer, he will pay minimum wages to his employees. If he is dishonest, he will cheat them of their wages. When he files his annual income tax, he will omit some of his revenues. Through these means, he grows in fame, luxury, human knowledge of investments and all the goodies that come with wealth. But in the end, he will have nothing!
Everyone must be reminded that a forgiving heart is innate to a disciple of Christ. This simply means that if we cannot forgive those who have sinned the Lord God will not forgive us on judgment day. It means that if we reject sinners from the Body of Christ on earth, the Lord God shall reject those souls from the eternal Body of Christ in Heaven.
Given the extent of the scandal in the Church today it would seem that the hierarchy has lost control of the Church that Christ has established. Today we hear of priests in the US who have been accused of child molestation and are still given time to conduct retreats in some communities. In some instances even some Archbishops have not been spared from negaive publicity particularly in the Western hemisphere as some have been criticized for covering up the indecent behavior of the priests under their pastoral jurisdiction as well as for their ostentatious lifestyle such as building an apartment complete with a Jacuzzi the Church today needs a new spark to reignite the fire of love that seems to have died out. We need to be reminded once again of the humility of Christ. We need to go back to the Bible.
First Reading: Jam 4:13-17
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 49:2-3, 6-11 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, the Kingdom of heaven is theirs.”
GOSPEL: MK 9:38-40
Key Verse: “..whoever is not against us is for us.” (v.40)
Although today’s gospel reading doesn’t mention anything about covetousness or desiring something that belongs to another, it could still fall into the category of enviousness or what we may call veiled envy or the state of being envious that is expressed in a different way.
I would not want to second-guess what the disciples of Jesus felt but it was apparent that they thought of their roles as their inalienable right having received their mandate to proclaim the Word of God, cast out demons and heal the sick from their Master.
Regardless of what was or what wasn’t in the scenario in today’s gospel let me talk to you about the subject of envy because oftentimes this is what breaks relationships apart. Why? Because envy is an ungodly habit that contradicts the theological virtues of faith, hope and love.
Primarily, envy demonstrates a lack of trust in God. Envy is a faithless exercise because God is able to provide everything we need even if he does not always give us everything we want. To always be in control not only of ourselves but even of situations we are in is inherent in every person. We probably relied on William Ernest Henley who in his poem Invictus wrote: “I am the master of my fate, the captain of my soul…” more than what the Bible says.
Envy is also an evidence of lack of confidence in your own God-given gifts such that you either wallow in self-exaltation such that you have become full of yourself or you look at others with a supercilious attitude because you know those others are better than you. Either way, such an attitude if you have it doesn’t jibe with the enfleshed word that is in you because it is contradictory to the very nature of the God who made you.
In today’s gospel we are ushered into the pervading sentiment of the News during the time of Jesus who believed that both mental and physical illness are caused by the influence of evil spirits. And the Jews also believed in a rather uncanny way of exorcising demons and that is to call on a more powerful spirit to command the evil demon to come out of a person. This was the kind of picture that Jesus painted in this passage because He knew how the Jews behaved at the time with respect to their beliefs.
John saw a man using the Name of Jesus to defeat the demons and he tried to stop him because he was not one of the disciples who followed Jesus. And look at how Jesus admonished John saying no man who could do a mighty work in His Name can be His enemy. And this was where Jesus laid down the great principle that “he who is not against us is for us.” (v.40)
This Gospel passage was a lesson in tolerance that Jesus wanted to impart not only to His disciples but also to the modern-day Christians who want to follow in His footsteps such that:
- Each man has a right to his own thoughts. He has a right to think of what he may want to entertain in his mind until he himself comes to a conclusion and his own belief and that is a right we should all respect. There are many instances in our lives that we are quick to condemn that which we do not understand. What we must all remember is that there is only one way to the God’s Kingdom and that is through Jesus Christ.
- It is necessary to remember that truth is always bigger than any man’s grasp of it. No man can possibly grasp all truth. The basis of tolerance is not just the acceptance of anything but tolerance means reverence for all the possibilities of truth. Opposed to this, intolerance is a sign of arrogance and ignorance, for it is a sign that a man believes that there is no truth beyond the truth he sees.
- We must not only concede to every man the right to his own thinking but also the right of man to his speech. The only limitation is when a man speaks of doctrines designed to destroy the morality of a civilized Christian society. Everyone must also remember that any doctrine or belief must finally be judged by the kind of people it produces. The question that must always be asked is not how is a church and or community governed? But what kind of people does a church or community produce?
We must also ask ourselves how could the man cast out demons if he was not filled with the Holy Spirit. It is not everyone who can cast out demons. In Matt 17:19, we read that some of the disciples of Jesus were unsuccessful in casting a demon out of a boy. In Ac 19:13-17, we read of the seven sons of a high priest named Sceva who tried to exorcise an evil spirit. They were overpowered by the evil spirit.
From this, it can be concluded that unless one live by the teachings of Jesus, not some of them, but all of them, in the Spirit of Truth, he cannot do the work of the Lord Jesus, nor be of the Body of Christ. Jesus said, “Whoever is not against us is for us.” (v.40) These Sacred Words shine in perfect unity. There is no division. All are of the same faith. When the two men prophesied, they did so for the people of God, not for the pagans in the surrounding nations. When the man casted out a demon in the Name of Jesus, he did so according to the teachings of Jesus, not the teachings of the Jewish people or of those who adored idols. These men were in perfect unity with the Divine Will of God.
When the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church says that the fullness of salvation can only be obtained through the Mother Church that enjoys the fullness of revelation, that is exactly what it meant! For how can one enter the Kingdom of God if he has not been baptized and, consequently not having received the new creation that qualifies him as a member of the invisible Body of Christ?
How can one have salvation if he has not and does not regularly receive the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, the Living Bread that gives life to the soul? How can one obtain the forgiveness of sins if he rejects Jesus' command for the priests to forgive sins as the ministers of the Church? How can one say that he belongs to the true Church where there is one Body, one Spirit, one hope of our calling, one Lord, one faith, and one baptism (Eph. 4:4-5) How can one say that he belongs to the true Church where the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church is the only Church that has been instituted by Jesus Christ. Is it not the only Church that has persisted for two thousand years in the purity of its teachings and traditions?
The Catholic Church can be compared to a cake. Many religions possess a cake but only the Catholic Church has sweet icing on the cake. Without the Sacraments, there is no life that leads to salvation in a religion or a Church. The man who cast out the demons was filled with the Holy Spirit. In the Epistle of James, we heard that the rich people should weep and wail for the miseries that are coming to them. They spend their lives accumulating wealth.
When one becomes obsessed with money, he cuts corners. If he is a contractor, he will build with low grade material. If he is a retailer, he will pay minimum wages to his employees. If he is dishonest, he will cheat them of their wages. When he files his annual income tax, he will omit some of his revenues. Through these means, he grows in fame, luxury, human knowledge of investments and all the goodies that come with wealth. But in the end, he will have nothing!
Everyone must be reminded that a forgiving heart is innate to a disciple of Christ. This simply means that if we cannot forgive those who have sinned the Lord God will not forgive us on judgment day. It means that if we reject sinners from the Body of Christ on earth, the Lord God shall reject those souls from the eternal Body of Christ in Heaven.
Given the extent of the scandal in the Church today it would seem that the hierarchy has lost control of the Church that Christ has established. Today we hear of priests in the US who have been accused of child molestation and are still given time to conduct retreats in some communities. In some instances even some Archbishops have not been spared from negaive publicity particularly in the Western hemisphere as some have been criticized for covering up the indecent behavior of the priests under their pastoral jurisdiction as well as for their ostentatious lifestyle such as building an apartment complete with a Jacuzzi the Church today needs a new spark to reignite the fire of love that seems to have died out. We need to be reminded once again of the humility of Christ. We need to go back to the Bible.
CONVERSION TAKE TIME
FEB. 19, 2014: SIXTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
First Reading: Jam 1:19-27
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 15:2-5 “Who shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord?”
GOSPEL: MK 8:22-26
Key Verse: “his sight was restored,” (v.25)
This Gospel narrative for today is more of a lesson on how evangelism has to be pursued than it is about healing although the healing and restoration of the sight of the blind man was the focal point in this passage.
The other point that was evident in this Gospel passage was in the way Jesus healed the blind man which showed that Jesus doesn’t use the same technique or method when people ask that they be healed. As was in this case, Jesus adapts his healing and curative powers to the condition of the one to be healed and the prevailing atmosphere as well.
Compared to the previous instances when the people asked for healing to which Jesus readily responded, Jesus in this passage took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village (v.23) and the question you might ask is why? Why didn’t Jesus just restore his sight the moment the blind man begged Jesus to touch him (v.22) as he did with the deaf and mute man in Tyre (Mk 7:32). Perhaps the question should instead be “what was running in the mind of Jesus when he did this?”
As nothing can be hidden with God, Jesus knew the kind of anxiety that was running through the blind man. Even today, doctors do not readily remove the bandages that are wrapped in the eyes of patients who have just undergone a major eye surgery. After the bandages are removed, the patients are advised to keep their eyes closed and to open them gradually until their eyes have adapted to their environment and could see normally.
The great physician that he was and still is, Jesus took into consideration the condition of the blind man who in all probability would not be able to immediately identify the images before him if he was suddenly given back his sight. This was the reason why Jesus had to heal the blind man in stages and which was recorded only in the Gospel of Mark.
In leading the blind man outside the village shouldn’t be a surprise as Jesus perhaps wanted to keep the healing private and not turn it into a spectacle for both the skeptics and onlookers to marvel at. In all probability the man could have been blind since birth and Jesus was aware of this fact and Jesus knew the man would have been dazzled and confused if Jesus had given back his sight in an instant.
The two-stage healing process began when Jesus spat on the eyes of the blind man and touched him (v.23). Having used his eyes for the first time, the man could not make out the images before him and all he could say was “I see people; they look like trees walking around.” (v.24)
The second stage came when Jesus “put His hands again on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.” (v.25)
The symbolism that lies behind this Gospel narrative is related to the way we evangelize and or in the way we bring the truth of the Gospel to others. As in the way that Jesus healed the blind man, spiritual growth also comes in stages as no man can see all of God’s truth in an instant.
This was true in the case of the disciples of Jesus who have eyes but failed to see, and ears but failed to hear (Mk 8:18). In fact, Jesus’s disciples were at his side in the three years of his earthly ministry and only left his side when he already being crucified at the cross with the exception of John, the disciple that Jesus loved to whom Mary was entrusted.
It is in this regard that we should also expect spiritual growth to take some time before it takes root in a person. We should stay away from marketplace evangelism programs that promote the idea that a man who accepts and acknowledges Christ as his Savior is already a Christian.
No less than Paul emphasizes this in his letter to the people of Corinth (1 Cor 3:1-2) whom the Apostle refers to as “mere infants” in Christ and whom Paul only gave milk, not solid food, for they were not yet ready for it.
To accept and acknowledge Christ as our Savior is actually only the beginning as there are more keys that we need to unlock to be able to understand not just the Word of God but the Will of God for us. We all suffer from spiritual blindness and are in need of healing and unless we come to Jesus like the bind man in this Gospel, we will continue to encounter blind spots in our lives that will cloud our vision of God.
We must allow Jesus to spit on us and touch our eyes because it is only when we are touched by Jesus that we can see everything clearly (v.25) and when the veil that covers our vision is removed we are not to “go into the village” (v.26) which means we are to stay away from those who are not spiritual lest we be infected again.
The two-step healing process that Jesus did with the blind man is similar in many respects to our own situation and experiences. There are some among us who were converted in an instant. These experiences differ in that there are also many among us who will take a long time before we can accept the primacy of God over our lives.
Oftentimes we hold back on our decision to yield to Jesus because of our fear about losing control. We are afraid that we will lose not only our ability to control our situations and at times even our destiny if we accept and turn our lives over to Jesus. However, this is something that we cannot hold off for long because there will always come the time when we ourselves will search for God especially when we have exhausted all our human options especially when we find ourselves with no more chips to hold on to.
In situations like these, we will need to draw on whatever little faith we may have because this is the only thing that can connect us with the divine who, for all intents and purposes, is the source of the same faith that we need to keep our heads above the water.
If there is one thing that you all must remember is the truth that God does not allow us to experience trials because he wants to see us suffer. On the other hand, God allows these challenges in our lives to help us grow spiritually and live by faith and not by emotion.
St. Jerome, an early church Bible scholar who wrote the Latin Vulgate from which the New American Bible was primarily based explains the spiritual significance of this healing for us: “Christ laid his hands upon his eyes that he might see all things clearly, so through visible things he might understand things invisible, which the eye has not seen, that after the film of sin is removed, he might clearly behold the state of his soul with the eye of a clean heart.” Need I say more?
First Reading: Jam 1:19-27
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 15:2-5 “Who shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord?”
GOSPEL: MK 8:22-26
Key Verse: “his sight was restored,” (v.25)
This Gospel narrative for today is more of a lesson on how evangelism has to be pursued than it is about healing although the healing and restoration of the sight of the blind man was the focal point in this passage.
The other point that was evident in this Gospel passage was in the way Jesus healed the blind man which showed that Jesus doesn’t use the same technique or method when people ask that they be healed. As was in this case, Jesus adapts his healing and curative powers to the condition of the one to be healed and the prevailing atmosphere as well.
Compared to the previous instances when the people asked for healing to which Jesus readily responded, Jesus in this passage took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village (v.23) and the question you might ask is why? Why didn’t Jesus just restore his sight the moment the blind man begged Jesus to touch him (v.22) as he did with the deaf and mute man in Tyre (Mk 7:32). Perhaps the question should instead be “what was running in the mind of Jesus when he did this?”
As nothing can be hidden with God, Jesus knew the kind of anxiety that was running through the blind man. Even today, doctors do not readily remove the bandages that are wrapped in the eyes of patients who have just undergone a major eye surgery. After the bandages are removed, the patients are advised to keep their eyes closed and to open them gradually until their eyes have adapted to their environment and could see normally.
The great physician that he was and still is, Jesus took into consideration the condition of the blind man who in all probability would not be able to immediately identify the images before him if he was suddenly given back his sight. This was the reason why Jesus had to heal the blind man in stages and which was recorded only in the Gospel of Mark.
In leading the blind man outside the village shouldn’t be a surprise as Jesus perhaps wanted to keep the healing private and not turn it into a spectacle for both the skeptics and onlookers to marvel at. In all probability the man could have been blind since birth and Jesus was aware of this fact and Jesus knew the man would have been dazzled and confused if Jesus had given back his sight in an instant.
The two-stage healing process began when Jesus spat on the eyes of the blind man and touched him (v.23). Having used his eyes for the first time, the man could not make out the images before him and all he could say was “I see people; they look like trees walking around.” (v.24)
The second stage came when Jesus “put His hands again on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.” (v.25)
The symbolism that lies behind this Gospel narrative is related to the way we evangelize and or in the way we bring the truth of the Gospel to others. As in the way that Jesus healed the blind man, spiritual growth also comes in stages as no man can see all of God’s truth in an instant.
This was true in the case of the disciples of Jesus who have eyes but failed to see, and ears but failed to hear (Mk 8:18). In fact, Jesus’s disciples were at his side in the three years of his earthly ministry and only left his side when he already being crucified at the cross with the exception of John, the disciple that Jesus loved to whom Mary was entrusted.
It is in this regard that we should also expect spiritual growth to take some time before it takes root in a person. We should stay away from marketplace evangelism programs that promote the idea that a man who accepts and acknowledges Christ as his Savior is already a Christian.
No less than Paul emphasizes this in his letter to the people of Corinth (1 Cor 3:1-2) whom the Apostle refers to as “mere infants” in Christ and whom Paul only gave milk, not solid food, for they were not yet ready for it.
To accept and acknowledge Christ as our Savior is actually only the beginning as there are more keys that we need to unlock to be able to understand not just the Word of God but the Will of God for us. We all suffer from spiritual blindness and are in need of healing and unless we come to Jesus like the bind man in this Gospel, we will continue to encounter blind spots in our lives that will cloud our vision of God.
We must allow Jesus to spit on us and touch our eyes because it is only when we are touched by Jesus that we can see everything clearly (v.25) and when the veil that covers our vision is removed we are not to “go into the village” (v.26) which means we are to stay away from those who are not spiritual lest we be infected again.
The two-step healing process that Jesus did with the blind man is similar in many respects to our own situation and experiences. There are some among us who were converted in an instant. These experiences differ in that there are also many among us who will take a long time before we can accept the primacy of God over our lives.
Oftentimes we hold back on our decision to yield to Jesus because of our fear about losing control. We are afraid that we will lose not only our ability to control our situations and at times even our destiny if we accept and turn our lives over to Jesus. However, this is something that we cannot hold off for long because there will always come the time when we ourselves will search for God especially when we have exhausted all our human options especially when we find ourselves with no more chips to hold on to.
In situations like these, we will need to draw on whatever little faith we may have because this is the only thing that can connect us with the divine who, for all intents and purposes, is the source of the same faith that we need to keep our heads above the water.
If there is one thing that you all must remember is the truth that God does not allow us to experience trials because he wants to see us suffer. On the other hand, God allows these challenges in our lives to help us grow spiritually and live by faith and not by emotion.
St. Jerome, an early church Bible scholar who wrote the Latin Vulgate from which the New American Bible was primarily based explains the spiritual significance of this healing for us: “Christ laid his hands upon his eyes that he might see all things clearly, so through visible things he might understand things invisible, which the eye has not seen, that after the film of sin is removed, he might clearly behold the state of his soul with the eye of a clean heart.” Need I say more?
JESUS RUES ANXIETY OF DISCIPLES
FEB. 18, 201: SIXTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
First Reading: Jam 1:12-18
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 94:12-15, 18-19 “Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.”
GOSPEL: MK 8:14-21
Key Verse: “Are your hearts hardened?” (v.17)
If you have been following up on the gospel readings you would have sensed the frustration of Jesus who “sighed from the depth of his spirit” (v.12) at the seeming lack of faith of the religious leaders of his time who kept pressing him to give them a sign.
Today we will again witness the exasperation of Jesus this time at his disciples who were stricken with anxiety for not bringing enough bread for them to eat. And he has to remind them of the miraculous feeding of the 5,000 that left overs numbered 12 wicker baskets and the question that Jesus asked “Do you still not understand?” (v.21) was a sign of his dismay.
In this day and age there is a tinge of Pharisee in us as we sometimes find it hard to believe unless we see it with our own eyes. In fact, like the Pharisees of old many of us have made it a habit to ask God for a sign to indicate their prayers are or have been answered. Like the disciples in today’s gospel reading, there are times when we also are slow to learn and understand what Jesus is telling us through the Scriptures.
It is definitely normal for every person to feel anxious especially when there are things that need to be done or matters that have to be attended to in the soonest possible time. Each one of us has experienced bouts of anxiety at one time or another and we all know how it feels.
We experience anxiety in school and we could feel our hearts beating faster than normal when we are about to take an important examination. We also get butterflies in our system when we go out on our first date. We fret over family problems and our knees shake when we ask our bosses for a pay hike.
This also happened to me during my early high school days when I was asked to sing in front of the class during a Christmas party and not a sound came out of my lips. As I was more of an introvert in my younger years, anxiety and panic filled me as I stood in front of the class. I started to sing and I thought I was singing but I was so gripped with fear that no sound came out of my lips.
While these maybe natural we must try to outgrow them but if these persist especially if these bouts of worries, fears, or anxiety and panic seem overwhelming and are preventing you from living your life the way God wants you to, you may be suffering from an anxiety disorder for which you may need medical attention and spiritual healing.
What happened in this Gospel passage was that the disciples forgot to bring bread except for one loaf they had on the boat. But for us to understand the message in this passage we need to go back to the previous passage (vv.11-13) when Jesus miraculously fed the 4,000 who were following him for three days with just seven loaves and a few small fish.
And since the exchange between Jesus and the disciples was on the subject of bread that the disciples forgot to bring, Jesus let out a warning to his disciples to be wary of the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod. What Jesus was referring to were the wrong teachings and practices that the Pharisees were passing on to the people that Jesus likened to yeast.
It was the common belief of the Jews that yeast symbolizes evil and anyone who is familiar with bread making would know that only a small amount of yeast could make a batch of bread rise. Using this as an analogy, what Jesus was simply saying was that the stubbornness and the arrogance of the Pharisees and the political leaders identified with Herod could infect the whole of Jewish society and culture and make it rise against Jesus the purveyor of truth.
And Jesus was known to use harsh words in describing the Pharisees as the “blind leaders of the blind” (Matt 15:14), referred to them as “hypocrites who do not follow what they teach” (Lk 12:1) but “who do works to be seen by men” (Matt 23:5). Jesus also accused the Pharisees of many other things but the worst reference to them was that they (Pharisees) “prevented others from entering the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Matt 23:13).
Jesus must have been irritated at the anxiousness of his disciples who were fretting over the bread they forgot to bring which was why he asked: “Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember?” (vv.17-18)
What Jesus was pointing out was for his disciples to have more faith as he reminded them of the time he used five loaves and two pieces of fish to feed 5,000 men, women and children (Mk 6:30-44) and the 4,000 who followed him for three days (Mk 8:1-10).
In essence, what this particular Gospel passage is telling us is that anxiety is a clear sign of lack of faith in God “who will supply all our needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Phi 4:19) such that we should not at anytime fret, worry and, be anxious because we do not only have a great and mighty God but we have a rich God whose heavenly treasure is open to all who will believe in him.
As anxiety is not of God, we can remove this from our nature by drawing on the perfect love of God that drives out fear (1 Jn 4:18). In times when we become susceptible to anxiety, fear, worry, we need to ask God to pour out his love on us, to increase our faith and to have the perfect trust and confidence that will allow us to place our lives in the palm of his hand.
The world around us are filled with problems that tend to draw our attention away from God and that is precisely what the evil one wants. But God is bigger than whatever problems may come our way such that we must have absolute confidence in God's abiding presence especially when we pray the Lord’s Prayer with the joyful confidence of a child before our Heavenly Father.
Today there are still Pharisees (fundamentalists) and Herodians (political activists) who are passing on to us their own traditions and practices instead of God’s commands and who do not truly show people the way to the Kingdom of Heaven. These modern-day Pharisees love to make distinctions where God has made none. We can avoid becoming one by seeking first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness as well.
First Reading: Jam 1:12-18
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 94:12-15, 18-19 “Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.”
GOSPEL: MK 8:14-21
Key Verse: “Are your hearts hardened?” (v.17)
If you have been following up on the gospel readings you would have sensed the frustration of Jesus who “sighed from the depth of his spirit” (v.12) at the seeming lack of faith of the religious leaders of his time who kept pressing him to give them a sign.
Today we will again witness the exasperation of Jesus this time at his disciples who were stricken with anxiety for not bringing enough bread for them to eat. And he has to remind them of the miraculous feeding of the 5,000 that left overs numbered 12 wicker baskets and the question that Jesus asked “Do you still not understand?” (v.21) was a sign of his dismay.
In this day and age there is a tinge of Pharisee in us as we sometimes find it hard to believe unless we see it with our own eyes. In fact, like the Pharisees of old many of us have made it a habit to ask God for a sign to indicate their prayers are or have been answered. Like the disciples in today’s gospel reading, there are times when we also are slow to learn and understand what Jesus is telling us through the Scriptures.
It is definitely normal for every person to feel anxious especially when there are things that need to be done or matters that have to be attended to in the soonest possible time. Each one of us has experienced bouts of anxiety at one time or another and we all know how it feels.
We experience anxiety in school and we could feel our hearts beating faster than normal when we are about to take an important examination. We also get butterflies in our system when we go out on our first date. We fret over family problems and our knees shake when we ask our bosses for a pay hike.
This also happened to me during my early high school days when I was asked to sing in front of the class during a Christmas party and not a sound came out of my lips. As I was more of an introvert in my younger years, anxiety and panic filled me as I stood in front of the class. I started to sing and I thought I was singing but I was so gripped with fear that no sound came out of my lips.
While these maybe natural we must try to outgrow them but if these persist especially if these bouts of worries, fears, or anxiety and panic seem overwhelming and are preventing you from living your life the way God wants you to, you may be suffering from an anxiety disorder for which you may need medical attention and spiritual healing.
What happened in this Gospel passage was that the disciples forgot to bring bread except for one loaf they had on the boat. But for us to understand the message in this passage we need to go back to the previous passage (vv.11-13) when Jesus miraculously fed the 4,000 who were following him for three days with just seven loaves and a few small fish.
And since the exchange between Jesus and the disciples was on the subject of bread that the disciples forgot to bring, Jesus let out a warning to his disciples to be wary of the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod. What Jesus was referring to were the wrong teachings and practices that the Pharisees were passing on to the people that Jesus likened to yeast.
It was the common belief of the Jews that yeast symbolizes evil and anyone who is familiar with bread making would know that only a small amount of yeast could make a batch of bread rise. Using this as an analogy, what Jesus was simply saying was that the stubbornness and the arrogance of the Pharisees and the political leaders identified with Herod could infect the whole of Jewish society and culture and make it rise against Jesus the purveyor of truth.
And Jesus was known to use harsh words in describing the Pharisees as the “blind leaders of the blind” (Matt 15:14), referred to them as “hypocrites who do not follow what they teach” (Lk 12:1) but “who do works to be seen by men” (Matt 23:5). Jesus also accused the Pharisees of many other things but the worst reference to them was that they (Pharisees) “prevented others from entering the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Matt 23:13).
Jesus must have been irritated at the anxiousness of his disciples who were fretting over the bread they forgot to bring which was why he asked: “Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember?” (vv.17-18)
What Jesus was pointing out was for his disciples to have more faith as he reminded them of the time he used five loaves and two pieces of fish to feed 5,000 men, women and children (Mk 6:30-44) and the 4,000 who followed him for three days (Mk 8:1-10).
In essence, what this particular Gospel passage is telling us is that anxiety is a clear sign of lack of faith in God “who will supply all our needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Phi 4:19) such that we should not at anytime fret, worry and, be anxious because we do not only have a great and mighty God but we have a rich God whose heavenly treasure is open to all who will believe in him.
As anxiety is not of God, we can remove this from our nature by drawing on the perfect love of God that drives out fear (1 Jn 4:18). In times when we become susceptible to anxiety, fear, worry, we need to ask God to pour out his love on us, to increase our faith and to have the perfect trust and confidence that will allow us to place our lives in the palm of his hand.
The world around us are filled with problems that tend to draw our attention away from God and that is precisely what the evil one wants. But God is bigger than whatever problems may come our way such that we must have absolute confidence in God's abiding presence especially when we pray the Lord’s Prayer with the joyful confidence of a child before our Heavenly Father.
Today there are still Pharisees (fundamentalists) and Herodians (political activists) who are passing on to us their own traditions and practices instead of God’s commands and who do not truly show people the way to the Kingdom of Heaven. These modern-day Pharisees love to make distinctions where God has made none. We can avoid becoming one by seeking first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness as well.
JESUS IS THE SIGN, NONE OTHER!
FEB. 17, 2014: SIXTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
First Reading: Jam 1:1-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 119:67-68, 71-72, 75-76 “Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.”
GOSPEL: MK 8:11-13
Key Verse: “no sign will be given to it.” (v.12)
How many times have you prayed and asked God to give you a sign as confirmation that your request would be granted. Many have developed the habit to ask God for signs before making a decision especially an important one. There are those who will ask for a rainbow to appear during the day. Some would ask for the scent of fresh flowers.
I tried it doing it a couple of times but the signs never came. Not only that, I practically spent the whole day waiting for God to give me the sign I asked but it proved futile and I really looked foolish to be doing that.
Looking for signs has become a habit to some especially those who subscribed to the traditional superstitious beliefs that have been handed down to them by their elders. They could be their parents, relatives and or friends whom they respect and whose word they value as being anchored on truth.
There’s a warning that one is not to pass under a stair or ladder. You should not proceed when a black cat crosses the street. You need to throw away a cracked or broken mirror. You are not to go out or travel when the 13th of the month falls on a Friday. The number “7” is a lucky number and so on and on.
Some of these signs people grew up with are not actually bad and many of these are simply used as a guide to avoid bad luck or misfortune and one that is so familiar is that we are not supposed to sweep the floor at night and if it could not be helped the dirt should be kept inside and or thrown in a waste bin but should never be swept towards the door at night. The belief was that luck and or your fortunes will be swept away too.
When we subscribed to these repeatedly, many of these signs become a habit that there are some whose lives are totally anchored on signs. Then the ageless tradition of the Chinese also took root in the Philippines and other places such that “feng shui” is now being incorporated into the design of buildings, condominiums, houses, offices because feng shui brings in good vibes or fortune.
The Pharisees in this gospel narrative of Mark are also asking Jesus for a sign notwithstanding the fact that the days or weeks before this encounter with the Pharisees the life of Jesus was replete with exciting events such as the feeding of the 5,000 Jews, walking on the water, a discourse on what is clean or unclean, the healing of the demon-possessed daughter of a woman in Tyre, the healing of the deaf and mute man in Decapolis, and the feeding of the 4,000 who followed him for three days and had nothing to eat.
Aren’t these events miraculous enough that the Pharisees still asked Jesus for a sign from heaven? (v.11). Haven’t these religious leaders seen enough? Didn’t they themselves admitted he spoke with authority and were amazed when the deaf and mute man began to speak?
But before he responded, Jesus heaved a deep sigh which only shows that there was exasperation on the part of Jesus as he was confronted with the Pharisees whom Jesus knew were merely testing him and that they will not be convinced nor reconsider their steadfast opposition and dislike for Jesus regardless of the signs that are before them.
It was actually not just exasperation but Jesus was actually grieving when he heaved a deep sigh for the hard-heartedness and stubbornness of the people to whom he was sent by God. In the same way, Jesus grieved at the hardness of the hearts of the Pharisees who accused him of violating the Sabbath when he healed the man with a withered hand (Mk 3:5) and, as when he sighed when he healed the deaf mute (Mk 7:34).
Because of their stubbornness, Jesus said no sign would be forthcoming (v.12) and he left them (v.13). What then is the message for us in this gospel passage? Many times we look up to heaven to ask for a sign especially with regards to our commitment to serve. Why then don’t we ask why some vacillate in serving the Church or Community?
Because to do so would separate us from the world of comfort and convenience, luxury, the good things in life and we will be ushered into a world of sacrifice, service, discomfort, inconvenience and, definitely suffering, pain and persecution. These are two types of situations that are poles apart.
Thus, we become discriminatory in the way we serve as we go to mission areas that offer premium accommodations, where we know we will be treated with royal reception. In other words, we serve where it is convenient, where we liaise with those who belong to the same life standard as we. Worse, we dictate the time and place where we will serve.
What was evident in this Gospel passage as well as in the other events that tell of Jesus heaving a sigh was that this was a sign of love and compassion of Jesus because when he sighs it was either an expression of his deep regret at the Pharisees who refused to listen to his message of salvation or it may be a manifestation of his love and care to those in need.
In our case, have we ever considered how Jesus feels and or how he would sigh if we keep on rejecting his invitation for us to love and serve him, when we don’t trust and obey his Word, when we keep testing him by our disobedience? When our conduct and behavior is no different than the Pharisees of his time? When we are ruled by love for the world instead of love for God? Don’t we see our lives as a miracle that we keep on waiting for signs?
Today, why don’t we ask ourselves how Jesus looks at us in the way that we relate to him. Will his sigh be an expression of great joy or will his sigh be in exasperation for our disobedient heart. Supposing we put this Gospel passage in reverse. Instead of asking Jesus for a sign, why don’t we look at Jesus as the one looking to us for a sign.
What sign are we willing to give or show him so that He who created us and gave us dominion over all that he has created will be pleased?
First Reading: Jam 1:1-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 119:67-68, 71-72, 75-76 “Be kind to me, Lord, and I shall live.”
GOSPEL: MK 8:11-13
Key Verse: “no sign will be given to it.” (v.12)
How many times have you prayed and asked God to give you a sign as confirmation that your request would be granted. Many have developed the habit to ask God for signs before making a decision especially an important one. There are those who will ask for a rainbow to appear during the day. Some would ask for the scent of fresh flowers.
I tried it doing it a couple of times but the signs never came. Not only that, I practically spent the whole day waiting for God to give me the sign I asked but it proved futile and I really looked foolish to be doing that.
Looking for signs has become a habit to some especially those who subscribed to the traditional superstitious beliefs that have been handed down to them by their elders. They could be their parents, relatives and or friends whom they respect and whose word they value as being anchored on truth.
There’s a warning that one is not to pass under a stair or ladder. You should not proceed when a black cat crosses the street. You need to throw away a cracked or broken mirror. You are not to go out or travel when the 13th of the month falls on a Friday. The number “7” is a lucky number and so on and on.
Some of these signs people grew up with are not actually bad and many of these are simply used as a guide to avoid bad luck or misfortune and one that is so familiar is that we are not supposed to sweep the floor at night and if it could not be helped the dirt should be kept inside and or thrown in a waste bin but should never be swept towards the door at night. The belief was that luck and or your fortunes will be swept away too.
When we subscribed to these repeatedly, many of these signs become a habit that there are some whose lives are totally anchored on signs. Then the ageless tradition of the Chinese also took root in the Philippines and other places such that “feng shui” is now being incorporated into the design of buildings, condominiums, houses, offices because feng shui brings in good vibes or fortune.
The Pharisees in this gospel narrative of Mark are also asking Jesus for a sign notwithstanding the fact that the days or weeks before this encounter with the Pharisees the life of Jesus was replete with exciting events such as the feeding of the 5,000 Jews, walking on the water, a discourse on what is clean or unclean, the healing of the demon-possessed daughter of a woman in Tyre, the healing of the deaf and mute man in Decapolis, and the feeding of the 4,000 who followed him for three days and had nothing to eat.
Aren’t these events miraculous enough that the Pharisees still asked Jesus for a sign from heaven? (v.11). Haven’t these religious leaders seen enough? Didn’t they themselves admitted he spoke with authority and were amazed when the deaf and mute man began to speak?
But before he responded, Jesus heaved a deep sigh which only shows that there was exasperation on the part of Jesus as he was confronted with the Pharisees whom Jesus knew were merely testing him and that they will not be convinced nor reconsider their steadfast opposition and dislike for Jesus regardless of the signs that are before them.
It was actually not just exasperation but Jesus was actually grieving when he heaved a deep sigh for the hard-heartedness and stubbornness of the people to whom he was sent by God. In the same way, Jesus grieved at the hardness of the hearts of the Pharisees who accused him of violating the Sabbath when he healed the man with a withered hand (Mk 3:5) and, as when he sighed when he healed the deaf mute (Mk 7:34).
Because of their stubbornness, Jesus said no sign would be forthcoming (v.12) and he left them (v.13). What then is the message for us in this gospel passage? Many times we look up to heaven to ask for a sign especially with regards to our commitment to serve. Why then don’t we ask why some vacillate in serving the Church or Community?
Because to do so would separate us from the world of comfort and convenience, luxury, the good things in life and we will be ushered into a world of sacrifice, service, discomfort, inconvenience and, definitely suffering, pain and persecution. These are two types of situations that are poles apart.
Thus, we become discriminatory in the way we serve as we go to mission areas that offer premium accommodations, where we know we will be treated with royal reception. In other words, we serve where it is convenient, where we liaise with those who belong to the same life standard as we. Worse, we dictate the time and place where we will serve.
What was evident in this Gospel passage as well as in the other events that tell of Jesus heaving a sigh was that this was a sign of love and compassion of Jesus because when he sighs it was either an expression of his deep regret at the Pharisees who refused to listen to his message of salvation or it may be a manifestation of his love and care to those in need.
In our case, have we ever considered how Jesus feels and or how he would sigh if we keep on rejecting his invitation for us to love and serve him, when we don’t trust and obey his Word, when we keep testing him by our disobedience? When our conduct and behavior is no different than the Pharisees of his time? When we are ruled by love for the world instead of love for God? Don’t we see our lives as a miracle that we keep on waiting for signs?
Today, why don’t we ask ourselves how Jesus looks at us in the way that we relate to him. Will his sigh be an expression of great joy or will his sigh be in exasperation for our disobedient heart. Supposing we put this Gospel passage in reverse. Instead of asking Jesus for a sign, why don’t we look at Jesus as the one looking to us for a sign.
What sign are we willing to give or show him so that He who created us and gave us dominion over all that he has created will be pleased?
A CALL TO OBEDIENCE
FEB. 16, 2014: SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
First Reading: Sir 15:15-20
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 119:1, 2, 5, 4, 17, 18, 33, 34
Second Reading: 1 Cor 2:6-10
GOSPEL: MATT 5:20-22, 27-28, 33-34, 37
Key Verse: “…but fulfill to the Lord
the vows you have made.” (v.33)
No one in this world that we live in can possibly exist without abiding by certain rules and regulations, be it natural or man made, because such edicts give us the point of reference on how to live. We see this in the gospel reading on this Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time with Jesus saying: “Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (v.17) and this would probably leave many of us wondering what is this law that Our Lord was referring to.
In the Jewish tradition, there are three types of laws, namely: the “ceremonial” law that pertains to Israel’s worship such as those specified in Lev 1:2-3, the “civil” law, e.g. Deut 24:10, 11 and as in the case of the ceremonial law many of its principles are still being observed by Israel. And then the third type was called the “moral” law and under this category are the Ten Commandments that Jews are required to follow and obey strictly (Exo 20:13). The moral law reveals the nature and will of God and again the principles behind this law still applies today and Jesus obeyed the moral law completely.
Jesus, however, made it very clear that the essence of God’s law – his commandments and way of life, must be fulfilled. The law of God is truth and when we live according to that truth it produces the fruits of righteousness, holiness, peace, and joy. And Jesus’ attitude towards the law of God can be summed up in the great prayer of Psa 119: “Oh, how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.”
Throughout his earthly ministry Jesus taught reverence for God’s law – reverence for God himself and, reverence or respect for parents, respect for life, for property, for another person’s good name, respect for oneself and for one’s neighbor. What Jesus actually did was that he reduced these numerous laws of the Scribes into two focal points – love of God and love of neighbor.
And central to our obedience to God is the need for us to humble ourselves and acknowledge there is someone greater than us – God. Indeed, it is only when we begin to humble ourselves considering others to be greater than us will the Grace of God begin to flow in our lives and there is no way a Christian can live a happy and fulfilled life outside of the Grace of God because it is only by His Grace that we can lifted up, exalted and given the right to become co-heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven.
As Christian disciples, our primary preoccupation is to evangelize others so that all will become living witnesses to help in the transformation of the world in Christ. A Community without or could not understand this mission to evangelize is dead and at times this is where we get stuck because of the wrong notion that we have of what mission is as we think of mission in terms of programs and projects that people see.
The primary mission and purpose of the Church and or Community is to evangelize (Evangelii Nuntiandi) and to tell the world we have a loving God who created us, the Son of Man who redeemed us from our sinfulness and left us with His Holy Spirit who sanctifies our actions that we may deserve to enter into the Kingdom of God.
To evangelize is also to tell the world of the many sins that separate us from God and deprive us of his friendship. The Church classify sin as either mortal or venial. Mortal sins are a direct affront to the majesty of God and these may include idolatry, heresy, blasphemy, perjury, serious desecration of Sundays and Holy Days of obligations. Venial sins are lighter but it nevertheless deprives us of that which is good and if left to percolate it will gradually lead to mortal sin and eventually the loss of sanctifying grace.
On the other hand, why should we risk the judgment of God when we as Christians have the ability to resist all occasions of sin through the Holy Spirit whom we have received in Baptism. And the only reason we fall into sin is because we refuse to allow the Holy Spirit to take control of our lives.
Hence, to be able to spot the circumstance that may lead us to sin we must recognize what these occasions of sins are. By occasions we refer to persons, places, things and such occasions of sin may be voluntary or involuntary and the most common and most dangerous occasions of sins are night clubs, beer joints, pornographic films and videos, magazines and posters and persons who lead us to these things must be avoided.
We should put into our lips the watchword that has guided the Saints when they were exposed to occasions of sin: “Safety is in flight” which means we must not only stay away from sin but we must run away from them.
And in His goodness, God also provided us with the means by which we can defend ourselves when we are confronted with sin. Prayer provides us with the shield to immediately resist occasions of sin. When faced with temptation a “Hail Mary” and or uttering the names of Jesus and Mary would be helpful. As St. John Chrysostom says: “These holy names have an intrinsic power over the devil, and are a terror to hell.” Prayer is the weapon we can use to ward off the assaults of our spiritual enemy because in prayer we secure the assistance of God and nothing can withstand His might.
We also should understand that there is another underlying message in today’s gospel in that Jesus is not inviting people who believe that they are already good enough and are not in need of help. Jesus has no need for those who think highly of themselves because the first step in following Jesus is to acknowledge our need for a savior and admit that we don’t have all the answers.
“I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (v.32) should serve as a reminder for us that our main preoccupation is to help bring others to repentance which is the key that will unlock the gates of heaven. To follow Christ is difficult and at times we will have to make painful decisions like Matthew who had to leave everything behind.
The new evangelization to which we are being called should not unnerve our Church and or our Community as what the Pharisees did when Jesus preached old doctrines to the people of his time that sounded like new. The new evangelization to which we all are being asked to participate is all about bringing others – our family, neighbor, relatives, friends, co-workers and the ordinary man on the street that we meet – to a personal and profound meeting with Jesus Christ our Savior.
Not that projects and programs are not good. They are also good. But these should not supplant evangelization per se as the primary function of disciples who want to follow Christ and evangelization doesn’t begin with techniques and programs but with prayer.
As renewed Christians, we must not be anxious of going on an adventure especially when we come to think that it is the Spirit of God who is leading us and this was what the Pharisees could not accept. They have become so rigid that new ideas are rejected outright and they sacrificed the joy of knowing God in a more personal way.
This is what we as Christians should avoid because Christianity brings a never-ending process of change with new approaches, new traditions, new methodologies. Thus, our programs and techniques we use in our Community, ministries and apostolates should not be so structured that we leave no room for the Holy Spirit to move us into finding new things or ideas.
I have witnessed ministries and even communities that have plateaued or have become stagnant, remaining on an “as-is, where-is” condition and could no longer draw new members. Even if it does, the attrition rate is so high that members leave the moment they got in and the culprit is the tendency of leaders to hang on to their old and outmoded principles.
The International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Service (ICCRS) has always held the view that the Grace of the renewal is to move out and has espoused the idea that charismatics are supposed to be a people on the move. As such, we must be careful that we don’t become as rigid as the Pharisees that would prevent us from learning new things from the Gospel of Christ. We need to become pliant so we can always upgrade ourselves to accept the new wine that comes from the new message of Christ for us.
First Reading: Sir 15:15-20
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 119:1, 2, 5, 4, 17, 18, 33, 34
Second Reading: 1 Cor 2:6-10
GOSPEL: MATT 5:20-22, 27-28, 33-34, 37
Key Verse: “…but fulfill to the Lord
the vows you have made.” (v.33)
No one in this world that we live in can possibly exist without abiding by certain rules and regulations, be it natural or man made, because such edicts give us the point of reference on how to live. We see this in the gospel reading on this Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time with Jesus saying: “Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (v.17) and this would probably leave many of us wondering what is this law that Our Lord was referring to.
In the Jewish tradition, there are three types of laws, namely: the “ceremonial” law that pertains to Israel’s worship such as those specified in Lev 1:2-3, the “civil” law, e.g. Deut 24:10, 11 and as in the case of the ceremonial law many of its principles are still being observed by Israel. And then the third type was called the “moral” law and under this category are the Ten Commandments that Jews are required to follow and obey strictly (Exo 20:13). The moral law reveals the nature and will of God and again the principles behind this law still applies today and Jesus obeyed the moral law completely.
Jesus, however, made it very clear that the essence of God’s law – his commandments and way of life, must be fulfilled. The law of God is truth and when we live according to that truth it produces the fruits of righteousness, holiness, peace, and joy. And Jesus’ attitude towards the law of God can be summed up in the great prayer of Psa 119: “Oh, how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.”
Throughout his earthly ministry Jesus taught reverence for God’s law – reverence for God himself and, reverence or respect for parents, respect for life, for property, for another person’s good name, respect for oneself and for one’s neighbor. What Jesus actually did was that he reduced these numerous laws of the Scribes into two focal points – love of God and love of neighbor.
And central to our obedience to God is the need for us to humble ourselves and acknowledge there is someone greater than us – God. Indeed, it is only when we begin to humble ourselves considering others to be greater than us will the Grace of God begin to flow in our lives and there is no way a Christian can live a happy and fulfilled life outside of the Grace of God because it is only by His Grace that we can lifted up, exalted and given the right to become co-heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven.
As Christian disciples, our primary preoccupation is to evangelize others so that all will become living witnesses to help in the transformation of the world in Christ. A Community without or could not understand this mission to evangelize is dead and at times this is where we get stuck because of the wrong notion that we have of what mission is as we think of mission in terms of programs and projects that people see.
The primary mission and purpose of the Church and or Community is to evangelize (Evangelii Nuntiandi) and to tell the world we have a loving God who created us, the Son of Man who redeemed us from our sinfulness and left us with His Holy Spirit who sanctifies our actions that we may deserve to enter into the Kingdom of God.
To evangelize is also to tell the world of the many sins that separate us from God and deprive us of his friendship. The Church classify sin as either mortal or venial. Mortal sins are a direct affront to the majesty of God and these may include idolatry, heresy, blasphemy, perjury, serious desecration of Sundays and Holy Days of obligations. Venial sins are lighter but it nevertheless deprives us of that which is good and if left to percolate it will gradually lead to mortal sin and eventually the loss of sanctifying grace.
On the other hand, why should we risk the judgment of God when we as Christians have the ability to resist all occasions of sin through the Holy Spirit whom we have received in Baptism. And the only reason we fall into sin is because we refuse to allow the Holy Spirit to take control of our lives.
Hence, to be able to spot the circumstance that may lead us to sin we must recognize what these occasions of sins are. By occasions we refer to persons, places, things and such occasions of sin may be voluntary or involuntary and the most common and most dangerous occasions of sins are night clubs, beer joints, pornographic films and videos, magazines and posters and persons who lead us to these things must be avoided.
We should put into our lips the watchword that has guided the Saints when they were exposed to occasions of sin: “Safety is in flight” which means we must not only stay away from sin but we must run away from them.
And in His goodness, God also provided us with the means by which we can defend ourselves when we are confronted with sin. Prayer provides us with the shield to immediately resist occasions of sin. When faced with temptation a “Hail Mary” and or uttering the names of Jesus and Mary would be helpful. As St. John Chrysostom says: “These holy names have an intrinsic power over the devil, and are a terror to hell.” Prayer is the weapon we can use to ward off the assaults of our spiritual enemy because in prayer we secure the assistance of God and nothing can withstand His might.
We also should understand that there is another underlying message in today’s gospel in that Jesus is not inviting people who believe that they are already good enough and are not in need of help. Jesus has no need for those who think highly of themselves because the first step in following Jesus is to acknowledge our need for a savior and admit that we don’t have all the answers.
“I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (v.32) should serve as a reminder for us that our main preoccupation is to help bring others to repentance which is the key that will unlock the gates of heaven. To follow Christ is difficult and at times we will have to make painful decisions like Matthew who had to leave everything behind.
The new evangelization to which we are being called should not unnerve our Church and or our Community as what the Pharisees did when Jesus preached old doctrines to the people of his time that sounded like new. The new evangelization to which we all are being asked to participate is all about bringing others – our family, neighbor, relatives, friends, co-workers and the ordinary man on the street that we meet – to a personal and profound meeting with Jesus Christ our Savior.
Not that projects and programs are not good. They are also good. But these should not supplant evangelization per se as the primary function of disciples who want to follow Christ and evangelization doesn’t begin with techniques and programs but with prayer.
As renewed Christians, we must not be anxious of going on an adventure especially when we come to think that it is the Spirit of God who is leading us and this was what the Pharisees could not accept. They have become so rigid that new ideas are rejected outright and they sacrificed the joy of knowing God in a more personal way.
This is what we as Christians should avoid because Christianity brings a never-ending process of change with new approaches, new traditions, new methodologies. Thus, our programs and techniques we use in our Community, ministries and apostolates should not be so structured that we leave no room for the Holy Spirit to move us into finding new things or ideas.
I have witnessed ministries and even communities that have plateaued or have become stagnant, remaining on an “as-is, where-is” condition and could no longer draw new members. Even if it does, the attrition rate is so high that members leave the moment they got in and the culprit is the tendency of leaders to hang on to their old and outmoded principles.
The International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Service (ICCRS) has always held the view that the Grace of the renewal is to move out and has espoused the idea that charismatics are supposed to be a people on the move. As such, we must be careful that we don’t become as rigid as the Pharisees that would prevent us from learning new things from the Gospel of Christ. We need to become pliant so we can always upgrade ourselves to accept the new wine that comes from the new message of Christ for us.
MORE THAN SUFFICIENT FOR OUR NEEDS
FEB. 15, 2014: FIFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
First Reading: 1 Kgs 12:26-32; 13:33-34
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 106:6-7, 19-22 “Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.”
GOSPEL: MK 8:1-10
Key Verse: “I have compassion for these people…” (v.2)
This miracle event which was actually the second time that Jesus was said to have fed the crowd who have been following him will show the kind of God that Jesus was and who remains the same today and tomorrow.
That he was sent down from heaven to be with the chosen people of God can no longer be denied nor doubted. And here in this passage Jesus gave the people another opportunity to get a glimpse of what God was like for there was no one who could do what he has been doing.
If you have been following the Gospel readings these past few days you will note what the daily routine of Jesus was like. Having experienced rejection in his own hometown, Jesus left and preached in all the villages that he went into and the people were amazed for he taught and spoke with authority.
Along the way, he debated on several occasions with the Scribes and Pharisees over the traditions that the Jews were obliged to observe and follow such as eating without washing their hands as the disciples did. And Jesus surprised the Pharisees and the people when he said that nothing outside can make a man unclean but what comes out of a man was what makes him unclean.
These debates and arguments probably took its toll on Jesus which was why he and his disciples went to the region of Tyre and Sidon with the intention of spending time to rest but his fame preceded him as crowds of people even in Gentile territory sought him out wherever he went. On his way back to Galilee, Jesus healed a man who was deaf and speechless and the people could only say “he has done everything well.”
And a very beautiful recording of what followed next which can be found in this Gospel passage today when Jesus said: “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.” (vv.2-3)
This passage sums up not only what Jesus felt at the time but it provides us with a picture of the true nature and character of Christ. “I have compassion for these people;” (v.2) meant that empathy for the people was written all over his entire being that there was nothing in his heart that did not translate to concern, love and compassion.
Jesus could have driven away the crowd but he did not. Instead he gave the people what they needed. He probably also healed all those who were sick and, he ministered to the people by feeding them from what his Apostles had with them – seven loaves of bread and a few small fish. (vv.5-7)
What Jesus also did was he showed his Apostles the important role they will play and to a certain degree the role that we now too will play. To serve the needs of the 4,000 who were there, Jesus had to rely on his Apostles and other Disciples to help feed the people. And this is the reality that we also face today. In order for the Good News to reach the ends of the world, Jesus has to use us especially those who have committed their lives to the Lord because it was through the Apostles and now through us that the truth can be proclaimed.
What we also see in this miracle was not just the multiplication of the seven loaves and a few small fish but the miracle of the dependence of the people on God. Notwithstanding their hunger and thirst as they have been with Jesus for three days, they did not complain but they simply waited for whatever provision that Jesus will give them.
Here we also see what we saw Jesus did when he fed the five thousand on another occasion. “When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks…” (v.6) In everything that he had done, Jesus never did it on his own. He always prayed to God the Father to bless him by the power of the Holy Spirit and this was the kind of discipline that Jesus wants us to also observe and follow.
More than anything else, Jesus showed that anything is possible when it is done in love. Love conquers all things and in this Gospel passage, Jesus gave the Apostles and Disciples a lesson of what love and compassion meant. The plight of the people was always in the heart of Jesus. Similarly, Jesus is telling us now to also feel compassion for the poor and Jesus showed that love can turn us into becoming generous to others.
This is the same attitude that Jesus is asking of anyone who will follow him. We are to share this same love that we received from Jesus so that others may also be blessed. In times when we may feel that what we give may not be enough, this miracle of the seven loaves and a few small fish assures us that whatever we give to others in love will be multiplied.
To sum it up, Jesus in this passage showed us the kind of character that every servant must have. A servant must be filled with love and compassion when serving others.
But more importantly, Jesus shows us that the food that will last is for all. As the feeding of the 5,000 in Mk 6 was for the Jews, this passage refers to the feeding of 4,000 who were Gentiles. This means that the food that comes from God arguably is for all – Jews and Gentiles alike, for saints and sinners too. It also means that God can supply all our needs including the forgiveness of our sins if only we will have the humility to come to him in reverence.
There is also one significant scenario in this gospel reading in that while there is no doubt that Jesus was and still is a powerful God his power comes from his relationship with God the Father. Just as in all the other instances in the Scriptures, Jesus would always look up to heaven and pray which only shows that he does not forget where his power was coming from. Again this is the same with us. We can only dispense with the spiritual power that we have if we will remain connected to the source of that power.
First Reading: 1 Kgs 12:26-32; 13:33-34
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 106:6-7, 19-22 “Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.”
GOSPEL: MK 8:1-10
Key Verse: “I have compassion for these people…” (v.2)
This miracle event which was actually the second time that Jesus was said to have fed the crowd who have been following him will show the kind of God that Jesus was and who remains the same today and tomorrow.
That he was sent down from heaven to be with the chosen people of God can no longer be denied nor doubted. And here in this passage Jesus gave the people another opportunity to get a glimpse of what God was like for there was no one who could do what he has been doing.
If you have been following the Gospel readings these past few days you will note what the daily routine of Jesus was like. Having experienced rejection in his own hometown, Jesus left and preached in all the villages that he went into and the people were amazed for he taught and spoke with authority.
Along the way, he debated on several occasions with the Scribes and Pharisees over the traditions that the Jews were obliged to observe and follow such as eating without washing their hands as the disciples did. And Jesus surprised the Pharisees and the people when he said that nothing outside can make a man unclean but what comes out of a man was what makes him unclean.
These debates and arguments probably took its toll on Jesus which was why he and his disciples went to the region of Tyre and Sidon with the intention of spending time to rest but his fame preceded him as crowds of people even in Gentile territory sought him out wherever he went. On his way back to Galilee, Jesus healed a man who was deaf and speechless and the people could only say “he has done everything well.”
And a very beautiful recording of what followed next which can be found in this Gospel passage today when Jesus said: “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.” (vv.2-3)
This passage sums up not only what Jesus felt at the time but it provides us with a picture of the true nature and character of Christ. “I have compassion for these people;” (v.2) meant that empathy for the people was written all over his entire being that there was nothing in his heart that did not translate to concern, love and compassion.
Jesus could have driven away the crowd but he did not. Instead he gave the people what they needed. He probably also healed all those who were sick and, he ministered to the people by feeding them from what his Apostles had with them – seven loaves of bread and a few small fish. (vv.5-7)
What Jesus also did was he showed his Apostles the important role they will play and to a certain degree the role that we now too will play. To serve the needs of the 4,000 who were there, Jesus had to rely on his Apostles and other Disciples to help feed the people. And this is the reality that we also face today. In order for the Good News to reach the ends of the world, Jesus has to use us especially those who have committed their lives to the Lord because it was through the Apostles and now through us that the truth can be proclaimed.
What we also see in this miracle was not just the multiplication of the seven loaves and a few small fish but the miracle of the dependence of the people on God. Notwithstanding their hunger and thirst as they have been with Jesus for three days, they did not complain but they simply waited for whatever provision that Jesus will give them.
Here we also see what we saw Jesus did when he fed the five thousand on another occasion. “When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks…” (v.6) In everything that he had done, Jesus never did it on his own. He always prayed to God the Father to bless him by the power of the Holy Spirit and this was the kind of discipline that Jesus wants us to also observe and follow.
More than anything else, Jesus showed that anything is possible when it is done in love. Love conquers all things and in this Gospel passage, Jesus gave the Apostles and Disciples a lesson of what love and compassion meant. The plight of the people was always in the heart of Jesus. Similarly, Jesus is telling us now to also feel compassion for the poor and Jesus showed that love can turn us into becoming generous to others.
This is the same attitude that Jesus is asking of anyone who will follow him. We are to share this same love that we received from Jesus so that others may also be blessed. In times when we may feel that what we give may not be enough, this miracle of the seven loaves and a few small fish assures us that whatever we give to others in love will be multiplied.
To sum it up, Jesus in this passage showed us the kind of character that every servant must have. A servant must be filled with love and compassion when serving others.
But more importantly, Jesus shows us that the food that will last is for all. As the feeding of the 5,000 in Mk 6 was for the Jews, this passage refers to the feeding of 4,000 who were Gentiles. This means that the food that comes from God arguably is for all – Jews and Gentiles alike, for saints and sinners too. It also means that God can supply all our needs including the forgiveness of our sins if only we will have the humility to come to him in reverence.
There is also one significant scenario in this gospel reading in that while there is no doubt that Jesus was and still is a powerful God his power comes from his relationship with God the Father. Just as in all the other instances in the Scriptures, Jesus would always look up to heaven and pray which only shows that he does not forget where his power was coming from. Again this is the same with us. We can only dispense with the spiritual power that we have if we will remain connected to the source of that power.
LOVE OF GOD HEALS
FEB. 14, 2014: FEAST OF STS. CYRIL, METHODIUS AND VALENTINE
First Reading: 1 Kgs 11:29-32; 12:19
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 81:10-15 “I am the Lord your God, hear my voice.”
GOSPEL: MK 7:31-37
Key Verse: “Be opened.” (v.34)
There are at least three situations that add mystery and color to this Gospel passage for today. Mystery? Yes because Mark who wrote this gospel account did not offer any explanation why Jesus went to Sidon as left Tyre on his way back “to the Sea of Galilee” (v.31).
Some bible scholars actually went as far as to question whether Mark knew his geography because it seemed illogical for Jesus and his disciples to go to Sidon which was north of Tyre on his way to the Sea of Galilee which was south of both Tyre and Sidon. In effect what happened was Jesus went up north to go south.
But Mark was right because there was a mountain range between Tyre and Galilee and there was also no trade route between these two regions. There was, however, a trade route that connects Sidon to the Sea of Galilee which was why Jesus had to go north to go south.
How long this journey took was not explained. There were some views, however, that claimed Jesus decided to take this longer route to give him quality time with his disciples to teach them and explain to them at length the deeper meaning of the parables he preached and, most importantly, to prepare them for the challenges that lie ahead that will culminate at the greatest event in the history of mankind.
The second situation was when a man who was deaf was brought to Jesus. Most often, persons who are deaf may also be suffering from some speech impediment that could cause embarrassment for them.
And Jesus knew what the deaf man felt and this was the reason why he took him aside, put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. Then he looked up to heaven with a deep sigh said to him Ephphatha! which means “Be opened.” (vv.33-34).
By taking the man aside away from the crowd, Jesus showed not only his compassion but he took into consideration the plight of the deaf man for whom life has become difficult to communicate with others as sign language was non-existent in those days.
Jesus looked at the deaf man with affection demonstrating the goodness and compassion of God in his actions. Then he puts his fingers into the deaf man's ears and touches the man's tongue with his own spittle and uttering a command “Ephphatha” the poor man's ears were opened, and his tongue loosened up and he spoke.
Gregory the Great, one of the Fathers of the Church in the 6th century explained this miracle saying: “The Spirit is called the finger of God. When the Lord puts his fingers into the ears of the deaf mute, he was opening the soul of man to faith through the gifts of the Holy Spirit.”
What was also significant was when Jesus looked up to heaven not just to implore the aid of God the Almighty Father but to also acknowledge that his power flows from the Father. When the deaf man spoke, the crowd could only sigh and with amazement and this brings us to the third situation as the people who witnessed the miracle said: “He has done all things well.” (v.37) This could actually be equated with the events related to the creation of the world in Genesis when God said: “Everything is good.”
The question we should now ask is have we been touched by the finger of God which is the Spirit of God. How have we been living our lives after we have been touched by the Holy Spirit? Can we say that we have been saved from our sins? (Mk 16:15). Can we also honestly say our souls are at rest? (Matt 11:28). Are we now at peace (Jn 14:27) or are we still in the world?
If we are still struggling with our relationship with God, perhaps we should look into our own selves and check the level of our faith. It is possible that we are laboring through the practice of our faith because our hearts and minds are being restricted by concerns other than developing a deeper relationship with our Creator.
Many times we are like the deaf man as we remain oblivious to the proclamation of the Gospel of Christ. We attend mass regularly but our minds wander and are far off and we often hear people grumbling that they don’t get anything from the mass and it is because they haven’t invested anything in it. Relatedly, can you withdraw money from the bank without making any deposit? This is the same with our spiritual lives. We need to invest our time, talent and treasure in order to enjoy the blessings that come from the source of all good.
Nothing is too hard for the Lord (Gen 18:14) but it will all depend on how open we are and will be to the promptings of the Holy Spirit who showers us not only with his spiritual gifts but brings us to a new life in Christ (2 Cor 5:17).
If we consider salvation history as a love story between God and man, we should like view the Sacred Scriptures as God’s love letter to mankind. As we celebrate today what has been known as Valentine’s Day, we should try to find time to reflect on the love of Jesus for all of us. A sacrificial kind of love for “Jesus, the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mk 10:45) We can even consider that Jesus’ death on the cross could very well be the first celebration of Valentine’s Day for it was on this day that Jesus showed the world what love really is.
It was also out of love that Jesus has shown us in the gospel stories that that like Peter we too can also walk on water but only if we have faith. Like Lazarus, our spirits and souls can be raised back to life if we will draw closer to him who is the source of life. And we can hear God’s Word and proclaim it to the world if we will only allow the Holy Spirit to move and take control of our lives. Love then is having faith in the one who has taken possession of our souls.
Then and only then can we say that Jesus has done all things well in our lives as we stand ready to open our eyes to see the beauty of his salvation and proclaim the glory of His Kingdom to all and, our ears to listen only to his Word.
First Reading: 1 Kgs 11:29-32; 12:19
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 81:10-15 “I am the Lord your God, hear my voice.”
GOSPEL: MK 7:31-37
Key Verse: “Be opened.” (v.34)
There are at least three situations that add mystery and color to this Gospel passage for today. Mystery? Yes because Mark who wrote this gospel account did not offer any explanation why Jesus went to Sidon as left Tyre on his way back “to the Sea of Galilee” (v.31).
Some bible scholars actually went as far as to question whether Mark knew his geography because it seemed illogical for Jesus and his disciples to go to Sidon which was north of Tyre on his way to the Sea of Galilee which was south of both Tyre and Sidon. In effect what happened was Jesus went up north to go south.
But Mark was right because there was a mountain range between Tyre and Galilee and there was also no trade route between these two regions. There was, however, a trade route that connects Sidon to the Sea of Galilee which was why Jesus had to go north to go south.
How long this journey took was not explained. There were some views, however, that claimed Jesus decided to take this longer route to give him quality time with his disciples to teach them and explain to them at length the deeper meaning of the parables he preached and, most importantly, to prepare them for the challenges that lie ahead that will culminate at the greatest event in the history of mankind.
The second situation was when a man who was deaf was brought to Jesus. Most often, persons who are deaf may also be suffering from some speech impediment that could cause embarrassment for them.
And Jesus knew what the deaf man felt and this was the reason why he took him aside, put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. Then he looked up to heaven with a deep sigh said to him Ephphatha! which means “Be opened.” (vv.33-34).
By taking the man aside away from the crowd, Jesus showed not only his compassion but he took into consideration the plight of the deaf man for whom life has become difficult to communicate with others as sign language was non-existent in those days.
Jesus looked at the deaf man with affection demonstrating the goodness and compassion of God in his actions. Then he puts his fingers into the deaf man's ears and touches the man's tongue with his own spittle and uttering a command “Ephphatha” the poor man's ears were opened, and his tongue loosened up and he spoke.
Gregory the Great, one of the Fathers of the Church in the 6th century explained this miracle saying: “The Spirit is called the finger of God. When the Lord puts his fingers into the ears of the deaf mute, he was opening the soul of man to faith through the gifts of the Holy Spirit.”
What was also significant was when Jesus looked up to heaven not just to implore the aid of God the Almighty Father but to also acknowledge that his power flows from the Father. When the deaf man spoke, the crowd could only sigh and with amazement and this brings us to the third situation as the people who witnessed the miracle said: “He has done all things well.” (v.37) This could actually be equated with the events related to the creation of the world in Genesis when God said: “Everything is good.”
The question we should now ask is have we been touched by the finger of God which is the Spirit of God. How have we been living our lives after we have been touched by the Holy Spirit? Can we say that we have been saved from our sins? (Mk 16:15). Can we also honestly say our souls are at rest? (Matt 11:28). Are we now at peace (Jn 14:27) or are we still in the world?
If we are still struggling with our relationship with God, perhaps we should look into our own selves and check the level of our faith. It is possible that we are laboring through the practice of our faith because our hearts and minds are being restricted by concerns other than developing a deeper relationship with our Creator.
Many times we are like the deaf man as we remain oblivious to the proclamation of the Gospel of Christ. We attend mass regularly but our minds wander and are far off and we often hear people grumbling that they don’t get anything from the mass and it is because they haven’t invested anything in it. Relatedly, can you withdraw money from the bank without making any deposit? This is the same with our spiritual lives. We need to invest our time, talent and treasure in order to enjoy the blessings that come from the source of all good.
Nothing is too hard for the Lord (Gen 18:14) but it will all depend on how open we are and will be to the promptings of the Holy Spirit who showers us not only with his spiritual gifts but brings us to a new life in Christ (2 Cor 5:17).
If we consider salvation history as a love story between God and man, we should like view the Sacred Scriptures as God’s love letter to mankind. As we celebrate today what has been known as Valentine’s Day, we should try to find time to reflect on the love of Jesus for all of us. A sacrificial kind of love for “Jesus, the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mk 10:45) We can even consider that Jesus’ death on the cross could very well be the first celebration of Valentine’s Day for it was on this day that Jesus showed the world what love really is.
It was also out of love that Jesus has shown us in the gospel stories that that like Peter we too can also walk on water but only if we have faith. Like Lazarus, our spirits and souls can be raised back to life if we will draw closer to him who is the source of life. And we can hear God’s Word and proclaim it to the world if we will only allow the Holy Spirit to move and take control of our lives. Love then is having faith in the one who has taken possession of our souls.
Then and only then can we say that Jesus has done all things well in our lives as we stand ready to open our eyes to see the beauty of his salvation and proclaim the glory of His Kingdom to all and, our ears to listen only to his Word.
FAITH MELTS THE HEART OF GOD
FEB. 13, 2014: FIFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
First Reading: 1 Kgs 11:4-13
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 106:3-4, 35-37, 40 “Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.”
GOSPEL: MK 7:24-30
Key Verse: “I have healed your daughter.” (v.29)
Would Jesus call another person a dog? Would this not surprise his disciples given the fact that Jesus was known to be gentle, kind and a respecter of persons? Why did he not want anyone to know that he landed in the region of Tyre and Sidon?
These are a pair of questions that add to the mystery behind this beautiful gospel passage today and again we need to read between the lines and use our imagination when going through this verbal exchange or repartee as you may call it between Jesus and the woman whose daughter was possessed by an unclean spirit.
In fact, if we try to get inside this conversation you will note that it began with the woman begging Jesus “to drive the demon out of her daughter” (v.26) towards the meat of the exchange which would reveal the humorous side of Jesus.
But lest we be carried away by this wonderful banter between Jesus and the woman, let us first look back to the beginning of the passage that says that Jesus “did not want anyone to know; yet he could not keep his presence secret” (v.24).
The only plausible explanation here was that the regions of Tyre and Sidon are cities within the territorial jurisdiction of Phoenicia which was a part of Syria that lay between Galilee and the open sea. In those days, Tyre and Sidon were both considered as trading centers as merchants on board seafaring ships and caravans by land normally pass through these two cities on their way to Damascus.
As such these two cities are ruled by kings and the people pray to their own gods and the economy has its was own currencies. This only meant one thing, that Jesus was in Gentile territory and he wanted to keep it secret as he was unsure of how he will be received which was probably the reason why he wanted to keep his presence secret.
If you will recall, the passages that we read through these past few days spoke of what was clean and what was considered as unclean. To the orthodox Jew anything used or touched by non-Jews or Gentiles are deemed unclean including the person himself.
And this was where the presence of Jesus in Gentile territory becomes symbolic because his presence has effectively bridged the gap between the Jews and Gentiles. It becomes symbolic because the message Jesus was sending was that the Kingdom of God is for all – both Jews and Gentiles alike. And this scenario must have been prompted by the rejection he suffered in the hands of the Jews and his going to Gentile territory has effectively opened an opportunity for the Gentiles to also share in the Kingdom of God.
The Jews actually are so confident of their identity as the favored people of God that they refer to Gentiles as “dogs” and this came out during the ensuing exchange when the woman begged Jesus to heal her daughter and Jesus responded saying: “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.” (v.27) Perhaps we could understand this better if we refer to Matt 15:24 where Jesus said: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel” which means that Jesus was not to defer to the wishes of Gentiles as his mission was to fulfill the prophecy given to Israel.
What may have escaped the scrutiny of the gospel writers and us was the possibility that Jesus could also be testing the faith of the woman who was Greek and Greeks have this gift of banter and she delivered the clincher when she said: “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” (v.28)
And Jesus admired her faith and healed her daughter (vv.29-30). In Matthew, Jesus was more expressive: "O woman, great is your faith!" (Matt 15:28). This scenario was replete with meaning because the woman stood on behalf of the Gentile world and her encounter with Jesus had effectively opened the gates of heaven for us Gentiles.
Such that through his passion, death and resurrection we Gentiles now have Christ with us as we have been reconciled as one body in Christ through the cross (Eph 2:16) and by his death Jesus gave access to the Father by one Spirit (Eph 2:17). His contact with the Gentile world represented by the woman who came to Jesus in faith has given us the right to “take our place at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of heaven.” (Matt 8:11)
If today we have been blessed by the presence of Christ in our lives, we have to thank that woman in Tyre who begged Jesus to heal her daughter and who humbly allowed herself to be likened to a dog but whose great faith moved Jesus to open the Kingdom of God to Gentiles.
This shows that no one who will seek Jesus in faith – Jew or Gentile – will be refused. But as we are blessed, we need to put a value on these blessings by obeying the Word of God: “Blessed rather are those who hear the Word of God and obey it.” (Lk 11:28) What this passage today is telling us is that we need to have faith to be able to enter the Kingdom of God. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” (Eph 2:8)
But you should remember, however, that faith alone will not suffice. You need to do something with that faith that is in you. In other words you need to accompany your faith with works just as Jesus and his Apostles did and this is where your twin tower of faith will come in – love of God and love of neighbor.
In so doing, your life must consist of a beneficial balance of your reception of the Sacraments and performing corporal works of mercy and charity. There are times when you will struggle in the exercise of your faith. I also did. There was a time when I asked why I should love my enemy.
But when I read what Jesus said in Matt 5:44 “love your enemies” I realized this was not a recommendation for me to do so but a command. And if it was a command, who am I to disobey as I just an ordinary mortal whose life has been purchased for me at a great cost by the Son of God.
The first opportunity came when I was able to forgive two of my former business partners who swindled me of my share in a business transaction. In last night’s corporate worship of our community, a former servant leader Bogie Lorenzo said in his reflection that Christians must live with at least three important values – obedience, humility and forgiveness – to become the salt of the earth and light of the world.
First Reading: 1 Kgs 11:4-13
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 106:3-4, 35-37, 40 “Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.”
GOSPEL: MK 7:24-30
Key Verse: “I have healed your daughter.” (v.29)
Would Jesus call another person a dog? Would this not surprise his disciples given the fact that Jesus was known to be gentle, kind and a respecter of persons? Why did he not want anyone to know that he landed in the region of Tyre and Sidon?
These are a pair of questions that add to the mystery behind this beautiful gospel passage today and again we need to read between the lines and use our imagination when going through this verbal exchange or repartee as you may call it between Jesus and the woman whose daughter was possessed by an unclean spirit.
In fact, if we try to get inside this conversation you will note that it began with the woman begging Jesus “to drive the demon out of her daughter” (v.26) towards the meat of the exchange which would reveal the humorous side of Jesus.
But lest we be carried away by this wonderful banter between Jesus and the woman, let us first look back to the beginning of the passage that says that Jesus “did not want anyone to know; yet he could not keep his presence secret” (v.24).
The only plausible explanation here was that the regions of Tyre and Sidon are cities within the territorial jurisdiction of Phoenicia which was a part of Syria that lay between Galilee and the open sea. In those days, Tyre and Sidon were both considered as trading centers as merchants on board seafaring ships and caravans by land normally pass through these two cities on their way to Damascus.
As such these two cities are ruled by kings and the people pray to their own gods and the economy has its was own currencies. This only meant one thing, that Jesus was in Gentile territory and he wanted to keep it secret as he was unsure of how he will be received which was probably the reason why he wanted to keep his presence secret.
If you will recall, the passages that we read through these past few days spoke of what was clean and what was considered as unclean. To the orthodox Jew anything used or touched by non-Jews or Gentiles are deemed unclean including the person himself.
And this was where the presence of Jesus in Gentile territory becomes symbolic because his presence has effectively bridged the gap between the Jews and Gentiles. It becomes symbolic because the message Jesus was sending was that the Kingdom of God is for all – both Jews and Gentiles alike. And this scenario must have been prompted by the rejection he suffered in the hands of the Jews and his going to Gentile territory has effectively opened an opportunity for the Gentiles to also share in the Kingdom of God.
The Jews actually are so confident of their identity as the favored people of God that they refer to Gentiles as “dogs” and this came out during the ensuing exchange when the woman begged Jesus to heal her daughter and Jesus responded saying: “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.” (v.27) Perhaps we could understand this better if we refer to Matt 15:24 where Jesus said: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel” which means that Jesus was not to defer to the wishes of Gentiles as his mission was to fulfill the prophecy given to Israel.
What may have escaped the scrutiny of the gospel writers and us was the possibility that Jesus could also be testing the faith of the woman who was Greek and Greeks have this gift of banter and she delivered the clincher when she said: “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” (v.28)
And Jesus admired her faith and healed her daughter (vv.29-30). In Matthew, Jesus was more expressive: "O woman, great is your faith!" (Matt 15:28). This scenario was replete with meaning because the woman stood on behalf of the Gentile world and her encounter with Jesus had effectively opened the gates of heaven for us Gentiles.
Such that through his passion, death and resurrection we Gentiles now have Christ with us as we have been reconciled as one body in Christ through the cross (Eph 2:16) and by his death Jesus gave access to the Father by one Spirit (Eph 2:17). His contact with the Gentile world represented by the woman who came to Jesus in faith has given us the right to “take our place at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of heaven.” (Matt 8:11)
If today we have been blessed by the presence of Christ in our lives, we have to thank that woman in Tyre who begged Jesus to heal her daughter and who humbly allowed herself to be likened to a dog but whose great faith moved Jesus to open the Kingdom of God to Gentiles.
This shows that no one who will seek Jesus in faith – Jew or Gentile – will be refused. But as we are blessed, we need to put a value on these blessings by obeying the Word of God: “Blessed rather are those who hear the Word of God and obey it.” (Lk 11:28) What this passage today is telling us is that we need to have faith to be able to enter the Kingdom of God. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” (Eph 2:8)
But you should remember, however, that faith alone will not suffice. You need to do something with that faith that is in you. In other words you need to accompany your faith with works just as Jesus and his Apostles did and this is where your twin tower of faith will come in – love of God and love of neighbor.
In so doing, your life must consist of a beneficial balance of your reception of the Sacraments and performing corporal works of mercy and charity. There are times when you will struggle in the exercise of your faith. I also did. There was a time when I asked why I should love my enemy.
But when I read what Jesus said in Matt 5:44 “love your enemies” I realized this was not a recommendation for me to do so but a command. And if it was a command, who am I to disobey as I just an ordinary mortal whose life has been purchased for me at a great cost by the Son of God.
The first opportunity came when I was able to forgive two of my former business partners who swindled me of my share in a business transaction. In last night’s corporate worship of our community, a former servant leader Bogie Lorenzo said in his reflection that Christians must live with at least three important values – obedience, humility and forgiveness – to become the salt of the earth and light of the world.
WHAT'S INSIDE DEFILES
FEB. 12, 2014: FIFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
First Reading: 1st Kgs 10:1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 37:5-6, 30-31, 39-40 “The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom.”
GOSPEL: MK 7:14-23
Key Verse: “..what comes out of man that
makes him unclean.” (v.15)
Can man be defiled by the food that he eats? This question may surprise the modern man especially nowadays when good and quality food are made available to all. What fine dining was years ago has become ordinary fare and the advent of culinary expertise has something to with this trend.
This was, however, not the case in the time of Jesus when the Scribes and Pharisees forbade the people from eating or taking in certain kinds of food. As we have read in the previous gospel passages, Jesus has contradicted many of the teachings of the Pharisees and this raised the bar of their opposition to his presence in the synagogues.
And in this passage today, Jesus shocked those listening to him when he said that they understood wrongly the instruction or tradition that has been handed down to them. The point of the matter was the contention of the religious leaders that man was defiled by even the kind of food that he eats.
In this regard, the Jews are guided by a set of instruction from the Pentateuch that refers to what type of animal or living thing the people can eat without defiling their bodies and Moses in the book of Lev 11 ruled that Jews can only eat four-legged animals that have split hooves and which chew the cud. Pigs are forbidden even if it has split hooves but it doesn’t chew the cud. Insects that jump with their hind legs such as locusts, grasshoppers, cricket may be eaten but not those that crawl.
Certain types of birds like owl, stork, heron, eagle, vulture, seagull and raven cannot also be eaten as well as fish without fins and or scales. This was the condition in which the Jews lived in those times as their lives were guided by what they can do and can’t do, what they can eat and can’t eat.
And the ancient Jews that these unclean animals when ingested can also make the person unclean and thus unfit to worship God. To be able to understand the whys and the wherefores of these provisions the Jews have to follow we must look at the underlying objective of why these instructions were given.
God wanted his people to be holy which was why he separated them by leading them out of the idolatry pervading in Egypt and set the Israelites as a separate nation dedicated to worshiping him alone and leading moral lives. This was the basis why laws were designed to keep the people separate socially and spiritually.
We may look at these instructions as irrelevant to the present times and age we live in but we can also look at these prohibitions in the context of what Jesus is saying in this passage today. What Jesus did in this passage was he practically revised the law by saying all food is good because food is received by the body and removed also through the normal digestive process.
In effect, what Jesus was saying was that man cannot be defiled by the food that he eats but what comes out of his heart which is the wellspring of life (Pro 4:23). Solomon in fact says that “the hearts of men are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live” (Ecc 9:3). And Jesus listed down some of the things that can defile man because these will have become the source of evil that men do and that was what will defile man.
And Jesus went on to say that: “What comes out of a man is what make him unclean. For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man unclean.” (vv.20-23)
The fact that Jesus mentioned “evil thoughts” at the beginning means that many of these sins begin and end from the evil thoughts that enter our minds and which linger in our hearts until it moves us to commit these sins and these are what will defile us.
Many times we play around with temptation moved perhaps by the thought that we are in control of our lives and our faculties and we rationalize that we can remain in the temptation stage and not cross over to committing sin. But this is not what God wants. God wants us to move out and be separate from the Egypt of our lives and live away from all forms of sin
and tempting situations.
And we are blessed because we have a God who is persistently faithful and will not abandon us to wallow in our struggles and sinful tendencies. Finding us in our sinful state, God will also give us the grace and strength we need to resist and overcome sin.
Since God himself created us, Our Lord has sent his Holy Spirit to dwell in us so that we may avail of the strength and power to step out of the darkness we may have found ourselves in as a result of sin and into the marvelous light.
This is why we have the Apostolic Traditions that have been handed down to us from generations past so that we will properly be guided as we go through our journey of faith. And one of the ways we can avoid sin is by remaining rooted in the Word of God and it begins now with Acts 2:38.
First Reading: 1st Kgs 10:1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 37:5-6, 30-31, 39-40 “The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom.”
GOSPEL: MK 7:14-23
Key Verse: “..what comes out of man that
makes him unclean.” (v.15)
Can man be defiled by the food that he eats? This question may surprise the modern man especially nowadays when good and quality food are made available to all. What fine dining was years ago has become ordinary fare and the advent of culinary expertise has something to with this trend.
This was, however, not the case in the time of Jesus when the Scribes and Pharisees forbade the people from eating or taking in certain kinds of food. As we have read in the previous gospel passages, Jesus has contradicted many of the teachings of the Pharisees and this raised the bar of their opposition to his presence in the synagogues.
And in this passage today, Jesus shocked those listening to him when he said that they understood wrongly the instruction or tradition that has been handed down to them. The point of the matter was the contention of the religious leaders that man was defiled by even the kind of food that he eats.
In this regard, the Jews are guided by a set of instruction from the Pentateuch that refers to what type of animal or living thing the people can eat without defiling their bodies and Moses in the book of Lev 11 ruled that Jews can only eat four-legged animals that have split hooves and which chew the cud. Pigs are forbidden even if it has split hooves but it doesn’t chew the cud. Insects that jump with their hind legs such as locusts, grasshoppers, cricket may be eaten but not those that crawl.
Certain types of birds like owl, stork, heron, eagle, vulture, seagull and raven cannot also be eaten as well as fish without fins and or scales. This was the condition in which the Jews lived in those times as their lives were guided by what they can do and can’t do, what they can eat and can’t eat.
And the ancient Jews that these unclean animals when ingested can also make the person unclean and thus unfit to worship God. To be able to understand the whys and the wherefores of these provisions the Jews have to follow we must look at the underlying objective of why these instructions were given.
God wanted his people to be holy which was why he separated them by leading them out of the idolatry pervading in Egypt and set the Israelites as a separate nation dedicated to worshiping him alone and leading moral lives. This was the basis why laws were designed to keep the people separate socially and spiritually.
We may look at these instructions as irrelevant to the present times and age we live in but we can also look at these prohibitions in the context of what Jesus is saying in this passage today. What Jesus did in this passage was he practically revised the law by saying all food is good because food is received by the body and removed also through the normal digestive process.
In effect, what Jesus was saying was that man cannot be defiled by the food that he eats but what comes out of his heart which is the wellspring of life (Pro 4:23). Solomon in fact says that “the hearts of men are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live” (Ecc 9:3). And Jesus listed down some of the things that can defile man because these will have become the source of evil that men do and that was what will defile man.
And Jesus went on to say that: “What comes out of a man is what make him unclean. For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man unclean.” (vv.20-23)
The fact that Jesus mentioned “evil thoughts” at the beginning means that many of these sins begin and end from the evil thoughts that enter our minds and which linger in our hearts until it moves us to commit these sins and these are what will defile us.
Many times we play around with temptation moved perhaps by the thought that we are in control of our lives and our faculties and we rationalize that we can remain in the temptation stage and not cross over to committing sin. But this is not what God wants. God wants us to move out and be separate from the Egypt of our lives and live away from all forms of sin
and tempting situations.
And we are blessed because we have a God who is persistently faithful and will not abandon us to wallow in our struggles and sinful tendencies. Finding us in our sinful state, God will also give us the grace and strength we need to resist and overcome sin.
Since God himself created us, Our Lord has sent his Holy Spirit to dwell in us so that we may avail of the strength and power to step out of the darkness we may have found ourselves in as a result of sin and into the marvelous light.
This is why we have the Apostolic Traditions that have been handed down to us from generations past so that we will properly be guided as we go through our journey of faith. And one of the ways we can avoid sin is by remaining rooted in the Word of God and it begins now with Acts 2:38.
DON'T BE STIFLED BY RULES
FEB. 11, 2014: FIFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
First Reading: 1 Kgs 8:22-23, 27-30
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 84:3-5, 10-11 “How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!”
GOSPEL: MK 7:1-13
Key Verse: “but their hearts are far from me.” (v.6)
There is no doubt that rules are needed to maintain order not only in the secular organization but also in a religious congregation. And for us who are in a spiritual movement we must be careful in how we implement the rules that govern our ministry or community for that matter because rules do not a worship of God make. This means that while it is necessary for us to have rules, true worship is not bounded by rules but should spring forth from the heart that is in communion with God.
This divergence in the way the ancient religious traditions are to be observed became the subject of a heated debate between Jesus and the Scribes and Pharisees in this Gospel passage. You will recall that the religious leaders have already questioned Jesus for allowing his disciples to pluck the ears of the corn during the Sabbath (Mk 2:23) and now in this passage his disciples ate without going through the ritual of washing their hands (v.2).
For us to be able to understand what Jesus and the Pharisees are arguing about, we should go into what these rituals are. Initially, the Law refers to the Ten Commandments and the Pentateuch or the first five books of Moses in the Old Testament. The ancient Jews refer to these as the set of moral principles that they have to interpret and apply to how they live their lives.
But in the 4th and 5th B.C., the Scribes came into the picture and there and then decided to expand, amplify and modified the Law into thousands of rules and regulations to guide the Jews in practically all the aspects of their lives. In fact, these rules and regulations persisted even after the Crucifixion of Jesus and were summarized into a set of principles which is now known as the Mishnah.
Part of these set of rules was the manner in which the hands are to be washed before eating and to fail to observe this decree was not bad manners but one was deemed unclean in the sight of God and hence an unclean person was subject to the attack of the evil one. To the Scribes, such rules and regulations are the essence of religion and to observe them was to please God and, to break them was to sin.
So when the Scribes criticized Jesus for allowing his disciples to eat with unclean hands, he responded by quoting from Isa 29:13 “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”
It was not that Jesus was against traditions but what he was against was the legalism that the Scribes kept on imposing on the people which were opposed to the commands of God. In effect what Jesus was saying was that we must learn how to discern if traditions, rules and regulations come from the inspiration of the Holy Spirit or from uninspired men.
There is nothing wrong with Traditions because our Catholic Faith is guided by it and Pope Benedict XVI gave a beautiful catechesis on Catholic Tradition when he said: “We miss the profound meaning of Catholic Tradition if we see it only as the handing on of a static Revelation. More than that, it is the active, continuous work of the Holy Spirit in our particular time: it makes real and tangible ‘the active presence of the Lord Jesus in his people, realized by the Holy Spirit.’
This reality of the divine action of the Holy Spirit within the Church is essential to understanding Catholic Tradition. It is what makes Sacred Tradition something far different than mere human traditions. Through that same action of the Spirit, Catholic Tradition incorporates us into the Communion of the Saints. It ensures the connection “between the experience of the apostolic faith, lived in the original community of the disciples, and the present experience of Christ in his Church.”
And Pope Benedict XVI concludes: ‘Tradition is the living river that unites us to the origins, the living river in which the origins are always present, the great river that leads us to the port of eternity. In this living river, the word of the Lord...: “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age,” is fulfilled again (Matt 28:20). Through Catholic Tradition, the Holy Spirit works to bring the grace and truth of Christ into our own lives.
Indeed, traditions are not bad but we must know how to qualify traditions or rules. What we must guard against is when rules tend to replace the fruit of our hearts when worshiping God (v.6). We could also be lulled into vain worship if we commit the mistake of putting the rules on the same level as God’s commands (v.7). Such worship may appear to be impressive, but it is actually empty and worthless for the simple reason that these do not lead us to a communion with God (Col 2:22-23).
To stress the importance of heeding God’s commands over rules, Jesus gave the example of honoring one's parents (vv.10-12) as he criticized the tradition of the Scribes that releases a person from his obligation to help his parents by giving to the Temple treasury. What Jesus was saying and which he is still telling us is that Traditions must be subordinate to the Word of God.
Hence, as Catholics we are enjoined to observe the Traditions of our Church such as our reception of the Sacraments particularly the Holy Eucharist because it gives Jesus an opportunity by which he can continue his salvific mission through us.
Today’s gospel reading should serve as a reminder for those who exercise leadership in ministries, apostolates and communities and you’d better look for a quiet place to sit with your Bible in hand and try to reflect and listen to what Jesus is saying through this passage. My unsolicited advice is that you’d better do this now before you start losing your members if you haven’t lost them already.
The biggest turn off to people who are searching for the pure joy that God has promised is when they are confronted with a set of rules and statutes and a leadership that is so rigid that it lacks the flexibility to allow the Holy Spirit to move freely. As Christian disciples we must have a constant awareness of whether we are favoring our rules over the Word of God.
And just as bad is when rules take priority over the need to help members develop a sound prayer life and especially familiarity and appreciation of the Word of God. At the end of the day, it's the Holy Spirit that guides the church and communities in serving as a bridge between the people and God. Rules are necessary but these rules must be subservient to the Word of God.
First Reading: 1 Kgs 8:22-23, 27-30
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 84:3-5, 10-11 “How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!”
GOSPEL: MK 7:1-13
Key Verse: “but their hearts are far from me.” (v.6)
There is no doubt that rules are needed to maintain order not only in the secular organization but also in a religious congregation. And for us who are in a spiritual movement we must be careful in how we implement the rules that govern our ministry or community for that matter because rules do not a worship of God make. This means that while it is necessary for us to have rules, true worship is not bounded by rules but should spring forth from the heart that is in communion with God.
This divergence in the way the ancient religious traditions are to be observed became the subject of a heated debate between Jesus and the Scribes and Pharisees in this Gospel passage. You will recall that the religious leaders have already questioned Jesus for allowing his disciples to pluck the ears of the corn during the Sabbath (Mk 2:23) and now in this passage his disciples ate without going through the ritual of washing their hands (v.2).
For us to be able to understand what Jesus and the Pharisees are arguing about, we should go into what these rituals are. Initially, the Law refers to the Ten Commandments and the Pentateuch or the first five books of Moses in the Old Testament. The ancient Jews refer to these as the set of moral principles that they have to interpret and apply to how they live their lives.
But in the 4th and 5th B.C., the Scribes came into the picture and there and then decided to expand, amplify and modified the Law into thousands of rules and regulations to guide the Jews in practically all the aspects of their lives. In fact, these rules and regulations persisted even after the Crucifixion of Jesus and were summarized into a set of principles which is now known as the Mishnah.
Part of these set of rules was the manner in which the hands are to be washed before eating and to fail to observe this decree was not bad manners but one was deemed unclean in the sight of God and hence an unclean person was subject to the attack of the evil one. To the Scribes, such rules and regulations are the essence of religion and to observe them was to please God and, to break them was to sin.
So when the Scribes criticized Jesus for allowing his disciples to eat with unclean hands, he responded by quoting from Isa 29:13 “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”
It was not that Jesus was against traditions but what he was against was the legalism that the Scribes kept on imposing on the people which were opposed to the commands of God. In effect what Jesus was saying was that we must learn how to discern if traditions, rules and regulations come from the inspiration of the Holy Spirit or from uninspired men.
There is nothing wrong with Traditions because our Catholic Faith is guided by it and Pope Benedict XVI gave a beautiful catechesis on Catholic Tradition when he said: “We miss the profound meaning of Catholic Tradition if we see it only as the handing on of a static Revelation. More than that, it is the active, continuous work of the Holy Spirit in our particular time: it makes real and tangible ‘the active presence of the Lord Jesus in his people, realized by the Holy Spirit.’
This reality of the divine action of the Holy Spirit within the Church is essential to understanding Catholic Tradition. It is what makes Sacred Tradition something far different than mere human traditions. Through that same action of the Spirit, Catholic Tradition incorporates us into the Communion of the Saints. It ensures the connection “between the experience of the apostolic faith, lived in the original community of the disciples, and the present experience of Christ in his Church.”
And Pope Benedict XVI concludes: ‘Tradition is the living river that unites us to the origins, the living river in which the origins are always present, the great river that leads us to the port of eternity. In this living river, the word of the Lord...: “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age,” is fulfilled again (Matt 28:20). Through Catholic Tradition, the Holy Spirit works to bring the grace and truth of Christ into our own lives.
Indeed, traditions are not bad but we must know how to qualify traditions or rules. What we must guard against is when rules tend to replace the fruit of our hearts when worshiping God (v.6). We could also be lulled into vain worship if we commit the mistake of putting the rules on the same level as God’s commands (v.7). Such worship may appear to be impressive, but it is actually empty and worthless for the simple reason that these do not lead us to a communion with God (Col 2:22-23).
To stress the importance of heeding God’s commands over rules, Jesus gave the example of honoring one's parents (vv.10-12) as he criticized the tradition of the Scribes that releases a person from his obligation to help his parents by giving to the Temple treasury. What Jesus was saying and which he is still telling us is that Traditions must be subordinate to the Word of God.
Hence, as Catholics we are enjoined to observe the Traditions of our Church such as our reception of the Sacraments particularly the Holy Eucharist because it gives Jesus an opportunity by which he can continue his salvific mission through us.
Today’s gospel reading should serve as a reminder for those who exercise leadership in ministries, apostolates and communities and you’d better look for a quiet place to sit with your Bible in hand and try to reflect and listen to what Jesus is saying through this passage. My unsolicited advice is that you’d better do this now before you start losing your members if you haven’t lost them already.
The biggest turn off to people who are searching for the pure joy that God has promised is when they are confronted with a set of rules and statutes and a leadership that is so rigid that it lacks the flexibility to allow the Holy Spirit to move freely. As Christian disciples we must have a constant awareness of whether we are favoring our rules over the Word of God.
And just as bad is when rules take priority over the need to help members develop a sound prayer life and especially familiarity and appreciation of the Word of God. At the end of the day, it's the Holy Spirit that guides the church and communities in serving as a bridge between the people and God. Rules are necessary but these rules must be subservient to the Word of God.
GOD WHO GIVES OF HIMSELF
FEB. 10, 2014: FIFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
First Reading: 1 Kgs 8:1-7, 9-1
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 132:6-10 “Lord, go up to the place of your rest.”
GOSPEL: MK 6:53-56
Key Verse: “and all who touched him were healed.” (v.56)
Time was when foreign nationals come to the Philippines not only to savor the sights and tourist spots in the country but also to place their fate in the hands of Filipino faith healers. In fact, travel agents abroad have included a visit to actual healing sessions by these faith healers as part of their itinerary.
And even to this day and age there are still many who still advertise themselves as gifted with the ability to heal the sick and people from all walks of life go to them with the hope they will get healed and some of them do get healed. Some claim their gift of healing was passed on to them by their forefathers and they normally chant Latin incantations before they conduct their healing sessions.
Faith healers as they are called normally hold their healing sessions on a Friday but because of the number of people whose hope lie in them many of them now hold daily healing sessions. Regardless of whether they are gifted or not we cannot discount the probability that God can also use them to bring healing in accordance with his Will and pleasure.
This gospel passage could very well be a story about faith as the people only needed to touch Jesus, his garment and or even the tassels of his robe and all who touched him were healed (v.56).
However, there was something conspicuous in this passage that reveals the people’s behavior especially those who are desperate and have lost whatever options may be available to them and this was evident right at the beginning of the passage when Mark wrote that when Jesus and his disciples disembarked at Gennesaret and when the people recognized Jesus, “they ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he went – into villages, towns or countryside – they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak” (vv.55-56).
If we are to get inside this gospel scenario itself, Mark’s description will tell us there was pandemonium and chaos that the disciples of Jesus must have had a difficult time putting order amidst the multitude who wanted to be healed. Certainly, people were pressing against one another as they jostled at each other just to get near Jesus to touch him and or the edge of his garment.
Hence, this passage tells us of the different levels of faith the people had and since the people in Gennesaret may have already heard what Jesus did in the other regions of Galilee and in Capernaum they ran and brought the sick to be healed as soon as “they recognized Jesus.”
What then is faith? Faith is one of the three virtues that God infuses in those who are sacramentally baptized. It is a free gift that God gives to us through the power of the Holy Spirit. This faith that has been infused in us and which is sustained by the presence of the Holy Spirit is what propels a person to believe and trust in God.
It is the Holy Spirit that energizes our minds that helps us to understand, accept, and believe the Word of God and the truths contained in the doctrines and dogmas of our Catholic faith. But since this virtue is a gift of God it means that faith can either grow depending on the docility of the person and or a person can also lose it by his rejection of the Word of God and the teachings of the Church.
Thus, we can all grow in faith by making it a habit to spend time to not only read the Sacred Scriptures but by internalizing what it says, by listening to God's Word with absolute trust and confidence and yielding to what the Scriptures prescribe especially in this Year of Faith. Faith also grows through the different trials that we encounter in our lives and on the degree of perseverance that we have.
Such perseverance was evident in the way the people rushed to wherever Jesus went and what was significant was that “all who touched him were healed” (v.56) which could only mean that there was no discrimination on the part of Jesus and he healed them all even if it lasted through the night.
There are two things that make this passage significant. One was that those who recognized Jesus were healed which means that while healing largely depends on the Will of God, it would greatly help if the person seeking healing will recognize the lordship of Christ. The other was that these signs, wonders and various healing miracles were made as God’s own testimony of the power of his Word made manifest by the gifts of the Holy Spirit. (Heb 2:4)
There was, however, a downside to these events depicted in this passage which was very evident. While the large number of people may have been drawn to seek healing from Jesus as a last resort, it was also apparent that many of those came to get something out of him.
This is a natural tendency even today when people patronize those from whom they can get something. And today, many still come to Jesus to get something out of him and we can see this in our prayers of petition and supplication. People even pray that they may win the jackpot prize in the lotto draw and it simply is natural that people come to Jesus because they recognize him as an all-powerful God who can do wonders for them even if is unconscionable to just use him and get something out of him and give nothing back.
Today, there are self-proclaimed faith healers who claim God is working through them and large crowds go to them hoping to be healed. Before I was baptized in the Holy Spirit in the Life in the Spirit Seminar, I also patronized a medical practitioner who claimed God was working through him and he gave me drugs he claims he formulated but which later turned out to be steroids.
This medical doctor has since lost his license and was even haled to court by some of those who were dismayed their condition worsened instead of getting healed. There are others, however, whom God uses to bring healing to the destitute and the purpose is to confirm that healing will take place when God wills it.
But supposing we reverse this scenario that instead of coming to Jesus to get something out of him, we’d rather go to him to offer him our love, devotion and service. Don’t you think Jesus would be more pleased if we are to come to him by just offering him all that we are and have?
First Reading: 1 Kgs 8:1-7, 9-1
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 132:6-10 “Lord, go up to the place of your rest.”
GOSPEL: MK 6:53-56
Key Verse: “and all who touched him were healed.” (v.56)
Time was when foreign nationals come to the Philippines not only to savor the sights and tourist spots in the country but also to place their fate in the hands of Filipino faith healers. In fact, travel agents abroad have included a visit to actual healing sessions by these faith healers as part of their itinerary.
And even to this day and age there are still many who still advertise themselves as gifted with the ability to heal the sick and people from all walks of life go to them with the hope they will get healed and some of them do get healed. Some claim their gift of healing was passed on to them by their forefathers and they normally chant Latin incantations before they conduct their healing sessions.
Faith healers as they are called normally hold their healing sessions on a Friday but because of the number of people whose hope lie in them many of them now hold daily healing sessions. Regardless of whether they are gifted or not we cannot discount the probability that God can also use them to bring healing in accordance with his Will and pleasure.
This gospel passage could very well be a story about faith as the people only needed to touch Jesus, his garment and or even the tassels of his robe and all who touched him were healed (v.56).
However, there was something conspicuous in this passage that reveals the people’s behavior especially those who are desperate and have lost whatever options may be available to them and this was evident right at the beginning of the passage when Mark wrote that when Jesus and his disciples disembarked at Gennesaret and when the people recognized Jesus, “they ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he went – into villages, towns or countryside – they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak” (vv.55-56).
If we are to get inside this gospel scenario itself, Mark’s description will tell us there was pandemonium and chaos that the disciples of Jesus must have had a difficult time putting order amidst the multitude who wanted to be healed. Certainly, people were pressing against one another as they jostled at each other just to get near Jesus to touch him and or the edge of his garment.
Hence, this passage tells us of the different levels of faith the people had and since the people in Gennesaret may have already heard what Jesus did in the other regions of Galilee and in Capernaum they ran and brought the sick to be healed as soon as “they recognized Jesus.”
What then is faith? Faith is one of the three virtues that God infuses in those who are sacramentally baptized. It is a free gift that God gives to us through the power of the Holy Spirit. This faith that has been infused in us and which is sustained by the presence of the Holy Spirit is what propels a person to believe and trust in God.
It is the Holy Spirit that energizes our minds that helps us to understand, accept, and believe the Word of God and the truths contained in the doctrines and dogmas of our Catholic faith. But since this virtue is a gift of God it means that faith can either grow depending on the docility of the person and or a person can also lose it by his rejection of the Word of God and the teachings of the Church.
Thus, we can all grow in faith by making it a habit to spend time to not only read the Sacred Scriptures but by internalizing what it says, by listening to God's Word with absolute trust and confidence and yielding to what the Scriptures prescribe especially in this Year of Faith. Faith also grows through the different trials that we encounter in our lives and on the degree of perseverance that we have.
Such perseverance was evident in the way the people rushed to wherever Jesus went and what was significant was that “all who touched him were healed” (v.56) which could only mean that there was no discrimination on the part of Jesus and he healed them all even if it lasted through the night.
There are two things that make this passage significant. One was that those who recognized Jesus were healed which means that while healing largely depends on the Will of God, it would greatly help if the person seeking healing will recognize the lordship of Christ. The other was that these signs, wonders and various healing miracles were made as God’s own testimony of the power of his Word made manifest by the gifts of the Holy Spirit. (Heb 2:4)
There was, however, a downside to these events depicted in this passage which was very evident. While the large number of people may have been drawn to seek healing from Jesus as a last resort, it was also apparent that many of those came to get something out of him.
This is a natural tendency even today when people patronize those from whom they can get something. And today, many still come to Jesus to get something out of him and we can see this in our prayers of petition and supplication. People even pray that they may win the jackpot prize in the lotto draw and it simply is natural that people come to Jesus because they recognize him as an all-powerful God who can do wonders for them even if is unconscionable to just use him and get something out of him and give nothing back.
Today, there are self-proclaimed faith healers who claim God is working through them and large crowds go to them hoping to be healed. Before I was baptized in the Holy Spirit in the Life in the Spirit Seminar, I also patronized a medical practitioner who claimed God was working through him and he gave me drugs he claims he formulated but which later turned out to be steroids.
This medical doctor has since lost his license and was even haled to court by some of those who were dismayed their condition worsened instead of getting healed. There are others, however, whom God uses to bring healing to the destitute and the purpose is to confirm that healing will take place when God wills it.
But supposing we reverse this scenario that instead of coming to Jesus to get something out of him, we’d rather go to him to offer him our love, devotion and service. Don’t you think Jesus would be more pleased if we are to come to him by just offering him all that we are and have?
ADDING FLAVOR TO THE WORLD
FEB. 9, 2014: FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
First Reading: Isa 58:7-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 112:4-9 “The just man is a light in darkness to the upright.”
Second Reading: 1 Cor 2:1-5
GOSPEL: MATT 5:13-16
Key Verse: “Let your light shine before men,” (v.16)
In the days of Jesus, to be referred to as the “salt of the earth” was the greatest compliment that can be given to any man. Why? Because it speaks highly of a person’s character and value. To be called the salt of the earth in those days was to highlight a person’s usefulness and how he was perceived not only by his family and peers but by the community in general.
For a person to be equated with salt was to draw attention to his purity as salt was in those days considered as the purest of all things because it came from the purest of all sources – the sun and the sea and even to this day, Jewish sacrificial offerings are made with salt. This is why for a Christian to be the salt of the earth that person must be an example of purity.
It is not enough that we pay lip service to our commitment as a Christian. How often do we hear people professing how they love to serve in the Lord’s vineyard, how they have offered their lives to the Lord, how they love the church or community they serve in. But their actions do not mirror what comes out of their lips.
The problem that most communities or ministries have is that the words that come out of our lips are often in contradiction with our deeds and we may not even be aware of it. Why is this so? We cannot see it because our intentions are clouded with our desire to create a good impression for ourselves.
In this Gospel passage, Jesus used ordinary images, such as salt and light, to convey the truths he wanted to impart to his disciples and to the Jews. We may ask what does salt and light have to do with our mission to build God’s Kingdom on earth?
The greatest and most obvious quality of salt is that it lends flavor to things. Food without salt is insipid and this is what Christianity is to life. Christianity lends flavor to life. Hence, if a seasoning has not flavor, it has no value whatsoever. This is the same for us Christians because if we make no effort to influence the world around us, we are of little value to God.
Jesus uses the image of salt to describe how we are to live in the world. As salt purifies, preserves, and penetrates, so we too must be like salt in our society, in our church or community to purify, preserve, and penetrate our society and our church for the Kingdom of God and of his righteousness and peace.
The essence of this Gospel passage and our being equated with salt is to remind us that idleness invites disaster. If we as a Christian disciple do not fulfill our purpose as a Christian which is to “deny ourselves, pick up our cross and come follow Jesus” (Lk 9:23) and go to the ends of the earth and “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matt 28:18) then we are on our way to disaster.
Just as seasoning brings out the best flavor in food, we as the salt of the earth should not merely blend in with others but we must influence others in a more positive way.
Jesus also used the image of light and a lamp to underscore his illustration. Lamps in those days served a vital function as they also do today. They enable people to see and work in the dark and to avoid stumbling. The Jews also understood “light” as an expression of the inner beauty, truth, and goodness of God.
“In your light we see light” ( Psa 36:9). “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” (Psa 119:105). God’s Grace not only illumines the darkness in our lives, but it also fills us with spiritual light, joy, and peace. Jesus used the image of a lamp to describe how his disciples are to live in the light of his truth and love.
Just as natural light illumines the darkness and enables us to see visually, so the light of Christ must shine in our hearts that will enable us to see the heavenly reality of God’s Kingdom. In fact, our mission is to be the light-bearers of Christ so that others may see the truth of the Gospel and be freed from the blindness of sin and deception.
Jesus said that nothing can remain hidden or secret. Even in the church or community that we belong to, we can actually camouflage our real intention and try to hide our true intention from others, but nothing can be hidden from God who sees everything.
Unknown to us we may be inviting tragedy when we shut our eyes from the consequences of our sinful ways and bad habits, even when we know what those consequences are. As we are enveloped by our personal intentions and desires, we keep these bad habits out of sight by hiding them from others and even from God. Nonetheless, nothing can be hidden from God who sees all.
As a light, a Christian should serve as a guide who must clear the way for others to also come to know Christ. We must stand as a warning light to tell others of the danger that lies ahead especially when their faith is being put to a test. And a Christian should not only be visible within the church or community whose light stops at the church entrance. This means that the light we have as Christians must be visible in the way we treat our neighbors or the person beside us.
In other words the world has to see our good deeds. As Greek was the universal language in those days, there are two words the Greeks use in describing that which is good. One is the word “agathos” which means good in quality and the other is “kalos” which means a thing is not only good but is also beautiful and attractive.
In this passage today, Jesus used the word “kalos” which means that the good deeds of a Christian must not only be good but attractive as well. Thus, the good deeds that we do must not only bring good to others but must be able to attract others to share the faith that we have.
A true Christian is one who doesn’t think of what he has done but what God has enabled him to do. A true Christian does not draw attention to himself but he directs attention to God. A true Christian is one who doesn’t do things in response to the expectations of others, but as a response to the call of God. A Christian who lives for Christ should glow like a light and be a salt to show others the way to Christ.
Like salt, a true Christian is one who adds flavor to the world around him. I believe that it is time that each of one us should ask “am I that kind of salt? Do I add flavor to my environment? Do I only try to look pious for others to see? A good way to end the day is to ask yourself before retiring for the night “have I been the salt and light in everything I did during the day?”
First Reading: Isa 58:7-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 112:4-9 “The just man is a light in darkness to the upright.”
Second Reading: 1 Cor 2:1-5
GOSPEL: MATT 5:13-16
Key Verse: “Let your light shine before men,” (v.16)
In the days of Jesus, to be referred to as the “salt of the earth” was the greatest compliment that can be given to any man. Why? Because it speaks highly of a person’s character and value. To be called the salt of the earth in those days was to highlight a person’s usefulness and how he was perceived not only by his family and peers but by the community in general.
For a person to be equated with salt was to draw attention to his purity as salt was in those days considered as the purest of all things because it came from the purest of all sources – the sun and the sea and even to this day, Jewish sacrificial offerings are made with salt. This is why for a Christian to be the salt of the earth that person must be an example of purity.
It is not enough that we pay lip service to our commitment as a Christian. How often do we hear people professing how they love to serve in the Lord’s vineyard, how they have offered their lives to the Lord, how they love the church or community they serve in. But their actions do not mirror what comes out of their lips.
The problem that most communities or ministries have is that the words that come out of our lips are often in contradiction with our deeds and we may not even be aware of it. Why is this so? We cannot see it because our intentions are clouded with our desire to create a good impression for ourselves.
In this Gospel passage, Jesus used ordinary images, such as salt and light, to convey the truths he wanted to impart to his disciples and to the Jews. We may ask what does salt and light have to do with our mission to build God’s Kingdom on earth?
The greatest and most obvious quality of salt is that it lends flavor to things. Food without salt is insipid and this is what Christianity is to life. Christianity lends flavor to life. Hence, if a seasoning has not flavor, it has no value whatsoever. This is the same for us Christians because if we make no effort to influence the world around us, we are of little value to God.
Jesus uses the image of salt to describe how we are to live in the world. As salt purifies, preserves, and penetrates, so we too must be like salt in our society, in our church or community to purify, preserve, and penetrate our society and our church for the Kingdom of God and of his righteousness and peace.
The essence of this Gospel passage and our being equated with salt is to remind us that idleness invites disaster. If we as a Christian disciple do not fulfill our purpose as a Christian which is to “deny ourselves, pick up our cross and come follow Jesus” (Lk 9:23) and go to the ends of the earth and “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matt 28:18) then we are on our way to disaster.
Just as seasoning brings out the best flavor in food, we as the salt of the earth should not merely blend in with others but we must influence others in a more positive way.
Jesus also used the image of light and a lamp to underscore his illustration. Lamps in those days served a vital function as they also do today. They enable people to see and work in the dark and to avoid stumbling. The Jews also understood “light” as an expression of the inner beauty, truth, and goodness of God.
“In your light we see light” ( Psa 36:9). “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” (Psa 119:105). God’s Grace not only illumines the darkness in our lives, but it also fills us with spiritual light, joy, and peace. Jesus used the image of a lamp to describe how his disciples are to live in the light of his truth and love.
Just as natural light illumines the darkness and enables us to see visually, so the light of Christ must shine in our hearts that will enable us to see the heavenly reality of God’s Kingdom. In fact, our mission is to be the light-bearers of Christ so that others may see the truth of the Gospel and be freed from the blindness of sin and deception.
Jesus said that nothing can remain hidden or secret. Even in the church or community that we belong to, we can actually camouflage our real intention and try to hide our true intention from others, but nothing can be hidden from God who sees everything.
Unknown to us we may be inviting tragedy when we shut our eyes from the consequences of our sinful ways and bad habits, even when we know what those consequences are. As we are enveloped by our personal intentions and desires, we keep these bad habits out of sight by hiding them from others and even from God. Nonetheless, nothing can be hidden from God who sees all.
As a light, a Christian should serve as a guide who must clear the way for others to also come to know Christ. We must stand as a warning light to tell others of the danger that lies ahead especially when their faith is being put to a test. And a Christian should not only be visible within the church or community whose light stops at the church entrance. This means that the light we have as Christians must be visible in the way we treat our neighbors or the person beside us.
In other words the world has to see our good deeds. As Greek was the universal language in those days, there are two words the Greeks use in describing that which is good. One is the word “agathos” which means good in quality and the other is “kalos” which means a thing is not only good but is also beautiful and attractive.
In this passage today, Jesus used the word “kalos” which means that the good deeds of a Christian must not only be good but attractive as well. Thus, the good deeds that we do must not only bring good to others but must be able to attract others to share the faith that we have.
A true Christian is one who doesn’t think of what he has done but what God has enabled him to do. A true Christian does not draw attention to himself but he directs attention to God. A true Christian is one who doesn’t do things in response to the expectations of others, but as a response to the call of God. A Christian who lives for Christ should glow like a light and be a salt to show others the way to Christ.
Like salt, a true Christian is one who adds flavor to the world around him. I believe that it is time that each of one us should ask “am I that kind of salt? Do I add flavor to my environment? Do I only try to look pious for others to see? A good way to end the day is to ask yourself before retiring for the night “have I been the salt and light in everything I did during the day?”
SAFE AND SECURE IN JESUS
FEB. 8, 2014: FOURTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
First Reading: 1 Kgs 3:4-13
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 119:9-14 “Lord, teach me your statutes.”
GOSPEL: MK 6:30-34
Key Verse: “..for they were like sheep
without a shepherd.” (v.34)
Have you ever spent a day when there is nothing happening except the things that you have been doing day in and day out seven days a week? How many times have we heard our friends mumbling they want a career change because they either aren’t moving up or there’s no more challenged in what they are currently doing.
The gospel scenario today may seem to be an ordinary day in the life of Jesus and the disciples traveling with him. What else is new? Jesus and his followers move from one town to another and the landscape remains the same with hordes of people who want to touch or be touched by Jesus.
However, there are two ways by which today’s gospel passage can be appreciated. One is by drawing on its meaning literally and, two by using your sheer imagination and try to create pictures in your mind of what it was like then. In fact, this is one method that can help Bible readers understand in a deeper way the words of the Scriptures and that is to transport yourself to where the action was.
Besides Jesus, there are at least two groups of people who were there at the time. They were the Apostles and the disciples (v.30) who normally travel with Jesus wherever he went and of course the people who were coming and going in great numbers (v.31).
It would appear that Jesus was tired following a series of teachings in different cities around and across Galilee. He went home to Nazareth where he suffered rejection from his own kin and town mates who could not accept that the son of an ordinary carpenter could speak with authority and command the evil spirits to get out of those possessed by demons.
This was probably the reason why he told his disciples to “come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” (v.31). Understandably because if the ministry of Jesus were to be likened to a political campaign, this can be likened to what we call a campaign blitz which is a strategy to achieve the best possible result over a limited period of time.
This was what Jesus did as he moved from town to town with neither the luxury of taking a leave of absence or a breather as we normally do when we feel pressure in the corporate world. The only break Jesus had that we know of was when he goes to a quiet place to pray.
And prayer was the one thing that Jesus never removed from his routine because it is during this time of prayer that he gets connected to God the Father and we could only surmise that it is during this moment of communion when Jesus either seeks the affirmation of the Father and or God’s counsel on how to proceed with his ministry.
In the same way, we can also draw inspiration from this kind of discipline that Jesus with regards to spending regular time in prayer to commune with God as this will help us develop our endurance over the long haul.
Thus, it follows that if Jesus our Lord was a prayerful person who derives his strength and inspiration from the Father through prayer then we too must develop the habit of getting connected with God through prayer because this is the lifeline that could spell the difference between our salvation and or eternal damnation.
The fact that Jesus told his Apostles to “come with me by yourselves” could only mean that he was as concerned with the human limitations of his disciples as well as the need to spend some time with them.
Israelites are known to value the Sabbath as their time of rest. In fact, the Jews celebrate several feasts in which rest was mandatory such as the Feast of the Unleavened Bread, Feast of Harvest, Feast of Tabernacles and the Day of Atonement and several other feasts in addition to the weekly Sabbath.
Prescribing a rest period for ourselves is necessary because we cannot work without rest and we cannot live an authentic Christian life unless we spend some time to be in the presence of God. In essence, these quiet moments with God especially in the solitude of the Adoration Chapel are what provide us strength and motivation for the work ahead.
But Jesus forgot all about the rest he wanted when he saw a multitude waiting for him as he got off the boat. Etched on the faces of the people was the desperation and hopelessness of a nation that had been waiting for a Messiah.
And Jesus felt pity for them for they were “like sheep without a shepherd, so he began teaching them many things” (v.34). Jesus knew whereof he speaks because this was precisely the reason why he was sent to become the incarnate Son of God. He knew that his primary responsibility was to be the shepherd of both the Jews and the Gentiles alike so that no one would be lost.
As Christ’s under-shepherds therefore, our calling is to evangelize and bring the Good News to others by becoming the good news and one of the ways by which we can be the good news is to be a shepherd to our brothers and sisters whose only hope is in Christ.
There are three things that we are called upon to do as under-shepherds. We are to guide others by “gathering them in our arms and carry them close to our hearts” (Isa 40:11). We are to lead others to graze by “becoming shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers, not because you must but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve” (1 Pet 5:2). And we are to guard the flock especially when they are exposed to danger and harm (1 Sam 17:34-35).
We need to know that a sheep without a shepherd cannot find their way in this world filled with deceit and misrepresentations and they are incapable of defending themselves from the temptations and trials that are before them and only in Jesus can we find the hope of glory we are looking for he is the Shepherd and Guardian of our souls (1 Pet 2:25). And when the Chief Shepherd appears, we will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away (1 Pet 5:4).
First Reading: 1 Kgs 3:4-13
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 119:9-14 “Lord, teach me your statutes.”
GOSPEL: MK 6:30-34
Key Verse: “..for they were like sheep
without a shepherd.” (v.34)
Have you ever spent a day when there is nothing happening except the things that you have been doing day in and day out seven days a week? How many times have we heard our friends mumbling they want a career change because they either aren’t moving up or there’s no more challenged in what they are currently doing.
The gospel scenario today may seem to be an ordinary day in the life of Jesus and the disciples traveling with him. What else is new? Jesus and his followers move from one town to another and the landscape remains the same with hordes of people who want to touch or be touched by Jesus.
However, there are two ways by which today’s gospel passage can be appreciated. One is by drawing on its meaning literally and, two by using your sheer imagination and try to create pictures in your mind of what it was like then. In fact, this is one method that can help Bible readers understand in a deeper way the words of the Scriptures and that is to transport yourself to where the action was.
Besides Jesus, there are at least two groups of people who were there at the time. They were the Apostles and the disciples (v.30) who normally travel with Jesus wherever he went and of course the people who were coming and going in great numbers (v.31).
It would appear that Jesus was tired following a series of teachings in different cities around and across Galilee. He went home to Nazareth where he suffered rejection from his own kin and town mates who could not accept that the son of an ordinary carpenter could speak with authority and command the evil spirits to get out of those possessed by demons.
This was probably the reason why he told his disciples to “come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” (v.31). Understandably because if the ministry of Jesus were to be likened to a political campaign, this can be likened to what we call a campaign blitz which is a strategy to achieve the best possible result over a limited period of time.
This was what Jesus did as he moved from town to town with neither the luxury of taking a leave of absence or a breather as we normally do when we feel pressure in the corporate world. The only break Jesus had that we know of was when he goes to a quiet place to pray.
And prayer was the one thing that Jesus never removed from his routine because it is during this time of prayer that he gets connected to God the Father and we could only surmise that it is during this moment of communion when Jesus either seeks the affirmation of the Father and or God’s counsel on how to proceed with his ministry.
In the same way, we can also draw inspiration from this kind of discipline that Jesus with regards to spending regular time in prayer to commune with God as this will help us develop our endurance over the long haul.
Thus, it follows that if Jesus our Lord was a prayerful person who derives his strength and inspiration from the Father through prayer then we too must develop the habit of getting connected with God through prayer because this is the lifeline that could spell the difference between our salvation and or eternal damnation.
The fact that Jesus told his Apostles to “come with me by yourselves” could only mean that he was as concerned with the human limitations of his disciples as well as the need to spend some time with them.
Israelites are known to value the Sabbath as their time of rest. In fact, the Jews celebrate several feasts in which rest was mandatory such as the Feast of the Unleavened Bread, Feast of Harvest, Feast of Tabernacles and the Day of Atonement and several other feasts in addition to the weekly Sabbath.
Prescribing a rest period for ourselves is necessary because we cannot work without rest and we cannot live an authentic Christian life unless we spend some time to be in the presence of God. In essence, these quiet moments with God especially in the solitude of the Adoration Chapel are what provide us strength and motivation for the work ahead.
But Jesus forgot all about the rest he wanted when he saw a multitude waiting for him as he got off the boat. Etched on the faces of the people was the desperation and hopelessness of a nation that had been waiting for a Messiah.
And Jesus felt pity for them for they were “like sheep without a shepherd, so he began teaching them many things” (v.34). Jesus knew whereof he speaks because this was precisely the reason why he was sent to become the incarnate Son of God. He knew that his primary responsibility was to be the shepherd of both the Jews and the Gentiles alike so that no one would be lost.
As Christ’s under-shepherds therefore, our calling is to evangelize and bring the Good News to others by becoming the good news and one of the ways by which we can be the good news is to be a shepherd to our brothers and sisters whose only hope is in Christ.
There are three things that we are called upon to do as under-shepherds. We are to guide others by “gathering them in our arms and carry them close to our hearts” (Isa 40:11). We are to lead others to graze by “becoming shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers, not because you must but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve” (1 Pet 5:2). And we are to guard the flock especially when they are exposed to danger and harm (1 Sam 17:34-35).
We need to know that a sheep without a shepherd cannot find their way in this world filled with deceit and misrepresentations and they are incapable of defending themselves from the temptations and trials that are before them and only in Jesus can we find the hope of glory we are looking for he is the Shepherd and Guardian of our souls (1 Pet 2:25). And when the Chief Shepherd appears, we will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away (1 Pet 5:4).
DO YOU REALLY KNOW JESUS?
FEB. 7, 2014: FOURTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
First Reading: Sir 47:2-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 18:31, 47, 50-51 “Blessed be God my salvation.”
GOSPEL: MK 6:14-29
Key Verse: “…and yet he heard him gladly.” (v.20)
Only those who have a genuine relationship with God and who profess faith in the Trinitarian God would know who Jesus is. Probably not the average man on the street much more a person who has never been to a church.
This was the case of Herod who just couldn’t make out who Jesus was and this was not without reason. Herod lived in Tiberias which was part of Galilee but which at the time was populated by Gentiles and there was no account that Jesus went to Tiberias.
Because Herod didn’t know who Jesus was the first thing that came to his mind was the name of John the Baptist: “John, the man I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!” (v.16) To refer to Jesus as John was probably out of guilt that Herod felt for the murder of the prophet who is remembered for paving the way for the coming of Jesus.
Others said Jesus was Elijah (v.15). Again, this was based on the conduct of the Jews who were awaiting the return of the great prophet who also was expected to announce the coming of the Lord. And others simply dismissed Jesus as “a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago.” (v.15)
This scenario is no different from what we see in the ordinary course of everyday life today. The “unchurched” who wasn’t provided with catechetical instruction in their growing up years will not be able to give us even an abstract view of who Jesus is and this is the reason why in 2014 which has been decreed as the Year of the Laity there is now a revival of the faith that is sweeping the country to bring the unchurch into the Christian faith.
What this passage today is telling us is that past sins especially that which was as grievous as the murder perpetrated by Herod will not go away especially if it remains buried in the memory of an unrepentant sinner because the natural tendency is it will keep coming back as the sin continues to haunt an offender like Herod.
The irony of it all was that Herod loved to listen to the prophetic words spoken by John the Baptist and the only thing that he couldn’t accept was when the prophet started speaking against his illicit relationship with Herodias who was previously married to his brother Philip.
And Herod Antipas feared John the Baptist because he spoke the truth about his adulterous relationship with Herodias. But he also respected John because he knew that he was a man of unquestionable integrity and that many people believed in the evangelist. This is where we draw a parallelism because this oddity in the character of Herod can also be found in many of us who unknowingly are treading on two parallel courses in our spiritual and temporal journey.
Some of us may be faithful in our attendance in the Eucharistic Celebrations or the Mass and also in Prayer Meetings for those who belong to a Christian community or prayer group and we lift up our hands and say “yes Lord,” “Amen, Lord” but our temporal lives do not reflect any of the spirituality that we have in the spiritual setting.
The sin of Herod was that he gave in to his impulsive nature when he failed to discern the request of Salome, the daughter of Herodias, for the head of John to be delivered on a plate. Such impulsiveness is not new as there are times when some of us also lose our sense of right judgment and we do things that we regret afterwards.
There was someone who once said there are quick decisions and there are good decisions but it is very seldom that a man will arrive at a good quick decision. There was no doubt that Herod made a bad quick decision but have we asked ourselves how many times have we also made a quick decision that turned awry or bad.
Herod was drunk at the time and he failed to rein in his impulsive nature and this was what Paul warned in his letter to the Eph 5:18: “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery (riotous living). Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
What this gospel written by Mark shows was that we who would like to be a disciple of Jesus Christ and take over the mission he left behind must have the courage and the boldness to speak the truth. If there was one thing admirable with John was that he did not even think twice when he decided to rebuke Herod for his adulterous relationship with Herodias and he put his life on the line for telling the truth.
Jesus is actually telling us to pattern our lives to that of John the Baptist who never minced any words who spoke the truth to the point of death. As evangelists or catechists whose primary duty is to bring the unbelievers and the doubters to Jesus Christ, this example of John is the model that Jesus is asking us to follow. Historical accounts claim that Herod Antipas had talked to John to soften his critique of the former’s relationship with Herodias but John stood his ground and risked his life rather than compromise.
We the church who are now tasked to bring the Gospel of Christ to others and take the same path that John the Baptist are being commanded to place our life in the hands of God and the Catechism of the Catholic Church provides us an inspiration when it said in Para 2471:“Before Pilate, Christ proclaims that he “has come into the world, to bear witness to the truth." The Christian is not to “be ashamed then of testifying to our Lord.” In situations that require witness to the faith, the Christian must profess it without equivocation, after the example of St. Paul before his judges. We must keep “a clear conscience toward God and toward men.”
Like John the Baptist, we are to bear witness to the truth and as Christians we must not be ashamed of testifying to what the Lord has done in our lives. Remember also what Pope Paul VI said: “People listen more to witnesses and if they listen to teachers it is because they are witnesses also.”
Men are drawn to Christ by the testimony of witnesses whose lives were transformed with the help of the Holy Spirit. It is thus imperative that preachers, evangelists and teachers must stand as witnesses to the Gospel because it is only by testifying that we can help bridge the gap that separate men from God.
We also must not forget that we are actually the Gospel that we preach and teach such that it is important that others must see Jesus present in our lives. This was what John the Baptist did. He spoke the truth. He was the conscience of God and he gave his life for the truth.
First Reading: Sir 47:2-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 18:31, 47, 50-51 “Blessed be God my salvation.”
GOSPEL: MK 6:14-29
Key Verse: “…and yet he heard him gladly.” (v.20)
Only those who have a genuine relationship with God and who profess faith in the Trinitarian God would know who Jesus is. Probably not the average man on the street much more a person who has never been to a church.
This was the case of Herod who just couldn’t make out who Jesus was and this was not without reason. Herod lived in Tiberias which was part of Galilee but which at the time was populated by Gentiles and there was no account that Jesus went to Tiberias.
Because Herod didn’t know who Jesus was the first thing that came to his mind was the name of John the Baptist: “John, the man I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!” (v.16) To refer to Jesus as John was probably out of guilt that Herod felt for the murder of the prophet who is remembered for paving the way for the coming of Jesus.
Others said Jesus was Elijah (v.15). Again, this was based on the conduct of the Jews who were awaiting the return of the great prophet who also was expected to announce the coming of the Lord. And others simply dismissed Jesus as “a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago.” (v.15)
This scenario is no different from what we see in the ordinary course of everyday life today. The “unchurched” who wasn’t provided with catechetical instruction in their growing up years will not be able to give us even an abstract view of who Jesus is and this is the reason why in 2014 which has been decreed as the Year of the Laity there is now a revival of the faith that is sweeping the country to bring the unchurch into the Christian faith.
What this passage today is telling us is that past sins especially that which was as grievous as the murder perpetrated by Herod will not go away especially if it remains buried in the memory of an unrepentant sinner because the natural tendency is it will keep coming back as the sin continues to haunt an offender like Herod.
The irony of it all was that Herod loved to listen to the prophetic words spoken by John the Baptist and the only thing that he couldn’t accept was when the prophet started speaking against his illicit relationship with Herodias who was previously married to his brother Philip.
And Herod Antipas feared John the Baptist because he spoke the truth about his adulterous relationship with Herodias. But he also respected John because he knew that he was a man of unquestionable integrity and that many people believed in the evangelist. This is where we draw a parallelism because this oddity in the character of Herod can also be found in many of us who unknowingly are treading on two parallel courses in our spiritual and temporal journey.
Some of us may be faithful in our attendance in the Eucharistic Celebrations or the Mass and also in Prayer Meetings for those who belong to a Christian community or prayer group and we lift up our hands and say “yes Lord,” “Amen, Lord” but our temporal lives do not reflect any of the spirituality that we have in the spiritual setting.
The sin of Herod was that he gave in to his impulsive nature when he failed to discern the request of Salome, the daughter of Herodias, for the head of John to be delivered on a plate. Such impulsiveness is not new as there are times when some of us also lose our sense of right judgment and we do things that we regret afterwards.
There was someone who once said there are quick decisions and there are good decisions but it is very seldom that a man will arrive at a good quick decision. There was no doubt that Herod made a bad quick decision but have we asked ourselves how many times have we also made a quick decision that turned awry or bad.
Herod was drunk at the time and he failed to rein in his impulsive nature and this was what Paul warned in his letter to the Eph 5:18: “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery (riotous living). Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
What this gospel written by Mark shows was that we who would like to be a disciple of Jesus Christ and take over the mission he left behind must have the courage and the boldness to speak the truth. If there was one thing admirable with John was that he did not even think twice when he decided to rebuke Herod for his adulterous relationship with Herodias and he put his life on the line for telling the truth.
Jesus is actually telling us to pattern our lives to that of John the Baptist who never minced any words who spoke the truth to the point of death. As evangelists or catechists whose primary duty is to bring the unbelievers and the doubters to Jesus Christ, this example of John is the model that Jesus is asking us to follow. Historical accounts claim that Herod Antipas had talked to John to soften his critique of the former’s relationship with Herodias but John stood his ground and risked his life rather than compromise.
We the church who are now tasked to bring the Gospel of Christ to others and take the same path that John the Baptist are being commanded to place our life in the hands of God and the Catechism of the Catholic Church provides us an inspiration when it said in Para 2471:“Before Pilate, Christ proclaims that he “has come into the world, to bear witness to the truth." The Christian is not to “be ashamed then of testifying to our Lord.” In situations that require witness to the faith, the Christian must profess it without equivocation, after the example of St. Paul before his judges. We must keep “a clear conscience toward God and toward men.”
Like John the Baptist, we are to bear witness to the truth and as Christians we must not be ashamed of testifying to what the Lord has done in our lives. Remember also what Pope Paul VI said: “People listen more to witnesses and if they listen to teachers it is because they are witnesses also.”
Men are drawn to Christ by the testimony of witnesses whose lives were transformed with the help of the Holy Spirit. It is thus imperative that preachers, evangelists and teachers must stand as witnesses to the Gospel because it is only by testifying that we can help bridge the gap that separate men from God.
We also must not forget that we are actually the Gospel that we preach and teach such that it is important that others must see Jesus present in our lives. This was what John the Baptist did. He spoke the truth. He was the conscience of God and he gave his life for the truth.
JESUS DEFINES OUR J. D.
FEB. 6, 2014: FOURTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
First Reading: 1 Kgs 2:1-4, 10-12
Responsorial Psalm: 1 Chro 29:10-12 “Lord, you are exalted over all.”
GOSPEL: MK 6:7-13
Key Verse: “…repent.” (v.12)
A few chapters before this Gospel reading, in Mk 3:13-19 we witnessed how Jesus chose the 12 men from among his numerous disciples whom he elevated to become the Apostles to whom he passed on his authority to do what he was doing.
As with us, the 12 Apostles probably did not also know that their having been chosen was not an entitlement but it was a privilege that will require lots of sacrifices including the offering of their own self literally speaking as the 11 Apostles all died a violent death. John, the disciples whom Jesus loved, died of old age in the island of Patmos in Greece where he lived the remainder of his life in exile.
But more than this initial foray in evangelization Jesus would entrust to them the building of the church which will be officially founded on Pentecost when the Holy Spirit takes his place as the paraclete who will equip and empower the Church as we see it now. The 12 Apostles are gone now and the Church continues to evolve over time and today the responsibility to help keep the Church standing rests on our shoulders.
We also heard Jesus on the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time when he delivered what amounted to be his inaugural address to kick off his ministry when he declared: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Lk 4:18-19)
And in today’s Gospel reading, Jesus issues what appears to be the mission orders not only for his Apostles but also for us who have made a commitment to honor our covenant with God and Jesus spelled out at least four primary tasks that include: (1) Heal the sick, (2) Raise the dead, (3) Cleanse the lepers, and (4) Cast out demons. Over and above these tasks is the need to proclaim the Kingdom of God to all who will hear and listen.
Here we see Jesus sending out his disciples in pairs and gave them the power and the authority to speak and to act in his name. He gave specific instructions for them to do the same works that he did – to heal, to free people from the power of the evil one, and to speak the word of God – the good news of the gospel that they received from Jesus.
As Jesus gave his disciples the power and authority to guide them as they went out to experience what it was to evangelize, he also meshed this power and authority with love and humility that they are to be clothed with. While the “world” and the “flesh” seek power for selfish gain, Jesus is also telling us in this passage that we have to have love and humility especially in dealing with our neighbor.
Today’s Gospel is actually our own appointment as his ambassadors and missionaries – to bring the Good News to all peoples, lands, and nations as He freely pours out his Holy Spirit upon each one of us so that we may have the confidence and boldness to speak and act in his name wherever he sends us.
As he did with his Apostles and disciples, Jesus is also telling us the new breed of evangelists to “travel light” with as little provision or none at all and depend on what we will find in the mission field we go to. What Jesus was teaching is for us to be familiar with such poverty of spirit that will free us from greed and concern for possessions instead of God's provision.
What the Lord wants is for us to be dependent on him and not on ourselves. What these directives of Jesus represent is the pursuit of a radical kind of faith which simply means doing things that we are not used to. This also means getting out of our comfort zones and into the mission fields even if such will inconvenience us. It means our days are filled with the desire for mission to evangelize from the rising of the sun to its setting and not reduce this to an annual event.
I am particularly saddened when I am confronted with Christians who claim to have been renewed but who serve only where it is comfortable and conformable to their life’s standards. Worse is when you hear reports of leaders benefiting from the position they hold in the church or community for that matter.
While Jesus and his disciples make do with whatever is given them in the homes they go to, there are a new breed of disciples who expect that they be treated like royalty and we see them in every corner of our church. These are faces who raise a lot of noise but whom you don’t see on the streets.
To talk of radicalism in the way we practice our faith is also to look at the way we conduct ourselves as disciples. There is an ocean of difference between talking about discipleship and actually doing it. Preaching the Gospel and living it is what the call of Jesus is all about.
All these translate to metanoia which means that in Christ’s schema, we lose our identity. We forget who we are as we go to proclaim the Gospel in every situation we are in, to toil and serve and not to issue orders because only Christ gives the order. While a leadership structure puts order even in a Christian setting, leaders are expected to become encouragers and not controllers who impose their will on others.
We should take to heart that the mission orders that Jesus gave to the Apostles are the same as what He has been doing during his earthly ministry and it presupposes that since we have already seen what he has done Jesus also expects is that we can replicate this in our own evangelical mission.
As with the Apostles, we are to do this in conjunction with the more important task of proclaiming the Kingdom of God. The Jews longed to have their own Kingdom and be freed from the oppression but they had a different mindset of the Messiah. And what Jesus was saying was that His coming into the world heralds the coming of the Kingdom of God.
The Church recently took steps to revive the Christian faith that is becoming lukewarm as a result of the relativism especially in the West (United States) and this moved Peter’s successor Pope Francis to issue an apostolic exhortation – Evangelii Gaudium – which contain instructions principally to reinvigorate the evangelical mission of the church through the proclamation of the Gospel with joy.
It also realized that there was actually no need to reinvent the wheel or restructure the organization that has existed for more than 2,000 years but that what is needed is the transmission of the Gospel of Christ using the new media and communication tools that the post-modern world can relate to.
The Bukas Loob sa Diyos which was founded in 1985 grew to an extent that it could fill up the 1,500-seat plenary hall of the Philippine International Convention Center. The BLD at that time did not have a Covenant of Communion or the BLD Statutes. What we had were mere operating manuals that were culled from actual experiences and copied from materials made available by other communities and these were what guided each of the ministries and apostolates in those days.
What could have fueled this tremendous growth? It was in the simplicity with which the Gospel of Christ was imparted and proclaimed. Equipped with nothing but their passion and love for the Word of God, BLD members brought Christ to others without counting the cost. Today, the Church urges us “not to invent new strategies as if the Gospel were a product to be placed in the market of religions. We need to rediscover the ways in which Jesus approached persons and called them, in order to put them into practice in today's circumstances.” (Para 4, Closing Message of the Synodal Assembly)
In other words, the reason why churches and or communities like the BLD are now confronted with problems related to the practice of their baptismal faith is because it has prioritized plans and projects to supplant that which is more important – the encounter with the personhood of Jesus Christ through the proclamation of the Kingdom of God.
Remember that Jesus Himself actually began His Kingdom in the hearts of His Apostles and disciples including we who comprise the modern-day disciples whom he gathered from the dark valleys where we dwelt before Jesus found us. Hence, our mandate is to do the same and that is to establish his Kingdom in the hearts of men.
We must keep in mind what the prophet Hosea said: “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.” (Hos 4:6) Knowledge as used in the Scriptures does not refer to anything else but knowledge of God which means our calling is to know him that we may love him, to love him that we may serve him, to serve him that we may share in his suffering which is the way to a glorious life.
First Reading: 1 Kgs 2:1-4, 10-12
Responsorial Psalm: 1 Chro 29:10-12 “Lord, you are exalted over all.”
GOSPEL: MK 6:7-13
Key Verse: “…repent.” (v.12)
A few chapters before this Gospel reading, in Mk 3:13-19 we witnessed how Jesus chose the 12 men from among his numerous disciples whom he elevated to become the Apostles to whom he passed on his authority to do what he was doing.
As with us, the 12 Apostles probably did not also know that their having been chosen was not an entitlement but it was a privilege that will require lots of sacrifices including the offering of their own self literally speaking as the 11 Apostles all died a violent death. John, the disciples whom Jesus loved, died of old age in the island of Patmos in Greece where he lived the remainder of his life in exile.
But more than this initial foray in evangelization Jesus would entrust to them the building of the church which will be officially founded on Pentecost when the Holy Spirit takes his place as the paraclete who will equip and empower the Church as we see it now. The 12 Apostles are gone now and the Church continues to evolve over time and today the responsibility to help keep the Church standing rests on our shoulders.
We also heard Jesus on the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time when he delivered what amounted to be his inaugural address to kick off his ministry when he declared: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Lk 4:18-19)
And in today’s Gospel reading, Jesus issues what appears to be the mission orders not only for his Apostles but also for us who have made a commitment to honor our covenant with God and Jesus spelled out at least four primary tasks that include: (1) Heal the sick, (2) Raise the dead, (3) Cleanse the lepers, and (4) Cast out demons. Over and above these tasks is the need to proclaim the Kingdom of God to all who will hear and listen.
Here we see Jesus sending out his disciples in pairs and gave them the power and the authority to speak and to act in his name. He gave specific instructions for them to do the same works that he did – to heal, to free people from the power of the evil one, and to speak the word of God – the good news of the gospel that they received from Jesus.
As Jesus gave his disciples the power and authority to guide them as they went out to experience what it was to evangelize, he also meshed this power and authority with love and humility that they are to be clothed with. While the “world” and the “flesh” seek power for selfish gain, Jesus is also telling us in this passage that we have to have love and humility especially in dealing with our neighbor.
Today’s Gospel is actually our own appointment as his ambassadors and missionaries – to bring the Good News to all peoples, lands, and nations as He freely pours out his Holy Spirit upon each one of us so that we may have the confidence and boldness to speak and act in his name wherever he sends us.
As he did with his Apostles and disciples, Jesus is also telling us the new breed of evangelists to “travel light” with as little provision or none at all and depend on what we will find in the mission field we go to. What Jesus was teaching is for us to be familiar with such poverty of spirit that will free us from greed and concern for possessions instead of God's provision.
What the Lord wants is for us to be dependent on him and not on ourselves. What these directives of Jesus represent is the pursuit of a radical kind of faith which simply means doing things that we are not used to. This also means getting out of our comfort zones and into the mission fields even if such will inconvenience us. It means our days are filled with the desire for mission to evangelize from the rising of the sun to its setting and not reduce this to an annual event.
I am particularly saddened when I am confronted with Christians who claim to have been renewed but who serve only where it is comfortable and conformable to their life’s standards. Worse is when you hear reports of leaders benefiting from the position they hold in the church or community for that matter.
While Jesus and his disciples make do with whatever is given them in the homes they go to, there are a new breed of disciples who expect that they be treated like royalty and we see them in every corner of our church. These are faces who raise a lot of noise but whom you don’t see on the streets.
To talk of radicalism in the way we practice our faith is also to look at the way we conduct ourselves as disciples. There is an ocean of difference between talking about discipleship and actually doing it. Preaching the Gospel and living it is what the call of Jesus is all about.
All these translate to metanoia which means that in Christ’s schema, we lose our identity. We forget who we are as we go to proclaim the Gospel in every situation we are in, to toil and serve and not to issue orders because only Christ gives the order. While a leadership structure puts order even in a Christian setting, leaders are expected to become encouragers and not controllers who impose their will on others.
We should take to heart that the mission orders that Jesus gave to the Apostles are the same as what He has been doing during his earthly ministry and it presupposes that since we have already seen what he has done Jesus also expects is that we can replicate this in our own evangelical mission.
As with the Apostles, we are to do this in conjunction with the more important task of proclaiming the Kingdom of God. The Jews longed to have their own Kingdom and be freed from the oppression but they had a different mindset of the Messiah. And what Jesus was saying was that His coming into the world heralds the coming of the Kingdom of God.
The Church recently took steps to revive the Christian faith that is becoming lukewarm as a result of the relativism especially in the West (United States) and this moved Peter’s successor Pope Francis to issue an apostolic exhortation – Evangelii Gaudium – which contain instructions principally to reinvigorate the evangelical mission of the church through the proclamation of the Gospel with joy.
It also realized that there was actually no need to reinvent the wheel or restructure the organization that has existed for more than 2,000 years but that what is needed is the transmission of the Gospel of Christ using the new media and communication tools that the post-modern world can relate to.
The Bukas Loob sa Diyos which was founded in 1985 grew to an extent that it could fill up the 1,500-seat plenary hall of the Philippine International Convention Center. The BLD at that time did not have a Covenant of Communion or the BLD Statutes. What we had were mere operating manuals that were culled from actual experiences and copied from materials made available by other communities and these were what guided each of the ministries and apostolates in those days.
What could have fueled this tremendous growth? It was in the simplicity with which the Gospel of Christ was imparted and proclaimed. Equipped with nothing but their passion and love for the Word of God, BLD members brought Christ to others without counting the cost. Today, the Church urges us “not to invent new strategies as if the Gospel were a product to be placed in the market of religions. We need to rediscover the ways in which Jesus approached persons and called them, in order to put them into practice in today's circumstances.” (Para 4, Closing Message of the Synodal Assembly)
In other words, the reason why churches and or communities like the BLD are now confronted with problems related to the practice of their baptismal faith is because it has prioritized plans and projects to supplant that which is more important – the encounter with the personhood of Jesus Christ through the proclamation of the Kingdom of God.
Remember that Jesus Himself actually began His Kingdom in the hearts of His Apostles and disciples including we who comprise the modern-day disciples whom he gathered from the dark valleys where we dwelt before Jesus found us. Hence, our mandate is to do the same and that is to establish his Kingdom in the hearts of men.
We must keep in mind what the prophet Hosea said: “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.” (Hos 4:6) Knowledge as used in the Scriptures does not refer to anything else but knowledge of God which means our calling is to know him that we may love him, to love him that we may serve him, to serve him that we may share in his suffering which is the way to a glorious life.
REJECTION IS ENVY IN DISGUISE
FEB. 5, 2014: FOURTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
First Reading: 2 Sam 24:2, 9-17
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 32:1-2, 5-7 “Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.”
GOSPEL: Mk 6:1-6
Key Verse: “…and in his own house
is a prophet without honor.” (v.4)
Life will always have its ups and downs and there is nothing you can do about it for that is how the wheel of life turns. And there will be times when you will find yourself in a worse situation such as when you experience rejection by people with whom you are intimate with like relatives or close friends?
If you have, how did you feel? At times, it may not be a rejection but I’m sure that in the course of your growing up there were instances when you were insulted and or scorned perhaps. You probably felt alienated at some point in time when you were left out of a peer group that you wanted to belong to.
There are many factors why people reject people but the most common is envy and insecurity. We just don’t want others to succeed and we sneer at those who may have progressed ahead of us. In other words, to reject others has not only become a human tendency for self-preservation but it also became a mechanism to defend yourself – reject them first before they reject you.
For all intents and purposes, rejection exists even in the church or a community for that matter. I know for a fact that leaders of ministries and communities have also experienced rejection. Take the case of the El Shaddai charismatic movement that was scorned at by other lay evangelists who felt threatened by his presence. In fact this rejection spilled over even from among the mainstream Church itself which doubted his spirituality.
The rest is history and the El Shaddai has grown and is now found in even the remotest parts of the archipelago and has stretched out its reach overseas even in many Middle Eastern countries. Its size and staying power notwithstanding, there are still some who reject the El Shaddai community not because it is less spiritual but because of the “masa” character of its members. But then this is no longer just a rejection but arrogance and judgment
The irony of it all is that Jesus “though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” (2 Cor 8:9) The obedience and faith commitment of El Shaddai members are too well known and while many will venture to offer a guess the fact is it was here that God revealed Himself to them and they believed and it is here that Bro. Mike Velarde played an important role because of the simplicity in the way that he proclaims the Gospel.
In the course of my journey of faith, I have also experienced rejection but I have not allowed such experiences to deter me from pursuing my calling. It is between me and my God and there is nothing in between and I don’t think God will be pleased if I am to turn around and mind all the useless talks behind my back.
In today’s Gospel passage there are two things that stood out as I reflected on it. One was the humiliating experience that Jesus suffered in the hands of his own countrymen (vv.3-4) and, the other was his seeming amazement at the “lack of faith” of the people in his hometown (v.6).
There is an old idiomatic expression of which many of us are familiar with that goes like this – familiarity breeds contempt – and this could very well apply to the situation that Jesus found himself in when his own town mates severely questioned his credentials even if they were amazed at the way he taught at the synagogue in Nazareth.
I know of some instances when people who have achieved success have become the butt of envy and gossip especially in their own hometown. But don’t you think that instead of allowing such loose talk to pester we should instead share in the joy at the good fortune of a relative or a friend perhaps?
At least this was how I feel when I hear prominent members of society openly proclaiming their active involvement in church and ministry activities and I’m equally glad when I learn of celebrities doing time in some charitable projects. In fact, there are a number of such celebrities like Aga Muhlach, Piolo Pascual, Diether Ocampo and Dingdong Dantes who have organized and established their own foundations that conduct specific projects for the poor.
But this was not so in the case of Jesus as the people of Nazareth went as far as to question not only his trade as a carpenter but even his family heritage: “Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us? And they took offense at him.” (v.4)
This reaction of his town mates probably stemmed from their familiarity with Jesus who stayed with Joseph and Mary and only left Nazareth when he was already thirty years old. In all those years, there was probably nothing spectacular that he said or did that could have generated the admiration of his town mates.
His town mates were amazed at the wisdom of his teaching but what they could not accept was how a very ordinary carpenter’s son could teach with authority, performed miracles, healed the sick and cast out the demons from those possessed by evil spirits. And this was probably what Brother Mike also experienced as we tend to look at appearances rather than the message that one brings.
Jews normally receive religious instructions at an early age such that by the time they reach the age of puberty they are already well-versed in the so-called Law of God which was why Jesus was amazed at the lack of faith of his town mates.
Thus it would be illogical for Jesus to preach where his presence was unwelcome but what his town mates didn’t realize then was that they would be missing a lot from the teachings of Jesus and the things that he could do for them. This contemptuous display of arrogance deprived them of learning what God’s Will was for them.
Today, we could also be committing what the Nazoreans did which is why we need to always check the level of our faith in God. Knowing that our Lord is a forgiving God might push us to abuse God’s kindness and mercy and find the gates closed when the bridegroom arrives if we continue to wallow in sin.
As he moved out of Nazareth to go to where he was welcome, we might also find Jesus moving out of our presence if we don’t take heed of his teachings and if we don’t reform our ways and stay clear of sin. We cannot afford to be contemptuous because our salvation is largely dependent on our obedience to God’s Will for us.
Jesus himself tells us: “Remain in me, and I will remain in you.” (Jn 15:4) “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.” (Jn 15:9) Familiarity can work both ways. It can either breed contempt as what happened to the Nazoreans or our being familiar with Jesus can strengthen the ties that bind us to him.
God is giving us a choice. We can either help proclaim the Good News to others or reject it altogether. There are no gray areas nor a thin line when it comes to our salvation and we cannot assume that God will forgive us if we will repay his kindness and generosity with a contemptible attitude.
On the other hand, by paying close attention to his Word we can be assured of the promise of Jesus in Jn 14:23 “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” And in this life, there are only two choices that we can make. It’s either we “are for him or against him?”
First Reading: 2 Sam 24:2, 9-17
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 32:1-2, 5-7 “Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.”
GOSPEL: Mk 6:1-6
Key Verse: “…and in his own house
is a prophet without honor.” (v.4)
Life will always have its ups and downs and there is nothing you can do about it for that is how the wheel of life turns. And there will be times when you will find yourself in a worse situation such as when you experience rejection by people with whom you are intimate with like relatives or close friends?
If you have, how did you feel? At times, it may not be a rejection but I’m sure that in the course of your growing up there were instances when you were insulted and or scorned perhaps. You probably felt alienated at some point in time when you were left out of a peer group that you wanted to belong to.
There are many factors why people reject people but the most common is envy and insecurity. We just don’t want others to succeed and we sneer at those who may have progressed ahead of us. In other words, to reject others has not only become a human tendency for self-preservation but it also became a mechanism to defend yourself – reject them first before they reject you.
For all intents and purposes, rejection exists even in the church or a community for that matter. I know for a fact that leaders of ministries and communities have also experienced rejection. Take the case of the El Shaddai charismatic movement that was scorned at by other lay evangelists who felt threatened by his presence. In fact this rejection spilled over even from among the mainstream Church itself which doubted his spirituality.
The rest is history and the El Shaddai has grown and is now found in even the remotest parts of the archipelago and has stretched out its reach overseas even in many Middle Eastern countries. Its size and staying power notwithstanding, there are still some who reject the El Shaddai community not because it is less spiritual but because of the “masa” character of its members. But then this is no longer just a rejection but arrogance and judgment
The irony of it all is that Jesus “though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” (2 Cor 8:9) The obedience and faith commitment of El Shaddai members are too well known and while many will venture to offer a guess the fact is it was here that God revealed Himself to them and they believed and it is here that Bro. Mike Velarde played an important role because of the simplicity in the way that he proclaims the Gospel.
In the course of my journey of faith, I have also experienced rejection but I have not allowed such experiences to deter me from pursuing my calling. It is between me and my God and there is nothing in between and I don’t think God will be pleased if I am to turn around and mind all the useless talks behind my back.
In today’s Gospel passage there are two things that stood out as I reflected on it. One was the humiliating experience that Jesus suffered in the hands of his own countrymen (vv.3-4) and, the other was his seeming amazement at the “lack of faith” of the people in his hometown (v.6).
There is an old idiomatic expression of which many of us are familiar with that goes like this – familiarity breeds contempt – and this could very well apply to the situation that Jesus found himself in when his own town mates severely questioned his credentials even if they were amazed at the way he taught at the synagogue in Nazareth.
I know of some instances when people who have achieved success have become the butt of envy and gossip especially in their own hometown. But don’t you think that instead of allowing such loose talk to pester we should instead share in the joy at the good fortune of a relative or a friend perhaps?
At least this was how I feel when I hear prominent members of society openly proclaiming their active involvement in church and ministry activities and I’m equally glad when I learn of celebrities doing time in some charitable projects. In fact, there are a number of such celebrities like Aga Muhlach, Piolo Pascual, Diether Ocampo and Dingdong Dantes who have organized and established their own foundations that conduct specific projects for the poor.
But this was not so in the case of Jesus as the people of Nazareth went as far as to question not only his trade as a carpenter but even his family heritage: “Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us? And they took offense at him.” (v.4)
This reaction of his town mates probably stemmed from their familiarity with Jesus who stayed with Joseph and Mary and only left Nazareth when he was already thirty years old. In all those years, there was probably nothing spectacular that he said or did that could have generated the admiration of his town mates.
His town mates were amazed at the wisdom of his teaching but what they could not accept was how a very ordinary carpenter’s son could teach with authority, performed miracles, healed the sick and cast out the demons from those possessed by evil spirits. And this was probably what Brother Mike also experienced as we tend to look at appearances rather than the message that one brings.
Jews normally receive religious instructions at an early age such that by the time they reach the age of puberty they are already well-versed in the so-called Law of God which was why Jesus was amazed at the lack of faith of his town mates.
Thus it would be illogical for Jesus to preach where his presence was unwelcome but what his town mates didn’t realize then was that they would be missing a lot from the teachings of Jesus and the things that he could do for them. This contemptuous display of arrogance deprived them of learning what God’s Will was for them.
Today, we could also be committing what the Nazoreans did which is why we need to always check the level of our faith in God. Knowing that our Lord is a forgiving God might push us to abuse God’s kindness and mercy and find the gates closed when the bridegroom arrives if we continue to wallow in sin.
As he moved out of Nazareth to go to where he was welcome, we might also find Jesus moving out of our presence if we don’t take heed of his teachings and if we don’t reform our ways and stay clear of sin. We cannot afford to be contemptuous because our salvation is largely dependent on our obedience to God’s Will for us.
Jesus himself tells us: “Remain in me, and I will remain in you.” (Jn 15:4) “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.” (Jn 15:9) Familiarity can work both ways. It can either breed contempt as what happened to the Nazoreans or our being familiar with Jesus can strengthen the ties that bind us to him.
God is giving us a choice. We can either help proclaim the Good News to others or reject it altogether. There are no gray areas nor a thin line when it comes to our salvation and we cannot assume that God will forgive us if we will repay his kindness and generosity with a contemptible attitude.
On the other hand, by paying close attention to his Word we can be assured of the promise of Jesus in Jn 14:23 “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” And in this life, there are only two choices that we can make. It’s either we “are for him or against him?”
BE ANCHORED IN THE WORD
JAN. 31, 2014: THIRD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
First Reading: 2 Sam 11:1-10, 13-17
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 51:3-7, 10-11 “Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.”
GOSPEL: Mk 4:26-34
Key Verse: “He explained everything.” (v.34)
Today’s gospel reading spells out in very clear terms not just our calling but it provides us with the foundation from which we can draw from to guide us on how to grow our church, ministries and apostolates.
To begin, let me quote from the opening statement of the closing message of the Synod of Bishops that was held in 2012 at the Vatican and it quoted from the words of the then Bishop of Rome Pope Benedict XVI who urged the Church throughout the world to reflect on “the new evangelization for the transmission of the Christian faith,” in order to sustain and direct the preaching and teaching of the Gospel in the diverse contexts in which the Church finds herself today to give witness.
In the second statement of the closing message the Bishops were in agreement that “it is not about starting again, but entering into the long path of proclaiming the Gospel with the apostolic courage of Paul who would go so far as to say “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!” (1 Cor 9:16).
The Church took note of the fact that throughout history, from the first centuries of the Christian era to the present, the Gospel has edified communities of believers in all parts of the world. Whether small or great, these are the fruit of the dedication of generations of witnesses to Jesus – missionaries and martyrs – whom we remember with gratitude.
And today, Jesus used two parables to illustrate his teaching in this Gospel passage one of which can only be found in Mark’s Gospel. And the beauty of Mark’s gospel was that while he may not have the writing proficiency of Luke or the expansive style of Matthew, Mark writes using short but crisp verses that leaves room for the reader to either draw his own conclusion or rely on his imagination to connect the dots.
As this parable follows that of the four types of soils (vv.1-20) and precedes the parable of the mustard seed (vv.30-32) it was clear that Jesus was referring to the seed as the Word of God that man sows and will see it sprout and grow but how it grows is a mystery (vv.26-28) but what was inevitable was that there would be a harvest (v.29).
This shows that man has no participation on how to make a seed grow. In fact he does not even understand how it grows and what Jesus was saying here was that the seed has a life of its own and that while man may be able to discover things by himself, he has no power to create them much less create the Kingdom of God on earth.
Jesus refers to the Kingdom of God to mean the reign of God and equating it with a seed that grows by itself points to the day when the Will of God will be done on earth as it is in heaven which is in fact the ultimate aim attached to the incarnation of God and perfected by his death on the cross.
To understand this parable of the growing seed (vv.26-29) we have to first read through, reflect and understand the parable of the sower (Mk 4:1-20) because it was here that Jesus compared the seed to the Word of God.
For the seed which is the Word of God to grow it must fall on good soil which meant that the Word of God can only produce the desired fruit when it is planted in a man with a good and noble heart who hears the word, retains it and by persevering produce a crop (Lk 8:15).
And what Jesus was emphasizing was that the seed grows by virtue of the divine power that allows it to grow and that the Word will grow by itself when it is sown on good soil which is like the man with a good and noble heart.
What this parable tells us is that the Word of God that is enshrined in the Sacred Scriptures will grow in us if we will only place our complete trust in the power of the Word by receiving it into our own hearts, heeding and retaining it and through perseverance the reign of God will be manifest in our lives. More importantly, the Word of God will grow like a seed when we proclaim it to others and this also turns us into a lampstand that will serve as a light for others.
Jesus used the parable of the mustard seed to illustrate how the Word of God grows from a small beginning until it takes root and grows into a tree that is rigid which serves as a shelter for birds in those days. And this was how the church grew from its humble beginnings when more than 3,000 were added to the 120 disciples who followed Jesus (Ac 2:41-42) until they numbered 5,000 (Ac 4:4) and they continued to multiply throughout Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria.
The Catholic Church is firmly established in all the world’s continents and the Word of God is spoken among different tribes and nations and all because of the good and noble hearts on which the seed was planted. Just like any other plant or tree, the Church as it is now began from the small seed planted in the hearts of the Apostles and disciples who took over from where Jesus left off.
And today, Our Lord Jesus Christ is asking us to keep nurturing this seed and this we can do if we will only immerse ourselves in the Word of God. I know of a charismatic community that grew by leaps and bounds over the years but the life and light started to die down as the organizational structures, programs and projects became the priority of its leaders forgetting the primary purpose for which the Church was established and that is to proclaim the Good News to others.
This community have good leaders, good members but it now finds itself in a bind due to dwindling membership and low level of tithing. Why? Because there was something this community forgot to do. It did not evangelize itself. Thus, how could you expect a community that has not been evangelized be able to evangelize others.
The small seed that Jesus planted and which the Apostles and disciples nurtured at the cost of even their own lives will continue to grow if we will only persevere. To illustrate, say for example that you have 10 members in your Community who will succeed in converting one person a year and those who have been converted would do the same, the growth pattern would look like this: Year 1 = 20; Year 5 = 320; Year 10 – 10,240; Year 15 = 327,680 and, on the 20th Year your Community would have 10,485,760 members altogether and all it took was just for one of 10 members to go out and proclaim the Kingdom of God is at hand to one person a year. This is what the adage “big things come in small packages” mean.
For this to happen, we should all internalize what it was like for the disciples who were alone with Jesus who explained to them the true meaning of the parables (vv.33-34) which was similar to the experience of the two disciples on their way to Emmaus (Lk 24:13-35).
To be with Jesus is to dwell in the Word of God regularly that is premised on our willingness to shun the cares of the world that only choke our spiritual growth and to transform ourselves into a good and noble heart to be able to grasp the fuller meaning of the Word of God.
As such, we must assimilate the vision of Christ for the Reign of God to be established in the world beginning with us by listening intently to the Word of God that is amplified in the homilies during the Mass, reflecting on the Word of God regularly if not daily, joining a Bible Study in the Church or Community or start one in your home, keeping watch with Jesus at the Adoration Chapel and, by receiving the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist as often as possible.
Our role is to sow the seed, become the good and noble heart by trusting God and wait for God to complete it in us (Phi 1:6). This is possible when we abandon our lives to Jesus Christ and be transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. Paul confirms this when he said: “we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” (2 Cor 4:7)
First Reading: 2 Sam 11:1-10, 13-17
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 51:3-7, 10-11 “Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.”
GOSPEL: Mk 4:26-34
Key Verse: “He explained everything.” (v.34)
Today’s gospel reading spells out in very clear terms not just our calling but it provides us with the foundation from which we can draw from to guide us on how to grow our church, ministries and apostolates.
To begin, let me quote from the opening statement of the closing message of the Synod of Bishops that was held in 2012 at the Vatican and it quoted from the words of the then Bishop of Rome Pope Benedict XVI who urged the Church throughout the world to reflect on “the new evangelization for the transmission of the Christian faith,” in order to sustain and direct the preaching and teaching of the Gospel in the diverse contexts in which the Church finds herself today to give witness.
In the second statement of the closing message the Bishops were in agreement that “it is not about starting again, but entering into the long path of proclaiming the Gospel with the apostolic courage of Paul who would go so far as to say “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!” (1 Cor 9:16).
The Church took note of the fact that throughout history, from the first centuries of the Christian era to the present, the Gospel has edified communities of believers in all parts of the world. Whether small or great, these are the fruit of the dedication of generations of witnesses to Jesus – missionaries and martyrs – whom we remember with gratitude.
And today, Jesus used two parables to illustrate his teaching in this Gospel passage one of which can only be found in Mark’s Gospel. And the beauty of Mark’s gospel was that while he may not have the writing proficiency of Luke or the expansive style of Matthew, Mark writes using short but crisp verses that leaves room for the reader to either draw his own conclusion or rely on his imagination to connect the dots.
As this parable follows that of the four types of soils (vv.1-20) and precedes the parable of the mustard seed (vv.30-32) it was clear that Jesus was referring to the seed as the Word of God that man sows and will see it sprout and grow but how it grows is a mystery (vv.26-28) but what was inevitable was that there would be a harvest (v.29).
This shows that man has no participation on how to make a seed grow. In fact he does not even understand how it grows and what Jesus was saying here was that the seed has a life of its own and that while man may be able to discover things by himself, he has no power to create them much less create the Kingdom of God on earth.
Jesus refers to the Kingdom of God to mean the reign of God and equating it with a seed that grows by itself points to the day when the Will of God will be done on earth as it is in heaven which is in fact the ultimate aim attached to the incarnation of God and perfected by his death on the cross.
To understand this parable of the growing seed (vv.26-29) we have to first read through, reflect and understand the parable of the sower (Mk 4:1-20) because it was here that Jesus compared the seed to the Word of God.
For the seed which is the Word of God to grow it must fall on good soil which meant that the Word of God can only produce the desired fruit when it is planted in a man with a good and noble heart who hears the word, retains it and by persevering produce a crop (Lk 8:15).
And what Jesus was emphasizing was that the seed grows by virtue of the divine power that allows it to grow and that the Word will grow by itself when it is sown on good soil which is like the man with a good and noble heart.
What this parable tells us is that the Word of God that is enshrined in the Sacred Scriptures will grow in us if we will only place our complete trust in the power of the Word by receiving it into our own hearts, heeding and retaining it and through perseverance the reign of God will be manifest in our lives. More importantly, the Word of God will grow like a seed when we proclaim it to others and this also turns us into a lampstand that will serve as a light for others.
Jesus used the parable of the mustard seed to illustrate how the Word of God grows from a small beginning until it takes root and grows into a tree that is rigid which serves as a shelter for birds in those days. And this was how the church grew from its humble beginnings when more than 3,000 were added to the 120 disciples who followed Jesus (Ac 2:41-42) until they numbered 5,000 (Ac 4:4) and they continued to multiply throughout Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria.
The Catholic Church is firmly established in all the world’s continents and the Word of God is spoken among different tribes and nations and all because of the good and noble hearts on which the seed was planted. Just like any other plant or tree, the Church as it is now began from the small seed planted in the hearts of the Apostles and disciples who took over from where Jesus left off.
And today, Our Lord Jesus Christ is asking us to keep nurturing this seed and this we can do if we will only immerse ourselves in the Word of God. I know of a charismatic community that grew by leaps and bounds over the years but the life and light started to die down as the organizational structures, programs and projects became the priority of its leaders forgetting the primary purpose for which the Church was established and that is to proclaim the Good News to others.
This community have good leaders, good members but it now finds itself in a bind due to dwindling membership and low level of tithing. Why? Because there was something this community forgot to do. It did not evangelize itself. Thus, how could you expect a community that has not been evangelized be able to evangelize others.
The small seed that Jesus planted and which the Apostles and disciples nurtured at the cost of even their own lives will continue to grow if we will only persevere. To illustrate, say for example that you have 10 members in your Community who will succeed in converting one person a year and those who have been converted would do the same, the growth pattern would look like this: Year 1 = 20; Year 5 = 320; Year 10 – 10,240; Year 15 = 327,680 and, on the 20th Year your Community would have 10,485,760 members altogether and all it took was just for one of 10 members to go out and proclaim the Kingdom of God is at hand to one person a year. This is what the adage “big things come in small packages” mean.
For this to happen, we should all internalize what it was like for the disciples who were alone with Jesus who explained to them the true meaning of the parables (vv.33-34) which was similar to the experience of the two disciples on their way to Emmaus (Lk 24:13-35).
To be with Jesus is to dwell in the Word of God regularly that is premised on our willingness to shun the cares of the world that only choke our spiritual growth and to transform ourselves into a good and noble heart to be able to grasp the fuller meaning of the Word of God.
As such, we must assimilate the vision of Christ for the Reign of God to be established in the world beginning with us by listening intently to the Word of God that is amplified in the homilies during the Mass, reflecting on the Word of God regularly if not daily, joining a Bible Study in the Church or Community or start one in your home, keeping watch with Jesus at the Adoration Chapel and, by receiving the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist as often as possible.
Our role is to sow the seed, become the good and noble heart by trusting God and wait for God to complete it in us (Phi 1:6). This is possible when we abandon our lives to Jesus Christ and be transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. Paul confirms this when he said: “we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” (2 Cor 4:7)
BE A LAMP THAT OTHERS MAY SEE
JAN. 30, 2014: THIRD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 2 Sam 7:18-19, 24-29
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 132:1-5, 11-14 “The Lord God will give him the throne of David, his father.”
GOSPEL: Mk 4:21-25
Key Verse: “Anyone who has ears ought to hear.” (v.23)
This is probably one of the most significant passage in the New Testament for the simple reason that this has something to do with our calling as a Christian disciple and what we are to be in relation to the world around us.
Simply said this Gospel tells us to show to the world who and what we are. And again, we need to go back to the foundation of our nature that we are all created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26) and this is the nature that the world must see in us.
As we opened up the New Year the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines launched its year-long program – “Called to be Holy! Sent forth as Heroes!” It will have for its theme: Choose to be Brave and the Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas (Council of the Laity of the Philippines) has been thrust into the thick of this program which is designed to dovetail the calling of Pope Francis to all baptized Catholics to go out and proclaim the Gospel with joy to others especially the so-called lapsed Catholics.
The launching of the program also coincides with the celebration of the Year of the Laity which will highlight the role of the Catholic laity not only in the propagation of the Catholic faith but more so in equipping the Filipino lay faithful the tools to meet the challenges of evangelization in the post-modern world
The Gospel today should serve as an inspiration for the lay faithful to follow in the footsteps of San Lorenzo Ruiz and San Pedro Calungsod who stood by their Catholic faith even with death staring them in the eye. Saint Pedro Calungsod who was canonized last year died on April 2, 1672 from spears hurled at him by a Guamanian native who turned away from the Catholic faith. Historical accounts showed that he could have easily ran and escape death but he instead stood his ground and died in defense of his faith.
Jesus in today’s Gospel speak of the necessity for Christians to be proud of their faith. Difficult it may be, Jesus is calling on us all to not be ashamed to show who we are and the God whom we serve. In fact, if only every Christian and Catholics for that matter would be able to grasp the enormity of the faith that we have received, everyone will not look at the command for us to love God and our neighbor as well as a duty but an awesome privilege.
A Christian regardless of the state in life that he is in must never be ashamed to display his color. Unknown to man, there are at least three personages to whom we try to hide certain things including the practice of our faith foremost of which is our own self when we are on denial and keep our faith hidden even from our own selves.
We also have a tendency to keep our faith out of sight of our fellow men but what we will soon realize is that a man who keeps secrets is an unhappy person. The happy man is one who has nothing to hide. Worst, we even keep our faith hidden from the eyes of our very own God.
This brings me back to June 12, 1998 when the Philippines celebrated its Centennial and then President Fidel V. Ramos, through an Executive Order, enjoined the entire nation to display the Philippine flag in their homes, business establishments, vehicles, buildings, etc. Again after the 9-11 tragedy, we see American homes displaying the American flag in their porches, in their lawns and, wherever they can display it to express their solidarity as a nation.
In both instances, Filipinos and Americans took pride in their identities with the use of their respective national banners because those colors project our image of who we are. Our national banners speak of who we are as a nation and as a people and in fact we are taught in school to take pride in our flag because it carries with it the very history of our nation.
This is what today’s Gospel is all about as it simply means that our lives must take the form of a lamp that has been lighted up by the nature of Jesus contained in the Scriptures and empowered by the Holy Spirit such that we are to consider ourselves as a lampstand that will illumine not only our surroundings but more importantly those around us.
The Word of God who is Jesus personified must be operative in our lives which means that we who have seen the light must now become the lamps that should proclaim the message of the Kingdom of God “so that those who come in can see the light” (v.16) and again we are reminded of our great commission (Matt 28:18) and that we are not to “grieve the Holy Spirit with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Eph 4:30).
To be sealed in the Holy Spirit means that we who have received the Word of God are mandated to act on it, to proclaim it because this is our primary responsibility as a Christian and we are not to stifle its proclamation lest we grieve the Holy Spirit who can take away even the little that we have which could even mean this life that we now live.
What Jesus was emphasizing in this Gospel was that if we consider our lives as a lamp that has been lighted up by the Word of God then we must understand that we are not to hide and keep the light to ourselves but we must show to the world the light that is in us. Our being Christians must become the banner that we must be proud of. Our transformed lives must be like a banner that flutters proudly so that everyone can see not just the Christian in us but the Jesus in us who is in reality the True Light.
Today we are being reminded that the Word of God does not only light up our lives but it will help us grow as Christians. And it is our duty to shine so that others may also see the light. As we are commanded by Christ in Matt 28:18, we need to become credible witnesses and bring this light that we have received to others as what Blessed Pedro Calungsod did and not keep it to ourselves.
And those who will read this Gospel should be careful how they listen (v.23) because there are many deceptive messages in the world today that there is a danger that these deceptions is what we may hear and pass on to others. This should serve as a motivation for us to keep on learning, to keep on seeking the truth because what Jesus is saying in in this passage is that if we stop learning, if we don’t proclaim the Word of God, if we stop searching for the Kingdom of Heaven and, if we keep the light hidden from others even the little knowledge that we have will be taken away from us.
In closing, we should all ask ourselves are we proud of our Christian heritage? Are we proud of our faith that we have in Jesus that it impels us to proclaim the Word to others? Have our lives been transformed that we have become the light on a lampstand that others can come in and see the light? Like Saints Lorenzo Ruiz and Pedro Calungsod who chose to be brave despite tremendous odds, do we also take pride in displaying the Christian banner that reflects the presence of Christ in our lives?
1st Reading: 2 Sam 7:18-19, 24-29
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 132:1-5, 11-14 “The Lord God will give him the throne of David, his father.”
GOSPEL: Mk 4:21-25
Key Verse: “Anyone who has ears ought to hear.” (v.23)
This is probably one of the most significant passage in the New Testament for the simple reason that this has something to do with our calling as a Christian disciple and what we are to be in relation to the world around us.
Simply said this Gospel tells us to show to the world who and what we are. And again, we need to go back to the foundation of our nature that we are all created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26) and this is the nature that the world must see in us.
As we opened up the New Year the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines launched its year-long program – “Called to be Holy! Sent forth as Heroes!” It will have for its theme: Choose to be Brave and the Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas (Council of the Laity of the Philippines) has been thrust into the thick of this program which is designed to dovetail the calling of Pope Francis to all baptized Catholics to go out and proclaim the Gospel with joy to others especially the so-called lapsed Catholics.
The launching of the program also coincides with the celebration of the Year of the Laity which will highlight the role of the Catholic laity not only in the propagation of the Catholic faith but more so in equipping the Filipino lay faithful the tools to meet the challenges of evangelization in the post-modern world
The Gospel today should serve as an inspiration for the lay faithful to follow in the footsteps of San Lorenzo Ruiz and San Pedro Calungsod who stood by their Catholic faith even with death staring them in the eye. Saint Pedro Calungsod who was canonized last year died on April 2, 1672 from spears hurled at him by a Guamanian native who turned away from the Catholic faith. Historical accounts showed that he could have easily ran and escape death but he instead stood his ground and died in defense of his faith.
Jesus in today’s Gospel speak of the necessity for Christians to be proud of their faith. Difficult it may be, Jesus is calling on us all to not be ashamed to show who we are and the God whom we serve. In fact, if only every Christian and Catholics for that matter would be able to grasp the enormity of the faith that we have received, everyone will not look at the command for us to love God and our neighbor as well as a duty but an awesome privilege.
A Christian regardless of the state in life that he is in must never be ashamed to display his color. Unknown to man, there are at least three personages to whom we try to hide certain things including the practice of our faith foremost of which is our own self when we are on denial and keep our faith hidden even from our own selves.
We also have a tendency to keep our faith out of sight of our fellow men but what we will soon realize is that a man who keeps secrets is an unhappy person. The happy man is one who has nothing to hide. Worst, we even keep our faith hidden from the eyes of our very own God.
This brings me back to June 12, 1998 when the Philippines celebrated its Centennial and then President Fidel V. Ramos, through an Executive Order, enjoined the entire nation to display the Philippine flag in their homes, business establishments, vehicles, buildings, etc. Again after the 9-11 tragedy, we see American homes displaying the American flag in their porches, in their lawns and, wherever they can display it to express their solidarity as a nation.
In both instances, Filipinos and Americans took pride in their identities with the use of their respective national banners because those colors project our image of who we are. Our national banners speak of who we are as a nation and as a people and in fact we are taught in school to take pride in our flag because it carries with it the very history of our nation.
This is what today’s Gospel is all about as it simply means that our lives must take the form of a lamp that has been lighted up by the nature of Jesus contained in the Scriptures and empowered by the Holy Spirit such that we are to consider ourselves as a lampstand that will illumine not only our surroundings but more importantly those around us.
The Word of God who is Jesus personified must be operative in our lives which means that we who have seen the light must now become the lamps that should proclaim the message of the Kingdom of God “so that those who come in can see the light” (v.16) and again we are reminded of our great commission (Matt 28:18) and that we are not to “grieve the Holy Spirit with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Eph 4:30).
To be sealed in the Holy Spirit means that we who have received the Word of God are mandated to act on it, to proclaim it because this is our primary responsibility as a Christian and we are not to stifle its proclamation lest we grieve the Holy Spirit who can take away even the little that we have which could even mean this life that we now live.
What Jesus was emphasizing in this Gospel was that if we consider our lives as a lamp that has been lighted up by the Word of God then we must understand that we are not to hide and keep the light to ourselves but we must show to the world the light that is in us. Our being Christians must become the banner that we must be proud of. Our transformed lives must be like a banner that flutters proudly so that everyone can see not just the Christian in us but the Jesus in us who is in reality the True Light.
Today we are being reminded that the Word of God does not only light up our lives but it will help us grow as Christians. And it is our duty to shine so that others may also see the light. As we are commanded by Christ in Matt 28:18, we need to become credible witnesses and bring this light that we have received to others as what Blessed Pedro Calungsod did and not keep it to ourselves.
And those who will read this Gospel should be careful how they listen (v.23) because there are many deceptive messages in the world today that there is a danger that these deceptions is what we may hear and pass on to others. This should serve as a motivation for us to keep on learning, to keep on seeking the truth because what Jesus is saying in in this passage is that if we stop learning, if we don’t proclaim the Word of God, if we stop searching for the Kingdom of Heaven and, if we keep the light hidden from others even the little knowledge that we have will be taken away from us.
In closing, we should all ask ourselves are we proud of our Christian heritage? Are we proud of our faith that we have in Jesus that it impels us to proclaim the Word to others? Have our lives been transformed that we have become the light on a lampstand that others can come in and see the light? Like Saints Lorenzo Ruiz and Pedro Calungsod who chose to be brave despite tremendous odds, do we also take pride in displaying the Christian banner that reflects the presence of Christ in our lives?
OUR HEARTS DEFINE US
JAN. 29, 2014: THIRD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
First Reading: 2 Sam 7:4-17
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 89:4-5, 27-30 “For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.”
GOSPEL: Mk 4:1-20
Key Word: “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.” (v.9)
As we step deeper into the Year of the Laity let try to find a quiet place and spend time pondering on the rallying cry of the Church for all baptized Catholics to join in its year-long program designed to raise awareness that the Catholic lay faithful are: “Called to be Holy, and to be Sent Forth as Heroes!”
This is being spearheaded by the Catholics Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and will have for its theme “CHOOSE TO BE BRAVE” the objective of which is to evangelize the Catholic lay faithful especially the so-called lapsed Catholics who have been baptized but have strayed away from the Catholic faith.
I grew up in a Catholic family and went to a Catholic school but the influence of the world in me was such that I became what you call a marginalized Catholic. But that was then and for some reason Our Lord Jesus Christ found me and brought me back to the Catholic faith.
As I went through the intensive formation program offered by the charismatic community where Our Lord led me my heart was opened to the beauty of the Sacred Scriptures especially when I attended the Joy of Discovery program and it brought me to a new dimension in my appreciation of the Bible. From a mere reader, I became a discoverer and the Bible became not just a book but a vessel through which we come to enter into the very heart of God (Jn 5:39).
To many of us Jn 3:16 has become the most favored passage in the Scriptures since this is probably the most often quoted passage in the Bible. The Gospel of today, however, is one of my favorite not only because it spells out the kind of soil that we need to be but it also reinforces my belief on the divinity of man especially if we are to turn ourselves into the fertile soil on which the Word of God will take a root.
This passage also marks a change in the ministry of Christ. Where before He used to speak in the synagogues, now we find Him teaching on the seashore. There was a reason for this because of the opposition of the religious rulers to the teachings of Christ and he knew that there will come a time when He will no longer be welcome in the synagogues.
In this chapter, Jesus has also started to fully utilize his own method which was to teach using parables. Again, there was a reason why Jesus chose to evangelize using this method. By using parables, Jesus is giving his listeners the prerogative to discover the truth for themselves.
This shows the character of Jesus as He does not impose His Will nor his teachings on anyone but his teaching style was what moved his listeners to search for the veracity and authenticity of the words that come out of the mouth of Jesus.
We all are familiar with this Parable of the Sower but Jesus told this parable on the different kinds of soil because the Jews are familiar with it so Jesus knew that His listeners will understand what he was saying even if he spoke in parables.
During his time, sowing a field was normally done by scattering the seeds and when the strong winds blow it was only natural that some of the seeds will be blown away and land on either the footpath, shallow soil and on the soil where there are thorns and thistles.
The Jews knew what Jesus was referring to because the fields at that time were long narrow strips of soil and in between are the footpaths that are as hard as the pavement. The stony ground is actually a patch of land where underneath lies rows upon rows of limestone rock. The thorny ground refers to the soil that was tilled and which may look clean but which only hide the thorny bushes that thrive on the field after harvest.
Certainly no seed of any kind will thrive in these types of soil and Jesus used this metaphor to provide his listeners a platform through which they can easily understand what He is saying. His emphasis naturally was on the good ground that was soft where the seed can take root and germinate and where it will grow without being choked.
But what this Gospel also shows us is the manner by which we are to respond to the Word of God when it is spoken to us and there shouldn’t be any doubt nor question about the need for the Word to take root in us.
Should a believer face difficulty keeping and obeying what he hears, all he has to do is reflect on what John’s Gospel says about the Word making its dwelling in us (Jn 1:14). The same Word which was described in John as “the Word was God.” (Jn 1:1).
Thus if we are to use these verses to establish a connection, the same Word that was with God and, the Word was God and the Word that became flesh and made his dwelling among us establishes our own divine nature. That we were all created in the “image and likeness of God” (Gen 1:26) should propel us to an understanding that we have no choice but to become the good soil that God has created us to be.
What to me are the key verses in this Gospel passage are vv.9, 13-20 because it is in these verses that Jesus really laid down the condition in the way we are to receive His Word. What He said was that we all must remain open to His Word because His Kingdom can only be understood by those who have experienced a personal encounter with Him.
Take for example our lives in the church and or community. How often do we hear discussions on matters pertaining to disinterest among members, diminishing levels of commitment to serve, dwindling attendance, uninspiring worship, lack of leadership skills, deficient spirituality and, lack of integrity. Most of the time, leaders will tend to look at structural defects and to some extent even the effectiveness of the formation programs.
The Church hierarchy recognizes what ails the post-modern church but the Synodal Assembly in 2013 said it is not about starting again, but entering into the long path of proclaiming the Gospel with the apostolic courage of Paul who would go so far as to say “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!” (1 Cor 9:16).
Throughout history, from the first centuries of the Christian era to the present, the Gospel has edified communities of believers in all parts of the world. Whether small or great, these are the fruit of the dedication of generations of witnesses to Jesus – missionaries and martyrs – whom we remember with gratitude.
It also said that “changing societies and cultures call us to something new: to live our communitarian experience of faith in a renewed way and to proclaim it through an evangelization that is “new in its ardor, in its methods, in its expressions.” (John Paul II)
As we go through life, we sometimes gain and we also lose what we have and possess. What Jesus wants us to understand in today’s Gospel reading is that we can only gain the joy and beauty of His Kingdom if we will remain in Him because the eternal salvation that He promised is available only to those who will deny himself, take up his cross and, follow Him.
This is what becoming a good and fertile ground means because our hearts which is the soil of our nature will define who we are. To become a good ground is to become a community of disciples inspired by the Holy Spirit to become living witnesses for transformation in Christ to bring about a world of justice, human development and true peace.
First Reading: 2 Sam 7:4-17
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 89:4-5, 27-30 “For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.”
GOSPEL: Mk 4:1-20
Key Word: “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.” (v.9)
As we step deeper into the Year of the Laity let try to find a quiet place and spend time pondering on the rallying cry of the Church for all baptized Catholics to join in its year-long program designed to raise awareness that the Catholic lay faithful are: “Called to be Holy, and to be Sent Forth as Heroes!”
This is being spearheaded by the Catholics Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and will have for its theme “CHOOSE TO BE BRAVE” the objective of which is to evangelize the Catholic lay faithful especially the so-called lapsed Catholics who have been baptized but have strayed away from the Catholic faith.
I grew up in a Catholic family and went to a Catholic school but the influence of the world in me was such that I became what you call a marginalized Catholic. But that was then and for some reason Our Lord Jesus Christ found me and brought me back to the Catholic faith.
As I went through the intensive formation program offered by the charismatic community where Our Lord led me my heart was opened to the beauty of the Sacred Scriptures especially when I attended the Joy of Discovery program and it brought me to a new dimension in my appreciation of the Bible. From a mere reader, I became a discoverer and the Bible became not just a book but a vessel through which we come to enter into the very heart of God (Jn 5:39).
To many of us Jn 3:16 has become the most favored passage in the Scriptures since this is probably the most often quoted passage in the Bible. The Gospel of today, however, is one of my favorite not only because it spells out the kind of soil that we need to be but it also reinforces my belief on the divinity of man especially if we are to turn ourselves into the fertile soil on which the Word of God will take a root.
This passage also marks a change in the ministry of Christ. Where before He used to speak in the synagogues, now we find Him teaching on the seashore. There was a reason for this because of the opposition of the religious rulers to the teachings of Christ and he knew that there will come a time when He will no longer be welcome in the synagogues.
In this chapter, Jesus has also started to fully utilize his own method which was to teach using parables. Again, there was a reason why Jesus chose to evangelize using this method. By using parables, Jesus is giving his listeners the prerogative to discover the truth for themselves.
This shows the character of Jesus as He does not impose His Will nor his teachings on anyone but his teaching style was what moved his listeners to search for the veracity and authenticity of the words that come out of the mouth of Jesus.
We all are familiar with this Parable of the Sower but Jesus told this parable on the different kinds of soil because the Jews are familiar with it so Jesus knew that His listeners will understand what he was saying even if he spoke in parables.
During his time, sowing a field was normally done by scattering the seeds and when the strong winds blow it was only natural that some of the seeds will be blown away and land on either the footpath, shallow soil and on the soil where there are thorns and thistles.
The Jews knew what Jesus was referring to because the fields at that time were long narrow strips of soil and in between are the footpaths that are as hard as the pavement. The stony ground is actually a patch of land where underneath lies rows upon rows of limestone rock. The thorny ground refers to the soil that was tilled and which may look clean but which only hide the thorny bushes that thrive on the field after harvest.
Certainly no seed of any kind will thrive in these types of soil and Jesus used this metaphor to provide his listeners a platform through which they can easily understand what He is saying. His emphasis naturally was on the good ground that was soft where the seed can take root and germinate and where it will grow without being choked.
But what this Gospel also shows us is the manner by which we are to respond to the Word of God when it is spoken to us and there shouldn’t be any doubt nor question about the need for the Word to take root in us.
Should a believer face difficulty keeping and obeying what he hears, all he has to do is reflect on what John’s Gospel says about the Word making its dwelling in us (Jn 1:14). The same Word which was described in John as “the Word was God.” (Jn 1:1).
Thus if we are to use these verses to establish a connection, the same Word that was with God and, the Word was God and the Word that became flesh and made his dwelling among us establishes our own divine nature. That we were all created in the “image and likeness of God” (Gen 1:26) should propel us to an understanding that we have no choice but to become the good soil that God has created us to be.
What to me are the key verses in this Gospel passage are vv.9, 13-20 because it is in these verses that Jesus really laid down the condition in the way we are to receive His Word. What He said was that we all must remain open to His Word because His Kingdom can only be understood by those who have experienced a personal encounter with Him.
Take for example our lives in the church and or community. How often do we hear discussions on matters pertaining to disinterest among members, diminishing levels of commitment to serve, dwindling attendance, uninspiring worship, lack of leadership skills, deficient spirituality and, lack of integrity. Most of the time, leaders will tend to look at structural defects and to some extent even the effectiveness of the formation programs.
The Church hierarchy recognizes what ails the post-modern church but the Synodal Assembly in 2013 said it is not about starting again, but entering into the long path of proclaiming the Gospel with the apostolic courage of Paul who would go so far as to say “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!” (1 Cor 9:16).
Throughout history, from the first centuries of the Christian era to the present, the Gospel has edified communities of believers in all parts of the world. Whether small or great, these are the fruit of the dedication of generations of witnesses to Jesus – missionaries and martyrs – whom we remember with gratitude.
It also said that “changing societies and cultures call us to something new: to live our communitarian experience of faith in a renewed way and to proclaim it through an evangelization that is “new in its ardor, in its methods, in its expressions.” (John Paul II)
As we go through life, we sometimes gain and we also lose what we have and possess. What Jesus wants us to understand in today’s Gospel reading is that we can only gain the joy and beauty of His Kingdom if we will remain in Him because the eternal salvation that He promised is available only to those who will deny himself, take up his cross and, follow Him.
This is what becoming a good and fertile ground means because our hearts which is the soil of our nature will define who we are. To become a good ground is to become a community of disciples inspired by the Holy Spirit to become living witnesses for transformation in Christ to bring about a world of justice, human development and true peace.
GOD FAVORS THE OBEDIENT
JAN. 28, 2014: FEAST OF ST. THOMAS AQUINAS
First Reading: 2 Sam 6:12-15, 17-19
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 24:7-10 “Who is the King of Glory? It is the Lord.”
GOSPEL: MK 3:31-35
Key Verse: “Whoever does God’s Will is my brother
and sister and mother.” (v.35)
There is a need to read, go through your trusted Bible commentary and or other references or consult with your Parish Priest to fully understand the meaning of this Gospel passage because to just read through it without getting hold of the intent of the message might lead those reading this Gospel passage to conclude that Jesus was disrespectful of his mother and his brothers.
This Gospel narrative must have taken place in a town near Nazareth because Mary his mother and his brothers came to see him but could not get near him because of the crowd who came to listen to his teaching and for the most part to seek healing from Jesus for their sickness and afflictions.
And when he was told that his mother and brothers came to see him, Jesus pointed to his disciples and said: “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s Will is my brother and sister and mother.” (vv.34-35)
If we turn to Matt 12:48-50, Jesus was more descriptive as he said: “Who is my mother and who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the Will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
There have been so many versions in the way this Gospel has been interpreted in the past and it remains to be the subject of discussion today among Bible scholars and even confusion at times owing to the question as to who really are the brothers of Jesus referred to in this narrative. In fact, this Gospel passage is what other religious sects use to malign the image of our Blessed Mother Mary and discredit the Catholic veneration of the Mother of God.
A closer scrutiny of this Gospel passage, however, will show that Jesus wasn’t disrespectful of his mother and what was clear in this Gospel was the fact that Jesus did not actually deny his mother nor did he deny his brothers who came to see him.
Jesus merely said “whoever does God’s Will is my brother and sister and mother.” (v.35) There was also a distinct possibility that Jesus may have been surprised when his mother went to see him together with his brothers as it reminded him of the time when his brothers “went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.” (Mk 3:21)
And what Jesus did is similar to the relationship that some of us have with our friends with whom we have become closer even if they are not related to us but with whom we share many things in common. This is especially true for some of us who may be the only child of our parents and have no siblings we can relate to.
There are also those who by force of circumstance do not have relatives they can turn to and so they relate to and have become closer to their friends especially those with whom they grew up together.
Here Jesus points out that his mother and brothers are those “who does God’s Will” (v.35) This simply means that we need to subordinate our will to the Will of God for us to be considered as relatives of Jesus. We need to align our priorities with the priorities of God and this must take precedence to what our human mind wills.
In this Gospel passage, Jesus was actually laying down at least four parameters of family relationships that we need to observe even before we can be considered as his mother, sister or brother. As a relative of Jesus we must be bound by a common experience which means we are to share with the pains and sufferings that Jesus went through. Our interests must also be synonymous with the interest of Christ which is to bring salvation to the world. We also must commit to a life of complete obedience to Christ by dying to our sinful self and clothing ourselves with the nature of Christ. And fourth, our goal must be in common with that of Christ which is to restore all men to the source of grace.
And for us to be considered as the brothers and sisters of Jesus we must give God full control of our lives and allow the Holy Spirit to fill us with its “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law." (Gal 5:22-23)
When these nine virtues which are also the attributes of Christ Himself become operative in our lives, we too will bear the image of Christ in us and this is when we become the mother, brothers and sisters of Christ.
To allow these fruits of the Holy Spirit to grow in us, we need to take to heart the command of Jesus to “love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matt 22:39) because “by this all will know you are my disciples, if you have love for another.” (Jn 13:35)
It is when love fills our hearts that we can begin to look at one another as relatives of Christ and we can hear Jesus say “my mother and brothers are those who does God’s Will.” (v.35) especially if we are able to stand side by side with Jesus and linked by a common experience, interest, obedience and goal.
Today we celebrate the feast of St. Thomas Aquinas, priest and doctor of the Church, who left behind what has been considered as the great monument of his learning – the Summa Theologica – which though unfinished became a rich source of many of the theological principles that we now know. St. Thomas Aquinas was canonized in 1323 and declared Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius V.
And if we are to relate today’s Gospel passage to the life of St. Thomas Aquinas, the saint who is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential theologian of all time, will be one of those who obeyed the Will of God. History has it that when he became of age to choose his state of life, St. Thomas Aquinas renounced the things of this world and chose instead the religious life despite great opposition from his family.
If ever, the example of St. Thomas Aquinas and those exemplified by all the Saints should provide us with a glimpse of what pleases God. Obedience therefore should be a virtue that should be engraved in our hearts especially when we are celebrating the Year of the Laity in which all of us are “Called to be Holy! Sent forth as Heroes!”
As we are called to proclaim the Gospel with joy, the Church is asking each one of us to CHOOSE TO BE BRAVE and this can do if we will only submit ourselves to the Will of God. Some will most probably ask what is God’s Will. Simple. God wants us to be happy in this life and in the next and obedience is the key towards achieving that state of life.
First Reading: 2 Sam 6:12-15, 17-19
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 24:7-10 “Who is the King of Glory? It is the Lord.”
GOSPEL: MK 3:31-35
Key Verse: “Whoever does God’s Will is my brother
and sister and mother.” (v.35)
There is a need to read, go through your trusted Bible commentary and or other references or consult with your Parish Priest to fully understand the meaning of this Gospel passage because to just read through it without getting hold of the intent of the message might lead those reading this Gospel passage to conclude that Jesus was disrespectful of his mother and his brothers.
This Gospel narrative must have taken place in a town near Nazareth because Mary his mother and his brothers came to see him but could not get near him because of the crowd who came to listen to his teaching and for the most part to seek healing from Jesus for their sickness and afflictions.
And when he was told that his mother and brothers came to see him, Jesus pointed to his disciples and said: “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s Will is my brother and sister and mother.” (vv.34-35)
If we turn to Matt 12:48-50, Jesus was more descriptive as he said: “Who is my mother and who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the Will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
There have been so many versions in the way this Gospel has been interpreted in the past and it remains to be the subject of discussion today among Bible scholars and even confusion at times owing to the question as to who really are the brothers of Jesus referred to in this narrative. In fact, this Gospel passage is what other religious sects use to malign the image of our Blessed Mother Mary and discredit the Catholic veneration of the Mother of God.
A closer scrutiny of this Gospel passage, however, will show that Jesus wasn’t disrespectful of his mother and what was clear in this Gospel was the fact that Jesus did not actually deny his mother nor did he deny his brothers who came to see him.
Jesus merely said “whoever does God’s Will is my brother and sister and mother.” (v.35) There was also a distinct possibility that Jesus may have been surprised when his mother went to see him together with his brothers as it reminded him of the time when his brothers “went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.” (Mk 3:21)
And what Jesus did is similar to the relationship that some of us have with our friends with whom we have become closer even if they are not related to us but with whom we share many things in common. This is especially true for some of us who may be the only child of our parents and have no siblings we can relate to.
There are also those who by force of circumstance do not have relatives they can turn to and so they relate to and have become closer to their friends especially those with whom they grew up together.
Here Jesus points out that his mother and brothers are those “who does God’s Will” (v.35) This simply means that we need to subordinate our will to the Will of God for us to be considered as relatives of Jesus. We need to align our priorities with the priorities of God and this must take precedence to what our human mind wills.
In this Gospel passage, Jesus was actually laying down at least four parameters of family relationships that we need to observe even before we can be considered as his mother, sister or brother. As a relative of Jesus we must be bound by a common experience which means we are to share with the pains and sufferings that Jesus went through. Our interests must also be synonymous with the interest of Christ which is to bring salvation to the world. We also must commit to a life of complete obedience to Christ by dying to our sinful self and clothing ourselves with the nature of Christ. And fourth, our goal must be in common with that of Christ which is to restore all men to the source of grace.
And for us to be considered as the brothers and sisters of Jesus we must give God full control of our lives and allow the Holy Spirit to fill us with its “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law." (Gal 5:22-23)
When these nine virtues which are also the attributes of Christ Himself become operative in our lives, we too will bear the image of Christ in us and this is when we become the mother, brothers and sisters of Christ.
To allow these fruits of the Holy Spirit to grow in us, we need to take to heart the command of Jesus to “love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matt 22:39) because “by this all will know you are my disciples, if you have love for another.” (Jn 13:35)
It is when love fills our hearts that we can begin to look at one another as relatives of Christ and we can hear Jesus say “my mother and brothers are those who does God’s Will.” (v.35) especially if we are able to stand side by side with Jesus and linked by a common experience, interest, obedience and goal.
Today we celebrate the feast of St. Thomas Aquinas, priest and doctor of the Church, who left behind what has been considered as the great monument of his learning – the Summa Theologica – which though unfinished became a rich source of many of the theological principles that we now know. St. Thomas Aquinas was canonized in 1323 and declared Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius V.
And if we are to relate today’s Gospel passage to the life of St. Thomas Aquinas, the saint who is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential theologian of all time, will be one of those who obeyed the Will of God. History has it that when he became of age to choose his state of life, St. Thomas Aquinas renounced the things of this world and chose instead the religious life despite great opposition from his family.
If ever, the example of St. Thomas Aquinas and those exemplified by all the Saints should provide us with a glimpse of what pleases God. Obedience therefore should be a virtue that should be engraved in our hearts especially when we are celebrating the Year of the Laity in which all of us are “Called to be Holy! Sent forth as Heroes!”
As we are called to proclaim the Gospel with joy, the Church is asking each one of us to CHOOSE TO BE BRAVE and this can do if we will only submit ourselves to the Will of God. Some will most probably ask what is God’s Will. Simple. God wants us to be happy in this life and in the next and obedience is the key towards achieving that state of life.
STAY AWAY FROM UNFORGIVEABLE SIN
JAN. 27, 2014: THIRD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 2 Sam 5:1-7, 10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 89:20-22, 25-26 “My faithfulness ad my mercy shall be with him.”
GOSPEL: MK 3:22-30
Key Verse: “Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit
will never be forgiven.” (v.29)
There is no doubting that God is a loving and forgiving God and I believe that there is no infraction we may commit that he wouldn't forgive and the Bible is replete with accounts of how people have been forgiven of their transgressions.
We know Moses had pleaded and asked God to forgive his people (Num 14:19) and in this account we see the characteristics of God as someone who is patient and that God will forgive again and again. God has not changed since Moses and today we can still rely on God’s love, patience, forgiveness and grace.
But would you believe that there is such a thing as an unforgiveable sin? Yes there is and it’s not a sin that we commit against God and his Son Jesus Christ, but a sin against the third person of the Trinity – the Holy Spirit. This is what this Gospel reading is all about.
So that we can fully grasp the message of this Gospel passage we should know that the religious leaders in the time of Jesus was not against the practice of exorcising evil spirits from people who are possessed by such spirits because exorcism was widely practiced then and continues to this day.
The bone of contention in this passage was when the Scribes or the teachers of the law ascribed the power and authority of Jesus to cast out the evil spirits from the demon-possessed to an evil power and they went on to accuse him as being “possessed by Beelzebul, and by the prince of demons he casts out the demons." (v.22)
But the Gospel today did not describe how Jesus reacted to such accusation. Mark the Gospel writer merely quoted Jesus as throwing the issue back at the teachers of the law by asking “How can Satan cast out Satan?” (v.23) But we will venture a guess as we believe that the scenario was filled with tension and that Jesus was angry if not mad and we will see the reason why towards the end of this passage.
To put things in their proper perspective Jesus told his accusers that if “a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man; then indeed he may plunder his house.” (vv.25-27)
What Jesus was saying here was that it would have been impossible for him to invoke the power of another power beyond the power of God because the evil one cannot be expected to go against another evil force. The reason that he was able to cast out demons from the people who have come to him for healing was because he was before all else the same God who came down from his heavenly throne to redeem the people from sin.
Jesus used the illustration of a strong man whose house and possessions were kept secure but who is no match to someone who is stronger than himself. What Jesus was pointing out was that Satan, who is our foe and the arch-enemy of God, is stronger than us and unless we are clothed in God's strength, we do not have the power to stand up to Satan with our own human strength.
Our catechism teaches us that Satan is a reality that could infect our lives if we are not aware of its presence because what the evil one does is it shakes the foundation of our faith and confidence in God and our commitment to follow God's law. Satan rebelled against God and he can separate us from the love of God through lies and deception.
And in the whole of Scriptures, Jesus makes it clear that we cannot be neutral in this world. It’s either we are for Jesus or against him, for the kingdom of God or against it. The evil one moves when we disobey God's word as we open the doors of our hearts to the power of sin and Satan's influence in our lives.
If we want to live in true freedom from the power of sin and Satan, then Jesus must reign in our “temple” which is our hearts and minds. And towards the end of this Gospel passage, we see that Jesus was indeed angry at his accusers because he did not hold back when he said that their accusation will find no recompense in heaven: “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin.” (vv.28-30)
That was then and we need to ask this same question now to know whether this unforgiveable sin remains operative today and what this unforgiveable sin is. Yes we can still be committing this unforgiveable sin and not know it because this is one area that is rarely talked about in the church or community.
In fact, those active in ministry work in the Church or Communities should all try to reflect on this Gospel reading especially when division and disunity have begun creeping into their ranks. Everyone active in ministry, I believe, must keep their spiritual senses open so that they can discern if their actions come from God or from the evil one. As deception is the weapon employed by Satan, we too can commit acts that are divisive without even knowing it because the devil deceives us into believing that what we are doing is for the good of all.
This Gospel passage is actually a warning for us to avoid this unforgiveable sin and with it comes his assurance that the Holy Spirit himself will give us the Grace that we need in times of adversity. Jesus, however, was very particular about blaspheming the Holy Spirit which will never merit any form of forgiveness.
Why? Because blasphemy is an utterance against God Himself regardless of whether this is expressed in an inward or outward manner and this may include words of hatred, reproach, or defiance to the authority of God. A sin can be unforgivable if repentance is impossible and we can be guilty of this if we repeatedly close our eyes and ears to the Word of God that is before us which brings us to a point when we can no longer recognize God.
God’s mercy and compassion may be infinite but those who refuse to acknowledge and confess their sins and ask God for forgiveness has already condemned themselves as they have closed the door to God's offer of mercy, pardon, grace, and healing.
This year we are celebrating the Year of the Laity and Pope Francis has made it explicitly clear that all baptized Catholics should proclaim the Gospel with joy. We can all begin by familiarizing ourselves with the Scriptures. For Catholics, the Church recommends that we use the New American Bible and as you become more proficient in the study of the Scriptures you can perhaps venture into looking at the other Catholic versions of the Bible such as the Revised Standard Version (Catholic Edition).
Such is necessary because this is what we are to proclaim – the person of Jesus Christ – and the Bible especially in the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) is where we will come to know who Jesus Christ was and is. And in Bible Study and even when we are already being sent to proclaim the Good News to others, we should always bear in mind that we cannot risk offending the Holy Spirit because it is the Third Person of our Trinitarian God who will we need the Holy Spirit to equip us, empower us and inspire us.
To read the Scriptures regularly will transport us right into the heart of God and by knowing him and acknowledging him as our God will help us realize that we have the power to share in Christ’s victory over sin and death and have received adoption as God's sons and daughters.
Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Lord empowers us to live our lives in absolute freedom from slavery to sin. The Bible will tell us that Jesus is our refuge and strength because our lives are hidden in him who created us. Make it a habit to spend a few moments reading the Holy Bible and God Himself assures us that it will be a time well spent.
1st Reading: 2 Sam 5:1-7, 10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 89:20-22, 25-26 “My faithfulness ad my mercy shall be with him.”
GOSPEL: MK 3:22-30
Key Verse: “Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit
will never be forgiven.” (v.29)
There is no doubting that God is a loving and forgiving God and I believe that there is no infraction we may commit that he wouldn't forgive and the Bible is replete with accounts of how people have been forgiven of their transgressions.
We know Moses had pleaded and asked God to forgive his people (Num 14:19) and in this account we see the characteristics of God as someone who is patient and that God will forgive again and again. God has not changed since Moses and today we can still rely on God’s love, patience, forgiveness and grace.
But would you believe that there is such a thing as an unforgiveable sin? Yes there is and it’s not a sin that we commit against God and his Son Jesus Christ, but a sin against the third person of the Trinity – the Holy Spirit. This is what this Gospel reading is all about.
So that we can fully grasp the message of this Gospel passage we should know that the religious leaders in the time of Jesus was not against the practice of exorcising evil spirits from people who are possessed by such spirits because exorcism was widely practiced then and continues to this day.
The bone of contention in this passage was when the Scribes or the teachers of the law ascribed the power and authority of Jesus to cast out the evil spirits from the demon-possessed to an evil power and they went on to accuse him as being “possessed by Beelzebul, and by the prince of demons he casts out the demons." (v.22)
But the Gospel today did not describe how Jesus reacted to such accusation. Mark the Gospel writer merely quoted Jesus as throwing the issue back at the teachers of the law by asking “How can Satan cast out Satan?” (v.23) But we will venture a guess as we believe that the scenario was filled with tension and that Jesus was angry if not mad and we will see the reason why towards the end of this passage.
To put things in their proper perspective Jesus told his accusers that if “a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man; then indeed he may plunder his house.” (vv.25-27)
What Jesus was saying here was that it would have been impossible for him to invoke the power of another power beyond the power of God because the evil one cannot be expected to go against another evil force. The reason that he was able to cast out demons from the people who have come to him for healing was because he was before all else the same God who came down from his heavenly throne to redeem the people from sin.
Jesus used the illustration of a strong man whose house and possessions were kept secure but who is no match to someone who is stronger than himself. What Jesus was pointing out was that Satan, who is our foe and the arch-enemy of God, is stronger than us and unless we are clothed in God's strength, we do not have the power to stand up to Satan with our own human strength.
Our catechism teaches us that Satan is a reality that could infect our lives if we are not aware of its presence because what the evil one does is it shakes the foundation of our faith and confidence in God and our commitment to follow God's law. Satan rebelled against God and he can separate us from the love of God through lies and deception.
And in the whole of Scriptures, Jesus makes it clear that we cannot be neutral in this world. It’s either we are for Jesus or against him, for the kingdom of God or against it. The evil one moves when we disobey God's word as we open the doors of our hearts to the power of sin and Satan's influence in our lives.
If we want to live in true freedom from the power of sin and Satan, then Jesus must reign in our “temple” which is our hearts and minds. And towards the end of this Gospel passage, we see that Jesus was indeed angry at his accusers because he did not hold back when he said that their accusation will find no recompense in heaven: “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin.” (vv.28-30)
That was then and we need to ask this same question now to know whether this unforgiveable sin remains operative today and what this unforgiveable sin is. Yes we can still be committing this unforgiveable sin and not know it because this is one area that is rarely talked about in the church or community.
In fact, those active in ministry work in the Church or Communities should all try to reflect on this Gospel reading especially when division and disunity have begun creeping into their ranks. Everyone active in ministry, I believe, must keep their spiritual senses open so that they can discern if their actions come from God or from the evil one. As deception is the weapon employed by Satan, we too can commit acts that are divisive without even knowing it because the devil deceives us into believing that what we are doing is for the good of all.
This Gospel passage is actually a warning for us to avoid this unforgiveable sin and with it comes his assurance that the Holy Spirit himself will give us the Grace that we need in times of adversity. Jesus, however, was very particular about blaspheming the Holy Spirit which will never merit any form of forgiveness.
Why? Because blasphemy is an utterance against God Himself regardless of whether this is expressed in an inward or outward manner and this may include words of hatred, reproach, or defiance to the authority of God. A sin can be unforgivable if repentance is impossible and we can be guilty of this if we repeatedly close our eyes and ears to the Word of God that is before us which brings us to a point when we can no longer recognize God.
God’s mercy and compassion may be infinite but those who refuse to acknowledge and confess their sins and ask God for forgiveness has already condemned themselves as they have closed the door to God's offer of mercy, pardon, grace, and healing.
This year we are celebrating the Year of the Laity and Pope Francis has made it explicitly clear that all baptized Catholics should proclaim the Gospel with joy. We can all begin by familiarizing ourselves with the Scriptures. For Catholics, the Church recommends that we use the New American Bible and as you become more proficient in the study of the Scriptures you can perhaps venture into looking at the other Catholic versions of the Bible such as the Revised Standard Version (Catholic Edition).
Such is necessary because this is what we are to proclaim – the person of Jesus Christ – and the Bible especially in the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) is where we will come to know who Jesus Christ was and is. And in Bible Study and even when we are already being sent to proclaim the Good News to others, we should always bear in mind that we cannot risk offending the Holy Spirit because it is the Third Person of our Trinitarian God who will we need the Holy Spirit to equip us, empower us and inspire us.
To read the Scriptures regularly will transport us right into the heart of God and by knowing him and acknowledging him as our God will help us realize that we have the power to share in Christ’s victory over sin and death and have received adoption as God's sons and daughters.
Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Lord empowers us to live our lives in absolute freedom from slavery to sin. The Bible will tell us that Jesus is our refuge and strength because our lives are hidden in him who created us. Make it a habit to spend a few moments reading the Holy Bible and God Himself assures us that it will be a time well spent.
REPENT AND BE SAVED
JAN. 26, 2014: FEAST OF STS. TIMOTHY AND TITUS, Bishops
First Reading: Isa 8:23-9:3
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 27:1, 4, 13-14 (1a) “The Lord is my light and my salvation.”
Second Reading: 1 Cor 1:10-13, 17
GOSPEL: MATT 4:12-23
Key Verse: “Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven
is at hand.” (v.17)
There are at least two very important points that we can deduce from the gospel reading for today which also happens to be the Feast of Saints Timothy and Titus. One is the joy that evangelists exude in proclaiming the gospel to others regardless of the difficulties they face.
The other is the need for those who are committed to follow our Lord Jesus Christ to repent so that he can use them without the burden of sin weighing them down. We will talk about joy in the coming days but in the meantime, let me talk to you about repentance.
When he started his earthly ministry following his baptism by John, Jesus made two demands from those who cared to listen to him during the times he preached the good news to the Jews and Gentiles alike. Jesus called on the people to repent and believe.
In fact, in the gospel today Jesus urged those listening to him to “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (v.17) and the question you probably will ask is why won’t God just save us without need of any precondition. Such is necessary because repentance is essential to a spiritual life as it opens the way towards a meaningful relationship with God.
The act of repenting from our sins produces two types of action that are necessary before we can even think of entering the kingdom of heaven. One is that repentance makes us aware of the ill-effects of the sin in our lives and the other is that repentance moves us to turn towards God. And this is not an either or situation because a repentant sinner has to do both.
The problem with most of us is that we have become so familiar with God and with the misplaced confidence that he is a loving and forgiving God we profess our belief in him but proceed in living our lives in wild abandon. In the same way, we cannot also live what we may presume as a morally upright life without a relationship with God because anything that we do regardless of how good it may be cannot offset the sin that we commit.
Thus, confessing our sins and living a transformed life are inseparable because the consequence of repentance is conversion. For some of you who may be laboring and struggling in the pursuit of living a transformed life, please know that there is hope and that hope comes from the Holy Spirit who not only leads us to having a repentant disposition but also empowers us with his manifold gifts so that we will be equipped with the strength and resolve to resist all occasions of sin.
As we have repeatedly said in our previous reflections, faith is a verb and it is an action word which is why faith without deeds is dead (Jam 2:14-26) and this means that for repentance to become real it must be linked to action. This also means that if we are to follow Jesus, we should not only confess it but we are all required to obey and act on what he tells us to do.
At the very moment that we made that earnest desire to repent – turn away from our sins and turn towards God – the Holy Spirit springs into action and dispenses with the Grace of God to help us accept and believe the truth of God’s Word. To believe is to accept as truth that God loves us so much that he sent his only begotten Son to ransom us from the slavery of sin and death.
And God made the supreme sacrifice of allowing his Son to die on the cross so that through his death God can bring us back to himself. This incomparable love that surpasses all understanding is what actually will impel us to yield our lives to him.
What God may have actually means when he said “I came that you may have life and live it abundantly.” (Jn 10:10) was that he desires to change our mindsets and transform our lives by the power of his Word so that we may know the truth that salvation is the treasure that is being made available for all if we will only repent of our sins.
The Good News that Jesus brings and which we are also to bring to others is the pearl of great price (Mt 13:45-46) and it is the only treasure we will ever need to enjoy life because the Word of God brings peace to our lives when we are restored to a relationship with God. It also makes us hope for our own resurrection and claim our place in heaven.
The Gospel is the power and wisdom of God and it has the power to transform our lives from inside out and it also provides us the wisdom to accept and live no longer as slaves of the world but as sons and daughters of Our Father.
Many of you will definitely struggle when you commit to turn away from the world and your comfort zones and start turning towards a life in God and with God. I did too because the world also has its own rewards but in the end, I was led to the realization that the greatest reward we should all aspire to gain is the salvation that God offers us which is freedom from sin and death. And this can only be possible through the Holy Spirit who grants us the Grace to repent and turn to God.
And in today’s Gospel passage, Matthew injects at least three very important points that we need to digest in order for us to really appreciate the beauty of the Gospel and why it has remained relevant today.
The first point was that upon hearing that John the Baptist was arrested, Jesus left Nazareth and lived in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali which are known to be inhabited by Gentiles and this shows that the Gospel was meant for the Jews and Gentiles alike especially for the people who are living in darkness and have seen a great light when the Gospel was preached to them.
The second point is something that is very much real and we see this in v.17 when Jesus said: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” It doesn’t mean you are to do nothing but wait until the Kingdom rises up before you. There is a deeper meaning to this verse because the Kingdom of Heaven becomes visible the moment you accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior.
Following the gospel of repentance, Jesus urges us to also believe the Good News (Mk 1:15) which is the third point that I want to raise to give our Gospel today more light. We need to believe because only then will our faith grow and because it is only in believing that we can be assured of the eternal that God promised (Jn 3:16).
In this Year of the Laity, we who comprise the Church that Christ has established must be filled with the faith to become the good news to others. It means that we must heed the call of Pope Francis to go into the world and “proclaim the Kingdom of God.” (Lk 9:60) because the Gospel of Christ would have no value at all if it is not proclaimed and Jesus is calling on us now to bring the gospel to everyone by being the good news ourselves. He is inviting us to share in this privilege previously enjoyed by the Apostles because God sees something in us that he could use.
To become a disciple will require lots of sacrifices as with Timothy and Titus who left their families to follow Christ. What would propel us to accept Christ’s invitation would be the thought that Jesus found us when we were lost, and we are now obliged to also seek those who are lost for this is why Jesus came (Lk 19:10). We must not keep the light of Christ for ourselves because others must also see this light through us “for we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing” (2 Cor 2:15).
First Reading: Isa 8:23-9:3
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 27:1, 4, 13-14 (1a) “The Lord is my light and my salvation.”
Second Reading: 1 Cor 1:10-13, 17
GOSPEL: MATT 4:12-23
Key Verse: “Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven
is at hand.” (v.17)
There are at least two very important points that we can deduce from the gospel reading for today which also happens to be the Feast of Saints Timothy and Titus. One is the joy that evangelists exude in proclaiming the gospel to others regardless of the difficulties they face.
The other is the need for those who are committed to follow our Lord Jesus Christ to repent so that he can use them without the burden of sin weighing them down. We will talk about joy in the coming days but in the meantime, let me talk to you about repentance.
When he started his earthly ministry following his baptism by John, Jesus made two demands from those who cared to listen to him during the times he preached the good news to the Jews and Gentiles alike. Jesus called on the people to repent and believe.
In fact, in the gospel today Jesus urged those listening to him to “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (v.17) and the question you probably will ask is why won’t God just save us without need of any precondition. Such is necessary because repentance is essential to a spiritual life as it opens the way towards a meaningful relationship with God.
The act of repenting from our sins produces two types of action that are necessary before we can even think of entering the kingdom of heaven. One is that repentance makes us aware of the ill-effects of the sin in our lives and the other is that repentance moves us to turn towards God. And this is not an either or situation because a repentant sinner has to do both.
The problem with most of us is that we have become so familiar with God and with the misplaced confidence that he is a loving and forgiving God we profess our belief in him but proceed in living our lives in wild abandon. In the same way, we cannot also live what we may presume as a morally upright life without a relationship with God because anything that we do regardless of how good it may be cannot offset the sin that we commit.
Thus, confessing our sins and living a transformed life are inseparable because the consequence of repentance is conversion. For some of you who may be laboring and struggling in the pursuit of living a transformed life, please know that there is hope and that hope comes from the Holy Spirit who not only leads us to having a repentant disposition but also empowers us with his manifold gifts so that we will be equipped with the strength and resolve to resist all occasions of sin.
As we have repeatedly said in our previous reflections, faith is a verb and it is an action word which is why faith without deeds is dead (Jam 2:14-26) and this means that for repentance to become real it must be linked to action. This also means that if we are to follow Jesus, we should not only confess it but we are all required to obey and act on what he tells us to do.
At the very moment that we made that earnest desire to repent – turn away from our sins and turn towards God – the Holy Spirit springs into action and dispenses with the Grace of God to help us accept and believe the truth of God’s Word. To believe is to accept as truth that God loves us so much that he sent his only begotten Son to ransom us from the slavery of sin and death.
And God made the supreme sacrifice of allowing his Son to die on the cross so that through his death God can bring us back to himself. This incomparable love that surpasses all understanding is what actually will impel us to yield our lives to him.
What God may have actually means when he said “I came that you may have life and live it abundantly.” (Jn 10:10) was that he desires to change our mindsets and transform our lives by the power of his Word so that we may know the truth that salvation is the treasure that is being made available for all if we will only repent of our sins.
The Good News that Jesus brings and which we are also to bring to others is the pearl of great price (Mt 13:45-46) and it is the only treasure we will ever need to enjoy life because the Word of God brings peace to our lives when we are restored to a relationship with God. It also makes us hope for our own resurrection and claim our place in heaven.
The Gospel is the power and wisdom of God and it has the power to transform our lives from inside out and it also provides us the wisdom to accept and live no longer as slaves of the world but as sons and daughters of Our Father.
Many of you will definitely struggle when you commit to turn away from the world and your comfort zones and start turning towards a life in God and with God. I did too because the world also has its own rewards but in the end, I was led to the realization that the greatest reward we should all aspire to gain is the salvation that God offers us which is freedom from sin and death. And this can only be possible through the Holy Spirit who grants us the Grace to repent and turn to God.
And in today’s Gospel passage, Matthew injects at least three very important points that we need to digest in order for us to really appreciate the beauty of the Gospel and why it has remained relevant today.
The first point was that upon hearing that John the Baptist was arrested, Jesus left Nazareth and lived in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali which are known to be inhabited by Gentiles and this shows that the Gospel was meant for the Jews and Gentiles alike especially for the people who are living in darkness and have seen a great light when the Gospel was preached to them.
The second point is something that is very much real and we see this in v.17 when Jesus said: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” It doesn’t mean you are to do nothing but wait until the Kingdom rises up before you. There is a deeper meaning to this verse because the Kingdom of Heaven becomes visible the moment you accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior.
Following the gospel of repentance, Jesus urges us to also believe the Good News (Mk 1:15) which is the third point that I want to raise to give our Gospel today more light. We need to believe because only then will our faith grow and because it is only in believing that we can be assured of the eternal that God promised (Jn 3:16).
In this Year of the Laity, we who comprise the Church that Christ has established must be filled with the faith to become the good news to others. It means that we must heed the call of Pope Francis to go into the world and “proclaim the Kingdom of God.” (Lk 9:60) because the Gospel of Christ would have no value at all if it is not proclaimed and Jesus is calling on us now to bring the gospel to everyone by being the good news ourselves. He is inviting us to share in this privilege previously enjoyed by the Apostles because God sees something in us that he could use.
To become a disciple will require lots of sacrifices as with Timothy and Titus who left their families to follow Christ. What would propel us to accept Christ’s invitation would be the thought that Jesus found us when we were lost, and we are now obliged to also seek those who are lost for this is why Jesus came (Lk 19:10). We must not keep the light of Christ for ourselves because others must also see this light through us “for we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing” (2 Cor 2:15).
THE JOY OF SUBMISSION
JAN. 25, 2014: CONVERSION OF ST. PAUL
First Reading: Ac 22:3-16
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 117:1bc, 2 “Go out to all the world and tell the good news.”
GOSPEL: Mk 16:15-18
Key Verse: “And these signs will accompany
those who believe.” (v.17)
Today the 25th of January of every year, the whole of Christendom gather together to celebrate the conversion of St. Paul whom I consider as the thirteenth Apostle and one of the most important characters in the Bible. The fact that thirteen of the 27 books in the New Testament were written by St. Paul speak of his importance in the life of the Christian Church.
And when we talk of St. Paul we are always reminded of the story of his conversion from being a feared persecutor of the early Christians in Judea, Galilee and Samaria into a subservient and faithful servant of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Even now as I am writing this reflection, hundreds if not thousands are being converted and are being led from darkness into the marvelous light, from a light of sin to a life in the service of Christ Jesus. But the question we might ask is can people really change? The answer to that is no man isn’t capable of change and, yes he can but only with help from the One who created him.
Because of the sinful nature that we inherited from our ancestors we cannot possibly change on our own. But yes a person like Saul (St. Paul) and you and me are capable of change but only if we will submit to the lordship of Christ which is central in Christianity.
As was in the case of Christ who was equal to God the Father but who submitted himself to God to be able to carry out the plan for salvation. Just as a wife is equal to man under God, the wife submits to her husband for the sake of their marriage and family, the husband submits to Christ and Christ submits to God. (1 Cor 11:3) Submission between equals is also by choice and not by force. We serve God in such relationships by submitting to fellow members and leaders in our church, to our spouses, parents and elders and, to our leaders in government.
This kind of Biblical subservience was what St. Paul did because even at the time when Jesus Christ spoke to him on the road to Damascus, Paul had every reason to get angry when the great light blinded him. Instead, Paul prayed and reflected on what happened to him and God gifted him that he became a powerful proclaimer of the Word of God and the Church grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.
Recalling my own experience when I was led by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to the renewal movement some 25 years ago, I struggled with my Catholic Christian faith because I knew that I have to sacrifice a lot of things if I were to commit myself to the Lord. The world I was in brought a lot of material perks albeit illegal at times and to give up on those comforts gripped me with fear.
But the formation programs of the community I belonged to helped a lot as the Holy Spirit opened my eyes, my mind and my heart to the truth of my existence. Then I encountered the Lord through the Psalmist who said: “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.” (Psa 24:1) and I said to myself, if everything I have right now is owned by God and not mine and that I’m supposed to only manage it, what am I doing with my life.
It was then that the Holy Spirit led me to commit and yield my life to our Lord Jesus Christ and if I would live my life over again my decision will be the same today as it was then. As Pope Francis says in Evangelii Gaudium 1 “The joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness.”
The same joy was probably what the Apostles felt when Jesus told them that his presence will be in the signs that will accompany not only his disciples but anyone for that matter and they who will follow in his footsteps will be able “to drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues” (v.17); “they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not harm them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” (v.18)
It was apparent that the purpose of these signs was to provide concrete evidence that Jesus Christ was working with his disciples and even to this day the Lord continues to manifest his presence through signs that he continues to work with the Church, in the Church and through the Church and, through you and me.
This was evident in the work of Paul and Barnabas who “spent considerable time in Iconium, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders.” (Ac 14:3)
And God himself “testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his Will.” (Heb 2:4) What this means is that we can be assured of God’s presence whenever these signs are present including the Gifts of the Holy Spirit that Our Lord pours out on us in our Baptism in the Holy Spirit which gives credence to his promise that he will be with us to the end of age.
The conversion of Saul who would later be called Paul was also brought about by a sign when on his way to Damascus came upon a light from heaven and as he fell to the ground he heard a voice: “Saul, Saul, why do you prosecute me?” (Ac 9:4) The sign that led to his conversion came in the form of his being blind for three days not eating or drinking anything during this time until the Lord gave him another sign when Ananias laid his hands on Saul and he began to see and was baptized.
These signs therefore can be viewed as the credentials that proved the authority of the Apostles to establish the Church and our own authority as well who have been tapped to keep the Church alive and on fire.
What should encourage and motivate us all is the fact that the Lord did not leave a world in grief but he filled us with joy when he sent the Holy Spirit to clothed us with his gifts that equip us to “go to all the world and preach the Good News to all creation.” (v.15)
As we commemorate the Year of the Laity we are being commanded by the Church to lead everyone especially the baptized Christians who have drifted from the practice of their faith to an encounter with Jesus Christ through the proclamation of the Gospel to all because the Word of God is the never-ending sign of his power, joy, forgiveness, healing, deliverance from the influence of evil spirits and it is only through the Gospel that we can find our way back into the path of righteousness.
Man’s conversion is the ultimate goal of the New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Faith and the same thing is being asked of us. Our personal encounter with Jesus Christ should lead us to a radical change in our nature, a change that will empower us to experience the joy of submitting our lives the incarnate Word of God as our foundation and which must produce the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23; Rom 8:5-6) which are important because these are what will empower us to love God and neighbor.
First Reading: Ac 22:3-16
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 117:1bc, 2 “Go out to all the world and tell the good news.”
GOSPEL: Mk 16:15-18
Key Verse: “And these signs will accompany
those who believe.” (v.17)
Today the 25th of January of every year, the whole of Christendom gather together to celebrate the conversion of St. Paul whom I consider as the thirteenth Apostle and one of the most important characters in the Bible. The fact that thirteen of the 27 books in the New Testament were written by St. Paul speak of his importance in the life of the Christian Church.
And when we talk of St. Paul we are always reminded of the story of his conversion from being a feared persecutor of the early Christians in Judea, Galilee and Samaria into a subservient and faithful servant of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Even now as I am writing this reflection, hundreds if not thousands are being converted and are being led from darkness into the marvelous light, from a light of sin to a life in the service of Christ Jesus. But the question we might ask is can people really change? The answer to that is no man isn’t capable of change and, yes he can but only with help from the One who created him.
Because of the sinful nature that we inherited from our ancestors we cannot possibly change on our own. But yes a person like Saul (St. Paul) and you and me are capable of change but only if we will submit to the lordship of Christ which is central in Christianity.
As was in the case of Christ who was equal to God the Father but who submitted himself to God to be able to carry out the plan for salvation. Just as a wife is equal to man under God, the wife submits to her husband for the sake of their marriage and family, the husband submits to Christ and Christ submits to God. (1 Cor 11:3) Submission between equals is also by choice and not by force. We serve God in such relationships by submitting to fellow members and leaders in our church, to our spouses, parents and elders and, to our leaders in government.
This kind of Biblical subservience was what St. Paul did because even at the time when Jesus Christ spoke to him on the road to Damascus, Paul had every reason to get angry when the great light blinded him. Instead, Paul prayed and reflected on what happened to him and God gifted him that he became a powerful proclaimer of the Word of God and the Church grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.
Recalling my own experience when I was led by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to the renewal movement some 25 years ago, I struggled with my Catholic Christian faith because I knew that I have to sacrifice a lot of things if I were to commit myself to the Lord. The world I was in brought a lot of material perks albeit illegal at times and to give up on those comforts gripped me with fear.
But the formation programs of the community I belonged to helped a lot as the Holy Spirit opened my eyes, my mind and my heart to the truth of my existence. Then I encountered the Lord through the Psalmist who said: “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.” (Psa 24:1) and I said to myself, if everything I have right now is owned by God and not mine and that I’m supposed to only manage it, what am I doing with my life.
It was then that the Holy Spirit led me to commit and yield my life to our Lord Jesus Christ and if I would live my life over again my decision will be the same today as it was then. As Pope Francis says in Evangelii Gaudium 1 “The joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness.”
The same joy was probably what the Apostles felt when Jesus told them that his presence will be in the signs that will accompany not only his disciples but anyone for that matter and they who will follow in his footsteps will be able “to drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues” (v.17); “they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not harm them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” (v.18)
It was apparent that the purpose of these signs was to provide concrete evidence that Jesus Christ was working with his disciples and even to this day the Lord continues to manifest his presence through signs that he continues to work with the Church, in the Church and through the Church and, through you and me.
This was evident in the work of Paul and Barnabas who “spent considerable time in Iconium, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders.” (Ac 14:3)
And God himself “testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his Will.” (Heb 2:4) What this means is that we can be assured of God’s presence whenever these signs are present including the Gifts of the Holy Spirit that Our Lord pours out on us in our Baptism in the Holy Spirit which gives credence to his promise that he will be with us to the end of age.
The conversion of Saul who would later be called Paul was also brought about by a sign when on his way to Damascus came upon a light from heaven and as he fell to the ground he heard a voice: “Saul, Saul, why do you prosecute me?” (Ac 9:4) The sign that led to his conversion came in the form of his being blind for three days not eating or drinking anything during this time until the Lord gave him another sign when Ananias laid his hands on Saul and he began to see and was baptized.
These signs therefore can be viewed as the credentials that proved the authority of the Apostles to establish the Church and our own authority as well who have been tapped to keep the Church alive and on fire.
What should encourage and motivate us all is the fact that the Lord did not leave a world in grief but he filled us with joy when he sent the Holy Spirit to clothed us with his gifts that equip us to “go to all the world and preach the Good News to all creation.” (v.15)
As we commemorate the Year of the Laity we are being commanded by the Church to lead everyone especially the baptized Christians who have drifted from the practice of their faith to an encounter with Jesus Christ through the proclamation of the Gospel to all because the Word of God is the never-ending sign of his power, joy, forgiveness, healing, deliverance from the influence of evil spirits and it is only through the Gospel that we can find our way back into the path of righteousness.
Man’s conversion is the ultimate goal of the New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Faith and the same thing is being asked of us. Our personal encounter with Jesus Christ should lead us to a radical change in our nature, a change that will empower us to experience the joy of submitting our lives the incarnate Word of God as our foundation and which must produce the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23; Rom 8:5-6) which are important because these are what will empower us to love God and neighbor.
CHOSEN AND SENT
JAN. 24, 2014: SECOND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
First Reading: 1 Sam 24:3-21
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 57: 2-4, 6, 11 “Have mercy on me, God, have mercy.”
GOSPEL: MK 3:13-19
Key Verse: "He appointed twelve
designating them apostles." (v.14)
With the growing opposition of the Scribes and Pharisees who have already conspired with the Herodians in plotting to eliminate Jesus, our Lord knew that his prophesied passion and death was only a matter of time.
With John the Baptist preparing the way for him, Jesus pursued his mission with zeal performing healing miracles, raising up the dead and, teaching in synagogues. He spoke with authority and oftentimes rebuking the teachers of the law and putting them on a spot placing Jesus in a collision course with the religious leaders at the time.
To ensure that his sacrifices will not go to waste, Jesus had to find ways to make his message permanent. As media formats such as books, magazines, newspapers, radio and television were unheard of in those days, Jesus saw the only way to keep his message alive was through his disciples who have been with him since he began his ministry and in whose hearts his message is written.
And so in this passage today, Jesus chose 12 from among the 72 disciples who regularly traveled with him whom he designated as Apostles and it is significant to note that Christianity began with this group of ordinary people who have been together for quite sometime and this sustains the belief that faith grows when it is lived out in a fellowship.
These are the 12 that he appointed (v.14): Simon who would later be named Peter and his brother Andrew; James and John, sons of Zebedee whom Jesus gave the name Boanerges which meant Sons of Thunder; Philip, Bartholomew, Levi who was named Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and, Judas Iscariot who would later betray Jesus.
Looking at these mixed group of characters in terms of worldly stature, these twelve hold no special qualifications at all as they were not wealthy, held no positions in government or in the community to which they belonged, no special education, they were not theologians as the teachers of the law, and never held even a position in the synagogue.
The only qualification they had which became the basis of the decision of Jesus was that they followed him by listening to him and primarily because of their boldness to stand by his side in the face of the opposition of the religious leaders of their time. To stand by the side of Jesus, the son of a carpenter from Nazareth, against the establishment requires courage and Jesus set aside all their faults, the imperfections of their characters and simply looked at that one thing that these 12 had.
They all loved Jesus and have given up their lives, their families and their preoccupation to walk with him and learn from him and live in fellowship with one another. This was all that Jesus needed in choosing them because this is what being a Christian is all about.
Today, Jesus is calling on not just 12 amongst us but he is actually calling on all of us to start where he and the Apostles and those who came after them left off. In other words, we are the new Apostles whose task is to proclaim the Gospel of Christ with joy (Evangelii Gaudium 1-13) Mark the Evangelist may felt it was not important to record but remember that some of the 12 Apostles at one time also felt slighted by the actuations of some in their group (Mk 10:37) but at the end of the day, all 12 Apostles went on their mission with only one goal in mind and that is bring Christ to the world.
It is the same with us. As it was difficult then to bring together 12 people with different persuasions, so it is also the same in our time today as we stand witness to intrigues, disagreements, loose tongue and inappropriate speech that tend to create divisions within the Church instead of members uplifting one another towards a central goal.
As with Peter who was delegated with the authority to keep the harmony and unity within the ranks of the Apostles and the Christian converts, so do current leaders of church ministries and apostolates carry a heavy burden on their shoulders in ministering to the spiritual and pastoral needs of those under their care.
Although Mark did not write about it, Jesus probably heaved a sigh of relief after he named the 12 Apostles because he was sure that he has a group of trusted disciples who are to be the heralds of his message of salvation. And to make them effective as ministers in the pursuit of their continuing mission, Jesus gave them power to cast out demons. Why? Because Jesus knew that the evil one will forever be on the prowl to destroy what he has built.
The Apostles are long gone now and we who have been brought to the Church and specifically to the renewal are the new apostles who are being sent out to preach the Gospel to every person (Matt 28:18-20). We who believe in Jesus are the new ambassadors (2 Cor 5:20) who gave us the ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:18) so that all may have a fellowship with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ (1 Jn 1:3).
Today, we too are being called to take over from the Apostles because the present time is a time of religious decay. The permanent vitality of religion is gone and the mass of people have become superstitious, credulous or indifferent to religion (Tacitus, 32-37A.D.).
Our Catholic faith is being threatened not only by the religious decay that pervades in our society but even in the area of public governance with an organized effort towards the passage of the highly immoral RH Law and today an international conference is being hosted by the Philippines where abortion is being discussed. Indeed, the growing relativism in our society has now become a major concern for the Church.
This is the primary reason why we who believe in Christ are now being called and are being sent because the Church that Jesus established exists in order to evangelize – the carrying forth of the Good News to every sector of the human race so that by its strength it may enter into the hearts of men and renew the human race. (Evangelii Nunitiandi 14,18).
Jesus chose us, not for what we are, but for what we could become if we trust him with our lives. When the Lord calls us to serve, we must not think that we have little or nothing to offer. The Lord uses ordinary people like us to make sure his message will not be lost.
This is now the issue we need to face. As we have been chosen and are being sent, we must look at our lives as an offering to the Lord and allow him to use us for his purpose. That is the only way we can repay the Lord for all the good that he has done for us.
First Reading: 1 Sam 24:3-21
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 57: 2-4, 6, 11 “Have mercy on me, God, have mercy.”
GOSPEL: MK 3:13-19
Key Verse: "He appointed twelve
designating them apostles." (v.14)
With the growing opposition of the Scribes and Pharisees who have already conspired with the Herodians in plotting to eliminate Jesus, our Lord knew that his prophesied passion and death was only a matter of time.
With John the Baptist preparing the way for him, Jesus pursued his mission with zeal performing healing miracles, raising up the dead and, teaching in synagogues. He spoke with authority and oftentimes rebuking the teachers of the law and putting them on a spot placing Jesus in a collision course with the religious leaders at the time.
To ensure that his sacrifices will not go to waste, Jesus had to find ways to make his message permanent. As media formats such as books, magazines, newspapers, radio and television were unheard of in those days, Jesus saw the only way to keep his message alive was through his disciples who have been with him since he began his ministry and in whose hearts his message is written.
And so in this passage today, Jesus chose 12 from among the 72 disciples who regularly traveled with him whom he designated as Apostles and it is significant to note that Christianity began with this group of ordinary people who have been together for quite sometime and this sustains the belief that faith grows when it is lived out in a fellowship.
These are the 12 that he appointed (v.14): Simon who would later be named Peter and his brother Andrew; James and John, sons of Zebedee whom Jesus gave the name Boanerges which meant Sons of Thunder; Philip, Bartholomew, Levi who was named Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and, Judas Iscariot who would later betray Jesus.
Looking at these mixed group of characters in terms of worldly stature, these twelve hold no special qualifications at all as they were not wealthy, held no positions in government or in the community to which they belonged, no special education, they were not theologians as the teachers of the law, and never held even a position in the synagogue.
The only qualification they had which became the basis of the decision of Jesus was that they followed him by listening to him and primarily because of their boldness to stand by his side in the face of the opposition of the religious leaders of their time. To stand by the side of Jesus, the son of a carpenter from Nazareth, against the establishment requires courage and Jesus set aside all their faults, the imperfections of their characters and simply looked at that one thing that these 12 had.
They all loved Jesus and have given up their lives, their families and their preoccupation to walk with him and learn from him and live in fellowship with one another. This was all that Jesus needed in choosing them because this is what being a Christian is all about.
Today, Jesus is calling on not just 12 amongst us but he is actually calling on all of us to start where he and the Apostles and those who came after them left off. In other words, we are the new Apostles whose task is to proclaim the Gospel of Christ with joy (Evangelii Gaudium 1-13) Mark the Evangelist may felt it was not important to record but remember that some of the 12 Apostles at one time also felt slighted by the actuations of some in their group (Mk 10:37) but at the end of the day, all 12 Apostles went on their mission with only one goal in mind and that is bring Christ to the world.
It is the same with us. As it was difficult then to bring together 12 people with different persuasions, so it is also the same in our time today as we stand witness to intrigues, disagreements, loose tongue and inappropriate speech that tend to create divisions within the Church instead of members uplifting one another towards a central goal.
As with Peter who was delegated with the authority to keep the harmony and unity within the ranks of the Apostles and the Christian converts, so do current leaders of church ministries and apostolates carry a heavy burden on their shoulders in ministering to the spiritual and pastoral needs of those under their care.
Although Mark did not write about it, Jesus probably heaved a sigh of relief after he named the 12 Apostles because he was sure that he has a group of trusted disciples who are to be the heralds of his message of salvation. And to make them effective as ministers in the pursuit of their continuing mission, Jesus gave them power to cast out demons. Why? Because Jesus knew that the evil one will forever be on the prowl to destroy what he has built.
The Apostles are long gone now and we who have been brought to the Church and specifically to the renewal are the new apostles who are being sent out to preach the Gospel to every person (Matt 28:18-20). We who believe in Jesus are the new ambassadors (2 Cor 5:20) who gave us the ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:18) so that all may have a fellowship with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ (1 Jn 1:3).
Today, we too are being called to take over from the Apostles because the present time is a time of religious decay. The permanent vitality of religion is gone and the mass of people have become superstitious, credulous or indifferent to religion (Tacitus, 32-37A.D.).
Our Catholic faith is being threatened not only by the religious decay that pervades in our society but even in the area of public governance with an organized effort towards the passage of the highly immoral RH Law and today an international conference is being hosted by the Philippines where abortion is being discussed. Indeed, the growing relativism in our society has now become a major concern for the Church.
This is the primary reason why we who believe in Christ are now being called and are being sent because the Church that Jesus established exists in order to evangelize – the carrying forth of the Good News to every sector of the human race so that by its strength it may enter into the hearts of men and renew the human race. (Evangelii Nunitiandi 14,18).
Jesus chose us, not for what we are, but for what we could become if we trust him with our lives. When the Lord calls us to serve, we must not think that we have little or nothing to offer. The Lord uses ordinary people like us to make sure his message will not be lost.
This is now the issue we need to face. As we have been chosen and are being sent, we must look at our lives as an offering to the Lord and allow him to use us for his purpose. That is the only way we can repay the Lord for all the good that he has done for us.
KNOWING WHO WE ARE MATTERS
JAN. 23, 2014: SECOND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
First Reading: 1 Sam 18:6-9; 19:1-7
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 56:2-3, 9-10a, 10b-13 “In God I trust, I shall not fear”
GOSPEL: MK 3:7-12
Key Verse: “You are the Son of God.” (v.11)
Today’s Gospel passage shows Jesus withdrawing to the lakeside with his disciples (v.7) probably to rest and gather himself from the previous encounter he had at the synagogue with the Pharisees who questioned why he healed the man with a withered hand on a Sabbath.
I’m sure many of you who have just gone through a spirited discussion or argument as the case may be will have felt spent and exhausted and what you normally do is go to either your favorite watering hole or to the spiritual, you would normally rush to some quiet and peaceful place like the adoration chapel to recharge your energy and reconnect with God.
You will all agree with me that there is nothing as sweet as winning a discussion or a debate for that matter and there is nothing as miserable as when you lose in an argument. When that happens there are times when dejection comes in and you will probably want to be alone for the meantime and look at your situation in retrospect.
I still remember the times when I was still active as a media practitioner when I really enjoyed the celebratory moments when the theories and opinions that I included in my news reportage proved correct and how embarrassed I was when my reporting turned out to be either inaccurate or lacking in details and it’s not easy dealing with a botched news coverage.
But for a Rabbi who has become popular by his preaching with the kind of authority the people have never seen and the many instances of miracles and healing that he did, a multitude followed him (v.8) that he needed to board a boat on the shore lest he be crushed by the onrushing crowd who wanted to have a piece of him (v.9).
Uneventful this may seem as Jesus did not speak a word or a parable in this passage, what this Gospel for today is telling us is the class of people who were there at the lakeside and there are at least three groups of people who were with Jesus in this passage.
To be able to fully grasp the sweetness of the message that lie hidden in the Scriptures, a technique that Biblical scholars use is they dissect the words and phrases of the Gospel passage before them and they apply the process of imagineering by putting themselves right at the heart of the stories in the Scriptures.
For this Gospel passage of today, there are several groups of people who were present and it would be to our advantage if we will try to see as to which group we belong so we can at least plot where we are now in terms of our spiritual growth and decide which way to go.
The first group consists of the disciples of Jesus (v.7). As Rabbis who have become a celebrity like Jesus, they normally travel with their large entourage of disciples. We can easily conclude that this was a committed group for many of them, like Andrew and Peter, James and John, have left their families and careers to follow Jesus.
The second group was composed of the crowd who came from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, regions across the Jordan and those from around Tyre and Sidon (vv.8-9) and as such it would be difficult to identify who among them actually believe in Jesus, who among them were there for the benefit they can get, those who wanted to be healed while others just wanted to see a miracle. Many of them are curiosity seekers.
Then there was the third group composed of those who have unclean spirits or the demon-possessed who fell down upon seeing Jesus crying out “You are the Son of God” (v.11) which meant that the devil himself knows and are aware that Jesus was indeed the Son of God.
The question now is to which of these three groups of people do we belong. Are we like the curiosity-seekers who go to church regularly or join a community but never committing ourselves to serve? Or are we like the son who said yes to his father but never did what the father told him? Do we hear the Gospel being proclaimed but not listening to it? There is a chance of course that there will be some who will eventually take up the challenge in Lk 9:23; 14:25-27 and praise God for them.
Are we like those possessed by unclean spirits who may be going to church regularly and or like in the preceding also join a community or a parish organization but who is like a square peg in a round hole. We know who Jesus is but we doubt his nature as God or we just don’t believe in him. Or we can like those who don’t regard sin as an offense against God. There will, however, come a time when even the hard-hearted will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Phi 2:11). But why wait until some tragic event change your spiritual perspective? Why not come before the Lord and commit our lives to him while there is still time?
Why not be like Andrew, Simon, James and John in Mk 1:16-20 and Levi in Mk 2:14. They may have heard of what Jesus preached and what he did but they have never met him yet when he passed by them and said “follow me” they all left what they were doing and followed him.
This Gospel passage today sends out a message for all of us to now make a choice as to what we want to do with our lives. We can be in church or community but remaining in the sidelines. We are happy with the thought that we are saved because we believe, forgetting that believing goes beyond than just what we believe in our minds. To believe is to walk where Jesus walked.
Would you also want to risk the “judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God” (Heb 10:27) by preferring to remain in the world and wallow in sin because “it is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Heb 10:31).
Why not make a decision now and secure your insurance towards the salvation of your soul and an eternal life with Jesus in heaven by listening to the Gospel and abandoning everything that you have for his sake.
Let us not dwell anymore on how long the world has existed but the Scriptures tells us that Christ died some 2,500 years ago and if we range this with the average age of man nowadays which is in the neighborhood of 70 years old we can conclude that life is short. So the question is what are you going to do to make your life meaningful?
The choice is yours to make but the time to make a choice is now.
First Reading: 1 Sam 18:6-9; 19:1-7
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 56:2-3, 9-10a, 10b-13 “In God I trust, I shall not fear”
GOSPEL: MK 3:7-12
Key Verse: “You are the Son of God.” (v.11)
Today’s Gospel passage shows Jesus withdrawing to the lakeside with his disciples (v.7) probably to rest and gather himself from the previous encounter he had at the synagogue with the Pharisees who questioned why he healed the man with a withered hand on a Sabbath.
I’m sure many of you who have just gone through a spirited discussion or argument as the case may be will have felt spent and exhausted and what you normally do is go to either your favorite watering hole or to the spiritual, you would normally rush to some quiet and peaceful place like the adoration chapel to recharge your energy and reconnect with God.
You will all agree with me that there is nothing as sweet as winning a discussion or a debate for that matter and there is nothing as miserable as when you lose in an argument. When that happens there are times when dejection comes in and you will probably want to be alone for the meantime and look at your situation in retrospect.
I still remember the times when I was still active as a media practitioner when I really enjoyed the celebratory moments when the theories and opinions that I included in my news reportage proved correct and how embarrassed I was when my reporting turned out to be either inaccurate or lacking in details and it’s not easy dealing with a botched news coverage.
But for a Rabbi who has become popular by his preaching with the kind of authority the people have never seen and the many instances of miracles and healing that he did, a multitude followed him (v.8) that he needed to board a boat on the shore lest he be crushed by the onrushing crowd who wanted to have a piece of him (v.9).
Uneventful this may seem as Jesus did not speak a word or a parable in this passage, what this Gospel for today is telling us is the class of people who were there at the lakeside and there are at least three groups of people who were with Jesus in this passage.
To be able to fully grasp the sweetness of the message that lie hidden in the Scriptures, a technique that Biblical scholars use is they dissect the words and phrases of the Gospel passage before them and they apply the process of imagineering by putting themselves right at the heart of the stories in the Scriptures.
For this Gospel passage of today, there are several groups of people who were present and it would be to our advantage if we will try to see as to which group we belong so we can at least plot where we are now in terms of our spiritual growth and decide which way to go.
The first group consists of the disciples of Jesus (v.7). As Rabbis who have become a celebrity like Jesus, they normally travel with their large entourage of disciples. We can easily conclude that this was a committed group for many of them, like Andrew and Peter, James and John, have left their families and careers to follow Jesus.
The second group was composed of the crowd who came from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, regions across the Jordan and those from around Tyre and Sidon (vv.8-9) and as such it would be difficult to identify who among them actually believe in Jesus, who among them were there for the benefit they can get, those who wanted to be healed while others just wanted to see a miracle. Many of them are curiosity seekers.
Then there was the third group composed of those who have unclean spirits or the demon-possessed who fell down upon seeing Jesus crying out “You are the Son of God” (v.11) which meant that the devil himself knows and are aware that Jesus was indeed the Son of God.
The question now is to which of these three groups of people do we belong. Are we like the curiosity-seekers who go to church regularly or join a community but never committing ourselves to serve? Or are we like the son who said yes to his father but never did what the father told him? Do we hear the Gospel being proclaimed but not listening to it? There is a chance of course that there will be some who will eventually take up the challenge in Lk 9:23; 14:25-27 and praise God for them.
Are we like those possessed by unclean spirits who may be going to church regularly and or like in the preceding also join a community or a parish organization but who is like a square peg in a round hole. We know who Jesus is but we doubt his nature as God or we just don’t believe in him. Or we can like those who don’t regard sin as an offense against God. There will, however, come a time when even the hard-hearted will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Phi 2:11). But why wait until some tragic event change your spiritual perspective? Why not come before the Lord and commit our lives to him while there is still time?
Why not be like Andrew, Simon, James and John in Mk 1:16-20 and Levi in Mk 2:14. They may have heard of what Jesus preached and what he did but they have never met him yet when he passed by them and said “follow me” they all left what they were doing and followed him.
This Gospel passage today sends out a message for all of us to now make a choice as to what we want to do with our lives. We can be in church or community but remaining in the sidelines. We are happy with the thought that we are saved because we believe, forgetting that believing goes beyond than just what we believe in our minds. To believe is to walk where Jesus walked.
Would you also want to risk the “judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God” (Heb 10:27) by preferring to remain in the world and wallow in sin because “it is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Heb 10:31).
Why not make a decision now and secure your insurance towards the salvation of your soul and an eternal life with Jesus in heaven by listening to the Gospel and abandoning everything that you have for his sake.
Let us not dwell anymore on how long the world has existed but the Scriptures tells us that Christ died some 2,500 years ago and if we range this with the average age of man nowadays which is in the neighborhood of 70 years old we can conclude that life is short. So the question is what are you going to do to make your life meaningful?
The choice is yours to make but the time to make a choice is now.
LOVE TRANSCENDS EVERYTHING
JAN. 22, 2014: SECOND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 1 Sam 17:32-33, 37, 40-51
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 144:1b, 2, 9-10 “Blessed be the Lord, my rock!”
GOSPEL: MK 3:1-6
Key Verse: “Stretch our your hand.” (v.5)
We are again on the subject of the law of the Sabbath that was part of the Mosaic law but which in the course of time the Scribes or the teachers of the law have expanded into a never-ending trail of rules and regulations the observance of which has become more important to the Pharisees than the original intent of the Sabbath.
Just to let you in on the kind of controversy that have caused division between Jesus and the Pharisees, the devout Jews will not lift their hands much more defend themselves even from attacks by their enemies if it falls on the Sabbath.
There was a story about Pompey the Roman general who when he laid siege on Jerusalem built a mound during the Sabbath day from where he can view the Temple where the Jews took refuge. Pompey knew that on the Sabbath the Jews would not lift even one hand to defend themselves even if they knew that by their inaction they were facing imminent death.
Having grown up in a Jewish household Jesus knew the rigidity in the way the Pharisees observe the rules of the Sabbath and it was probably his desire to awaken this kind of insensitivity to the needs of the people that led him to return to the synagogue.
Brushing off the protests and threats raised by the Pharisees who were jealous of the growing popularity of Jesus who not only spoke with authority during his preaching but who also brought healing and performed miracles that no eye has ever seen until he came.
Jesus uncompromisingly exposed the inconsistency in the way the Pharisees were practicing their faith and this brought him into a collision course with the Pharisees who started looking for ways to eliminate him.
Just like on this day in the synagogue, a man with a withered hand was there and the Pharisees were watching Jesus if he would heal the man on the Sabbath. If he did they will add this to the issues they have raised against him but Jesus knew what they were thinking which was why he asked the question: “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” (v.4)
When the Pharisees couldn’t answer, Jesus “looked at them with anger and deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts,” and he said to the man: “Stretch out your hand.” (v.5) and the man was healed.
What this Gospel passage is telling us is that we need to spend some time and go before the Lord and reflect if there is a trace of Pharisee in us especially at this time when the Christmas Season just ended and we are asked to put into practice the lessons we learned during the Advent and Christmas Seasons.
Without our knowing it there could be a chance we may have become Pharisaical in the way we have been practicing our faith especially for those who are in positions of leadership in the church or in lay organizations such as charismatic community.
As with the Pharisees some of us could be suffering from a hardening of our hearts that we may have picked from our ancestors dating back from the time of Cain and we will know if we are in this stage of our spiritual growth if we are experiencing not just spiritual dullness but when we refuse to see the truths that Jesus teaches. It would be calamitous for us if we will not deal with this situation. (Pro 28:14)
Hard hearts result in hard thoughts and in our present situation this could be likened to our inability to see any good in those who maybe opposed to our ideas or positions. Such hard hearts and thoughts at times provoke us into engaging in a politics of personal destruction. And in our effort to stand firm on our position we begin to think ill of our neighbors, colleagues in the workplace and, even our brethren in the church or community and this becomes evident in the way we treat others at times ignoring, maligning and or abusing those whom we don’t like.
Just like lies that become truth when repeated overtime, hard thoughts emanating from a hardened heart are likely to progress into deeds which means that our actions albeit irreligious are a consequence of our thoughts.
In our quiet times, we can detach from the Pharisaical nature that may be in us by reigniting our relationship with our God by remembering that we are weak and we need to forgive (Col 3:13). We can make that big leap of faith from our hardened hearts into someone with a compassionate heart by our conscious effort to turn ourselves into a good soil and by aligning our attitude with that of Christ (Phi 2:3-5).
This passage for all intents and purposes warns us not to fall into the trap to which the Pharisees and Herodians have fallen because we too could be plotting against Jesus by keeping him out of our lives. As he had purchased us at a great price, we all belong to him and as such we are mandated to pursue his mission and bring the Gospel to others.
As opposed to the Pharisees and Herodians whose mindsets were opposed to Jesus, we are being enjoined by Peter (1 Pet 3:8-12) to live in harmony with one another. The choice before us then is the eternal joy that awaits those who will choose to believe in Christ (Jn3:16) or our own condemnation if we persist in our unbelief in him who is the truth (Jn 3:18).
The Sabbath is thus not just a day of rest but it should be spent to express our gratitude for all that God has done for us. We should use the Sabbath as a means of purifying ourselves of the Pharisee in us by doing good to others. To keep the Sabbath holy is to serve God by serving man.
1st Reading: 1 Sam 17:32-33, 37, 40-51
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 144:1b, 2, 9-10 “Blessed be the Lord, my rock!”
GOSPEL: MK 3:1-6
Key Verse: “Stretch our your hand.” (v.5)
We are again on the subject of the law of the Sabbath that was part of the Mosaic law but which in the course of time the Scribes or the teachers of the law have expanded into a never-ending trail of rules and regulations the observance of which has become more important to the Pharisees than the original intent of the Sabbath.
Just to let you in on the kind of controversy that have caused division between Jesus and the Pharisees, the devout Jews will not lift their hands much more defend themselves even from attacks by their enemies if it falls on the Sabbath.
There was a story about Pompey the Roman general who when he laid siege on Jerusalem built a mound during the Sabbath day from where he can view the Temple where the Jews took refuge. Pompey knew that on the Sabbath the Jews would not lift even one hand to defend themselves even if they knew that by their inaction they were facing imminent death.
Having grown up in a Jewish household Jesus knew the rigidity in the way the Pharisees observe the rules of the Sabbath and it was probably his desire to awaken this kind of insensitivity to the needs of the people that led him to return to the synagogue.
Brushing off the protests and threats raised by the Pharisees who were jealous of the growing popularity of Jesus who not only spoke with authority during his preaching but who also brought healing and performed miracles that no eye has ever seen until he came.
Jesus uncompromisingly exposed the inconsistency in the way the Pharisees were practicing their faith and this brought him into a collision course with the Pharisees who started looking for ways to eliminate him.
Just like on this day in the synagogue, a man with a withered hand was there and the Pharisees were watching Jesus if he would heal the man on the Sabbath. If he did they will add this to the issues they have raised against him but Jesus knew what they were thinking which was why he asked the question: “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” (v.4)
When the Pharisees couldn’t answer, Jesus “looked at them with anger and deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts,” and he said to the man: “Stretch out your hand.” (v.5) and the man was healed.
What this Gospel passage is telling us is that we need to spend some time and go before the Lord and reflect if there is a trace of Pharisee in us especially at this time when the Christmas Season just ended and we are asked to put into practice the lessons we learned during the Advent and Christmas Seasons.
Without our knowing it there could be a chance we may have become Pharisaical in the way we have been practicing our faith especially for those who are in positions of leadership in the church or in lay organizations such as charismatic community.
As with the Pharisees some of us could be suffering from a hardening of our hearts that we may have picked from our ancestors dating back from the time of Cain and we will know if we are in this stage of our spiritual growth if we are experiencing not just spiritual dullness but when we refuse to see the truths that Jesus teaches. It would be calamitous for us if we will not deal with this situation. (Pro 28:14)
Hard hearts result in hard thoughts and in our present situation this could be likened to our inability to see any good in those who maybe opposed to our ideas or positions. Such hard hearts and thoughts at times provoke us into engaging in a politics of personal destruction. And in our effort to stand firm on our position we begin to think ill of our neighbors, colleagues in the workplace and, even our brethren in the church or community and this becomes evident in the way we treat others at times ignoring, maligning and or abusing those whom we don’t like.
Just like lies that become truth when repeated overtime, hard thoughts emanating from a hardened heart are likely to progress into deeds which means that our actions albeit irreligious are a consequence of our thoughts.
In our quiet times, we can detach from the Pharisaical nature that may be in us by reigniting our relationship with our God by remembering that we are weak and we need to forgive (Col 3:13). We can make that big leap of faith from our hardened hearts into someone with a compassionate heart by our conscious effort to turn ourselves into a good soil and by aligning our attitude with that of Christ (Phi 2:3-5).
This passage for all intents and purposes warns us not to fall into the trap to which the Pharisees and Herodians have fallen because we too could be plotting against Jesus by keeping him out of our lives. As he had purchased us at a great price, we all belong to him and as such we are mandated to pursue his mission and bring the Gospel to others.
As opposed to the Pharisees and Herodians whose mindsets were opposed to Jesus, we are being enjoined by Peter (1 Pet 3:8-12) to live in harmony with one another. The choice before us then is the eternal joy that awaits those who will choose to believe in Christ (Jn3:16) or our own condemnation if we persist in our unbelief in him who is the truth (Jn 3:18).
The Sabbath is thus not just a day of rest but it should be spent to express our gratitude for all that God has done for us. We should use the Sabbath as a means of purifying ourselves of the Pharisee in us by doing good to others. To keep the Sabbath holy is to serve God by serving man.
THINK OF YOURSELF LESS
JAN. 21, 2014: SECOND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 1 Sam 16:1-13
Responsorial Psalm: PSA 89:20-22, 27-28 “I have found David, my servant.”
GOSPEL: MK 2:23-28
Key Verse: “the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” (v.28)
Today we are being presented with at least two imagery of human holiness which is normally defined as religiousness, piety, devoutness and or, godliness. And in the time of Jesus, the Scribes or the teachers of the law and the Pharisees were generally referred to by the people as pious and devout in the practice of their faith.
It came to a point that these Scribes and Pharisees claimed to be the sole interpreter of the Mosaic law and in doing so they also expanded the religious edicts handed down by Moses into thousands of other rules and regulations that became a burden for the people rather than bring the people closer to God. Even worse was the fact that they lost sense of what was good and right.
Such was the case in the observance of the Sabbath which was the issue in this Gospel passage. While Deut 23:25 allows anyone passing by a field to pick kernels with their hands but what was being disputed was that the disciples picked corn kernels on a Sabbath and any form of physical exertion is prohibited during the Sabbath.
And Jesus countered by citing the story of David (1 Sam 21:1-6) who took the sacred bread used as an offering at the Temple and which was lawful only for the priests to eat. But David took the consecrated bread so that he and his men could eat as they were on the run to escape from Saul.
Jesus placed a cap to the discussion by saying: “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath” (v.28). The point that Jesus wanted to make was that man was created even before the law on the Sabbath was written and this meant that man should not be enslaved by the rules and regulations governing the Sabbath.
The Lord was right in saying “the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath” because Jesus knew where he was coming from but the Scribes he was talking to could not comprehend what he was saying. Either they were too proud to accept that the Son of Man from Nazareth was the Messiah that the Jews have been waiting for or it could be that they will have to give up certain privileges that they enjoyed if they were to accept that Jesus was the One who was sent down from heaven.
What Jesus was trying to make the Pharisees understand was that as the incarnated Son of God, he was for all intents and purposes the Lord of the Sabbath thus giving him the authority and the right to decide what maybe permissible or forbidden.
In other words, Jesus as the Lord of the Sabbath had the sovereign authority to interpret how the Sabbath was to be used and by that same authority can altogether rescind the law on the Sabbath since “Jesus and the Father are one” (Jn 10:30).
What Jesus wants to emphasize in this Gospel today was that the Sabbath or the day of rest was given for our own benefit such that we are expected to use this particular day of rest to refresh and renew us physically and spiritually.
Hence, the Sabbath is intended to bring out the good in every person and withholding mercy and kindness in relation to human need was not part of the objectives of the Sabbath. In fact, Jesus himself said in Mk 3:4 “which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?”
While religion or our belonging to a Church and or Community requires that we observe certain statutes or policies there is more to it because even our adherence to these rules and regulations do not a Christian make. I serve in the executive council of a Catholic charismatic community with districts or chapters worldwide and we have statutes and rules that guide us in our governance.
But I also realized that the strict adherence to such rules could at times stifle the spiritual growth of a person. In fact, dialogue, open communications that is rooted in love, care and concern for the welfare of one another is paramount when leading others to Christ especially when you hold a position of leadership in a church ministry or community.
It is sad when disunity, division and strife break out within church or community ministries and apostolates and the culprit is merely the failure to sit down and dialogue with one another. When we cannot do this, it can only mean that we are thinking more highly of ourselves when what we ought to do is merely to humble ourselves and not think of ourselves more highly than we ought to (Phi 2:3-4; Rom 12:1-8).
Humility is not thinking less of yourself but it is thinking of yourself less. You might say that this is one and the same. It is not. To think less of yourself is to set aside your dignity and putting yourself in such a lowly position and this is the reason why there are many among us who could not for the love of God practice humility. But to think of yourself less means that we give priority to what the other person thinks, feels and says and in doing so we actually discover our true self by the love we have for the other person.
It simply means that love, mercy, kindness, forgiveness and, faithful and humble service to men are at the heart of religion and cannot be replaced by mere observance of rules and regulations. This will show that authentic Christianity lies in doing things rather than in not doing what is necessary because our hands are held bound by the Sabbath.
The point of this Gospel is that the Sabbath which is a sacred observance and whatever may be found in it must be used to help our neighbors and such sacred things can only become sacred when they are used to benefit men. This was the case of Abiathar, the high priest at the Temple who gave David and his men the consecrated bread which became even more sacred because it was used to feed men who were in need.
At the end of the day, it is love that should govern the observance of the Sabbath because not to help anyone who maybe in need because you are barred by rules and regulations concerning the Sabbath is plain ignorance of what religion represents. Holiness grows in response to God’s Word which means that those who have committed to follow Christ are sanctified through believing and obeying the Word of God.
We have already been forgiven through the sacrificial death of Christ (Heb 7:26-27) but the daily application of God’s Word has a purifying effect on our minds and hearts. The Sacred Scriptures itself points out that God’s Word should motivate us to confess our sins because only the restoration of our relationship with Christ will guide us back to the right path.
True and authentic religion rests in looking at people as more important than the rules and regulations that govern the Church and or Community to which we belong because the best way to worship God is to help our neighbors in need.
We can actually say that Jesus has already rescinded the law by his death on the cross (Eph 2:15). Jesus “cancelled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross” (Col 2:14). And “by calling this covenant new, he has made the first one obsolete” (Heb. 8:13).
Thus, true piety rests not on laws but on mercy and love in Jesus!
1st Reading: 1 Sam 16:1-13
Responsorial Psalm: PSA 89:20-22, 27-28 “I have found David, my servant.”
GOSPEL: MK 2:23-28
Key Verse: “the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” (v.28)
Today we are being presented with at least two imagery of human holiness which is normally defined as religiousness, piety, devoutness and or, godliness. And in the time of Jesus, the Scribes or the teachers of the law and the Pharisees were generally referred to by the people as pious and devout in the practice of their faith.
It came to a point that these Scribes and Pharisees claimed to be the sole interpreter of the Mosaic law and in doing so they also expanded the religious edicts handed down by Moses into thousands of other rules and regulations that became a burden for the people rather than bring the people closer to God. Even worse was the fact that they lost sense of what was good and right.
Such was the case in the observance of the Sabbath which was the issue in this Gospel passage. While Deut 23:25 allows anyone passing by a field to pick kernels with their hands but what was being disputed was that the disciples picked corn kernels on a Sabbath and any form of physical exertion is prohibited during the Sabbath.
And Jesus countered by citing the story of David (1 Sam 21:1-6) who took the sacred bread used as an offering at the Temple and which was lawful only for the priests to eat. But David took the consecrated bread so that he and his men could eat as they were on the run to escape from Saul.
Jesus placed a cap to the discussion by saying: “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath” (v.28). The point that Jesus wanted to make was that man was created even before the law on the Sabbath was written and this meant that man should not be enslaved by the rules and regulations governing the Sabbath.
The Lord was right in saying “the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath” because Jesus knew where he was coming from but the Scribes he was talking to could not comprehend what he was saying. Either they were too proud to accept that the Son of Man from Nazareth was the Messiah that the Jews have been waiting for or it could be that they will have to give up certain privileges that they enjoyed if they were to accept that Jesus was the One who was sent down from heaven.
What Jesus was trying to make the Pharisees understand was that as the incarnated Son of God, he was for all intents and purposes the Lord of the Sabbath thus giving him the authority and the right to decide what maybe permissible or forbidden.
In other words, Jesus as the Lord of the Sabbath had the sovereign authority to interpret how the Sabbath was to be used and by that same authority can altogether rescind the law on the Sabbath since “Jesus and the Father are one” (Jn 10:30).
What Jesus wants to emphasize in this Gospel today was that the Sabbath or the day of rest was given for our own benefit such that we are expected to use this particular day of rest to refresh and renew us physically and spiritually.
Hence, the Sabbath is intended to bring out the good in every person and withholding mercy and kindness in relation to human need was not part of the objectives of the Sabbath. In fact, Jesus himself said in Mk 3:4 “which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?”
While religion or our belonging to a Church and or Community requires that we observe certain statutes or policies there is more to it because even our adherence to these rules and regulations do not a Christian make. I serve in the executive council of a Catholic charismatic community with districts or chapters worldwide and we have statutes and rules that guide us in our governance.
But I also realized that the strict adherence to such rules could at times stifle the spiritual growth of a person. In fact, dialogue, open communications that is rooted in love, care and concern for the welfare of one another is paramount when leading others to Christ especially when you hold a position of leadership in a church ministry or community.
It is sad when disunity, division and strife break out within church or community ministries and apostolates and the culprit is merely the failure to sit down and dialogue with one another. When we cannot do this, it can only mean that we are thinking more highly of ourselves when what we ought to do is merely to humble ourselves and not think of ourselves more highly than we ought to (Phi 2:3-4; Rom 12:1-8).
Humility is not thinking less of yourself but it is thinking of yourself less. You might say that this is one and the same. It is not. To think less of yourself is to set aside your dignity and putting yourself in such a lowly position and this is the reason why there are many among us who could not for the love of God practice humility. But to think of yourself less means that we give priority to what the other person thinks, feels and says and in doing so we actually discover our true self by the love we have for the other person.
It simply means that love, mercy, kindness, forgiveness and, faithful and humble service to men are at the heart of religion and cannot be replaced by mere observance of rules and regulations. This will show that authentic Christianity lies in doing things rather than in not doing what is necessary because our hands are held bound by the Sabbath.
The point of this Gospel is that the Sabbath which is a sacred observance and whatever may be found in it must be used to help our neighbors and such sacred things can only become sacred when they are used to benefit men. This was the case of Abiathar, the high priest at the Temple who gave David and his men the consecrated bread which became even more sacred because it was used to feed men who were in need.
At the end of the day, it is love that should govern the observance of the Sabbath because not to help anyone who maybe in need because you are barred by rules and regulations concerning the Sabbath is plain ignorance of what religion represents. Holiness grows in response to God’s Word which means that those who have committed to follow Christ are sanctified through believing and obeying the Word of God.
We have already been forgiven through the sacrificial death of Christ (Heb 7:26-27) but the daily application of God’s Word has a purifying effect on our minds and hearts. The Sacred Scriptures itself points out that God’s Word should motivate us to confess our sins because only the restoration of our relationship with Christ will guide us back to the right path.
True and authentic religion rests in looking at people as more important than the rules and regulations that govern the Church and or Community to which we belong because the best way to worship God is to help our neighbors in need.
We can actually say that Jesus has already rescinded the law by his death on the cross (Eph 2:15). Jesus “cancelled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross” (Col 2:14). And “by calling this covenant new, he has made the first one obsolete” (Heb. 8:13).
Thus, true piety rests not on laws but on mercy and love in Jesus!
TO BECOME NEW IS OUR CALLING
JAN. 20, 2014: SECOND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 1 Sam 15:16-23
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 50:8-9, 16BC-17, 21, 23 “To the upright I will show the saving power of God.”
GOSPEL: MK 2:18-22
Key Verse: “He pours new wine into new wineskins.” (v.22)
We may not know it but the gospel reading today may have been the basis for Isaac Newton’s third law on motion in which the great philosopher determined that “to every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction” as Mark’s Gospel speak about the action of emptying oneself and the opposite reaction of filling in what has been emptied.
The presence of such equal and opposite reaction in today’s passage is discernible in the two parts that make up the Gospel passage today in which Mark wrote about the action of emptying ourselves which is what fasting is all about and, the opposite reaction of the filling in of ourselves with the life-changing truths of Christ.
Fasting or the act of emptying ourselves of the impurities that are displeasing to the eyes of God and the need for us to turn our lives into becoming new wineskins to accept the truths of Christ are what this Gospel is all about.
The opening scenario in this passage was founded on the practice of John the Baptist and his disciples to fast as a sign of repentance as fasting was viewed in both the Old and New Testament times as an external symbol of humility and repentance for sin. Fasting was also viewed as an inner discipline that clears the minds while at the same time keeping the spirits active and alert.
The ancient Jews and those in the time of Jesus and even now among the religious and Christians steeped in the traditions of the faith find some very good reasons why a man should fast. In most cases, fasting was accompanied with prayer because the Jews fasted whenever they are seeking divine intervention.
And lest it creates confusion in the minds of the ordinary hearer of the Word of God, Jesus was not against fasting as when the Pharisees asked why John’s disciples fast and his disciples did not (v.18) since Jesus himself fasted for 40 days. With his response, Jesus simply defined the boundaries that separate fasting and feasting and what he meant was that people need not fast when there was a celebration in which the bridegroom was still present.
This response must have evoked protests from the Pharisees as Jesus compared himself to being a groom which represents the image of God in relation to God’s chosen people who are symbolized to in the Scriptures as the bride (Isa 62:5 and Matt 25:1-13).
What followed was a stinging rebuke over the habit of the Pharisees who fast to display their piety but who because of their rigidity in the practice of their faith have been unable to digest the new revelations coming from God as personified by Jesus.
And Jesus went on to preach to his disciples and he is telling us now about the problem of the heart and mind that remains closed to accept new things. To illustrate, Jesus used an image that the Jews were familiar with – that of new and old wineskins.
In the time of Jesus, wine was usually stored in wineskins as there were no bottles in those days. Hence, new wine poured into wineskins was still fermenting and the expanded gases creates pressure on the wineskins and new wineskins were elastic enough to take the pressure, but old wineskins that have already hardened would easily burst.
The lesson for us is that we all must turn ourselves into new wineskins which means that we should get rid of the kind of rigidity that the Pharisees had because this will prevent us from accepting the new life that Christ offers.
As the world keeps moving, we as Christians who have been baptized in Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit must always be on the move and must not remain stationary in relation to the practice of our faith because to become fixed and closed to accept the truths of Christ may make us physically alive but mentally dead.
To become new wineskins is to become pliant which means that we must remain open not only to new ideas but to accepting the truths of Christ because the opposite which is a closed mind would result in spiritual lethargy and dryness in the practice of our Christian faith.
If we are to draw a lesson from what Jesus was saying in this gospel passage, it clearly means that we all have to be open to new ideas and to keep updating our arsenal of evangelistic tools if we are to address the needs of a constantly changing world.
It means that we cannot dwell on the things that we have learned ages ago because the needs of today’s post-modern world are different from the world we stepped in years ago. In other words we all have to become new to adapt to the world that is changing almost everyday. It also means we need to renew our perception of others.
Yes we are obliged to pray unceasingly (1 Thes 5:17) but the conversion of a person is the work of the Holy Spirit. Our job is merely to plant the seed. At the end of the day, each one of us is accountable only to the Lord. If one of us or if we come face to face with a person who lies, cheats, who spreads rumors, who sows intrigues, who do things that tend to create disunity and division, our job is to pray for that person but at the end of the day that person will be accountable for his/ her actions when the day of the Lord comes.
In conclusion, we have to go back to the laws on motion in which our actions as a Christian must consist of an equal and opposite reaction which is done when we fast and empty ourselves of the impurities that we have acquired especially those iniquities that we may have acquired without fear and or reservation and which can be purified through repentance.
For such action to become transformative in terms of our spiritual growth, we need to go through the corresponding opposite reaction which is to turn ourselves into new wineskins to be able accept the new and life-changing truths of Christ without choking our senses and emotions.
This Gospel passage today should therefore lead us to understand the necessity of fasting and becoming new wineskins as part of spiritual discipline as it would be a shame to have such a spiritual tool at our disposal and yet not make use of it as a disciple.
1st Reading: 1 Sam 15:16-23
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 50:8-9, 16BC-17, 21, 23 “To the upright I will show the saving power of God.”
GOSPEL: MK 2:18-22
Key Verse: “He pours new wine into new wineskins.” (v.22)
We may not know it but the gospel reading today may have been the basis for Isaac Newton’s third law on motion in which the great philosopher determined that “to every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction” as Mark’s Gospel speak about the action of emptying oneself and the opposite reaction of filling in what has been emptied.
The presence of such equal and opposite reaction in today’s passage is discernible in the two parts that make up the Gospel passage today in which Mark wrote about the action of emptying ourselves which is what fasting is all about and, the opposite reaction of the filling in of ourselves with the life-changing truths of Christ.
Fasting or the act of emptying ourselves of the impurities that are displeasing to the eyes of God and the need for us to turn our lives into becoming new wineskins to accept the truths of Christ are what this Gospel is all about.
The opening scenario in this passage was founded on the practice of John the Baptist and his disciples to fast as a sign of repentance as fasting was viewed in both the Old and New Testament times as an external symbol of humility and repentance for sin. Fasting was also viewed as an inner discipline that clears the minds while at the same time keeping the spirits active and alert.
The ancient Jews and those in the time of Jesus and even now among the religious and Christians steeped in the traditions of the faith find some very good reasons why a man should fast. In most cases, fasting was accompanied with prayer because the Jews fasted whenever they are seeking divine intervention.
And lest it creates confusion in the minds of the ordinary hearer of the Word of God, Jesus was not against fasting as when the Pharisees asked why John’s disciples fast and his disciples did not (v.18) since Jesus himself fasted for 40 days. With his response, Jesus simply defined the boundaries that separate fasting and feasting and what he meant was that people need not fast when there was a celebration in which the bridegroom was still present.
This response must have evoked protests from the Pharisees as Jesus compared himself to being a groom which represents the image of God in relation to God’s chosen people who are symbolized to in the Scriptures as the bride (Isa 62:5 and Matt 25:1-13).
What followed was a stinging rebuke over the habit of the Pharisees who fast to display their piety but who because of their rigidity in the practice of their faith have been unable to digest the new revelations coming from God as personified by Jesus.
And Jesus went on to preach to his disciples and he is telling us now about the problem of the heart and mind that remains closed to accept new things. To illustrate, Jesus used an image that the Jews were familiar with – that of new and old wineskins.
In the time of Jesus, wine was usually stored in wineskins as there were no bottles in those days. Hence, new wine poured into wineskins was still fermenting and the expanded gases creates pressure on the wineskins and new wineskins were elastic enough to take the pressure, but old wineskins that have already hardened would easily burst.
The lesson for us is that we all must turn ourselves into new wineskins which means that we should get rid of the kind of rigidity that the Pharisees had because this will prevent us from accepting the new life that Christ offers.
As the world keeps moving, we as Christians who have been baptized in Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit must always be on the move and must not remain stationary in relation to the practice of our faith because to become fixed and closed to accept the truths of Christ may make us physically alive but mentally dead.
To become new wineskins is to become pliant which means that we must remain open not only to new ideas but to accepting the truths of Christ because the opposite which is a closed mind would result in spiritual lethargy and dryness in the practice of our Christian faith.
If we are to draw a lesson from what Jesus was saying in this gospel passage, it clearly means that we all have to be open to new ideas and to keep updating our arsenal of evangelistic tools if we are to address the needs of a constantly changing world.
It means that we cannot dwell on the things that we have learned ages ago because the needs of today’s post-modern world are different from the world we stepped in years ago. In other words we all have to become new to adapt to the world that is changing almost everyday. It also means we need to renew our perception of others.
Yes we are obliged to pray unceasingly (1 Thes 5:17) but the conversion of a person is the work of the Holy Spirit. Our job is merely to plant the seed. At the end of the day, each one of us is accountable only to the Lord. If one of us or if we come face to face with a person who lies, cheats, who spreads rumors, who sows intrigues, who do things that tend to create disunity and division, our job is to pray for that person but at the end of the day that person will be accountable for his/ her actions when the day of the Lord comes.
In conclusion, we have to go back to the laws on motion in which our actions as a Christian must consist of an equal and opposite reaction which is done when we fast and empty ourselves of the impurities that we have acquired especially those iniquities that we may have acquired without fear and or reservation and which can be purified through repentance.
For such action to become transformative in terms of our spiritual growth, we need to go through the corresponding opposite reaction which is to turn ourselves into new wineskins to be able accept the new and life-changing truths of Christ without choking our senses and emotions.
This Gospel passage today should therefore lead us to understand the necessity of fasting and becoming new wineskins as part of spiritual discipline as it would be a shame to have such a spiritual tool at our disposal and yet not make use of it as a disciple.
RISE UP AND DEFEND JESUS
JAN. 19, 2014: SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
First Reading: Isa 49:3, 5-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 40:2, 4, 7-10 “Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.”
Second Reading: 1 Cor 1:1-3
GOSPEL: JN 1:29-34
Key Verse: “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes
away the sin of the world.” (v.29)
There are at least three significant points in this Gospel passage for this Second Sunday in Ordinary Time that gives us a picture of who Jesus was at the time of his baptism by John the Baptist, his true identity and what he will be from then on.
To know the background of Jesus is fairly important in our understanding of our faith since it is only in knowing who Jesus was and is that we can truly believe and love him and appreciate our nature as “children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” (1 Jn 3:1)
The first point we’d like to make is that when Jesus appeared before John the Baptist at the Jordan River and John cried out: “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (v.29). Here we see a progression that links all the three points in this passage. Acknowledged as the last of the great prophets, the title used by John in calling Jesus as the Lamb of God was prophetic in a sense because it defines the role of Jesus in the redemption of the world.
The question that some may raise is how come John called Jesus to be the Lamb of God if he himself “did not know him” (v.31). Was John thinking of the practice in those days when a lamb was sacrificed each morning and every evening at the Temple for the sins of the people?
Or was John thinking of Jesus as the Passover Lamb the blood of which delivered the Israelites in Egypt from death and perhaps this was the same thought that ran through the mind of Paul who wrote: “for Christ, our Passover Lamb has been sacrificed” (1 Cor 5:7). To be called the Lamb of God was indeed a tremendous title because of the way the Jews associate the lamb with the practice of their faith.
It would also have been impossible for John not to know Jesus (v.31) because they were blood relations. What John meant, however, was not that he didn’t know who Jesus was but he didn’t know what Jesus was and it was only at that moment when John saw and realized who Jesus really was.
And this brings us to the second point of this passage. Indeed John didn’t know who Jesus was but at that moment when he saw Jesus appear at the River Jordan the Holy Spirit had provided him with the thought as to the real identity of Jesus. And here we see for the first time the appearance of the Holy Spirit in the life of John and Jesus in the form of a dove.
The Jews refer to the Holy Spirit as the ruah which means wind and to the Jews the Spirit of God means power and life which is beyond human comprehension and even the Jews believed then that the coming of the Spirit was the coming of God. Even the great prophets defer to the Spirit as coming from God: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to bring good tidings” (Isa 61:1).
Many of us may have gone through what is called spasmodic experiences which come with dazzling illumination in the Life in the Spirit Seminar but these moments come and go. When John said in (v.32) that he saw the Spirit remain on him it meant that the Spirit took up residence in Jesus which also means that the power of God was and has always been in and with Jesus from the beginning of time.
The third point in this Gospel passage was the use of the word baptize in v.33 when John said Jesus will baptize men with the Holy Spirit. Again, what John meant was that Jesus alone can bring the Spirit of God to us that when we are baptized in the Holy Spirit, our lives are immersed and filled with the Spirit who takes possession of our nature.
Hence, this indwelling of the Holy Spirit should illumine, strengthen and purify our lives for it is only by the power of the Spirit that we can do things beyond our human comprehension: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Ac 1:8)
As with John, our primary task is to testify not for our own self but to stand as witness for Jesus Christ and this is where the difference lies between evangelization and promotion. Many times we fail in our task in bringing others to Christ and the reason is they don’t see Christ in us. The point that we want to stress is that we are not to draw attention to our own person but we are to point others to Christ.
With the uncertainties and upheavals in the environment we are in, the people in the world today as with the Jews in the time of John are looking for someone to provide them security in an unsecure world. Our role as Christian disciples is to point them to Christ and to show that he is the only one who can give us peace and security.
And we can only do this by the power of the Holy Spirit who makes Christ known to us through the gift of faith because it would be difficult to lead others to know Christ if we have not known him first.
God fills us with his Spirit so that we may comprehend the great mystery and plan of God to unite all things in his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ (Eph 1:10). As the mission of John was to be the herald of Christ, we too are being mobilized to follow after John and point others to Christ.
In this Year of the Laity, let us not forget that we are being called to proclaim the Gospel of Christ to the ends of the earth in pursuit of the New Evangelization program which has been developed by our church to renew the faith of baptized Christians who have strayed away from the practice of their Catholic faith.
The Catholic Church today is under attack from all sides not only from its traditional foes – the agnostics, atheists, skeptics and cults – but even from within the Church itself government officials who are themselves baptized Catholics getting involved in financial scams and other forms of high-level corruption.
What most of us don’t realize is that each time we sin such as when we push and support immoral pieces of legislation such as same-sex marriage and abortion and, or get involved in sinful activities like getting involved in financial scams, we are actually driving the thorns deeper into the head of Jesus, binding his hands such that evil permeates in the world today because we ourselves have placed Jesus in captivity as a result of our sinful nature.
And in this time and age when the name and person of Jesus has been so desecrated we whom God has justified in faith are now being called to defend not only our Christian Catholic faith but to release Christ himself from captivity. And in this Year of the Laity, we who are being sent to proclaim the gospel of Christ to others with joy can only do so if we have Christ walking with us in our journey of faith just like in the road to Emmaus.
First Reading: Isa 49:3, 5-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 40:2, 4, 7-10 “Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.”
Second Reading: 1 Cor 1:1-3
GOSPEL: JN 1:29-34
Key Verse: “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes
away the sin of the world.” (v.29)
There are at least three significant points in this Gospel passage for this Second Sunday in Ordinary Time that gives us a picture of who Jesus was at the time of his baptism by John the Baptist, his true identity and what he will be from then on.
To know the background of Jesus is fairly important in our understanding of our faith since it is only in knowing who Jesus was and is that we can truly believe and love him and appreciate our nature as “children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” (1 Jn 3:1)
The first point we’d like to make is that when Jesus appeared before John the Baptist at the Jordan River and John cried out: “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (v.29). Here we see a progression that links all the three points in this passage. Acknowledged as the last of the great prophets, the title used by John in calling Jesus as the Lamb of God was prophetic in a sense because it defines the role of Jesus in the redemption of the world.
The question that some may raise is how come John called Jesus to be the Lamb of God if he himself “did not know him” (v.31). Was John thinking of the practice in those days when a lamb was sacrificed each morning and every evening at the Temple for the sins of the people?
Or was John thinking of Jesus as the Passover Lamb the blood of which delivered the Israelites in Egypt from death and perhaps this was the same thought that ran through the mind of Paul who wrote: “for Christ, our Passover Lamb has been sacrificed” (1 Cor 5:7). To be called the Lamb of God was indeed a tremendous title because of the way the Jews associate the lamb with the practice of their faith.
It would also have been impossible for John not to know Jesus (v.31) because they were blood relations. What John meant, however, was not that he didn’t know who Jesus was but he didn’t know what Jesus was and it was only at that moment when John saw and realized who Jesus really was.
And this brings us to the second point of this passage. Indeed John didn’t know who Jesus was but at that moment when he saw Jesus appear at the River Jordan the Holy Spirit had provided him with the thought as to the real identity of Jesus. And here we see for the first time the appearance of the Holy Spirit in the life of John and Jesus in the form of a dove.
The Jews refer to the Holy Spirit as the ruah which means wind and to the Jews the Spirit of God means power and life which is beyond human comprehension and even the Jews believed then that the coming of the Spirit was the coming of God. Even the great prophets defer to the Spirit as coming from God: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to bring good tidings” (Isa 61:1).
Many of us may have gone through what is called spasmodic experiences which come with dazzling illumination in the Life in the Spirit Seminar but these moments come and go. When John said in (v.32) that he saw the Spirit remain on him it meant that the Spirit took up residence in Jesus which also means that the power of God was and has always been in and with Jesus from the beginning of time.
The third point in this Gospel passage was the use of the word baptize in v.33 when John said Jesus will baptize men with the Holy Spirit. Again, what John meant was that Jesus alone can bring the Spirit of God to us that when we are baptized in the Holy Spirit, our lives are immersed and filled with the Spirit who takes possession of our nature.
Hence, this indwelling of the Holy Spirit should illumine, strengthen and purify our lives for it is only by the power of the Spirit that we can do things beyond our human comprehension: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Ac 1:8)
As with John, our primary task is to testify not for our own self but to stand as witness for Jesus Christ and this is where the difference lies between evangelization and promotion. Many times we fail in our task in bringing others to Christ and the reason is they don’t see Christ in us. The point that we want to stress is that we are not to draw attention to our own person but we are to point others to Christ.
With the uncertainties and upheavals in the environment we are in, the people in the world today as with the Jews in the time of John are looking for someone to provide them security in an unsecure world. Our role as Christian disciples is to point them to Christ and to show that he is the only one who can give us peace and security.
And we can only do this by the power of the Holy Spirit who makes Christ known to us through the gift of faith because it would be difficult to lead others to know Christ if we have not known him first.
God fills us with his Spirit so that we may comprehend the great mystery and plan of God to unite all things in his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ (Eph 1:10). As the mission of John was to be the herald of Christ, we too are being mobilized to follow after John and point others to Christ.
In this Year of the Laity, let us not forget that we are being called to proclaim the Gospel of Christ to the ends of the earth in pursuit of the New Evangelization program which has been developed by our church to renew the faith of baptized Christians who have strayed away from the practice of their Catholic faith.
The Catholic Church today is under attack from all sides not only from its traditional foes – the agnostics, atheists, skeptics and cults – but even from within the Church itself government officials who are themselves baptized Catholics getting involved in financial scams and other forms of high-level corruption.
What most of us don’t realize is that each time we sin such as when we push and support immoral pieces of legislation such as same-sex marriage and abortion and, or get involved in sinful activities like getting involved in financial scams, we are actually driving the thorns deeper into the head of Jesus, binding his hands such that evil permeates in the world today because we ourselves have placed Jesus in captivity as a result of our sinful nature.
And in this time and age when the name and person of Jesus has been so desecrated we whom God has justified in faith are now being called to defend not only our Christian Catholic faith but to release Christ himself from captivity. And in this Year of the Laity, we who are being sent to proclaim the gospel of Christ to others with joy can only do so if we have Christ walking with us in our journey of faith just like in the road to Emmaus.
HEAVEN IS OPEN TO ALL
JAN. 18, 2014: FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 1 Sam 9:1-4,17-19; 10:1
Responsorial Psalm: 21:2-7 “Lord, in your strength the King is glad.”
GOSPEL: MK 2:13-17
Key Verse: “I did not come to call the righteous
but sinners.” (v.17)
We have been told and taught that our Lord Jesus Christ was sent down from heaven into the world to save sinners and it really comes as a big surprise that God would justify sinners like me and some of you out there. Honestly, I feel like I’m unworthy of such justification because I looked at myself as nothing but a heap of corruption and sin.
But what St. Paul wrote to the Christians and the people in Rome: “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith,” (Ro 5:1) continue to ring in my ear especially when I was already on my way through the formation program of the charismatic community where God led me some 23 years ago.
And St. Paul is actually telling us now that if God can justify even the ungodly, then God can also justify us. Perhaps you might ask why? Because God found something in us that he can use especially at this time when humanity, according to Pope Francis, “is experiencing a turning point in its history from the advances being made in so many fields.” (EG 52)
“Just as the commandment ‘Thou shalt not kill’ sets a clear limit in order to safeguard the value f human life, today we also have to say ‘thou shalt not’ to an economy of exclusion and inequality. Such an economy kills. How can it be that it is not a news item when an elderly homeless person dies of exposure, but it is news when the stock market loses two points? This is a case of exclusion. Can we continue to stand by when is thrown away while people are starving? This is a case of inequality. Today everything comes under the laws of competition and the survival of the fittest, where the powerful feed upon the powerless. As a consequence, masses of people find themselves excluded and marginalized: without work, without possibilities, without any means of escape.” (EG 53)
This same scenario was already evident during the time of Jesus and this was the reason he called on Levi because he saw a need for him and this is also the reason why you and me are being justified and called so that we can “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” (Mk 16:15)
When you go through the Gospel particularly the narratives referring to Jesus when he was organizing his evangelization team, there probably are among you who may be wondering what was running in the mind of Jesus at the time he called on Simon and his brother Andrew, brothers James and John and now an outcast from society like Levi the tax collector.
That this account on the calling of Levi would be arranged in such a way that it comes on the heels of the healing of the leper and the paralytic only shows that Jesus was indeed sent not just for a particular set of people but for all of creation.
With the growing opposition from the Scribes and Pharisees, Jesus was gradually finding it hard to teach in the synagogues which was why in this scenario we see Jesus walking by the lakeside and a crowd of people followed him and he taught them as they were walking (v.13). This style of preaching was customary in those days when Rabbis preached to those following them while they moved from one town to another.
Upon seeing Levi at the tax collector’s booth, Jesus said: “Follow me” (v.14) and Levi got up and followed him. In the next few moments, try to imagine that you were one of those in the crowd. As an adult Jew you have received faith formation and religious studies since your childhood days from visiting Rabbis, Scribes and Pharisees.
And certainly you are as surprised as the crowd were at the time when Jesus called on Levi, who as a tax collector was most hated by the Jews. Because their profession was to collect taxes and fees for the Roman government, tax collectors were considered as traitors. They are also viewed as extortionists because they normally get a slice of the taxes that they collect.
As such, tax collectors are lumped together with sinners and harlots (Lk 15:1-2) and no Jew who was in a proper frame of mind would associate themselves with tax collectors. Except for Jesus no one in the crowd at that time knew what was in the mind of Levi.
He must have already heard of Jesus and it was possible that Levi was already overcome by guilt at his sinful ways and was planning to turn a new leaf and was just waiting for an opportune time. This was the only plausible explanation why Levi stood up, left everything and followed Jesus (Lk 5:28).
If the Scribes were perplexed at the calling of Levi, they were scandalized when Levi hosted a feast for Jesus in his house that was attended by other tax collectors and sinners as well and the teachers of the law asked his disciples why Jesus eats with sinners (v.16). Luke’s account of this same event says the Scribes complained of the behavior of Jesus.
What follows in v.17 was the response of Jesus which reveals his mission on earth: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Jesus chose a sinner like Levi who would later be called Matthew because he knew that Levi (Matthew) was repentant and has what it takes to become a disciple as the former tax collector left everything and staked whatever he has left on Christ. What Jesus requires of his disciples is the willingness to give up everything “deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Lk 9:23)
This encounter with Jesus was probably the new life that Levi was looking for, a leap of faith from being despised to being accepted as he will now be walking with the Son of God. As tax collectors are known to keep a record of their transaction, Jesus gave Matthew who had an eye for detail the opportunity to record their ministry and this resulted in the Gospel with the most number of chapters in the New Testament.
The underlying message in this Gospel is that Jesus is not inviting people who believe that they are already good enough and have no need of help. What Jesus is pointing out here is that the first step in discipleship is to acknowledge our need for a savior and admit that we don’t have all the answers.
The true and authentic Christian life is to follow Christ by turning our backs from the world we are in. We will experience hardships, comfort, deprivation and, we will find ourselves poorer in terms of material possessions. Worldly ambitions are thrown out of the window but through it all, following Christ will bring joy and peace and the privilege to become co-heir to the Kingdom of Heaven.
To follow Christ as Matthew did, we are commanded to share the Gospel with the poor, immoral, the deprived and depraved, the outcasts of society and, not just the rich, moral, popular and powerful. Heaven, after all, is also for sinners. “God doesn’t want burnt offerings; he wants our lifelong service” (Psa 40:6-8).
Thus if Jesus will pass us by at this very moment and will tell us: “Follow me.” How are we going to respond? Are we going to do what Matthew did who left everything behind to follow Jesus? Some 23 years ago, I was like Levi and I was enjoying everything that the world can offer. But when Jesus passed by, called me and invited me to the renewal movement and “I found peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.” (Ro 5:1-2)
How you will respond will define your true identity.
1st Reading: 1 Sam 9:1-4,17-19; 10:1
Responsorial Psalm: 21:2-7 “Lord, in your strength the King is glad.”
GOSPEL: MK 2:13-17
Key Verse: “I did not come to call the righteous
but sinners.” (v.17)
We have been told and taught that our Lord Jesus Christ was sent down from heaven into the world to save sinners and it really comes as a big surprise that God would justify sinners like me and some of you out there. Honestly, I feel like I’m unworthy of such justification because I looked at myself as nothing but a heap of corruption and sin.
But what St. Paul wrote to the Christians and the people in Rome: “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith,” (Ro 5:1) continue to ring in my ear especially when I was already on my way through the formation program of the charismatic community where God led me some 23 years ago.
And St. Paul is actually telling us now that if God can justify even the ungodly, then God can also justify us. Perhaps you might ask why? Because God found something in us that he can use especially at this time when humanity, according to Pope Francis, “is experiencing a turning point in its history from the advances being made in so many fields.” (EG 52)
“Just as the commandment ‘Thou shalt not kill’ sets a clear limit in order to safeguard the value f human life, today we also have to say ‘thou shalt not’ to an economy of exclusion and inequality. Such an economy kills. How can it be that it is not a news item when an elderly homeless person dies of exposure, but it is news when the stock market loses two points? This is a case of exclusion. Can we continue to stand by when is thrown away while people are starving? This is a case of inequality. Today everything comes under the laws of competition and the survival of the fittest, where the powerful feed upon the powerless. As a consequence, masses of people find themselves excluded and marginalized: without work, without possibilities, without any means of escape.” (EG 53)
This same scenario was already evident during the time of Jesus and this was the reason he called on Levi because he saw a need for him and this is also the reason why you and me are being justified and called so that we can “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” (Mk 16:15)
When you go through the Gospel particularly the narratives referring to Jesus when he was organizing his evangelization team, there probably are among you who may be wondering what was running in the mind of Jesus at the time he called on Simon and his brother Andrew, brothers James and John and now an outcast from society like Levi the tax collector.
That this account on the calling of Levi would be arranged in such a way that it comes on the heels of the healing of the leper and the paralytic only shows that Jesus was indeed sent not just for a particular set of people but for all of creation.
With the growing opposition from the Scribes and Pharisees, Jesus was gradually finding it hard to teach in the synagogues which was why in this scenario we see Jesus walking by the lakeside and a crowd of people followed him and he taught them as they were walking (v.13). This style of preaching was customary in those days when Rabbis preached to those following them while they moved from one town to another.
Upon seeing Levi at the tax collector’s booth, Jesus said: “Follow me” (v.14) and Levi got up and followed him. In the next few moments, try to imagine that you were one of those in the crowd. As an adult Jew you have received faith formation and religious studies since your childhood days from visiting Rabbis, Scribes and Pharisees.
And certainly you are as surprised as the crowd were at the time when Jesus called on Levi, who as a tax collector was most hated by the Jews. Because their profession was to collect taxes and fees for the Roman government, tax collectors were considered as traitors. They are also viewed as extortionists because they normally get a slice of the taxes that they collect.
As such, tax collectors are lumped together with sinners and harlots (Lk 15:1-2) and no Jew who was in a proper frame of mind would associate themselves with tax collectors. Except for Jesus no one in the crowd at that time knew what was in the mind of Levi.
He must have already heard of Jesus and it was possible that Levi was already overcome by guilt at his sinful ways and was planning to turn a new leaf and was just waiting for an opportune time. This was the only plausible explanation why Levi stood up, left everything and followed Jesus (Lk 5:28).
If the Scribes were perplexed at the calling of Levi, they were scandalized when Levi hosted a feast for Jesus in his house that was attended by other tax collectors and sinners as well and the teachers of the law asked his disciples why Jesus eats with sinners (v.16). Luke’s account of this same event says the Scribes complained of the behavior of Jesus.
What follows in v.17 was the response of Jesus which reveals his mission on earth: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Jesus chose a sinner like Levi who would later be called Matthew because he knew that Levi (Matthew) was repentant and has what it takes to become a disciple as the former tax collector left everything and staked whatever he has left on Christ. What Jesus requires of his disciples is the willingness to give up everything “deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Lk 9:23)
This encounter with Jesus was probably the new life that Levi was looking for, a leap of faith from being despised to being accepted as he will now be walking with the Son of God. As tax collectors are known to keep a record of their transaction, Jesus gave Matthew who had an eye for detail the opportunity to record their ministry and this resulted in the Gospel with the most number of chapters in the New Testament.
The underlying message in this Gospel is that Jesus is not inviting people who believe that they are already good enough and have no need of help. What Jesus is pointing out here is that the first step in discipleship is to acknowledge our need for a savior and admit that we don’t have all the answers.
The true and authentic Christian life is to follow Christ by turning our backs from the world we are in. We will experience hardships, comfort, deprivation and, we will find ourselves poorer in terms of material possessions. Worldly ambitions are thrown out of the window but through it all, following Christ will bring joy and peace and the privilege to become co-heir to the Kingdom of Heaven.
To follow Christ as Matthew did, we are commanded to share the Gospel with the poor, immoral, the deprived and depraved, the outcasts of society and, not just the rich, moral, popular and powerful. Heaven, after all, is also for sinners. “God doesn’t want burnt offerings; he wants our lifelong service” (Psa 40:6-8).
Thus if Jesus will pass us by at this very moment and will tell us: “Follow me.” How are we going to respond? Are we going to do what Matthew did who left everything behind to follow Jesus? Some 23 years ago, I was like Levi and I was enjoying everything that the world can offer. But when Jesus passed by, called me and invited me to the renewal movement and “I found peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.” (Ro 5:1-2)
How you will respond will define your true identity.
HEALING THROUGH FORGIVENESS
JAN. 17, 2014: FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 1 Sam 8:4-7, 10-22
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 89:16-19 “Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: MK 2:1-12
Key Verse: “Son, your sins are forgiven.” (v.5)
To heal someone by saying “your sins are forgiven.” (v.5) may seem to be a peculiar way of healing a person. But Jesus in this scene in Capernaum knew what he was doing and it was also probable that he saw this as an opportunity to deliver at least two important messages. One is that he was the Son of Man who has an authority to forgive sins (v.10) and the other was that forgiveness brings healing.
To heal the paralytic by forgiving his sins was well within the existing religious beliefs in those days because the Jews believed that pain and suffering, sickness and diseases are caused by sin believing that if a man was suffering then he must have sinned.
But what the teachers of the law who were present at the time the healing of the paralytic took place were objecting to was that forgiveness could only come from God and that it was blasphemous for Jesus to have forgiven the sins of the paralytic (v.7).
This Gospel narrative is actually a moving story that involved not only Jesus and the paralytic but also the friends of the paralytic and what Jesus saw must have moved him into doing what he did because right there in front of him was an unfolding story of friendship, love and faith.
It was customary in those days to leave open the doors of houses except when the owner do not want to be disturbed. As the paralytic carried by his friends could not find a way as the door was probably blocked by people who were listening to the teaching of Jesus, they found a way through the thatched roof made of brushwood packed with clay.
The paralytic was blessed with friends with faith and it was this faith that Jesus saw (v.5). The paralytic and his friends may have been friends since childhood. Like the friendship that we keep with our friends in our workplace, neighborhood, school, church or community, in the ministries and apostolates where we serve, the paralytic and his friends may have shared many happy moments together.
The presence of Jesus in Capernaum was probably the moment they were waiting for and here we see an example of what true friendship means. The paralytic was blessed to have friends such as these whose compassion for their paralyzed friend was beyond the ordinary. Without these friends, the paralytic could not have come to see Jesus and this story should move us to also appreciate the friends that we have.
Perhaps we should start reaching out to friends we haven’t seen for a long time. How about members of our church or community who have drifted away? Have we shared our faith with them in our attempt to bring them back? Have we paid them a visit or called them to at least check on them, how they are doing? What this story is telling us is that we must nurture our relationships with our friends for they are the ones who can help us in time of our deepest need.
The other point in this Gospel of today was the power and authority of Jesus to forgive sins. While the teachers of the law were right that only God can forgive sins, what they didn’t realize then was that Jesus was the incarnated Son of God. But Jesus knew who he was and he was aware of his authority and he proved this by healing the paralytic (vv.9-12).
This was the first time in Mark’s Gospel that the name “Son of Man” was used. This title came from Dan 7:13 where the Son of Man was described as a heavenly figure who in the end times has authority and power. Because Jesus is God but fully human, he could relate to our sufferings and help us overcome sin.
What this Gospel passage shows was that we are also like the paralytic with needs that only Jesus can fill. We may not know it but there are instances when we too are suffering from paralysis of which there are several types.
One such type is motor paralysis which occurs when we refuse to exercise our gifts and go to the mission fields. We suffer from this type of paralysis when we remain unmoved by the need to bring the Gospel of Christ to the ends of the earth.
Another type of paralysis is sensory paralysis which happens when we remain oblivious to the needs of our brothers and sisters. This also happens when the love offering baskets are passed around during the offertory and you’d feel it’s like Christmas once again as you hear the sound of tingling coins being dropped in the offering baskets.
Like the paralyzed man, we too can rise up, walk out and turn away from whatever type of paralysis we are suffering from which may be caused by our sinful tendencies by seeking the forgiveness that only Jesus has the power to give and, when we find we are unable to do it by ourselves, we can turn to our friends equipped with the faith and willingness to help us.
When we do muster the courage to go before Christ and be forgiven of our sins, the world around us would definitely stand amazed and say “we have never seen anything like this!” (v.12) and we can all praise him the Son of God who alone has the power to heal us of the paralysis of our minds, hearts and souls.
1st Reading: 1 Sam 8:4-7, 10-22
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 89:16-19 “Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: MK 2:1-12
Key Verse: “Son, your sins are forgiven.” (v.5)
To heal someone by saying “your sins are forgiven.” (v.5) may seem to be a peculiar way of healing a person. But Jesus in this scene in Capernaum knew what he was doing and it was also probable that he saw this as an opportunity to deliver at least two important messages. One is that he was the Son of Man who has an authority to forgive sins (v.10) and the other was that forgiveness brings healing.
To heal the paralytic by forgiving his sins was well within the existing religious beliefs in those days because the Jews believed that pain and suffering, sickness and diseases are caused by sin believing that if a man was suffering then he must have sinned.
But what the teachers of the law who were present at the time the healing of the paralytic took place were objecting to was that forgiveness could only come from God and that it was blasphemous for Jesus to have forgiven the sins of the paralytic (v.7).
This Gospel narrative is actually a moving story that involved not only Jesus and the paralytic but also the friends of the paralytic and what Jesus saw must have moved him into doing what he did because right there in front of him was an unfolding story of friendship, love and faith.
It was customary in those days to leave open the doors of houses except when the owner do not want to be disturbed. As the paralytic carried by his friends could not find a way as the door was probably blocked by people who were listening to the teaching of Jesus, they found a way through the thatched roof made of brushwood packed with clay.
The paralytic was blessed with friends with faith and it was this faith that Jesus saw (v.5). The paralytic and his friends may have been friends since childhood. Like the friendship that we keep with our friends in our workplace, neighborhood, school, church or community, in the ministries and apostolates where we serve, the paralytic and his friends may have shared many happy moments together.
The presence of Jesus in Capernaum was probably the moment they were waiting for and here we see an example of what true friendship means. The paralytic was blessed to have friends such as these whose compassion for their paralyzed friend was beyond the ordinary. Without these friends, the paralytic could not have come to see Jesus and this story should move us to also appreciate the friends that we have.
Perhaps we should start reaching out to friends we haven’t seen for a long time. How about members of our church or community who have drifted away? Have we shared our faith with them in our attempt to bring them back? Have we paid them a visit or called them to at least check on them, how they are doing? What this story is telling us is that we must nurture our relationships with our friends for they are the ones who can help us in time of our deepest need.
The other point in this Gospel of today was the power and authority of Jesus to forgive sins. While the teachers of the law were right that only God can forgive sins, what they didn’t realize then was that Jesus was the incarnated Son of God. But Jesus knew who he was and he was aware of his authority and he proved this by healing the paralytic (vv.9-12).
This was the first time in Mark’s Gospel that the name “Son of Man” was used. This title came from Dan 7:13 where the Son of Man was described as a heavenly figure who in the end times has authority and power. Because Jesus is God but fully human, he could relate to our sufferings and help us overcome sin.
What this Gospel passage shows was that we are also like the paralytic with needs that only Jesus can fill. We may not know it but there are instances when we too are suffering from paralysis of which there are several types.
One such type is motor paralysis which occurs when we refuse to exercise our gifts and go to the mission fields. We suffer from this type of paralysis when we remain unmoved by the need to bring the Gospel of Christ to the ends of the earth.
Another type of paralysis is sensory paralysis which happens when we remain oblivious to the needs of our brothers and sisters. This also happens when the love offering baskets are passed around during the offertory and you’d feel it’s like Christmas once again as you hear the sound of tingling coins being dropped in the offering baskets.
Like the paralyzed man, we too can rise up, walk out and turn away from whatever type of paralysis we are suffering from which may be caused by our sinful tendencies by seeking the forgiveness that only Jesus has the power to give and, when we find we are unable to do it by ourselves, we can turn to our friends equipped with the faith and willingness to help us.
When we do muster the courage to go before Christ and be forgiven of our sins, the world around us would definitely stand amazed and say “we have never seen anything like this!” (v.12) and we can all praise him the Son of God who alone has the power to heal us of the paralysis of our minds, hearts and souls.
ONLY JESUS CAN CLEANSE US
JAN. 16, 2014: FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 1 Sam 4:1-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 44:10-11, 14-15, 24-25 “Redeem us, Lord, because of your mercy.”
GOSPEL: MK 1:40-45
Key Verse: “I am willing, be clean!” (v.41)
Would you believe me if I tell you now that many people are afflicted with leprosy and yet not know they have the disease? You’ll most definitely ask how such could be possible when leprosy is a disease that is clearly visible. In fact, like the Jews in ancient times no one among you will probably get near a leper. And I’m telling you this is possible. So read on if you want to know how this could be so.
Leprosy is a disease that has been known to exist since biblical times. It causes skin sores, nerve damage, and muscle weakness which if left untreated will get worse over time. Medical journals have identified at least three kinds of leprosy.
One is the nodular or tubercular leprosy that causes lethargy and joint pains followed by symmetrical discolored patches primarily in the back. Nodules form and the person become disfigured and finally leading to mental decay, coma and death that could happen within nine years.
The other type of leprosy is the anaesthetic leprosy with the same symptoms but in addition, the nerve trunks are affected and the person loses all kinds of sensation in the infected area and in a worst case scenario a hand or a foot will just drop off due to severe ulceration of the hand or foot. This type of leprosy lasts from between 20 to 30 years.
The third type of leprosy is what is referred to as the most common and this comes in the form of a combination of the nodular and anaesthetic types and this third type is what was prevalent in the time of Jesus.
Regardless of the type of leprosy that a person was afflicted with, there was one thing in common among those suffering from this debilitating disease especially if medical attention was not available and this is the disfigurement of the person with the diseases. There are instances when the entire appearance of the face will change until the leper loses his human appearance.
In the time of Jesus the leper was not only ostracized but he was tagged as “unclean” and labeled unfit and was therefore barred from participating in any religious or social activity. Because contact with a leper makes a person also unclean, some people in those days threw rocks at a leper to keep him from mingling with the crowd.
Thus, a leper in Jesus’s time not only have to withstand the physical pain caused by the disease but he had to bear the mental anguish and humiliation of being isolated from society and the rejection he suffers even from members of his own family.
For sure many of you will simply shrug their shoulders and say “ah so that was how it was for lepers in the time of Jesus.” But there is much more to this scenario than just the pitiful state of lepers in those days because this Gospel passage brings to the fore the similarity between the condition of the leper and with our own nature that is predisposed to sin.
What leprosy does to the body, sin does to the soul because sin disfigures the image of God in us. Without the forgiveness of God, sin will sink us deeper into slavery until “nothing good lives in us” (Rom 7:18). Worst, our sin “have separated us from our God” (Isa 59:2). And this separation from the source of joy and peace will eventually lead us to death “for the wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23).
For all intents and purposes, we can draw inspiration from what the leper did as he went to Jesus in humble reverence, kneeling and saying “if you are willing, you can make me clean” (v.40). Here we see the compassion of Jesus as he touched the leper saying “I am willing, be clean” (v.41).
As the first step in being forgiven by God is to acknowledge our sins, it is also necessary that we reflect on the sins we may have committed and continue to commit which, like leprosy, also disfigure the divine nature in us. And the key to having a meaningful and fruitful reflection the objective of which is to reconcile and restore our relationship with God is to be honest with ourselves.
For this to happen we need to implore the Holy Spirit to guide us that in humility we may be able to confront the demons that may have transgressed into our souls. There was a time when I was also like the leper who was ostracized and deemed unclean by the religious leaders.
Many summers ago I made a name as a Reporter for a leading broadsheet. The stories I wrote always landed in the headlines and as my business connections expanded so was the money much of which came from wheeling and dealing until the Lord stepped in and led me to the charismatic renewal and my life was never the same again.
And it was here that I was confronted with the reality that though I was not suffering from leprosy in the physical sense, my situation was like the leper as I also bore the pain of spiritual disfigurement and separation from God because sin blocked the flow of grace into my life as I already didn’t know right from wrong.
But the real value of a person is not what people see but what God sees. In other words, God will not give up on us regardless of the sin that we have committed because even if sin may have disfigured, distorted and or have deformed the image of God in us (Gen 1:26), God will restore us into the fullness of his love “as we are baptized into his death” (Rom 6:3). “Just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” (Rom 6:4).
Regardless of what sin may have done to our nature, God who is compassionate will forgive us as only he can. Like the leper, all that Jesus will do is he will touch us and deliver us from all the things that make us unclean.
Such assurance comes from this Gospel itself as we see Jesus who was “filled with compassion” (v.41) reaching out to the man and touched him. Notwithstanding the common practice in those days, Jesus did not drive away the man who broke the law as lepers who are unclean are prohibited from getting near any Jew much more if that Jew was a Rabbi.
What this Gospel shows was that Jesus will not turn away anyone regardless of how sinful they may be for as long as the element of humility and reverence is present as was in the case of the leper in this story. This Gospel passage should serve as a reminder for all of us that without Christ we will remain in the same wretched state we were in before Christ came and touched us as he did with the leper. At the end of the day, we actually don't have a choice because only Jesus can cleanse us of the sins we have allowed into our souls.
1st Reading: 1 Sam 4:1-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 44:10-11, 14-15, 24-25 “Redeem us, Lord, because of your mercy.”
GOSPEL: MK 1:40-45
Key Verse: “I am willing, be clean!” (v.41)
Would you believe me if I tell you now that many people are afflicted with leprosy and yet not know they have the disease? You’ll most definitely ask how such could be possible when leprosy is a disease that is clearly visible. In fact, like the Jews in ancient times no one among you will probably get near a leper. And I’m telling you this is possible. So read on if you want to know how this could be so.
Leprosy is a disease that has been known to exist since biblical times. It causes skin sores, nerve damage, and muscle weakness which if left untreated will get worse over time. Medical journals have identified at least three kinds of leprosy.
One is the nodular or tubercular leprosy that causes lethargy and joint pains followed by symmetrical discolored patches primarily in the back. Nodules form and the person become disfigured and finally leading to mental decay, coma and death that could happen within nine years.
The other type of leprosy is the anaesthetic leprosy with the same symptoms but in addition, the nerve trunks are affected and the person loses all kinds of sensation in the infected area and in a worst case scenario a hand or a foot will just drop off due to severe ulceration of the hand or foot. This type of leprosy lasts from between 20 to 30 years.
The third type of leprosy is what is referred to as the most common and this comes in the form of a combination of the nodular and anaesthetic types and this third type is what was prevalent in the time of Jesus.
Regardless of the type of leprosy that a person was afflicted with, there was one thing in common among those suffering from this debilitating disease especially if medical attention was not available and this is the disfigurement of the person with the diseases. There are instances when the entire appearance of the face will change until the leper loses his human appearance.
In the time of Jesus the leper was not only ostracized but he was tagged as “unclean” and labeled unfit and was therefore barred from participating in any religious or social activity. Because contact with a leper makes a person also unclean, some people in those days threw rocks at a leper to keep him from mingling with the crowd.
Thus, a leper in Jesus’s time not only have to withstand the physical pain caused by the disease but he had to bear the mental anguish and humiliation of being isolated from society and the rejection he suffers even from members of his own family.
For sure many of you will simply shrug their shoulders and say “ah so that was how it was for lepers in the time of Jesus.” But there is much more to this scenario than just the pitiful state of lepers in those days because this Gospel passage brings to the fore the similarity between the condition of the leper and with our own nature that is predisposed to sin.
What leprosy does to the body, sin does to the soul because sin disfigures the image of God in us. Without the forgiveness of God, sin will sink us deeper into slavery until “nothing good lives in us” (Rom 7:18). Worst, our sin “have separated us from our God” (Isa 59:2). And this separation from the source of joy and peace will eventually lead us to death “for the wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23).
For all intents and purposes, we can draw inspiration from what the leper did as he went to Jesus in humble reverence, kneeling and saying “if you are willing, you can make me clean” (v.40). Here we see the compassion of Jesus as he touched the leper saying “I am willing, be clean” (v.41).
As the first step in being forgiven by God is to acknowledge our sins, it is also necessary that we reflect on the sins we may have committed and continue to commit which, like leprosy, also disfigure the divine nature in us. And the key to having a meaningful and fruitful reflection the objective of which is to reconcile and restore our relationship with God is to be honest with ourselves.
For this to happen we need to implore the Holy Spirit to guide us that in humility we may be able to confront the demons that may have transgressed into our souls. There was a time when I was also like the leper who was ostracized and deemed unclean by the religious leaders.
Many summers ago I made a name as a Reporter for a leading broadsheet. The stories I wrote always landed in the headlines and as my business connections expanded so was the money much of which came from wheeling and dealing until the Lord stepped in and led me to the charismatic renewal and my life was never the same again.
And it was here that I was confronted with the reality that though I was not suffering from leprosy in the physical sense, my situation was like the leper as I also bore the pain of spiritual disfigurement and separation from God because sin blocked the flow of grace into my life as I already didn’t know right from wrong.
But the real value of a person is not what people see but what God sees. In other words, God will not give up on us regardless of the sin that we have committed because even if sin may have disfigured, distorted and or have deformed the image of God in us (Gen 1:26), God will restore us into the fullness of his love “as we are baptized into his death” (Rom 6:3). “Just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” (Rom 6:4).
Regardless of what sin may have done to our nature, God who is compassionate will forgive us as only he can. Like the leper, all that Jesus will do is he will touch us and deliver us from all the things that make us unclean.
Such assurance comes from this Gospel itself as we see Jesus who was “filled with compassion” (v.41) reaching out to the man and touched him. Notwithstanding the common practice in those days, Jesus did not drive away the man who broke the law as lepers who are unclean are prohibited from getting near any Jew much more if that Jew was a Rabbi.
What this Gospel shows was that Jesus will not turn away anyone regardless of how sinful they may be for as long as the element of humility and reverence is present as was in the case of the leper in this story. This Gospel passage should serve as a reminder for all of us that without Christ we will remain in the same wretched state we were in before Christ came and touched us as he did with the leper. At the end of the day, we actually don't have a choice because only Jesus can cleanse us of the sins we have allowed into our souls.
CALLED TO BE LIKE JESUS
JAN. 15, 2014: FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
First Reading: 1 Sam 3:1-10, 19-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 40:2, 5, 7-8b-10 “Here I am Lord; I come to do your Will.”
GOSPEL: Mk 1:29-39
Key Verse: “For this purpose have I come.” (v.38)
Today’s Gospel narrative is so packed with meaning such that it shows us in very clear terms the three characteristics of Jesus that we can all take to heart and use as our learning curves for us to emulate.
The first thing that we see here was Jesus giving evidence of his being the Messiah when he healed Peter’s mother-in-law whose health was restored that she immediately moved about to serve Jesus and his disciples and as the day of the Sabbath ends, Jesus healed everyone by laying hands on each of those who came with various forms of illnesses and sickness.
Not only do we see Jesus demonstrating with conclusive proof his divine power as he healed all forms (vv.33-34) of sickness and diseases but it also brought to light His compassion for those who are in need. This scenario should help define us in defining our roles as disciples in terms of how we relate to those who are not as fortunate or blessed as we are.
In going through this gospel reading perhaps it might help if we ask ourselves the question of whom do we go to when we are troubled, when there is someone sick among our family members or friends. Here we see the disciples of Jesus and the multitude bringing all their personal issues and concerns to him. Why? Because they have already heard of the generosity of Jesus in healing those who are sick and even those possessed by evil spirits.
What this scenario shows was that like Jesus, we should always remain open to help those in need even if we are being inconvenienced. This could happen when we are on our way to work, to a vacation, to attend a party or on our way to the mall and a relative or a friend will just pop out from nowhere knocking at your door asking for help.
What would you do? Are you going to forego these opportunities to be a Christian by withholding your help because of the inconvenience they made? What would Jesus do?
At the house of Peter, Jesus demonstrated his heart that is predisposed to serving others. Bear in mind that he just came from the synagogue where he also healed many who were sick and while he may be looking forward to taking a rest he badly needed at the house of Peter, Jesus did not have a chance to even grasp a deep breath as he went on to heal Peter’s mother-in-law and countless others who came after news of his healing power spread throughout the region like wildfire.
This shows us that as disciples of Jesus we too no longer own our time. That if we are to follow Jesus we are to deny ourselves (Lk 9:23) and, we are to deny certain pleasures to come to the aid of others. We are to forego the luxuries that we enjoy in favor of the need of others. In other words, we all must have the heart of Jesus that is bent towards serving others.
There was a movie I once saw and one of the lines struck me and it goes like this: “When you are in love, you lose yourself as the love that you have for one another fills you and that love controls you.” This is actually what should happen with us. The love of Jesus for us is so great that He gave his life to ransom us and this same love should move us to help the sick, the beggar on the streets, the homeless, out-of-school youths and, the spiritually impoverished.
At His voice and command, Jesus demonstrated the second reality in this Gospel as the demons came out of the people who were at the house of Peter. As it was customary in those days to equate certain forms of illness to being possessed by evil spirits, Jesus healed everyone by laying hands on each one of them.
He didn’t have to but to be touched by someone in authority was a privilege and an honor and again, it shows the compassion of Jesus for he didn’t categorize the class of people who came to him to be healed as He healed them all.
Perhaps we need to also ask ourselves what are the demons in our lives. Could these be our vanities, judgments, criticality, prejudices, arrogance and pride, self-exaltation, wealth? Do our priorities stand in the way of our relationship with God? As we stand face-to-face with Jesus at the Eucharistic Celebration and at our Prayer Meetings, Jesus must take the place of the demons in our lives. This is the abundant life (Jn 10:10) that He promised us.
At the end of the Gospel, it tells us that Jesus probably just had enough time to rest as he went out at daybreak to pray. Again this should be the same for us because evangelization which is our primary duty as Christians doesn’t start with programs or projects but with prayer.
For many of us, life continues to be a blur because we don’t spend enough time in prayer which is our only link to God. Prayer brings clarity and purpose to the busyness of our lives and the confusion in our world. Often we prioritize ministry work ahead of prayer but Jesus shows us that communion with God through prayer must precede everything else.
And finally Jesus stopped those who were looking for him by telling them v.38: “that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” This resolve came after Jesus prayed and this gives credence to what He said in Jn 5:19 “the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does." And He went on to preach throughout Galilee because this was the reason why He was sent.
This is the reason why we have to give up the demons in our lives and allow Jesus to enter and take His seat in our hearts because if we are to become the Good News to others we have to have the humility to allow the Holy Spirit to move in us, take control of our lives and change us. If not, we become the bad news and we can’t preach that.
We, in fact, can experience the joy of being the gospel that we preach by allowing the Holy Spirit to reside in our hearts and we can begin by allotting time for prayer as Jesus did, then ministering to our marginalized brethren and, by denying ourselves, take up His cross and follow Him (Lk 9:23-25). That’s when we become the Good News to others – the bearers of the Light of Jesus!
First Reading: 1 Sam 3:1-10, 19-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 40:2, 5, 7-8b-10 “Here I am Lord; I come to do your Will.”
GOSPEL: Mk 1:29-39
Key Verse: “For this purpose have I come.” (v.38)
Today’s Gospel narrative is so packed with meaning such that it shows us in very clear terms the three characteristics of Jesus that we can all take to heart and use as our learning curves for us to emulate.
The first thing that we see here was Jesus giving evidence of his being the Messiah when he healed Peter’s mother-in-law whose health was restored that she immediately moved about to serve Jesus and his disciples and as the day of the Sabbath ends, Jesus healed everyone by laying hands on each of those who came with various forms of illnesses and sickness.
Not only do we see Jesus demonstrating with conclusive proof his divine power as he healed all forms (vv.33-34) of sickness and diseases but it also brought to light His compassion for those who are in need. This scenario should help define us in defining our roles as disciples in terms of how we relate to those who are not as fortunate or blessed as we are.
In going through this gospel reading perhaps it might help if we ask ourselves the question of whom do we go to when we are troubled, when there is someone sick among our family members or friends. Here we see the disciples of Jesus and the multitude bringing all their personal issues and concerns to him. Why? Because they have already heard of the generosity of Jesus in healing those who are sick and even those possessed by evil spirits.
What this scenario shows was that like Jesus, we should always remain open to help those in need even if we are being inconvenienced. This could happen when we are on our way to work, to a vacation, to attend a party or on our way to the mall and a relative or a friend will just pop out from nowhere knocking at your door asking for help.
What would you do? Are you going to forego these opportunities to be a Christian by withholding your help because of the inconvenience they made? What would Jesus do?
At the house of Peter, Jesus demonstrated his heart that is predisposed to serving others. Bear in mind that he just came from the synagogue where he also healed many who were sick and while he may be looking forward to taking a rest he badly needed at the house of Peter, Jesus did not have a chance to even grasp a deep breath as he went on to heal Peter’s mother-in-law and countless others who came after news of his healing power spread throughout the region like wildfire.
This shows us that as disciples of Jesus we too no longer own our time. That if we are to follow Jesus we are to deny ourselves (Lk 9:23) and, we are to deny certain pleasures to come to the aid of others. We are to forego the luxuries that we enjoy in favor of the need of others. In other words, we all must have the heart of Jesus that is bent towards serving others.
There was a movie I once saw and one of the lines struck me and it goes like this: “When you are in love, you lose yourself as the love that you have for one another fills you and that love controls you.” This is actually what should happen with us. The love of Jesus for us is so great that He gave his life to ransom us and this same love should move us to help the sick, the beggar on the streets, the homeless, out-of-school youths and, the spiritually impoverished.
At His voice and command, Jesus demonstrated the second reality in this Gospel as the demons came out of the people who were at the house of Peter. As it was customary in those days to equate certain forms of illness to being possessed by evil spirits, Jesus healed everyone by laying hands on each one of them.
He didn’t have to but to be touched by someone in authority was a privilege and an honor and again, it shows the compassion of Jesus for he didn’t categorize the class of people who came to him to be healed as He healed them all.
Perhaps we need to also ask ourselves what are the demons in our lives. Could these be our vanities, judgments, criticality, prejudices, arrogance and pride, self-exaltation, wealth? Do our priorities stand in the way of our relationship with God? As we stand face-to-face with Jesus at the Eucharistic Celebration and at our Prayer Meetings, Jesus must take the place of the demons in our lives. This is the abundant life (Jn 10:10) that He promised us.
At the end of the Gospel, it tells us that Jesus probably just had enough time to rest as he went out at daybreak to pray. Again this should be the same for us because evangelization which is our primary duty as Christians doesn’t start with programs or projects but with prayer.
For many of us, life continues to be a blur because we don’t spend enough time in prayer which is our only link to God. Prayer brings clarity and purpose to the busyness of our lives and the confusion in our world. Often we prioritize ministry work ahead of prayer but Jesus shows us that communion with God through prayer must precede everything else.
And finally Jesus stopped those who were looking for him by telling them v.38: “that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” This resolve came after Jesus prayed and this gives credence to what He said in Jn 5:19 “the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does." And He went on to preach throughout Galilee because this was the reason why He was sent.
This is the reason why we have to give up the demons in our lives and allow Jesus to enter and take His seat in our hearts because if we are to become the Good News to others we have to have the humility to allow the Holy Spirit to move in us, take control of our lives and change us. If not, we become the bad news and we can’t preach that.
We, in fact, can experience the joy of being the gospel that we preach by allowing the Holy Spirit to reside in our hearts and we can begin by allotting time for prayer as Jesus did, then ministering to our marginalized brethren and, by denying ourselves, take up His cross and follow Him (Lk 9:23-25). That’s when we become the Good News to others – the bearers of the Light of Jesus!
THE SALVATION DRIVE BEGINS
JAN. 14, 2014: FIRST WEEK OF ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 1 Sam 1:19-20
Responsorial Psalm: 1 Sam 2:1, 4-7, 8abcd “My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.”
GOSPEL: MK 1:21-28
Key Verse: “Come out of him.” (v.25)
Today marks the beginning of the fulfillment of God’s Will in the life of Jesus Christ and the launching of what was, for all intents and purposes, a salvation drive that would give substance to the reason why Jesus was sent down from heaven.
There are also two points of fact that are encapsulated in Mark’s Gospel of today that ushers in what is referred to as Ordinary Time in the Liturgical Calendar of the Church. These two realities are that Jesus needed no authority to back up his teaching for he is the authority himself. The other was that he showed he has power and authority even against unclean spirits.
This passage in Mark’s Gospel which chronicles the beginning of Jesus’s campaign to liberate the people from their sinfulness must have been preceded by a lot of planning more so if it was to be an important campaign such as the redemption of souls.
Rightly so, Jesus chose no other finer setting to launch his salvation drive than in a synagogue. The synagogue was not only an ideal place to begin his ministry but it was a place where he could deliver an opening salvo that would create an impact throughout the Jewish nation.
A synagogue in those days was not just a venue for prayer but it was primarily an institution for teaching and if ever there was a new message that needed to be heard, the synagogue was the place to go to. As synagogues also do not have a permanent preacher or teacher, Rabbis who are traveling to and fro are normally invited and or are allowed to preach to the people.
Jesus was well aware of this and he was right and he introduced not just a new method in preaching from what the Jews were familiar with but his listeners were amazed at his power and authority “because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.” (v.22)
Normally, the Scribes begin their teaching saying “there is a teaching that says…” and they would normally quote from the Torah or what Moses may have said. Contrast this with the way Jesus taught saying “I tell you the truth…” (Mt 5:26) and or “But I tell you…” (Mt 5:28). Jesus spoke this way because he knew that he was clothed with the authority of God even to forgive sins (Mk 2:10).
If the people were amazed at his teaching, they were awestruck when he commanded an evil spirit to come out of a man in the synagogue (v.25). Mark probably included this event to establish the credentials of Jesus as “the Holy One of God” (v.24) by showing that even the spiritual underworld recognized him as the Son of God. And Jesus, in Mt 12:28, would later expound on his power and authority to cast out demons as proof of the coming of the Kingdom of God.
As what he expected, this event became the talk of the town throughout Galilee (v.28) because Jesus did not only spoke with authority in introducing a new doctrine of faith but he acted with authority when he cast out the demon from the man.
The question now is what is in it for us? That was then. We are in the here and now. Well for one this authority of Jesus is still very much alive today and this flows from the time when Christ created his Church to be the vehicle of his continuing mission in the world and promising to remain present in his Church for all time (Mt 28:20) as he lovingly guides it through the presence of the Holy Spirit.
To ensure the success of this mission, Christ gave the Church today which is us the baptized Catholics the ability to teach, govern and sanctify with Christ's own authority. The Apostles appointed successors to ensure that the Gospel would continue to be handed on faithfully as "the lasting source of all life for the Church" (Lumen Gentium 20, CCC860).
The purpose of this authority is to give the Church the ability to teach without error about the essentials of salvation: “On this rock, I will build My Church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it” (Mt 16:18).
The scope of this authority covers the official teachings of the Church on matters of faith, morals, and worship (Liturgy and Sacraments) and it is on the basis of his continuing presence that the Church cannot lead people astray with its official teachings despite what may seem to be as the individual errors in judgment that have caused scandals within the Church.
This is the reason why we the pilgrim Church must draw on the gift of faith and the free assent of our will to the whole truth that God has revealed and nourished by the Word of God so that we can assume our rightful place in his Kingdom since “he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight” (Eph 1:4).
As time is relatively short and as we are all living on borrowed time, we must maximize our time spent so that we may all grow as disciples of Christ. Out of his love Our Lord gave us his Holy Spirit to enlighten our minds that we may grow in his truth and in the knowledge of his great love for each of us. This we can do by heeding his Word for us to love God above all else and love our neighbors as well.
However, it’s easier said than done because we cannot possibly go as we are commanded to do without the most important component of mission – the transformation of the inner man and this can only happen if we will turn our lives around and place our lives in the palm of the hand of Jesus. This means that we need to cross over from trusting ourselves to trusting Jesus Christ.
As a media practitioner I trusted no one except my own instincts and gut feel and I took pride in the fact that I was able to squeeze myself out of sticky and dangerous situations because of my ability to anticipate events and situations before they happen and so I thought. Like everybody else I had plans. I wanted to be on top of the heap but God had other plans. I was on my way to having it all when God found me and made me realize that the world I was in was not the kind of life he planned for me.
I struggled and like Jacob who wrestled with an angel, I also tried to wiggle myself out of the renewal movement. But in the Christian Maturity Program that I attended, the Holy Spirit moved in me and I yielded my life to Jesus and my life was never the same again. Did I regret my decision? Of course not! Because the Kingdom of God is definitely better than the world I left behind.
My faith in God has never been as steadfast as now. But to live, grow, and persevere in my faith to the end, I have it to nourish it with the Word of God. The Lord gives all of us his Holy Spirit to enlighten our minds that we may grow in his truth and in the knowledge of his great love for each of us. If we all approach God’s Word with humility and submission, I assure you that you will be in a much better position to learn what God wants to teach you through his Word.
So I leave you with a question: Are you prepared to be taught by the Lord and to conform your life according to his Word?
1st Reading: 1 Sam 1:19-20
Responsorial Psalm: 1 Sam 2:1, 4-7, 8abcd “My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.”
GOSPEL: MK 1:21-28
Key Verse: “Come out of him.” (v.25)
Today marks the beginning of the fulfillment of God’s Will in the life of Jesus Christ and the launching of what was, for all intents and purposes, a salvation drive that would give substance to the reason why Jesus was sent down from heaven.
There are also two points of fact that are encapsulated in Mark’s Gospel of today that ushers in what is referred to as Ordinary Time in the Liturgical Calendar of the Church. These two realities are that Jesus needed no authority to back up his teaching for he is the authority himself. The other was that he showed he has power and authority even against unclean spirits.
This passage in Mark’s Gospel which chronicles the beginning of Jesus’s campaign to liberate the people from their sinfulness must have been preceded by a lot of planning more so if it was to be an important campaign such as the redemption of souls.
Rightly so, Jesus chose no other finer setting to launch his salvation drive than in a synagogue. The synagogue was not only an ideal place to begin his ministry but it was a place where he could deliver an opening salvo that would create an impact throughout the Jewish nation.
A synagogue in those days was not just a venue for prayer but it was primarily an institution for teaching and if ever there was a new message that needed to be heard, the synagogue was the place to go to. As synagogues also do not have a permanent preacher or teacher, Rabbis who are traveling to and fro are normally invited and or are allowed to preach to the people.
Jesus was well aware of this and he was right and he introduced not just a new method in preaching from what the Jews were familiar with but his listeners were amazed at his power and authority “because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.” (v.22)
Normally, the Scribes begin their teaching saying “there is a teaching that says…” and they would normally quote from the Torah or what Moses may have said. Contrast this with the way Jesus taught saying “I tell you the truth…” (Mt 5:26) and or “But I tell you…” (Mt 5:28). Jesus spoke this way because he knew that he was clothed with the authority of God even to forgive sins (Mk 2:10).
If the people were amazed at his teaching, they were awestruck when he commanded an evil spirit to come out of a man in the synagogue (v.25). Mark probably included this event to establish the credentials of Jesus as “the Holy One of God” (v.24) by showing that even the spiritual underworld recognized him as the Son of God. And Jesus, in Mt 12:28, would later expound on his power and authority to cast out demons as proof of the coming of the Kingdom of God.
As what he expected, this event became the talk of the town throughout Galilee (v.28) because Jesus did not only spoke with authority in introducing a new doctrine of faith but he acted with authority when he cast out the demon from the man.
The question now is what is in it for us? That was then. We are in the here and now. Well for one this authority of Jesus is still very much alive today and this flows from the time when Christ created his Church to be the vehicle of his continuing mission in the world and promising to remain present in his Church for all time (Mt 28:20) as he lovingly guides it through the presence of the Holy Spirit.
To ensure the success of this mission, Christ gave the Church today which is us the baptized Catholics the ability to teach, govern and sanctify with Christ's own authority. The Apostles appointed successors to ensure that the Gospel would continue to be handed on faithfully as "the lasting source of all life for the Church" (Lumen Gentium 20, CCC860).
The purpose of this authority is to give the Church the ability to teach without error about the essentials of salvation: “On this rock, I will build My Church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it” (Mt 16:18).
The scope of this authority covers the official teachings of the Church on matters of faith, morals, and worship (Liturgy and Sacraments) and it is on the basis of his continuing presence that the Church cannot lead people astray with its official teachings despite what may seem to be as the individual errors in judgment that have caused scandals within the Church.
This is the reason why we the pilgrim Church must draw on the gift of faith and the free assent of our will to the whole truth that God has revealed and nourished by the Word of God so that we can assume our rightful place in his Kingdom since “he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight” (Eph 1:4).
As time is relatively short and as we are all living on borrowed time, we must maximize our time spent so that we may all grow as disciples of Christ. Out of his love Our Lord gave us his Holy Spirit to enlighten our minds that we may grow in his truth and in the knowledge of his great love for each of us. This we can do by heeding his Word for us to love God above all else and love our neighbors as well.
However, it’s easier said than done because we cannot possibly go as we are commanded to do without the most important component of mission – the transformation of the inner man and this can only happen if we will turn our lives around and place our lives in the palm of the hand of Jesus. This means that we need to cross over from trusting ourselves to trusting Jesus Christ.
As a media practitioner I trusted no one except my own instincts and gut feel and I took pride in the fact that I was able to squeeze myself out of sticky and dangerous situations because of my ability to anticipate events and situations before they happen and so I thought. Like everybody else I had plans. I wanted to be on top of the heap but God had other plans. I was on my way to having it all when God found me and made me realize that the world I was in was not the kind of life he planned for me.
I struggled and like Jacob who wrestled with an angel, I also tried to wiggle myself out of the renewal movement. But in the Christian Maturity Program that I attended, the Holy Spirit moved in me and I yielded my life to Jesus and my life was never the same again. Did I regret my decision? Of course not! Because the Kingdom of God is definitely better than the world I left behind.
My faith in God has never been as steadfast as now. But to live, grow, and persevere in my faith to the end, I have it to nourish it with the Word of God. The Lord gives all of us his Holy Spirit to enlighten our minds that we may grow in his truth and in the knowledge of his great love for each of us. If we all approach God’s Word with humility and submission, I assure you that you will be in a much better position to learn what God wants to teach you through his Word.
So I leave you with a question: Are you prepared to be taught by the Lord and to conform your life according to his Word?
JESUS THE KINGDOM IS NEAR
JAN. 13, 2014: FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
First Reading: 1 Sam 1:1-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 116:12-14, 17-19 “To you Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.”
GOSPEL: Mk 1:14-20
“The Kingdom of God is at hand.” (v.15)
Today marks the beginning of what we refer to as Ordinary Time and we begin with this Gospel passage from Mark (Mk 1:14-20) and here we see Jesus beginning his ministry by proclaiming: “The time has come. The Kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe.”
Our and your initial reaction I’m sure would be to ask what the Kingdom of God that Jesus is talking about like and for us to fully comprehend what Our Lord meant we need to go back in time and look at salvation history from the Old Testament times to the time when Jesus was born.
And it actually won't end there because we need to understand why he was born in a lowly manger if he was supposed to be the King of the Jews. We also have to reflect deeper on the reason why he was sent and the promises made by God who assures those who will follow Jesus Christ that: “For whosoever believe in him shall not perish but will have eternal life.” (Jn 3:16)
Now he comes and proclaims: “The Kingdom of God is at hand.” (v.15) and we ask ourselves is this the Good News that Jesus Christ brings. Because it is not unusual to hear different interpretations of what the Good News is although the most common explanation that we hear from clerics, preachers and teachers is that Jesus Christ and what he did for us is the Good News or what we know as the Gospel.
In other words, Jesus Christ is the Good News and no one would dispute that. And the Catechism of the Catholic Church 422 explains: ‘But when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. This is “the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” God has visited his people. He has fulfilled the promise he made to Abraham and his descendants. He acted far beyond all expectation - he has sent his own beloved Son.’
In truth and in fact, Jesus Christ in very clear terms brings us right into the heart of the Good News and this we can see right at the beginning of the Gospel passage for today (v.15) when Jesus himself revealed for the first time what was at the core of his teaching: “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the good news.”
There was a reason for Jesus to begin his ministry with these words because the people at the time were poor who have practically lost all hope after years and years of waiting for the long-awaited Messiah. What Jesus said must have been received as the good news that the people were waiting for and as we will see in the course of his ministry that the good news actually revolved around the person of Jesus Christ, his teachings and the miracles that he performed that can only come from God.
At the core of the truth of the Christian faith lies the fact that Jesus the only begotten Son of God was sent to ransom us all from the clutches of sin through his passion and death on the cross and we were given new life when the Holy Spirit was infused in us at the time of our baptism.
Also today we refer to the Holy Scriptures or the Bible as the good news and for good reason because it is in the Sacred Scriptures that come to know the good news in the person of Jesus Christ. The message that the Gospel of Christ proclaims is what makes it distinct from any other publications especially during these times when there is an economic disequilibrium in Europe and the United States, the Gospel or the Good News can be likened to a cool breeze that caresses your face parched by the noonday sun.
And in this short Gospel passage, Mark was able to inject at least four very important messages and the evangelist began by quoting Jesus as saying: “The Kingdom of God is at hand.” (v.15) But his proclamation of the coming of the Kingdom of God and his claim of being the Son of God was what got Jesus into trouble with the religious leaders of his time.
What brought Jesus and the Jews into a collision course was the difference in the way the kingdom was perceived. The Scribes and Pharisees thought Jesus was going to establish a kingdom that would remove the privileges they enjoyed. But Jesus was not thinking of a physical kingdom (Jn 18:36) but a kingdom that was spiritual (Rom 14:17).
The kingdom that Jesus preached was a sovereignty that was without physical boundaries that was to be built in the hearts of men and this was the primary reason why this kingdom still stands today, the church that is populated by men in whose hearts Jesus continues to reign. And in order for this kingdom to last, we who are in it must likewise go into the world and “proclaim the Kingdom of God.” (Lk 9:60)
Jesus is also telling us in this Gospel to repent which is a prerequisite to entering the Kingdom of God. Why? Because no one can be admitted to the Kingdom of God unless we have turned away from sin and have turned back to God, a process that is preceded by “Godly sorrow that brings repentance that leads to salvation” (2 Cor 7:10) and, a transformed life in Christ (2 Cor 5:17). Thus, repentance which literally means living a changed life is an integral part in the proclamation of the Gospel because any preaching that does not include an invitation to repent cannot be considered an authentic Gospel as Paul emphasizes in Acts 20:21, 25.
Following the gospel of repentance, Jesus urges us also to believe the good news (v.15). We need to believe because only then will our faith grow and because it is only in believing that we can be assured of the eternal life that God promised (Jn 3:16).
God made the supreme sacrifice of sending his Son to die on the cross to bring us back to a relationship of peace and friendship with Him and we need to believe that. He is our Father and he wants us to live as his sons and daughters and we need to believe that too. God loved us first and he invites us in love to surrender our lives to him. Why? Because it is only when we empty ourselves of sin that he can fill us with his graces.
And finally, the underlying message in today’s gospel story is that we all need to step up especially in this Year of the Laity to take over from where Andrew, Simon, James and John and the rest of the Apostles left off so that there will be a continuing and endless proclamation of the Gospel especially at this time when the Church has issued a call for us to holy and to be sent forth as heroes.
The Gospel of Christ would have no value at all if it is not proclaimed and Jesus is calling on us now to bring the gospel to everyone by being the good news ourselves. He is inviting us to share in the privilege previously enjoyed by the Apostles because God sees something in us that he could use.
But to become a disciple entails a lot of sacrifice as with Andrew, Simon, James and John who left their families to follow Christ. What would propel us to accept Christ’s invitation would be the thought that Jesus found us when we too were lost, and we are now obliged to also seek those who are lost for this is why Jesus came (Lk 19:10). When Jesus Christ found me sometime in 1989, I had to give up on the world that to me was the kingdom to which I was mired in. But when Jesus called me I needed to give up my attachment to the world as this was no longer compatible with the life to which Our Lord was leading me into.
At that moment when Jesus revealed himself to me, the light of Christ filled my entire being and I made a decision to walk in that light for the rest of my earthly life. It certainly wasn’t easy and I’m still struggling up to now but I don’t think I will ever let go of that light now that I have had a taste of what it is to be in the light of Christ - the Kingdom who is at hand.
As we continue to seek his Kingdom, we must bear in mind that we cannot keep the light of Christ for ourselves because others must also see this light through us “for we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing” (2 Cor 2:15).
First Reading: 1 Sam 1:1-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 116:12-14, 17-19 “To you Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.”
GOSPEL: Mk 1:14-20
“The Kingdom of God is at hand.” (v.15)
Today marks the beginning of what we refer to as Ordinary Time and we begin with this Gospel passage from Mark (Mk 1:14-20) and here we see Jesus beginning his ministry by proclaiming: “The time has come. The Kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe.”
Our and your initial reaction I’m sure would be to ask what the Kingdom of God that Jesus is talking about like and for us to fully comprehend what Our Lord meant we need to go back in time and look at salvation history from the Old Testament times to the time when Jesus was born.
And it actually won't end there because we need to understand why he was born in a lowly manger if he was supposed to be the King of the Jews. We also have to reflect deeper on the reason why he was sent and the promises made by God who assures those who will follow Jesus Christ that: “For whosoever believe in him shall not perish but will have eternal life.” (Jn 3:16)
Now he comes and proclaims: “The Kingdom of God is at hand.” (v.15) and we ask ourselves is this the Good News that Jesus Christ brings. Because it is not unusual to hear different interpretations of what the Good News is although the most common explanation that we hear from clerics, preachers and teachers is that Jesus Christ and what he did for us is the Good News or what we know as the Gospel.
In other words, Jesus Christ is the Good News and no one would dispute that. And the Catechism of the Catholic Church 422 explains: ‘But when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. This is “the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” God has visited his people. He has fulfilled the promise he made to Abraham and his descendants. He acted far beyond all expectation - he has sent his own beloved Son.’
In truth and in fact, Jesus Christ in very clear terms brings us right into the heart of the Good News and this we can see right at the beginning of the Gospel passage for today (v.15) when Jesus himself revealed for the first time what was at the core of his teaching: “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the good news.”
There was a reason for Jesus to begin his ministry with these words because the people at the time were poor who have practically lost all hope after years and years of waiting for the long-awaited Messiah. What Jesus said must have been received as the good news that the people were waiting for and as we will see in the course of his ministry that the good news actually revolved around the person of Jesus Christ, his teachings and the miracles that he performed that can only come from God.
At the core of the truth of the Christian faith lies the fact that Jesus the only begotten Son of God was sent to ransom us all from the clutches of sin through his passion and death on the cross and we were given new life when the Holy Spirit was infused in us at the time of our baptism.
Also today we refer to the Holy Scriptures or the Bible as the good news and for good reason because it is in the Sacred Scriptures that come to know the good news in the person of Jesus Christ. The message that the Gospel of Christ proclaims is what makes it distinct from any other publications especially during these times when there is an economic disequilibrium in Europe and the United States, the Gospel or the Good News can be likened to a cool breeze that caresses your face parched by the noonday sun.
And in this short Gospel passage, Mark was able to inject at least four very important messages and the evangelist began by quoting Jesus as saying: “The Kingdom of God is at hand.” (v.15) But his proclamation of the coming of the Kingdom of God and his claim of being the Son of God was what got Jesus into trouble with the religious leaders of his time.
What brought Jesus and the Jews into a collision course was the difference in the way the kingdom was perceived. The Scribes and Pharisees thought Jesus was going to establish a kingdom that would remove the privileges they enjoyed. But Jesus was not thinking of a physical kingdom (Jn 18:36) but a kingdom that was spiritual (Rom 14:17).
The kingdom that Jesus preached was a sovereignty that was without physical boundaries that was to be built in the hearts of men and this was the primary reason why this kingdom still stands today, the church that is populated by men in whose hearts Jesus continues to reign. And in order for this kingdom to last, we who are in it must likewise go into the world and “proclaim the Kingdom of God.” (Lk 9:60)
Jesus is also telling us in this Gospel to repent which is a prerequisite to entering the Kingdom of God. Why? Because no one can be admitted to the Kingdom of God unless we have turned away from sin and have turned back to God, a process that is preceded by “Godly sorrow that brings repentance that leads to salvation” (2 Cor 7:10) and, a transformed life in Christ (2 Cor 5:17). Thus, repentance which literally means living a changed life is an integral part in the proclamation of the Gospel because any preaching that does not include an invitation to repent cannot be considered an authentic Gospel as Paul emphasizes in Acts 20:21, 25.
Following the gospel of repentance, Jesus urges us also to believe the good news (v.15). We need to believe because only then will our faith grow and because it is only in believing that we can be assured of the eternal life that God promised (Jn 3:16).
God made the supreme sacrifice of sending his Son to die on the cross to bring us back to a relationship of peace and friendship with Him and we need to believe that. He is our Father and he wants us to live as his sons and daughters and we need to believe that too. God loved us first and he invites us in love to surrender our lives to him. Why? Because it is only when we empty ourselves of sin that he can fill us with his graces.
And finally, the underlying message in today’s gospel story is that we all need to step up especially in this Year of the Laity to take over from where Andrew, Simon, James and John and the rest of the Apostles left off so that there will be a continuing and endless proclamation of the Gospel especially at this time when the Church has issued a call for us to holy and to be sent forth as heroes.
The Gospel of Christ would have no value at all if it is not proclaimed and Jesus is calling on us now to bring the gospel to everyone by being the good news ourselves. He is inviting us to share in the privilege previously enjoyed by the Apostles because God sees something in us that he could use.
But to become a disciple entails a lot of sacrifice as with Andrew, Simon, James and John who left their families to follow Christ. What would propel us to accept Christ’s invitation would be the thought that Jesus found us when we too were lost, and we are now obliged to also seek those who are lost for this is why Jesus came (Lk 19:10). When Jesus Christ found me sometime in 1989, I had to give up on the world that to me was the kingdom to which I was mired in. But when Jesus called me I needed to give up my attachment to the world as this was no longer compatible with the life to which Our Lord was leading me into.
At that moment when Jesus revealed himself to me, the light of Christ filled my entire being and I made a decision to walk in that light for the rest of my earthly life. It certainly wasn’t easy and I’m still struggling up to now but I don’t think I will ever let go of that light now that I have had a taste of what it is to be in the light of Christ - the Kingdom who is at hand.
As we continue to seek his Kingdom, we must bear in mind that we cannot keep the light of Christ for ourselves because others must also see this light through us “for we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing” (2 Cor 2:15).
WE ARE CONFIGURED TO CHRIST
JAN. 12, 2014: BAPTISM OF THE LORD
First Reading: Isa 42:1-4, 6-7
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 29:1-4, 3, 9-10 “The Lord will bless his people with peace.”
Second Reading: Ac 10:34-38
GOSPEL: MATT 3:13-17
Key Verse: “This is my son, whom I love;” (v.17)
The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord that we are celebrating today officially puts a cap to the Christmas Season but at the same time it also marks the beginning of the public ministry of Jesus to draw all men to God by reconciling “to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” (Col.1:20)
Christ’s baptism is actually his second birth because it gives birth to his earthly ministry, a mission that would end on the cross. In fact, Jesus did not need to be baptized by John the Baptist who called on the people to repent but he asked to be baptized because in doing so Christ had identified himself with humanity.
As we are on the subject of baptism, kindly allow me to guide you to what the Catechism of the Catholic Church says about baptism which incidentally is one of the seven sacraments which the Church refer to as signs of inward grace that was instituted by Christ himself for the sanctification of the believer.
CCC 1272 states: “Incorporated into Christ by Baptism, the person baptized is configured to Christ. Baptism seals the Christian with the indelible spiritual mark (character) of his belonging to Christ. No sin can erase this mark, even if sin prevents Baptism from bearing the fruits of salvation.”
I believe that all baptized Catholics must be aware of the significance of this particular Sacrament and it begins by knowing what takes place at the time when a person is baptized. Water is poured upon the head of the child and at the same time the words appointed by Our Lord Jesus Christ are repeated – “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” By some mysterious action, the Holy Spirit descends at that same moment upon the person being baptized and the person and we are made temples of the Holy Spirit and endowed with sanctifying Grace.
Just as with Naaman (2 Kgs 5:14) we too are cleansed with water and delivered from the leprosy of sin, both original and actual. What makes our baptism significant is that those upon whom sanctifying Grace has been bestowed by virtue of baptism become children of God and heirs of heaven and only the baptized have the right to call God their Father. This is the reason why in the early times the Lord’s Prayer was not taught to the unbaptized.
Because of sanctifying Grace, a new life begins for the baptized person – a life in God. This is the reason why baptism is at times referred to as the birth of the soul whereas the other Sacraments are its food or its medicine. In essence, baptism is also called regeneration because it is the start of another and a new life.
And if there is anything in the CCC 1272 that will give us an idea of our identity as baptized Catholics it can be found in the phrase “configured to Christ” which to me is not only so profound but it provides us with a reference point if we are to unlock the mystery of our nature.
To be configured is to be conformed to the image of Christ which means that as we have all been created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26), God already knew us from the beginning of time and “for those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son” (Rom 8:29).
Our being baptized seals not just our membership in the Catholic Church but it puts an imprint into our souls that we have become “living stones” built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood (1 Pet 2:5). By our Baptism we are given the privilege to share in the priesthood of Christ, in his prophetic and royal mission.
Through Baptism we are initiated to become part of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, that we may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light. Baptism gives us a share in the common priesthood of all believers. (CCC 1268)
This particular definition of a baptized Christian was given emphasis by Blessed John Paul II who once told the youth of America “the world needs you because it needs Christ and you belong to Christ.” Which is why there shouldn’t be any doubt in our minds as to our true identity since having become a member of the Church, we have no more ownership of our own selves, but we now belong to him who purchased us with his own blood. (Ac 20:28)
In the same way, the baptism of Jesus not only made him one with us but it was an opportunity for God to formally unveil his plan for the whole of creation. Jesus’s baptism was in fulfillment of the Will of God because at his baptism the heavens were opened and the waters were sanctified by the descent of the Holy Spirit, signifying the beginning of a new creation.
The beauty of the Baptism of Jesus at the Jordan River and to some extent even our own baptism was in the action of the Holy Spirit who empowers Jesus as he begins his earthly ministry. This is the same with us because it is through the Holy Spirit who indwelt in us in our baptism who provides us with the power to plunge into the mission field.
Though we may not be aware of it at the time we were baptized, our parents and godfathers who stood to represent us during our baptism were given candles that reflect our identity as a light to the nations. As ordained by God, we as baptized Christians are to become the light who shines and who will give justice to a world marked by perversity and sin.
With our incorporation into the Body of Christ, our mission should move us outward and not inward as we are called and commanded by Christ to be the salt and light to those around us. Christ wants his love and truth to shine through us so that others may see the goodness and truth of God’s message of salvation. What this means is that through baptism, we are ushered into the mission field because baptism is a covenant, an incarnation of the love of God in us and a sign of justice in and for the world.
As the heavens opened as Jesus was being baptized and God said: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased” (v.22) we will also find that heaven will open for us if we will just allow the Holy Spirit to move in us that we may become effective witnesses to bring Christ to the world.
With the Baptism of the Lord putting an end to the Christmas Season, it’s also a symbolism that being baptized means putting an end to our old way of life and it should usher in the beginning of a new way of life.
As he began his ministry, Jesus had to leave a comfortable life living in peace in the confines of Joseph’s carpentry shop and stepping into a life marked with rejection and resistance. This is the same with us as it is not always easy to go and evangelize in a relativist society.
We should not, however, lose sight of the fact that in baptism we are not only renewed as the Holy Spirit empowers us and equips us with the grace to continue the mission of Christ and CCC1274 points out that: “the Holy Spirit has marked us with the seal of the Lord (Dominicus character) for the day of redemption.” (Eph 4:30) Baptism indeed is the seal of eternal life.
Our Church assures us that the faithful Christian who has “kept the seal” until the end, remaining faithful to the demands of his Baptism, will be able to depart this life “marked with the sign of faith,” (Roman Missal EP1) with his baptismal faith, in expectation of the blessed vision of God - the consummation of faith - and in the hope of resurrection.
First Reading: Isa 42:1-4, 6-7
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 29:1-4, 3, 9-10 “The Lord will bless his people with peace.”
Second Reading: Ac 10:34-38
GOSPEL: MATT 3:13-17
Key Verse: “This is my son, whom I love;” (v.17)
The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord that we are celebrating today officially puts a cap to the Christmas Season but at the same time it also marks the beginning of the public ministry of Jesus to draw all men to God by reconciling “to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” (Col.1:20)
Christ’s baptism is actually his second birth because it gives birth to his earthly ministry, a mission that would end on the cross. In fact, Jesus did not need to be baptized by John the Baptist who called on the people to repent but he asked to be baptized because in doing so Christ had identified himself with humanity.
As we are on the subject of baptism, kindly allow me to guide you to what the Catechism of the Catholic Church says about baptism which incidentally is one of the seven sacraments which the Church refer to as signs of inward grace that was instituted by Christ himself for the sanctification of the believer.
CCC 1272 states: “Incorporated into Christ by Baptism, the person baptized is configured to Christ. Baptism seals the Christian with the indelible spiritual mark (character) of his belonging to Christ. No sin can erase this mark, even if sin prevents Baptism from bearing the fruits of salvation.”
I believe that all baptized Catholics must be aware of the significance of this particular Sacrament and it begins by knowing what takes place at the time when a person is baptized. Water is poured upon the head of the child and at the same time the words appointed by Our Lord Jesus Christ are repeated – “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” By some mysterious action, the Holy Spirit descends at that same moment upon the person being baptized and the person and we are made temples of the Holy Spirit and endowed with sanctifying Grace.
Just as with Naaman (2 Kgs 5:14) we too are cleansed with water and delivered from the leprosy of sin, both original and actual. What makes our baptism significant is that those upon whom sanctifying Grace has been bestowed by virtue of baptism become children of God and heirs of heaven and only the baptized have the right to call God their Father. This is the reason why in the early times the Lord’s Prayer was not taught to the unbaptized.
Because of sanctifying Grace, a new life begins for the baptized person – a life in God. This is the reason why baptism is at times referred to as the birth of the soul whereas the other Sacraments are its food or its medicine. In essence, baptism is also called regeneration because it is the start of another and a new life.
And if there is anything in the CCC 1272 that will give us an idea of our identity as baptized Catholics it can be found in the phrase “configured to Christ” which to me is not only so profound but it provides us with a reference point if we are to unlock the mystery of our nature.
To be configured is to be conformed to the image of Christ which means that as we have all been created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26), God already knew us from the beginning of time and “for those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son” (Rom 8:29).
Our being baptized seals not just our membership in the Catholic Church but it puts an imprint into our souls that we have become “living stones” built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood (1 Pet 2:5). By our Baptism we are given the privilege to share in the priesthood of Christ, in his prophetic and royal mission.
Through Baptism we are initiated to become part of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, that we may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light. Baptism gives us a share in the common priesthood of all believers. (CCC 1268)
This particular definition of a baptized Christian was given emphasis by Blessed John Paul II who once told the youth of America “the world needs you because it needs Christ and you belong to Christ.” Which is why there shouldn’t be any doubt in our minds as to our true identity since having become a member of the Church, we have no more ownership of our own selves, but we now belong to him who purchased us with his own blood. (Ac 20:28)
In the same way, the baptism of Jesus not only made him one with us but it was an opportunity for God to formally unveil his plan for the whole of creation. Jesus’s baptism was in fulfillment of the Will of God because at his baptism the heavens were opened and the waters were sanctified by the descent of the Holy Spirit, signifying the beginning of a new creation.
The beauty of the Baptism of Jesus at the Jordan River and to some extent even our own baptism was in the action of the Holy Spirit who empowers Jesus as he begins his earthly ministry. This is the same with us because it is through the Holy Spirit who indwelt in us in our baptism who provides us with the power to plunge into the mission field.
Though we may not be aware of it at the time we were baptized, our parents and godfathers who stood to represent us during our baptism were given candles that reflect our identity as a light to the nations. As ordained by God, we as baptized Christians are to become the light who shines and who will give justice to a world marked by perversity and sin.
With our incorporation into the Body of Christ, our mission should move us outward and not inward as we are called and commanded by Christ to be the salt and light to those around us. Christ wants his love and truth to shine through us so that others may see the goodness and truth of God’s message of salvation. What this means is that through baptism, we are ushered into the mission field because baptism is a covenant, an incarnation of the love of God in us and a sign of justice in and for the world.
As the heavens opened as Jesus was being baptized and God said: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased” (v.22) we will also find that heaven will open for us if we will just allow the Holy Spirit to move in us that we may become effective witnesses to bring Christ to the world.
With the Baptism of the Lord putting an end to the Christmas Season, it’s also a symbolism that being baptized means putting an end to our old way of life and it should usher in the beginning of a new way of life.
As he began his ministry, Jesus had to leave a comfortable life living in peace in the confines of Joseph’s carpentry shop and stepping into a life marked with rejection and resistance. This is the same with us as it is not always easy to go and evangelize in a relativist society.
We should not, however, lose sight of the fact that in baptism we are not only renewed as the Holy Spirit empowers us and equips us with the grace to continue the mission of Christ and CCC1274 points out that: “the Holy Spirit has marked us with the seal of the Lord (Dominicus character) for the day of redemption.” (Eph 4:30) Baptism indeed is the seal of eternal life.
Our Church assures us that the faithful Christian who has “kept the seal” until the end, remaining faithful to the demands of his Baptism, will be able to depart this life “marked with the sign of faith,” (Roman Missal EP1) with his baptismal faith, in expectation of the blessed vision of God - the consummation of faith - and in the hope of resurrection.
CREATED TO TRUST IN GOD
JAN. 11, 2014: SATURDAY AFTER EPIPHANY
1st Reading: 1 Jn 5:14-21
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 149:1-6, 9 “The Lord takes delight in his people.”
Gospel: Jn 3:22-30
Key Verse: “He must increase, I must become less.” (v.30)
To doubt is in the nature of every person and it’s normal. Because of the impact of the post-modern world on human behavior, there may be times when we doubt the sincerity of another person. In fact, we also have a tendency to doubt our own self and even our capacity to rise beyond our human frailty.
This is because many of us do not have confidence in our own abilities and strengths. Worst is we don’t even have confidence in God who can raise us up to greater heights. I still remember many years back when I was auditioning to become a radio announcer and I experienced not just once but several setbacks.
To be rejected or turned down was not easy to accept because it meant that my credentials were not good enough. The times I failed the auditions were big letdowns and I started losing confidence on myself. I almost gave up until someone suggested that I should try it first in the provincial radio stations and work my way from there. And I was glad I listened to the counsel.
As I started to build my career in the provincial radio stations my confidence level grew and it was also here that I was re-introduced to God who I will soon realize is the source of the confidence that we exude because confidence is based on the faith that has been infused in us in our baptism.
A few days ago we talked about fear and most of the time fear is what causes us to lose our confidence but Jesus says in Mt 10:31 that we shouldn’t be afraid because we are worth more than many sparrows. Confidence means trusting God who listens to the pleas of those whom he had created.
It doesn’t mean, however, that God will take away all your problems because the key is to ask in accordance with God’s Will. This means that while there is nothing wrong in coming to God with a list of petitions, it would be wise to discern the Will of God first and we can do this my spending some time meditating and contemplating through prayer as this will enhance your relationship with God. When you can do this then you can have the confidence that whatever you ask in accordance with the Will of God will be granted.
You also need to develop your confidence which is a gift of the Holy Spirit because you are not here by accident. You are here because God has a plan for you. Indeed, no one is born into this world without a purpose and people expend their energies trying to find their relevance and many are driven to believe that to succeed is the be all and the end all in life, that their personal comfort is inextricably tied to the accumulation of wealth.
In today’s post-modern world, personal success has become the goal of almost everyone and this includes having a wife, to have children and, to have a happy home life. That to them is what joy is all about. For some, it could be social success they are after – to have as many friends in high places.
In other words, the feeling of belongingness fills many of the people today especially among the youth who think that being popular can bring them success and happiness. Sadly, however, may will fall into despair once they sense that what they have is fleeting and will not bring them the kind of joy that will last.
This brings us to our Gospel passage today (Jn 3:22-30) and we see in Jesus Christ and John the Baptist the picture of what true joy represents. Both came from humble beginnings with John retreating to the wilderness where he clothed himself with animal skin and would feed on locusts and honey while Jesus though he was a King would be born in a manger.
Neither had financial or social success. John only had a few disciples who was with him as he baptized the people and pointed to Jesus as the Messiah. Jesus also had very few friends and even those who followed him and were known to be his friends have abandoned him in the time of his greatest need in Calvary. But what then was it that gave them true joy?
For John the Baptist it was the acceptance of who he was and throughout his ministry John never even for once arrogated unto himself the title of the Messiah or even Elijah for that matter. John was perfectly comfortable being the herald whose task was merely to point the people to Christ. He was happy just being the friend of the bridegroom and in putting Jesus ahead of him.
And for Jesus, his joy was anchored on his relationship with God the Father – a relationship that was founded on humility and obedience and on the knowledge that God rejoices over his complete subservience to the Father’s Will: “As the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you (Isa 62:5).”
This kind of humility that we find in John the Baptist is now rarely seen in the community and ministries and his sterling character is what many spiritual organizations need. How many of us do you think can bravely say: “He must become greater, I must become less.” (v.30) Wouldn’t this be an unorthodox thing to do nowadays when everyone is
stepping on everyone’s toes to go higher in the ladder of success?
If only our parishioners, members of mandated organizations, charismatic communities will clothe themselves with the humility of John the Baptist who was content in doing what he was deigned to do, then our world will be rid of egotistical personalities, credit-grabbers, and those who do things to be seen and be popular. Our parishes and communities will see less of those who seek positions of leadership instead of letting the position seek them.
The problem with us is that our search for the true joy that never lasts is clouded by the ephemeral happiness and at times we have become bigger than the God that we seek. An African preacher once said: “You can’t place a load on a running donkey.” How true indeed and in our search for the true joy, we need to stop and spend some time with Jesus Christ just like what John the Baptist did in the wilderness and what Jesus did in the desert for 40 days because our purpose in life is to fix our gaze on God and in time we all will be transformed from glory to glory in Christ Jesus. That is what true joy is.
1st Reading: 1 Jn 5:14-21
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 149:1-6, 9 “The Lord takes delight in his people.”
Gospel: Jn 3:22-30
Key Verse: “He must increase, I must become less.” (v.30)
To doubt is in the nature of every person and it’s normal. Because of the impact of the post-modern world on human behavior, there may be times when we doubt the sincerity of another person. In fact, we also have a tendency to doubt our own self and even our capacity to rise beyond our human frailty.
This is because many of us do not have confidence in our own abilities and strengths. Worst is we don’t even have confidence in God who can raise us up to greater heights. I still remember many years back when I was auditioning to become a radio announcer and I experienced not just once but several setbacks.
To be rejected or turned down was not easy to accept because it meant that my credentials were not good enough. The times I failed the auditions were big letdowns and I started losing confidence on myself. I almost gave up until someone suggested that I should try it first in the provincial radio stations and work my way from there. And I was glad I listened to the counsel.
As I started to build my career in the provincial radio stations my confidence level grew and it was also here that I was re-introduced to God who I will soon realize is the source of the confidence that we exude because confidence is based on the faith that has been infused in us in our baptism.
A few days ago we talked about fear and most of the time fear is what causes us to lose our confidence but Jesus says in Mt 10:31 that we shouldn’t be afraid because we are worth more than many sparrows. Confidence means trusting God who listens to the pleas of those whom he had created.
It doesn’t mean, however, that God will take away all your problems because the key is to ask in accordance with God’s Will. This means that while there is nothing wrong in coming to God with a list of petitions, it would be wise to discern the Will of God first and we can do this my spending some time meditating and contemplating through prayer as this will enhance your relationship with God. When you can do this then you can have the confidence that whatever you ask in accordance with the Will of God will be granted.
You also need to develop your confidence which is a gift of the Holy Spirit because you are not here by accident. You are here because God has a plan for you. Indeed, no one is born into this world without a purpose and people expend their energies trying to find their relevance and many are driven to believe that to succeed is the be all and the end all in life, that their personal comfort is inextricably tied to the accumulation of wealth.
In today’s post-modern world, personal success has become the goal of almost everyone and this includes having a wife, to have children and, to have a happy home life. That to them is what joy is all about. For some, it could be social success they are after – to have as many friends in high places.
In other words, the feeling of belongingness fills many of the people today especially among the youth who think that being popular can bring them success and happiness. Sadly, however, may will fall into despair once they sense that what they have is fleeting and will not bring them the kind of joy that will last.
This brings us to our Gospel passage today (Jn 3:22-30) and we see in Jesus Christ and John the Baptist the picture of what true joy represents. Both came from humble beginnings with John retreating to the wilderness where he clothed himself with animal skin and would feed on locusts and honey while Jesus though he was a King would be born in a manger.
Neither had financial or social success. John only had a few disciples who was with him as he baptized the people and pointed to Jesus as the Messiah. Jesus also had very few friends and even those who followed him and were known to be his friends have abandoned him in the time of his greatest need in Calvary. But what then was it that gave them true joy?
For John the Baptist it was the acceptance of who he was and throughout his ministry John never even for once arrogated unto himself the title of the Messiah or even Elijah for that matter. John was perfectly comfortable being the herald whose task was merely to point the people to Christ. He was happy just being the friend of the bridegroom and in putting Jesus ahead of him.
And for Jesus, his joy was anchored on his relationship with God the Father – a relationship that was founded on humility and obedience and on the knowledge that God rejoices over his complete subservience to the Father’s Will: “As the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you (Isa 62:5).”
This kind of humility that we find in John the Baptist is now rarely seen in the community and ministries and his sterling character is what many spiritual organizations need. How many of us do you think can bravely say: “He must become greater, I must become less.” (v.30) Wouldn’t this be an unorthodox thing to do nowadays when everyone is
stepping on everyone’s toes to go higher in the ladder of success?
If only our parishioners, members of mandated organizations, charismatic communities will clothe themselves with the humility of John the Baptist who was content in doing what he was deigned to do, then our world will be rid of egotistical personalities, credit-grabbers, and those who do things to be seen and be popular. Our parishes and communities will see less of those who seek positions of leadership instead of letting the position seek them.
The problem with us is that our search for the true joy that never lasts is clouded by the ephemeral happiness and at times we have become bigger than the God that we seek. An African preacher once said: “You can’t place a load on a running donkey.” How true indeed and in our search for the true joy, we need to stop and spend some time with Jesus Christ just like what John the Baptist did in the wilderness and what Jesus did in the desert for 40 days because our purpose in life is to fix our gaze on God and in time we all will be transformed from glory to glory in Christ Jesus. That is what true joy is.
GOD'S LOVE MAKES US CLEAN
JAN. 10, 2014: FRIDAY AFTER EPIPHANY
First Reading: 1 Jn 5:5-13
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 147:12-15, 19-20 “Praise the Lord Jerusalem.”
GOSPEL: Lk 5:12-16
Key Verse: “I am willing, be clean!” (v.13)
If the coming of the Messiah whose birth and even heritage was prophesied by the Old Testament prophets the question that some of you might ask is why did not the Pharisees, Scribes and teachers of the law accept nor recognized Jesus Christ as the promised savior of the Jewish nation.
The most common reason was that the Jews were expecting a king who will lead an army to save the Israelites from captivity and they could not imagine how a carpenter’s son from Nazareth could rise up and be the conquering king the Jews have been waiting for thousands of years.
There was, however, another reason why the religious leaders of Israel at that time ostracized and rejected Jesus and this was because of the many times that he went against established practices and tradition in the pursuit of his ministry such as when his disciples did not wash their hands before they ate (Mt 15:2) and again when his disciples plucked the ear of the corn on the Sabbath (Mk 2:23).
And in this gospel reading today we see Jesus going against the religious beliefs that bars Jews from even getting near a person afflicted with leprosy much more touch a leper-stricken person who at that time was considered an unclean person and anyone who associates with a leper is also deemed unclean and will to go through an elaborate cleansing process in order for them to be declared clean again.
At that time, leprosy was described as a chronic, highly infectious and incurable skin disease and those suffering from it are cast out from society. Today this dreaded disease has already been controlled if not eliminated. Unfortunately, however, this skin disease has been replaced with an even more deadlier kind of disease – the Acute Immune Deficiency Syndrome – and like the lepers in the time of Jesus, those who have been tested positive for AIDS today are not only rejected but they are shunned like a plague.
Because they are declared as unclean, no one in the time of Jesus was supposed to touch them but Jesus would not let the religious practices to stand in the way of what was more important which was the healing of the leper. Because it was incurable, people afflicted with leprosy then could only hope for divine intervention.
And Jesus knew this so that when the leper prostrated before him saying: “Lord if you are willing you can make me clean.” (v.12) Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man saying: “I am willing, be clean!” (v.13) This Gospel scenario was not only a dramatic picture of the compassion of Jesus towards the outcasts of society but it provides us with a lesson that we too as disciples should not, in any circumstances, turn away anyone who comes to us for help.
As with the leper who gathered all the courage to go to Jesus, this passage also reminds us to set aside our fears, doubts and most of all our pride to come to Jesus when our lives do not turn the way we expect or as they say when the chips are down because Jesus is one person who will not turn his back on those who are in need.
This was what this Gospel was all about. As the people then turned their backs on those they regarded as outcasts such as those afflicted with leprosy, Jesus showed what compassion was all about when he touched and healed the leper who came to him.
What was remarkable in this passage was that the leper came to Jesus and with humility and confidence asked the Lord to heal him and make him whole again. Normally a leper would be stoned or at least driven away if he tried to come near a rabbi but Jesus not only grants the man his request, but he also demonstrated the personal love, compassion, and tenderness of God in his physical touch.
This is also how Jesus looks at us. Our Lord Jesus is more than ready to heal us and deliver us from fear, prejudice, and anxiety that may be keeping us from approaching others with selfless love and concern for their welfare. Paul tells us that: “God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us.” (Rom 5:5). Indeed, it is the Holy Spirit that actually sets us free to love as God loves – with mercy, kindness, goodness, and compassionate care.
For all intents and purposes, this passage should lead us to look into our lives and see how we treat our neighbors especially those whom society has rejected, mistreated, and or left to their own miseries. Do we approach them with the same love and compassion that Christ did in this passage? How have we been living our lives? Do we persist in sinning? Are we emboldened by the idea that God is a forgiving God?
What leprosy does to the body, sin does to the soul because sin disfigures the image of God in us. Without the forgiveness of God, sin will sink us deeper into slavery until “nothing good lives in us” (Rom 7:18). Worst, our sin “have separated us from our God” (Isa 59:2). And this separation from the source of joy and peace will eventually lead us to death “for the wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23).
Thus we can draw inspiration from what the leper did as he went to Jesus in humble reverence, kneeling and saying “if you are willing, you can make me clean” (v.12) and Jesus filled with compassion touched the leper saying “I am willing, be clean” (v.13).
Though we may not be suffering from leprosy in the physical sense, we will find ourselves in the same situation as the leper as we bear the pain of spiritual disfigurement and our separation from God and the Church because sin blocks the flow of grace into our lives.
Today’s gospel reading also warns us to check our spirits in the way we relate to others. Though some of you may not have the kind of intention that the Pharisees had who looked down on lepers and who rejected Jesus because they considered him as unclean, I’m sure there have been times when you were hypocritical of those who do not belong to your social circle or who is not in the same social level as you are.
There was a time when I found myself in the person of both the leper and the Pharisees. Unaware of the stench of sin that filled my life before God found me, I probably looked like the leper whose physical appearance was disfigured without my knowing it because sin like leprosy disfigures the nature of the person. I vividly remember too the time when I acted like a Pharisee when I became so aloof and treated others with contempt because of the power and influence that I had.
The real value of a person is not what people see but what God sees. In other words, God will not give up on us regardless of the sin that we have committed because even if sin may have disfigured, distorted and or have deformed the image of God in us (Gen 1:26), God will restore us into the fullness of his love “as we are baptized into his death. Just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” (Rom 6:3-4). And this was what God did when he found me and brought me to the renewal where I placed upon the foot of the cross not just my sins but my entire self.
Regardless of what sin may have done to our nature or even hypocrisy for that matter, God who is compassionate will forgive us as only he can. Like the leper, all that Jesus will do is he will touch us and deliver us from all the things that make us unclean. This assurance is in this Gospel itself as we see Jesus defying tradition to reach out to the man and touched him.
What this Gospel shows us is that Jesus will not turn away anyone regardless of how sinful they may be for as long as the element of humility and reverence is present as was in the case of the leper in this story. This Gospel passage serves as a fitting reminder for all of us that without Christ we will remain in the same wretched state we were in before Christ came and touched us as he did to the leper. At the end of the day, it is God’s love that makes us clean inside out.
First Reading: 1 Jn 5:5-13
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 147:12-15, 19-20 “Praise the Lord Jerusalem.”
GOSPEL: Lk 5:12-16
Key Verse: “I am willing, be clean!” (v.13)
If the coming of the Messiah whose birth and even heritage was prophesied by the Old Testament prophets the question that some of you might ask is why did not the Pharisees, Scribes and teachers of the law accept nor recognized Jesus Christ as the promised savior of the Jewish nation.
The most common reason was that the Jews were expecting a king who will lead an army to save the Israelites from captivity and they could not imagine how a carpenter’s son from Nazareth could rise up and be the conquering king the Jews have been waiting for thousands of years.
There was, however, another reason why the religious leaders of Israel at that time ostracized and rejected Jesus and this was because of the many times that he went against established practices and tradition in the pursuit of his ministry such as when his disciples did not wash their hands before they ate (Mt 15:2) and again when his disciples plucked the ear of the corn on the Sabbath (Mk 2:23).
And in this gospel reading today we see Jesus going against the religious beliefs that bars Jews from even getting near a person afflicted with leprosy much more touch a leper-stricken person who at that time was considered an unclean person and anyone who associates with a leper is also deemed unclean and will to go through an elaborate cleansing process in order for them to be declared clean again.
At that time, leprosy was described as a chronic, highly infectious and incurable skin disease and those suffering from it are cast out from society. Today this dreaded disease has already been controlled if not eliminated. Unfortunately, however, this skin disease has been replaced with an even more deadlier kind of disease – the Acute Immune Deficiency Syndrome – and like the lepers in the time of Jesus, those who have been tested positive for AIDS today are not only rejected but they are shunned like a plague.
Because they are declared as unclean, no one in the time of Jesus was supposed to touch them but Jesus would not let the religious practices to stand in the way of what was more important which was the healing of the leper. Because it was incurable, people afflicted with leprosy then could only hope for divine intervention.
And Jesus knew this so that when the leper prostrated before him saying: “Lord if you are willing you can make me clean.” (v.12) Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man saying: “I am willing, be clean!” (v.13) This Gospel scenario was not only a dramatic picture of the compassion of Jesus towards the outcasts of society but it provides us with a lesson that we too as disciples should not, in any circumstances, turn away anyone who comes to us for help.
As with the leper who gathered all the courage to go to Jesus, this passage also reminds us to set aside our fears, doubts and most of all our pride to come to Jesus when our lives do not turn the way we expect or as they say when the chips are down because Jesus is one person who will not turn his back on those who are in need.
This was what this Gospel was all about. As the people then turned their backs on those they regarded as outcasts such as those afflicted with leprosy, Jesus showed what compassion was all about when he touched and healed the leper who came to him.
What was remarkable in this passage was that the leper came to Jesus and with humility and confidence asked the Lord to heal him and make him whole again. Normally a leper would be stoned or at least driven away if he tried to come near a rabbi but Jesus not only grants the man his request, but he also demonstrated the personal love, compassion, and tenderness of God in his physical touch.
This is also how Jesus looks at us. Our Lord Jesus is more than ready to heal us and deliver us from fear, prejudice, and anxiety that may be keeping us from approaching others with selfless love and concern for their welfare. Paul tells us that: “God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us.” (Rom 5:5). Indeed, it is the Holy Spirit that actually sets us free to love as God loves – with mercy, kindness, goodness, and compassionate care.
For all intents and purposes, this passage should lead us to look into our lives and see how we treat our neighbors especially those whom society has rejected, mistreated, and or left to their own miseries. Do we approach them with the same love and compassion that Christ did in this passage? How have we been living our lives? Do we persist in sinning? Are we emboldened by the idea that God is a forgiving God?
What leprosy does to the body, sin does to the soul because sin disfigures the image of God in us. Without the forgiveness of God, sin will sink us deeper into slavery until “nothing good lives in us” (Rom 7:18). Worst, our sin “have separated us from our God” (Isa 59:2). And this separation from the source of joy and peace will eventually lead us to death “for the wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23).
Thus we can draw inspiration from what the leper did as he went to Jesus in humble reverence, kneeling and saying “if you are willing, you can make me clean” (v.12) and Jesus filled with compassion touched the leper saying “I am willing, be clean” (v.13).
Though we may not be suffering from leprosy in the physical sense, we will find ourselves in the same situation as the leper as we bear the pain of spiritual disfigurement and our separation from God and the Church because sin blocks the flow of grace into our lives.
Today’s gospel reading also warns us to check our spirits in the way we relate to others. Though some of you may not have the kind of intention that the Pharisees had who looked down on lepers and who rejected Jesus because they considered him as unclean, I’m sure there have been times when you were hypocritical of those who do not belong to your social circle or who is not in the same social level as you are.
There was a time when I found myself in the person of both the leper and the Pharisees. Unaware of the stench of sin that filled my life before God found me, I probably looked like the leper whose physical appearance was disfigured without my knowing it because sin like leprosy disfigures the nature of the person. I vividly remember too the time when I acted like a Pharisee when I became so aloof and treated others with contempt because of the power and influence that I had.
The real value of a person is not what people see but what God sees. In other words, God will not give up on us regardless of the sin that we have committed because even if sin may have disfigured, distorted and or have deformed the image of God in us (Gen 1:26), God will restore us into the fullness of his love “as we are baptized into his death. Just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” (Rom 6:3-4). And this was what God did when he found me and brought me to the renewal where I placed upon the foot of the cross not just my sins but my entire self.
Regardless of what sin may have done to our nature or even hypocrisy for that matter, God who is compassionate will forgive us as only he can. Like the leper, all that Jesus will do is he will touch us and deliver us from all the things that make us unclean. This assurance is in this Gospel itself as we see Jesus defying tradition to reach out to the man and touched him.
What this Gospel shows us is that Jesus will not turn away anyone regardless of how sinful they may be for as long as the element of humility and reverence is present as was in the case of the leper in this story. This Gospel passage serves as a fitting reminder for all of us that without Christ we will remain in the same wretched state we were in before Christ came and touched us as he did to the leper. At the end of the day, it is God’s love that makes us clean inside out.
ME, AN EVANGELIST?
JAN. 9, 2014: THURSDAY AFTER EPIPHANY
First Reading: 1 Jn 4:19-5:4
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 72:1-2, 14-15, 17 “Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.”
GOSPEL: Lk 4:14-22
Key Verse: “..to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (v.19)
The Catholic charismatic community to which me and my spouse belong celebrated its first Eucharistic Assembly on Wednesday evening (Jan. 8, 2014) and as I am currently the presiding servant leader I was tasked to give the exhortation based on the discerned word for the month, the order, directions, prophecy and the promise.
I am struck by the two directions that have been circularized to the community’s global districts and which community members are encouraged to embrace and these are: 1) Study the Scriptures and abide by God’s Word to grow in the knowledge and love of Christ, and; 2) Be hearers and bearers of the Word.
This should be of particular interest to anyone who would like to take on the call of the Church for all baptized Catholics to go out and proclaim the Gospel with joy because it would be next to impossible for anyone to respond to this call without the necessary tools needed to evangelize such as familiarity with the Word of God.
The Gospel reading for today is an example because it would be much easier to understand its message if we are to be methodical and look at the minute details of the passage that are sometimes ignored when we go through this narrative especially when we gather for a regular Bible Reflection (Bi-Ref), Living Word Group (LWG) or Word Sharing Circle (WSC) as most if not all will normally search for words and verses they refer to as their “struck” which will become the point of their reflection and sharing.
In our continuing formation in the community we have been told that the New Testament was the fulfillment of the Old Testament and we take as an example the words of Jesus when he said: “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (v.21) What Jesus meant was that the prophecy he read from the scroll on which the prophecy of Isaiah was written (Isa 61:1-2) like the other main prophecies in the Old Testament, actually refers to Him and finds its fulfillment in Him (Lk 24:44).
This is why the Old Testament can only be rightly understood in the light of the New Testament as when Christ opened the minds of his disciples that they may be able to understand the Scriptures (Lk 24:45), and their capacity to fully understand what Jesus taught them was perfected when the Holy Spirit filled them on the day of Pentecost.
Again this is getting ahead of the story so please allow me to guide you through the predicate because this is such a beautiful Gospel passage that it will actually provide us with a clearer understanding of the mission of Jesus and its relevance to the purpose for which we have been created.
What you will see from this passage was not only the relationship of Jesus with God but the beginning of the Gospel itself that clearly establishes the nature and character of Jesus as the incarnate Son of God who “returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit” (v.14) and who was sent to set us free from the slavery to sin and the fear of death and, the eternal destruction of both our body and soul.
This passage in fact ushers in the first foray of Jesus into his earthly ministry and coming out of the temptation in the desert his choice of where to start was crucial. That he began in Galilee was relevant and even more significant was when he went to his native town in Nazareth because it was here in the surrounding areas that the history of Israel was etched.
Normally the head of the synagogue would ask someone well versed in the Scriptures to speak at the synagogue but traveling Rabbis as was in the case of Jesus could also volunteer and ask for the honor to speak and as Jesus finished reading from Isa 61:1-2 he handed back the scroll and sat down (v.20) and we may think he was finished but the truth was that he was just about to begin with his teaching as Rabbis normally teach in the synagogue sitting down.
When Jesus said: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor.” (v.18) he merely gave his listeners a panoramic view of the mission entrusted to him by God the Father. This also forms part of the blessings that God had promised to send to the Israelites through the Messiah who has been prophesied but whom the Jews did not readily recognize.
And this mission of Jesus to bring the good news to the poor which he has passed on to us is anchored on what John said in the first reading: “If anyone says, ‘I love God’ but hates is brother he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.” (1 Jn 4:19) This becomes relevant because it would utterly be difficult for anyone following Christ to bring the good news to the poor if has no love for others especially the poor.
Conversely, as Christ came to deliver us from our own spiritual blindness that hinders our view of the eternal kingdom we too are now mandated to share what we have seen and experienced with others primary of which is the need to lead others to a deliverance from sin by leading them to accept Jesus Christ as their savior and redeemer.
This is necessary because sin creates the evil that takes control of our lives and blinds us and this hampers us from enjoying true peace and joy which are not just the absence of conflict because true peace can be defined as a state in which a person enjoys the benefits of a restored relationship with God.
What Jesus read from the scroll was a reflection of the objective of his mission and that was to ransom us from our sinful nature and we who now comprise the Church are to embrace this same objective to make it own as we pursue this mission that precedes from Christ: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and I am with you always, to the close of the age.” (Mt 28:19-20)
This final instruction of Jesus provides us with our own mission as modern-day disciples as it puts meaning into the thrust of the Church towards a New Evangelization especially in this Year of the Laity which is to preach the truths of faith stressing the need for a sacramental life and, the promise of Christ's blessings to His Church in the context of Lk 4:18-19. And there can be no escape from this mission. As Pope Francis recently said all baptized Catholics must own the responsibility to proclaim the Gospel to others.
We cannot be faithful to our Lord if we neglect our duty to receive instructions in Christian faith and morality and share these teachings with others as well as our frequent reception of the Sacraments. And we can only help in carrying out the mandate of the Church to bring back those who have been baptized but have not been practicing their Christian faith if we ourselves remain faithful to Christ and his teachings.
And in our pursuit of our mission, let us depart from any secular theories that try to unify the original mandate of the Church with those of earthly institutions such as those existing in a corporate setup thus distorting its meaning and substance into something similar to that of a temporal society.
Let us therefore cooperate with the Holy Spirit who moves in us and inspires us to follow after Jesus who quoting from Isaiah said his mission was “to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (v.19) by helping lead others to a turn back to God and yield their lives to him. The year of the Lord’s favor happens when we turn away from our sinful nature and accept God as our personal Lord and Savior.
When that happens either in our own faith experience or with others to whom we share the good news then that is the time when we can rightly say: “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (v.21)
First Reading: 1 Jn 4:19-5:4
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 72:1-2, 14-15, 17 “Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.”
GOSPEL: Lk 4:14-22
Key Verse: “..to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (v.19)
The Catholic charismatic community to which me and my spouse belong celebrated its first Eucharistic Assembly on Wednesday evening (Jan. 8, 2014) and as I am currently the presiding servant leader I was tasked to give the exhortation based on the discerned word for the month, the order, directions, prophecy and the promise.
I am struck by the two directions that have been circularized to the community’s global districts and which community members are encouraged to embrace and these are: 1) Study the Scriptures and abide by God’s Word to grow in the knowledge and love of Christ, and; 2) Be hearers and bearers of the Word.
This should be of particular interest to anyone who would like to take on the call of the Church for all baptized Catholics to go out and proclaim the Gospel with joy because it would be next to impossible for anyone to respond to this call without the necessary tools needed to evangelize such as familiarity with the Word of God.
The Gospel reading for today is an example because it would be much easier to understand its message if we are to be methodical and look at the minute details of the passage that are sometimes ignored when we go through this narrative especially when we gather for a regular Bible Reflection (Bi-Ref), Living Word Group (LWG) or Word Sharing Circle (WSC) as most if not all will normally search for words and verses they refer to as their “struck” which will become the point of their reflection and sharing.
In our continuing formation in the community we have been told that the New Testament was the fulfillment of the Old Testament and we take as an example the words of Jesus when he said: “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (v.21) What Jesus meant was that the prophecy he read from the scroll on which the prophecy of Isaiah was written (Isa 61:1-2) like the other main prophecies in the Old Testament, actually refers to Him and finds its fulfillment in Him (Lk 24:44).
This is why the Old Testament can only be rightly understood in the light of the New Testament as when Christ opened the minds of his disciples that they may be able to understand the Scriptures (Lk 24:45), and their capacity to fully understand what Jesus taught them was perfected when the Holy Spirit filled them on the day of Pentecost.
Again this is getting ahead of the story so please allow me to guide you through the predicate because this is such a beautiful Gospel passage that it will actually provide us with a clearer understanding of the mission of Jesus and its relevance to the purpose for which we have been created.
What you will see from this passage was not only the relationship of Jesus with God but the beginning of the Gospel itself that clearly establishes the nature and character of Jesus as the incarnate Son of God who “returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit” (v.14) and who was sent to set us free from the slavery to sin and the fear of death and, the eternal destruction of both our body and soul.
This passage in fact ushers in the first foray of Jesus into his earthly ministry and coming out of the temptation in the desert his choice of where to start was crucial. That he began in Galilee was relevant and even more significant was when he went to his native town in Nazareth because it was here in the surrounding areas that the history of Israel was etched.
Normally the head of the synagogue would ask someone well versed in the Scriptures to speak at the synagogue but traveling Rabbis as was in the case of Jesus could also volunteer and ask for the honor to speak and as Jesus finished reading from Isa 61:1-2 he handed back the scroll and sat down (v.20) and we may think he was finished but the truth was that he was just about to begin with his teaching as Rabbis normally teach in the synagogue sitting down.
When Jesus said: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor.” (v.18) he merely gave his listeners a panoramic view of the mission entrusted to him by God the Father. This also forms part of the blessings that God had promised to send to the Israelites through the Messiah who has been prophesied but whom the Jews did not readily recognize.
And this mission of Jesus to bring the good news to the poor which he has passed on to us is anchored on what John said in the first reading: “If anyone says, ‘I love God’ but hates is brother he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.” (1 Jn 4:19) This becomes relevant because it would utterly be difficult for anyone following Christ to bring the good news to the poor if has no love for others especially the poor.
Conversely, as Christ came to deliver us from our own spiritual blindness that hinders our view of the eternal kingdom we too are now mandated to share what we have seen and experienced with others primary of which is the need to lead others to a deliverance from sin by leading them to accept Jesus Christ as their savior and redeemer.
This is necessary because sin creates the evil that takes control of our lives and blinds us and this hampers us from enjoying true peace and joy which are not just the absence of conflict because true peace can be defined as a state in which a person enjoys the benefits of a restored relationship with God.
What Jesus read from the scroll was a reflection of the objective of his mission and that was to ransom us from our sinful nature and we who now comprise the Church are to embrace this same objective to make it own as we pursue this mission that precedes from Christ: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and I am with you always, to the close of the age.” (Mt 28:19-20)
This final instruction of Jesus provides us with our own mission as modern-day disciples as it puts meaning into the thrust of the Church towards a New Evangelization especially in this Year of the Laity which is to preach the truths of faith stressing the need for a sacramental life and, the promise of Christ's blessings to His Church in the context of Lk 4:18-19. And there can be no escape from this mission. As Pope Francis recently said all baptized Catholics must own the responsibility to proclaim the Gospel to others.
We cannot be faithful to our Lord if we neglect our duty to receive instructions in Christian faith and morality and share these teachings with others as well as our frequent reception of the Sacraments. And we can only help in carrying out the mandate of the Church to bring back those who have been baptized but have not been practicing their Christian faith if we ourselves remain faithful to Christ and his teachings.
And in our pursuit of our mission, let us depart from any secular theories that try to unify the original mandate of the Church with those of earthly institutions such as those existing in a corporate setup thus distorting its meaning and substance into something similar to that of a temporal society.
Let us therefore cooperate with the Holy Spirit who moves in us and inspires us to follow after Jesus who quoting from Isaiah said his mission was “to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (v.19) by helping lead others to a turn back to God and yield their lives to him. The year of the Lord’s favor happens when we turn away from our sinful nature and accept God as our personal Lord and Savior.
When that happens either in our own faith experience or with others to whom we share the good news then that is the time when we can rightly say: “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (v.21)
LOVE DRIVES OUT FEAR
JAN. 8, 2014: WEDNESDAY AFTER EPIPHANY
First Reading: 1 Jn 4:11-18
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 72:1-2, 10, 12-13 “Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.”
GOSPEL: MK 6:45-52
Key Verse: “It is I, don’t be afraid.” (v.50)
In Pro 9:10 it says: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Those who have taken up psychology will tell you that their study of fear shows that it is a reaction to uncertainty, a response to physical and emotional situations and that it is also a natural response that moves both humans and animals into action to protect themselves from legitimate threats.
What Solomon wrote in Proverbs was that wisdom was the effect generated by man’s fear of the Lord is actually a message for all of us that we too will have to feel that same kind of fear in order for the gift of wisdom to become operable in our lives.
Unfortunately, there are many things that people fear. They fear about losing their jobs amidst the fiscal cliff that may throw the economy into a recession. Some have a fear of death and of getting sick. Still some fear about not having food on their table and, there are those who fear just about anything in today’s post-modern world.
Fear indeed takes many forms. Terror as people in war-torn countries experience is a form of fear. Trauma as that experienced by the victims of calamities like the earthquake in Bohol and typhoon Yolanda in Leyte is a form of fear and even more fearful is when you send people who are inexperienced in handling trauma will attempt to manage such trauma cases.
Fear also gripped the Apostles of Jesus who were terrified when the strong winds they encountered tossed their boat from side to side until Jesus caught sight of them and when he got into the boat the wind sank, meaning the wind for one reason or another stopped blowing.
There is a distinct parallelism in this passage and the strong wind that buffeted the boat with the Apostles with our own lives for there are many times when we too have to face fear as we confront these storms of life that pass us by.
And in order for us to weather these storms, there is a need for us to identify these strong winds. What are these? How are these winds affecting our lives and our relationship with God. Our failure to identify these storms of life will not only put us at a disadvantage in terms of our relationship with God but it may also prove difficult for anyone helping us to weather these storms especially if we cannot qualify the storms in our lives. In the same way, it will also be next to impossible for us to remove our fear if we don’t know where it is coming from.
Could these strong winds be - failed relationships? failed business transactions? addiction, alcoholism and drug addition? unemployment? debt burdens? excessive smoking? different forms of temptations? gambling? loss of a love one? disappointments and sorrows that we experience? swindled? turmoil in the family? terminal disease? There are many more that cause an imbalance in our day-to-day living and we give in to fear when we don’t know how to confront them.
When faced with such enormous problems in life, the only alternative is to call on Our God who made heaven and earth. The same God who will find himself being welcomed like a royalty as he enters Jerusalem, his popularity and credentials preceding him and yet 24 hours later, the same Jesus who was welcomed like a hero stood like a criminal before the Sanhedrin, Sadducees, and the Pharisees.
It is important that we qualify which of the storms of life tend to overwhelm us so that when Jesus comes into our lives and provides us the balance that we need, he will do so in accord with our need. Fear inevitably paralyzes people as it stifles a person’s creative nature but where there is love, there is no room for fear. Perfect love as that which is shared by God can cast out all forms of fear.
In our life the winds that we experience normally blow against our faces and many times we experience difficulty moving on. There are struggles we need to overcome and it is during these times that we can invite Jesus to come into our lives because when he does, the winds that we face will sink as with the storm the Apostles faced.
And to call on Jesus we need to bring to him the so-called specifics meaning we have to tell Jesus the type of wind we are encountering and what causes fear in us because Jesus is not a generic God whom we can ask for just about anything that we want. But the one definite message behind this passage was that Jesus will come when we ask for his help and he will as much calm the storms of life that we face.
And we can draw the picture of the character of Jesus who will never let any believer down in the way that he kept Peter from sinking into the water. And this is basically what we should all do when faced with the same situation as that of Peter (Mt 14:31).
In times when we imagine ourselves standing on the ledge of a 30-storey building, on a cliff without anything to hold on to, or when we feel like we are being swept by a strong undercurrent and we are possessed by fear, all we have to do is to cling to Jesus because he is the only one who could put stability into our lives.
But when we call on Jesus to save us from sinking, remember too that we are also being called to take stock of our own lives for these winds or storms that we face may also be of our own making as these storms may have been caused by the untruthful life that we live.
The words of Jesus in Mt 7:21 “No everyone who calls me Lord, Lord will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only he who does the Will of my Father who is in heaven.”
In other words, there may also be no need for us to call on Jesus to help us face the winds that we face in our lives if we will only heed his words that the Kingdom of Heaven is reserved only for those who will respond positively to the Will of the Father in heaven.
And this was what Jesus liked with Peter who never let go of the hand of Jesus each time he fell and in all likelihood, it could be these failures of Peter and his undying loyalty to Jesus that brought him closer to Christ. As it was said, a saint is a man who rises up and moves on each time he fails. And this is what the Lord expects from us – a heart like that of the Apostles who feared the storm but who remain anchored on their faith in Jesus.
When we keep our faith in Jesus and when we hold on to Him and not let go of his hand during these storms of life that we face, we are assured of one thing – Jesus can work in us in such a way that we can all remove our masks and pretensions and stand before one another and God in the way that we stand before a mirror and see ourselves as we truly are, then there is no room for fear because love drives out fear.
First Reading: 1 Jn 4:11-18
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 72:1-2, 10, 12-13 “Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.”
GOSPEL: MK 6:45-52
Key Verse: “It is I, don’t be afraid.” (v.50)
In Pro 9:10 it says: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Those who have taken up psychology will tell you that their study of fear shows that it is a reaction to uncertainty, a response to physical and emotional situations and that it is also a natural response that moves both humans and animals into action to protect themselves from legitimate threats.
What Solomon wrote in Proverbs was that wisdom was the effect generated by man’s fear of the Lord is actually a message for all of us that we too will have to feel that same kind of fear in order for the gift of wisdom to become operable in our lives.
Unfortunately, there are many things that people fear. They fear about losing their jobs amidst the fiscal cliff that may throw the economy into a recession. Some have a fear of death and of getting sick. Still some fear about not having food on their table and, there are those who fear just about anything in today’s post-modern world.
Fear indeed takes many forms. Terror as people in war-torn countries experience is a form of fear. Trauma as that experienced by the victims of calamities like the earthquake in Bohol and typhoon Yolanda in Leyte is a form of fear and even more fearful is when you send people who are inexperienced in handling trauma will attempt to manage such trauma cases.
Fear also gripped the Apostles of Jesus who were terrified when the strong winds they encountered tossed their boat from side to side until Jesus caught sight of them and when he got into the boat the wind sank, meaning the wind for one reason or another stopped blowing.
There is a distinct parallelism in this passage and the strong wind that buffeted the boat with the Apostles with our own lives for there are many times when we too have to face fear as we confront these storms of life that pass us by.
And in order for us to weather these storms, there is a need for us to identify these strong winds. What are these? How are these winds affecting our lives and our relationship with God. Our failure to identify these storms of life will not only put us at a disadvantage in terms of our relationship with God but it may also prove difficult for anyone helping us to weather these storms especially if we cannot qualify the storms in our lives. In the same way, it will also be next to impossible for us to remove our fear if we don’t know where it is coming from.
Could these strong winds be - failed relationships? failed business transactions? addiction, alcoholism and drug addition? unemployment? debt burdens? excessive smoking? different forms of temptations? gambling? loss of a love one? disappointments and sorrows that we experience? swindled? turmoil in the family? terminal disease? There are many more that cause an imbalance in our day-to-day living and we give in to fear when we don’t know how to confront them.
When faced with such enormous problems in life, the only alternative is to call on Our God who made heaven and earth. The same God who will find himself being welcomed like a royalty as he enters Jerusalem, his popularity and credentials preceding him and yet 24 hours later, the same Jesus who was welcomed like a hero stood like a criminal before the Sanhedrin, Sadducees, and the Pharisees.
It is important that we qualify which of the storms of life tend to overwhelm us so that when Jesus comes into our lives and provides us the balance that we need, he will do so in accord with our need. Fear inevitably paralyzes people as it stifles a person’s creative nature but where there is love, there is no room for fear. Perfect love as that which is shared by God can cast out all forms of fear.
In our life the winds that we experience normally blow against our faces and many times we experience difficulty moving on. There are struggles we need to overcome and it is during these times that we can invite Jesus to come into our lives because when he does, the winds that we face will sink as with the storm the Apostles faced.
And to call on Jesus we need to bring to him the so-called specifics meaning we have to tell Jesus the type of wind we are encountering and what causes fear in us because Jesus is not a generic God whom we can ask for just about anything that we want. But the one definite message behind this passage was that Jesus will come when we ask for his help and he will as much calm the storms of life that we face.
And we can draw the picture of the character of Jesus who will never let any believer down in the way that he kept Peter from sinking into the water. And this is basically what we should all do when faced with the same situation as that of Peter (Mt 14:31).
In times when we imagine ourselves standing on the ledge of a 30-storey building, on a cliff without anything to hold on to, or when we feel like we are being swept by a strong undercurrent and we are possessed by fear, all we have to do is to cling to Jesus because he is the only one who could put stability into our lives.
But when we call on Jesus to save us from sinking, remember too that we are also being called to take stock of our own lives for these winds or storms that we face may also be of our own making as these storms may have been caused by the untruthful life that we live.
The words of Jesus in Mt 7:21 “No everyone who calls me Lord, Lord will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only he who does the Will of my Father who is in heaven.”
In other words, there may also be no need for us to call on Jesus to help us face the winds that we face in our lives if we will only heed his words that the Kingdom of Heaven is reserved only for those who will respond positively to the Will of the Father in heaven.
And this was what Jesus liked with Peter who never let go of the hand of Jesus each time he fell and in all likelihood, it could be these failures of Peter and his undying loyalty to Jesus that brought him closer to Christ. As it was said, a saint is a man who rises up and moves on each time he fails. And this is what the Lord expects from us – a heart like that of the Apostles who feared the storm but who remain anchored on their faith in Jesus.
When we keep our faith in Jesus and when we hold on to Him and not let go of his hand during these storms of life that we face, we are assured of one thing – Jesus can work in us in such a way that we can all remove our masks and pretensions and stand before one another and God in the way that we stand before a mirror and see ourselves as we truly are, then there is no room for fear because love drives out fear.
UNFATHOMABLE KIND OF COMPASSION
JAN. 7, 2014: TUESDAY AFTER EPIPHANY
First Reading: 1 Jn 4:7-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 72:1-4, 7-8 “Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.”
GOSPEL: Mk 6:34-44
Key Verse: “You give them something to eat.” (v.37)
Love seems to be the underlying theme today and for us to fully appreciate the relevance of the Sacred Scriptures to our present day realities we must make it a habit to tie in the events in the life of Jesus as depicted in the four Gospels to our own faith experiences. Such is necessary for us to be able to establish a connection between the message of the Bible and the purpose of our existence.
Take for example the scene when Jesus went to a solitary place upon learning of the death of John the Baptist he saw a large crowd and he had compassion on them (Mk 6:34; Mt 14:14). Still, upon being told the people had nothing to eat, Jesus told his disciples: “You give them something to eat.” (Mk 6:34; Mt 14:16)
This scenario was so replete with meaning that we can readily equate the large crowd that Jesus saw (in some versions the word used was “multitude”) to our Church today, the same Church that grew from the 12 Apostles and a handful of disciples who followed Jesus and the 3,000 who were added when Peter spoke after the Holy Spirit dwelt on the people who were gathered on the Day of Pentecost.
And today we have the Church to which we belong and in the same breadth the parable of the multiplication of the five loaves and two fish is not only being reenacted and replicated as we gather to celebrate the Holy Eucharist but we in fact can still hear Jesus say: “Give them something to eat.” (v.34) and this is what we commemorate as we eat from the same bread offered at the altar that multiplies for everyone to eat.
This miracle event also showed who Jesus was. He was not only sent down from heaven to be with the chosen people of God but this gospel passage is like a door through which we are being invited by Jesus himself to enter in to see what his heart was made of. What happened in this gospel event shows us the love of God specially for those who have nothing in life.
A very beautiful Bible translation of this event was recorded by Mark the Evangelist in v.34: “he was moved with compassion for them to the depths of his being, and healed their sick.” This translation sums up not only what Jesus felt at the time but it provides us with a picture of the true nature and character of Christ. “To the depths of his being” meant that compassion filled his entire being that there was nothing in his heart that did not translate to compassion.
In fact, Jesus could have driven away the crowd but he did not. Instead he gave the people what they needed. He healed all those who were sick and when nighttime came, he ministered to the people by feeding them from what his Apostles can gather – five loaves of bread and two fish.
Today’s gospel passage shows us that God’s love is beyond measure. As St. Paul wrote to the Romans in Rom 8:39 “…nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus.” God’s love is such that no matter the circumstances we find ourselves in, we will never be lost in his love. As St. Paul said, it would be next to impossible for us to be separated from the love of God. His birth, his life, his death and resurrection is proof of his unfathomable love.
Jesus in this gospel actually opened a window for us to see our roles in the Church today and Pope Francis echoes this same call that Jesus made to his Apostles and disciples for all baptized Catholics to proclaim the Gospel with joy. This is the reality that we face today. In order for the Good News to reach the ends of the world, Jesus has to use us because it is through us that the truth can be proclaimed.
What this gospel is also telling us is that we need not wait for an event to happen so that we can feel or have a taste of what God’s love is because love is something that we receive and give since it is an experience that is shared in all human relationships.
Parents are expected to love their children and vice versa. Siblings of course also display their love for one another. Those growing up experience a taste of what love is even if it may start with infatuation or crushes. Stepping into adulthood, people become more serious in the way they express their love especially for the opposite sex. Friends also share their love for each other and marriage often grows from a mature and responsible kind of love especially when the vows of marriage are made at the altar of grace.
But all these are examples of what human love is that it cannot be equated to the infinite kind of love that comes from God and this is why there are instances when unfortunate circumstances and or inappropriate behavior lead to love being lost even among families.
The love of God, on the other hand, was so great that he wants us to share his love to the world that he created. This is why he sent his only Son to become a part of humanity so that through Jesus Christ whose birth we just celebrated a few weeks ago we can all have a tasted of the commingling of our humanness and the divinity of God.
The birth of Jesus also shows us that the initiative did not come from us but from God which is similar to what we all do when we have found the one that we love. Don’t we also make the first move with the person with whom we want to spend the rest of our lives with?
What we also see in this miracle was not just the multiplication of the five loaves and two fish but the miracle of the transformation of the people from an uncaring type of people who were indifferent to the needs of their fellowmen to a multitude of Jews who have become generous to one another.
When Jesus lifted up the five loaves and two fish and said a blessing, he must also have partaken a slice of bread and maybe also a slice of the fish and handed these to his Disciples to be distributed. In effect, what Jesus did was he gave the Apostles an advance screening of the Sacrament of the Eucharist.
More than anything else, Jesus showed that anything is possible when it is done in love. Love conquers all things and in this Gospel passage, Jesus gave the Apostles and his Disciples a lesson on what love meant. When Jesus refused to drive away the people and instead responded to the cry of the people especially the sick and, when he used his power to multiply the five loaves and two fish, Jesus only showed that love can change even self-centered men into becoming generous to others.
This is the same attitude that Jesus is asking of anyone who will follow him. We are to share this same love that we received from Jesus so that others may also be blessed. This gospel reading is an invitation for us to get immersed in the love of the One who is the symbol of what love is.
To sum it up, the other reality that those reading this particular Gospel passage may miss was that Jesus could make use of the little that we have. The five loaves of bread and two pieces of fish were enough to feed a crowd of more than 5,000 and the leftovers filled 12 wicker baskets that could still be used to feed other people who may be in need.
What this miracle showed was that Jesus can always put to good use even the little that we have. What Jesus was actually saying here was that anyone can come to him with what they have as he will welcome not just the learned, the rich and the famous, the skilled and talented but he will welcome with open arms even the simplest, the poorest, unskilled, uneducated among us because Jesus can make use of even the least of us.
In v.34 Jesus showed his Apostles the kind of sacrifice that awaits them when it will be time for them to go and make disciples of all nations. Here, Jesus showed the kind of character that every servant must have. A servant must be willing to sacrifice even his own time in the service of others that is done with compassion. And this is the kind of response that Jesus expects from us especially in this Year of the Laity.
First Reading: 1 Jn 4:7-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 72:1-4, 7-8 “Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.”
GOSPEL: Mk 6:34-44
Key Verse: “You give them something to eat.” (v.37)
Love seems to be the underlying theme today and for us to fully appreciate the relevance of the Sacred Scriptures to our present day realities we must make it a habit to tie in the events in the life of Jesus as depicted in the four Gospels to our own faith experiences. Such is necessary for us to be able to establish a connection between the message of the Bible and the purpose of our existence.
Take for example the scene when Jesus went to a solitary place upon learning of the death of John the Baptist he saw a large crowd and he had compassion on them (Mk 6:34; Mt 14:14). Still, upon being told the people had nothing to eat, Jesus told his disciples: “You give them something to eat.” (Mk 6:34; Mt 14:16)
This scenario was so replete with meaning that we can readily equate the large crowd that Jesus saw (in some versions the word used was “multitude”) to our Church today, the same Church that grew from the 12 Apostles and a handful of disciples who followed Jesus and the 3,000 who were added when Peter spoke after the Holy Spirit dwelt on the people who were gathered on the Day of Pentecost.
And today we have the Church to which we belong and in the same breadth the parable of the multiplication of the five loaves and two fish is not only being reenacted and replicated as we gather to celebrate the Holy Eucharist but we in fact can still hear Jesus say: “Give them something to eat.” (v.34) and this is what we commemorate as we eat from the same bread offered at the altar that multiplies for everyone to eat.
This miracle event also showed who Jesus was. He was not only sent down from heaven to be with the chosen people of God but this gospel passage is like a door through which we are being invited by Jesus himself to enter in to see what his heart was made of. What happened in this gospel event shows us the love of God specially for those who have nothing in life.
A very beautiful Bible translation of this event was recorded by Mark the Evangelist in v.34: “he was moved with compassion for them to the depths of his being, and healed their sick.” This translation sums up not only what Jesus felt at the time but it provides us with a picture of the true nature and character of Christ. “To the depths of his being” meant that compassion filled his entire being that there was nothing in his heart that did not translate to compassion.
In fact, Jesus could have driven away the crowd but he did not. Instead he gave the people what they needed. He healed all those who were sick and when nighttime came, he ministered to the people by feeding them from what his Apostles can gather – five loaves of bread and two fish.
Today’s gospel passage shows us that God’s love is beyond measure. As St. Paul wrote to the Romans in Rom 8:39 “…nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus.” God’s love is such that no matter the circumstances we find ourselves in, we will never be lost in his love. As St. Paul said, it would be next to impossible for us to be separated from the love of God. His birth, his life, his death and resurrection is proof of his unfathomable love.
Jesus in this gospel actually opened a window for us to see our roles in the Church today and Pope Francis echoes this same call that Jesus made to his Apostles and disciples for all baptized Catholics to proclaim the Gospel with joy. This is the reality that we face today. In order for the Good News to reach the ends of the world, Jesus has to use us because it is through us that the truth can be proclaimed.
What this gospel is also telling us is that we need not wait for an event to happen so that we can feel or have a taste of what God’s love is because love is something that we receive and give since it is an experience that is shared in all human relationships.
Parents are expected to love their children and vice versa. Siblings of course also display their love for one another. Those growing up experience a taste of what love is even if it may start with infatuation or crushes. Stepping into adulthood, people become more serious in the way they express their love especially for the opposite sex. Friends also share their love for each other and marriage often grows from a mature and responsible kind of love especially when the vows of marriage are made at the altar of grace.
But all these are examples of what human love is that it cannot be equated to the infinite kind of love that comes from God and this is why there are instances when unfortunate circumstances and or inappropriate behavior lead to love being lost even among families.
The love of God, on the other hand, was so great that he wants us to share his love to the world that he created. This is why he sent his only Son to become a part of humanity so that through Jesus Christ whose birth we just celebrated a few weeks ago we can all have a tasted of the commingling of our humanness and the divinity of God.
The birth of Jesus also shows us that the initiative did not come from us but from God which is similar to what we all do when we have found the one that we love. Don’t we also make the first move with the person with whom we want to spend the rest of our lives with?
What we also see in this miracle was not just the multiplication of the five loaves and two fish but the miracle of the transformation of the people from an uncaring type of people who were indifferent to the needs of their fellowmen to a multitude of Jews who have become generous to one another.
When Jesus lifted up the five loaves and two fish and said a blessing, he must also have partaken a slice of bread and maybe also a slice of the fish and handed these to his Disciples to be distributed. In effect, what Jesus did was he gave the Apostles an advance screening of the Sacrament of the Eucharist.
More than anything else, Jesus showed that anything is possible when it is done in love. Love conquers all things and in this Gospel passage, Jesus gave the Apostles and his Disciples a lesson on what love meant. When Jesus refused to drive away the people and instead responded to the cry of the people especially the sick and, when he used his power to multiply the five loaves and two fish, Jesus only showed that love can change even self-centered men into becoming generous to others.
This is the same attitude that Jesus is asking of anyone who will follow him. We are to share this same love that we received from Jesus so that others may also be blessed. This gospel reading is an invitation for us to get immersed in the love of the One who is the symbol of what love is.
To sum it up, the other reality that those reading this particular Gospel passage may miss was that Jesus could make use of the little that we have. The five loaves of bread and two pieces of fish were enough to feed a crowd of more than 5,000 and the leftovers filled 12 wicker baskets that could still be used to feed other people who may be in need.
What this miracle showed was that Jesus can always put to good use even the little that we have. What Jesus was actually saying here was that anyone can come to him with what they have as he will welcome not just the learned, the rich and the famous, the skilled and talented but he will welcome with open arms even the simplest, the poorest, unskilled, uneducated among us because Jesus can make use of even the least of us.
In v.34 Jesus showed his Apostles the kind of sacrifice that awaits them when it will be time for them to go and make disciples of all nations. Here, Jesus showed the kind of character that every servant must have. A servant must be willing to sacrifice even his own time in the service of others that is done with compassion. And this is the kind of response that Jesus expects from us especially in this Year of the Laity.
GOD IS OUR FINAL GOAL
JAN. 6, 2014: MONDAY AFTER EPIPHANY
1st Reading: 1 Jn 3:22-4:6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 2:7-8, 10-12 “I will give you all the nations for an inheritance
GOSPEL: Mt 4:12-17, 23-25
Key Verse: “The Kingdom of Heaven is near.” (v.17)
Besides Jesus who from the beginning was the Word of God who took a human form to save the world from its attachment to sin, none of his disciples probably ever thought or expected that the Gospel of Christ they preached would survive the test of time and which is still being preached today more than 2,500 years after Jesus began his ministry.
The Holy Scriptures or the Bible, the Gospels in particular, have been translated over and over again into many different languages and millions of copies have been sold over time and either its entirety or parts of it have been used as the basis of an equal number of inspirational books, magazines, pamphlets and, teaching tracts that have been published.
What then makes the Gospel to be the most interesting reader of all time, a book that has attracted, influenced and transformed countless individuals throughout the world whose lives were touched as they leafed through its pages.
The message that the Gospel of Christ proclaims is what makes it distinct from any other publications because the gospel means good news and amidst the depressing banner headlines that we see in the newspapers today such as the recent death of child in Ilocos who was felled by a stray bullet on New Year’s Eve, the political uncertainties in many countries especially in the Middle East that supplies more than half of the world’s oil consumption and, the economic disequilibrium in Europe and the United States, the Gospel or the good news can be likened to a cool breeze that caresses your face that is parched by the noonday sun.
And in this short Gospel passage, Matthew was able to inject at least three very important points and we need to digest these points in order for us to really appreciate the beauty of the Gospel and why it has remained relevant today.
The first point was that upon hearing that John the Baptist was arrested, Jesus left Nazareth and lived in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. What was significant here was that this was a Gentile region and this was where Jesus decided to begin his preaching ministry which only shows that the Gospel was not meant only for the Jews but also for the Gentiles especially for the people who are living in darkness and have seen a great light when the Gospel was preached to them.
Indeed, the Gospel should be viewed as a life-changer in that anyone who hears it should not take it for granted or just sit in the pews during the Liturgy of the Word and listen because you have no choice as the reading of the Word is part of the Mass. The truth is everyone has a choice and the right choice is to really listen and obey what Christ is telling us through the Gospel.
This brings us to the second point which is something that is very much real and we see this in v.17 when Jesus said: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” This was what got Jesus into trouble with the religious leaders of his time because the Scribes and Pharisees thought Jesus was going to establish a kingdom that would remove the privileges they enjoyed. What they didn’t know was that Jesus was not thinking of a physical kingdom (Jn 18:36) but a kingdom that is spiritual (Rom 14:17).
Also when Jesus said “… the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” it doesn’t mean you are to do nothing but wait until the Kingdom rises up before you. There is a deeper meaning to this verse because the Kingdom of Heaven becomes visible the moment you accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior.
I used to live on the fast lane. Because of the kind of influence that I enjoyed when I was still a Police Reporter for a major newspaper during the pre-martial law years, I threw my weight around. One of the things I was fond of doing was going against the traffic on a one-way street. I grew up in a Catholic school and I knew there was a God. But when you are thrust in a position where you feel you are in control, playing god is something that most people do and I was one of them. In looking back, my life could have ended in a snap but God had other plans.
Amidst the promptings of the Holy Spirit, God found me and led me back to his kingdom that is without physical boundaries through the charismatic renewal movement and it is here where God impressed upon me that the Kingdom of Heaven is not only near but it is in the here and now but to see it will depend on our spirits or attitude when we stand face-to-face with God.
Jesus was also telling us in this Gospel to repent which is a prerequisite to entering the Kingdom of God. Why? Because no one can be admitted to the Kingdom of God unless we have turned away from sin and have turned to God, a process that is preceded by “Godly sorrow that brings repentance that leads to salvation” (2 Cor 7:10) and, a transformed life in Christ (2 Cor 5:17). Thus, repentance which literally means living a changed life is an integral part in the proclamation of the Gospel because any preaching that does not include an invitation to repent cannot be considered an authentic Gospel as Paul emphasizes in Acts 20:21, 25.
Following the gospel of repentance, Jesus urges us to also believe the Good News (Mk 1:15) which is the third point that I want to raise to give our Gospel today more light. We need to believe because only then will our faith grow and because it is only in believing that we can be assured of the eternal that God promised (Jn 3:16).
In this Year of the Laity, we must be filled with the faith to believe that God made the supreme sacrifice of sending his Son to die on the cross to bring us back to a relationship of peace and friendship with Him and we need to believe that. He is our Father and he wants us to live as his sons and daughters. God loved us first and he invites us in love to surrender our lives to him. Why? Because it is only when we empty ourselves of sin that he can fill us with his graces.
To be a disciple and become the good news to others is not easy. It is probably the most difficult choice you have to make because the lure of the world is such that it deceives us into believing that we can live and be happy even without God. Today as I look back at my life in retrospect, instead of feeling compunction for the things I gave up when I gave my life to Christ, I grieve at the precious times I wasted when I was still caught up in the world. As I can no longer bring back time, I now make use of whatever time is left in the service of God who came to bring us into the light of the Kingdom of Heaven.
And in order for this kingdom to last, we who are in it must likewise heed the call of Pope Francis to go into the world and “proclaim the Kingdom of God.” (Lk 9:60) because the Gospel of Christ would have no value at all if it is not proclaimed and Jesus is calling on us now to bring the gospel to everyone by being the good news ourselves. He is inviting us to share in this privilege previously enjoyed by the Apostles because God sees something in us that he could use.
But to become a disciple entails a lot of sacrifices as with Andrew, Simon, James and John who left their families to follow Christ. What would propel us to accept Christ’s invitation would be the thought that Jesus found us when we too were lost, and we are now obliged to also seek those who are lost for this is why Jesus came (Lk 19:10).
We must not keep the light of Christ for ourselves because others must also see this light through us “for we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing” (2 Cor 2:15).
1st Reading: 1 Jn 3:22-4:6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 2:7-8, 10-12 “I will give you all the nations for an inheritance
GOSPEL: Mt 4:12-17, 23-25
Key Verse: “The Kingdom of Heaven is near.” (v.17)
Besides Jesus who from the beginning was the Word of God who took a human form to save the world from its attachment to sin, none of his disciples probably ever thought or expected that the Gospel of Christ they preached would survive the test of time and which is still being preached today more than 2,500 years after Jesus began his ministry.
The Holy Scriptures or the Bible, the Gospels in particular, have been translated over and over again into many different languages and millions of copies have been sold over time and either its entirety or parts of it have been used as the basis of an equal number of inspirational books, magazines, pamphlets and, teaching tracts that have been published.
What then makes the Gospel to be the most interesting reader of all time, a book that has attracted, influenced and transformed countless individuals throughout the world whose lives were touched as they leafed through its pages.
The message that the Gospel of Christ proclaims is what makes it distinct from any other publications because the gospel means good news and amidst the depressing banner headlines that we see in the newspapers today such as the recent death of child in Ilocos who was felled by a stray bullet on New Year’s Eve, the political uncertainties in many countries especially in the Middle East that supplies more than half of the world’s oil consumption and, the economic disequilibrium in Europe and the United States, the Gospel or the good news can be likened to a cool breeze that caresses your face that is parched by the noonday sun.
And in this short Gospel passage, Matthew was able to inject at least three very important points and we need to digest these points in order for us to really appreciate the beauty of the Gospel and why it has remained relevant today.
The first point was that upon hearing that John the Baptist was arrested, Jesus left Nazareth and lived in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. What was significant here was that this was a Gentile region and this was where Jesus decided to begin his preaching ministry which only shows that the Gospel was not meant only for the Jews but also for the Gentiles especially for the people who are living in darkness and have seen a great light when the Gospel was preached to them.
Indeed, the Gospel should be viewed as a life-changer in that anyone who hears it should not take it for granted or just sit in the pews during the Liturgy of the Word and listen because you have no choice as the reading of the Word is part of the Mass. The truth is everyone has a choice and the right choice is to really listen and obey what Christ is telling us through the Gospel.
This brings us to the second point which is something that is very much real and we see this in v.17 when Jesus said: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” This was what got Jesus into trouble with the religious leaders of his time because the Scribes and Pharisees thought Jesus was going to establish a kingdom that would remove the privileges they enjoyed. What they didn’t know was that Jesus was not thinking of a physical kingdom (Jn 18:36) but a kingdom that is spiritual (Rom 14:17).
Also when Jesus said “… the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” it doesn’t mean you are to do nothing but wait until the Kingdom rises up before you. There is a deeper meaning to this verse because the Kingdom of Heaven becomes visible the moment you accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior.
I used to live on the fast lane. Because of the kind of influence that I enjoyed when I was still a Police Reporter for a major newspaper during the pre-martial law years, I threw my weight around. One of the things I was fond of doing was going against the traffic on a one-way street. I grew up in a Catholic school and I knew there was a God. But when you are thrust in a position where you feel you are in control, playing god is something that most people do and I was one of them. In looking back, my life could have ended in a snap but God had other plans.
Amidst the promptings of the Holy Spirit, God found me and led me back to his kingdom that is without physical boundaries through the charismatic renewal movement and it is here where God impressed upon me that the Kingdom of Heaven is not only near but it is in the here and now but to see it will depend on our spirits or attitude when we stand face-to-face with God.
Jesus was also telling us in this Gospel to repent which is a prerequisite to entering the Kingdom of God. Why? Because no one can be admitted to the Kingdom of God unless we have turned away from sin and have turned to God, a process that is preceded by “Godly sorrow that brings repentance that leads to salvation” (2 Cor 7:10) and, a transformed life in Christ (2 Cor 5:17). Thus, repentance which literally means living a changed life is an integral part in the proclamation of the Gospel because any preaching that does not include an invitation to repent cannot be considered an authentic Gospel as Paul emphasizes in Acts 20:21, 25.
Following the gospel of repentance, Jesus urges us to also believe the Good News (Mk 1:15) which is the third point that I want to raise to give our Gospel today more light. We need to believe because only then will our faith grow and because it is only in believing that we can be assured of the eternal that God promised (Jn 3:16).
In this Year of the Laity, we must be filled with the faith to believe that God made the supreme sacrifice of sending his Son to die on the cross to bring us back to a relationship of peace and friendship with Him and we need to believe that. He is our Father and he wants us to live as his sons and daughters. God loved us first and he invites us in love to surrender our lives to him. Why? Because it is only when we empty ourselves of sin that he can fill us with his graces.
To be a disciple and become the good news to others is not easy. It is probably the most difficult choice you have to make because the lure of the world is such that it deceives us into believing that we can live and be happy even without God. Today as I look back at my life in retrospect, instead of feeling compunction for the things I gave up when I gave my life to Christ, I grieve at the precious times I wasted when I was still caught up in the world. As I can no longer bring back time, I now make use of whatever time is left in the service of God who came to bring us into the light of the Kingdom of Heaven.
And in order for this kingdom to last, we who are in it must likewise heed the call of Pope Francis to go into the world and “proclaim the Kingdom of God.” (Lk 9:60) because the Gospel of Christ would have no value at all if it is not proclaimed and Jesus is calling on us now to bring the gospel to everyone by being the good news ourselves. He is inviting us to share in this privilege previously enjoyed by the Apostles because God sees something in us that he could use.
But to become a disciple entails a lot of sacrifices as with Andrew, Simon, James and John who left their families to follow Christ. What would propel us to accept Christ’s invitation would be the thought that Jesus found us when we too were lost, and we are now obliged to also seek those who are lost for this is why Jesus came (Lk 19:10).
We must not keep the light of Christ for ourselves because others must also see this light through us “for we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing” (2 Cor 2:15).
JESUS - THE ONE AND ONLY STAR
JAN. 5, 2014: SOLEMNITY OF THE EPIPHANY
First Reading: Isa 60:1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-13 “Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.”
Second Reading: Eph 3:2-3, 5-6
GOSPEL: Matt 2:1-12
Key Verse: “…they bowed down and worshipped him.” (v.11)
The unabridged dictionary that I use defines epiphany to mean a manifestation or a revelation. Equated with the birth of Christ, his coming has been translated and referred to as not only a revelation of God’s love (Jn 3:16) and a manifestation of his love: “This is how God manifested his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.” (1 Jn 4:9)
In a more dramatic form, the epiphany can be likened to a lightning that forms a streak of light that sends a bright ray of light across the dark sky and the power that goes with it generates our full attention. At times, lightning evokes fear among children and anxiety and awe for us.
This is what the coming of Jesus can be likened to as he came not with the pomp and pageantry of a king even he was the King who had been prophesied as the Messiah but his coming came like a streak of lightning that stirred the hearts of men and created a new faith paradigm.
There was a time when I was drawn to becoming a merchant mariner and so I took up Nautical Science and we were taught to use different kinds of directional gadgets and one of these that I grew fond of was the Sextant in which you can determine your location at sea by getting the fix on the horizon and the star or the moon.
In the time when such gadgets were not in use, God used a star to direct the way of the three Wise Men into finding their way towards the spot where the Salvation of the world lay. Though Jesus may have been born in obscurity, the three Wise Men who were moved by both the prophecy and God’s promptings tried to find their way to Bethlehem to pay homage to the newborn King.
This scenario presents us with the reality that in this life we too need to look for our star that will lead us safely to our final destination in life. However, we should also remember that we cannot make our own star because it would be tragic if we will insist in creating our own star and following it. What this gospel reading is telling us is that the star that only God can provide and light is the only star that can lead us to our salvation.
Let me quote from St. John Chrysostom who, in his homily on this passage from Matt 2:1-12 said: “Note how fitting was the order of events: the wise men saw the star, were received by the Jews and their king; they heard prophecy to explain what had appeared; the angel instructed them; and then they journeyed from Jerusalem to Bethlehem by the guidance of the star. From all this we learn that this was not an ordinary star, for no other star has this capacity to guide, not merely to move but to beckon, to “go before them,” drawing and guiding them along their way. The star remained after bringing them to the place, in order that the child might also be seen. For there is nothing conspicuous about the place. The inn was ordinary. The mother was not celebrated or notable. The star was needed to manifest and illumine the lowly place, until they had reached their destination at the manger.”
When I am traveling at night my mind is normally filled by the thought of how it was at the time when the star of Bethlehem guided the three wise men into finding Jesus Christ. And I realized that amidst the perversion, corruption and immorality that permeates in our post-modern world, we need to look to Jesus – the star whom the Father has sent to guide us into finding our way to the path of eternal joy and peace. As the Star for the Church, we must take it to heart that there is only one Star and that is Jesus Christ. He is the Star who will illumine the areas of our lives that remain in darkness.
If for some reason, the streak of light from the Star cannot filter into our lives, it is because we chose to remain in darkness. To benefit from the light that the Star brings, we must humble ourselves and admit that by ourselves we are nothing and when that light pierces our minds and hearts an epiphany is taking place as we are born anew into new life.
Divine revelation moved the three Wise Men to recognize Jesus as divine – borne of flesh but sent down from heaven. They left everything to search for the source of true knowledge and wisdom. They brought him gifts fitting for a king. The analogy is that in our lifetime, human knowledge will reach its limits and at times such cannot even offset the difficulties we may encounter in life and we begin to look for that joy and peace that will last. We may not have gifts to bring when we find Jesus our Salvation but what pleases him is the gift of ourselves.
There was also something that the three Magi did that remains etched in my mind. Upon seeing the Messiah they all bowed down and worshiped him. It brought me back to the time when I gained notoriety as a media practitioner. I was daring and fearless and I took pride in that kind of demeanor that I will not bow down to any man.
But that was before. When God found me at a time when my life was slipping into oblivion, I bowed down and worshiped Jesus Christ when I was confronted with the truth that he is the Star and not me. That I will forever be stuck in darkness and will remain lost if I will not surrender my life to him. That I will eternally be restless if I will not accept his offer of peace and joy that comes from accepting him as my Lord and Savior.
The three Wise Men returned to their homes by another route and St. Gregory the Great says that “if we wish to reach our true home in paradise we must forsake the path in which we walked, and tread in the way of penance, obedience and self-denial.” And this is what I did. I went home through another route and this is where I am now – writing reflections, preaching and teaching, doing mission work instead of wasting my life on needless pursuits.
What is also significant in this passage was that God revealed the Star of Bethlehem to the three Wise Men who are not Jews which means that Salvation is for the Jews and Gentiles alike. As the star rose, its light was seen throughout which also means that the Light of Christ shines throughout the world.
To each one of us is given the same light of the epiphany to recognize and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We need to rely on our faith which is a gift from God. With the help of the Holy Spirit, our hearts are filled with Grace and our eyes are opened as we begin to understand, accept, and believe the truth that God has revealed to us through his Son, Jesus Christ.
Faith thus moves our will and intellect to cooperate with Grace. "Believing is an act of the intellect assenting to the divine truth by command of the will moved by God through grace" (Thomas Aquinas).
Our calling is to know God in a personal way and the Feast of the Epiphany should serve as a reminder for us to accept Jesus as our King such that Christ is reflected in everything we do and say.
And in this Year of the Laity, all of us baptized Catholics have a mandate to also become a star to guide others to Christ who is the only Star will need to get to heaven. And with Christ in us, we can also become the new epiphany of God’s love.
First Reading: Isa 60:1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-13 “Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.”
Second Reading: Eph 3:2-3, 5-6
GOSPEL: Matt 2:1-12
Key Verse: “…they bowed down and worshipped him.” (v.11)
The unabridged dictionary that I use defines epiphany to mean a manifestation or a revelation. Equated with the birth of Christ, his coming has been translated and referred to as not only a revelation of God’s love (Jn 3:16) and a manifestation of his love: “This is how God manifested his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.” (1 Jn 4:9)
In a more dramatic form, the epiphany can be likened to a lightning that forms a streak of light that sends a bright ray of light across the dark sky and the power that goes with it generates our full attention. At times, lightning evokes fear among children and anxiety and awe for us.
This is what the coming of Jesus can be likened to as he came not with the pomp and pageantry of a king even he was the King who had been prophesied as the Messiah but his coming came like a streak of lightning that stirred the hearts of men and created a new faith paradigm.
There was a time when I was drawn to becoming a merchant mariner and so I took up Nautical Science and we were taught to use different kinds of directional gadgets and one of these that I grew fond of was the Sextant in which you can determine your location at sea by getting the fix on the horizon and the star or the moon.
In the time when such gadgets were not in use, God used a star to direct the way of the three Wise Men into finding their way towards the spot where the Salvation of the world lay. Though Jesus may have been born in obscurity, the three Wise Men who were moved by both the prophecy and God’s promptings tried to find their way to Bethlehem to pay homage to the newborn King.
This scenario presents us with the reality that in this life we too need to look for our star that will lead us safely to our final destination in life. However, we should also remember that we cannot make our own star because it would be tragic if we will insist in creating our own star and following it. What this gospel reading is telling us is that the star that only God can provide and light is the only star that can lead us to our salvation.
Let me quote from St. John Chrysostom who, in his homily on this passage from Matt 2:1-12 said: “Note how fitting was the order of events: the wise men saw the star, were received by the Jews and their king; they heard prophecy to explain what had appeared; the angel instructed them; and then they journeyed from Jerusalem to Bethlehem by the guidance of the star. From all this we learn that this was not an ordinary star, for no other star has this capacity to guide, not merely to move but to beckon, to “go before them,” drawing and guiding them along their way. The star remained after bringing them to the place, in order that the child might also be seen. For there is nothing conspicuous about the place. The inn was ordinary. The mother was not celebrated or notable. The star was needed to manifest and illumine the lowly place, until they had reached their destination at the manger.”
When I am traveling at night my mind is normally filled by the thought of how it was at the time when the star of Bethlehem guided the three wise men into finding Jesus Christ. And I realized that amidst the perversion, corruption and immorality that permeates in our post-modern world, we need to look to Jesus – the star whom the Father has sent to guide us into finding our way to the path of eternal joy and peace. As the Star for the Church, we must take it to heart that there is only one Star and that is Jesus Christ. He is the Star who will illumine the areas of our lives that remain in darkness.
If for some reason, the streak of light from the Star cannot filter into our lives, it is because we chose to remain in darkness. To benefit from the light that the Star brings, we must humble ourselves and admit that by ourselves we are nothing and when that light pierces our minds and hearts an epiphany is taking place as we are born anew into new life.
Divine revelation moved the three Wise Men to recognize Jesus as divine – borne of flesh but sent down from heaven. They left everything to search for the source of true knowledge and wisdom. They brought him gifts fitting for a king. The analogy is that in our lifetime, human knowledge will reach its limits and at times such cannot even offset the difficulties we may encounter in life and we begin to look for that joy and peace that will last. We may not have gifts to bring when we find Jesus our Salvation but what pleases him is the gift of ourselves.
There was also something that the three Magi did that remains etched in my mind. Upon seeing the Messiah they all bowed down and worshiped him. It brought me back to the time when I gained notoriety as a media practitioner. I was daring and fearless and I took pride in that kind of demeanor that I will not bow down to any man.
But that was before. When God found me at a time when my life was slipping into oblivion, I bowed down and worshiped Jesus Christ when I was confronted with the truth that he is the Star and not me. That I will forever be stuck in darkness and will remain lost if I will not surrender my life to him. That I will eternally be restless if I will not accept his offer of peace and joy that comes from accepting him as my Lord and Savior.
The three Wise Men returned to their homes by another route and St. Gregory the Great says that “if we wish to reach our true home in paradise we must forsake the path in which we walked, and tread in the way of penance, obedience and self-denial.” And this is what I did. I went home through another route and this is where I am now – writing reflections, preaching and teaching, doing mission work instead of wasting my life on needless pursuits.
What is also significant in this passage was that God revealed the Star of Bethlehem to the three Wise Men who are not Jews which means that Salvation is for the Jews and Gentiles alike. As the star rose, its light was seen throughout which also means that the Light of Christ shines throughout the world.
To each one of us is given the same light of the epiphany to recognize and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We need to rely on our faith which is a gift from God. With the help of the Holy Spirit, our hearts are filled with Grace and our eyes are opened as we begin to understand, accept, and believe the truth that God has revealed to us through his Son, Jesus Christ.
Faith thus moves our will and intellect to cooperate with Grace. "Believing is an act of the intellect assenting to the divine truth by command of the will moved by God through grace" (Thomas Aquinas).
Our calling is to know God in a personal way and the Feast of the Epiphany should serve as a reminder for us to accept Jesus as our King such that Christ is reflected in everything we do and say.
And in this Year of the Laity, all of us baptized Catholics have a mandate to also become a star to guide others to Christ who is the only Star will need to get to heaven. And with Christ in us, we can also become the new epiphany of God’s love.
THE JOY OF BEING FOUND
JAN. 4, 2013: SATURDAY BEFORE EPIPHANY
First Reading: 1 Jn 3:7-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:1, 7-9 “All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.”
GOSPEL: Jn 1:35-42
Key Verse: “We have found the Messiah” (v.41)
Are you still familiar with the two parables on the lost sheep and the lost coin? You should be since it was not long ago that these two parables were used in one of the Sunday Masses last year. I believe it was on the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time when the gospel reading that was used referred to the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin.
And if you were paying attention when these two parables were read on that Sunday you would have noticed that there was one thing in common with the two parables. What was that? It was in the reaction of the shepherd and the old woman that was strikingly similar – filled with joy the shepherd hosted a feast for the other shepherds when he returned with the lost sheep. How about the old woman? She too was filled with joy as she gathered everyone in the house to announce that she found the coin she lost.
This is also the same with us and I’m sure that many of you at one time or another were also filled with joy when you find something that you have lost? It could be anything – a very close friend whom you have not seen for quite sometime. A relationship that has gone sour and for some reason was restored. It could a job that you’ve been longing for or a job promotion, salary raise perhaps. Or it could be the joy of going on a trip to dream destination.
You must have felt the same because in our lifetime there never was a time when we did not search for something. It could have been something of value that was lost like a sheep that strayed from the flock or, a coin that was all an old woman had.
Some of us probably maybe searching for a secure life filled with comfort and luxury. Who wouldn’t? Others aspire for a secure position in the company they are working for and or, material security that will not leave us worrying about where the next meal would come from.
There are those and I know many of them who are searching for a career that would give them power, fame and fortune. The quest for power and authority is not new as even the Bible is replete with stories of men craving for the ability to control their sphere.
Still there are some who are searching for peace especially the kind of inner peace that would allow them to live peacefully with the environment they are in, at peace with men and particularly the ability to be at peace with God.
Men basically are equipped with the tools and the ability in their search for security and a career since this can be driven by the level of education and training acquired by someone who is in search for these although the presence of God, to some extent, may also figure out in the equation in terms of opportunities that are made available.
But the search for peace primarily is an objective that we can have in which only God can satisfy and in this passage in John’s Gospel we will see that in our search for peace there may be an instance when the initiative will come from God as what happened to the two disciples of John the Baptist.
And in this Gospel passage we are also treated to a sampling of the kind of generosity that springs out of love and subservience to a higher authority. As Jesus passed by, John told his disciples “Look the Lamb of God” (v.36) and the two disciples one of whom was Andrew left John and followed Jesus.
What we saw John did is what is also being asked of us. Like John, we merely prepare the way for Our Lord Jesus Christ that others may know him too. Having known Jesus, we are not to keep him to ourselves but to share him with others by speaking about him and living the kind of life that will mirror the qualities of Jesus in us.
And here we see what symbolizes a divine initiative wherein God is the one who takes the first step. As with the two disciples who followed him, we too may have experienced a longing for a deity that could satisfy our desire for peace and God comes to meet us as he will not leave us searching until we find him. Because God himself created us, he knows what lies even in the deepest recesses of our minds and hearts and he will come to us at the very first instance when we begin our search for him.
As St. Augustine said: “You have made us for yourself, Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” What the great saint meant was that we could not even have started to seek God unless he has already found us.
Jesus knew he was being followed and turning around, he asked: “What do you want?” (v.38) Having been disciple by John the Baptist, the hearts of the two disciples were probably burning with the desire to know more of Jesus whom John called “the Lamb of God.”
And when they called him Rabbi which means “my great one” the stage was set for the two disciples to earn the honor to become the first disciples of Jesus and what a great privilege to have been invited by Jesus to “Come, and you will see.” (v.39) and be treated to an exclusive teaching session in which only two of them were present. Wow, what a privilege. Such an opportunity we can have whenever we visit Jesus who is present in the Blessed Sacrament at the Adoration Chapel which is why all of us especially disciples of Christ must make it a regular habit to come to where Jesus is staying and be with him at least for an hour.
What Jesus said to the two disciples made Andrew conclude that Jesus indeed was the Lamb of God and he shared this with his brother Simon saying: “We have found the Messiah.” (v.41) And when Jesus saw Simon, he looked at him and said: “You will be called Cephas” (v.42) which means Peter or the Rock.
Today, Jesus is also inviting us to “Come and see” which is his invitation for us to enter into a fellowship and communion with Him. We may have been restless in our search for peace and true joy but it is God who actually initiates this search and who draws us to him. The reason why others have not met him is because they couldn’t give up on the world that held them bound. And without his grace, mercy, and help we could not find him.
And just like the shepherd who was filled with joy when he found the lost sheep, God is also pleased when he finds us especially when we respond positively to his call. We too should show the joy of being found and God expects us to also show our joy by telling others about him.
This is our calling as disciples and we are being asked to come and see what God has in store for us. As with Simon Peter who through faith recognized who Jesus was, our own faith in Jesus will also turn us into spiritual rocks of the Church.
And since it is God who initiates our encounter with him as when he turned to ask Andrew and John “what are you looking for?” God himself will also give us the Spirit of Faith that we may know Jesus in a personal way, that we may be able to proclaim the Gospel to the world and, the courage to stand as a witness to help bring others to Christ.
First Reading: 1 Jn 3:7-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:1, 7-9 “All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.”
GOSPEL: Jn 1:35-42
Key Verse: “We have found the Messiah” (v.41)
Are you still familiar with the two parables on the lost sheep and the lost coin? You should be since it was not long ago that these two parables were used in one of the Sunday Masses last year. I believe it was on the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time when the gospel reading that was used referred to the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin.
And if you were paying attention when these two parables were read on that Sunday you would have noticed that there was one thing in common with the two parables. What was that? It was in the reaction of the shepherd and the old woman that was strikingly similar – filled with joy the shepherd hosted a feast for the other shepherds when he returned with the lost sheep. How about the old woman? She too was filled with joy as she gathered everyone in the house to announce that she found the coin she lost.
This is also the same with us and I’m sure that many of you at one time or another were also filled with joy when you find something that you have lost? It could be anything – a very close friend whom you have not seen for quite sometime. A relationship that has gone sour and for some reason was restored. It could a job that you’ve been longing for or a job promotion, salary raise perhaps. Or it could be the joy of going on a trip to dream destination.
You must have felt the same because in our lifetime there never was a time when we did not search for something. It could have been something of value that was lost like a sheep that strayed from the flock or, a coin that was all an old woman had.
Some of us probably maybe searching for a secure life filled with comfort and luxury. Who wouldn’t? Others aspire for a secure position in the company they are working for and or, material security that will not leave us worrying about where the next meal would come from.
There are those and I know many of them who are searching for a career that would give them power, fame and fortune. The quest for power and authority is not new as even the Bible is replete with stories of men craving for the ability to control their sphere.
Still there are some who are searching for peace especially the kind of inner peace that would allow them to live peacefully with the environment they are in, at peace with men and particularly the ability to be at peace with God.
Men basically are equipped with the tools and the ability in their search for security and a career since this can be driven by the level of education and training acquired by someone who is in search for these although the presence of God, to some extent, may also figure out in the equation in terms of opportunities that are made available.
But the search for peace primarily is an objective that we can have in which only God can satisfy and in this passage in John’s Gospel we will see that in our search for peace there may be an instance when the initiative will come from God as what happened to the two disciples of John the Baptist.
And in this Gospel passage we are also treated to a sampling of the kind of generosity that springs out of love and subservience to a higher authority. As Jesus passed by, John told his disciples “Look the Lamb of God” (v.36) and the two disciples one of whom was Andrew left John and followed Jesus.
What we saw John did is what is also being asked of us. Like John, we merely prepare the way for Our Lord Jesus Christ that others may know him too. Having known Jesus, we are not to keep him to ourselves but to share him with others by speaking about him and living the kind of life that will mirror the qualities of Jesus in us.
And here we see what symbolizes a divine initiative wherein God is the one who takes the first step. As with the two disciples who followed him, we too may have experienced a longing for a deity that could satisfy our desire for peace and God comes to meet us as he will not leave us searching until we find him. Because God himself created us, he knows what lies even in the deepest recesses of our minds and hearts and he will come to us at the very first instance when we begin our search for him.
As St. Augustine said: “You have made us for yourself, Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” What the great saint meant was that we could not even have started to seek God unless he has already found us.
Jesus knew he was being followed and turning around, he asked: “What do you want?” (v.38) Having been disciple by John the Baptist, the hearts of the two disciples were probably burning with the desire to know more of Jesus whom John called “the Lamb of God.”
And when they called him Rabbi which means “my great one” the stage was set for the two disciples to earn the honor to become the first disciples of Jesus and what a great privilege to have been invited by Jesus to “Come, and you will see.” (v.39) and be treated to an exclusive teaching session in which only two of them were present. Wow, what a privilege. Such an opportunity we can have whenever we visit Jesus who is present in the Blessed Sacrament at the Adoration Chapel which is why all of us especially disciples of Christ must make it a regular habit to come to where Jesus is staying and be with him at least for an hour.
What Jesus said to the two disciples made Andrew conclude that Jesus indeed was the Lamb of God and he shared this with his brother Simon saying: “We have found the Messiah.” (v.41) And when Jesus saw Simon, he looked at him and said: “You will be called Cephas” (v.42) which means Peter or the Rock.
Today, Jesus is also inviting us to “Come and see” which is his invitation for us to enter into a fellowship and communion with Him. We may have been restless in our search for peace and true joy but it is God who actually initiates this search and who draws us to him. The reason why others have not met him is because they couldn’t give up on the world that held them bound. And without his grace, mercy, and help we could not find him.
And just like the shepherd who was filled with joy when he found the lost sheep, God is also pleased when he finds us especially when we respond positively to his call. We too should show the joy of being found and God expects us to also show our joy by telling others about him.
This is our calling as disciples and we are being asked to come and see what God has in store for us. As with Simon Peter who through faith recognized who Jesus was, our own faith in Jesus will also turn us into spiritual rocks of the Church.
And since it is God who initiates our encounter with him as when he turned to ask Andrew and John “what are you looking for?” God himself will also give us the Spirit of Faith that we may know Jesus in a personal way, that we may be able to proclaim the Gospel to the world and, the courage to stand as a witness to help bring others to Christ.
DEFEND THE HOLY NAME OF JESUS
JAN. 3, 2014: FEAST OF THE MOST HOLY NAME OF JESUS
First Reading: 1 Jn 2:29-3:6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:1, 3-6 “All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.”
GOSPEL: JN 1:29-34
Key Verse: “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes
away the sin of the world.” (v.29)
As we commemorate today the Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus there are at least three significant points in this Gospel passage for today which brings to the fore not only who Jesus was but this has some bearing on the three different times under which people live
I, we and others live through three different time zones – the past, present and future and we are given a looksee into the life of Jesus who like us will also go through these three time frames beginning with his baptism by John the Baptist, the revelation of his true identity and what he will become from then on.
To know the background of Jesus is fairly important as it would provide us with a clearer understanding of our faith since it is only in knowing who Jesus was and is that we can truly believe and love him and appreciate our nature as “children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” (1 Jn 3:1)
The first point I’d like to make is when Jesus appeared before John the Baptist at the Jordan River and John cried out: “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (v.29). Here we see a progression that links all the three points in this passage. Acknowledged as the last of the great prophets, the title used by John in calling Jesus as the Lamb of God was prophetic in a sense because it defines the role of Jesus in the redemption of the world.
The question that some may raise is how come John called Jesus to be the Lamb of God if he himself “did not know him” (v.31). Was John thinking of the practice in those days when a lamb was sacrificed each morning and every evening at the Temple for the sins of the people?
Or was John thinking of Jesus as the Passover Lamb the blood of which delivered the Israelites in Egypt from death and perhaps this was the same thought that ran through the mind of Paul who wrote: “for Christ, our Passover Lamb has been sacrificed” (1 Cor 5:7). To be called the Lamb of God was indeed a tremendous title because of the way the Jews associate the lamb with the practice of their faith.
It would also have been impossible for John not to know Jesus (v.31) because they were blood relations. What John meant, however, was not that he didn’t know who Jesus was but he didn’t know what Jesus was and it was only at that moment when John saw and realized who Jesus really was.
And this brings us to the second point of this passage. Indeed John didn’t know who Jesus was but at that moment when he saw Jesus appear at the River Jordan the Holy Spirit provided him with the knowledge as to the real identity of Jesus. And here we see for the first time the appearance of the Holy Spirit in the life of John and Jesus in the form of a dove.
The Jews refer to the Holy Spirit as the ruah which means wind and to the Jews the Spirit of God means power and life which is beyond human comprehension and even the Jews believed then that the coming of the Spirit was the coming of God. Even the great prophets defer to the Spirit as coming from God: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to bring good tidings” (Isa 61:1).
Many of us may have gone through what is called spasmodic experiences which come with dazzling illumination in the Life in the Spirit Seminar but these moments come and go. When John said in (v.32) that he saw the Spirit remain on him it meant that the Spirit took up residence in Jesus which also means that the power of God was and has always been in and with Jesus from the beginning of time.
The third point in this Gospel passage was the use of the word baptize in v.33 when John said Jesus will baptize men with the Holy Spirit. Again, what John meant was that Jesus alone can bring the Spirit of God to us that when we are baptized in the Holy Spirit, our lives are immersed and filled with the Spirit who takes possession of our nature.
Hence, this indwelling of the Holy Spirit should illumine, strengthen and purify our lives for it is only by the power of the Spirit that we can do things beyond our human comprehension: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Ac 1:8)
As with John, our primary task is to testify not for our own self but to stand as witness for Jesus Christ. We are not to draw attention to our own person but we are to point others to Christ.
With the uncertainties and upheavals in the environment we are in, the people in the world today as with the Jews in the time of John are looking for someone to provide them security in an unsecure world. Our role as Christian disciples is to point them to Christ and to show that he is the only one who can give us peace and security.
And we can only do this by the power of the Holy Spirit who makes Christ known to us through the gift of faith because it would be difficult to lead others to know Christ if we have not known him first.
God fills us with his Spirit so that we may comprehend the great mystery and plan of God to unite all things in his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ (Eph 1:10). As the mission of John was to be the herald of Christ, we too are being mobilized to follow after John and point others to Christ.
As we step into 2014 which has been declared as the Year of Laity, let us not forget that we are being called to proclaim the Gospel of Christ to the ends of the earth in pursuit of the New Evangelization program which has been developed to renew the faith of baptized Christians who have strayed away from the practice of their Catholic faith.
To do this, we need to go through the three phases of our lives so that we can respond in faith to the call of Christ and the Church to go out and proclaim the Gospel with joy. We need to leave the past and be reconciled with Our God so that we can live in the present in faith that we have been created in the image and likeness of God, with the hope that like Jesus the gifts of the Holy Spirit will be manifest in our present lives and, look forward to the future that God’s love will bring us to our eternal inheritance.
The Catholic Church today is under attack from all sides not only from its traditional foes – the agnostics, atheists, skeptics and cults – but even from within as what the Church faced recently with the passage of the RH Law when legislators who are themselves baptized Catholics voted for the passage of the bill.
And today as the dust of the RH Bill hasn’t even settled yet and as if it wasn’t bad enough that a supposed Catholic University was reported to have backed up the RH Bill, the same group of legislators who pushed for the passage of the RH Bill have announced that a bill is now pending in Congress that would legalize divorce, abortion and same-sex marriage in the Philippines.
Indeed, there never was a time in the history of the only Christian nation in Asia when the Holy Name of Jesus has been so desecrated as today and it now rests upon our shoulders as disciples of Christ to come to the defense of not only our Christian Catholic faith but of the Most Holy Name of Jesus Christ himself.
First Reading: 1 Jn 2:29-3:6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:1, 3-6 “All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.”
GOSPEL: JN 1:29-34
Key Verse: “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes
away the sin of the world.” (v.29)
As we commemorate today the Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus there are at least three significant points in this Gospel passage for today which brings to the fore not only who Jesus was but this has some bearing on the three different times under which people live
I, we and others live through three different time zones – the past, present and future and we are given a looksee into the life of Jesus who like us will also go through these three time frames beginning with his baptism by John the Baptist, the revelation of his true identity and what he will become from then on.
To know the background of Jesus is fairly important as it would provide us with a clearer understanding of our faith since it is only in knowing who Jesus was and is that we can truly believe and love him and appreciate our nature as “children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” (1 Jn 3:1)
The first point I’d like to make is when Jesus appeared before John the Baptist at the Jordan River and John cried out: “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (v.29). Here we see a progression that links all the three points in this passage. Acknowledged as the last of the great prophets, the title used by John in calling Jesus as the Lamb of God was prophetic in a sense because it defines the role of Jesus in the redemption of the world.
The question that some may raise is how come John called Jesus to be the Lamb of God if he himself “did not know him” (v.31). Was John thinking of the practice in those days when a lamb was sacrificed each morning and every evening at the Temple for the sins of the people?
Or was John thinking of Jesus as the Passover Lamb the blood of which delivered the Israelites in Egypt from death and perhaps this was the same thought that ran through the mind of Paul who wrote: “for Christ, our Passover Lamb has been sacrificed” (1 Cor 5:7). To be called the Lamb of God was indeed a tremendous title because of the way the Jews associate the lamb with the practice of their faith.
It would also have been impossible for John not to know Jesus (v.31) because they were blood relations. What John meant, however, was not that he didn’t know who Jesus was but he didn’t know what Jesus was and it was only at that moment when John saw and realized who Jesus really was.
And this brings us to the second point of this passage. Indeed John didn’t know who Jesus was but at that moment when he saw Jesus appear at the River Jordan the Holy Spirit provided him with the knowledge as to the real identity of Jesus. And here we see for the first time the appearance of the Holy Spirit in the life of John and Jesus in the form of a dove.
The Jews refer to the Holy Spirit as the ruah which means wind and to the Jews the Spirit of God means power and life which is beyond human comprehension and even the Jews believed then that the coming of the Spirit was the coming of God. Even the great prophets defer to the Spirit as coming from God: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to bring good tidings” (Isa 61:1).
Many of us may have gone through what is called spasmodic experiences which come with dazzling illumination in the Life in the Spirit Seminar but these moments come and go. When John said in (v.32) that he saw the Spirit remain on him it meant that the Spirit took up residence in Jesus which also means that the power of God was and has always been in and with Jesus from the beginning of time.
The third point in this Gospel passage was the use of the word baptize in v.33 when John said Jesus will baptize men with the Holy Spirit. Again, what John meant was that Jesus alone can bring the Spirit of God to us that when we are baptized in the Holy Spirit, our lives are immersed and filled with the Spirit who takes possession of our nature.
Hence, this indwelling of the Holy Spirit should illumine, strengthen and purify our lives for it is only by the power of the Spirit that we can do things beyond our human comprehension: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Ac 1:8)
As with John, our primary task is to testify not for our own self but to stand as witness for Jesus Christ. We are not to draw attention to our own person but we are to point others to Christ.
With the uncertainties and upheavals in the environment we are in, the people in the world today as with the Jews in the time of John are looking for someone to provide them security in an unsecure world. Our role as Christian disciples is to point them to Christ and to show that he is the only one who can give us peace and security.
And we can only do this by the power of the Holy Spirit who makes Christ known to us through the gift of faith because it would be difficult to lead others to know Christ if we have not known him first.
God fills us with his Spirit so that we may comprehend the great mystery and plan of God to unite all things in his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ (Eph 1:10). As the mission of John was to be the herald of Christ, we too are being mobilized to follow after John and point others to Christ.
As we step into 2014 which has been declared as the Year of Laity, let us not forget that we are being called to proclaim the Gospel of Christ to the ends of the earth in pursuit of the New Evangelization program which has been developed to renew the faith of baptized Christians who have strayed away from the practice of their Catholic faith.
To do this, we need to go through the three phases of our lives so that we can respond in faith to the call of Christ and the Church to go out and proclaim the Gospel with joy. We need to leave the past and be reconciled with Our God so that we can live in the present in faith that we have been created in the image and likeness of God, with the hope that like Jesus the gifts of the Holy Spirit will be manifest in our present lives and, look forward to the future that God’s love will bring us to our eternal inheritance.
The Catholic Church today is under attack from all sides not only from its traditional foes – the agnostics, atheists, skeptics and cults – but even from within as what the Church faced recently with the passage of the RH Law when legislators who are themselves baptized Catholics voted for the passage of the bill.
And today as the dust of the RH Bill hasn’t even settled yet and as if it wasn’t bad enough that a supposed Catholic University was reported to have backed up the RH Bill, the same group of legislators who pushed for the passage of the RH Bill have announced that a bill is now pending in Congress that would legalize divorce, abortion and same-sex marriage in the Philippines.
Indeed, there never was a time in the history of the only Christian nation in Asia when the Holy Name of Jesus has been so desecrated as today and it now rests upon our shoulders as disciples of Christ to come to the defense of not only our Christian Catholic faith but of the Most Holy Name of Jesus Christ himself.
PROCLAIM THE WORD WITH JOY
JAN. 2, 2014: THURSDAY BEFORE EPIPHANY
First Reading: 1 Jn 2:22-28
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:1-4 “All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.”
GOSPEL: Jn 1:19-28
Key Verse: “…Make straight the way for the Lord.” (v.23)
The world has changed considerably over the years. In times past, the people benefit from the proclamation of the Word of God and the word that comes from God through the prophets and other messengers appointed by God as well as from Jesus who was sent to proclaim the Good News of Salvation and the forgiveness of sins.
Following the establishment of the first Christian Church after the Apostles and the early Christian disciples received the anointing and empowerment of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, the Church has mushroomed into hundreds if not thousands of denominations over the years. And persons with access to the Scriptures, since then, have been proclaiming the Word of God to the world either as Pastors, Ministers, or as Evangelists who make use of the different forms of media platforms in pursuit of their mission.
What followed was widespread confusion even on matters of faith such that the Church on Dec. 8, 1869 – Oct. 20, 1870 held the First Vatican Council and promulgated that the Magisterium of the Catholic Church was to be the sole depository and interpreter of “all those things that are to be believed with divine and Catholic faith which are contained in the Word of God, written or handed down, and which the Church, either by a solemn judgment or by her ordinary and universal teaching [magisterium], proposes for belief as having been divinely revealed.”
Even so today, there are many divergent voices that we hear and it has become a problem as to which of these voices have a touch of truth in them. The advent of modern communications has added to the confusion such that even young children in their formative years have access to radio, television, cellular phones, podcasts, etc., and parents oftentimes are unaware of the kind of information that are being processed by the young and immature minds of their children.
This free-flow of information, however, is not exclusive to the youth as even adults are bombarded with tons of information that they get from the media especially the internet and the social media where the proclamation of the Word of God compete for every available air space with what the world promotes.
This is still the reality in today’s post-modern world and what this shows is that the battle between good and evil is still being fought today and has spilled over to the media which has become the new battlefield and there is now a call to arms for all Christian disciples to defend our faith.
Take the case of the controversial RH Law that has been signed into law President Benigno Simeon Aquino III. Despite protestations of its immoral features that run against the grain of the Christian faith, the RH Law was passed for the simple reason that the Filipino people who will be affected by the population control measure was not provided enough information as to its features. In other words, the RH Law was fought in the media and this passed through Congress for the simple reason that there was not enough opportunities to mount a successful information campaign against the RH Law.
This is also true with the proclamation of the Word of God and those engaged in such activity must ask themselves as to whom they are leading the people to. Is it to God or to their own persona as many organizations today have been turned into a cult-like organization that draw people to their leaders who use the name of God as a bait to lure people into their cult. Many times confusion sets in because there is a very thin line that separate the authentic proclamation of the word of God from the false prophets.
Today we are still at war against these hypocrites in robes and as we go into battle and put on the armor of God (Eph 6:11-18), we should get our inspiration from John the Baptist who went before the Lord to prepare his way but who never lost sight of his role that he was merely a forerunner and that his primary mission was to point the people to Christ.
Even if his coming was foretold by Isaiah (Jn 1:23), John did not even for once claim to be Elijah (Jn 1:21) whose return was also being awaited by the people at the time or, the Messiah as some mistook him to be. In all humility, John said he was just a voice of one calling from the desert to make straight the way for the Lord.
He could have easily arrogated unto himself the title of Messiah but he did not as he confessed he was not the Christ (Jn 1:20) and in all humility he declared that Christ is “the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” (Jn 1:27).
John was able to say this not just out of humility but he was very much aware of who he was and who Jesus Christ as he testified that “he who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.” (Jn 1:15) What this verse shows was that John was aware of the preexistence of Christ who was the Word of God made flesh.
What then can we learn from the example of John? For one, what he did and showed was a powerful testimony for all Christians especially those who call themselves disciples of Christ because as followers of Christ, our preoccupation is similar to that of John.
Today, all baptized Catholics are being sent on a mission by no less than Pope Francis who in Evangelii Gaudium (Joy of the Gospel) said that all Catholics are to proclaim the Gospel and to see the responsibility to evangelize as their own.
In other words, we are the continuation of the mission of Christ and the 12 Apostles and our primary duty as Christians is to proclaim joyfully the Gospel that is centered on our remembrance of what Christ did and what he has done in our lives. Regardless of the circumstances we are in, in the family, workplace, among out business associates, where we live, on the street, wherever we are we are being called to stand as a witness for Christ.
However, we should also remember that we are being sent to merely announce the coming of Christ and what he did for us and we must not forget that regardless of how honored we are in life, the titles to our name, position and achievements or our social status, we are not the Christ. Our mission is to bring Christ to others by deflecting attention from ourselves and to point people to Christ.
At some point in his ministry, John confessed: “He must become greater, I must become less.” (Jn 3:30) This is what we must also confess and say to ourselves that notwithstanding who we are, we must decrease simply by acknowledging that there is someone greater than us, someone who can do more than what we can do, someone who is better than us, someone who is more talented than us. For it is only when we confess with our lips that we are nothing will Christ come and fill all the areas of our hearts.
Amidst the many voices that we hear some of which can be deceiving, what we need to do is to hear and heed what the Word of God says because when the Word is incarnated in our hearts we not only unite our finite selves to the Son and the Father but with the Holy Spirit that is in us we are brought to life and God in his goodness allows us to partake of his divine nature.
First Reading: 1 Jn 2:22-28
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:1-4 “All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.”
GOSPEL: Jn 1:19-28
Key Verse: “…Make straight the way for the Lord.” (v.23)
The world has changed considerably over the years. In times past, the people benefit from the proclamation of the Word of God and the word that comes from God through the prophets and other messengers appointed by God as well as from Jesus who was sent to proclaim the Good News of Salvation and the forgiveness of sins.
Following the establishment of the first Christian Church after the Apostles and the early Christian disciples received the anointing and empowerment of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, the Church has mushroomed into hundreds if not thousands of denominations over the years. And persons with access to the Scriptures, since then, have been proclaiming the Word of God to the world either as Pastors, Ministers, or as Evangelists who make use of the different forms of media platforms in pursuit of their mission.
What followed was widespread confusion even on matters of faith such that the Church on Dec. 8, 1869 – Oct. 20, 1870 held the First Vatican Council and promulgated that the Magisterium of the Catholic Church was to be the sole depository and interpreter of “all those things that are to be believed with divine and Catholic faith which are contained in the Word of God, written or handed down, and which the Church, either by a solemn judgment or by her ordinary and universal teaching [magisterium], proposes for belief as having been divinely revealed.”
Even so today, there are many divergent voices that we hear and it has become a problem as to which of these voices have a touch of truth in them. The advent of modern communications has added to the confusion such that even young children in their formative years have access to radio, television, cellular phones, podcasts, etc., and parents oftentimes are unaware of the kind of information that are being processed by the young and immature minds of their children.
This free-flow of information, however, is not exclusive to the youth as even adults are bombarded with tons of information that they get from the media especially the internet and the social media where the proclamation of the Word of God compete for every available air space with what the world promotes.
This is still the reality in today’s post-modern world and what this shows is that the battle between good and evil is still being fought today and has spilled over to the media which has become the new battlefield and there is now a call to arms for all Christian disciples to defend our faith.
Take the case of the controversial RH Law that has been signed into law President Benigno Simeon Aquino III. Despite protestations of its immoral features that run against the grain of the Christian faith, the RH Law was passed for the simple reason that the Filipino people who will be affected by the population control measure was not provided enough information as to its features. In other words, the RH Law was fought in the media and this passed through Congress for the simple reason that there was not enough opportunities to mount a successful information campaign against the RH Law.
This is also true with the proclamation of the Word of God and those engaged in such activity must ask themselves as to whom they are leading the people to. Is it to God or to their own persona as many organizations today have been turned into a cult-like organization that draw people to their leaders who use the name of God as a bait to lure people into their cult. Many times confusion sets in because there is a very thin line that separate the authentic proclamation of the word of God from the false prophets.
Today we are still at war against these hypocrites in robes and as we go into battle and put on the armor of God (Eph 6:11-18), we should get our inspiration from John the Baptist who went before the Lord to prepare his way but who never lost sight of his role that he was merely a forerunner and that his primary mission was to point the people to Christ.
Even if his coming was foretold by Isaiah (Jn 1:23), John did not even for once claim to be Elijah (Jn 1:21) whose return was also being awaited by the people at the time or, the Messiah as some mistook him to be. In all humility, John said he was just a voice of one calling from the desert to make straight the way for the Lord.
He could have easily arrogated unto himself the title of Messiah but he did not as he confessed he was not the Christ (Jn 1:20) and in all humility he declared that Christ is “the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” (Jn 1:27).
John was able to say this not just out of humility but he was very much aware of who he was and who Jesus Christ as he testified that “he who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.” (Jn 1:15) What this verse shows was that John was aware of the preexistence of Christ who was the Word of God made flesh.
What then can we learn from the example of John? For one, what he did and showed was a powerful testimony for all Christians especially those who call themselves disciples of Christ because as followers of Christ, our preoccupation is similar to that of John.
Today, all baptized Catholics are being sent on a mission by no less than Pope Francis who in Evangelii Gaudium (Joy of the Gospel) said that all Catholics are to proclaim the Gospel and to see the responsibility to evangelize as their own.
In other words, we are the continuation of the mission of Christ and the 12 Apostles and our primary duty as Christians is to proclaim joyfully the Gospel that is centered on our remembrance of what Christ did and what he has done in our lives. Regardless of the circumstances we are in, in the family, workplace, among out business associates, where we live, on the street, wherever we are we are being called to stand as a witness for Christ.
However, we should also remember that we are being sent to merely announce the coming of Christ and what he did for us and we must not forget that regardless of how honored we are in life, the titles to our name, position and achievements or our social status, we are not the Christ. Our mission is to bring Christ to others by deflecting attention from ourselves and to point people to Christ.
At some point in his ministry, John confessed: “He must become greater, I must become less.” (Jn 3:30) This is what we must also confess and say to ourselves that notwithstanding who we are, we must decrease simply by acknowledging that there is someone greater than us, someone who can do more than what we can do, someone who is better than us, someone who is more talented than us. For it is only when we confess with our lips that we are nothing will Christ come and fill all the areas of our hearts.
Amidst the many voices that we hear some of which can be deceiving, what we need to do is to hear and heed what the Word of God says because when the Word is incarnated in our hearts we not only unite our finite selves to the Son and the Father but with the Holy Spirit that is in us we are brought to life and God in his goodness allows us to partake of his divine nature.
MARY IS DEI GENITRIX
JAN. 1, 2014: SOLEMNITY OF MARY, MOTHER OF GOD
1st Reading: Num 6:22-27
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 67:2-3, 5-6, 8 “May God bless us in his mercy.”
2nd Reading: Gal 4:4-7
GOSPEL: LK 2:16-21
Key Verse: “Mary kept all these things in her heart.” (v.19)
MARY IS DEI GENITRIX
The naming ceremony or the time when parents spend time thinking of a name to give their newborn child is always a revered occasion. At times, the rest of the family members also jump in to offer their thoughts because the name is something that is not only permanent but it somehow reflects what the infant would be in the future.
This was the same scenario in the time of Joseph and Mary because the giving of a name was an important occasion for the Jews. And most often the name given by the Jews to an infant was taken from their long line of ancestors and this ritual has to be completed within eight days.
Each one of us is known by our name which should be the same as the one that is on our birth certificate that is also on file with the Civil Registrar. To not use our official name would present problems in the future especially when attending school or when securing certifications, licenses, passports, etc.
Besides our names in full, we are generally called by our nicknames or a shortened version of our name. Traditionally, our Church had instituted that infants to be baptized must carry a Christian name that parents normally get from the names of the Saints of the Day in their calendars. This tradition, however, is no longer in vogue as we now see infants being baptized with names such as Corolla, Lancer, Galant and so on. Every conceivable term or phrase can now be used to name an infant.
But what if as parents this privilege of naming your child is taken away from you as was in the case of Joseph and Mary because the name Jesus was a name given to them by an angel sent by God (Lk 1:31).
For our greater appreciation of the name given to our Savior and Redeemer, let me guide you through the Catechism of the Catholic Church particularly Para 430 to 452 that have been devoted to a description of the name given to Jesus Christ.
CCC430 described the Hebrew meaning of the name of Jesus to mean: “God saves."” This was the name given by the angel Gabriel as his proper name that expresses both his identity and his mission. In CCC431, it is also stated that God was not content with just delivering Israel “out of the house of bondage” by bringing them out of Egypt. He also saves them from their sin. Because sin is always an offense against God, only he can forgive it. It is for this reason that Israel, becoming more and more aware of the universality of sin, will no longer be able to seek salvation except by invoking the name of Jesus the Redeemer.
The name “Jesus” in CCC432 also signifies that the very name of God is present in the person of his Son, made man for the universal and definitive redemption from sins. It is the divine name that alone brings salvation, and henceforth all can invoke his name, for Jesus united himself to all men through his Incarnation, so that “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
As we are celebrating today the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God, it would be an opportune time to also speak of her because Mary also has an important part in our salvation because it was through her that salvation came into the world and into our lives.
Mary is known and referred to as the Mother of God, a name that was given her when she visited her cousin Elizabeth and in 431 A.D. the Council of Ephesus confirmed this title and her the name Dei Genitrix or Mother of God because she gave birth to Him who is God and man in one person.
St. Cyril, in fact, once said: “If our Lord Jesus Christ is God, how can it be that the holy Virgin who bore Him is not Mother of God?” And our Church deigns that whoever truly loves God must also honor the Mother of God and honor her too far above all the saints.
What probably is the most important name ascribed to Mary is that of being the “Theotokos” or the bearer of God in reference to the Incarnation in which the second person of the Trinity assumed a human form without diminishing his preexistent divine nature but which was made possible through the cooperation of Mary.
As Christian disciples who have been led out of the darkness that permeated our lives and transposed into the marvelous light, we too are being called to be God-bearers. Such is not difficult to grasp especially if we understand the Scriptures as John the Evangelist declares that the Word of God made its dwelling among men (Jn 1:14) and it was on account of this manifestation that Peter said that we have become partakers of the divine nature (2 Pet 1:4).
Today with our faith being constantly challenged by the utter disregard for the divinity of man there is an alarming decline in Christianity in the world. What was before taboo such as legalized abortion, same-sex marriage, pro-choice has now become acceptable.
Primarily, it is because we are not aware of our own nature and or we simply have forgotten that there is a piece of Jesus in all of us. Thus, the challenge for us today is to step up in faith and show our true nature that as have been born anew, we are called to possess the life that comes from God himself such that we effectively become bearers of the nature of God.
Like Mary, God also expects that we as Christian disciples must become a Theotokos to bring light into the disordered world we are in. We must have the name of Jesus written all over our persona because we too, as with Mary, also have a role to play in the redemption of man.
1st Reading: Num 6:22-27
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 67:2-3, 5-6, 8 “May God bless us in his mercy.”
2nd Reading: Gal 4:4-7
GOSPEL: LK 2:16-21
Key Verse: “Mary kept all these things in her heart.” (v.19)
MARY IS DEI GENITRIX
The naming ceremony or the time when parents spend time thinking of a name to give their newborn child is always a revered occasion. At times, the rest of the family members also jump in to offer their thoughts because the name is something that is not only permanent but it somehow reflects what the infant would be in the future.
This was the same scenario in the time of Joseph and Mary because the giving of a name was an important occasion for the Jews. And most often the name given by the Jews to an infant was taken from their long line of ancestors and this ritual has to be completed within eight days.
Each one of us is known by our name which should be the same as the one that is on our birth certificate that is also on file with the Civil Registrar. To not use our official name would present problems in the future especially when attending school or when securing certifications, licenses, passports, etc.
Besides our names in full, we are generally called by our nicknames or a shortened version of our name. Traditionally, our Church had instituted that infants to be baptized must carry a Christian name that parents normally get from the names of the Saints of the Day in their calendars. This tradition, however, is no longer in vogue as we now see infants being baptized with names such as Corolla, Lancer, Galant and so on. Every conceivable term or phrase can now be used to name an infant.
But what if as parents this privilege of naming your child is taken away from you as was in the case of Joseph and Mary because the name Jesus was a name given to them by an angel sent by God (Lk 1:31).
For our greater appreciation of the name given to our Savior and Redeemer, let me guide you through the Catechism of the Catholic Church particularly Para 430 to 452 that have been devoted to a description of the name given to Jesus Christ.
CCC430 described the Hebrew meaning of the name of Jesus to mean: “God saves."” This was the name given by the angel Gabriel as his proper name that expresses both his identity and his mission. In CCC431, it is also stated that God was not content with just delivering Israel “out of the house of bondage” by bringing them out of Egypt. He also saves them from their sin. Because sin is always an offense against God, only he can forgive it. It is for this reason that Israel, becoming more and more aware of the universality of sin, will no longer be able to seek salvation except by invoking the name of Jesus the Redeemer.
The name “Jesus” in CCC432 also signifies that the very name of God is present in the person of his Son, made man for the universal and definitive redemption from sins. It is the divine name that alone brings salvation, and henceforth all can invoke his name, for Jesus united himself to all men through his Incarnation, so that “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
As we are celebrating today the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God, it would be an opportune time to also speak of her because Mary also has an important part in our salvation because it was through her that salvation came into the world and into our lives.
Mary is known and referred to as the Mother of God, a name that was given her when she visited her cousin Elizabeth and in 431 A.D. the Council of Ephesus confirmed this title and her the name Dei Genitrix or Mother of God because she gave birth to Him who is God and man in one person.
St. Cyril, in fact, once said: “If our Lord Jesus Christ is God, how can it be that the holy Virgin who bore Him is not Mother of God?” And our Church deigns that whoever truly loves God must also honor the Mother of God and honor her too far above all the saints.
What probably is the most important name ascribed to Mary is that of being the “Theotokos” or the bearer of God in reference to the Incarnation in which the second person of the Trinity assumed a human form without diminishing his preexistent divine nature but which was made possible through the cooperation of Mary.
As Christian disciples who have been led out of the darkness that permeated our lives and transposed into the marvelous light, we too are being called to be God-bearers. Such is not difficult to grasp especially if we understand the Scriptures as John the Evangelist declares that the Word of God made its dwelling among men (Jn 1:14) and it was on account of this manifestation that Peter said that we have become partakers of the divine nature (2 Pet 1:4).
Today with our faith being constantly challenged by the utter disregard for the divinity of man there is an alarming decline in Christianity in the world. What was before taboo such as legalized abortion, same-sex marriage, pro-choice has now become acceptable.
Primarily, it is because we are not aware of our own nature and or we simply have forgotten that there is a piece of Jesus in all of us. Thus, the challenge for us today is to step up in faith and show our true nature that as have been born anew, we are called to possess the life that comes from God himself such that we effectively become bearers of the nature of God.
Like Mary, God also expects that we as Christian disciples must become a Theotokos to bring light into the disordered world we are in. We must have the name of Jesus written all over our persona because we too, as with Mary, also have a role to play in the redemption of man.
GOD'S WORD MAKES MAN DIVINE
DEC. 31, 2013: 7th DAY IN THE OCTAVE OF CHRISTMAS
1st Reading: 1 Jn 2:18-21
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 96:1-2, 11-13 “Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice.”
GOSPEL: Jn 1:1-18
Key Verse: “And the Word became flesh,
and made His dwelling among us.” (v.14)
Some will probably ask why we are using the beginning of the gospel of John at this time when the current year is about to end. Tomorrow marks the beginning of a new year so why did not the church decide to use this gospel reading tomorrow rather than today.
As we go through the paces of the last day of the year, we should remember that there is always a final hour for everything in this world. Life also comes to an end, at times so abruptly that we often refer to a sudden demise of someone we know as untimely.
Programs, projects and even businesses also have a life of their own and at times some of these come to an end when they have reached their full potential. In fact, it is standard policy among government regulatory agencies to put a 50-year life span on the construction of new edifices.
Those whose death sentence is to be carried out are given one final wish on how they want to spend their last day on this earth. Still, most people put off doing what they needed to do until the final hour has come. We complain about the traffic during the season’s shopping rush but we keep putting it off until the last few days before Christmas.
Before the Second Coming of Jesus, the Scriptures tells us that the world will have its final hour when the good will be separated from the bad and all will be taken up: “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.” (Mt 24:30-31)
This event reminds us of what Jesus said in Mt 24:42 “Stay alert! You don’t know the hour when the Son of Man will come.” The dictionary defines “alert” as “watchful and prompt to meet danger or emergency and quick to perceive and act.” We actually should be grateful to Jesus because he is giving the world enough time to stay alert and put our lives in order before our final hour comes.
How then can we connect today’s gospel reading with the final day of the year. As I reflected on the beginning of today’s gospel, I was reminded of an Advent Recollection in our Parish where the invited speaker began by saying that the reason many people are experiencing problems or have gone to the extent of committing infractions ranging from minor offenses to serious crimes was because they are suffering from an identity crisis. He elaborated by stressing that those who find themselves in that kind of a situation don’t know who they are and their purpose in life.
He said people sin because they don’t know who they are and their true identity and this identity crisis is what creates a problem that affects the integrity of a person. Integrity becomes the central character of a person when there is unanimity in the hidden life and the public life of a person. In others words, what other people see must be the same as what we are when others aren’t looking.
Here we can see the connection between the gospel reading and our true identity and the Catechism of the Catholic Church clearly defines our identity: “All men are called to belong to the new People of God… The character of universality which adorns the People of God is a gift from the Lord himself whereby the Catholic Church ceaselessly and efficaciously seeks for the return of all humanity and all its goods, under Christ the Head in the unity of his Spirit.”
This is also why John the Evangelist began his Gospel with a brief introduction of the Word of God as the precursor of all things that have been created in the universe as he wanted to stress the fact that the Word was already there even before the creation began which means that the Word was already there before the world was created. What John was trying to do was he was laying the groundwork that would open the eyes of the world to what was to become the principle on the pre-existence of Christ.
Let me also suggest that you try to find time to read this Gospel of Jn 1:1-18 in its entirety and dwell on it and you will find in it a treasure trove that will help sustain your faith.
What I believe is a very important passage in this Gospel is found in v.14 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” This to me is a most beautiful phrase that expresses the love of God for us. Here we can savor the love of God in its fullness that out of his love he fills us with his divinity such that man who is human has become part of the divine nature (2 Pet 1:4).
What John was saying in this verse is that we, though created by God, do not deserve the eternity in which God dwells but that we were made worthy because of his deep abiding love for all of us for “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (Jn 3:16).
Thus, we can only bask in the glory of God by believing and accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. In faith, we have to appreciate that God's purpose for us, even from the beginning of his creation, was that we would be fully united with Him both here and in heaven.
The last hour also means that something is about to end that will give way to something new. We should thus bear in mind that everything including our lives will have a final end. We will have our last hour and today we will be celebrating the last day of the year.
In these remaining hours of 2013, let us all spend a few quiet moments and this should give us an opportunity to appreciate who God is and what he has done for us and, what he is yet to do to for us and this should lead us to put everything behind us, all the sorrows, resentments, unforgiveness, sadness, worries and problems and look forward to a new beginning with hope and joy of knowing that we have an eternal God who has reserved for us a place in his eternal kingdom.
Now is the time for us to thank God our Father for sending his only begotten Son to redeem us and give us the opportunity to share in his glory. Now is also the time for us to thank God for the answered prayers but most importantly for what God gave us even when we did not ask. Now is the time to stay alert.
1st Reading: 1 Jn 2:18-21
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 96:1-2, 11-13 “Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice.”
GOSPEL: Jn 1:1-18
Key Verse: “And the Word became flesh,
and made His dwelling among us.” (v.14)
Some will probably ask why we are using the beginning of the gospel of John at this time when the current year is about to end. Tomorrow marks the beginning of a new year so why did not the church decide to use this gospel reading tomorrow rather than today.
As we go through the paces of the last day of the year, we should remember that there is always a final hour for everything in this world. Life also comes to an end, at times so abruptly that we often refer to a sudden demise of someone we know as untimely.
Programs, projects and even businesses also have a life of their own and at times some of these come to an end when they have reached their full potential. In fact, it is standard policy among government regulatory agencies to put a 50-year life span on the construction of new edifices.
Those whose death sentence is to be carried out are given one final wish on how they want to spend their last day on this earth. Still, most people put off doing what they needed to do until the final hour has come. We complain about the traffic during the season’s shopping rush but we keep putting it off until the last few days before Christmas.
Before the Second Coming of Jesus, the Scriptures tells us that the world will have its final hour when the good will be separated from the bad and all will be taken up: “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.” (Mt 24:30-31)
This event reminds us of what Jesus said in Mt 24:42 “Stay alert! You don’t know the hour when the Son of Man will come.” The dictionary defines “alert” as “watchful and prompt to meet danger or emergency and quick to perceive and act.” We actually should be grateful to Jesus because he is giving the world enough time to stay alert and put our lives in order before our final hour comes.
How then can we connect today’s gospel reading with the final day of the year. As I reflected on the beginning of today’s gospel, I was reminded of an Advent Recollection in our Parish where the invited speaker began by saying that the reason many people are experiencing problems or have gone to the extent of committing infractions ranging from minor offenses to serious crimes was because they are suffering from an identity crisis. He elaborated by stressing that those who find themselves in that kind of a situation don’t know who they are and their purpose in life.
He said people sin because they don’t know who they are and their true identity and this identity crisis is what creates a problem that affects the integrity of a person. Integrity becomes the central character of a person when there is unanimity in the hidden life and the public life of a person. In others words, what other people see must be the same as what we are when others aren’t looking.
Here we can see the connection between the gospel reading and our true identity and the Catechism of the Catholic Church clearly defines our identity: “All men are called to belong to the new People of God… The character of universality which adorns the People of God is a gift from the Lord himself whereby the Catholic Church ceaselessly and efficaciously seeks for the return of all humanity and all its goods, under Christ the Head in the unity of his Spirit.”
This is also why John the Evangelist began his Gospel with a brief introduction of the Word of God as the precursor of all things that have been created in the universe as he wanted to stress the fact that the Word was already there even before the creation began which means that the Word was already there before the world was created. What John was trying to do was he was laying the groundwork that would open the eyes of the world to what was to become the principle on the pre-existence of Christ.
Let me also suggest that you try to find time to read this Gospel of Jn 1:1-18 in its entirety and dwell on it and you will find in it a treasure trove that will help sustain your faith.
What I believe is a very important passage in this Gospel is found in v.14 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” This to me is a most beautiful phrase that expresses the love of God for us. Here we can savor the love of God in its fullness that out of his love he fills us with his divinity such that man who is human has become part of the divine nature (2 Pet 1:4).
What John was saying in this verse is that we, though created by God, do not deserve the eternity in which God dwells but that we were made worthy because of his deep abiding love for all of us for “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (Jn 3:16).
Thus, we can only bask in the glory of God by believing and accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. In faith, we have to appreciate that God's purpose for us, even from the beginning of his creation, was that we would be fully united with Him both here and in heaven.
The last hour also means that something is about to end that will give way to something new. We should thus bear in mind that everything including our lives will have a final end. We will have our last hour and today we will be celebrating the last day of the year.
In these remaining hours of 2013, let us all spend a few quiet moments and this should give us an opportunity to appreciate who God is and what he has done for us and, what he is yet to do to for us and this should lead us to put everything behind us, all the sorrows, resentments, unforgiveness, sadness, worries and problems and look forward to a new beginning with hope and joy of knowing that we have an eternal God who has reserved for us a place in his eternal kingdom.
Now is the time for us to thank God our Father for sending his only begotten Son to redeem us and give us the opportunity to share in his glory. Now is also the time for us to thank God for the answered prayers but most importantly for what God gave us even when we did not ask. Now is the time to stay alert.
HAVING A HEART LIKE ANNA
DEC. 30, 2013: 6TH DAY IN THE OCTAVE OF CHRISTMAS
First Reading: 1 Jn 2:12-17
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 96:7-10 “Let heaven and earth exult in joy.”
GOSPEL: LK 2:36-40
Key Verse: “The child Jesus grew. He became strong and wise,
and God blessed Him.” (v.40)
Evangelization is all about communicating a message and we are told that while methods may change the message remains the same since the twelve Apostles and St. Paul set out to proclaim the Gospel of Salvation to the world and that message is none other than the personhood of Jesus Christ who was sent by God to redeem mankind from their slavery to sin.
Pope Francis who currently occupies the seat of Peter also communicates with us through various means one of which is through an Apostolic Exhortation such as the Evangelii Gaudium or the Joy of the Gospel that the Holy Father released a few weeks ago.
Today there are many forms of communications through which the message of the Gospel is being disseminated. Some are done through television, radio, the print media as well as documentaries and specially-produced shows that are designed to develop in a person his faith and trust in God.
Individuals who have been tasked by the church, communities and even on their own communicate with others either individually or to a group. Regardless of the means and methods what is important is that the message is relayed and delivered.
God still communicates with us and the world through Jesus and the message delivered according to John in the first reading was that sins are forgiven by God who existed from the beginning. This was a simple message but the world still has not heard of it. In fact, it is also possible that some of us who go to church regularly and who attend prayer meetings have not heard of it. Otherwise, the world would not be as perverse as it is now.
In Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis emphasized that the proclamation of the Gospel joy which enlivens the community of disciples is a missionary joy (EG 21). Most of the time this is where believers get stuck as there are those who think of mission in physical and visible terms like launching a housing project or an scholarship program.
And many church organizations and communities have equated such projects and programs as something that can replace the mission of the church which is to proclaim the personhood of Jesus Christ. And this is not without precedence because Jesus felt this drive to go forth and keep pressing forward in sowing the good seed: “Let us go to the next towns that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” (Mk 1:38)
Pope Francis said that once the seed has been sown in one place, Jesus does not stay behind to explain things or to perform more signs; the Spirit moves him to go forth to other towns. God’s word is unpredictable in its power. The Gospel speaks of a seed which, once sown, grows by itself, even as the farmer sleeps (Mk 4:26-29). The Church has to accept this unruly freedom of the word, which accomplishes what it wills in ways that surpass our calculations and ways of thinking. (EG 21, 22)
One of the messages that we all are tasked to proclaim is the message of hope that God has infused into our hearts during our baptism but which many seem to have lost in the din of the perversity that fill our post-modern world.
The virtue of hope together with faith and love grows through prayer and endurance. The prophetess Anna who is pictured in today’s gospel reading was a woman of great hope that God would fulfill all his promises. Filled with the Holy Spirit, she goes daily to the Synagogue to wait on the Lord in prayer and speak prophetically to others about the Lord's promise to send a Messiah.
As we all advance in age the disappointments in life that we experience can make us cynical and hopeless especially if lose our only link to the One who alone has the power to lead us out of the darkness and into the marvelous light. We can look at Anna as a model who hoped in God and his promises as she grew in age.
Like Anna, we all should worship God unceasingly in faith and pray with hope and expectation. The question we probably will ask ourselves is how do we grow in hope? Simple. We just to place our trust in the promises of Jesus Christ and relying not on our own strength, but on the Grace and help of the Holy Spirit.
Easily said than done. But if you are having problems with such, all you have to look back into your own life. Didn’t you trust your parents when you were growing up? How about your teachers in school? Didn’t you trust them and were you not filled with hope that the education you received will equip you with the tools to make a living in this world? Or how about your spouse? Don’t you trust his or her decision? In life, we somehow will need to trust someone or somebody. If you could trust yourself, can you not trust God who supplies you with all your needs – material or otherwise?
Because Jesus came back to life, so will all of you who believe. All of you are destined to live with Christ forever that is why you need not despair when a love one dies or when circumstances in your life, work, and your business take a turn for the worst. Because of the economic downswing some of you may have lost their job. Income opportunities are lost. Your business isn’t doing well as you would want to.
There’s no need to worry because God will turn your tragedies to victory, your poverty to riches, your pain to glory, and your defeat to triumph. Therefore, the question you should ask is does your hope and fervor for God grow with age?
This is also the reason why we have been brought into this world because our calling is to proclaim the message that there is hope in life eternal through Jesus who forgives our sins and reconciles us with God.
First Reading: 1 Jn 2:12-17
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 96:7-10 “Let heaven and earth exult in joy.”
GOSPEL: LK 2:36-40
Key Verse: “The child Jesus grew. He became strong and wise,
and God blessed Him.” (v.40)
Evangelization is all about communicating a message and we are told that while methods may change the message remains the same since the twelve Apostles and St. Paul set out to proclaim the Gospel of Salvation to the world and that message is none other than the personhood of Jesus Christ who was sent by God to redeem mankind from their slavery to sin.
Pope Francis who currently occupies the seat of Peter also communicates with us through various means one of which is through an Apostolic Exhortation such as the Evangelii Gaudium or the Joy of the Gospel that the Holy Father released a few weeks ago.
Today there are many forms of communications through which the message of the Gospel is being disseminated. Some are done through television, radio, the print media as well as documentaries and specially-produced shows that are designed to develop in a person his faith and trust in God.
Individuals who have been tasked by the church, communities and even on their own communicate with others either individually or to a group. Regardless of the means and methods what is important is that the message is relayed and delivered.
God still communicates with us and the world through Jesus and the message delivered according to John in the first reading was that sins are forgiven by God who existed from the beginning. This was a simple message but the world still has not heard of it. In fact, it is also possible that some of us who go to church regularly and who attend prayer meetings have not heard of it. Otherwise, the world would not be as perverse as it is now.
In Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis emphasized that the proclamation of the Gospel joy which enlivens the community of disciples is a missionary joy (EG 21). Most of the time this is where believers get stuck as there are those who think of mission in physical and visible terms like launching a housing project or an scholarship program.
And many church organizations and communities have equated such projects and programs as something that can replace the mission of the church which is to proclaim the personhood of Jesus Christ. And this is not without precedence because Jesus felt this drive to go forth and keep pressing forward in sowing the good seed: “Let us go to the next towns that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” (Mk 1:38)
Pope Francis said that once the seed has been sown in one place, Jesus does not stay behind to explain things or to perform more signs; the Spirit moves him to go forth to other towns. God’s word is unpredictable in its power. The Gospel speaks of a seed which, once sown, grows by itself, even as the farmer sleeps (Mk 4:26-29). The Church has to accept this unruly freedom of the word, which accomplishes what it wills in ways that surpass our calculations and ways of thinking. (EG 21, 22)
One of the messages that we all are tasked to proclaim is the message of hope that God has infused into our hearts during our baptism but which many seem to have lost in the din of the perversity that fill our post-modern world.
The virtue of hope together with faith and love grows through prayer and endurance. The prophetess Anna who is pictured in today’s gospel reading was a woman of great hope that God would fulfill all his promises. Filled with the Holy Spirit, she goes daily to the Synagogue to wait on the Lord in prayer and speak prophetically to others about the Lord's promise to send a Messiah.
As we all advance in age the disappointments in life that we experience can make us cynical and hopeless especially if lose our only link to the One who alone has the power to lead us out of the darkness and into the marvelous light. We can look at Anna as a model who hoped in God and his promises as she grew in age.
Like Anna, we all should worship God unceasingly in faith and pray with hope and expectation. The question we probably will ask ourselves is how do we grow in hope? Simple. We just to place our trust in the promises of Jesus Christ and relying not on our own strength, but on the Grace and help of the Holy Spirit.
Easily said than done. But if you are having problems with such, all you have to look back into your own life. Didn’t you trust your parents when you were growing up? How about your teachers in school? Didn’t you trust them and were you not filled with hope that the education you received will equip you with the tools to make a living in this world? Or how about your spouse? Don’t you trust his or her decision? In life, we somehow will need to trust someone or somebody. If you could trust yourself, can you not trust God who supplies you with all your needs – material or otherwise?
Because Jesus came back to life, so will all of you who believe. All of you are destined to live with Christ forever that is why you need not despair when a love one dies or when circumstances in your life, work, and your business take a turn for the worst. Because of the economic downswing some of you may have lost their job. Income opportunities are lost. Your business isn’t doing well as you would want to.
There’s no need to worry because God will turn your tragedies to victory, your poverty to riches, your pain to glory, and your defeat to triumph. Therefore, the question you should ask is does your hope and fervor for God grow with age?
This is also the reason why we have been brought into this world because our calling is to proclaim the message that there is hope in life eternal through Jesus who forgives our sins and reconciles us with God.
ALL ARE EQUAL IN HUMAN DIGNITY
DEC. 29, 2013: FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY
1st Reading: Sir 3:2-6, 12-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 128:1-5 “Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.”
2nd Reading: Col 3:12-21
GOSPEL: MATT 2:13-15, 19-23
Key Verse: “He will be called a Nazorean.” (v.23)
Would you believe it if you are told that you live in a world that is out of synch? This statement could either be an exaggeration or an understatement depending on your own appreciation of the situation you are in.
But all you need to do is to look around and you’d see the seeming imbalance in the way people relate to one another. The cry of the youth are ignored as their views and opinions do not matter in a world run by adults so it seems.
Wisdom comes with age, so they say, but the world is in a worst shape today than before because adults who are supposed to be the guiding light of the system we live in are in conflict with one another and mutual respect is gone. One only has to go and watch the sessions of the Philippine Senate and you will know what I mean.
War between countries as well as civil wars that have erupted in several nations and enclaves in the North Africa, Central Africa, East Asia and the Middle East may have been caused by one common denominator – lack of respect for one another.
To a certain extent the tragedy that befell the people of Leyte, Samar and Iloilo was caused by the lack of respect for the studies prepared by the environmental scientists and experts who as early as four years ago have already warned of the growing danger of climate change. There was lack of respect for these warnings because there is no money to be made from such environmental projects compared to the easy money from ghost projects covered by spurious documents.
Even from within the Church, conflicts arise because of lack of respect for human dignity that is driven by ambition and the insatiable desire to seat in places of honor.
As we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family, we recall to mind our origin as created beings. Each one of us has been created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26) and as such, every human being is a reflection of the presence of God in them.
This brings me to the point I want to make – that we are mandated and obliged to honor, defer, and respect one another because each one of us has a trace of God within us. To respect one another is a way of honoring and respecting God “for by him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.” (Col 1:16)
The image of the Holy Family gives us an idea of the kind of bond that keeps Joseph, Mary and Joseph together even amidst the not-so-normal circumstance they were in. Come to think of it, Joseph was going to be the father of a child that was not his own. Mary was to bear and give birth to a child not from natural means but from the mysterious movement of the Holy Spirit. And Jesus whose birth we celebrated a few days ago was not an ordinary person because he was fully divine and fully human.
But Joseph, Mary and Jesus became a picture of a perfect family because of the love and unity, peace and harmony, trust and respect that they had for one another as members of God’s family. And this was evident when they returned to Nazareth where in the years that followed, Jesus “grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.” (Lk 2:40)
As each one of us is created in the image and likeness of God, our giving respect to one another is a reflection of our respect for God who created us. This kind of respect is long gone and it needs to be revived and restored and it falls squarely on our shoulders to evangelize the world that has lost its sense of Christian values.
We should always bear in mind that while we are separated from one another on matters of status, titles, possessions and income we are all equal in terms of human dignity. In fact, if you would like to be more pragmatic about it, there are people who live in stately mansions and many still live in squalor in the squatter colonies. But at the end of the day, both the rich and the poor will end up occupying a plot of land that is no bigger than three meters wide, four meters long and six feet deep.
Indeed, we may differ to one another in terms of social orientation, family background, career, and to some extent in matters of living standards but at the end of the day we all are on equal footing when it comes to human dignity as no one person is different from the other since all of us have been created in God’s own image.
In this Feast of the Holy Family, we are being reminded to respect one another because we are all part of God’s own family having become partakers of the divine nature (2 Pet 1:4). And besides the respect and reverence we are to give one another, we also are expected to grow in knowledge and wisdom although this is largely dependent on the level of trust and obedience that we have in God.
God is pleased when we trust and obey his word and “to the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness” (Eccl 2:26). God apportions his favor and blessings to all, both parents and children who will listen to his Word.
Thus, today’s Feast is not just about the Holy Family, but about our own families too. The main objective of this Feast is to present the Holy Family as the model for all Christian families that becomes sanctified when we incorporate the Gospel within our homes.
To do this, we should place Christ at the center of family and individual life. As such we are expected to defend the dignity of human life by opposing the proposed bills on same-sex marriage, abortion, cloning of humans, divorce, living-in and abusive behavior towards spouses.
The Feast of the Holy Family is an opportune time for us to remember that as a family we have an obligation to pray for our human and spiritual families. This would also be a good time for us to reflect on the value and sanctity of our respective families and to find ways how we can grow and become strong and be filled with wisdom. Perhaps, now is also the time for us to make a decision to promote family values in the workplace and, in both our temporal and spiritual communities as well.
1st Reading: Sir 3:2-6, 12-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 128:1-5 “Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.”
2nd Reading: Col 3:12-21
GOSPEL: MATT 2:13-15, 19-23
Key Verse: “He will be called a Nazorean.” (v.23)
Would you believe it if you are told that you live in a world that is out of synch? This statement could either be an exaggeration or an understatement depending on your own appreciation of the situation you are in.
But all you need to do is to look around and you’d see the seeming imbalance in the way people relate to one another. The cry of the youth are ignored as their views and opinions do not matter in a world run by adults so it seems.
Wisdom comes with age, so they say, but the world is in a worst shape today than before because adults who are supposed to be the guiding light of the system we live in are in conflict with one another and mutual respect is gone. One only has to go and watch the sessions of the Philippine Senate and you will know what I mean.
War between countries as well as civil wars that have erupted in several nations and enclaves in the North Africa, Central Africa, East Asia and the Middle East may have been caused by one common denominator – lack of respect for one another.
To a certain extent the tragedy that befell the people of Leyte, Samar and Iloilo was caused by the lack of respect for the studies prepared by the environmental scientists and experts who as early as four years ago have already warned of the growing danger of climate change. There was lack of respect for these warnings because there is no money to be made from such environmental projects compared to the easy money from ghost projects covered by spurious documents.
Even from within the Church, conflicts arise because of lack of respect for human dignity that is driven by ambition and the insatiable desire to seat in places of honor.
As we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family, we recall to mind our origin as created beings. Each one of us has been created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26) and as such, every human being is a reflection of the presence of God in them.
This brings me to the point I want to make – that we are mandated and obliged to honor, defer, and respect one another because each one of us has a trace of God within us. To respect one another is a way of honoring and respecting God “for by him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.” (Col 1:16)
The image of the Holy Family gives us an idea of the kind of bond that keeps Joseph, Mary and Joseph together even amidst the not-so-normal circumstance they were in. Come to think of it, Joseph was going to be the father of a child that was not his own. Mary was to bear and give birth to a child not from natural means but from the mysterious movement of the Holy Spirit. And Jesus whose birth we celebrated a few days ago was not an ordinary person because he was fully divine and fully human.
But Joseph, Mary and Jesus became a picture of a perfect family because of the love and unity, peace and harmony, trust and respect that they had for one another as members of God’s family. And this was evident when they returned to Nazareth where in the years that followed, Jesus “grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.” (Lk 2:40)
As each one of us is created in the image and likeness of God, our giving respect to one another is a reflection of our respect for God who created us. This kind of respect is long gone and it needs to be revived and restored and it falls squarely on our shoulders to evangelize the world that has lost its sense of Christian values.
We should always bear in mind that while we are separated from one another on matters of status, titles, possessions and income we are all equal in terms of human dignity. In fact, if you would like to be more pragmatic about it, there are people who live in stately mansions and many still live in squalor in the squatter colonies. But at the end of the day, both the rich and the poor will end up occupying a plot of land that is no bigger than three meters wide, four meters long and six feet deep.
Indeed, we may differ to one another in terms of social orientation, family background, career, and to some extent in matters of living standards but at the end of the day we all are on equal footing when it comes to human dignity as no one person is different from the other since all of us have been created in God’s own image.
In this Feast of the Holy Family, we are being reminded to respect one another because we are all part of God’s own family having become partakers of the divine nature (2 Pet 1:4). And besides the respect and reverence we are to give one another, we also are expected to grow in knowledge and wisdom although this is largely dependent on the level of trust and obedience that we have in God.
God is pleased when we trust and obey his word and “to the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness” (Eccl 2:26). God apportions his favor and blessings to all, both parents and children who will listen to his Word.
Thus, today’s Feast is not just about the Holy Family, but about our own families too. The main objective of this Feast is to present the Holy Family as the model for all Christian families that becomes sanctified when we incorporate the Gospel within our homes.
To do this, we should place Christ at the center of family and individual life. As such we are expected to defend the dignity of human life by opposing the proposed bills on same-sex marriage, abortion, cloning of humans, divorce, living-in and abusive behavior towards spouses.
The Feast of the Holy Family is an opportune time for us to remember that as a family we have an obligation to pray for our human and spiritual families. This would also be a good time for us to reflect on the value and sanctity of our respective families and to find ways how we can grow and become strong and be filled with wisdom. Perhaps, now is also the time for us to make a decision to promote family values in the workplace and, in both our temporal and spiritual communities as well.
DARKNESS TO LIGHT IN JESUS
DEC. 28, 2013: FEAST OF THE HOLY INNOCENTS
1st Reading: 1 Jn 1:5-2:2
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 124:2-5, 7-8 “Our soul has escaped like a bird from the fowler’s snare.”
GOSPEL: MATT 2:13-18
Key Verse: “Rachel weeping for her children…” (v.18)
When John wrote of the contrasting pictures of darkness and light in the First Reading he probably had in mind what could be the most gruesome scenario in the New Testament besides the passion and death on the cross of Jesus Christ and the senseless death of innocent children can be viewed in both perspectives of either light or darkness.
Herod probably walked in darkness when he ordered the murder of innocent children because of his fear of being unseated from his throne by a new-born King of the Jews. Darkness must have reigned in Bethlehem in those days when the children were being slaughtered.
On the other hand, the death of the Holy Innocents can also be seen in the context of light if we are to look at the children as sacrificial lambs and martyrs so that the chosen child of God will live to delivery mankind from the darkness of slavery to sin into the marvelous light.
But we’re getting ahead of the plots in this passage and there are actually two of them. One was the escape of the Holy Family to Egypt and the other of course is the massacre of innocent children which can only be overshadowed in terms of sorrow and agony with what happened 1,900 years later during the holocaust.
The first scenario began with Joseph having a dream of God telling him to flee to Egypt to escape Herod’s murderous rage. The Jews at that time believed that God sends messages in the form of dreams and for Joseph this was the second time he had a dream, the first was when an angel told him in a dream that Mary’s child would be the Messiah long awaited by the Jews (Matt 1:20-21).
We can easily relate to the flight of the Holy Family because in our lifetime many of us have also taken flight to escape persecution whether the oppression we face is real or imagined. To turn our back and or take flight is the easiest way to end an argument. In a worst-case scenario, taking flight or leaving your home is a convenient way to run away from one’s responsibility as a father and or head of the family. And in extreme cases, there are instances when in their confusion some people take their own lives to escape from what they think was a hopeless situation.
But in the case of Joseph and Mary they needed to leave and escape in order to save the life of Jesus. And to ensure their safety and security, God told Joseph to bring his family to Egypt which at that time was the natural sanctuary of the Jews because of the large Jewish population in neighboring Egypt.
In so doing, Jesus became a refugee and or migrant in a foreign country. And many of our countrymen especially the OFWs could easily identify themselves with Jesus who knew the pain and the difficulties of living as a refugee and or as a migrant since Jesus himself was uprooted and displaced from his homeland through forced migration.
This is the reason why those who are similarly situated can easily find a champion in Jesus and this should serve as a good news and hope for those who have been displaced by natural calamities like typhoon Yolanda, drought, lack of jobs and impaired income opportunities. Amidst all these, the victims of the tragedy that befell the residents of Bohol, Leyte, Samar, Iloilo and Palawan can find solace, comfort and true peace in Jesus Christ.
It would be difficult to find answers to tragedies such as those caused by Typhoon Yolanda and we would be hard-pressed to find an explanation to the suffering of innocent children. Herod's massacre of children seemed so useless and unjust and the question we might ask ourselves is why couldn't God prevent this slaughter? And this leads us to surmise that suffering is also a theological mystery and there is no explanation that would satisfy our need to understand.
What we can do, however, is to simply be satisfied with the thought that these innocent children and their parents suffered for Christ because suffering, persecution, and martyrdom are the conditions to which those who will follow Jesus Christ will find themselves in.
There can be no crown without the cross for it was the suffering, humiliation, and death of Jesus on the cross that won for us our salvation. It was through his blood that obtained for us pardon and reconciliation with our heavenly Father and consequently an eternal life in heaven.
Many of us are familiar with suffering and it comes through different circumstances. These could be in the form of illnesses, diseases, being handicapped, physical pain and emotional trauma, slander, abuse, poverty, persecution for our beliefs, loss of a loved one, loss of jobs and income opportunities, failed relationships and, injustice. But it is also in suffering that we can relate to the sufferings of Our Lord as well as with the suffering of the Saints, Martyrs and the Holy Innocents.
But as there are those who cannot accept there is someone who is greater than them, this Gospel passage shows us how far men will go to get rid of Jesus Christ. Herod saw the coming of the Messiah as a stumbling block to his reign as king and some of us may be driven with ambition to succeed regardless of the cost and may see the principles of Christ to be in the way. The immediate reaction is to eliminate Christ by turning our backs on him that allows us to do terrible things without fear of the Lord.
Mary was blessed to be the mother of the Son of God. That blessedness also became a sword that pierced her heart as her Son died on the cross. It was a crown of joy and sorrow she received. But her joy overshadowed her sorrow because it was fueled by her faith, hope, and trust in God and his promises.
Jesus himself promised his disciples that “no one will take your joy from you” (Jn 16:22). We too can experience the true joy that Our Lord offers that will enable us to bear our sorrows and pain which neither life nor death can take way. Herod feared that Jesus would take away his throne. But this was not the intention of Jesus. His objective was not to take over the throne but to be the king of Herod’s life in exchange for eternal life.
This is what happens to many of us. Because of the darkness to which we have subscribed, we allow the Herod in us to put to death the gifts and the charisms that are made available to us by the Holy Spirit all because of our fear of losing our grip on our worldly throne. The truth is that we don’t want to accept the light offered by Jesus because we cannot give up the things that bring us worldly comfort and happiness.
Today, there are some who are afraid that Christ will take away whatever it is that they enjoy. In truth, what Christ wants is to give us true peace and joy. As we remember the Holy Innocents, let us remove the fear in us and let us gather the courage to give Christ the throne of our lives. Let us escape from this world as the Holy Family did in order to live an abundant life in Christ.
1st Reading: 1 Jn 1:5-2:2
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 124:2-5, 7-8 “Our soul has escaped like a bird from the fowler’s snare.”
GOSPEL: MATT 2:13-18
Key Verse: “Rachel weeping for her children…” (v.18)
When John wrote of the contrasting pictures of darkness and light in the First Reading he probably had in mind what could be the most gruesome scenario in the New Testament besides the passion and death on the cross of Jesus Christ and the senseless death of innocent children can be viewed in both perspectives of either light or darkness.
Herod probably walked in darkness when he ordered the murder of innocent children because of his fear of being unseated from his throne by a new-born King of the Jews. Darkness must have reigned in Bethlehem in those days when the children were being slaughtered.
On the other hand, the death of the Holy Innocents can also be seen in the context of light if we are to look at the children as sacrificial lambs and martyrs so that the chosen child of God will live to delivery mankind from the darkness of slavery to sin into the marvelous light.
But we’re getting ahead of the plots in this passage and there are actually two of them. One was the escape of the Holy Family to Egypt and the other of course is the massacre of innocent children which can only be overshadowed in terms of sorrow and agony with what happened 1,900 years later during the holocaust.
The first scenario began with Joseph having a dream of God telling him to flee to Egypt to escape Herod’s murderous rage. The Jews at that time believed that God sends messages in the form of dreams and for Joseph this was the second time he had a dream, the first was when an angel told him in a dream that Mary’s child would be the Messiah long awaited by the Jews (Matt 1:20-21).
We can easily relate to the flight of the Holy Family because in our lifetime many of us have also taken flight to escape persecution whether the oppression we face is real or imagined. To turn our back and or take flight is the easiest way to end an argument. In a worst-case scenario, taking flight or leaving your home is a convenient way to run away from one’s responsibility as a father and or head of the family. And in extreme cases, there are instances when in their confusion some people take their own lives to escape from what they think was a hopeless situation.
But in the case of Joseph and Mary they needed to leave and escape in order to save the life of Jesus. And to ensure their safety and security, God told Joseph to bring his family to Egypt which at that time was the natural sanctuary of the Jews because of the large Jewish population in neighboring Egypt.
In so doing, Jesus became a refugee and or migrant in a foreign country. And many of our countrymen especially the OFWs could easily identify themselves with Jesus who knew the pain and the difficulties of living as a refugee and or as a migrant since Jesus himself was uprooted and displaced from his homeland through forced migration.
This is the reason why those who are similarly situated can easily find a champion in Jesus and this should serve as a good news and hope for those who have been displaced by natural calamities like typhoon Yolanda, drought, lack of jobs and impaired income opportunities. Amidst all these, the victims of the tragedy that befell the residents of Bohol, Leyte, Samar, Iloilo and Palawan can find solace, comfort and true peace in Jesus Christ.
It would be difficult to find answers to tragedies such as those caused by Typhoon Yolanda and we would be hard-pressed to find an explanation to the suffering of innocent children. Herod's massacre of children seemed so useless and unjust and the question we might ask ourselves is why couldn't God prevent this slaughter? And this leads us to surmise that suffering is also a theological mystery and there is no explanation that would satisfy our need to understand.
What we can do, however, is to simply be satisfied with the thought that these innocent children and their parents suffered for Christ because suffering, persecution, and martyrdom are the conditions to which those who will follow Jesus Christ will find themselves in.
There can be no crown without the cross for it was the suffering, humiliation, and death of Jesus on the cross that won for us our salvation. It was through his blood that obtained for us pardon and reconciliation with our heavenly Father and consequently an eternal life in heaven.
Many of us are familiar with suffering and it comes through different circumstances. These could be in the form of illnesses, diseases, being handicapped, physical pain and emotional trauma, slander, abuse, poverty, persecution for our beliefs, loss of a loved one, loss of jobs and income opportunities, failed relationships and, injustice. But it is also in suffering that we can relate to the sufferings of Our Lord as well as with the suffering of the Saints, Martyrs and the Holy Innocents.
But as there are those who cannot accept there is someone who is greater than them, this Gospel passage shows us how far men will go to get rid of Jesus Christ. Herod saw the coming of the Messiah as a stumbling block to his reign as king and some of us may be driven with ambition to succeed regardless of the cost and may see the principles of Christ to be in the way. The immediate reaction is to eliminate Christ by turning our backs on him that allows us to do terrible things without fear of the Lord.
Mary was blessed to be the mother of the Son of God. That blessedness also became a sword that pierced her heart as her Son died on the cross. It was a crown of joy and sorrow she received. But her joy overshadowed her sorrow because it was fueled by her faith, hope, and trust in God and his promises.
Jesus himself promised his disciples that “no one will take your joy from you” (Jn 16:22). We too can experience the true joy that Our Lord offers that will enable us to bear our sorrows and pain which neither life nor death can take way. Herod feared that Jesus would take away his throne. But this was not the intention of Jesus. His objective was not to take over the throne but to be the king of Herod’s life in exchange for eternal life.
This is what happens to many of us. Because of the darkness to which we have subscribed, we allow the Herod in us to put to death the gifts and the charisms that are made available to us by the Holy Spirit all because of our fear of losing our grip on our worldly throne. The truth is that we don’t want to accept the light offered by Jesus because we cannot give up the things that bring us worldly comfort and happiness.
Today, there are some who are afraid that Christ will take away whatever it is that they enjoy. In truth, what Christ wants is to give us true peace and joy. As we remember the Holy Innocents, let us remove the fear in us and let us gather the courage to give Christ the throne of our lives. Let us escape from this world as the Holy Family did in order to live an abundant life in Christ.
LOVE HELPS US BELIEVE
DEC. 27, 2013: FEAST OF ST. JOHN, Apostle and Evangelist
1st Reading: 1 Jn 1:1-4
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 97:1-2,5-6, 11-12 “Rejoice in the Lord, you just.”
GOSPEL: Jn 20:1a, 2-8
Key Verse: “… he saw and believed.” (v.8)
As get into the Octave of Christmas let us not forget to tie in the lessons of Christmas with the transmission of the Gospel of Christ especially at this time when the Year of Laity is being celebrated here in the Philippines which also coincides with the release recently of Evangelii Gaudium (Joy of the Gospel) the first Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Francis.
The Holy Father is actually calling on us to help in re-evangelizing the baptized Catholics who have drifted away from the faith but this is easier said than done. For one, we cannot become an evangel to others if we ourselves are weak in faith especially on matters of what we believe in. The account of the resurrection of Jesus is an example as was his birth of a most pure Blessed Virgin Mary (Lk 1:34) and these two events are a test of faith for us and others too.
Today there are those who still do not believe these two events and it was not because the Scriptures are in error but it is because of their lack of faith and most of all the absence of love that causes a cloud of disbelief to linger in the minds of skeptics.
Such unbelief was to be expected because at the time the Resurrection of Jesus happened, the tradition was for family members or close friends and associates to visit the tomb of a loved one for at least three days after the body had been buried as it was the traditional belief that the spirit of a dead person hovers within the tomb until it leaves when the body can no longer be recognized due to decomposition.
And during the time of Jesus there were differing beliefs when it comes to the after-life. While some of the Pharisees may have rejected Jesus they believed in the Resurrection of the dead but the Sadducees do not.
We must bear in mind that there are at least two significant points relating to the resurrection event. One was that Mary Magdalene, upon finding the tomb empty, returned to the place where the Apostles were staying and informed Peter what she saw. Of the Apostles who were there, it was to Peter that Mary reported what she found.
This also goes to show that notwithstanding Peter’s denial of Jesus, the disciples of Jesus including Mary still considered Peter as the leader of their group. Peter did what was natural and he ran towards the tomb followed by John whom Jesus loved and who would outrun Peter to the tomb and both Peter and John found the grave-clothes lying on the spot where the body of Jesus lay and were not messed up or disarranged with the napkin neatly folded and placed where the head of Jesus lay.
The second point that has a bearing on our own faith was that John saw and realized what was before him and he believed (v.8). For John it was the fulfillment of the prophesy as the resurrection of Jesus had been foretold hundreds of years before and John was a Jew and a disciple who was familiar with the Scriptures and the prophecy concerning the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus.
But it was not what he read from the Scriptures that led him to believe that Jesus has resurrected. It was what he saw. John, the disciple whom Jesus loved and who loved Jesus, was the first to believe in the Resurrection and it was love that gave him eyes to interpret and believe what was before his very eyes.
What happened to John was integral to how life evolves as it is sometimes difficult to believe and or even accept the realities before us especially with regards to relationships unless there is a bond of sympathy that exists among persons. And this was what John had, his love for Jesus was what really led him to believe that Jesus has risen from the dead.
The message for us was in John’s first epistle that says what we have seen, heard, and touched concerns the Word of life which has existed "from the beginning” (1 Jn 1:1-4). John bore witness to what has existed from all eternity. He saw and was witness to the great events in our faith history but what is more important is for us to help ensure the continuance of the incarnation of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the body of Christ which is the Church today.
When people around us hear the Word by proclamation and or by reading it and they listen and do what the Word says, they themselves have incarnated it. The same is true when we help those who are in need, the hungry and thirsty, the naked, the stranger, the sick, those in prison and or, reaching our to the victims of Typhoon Pablo - these events relive the incarnation story in our lives.
When we reach out to the least of our brethren we must do so out of love to comfort them, sympathize with them, listen to the cries of their hearts. In this way, we are making the Word of Life visible again. As we become incarnate ourselves, we also participate in the work of redemption by making sure that the Word of Life is incarnated in the lives of others thus making us partakers of the divine nature (2 Pet 1:4).
This Word of Life is Jesus the Word incarnate, and one thing is certain, if Jesus had not risen from the dead and appeared to his disciples, we would never have heard of him. While his birth was a joyous occasion, it was his Resurrection that turned his disciples and the people from dejection with his death into a people radiant with joy and courage.
The reality of the Resurrection is the foundation of the Christian faith. And through the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Lord gives us “eyes of faith” to know him and the power of his Resurrection. Thus, the greatest joy that we can possess is to encounter the living Christ and to know him personally as our Savior and Lord and it takes love to do this.
Once there was a story of a young artist who brought a picture of Jesus to Paul Gustave Dore, a famous French artist in the 18th century, and when Dore gave his critique he said: “You don’t love Jesus, or you could have painted him better.”
This also goes for all of us because we cannot understand Jesus or know him fully unless our hearts are configured to Our Lord in love. Love is what puts fire into our becoming bearers of the Good News because love has nothing to do with what we expect to get, it’s what we give which is the be-all and the end-all of our calling as disciples because love is the condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to our own. As with John, love is what will make us see and believe.
1st Reading: 1 Jn 1:1-4
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 97:1-2,5-6, 11-12 “Rejoice in the Lord, you just.”
GOSPEL: Jn 20:1a, 2-8
Key Verse: “… he saw and believed.” (v.8)
As get into the Octave of Christmas let us not forget to tie in the lessons of Christmas with the transmission of the Gospel of Christ especially at this time when the Year of Laity is being celebrated here in the Philippines which also coincides with the release recently of Evangelii Gaudium (Joy of the Gospel) the first Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Francis.
The Holy Father is actually calling on us to help in re-evangelizing the baptized Catholics who have drifted away from the faith but this is easier said than done. For one, we cannot become an evangel to others if we ourselves are weak in faith especially on matters of what we believe in. The account of the resurrection of Jesus is an example as was his birth of a most pure Blessed Virgin Mary (Lk 1:34) and these two events are a test of faith for us and others too.
Today there are those who still do not believe these two events and it was not because the Scriptures are in error but it is because of their lack of faith and most of all the absence of love that causes a cloud of disbelief to linger in the minds of skeptics.
Such unbelief was to be expected because at the time the Resurrection of Jesus happened, the tradition was for family members or close friends and associates to visit the tomb of a loved one for at least three days after the body had been buried as it was the traditional belief that the spirit of a dead person hovers within the tomb until it leaves when the body can no longer be recognized due to decomposition.
And during the time of Jesus there were differing beliefs when it comes to the after-life. While some of the Pharisees may have rejected Jesus they believed in the Resurrection of the dead but the Sadducees do not.
We must bear in mind that there are at least two significant points relating to the resurrection event. One was that Mary Magdalene, upon finding the tomb empty, returned to the place where the Apostles were staying and informed Peter what she saw. Of the Apostles who were there, it was to Peter that Mary reported what she found.
This also goes to show that notwithstanding Peter’s denial of Jesus, the disciples of Jesus including Mary still considered Peter as the leader of their group. Peter did what was natural and he ran towards the tomb followed by John whom Jesus loved and who would outrun Peter to the tomb and both Peter and John found the grave-clothes lying on the spot where the body of Jesus lay and were not messed up or disarranged with the napkin neatly folded and placed where the head of Jesus lay.
The second point that has a bearing on our own faith was that John saw and realized what was before him and he believed (v.8). For John it was the fulfillment of the prophesy as the resurrection of Jesus had been foretold hundreds of years before and John was a Jew and a disciple who was familiar with the Scriptures and the prophecy concerning the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus.
But it was not what he read from the Scriptures that led him to believe that Jesus has resurrected. It was what he saw. John, the disciple whom Jesus loved and who loved Jesus, was the first to believe in the Resurrection and it was love that gave him eyes to interpret and believe what was before his very eyes.
What happened to John was integral to how life evolves as it is sometimes difficult to believe and or even accept the realities before us especially with regards to relationships unless there is a bond of sympathy that exists among persons. And this was what John had, his love for Jesus was what really led him to believe that Jesus has risen from the dead.
The message for us was in John’s first epistle that says what we have seen, heard, and touched concerns the Word of life which has existed "from the beginning” (1 Jn 1:1-4). John bore witness to what has existed from all eternity. He saw and was witness to the great events in our faith history but what is more important is for us to help ensure the continuance of the incarnation of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the body of Christ which is the Church today.
When people around us hear the Word by proclamation and or by reading it and they listen and do what the Word says, they themselves have incarnated it. The same is true when we help those who are in need, the hungry and thirsty, the naked, the stranger, the sick, those in prison and or, reaching our to the victims of Typhoon Pablo - these events relive the incarnation story in our lives.
When we reach out to the least of our brethren we must do so out of love to comfort them, sympathize with them, listen to the cries of their hearts. In this way, we are making the Word of Life visible again. As we become incarnate ourselves, we also participate in the work of redemption by making sure that the Word of Life is incarnated in the lives of others thus making us partakers of the divine nature (2 Pet 1:4).
This Word of Life is Jesus the Word incarnate, and one thing is certain, if Jesus had not risen from the dead and appeared to his disciples, we would never have heard of him. While his birth was a joyous occasion, it was his Resurrection that turned his disciples and the people from dejection with his death into a people radiant with joy and courage.
The reality of the Resurrection is the foundation of the Christian faith. And through the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Lord gives us “eyes of faith” to know him and the power of his Resurrection. Thus, the greatest joy that we can possess is to encounter the living Christ and to know him personally as our Savior and Lord and it takes love to do this.
Once there was a story of a young artist who brought a picture of Jesus to Paul Gustave Dore, a famous French artist in the 18th century, and when Dore gave his critique he said: “You don’t love Jesus, or you could have painted him better.”
This also goes for all of us because we cannot understand Jesus or know him fully unless our hearts are configured to Our Lord in love. Love is what puts fire into our becoming bearers of the Good News because love has nothing to do with what we expect to get, it’s what we give which is the be-all and the end-all of our calling as disciples because love is the condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to our own. As with John, love is what will make us see and believe.
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD
DEC. 26, 2013: FEAST OF ST. STEPHEN, First Martyr
1st Reading: Ac 6:8-10; 7:54-59
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 31:3-4, 6-8, 17, 21 “Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.”
GOSPEL: MATT 10:17-22
Key Verse: “..but he who stands firm to the end
will be saved.” (v.22)
As we celebrate today the Feast of St. Stephen who is considered to be the first martyr in the history of Christianity I believe that those who will want to step into the shoes of the Apostles should ask what happens to people who follow Jesus Christ.
Such may be necessary because the reality is that those who do will certainly experience what Jesus went through. We probably will not be crucified like Jesus but the persecution we will face as we seek to align our lives with Jesus will amount to the same thing.
Most of you may have read the recent reports in the newspapers and on cable TV news about the 50 Christians who were burned to death in Nigeria by fundamental Muslim gangs. We may not suffer the same fate but we cannot turn away from the trials and challenges we will face as we rise to the call to proclaim the Gospel.
It may also seem odd to some that after the joy of the Christmas celebration, we are now led to the story of what was considered as the first martyrdom of someone who decided to follow Jesus Christ. And it may strike in us a chord of fear and anxiety that we too might suffer the same fate as that which befell the followers of Christ. Nobody said it would be easy, not even Jesus.
Even his first batch of disciples and or the twelve whom he named as Apostles never thought they would be in the same predicament as Jesus. They looked at him as a conquering Messiah who will deliver them from captivity by the Gentiles.
In fact, it was on the basis of the thought of a glorious kingdom that one of his kin asked Jesus to allow her two sons to sit on his left and the other on his right (Matt 20:21). Had they known they would live a persecuted life, would they have followed him?
But they did follow him from what they saw in those three years that he was with them. In that brief span of time, he showed them the meaning of victory and the eternal reward that await those who will remain faithful to his Word.
This was the assurance he made as he capped the Sermon on the Mount with these words: “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matt 5:11-12)
This was the life that St. Stephen lived. He brought to life the words of Jesus in Matt 16:24 "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Stephen faithfully followed Jesus and he suffered for it though not in the same degree as Jesus.
Stephen was called the first martyr which in Greek meant witness. He lived a life patterned after that of Jesus and the suffering and death Stephen experienced have been described by Luke in Ac 6:8-10 as something that was quite similar to what Jesus underwent.
The similarity didn’t end there. Just as Jesus saw the sky open as John baptized him with water, Stephen saw the sky open as he was being baptized in blood while he was being stoned to death. As Jesus commended his spirit to God on the cross, Stephen forgave his tormentors on his last and dying breath.
In what way then can we relate to the martyrdom of Stephen? For one, the death of Stephen establishes the connection between Bethlehem and Calvary – the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ and his passion and death on a cross? Amidst the pomp and pageantry of the Christmas celebration, we should not forget the fact that the Son of God took on a human form to redeem us from our slavery to sin and death and to give us new life as the adopted children of God.
The Scriptures will show us that the ultimate way to glory in the kingdom of God is through the cross. And Jesus didn’t quibble when he said to his disciples and he is telling us now that if we want to share in His glory, then we too must take up our cross each day and follow in his footsteps. Jesus never hesitated to tell his disciples what they might expect if they followed him.
As disciples of Christ, we will definitely experience difficulties from without such as what we are now experiencing when our faith is being tested by immoral legislation such as the RH Law. In fact, there are times when even members of our own families cannot comprehend our faithfulness to the Word (v.21).
In this age we live in, we are still being called by God to pursue a life of faithfulness to his Word and to stand as witness to the transformation that brought us out of darkness and into the marvelous light. Our calling may not necessarily lead us to martyrdom as with Stephen but the message remains the same – to leave the imprint of the life of Jesus into the fiber of our own lives and we can do this by either proclaiming orally or writing about the Good News to others, by our actions such as accepting shepherding assignments, going on mission and, in our decision to turn our lifestyles into a reflection of the life of Jesus.
In Jn 8:31 Jesus said: “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.” To hold on to his teachings is to listen to him and to follow him. To be persecuted is not exactly the message that we prefer to hear coming as it does after the merriment of Christmas. But lest we forget, the message of Christmas is anchored on the eternal joy that Christ brings but which we can only enjoy if we will follow in his footsteps by also laying down our lives for others.
When I committed my life to serve God and as he turned my life around, I began to ask myself if I made the right decision. Because I cannot live a dichotomous life, I had to give up what I was doing before God brought me to the renewal. When I did, I found myself emptied of the material returns from the business I was involved in the past. But God provided me with the kind of joy that I have been searching for in my life.
We may not be up to it but Our Lord gives us sufficient grace to follow him and to bear our cross with courage and hope. Living for God often brings persecution but it also provides us with the opportunity to proclaim the Good News of salvation to the world around us and those who will endure to the end will be saved (v.22). This is the true joy and victory that Jesus promised and which Stephen found.
1st Reading: Ac 6:8-10; 7:54-59
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 31:3-4, 6-8, 17, 21 “Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.”
GOSPEL: MATT 10:17-22
Key Verse: “..but he who stands firm to the end
will be saved.” (v.22)
As we celebrate today the Feast of St. Stephen who is considered to be the first martyr in the history of Christianity I believe that those who will want to step into the shoes of the Apostles should ask what happens to people who follow Jesus Christ.
Such may be necessary because the reality is that those who do will certainly experience what Jesus went through. We probably will not be crucified like Jesus but the persecution we will face as we seek to align our lives with Jesus will amount to the same thing.
Most of you may have read the recent reports in the newspapers and on cable TV news about the 50 Christians who were burned to death in Nigeria by fundamental Muslim gangs. We may not suffer the same fate but we cannot turn away from the trials and challenges we will face as we rise to the call to proclaim the Gospel.
It may also seem odd to some that after the joy of the Christmas celebration, we are now led to the story of what was considered as the first martyrdom of someone who decided to follow Jesus Christ. And it may strike in us a chord of fear and anxiety that we too might suffer the same fate as that which befell the followers of Christ. Nobody said it would be easy, not even Jesus.
Even his first batch of disciples and or the twelve whom he named as Apostles never thought they would be in the same predicament as Jesus. They looked at him as a conquering Messiah who will deliver them from captivity by the Gentiles.
In fact, it was on the basis of the thought of a glorious kingdom that one of his kin asked Jesus to allow her two sons to sit on his left and the other on his right (Matt 20:21). Had they known they would live a persecuted life, would they have followed him?
But they did follow him from what they saw in those three years that he was with them. In that brief span of time, he showed them the meaning of victory and the eternal reward that await those who will remain faithful to his Word.
This was the assurance he made as he capped the Sermon on the Mount with these words: “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matt 5:11-12)
This was the life that St. Stephen lived. He brought to life the words of Jesus in Matt 16:24 "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Stephen faithfully followed Jesus and he suffered for it though not in the same degree as Jesus.
Stephen was called the first martyr which in Greek meant witness. He lived a life patterned after that of Jesus and the suffering and death Stephen experienced have been described by Luke in Ac 6:8-10 as something that was quite similar to what Jesus underwent.
The similarity didn’t end there. Just as Jesus saw the sky open as John baptized him with water, Stephen saw the sky open as he was being baptized in blood while he was being stoned to death. As Jesus commended his spirit to God on the cross, Stephen forgave his tormentors on his last and dying breath.
In what way then can we relate to the martyrdom of Stephen? For one, the death of Stephen establishes the connection between Bethlehem and Calvary – the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ and his passion and death on a cross? Amidst the pomp and pageantry of the Christmas celebration, we should not forget the fact that the Son of God took on a human form to redeem us from our slavery to sin and death and to give us new life as the adopted children of God.
The Scriptures will show us that the ultimate way to glory in the kingdom of God is through the cross. And Jesus didn’t quibble when he said to his disciples and he is telling us now that if we want to share in His glory, then we too must take up our cross each day and follow in his footsteps. Jesus never hesitated to tell his disciples what they might expect if they followed him.
As disciples of Christ, we will definitely experience difficulties from without such as what we are now experiencing when our faith is being tested by immoral legislation such as the RH Law. In fact, there are times when even members of our own families cannot comprehend our faithfulness to the Word (v.21).
In this age we live in, we are still being called by God to pursue a life of faithfulness to his Word and to stand as witness to the transformation that brought us out of darkness and into the marvelous light. Our calling may not necessarily lead us to martyrdom as with Stephen but the message remains the same – to leave the imprint of the life of Jesus into the fiber of our own lives and we can do this by either proclaiming orally or writing about the Good News to others, by our actions such as accepting shepherding assignments, going on mission and, in our decision to turn our lifestyles into a reflection of the life of Jesus.
In Jn 8:31 Jesus said: “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.” To hold on to his teachings is to listen to him and to follow him. To be persecuted is not exactly the message that we prefer to hear coming as it does after the merriment of Christmas. But lest we forget, the message of Christmas is anchored on the eternal joy that Christ brings but which we can only enjoy if we will follow in his footsteps by also laying down our lives for others.
When I committed my life to serve God and as he turned my life around, I began to ask myself if I made the right decision. Because I cannot live a dichotomous life, I had to give up what I was doing before God brought me to the renewal. When I did, I found myself emptied of the material returns from the business I was involved in the past. But God provided me with the kind of joy that I have been searching for in my life.
We may not be up to it but Our Lord gives us sufficient grace to follow him and to bear our cross with courage and hope. Living for God often brings persecution but it also provides us with the opportunity to proclaim the Good News of salvation to the world around us and those who will endure to the end will be saved (v.22). This is the true joy and victory that Jesus promised and which Stephen found.
THE TRUE LIGHT HAS COME
DEC. 25, 2013: THE KING IS BORN (Christmas Day)
1st Reading: Isa 52:7-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:1-6 “All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.”
2nd Reading: HEB 1:1-6
GOSPEL: JN 1:1-18
Key Verse: “The Word became flesh and made
His dwelling among us.” (Jn 1:14)
John the Evangelist began his Gospel with the Word of God as the beginning or the reference point for everything that is in the world. For us to be able to grasp and appreciate the true meaning of the incarnation of Our Lord Jesus Christ, we must begin from the origin of God coming in the flesh.
John lays down the foundation of our faith by pointing out that there are three things about the Word of God. One is that the Word was already present even from the beginning of time (v.1) when God created the world. What John was saying was that the Word was not one of the created things as it was already there even before the creation began.
The Evangelist also says that the Word was with God (v.2) which means that the Word which was God establishes the connection between God and Jesus and for all intents and purposes there is no one person who can reveal to all of humankind who God is except Jesus.
The final point that John wanted to point out at the beginning of his Gospel was that the Word was God (v.1). What John wanted to emphasize with this point was that Jesus was not just identical with God but he was perfectly the same as God in both mind and heart that through Jesus we can see what God is like.
Thus, John describes Jesus as the light-giving and life-giving Word that came down from heaven to assume a human form out of God’s unparalleled love for men “for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, for whosoever believe in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (Jn 3:16)
In v.4 John wrote: “In him was life, and that life was the light of men.” And in v.9, he writes: “The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.” This I believe was the focal point of this passage in that Jesus the incarnated God was sent principally to bring both life and light to humanity.
Jesus himself claims in Jn 10:10 that he came that men might have life and that they might have it abundantly and to those to whom Jesus will give life will never perish (Jn 10:28). This then is the key to enjoying the true meaning of the coming of Our Savior for while it maybe possible that men can live without Christ, he will never know what life is because Jesus is the only person who can make life worth living.
The key then to living a life that carries with it an assurance of a fuller and eternal life is to enter into the very life of God and we can only do this by believing in Jesus Christ because “he who believes in the Son has eternal life.” (Jn 3:36) and “he who believes has eternal life.” (Jn 6:47).
The second point that John wanted to stress out was that Jesus did not only bring life but he also brought the light “that shines in the darkness.” (v.5). By ourselves, men succumb to fears and human emotions that are influenced by the perverted environment we live in. The light that Jesus brings is a guiding light because “no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” (Jn 12:46)
With his coming as the incarnated Son of God, Jesus also brought with him the glory of the Heavenly Kingdom that was rooted in God’s encompassing love for the world. His coming provided men with the opportunity to comprehend that the glory of God and the love of God are one and the same. While Jesus was clothed with the splendor of God in everything that he did on earth, that splendor was founded on love.
Jesus came with a mission and this has been prophesied by Isaiah in the First Reading when the prophet said: “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God is King!” (Isa 52:7)
Besides the coming of Christ as an expiation for the sins of the world, the prophecy of Isaiah is one of the primary reasons why Jesus came and this is the message of Christmas. There is indeed a reason to celebrate Christmas but we must rejoice with the thought that we have been entrusted with the mission to bring the good news to others, to proclaim peace, to bring good tidings and to proclaim salvation.
What makes our mission significant is that it is Jesus who equips and empowers us such that we should never cease proclaiming anew the wonder of the Incarnation. “The Son of God assumed a human nature in order to accomplish our salvation in it. The Son of God ...worked with human hands; he thought with a human mind. He acted with a human will, and with a human heart he loved. Born of the Virgin Mary, he has truly been made one of us, like to us in all things except sin.” (Gaudium et Spes)
As the Word became human, we can find in Christ the perfect model of what a teacher should be. Jesus became the model of what we are to become as he shows us how to live and gives us the power to live that way (1 Pet 2:21). Thus our celebration of Christmas should be centered on his becoming one of us that we may eventually be like him.
In simpler terms, Christmas should be viewed not only in terms of merriment and gift-giving but we must all rejoice and celebrate Christmas with reverence because this is the time of the season that we are brought to a realization of our own divinity as the Word became flesh and made its dwelling among us.
Christmas is a celebration for all people. As we will read in the first Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Francis – Evangelii Gaudium (Joy of the Gospel) all baptized Catholics have been entrusted with the message and mission of Christ. Each one of us needs to have happy feet and we can get inspiration from the great prophet Isaiah who said in the first reading “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings glad tidings, announcing peace, bearing good news, announcing salvation, and saying to Zion, “Your God is King!” (Isa 52:7)
What this means is that we need to make use of the gifts God has given us to bring the Good News to the world around us. Regardless of our status and position in life – we can be as ordinary as the man on the street or those who keep an eight-hour work regimen in offices, in the marketplace and public places. You may be an executive in a bank, multinational or someone who owns and runs your own conglomerate or one who is below the corporate ladder, the mission remains the same.
You can probably imagine yourself filling the shoes of the torchbearer in sporting events such as the Olympics who carries the fire to light the torch to signal the beginning of the games. What differentiates you from the torchbearer is that he merely carries the torch to open the games nothing more and those in attendance at the coliseum will not even remember the name of torchbearer.
But you are being sent on a mission to light the fire in the hearts of the people wherever you are and you bring with you a message that can transform the world – “Your God is King!”
1st Reading: Isa 52:7-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:1-6 “All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.”
2nd Reading: HEB 1:1-6
GOSPEL: JN 1:1-18
Key Verse: “The Word became flesh and made
His dwelling among us.” (Jn 1:14)
John the Evangelist began his Gospel with the Word of God as the beginning or the reference point for everything that is in the world. For us to be able to grasp and appreciate the true meaning of the incarnation of Our Lord Jesus Christ, we must begin from the origin of God coming in the flesh.
John lays down the foundation of our faith by pointing out that there are three things about the Word of God. One is that the Word was already present even from the beginning of time (v.1) when God created the world. What John was saying was that the Word was not one of the created things as it was already there even before the creation began.
The Evangelist also says that the Word was with God (v.2) which means that the Word which was God establishes the connection between God and Jesus and for all intents and purposes there is no one person who can reveal to all of humankind who God is except Jesus.
The final point that John wanted to point out at the beginning of his Gospel was that the Word was God (v.1). What John wanted to emphasize with this point was that Jesus was not just identical with God but he was perfectly the same as God in both mind and heart that through Jesus we can see what God is like.
Thus, John describes Jesus as the light-giving and life-giving Word that came down from heaven to assume a human form out of God’s unparalleled love for men “for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, for whosoever believe in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (Jn 3:16)
In v.4 John wrote: “In him was life, and that life was the light of men.” And in v.9, he writes: “The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.” This I believe was the focal point of this passage in that Jesus the incarnated God was sent principally to bring both life and light to humanity.
Jesus himself claims in Jn 10:10 that he came that men might have life and that they might have it abundantly and to those to whom Jesus will give life will never perish (Jn 10:28). This then is the key to enjoying the true meaning of the coming of Our Savior for while it maybe possible that men can live without Christ, he will never know what life is because Jesus is the only person who can make life worth living.
The key then to living a life that carries with it an assurance of a fuller and eternal life is to enter into the very life of God and we can only do this by believing in Jesus Christ because “he who believes in the Son has eternal life.” (Jn 3:36) and “he who believes has eternal life.” (Jn 6:47).
The second point that John wanted to stress out was that Jesus did not only bring life but he also brought the light “that shines in the darkness.” (v.5). By ourselves, men succumb to fears and human emotions that are influenced by the perverted environment we live in. The light that Jesus brings is a guiding light because “no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” (Jn 12:46)
With his coming as the incarnated Son of God, Jesus also brought with him the glory of the Heavenly Kingdom that was rooted in God’s encompassing love for the world. His coming provided men with the opportunity to comprehend that the glory of God and the love of God are one and the same. While Jesus was clothed with the splendor of God in everything that he did on earth, that splendor was founded on love.
Jesus came with a mission and this has been prophesied by Isaiah in the First Reading when the prophet said: “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God is King!” (Isa 52:7)
Besides the coming of Christ as an expiation for the sins of the world, the prophecy of Isaiah is one of the primary reasons why Jesus came and this is the message of Christmas. There is indeed a reason to celebrate Christmas but we must rejoice with the thought that we have been entrusted with the mission to bring the good news to others, to proclaim peace, to bring good tidings and to proclaim salvation.
What makes our mission significant is that it is Jesus who equips and empowers us such that we should never cease proclaiming anew the wonder of the Incarnation. “The Son of God assumed a human nature in order to accomplish our salvation in it. The Son of God ...worked with human hands; he thought with a human mind. He acted with a human will, and with a human heart he loved. Born of the Virgin Mary, he has truly been made one of us, like to us in all things except sin.” (Gaudium et Spes)
As the Word became human, we can find in Christ the perfect model of what a teacher should be. Jesus became the model of what we are to become as he shows us how to live and gives us the power to live that way (1 Pet 2:21). Thus our celebration of Christmas should be centered on his becoming one of us that we may eventually be like him.
In simpler terms, Christmas should be viewed not only in terms of merriment and gift-giving but we must all rejoice and celebrate Christmas with reverence because this is the time of the season that we are brought to a realization of our own divinity as the Word became flesh and made its dwelling among us.
Christmas is a celebration for all people. As we will read in the first Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Francis – Evangelii Gaudium (Joy of the Gospel) all baptized Catholics have been entrusted with the message and mission of Christ. Each one of us needs to have happy feet and we can get inspiration from the great prophet Isaiah who said in the first reading “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings glad tidings, announcing peace, bearing good news, announcing salvation, and saying to Zion, “Your God is King!” (Isa 52:7)
What this means is that we need to make use of the gifts God has given us to bring the Good News to the world around us. Regardless of our status and position in life – we can be as ordinary as the man on the street or those who keep an eight-hour work regimen in offices, in the marketplace and public places. You may be an executive in a bank, multinational or someone who owns and runs your own conglomerate or one who is below the corporate ladder, the mission remains the same.
You can probably imagine yourself filling the shoes of the torchbearer in sporting events such as the Olympics who carries the fire to light the torch to signal the beginning of the games. What differentiates you from the torchbearer is that he merely carries the torch to open the games nothing more and those in attendance at the coliseum will not even remember the name of torchbearer.
But you are being sent on a mission to light the fire in the hearts of the people wherever you are and you bring with you a message that can transform the world – “Your God is King!”
EVANGELIZE WITH JOY
DEC. 24, 2013: MASS IN THE MORNING
1st Reading: 2 Sam 7:1-5, 8-11, 16
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 89:2-5, 27, 29 “Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: LK 1:67-79
Key Verse: “You will tell his people that they can be saved
when their sins are forgiven.” (v.77)
The Gospel passage for today gives us an indication in very clear terms of our calling as baptized Christians. In fact, we should not look at the prophecy of Zechariah about what his son is going to be but we should actually regard his prophecy as if it were being directed towards us in that like John the Baptist who was to prepare the way for our Lord Jesus Christ, we too are called to become heralds of the Good News and to point others to Christ.
Because what we are going to proclaim is the offer of God’s salvation for mankind, our proclamation of the Good News should be filled with joy and hope which is also the focal point of the Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Francis – Evangelii Gaudium or Joy of the Gospel.
As an exhortation to all baptized Catholics, the Holy Father emphasized that those who will proclaim the gospel must be those who “wish to share their joy, who point to a horizon of beauty and who invite others to a delicious banquet.”
At the very start of Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis already stressed that “transformation must happen in the Church so that sharing the happiness that flows from our encounter with Jesus in faith becomes a part of everything the Church does. This renewal cannot be deferred,” he said. “I dream of a ‘missionary option,’ that is, a missionary impulse, capable of transforming everything, so that the Church’s customs, ways of doing things, times and schedules, language and structures can be suitably channeled for the evangelization of today’s world.”
The message of today’s gospel passage is clear that we are to replicate what John the Baptist did who fed on locusts and honey and who wore animal skin and with a firm conviction went against the grain of popular belief in those days preaching the gospel of reform and repentance.
The Pope is urging the Catholic lay faithful to be like John the Baptist and that “the Church must ‘go forth,’ boldly taking the first step to draw near to those who do not know or live the Gospel, by bridging bridges, supporting others, taking on the ‘smell of the sheep’ and patiently waiting to accompany them on their journey.” He says that the message we announce should be the “heart of the Gospel,” which is the joyful proclamation that Jesus loves them, gave his life to save them and seeks to live at their side each day to strengthen and free them.
It is in this context that the Pope is proposing through Evangelii Gaudium that we are: To embark upon a new chapter of evangelization marked by joy, and presents a vision for the life of the Church in the future; That all Catholics are to proclaim the Gospel and to see the responsibility to evangelize as their own, and; That the new evangelization is based on knowing and experiencing God’s love, mercy and salvation offered to all through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Thus, the primary objective of our proclaiming the Good News with joy is to create an environment that will lead to either an encounter or renewed encounter with Jesus Christ who is the symbol of God’s love and that such an encounter should blossom into an enriching friendship with God.
We should not even for a moment assume that we are evangelizing on our own because the power that impels us to proclaim the Gospel comes from the Holy Spirit. As with Zechariah, the Holy Spirit gave him a vision for his own son as a prophet and forerunner who would prepare the way for the Messiah.
Every Jew longed for that day when the Messiah would come. Now Zechariah knows beyond a doubt that that day is very near. Like Zechariah, the Holy Spirit also wants to give us a vision, the feeling of joy, and confidence in the knowledge of God's merciful love and protection that he is offering us through his Son Jesus Christ whose birth we await with great expectation.
And like John the Baptist, all of us baptized Catholics are called to prepare the way that leads to Christ. Life is a journey and there are only two paths before us. It’s either we take the road that leads to salvation or the worldly path that leads to ruin and eternal damnation.
There is a new terminology that Pope Francis introduced in Evangelii Gaudium. He refers to primarear (a Pope’s neologism that means to take the initiative in showing our concern for our neighbor). Primarear is considered as the marching order for a reform of attitudes that Pope Francis considers more important than the reform of the structures. What this could also mean is that we cannot possibly evangelize and point others to Christ if we ourselves are not evangelized.
We begin by looking at the birth of Jesus and his becoming human for our sake as God’s visitation to humanity, a visitation for the purpose of redeeming mankind from the clutches of sin. This was the mission for which Jesus Christ was sent into the world — to redeem those sold for sin and sold under sin. And God expects us to make use of the manifold gifts that he has given us not only to keep the mission of Jesus Christ alive till the end of age but so that man will be provided an opportunity to rediscover himself as one who has been created in the image and likeness of God.
As we celebrate the incarnation of Jesus Christ tomorrow which is the highpoint of all our preparation during the Season of Advent and as we usher in the Christmas Season it would be refreshing to know that Christmas is the only day in the Liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church in which there are four sets of scripture passages for the Eucharistic Celebrations beginning with the Vigil Mass today (Dec. 24, 2013), the Midnight Mass tonight, the Mass at Dawn on Dec. 25 and the Mass during the day of Dec. 25, 2011.
His coming establishes the fact that we have a God who knows the life we live because he too will live it as he will claim no special favor among men and this is the great mystery of our Christian faith that God is indeed in us, with us and, for us.
1st Reading: 2 Sam 7:1-5, 8-11, 16
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 89:2-5, 27, 29 “Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: LK 1:67-79
Key Verse: “You will tell his people that they can be saved
when their sins are forgiven.” (v.77)
The Gospel passage for today gives us an indication in very clear terms of our calling as baptized Christians. In fact, we should not look at the prophecy of Zechariah about what his son is going to be but we should actually regard his prophecy as if it were being directed towards us in that like John the Baptist who was to prepare the way for our Lord Jesus Christ, we too are called to become heralds of the Good News and to point others to Christ.
Because what we are going to proclaim is the offer of God’s salvation for mankind, our proclamation of the Good News should be filled with joy and hope which is also the focal point of the Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Francis – Evangelii Gaudium or Joy of the Gospel.
As an exhortation to all baptized Catholics, the Holy Father emphasized that those who will proclaim the gospel must be those who “wish to share their joy, who point to a horizon of beauty and who invite others to a delicious banquet.”
At the very start of Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis already stressed that “transformation must happen in the Church so that sharing the happiness that flows from our encounter with Jesus in faith becomes a part of everything the Church does. This renewal cannot be deferred,” he said. “I dream of a ‘missionary option,’ that is, a missionary impulse, capable of transforming everything, so that the Church’s customs, ways of doing things, times and schedules, language and structures can be suitably channeled for the evangelization of today’s world.”
The message of today’s gospel passage is clear that we are to replicate what John the Baptist did who fed on locusts and honey and who wore animal skin and with a firm conviction went against the grain of popular belief in those days preaching the gospel of reform and repentance.
The Pope is urging the Catholic lay faithful to be like John the Baptist and that “the Church must ‘go forth,’ boldly taking the first step to draw near to those who do not know or live the Gospel, by bridging bridges, supporting others, taking on the ‘smell of the sheep’ and patiently waiting to accompany them on their journey.” He says that the message we announce should be the “heart of the Gospel,” which is the joyful proclamation that Jesus loves them, gave his life to save them and seeks to live at their side each day to strengthen and free them.
It is in this context that the Pope is proposing through Evangelii Gaudium that we are: To embark upon a new chapter of evangelization marked by joy, and presents a vision for the life of the Church in the future; That all Catholics are to proclaim the Gospel and to see the responsibility to evangelize as their own, and; That the new evangelization is based on knowing and experiencing God’s love, mercy and salvation offered to all through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Thus, the primary objective of our proclaiming the Good News with joy is to create an environment that will lead to either an encounter or renewed encounter with Jesus Christ who is the symbol of God’s love and that such an encounter should blossom into an enriching friendship with God.
We should not even for a moment assume that we are evangelizing on our own because the power that impels us to proclaim the Gospel comes from the Holy Spirit. As with Zechariah, the Holy Spirit gave him a vision for his own son as a prophet and forerunner who would prepare the way for the Messiah.
Every Jew longed for that day when the Messiah would come. Now Zechariah knows beyond a doubt that that day is very near. Like Zechariah, the Holy Spirit also wants to give us a vision, the feeling of joy, and confidence in the knowledge of God's merciful love and protection that he is offering us through his Son Jesus Christ whose birth we await with great expectation.
And like John the Baptist, all of us baptized Catholics are called to prepare the way that leads to Christ. Life is a journey and there are only two paths before us. It’s either we take the road that leads to salvation or the worldly path that leads to ruin and eternal damnation.
There is a new terminology that Pope Francis introduced in Evangelii Gaudium. He refers to primarear (a Pope’s neologism that means to take the initiative in showing our concern for our neighbor). Primarear is considered as the marching order for a reform of attitudes that Pope Francis considers more important than the reform of the structures. What this could also mean is that we cannot possibly evangelize and point others to Christ if we ourselves are not evangelized.
We begin by looking at the birth of Jesus and his becoming human for our sake as God’s visitation to humanity, a visitation for the purpose of redeeming mankind from the clutches of sin. This was the mission for which Jesus Christ was sent into the world — to redeem those sold for sin and sold under sin. And God expects us to make use of the manifold gifts that he has given us not only to keep the mission of Jesus Christ alive till the end of age but so that man will be provided an opportunity to rediscover himself as one who has been created in the image and likeness of God.
As we celebrate the incarnation of Jesus Christ tomorrow which is the highpoint of all our preparation during the Season of Advent and as we usher in the Christmas Season it would be refreshing to know that Christmas is the only day in the Liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church in which there are four sets of scripture passages for the Eucharistic Celebrations beginning with the Vigil Mass today (Dec. 24, 2013), the Midnight Mass tonight, the Mass at Dawn on Dec. 25 and the Mass during the day of Dec. 25, 2011.
His coming establishes the fact that we have a God who knows the life we live because he too will live it as he will claim no special favor among men and this is the great mystery of our Christian faith that God is indeed in us, with us and, for us.
WE ARE CALLED TO BE HERALDS
DEC. 23, 2013: FOURTH WEEK OF ADVENT
1st Reading: Mal 3:1-4, 23-24
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14 “Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.”
GOSPEL: LK 1:57-66
Key Verse: “What then is this child going to be.” (v.66)
Married couples who are awaiting the birth of their child spend long hours mulling over the name they will give their child. At times, their kin and friends would even join to offer suggestions on how a child will be named. Do you have any idea how your parents chose the name they gave you? Do names also have a bearing on how a person will turn out to be?
Naming an infant has always been a much-awaited moment especially for parents and even relatives of the first-born child in the family as was in the case of the Gospel for today. That it became a concern was brought about by the fact that this infant was special because his coming had been prophesied and it was miraculous as well since both Zechariah and Elizabeth were already advanced in age at the time.
More so, they also did not know what their child would become. Had they known that their son will retreat to the desert to feed on locusts and honey and will be beheaded, perhaps Zechariah would not have wished to have a child.
But John the Baptist has already been prefigured by God to become not just a prophet but a messenger to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah and in this we can see that the life of John the Baptist was intrinsically hewn to the life of Jesus.
The coming of John and Jesus were in some way strikingly similar as their birth were both proclaimed by an angel who spoke to Zechariah at the Tent of God and also to Mary and Joseph. This manifestation shows that their birth was God’s design and what they will become has also been pre-ordained by God.
It was also God’s design that John the Baptist would become the forerunner and herald to announce the coming of Jesus the Messiah. At a time when there was no postal service yet much more an email to deliver messages, heralds normally would memorize the message they are to deliver to the recipient. But John was different because the messages he delivered to the people was inspired by none other than the Holy Spirit.
Today this is no longer the case and God is constantly sending message to us through the Scriptures, sacred writings, Apostolic Exhortation such as the Evangelii Gaudium (Joy of the Gospel), Pastoral Letters, Encyclicals that are circulated through different means and with the advanced communications technology now available these messages are communicated immediately.
Most often, God’s messages are communicated through the Homilies of the priests during the Mass and or by Catechists and Evangelists who use different forms of communications mediums and what is surprising is that many of these heralds today speak the truth of which they are not even aware and this only proves that God is still delivering his messages through other people.
If we will also open our spiritual eyes, we can also see God’s message in the world around us. Nature itself remains to be a wonder of God’s presence. When we wake up in the morning we are treated to a marvelous rising of the sun and its movement to its setting. The powerful waves that die on the shore. The flower that springs and blooms from a bud. The wind that provides us comfort under the noon day sun. Or the fish in the rivers and seas, animals that reproduce, plants and vegetables that keep on growing. All these provide us food and all these are messages that come from God.
Lest we forget, the message that God sends is none other than himself. In many ways, God comes to each one of one of us and it shouldn’t surprise us because we are God’s temple (1 Cor 6:19) and also because God is in constant search for us even if we have turned our backs on him because just like the Apostles he wants to use us to keep the Gospel of Salvation alive.
There are, however, many of us who are influenced by this decadent world we live in come before God with their titles and positions in life, accomplishments, possessions, etc. utterly forgetting that to stand before God is to come in our authentic nature, unmasked of pretensions and abandoning our human will to his divine providence. In other words, we are to come before the Lord as we are - “created in the image and likeness of God” (Gen 1:26).
In the birth of John and Jesus what we see is the Grace of God coming into a world broken by sin and hopelessness. And as John had been prefigured to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord, we too are being given the mandate to be the heralds of the Good News. Such is the purpose of God for bringing us to life, not just for us to rediscover our identity but mainly to tell others that they too have been predestined, called, justified and have been glorified (Rom 8:30).
But for us to become an effective messenger, we have to go to our own desert like John to find our true selves. The desert allows us an opportunity that separates us from the world that will help transform us by the renewing of our minds (Rom 12:2). Such a renewal is necessary because we cannot possibly evangelize others if we are not evangelized first. As we welcome the coming of our Savior, we must not forget that we are called to be heralds like John so that God may be glorified in us.
1st Reading: Mal 3:1-4, 23-24
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14 “Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is near at hand.”
GOSPEL: LK 1:57-66
Key Verse: “What then is this child going to be.” (v.66)
Married couples who are awaiting the birth of their child spend long hours mulling over the name they will give their child. At times, their kin and friends would even join to offer suggestions on how a child will be named. Do you have any idea how your parents chose the name they gave you? Do names also have a bearing on how a person will turn out to be?
Naming an infant has always been a much-awaited moment especially for parents and even relatives of the first-born child in the family as was in the case of the Gospel for today. That it became a concern was brought about by the fact that this infant was special because his coming had been prophesied and it was miraculous as well since both Zechariah and Elizabeth were already advanced in age at the time.
More so, they also did not know what their child would become. Had they known that their son will retreat to the desert to feed on locusts and honey and will be beheaded, perhaps Zechariah would not have wished to have a child.
But John the Baptist has already been prefigured by God to become not just a prophet but a messenger to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah and in this we can see that the life of John the Baptist was intrinsically hewn to the life of Jesus.
The coming of John and Jesus were in some way strikingly similar as their birth were both proclaimed by an angel who spoke to Zechariah at the Tent of God and also to Mary and Joseph. This manifestation shows that their birth was God’s design and what they will become has also been pre-ordained by God.
It was also God’s design that John the Baptist would become the forerunner and herald to announce the coming of Jesus the Messiah. At a time when there was no postal service yet much more an email to deliver messages, heralds normally would memorize the message they are to deliver to the recipient. But John was different because the messages he delivered to the people was inspired by none other than the Holy Spirit.
Today this is no longer the case and God is constantly sending message to us through the Scriptures, sacred writings, Apostolic Exhortation such as the Evangelii Gaudium (Joy of the Gospel), Pastoral Letters, Encyclicals that are circulated through different means and with the advanced communications technology now available these messages are communicated immediately.
Most often, God’s messages are communicated through the Homilies of the priests during the Mass and or by Catechists and Evangelists who use different forms of communications mediums and what is surprising is that many of these heralds today speak the truth of which they are not even aware and this only proves that God is still delivering his messages through other people.
If we will also open our spiritual eyes, we can also see God’s message in the world around us. Nature itself remains to be a wonder of God’s presence. When we wake up in the morning we are treated to a marvelous rising of the sun and its movement to its setting. The powerful waves that die on the shore. The flower that springs and blooms from a bud. The wind that provides us comfort under the noon day sun. Or the fish in the rivers and seas, animals that reproduce, plants and vegetables that keep on growing. All these provide us food and all these are messages that come from God.
Lest we forget, the message that God sends is none other than himself. In many ways, God comes to each one of one of us and it shouldn’t surprise us because we are God’s temple (1 Cor 6:19) and also because God is in constant search for us even if we have turned our backs on him because just like the Apostles he wants to use us to keep the Gospel of Salvation alive.
There are, however, many of us who are influenced by this decadent world we live in come before God with their titles and positions in life, accomplishments, possessions, etc. utterly forgetting that to stand before God is to come in our authentic nature, unmasked of pretensions and abandoning our human will to his divine providence. In other words, we are to come before the Lord as we are - “created in the image and likeness of God” (Gen 1:26).
In the birth of John and Jesus what we see is the Grace of God coming into a world broken by sin and hopelessness. And as John had been prefigured to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord, we too are being given the mandate to be the heralds of the Good News. Such is the purpose of God for bringing us to life, not just for us to rediscover our identity but mainly to tell others that they too have been predestined, called, justified and have been glorified (Rom 8:30).
But for us to become an effective messenger, we have to go to our own desert like John to find our true selves. The desert allows us an opportunity that separates us from the world that will help transform us by the renewing of our minds (Rom 12:2). Such a renewal is necessary because we cannot possibly evangelize others if we are not evangelized first. As we welcome the coming of our Savior, we must not forget that we are called to be heralds like John so that God may be glorified in us.
NOT JUST FAITH BUT TRUST
DEC. 22, 2013: 4TH SUNDAY OF ADVENT
First Reading: Isa 7:10-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 24:1-6 “Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.”
Second Reading: Rom 1:1-7
Gospel: Matt 1:18-25
Key Word: “..they will call him Immanuel,
which means God with us.” (v.23)
Those of you who will be reading this reflection for the Fourth Sunday of Advent, what I would like you to do is to grasp what our Lord Jesus Christ is telling us in this gospel passage because it is the only way you can truly appreciate the words of the Scriptures. You can begin by bringing out your Bibles and your concordance. If you don’t have a concordance, get a dictionary at least and a notebook beside you. When you are ready, start with a prayer and read the gospel passage (Matt 1:18-25) for at least three times as it is usually done during the Bible sharing group sessions.
The first would be to familiarize yourself with the words or letters of the passage. The second time is to try and understand what Jesus Christ is saying. Use your dictionary if there are words that are not clear to you. You can also write in your notebook the words that struck you and their meaning.
And for the third and last time, quiet down and keep yourself oblivious to the sounds and movements around you and reflect on the passage more deeply by trying to understand each of the key words of the passage because it is only in doing so that you can truly understand what you are reading. It would also help if you will use some creativity and try to imagine what it would be like if you were there. When you can do this you will find how enjoyable Bible reading would be.
As we step into the last week of our preparation for the coming of our Savior Jesus Christ, you will realize that there is actually more to this passage than the fact that Jesus is to be born of a virgin mother. The essence of this Gospel of Matthew particularly this passage is that in the birth of Jesus, the Spirit of God will become operative like never before in this world.
It is the Spirit of God who will bring God’s truth to men and it is also the Spirit who will enable men to recognize the truth when they see it. In effect, it is the Spirit through the birth of Jesus who is going to be God’s agent in the re-creation of the world since it is only the Spirit who alone can re-create the human soul when it has lost the life it ought to have.
The birth of Jesus will enable us to see who and what God is and this event should open our spiritual eyes so that we can see the truth in the recreating power of God who alone can redeem the souls of men from their sinful death to eternal life. The next three days will be our last chance to prepare for this great moment.
We are given three days from today to repent of our sins with a sincerity of heart and to receive the Sacrament of Confession and sealed by the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. As we come towards the end of the Advent Season, let us remember those who have not yet prepared themselves for the coming of the Lord.
Let us ask the Spirit of Jesus to implant within their hearts the urgency of being and remaining in a state of grace. The salvation that comes with the coming of Jesus is what everyone should look forward to as we come to the end of the Advent Season.
The beauty of the events surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ is that it provides us with a valuable lesson on the kind of faith we need to have and that abiding by the Will of God as Mary and Joseph did assures us of our eternal salvation.
More than faith, however, what Mary and Joseph have was trust that involves heartfelt confidence in God. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” (Pro 3:1) When we have an important decision to make, it is natural for us not to trust anyone and sometimes not even God. But God knows what is best for us and as with Mary and Joseph we just have to trust him completely even if we don’t fully understand.
To trust in God is to believe in his promises. St. Paul tells us that God will acquit us of our sins if we will only trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sins. Trusting God means putting all our confidence in Christ that our sins have been forgiven by his coming which is a manifestation of God’s love for mankind and by his death on the cross.
I went to the anticipated Mass last night and while I was listening to the Homily of the priest-celebrant which was about the faith of Joseph, I was given a word saying that the reason why certain religious sects do not and refuse to share in what Catholics and Christians believe in is because they simply find it hard to accept and understand the mystery behind the Trinity, the virgin birth, the divinity of Jesus Christ, the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist and Transubstantiation.
And that is true because it will take a lot of faith and trust before one can accept these sacred mysteries and following a teaching different from the Catholic Church is certainly easier than having faith to accept that which cannot be explained.
In reading this gospel passage, we should not even entertain the idea that Joseph had no choice but to bow down to the Will of God after he was told that Mary is to bear a child that is begotten by the Holy Spirit and that he must call the child Jesus which is the Greek form of Joshua and Joshua means Jehovah or Salvation. Joseph certainly had a choice but he obeyed because he not only has faith but he trusted God.
The Jews relates the Spirit of God with the work of creation and it is through the Holy Spirit that God performed His work. The Spirit is the Creator of the World and the Giver of Life. Thus, it is through the birth of Jesus that God’s life-giving and creating power will come into the world.
That power which is to come is what will put order into our dysfunctional life. The power that will come with the birth of Jesus is what will restore us to the fullness and abundance of life. This is the same power that will breathe life into our weaknesses and frustrations. The Jews often refers to the Spirit not only with the work of creation but with the work of re-creation. The Jews believe that when men are dead in sin and in lethargy, it is only the Spirit of God that can reawaken them to life anew.
But what the Jews failed to grasp and which we Catholics and Christians alike now believe is that Jesus will come into the world with the power that can re-create life. The coming of Jesus can bring to life the soul that is dead in sin and only Jesus has the power to revive again the ideals that have died and, he can make us strong again especially the goodness in every human being who has died and are surrounded by the world.
First Reading: Isa 7:10-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 24:1-6 “Let the Lord enter; he is king of glory.”
Second Reading: Rom 1:1-7
Gospel: Matt 1:18-25
Key Word: “..they will call him Immanuel,
which means God with us.” (v.23)
Those of you who will be reading this reflection for the Fourth Sunday of Advent, what I would like you to do is to grasp what our Lord Jesus Christ is telling us in this gospel passage because it is the only way you can truly appreciate the words of the Scriptures. You can begin by bringing out your Bibles and your concordance. If you don’t have a concordance, get a dictionary at least and a notebook beside you. When you are ready, start with a prayer and read the gospel passage (Matt 1:18-25) for at least three times as it is usually done during the Bible sharing group sessions.
The first would be to familiarize yourself with the words or letters of the passage. The second time is to try and understand what Jesus Christ is saying. Use your dictionary if there are words that are not clear to you. You can also write in your notebook the words that struck you and their meaning.
And for the third and last time, quiet down and keep yourself oblivious to the sounds and movements around you and reflect on the passage more deeply by trying to understand each of the key words of the passage because it is only in doing so that you can truly understand what you are reading. It would also help if you will use some creativity and try to imagine what it would be like if you were there. When you can do this you will find how enjoyable Bible reading would be.
As we step into the last week of our preparation for the coming of our Savior Jesus Christ, you will realize that there is actually more to this passage than the fact that Jesus is to be born of a virgin mother. The essence of this Gospel of Matthew particularly this passage is that in the birth of Jesus, the Spirit of God will become operative like never before in this world.
It is the Spirit of God who will bring God’s truth to men and it is also the Spirit who will enable men to recognize the truth when they see it. In effect, it is the Spirit through the birth of Jesus who is going to be God’s agent in the re-creation of the world since it is only the Spirit who alone can re-create the human soul when it has lost the life it ought to have.
The birth of Jesus will enable us to see who and what God is and this event should open our spiritual eyes so that we can see the truth in the recreating power of God who alone can redeem the souls of men from their sinful death to eternal life. The next three days will be our last chance to prepare for this great moment.
We are given three days from today to repent of our sins with a sincerity of heart and to receive the Sacrament of Confession and sealed by the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. As we come towards the end of the Advent Season, let us remember those who have not yet prepared themselves for the coming of the Lord.
Let us ask the Spirit of Jesus to implant within their hearts the urgency of being and remaining in a state of grace. The salvation that comes with the coming of Jesus is what everyone should look forward to as we come to the end of the Advent Season.
The beauty of the events surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ is that it provides us with a valuable lesson on the kind of faith we need to have and that abiding by the Will of God as Mary and Joseph did assures us of our eternal salvation.
More than faith, however, what Mary and Joseph have was trust that involves heartfelt confidence in God. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” (Pro 3:1) When we have an important decision to make, it is natural for us not to trust anyone and sometimes not even God. But God knows what is best for us and as with Mary and Joseph we just have to trust him completely even if we don’t fully understand.
To trust in God is to believe in his promises. St. Paul tells us that God will acquit us of our sins if we will only trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sins. Trusting God means putting all our confidence in Christ that our sins have been forgiven by his coming which is a manifestation of God’s love for mankind and by his death on the cross.
I went to the anticipated Mass last night and while I was listening to the Homily of the priest-celebrant which was about the faith of Joseph, I was given a word saying that the reason why certain religious sects do not and refuse to share in what Catholics and Christians believe in is because they simply find it hard to accept and understand the mystery behind the Trinity, the virgin birth, the divinity of Jesus Christ, the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist and Transubstantiation.
And that is true because it will take a lot of faith and trust before one can accept these sacred mysteries and following a teaching different from the Catholic Church is certainly easier than having faith to accept that which cannot be explained.
In reading this gospel passage, we should not even entertain the idea that Joseph had no choice but to bow down to the Will of God after he was told that Mary is to bear a child that is begotten by the Holy Spirit and that he must call the child Jesus which is the Greek form of Joshua and Joshua means Jehovah or Salvation. Joseph certainly had a choice but he obeyed because he not only has faith but he trusted God.
The Jews relates the Spirit of God with the work of creation and it is through the Holy Spirit that God performed His work. The Spirit is the Creator of the World and the Giver of Life. Thus, it is through the birth of Jesus that God’s life-giving and creating power will come into the world.
That power which is to come is what will put order into our dysfunctional life. The power that will come with the birth of Jesus is what will restore us to the fullness and abundance of life. This is the same power that will breathe life into our weaknesses and frustrations. The Jews often refers to the Spirit not only with the work of creation but with the work of re-creation. The Jews believe that when men are dead in sin and in lethargy, it is only the Spirit of God that can reawaken them to life anew.
But what the Jews failed to grasp and which we Catholics and Christians alike now believe is that Jesus will come into the world with the power that can re-create life. The coming of Jesus can bring to life the soul that is dead in sin and only Jesus has the power to revive again the ideals that have died and, he can make us strong again especially the goodness in every human being who has died and are surrounded by the world.
THE JOY IN BLESSING OTHERS
DEC. 21, 2013: SIXTH NOVENA MASS
1st Reading: Songs 2:8-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 33:2-3, 11-12, 20-21 “Exult you just, in the Lord! Sing to him a new song.”
GOSPEL: LK 1:39-45
Key Verse: “Blessed are you among women” (v.42)
To be chosen or to be favored by God is an awesome privilege because to be set apart from the rest can be compared to a crown of joy. But this privilege comes with a responsibility to also bear the cross of sorrow that goes with it.
In today’s Gospel passage we will read about not only the joy of Mary upon seeing her cousin Elizabeth who was barren but was pregnant with child but most significantly the child in her womb who will later on become John the Baptist stirred in her womb as if sensing the presence of Jesus Christ in their midst.
This scenario is deemed noteworthy because it suggests that even at that time when Christ was still in the womb of Mary the child in Elizabeth’s womb already recognized the presence of Jesus the Messiah who was to be born to save the world from damnation.
There can be no doubting the religiosity of Mary who belonged to the House of David and Elizabeth who was the wife of the high priest Zechariah and what they felt was true joy that comes from being in God’s presence.
As Mary would probably learn later, being favored by God was a great privilege because it was through her that Salvation would come into the world. But the blessedness she received also became a sword that would pierce her heart as her Son will hung on the cross 33 years later.
We will reflect on this great event when we observe Lent a few months from now but in the meantime, let us look at what this Gospel is telling us. Here we see Elizabeth, as soon as he heard Mary’s greeting, was filled with the Holy Spirit as “the baby leapt in her womb” (v.41)
It may also be that by the power of the same Holy Spirit that Elizabeth was able exclaim: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!” (v.42)
There are many in the world who up to this present age do not give the honor that Mary deserves. There are two possibilities why this is so. One is that recognizing Mary’s contributions to the salvific plan of God would alter their religious beliefs and even faith for that matter. The other is that there is actually little information about Mary in the Scriptures.
But for what has been made available to us, there is no denying the fact that Mary was the window of heaven through which the True Light came into the world. In one of his homilies, St. Anselm, a great teacher, philosopher, theologian and Archbishop of Canterbury, said that: “Without God’s Son nothing could exist; Without Mary’s son, nothing could be redeemed.”
Simply put, Jesus was able to accomplish his mission to spread God’s Word and redeem the world because Mary risked everything she had, all the honor and reputation she had as a young maiden betrothed to Joseph when she said: “May it be to me as you have said.” (Lk 1:38)
St. Peter Damian once said that: “God would not become man until Mary had given her consent in order that we might see that the salvation of mankind rested in her hands.”
This was the reason why Mary was not only favored by God (Lk 1:30) but her intercessions have become so powerful that even the Saints have recognized her as the dispenser of graces. It will be recalled that in 1683 when the Turks laid a siege on Vienna, the people in the beleaguered city and throughout Christendom the Rosary was recited to implore the aid of the Mother of God and this resulted in victory for the Christian nation.
In this Gospel passage, Elizabeth was blessed when Mary visited her. But it’s not just Elizabeth who was blessed but all women who can bear a child are also being blessed by God because of their tremendous contributions as bearers of life.
As Mary blessed Elizabeth with her visit, we too are being blessed by God if we participate in the plan of God to protect and preserve life. And many times we look at blessings in the material point of view and often we count what we don’t have. In other words, we waste so much time brooding over things that we lack and we forget to nurture what we already have.
We have forgotten how to count our blessings and one of the factors that lead to frustration and despair is our inability to see that God has made available everything that we will ever need to survive in this world. Even the life we now live, the family that we have – our spouse, children, relatives and friends – are blessings and we need to ask ourselves if we have thanked God for these blessings.
Translated into our everyday life, we at times have the habit of looking into the negatives as we expend our energies feasting on the negative traits of people instead of their positive attributes. We cannot be a blessing to others until we have become the Good News.
In my old life, I was happy with what money can buy. I was into restoring vintage cars and collecting antiques but there was always this urge to look for more and at times it brought in frustration than happiness. And I was really glad that God found me at the right time and there was this inexpressible joy that I experienced when God too me back into his sheepfold.
And as we count our blessings, we too can be like Mary and be a blessing by sharing our blessings to others. John grew to become the herald who announced the coming of Jesus Christ. We too must point others to Christ and not to ourselves.
This is our mandate as we were brought into the world for a purpose. Mary was chosen and favored by God. We who believe and have faith in God are being asked to turn our lives into a blessing that we can share with the world.
The tragedy that struck Bohol and Leyte in Central Visayas provides us with the opportunity to be a blessing to the families of those who perished and, the families who lost their homes. On a personal note, I felt the joy that the people of Barangay Apologista in Sara, Iloilo felt last weekend when members of the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Jaro District decided to forego with their annual Christmas party and instead share the joy of Christmas with the residents of the said barangay who were affected by typhoon Yolanda.
Gift packs were given to more than 500 families as we also participated in the groundbreaking to rebuild the barangay chapel that was destroyed by the typhoon. Indeed there is truth to the adage that there is joy in giving than in receiving and this was what the BLD Jaro members experienced.
As more information, pictures and footages are made available, the destruction to both life and property was so overwhelming that even the best that we can give may not be enough. But we can start by praying for the souls of those who died and for God to grant strength to those who survived. And let us be like Mary and bless those in need with the blessings that we have received.
1st Reading: Songs 2:8-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 33:2-3, 11-12, 20-21 “Exult you just, in the Lord! Sing to him a new song.”
GOSPEL: LK 1:39-45
Key Verse: “Blessed are you among women” (v.42)
To be chosen or to be favored by God is an awesome privilege because to be set apart from the rest can be compared to a crown of joy. But this privilege comes with a responsibility to also bear the cross of sorrow that goes with it.
In today’s Gospel passage we will read about not only the joy of Mary upon seeing her cousin Elizabeth who was barren but was pregnant with child but most significantly the child in her womb who will later on become John the Baptist stirred in her womb as if sensing the presence of Jesus Christ in their midst.
This scenario is deemed noteworthy because it suggests that even at that time when Christ was still in the womb of Mary the child in Elizabeth’s womb already recognized the presence of Jesus the Messiah who was to be born to save the world from damnation.
There can be no doubting the religiosity of Mary who belonged to the House of David and Elizabeth who was the wife of the high priest Zechariah and what they felt was true joy that comes from being in God’s presence.
As Mary would probably learn later, being favored by God was a great privilege because it was through her that Salvation would come into the world. But the blessedness she received also became a sword that would pierce her heart as her Son will hung on the cross 33 years later.
We will reflect on this great event when we observe Lent a few months from now but in the meantime, let us look at what this Gospel is telling us. Here we see Elizabeth, as soon as he heard Mary’s greeting, was filled with the Holy Spirit as “the baby leapt in her womb” (v.41)
It may also be that by the power of the same Holy Spirit that Elizabeth was able exclaim: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!” (v.42)
There are many in the world who up to this present age do not give the honor that Mary deserves. There are two possibilities why this is so. One is that recognizing Mary’s contributions to the salvific plan of God would alter their religious beliefs and even faith for that matter. The other is that there is actually little information about Mary in the Scriptures.
But for what has been made available to us, there is no denying the fact that Mary was the window of heaven through which the True Light came into the world. In one of his homilies, St. Anselm, a great teacher, philosopher, theologian and Archbishop of Canterbury, said that: “Without God’s Son nothing could exist; Without Mary’s son, nothing could be redeemed.”
Simply put, Jesus was able to accomplish his mission to spread God’s Word and redeem the world because Mary risked everything she had, all the honor and reputation she had as a young maiden betrothed to Joseph when she said: “May it be to me as you have said.” (Lk 1:38)
St. Peter Damian once said that: “God would not become man until Mary had given her consent in order that we might see that the salvation of mankind rested in her hands.”
This was the reason why Mary was not only favored by God (Lk 1:30) but her intercessions have become so powerful that even the Saints have recognized her as the dispenser of graces. It will be recalled that in 1683 when the Turks laid a siege on Vienna, the people in the beleaguered city and throughout Christendom the Rosary was recited to implore the aid of the Mother of God and this resulted in victory for the Christian nation.
In this Gospel passage, Elizabeth was blessed when Mary visited her. But it’s not just Elizabeth who was blessed but all women who can bear a child are also being blessed by God because of their tremendous contributions as bearers of life.
As Mary blessed Elizabeth with her visit, we too are being blessed by God if we participate in the plan of God to protect and preserve life. And many times we look at blessings in the material point of view and often we count what we don’t have. In other words, we waste so much time brooding over things that we lack and we forget to nurture what we already have.
We have forgotten how to count our blessings and one of the factors that lead to frustration and despair is our inability to see that God has made available everything that we will ever need to survive in this world. Even the life we now live, the family that we have – our spouse, children, relatives and friends – are blessings and we need to ask ourselves if we have thanked God for these blessings.
Translated into our everyday life, we at times have the habit of looking into the negatives as we expend our energies feasting on the negative traits of people instead of their positive attributes. We cannot be a blessing to others until we have become the Good News.
In my old life, I was happy with what money can buy. I was into restoring vintage cars and collecting antiques but there was always this urge to look for more and at times it brought in frustration than happiness. And I was really glad that God found me at the right time and there was this inexpressible joy that I experienced when God too me back into his sheepfold.
And as we count our blessings, we too can be like Mary and be a blessing by sharing our blessings to others. John grew to become the herald who announced the coming of Jesus Christ. We too must point others to Christ and not to ourselves.
This is our mandate as we were brought into the world for a purpose. Mary was chosen and favored by God. We who believe and have faith in God are being asked to turn our lives into a blessing that we can share with the world.
The tragedy that struck Bohol and Leyte in Central Visayas provides us with the opportunity to be a blessing to the families of those who perished and, the families who lost their homes. On a personal note, I felt the joy that the people of Barangay Apologista in Sara, Iloilo felt last weekend when members of the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Jaro District decided to forego with their annual Christmas party and instead share the joy of Christmas with the residents of the said barangay who were affected by typhoon Yolanda.
Gift packs were given to more than 500 families as we also participated in the groundbreaking to rebuild the barangay chapel that was destroyed by the typhoon. Indeed there is truth to the adage that there is joy in giving than in receiving and this was what the BLD Jaro members experienced.
As more information, pictures and footages are made available, the destruction to both life and property was so overwhelming that even the best that we can give may not be enough. But we can start by praying for the souls of those who died and for God to grant strength to those who survived. And let us be like Mary and bless those in need with the blessings that we have received.
GOD LOVES THE OBEDIENT
DEC. 20, 2013: FIFTH NOVENA MASS
1st Reading: Isa 7:10-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 24:1-6 “Let the Lord enter; he is the King
of Glory.”
GOSPEL: LK 1:26-38
Key Verse: “May it be to me as you have said.” (v.38)
The Gospel today has Mary as the focal point and to be able to fully grasp this story of the Annunciation we need to again go back in history and know the situation Mary was in when this event happened for us to really appreciate the sterling character of our Blessed Mother.
Mary was a young maiden who was betrothed to Joseph. A betrothal normally lasts for a year and is generally regarded as binding as if they are already married. Such betrothal can only be recalled or cancelled either by divorce or death of either one of the contracting parties. And in the event that a man to whom a woman was betrothed dies, the woman is regarded as a widow.
A young and an unmarried maiden who gets pregnant outside of marriage will invite disaster. And for Mary to tell her story of becoming pregnant by the Holy Spirit also risked being considered crazy. This was the predicament to which Mary was in when the angel Gabriel told her: “You will be child and give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus” (v.31). Disbelief and wonderment must have filled Mary at that very moment but the angel assured her “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (v.35).
Despite the risks of being ridiculed and the possibility of divorce, Mary’s response stood out and would be hailed from that time on till now as a primary model of obedience. Her subservience to the Will of God was not only unparalleled but it became the avenue through which Salvation came into the world. The only thing she knew was she was being asked by God to serve him and she willingly obeyed.
The hope and future of mankind rested on that simple phrase that Mary uttered: “I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as you have said” (v.38). In that short response, Mary became the vessel through which Our Lord Jesus Christ will come into the world but we should not also forget the sacrifice and humility of Joseph who took Mary as his spouse and who stood as guardian of the Savior of all humanity.
While Eve was referred to as the mother of humanity that was doomed to sin, Mary was regarded as the mother of the new Adam who will reverse the sinful nature of man by his Grace (Rom 5:19). As the angel Gabriel instructed Mary and Joseph the child to be born was to named Jesus which is a Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua meaning “the Lord saves.” This was also a fulfillment of God’s promise to David that his kingdom will last forever (2 Sam 7:16). And rightly so, for Jesus who came from the house of David (Matt 1) has reigned since then and continues to rule today in the hearts of men.
Although the Virgin Birth has largely remained a mystery that many people find hard to believe, we should remember that Luke was a medical doctor and while it was hard for him to believe how a baby can be conceived in the case of Mary, he wrote about it based on the facts or interviews he made with witnesses and his own conversation with Mary.
But the most important facet of this Virgin Birth is that there shouldn’t be any doubt in our minds that God has the power to create a child even in the womb of a virgin.
What then is the message for us in this Gospel reading as well as the inference in the 1st Reading (Isa 7:12) when Ahaz refused to seek God’s favor which was the exact opposite of Mary’s response. The readings invite us not only to seek God’s favor but for us to put all our trust in Our Lord.
We should remember, however, that God’s favor doesn’t mean success or fame overnight because as with Mary being favored at times would lead to pain and ridicule. At times, being favored by God will bring hardships and difficulties but it is in these trying times when our faith is tested that God is present.
And like Mary whose submission was an embodiment of the world’s greatest prayer: “Thy Will be done” (Matt 6:10), it is when we can say the same that God will pour out on us his manifold Graces that will allow us not only to endure our suffering but to experience joy amidst the pain and tribulations in our lives because anyone who will trust God like Mary will be filled with Grace.
What we all must remember was that Mary withstood the predicament she was in because God favored her and blessed all the circumstances in her life. This simply means that God will also provide us the strength, endurance and perseverance to go through with our lives but this is anchored on our saying “yes, Thy Will be done.”
There are at least three things that will happen when we respond positively to the challenge when we are called to obey God. At times we will find it difficult to understand the call of God but obedience challenges us to go beyond just understanding and Jesus made this plain in Matt 5:19 when he said that obeying God’s laws are more important than explaining it. If things are not going well in our lives perhaps it is time that we ask ourselves how are we doing at obeying God’s Will.
Obedience is also going beyond mere outward conformity. The Pharisees of old obeyed the Mosaic laws but they rejected the call of Jesus for a change in their attitude. The environment that the Pharisees were in was so different than the world we live in today and now all the tools that can help us fully understand the plan of God are available to us. Thus, it would be foolhardy and we will only be inviting disaster if we will reject God’s offer of salvation.
The third point is that obedience challenges us to respond to God in love. As with Mary who showed deep faith and love for God when she said: “…may it be to me as you have said” (v.38) we too are called to obey God even if we do not fully understand where God is leading us. Because of the influence of the materialism in today’s post-modern world we are sometimes moved to equate comfort and security in terms of material possessions. I too was like that.
In fact, I was earning much more before when I belonged to the so-called marginalized Catholics but I was not happy. For some reason God found me 24 years ago and when I turned over my life to him, my faith was challenged by numerous trials. My brokerage business collapsed. I was forced to close my piggery farm that was incurring heavy losses. Surprisingly, I felt a sense of peace amidst all these and I realized that God was there beside me every step of the way.
In our profession of faith when we recite the Apostles’ Creed during the Eucharistic Celebration, we must not only understand what the Creed is but we must comprehend the depth of what it is. In so doing, we must understand and believe when we say: “I believe in God the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, Our Lord; who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit; born of the Virgin Mary…”
The Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed in the New Roman Missal will mean much more if we truly understand and believe what it says. And ask God for faith if anyone of you lack wisdom (Jam 1:5).
1st Reading: Isa 7:10-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 24:1-6 “Let the Lord enter; he is the King
of Glory.”
GOSPEL: LK 1:26-38
Key Verse: “May it be to me as you have said.” (v.38)
The Gospel today has Mary as the focal point and to be able to fully grasp this story of the Annunciation we need to again go back in history and know the situation Mary was in when this event happened for us to really appreciate the sterling character of our Blessed Mother.
Mary was a young maiden who was betrothed to Joseph. A betrothal normally lasts for a year and is generally regarded as binding as if they are already married. Such betrothal can only be recalled or cancelled either by divorce or death of either one of the contracting parties. And in the event that a man to whom a woman was betrothed dies, the woman is regarded as a widow.
A young and an unmarried maiden who gets pregnant outside of marriage will invite disaster. And for Mary to tell her story of becoming pregnant by the Holy Spirit also risked being considered crazy. This was the predicament to which Mary was in when the angel Gabriel told her: “You will be child and give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus” (v.31). Disbelief and wonderment must have filled Mary at that very moment but the angel assured her “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (v.35).
Despite the risks of being ridiculed and the possibility of divorce, Mary’s response stood out and would be hailed from that time on till now as a primary model of obedience. Her subservience to the Will of God was not only unparalleled but it became the avenue through which Salvation came into the world. The only thing she knew was she was being asked by God to serve him and she willingly obeyed.
The hope and future of mankind rested on that simple phrase that Mary uttered: “I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as you have said” (v.38). In that short response, Mary became the vessel through which Our Lord Jesus Christ will come into the world but we should not also forget the sacrifice and humility of Joseph who took Mary as his spouse and who stood as guardian of the Savior of all humanity.
While Eve was referred to as the mother of humanity that was doomed to sin, Mary was regarded as the mother of the new Adam who will reverse the sinful nature of man by his Grace (Rom 5:19). As the angel Gabriel instructed Mary and Joseph the child to be born was to named Jesus which is a Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua meaning “the Lord saves.” This was also a fulfillment of God’s promise to David that his kingdom will last forever (2 Sam 7:16). And rightly so, for Jesus who came from the house of David (Matt 1) has reigned since then and continues to rule today in the hearts of men.
Although the Virgin Birth has largely remained a mystery that many people find hard to believe, we should remember that Luke was a medical doctor and while it was hard for him to believe how a baby can be conceived in the case of Mary, he wrote about it based on the facts or interviews he made with witnesses and his own conversation with Mary.
But the most important facet of this Virgin Birth is that there shouldn’t be any doubt in our minds that God has the power to create a child even in the womb of a virgin.
What then is the message for us in this Gospel reading as well as the inference in the 1st Reading (Isa 7:12) when Ahaz refused to seek God’s favor which was the exact opposite of Mary’s response. The readings invite us not only to seek God’s favor but for us to put all our trust in Our Lord.
We should remember, however, that God’s favor doesn’t mean success or fame overnight because as with Mary being favored at times would lead to pain and ridicule. At times, being favored by God will bring hardships and difficulties but it is in these trying times when our faith is tested that God is present.
And like Mary whose submission was an embodiment of the world’s greatest prayer: “Thy Will be done” (Matt 6:10), it is when we can say the same that God will pour out on us his manifold Graces that will allow us not only to endure our suffering but to experience joy amidst the pain and tribulations in our lives because anyone who will trust God like Mary will be filled with Grace.
What we all must remember was that Mary withstood the predicament she was in because God favored her and blessed all the circumstances in her life. This simply means that God will also provide us the strength, endurance and perseverance to go through with our lives but this is anchored on our saying “yes, Thy Will be done.”
There are at least three things that will happen when we respond positively to the challenge when we are called to obey God. At times we will find it difficult to understand the call of God but obedience challenges us to go beyond just understanding and Jesus made this plain in Matt 5:19 when he said that obeying God’s laws are more important than explaining it. If things are not going well in our lives perhaps it is time that we ask ourselves how are we doing at obeying God’s Will.
Obedience is also going beyond mere outward conformity. The Pharisees of old obeyed the Mosaic laws but they rejected the call of Jesus for a change in their attitude. The environment that the Pharisees were in was so different than the world we live in today and now all the tools that can help us fully understand the plan of God are available to us. Thus, it would be foolhardy and we will only be inviting disaster if we will reject God’s offer of salvation.
The third point is that obedience challenges us to respond to God in love. As with Mary who showed deep faith and love for God when she said: “…may it be to me as you have said” (v.38) we too are called to obey God even if we do not fully understand where God is leading us. Because of the influence of the materialism in today’s post-modern world we are sometimes moved to equate comfort and security in terms of material possessions. I too was like that.
In fact, I was earning much more before when I belonged to the so-called marginalized Catholics but I was not happy. For some reason God found me 24 years ago and when I turned over my life to him, my faith was challenged by numerous trials. My brokerage business collapsed. I was forced to close my piggery farm that was incurring heavy losses. Surprisingly, I felt a sense of peace amidst all these and I realized that God was there beside me every step of the way.
In our profession of faith when we recite the Apostles’ Creed during the Eucharistic Celebration, we must not only understand what the Creed is but we must comprehend the depth of what it is. In so doing, we must understand and believe when we say: “I believe in God the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, Our Lord; who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit; born of the Virgin Mary…”
The Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed in the New Roman Missal will mean much more if we truly understand and believe what it says. And ask God for faith if anyone of you lack wisdom (Jam 1:5).
GOD KEEPS HIS PROMISES
DEC. 19, 2013: 4TH NOVENA MASS
1st Reading: Judg 13:2-7, 24-25
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 71:3-6, 16-17 “My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!”
GOSPEL: LK 1:5-25
Key Verse: “For he will be great in the sight of the Lord.” (v.15)
In the First Reading we read about Manoah whose wife was barren but gave birth to a son who was named Samson and, in the Gospel passage we are struck with the case of Elizabeth, who was also barren but whom God favored as she bore a son who grew up to be the forerunner of the Messiah.
These two exactly similar biblical scenarios should once and for all establish the fact that God fulfills all his promises no matter how long the wait and will rain down favors on those who will remain in Him. To remain in him is to listen to his Word. To listen to him is to abide by his Word which means we need to be loyal and faithful to him if we want to be favored by him from whom all Graces flow.
What God did to Manoah’s wife and to Elizabeth also proves that “nothing is impossible with God” (Lk 1:37). These two biblical events were to show the people that faithfulness has its corresponding rewards and that God can make possible what is impossible with men if we will only remain faithful to him.
Let me also encourage everyone to read Judges 13 in its entirety to grasp the beautiful exchange between Manoah and his wife and the angel whom the Lord sent to instruct Manoah on how to raise up the child who was to be born but this was not after Manoah prayed for guidance from the Lord.
In the same way, Zechariah the husband of Elizabeth also prayed at the inner court of the Temple and it was there that God gave him the assurance that Elizabeth will bear a child. It was important for Zechariah to have a child because every Jew in those days is expected to bear a child and childlessness could be a ground for divorce.
These two situations also show us that God talked to Manoah and Zechariah when they prayed and this should give us a concrete idea that prayer is an avenue through which God can talk to us and vice versa.
The similarity with these two situations doesn’t end with the birth of Samson and John the Baptist. Even in the way they were to be raised was similar as God instructed Manoah and Zechariah that their children “are not to take wine or any fermented drink.” (Jud 13:4; Lk 1:15)
Besides the miracle of two barren women bearing a child on the basis of God’s promise, these two readings should also lead us to reflect of our own barrenness regardless of our gender. To fully understand that we could also be barren, we need to go and find the meaning of what being barren is.
In essence, being barren is the inability to produce life. A person who is barren is unproductive, infertile, infecund and or, ineffectual and fruitless. As these two readings spoke of the barrenness of the wife of Manoah and Elizabeth but whom God favored by making them fertile, we are being urged to also look into our own lives and see if we too are barren, unproductive and or ineffectual.
The exact opposite of barren is the ability to produce life and as Christian disciples, our calling is for us to give birth to life from within ourselves and to transfuse to others this life has been born in us. Principally, this is what the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ means for he comes to share his life with us. He comes to give birth to life and he who will come will remove our barrenness and turn us into a fertile ground so others may see the image of Christ in us.
Indeed, not all of us have this gift of giving birth to life. Our lives may be barren and we may not even know it. It is possible that we may have become unproductive and ineffectual when we have become bigger than God, dwelling in our beliefs and self-righteousness. But such can be reversed if we can gather the courage, like Zechariah and Manoah, to come to God in prayer.
And in coming to God, we need to be still and quiet before him so we can listen to his voice as he speaks to us and reveals his Word to us. In this 4th Week of the Advent Season as we approach with joyful expectation the coming of Our Savior, we need to intensify our prayer lives and surrender to Our Lord the areas of our lives that have become barren.
The key is for us to stand before God, admit our being barren and when we can gather the courage and the boldness to abandon our human will to his divine providence we will discover that our barrenness will be transformed into a productive and fruitful life for it is only by his Grace that we can be set apart as did Samson and John the Baptist.
The calamity that struck Bohol, Samar and Leyte gives us an opportunity to give birth to life by coming to the aid of the victims of the devastation wrought by the earthquake and typhoon Yolanda. That such tragedy comes as we await the coming of Our Lord also provides us with a time to reflect on our relationship with God.
And we can all rise up from our barrenness and be a vessel that would give birth to life by contributing whatever we can give for the hapless victims of this tragedy. Let the image and likeness of God that lies hidden in us be seen that others may believe that there is a God like no other.
1st Reading: Judg 13:2-7, 24-25
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 71:3-6, 16-17 “My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!”
GOSPEL: LK 1:5-25
Key Verse: “For he will be great in the sight of the Lord.” (v.15)
In the First Reading we read about Manoah whose wife was barren but gave birth to a son who was named Samson and, in the Gospel passage we are struck with the case of Elizabeth, who was also barren but whom God favored as she bore a son who grew up to be the forerunner of the Messiah.
These two exactly similar biblical scenarios should once and for all establish the fact that God fulfills all his promises no matter how long the wait and will rain down favors on those who will remain in Him. To remain in him is to listen to his Word. To listen to him is to abide by his Word which means we need to be loyal and faithful to him if we want to be favored by him from whom all Graces flow.
What God did to Manoah’s wife and to Elizabeth also proves that “nothing is impossible with God” (Lk 1:37). These two biblical events were to show the people that faithfulness has its corresponding rewards and that God can make possible what is impossible with men if we will only remain faithful to him.
Let me also encourage everyone to read Judges 13 in its entirety to grasp the beautiful exchange between Manoah and his wife and the angel whom the Lord sent to instruct Manoah on how to raise up the child who was to be born but this was not after Manoah prayed for guidance from the Lord.
In the same way, Zechariah the husband of Elizabeth also prayed at the inner court of the Temple and it was there that God gave him the assurance that Elizabeth will bear a child. It was important for Zechariah to have a child because every Jew in those days is expected to bear a child and childlessness could be a ground for divorce.
These two situations also show us that God talked to Manoah and Zechariah when they prayed and this should give us a concrete idea that prayer is an avenue through which God can talk to us and vice versa.
The similarity with these two situations doesn’t end with the birth of Samson and John the Baptist. Even in the way they were to be raised was similar as God instructed Manoah and Zechariah that their children “are not to take wine or any fermented drink.” (Jud 13:4; Lk 1:15)
Besides the miracle of two barren women bearing a child on the basis of God’s promise, these two readings should also lead us to reflect of our own barrenness regardless of our gender. To fully understand that we could also be barren, we need to go and find the meaning of what being barren is.
In essence, being barren is the inability to produce life. A person who is barren is unproductive, infertile, infecund and or, ineffectual and fruitless. As these two readings spoke of the barrenness of the wife of Manoah and Elizabeth but whom God favored by making them fertile, we are being urged to also look into our own lives and see if we too are barren, unproductive and or ineffectual.
The exact opposite of barren is the ability to produce life and as Christian disciples, our calling is for us to give birth to life from within ourselves and to transfuse to others this life has been born in us. Principally, this is what the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ means for he comes to share his life with us. He comes to give birth to life and he who will come will remove our barrenness and turn us into a fertile ground so others may see the image of Christ in us.
Indeed, not all of us have this gift of giving birth to life. Our lives may be barren and we may not even know it. It is possible that we may have become unproductive and ineffectual when we have become bigger than God, dwelling in our beliefs and self-righteousness. But such can be reversed if we can gather the courage, like Zechariah and Manoah, to come to God in prayer.
And in coming to God, we need to be still and quiet before him so we can listen to his voice as he speaks to us and reveals his Word to us. In this 4th Week of the Advent Season as we approach with joyful expectation the coming of Our Savior, we need to intensify our prayer lives and surrender to Our Lord the areas of our lives that have become barren.
The key is for us to stand before God, admit our being barren and when we can gather the courage and the boldness to abandon our human will to his divine providence we will discover that our barrenness will be transformed into a productive and fruitful life for it is only by his Grace that we can be set apart as did Samson and John the Baptist.
The calamity that struck Bohol, Samar and Leyte gives us an opportunity to give birth to life by coming to the aid of the victims of the devastation wrought by the earthquake and typhoon Yolanda. That such tragedy comes as we await the coming of Our Lord also provides us with a time to reflect on our relationship with God.
And we can all rise up from our barrenness and be a vessel that would give birth to life by contributing whatever we can give for the hapless victims of this tragedy. Let the image and likeness of God that lies hidden in us be seen that others may believe that there is a God like no other.
OBEDIENCE PLEASES GOD
DEC. 18, 2013: 3rd NOVENA MASS
1st Reading: Jer 23:5-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 72:1-2, 12-13, 18-19 “Justice shall flourish in his time and fullness of peace for ever.”
Gospel: Matt 1:18-24
Key Verse: “and he will be called Immanuel.” (v.23)
There have been many instances when weddings were cancelled for a number of reasons such as when one of the parties to the wedding suddenly realized he/she was not prepared for a life-long commitment, or when one fell ill, or to a certain extreme when one was found to have been unfaithful to the other.
This could have been the case in today’s Gospel passage had not God sent an angel to relay to Joseph that Mary’s conception was the plan of God and that the child in her womb was conceived by the Holy Spirit and that Joseph and Mary are to name him Immanuel which means God is with us as was prophesied by Isaiah (Isa 7:14).
This revelation by the angel carries with it the important truth that Jesus is fully divine and fully human. The exegesis of this scenario was that God made full use of the limitations of the human being so that his Son could live and die for the salvation of those to whom he was sent.
It was in living as a man that Jesus understood “our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin.” (Heb 4:15). And because he is God he also has the power to save us from our sinful nature and make us alive in him as he forgives us all our sins (Col 2:13).
This is what his nature means because Jesus means the Lord saves and Jesus came to save us for the simple reason that we are unable to save ourselves from eternal damnation. Regardless of how good a man is, there is just no way you will not give in to sinful tendencies no matter how irrelevant or minute it may be because of the sinful nature of man resulting from the sin that came into the world through the first Adam.
And Jesus did not come to help us save ourselves. The truth is Jesus came to save us from the wages of sin which is death. It is when we realize this truth, embrace it and allow Christ through the Holy Spirit to take control of our lives that transformation takes place. Conversion is manifested when we become aware of the presence of the Lord in us.
The manner by which Joseph responded to the news brought by the angel should provide us with an overview of how we too should respond to the Word of God. It helped that Joseph was a God-fearing man who did not wish to embarrass or punish Mary his espoused wife when he discovered that she was pregnant.
Even if from all appearances that Mary had broken their solemn pledge to be faithful and chaste to one another, Joseph must have took this problem to God in prayer. What we can see from Joseph’s actions was not only the righteousness of his behavior but his being sensitive and discreet in his ways.
Joseph was not hasty to judge or to react with hurt and anger and God rewarded him not only with guidance and consolation, but with the divine assurance that he had indeed called Joseph to be the husband of Mary and to assume a mission that would require the extreme faith, confidence and, complete trust in God.
“The Ten Commandments were given so that all could see the extent of their failure to obey God’s laws. But the more we see our sinfulness, the more we God’s abounding grace forgiving us.” (Rom 5:20) Because Joseph was a devout Jew and so was very familiar with the Scriptures his acting in obedience to the angel who appeared to him in a dream was to be expected. At the end of the day, his fear of God was what moved Joseph to do what the angel told him to do.
The rest was history and like Mary who said “be it done unto me according to your Word” Joseph also was a model of faith for us. He became a faithful witness and servant of God's unfolding plan of redemption.
The question now is are we ready to believe in God’s promise of salvation even when we are faced with confusing circumstances and what may seem like overwhelming problems? What we must all realize is that God did not leave us orphans after he created us but he sent us his only begotten Son Jesus Christ to become our Lord and Savior.
As Christian disciples we can all draw inspiration from Joseph whose actions in this Gospel passage showed the qualities of his godly nature. He was clothed with unparalleled righteousness when he chose not to embarrass Mary by breaking off the engagement quietly (v.19). In our case, do we resolve our differences quietly so as not to embarrass the aggrieved person or do we go to town and broadcast the imperfections of the person with whom we are in disagreement?
When Joseph acceded to the message of the angel he also displayed his responsiveness to God (v.24) and this is where we come to grips with our own nature. As a believer, do we listen to the Word of God in the way we relate to God and our neighbor? Do we allow God to not only move in our lives but to give him full control of our nature? In other words, do we have a spirit that is yielded to God’s Will?
Joseph also showed an admirable level of discipline in his life (v.25) as Mary remained a virgin until her son was born and Joseph named him Jesus as the angel had instructed. How about us? How disciplined are our lives? Do we recite the Shema when the sun rises and when we turn in for the night? Do we honor God by honoring our parents or spouses? How far can we go to show our love for God and our neighbor? How Joseph conducted himself should give us an idea of how we too should live and relate to God and to others and like Joseph, our obedience to God will beget bountiful blessings that we may not even have enough room for it.
Let us thus await the birth of Jesus Christ with joyful expectation and let this be an opportunity for us to renew our faith and hope in God and in his redeeming work.
1st Reading: Jer 23:5-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 72:1-2, 12-13, 18-19 “Justice shall flourish in his time and fullness of peace for ever.”
Gospel: Matt 1:18-24
Key Verse: “and he will be called Immanuel.” (v.23)
There have been many instances when weddings were cancelled for a number of reasons such as when one of the parties to the wedding suddenly realized he/she was not prepared for a life-long commitment, or when one fell ill, or to a certain extreme when one was found to have been unfaithful to the other.
This could have been the case in today’s Gospel passage had not God sent an angel to relay to Joseph that Mary’s conception was the plan of God and that the child in her womb was conceived by the Holy Spirit and that Joseph and Mary are to name him Immanuel which means God is with us as was prophesied by Isaiah (Isa 7:14).
This revelation by the angel carries with it the important truth that Jesus is fully divine and fully human. The exegesis of this scenario was that God made full use of the limitations of the human being so that his Son could live and die for the salvation of those to whom he was sent.
It was in living as a man that Jesus understood “our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin.” (Heb 4:15). And because he is God he also has the power to save us from our sinful nature and make us alive in him as he forgives us all our sins (Col 2:13).
This is what his nature means because Jesus means the Lord saves and Jesus came to save us for the simple reason that we are unable to save ourselves from eternal damnation. Regardless of how good a man is, there is just no way you will not give in to sinful tendencies no matter how irrelevant or minute it may be because of the sinful nature of man resulting from the sin that came into the world through the first Adam.
And Jesus did not come to help us save ourselves. The truth is Jesus came to save us from the wages of sin which is death. It is when we realize this truth, embrace it and allow Christ through the Holy Spirit to take control of our lives that transformation takes place. Conversion is manifested when we become aware of the presence of the Lord in us.
The manner by which Joseph responded to the news brought by the angel should provide us with an overview of how we too should respond to the Word of God. It helped that Joseph was a God-fearing man who did not wish to embarrass or punish Mary his espoused wife when he discovered that she was pregnant.
Even if from all appearances that Mary had broken their solemn pledge to be faithful and chaste to one another, Joseph must have took this problem to God in prayer. What we can see from Joseph’s actions was not only the righteousness of his behavior but his being sensitive and discreet in his ways.
Joseph was not hasty to judge or to react with hurt and anger and God rewarded him not only with guidance and consolation, but with the divine assurance that he had indeed called Joseph to be the husband of Mary and to assume a mission that would require the extreme faith, confidence and, complete trust in God.
“The Ten Commandments were given so that all could see the extent of their failure to obey God’s laws. But the more we see our sinfulness, the more we God’s abounding grace forgiving us.” (Rom 5:20) Because Joseph was a devout Jew and so was very familiar with the Scriptures his acting in obedience to the angel who appeared to him in a dream was to be expected. At the end of the day, his fear of God was what moved Joseph to do what the angel told him to do.
The rest was history and like Mary who said “be it done unto me according to your Word” Joseph also was a model of faith for us. He became a faithful witness and servant of God's unfolding plan of redemption.
The question now is are we ready to believe in God’s promise of salvation even when we are faced with confusing circumstances and what may seem like overwhelming problems? What we must all realize is that God did not leave us orphans after he created us but he sent us his only begotten Son Jesus Christ to become our Lord and Savior.
As Christian disciples we can all draw inspiration from Joseph whose actions in this Gospel passage showed the qualities of his godly nature. He was clothed with unparalleled righteousness when he chose not to embarrass Mary by breaking off the engagement quietly (v.19). In our case, do we resolve our differences quietly so as not to embarrass the aggrieved person or do we go to town and broadcast the imperfections of the person with whom we are in disagreement?
When Joseph acceded to the message of the angel he also displayed his responsiveness to God (v.24) and this is where we come to grips with our own nature. As a believer, do we listen to the Word of God in the way we relate to God and our neighbor? Do we allow God to not only move in our lives but to give him full control of our nature? In other words, do we have a spirit that is yielded to God’s Will?
Joseph also showed an admirable level of discipline in his life (v.25) as Mary remained a virgin until her son was born and Joseph named him Jesus as the angel had instructed. How about us? How disciplined are our lives? Do we recite the Shema when the sun rises and when we turn in for the night? Do we honor God by honoring our parents or spouses? How far can we go to show our love for God and our neighbor? How Joseph conducted himself should give us an idea of how we too should live and relate to God and to others and like Joseph, our obedience to God will beget bountiful blessings that we may not even have enough room for it.
Let us thus await the birth of Jesus Christ with joyful expectation and let this be an opportunity for us to renew our faith and hope in God and in his redeeming work.
JESUS - ROYAL AND DIVINE
DEC. 17, 2013: 2nd NOVENA MASS
1st Reading: Gen 49:2, 8-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 72:1-4, 7-8, 17 “Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace forever.”
GOSPEL: MATT 1:1-17
Key Verse: “A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham.” (v.1)
Many times people who go to attend the Mass in a Catholic Church will ask why we need to go through the Family Tree or what is referred to as the genealogy of Jesus Christ. What is its significance? Why is it important for us to at least know something about the family history of Jesus?
Another question in your minds perhaps is of what use was the genealogy of Jesus. For us modern-day Christians we will probably struggle to find its relevance with regards to our faith. Matthew, however, has a valid reason for coming out with the lineage of Christ. One was that the Gospel of Matthew was principally directed towards the Jews who as a people were particularly interested in genealogies.
By presenting the family lineage of Jesus, Matthew’s objective was to convince the Jewish people that Jesus indeed was the Messiah that they have been waiting for and this was the reason why the genealogy of Jesus as presented by Matthew was divided into three sections – 1) Man bore the image and likeness of God and this first section ended with David who unified Israel as a nation; 2) This second group of Jesus’ ancestors started with Solomon and ended with the Jews losing their greatness and going into exile in Babylon and there started the long wait for a Messiah, and; 3) The third grouping began from the return of the Jews from exile and regaining their greatness and all the way up to Jacob, the father of Joseph, husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.
With this genealogy, Matthew was telling the Jews that Jesus was the fulfillment of the prophecy that Jesus was the true Messiah having descended from both Abraham (Gen 22:18) and David (Isa 11:1-2). This genealogy also erased all doubts about the origin of Jesus because his claim as a descendant of the throne of David was both legal by virtue of his adoption by Joseph who was a descendant of Solomon and natural on account of his birth by Mary, a descendant of Nathan.
How then can this genealogy of Jesus Christ be useful to us in this age. What we all can deduce from the beginning of Matthew’s Gospel is the assurance that God always keeps his promises. Throughout the Scriptures, we read of God’s promises and what is remarkable was that God always keeps his word.
Notwithstanding the tragedy and disasters that struck the Jews, they never got tired of waiting and with expectant hope they knew that a descendant from the throne of David will come and lead them to the glory that they firmly believed to be theirs by right and inheritance.
With this genealogy, you will see that Jesus was indeed the fulfillment of God’s promise to send a Messiah that we may all be saved. The Scriptures also assures us that Jesus was not only the hope of the people of the Old Covenant but more so our hope in today’s post-modern world that is wracked by perversion and sin. The RH Law can easily fall in this category because to usurp the authority of God with regards to the flow of life is a sin as it runs counter to what the Sacred Scriptures say.
The most significant aspect of the coming of Christ is that he brings with him the Grace from heaven that will restore us into the fullness of his glory when “he will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Rev 21:4)
But this Grace that Christ will apportion to us must be met with a corresponding response. It cannot be that we will just be a receiving people because salvation is a two-way process. God will definitely keep his promise and grant us eternal salvation but this is contingent on our response that is anchored on our doing his Will.
With this genealogy, Our Lord Jesus Christ invites us to a deeper realization that we too are somehow grafted into the family tree of Jesus by virtue of our adoption as sons and daughters of God. “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” (2 Cor 6:18)
Thus, this Christmas Season should not just remind us of the coming of salvation into the world but it should continually remind us of God’s mercy and kindness as well as his assurance that in whatever state we are in, God will keep his promise to us as he did in his promise to Abraham.
Our adoption by God and our being made a continuation of Christ’s genealogy is because God himself had declared that we are: “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness and into his wonderful light.” (2 Pet 9)
As we prepare for the coming of Our Lord who is the manifestation of God’s love for us, let us remove any doubt we may be entertaining in our minds as to our heavenly inheritance. There shouldn’t be any question that we have all been created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26) and this was further confirmed by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who in our baptism also infused in us the three Theological Virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity. This presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives
is what makes us partakers of his divine nature (2 Pet 1:4).
1st Reading: Gen 49:2, 8-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 72:1-4, 7-8, 17 “Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace forever.”
GOSPEL: MATT 1:1-17
Key Verse: “A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham.” (v.1)
Many times people who go to attend the Mass in a Catholic Church will ask why we need to go through the Family Tree or what is referred to as the genealogy of Jesus Christ. What is its significance? Why is it important for us to at least know something about the family history of Jesus?
Another question in your minds perhaps is of what use was the genealogy of Jesus. For us modern-day Christians we will probably struggle to find its relevance with regards to our faith. Matthew, however, has a valid reason for coming out with the lineage of Christ. One was that the Gospel of Matthew was principally directed towards the Jews who as a people were particularly interested in genealogies.
By presenting the family lineage of Jesus, Matthew’s objective was to convince the Jewish people that Jesus indeed was the Messiah that they have been waiting for and this was the reason why the genealogy of Jesus as presented by Matthew was divided into three sections – 1) Man bore the image and likeness of God and this first section ended with David who unified Israel as a nation; 2) This second group of Jesus’ ancestors started with Solomon and ended with the Jews losing their greatness and going into exile in Babylon and there started the long wait for a Messiah, and; 3) The third grouping began from the return of the Jews from exile and regaining their greatness and all the way up to Jacob, the father of Joseph, husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.
With this genealogy, Matthew was telling the Jews that Jesus was the fulfillment of the prophecy that Jesus was the true Messiah having descended from both Abraham (Gen 22:18) and David (Isa 11:1-2). This genealogy also erased all doubts about the origin of Jesus because his claim as a descendant of the throne of David was both legal by virtue of his adoption by Joseph who was a descendant of Solomon and natural on account of his birth by Mary, a descendant of Nathan.
How then can this genealogy of Jesus Christ be useful to us in this age. What we all can deduce from the beginning of Matthew’s Gospel is the assurance that God always keeps his promises. Throughout the Scriptures, we read of God’s promises and what is remarkable was that God always keeps his word.
Notwithstanding the tragedy and disasters that struck the Jews, they never got tired of waiting and with expectant hope they knew that a descendant from the throne of David will come and lead them to the glory that they firmly believed to be theirs by right and inheritance.
With this genealogy, you will see that Jesus was indeed the fulfillment of God’s promise to send a Messiah that we may all be saved. The Scriptures also assures us that Jesus was not only the hope of the people of the Old Covenant but more so our hope in today’s post-modern world that is wracked by perversion and sin. The RH Law can easily fall in this category because to usurp the authority of God with regards to the flow of life is a sin as it runs counter to what the Sacred Scriptures say.
The most significant aspect of the coming of Christ is that he brings with him the Grace from heaven that will restore us into the fullness of his glory when “he will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Rev 21:4)
But this Grace that Christ will apportion to us must be met with a corresponding response. It cannot be that we will just be a receiving people because salvation is a two-way process. God will definitely keep his promise and grant us eternal salvation but this is contingent on our response that is anchored on our doing his Will.
With this genealogy, Our Lord Jesus Christ invites us to a deeper realization that we too are somehow grafted into the family tree of Jesus by virtue of our adoption as sons and daughters of God. “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” (2 Cor 6:18)
Thus, this Christmas Season should not just remind us of the coming of salvation into the world but it should continually remind us of God’s mercy and kindness as well as his assurance that in whatever state we are in, God will keep his promise to us as he did in his promise to Abraham.
Our adoption by God and our being made a continuation of Christ’s genealogy is because God himself had declared that we are: “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness and into his wonderful light.” (2 Pet 9)
As we prepare for the coming of Our Lord who is the manifestation of God’s love for us, let us remove any doubt we may be entertaining in our minds as to our heavenly inheritance. There shouldn’t be any question that we have all been created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26) and this was further confirmed by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who in our baptism also infused in us the three Theological Virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity. This presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives
is what makes us partakers of his divine nature (2 Pet 1:4).
SACRIFICE IS A FORM OF WORSHIP
DEC. 14, 2013: SECOND WEEK OF ADVENT
1ST Reading: Sir 48:1-4, 9-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19 “Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face, and we shall be saved.”
GOSPEL: MATT 17:9-13
Key Verse: “Elijah comes and will restore all things.” (v.11)
If there was one thing that you would really love in the way Our Lord goes about in establishing his kingdom here on earth was the orderliness in the way he has programmed his mission from the time of his coming to the day of redemption on the cross.
In each of these stages designed to save the world from its sin and perversity, God gives signs to show to the people what he was going to do. Even the coming of the John the Baptist was foretold in Malachi 3 when the Lord said: “See I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me” (Mal 3:1).
The Jews knew that a Messiah will come because the great prophet Isaiah also prophesied his coming (Isa 7) and that Elijah would appear to announce the coming of the Savior. This was probably one of the few surprises that the Jews were faced with because instead of Elijah, it was John the Baptist who appeared preaching a baptism of repentance and renewal.
As the Jews waited for the coming of the Messiah, they believed in their hearts that Elijah would return to restore everything before the Savior comes in order to make a world fit for the coming of the king. The idea of Elijah restoring the disordered environment was engraved in their hearts and minds.
And the coming of John the Baptist was something they did not expect. What the Jews did not know then was that John the Baptist took the form of Elijah to restore all things in preparation for the coming of Jesus Christ through his call for the people to repentance.
In effect, the coming of John the Baptist was a fulfillment of the prophesy except that he came on behalf of Elijah but which the Jews failed to grasp. And John pursued his role as a forerunner of the Messiah and this role finds a parallelism in the culture and tradition of the Jews when they celebrate a wedding feast.
In those days, the day and the hour when the bridegroom will arrive to exercise his right as husband to the bride was unknown and this was the reason why the ten virgins with their lamps had to wait for the bridegroom to arrive.
It is also the tradition that the coming of the bridegroom was preceded by a messenger or you may call him a barker because the role of the messenger is to announce the arrival of the groom to all the people living on the streets where the bridegroom would pass.
This was the role played by John the Baptist because he came into the world to announce the coming of Jesus Christ, not pointing to himself but instead prepares the way for the coming of the Messiah. As the Jews were again thinking in terms of the Messianic conquest, they waited for Elijah whose coming was expected to bring order.
What they didn’t recognize was that the baptism of repentance and renewal that John preached was meant to put order into the lives of the Jews by restoring the strained relationship between God and the people.
As with John the Baptist, we who have been chosen to take over where the Apostles left off must prepare the way for the coming of the Lord again by turning away from sin and everything that separate us from the love of God.
Having done that, we as faithful servants must in all humility announce his coming and point to Jesus Christ as the King who is going to take possession of his Throne of Grace – our hearts that have been rid of sin and the indifference to which we have wallowed in.
We need to die to ourselves, take up our cross and follow him which means that we need to dispossess ourselves of our sinful tendencies and our attachment to the world before we can take our place in his Kingdom which has no end.
Such is necessary because before we could preach Christ, we must know who and what Christ was and to know Our Lord in a personal way we need to embrace not only his message of salvation, his call for us to humble ourselves like a little child, but also to be obedient and subservient to his will.
Repentance and transformation are the two pillars of evangelization and renewal and we need to go through this purification process before we can go out and make disciples of all nations. We need to be baptized and be born anew because being born to a new life is anchored on our dying to our old nature.
Our task then is to announce the coming of Our Lord and point to him as the source of everything that we are and will ever be. Just like Elijah in the first reading who was compared to a fire whose words burned and his lifestyle seared the people at that time, we too are to go and evangelize with fire in our hearts and tongues because as followers of Christ, our obligation is to imitate the loving fire of Elijah and John the Baptist.
In so doing, we have to expect that we will be persecuted for our beliefs. There will be times when we will have to suffer for the sake of the Gospel. But it is during these times when God’s image will be imprinted in our nature and the best thing to do when we find ourselves experiencing pain and suffering is to offer these to the Lord because suffering is also a form of worship to God. Since we have become partakers of the divine nature by virtue of our baptism, it is only but natural that we should also become partakers of the humiliation and suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ.
There will be times, however, when we will receive praises and salutation along the way. What we should not forget is the source of our gifts and what should be engraved in our hearts and minds is that we are not the Christ whose sandals we are unworthy of untying.
1ST Reading: Sir 48:1-4, 9-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19 “Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face, and we shall be saved.”
GOSPEL: MATT 17:9-13
Key Verse: “Elijah comes and will restore all things.” (v.11)
If there was one thing that you would really love in the way Our Lord goes about in establishing his kingdom here on earth was the orderliness in the way he has programmed his mission from the time of his coming to the day of redemption on the cross.
In each of these stages designed to save the world from its sin and perversity, God gives signs to show to the people what he was going to do. Even the coming of the John the Baptist was foretold in Malachi 3 when the Lord said: “See I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me” (Mal 3:1).
The Jews knew that a Messiah will come because the great prophet Isaiah also prophesied his coming (Isa 7) and that Elijah would appear to announce the coming of the Savior. This was probably one of the few surprises that the Jews were faced with because instead of Elijah, it was John the Baptist who appeared preaching a baptism of repentance and renewal.
As the Jews waited for the coming of the Messiah, they believed in their hearts that Elijah would return to restore everything before the Savior comes in order to make a world fit for the coming of the king. The idea of Elijah restoring the disordered environment was engraved in their hearts and minds.
And the coming of John the Baptist was something they did not expect. What the Jews did not know then was that John the Baptist took the form of Elijah to restore all things in preparation for the coming of Jesus Christ through his call for the people to repentance.
In effect, the coming of John the Baptist was a fulfillment of the prophesy except that he came on behalf of Elijah but which the Jews failed to grasp. And John pursued his role as a forerunner of the Messiah and this role finds a parallelism in the culture and tradition of the Jews when they celebrate a wedding feast.
In those days, the day and the hour when the bridegroom will arrive to exercise his right as husband to the bride was unknown and this was the reason why the ten virgins with their lamps had to wait for the bridegroom to arrive.
It is also the tradition that the coming of the bridegroom was preceded by a messenger or you may call him a barker because the role of the messenger is to announce the arrival of the groom to all the people living on the streets where the bridegroom would pass.
This was the role played by John the Baptist because he came into the world to announce the coming of Jesus Christ, not pointing to himself but instead prepares the way for the coming of the Messiah. As the Jews were again thinking in terms of the Messianic conquest, they waited for Elijah whose coming was expected to bring order.
What they didn’t recognize was that the baptism of repentance and renewal that John preached was meant to put order into the lives of the Jews by restoring the strained relationship between God and the people.
As with John the Baptist, we who have been chosen to take over where the Apostles left off must prepare the way for the coming of the Lord again by turning away from sin and everything that separate us from the love of God.
Having done that, we as faithful servants must in all humility announce his coming and point to Jesus Christ as the King who is going to take possession of his Throne of Grace – our hearts that have been rid of sin and the indifference to which we have wallowed in.
We need to die to ourselves, take up our cross and follow him which means that we need to dispossess ourselves of our sinful tendencies and our attachment to the world before we can take our place in his Kingdom which has no end.
Such is necessary because before we could preach Christ, we must know who and what Christ was and to know Our Lord in a personal way we need to embrace not only his message of salvation, his call for us to humble ourselves like a little child, but also to be obedient and subservient to his will.
Repentance and transformation are the two pillars of evangelization and renewal and we need to go through this purification process before we can go out and make disciples of all nations. We need to be baptized and be born anew because being born to a new life is anchored on our dying to our old nature.
Our task then is to announce the coming of Our Lord and point to him as the source of everything that we are and will ever be. Just like Elijah in the first reading who was compared to a fire whose words burned and his lifestyle seared the people at that time, we too are to go and evangelize with fire in our hearts and tongues because as followers of Christ, our obligation is to imitate the loving fire of Elijah and John the Baptist.
In so doing, we have to expect that we will be persecuted for our beliefs. There will be times when we will have to suffer for the sake of the Gospel. But it is during these times when God’s image will be imprinted in our nature and the best thing to do when we find ourselves experiencing pain and suffering is to offer these to the Lord because suffering is also a form of worship to God. Since we have become partakers of the divine nature by virtue of our baptism, it is only but natural that we should also become partakers of the humiliation and suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ.
There will be times, however, when we will receive praises and salutation along the way. What we should not forget is the source of our gifts and what should be engraved in our hearts and minds is that we are not the Christ whose sandals we are unworthy of untying.
DON'T TAKE FAITH FOR GRANTED
DEC. 13, 2013: SECOND WEEK OF ADVENT
1st Reading: Isa 48:17-19
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 1: 1-4, 6 “ Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.”
GOSPEL: Matt 11:16-19
Key Verse: “But wisdom is proved right by her action.” (v.19)
In life there are two things that happen when things are not going well. For some they will try to dig deep into their faith and believe that life is like a wheel and at some point in time things will get better. But for some they may likely lose whatever faith they have altogether and will be caught up in a web of desperation that may sometimes prove fatal.
While it isn’t natural that we should lose something that has been infused in us by God who created us, losing your faith can also be as natural as losing your possession especially when you look at faith as a payback mechanism and some people leave their faith behind when their prayers are not answered.
Today Jesus must be wrapped in thought at his throne where he now reigns, probably musing at whether his death on the cross will be worth the sacrifice what with all the human perversity and indifference that he sees in the world today.
The Gospel passage today speak of the cynicism and skepticism of those who oppose his teachings that challenged the comfortable and secure lives of the religious leaders. As he equated the world to the marketplace, Jesus likened those who refuse to listen to his teachings to a group of children who invite others to play at weddings that conjure a festive atmosphere but when the others said no, and when the first group of children suggested that they play at funerals where the environment was one of sorrow and grief, still they said no.
What Jesus was trying to illustrate in this parable was that the generation to which he was preaching was a period when there was practically nothing that could satisfy the whims and caprices of the people particularly the religious leaders.
And many times during his ministry, Jesus deplored the wrong teachings and concepts that the religious leaders passed on to the people and many of the Jews felt burdened by the Mosaic laws that were expanded by the Scribes and Pharisees to subjugate the Jews into submission to them rather than to God.
We should all remember that God is our teacher and he teaches us through the commandments, the Sacraments, the Word of God and he will speak to us even through other people. More importantly, God will teach only what is good for us and through the Holy Spirit, he will lead us where we all need to go.
Today this scenario of the Christian faith being taken for granted is being repeated as nothing appears to please this generation anymore as men move from one extreme to another. There was never a time in our lives as the only nation in Asia with a strong Catholic presence that aborting the flow of life was talked about much less institutionalizing it as what happened during the deliberations for the RH law.
Even after the passage of the RH law the social and political environment has been deeply divided into pro-life and pro-choice groups but little do the people belonging to either group know that these are one and the same because pro-choice is not about the right to choose when to have a child or to limit the number of children that couples can have. Pro-choice should be about choosing to give life and it would be a grievous error and miscalculation if people will presume that they have the right to transgress what from the beginning is a prerogative that rests only in God.
Whence before the sanctity of marriage was preserved with the union of man and a woman as spelled out in the Scriptures, today the world is experimenting not only with same-sex unions but pre-marital sex has become common and abortion has been legalized in several countries. And now Philippine legislators would like to treat contraceptives as over the counter drugs giving it a legal twang by inserting parental consent to it.
Living a wholesome and clean life has been thrown out the window with the young openly sniffing rugby, engaging in pot sessions and finally methamphetamine. In some cases, men go against the grain of morality by living an immoral life by getting involved in extra-marital affairs and single men and women falling into the trap of indecent sexual behavior.
John the Baptist came into the world mired in sinful tendencies and he withdrew to the desert and lived on locusts and honey and cut himself off from the human pleasures that his age was into and the people labeled him as a mad man and when he emerged from his solitude John called on the people to repent and turn their lives around as an offering for the coming of the Messiah.
And Jesus comes and pursued a life that was the exact opposite of what John did by immersing himself with the society he was in, going to weddings, dining with tax-collectors, raising the dead to life, forgiving the sins of those who are sick as only God can, and the religious leaders referred to him as someone who was empowered by Beelzebul.
In other words what Jesus is telling us in this Gospel passage is for us to be aware of a situation when we will find ourselves caught in a society that has been ensnared by recusance or the non-observance of good manners and right-conduct and a scenario in which everything that we do is being contradicted, where we no longer know what is right or what is wrong, a time when people have become selective in their listening.
The Pharisees have frustrated the messianic plan of God by influencing the people to close their hearts to the message of John and Jesus and we could be falling into the same trap because too often we rationalize the inconsistencies in the way we live our lives because listening to God would require a transformation in the way we live.
To persist in our sinful pursuits and justify these we normally find an excuse for turning our back on the truth of the Gospel. At times, we criticize the Church itself even if we are aware of the righteousness that it preaches. Most often we swim against the moral current that invites us to live a good and moral life.
As in this Gospel passage, Jesus was simply showing us that even grown-ups can become like children who will refuse to play regardless of what kind of game they are being invited to. In other words, there are times when we can become a discordant note if we will not be aware of the purpose for which we have been created.
Thus this passage is a convenient platform for us to reflect during this Season of Advent which is actually also a “little Lent” because of the need to prepare ourselves for the coming of our Savior. In this season, we may need to review our tendency to go against the tide that leads to the Throne of Grace because of our prejudices, biases and perverse behavior such as supporting laws that tend to denigrate the dignity of life.
Jesus is inviting us to humble ourselves and to express our gratitude to those who have brought us nearer to God even if their methods do not fit into our concept of salvation. And Jesus assures us that if we pay attention to his commands, our peace would be like a river and our righteousness like the waves of the sea (Isa 48:19).
In other words, we simply have to give thanks that our names are written in the palm of God’s hands and that all we need is for us to clothe ourselves with the spirit of humility because this is the only way we can find joy and favor in God’s grace. And we can do this by keeping our faith in God alive.
1st Reading: Isa 48:17-19
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 1: 1-4, 6 “ Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.”
GOSPEL: Matt 11:16-19
Key Verse: “But wisdom is proved right by her action.” (v.19)
In life there are two things that happen when things are not going well. For some they will try to dig deep into their faith and believe that life is like a wheel and at some point in time things will get better. But for some they may likely lose whatever faith they have altogether and will be caught up in a web of desperation that may sometimes prove fatal.
While it isn’t natural that we should lose something that has been infused in us by God who created us, losing your faith can also be as natural as losing your possession especially when you look at faith as a payback mechanism and some people leave their faith behind when their prayers are not answered.
Today Jesus must be wrapped in thought at his throne where he now reigns, probably musing at whether his death on the cross will be worth the sacrifice what with all the human perversity and indifference that he sees in the world today.
The Gospel passage today speak of the cynicism and skepticism of those who oppose his teachings that challenged the comfortable and secure lives of the religious leaders. As he equated the world to the marketplace, Jesus likened those who refuse to listen to his teachings to a group of children who invite others to play at weddings that conjure a festive atmosphere but when the others said no, and when the first group of children suggested that they play at funerals where the environment was one of sorrow and grief, still they said no.
What Jesus was trying to illustrate in this parable was that the generation to which he was preaching was a period when there was practically nothing that could satisfy the whims and caprices of the people particularly the religious leaders.
And many times during his ministry, Jesus deplored the wrong teachings and concepts that the religious leaders passed on to the people and many of the Jews felt burdened by the Mosaic laws that were expanded by the Scribes and Pharisees to subjugate the Jews into submission to them rather than to God.
We should all remember that God is our teacher and he teaches us through the commandments, the Sacraments, the Word of God and he will speak to us even through other people. More importantly, God will teach only what is good for us and through the Holy Spirit, he will lead us where we all need to go.
Today this scenario of the Christian faith being taken for granted is being repeated as nothing appears to please this generation anymore as men move from one extreme to another. There was never a time in our lives as the only nation in Asia with a strong Catholic presence that aborting the flow of life was talked about much less institutionalizing it as what happened during the deliberations for the RH law.
Even after the passage of the RH law the social and political environment has been deeply divided into pro-life and pro-choice groups but little do the people belonging to either group know that these are one and the same because pro-choice is not about the right to choose when to have a child or to limit the number of children that couples can have. Pro-choice should be about choosing to give life and it would be a grievous error and miscalculation if people will presume that they have the right to transgress what from the beginning is a prerogative that rests only in God.
Whence before the sanctity of marriage was preserved with the union of man and a woman as spelled out in the Scriptures, today the world is experimenting not only with same-sex unions but pre-marital sex has become common and abortion has been legalized in several countries. And now Philippine legislators would like to treat contraceptives as over the counter drugs giving it a legal twang by inserting parental consent to it.
Living a wholesome and clean life has been thrown out the window with the young openly sniffing rugby, engaging in pot sessions and finally methamphetamine. In some cases, men go against the grain of morality by living an immoral life by getting involved in extra-marital affairs and single men and women falling into the trap of indecent sexual behavior.
John the Baptist came into the world mired in sinful tendencies and he withdrew to the desert and lived on locusts and honey and cut himself off from the human pleasures that his age was into and the people labeled him as a mad man and when he emerged from his solitude John called on the people to repent and turn their lives around as an offering for the coming of the Messiah.
And Jesus comes and pursued a life that was the exact opposite of what John did by immersing himself with the society he was in, going to weddings, dining with tax-collectors, raising the dead to life, forgiving the sins of those who are sick as only God can, and the religious leaders referred to him as someone who was empowered by Beelzebul.
In other words what Jesus is telling us in this Gospel passage is for us to be aware of a situation when we will find ourselves caught in a society that has been ensnared by recusance or the non-observance of good manners and right-conduct and a scenario in which everything that we do is being contradicted, where we no longer know what is right or what is wrong, a time when people have become selective in their listening.
The Pharisees have frustrated the messianic plan of God by influencing the people to close their hearts to the message of John and Jesus and we could be falling into the same trap because too often we rationalize the inconsistencies in the way we live our lives because listening to God would require a transformation in the way we live.
To persist in our sinful pursuits and justify these we normally find an excuse for turning our back on the truth of the Gospel. At times, we criticize the Church itself even if we are aware of the righteousness that it preaches. Most often we swim against the moral current that invites us to live a good and moral life.
As in this Gospel passage, Jesus was simply showing us that even grown-ups can become like children who will refuse to play regardless of what kind of game they are being invited to. In other words, there are times when we can become a discordant note if we will not be aware of the purpose for which we have been created.
Thus this passage is a convenient platform for us to reflect during this Season of Advent which is actually also a “little Lent” because of the need to prepare ourselves for the coming of our Savior. In this season, we may need to review our tendency to go against the tide that leads to the Throne of Grace because of our prejudices, biases and perverse behavior such as supporting laws that tend to denigrate the dignity of life.
Jesus is inviting us to humble ourselves and to express our gratitude to those who have brought us nearer to God even if their methods do not fit into our concept of salvation. And Jesus assures us that if we pay attention to his commands, our peace would be like a river and our righteousness like the waves of the sea (Isa 48:19).
In other words, we simply have to give thanks that our names are written in the palm of God’s hands and that all we need is for us to clothe ourselves with the spirit of humility because this is the only way we can find joy and favor in God’s grace. And we can do this by keeping our faith in God alive.
MARY: MODEL OF HUMILITY AND OBEDIENCE
DEC. 12, 2013: FEAST OF OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE
1st Reading: Zec 2:10-13
Responsorial Psalm: Psa Ju 13:18bcde, 19 “You are the highest honor of our race.”
GOSPEL: Luke 1:2-38
Key Verse: “His Kingdom will never end.” (v.33)
The Gospel today speaks of Mary who was the main character in this passage and we can only grasp the meaning of this story of the Annunciation if we go back in time and try to appreciate the situation that Mary found herself in when this event happened.
The best way to start is to reflect on the first reading and ask who is the “Daughter of Zion” that the prophet Zechariah mentioned. Earlier studies, however, show that the prophet was not referring to a particular person but was referring to the people of Israel and the prophet through whom God speaks, he proclaimed that God’s daughters in reference to the Israelites should sing and rejoice because God dwells in them just as a daughter lives with her parents.
As we move to the New Testament times, we can easily make reference to Mary as someone who has replaced the Jewish nation whom the prophet Zechariah referred to as the “daughter of Zion” for Mary who was chosen from among all the women on earth to become not only a special daughter of God was also chosen to become a temple and a dwelling place for God.
Because God will always be God who will not and will never err, there could not have been a better choice because of the perfect obedience of Mary to God who spoke through the angel Gabriel for without such subservience Jesus could not have been incarnated and we probably would have remained in our sinful nature.
Mary was a young maiden who was betrothed to Joseph. A betrothal normally lasts for a year and was generally regarded as binding as if they are already married. Such betrothal can only be recalled or cancelled either by divorce or death of either one of the contracting parties. And in the event that a man to whom a woman was betrothed dies, the woman would be regarded as a widow.
A young and an unmarried maiden who gets pregnant outside of marriage will invite disaster. And for Mary to tell her story of becoming pregnant by the Holy Spirit also risked being considered crazy. This was the predicament to which Mary was in when the angel Gabriel told her: “You will be child and give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus” (v.31). Disbelief and wonderment must have filled Mary at that very moment but the angel assured her “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (v.35).
Despite the risks of being ridiculed and the possibility of divorce, Mary’s response stood out and would be hailed from that time on till now as a primary model of obedience. Her docility to the Will of God was not only unparalleled but it became the avenue through which Salvation came into the world. The only thing she knew was that she was being asked by God to serve him and she willingly obeyed.
The hope and future of mankind rested on that simple phrase that Mary uttered: “I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as you have said” (v.38). In that short response, Mary became the vessel through which Our Lord Jesus Christ will come into the world but we should not also forget the sacrifice and humility of Joseph who took Mary as his spouse and who stood as guardian of the Savior of all humanity.
While Eve was regarded as the mother of humanity who was doomed to sin, Mary was considered as the mother of the new Adam who by his Grace will save man from sin. (Rom 5:19) As the angel Gabriel instructed Mary and Joseph, the child to be born was to named Jesus which was a Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua meaning “the Lord saves.” This was also a fulfillment of God’s promise to David that his kingdom will last forever (2 Sam 7:16). And rightly so, for Jesus who came from the house of David (Matt 1) has reigned since then and continues to rule today in the hearts of men.
Although the Virgin birth has largely remained a mystery that many people find hard to believe, we should remember that Luke was a medical doctor and while it was hard for him to believe how a baby can be conceived in the case of Mary, he wrote about it based on the facts and interviews he made with witnesses and his own conversation with Mary.
But the most important facet of this Virgin birth was that there shouldn’t be any doubt in our minds that God has the power to create a child even in the womb of a virgin.
What then is the message for us in this Gospel reading as well as the inference in the first reading (Isa 7:12) when Ahaz refused to seek God’s favor which was the exact opposite of Mary’s response. The readings invite us not only to seek God’s favor but for us to put all our trust in Our Lord.
We should remember, however, that God’s favor doesn’t mean success or fame overnight because as with Mary being favored at times would lead to pain and ridicule. At times, being favored by God will bring hardships and difficulties but it is in these trying times when our faith is tested that God is present.
And like Mary whose obedience was the embodiment of the world’s greatest prayer: “Thy Will be done” (Matt 6:10), God will also pour out on us his manifold Graces that will allow us not only to endure suffering but we will experience joy amidst the pain and tribulations in life because the Grace of God will be upon anyone who will completely trust God like Mary.
What we all must remember was that Mary withstood the predicament she was in because God favored her and blessed all the circumstances in her life. This simply means that God will also provide us the strength, endurance and perseverance to go through with life but this is anchored on our saying “yes, Thy Will be done.”
In our profession of faith when we recite the Apostles’ Creed during the Eucharistic Celebration, we must not only understand what the Creed is but we must comprehend the depth of what it is. In so doing, we must understand and believe when we say: “I believe in God the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, Our Lord; who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit; born of the Virgin Mary…”
The Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed in the New Roman Missal will mean much more if we will truly understand and believe what it says. And ask God for faith if anyone of you lack wisdom (Jam 1:5) You may not believe this but there have been countless times in the past when I was spared from accidents and even physical harm by some mysterious force and I ascribe this to my devotion to the Holy Rosary.
I may be struggling with regards to humility and that is natural and God will understand because of the ill effect of the world around us. But because of God’s incomparable love for us, I know that God himself will provide us with the strength through the intercession of Mary that we may become strong to resist all occasion of sin so that we can stand blameless in his sight.
1st Reading: Zec 2:10-13
Responsorial Psalm: Psa Ju 13:18bcde, 19 “You are the highest honor of our race.”
GOSPEL: Luke 1:2-38
Key Verse: “His Kingdom will never end.” (v.33)
The Gospel today speaks of Mary who was the main character in this passage and we can only grasp the meaning of this story of the Annunciation if we go back in time and try to appreciate the situation that Mary found herself in when this event happened.
The best way to start is to reflect on the first reading and ask who is the “Daughter of Zion” that the prophet Zechariah mentioned. Earlier studies, however, show that the prophet was not referring to a particular person but was referring to the people of Israel and the prophet through whom God speaks, he proclaimed that God’s daughters in reference to the Israelites should sing and rejoice because God dwells in them just as a daughter lives with her parents.
As we move to the New Testament times, we can easily make reference to Mary as someone who has replaced the Jewish nation whom the prophet Zechariah referred to as the “daughter of Zion” for Mary who was chosen from among all the women on earth to become not only a special daughter of God was also chosen to become a temple and a dwelling place for God.
Because God will always be God who will not and will never err, there could not have been a better choice because of the perfect obedience of Mary to God who spoke through the angel Gabriel for without such subservience Jesus could not have been incarnated and we probably would have remained in our sinful nature.
Mary was a young maiden who was betrothed to Joseph. A betrothal normally lasts for a year and was generally regarded as binding as if they are already married. Such betrothal can only be recalled or cancelled either by divorce or death of either one of the contracting parties. And in the event that a man to whom a woman was betrothed dies, the woman would be regarded as a widow.
A young and an unmarried maiden who gets pregnant outside of marriage will invite disaster. And for Mary to tell her story of becoming pregnant by the Holy Spirit also risked being considered crazy. This was the predicament to which Mary was in when the angel Gabriel told her: “You will be child and give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus” (v.31). Disbelief and wonderment must have filled Mary at that very moment but the angel assured her “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (v.35).
Despite the risks of being ridiculed and the possibility of divorce, Mary’s response stood out and would be hailed from that time on till now as a primary model of obedience. Her docility to the Will of God was not only unparalleled but it became the avenue through which Salvation came into the world. The only thing she knew was that she was being asked by God to serve him and she willingly obeyed.
The hope and future of mankind rested on that simple phrase that Mary uttered: “I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as you have said” (v.38). In that short response, Mary became the vessel through which Our Lord Jesus Christ will come into the world but we should not also forget the sacrifice and humility of Joseph who took Mary as his spouse and who stood as guardian of the Savior of all humanity.
While Eve was regarded as the mother of humanity who was doomed to sin, Mary was considered as the mother of the new Adam who by his Grace will save man from sin. (Rom 5:19) As the angel Gabriel instructed Mary and Joseph, the child to be born was to named Jesus which was a Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua meaning “the Lord saves.” This was also a fulfillment of God’s promise to David that his kingdom will last forever (2 Sam 7:16). And rightly so, for Jesus who came from the house of David (Matt 1) has reigned since then and continues to rule today in the hearts of men.
Although the Virgin birth has largely remained a mystery that many people find hard to believe, we should remember that Luke was a medical doctor and while it was hard for him to believe how a baby can be conceived in the case of Mary, he wrote about it based on the facts and interviews he made with witnesses and his own conversation with Mary.
But the most important facet of this Virgin birth was that there shouldn’t be any doubt in our minds that God has the power to create a child even in the womb of a virgin.
What then is the message for us in this Gospel reading as well as the inference in the first reading (Isa 7:12) when Ahaz refused to seek God’s favor which was the exact opposite of Mary’s response. The readings invite us not only to seek God’s favor but for us to put all our trust in Our Lord.
We should remember, however, that God’s favor doesn’t mean success or fame overnight because as with Mary being favored at times would lead to pain and ridicule. At times, being favored by God will bring hardships and difficulties but it is in these trying times when our faith is tested that God is present.
And like Mary whose obedience was the embodiment of the world’s greatest prayer: “Thy Will be done” (Matt 6:10), God will also pour out on us his manifold Graces that will allow us not only to endure suffering but we will experience joy amidst the pain and tribulations in life because the Grace of God will be upon anyone who will completely trust God like Mary.
What we all must remember was that Mary withstood the predicament she was in because God favored her and blessed all the circumstances in her life. This simply means that God will also provide us the strength, endurance and perseverance to go through with life but this is anchored on our saying “yes, Thy Will be done.”
In our profession of faith when we recite the Apostles’ Creed during the Eucharistic Celebration, we must not only understand what the Creed is but we must comprehend the depth of what it is. In so doing, we must understand and believe when we say: “I believe in God the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, Our Lord; who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit; born of the Virgin Mary…”
The Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed in the New Roman Missal will mean much more if we will truly understand and believe what it says. And ask God for faith if anyone of you lack wisdom (Jam 1:5) You may not believe this but there have been countless times in the past when I was spared from accidents and even physical harm by some mysterious force and I ascribe this to my devotion to the Holy Rosary.
I may be struggling with regards to humility and that is natural and God will understand because of the ill effect of the world around us. But because of God’s incomparable love for us, I know that God himself will provide us with the strength through the intercession of Mary that we may become strong to resist all occasion of sin so that we can stand blameless in his sight.
JESUS LIGHTENS OUR LOAD
DEC. 11, 2013: SECOND WEEK OF ADVENT
1st Reading: Isa 40: 25-31
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 103: 1-4, 8, 10 “O bless the Lord, my soul.”
GOSPEL: MATT 11:28-30
Key Verse: “For my yoke is easy and my burden light.” (v.30)
As he most often does Jesus uses parables when teaching to the Jews and, in this Gospel passage he spoke of his yoke that he described as easy and the burdens coming from his teachings as light. As we are not present when he gave this teaching, we need to dig into our historical briefs so that we can get a clearer picture of what he meant with this passage.
Firstly, the burden that Jesus was referring to in this passage pertains to the rules and regulations that the Scribes and the Pharisees have imposed on the Jews in those days that were not only hard to bear but which keep the people from worshiping and having a relationship with God. The religious leaders have expanded the Ten Commandments so that if you look at these Decalogue principles in the modern technological sense it would look like a computer file folder that you can collapse that would open or lead you to different other files.
Jesus took sides with the people who have been burdened by the seemingly endless demands of the Law made by the religious leaders of his time. Take for example the laws that govern the observance of the Sabbath that forbade Jews from even tying their animals or even in the preparation of food or the intricate ritual in the washing of the hands before every meal.
And Jesus invites those listening to him to take his yoke which he termed as easy and his burden light. Again, we need to understand what a yoke is and why Jesus used this as a reference. It is because the Jews are familiar with what and how the yoke works.
During the time of Jesus, yokes which are made of wood are fitted to neck of the ox and no two yokes are the same. This means that the oxen are brought to a carpenter who then measures the yoke to be made. The oxen are then brought back to fit the yoke, make the necessary adjustments so that it would fit well and not make it difficult for the ox to carry. In other words, the yoke was tailor fit to the ox.
There was a legend in those days that Jesus being a carpenter made the best yokes in all of Galilee and that men from all over the region came to him to buy the best yokes that one could find. It was even pointed out that there was a sign at the door of Joseph’s carpentry shop in Nazareth that says “My yokes fit well.”
As we leave this Biblical scene and fast-forward into our present-day realities, we will find that there are many around us who find themselves in a similar situation in which they carry so much burden that prevent them from entering into a relationship with God.
This burden could either be our ignorance of who God is or simply our refusal to place ourselves under an unseen force preferring to rely on our instincts moved by our exercise of free will that God himself gave us. Or it could be our anxiety, depression, fear and doubt, lack of inner peace and our sins and transgressions that separate us from God (Isa 59:1-2).
At some point in time when all our chips are down, we will come to realize that we need divine assistance to reverse whatever situation we are in and by God’s own design he will seek us and when he finds us he will also invite us to come to him, take his yoke and learn from him.
Interestingly, when the Prophet Isaiah quotes the Holy One who asked: “To whom can you liken me as an equal?” (Isa 40:25) we are led to try and establish a link between what the Holy One said with the invitation of Jesus Christ in Matthew’s Gospel for those who are weary and are heavily burdened to come to him for his yoke is easy and his burden light (v.30).
We are often told and we know it for a fact that no two people are alike much less equal as every person differs in talents, skills, personality, character, and even in income. And the only time that people can come close to the description of being equal to one another is during the times of crisis such as the calamitous event that the people in the Visayas recently experienced.
But when we talk of equality in spiritual terms, we can actually say that all people regardless of color, race or creed are equal with respect to their dignity before God who alone has no equal and it is necessary for us to recognize the primacy of God as it will help us appreciate the equality of all people and our own place in the world that God has created.
In this world we live in, we may find ourselves holding on to the end of the rope. Our lives may be on the edge. There will always be the tendency to look at the good fortunes of others and compare it with the misfortune we may be experiencing.
I myself went through a roller-coaster ride from the big bucks that were flowing in from the investments I brokered some years back. Unexpectedly, my life suddenly went downhill from there when a change in government broke the business network that I had established. It was like I jumped from an airplane and the chute did not open.
It was during this time that my wife and I were invited to the charismatic renewal through the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Catholic Charismatic Community. When Jesus opened his arms to offer me his yoke and accepted, I felt relieved of all the burdens and heaviness that I was carrying on my back.
Indeed, Jesus Christ equalizes everything and everyone especially those who will come to him, take his yoke and learn from him (v.29) for it is only through him that men can find rest. That was in 1989 and we took his yoke and placed on our shoulders and up to today, we really haven’t noticed how easy the yoke of Jesus and how through his love can he make our burdens light.
When Jesus said his “yoke is easy” it simply meant that he already has measured the size of our neck and shoulders so that his yoke will fit well. This means that whatever tasks that God gives us are measured in accordance with our abilities which is why he gave us the Gifts of the Holy Spirit to equip and empower us in our journey to his Kingdom.
Jesus also said “my burden is light.” It is not he makes the burdens light but he makes it light on account of the love that goes with it. When we do others a favor. When we go to the mission field. When we bring the Good News to others. When we minister to those who are hurting and sick. When we shepherd others. When we give alms. All these will become light when these are done in love.
Do you still remember the song “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” by Neil Diamond and Glen Campbell? It tells of a story about a boy who was carrying on his shoulders a smaller boy and a man they met on the road remarked “that’s a heavy burden for you to carry.” And the boy said “that’s no burden, he’s my brother.” Any burden carried in love will always be light.
Jesus used the yoke as an illustration to show us how we can remove from our hearts the burden of sin, despair and disobedience and replace these with the yoke that will lead us to freedom from bondages, a glorious life and eternal joy.
“Learn from me” (v.29), he said, because it is only through him that we will learn how to live in grace, power, freedom and to live in love, peace and joy by the power of his Word on which we can stand firm (Lk 6:46-49). In his mercy and compassion, Christ himself will provide us the strength (Phi 4:13) so that his yoke will be easy and his burden light.
In this Advent Season, God invites us to put all our trust in him because it is only in doing so that we can receive the blessings of his kingdom and those “who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isa 40:31).
1st Reading: Isa 40: 25-31
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 103: 1-4, 8, 10 “O bless the Lord, my soul.”
GOSPEL: MATT 11:28-30
Key Verse: “For my yoke is easy and my burden light.” (v.30)
As he most often does Jesus uses parables when teaching to the Jews and, in this Gospel passage he spoke of his yoke that he described as easy and the burdens coming from his teachings as light. As we are not present when he gave this teaching, we need to dig into our historical briefs so that we can get a clearer picture of what he meant with this passage.
Firstly, the burden that Jesus was referring to in this passage pertains to the rules and regulations that the Scribes and the Pharisees have imposed on the Jews in those days that were not only hard to bear but which keep the people from worshiping and having a relationship with God. The religious leaders have expanded the Ten Commandments so that if you look at these Decalogue principles in the modern technological sense it would look like a computer file folder that you can collapse that would open or lead you to different other files.
Jesus took sides with the people who have been burdened by the seemingly endless demands of the Law made by the religious leaders of his time. Take for example the laws that govern the observance of the Sabbath that forbade Jews from even tying their animals or even in the preparation of food or the intricate ritual in the washing of the hands before every meal.
And Jesus invites those listening to him to take his yoke which he termed as easy and his burden light. Again, we need to understand what a yoke is and why Jesus used this as a reference. It is because the Jews are familiar with what and how the yoke works.
During the time of Jesus, yokes which are made of wood are fitted to neck of the ox and no two yokes are the same. This means that the oxen are brought to a carpenter who then measures the yoke to be made. The oxen are then brought back to fit the yoke, make the necessary adjustments so that it would fit well and not make it difficult for the ox to carry. In other words, the yoke was tailor fit to the ox.
There was a legend in those days that Jesus being a carpenter made the best yokes in all of Galilee and that men from all over the region came to him to buy the best yokes that one could find. It was even pointed out that there was a sign at the door of Joseph’s carpentry shop in Nazareth that says “My yokes fit well.”
As we leave this Biblical scene and fast-forward into our present-day realities, we will find that there are many around us who find themselves in a similar situation in which they carry so much burden that prevent them from entering into a relationship with God.
This burden could either be our ignorance of who God is or simply our refusal to place ourselves under an unseen force preferring to rely on our instincts moved by our exercise of free will that God himself gave us. Or it could be our anxiety, depression, fear and doubt, lack of inner peace and our sins and transgressions that separate us from God (Isa 59:1-2).
At some point in time when all our chips are down, we will come to realize that we need divine assistance to reverse whatever situation we are in and by God’s own design he will seek us and when he finds us he will also invite us to come to him, take his yoke and learn from him.
Interestingly, when the Prophet Isaiah quotes the Holy One who asked: “To whom can you liken me as an equal?” (Isa 40:25) we are led to try and establish a link between what the Holy One said with the invitation of Jesus Christ in Matthew’s Gospel for those who are weary and are heavily burdened to come to him for his yoke is easy and his burden light (v.30).
We are often told and we know it for a fact that no two people are alike much less equal as every person differs in talents, skills, personality, character, and even in income. And the only time that people can come close to the description of being equal to one another is during the times of crisis such as the calamitous event that the people in the Visayas recently experienced.
But when we talk of equality in spiritual terms, we can actually say that all people regardless of color, race or creed are equal with respect to their dignity before God who alone has no equal and it is necessary for us to recognize the primacy of God as it will help us appreciate the equality of all people and our own place in the world that God has created.
In this world we live in, we may find ourselves holding on to the end of the rope. Our lives may be on the edge. There will always be the tendency to look at the good fortunes of others and compare it with the misfortune we may be experiencing.
I myself went through a roller-coaster ride from the big bucks that were flowing in from the investments I brokered some years back. Unexpectedly, my life suddenly went downhill from there when a change in government broke the business network that I had established. It was like I jumped from an airplane and the chute did not open.
It was during this time that my wife and I were invited to the charismatic renewal through the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Catholic Charismatic Community. When Jesus opened his arms to offer me his yoke and accepted, I felt relieved of all the burdens and heaviness that I was carrying on my back.
Indeed, Jesus Christ equalizes everything and everyone especially those who will come to him, take his yoke and learn from him (v.29) for it is only through him that men can find rest. That was in 1989 and we took his yoke and placed on our shoulders and up to today, we really haven’t noticed how easy the yoke of Jesus and how through his love can he make our burdens light.
When Jesus said his “yoke is easy” it simply meant that he already has measured the size of our neck and shoulders so that his yoke will fit well. This means that whatever tasks that God gives us are measured in accordance with our abilities which is why he gave us the Gifts of the Holy Spirit to equip and empower us in our journey to his Kingdom.
Jesus also said “my burden is light.” It is not he makes the burdens light but he makes it light on account of the love that goes with it. When we do others a favor. When we go to the mission field. When we bring the Good News to others. When we minister to those who are hurting and sick. When we shepherd others. When we give alms. All these will become light when these are done in love.
Do you still remember the song “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” by Neil Diamond and Glen Campbell? It tells of a story about a boy who was carrying on his shoulders a smaller boy and a man they met on the road remarked “that’s a heavy burden for you to carry.” And the boy said “that’s no burden, he’s my brother.” Any burden carried in love will always be light.
Jesus used the yoke as an illustration to show us how we can remove from our hearts the burden of sin, despair and disobedience and replace these with the yoke that will lead us to freedom from bondages, a glorious life and eternal joy.
“Learn from me” (v.29), he said, because it is only through him that we will learn how to live in grace, power, freedom and to live in love, peace and joy by the power of his Word on which we can stand firm (Lk 6:46-49). In his mercy and compassion, Christ himself will provide us the strength (Phi 4:13) so that his yoke will be easy and his burden light.
In this Advent Season, God invites us to put all our trust in him because it is only in doing so that we can receive the blessings of his kingdom and those “who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isa 40:31).
GOD WANTS EVERYONE IN
DEC. 10, 2013: SECOND WEEK OF ADVENT
1st Reading: ISA 40:1-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 96:1-3, 10-13 “The Lord Our God comes with power.”
GOSPEL: MATT 18:12-14
Key Verse: “In the same way your Father in heaven is not
willing that any of these little ones should be lost.” (v.14)
Of the many parables that Jesus used to illustrate his teachings this was probably the simplest because the story of a shepherd looking for a lost sheep was a familiar scene among the Jews. This is also analogous to our primary duty as Christian disciples because we too must do what shepherds do.
This Gospel passage, however, is part of an entire chapter of Matthew that is devoted to raising our awareness about Christian ethics and our relationships to one another and more importantly our personal dispositions. And to be able to fully appreciate this parable of the lost sheep, it would be ideal if you can also read Chapter 18 of Matthew’s Gospel in its entirety.
Today’s Gospel passage should help us realize that God cares for each one of us and we are mandated to also do the same to others. Even if Jesus was teaching among large crowds, there have been times when he addresses the needs of an individual in the crowd, e.g., the hemorrhaging woman, the paralytic, the blind and the deaf, and the dead boy who was being buried that Jesus passed along the way and raised back to life.
There is no one who is not important in the eyes of God and he will not allow anyone to go astray or to get lost in the world. And for us Christians who have received the gift of a new life, we should look at others as important too who, if lost, must be found. This love for others is what should motivate us to put more dynamism when we evangelize.
This was also the primary reason why God sent his only Son into the world to save those who may have lost their bearings, those who have gone adrift into the sea of uncertainties, the lost, the disoriented, the hopeless, those who are asleep (dead in their faith) and we can find comfort in the Scriptures that assures us that God will not rest until we all find our way back to the safety and security of his Kingdom.
The parable of the lost sheep provides us with a clear idea of what a true shepherd should be and the joy of a community that is reunited with members who have stayed away for sometime.
Again, we have to understand the custom in the time of Jesus to be able to understand this parable. In those days it was customary to have at least two to three shepherds tending to their herd in what is generally known as communal flocks. This allows a shepherd to leave his flock to the other shepherds so he can look for a lost sheep. Similarly, the message for us this Advent Season is that we must start looking for the lost sheep to bring them back into the flock.
The charismatic experience should move us to bring everyone into the Church and not keep anyone out. As shepherds are faced with tremendous odds and sacrifice to protect his sheep, so we too must be prepared to go against the wolves and lions (sin and temptation in the world), surmount dangerous terrains and storms (discrimination, intimidation, prejudices, biases, judgments, selfish interests) to protect our flock.
To look for the lost sheep simply requires that shepherds must be moved by their love and care for their flock and not by rules and standards that became the bane of the Pharisees and the Scribes who expanded the Ten Commandments into thousands of rules and regulations that prevented the people from worshipping God.
But the main message of this parable is that it shows us that the love of God is patient. When some of our brethren go astray or move away the most common reaction we hear is “Let them be. It’s their own accountability anyway.” But God is not like that. While some of our brothers and sisters may be like the lost sheep, God loves even those who may be lost and will not rest until all are accounted for.
God’s love can be described as a seeking love as the shepherd is not content to simply wait for the sheep to come back. The shepherd will go out to search for the lost sheep sacrificing his own safety. Jesus came to seek those who wander away no matter the cost. So must we.
God’s love is a rejoicing kind of love. There are no recriminations. No grudges. None that is superior over the one who is found. At times, we seek and find the lost but we give them a moral lecture and make him look at himself with contempt. But while we are accustomed to storing the wrongs done to us which is humanly natural, God puts our sins behind his back and when he finds us, it is all pure joy that exists.
God’s love is a protecting love, a love that seeks and saves. There can be a love that ruins, a love that manipulates, a love that controls. But God protects and saves man so he can be of service to others which is the ultimate objective of our existence and of our having been found. When God found us, he made us wiser, stronger, and freed from sin and death. It is now our duty and responsibility to bring this same light to others.
As Jesus came on a rescue mission to save us from the forces of evil, we who have been saved must also do the same and seek those whom we ourselves have driven away from our midst by our pride, indifference and, insensitivity and there will be rejoicing in heaven when they are found and restored to a relationship with God and the Church.
This is also the rationale behind the latest Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Francis titled Evangelii Gaudium of the Joy of the Gospel. In his exhortation, the Holy Father enjoined the Church: (1) To embark upon a new chapter of evangelization marked by joy, and presents a vision for the life of the church in the future; (2) All Catholics are to proclaim the Gospel and to see the responsibility to evangelize as their own; (3) The Christian life is based on knowing and experiencing God’s love, mercy and salvation offered to all through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
For this reason the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has launched a year-long program dubbed as “Called To Be Holy, Sent Forth As Heroes.” Through all of 2014, the CBCP under the leadership of Archbishop Soc Villegas has identified 12 sectors that will be the target audience of a comprehensive evangelization program designed to reintroduce Christ to all baptized Catholics who have drifted from the faith. The Council of the Laity of the Philippines has been designated by the CBCP to act as the Secretariat to monitor the implementation of the program.
These sectors are: 1) Non-Practicing Catholics; (2) Young Professionals; (3) Broken Families; (4) Homeless and Jobless; (5) Homebound; (6) Farmers, Fisher Folks and Laborers; (7) Addicted Friends; (8) Government Employees; (9) Civic Organizations; (10) Public School Teachers; (11) Indigenous Peoples, and; (12) Lay Saints and Catholic Filipino Heroes.
The program will be bannered by its theme “Choose To Be Brave” which is actually an exhortation of Archbishop Villegas to be brave in the proclamation and practice of their faith. Now the question is are you up to it? Do you have what it takes to proclaim the Gospel and bring Christ to others? Are you brave enough to do something in defense of your Catholic faith?
1st Reading: ISA 40:1-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 96:1-3, 10-13 “The Lord Our God comes with power.”
GOSPEL: MATT 18:12-14
Key Verse: “In the same way your Father in heaven is not
willing that any of these little ones should be lost.” (v.14)
Of the many parables that Jesus used to illustrate his teachings this was probably the simplest because the story of a shepherd looking for a lost sheep was a familiar scene among the Jews. This is also analogous to our primary duty as Christian disciples because we too must do what shepherds do.
This Gospel passage, however, is part of an entire chapter of Matthew that is devoted to raising our awareness about Christian ethics and our relationships to one another and more importantly our personal dispositions. And to be able to fully appreciate this parable of the lost sheep, it would be ideal if you can also read Chapter 18 of Matthew’s Gospel in its entirety.
Today’s Gospel passage should help us realize that God cares for each one of us and we are mandated to also do the same to others. Even if Jesus was teaching among large crowds, there have been times when he addresses the needs of an individual in the crowd, e.g., the hemorrhaging woman, the paralytic, the blind and the deaf, and the dead boy who was being buried that Jesus passed along the way and raised back to life.
There is no one who is not important in the eyes of God and he will not allow anyone to go astray or to get lost in the world. And for us Christians who have received the gift of a new life, we should look at others as important too who, if lost, must be found. This love for others is what should motivate us to put more dynamism when we evangelize.
This was also the primary reason why God sent his only Son into the world to save those who may have lost their bearings, those who have gone adrift into the sea of uncertainties, the lost, the disoriented, the hopeless, those who are asleep (dead in their faith) and we can find comfort in the Scriptures that assures us that God will not rest until we all find our way back to the safety and security of his Kingdom.
The parable of the lost sheep provides us with a clear idea of what a true shepherd should be and the joy of a community that is reunited with members who have stayed away for sometime.
Again, we have to understand the custom in the time of Jesus to be able to understand this parable. In those days it was customary to have at least two to three shepherds tending to their herd in what is generally known as communal flocks. This allows a shepherd to leave his flock to the other shepherds so he can look for a lost sheep. Similarly, the message for us this Advent Season is that we must start looking for the lost sheep to bring them back into the flock.
The charismatic experience should move us to bring everyone into the Church and not keep anyone out. As shepherds are faced with tremendous odds and sacrifice to protect his sheep, so we too must be prepared to go against the wolves and lions (sin and temptation in the world), surmount dangerous terrains and storms (discrimination, intimidation, prejudices, biases, judgments, selfish interests) to protect our flock.
To look for the lost sheep simply requires that shepherds must be moved by their love and care for their flock and not by rules and standards that became the bane of the Pharisees and the Scribes who expanded the Ten Commandments into thousands of rules and regulations that prevented the people from worshipping God.
But the main message of this parable is that it shows us that the love of God is patient. When some of our brethren go astray or move away the most common reaction we hear is “Let them be. It’s their own accountability anyway.” But God is not like that. While some of our brothers and sisters may be like the lost sheep, God loves even those who may be lost and will not rest until all are accounted for.
God’s love can be described as a seeking love as the shepherd is not content to simply wait for the sheep to come back. The shepherd will go out to search for the lost sheep sacrificing his own safety. Jesus came to seek those who wander away no matter the cost. So must we.
God’s love is a rejoicing kind of love. There are no recriminations. No grudges. None that is superior over the one who is found. At times, we seek and find the lost but we give them a moral lecture and make him look at himself with contempt. But while we are accustomed to storing the wrongs done to us which is humanly natural, God puts our sins behind his back and when he finds us, it is all pure joy that exists.
God’s love is a protecting love, a love that seeks and saves. There can be a love that ruins, a love that manipulates, a love that controls. But God protects and saves man so he can be of service to others which is the ultimate objective of our existence and of our having been found. When God found us, he made us wiser, stronger, and freed from sin and death. It is now our duty and responsibility to bring this same light to others.
As Jesus came on a rescue mission to save us from the forces of evil, we who have been saved must also do the same and seek those whom we ourselves have driven away from our midst by our pride, indifference and, insensitivity and there will be rejoicing in heaven when they are found and restored to a relationship with God and the Church.
This is also the rationale behind the latest Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Francis titled Evangelii Gaudium of the Joy of the Gospel. In his exhortation, the Holy Father enjoined the Church: (1) To embark upon a new chapter of evangelization marked by joy, and presents a vision for the life of the church in the future; (2) All Catholics are to proclaim the Gospel and to see the responsibility to evangelize as their own; (3) The Christian life is based on knowing and experiencing God’s love, mercy and salvation offered to all through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
For this reason the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has launched a year-long program dubbed as “Called To Be Holy, Sent Forth As Heroes.” Through all of 2014, the CBCP under the leadership of Archbishop Soc Villegas has identified 12 sectors that will be the target audience of a comprehensive evangelization program designed to reintroduce Christ to all baptized Catholics who have drifted from the faith. The Council of the Laity of the Philippines has been designated by the CBCP to act as the Secretariat to monitor the implementation of the program.
These sectors are: 1) Non-Practicing Catholics; (2) Young Professionals; (3) Broken Families; (4) Homeless and Jobless; (5) Homebound; (6) Farmers, Fisher Folks and Laborers; (7) Addicted Friends; (8) Government Employees; (9) Civic Organizations; (10) Public School Teachers; (11) Indigenous Peoples, and; (12) Lay Saints and Catholic Filipino Heroes.
The program will be bannered by its theme “Choose To Be Brave” which is actually an exhortation of Archbishop Villegas to be brave in the proclamation and practice of their faith. Now the question is are you up to it? Do you have what it takes to proclaim the Gospel and bring Christ to others? Are you brave enough to do something in defense of your Catholic faith?
IMMACULATELY CONCEIVED
DEC. 9, 2013: FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
1st Reading: Gen 3:9-15, 20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:1-4 “Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.”
2nd Reading: Eph 1: 3-6, 11-12
GOSPEL: LK 1:26-38
Key Verse: “May it be to me as you have said.” (v.38)
The dogma of the Immaculate Conception has remained as one of the most hotly contested topics of any religious debate and rightly so because the Gospels give little information pertaining to the life of Our Blessed Mother and most of what we learn about Mary comes from the revelations of the saints.
For centuries this debate raged until Pope Pius IX proclaimed on December 8, 1854 that: "The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin."
To preserve the infallibility of the Pope on matters of faith and morals, Pope Pius IX at that time sounded off the Bishops of the world to ascertain the feeling of Christians at large regarding the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. As most of the responses approved of the proposed doctrine, it was thus solemnly defined as of faith.
This consensus of the Bishops who were living apart at the time was deemed infallible because the Holy Spirit is not confined by limitations of place. On the basis of this doctrine, the Catechism of the Catholic Church also decreed in Par. 491 that: “Through the centuries the Church has become ever more aware that Mary, 'full of grace' through God (Luke 1:28) was redeemed from the moment of her conception. That is what the dogma of the Immaculate Conception confesses, as Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1854.”
I grew up in a Catholic environment and I never had any difficulty believing and accepting the Blessed Virgin Mary to be the mother of God and Mother of the Church as well. And if somebody asks me why I pray to Jesus through Mary, my usual response is to ask “why not?” Mary, for one, was the first disciple of Christ. Even before Jesus called the 72 disciples from whom he chose the 12 Apostles, Mary holds the distinction of being the first disciple having carried Jesus Christ in her womb for nine months, giving birth to him and with Joseph protected Jesus Christ from Herod.
I suppose Mary was there too when Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist at the Jordan River. She must have joined Jesus in many of his journeys to proclaim the Gospel of repentance and the reign of God throughout Judea. Mary was there when Jesus entered Jerusalem. She grieved when Jesus was arrested and tortured.
Mary followed Our Lord in the Way of the Cross and she was there when Jesus was crucified and also when he was lowered and buried at the tomb. Her heart must have leapt for joy when Mary Magdalene announced that Jesus had risen and Mary was at the Upper Room when the Holy Spirit descended on her and the Apostles and she was there of course when Jesus ascended to heaven. So the question is not why but why not? If ever I pray the Holy Rosary it is because it reminds me of the birth, life, ministry, passion, death and the resurrection of Christ.
Significantly in the first reading, the liturgy recalls the figure of Eve, the mother of all the living. The Father’s of the Church saw in Mary, the new Eve that unties the knot bound by the first woman. The knot of disobedience tied by Eve, was untied by the obedience of Mary. As Eve was created in purity and integrity, also the new Eve was miraculously preserved from the contamination of original sin because she had to give humanity the Word, who was incarnated for our ransom.
St. Irenaeus compares the virginity of the pure earth from which Adam was drawn to the virginity of the immaculate humanity of Mary from which the Second Adam was drawn. ‘And as the protoplast himself Adam, had his substance from untilled and as yet virgin soil (for God had not yet sent rain, and man had not tilled the ground (Genesis 2:5) so did He who is the Word, recapitulating Adam in Himself, rightly receive a birth, enabling Him to gather up Adam [into Himself], from Mary, who was as yet a virgin’ (Adversus hereses III, 21:10).
If the official proclamation of the dogma is relatively recent, the profession of faith by Christians and the liturgy is very ancient in this regard. Furthermore, four years later the same Virgin Mary, appearing in Lourdes to St Bernadette, confirmed the truth of the doctrine by presenting herself with the title ‘I am the Immaculate Conception’.
Mary’s predestination to this singular grace—consistent with the suspension of the universal degree by which every man, from the moment of his conception is contaminated with original sin—leads us to ponder in the deepest depths the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity’s salvific plan.
God, One and Triune had foreseen from the very beginning the future incarnation of the Word cumulating in the redemption of human nature that had fallen into sin. He therefore predestined pure Mary, so that He could draw from her uncontaminated humanity, which the Son could adopt in order to re-establish in Himself the original purity of creation and reorient it to eternal glory.
For this reason, in the second reading of today’s liturgy, St Paul reminds us that God wants to see us holy and immaculate before Him. The purity of our origins seamed to be irredeemably lost. However, in Immaculate Mary, God found the perfect solution to reverse the disaster made from the misuse of our liberty, and returned humanity to the original purity that seamed hopelessly lost.
Mary was Immaculate because she had to be the Mother of God. She, herself has received the original grace of purity and the final state of the blessed life that we also, by collaborating with Divine Grace, hope one day to receive.
Immaculate Mary is full of grace. She is not only Christ’s disciple, that with the help of grace has overcome the chains of sin, but she is totius Trinitatis nobile triclinium, the noble resting place of the Holy Trinity (St Thomas Aquinas, Exposito Salutatioris Angelicae, I). The Immaculate, full of grace will always be Mother and Queen for that elect part of the Church that we hope one day to join, that will one day will joyfully sing in front of the Almighty. (Some parts of the foregoing paragraphs were taken from an article on the Immaculate Conception prepared by the Congregation for the Clergy at the Holy See.)
Devotion to Mary is also an excellent means of attaining sanctity not only here on earth but in the eternal kingdom hereafter. No one can escape the filial devotion of all the saints towards the Mother of God. Among the most prominent were St. Bernard and St. Alphonsus Liguori.
To the saints, Mary was the gate to heaven, the ladder connecting heaven and earth by which the Lord came down to us and by which we may ascend up to God. St. Alphonsus declared it to be his persuasion that hell cannot boast of containing one single soul that ever had a true and heartfelt devotion to Mary.
St. Bernard asserts that those who honor her daily will assuredly be saved. And St. Francis Borgia always feared for the salvation of the soul that has little or no devotion for the Mother of God. Indeed, God will give us the necessary grace when we also respond with the same willingness, obedience and heartfelt trust as Mary did.
When we respond to God’s command to follow him, he will also give us the grace, strength and the means to respond. With our own free will also operating in us, we can either yield to his grace and abandon ourselves to the divine providence or we can go our own way and risk being left out when the door to the kingdom is shut.
1st Reading: Gen 3:9-15, 20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:1-4 “Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.”
2nd Reading: Eph 1: 3-6, 11-12
GOSPEL: LK 1:26-38
Key Verse: “May it be to me as you have said.” (v.38)
The dogma of the Immaculate Conception has remained as one of the most hotly contested topics of any religious debate and rightly so because the Gospels give little information pertaining to the life of Our Blessed Mother and most of what we learn about Mary comes from the revelations of the saints.
For centuries this debate raged until Pope Pius IX proclaimed on December 8, 1854 that: "The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin."
To preserve the infallibility of the Pope on matters of faith and morals, Pope Pius IX at that time sounded off the Bishops of the world to ascertain the feeling of Christians at large regarding the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. As most of the responses approved of the proposed doctrine, it was thus solemnly defined as of faith.
This consensus of the Bishops who were living apart at the time was deemed infallible because the Holy Spirit is not confined by limitations of place. On the basis of this doctrine, the Catechism of the Catholic Church also decreed in Par. 491 that: “Through the centuries the Church has become ever more aware that Mary, 'full of grace' through God (Luke 1:28) was redeemed from the moment of her conception. That is what the dogma of the Immaculate Conception confesses, as Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1854.”
I grew up in a Catholic environment and I never had any difficulty believing and accepting the Blessed Virgin Mary to be the mother of God and Mother of the Church as well. And if somebody asks me why I pray to Jesus through Mary, my usual response is to ask “why not?” Mary, for one, was the first disciple of Christ. Even before Jesus called the 72 disciples from whom he chose the 12 Apostles, Mary holds the distinction of being the first disciple having carried Jesus Christ in her womb for nine months, giving birth to him and with Joseph protected Jesus Christ from Herod.
I suppose Mary was there too when Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist at the Jordan River. She must have joined Jesus in many of his journeys to proclaim the Gospel of repentance and the reign of God throughout Judea. Mary was there when Jesus entered Jerusalem. She grieved when Jesus was arrested and tortured.
Mary followed Our Lord in the Way of the Cross and she was there when Jesus was crucified and also when he was lowered and buried at the tomb. Her heart must have leapt for joy when Mary Magdalene announced that Jesus had risen and Mary was at the Upper Room when the Holy Spirit descended on her and the Apostles and she was there of course when Jesus ascended to heaven. So the question is not why but why not? If ever I pray the Holy Rosary it is because it reminds me of the birth, life, ministry, passion, death and the resurrection of Christ.
Significantly in the first reading, the liturgy recalls the figure of Eve, the mother of all the living. The Father’s of the Church saw in Mary, the new Eve that unties the knot bound by the first woman. The knot of disobedience tied by Eve, was untied by the obedience of Mary. As Eve was created in purity and integrity, also the new Eve was miraculously preserved from the contamination of original sin because she had to give humanity the Word, who was incarnated for our ransom.
St. Irenaeus compares the virginity of the pure earth from which Adam was drawn to the virginity of the immaculate humanity of Mary from which the Second Adam was drawn. ‘And as the protoplast himself Adam, had his substance from untilled and as yet virgin soil (for God had not yet sent rain, and man had not tilled the ground (Genesis 2:5) so did He who is the Word, recapitulating Adam in Himself, rightly receive a birth, enabling Him to gather up Adam [into Himself], from Mary, who was as yet a virgin’ (Adversus hereses III, 21:10).
If the official proclamation of the dogma is relatively recent, the profession of faith by Christians and the liturgy is very ancient in this regard. Furthermore, four years later the same Virgin Mary, appearing in Lourdes to St Bernadette, confirmed the truth of the doctrine by presenting herself with the title ‘I am the Immaculate Conception’.
Mary’s predestination to this singular grace—consistent with the suspension of the universal degree by which every man, from the moment of his conception is contaminated with original sin—leads us to ponder in the deepest depths the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity’s salvific plan.
God, One and Triune had foreseen from the very beginning the future incarnation of the Word cumulating in the redemption of human nature that had fallen into sin. He therefore predestined pure Mary, so that He could draw from her uncontaminated humanity, which the Son could adopt in order to re-establish in Himself the original purity of creation and reorient it to eternal glory.
For this reason, in the second reading of today’s liturgy, St Paul reminds us that God wants to see us holy and immaculate before Him. The purity of our origins seamed to be irredeemably lost. However, in Immaculate Mary, God found the perfect solution to reverse the disaster made from the misuse of our liberty, and returned humanity to the original purity that seamed hopelessly lost.
Mary was Immaculate because she had to be the Mother of God. She, herself has received the original grace of purity and the final state of the blessed life that we also, by collaborating with Divine Grace, hope one day to receive.
Immaculate Mary is full of grace. She is not only Christ’s disciple, that with the help of grace has overcome the chains of sin, but she is totius Trinitatis nobile triclinium, the noble resting place of the Holy Trinity (St Thomas Aquinas, Exposito Salutatioris Angelicae, I). The Immaculate, full of grace will always be Mother and Queen for that elect part of the Church that we hope one day to join, that will one day will joyfully sing in front of the Almighty. (Some parts of the foregoing paragraphs were taken from an article on the Immaculate Conception prepared by the Congregation for the Clergy at the Holy See.)
Devotion to Mary is also an excellent means of attaining sanctity not only here on earth but in the eternal kingdom hereafter. No one can escape the filial devotion of all the saints towards the Mother of God. Among the most prominent were St. Bernard and St. Alphonsus Liguori.
To the saints, Mary was the gate to heaven, the ladder connecting heaven and earth by which the Lord came down to us and by which we may ascend up to God. St. Alphonsus declared it to be his persuasion that hell cannot boast of containing one single soul that ever had a true and heartfelt devotion to Mary.
St. Bernard asserts that those who honor her daily will assuredly be saved. And St. Francis Borgia always feared for the salvation of the soul that has little or no devotion for the Mother of God. Indeed, God will give us the necessary grace when we also respond with the same willingness, obedience and heartfelt trust as Mary did.
When we respond to God’s command to follow him, he will also give us the grace, strength and the means to respond. With our own free will also operating in us, we can either yield to his grace and abandon ourselves to the divine providence or we can go our own way and risk being left out when the door to the kingdom is shut.
SUPPORTING CAST, NOT THE STAR
DEC. 8, 2013: SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT
1st Reading: Isa 11:1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17 “Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace forever.”
2nd Reading Rom 15:4-9
GOSPEL: MATT 3:1-12
Key Verse: “Prepare the way for the Lord.” (v.3)
If we refer to the first three books of the New Testament as the Synoptic Gospels which means that these are synonymous in some way, it will definitely come as a surprise that only Matthew and Luke wrote about the birth of Christ and their account even differed as to where the birth took place while Mark had completely omitted the story of the birth of Jesus Christ.
Let me just give you a brief background on why this was so. During the time of Mark, a herald normally preceded the arrival of important Roman officials in Jerusalem and it was his task to make the proper announcement that a prominent official would be coming. Since Mark was writing for the Roman Christians, he began his Gospel with John the Baptist who was pictured as the herald whose mission was to announce the coming of the most important person who ever lived – Jesus Christ.
In a nutshell, this is our purpose in life. It’s like you we being hired to become a tourist guide. And in guiding the tourists we follow a certain route and you explain the history of each cultural site that we pass by. And as the final stop we choose the best stop to be the climax of the tour. It’s either a sumptuous dinner spiced up with a cultural presentation or we end up with the grandest of all the sites and scenery there is to show. Through all this, the tourist guide draws the attention of the tourists to the historical and or cultural background of the places visited but the tour guide never makes himself as the main attraction.
Or you can probably go back in time when analog communication devices were still in vogue when you need to pass through a telephone operator to contact someone. You lift up the phone and give the operator the number to call and the operator will say “I’ll connect you now.” And as soon as the connection is made, the operator fades into the background.
In essence, this is what heralds or forerunners do. As heralds we do not point others to ourselves but we point others to one who is coming who is bigger and greater than us. And if we are going to look at the life of John the Baptist, his life was fueled by one burning passion and that was to point others to Jesus Christ and the coming of his Kingdom.
As we prepare for the coming of our soon coming King, the Gospel of Mark will provide us with an overview of what this Season of Advent means. When Matthew wrote in v.11 “But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry.” the Apostle was simply reminding those to whom his Gospel was addressed that the messenger or the Messiah the Jews have been waiting for was to cleanse and purify the worship at the temple to prepare the people for the Lord’s Day.
And the focal point of the preaching of John the Baptist who was to “make straight paths for him” (v.3) was for us to give up on our selfish ways, renounce our sins, seek God’s forgiveness and, enter into a submissive relationship with God by believing in the Word of God and the teachings of our Catholic faith.
While the Jews are familiar with baptism, John drew the attention of the Jews that baptism must be accompanied by repentance which also must be preceded with confession of our sins to ourselves, to those whom we may have wronged and, to God. As confession and repentance symbolize humility, these also put an end to pride which is the beginning of forgiveness. It is when a man says “I have sinned” that God will say “I forgive.”
John became effective in his ministry to lead others to the soon coming King because he lived his message in utter humility and simplicity. John was not exactly poor. His father was Zechariah, a priest in the temple of Jerusalem but John lived in the wilderness where he was filled with the Holy Spirit to prepare him as a herald but one who admits of his unworthiness to even untie the sandals of the One who is to come.
How many of us would admit to our unworthiness even in the face of the One true source of all that we have and possess. Weren’t there times when we fell victim to false humility when we flaunt our abilities, talents, achievements, possessions, titles and attribute these as blessings from God?
John was effective because he pointed to someone else and did not draw people to himself. This should remind us as heralds, disciples and shepherds of the need to accept we are insignificant compared to the One who is coming. We are merely to prepare the way but we are not the way.
Our roles as disciples and shepherds are to initiate the conversion of others but it will be Jesus who is going to fulfill this conversion through the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
As with John, we can all draw on the power of the Holy Spirit for us to become the medium who can initiate the restoration of others into the “divine likeness” but they will finally be prefigured when Jesus comes and baptizes them in the Holy Spirit.
But it is when Jesus comes when we all are filled with the fire of His Spirit so that our lives will radiate with joy and truth of the Word of God to serve a world that is in desperate need of light and truth. Like John we are to make use of our faith experiences to testify to the light and truth of Jesus Christ. Thus, our preoccupation must be to point others to Christ in the way we work, live and speak.
When we respond to God’s command to follow him, he will also give us the grace, strength and the means to respond. With our own free will also operating in us, we can either yield to his grace and abandon ourselves to the divine providence and we can also be like John the Baptist and our Blessed Mother Mary who pointed others to Jesus Christ. Like John, our role is to plant the seed of faith and lead others to Christ, nothing more nothing less. Conversion is the work of the Holy Spirit. And to become effective as an evangelist, we all should remember that we are the supporting cast, not the star.
We are supposed to celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception today being Dec. 8, 2013 but because it fell on a Sunday, we will be celebrating this feast tomorrow Dec. 9, 2013 instead.
1st Reading: Isa 11:1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17 “Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace forever.”
2nd Reading Rom 15:4-9
GOSPEL: MATT 3:1-12
Key Verse: “Prepare the way for the Lord.” (v.3)
If we refer to the first three books of the New Testament as the Synoptic Gospels which means that these are synonymous in some way, it will definitely come as a surprise that only Matthew and Luke wrote about the birth of Christ and their account even differed as to where the birth took place while Mark had completely omitted the story of the birth of Jesus Christ.
Let me just give you a brief background on why this was so. During the time of Mark, a herald normally preceded the arrival of important Roman officials in Jerusalem and it was his task to make the proper announcement that a prominent official would be coming. Since Mark was writing for the Roman Christians, he began his Gospel with John the Baptist who was pictured as the herald whose mission was to announce the coming of the most important person who ever lived – Jesus Christ.
In a nutshell, this is our purpose in life. It’s like you we being hired to become a tourist guide. And in guiding the tourists we follow a certain route and you explain the history of each cultural site that we pass by. And as the final stop we choose the best stop to be the climax of the tour. It’s either a sumptuous dinner spiced up with a cultural presentation or we end up with the grandest of all the sites and scenery there is to show. Through all this, the tourist guide draws the attention of the tourists to the historical and or cultural background of the places visited but the tour guide never makes himself as the main attraction.
Or you can probably go back in time when analog communication devices were still in vogue when you need to pass through a telephone operator to contact someone. You lift up the phone and give the operator the number to call and the operator will say “I’ll connect you now.” And as soon as the connection is made, the operator fades into the background.
In essence, this is what heralds or forerunners do. As heralds we do not point others to ourselves but we point others to one who is coming who is bigger and greater than us. And if we are going to look at the life of John the Baptist, his life was fueled by one burning passion and that was to point others to Jesus Christ and the coming of his Kingdom.
As we prepare for the coming of our soon coming King, the Gospel of Mark will provide us with an overview of what this Season of Advent means. When Matthew wrote in v.11 “But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry.” the Apostle was simply reminding those to whom his Gospel was addressed that the messenger or the Messiah the Jews have been waiting for was to cleanse and purify the worship at the temple to prepare the people for the Lord’s Day.
And the focal point of the preaching of John the Baptist who was to “make straight paths for him” (v.3) was for us to give up on our selfish ways, renounce our sins, seek God’s forgiveness and, enter into a submissive relationship with God by believing in the Word of God and the teachings of our Catholic faith.
While the Jews are familiar with baptism, John drew the attention of the Jews that baptism must be accompanied by repentance which also must be preceded with confession of our sins to ourselves, to those whom we may have wronged and, to God. As confession and repentance symbolize humility, these also put an end to pride which is the beginning of forgiveness. It is when a man says “I have sinned” that God will say “I forgive.”
John became effective in his ministry to lead others to the soon coming King because he lived his message in utter humility and simplicity. John was not exactly poor. His father was Zechariah, a priest in the temple of Jerusalem but John lived in the wilderness where he was filled with the Holy Spirit to prepare him as a herald but one who admits of his unworthiness to even untie the sandals of the One who is to come.
How many of us would admit to our unworthiness even in the face of the One true source of all that we have and possess. Weren’t there times when we fell victim to false humility when we flaunt our abilities, talents, achievements, possessions, titles and attribute these as blessings from God?
John was effective because he pointed to someone else and did not draw people to himself. This should remind us as heralds, disciples and shepherds of the need to accept we are insignificant compared to the One who is coming. We are merely to prepare the way but we are not the way.
Our roles as disciples and shepherds are to initiate the conversion of others but it will be Jesus who is going to fulfill this conversion through the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
As with John, we can all draw on the power of the Holy Spirit for us to become the medium who can initiate the restoration of others into the “divine likeness” but they will finally be prefigured when Jesus comes and baptizes them in the Holy Spirit.
But it is when Jesus comes when we all are filled with the fire of His Spirit so that our lives will radiate with joy and truth of the Word of God to serve a world that is in desperate need of light and truth. Like John we are to make use of our faith experiences to testify to the light and truth of Jesus Christ. Thus, our preoccupation must be to point others to Christ in the way we work, live and speak.
When we respond to God’s command to follow him, he will also give us the grace, strength and the means to respond. With our own free will also operating in us, we can either yield to his grace and abandon ourselves to the divine providence and we can also be like John the Baptist and our Blessed Mother Mary who pointed others to Jesus Christ. Like John, our role is to plant the seed of faith and lead others to Christ, nothing more nothing less. Conversion is the work of the Holy Spirit. And to become effective as an evangelist, we all should remember that we are the supporting cast, not the star.
We are supposed to celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception today being Dec. 8, 2013 but because it fell on a Sunday, we will be celebrating this feast tomorrow Dec. 9, 2013 instead.
THE REIGN OF GOD IS NEAR
DEC. 7, 2013: FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT
1st Reading: Isa 30:19-21, 23-26
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 147: 1-6 “Blessed are all who wait on the Lord.”
GOSPEL: MATT 9:35 – 10:1, 6-8
Key Verse: “The kingdom of heaven is near.” (10:7)
That Jesus Our Lord is coming cannot be doubted because he said so in v.7 “the Kingdom of heaven is near” and at the beginning of this Gospel passage, Jesus also revealed the three-fold ministry to which he is involved in.
As he went to all the towns and villages, Jesus taught in the synagogues and with the use of parables he established a connection between the content of his teaching with the realities of life. Furthermore, Jesus lived what he taught. As disciples, Jesus is reminding us of the necessity to not only talk about our faith but to show to others what our faith does to us.
Jesus was the herald of the Good News and in this age of uncertainty especially in the way our country’s economy is retrogressing it is possible that many of those affected by the economic downturn may lose their faith. As Jesus brought forth the Good News to the world, he expects us to do the same by proclaiming the certainties in the way men should live. We must be able to bring the truth of the Gospel to others.
Jesus healed every disease and sickness. In doing so, he did what he spoke about. In other words, he transformed the truth that he taught into reality by showing compassion and love when he healed the sick, raised the dead to life and, fed the hungry. In the same way, we who want to step into the shoes of the carpenter are to do likewise meaning we are to express our love for Jesus by being compassionate to those who are hungry, thirsty, the naked, the stranger, the sick and, those in prison.
Our duty as Christian disciples is as clear as the noonday sun. To know what our duty is, let us go back to the parable of the good Samaritan in Lk 10:37 when Jesus asked the teacher of the law which of the three characters in the parable was a neighbor to the man who was victimized by robbers and the teacher of the law said the one who had mercy on him. To this, Jesus said: “Go and do likewise.”
To sum it up, our primary duty is to be a neighbor to those who are hungry, thirsty, naked, stranger, sick and those in prison by teaching them to believe in Jesus by showing them the depth of our own belief and faith in Him for only a neighbor can do these things out of love. We are to be heralds of the Good News (Mk 16:15) because at the end of the day, only the Good News can overcome the uncertainties of our time. We are to bring healing to those in darkness and lead them into the light of God’s Kingdom.
As the Apostles are long gone, this task of proclaiming the Kingdom of God has been passed on to us and we should not look at this as a burden but as an awesome privilege to be chosen by no less than the One who created all things unto him including this life that we now live.
For the amount of work that needs to be done, Jesus needs all the hands that he can tap (9:37) “because the harvest is great and the laborers are few.” Even in the home front, our faith is now being put to a test as marginal Catholics continue to challenge the moral dimension of our Catholic doctrines in the form of the pending legislation that seeks to legalize abortion and same-sex marriage and Jesus needs men to fight this evil permeating in our world today.
But Jesus warned his disciples not to go the Gentiles but only to the lost sheep of Israel (10:5). The reason was that they were not yet ready nor equipped to reach out to the Gentiles. This job of preaching to the Gentiles would later fall on Paul’s shoulders because he has the background and the training to relate to the Gentiles. As modern-day Apostles, we also need to be trained and equipped which is why our Church has a discipleship program designed to arm our Catechists and Preachers on the intricacies of evangelization.
Jesus says in 10:7 that “the kingdom of heaven is near” and indeed it is because the coming birth of Jesus will usher in a new spiritual precedent because by virtue of his birth through human parents Jesus who is divine, we who are human will become partakers of the divine nature (2 Pet 1:4) which means that what was before human has become divine as a result of this commingling of the divinity of Jesus and the humanity of man.
Through the indwelling of his Holy Spirit, the Lord brings his kingdom to everyone who will believe in him and will submit to his Will through faith and obedience. But we cannot truly say we are Christians until our beliefs are translated into action through faith.
And because God has showered us with bountiful blessings that are more than sufficient for our needs, God is telling us to give generously to others our time, possessions and love. As time is the only variable that we can control, it would please God if we are to make use of our time to bring the Gospel to others especially to baptized Catholics who have drifted away from the faith and impress upon them the joy that they are missing in life.
The need for a renewed proclamation of the Gospel has become necessary because of what Pope Francis said as a “turning point in the history of humanity in which majority of the people are living from day-to-day with dire consequences despite the advances in many economic areas.”
The Holy Father said one of the factors that has brought about the degradation of today’s post-modern society is found in the people’s relationship with money that he likened to the return of the worship of the golden calf that is clothed in a new and ruthless guise in the idolatry of money and the dictatorship of an impersonal economy that is lacking a truly human purpose.
As we await with joyful hope and expectation the coming of our Savior, this would also be an opportune time for us to redirect our focus from the culture of materialism, relativism, individualism and hedonism to the only source of eternal joy and so help those beside us to also benefit from the joy that we have received.
“Freely you have received, freely give” (10:8). And the gifts we have received, we need to give as a gift to others. As disciples who have taken over from where the Apostles left off, we are to bring the Gospel to others sans any form of payment or reward because the primacy of our duty as a teacher, herald and healer is to go after the righteousness of God.
In this Season of Advent let us use the time between now and the coming of the kingdom of God to look forward to a new heaven and a new earth that will be the home of God’s righteousness, peace and joy.
1st Reading: Isa 30:19-21, 23-26
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 147: 1-6 “Blessed are all who wait on the Lord.”
GOSPEL: MATT 9:35 – 10:1, 6-8
Key Verse: “The kingdom of heaven is near.” (10:7)
That Jesus Our Lord is coming cannot be doubted because he said so in v.7 “the Kingdom of heaven is near” and at the beginning of this Gospel passage, Jesus also revealed the three-fold ministry to which he is involved in.
As he went to all the towns and villages, Jesus taught in the synagogues and with the use of parables he established a connection between the content of his teaching with the realities of life. Furthermore, Jesus lived what he taught. As disciples, Jesus is reminding us of the necessity to not only talk about our faith but to show to others what our faith does to us.
Jesus was the herald of the Good News and in this age of uncertainty especially in the way our country’s economy is retrogressing it is possible that many of those affected by the economic downturn may lose their faith. As Jesus brought forth the Good News to the world, he expects us to do the same by proclaiming the certainties in the way men should live. We must be able to bring the truth of the Gospel to others.
Jesus healed every disease and sickness. In doing so, he did what he spoke about. In other words, he transformed the truth that he taught into reality by showing compassion and love when he healed the sick, raised the dead to life and, fed the hungry. In the same way, we who want to step into the shoes of the carpenter are to do likewise meaning we are to express our love for Jesus by being compassionate to those who are hungry, thirsty, the naked, the stranger, the sick and, those in prison.
Our duty as Christian disciples is as clear as the noonday sun. To know what our duty is, let us go back to the parable of the good Samaritan in Lk 10:37 when Jesus asked the teacher of the law which of the three characters in the parable was a neighbor to the man who was victimized by robbers and the teacher of the law said the one who had mercy on him. To this, Jesus said: “Go and do likewise.”
To sum it up, our primary duty is to be a neighbor to those who are hungry, thirsty, naked, stranger, sick and those in prison by teaching them to believe in Jesus by showing them the depth of our own belief and faith in Him for only a neighbor can do these things out of love. We are to be heralds of the Good News (Mk 16:15) because at the end of the day, only the Good News can overcome the uncertainties of our time. We are to bring healing to those in darkness and lead them into the light of God’s Kingdom.
As the Apostles are long gone, this task of proclaiming the Kingdom of God has been passed on to us and we should not look at this as a burden but as an awesome privilege to be chosen by no less than the One who created all things unto him including this life that we now live.
For the amount of work that needs to be done, Jesus needs all the hands that he can tap (9:37) “because the harvest is great and the laborers are few.” Even in the home front, our faith is now being put to a test as marginal Catholics continue to challenge the moral dimension of our Catholic doctrines in the form of the pending legislation that seeks to legalize abortion and same-sex marriage and Jesus needs men to fight this evil permeating in our world today.
But Jesus warned his disciples not to go the Gentiles but only to the lost sheep of Israel (10:5). The reason was that they were not yet ready nor equipped to reach out to the Gentiles. This job of preaching to the Gentiles would later fall on Paul’s shoulders because he has the background and the training to relate to the Gentiles. As modern-day Apostles, we also need to be trained and equipped which is why our Church has a discipleship program designed to arm our Catechists and Preachers on the intricacies of evangelization.
Jesus says in 10:7 that “the kingdom of heaven is near” and indeed it is because the coming birth of Jesus will usher in a new spiritual precedent because by virtue of his birth through human parents Jesus who is divine, we who are human will become partakers of the divine nature (2 Pet 1:4) which means that what was before human has become divine as a result of this commingling of the divinity of Jesus and the humanity of man.
Through the indwelling of his Holy Spirit, the Lord brings his kingdom to everyone who will believe in him and will submit to his Will through faith and obedience. But we cannot truly say we are Christians until our beliefs are translated into action through faith.
And because God has showered us with bountiful blessings that are more than sufficient for our needs, God is telling us to give generously to others our time, possessions and love. As time is the only variable that we can control, it would please God if we are to make use of our time to bring the Gospel to others especially to baptized Catholics who have drifted away from the faith and impress upon them the joy that they are missing in life.
The need for a renewed proclamation of the Gospel has become necessary because of what Pope Francis said as a “turning point in the history of humanity in which majority of the people are living from day-to-day with dire consequences despite the advances in many economic areas.”
The Holy Father said one of the factors that has brought about the degradation of today’s post-modern society is found in the people’s relationship with money that he likened to the return of the worship of the golden calf that is clothed in a new and ruthless guise in the idolatry of money and the dictatorship of an impersonal economy that is lacking a truly human purpose.
As we await with joyful hope and expectation the coming of our Savior, this would also be an opportune time for us to redirect our focus from the culture of materialism, relativism, individualism and hedonism to the only source of eternal joy and so help those beside us to also benefit from the joy that we have received.
“Freely you have received, freely give” (10:8). And the gifts we have received, we need to give as a gift to others. As disciples who have taken over from where the Apostles left off, we are to bring the Gospel to others sans any form of payment or reward because the primacy of our duty as a teacher, herald and healer is to go after the righteousness of God.
In this Season of Advent let us use the time between now and the coming of the kingdom of God to look forward to a new heaven and a new earth that will be the home of God’s righteousness, peace and joy.
HEALING THROUGH FAITH
DEC. 6, 2013: FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT
1st Reading: Isa 29:17-24
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 27:1, 4, 13-14 “The Lord is my light and my salvation.”
GOSPEL: MATT 9:27-31
Key Verse: “According to your faith, it will be done to you.” (v.29)
Since sunglasses or what the yuppies of today call shades were unheard of during the time of Jesus, blindness was a common disease in those days and this malady was caused primarily by the sun’s glare on the eyes as well as the sand and dust particles that are carried by the strong winds which was a normal occurrence at that time. Besides leaving their eyes unprotected, the matter of hygiene also contributed to the high incidence of blindness among the Jews.
But there are times, however, when people can also suffer from blindness though not in a physical sense. This happens when people become blind to see the truth that is before them and would rather live and patronize the lies permeating in the world around them.
The two characters in this Gospel passage are physically blind who were probably told that Jesus was passing by on the street where they must have been a fixture. Though blind, they knew if it was Jesus who was passing by as there was always a commotion when Jesus walks on the street as it was normal for Rabbis to talk or preach to their disciples while they are on the road.
And the two blind men knew exactly how to get the attention of Jesus amidst the commotion. They shouted “have pity on us, you Son of David.” (v.27) But instead of responding as he usually does, Jesus went into the house where the two blind men followed him.
It was here that Jesus asked “do you believe that I am able to this?” “Yes Lord,” was the reply (v.28). And Jesus touched their eyes saying: “According to your faith it will be done to you.” (v.29)
These exchanges between Jesus and the two blind men will show why Jesus held back from responding immediately to the request of the two blind men on the street. It was when they followed him to the house that he asked if they believed because Jesus wanted to be sure the two blind men were sincere in their pleading and knew in their hearts what Jesus could do for them.
The two blind men showed their true faith when they followed Jesus into the house and it was this kind of faith that moved Jesus especially when they shouted “you Son of David” as this placed Jesus in the position of the Messiah that the Jews have been waiting for centuries to emerge from the line of David.
It was in this figure of a Messiah that the two blind men thought of Jesus as they figured from what they have heard of him that he was someone who could not only restore their eye sights but one who would lead the people to freedom. Besides the faith exhibited by the two blind men it was also probable that their use of the title “Son of David” was what moved Jesus to heal them.
It is the same with most of us who are saddled with blind spots in our lives that we cannot see the beauty of God’s creation as we fill our senses and our hearts with happiness that is fleeting and it is when everything don’t seem to work anymore that we think of Jesus.
To reclaim our position as someone created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26) we need to reenergize our faith in the One True God because only faith will open the way for us to see the Kingdom of God and experience his healing presence in our lives.
But for us to experience the mercy and healing love of Jesus we need to recognize him for who he is. Like the two blind men, we also need to acknowledge Jesus as our Savior in whom we can place our complete trust and confidence. I grew up in a Catholic environment and went to a Catholic school in the early years of my education but I was swept by the corruption of the world as I matured.
I am grateful for the advent of the renewal movement that our God found me at a time when I no longer knew what to make out of my life. I equated everything then in material terms filled with the wrong notion that these are all that matters. Little did I know that I am being carried by the undercurrent of the world away from the God whom I didn’t realize was the source of all that I had and possess. Today, I have been dispossessed of the material things that blinded me in the past but there is now more joy that is incomparable.
We can all use this Advent Season as a time for examining our lives, where we stand in relation to our faith and where we want to go from here. Life is always made up of choices and our future is determined by the choices that we make. We can either remain in the world and all the destruction that it brings to our spiritual lives or we can hope for God’s mercy and love to heal us of all our physical and spiritual infirmities through the forgiveness of our sins.
God’s mercy and healing is readily available to anyone but we must have faith because it is only through faith that we can recognize our imperfection and need for forgiveness and healing. And faith is the power that will allow us to know God in a personal way, understand his truth that will allow us the privilege of living in the power of his love.
And for faith to be effective, it must stand on our complete trust and obedience to God. This means submitting to God and being equipped with the disposition to subordinate our human will to the Will of God and do whatever he commands us to do. It is not enough that we know who Jesus is from what is being said about him because there is an ocean of difference between knowing about him and knowing him in the way that we know our friends who are close to us.
When Jesus asked the two blind men if they believed he could heal them, he was not trying to hold back on his response but he merely wanted to test their faith. And for faith to become effective and operable it must be founded on total dependence on God and a willingness to do his will.
It is the same with us because Jesus wants us to live with expectant faith that he will fulfill his promises and bring us to the fullness of his kingdom, “a kingdom of God that is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Rom 14:17)
And even when Jesus told the two blind men not to tell anyone, they still went around to spread the news. Why? Because of the joy that was in them. And it must be so for us who have received God’s mercy and love and it is out of this abundance that we cannot contain that should propel us to tell of God’s Kingdom to everyone around us.
This should be the same with us who are commanded to go and proclaim the Good News to the ends of the earth. Just like the Apostles who accepted death with joy, our proclamation of the Gospel must bring joy to our hearts. As we close the Year of Faith, we open our doors to the celebration of the Year of the Laity and so timely it is that Pope Francis had just released his first Apostolic Exhortation – Evangelii Gauidum (Joy of the Gospel) – that all baptized Catholics are being reminded of our duty to proclaim the Gospel and to see the responsibility to evangelize as our own.
The Holy Father also emphatically wrote that “the Church is called to be the house of the Father, with doors always wide open and that there is an inseparable bond between our faith and the poor.”
1st Reading: Isa 29:17-24
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 27:1, 4, 13-14 “The Lord is my light and my salvation.”
GOSPEL: MATT 9:27-31
Key Verse: “According to your faith, it will be done to you.” (v.29)
Since sunglasses or what the yuppies of today call shades were unheard of during the time of Jesus, blindness was a common disease in those days and this malady was caused primarily by the sun’s glare on the eyes as well as the sand and dust particles that are carried by the strong winds which was a normal occurrence at that time. Besides leaving their eyes unprotected, the matter of hygiene also contributed to the high incidence of blindness among the Jews.
But there are times, however, when people can also suffer from blindness though not in a physical sense. This happens when people become blind to see the truth that is before them and would rather live and patronize the lies permeating in the world around them.
The two characters in this Gospel passage are physically blind who were probably told that Jesus was passing by on the street where they must have been a fixture. Though blind, they knew if it was Jesus who was passing by as there was always a commotion when Jesus walks on the street as it was normal for Rabbis to talk or preach to their disciples while they are on the road.
And the two blind men knew exactly how to get the attention of Jesus amidst the commotion. They shouted “have pity on us, you Son of David.” (v.27) But instead of responding as he usually does, Jesus went into the house where the two blind men followed him.
It was here that Jesus asked “do you believe that I am able to this?” “Yes Lord,” was the reply (v.28). And Jesus touched their eyes saying: “According to your faith it will be done to you.” (v.29)
These exchanges between Jesus and the two blind men will show why Jesus held back from responding immediately to the request of the two blind men on the street. It was when they followed him to the house that he asked if they believed because Jesus wanted to be sure the two blind men were sincere in their pleading and knew in their hearts what Jesus could do for them.
The two blind men showed their true faith when they followed Jesus into the house and it was this kind of faith that moved Jesus especially when they shouted “you Son of David” as this placed Jesus in the position of the Messiah that the Jews have been waiting for centuries to emerge from the line of David.
It was in this figure of a Messiah that the two blind men thought of Jesus as they figured from what they have heard of him that he was someone who could not only restore their eye sights but one who would lead the people to freedom. Besides the faith exhibited by the two blind men it was also probable that their use of the title “Son of David” was what moved Jesus to heal them.
It is the same with most of us who are saddled with blind spots in our lives that we cannot see the beauty of God’s creation as we fill our senses and our hearts with happiness that is fleeting and it is when everything don’t seem to work anymore that we think of Jesus.
To reclaim our position as someone created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26) we need to reenergize our faith in the One True God because only faith will open the way for us to see the Kingdom of God and experience his healing presence in our lives.
But for us to experience the mercy and healing love of Jesus we need to recognize him for who he is. Like the two blind men, we also need to acknowledge Jesus as our Savior in whom we can place our complete trust and confidence. I grew up in a Catholic environment and went to a Catholic school in the early years of my education but I was swept by the corruption of the world as I matured.
I am grateful for the advent of the renewal movement that our God found me at a time when I no longer knew what to make out of my life. I equated everything then in material terms filled with the wrong notion that these are all that matters. Little did I know that I am being carried by the undercurrent of the world away from the God whom I didn’t realize was the source of all that I had and possess. Today, I have been dispossessed of the material things that blinded me in the past but there is now more joy that is incomparable.
We can all use this Advent Season as a time for examining our lives, where we stand in relation to our faith and where we want to go from here. Life is always made up of choices and our future is determined by the choices that we make. We can either remain in the world and all the destruction that it brings to our spiritual lives or we can hope for God’s mercy and love to heal us of all our physical and spiritual infirmities through the forgiveness of our sins.
God’s mercy and healing is readily available to anyone but we must have faith because it is only through faith that we can recognize our imperfection and need for forgiveness and healing. And faith is the power that will allow us to know God in a personal way, understand his truth that will allow us the privilege of living in the power of his love.
And for faith to be effective, it must stand on our complete trust and obedience to God. This means submitting to God and being equipped with the disposition to subordinate our human will to the Will of God and do whatever he commands us to do. It is not enough that we know who Jesus is from what is being said about him because there is an ocean of difference between knowing about him and knowing him in the way that we know our friends who are close to us.
When Jesus asked the two blind men if they believed he could heal them, he was not trying to hold back on his response but he merely wanted to test their faith. And for faith to become effective and operable it must be founded on total dependence on God and a willingness to do his will.
It is the same with us because Jesus wants us to live with expectant faith that he will fulfill his promises and bring us to the fullness of his kingdom, “a kingdom of God that is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Rom 14:17)
And even when Jesus told the two blind men not to tell anyone, they still went around to spread the news. Why? Because of the joy that was in them. And it must be so for us who have received God’s mercy and love and it is out of this abundance that we cannot contain that should propel us to tell of God’s Kingdom to everyone around us.
This should be the same with us who are commanded to go and proclaim the Good News to the ends of the earth. Just like the Apostles who accepted death with joy, our proclamation of the Gospel must bring joy to our hearts. As we close the Year of Faith, we open our doors to the celebration of the Year of the Laity and so timely it is that Pope Francis had just released his first Apostolic Exhortation – Evangelii Gauidum (Joy of the Gospel) – that all baptized Catholics are being reminded of our duty to proclaim the Gospel and to see the responsibility to evangelize as our own.
The Holy Father also emphatically wrote that “the Church is called to be the house of the Father, with doors always wide open and that there is an inseparable bond between our faith and the poor.”
THE WISE FAVORED OVER FOOLS
DEC. 5, 2013: FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT
1st Reading: Isa 26:1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 118:8-9, 19-21, 25-27 “Blessed is he who comes in the Name of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: MATT 7:21, 24-27
Key Verse: “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice
is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (v.24)
There are two messages in this Gospel passage that form part of our preparation for the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The first is the warning of Jesus that “not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the Will of my Father who is in heaven.” (v.21)
There is a reason for this and that is to distinguish the proclamations and miracles being performed by false prophets and exorcists that abound in those days with the teachings and healing miracles that were attributed to Jesus and his disciples. In fact, there were many instances also when such healings were being performed in the name of God by those who are outside of the circle of Jesus. But many of those who could do these things were doing it to gain fame and fortune and this is what Jesus was referring to in this particular verse.
For Jesus there is only one way to prove the sincerity of those doing these things and that is by practice. What Jesus is simply saying is that not everyone who talks about heaven belongs to the Kingdom of God. Jesus is more concerned about walking rather than talking. What he wants is for his disciples to do what is right and not just say what is right.
Fine words can never be a substitute for fine deeds. As love has something to do with teaching and also with healing or as we do it in the Community with praying over those in need of prayers, proof of that love is obedience to the Word of God.
Our character is revealed in the choices we make and as popular Catholic evangelist Mark Nimo would say – we need to define ourselves or others will which means that we need to show our true nature that is hidden in God. What lies beneath this particular verse is the idea of judgment. No matter how you reflect upon v.21, the day of reckoning is written all over it.
What is says is that while man may succeed at times to camouflage his real self with what may appear as good deeds, there will still come a time when such pretensions will be exposed. We probably can deceive men with words but Our God cannot be mocked (Gal 6:7) because man sees what is before him but God sees what is in our hearts.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus also reminds us not to place our security on the ephemeral but on what will withstand the test of time and will last forever. As with these vv.24-27, many are wondering why Jesus defers to the use of parables to shed light on his teachings. This is because many of these parables are akin to the Jews and it would be easier for them to understand what Jesus is saying because they are familiar with the parables which are illustrations of actual life situations.
Again, in those days the Jews think of security in terms of fortresses, encampments, a house built on a strong foundation and Jesus equated the need to hear and listen (obey) the Word of God with the strong foundations that can withstand the forces of nature (trials, frustrations, challenges and persecution that come our way).
What Jesus was also pointing out in this Gospel for today was that on judgment day, only our relationship with God will matter. Many think and believe that if they appear to be good and say religious things, they are assured of eternal life. On the contrary, only faith in Christ that is rooted in obedience will count on the day of reckoning.
The Scriptures itself warns that destruction will surely come to those who place their security and their spiritual future on mundane things rather than on the Grace of God. The prophet Isaiah refers to God as the “rock eternal” (Isa 26:4) and the Psalmist adds in Psa 118:8 “it is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.” These very words of Scriptures should serve as a fitting reminder that Our God is the rock upon which we should build our house (v.24) because it is only the Word of God that can provide us protection from the storms of life.
Many of our brethren out there are also headed for destruction not only because they built their house on sand (v.26) but because of indifference. As membership in the Kingdom of God is a privilege it also carries with it a responsibility to also help others think where their lives are headed. More importantly, we are to help and guide others to the consequences of ignoring the message of Christ. Paul reminds us in 1 Cor 10:33 “for I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.”
We can only do this if we ourselves stand on a strong foundation because others are led to Christ by what they see. Jesus in today’s Gospel demands that we should listen and he is also urging us to do what we heard. Knowledge only becomes relevant when it is translated into action. Theory must lead to practice and theology must become our lifestyle and not just as a headgear.
Jesus assures us that those who built their life’s foundation on his Word need not fear when the storms come because we can always take refuge in God who is our eternal rock. The question now is have we built our lives on his Word made flesh as if our lives depend on it?
1st Reading: Isa 26:1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 118:8-9, 19-21, 25-27 “Blessed is he who comes in the Name of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: MATT 7:21, 24-27
Key Verse: “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice
is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (v.24)
There are two messages in this Gospel passage that form part of our preparation for the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The first is the warning of Jesus that “not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the Will of my Father who is in heaven.” (v.21)
There is a reason for this and that is to distinguish the proclamations and miracles being performed by false prophets and exorcists that abound in those days with the teachings and healing miracles that were attributed to Jesus and his disciples. In fact, there were many instances also when such healings were being performed in the name of God by those who are outside of the circle of Jesus. But many of those who could do these things were doing it to gain fame and fortune and this is what Jesus was referring to in this particular verse.
For Jesus there is only one way to prove the sincerity of those doing these things and that is by practice. What Jesus is simply saying is that not everyone who talks about heaven belongs to the Kingdom of God. Jesus is more concerned about walking rather than talking. What he wants is for his disciples to do what is right and not just say what is right.
Fine words can never be a substitute for fine deeds. As love has something to do with teaching and also with healing or as we do it in the Community with praying over those in need of prayers, proof of that love is obedience to the Word of God.
Our character is revealed in the choices we make and as popular Catholic evangelist Mark Nimo would say – we need to define ourselves or others will which means that we need to show our true nature that is hidden in God. What lies beneath this particular verse is the idea of judgment. No matter how you reflect upon v.21, the day of reckoning is written all over it.
What is says is that while man may succeed at times to camouflage his real self with what may appear as good deeds, there will still come a time when such pretensions will be exposed. We probably can deceive men with words but Our God cannot be mocked (Gal 6:7) because man sees what is before him but God sees what is in our hearts.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus also reminds us not to place our security on the ephemeral but on what will withstand the test of time and will last forever. As with these vv.24-27, many are wondering why Jesus defers to the use of parables to shed light on his teachings. This is because many of these parables are akin to the Jews and it would be easier for them to understand what Jesus is saying because they are familiar with the parables which are illustrations of actual life situations.
Again, in those days the Jews think of security in terms of fortresses, encampments, a house built on a strong foundation and Jesus equated the need to hear and listen (obey) the Word of God with the strong foundations that can withstand the forces of nature (trials, frustrations, challenges and persecution that come our way).
What Jesus was also pointing out in this Gospel for today was that on judgment day, only our relationship with God will matter. Many think and believe that if they appear to be good and say religious things, they are assured of eternal life. On the contrary, only faith in Christ that is rooted in obedience will count on the day of reckoning.
The Scriptures itself warns that destruction will surely come to those who place their security and their spiritual future on mundane things rather than on the Grace of God. The prophet Isaiah refers to God as the “rock eternal” (Isa 26:4) and the Psalmist adds in Psa 118:8 “it is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.” These very words of Scriptures should serve as a fitting reminder that Our God is the rock upon which we should build our house (v.24) because it is only the Word of God that can provide us protection from the storms of life.
Many of our brethren out there are also headed for destruction not only because they built their house on sand (v.26) but because of indifference. As membership in the Kingdom of God is a privilege it also carries with it a responsibility to also help others think where their lives are headed. More importantly, we are to help and guide others to the consequences of ignoring the message of Christ. Paul reminds us in 1 Cor 10:33 “for I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.”
We can only do this if we ourselves stand on a strong foundation because others are led to Christ by what they see. Jesus in today’s Gospel demands that we should listen and he is also urging us to do what we heard. Knowledge only becomes relevant when it is translated into action. Theory must lead to practice and theology must become our lifestyle and not just as a headgear.
Jesus assures us that those who built their life’s foundation on his Word need not fear when the storms come because we can always take refuge in God who is our eternal rock. The question now is have we built our lives on his Word made flesh as if our lives depend on it?
COMPASSION THAT IS WITHOUT MEASURE
DEC. 4, 2013: FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT
1st Reading: Isa 25:6-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 23:1-6 “I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.”
GOSPEL: MT 15:29-37
Key Verse: “I have compassion for these people.” (v.32)
The event depicted in today’s Gospel reading should be distinguished from the more popular feeding of the 5,000 when Jesus miraculously multiplied the five barley loaves of bread and two small pieces of fish (Matt 14:13-21).
This time around the vast crowd who has been following him swelled to 4,000 as they brought to him the lame, blind, crippled, mute, and many others with physical disabilities and they laid them before Jesus. And Jesus healed them all (v.30). Again, the disciples of Jesus were overwhelmed and they asked “and where would we get enough food out here in he wilderness for all of them to eat?”(v.33)
This comes as a surprise because the disciples of Jesus only days ago were witnesses to one of the greatest biblical event when Jesus multiplied the five loaves and two small fish to feed the 5,000 men in addition to the women and children.
Just like the disciples, we too at times forget the blessings that God has poured out on us in the past, the answers we have received to our prayers, the times we managed to wiggle out of difficult situations by the Grace of God and, how we easily give up and allow despair to get the better of us when we find ourselves in a crisis situation.
What we should be mindful of is that God is faithful regardless of the circumstances and if he cared for us in the past we can expect that he will still care for us today. And for him to once again show his compassion as he did in this gospel passage we only have to place our lives in the palm of his hands as a sign of our complete trust and confidence in him.
This miracle event which was the second time that Jesus fed the crowd who have been following him shows the kind of God that Jesus was and there is no doubt that Jesus remains to be the compassionate God that he is today and forever.
That he was sent down from heaven to be with the chosen people of God can no longer be denied nor doubted. And here in this passage Jesus gave the people another opportunity to get a glimpse of what God was like for there was no one who could do what he has been doing.
If you have been faithfully reading and reflecting on the Gospel readings you will certainly note the daily routine of Jesus. Despite the rejection he experienced in his own hometown, Jesus left and preached in all the villages that he went into and the people were amazed for he taught and spoke with authority.
Many times on the way, he debated on several occasions with the Scribes and Pharisees over the traditions that the Jews were obliged to observe and follow such as eating without washing their hands as the disciples did. And Jesus surprised the Pharisees and the people when he said that nothing outside can make a man unclean but what comes out of a man was what makes him unclean.
These debates and arguments probably took its toll on Jesus which was why he and his disciples went to the region of Tyre and Sidon with the intention of spending time to rest but his fame preceded him as crowds of people even in Gentile territory sought him out wherever he went.
And a very beautiful recording of what followed next is found in this Gospel passage today when Jesus said: “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they will collapse on the way.” (v.32)
This passage sums up not only what Jesus felt at the time but it provides us with a picture of the true nature and character of Christ. “I have compassion for these people;” meant that empathy for the people was written all over his entire being that there was nothing in his heart that did not translate to concern, love and compassion.
Jesus could have driven away the crowd but he did not. Instead he gave the people what they needed and he also healed all those who were sick and, he ministered to the people by feeding them from what his Apostles had with them – seven loaves of bread and a few small fish. (v.34)
What Jesus also did was he showed his Apostles the important role they will play and to a certain degree the role that we now too will play. To serve the needs of the 4,000 who were there, Jesus had to rely on his Apostles and other disciples to help feed the people. And this is the reality that we also face today. In order for the Good News to reach the ends of the world, Jesus has to use us especially those who have committed their lives to the Lord because it was through the Apostles and now through us that the truth can be proclaimed.
What we also see in this miracle was not just the multiplication of the seven loaves and a few small fish but the miracle of the dependence of the people on God. Notwithstanding their hunger and thirst as they have been with Jesus for three days, they did not complain but they simply waited for whatever provision that Jesus will give them.
Here we also see what we saw Jesus did when he fed the five thousand on another occasion. “When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks…” (v.36) In everything that he had done, Jesus never did it on his own. He always prayed to God the Father to bless him by the power of the Holy Spirit and this was the kind of discipline that Jesus wants us to also observe and follow.
More than anything else, Jesus showed that anything is possible when done in love. Love conquers all things and in this Gospel passage, Jesus gave the Apostles and his disciples a lesson of what love and compassion meant. The plight of the people was always in the heart of Jesus. Similarly, Jesus is telling us now to also have compassion for the poor and Jesus showed that love could transform us into becoming generous to others.
This is the same attitude that Jesus is asking of anyone who will follow him. We are to share this same love that we received from Jesus so that others may also be blessed. In times when we may feel that what we give may not be enough, this miracle of the seven loaves and a few small fish assures us that whatever we give to others in love will be multiplied.
To sum it up, Jesus in this passage shows us the kind of character that every servant must have. A servant must be filled with love and compassion when serving others.
But more importantly, Jesus shows us that the food that will last is for all. As the feeding of the 5,000 in Matt 14 was for the Jews, this particular event refers to the feeding of the 4,000 who were mostly Gentiles. This means that the food that comes from God arguably is for all – Jews and Gentiles alike.
1st Reading: Isa 25:6-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 23:1-6 “I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.”
GOSPEL: MT 15:29-37
Key Verse: “I have compassion for these people.” (v.32)
The event depicted in today’s Gospel reading should be distinguished from the more popular feeding of the 5,000 when Jesus miraculously multiplied the five barley loaves of bread and two small pieces of fish (Matt 14:13-21).
This time around the vast crowd who has been following him swelled to 4,000 as they brought to him the lame, blind, crippled, mute, and many others with physical disabilities and they laid them before Jesus. And Jesus healed them all (v.30). Again, the disciples of Jesus were overwhelmed and they asked “and where would we get enough food out here in he wilderness for all of them to eat?”(v.33)
This comes as a surprise because the disciples of Jesus only days ago were witnesses to one of the greatest biblical event when Jesus multiplied the five loaves and two small fish to feed the 5,000 men in addition to the women and children.
Just like the disciples, we too at times forget the blessings that God has poured out on us in the past, the answers we have received to our prayers, the times we managed to wiggle out of difficult situations by the Grace of God and, how we easily give up and allow despair to get the better of us when we find ourselves in a crisis situation.
What we should be mindful of is that God is faithful regardless of the circumstances and if he cared for us in the past we can expect that he will still care for us today. And for him to once again show his compassion as he did in this gospel passage we only have to place our lives in the palm of his hands as a sign of our complete trust and confidence in him.
This miracle event which was the second time that Jesus fed the crowd who have been following him shows the kind of God that Jesus was and there is no doubt that Jesus remains to be the compassionate God that he is today and forever.
That he was sent down from heaven to be with the chosen people of God can no longer be denied nor doubted. And here in this passage Jesus gave the people another opportunity to get a glimpse of what God was like for there was no one who could do what he has been doing.
If you have been faithfully reading and reflecting on the Gospel readings you will certainly note the daily routine of Jesus. Despite the rejection he experienced in his own hometown, Jesus left and preached in all the villages that he went into and the people were amazed for he taught and spoke with authority.
Many times on the way, he debated on several occasions with the Scribes and Pharisees over the traditions that the Jews were obliged to observe and follow such as eating without washing their hands as the disciples did. And Jesus surprised the Pharisees and the people when he said that nothing outside can make a man unclean but what comes out of a man was what makes him unclean.
These debates and arguments probably took its toll on Jesus which was why he and his disciples went to the region of Tyre and Sidon with the intention of spending time to rest but his fame preceded him as crowds of people even in Gentile territory sought him out wherever he went.
And a very beautiful recording of what followed next is found in this Gospel passage today when Jesus said: “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they will collapse on the way.” (v.32)
This passage sums up not only what Jesus felt at the time but it provides us with a picture of the true nature and character of Christ. “I have compassion for these people;” meant that empathy for the people was written all over his entire being that there was nothing in his heart that did not translate to concern, love and compassion.
Jesus could have driven away the crowd but he did not. Instead he gave the people what they needed and he also healed all those who were sick and, he ministered to the people by feeding them from what his Apostles had with them – seven loaves of bread and a few small fish. (v.34)
What Jesus also did was he showed his Apostles the important role they will play and to a certain degree the role that we now too will play. To serve the needs of the 4,000 who were there, Jesus had to rely on his Apostles and other disciples to help feed the people. And this is the reality that we also face today. In order for the Good News to reach the ends of the world, Jesus has to use us especially those who have committed their lives to the Lord because it was through the Apostles and now through us that the truth can be proclaimed.
What we also see in this miracle was not just the multiplication of the seven loaves and a few small fish but the miracle of the dependence of the people on God. Notwithstanding their hunger and thirst as they have been with Jesus for three days, they did not complain but they simply waited for whatever provision that Jesus will give them.
Here we also see what we saw Jesus did when he fed the five thousand on another occasion. “When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks…” (v.36) In everything that he had done, Jesus never did it on his own. He always prayed to God the Father to bless him by the power of the Holy Spirit and this was the kind of discipline that Jesus wants us to also observe and follow.
More than anything else, Jesus showed that anything is possible when done in love. Love conquers all things and in this Gospel passage, Jesus gave the Apostles and his disciples a lesson of what love and compassion meant. The plight of the people was always in the heart of Jesus. Similarly, Jesus is telling us now to also have compassion for the poor and Jesus showed that love could transform us into becoming generous to others.
This is the same attitude that Jesus is asking of anyone who will follow him. We are to share this same love that we received from Jesus so that others may also be blessed. In times when we may feel that what we give may not be enough, this miracle of the seven loaves and a few small fish assures us that whatever we give to others in love will be multiplied.
To sum it up, Jesus in this passage shows us the kind of character that every servant must have. A servant must be filled with love and compassion when serving others.
But more importantly, Jesus shows us that the food that will last is for all. As the feeding of the 5,000 in Matt 14 was for the Jews, this particular event refers to the feeding of the 4,000 who were mostly Gentiles. This means that the food that comes from God arguably is for all – Jews and Gentiles alike.
IT'S THE SPIRIT WHO GIVES LIFE
DEC. 3, 2013: FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT
1st Reading: Isa 11:1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17 “Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace forever.”
GOSPEL: LK 10:21-24
Key Verse: “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.” (v.23)
There are three things in this Gospel passage that will definitely enliven the thoughts of the serious reader of the Scriptures especially those who may be searching for their purpose in life in this Season of Advent.
The first thing we will notice is right there at the beginning of this passage when Jesus thanked God for keeping the spiritual truths from the wise and the learned as he spoke of their inability and or failure to grasp the message that lies behind the Word of God that was accepted and ingested by the ordinary people.
In this world we live in, much of life’s rewards go to those who are intelligent, those who were accorded the opportunity of a good education to hone their talents, those who are rich and have access to capital, the powerful who can influence the workplace they are in. Sadly, however, those who belong to this societal class are those who have a hard time subordinating their will to the Will of God and because they have to operate in a system dictated by worldly values, they try to find a spiritual balance that will allow them to live in both worlds.
In v.21 Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit as he expressed his gratitude to God for making available the spiritual truths to everyone regardless of titles and positions. Jesus desires that all men come face to face with the truths revealed by the Father with childlike trust and not because of their intelligence and or positions in life. What Jesus requires for membership in the Kingdom of God is not our impressive bio-data but our complete trust in the Grace of God that is freely given.
As he thanked God for making the Kingdom of God available to all, he also warned of pride that can close the mind of the wise and the clever from accepting God’s truth and wisdom and contrasting this to the bare simplicity by which ordinary men seek the greatest good – God Himself.
Simplicity of heart is founded on the humility of ordinary men who like children are possessed with hearts that are inclined to receiving Grace and truth. Just as pride is the root of every evil, humility is the good soil in which the Grace of God will take root. The Apostle James could not have been more emphatic when he said: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (Jam 4:6)
The second remarkable thing that will certainly catch our attention was the kind of relationship that Jesus has with God as he said in v.22. This filial bond gives credence to Jesus as the second person of Our Trinitarian God as he and the Father are one (Jn 10:30) and there can be no doubting the presence of God in Jesus as whoever has seen him has also seen the Father (Jn 14:9).
What Jesus was saying was that anyone of us who wishes to know God all we have to do is to simply look at him who is the exact revelation of who God is. In saying this in v.22, Jesus was telling his disciples and he is telling us now that our knowledge of God is not limited to knowing about God but that we have the opportunity to personally know God as our Father and be united with him in a relationship founded on love and trust.
And Jesus makes it possible for us to not only know God but to enjoy the love and freedom that has been available to all of us. Through Jesus we are given the opportunity to experience love in its perfection, a love that found its fulfillment on the cross.
Notwithstanding the teachings, the healing miracles including the dead who were raised back to life, his claim of being the Messiah sent by God, many of the people and even from among the ranks of his disciples took Jesus for granted. Some 2,000 years later and amidst the legacy of the Church, the availability of the Scriptures, the presence of Priests and Pastors who deliver good sermons and talks and yet we also take these for granted.
We listen to them but we don’t take to heart the message imparted. We open the Scriptures and we either can’t see God and the messages that are in them or worse, we refuse to accept the truthfulness of what the Scriptures say. Even when Jesus walked the earth and claimed he was the One whom the prophets and kings desired to see but did not see, many of us are falling into the same trap of not seeing God.
The opportunities that have been made available for us to know God through Christ is a privilege given to us but with privilege comes responsibility. And the key to knowing and seeing God is right there at the beginning of this passage in v.21 when Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit which is also the third significant part of this Gospel passage.
Isaiah in the First Reading prophesied that the Messiah who is to come will be filled with the gifts of the Spirit (Isa 11:2) and establish a kingdom that is based on his atoning sacrifice on the cross that redeemed all the nations of the earth and made us citizens and co-heirs of the Heavenly Kingdom.
To see the things that God has placed before us which prophets and kings desired but did not see is for us to also be filled with the Holy Spirit because when we receive and accept the Holy Spirit, we have God Himself abiding in us, giving us life and working in and through us. With the Spirit in us, we will have a foretaste of what heaven is like.
The need for all of us to be filled with the Holy Spirit could not have come at a better time than today as Pope Francis “calls for a new phase of evangelization, one that is marked by enthusiasm and vitality and for the renewal of the Church.” The Catholic Church, said Pope Francis, “is called to be the house of the Father with doors always wide open because of the inseparable bond between our faith and the poor.”
The Holy Father stressed that an encounter with God is the source and inspiration of all our efforts at evangelizations and that in order to lead a dignifying and fulfilling life, the Catholic lay faithful must reach out to others and we can all do this if we allow ourselves to be filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit who provides us with the power to obey the Will of God.
1st Reading: Isa 11:1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17 “Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace forever.”
GOSPEL: LK 10:21-24
Key Verse: “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.” (v.23)
There are three things in this Gospel passage that will definitely enliven the thoughts of the serious reader of the Scriptures especially those who may be searching for their purpose in life in this Season of Advent.
The first thing we will notice is right there at the beginning of this passage when Jesus thanked God for keeping the spiritual truths from the wise and the learned as he spoke of their inability and or failure to grasp the message that lies behind the Word of God that was accepted and ingested by the ordinary people.
In this world we live in, much of life’s rewards go to those who are intelligent, those who were accorded the opportunity of a good education to hone their talents, those who are rich and have access to capital, the powerful who can influence the workplace they are in. Sadly, however, those who belong to this societal class are those who have a hard time subordinating their will to the Will of God and because they have to operate in a system dictated by worldly values, they try to find a spiritual balance that will allow them to live in both worlds.
In v.21 Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit as he expressed his gratitude to God for making available the spiritual truths to everyone regardless of titles and positions. Jesus desires that all men come face to face with the truths revealed by the Father with childlike trust and not because of their intelligence and or positions in life. What Jesus requires for membership in the Kingdom of God is not our impressive bio-data but our complete trust in the Grace of God that is freely given.
As he thanked God for making the Kingdom of God available to all, he also warned of pride that can close the mind of the wise and the clever from accepting God’s truth and wisdom and contrasting this to the bare simplicity by which ordinary men seek the greatest good – God Himself.
Simplicity of heart is founded on the humility of ordinary men who like children are possessed with hearts that are inclined to receiving Grace and truth. Just as pride is the root of every evil, humility is the good soil in which the Grace of God will take root. The Apostle James could not have been more emphatic when he said: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (Jam 4:6)
The second remarkable thing that will certainly catch our attention was the kind of relationship that Jesus has with God as he said in v.22. This filial bond gives credence to Jesus as the second person of Our Trinitarian God as he and the Father are one (Jn 10:30) and there can be no doubting the presence of God in Jesus as whoever has seen him has also seen the Father (Jn 14:9).
What Jesus was saying was that anyone of us who wishes to know God all we have to do is to simply look at him who is the exact revelation of who God is. In saying this in v.22, Jesus was telling his disciples and he is telling us now that our knowledge of God is not limited to knowing about God but that we have the opportunity to personally know God as our Father and be united with him in a relationship founded on love and trust.
And Jesus makes it possible for us to not only know God but to enjoy the love and freedom that has been available to all of us. Through Jesus we are given the opportunity to experience love in its perfection, a love that found its fulfillment on the cross.
Notwithstanding the teachings, the healing miracles including the dead who were raised back to life, his claim of being the Messiah sent by God, many of the people and even from among the ranks of his disciples took Jesus for granted. Some 2,000 years later and amidst the legacy of the Church, the availability of the Scriptures, the presence of Priests and Pastors who deliver good sermons and talks and yet we also take these for granted.
We listen to them but we don’t take to heart the message imparted. We open the Scriptures and we either can’t see God and the messages that are in them or worse, we refuse to accept the truthfulness of what the Scriptures say. Even when Jesus walked the earth and claimed he was the One whom the prophets and kings desired to see but did not see, many of us are falling into the same trap of not seeing God.
The opportunities that have been made available for us to know God through Christ is a privilege given to us but with privilege comes responsibility. And the key to knowing and seeing God is right there at the beginning of this passage in v.21 when Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit which is also the third significant part of this Gospel passage.
Isaiah in the First Reading prophesied that the Messiah who is to come will be filled with the gifts of the Spirit (Isa 11:2) and establish a kingdom that is based on his atoning sacrifice on the cross that redeemed all the nations of the earth and made us citizens and co-heirs of the Heavenly Kingdom.
To see the things that God has placed before us which prophets and kings desired but did not see is for us to also be filled with the Holy Spirit because when we receive and accept the Holy Spirit, we have God Himself abiding in us, giving us life and working in and through us. With the Spirit in us, we will have a foretaste of what heaven is like.
The need for all of us to be filled with the Holy Spirit could not have come at a better time than today as Pope Francis “calls for a new phase of evangelization, one that is marked by enthusiasm and vitality and for the renewal of the Church.” The Catholic Church, said Pope Francis, “is called to be the house of the Father with doors always wide open because of the inseparable bond between our faith and the poor.”
The Holy Father stressed that an encounter with God is the source and inspiration of all our efforts at evangelizations and that in order to lead a dignifying and fulfilling life, the Catholic lay faithful must reach out to others and we can all do this if we allow ourselves to be filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit who provides us with the power to obey the Will of God.
FAITH A KEY TO LIFE
DEC. 2, 2013: FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT
1ST Reading: Isa 4:2-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 122:1-9 “I rejoiced when I heard them say; let us go to the house of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: MATT 8:5-11
Key Verse: “I have not found anyone
in Israel with such great faith.” (v.10)
There are at least three godly virtues that we probably will not expect from a man of authority such as the Roman Centurion in this Gospel passage that even Jesus was amazed for he had never seen such character from among the people he had encountered so far.
These three virtues were the humility, compassion and faith of the Roman Centurion that was quite exceptional for a man of his stature. The Roman Centurion was actually a man of great resolve for he belongs to an elite group that served as the backbone of the Roman army.
A Roman legion normally consists of 6,000 men and this was divided into 60 centuries, each counting 100 men and in command of each century was a Centurion. They were well trained and they were held responsible for the discipline of their men as the morale of the Roman army depended on them. Centurions show great courage in action and were reliable. They do not rush into a fight but when pressed, they are ready to hold their ground and die on their posts. The Centurions were the finest specimens in the Roman army.
It is probably in this regard that Centurions were mentioned in the Scriptures with honor and respect. We remember the Centurion who recognized Jesus on the Cross as the Son of God. Cornelius who was the first Gentile who converted to the Christian Church. And there was the Centurion who found that Paul was a Roman citizen and rescued him. Another Centurion saved Paul from the Jews on his journey between Jerusalem and Caesarea. And there was the Centurion who treated Paul with courtesy on their way to Rome and who deferred to Paul’s guidance when a storm struck the ship they were on board.
For a man of great courage and authority, this Centurion went to Jesus in all humility. Aware of his situation as a Gentile who was discriminated by the Jews, this Centurion gathered all his courage and humbled himself to present to Jesus a request to heal his servant.
What also caught the attention of Jesus was the attitude of the Centurion towards his servant who probably was a slave but the Centurion was concerned that his servant was paralyzed and in terrible suffering. This attitude was the reverse of the normal practice in those days between a master and a slave. In fact, slaves who have no legal rights were inconsequential among the Romans. But this Centurion was different because he showed compassion for his servant and this love which covers a multitude of sins was probably the one thing that moved Jesus to say: “I will go and heal him.” (v.7)
Again the Centurion showed he was a man of great faith. Knowing that the Mishnah (a book of instruction from which parts of the Talmud were based) prevent Jews from coming to the house of a Gentile that is deemed unclean, the Centurion simply said “But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.” (v.8)
At which Jesus said: “I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.” (v.10) And here Jesus used an imagery of which Jews were quite familiar – the picture of a great banquet when the Messiah will come. The Jews looked forward to this event but Jesus also said that while many will come to the banquet from the east and the west, many too would be thrown out into the outer darkness.
What Jesus meant was that being a Jew doesn’t give them a mandatory privilege to be in God’s presence at the great banquet but it is faith. In the same way, belonging to a Church, Community, Ministry or Apostolate doesn’t assure us of eternal salvation. While the Jews believed that he belongs to the chosen race, Jesus preached that the only way to the Kingdom of God is by way of faith.
In this Season of Advent, we as Christian disciples are being asked to take stock of our lives. Perhaps we should begin to ask ourselves the question as to whether we have the same degree of humility to suffer ridicule in the practice of our faith. Do we feel genuine compassion for the lowly and the marginalized and not propelled by personal motives other than an authentic desire to help the poor? And when pressed, do we have the courage and boldness to come to Jesus with extraordinary faith as that of the Roman Centurion?
But there is also such a thing as blind faith either on persons or systems and in this season of reflection, we can also ask ourselves if we rely too much in our own competence or are we aware of our strength and weaknesses? Do we respond to people in terms of facts, or are we sensitive to the feelings of others as well as our own? Do we meet and work with people on their terms or do we demand that people come to us and play by our rules or condition? Are we enamored by positions of being in charge, or do we submit to authority? In whom and in what do we place our faith?
This Advent Season, Our Lord Jesus Christ wants us to seek him and the coming of his kingdom because only those with extraordinary faith in him will be invited to the great feast. This is the reward that awaits those who will put their trust in Jesus. We can all probably emulate the kind of faith the Roman Centurion had because at the end of the day when he comes, Jesus will unite all things to himself Jew and Gentile alike (Eph 1:10).
Like the Centurion, we can all approach Jesus with such great faith emboldened by the expectation that he will grant us his mercy and Grace. And while we are still on the subject of faith, Pope Francis in his first Apostolic Exhortation – Evangelii Gaudium – which the Vatican had released last week has issued a call for renewal and a rethinking of the way every person and every institution, from the Pope and the Roman Curia down to the parish and its parishioners, live their faith and focus their energies.
Pope Francis sees the Christian life as being based on knowing and experiencing God’s love, mercy and salvation offered to all through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Thus, evangelization programs and catechesis, said the Holy Father, must be designed to help people return to that basic knowledge and experience and help them understand church teaching in light of God having revealed himself as loving and merciful. And what this Gospel is telling is that God’s love and mercy will flow when there is faith.
1ST Reading: Isa 4:2-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 122:1-9 “I rejoiced when I heard them say; let us go to the house of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: MATT 8:5-11
Key Verse: “I have not found anyone
in Israel with such great faith.” (v.10)
There are at least three godly virtues that we probably will not expect from a man of authority such as the Roman Centurion in this Gospel passage that even Jesus was amazed for he had never seen such character from among the people he had encountered so far.
These three virtues were the humility, compassion and faith of the Roman Centurion that was quite exceptional for a man of his stature. The Roman Centurion was actually a man of great resolve for he belongs to an elite group that served as the backbone of the Roman army.
A Roman legion normally consists of 6,000 men and this was divided into 60 centuries, each counting 100 men and in command of each century was a Centurion. They were well trained and they were held responsible for the discipline of their men as the morale of the Roman army depended on them. Centurions show great courage in action and were reliable. They do not rush into a fight but when pressed, they are ready to hold their ground and die on their posts. The Centurions were the finest specimens in the Roman army.
It is probably in this regard that Centurions were mentioned in the Scriptures with honor and respect. We remember the Centurion who recognized Jesus on the Cross as the Son of God. Cornelius who was the first Gentile who converted to the Christian Church. And there was the Centurion who found that Paul was a Roman citizen and rescued him. Another Centurion saved Paul from the Jews on his journey between Jerusalem and Caesarea. And there was the Centurion who treated Paul with courtesy on their way to Rome and who deferred to Paul’s guidance when a storm struck the ship they were on board.
For a man of great courage and authority, this Centurion went to Jesus in all humility. Aware of his situation as a Gentile who was discriminated by the Jews, this Centurion gathered all his courage and humbled himself to present to Jesus a request to heal his servant.
What also caught the attention of Jesus was the attitude of the Centurion towards his servant who probably was a slave but the Centurion was concerned that his servant was paralyzed and in terrible suffering. This attitude was the reverse of the normal practice in those days between a master and a slave. In fact, slaves who have no legal rights were inconsequential among the Romans. But this Centurion was different because he showed compassion for his servant and this love which covers a multitude of sins was probably the one thing that moved Jesus to say: “I will go and heal him.” (v.7)
Again the Centurion showed he was a man of great faith. Knowing that the Mishnah (a book of instruction from which parts of the Talmud were based) prevent Jews from coming to the house of a Gentile that is deemed unclean, the Centurion simply said “But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.” (v.8)
At which Jesus said: “I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.” (v.10) And here Jesus used an imagery of which Jews were quite familiar – the picture of a great banquet when the Messiah will come. The Jews looked forward to this event but Jesus also said that while many will come to the banquet from the east and the west, many too would be thrown out into the outer darkness.
What Jesus meant was that being a Jew doesn’t give them a mandatory privilege to be in God’s presence at the great banquet but it is faith. In the same way, belonging to a Church, Community, Ministry or Apostolate doesn’t assure us of eternal salvation. While the Jews believed that he belongs to the chosen race, Jesus preached that the only way to the Kingdom of God is by way of faith.
In this Season of Advent, we as Christian disciples are being asked to take stock of our lives. Perhaps we should begin to ask ourselves the question as to whether we have the same degree of humility to suffer ridicule in the practice of our faith. Do we feel genuine compassion for the lowly and the marginalized and not propelled by personal motives other than an authentic desire to help the poor? And when pressed, do we have the courage and boldness to come to Jesus with extraordinary faith as that of the Roman Centurion?
But there is also such a thing as blind faith either on persons or systems and in this season of reflection, we can also ask ourselves if we rely too much in our own competence or are we aware of our strength and weaknesses? Do we respond to people in terms of facts, or are we sensitive to the feelings of others as well as our own? Do we meet and work with people on their terms or do we demand that people come to us and play by our rules or condition? Are we enamored by positions of being in charge, or do we submit to authority? In whom and in what do we place our faith?
This Advent Season, Our Lord Jesus Christ wants us to seek him and the coming of his kingdom because only those with extraordinary faith in him will be invited to the great feast. This is the reward that awaits those who will put their trust in Jesus. We can all probably emulate the kind of faith the Roman Centurion had because at the end of the day when he comes, Jesus will unite all things to himself Jew and Gentile alike (Eph 1:10).
Like the Centurion, we can all approach Jesus with such great faith emboldened by the expectation that he will grant us his mercy and Grace. And while we are still on the subject of faith, Pope Francis in his first Apostolic Exhortation – Evangelii Gaudium – which the Vatican had released last week has issued a call for renewal and a rethinking of the way every person and every institution, from the Pope and the Roman Curia down to the parish and its parishioners, live their faith and focus their energies.
Pope Francis sees the Christian life as being based on knowing and experiencing God’s love, mercy and salvation offered to all through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Thus, evangelization programs and catechesis, said the Holy Father, must be designed to help people return to that basic knowledge and experience and help them understand church teaching in light of God having revealed himself as loving and merciful. And what this Gospel is telling is that God’s love and mercy will flow when there is faith.
BE READY ALWAYS
DEC. 1, 2013: FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT (Violet)
1st Reading: Isa 2:1-5
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 122:1-9 “I rejoiced when I heard them say: let us go to the house of the Lord.”
2nd Reading: Rom 13:11-14
GOSPEL: Matt 24:37-44
Key Verse: “Always be ready!” (v.44)
As we go through life you will have realized that you may be expending so much energy just trying to make a living and there’s nothing wrong with that. We need to work if we want to eat and that is biblical. But what comes as a matter of great concern is that we may be working too hard that we are forgetting the reason of why we are working in the first place.
A study was recently made of how a person whose life expectancy is placed at 75 years will have spent his life. The study showed that 68% is spent on work. 22% will be spent on education. 14% will be spent on vacation while only a minuscule one per cent will be spent in the church.
Not only that. If you are going to measure the amount of energy that is expended in preparing for a school examination, buying a new or used car, building a house or moving to a new condo or apartment, moving to a new job, planning a wedding, an anniversary or even such earthy matters like choosing a new pair of shoes or the latest apparel, you will notice that we are exerting and expending so much energy on matters that will not matter when the time to meet our Creator comes.
Because of the rapid increase in secularism, people nowadays have become so engrossed with temporal concerns such that the average person today have a tendency to forget that there is also a need to prepare the self spiritually and place in the same degree of importance as those mundane concerns to prepare for the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
The need to prepare for the coming of Our Lord and Master of which we do not know the day or the hour is at the heart of this passage today which marks the First Sunday of Advent which also ushers in the beginning of the new Liturgical Calendar of the Catholic Church.
Since we are officially commemorating the beginning of the new Liturgical Year, the First Sunday of Advent can actually be considered as a New Year Celebration and it wouldn’t at all be uncanny if we greet each one a Happy New Year for this is what it really is for our Church.
In this Season of Advent which means “coming” we are called upon to anticipate with the patriarchs of the Old Testament the coming of the long-expected Messiah. And the four weeks of Advent actually represent the 4,000 years of waiting the Jews spent for the coming of the Messiah although Jesus wasn’t exactly the kind of conquering savior that the Jews expected.
What most of us may not be aware of is that the Advent Season has two dimensions. While we do await with great expectation the first coming of Jesus Christ, Advent is also a period of waiting for his second coming. The Catechism of the Catholic Church 524 says: “When the Church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year, she makes present this ancient expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing in the long preparation of the Savior’s first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for his second coming. (Rev 22:17) By celebrating the precursor’s birth and martyrdom, the Church unites herself to his desire: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (Jn 3:30)
And in this period of preparation, the lay faithful is asked to go into prayer and fasting as we go about our lives while waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Live, Wait, Pray are what we are supposed to do in this season and in this period of anticipation these are the three conditions that we should find ourselves in while waiting for the coming of our Savior. The fact that the Church strongly urges us to fast and pray also turns the Advent Season into a “semi-lenten” season.
In the Gospel passage today, Jesus told a story that the Jews are familiar with because this is normally the custom in those days when rich landowners go on a journey and leave their possessions and their business to their servants. And while we have heard of parables relating to unprofitable servants, most servants in this situation looked forward to the time their master would return because they know they will be rewarded for their vigilance and hard work. In contrast, punishment that could be tragic await those who did not prepare well.
The fact that Jesus said in this passage that we do not know the day or the hour of his coming means that we must stay alert by praying, reading the Word of God and live by its instructions, doing corporal works of mercy, alms-giving, going to Mass as frequently as possible if not on a daily basis, hearing confession and receiving the Holy Eucharist often.
Our marching orders as disciples of Christ is to believe and obey the Gospel and watch for the greatest event that is to come – the coming of our Savior and his return when he comes again in glory at the end of age. Because we do not know the day or the hour, Our Lord wants us to prepare and watch because those who will have enough oil in their lamps when he comes will be rewarded.
The Lord not only wants us to remain vigilant but he wants us to have an active prayer life and in this First Sunday of Advent, the Church expects us to pray not only for those with physical disabilities but also for those who look after them.
When we can pray with utmost sincerity this verse from the Lord’s Prayer: “Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be Done on Earth as it is in Heaven” (Matt 6:10) it means that we have already subordinated our own human will to his Holy Will. Then and only then will we be ready if and when he comes.
One of the ways in which we can show our readiness when he comes is for us to step up in faith and do what we are being told to do by the Church. You will recall that a few days ago, Pope Francis released his first letter of exhortation to the Church titled – Evangelii Gaudium or The Joy of the Gospel.
In his exhortation, Pope Francis stressed three things that the Catholic lay faithful should and must do. These are: (1) We are to embark upon a new chapter of evangelization marked by joy, and presents a vision for the life of the Church in the future; (2) All Catholics are to proclaim the Gospel and to see the responsibility to evangelize as their own, and; (3) That the Christian life is based on knowing and experiencing God’s love, mercy and salvation offered to all through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
It is thus incumbent upon all baptized Catholics to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Mt 28:19-20) and we should not vacillate in responding to this mandate because he assures us of his presence “to the very end of the age.”
1st Reading: Isa 2:1-5
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 122:1-9 “I rejoiced when I heard them say: let us go to the house of the Lord.”
2nd Reading: Rom 13:11-14
GOSPEL: Matt 24:37-44
Key Verse: “Always be ready!” (v.44)
As we go through life you will have realized that you may be expending so much energy just trying to make a living and there’s nothing wrong with that. We need to work if we want to eat and that is biblical. But what comes as a matter of great concern is that we may be working too hard that we are forgetting the reason of why we are working in the first place.
A study was recently made of how a person whose life expectancy is placed at 75 years will have spent his life. The study showed that 68% is spent on work. 22% will be spent on education. 14% will be spent on vacation while only a minuscule one per cent will be spent in the church.
Not only that. If you are going to measure the amount of energy that is expended in preparing for a school examination, buying a new or used car, building a house or moving to a new condo or apartment, moving to a new job, planning a wedding, an anniversary or even such earthy matters like choosing a new pair of shoes or the latest apparel, you will notice that we are exerting and expending so much energy on matters that will not matter when the time to meet our Creator comes.
Because of the rapid increase in secularism, people nowadays have become so engrossed with temporal concerns such that the average person today have a tendency to forget that there is also a need to prepare the self spiritually and place in the same degree of importance as those mundane concerns to prepare for the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
The need to prepare for the coming of Our Lord and Master of which we do not know the day or the hour is at the heart of this passage today which marks the First Sunday of Advent which also ushers in the beginning of the new Liturgical Calendar of the Catholic Church.
Since we are officially commemorating the beginning of the new Liturgical Year, the First Sunday of Advent can actually be considered as a New Year Celebration and it wouldn’t at all be uncanny if we greet each one a Happy New Year for this is what it really is for our Church.
In this Season of Advent which means “coming” we are called upon to anticipate with the patriarchs of the Old Testament the coming of the long-expected Messiah. And the four weeks of Advent actually represent the 4,000 years of waiting the Jews spent for the coming of the Messiah although Jesus wasn’t exactly the kind of conquering savior that the Jews expected.
What most of us may not be aware of is that the Advent Season has two dimensions. While we do await with great expectation the first coming of Jesus Christ, Advent is also a period of waiting for his second coming. The Catechism of the Catholic Church 524 says: “When the Church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year, she makes present this ancient expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing in the long preparation of the Savior’s first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for his second coming. (Rev 22:17) By celebrating the precursor’s birth and martyrdom, the Church unites herself to his desire: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (Jn 3:30)
And in this period of preparation, the lay faithful is asked to go into prayer and fasting as we go about our lives while waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Live, Wait, Pray are what we are supposed to do in this season and in this period of anticipation these are the three conditions that we should find ourselves in while waiting for the coming of our Savior. The fact that the Church strongly urges us to fast and pray also turns the Advent Season into a “semi-lenten” season.
In the Gospel passage today, Jesus told a story that the Jews are familiar with because this is normally the custom in those days when rich landowners go on a journey and leave their possessions and their business to their servants. And while we have heard of parables relating to unprofitable servants, most servants in this situation looked forward to the time their master would return because they know they will be rewarded for their vigilance and hard work. In contrast, punishment that could be tragic await those who did not prepare well.
The fact that Jesus said in this passage that we do not know the day or the hour of his coming means that we must stay alert by praying, reading the Word of God and live by its instructions, doing corporal works of mercy, alms-giving, going to Mass as frequently as possible if not on a daily basis, hearing confession and receiving the Holy Eucharist often.
Our marching orders as disciples of Christ is to believe and obey the Gospel and watch for the greatest event that is to come – the coming of our Savior and his return when he comes again in glory at the end of age. Because we do not know the day or the hour, Our Lord wants us to prepare and watch because those who will have enough oil in their lamps when he comes will be rewarded.
The Lord not only wants us to remain vigilant but he wants us to have an active prayer life and in this First Sunday of Advent, the Church expects us to pray not only for those with physical disabilities but also for those who look after them.
When we can pray with utmost sincerity this verse from the Lord’s Prayer: “Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be Done on Earth as it is in Heaven” (Matt 6:10) it means that we have already subordinated our own human will to his Holy Will. Then and only then will we be ready if and when he comes.
One of the ways in which we can show our readiness when he comes is for us to step up in faith and do what we are being told to do by the Church. You will recall that a few days ago, Pope Francis released his first letter of exhortation to the Church titled – Evangelii Gaudium or The Joy of the Gospel.
In his exhortation, Pope Francis stressed three things that the Catholic lay faithful should and must do. These are: (1) We are to embark upon a new chapter of evangelization marked by joy, and presents a vision for the life of the Church in the future; (2) All Catholics are to proclaim the Gospel and to see the responsibility to evangelize as their own, and; (3) That the Christian life is based on knowing and experiencing God’s love, mercy and salvation offered to all through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
It is thus incumbent upon all baptized Catholics to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Mt 28:19-20) and we should not vacillate in responding to this mandate because he assures us of his presence “to the very end of the age.”
READY FOR THE LONG GRIND
NOV. 27, 2013: THIRTY FOURTH IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Dan 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28
Responsorial Psalm: Dan 3:62-67 “Give glory and eternal praise to him”
GOSPEL: LK 21:12-19
Key Verse: “But not a hair of your head will perish.” (v.18)
Again this passage has an eschatological twist in it although Luke speaks of the end times as an event that is yet to come even as he takes note of the seeming delay in the parousia or the coming of the Messiah.
And in the interregnum between now and the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ we all are reminded of the need to stand firm in our faith in order for us to reclaim our life (v.19). And as Jesus endured the sufferings he went through that ended up at the cross, we too are being called to a life of martyrdom as Christianity is a religion reserved only for martyrs.
True Christians will definitely wade through persecution not only from their previous peer group from whom they have separated once they decided to follow Jesus but such is the only way by which authentic Christians can show their solidarity with Our Lord who “freed us from our sins by his blood” (Rev. 1:5).
This reminds us of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German pastor and theologian who preached and joined the resistance against Adolf Hitler and Nazism who was later arrested, jailed and hanged just two days before the Americans liberated Germany.
In one of his memorable quotes while serving time in prison, Bonhoeffer said: “The blood of the martyrs might once again be demanded, but this blood, if we really have the courage and loyalty to shed it, will not be innocent, shining like that of the first witnesses for the faith. On our blood lies heavy guilt, the guilt of the unprofitable servant who is cast into outer darkness.”
And when he was being led out into the prison court to be hanged, he said: “This is the end – for me the beginning of life.”
The martyrdom that Bonhoeffer displayed was no different from the Christians in the second century who sang as they went out to die, a scenario that so affected and touched Tertullian, a lawyer at the time who would later convert to Christianity and become one of the Early Fathers of our Church.
There will be terrible times ahead for Christians or those who will elect to follow Christ as he warned of persecution but which will bring out an opportunity for us to stand as a witness to our faith. In so doing, Our Lord even encourages us not to fear because he himself will provide us the wisdom necessary that will stand out amidst the decay permeating in the world around us.
There is an ocean of difference between Christianity which calls us to a life of martyrdom and the devil that attracts us with the disguised comfort and glitter of the material world around us. The devil will destroy our faith through the fear of death and will distract us from pursuing a life of spiritual poverty.
Christ, on the other hand, will offer us eternal life but which is founded on a life of struggle, trials and tribulations and at times there are those who are not prone to living the life of a martyr which is taboo for them. Live and enjoy life while there is still time. Life is short – others will tell you. Some would actually do that oblivious of the fact that they have cast judgment when they do.
As opposed to the easy life that the world offers, Christ is calling us to be martyrs who will bear testimony to the joy of the Gospel that exists side by side with the trials, temptations and adversities in life. And the joy that is in those who are in the world but are not of the world is what will attract others to live a life in Christ, with Christ and for Christ.
To love our enemies, joyful in suffering, overcoming adversity in peace, forgiving those who wronged us, giving comfort to the downtrodden, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and those in prison, feeding the hungry and giving drink to those who are thirsty – these are the antidotes to the temptation of the devil.
And at the end of the day, Our Lord Jesus Christ who endured his suffering on the way to Calvary and shed his blood on the cross itself will give us sufficient Grace and wisdom to overcome any type of adversity that will come our way.
As Christians we need not fear persecution and death because Christ has not only ransomed us from the clutches of the evil one but he purchased us at such a high price and now it is his own blood that flows through us and runs in our veins.
To live life as a Christian won’t be easy but we have Christ’s assurance that for anyone who will walk with him “not a hair of your head will perish” (v.18) and “the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 6:23b)
1st Reading: Dan 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28
Responsorial Psalm: Dan 3:62-67 “Give glory and eternal praise to him”
GOSPEL: LK 21:12-19
Key Verse: “But not a hair of your head will perish.” (v.18)
Again this passage has an eschatological twist in it although Luke speaks of the end times as an event that is yet to come even as he takes note of the seeming delay in the parousia or the coming of the Messiah.
And in the interregnum between now and the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ we all are reminded of the need to stand firm in our faith in order for us to reclaim our life (v.19). And as Jesus endured the sufferings he went through that ended up at the cross, we too are being called to a life of martyrdom as Christianity is a religion reserved only for martyrs.
True Christians will definitely wade through persecution not only from their previous peer group from whom they have separated once they decided to follow Jesus but such is the only way by which authentic Christians can show their solidarity with Our Lord who “freed us from our sins by his blood” (Rev. 1:5).
This reminds us of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German pastor and theologian who preached and joined the resistance against Adolf Hitler and Nazism who was later arrested, jailed and hanged just two days before the Americans liberated Germany.
In one of his memorable quotes while serving time in prison, Bonhoeffer said: “The blood of the martyrs might once again be demanded, but this blood, if we really have the courage and loyalty to shed it, will not be innocent, shining like that of the first witnesses for the faith. On our blood lies heavy guilt, the guilt of the unprofitable servant who is cast into outer darkness.”
And when he was being led out into the prison court to be hanged, he said: “This is the end – for me the beginning of life.”
The martyrdom that Bonhoeffer displayed was no different from the Christians in the second century who sang as they went out to die, a scenario that so affected and touched Tertullian, a lawyer at the time who would later convert to Christianity and become one of the Early Fathers of our Church.
There will be terrible times ahead for Christians or those who will elect to follow Christ as he warned of persecution but which will bring out an opportunity for us to stand as a witness to our faith. In so doing, Our Lord even encourages us not to fear because he himself will provide us the wisdom necessary that will stand out amidst the decay permeating in the world around us.
There is an ocean of difference between Christianity which calls us to a life of martyrdom and the devil that attracts us with the disguised comfort and glitter of the material world around us. The devil will destroy our faith through the fear of death and will distract us from pursuing a life of spiritual poverty.
Christ, on the other hand, will offer us eternal life but which is founded on a life of struggle, trials and tribulations and at times there are those who are not prone to living the life of a martyr which is taboo for them. Live and enjoy life while there is still time. Life is short – others will tell you. Some would actually do that oblivious of the fact that they have cast judgment when they do.
As opposed to the easy life that the world offers, Christ is calling us to be martyrs who will bear testimony to the joy of the Gospel that exists side by side with the trials, temptations and adversities in life. And the joy that is in those who are in the world but are not of the world is what will attract others to live a life in Christ, with Christ and for Christ.
To love our enemies, joyful in suffering, overcoming adversity in peace, forgiving those who wronged us, giving comfort to the downtrodden, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and those in prison, feeding the hungry and giving drink to those who are thirsty – these are the antidotes to the temptation of the devil.
And at the end of the day, Our Lord Jesus Christ who endured his suffering on the way to Calvary and shed his blood on the cross itself will give us sufficient Grace and wisdom to overcome any type of adversity that will come our way.
As Christians we need not fear persecution and death because Christ has not only ransomed us from the clutches of the evil one but he purchased us at such a high price and now it is his own blood that flows through us and runs in our veins.
To live life as a Christian won’t be easy but we have Christ’s assurance that for anyone who will walk with him “not a hair of your head will perish” (v.18) and “the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 6:23b)
LOOK TO JESUS THE SIGN
NOV. 26, 2013: THIRTY FOURTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Dan 2:31-45
Responsorial Psalm: Dan 3:57-61 “Give Glory and eternal praise to Him”
GOSPEL: LK 21:5-11
Key Verse: “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many
will come in my name, claiming, I am he.” (v.8)
Had there been a sign of what would befall church organizations, ministries, apostolates, religious and Christian communities, the split, dissolution and or divisions that have affected such groups probably could have been avoided.
There is nothing as painful as to see Christian organizations wracked by division and disunity especially when these come from the work of human hands that could be avoided if only the people who belong to these organizations will focus in building the kingdom of God in their hearts.
There are times also when people who make up the church or community look for signs to guide their actions, programs or projects. Some even pray imploring God to give them a sign of the things to come oblivious of the time and opportunities they missed during the period of waiting.
This was the same scenario in this passage when the disciples of Jesus asked him for a sign as to when the destruction of the Temple that he prophesied would take place as the Jews just couldn’t believe that their Temple which was a beautiful structure with a historical value would be destroyed.
The Temple Jesus was referring was not the Temple that Solomon built because this was destroyed by the Babylonians in the Sixth Century B.C. The Temple in Jerusalem where Jesus was teaching was built by Ezra but this was desecrated by the Seleucids in the Second Century B.C. and was reconsecrated by the Maccabees and was expanded and adorned during the time of Herod the Great.
But what lay hidden from the minds of the Jews at the time was that Jesus was not only prophesying about the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem that happened 70 years later but he was also referring to his own body as the Temple of worship that would also be destroyed at the cross and will be rebuilt in three days when he resurrects from the dead. At the same time, Jesus could also be referring to the Temple of the Holy Spirit in us that we destroy on account of our sins.
As with his disciples, we too at times are enamored by signs that we equate with what happen in our lives. And in this passage, Jesus shows he could read the signs of events that are yet to come. While his disciples are unaware of the things to come, Jesus saw of terrible things that are coming which only proves that he comes from above.
Jesus warned of earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places and if we are to equate this with what is happening now we will definitely assume the end is near. But this warning can also be taken in a different light. It might not be the environment that we are in that Jesus is referring to but it could be our own self. This prophecy was made more than 2,000 years ago and these are still happening today. In the same way the lessons of the Scriptures are as good today as when they were before and perhaps the loss of lives when calamities strike as when Western Visayas was inundated by Typhoon Yolanda could have been minimized if our government officials have been reading the Scriptures.
Many of us have experienced earthquakes in our lives in the form of the pain and frustration we experienced that jolted us. We have experienced famine when we deprive ourselves of the Word of God which is the food that nourishes our souls. And the pestilence such as sickness, diseases, loss of job, loss of income, persecution that we suffer from.
From these experiences those who remain faithful to God are given the Grace to rise from their pains and suffering and this is actually what this passage says that there will be persecution, suffering and difficulties that we will face but he also assures us of our salvation if we will only fix our eyes on him.
What God is saying in this Gospel of today is for us to make use of our faith and hope of his second coming to equip us in resisting all occasions of sin. As Jesus warned his disciples and he is warning us now that false messiahs that would come after him, of natural disasters and persecutions but we can count on him for protection as we anticipate his return in glory.
Many times, we remain indifferent to the decadence that has permeated our culture. Abortion, divorce, same-sex marriage, immorality have invaded our church and we at times don’t recognize there is now within us a moral crisis. The United States has now recognized there is a need for them to revive their educational system in both the home and in the institutions from where the right values and cultures emanate.
We must accept, however, that we too must go back to the Gospel values if we want to be spared the trials and tribulations that Jesus spoke of in this passage. Many will come as prophets, teachers and as messiahs and they are already in our midst and it is only through the Gospel that we can be clothed with the Grace to overcome these falsities.
In this coming Season of Advent, we can all take possession of his Grace and mercy by awaiting the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ with great anticipation because it is on the day of his birth that light comes into the world. And by believing and accepting him as the Son of God, we who are in darkness are brought into the marvelous light of his Kingdom.
1st Reading: Dan 2:31-45
Responsorial Psalm: Dan 3:57-61 “Give Glory and eternal praise to Him”
GOSPEL: LK 21:5-11
Key Verse: “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many
will come in my name, claiming, I am he.” (v.8)
Had there been a sign of what would befall church organizations, ministries, apostolates, religious and Christian communities, the split, dissolution and or divisions that have affected such groups probably could have been avoided.
There is nothing as painful as to see Christian organizations wracked by division and disunity especially when these come from the work of human hands that could be avoided if only the people who belong to these organizations will focus in building the kingdom of God in their hearts.
There are times also when people who make up the church or community look for signs to guide their actions, programs or projects. Some even pray imploring God to give them a sign of the things to come oblivious of the time and opportunities they missed during the period of waiting.
This was the same scenario in this passage when the disciples of Jesus asked him for a sign as to when the destruction of the Temple that he prophesied would take place as the Jews just couldn’t believe that their Temple which was a beautiful structure with a historical value would be destroyed.
The Temple Jesus was referring was not the Temple that Solomon built because this was destroyed by the Babylonians in the Sixth Century B.C. The Temple in Jerusalem where Jesus was teaching was built by Ezra but this was desecrated by the Seleucids in the Second Century B.C. and was reconsecrated by the Maccabees and was expanded and adorned during the time of Herod the Great.
But what lay hidden from the minds of the Jews at the time was that Jesus was not only prophesying about the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem that happened 70 years later but he was also referring to his own body as the Temple of worship that would also be destroyed at the cross and will be rebuilt in three days when he resurrects from the dead. At the same time, Jesus could also be referring to the Temple of the Holy Spirit in us that we destroy on account of our sins.
As with his disciples, we too at times are enamored by signs that we equate with what happen in our lives. And in this passage, Jesus shows he could read the signs of events that are yet to come. While his disciples are unaware of the things to come, Jesus saw of terrible things that are coming which only proves that he comes from above.
Jesus warned of earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places and if we are to equate this with what is happening now we will definitely assume the end is near. But this warning can also be taken in a different light. It might not be the environment that we are in that Jesus is referring to but it could be our own self. This prophecy was made more than 2,000 years ago and these are still happening today. In the same way the lessons of the Scriptures are as good today as when they were before and perhaps the loss of lives when calamities strike as when Western Visayas was inundated by Typhoon Yolanda could have been minimized if our government officials have been reading the Scriptures.
Many of us have experienced earthquakes in our lives in the form of the pain and frustration we experienced that jolted us. We have experienced famine when we deprive ourselves of the Word of God which is the food that nourishes our souls. And the pestilence such as sickness, diseases, loss of job, loss of income, persecution that we suffer from.
From these experiences those who remain faithful to God are given the Grace to rise from their pains and suffering and this is actually what this passage says that there will be persecution, suffering and difficulties that we will face but he also assures us of our salvation if we will only fix our eyes on him.
What God is saying in this Gospel of today is for us to make use of our faith and hope of his second coming to equip us in resisting all occasions of sin. As Jesus warned his disciples and he is warning us now that false messiahs that would come after him, of natural disasters and persecutions but we can count on him for protection as we anticipate his return in glory.
Many times, we remain indifferent to the decadence that has permeated our culture. Abortion, divorce, same-sex marriage, immorality have invaded our church and we at times don’t recognize there is now within us a moral crisis. The United States has now recognized there is a need for them to revive their educational system in both the home and in the institutions from where the right values and cultures emanate.
We must accept, however, that we too must go back to the Gospel values if we want to be spared the trials and tribulations that Jesus spoke of in this passage. Many will come as prophets, teachers and as messiahs and they are already in our midst and it is only through the Gospel that we can be clothed with the Grace to overcome these falsities.
In this coming Season of Advent, we can all take possession of his Grace and mercy by awaiting the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ with great anticipation because it is on the day of his birth that light comes into the world. And by believing and accepting him as the Son of God, we who are in darkness are brought into the marvelous light of his Kingdom.
GIVE BACK WHAT GOD OWNS
NOV. 25, 2013: THIRTY FOURTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Dan 1:1-6, 8-20
Responsorial Psalm: Dan 3:52-58 “Glory and praise forever.”
GOSPEL: Lk 21:1-4
Key Verse: “..she put in all she had to live on.” (v.4)
The lesson that Jesus wants us to learn today is that real giving is
sacrificial and one that is founded on faith. The widow depicted in this Gospel passage gave two small coins called the lepton which was not only the smallest coin that was in circulation in those days but it had the least value among the coins that were used as a medium of exchange.
Luke the Gospel writer did not describe which collection box the widow dropped the two coins because it was customary for temple officials at that time to place at least thirteen collection boxes known as trumpets because they were shaped like trumpets with the narrow opening on top and a wider bottom.
Each of these trumpets are assigned to offerings for specific purposes such as for wood that are to be used to burn the sacrifice. Another collection box was for the incense to be used at the altar, another was for the maintenance of the vessels used during worship and, so on and so on.
It was near one of these collection boxes that Jesus sat down apparently to rest with his head resting on the cup of his hands following a tiring exchange that he had with the Sanhedrin and the Sadducees and as he looked up he saw may people throwing their offerings into the different trumpets and then came a poor widow and put in two pieces of lepton.
When Jesus saw this, he said: “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put in more than all the others.” (v.3) The lepton which means the “thin one” was equivalent to 1/128 of one denarius which was the minimum wage for a day’s work so the lepton was nowhere near the value of the denarius.
The fact that the widow put in a lepton would indicate that she was indeed poor as most widows at that time were. Again, it was the culture in the time of Jesus that widows were largely ignored and have practically lost their identities unless they are taken cared of by their relatives and or if they come from wealthy families.
But when Jesus saw this, he said: “All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on.” (v.4) In other words, the widow poor she may be did not withhold her offering to God and it could be surmised that she did so because of her abiding faith in God. She probably knew the Jewish “Shema” by heart and she knew that God will not abandon her and will supply all her needs.
In fact, Jesus could have stopped her from putting everything that she had or the widow could have put in just one lepta and kept the other for her needs for she was destitute but Jesus did not and his heart swelled with pride for this poor widow. Jesus let her give because if he stopped her, he would have deprived her of the blessing of giving to God.
You actually don't win extra points with God when you give sacrificially because giving is not a contest. But everyone should know that when you make sacrifices for God, he is watching. It doesn't matter if no one else sees or knows. The truth is it is much better that no one sees. But you can count on the fact that God sees and knows your giving and Jesus promises: “Your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Mt 6:4)
There are two things that determine the value of the gift you give. One is the spirit in which the gift is given. A gift that is grudgingly given and or given for self-display and self-aggrandizement immediately loses the value of the gift. The authentic gift is that which is given from an outpouring of an agape kind of love.
The other is the sacrifice involved in giving. In some versions of the Scriptures, it said the rich were “flinging” their offerings into the trumpets which means that what they gave was of no concern to them and was probably apportioned out of their surplus. Giving only becomes real when you give until it hurts. An offering that is given out of the sacrifice you make such as when you fast is what the Our Lord sees as when Jesus saw the poor widow’s offering that no one else in the Temple noticed.
Contrast this sacrifice with some wealthy people who tend to see their “large” tithes and offerings as significant and use them as leverage for power. In fact, today there are instances when wealthy members use their money to control the Church. Wealthy donors like these are just like the Pharisees who give and pray in order to be seen by others and they can taint the purity of the Church of Jesus Christ.
Lest you be mistaken wealthy benefactors can also be a great blessing to the Church and to others if they will give out of the right motives. If they give sacrificially they please God. If they give out of love, they also please God and, if they give in proportion to their income, they please God.
But you should not even for once think that the value of your gift is greater than the poor widow's two coins because if that is how you feel then you misunderstand the principles of the Kingdom of God. God actually does not need you or me to keep the viability of his Kingdom. He does not owe us a debt of gratitude. He does not need your money because “the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” (Psa 24:1)
You don't offer your tithes and love offerings because God needs these, but you give simply to honor him with the blessings that you have received from him. It doesn’t really matter how much you give for as long as it is proportionate to your resources but what you must remember is that you give because giving is worshiping God.
What you must also keep in mind is that you might think of your gift as inconsequential and thus withhold your gift, because regardless of what and how much you give God looks at your heart. Like the poor widow, God expects you to give all that you have and that means your time, talent and resources.
1st Reading: Dan 1:1-6, 8-20
Responsorial Psalm: Dan 3:52-58 “Glory and praise forever.”
GOSPEL: Lk 21:1-4
Key Verse: “..she put in all she had to live on.” (v.4)
The lesson that Jesus wants us to learn today is that real giving is
sacrificial and one that is founded on faith. The widow depicted in this Gospel passage gave two small coins called the lepton which was not only the smallest coin that was in circulation in those days but it had the least value among the coins that were used as a medium of exchange.
Luke the Gospel writer did not describe which collection box the widow dropped the two coins because it was customary for temple officials at that time to place at least thirteen collection boxes known as trumpets because they were shaped like trumpets with the narrow opening on top and a wider bottom.
Each of these trumpets are assigned to offerings for specific purposes such as for wood that are to be used to burn the sacrifice. Another collection box was for the incense to be used at the altar, another was for the maintenance of the vessels used during worship and, so on and so on.
It was near one of these collection boxes that Jesus sat down apparently to rest with his head resting on the cup of his hands following a tiring exchange that he had with the Sanhedrin and the Sadducees and as he looked up he saw may people throwing their offerings into the different trumpets and then came a poor widow and put in two pieces of lepton.
When Jesus saw this, he said: “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put in more than all the others.” (v.3) The lepton which means the “thin one” was equivalent to 1/128 of one denarius which was the minimum wage for a day’s work so the lepton was nowhere near the value of the denarius.
The fact that the widow put in a lepton would indicate that she was indeed poor as most widows at that time were. Again, it was the culture in the time of Jesus that widows were largely ignored and have practically lost their identities unless they are taken cared of by their relatives and or if they come from wealthy families.
But when Jesus saw this, he said: “All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on.” (v.4) In other words, the widow poor she may be did not withhold her offering to God and it could be surmised that she did so because of her abiding faith in God. She probably knew the Jewish “Shema” by heart and she knew that God will not abandon her and will supply all her needs.
In fact, Jesus could have stopped her from putting everything that she had or the widow could have put in just one lepta and kept the other for her needs for she was destitute but Jesus did not and his heart swelled with pride for this poor widow. Jesus let her give because if he stopped her, he would have deprived her of the blessing of giving to God.
You actually don't win extra points with God when you give sacrificially because giving is not a contest. But everyone should know that when you make sacrifices for God, he is watching. It doesn't matter if no one else sees or knows. The truth is it is much better that no one sees. But you can count on the fact that God sees and knows your giving and Jesus promises: “Your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Mt 6:4)
There are two things that determine the value of the gift you give. One is the spirit in which the gift is given. A gift that is grudgingly given and or given for self-display and self-aggrandizement immediately loses the value of the gift. The authentic gift is that which is given from an outpouring of an agape kind of love.
The other is the sacrifice involved in giving. In some versions of the Scriptures, it said the rich were “flinging” their offerings into the trumpets which means that what they gave was of no concern to them and was probably apportioned out of their surplus. Giving only becomes real when you give until it hurts. An offering that is given out of the sacrifice you make such as when you fast is what the Our Lord sees as when Jesus saw the poor widow’s offering that no one else in the Temple noticed.
Contrast this sacrifice with some wealthy people who tend to see their “large” tithes and offerings as significant and use them as leverage for power. In fact, today there are instances when wealthy members use their money to control the Church. Wealthy donors like these are just like the Pharisees who give and pray in order to be seen by others and they can taint the purity of the Church of Jesus Christ.
Lest you be mistaken wealthy benefactors can also be a great blessing to the Church and to others if they will give out of the right motives. If they give sacrificially they please God. If they give out of love, they also please God and, if they give in proportion to their income, they please God.
But you should not even for once think that the value of your gift is greater than the poor widow's two coins because if that is how you feel then you misunderstand the principles of the Kingdom of God. God actually does not need you or me to keep the viability of his Kingdom. He does not owe us a debt of gratitude. He does not need your money because “the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” (Psa 24:1)
You don't offer your tithes and love offerings because God needs these, but you give simply to honor him with the blessings that you have received from him. It doesn’t really matter how much you give for as long as it is proportionate to your resources but what you must remember is that you give because giving is worshiping God.
What you must also keep in mind is that you might think of your gift as inconsequential and thus withhold your gift, because regardless of what and how much you give God looks at your heart. Like the poor widow, God expects you to give all that you have and that means your time, talent and resources.
CHRIST IS THE KING
NOV. 24, 2013: SOLEMNITY OF CHRIST THE KING
1st Reading: 2 Sam 5:1-3
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 122:1-5 “I rejoiced when I heard them say: let us go to the house of the Lord.”
2nd Reading: Col 1:12-20
GOSPEL: LK 23:35-43
Key Verse: “I tell you the truth, today you will be
with me in paradise.” (v.43)
In addition to this particular Gospel reading in which the Kingship of Jesus was revealed during his verbiage with Pilate, there is also another passage in the Scriptures that will help us understand that there is none other besides Our Lord the Christ who can lay claim to being a King.
And we can find this in Matthew’s Gospel where Jesus said: “All power and authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of time.” (Matt 28:18-20)
Very simply, only Jesus was given by God all the power and authority in heaven and on earth and only a King can issue orders to his disciples in the way that he did when he commanded them to go to the ends of the earth to replicate what he himself did to his Apostles and the other disciples. There have been many kings who ruled parts of the earth but they all passed away in time. And only a great King like Jesus can assure his disciples of his eternal presence till the end of time.
As we celebrate today the Solemnity of Christ the King which also brings to a close the current liturgical year and the year-long celebration of the Year of Faith that began in Oct. 2012, it would be interesting to know that this Gospel passage actually presents us with a choice – are we going to take that leap of faith and step into the Kingdom of Light or will we choose to remain in the kingdom of darkness and bring ourselves to eternal damnation.
This is a choice that only we can make. No one can make that decision for us and these two choices are as clear as day such that we shouldn’t have a difficult time making it regardless of how costly it would be for us.
Throughout the Scriptures, Jesus has laid down what these two choices are and there is nothing in between. It’s either we accept the eternal salvation he is offering us or we risk being thrown into Gehenna where there will be endless wailing and gnashing of teeth. The choice then is ours to make.
Rev. Fr. Dave Concepcion, Rector of the Holy Apostles Late Vocation Seminary of the Archdiocese of Manila, in one of the spiritual retreats that he conducted said there are three things we need to do in order for us to get to heaven we need to stay focused, be prepared to make a painful decision and, what are we prepared to do for God.
To stay focused means we need to acquire the capacity to be able to live in the world but not being tainted by the values of the world. As we are commanded to be holy and blameless, we are to separate or set ourselves apart from the sinful activities that the world espouses. In other words we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Rom 12:2) and redirect our energies and attitude to becoming Christ-like in our ways.
Fr. Concepcion also stressed that for those who would like to go to heaven they must be prepared to make a painful decision which means that we must have the determination to turn away from sinful tendencies that will compromise our Christian values and principles. Painful it may be, we are to have the boldness to make that 180-degree turn and learn how we can love Christ more than anything else.
And as we usher in the Season of Advent with this Feast of Christ the King, let us ask ourselves which kingdom do we serve – the world that will definitely pass away or God's kingdom which will endure for all time. As we focus on reaching our goal and are able to make that painful decision to give up on the values of the world to follow Christ, the question we need to ask is what are we willing to do for God.
As Jesus asked the blind beggar in Lk 18:35-43 “What do you want me to do for you?” Christ our King now also wants to know what is it that we want and what is it that we can do for God for us to merit the eternal salvation that he has promised.
I look at life as an educational system that we all need to go through and there are the preliminary exams we have to face (trials, challenges, frustrations, persecution, loss of jobs) and, the mid-term exams (sickness, loss of loved ones, failed relationships, spiritual dryness, indiscretions, among others), and I also know that there will be a final exam that we need to hurdle and it is not as easy as it may seem to be.
The good thing with this final exam that will determine how we will be graded by Our Lord is that we already know what are in the questionnaire and we also know that we will pass this final exam by simply doing what is being asked of us. Granting that we may have missed some of these opportunities, Our Lord who is the final arbiter will provide us with the time we need to reorient our priorities in life and align it with the terms specified in our final exams. There is no time to procrastinate because we do not know the hour the thief will come.
I am also reminded by what St. Teresa of Calcutta once said: “Make sure that you let God’s Grace work in your souls by accepting what he gives you, and giving him whatever he takes from you. True holiness consists of doing God’s work with a smile.”
And as we mark the Feast of Christ the King, there are at least five conditions that Jesus is asking from us in this Gospel, and these are: 1) Jesus expects wholehearted obedience from those who follow him; (2) He expects us to deny ourselves as we follow him; (3) Jesus expects us to imitate him; (4) Jesus expects our life to be rooted in humility and for us to repent of our sins, and; (5) Our Lord wants us to adopt a servant’s attitude.
The choice is right here before us. God's Kingdom will remain forever because it is built on the foundation of God's eternal love and justice. To accept Jesus Christ by believing that he is Lord and King assures us of our citizenship in heaven where righteousness, peace, truth, and love reign. So now we ask are we yielded to the Lordship of Jesus Christ which is the prerequisite in order for us to get to heaven? The choice is yours.
1st Reading: 2 Sam 5:1-3
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 122:1-5 “I rejoiced when I heard them say: let us go to the house of the Lord.”
2nd Reading: Col 1:12-20
GOSPEL: LK 23:35-43
Key Verse: “I tell you the truth, today you will be
with me in paradise.” (v.43)
In addition to this particular Gospel reading in which the Kingship of Jesus was revealed during his verbiage with Pilate, there is also another passage in the Scriptures that will help us understand that there is none other besides Our Lord the Christ who can lay claim to being a King.
And we can find this in Matthew’s Gospel where Jesus said: “All power and authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of time.” (Matt 28:18-20)
Very simply, only Jesus was given by God all the power and authority in heaven and on earth and only a King can issue orders to his disciples in the way that he did when he commanded them to go to the ends of the earth to replicate what he himself did to his Apostles and the other disciples. There have been many kings who ruled parts of the earth but they all passed away in time. And only a great King like Jesus can assure his disciples of his eternal presence till the end of time.
As we celebrate today the Solemnity of Christ the King which also brings to a close the current liturgical year and the year-long celebration of the Year of Faith that began in Oct. 2012, it would be interesting to know that this Gospel passage actually presents us with a choice – are we going to take that leap of faith and step into the Kingdom of Light or will we choose to remain in the kingdom of darkness and bring ourselves to eternal damnation.
This is a choice that only we can make. No one can make that decision for us and these two choices are as clear as day such that we shouldn’t have a difficult time making it regardless of how costly it would be for us.
Throughout the Scriptures, Jesus has laid down what these two choices are and there is nothing in between. It’s either we accept the eternal salvation he is offering us or we risk being thrown into Gehenna where there will be endless wailing and gnashing of teeth. The choice then is ours to make.
Rev. Fr. Dave Concepcion, Rector of the Holy Apostles Late Vocation Seminary of the Archdiocese of Manila, in one of the spiritual retreats that he conducted said there are three things we need to do in order for us to get to heaven we need to stay focused, be prepared to make a painful decision and, what are we prepared to do for God.
To stay focused means we need to acquire the capacity to be able to live in the world but not being tainted by the values of the world. As we are commanded to be holy and blameless, we are to separate or set ourselves apart from the sinful activities that the world espouses. In other words we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Rom 12:2) and redirect our energies and attitude to becoming Christ-like in our ways.
Fr. Concepcion also stressed that for those who would like to go to heaven they must be prepared to make a painful decision which means that we must have the determination to turn away from sinful tendencies that will compromise our Christian values and principles. Painful it may be, we are to have the boldness to make that 180-degree turn and learn how we can love Christ more than anything else.
And as we usher in the Season of Advent with this Feast of Christ the King, let us ask ourselves which kingdom do we serve – the world that will definitely pass away or God's kingdom which will endure for all time. As we focus on reaching our goal and are able to make that painful decision to give up on the values of the world to follow Christ, the question we need to ask is what are we willing to do for God.
As Jesus asked the blind beggar in Lk 18:35-43 “What do you want me to do for you?” Christ our King now also wants to know what is it that we want and what is it that we can do for God for us to merit the eternal salvation that he has promised.
I look at life as an educational system that we all need to go through and there are the preliminary exams we have to face (trials, challenges, frustrations, persecution, loss of jobs) and, the mid-term exams (sickness, loss of loved ones, failed relationships, spiritual dryness, indiscretions, among others), and I also know that there will be a final exam that we need to hurdle and it is not as easy as it may seem to be.
The good thing with this final exam that will determine how we will be graded by Our Lord is that we already know what are in the questionnaire and we also know that we will pass this final exam by simply doing what is being asked of us. Granting that we may have missed some of these opportunities, Our Lord who is the final arbiter will provide us with the time we need to reorient our priorities in life and align it with the terms specified in our final exams. There is no time to procrastinate because we do not know the hour the thief will come.
I am also reminded by what St. Teresa of Calcutta once said: “Make sure that you let God’s Grace work in your souls by accepting what he gives you, and giving him whatever he takes from you. True holiness consists of doing God’s work with a smile.”
And as we mark the Feast of Christ the King, there are at least five conditions that Jesus is asking from us in this Gospel, and these are: 1) Jesus expects wholehearted obedience from those who follow him; (2) He expects us to deny ourselves as we follow him; (3) Jesus expects us to imitate him; (4) Jesus expects our life to be rooted in humility and for us to repent of our sins, and; (5) Our Lord wants us to adopt a servant’s attitude.
The choice is right here before us. God's Kingdom will remain forever because it is built on the foundation of God's eternal love and justice. To accept Jesus Christ by believing that he is Lord and King assures us of our citizenship in heaven where righteousness, peace, truth, and love reign. So now we ask are we yielded to the Lordship of Jesus Christ which is the prerequisite in order for us to get to heaven? The choice is yours.
THE HOLY ANGER OF JESUS
NOV. 22, 2013: THIRTY THIRD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 1 Mac 4:36-37, 52-59
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 1 Chr 29:10-12 “We praise your glorious name, O mighty God.”
GOSPEL: LK 19:45-48
Key Verse: “My house should be a place of worship.” (v.46)
In what could be the only instance when Jesus really showed his anger was when he arrived at the temple and saw that it has been turned into a marketplace (v.45) or as what Jesus described as a den of robbers (v.48).
The illustration of Jesus holding a whip made out of cords which was described in Jn 2:15 must have been a terrifying scene as he drove away the sheep and cattle and overturned the tables of money changers thereby scattering all the coins and monies.
All these happened during the Passover which was and still is considered as the most memorable feasts of the Jewish nation and by law and tradition, all adult male Jew are bound to go to the temple to celebrate the feast of the Passover.
The Temple was always crowded during the Passover Feast (Exo 12) which normally lasts a day while the Festival of the Unleavened Bread (Lev 23:6) lasts for the rest of the week. These two festivals are celebrated by the Jews starting on the 14th day of the first month which is the Passover Feast while the Festival of the Unleavened Bread starts on the 15th day of the same month.
The religious leaders, however, allowed money changers and merchants to set up trading booths at the Temple that made it difficult for the people to worship which was the main purpose of the Jews for visiting the Temple. What the religious leaders forgot was that God’s Temple was a place of worship and not for profit. And this apparent desecration was what made Jesus really angry.
And the religious leaders asked for a sign as proof of his authority and Jesus replied by saying “destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days.” (Jn 2:19) And they failed to grasp the meaning of what he said because they were on different planes with Jesus talking of his coming passion, death and resurrection while the religious leaders could only see what was before them which was why they asked for a sign.
What Jesus was actually referring to was it was his own body which was the Temple that needed to be destroyed through his passion and death and raised again on the third day. What Jesus was also saying in this passage was that there would be no need anymore for sacrificial offering because he himself will be the sacrifice at the altar on which a new Temple will rise.
But while we may have done away with animal sacrifice in today’s world, we may have replaced this unknowingly with paraphernalia that we try to pass on as part of our worship to God as we build beautiful edifices, innovated our liturgical and worship celebrations, designed programs and projects that we believe edify Our God but which in reality are taking away our attention to what worship should be.
What then is the relevance of this passage to the practice of our faith in the here and now? Contrary to what the Pharisees believe, we have to acknowledge that Jesus was the Temple that had to be destroyed so that through his death on the cross he can bridge the gap between God and man by offering himself as a ransom for many.
It is through his death that reconciles us with God and he fills us with his Holy Spirit that makes us now the new temples (1 Cor 6:19-20). Where the Temple was supposed to be the place of worship of the Jews in the olden times, Jesus has changed all that as we can now worship God anywhere we are or in whatever situation we find ourselves in because Jesus who is the personification of the Temple of God is now present in all of us who believe.
It presupposes that whoever lives in a state of grace is a living temple which means that our souls must live in the closest possible union with God. Every temple has a priest, an altar and a tabernacle. These elements are also present in a Christian who is in a state of grace because the Christian disciple himself is the priest and we are called upon to fulfill our priestly ministry by turning our whole life into a spiritual Mass. The altar is our hearts united with God and on it we sacrifice and lay upon everything that separates us from God – our anxiety, irritations, bitterness, resentments, unforgiveness, failure and frustrations, etc. And finally, the tabernacle is our own soul where our Trinitarian God dwells.
It is when we see ourselves as the Temple of God that we can now see God not only in us but in others as well. This paradigm shift in our attitude towards worship will allow us to give due respect and reverence to our neighbor and it is also this realization of our true worth that we can perform good works accompanied by prayer and fasting, alms-giving and regular reception of the Sacraments and attendance in Prayer Meetings.
And it is when we put into motion this grace that moves us to love God and our neighbor that our lives are sanctified. As St. John Chrysostom says: “He who enters into a state of Grace is like a man bowed down with infirmities and age who, by a miracle, has been transformed into a beautiful youth dressed in purple and carrying a scepter.”
1st Reading: 1 Mac 4:36-37, 52-59
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 1 Chr 29:10-12 “We praise your glorious name, O mighty God.”
GOSPEL: LK 19:45-48
Key Verse: “My house should be a place of worship.” (v.46)
In what could be the only instance when Jesus really showed his anger was when he arrived at the temple and saw that it has been turned into a marketplace (v.45) or as what Jesus described as a den of robbers (v.48).
The illustration of Jesus holding a whip made out of cords which was described in Jn 2:15 must have been a terrifying scene as he drove away the sheep and cattle and overturned the tables of money changers thereby scattering all the coins and monies.
All these happened during the Passover which was and still is considered as the most memorable feasts of the Jewish nation and by law and tradition, all adult male Jew are bound to go to the temple to celebrate the feast of the Passover.
The Temple was always crowded during the Passover Feast (Exo 12) which normally lasts a day while the Festival of the Unleavened Bread (Lev 23:6) lasts for the rest of the week. These two festivals are celebrated by the Jews starting on the 14th day of the first month which is the Passover Feast while the Festival of the Unleavened Bread starts on the 15th day of the same month.
The religious leaders, however, allowed money changers and merchants to set up trading booths at the Temple that made it difficult for the people to worship which was the main purpose of the Jews for visiting the Temple. What the religious leaders forgot was that God’s Temple was a place of worship and not for profit. And this apparent desecration was what made Jesus really angry.
And the religious leaders asked for a sign as proof of his authority and Jesus replied by saying “destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days.” (Jn 2:19) And they failed to grasp the meaning of what he said because they were on different planes with Jesus talking of his coming passion, death and resurrection while the religious leaders could only see what was before them which was why they asked for a sign.
What Jesus was actually referring to was it was his own body which was the Temple that needed to be destroyed through his passion and death and raised again on the third day. What Jesus was also saying in this passage was that there would be no need anymore for sacrificial offering because he himself will be the sacrifice at the altar on which a new Temple will rise.
But while we may have done away with animal sacrifice in today’s world, we may have replaced this unknowingly with paraphernalia that we try to pass on as part of our worship to God as we build beautiful edifices, innovated our liturgical and worship celebrations, designed programs and projects that we believe edify Our God but which in reality are taking away our attention to what worship should be.
What then is the relevance of this passage to the practice of our faith in the here and now? Contrary to what the Pharisees believe, we have to acknowledge that Jesus was the Temple that had to be destroyed so that through his death on the cross he can bridge the gap between God and man by offering himself as a ransom for many.
It is through his death that reconciles us with God and he fills us with his Holy Spirit that makes us now the new temples (1 Cor 6:19-20). Where the Temple was supposed to be the place of worship of the Jews in the olden times, Jesus has changed all that as we can now worship God anywhere we are or in whatever situation we find ourselves in because Jesus who is the personification of the Temple of God is now present in all of us who believe.
It presupposes that whoever lives in a state of grace is a living temple which means that our souls must live in the closest possible union with God. Every temple has a priest, an altar and a tabernacle. These elements are also present in a Christian who is in a state of grace because the Christian disciple himself is the priest and we are called upon to fulfill our priestly ministry by turning our whole life into a spiritual Mass. The altar is our hearts united with God and on it we sacrifice and lay upon everything that separates us from God – our anxiety, irritations, bitterness, resentments, unforgiveness, failure and frustrations, etc. And finally, the tabernacle is our own soul where our Trinitarian God dwells.
It is when we see ourselves as the Temple of God that we can now see God not only in us but in others as well. This paradigm shift in our attitude towards worship will allow us to give due respect and reverence to our neighbor and it is also this realization of our true worth that we can perform good works accompanied by prayer and fasting, alms-giving and regular reception of the Sacraments and attendance in Prayer Meetings.
And it is when we put into motion this grace that moves us to love God and our neighbor that our lives are sanctified. As St. John Chrysostom says: “He who enters into a state of Grace is like a man bowed down with infirmities and age who, by a miracle, has been transformed into a beautiful youth dressed in purple and carrying a scepter.”
NOTHING BUT COMPASSION
NOV. 21, 2013: THE PRESENTATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
1st Reading: 1 Mac 2:15-29
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 50:1-6, 14-15 “To the upright I will show the saving power of God.”
GOSPEL: LK 19: 41-44
Key Verse: “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace – but now it is hidden from your eyes.” (v.42)
This passage actually has two parts – one speaks of the compassion of Jesus Christ even for those who reject him (vv.41-44) that we will reflect on today and his anger upon seeing the Temple turned into a market place (vv.45-48) that we are going to reflect on tomorrow.
At this point, Jesus has also crossed his Rubicon and there is no more turning back. He knew what will happen the moment he sets foot in Jerusalem but Jesus had an obligation to fulfill as his earthly ministry was about to reach its culmination.
The feast of the Passover couldn’t be the reason for his going to Jerusalem because the Passover can be observed and celebrated in any synagogue not necessarily in Jerusalem. But he needed to go because The Temple in Jerusalem serves as a reminder of God’s presence among the Jewish nation. He also had to go because this was probably the last time he would set foot at the Temple.
The name Jerusalem came from the word salem which meant peace and it was ironic that the peace he brought and offered was rejected by the people of Jerusalem. The view of Jerusalem from Mt. Olives was magnificent and as Jesus looked at the city, he wept (v.41) and said: “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace – but now it is hidden from your eyes.” (v.42)
There are at least three things that we can picture from this short passage. The first was the ignorance of the Jews of the coming of God (v.44) and their ignorance of what makes peace (v.42). In some Bible versions, the word ‘visitation’ was used instead of coming. The second was the terrible consequence of their action that would result in Jerusalem being destroyed and leveled to the ground including the Temple (vv.43, 44). The third was Jesus wept (v. 41) upon seeing what awaits the people of Jerusalem because of their refusal to recognize the coming of God and the peace that he brings.
In the Old Testament times, visitation meant the coming of God either to judge (Isa 29:5) or to save (Gen 50:24). In Lk 19:44, it was clear that the coming of God or visitation was to save the people through Jesus Christ but whom the people rejected and refused to recognize as they could not believe that God would come in the flesh in the person of a carpenter’s son. This should also serve as a clear reminder for us of our own prejudices and judgment on those who do not fit into our own set of standards. How many times have we looked down on others because they are not of the same life status as we are.
Jesus wept because he knew he did not come up short in telling the people who he was. On several occasions (Lk 11:20; 13:34; 17:20), Jesus showed who he was and what he can do and the peace that he brings but still the religious leaders and the people rejected him. The sin of the people was not that they have not heard of the kind of peace that God offered them but the way they suppressed the truth through their unrighteous way (Rom 1:18).
And what he saw happened 70 years following his death on the cross and resurrection when Titus, son of the Roman emperor Vespasian, led Roman soldiers to stave off the rebellion of the Jews and burned the city to the ground leveling off the Temple and left 600,000 Jews dead.
Transposed into our current situation, this Gospel should serve as a reminder that we can avoid the terrible judgment that fell on the Jews on 70 A.D. if we will accept the offer of peace that Jesus brings. But as with similar peace agreements reached between governments and rebellious elements, we are also obliged to put something on the table of peace as a sign of goodwill.
Jesus comes to offer us peace that consists of eternal joy and salvation and the privilege to be readmitted as co-heirs of the kingdom of God. In return, we must lay down our arms consisting of our Pride and Arrogance, Envy, Gluttony, Sloth or Laziness, Lust and Indiscretions, Avarice and ostentatious acquisition and display of temporal things, Wrath, bitterness, resentments and, unforgiveness.
From the time the universe was created, God has constantly visited the people that he created and loved. God visited the Jews through his Son but they didn’t see him or refused to see him when he passed. Even now, God never tires in visiting us and in his mercy he gives us time to turn away from our sin of rebellion and come to the table of peace and Grace.
But this time is right now because if we vacillate the consequence is Grace may pass us by as in the case of the five virgins who did not have enough oil for their lamps and the bridegroom arrived and shut the door behind him. I would not want to find myself in a position when I will have to bang at the door and hear the bridegroom say: “I do not know you.” (Matt 25:12)
We all need to take stock of our lives and review our priorities. Are titles, position, fame and fortune more important than our salvation? Think again as there may not be enough time left.
1st Reading: 1 Mac 2:15-29
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 50:1-6, 14-15 “To the upright I will show the saving power of God.”
GOSPEL: LK 19: 41-44
Key Verse: “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace – but now it is hidden from your eyes.” (v.42)
This passage actually has two parts – one speaks of the compassion of Jesus Christ even for those who reject him (vv.41-44) that we will reflect on today and his anger upon seeing the Temple turned into a market place (vv.45-48) that we are going to reflect on tomorrow.
At this point, Jesus has also crossed his Rubicon and there is no more turning back. He knew what will happen the moment he sets foot in Jerusalem but Jesus had an obligation to fulfill as his earthly ministry was about to reach its culmination.
The feast of the Passover couldn’t be the reason for his going to Jerusalem because the Passover can be observed and celebrated in any synagogue not necessarily in Jerusalem. But he needed to go because The Temple in Jerusalem serves as a reminder of God’s presence among the Jewish nation. He also had to go because this was probably the last time he would set foot at the Temple.
The name Jerusalem came from the word salem which meant peace and it was ironic that the peace he brought and offered was rejected by the people of Jerusalem. The view of Jerusalem from Mt. Olives was magnificent and as Jesus looked at the city, he wept (v.41) and said: “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace – but now it is hidden from your eyes.” (v.42)
There are at least three things that we can picture from this short passage. The first was the ignorance of the Jews of the coming of God (v.44) and their ignorance of what makes peace (v.42). In some Bible versions, the word ‘visitation’ was used instead of coming. The second was the terrible consequence of their action that would result in Jerusalem being destroyed and leveled to the ground including the Temple (vv.43, 44). The third was Jesus wept (v. 41) upon seeing what awaits the people of Jerusalem because of their refusal to recognize the coming of God and the peace that he brings.
In the Old Testament times, visitation meant the coming of God either to judge (Isa 29:5) or to save (Gen 50:24). In Lk 19:44, it was clear that the coming of God or visitation was to save the people through Jesus Christ but whom the people rejected and refused to recognize as they could not believe that God would come in the flesh in the person of a carpenter’s son. This should also serve as a clear reminder for us of our own prejudices and judgment on those who do not fit into our own set of standards. How many times have we looked down on others because they are not of the same life status as we are.
Jesus wept because he knew he did not come up short in telling the people who he was. On several occasions (Lk 11:20; 13:34; 17:20), Jesus showed who he was and what he can do and the peace that he brings but still the religious leaders and the people rejected him. The sin of the people was not that they have not heard of the kind of peace that God offered them but the way they suppressed the truth through their unrighteous way (Rom 1:18).
And what he saw happened 70 years following his death on the cross and resurrection when Titus, son of the Roman emperor Vespasian, led Roman soldiers to stave off the rebellion of the Jews and burned the city to the ground leveling off the Temple and left 600,000 Jews dead.
Transposed into our current situation, this Gospel should serve as a reminder that we can avoid the terrible judgment that fell on the Jews on 70 A.D. if we will accept the offer of peace that Jesus brings. But as with similar peace agreements reached between governments and rebellious elements, we are also obliged to put something on the table of peace as a sign of goodwill.
Jesus comes to offer us peace that consists of eternal joy and salvation and the privilege to be readmitted as co-heirs of the kingdom of God. In return, we must lay down our arms consisting of our Pride and Arrogance, Envy, Gluttony, Sloth or Laziness, Lust and Indiscretions, Avarice and ostentatious acquisition and display of temporal things, Wrath, bitterness, resentments and, unforgiveness.
From the time the universe was created, God has constantly visited the people that he created and loved. God visited the Jews through his Son but they didn’t see him or refused to see him when he passed. Even now, God never tires in visiting us and in his mercy he gives us time to turn away from our sin of rebellion and come to the table of peace and Grace.
But this time is right now because if we vacillate the consequence is Grace may pass us by as in the case of the five virgins who did not have enough oil for their lamps and the bridegroom arrived and shut the door behind him. I would not want to find myself in a position when I will have to bang at the door and hear the bridegroom say: “I do not know you.” (Matt 25:12)
We all need to take stock of our lives and review our priorities. Are titles, position, fame and fortune more important than our salvation? Think again as there may not be enough time left.
SALVATION IS ALSO FOR SINNERS
NOV. 19, 2013: THIRTY THIRD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 2 Mac 6:18-31
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 3:2-7 “The Lord upholds me.”
GOSPEL: LK 19: 1-10
Key Verse: “Today salvation has come to this house.” (v.9)
We all are aware that the world moves at a constant pace and our lives move with it. From the modern world that we left behind a decade ago, we now come to grips with the post-modern world in which relativism has taken a life of its own especially in modern societies. With the decline in the quality of education in many institutes of learning, the young steps into the new world with practically no knowledge of who God is.
There is no doubt the advent of communications and new technologies have made life easier and convenient but as technologies progressed so are those who use them. Having the latest gadgets has become the in thing and at times people also have to do a complete makeover in order to belong. People nowadays are so enamored by the way they want to be perceived by others such that they try to live their lives in the way they want to be portrayed.
Today we choose our friends and the people we go out with. They have to be in the same social circle as we are and we try to create our own standards and live in it. Hypocrisy has become a trait that many among us have contracted spiritual amnesia and have drifted away from the practice of our baptismal faith.
This may be the case for some of us but this was not so for Jesus who also have to live with the hypocrisy that abound during his time when people are also classified eithers as clean or unclean. And this was also the situation that Zacchaeus had to contend with.
Zacchaeus was one of the most hated man of his time and nobody in his right mind would dare spend time to have dinner with this notorious tax collector. Certainly not the Pharisees and not even the people of Jericho who hated him and treated him with contempt. As a tax official employed by the Romans Zacchaeus was considered a traitor or an unclean person.
In exchange for their loyalty to the Roman empire, tax collectors like Zacchaeus were allowed to levy and collect taxes that are more than what was prescribed. And Zacchaeus was a crooked tax collector because he helped himself from the taxes that he collect from the people and this was the reason the people treat him with utmost contempt. To them, Zacchaeus was not only a traitor but a sinner of the first degree as well.
This was the reason why it came as a big surprise when Jesus stopped and looked at Zacchaeus, who climbed a sycamore-fig tree to get a glimpse of Jesus, and said: “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” (v.5) We could imagine the murmuring and protestation that followed the scenario when Zacchaeus came down and led Jesus to his house.
And for Zacchaeus who merely wanted to see Jesus for he had already heard of his uncompromising brand of preaching and healings, what Jesus said was not only a surprise but it provided him with the opportunity to recover even a little of his reputation that was lost on account of his profession.
As a tax collector who keeps the excess of the prescribed tax that he collects, Zacchaeus was considered wealthy by Jewish standards but he was not happy. Deep inside he was probably remorseful at the things he had done in his life. We surely don’t know what was running inside Zacchaeus’ head at the time but nothing would stop him.
He was short in appearance and so he had to climb a sycamore-fig tree and the rest is history. In any society, there are certain groups of people who move and act with irritating misdemeanor. They are those whom people know to be corrupt and immoral but who nevertheless advance in their lives in terms of wealth and position.
But should we envy them or hate them as the Pharisees did. We shouldn’t because we really don’t know what’s going on in their lives. Like Zacchaeus they may also be restless and unhappy notwithstanding the seeming comfort they are enjoying.
What Jesus did in inviting Zacchaeus to come down from the tree was to show that love should be encompassing and that even sinners are entitled to hear the Good News. Despite his wealth, Zacchaeus probably was no longer happy with the kind of hate that he had to live with and he needed to see Jesus.
And when he finally came down and met Jesus, Zacchaeus got more than what he asked for. He merely wanted to see Jesus but now he walks in the company of a distinguished prophet and preacher who has raised the dead to life, given sight to the blind, made the lame walk, and cast out evil spirits from those possessed by the demon.
Although the Scriptures did not describe the scenario, Zacchaeus was probably grinning from ear to ear because he must have felt that all his bad reputation have become a thing of the past as he led Jesus towards his house to have dinner with him. By tradition, only friends are invited by household owners to have dinner with them.
But this scenario actually has a two-fold dimension to it. Zacchaeus may have been hosting Jesus to dinner but actually it is Our Lord who was hosting the tax collector to his table of Grace when he called on Zacchaeus to come down.
Overwhelmed by the presence of Jesus in his house, Zacchaeus did what for most of the people was unthinkable. He did not only have a change of heart but he showed his true repentance by giving half of his wealth to the poor and the other half to make payments and restitution for the corruption that he perpetrated. This went far beyond what was legally necessary in those days and this change had a lasting effect on how the people perceived him.
“Salvation has come to this house” (v.9) and what followed was a shocker to the Pharisees when Jesus said “this man too is the son of Abraham.” Despite the protests as the Pharisees would not want to admit that a corrupt tax collector was a son of Abraham, Jesus merely showed that heritage was not an assurance that one can be saved but faith was what will bring back the lost and be forgiven and made new.
Like Zacchaeus, there is a need for us to find our own sycamore-fig tree on which we could climb to see Jesus for there are times when we could not see Jesus from the cares and concerns of the world around us. To climb a tree just to get a glimpse of Jesus was a sign of humility especially for a wealthy man like Zacchaeus. And who among us would do the same. What we should not forget is that we are also sinners like Zacchaeus and at some point in time, we all need to find our way to see Jesus as the despised tax collector did.
Perhaps our own story will end in the same way as Zacchaeus did for “the Son of Man came to seek and save what was lost.” (v.10) We are lost when we wander away from God even with so-called menial sins but Our Lord is there to make his home in us and we need to make room for him in our hearts.
1st Reading: 2 Mac 6:18-31
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 3:2-7 “The Lord upholds me.”
GOSPEL: LK 19: 1-10
Key Verse: “Today salvation has come to this house.” (v.9)
We all are aware that the world moves at a constant pace and our lives move with it. From the modern world that we left behind a decade ago, we now come to grips with the post-modern world in which relativism has taken a life of its own especially in modern societies. With the decline in the quality of education in many institutes of learning, the young steps into the new world with practically no knowledge of who God is.
There is no doubt the advent of communications and new technologies have made life easier and convenient but as technologies progressed so are those who use them. Having the latest gadgets has become the in thing and at times people also have to do a complete makeover in order to belong. People nowadays are so enamored by the way they want to be perceived by others such that they try to live their lives in the way they want to be portrayed.
Today we choose our friends and the people we go out with. They have to be in the same social circle as we are and we try to create our own standards and live in it. Hypocrisy has become a trait that many among us have contracted spiritual amnesia and have drifted away from the practice of our baptismal faith.
This may be the case for some of us but this was not so for Jesus who also have to live with the hypocrisy that abound during his time when people are also classified eithers as clean or unclean. And this was also the situation that Zacchaeus had to contend with.
Zacchaeus was one of the most hated man of his time and nobody in his right mind would dare spend time to have dinner with this notorious tax collector. Certainly not the Pharisees and not even the people of Jericho who hated him and treated him with contempt. As a tax official employed by the Romans Zacchaeus was considered a traitor or an unclean person.
In exchange for their loyalty to the Roman empire, tax collectors like Zacchaeus were allowed to levy and collect taxes that are more than what was prescribed. And Zacchaeus was a crooked tax collector because he helped himself from the taxes that he collect from the people and this was the reason the people treat him with utmost contempt. To them, Zacchaeus was not only a traitor but a sinner of the first degree as well.
This was the reason why it came as a big surprise when Jesus stopped and looked at Zacchaeus, who climbed a sycamore-fig tree to get a glimpse of Jesus, and said: “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” (v.5) We could imagine the murmuring and protestation that followed the scenario when Zacchaeus came down and led Jesus to his house.
And for Zacchaeus who merely wanted to see Jesus for he had already heard of his uncompromising brand of preaching and healings, what Jesus said was not only a surprise but it provided him with the opportunity to recover even a little of his reputation that was lost on account of his profession.
As a tax collector who keeps the excess of the prescribed tax that he collects, Zacchaeus was considered wealthy by Jewish standards but he was not happy. Deep inside he was probably remorseful at the things he had done in his life. We surely don’t know what was running inside Zacchaeus’ head at the time but nothing would stop him.
He was short in appearance and so he had to climb a sycamore-fig tree and the rest is history. In any society, there are certain groups of people who move and act with irritating misdemeanor. They are those whom people know to be corrupt and immoral but who nevertheless advance in their lives in terms of wealth and position.
But should we envy them or hate them as the Pharisees did. We shouldn’t because we really don’t know what’s going on in their lives. Like Zacchaeus they may also be restless and unhappy notwithstanding the seeming comfort they are enjoying.
What Jesus did in inviting Zacchaeus to come down from the tree was to show that love should be encompassing and that even sinners are entitled to hear the Good News. Despite his wealth, Zacchaeus probably was no longer happy with the kind of hate that he had to live with and he needed to see Jesus.
And when he finally came down and met Jesus, Zacchaeus got more than what he asked for. He merely wanted to see Jesus but now he walks in the company of a distinguished prophet and preacher who has raised the dead to life, given sight to the blind, made the lame walk, and cast out evil spirits from those possessed by the demon.
Although the Scriptures did not describe the scenario, Zacchaeus was probably grinning from ear to ear because he must have felt that all his bad reputation have become a thing of the past as he led Jesus towards his house to have dinner with him. By tradition, only friends are invited by household owners to have dinner with them.
But this scenario actually has a two-fold dimension to it. Zacchaeus may have been hosting Jesus to dinner but actually it is Our Lord who was hosting the tax collector to his table of Grace when he called on Zacchaeus to come down.
Overwhelmed by the presence of Jesus in his house, Zacchaeus did what for most of the people was unthinkable. He did not only have a change of heart but he showed his true repentance by giving half of his wealth to the poor and the other half to make payments and restitution for the corruption that he perpetrated. This went far beyond what was legally necessary in those days and this change had a lasting effect on how the people perceived him.
“Salvation has come to this house” (v.9) and what followed was a shocker to the Pharisees when Jesus said “this man too is the son of Abraham.” Despite the protests as the Pharisees would not want to admit that a corrupt tax collector was a son of Abraham, Jesus merely showed that heritage was not an assurance that one can be saved but faith was what will bring back the lost and be forgiven and made new.
Like Zacchaeus, there is a need for us to find our own sycamore-fig tree on which we could climb to see Jesus for there are times when we could not see Jesus from the cares and concerns of the world around us. To climb a tree just to get a glimpse of Jesus was a sign of humility especially for a wealthy man like Zacchaeus. And who among us would do the same. What we should not forget is that we are also sinners like Zacchaeus and at some point in time, we all need to find our way to see Jesus as the despised tax collector did.
Perhaps our own story will end in the same way as Zacchaeus did for “the Son of Man came to seek and save what was lost.” (v.10) We are lost when we wander away from God even with so-called menial sins but Our Lord is there to make his home in us and we need to make room for him in our hearts.
IN JESUS THERE IS PEACE
NOV. 18, 2013: THIRTY THIRD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Ac 28:11-16, 30-31
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:1-6 “The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.”
GOSPEL: MATT 14:22-33
Key Verse: “Do not be afraid.” (v.27)
I’m sure many of you are familiar with this Gospel passage about the storm that the Apostles encountered while they were on a boat with Jesus and the story goes that the Apostles were terrified when the strong winds they encountered tossed their boat from side to side until Jesus caught sight of them and when he got into the boat the wind sank, meaning the wind for one reason or another stopped blowing.
There is a distinct parallelism in the strong wind that buffeted the boat with the Apostles with the storms that we experience in life for there are many times when we too will have to confront these storms of life that pass us by.
It is amazing how the Church arranges the Liturgical readings so that we may learn from what the gospel teaches us that we may grow as Christian disciples in spirit and in truth. Yesterday, Jesus talked about the trials and tribulations that will challenge our faith and today Our Lord again is telling that only faith can carry us through the storms that we will experience in life.
The calamity spawned by the strongest typhoon ever recorded in human history presents us with an enormous challenge that will test our faith and hope in God. Many are moved to question why God allows such suffering from which many of our brethren may never be able to recover from the trauma of losing not only their properties but their love ones as well.
These challenges will always be in our midst and we can never run away from it when it happens just as when Typhoon Yolanda struck. Without God, such experiences can be frightening but with God we can turn every challenged into an spiritual adventure. Just as God promised Joshua in Jos 1:5, God is also with us as we face the challenges that happen in our lives.
We may not conquer nations as Joshua did, but the tough situations such as starvation, sickness and sadness that the victims of the calamity are facing now, the difficult people that we meet and are hard to deal with, and the temptations that come are the challenges that we can conquer because God himself promised that he will never abandon us or will fail to help us. There is, however, one thing we need to do and that is ask God to direct us so we can conquer many of life’s challenges.
And in order for us to weather these storms of life, there is also a need for us to identify the strong winds that we face. What are these? How are these winds affecting our lives and our relationship with God. Our failure to identify these storms of life will not only put us at a disadvantage in terms of our relationship with God but it may also prove difficult for anyone helping us to weather these storms especially if we cannot qualify the storms in our lives.
Could these winds be: Failed relationships? Failed business transactions? Addiction, alcoholism and drug addition? Unemployment? Debt burdens? Excessive smoking? Different forms of Temptations? Gambling? Loss of a love one? Disappointments and sorrows that we experience? Swindled? Turmoil in the family? Terminal disease? There are many more that cause an imbalance in our day-to-day living.
When faced with such enormous problems in life, the only alternative is to call on Our God who made heaven and earth. The same God who several chapters later will find himself being welcomed like a royalty as he enters Jerusalem, his popularity and credentials preceding him and yet twenty four hours later, the same Jesus that was welcomed like a hero stood like a criminal before the Sanhedrin, Sadducees, and the Pharisees.
It is important that we qualify which of the storms of life tend to overwhelm us so that when Jesus comes into our lives and provides us the balance that we need, he will do so in accord with our need.
In our life the winds that we experience normally blow against our faces and many times we experience difficulty in living our lives. There are struggles we need to overcome and it is during these times that we can invite Jesus to come into our lives because when he does, the winds that we face will sink as with the storm the Apostles faced.
We may not be in the same situation as those in Leyte and Samar, but like them we too have to contend with the challenge brought about by the stroke that my spouse Malou suffered more than a month ago. As we remain steadfast in our faith, we are confident that God will heal Malou of this infirmity and will grant her complete healing in due time.
That is why when call on Jesus we need to bring to him the so-called specifics meaning we have to tell Jesus the type of wind we are encountering because Jesus is not a generic God whom we can ask for just about anything that we want. But the one definite message behind this passage is that Jesus will come when we ask for his help and he will as much calm the storms of life that we face.
And we can draw the picture of the character of Jesus who will never let any believer down in the way that he kept Peter from sinking into the water. And this is basically what we should all do when faced with the same situation as that of Peter.
In times when we imagine ourselves standing on the ledge of a 30-storey building, on a cliff without anything to hold on to, or when we feel like we are being swept by a strong undercurrent, all we have to do is to cling to Jesus because he is the only one who could put stability into our lives.
But when we call on Jesus to save us from sinking, remember too that we are also being called to take stock of our own lives for these winds or storms that we face may also be of our own making as these storms may have been caused by the untruthful life that we live.
The words of Jesus in Matt 7:21 “No everyone who calls me Lord, Lord will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only he who does the Will of my Father who is in heaven.”
In other words, there may also be no need for us to call on Jesus to help us face the winds that we face in our lives if we will only heed his words that the Kingdom of Heaven is reserved only for those who will respond positively to the Will of the Father in heaven.
And this is what Jesus liked with Peter who never let go of the hand of Jesus each time he fell and in all likelihood, it could be these failures of Peter and his undying loyalty to Jesus that brought him closer to Christ. As it is said, a saint is a man who rises up and moves on each time he fails. And this is what the Lord expects from us – a heart like that of Peter who falls but who remains anchored on his faith in Jesus.
1st Reading: Ac 28:11-16, 30-31
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:1-6 “The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.”
GOSPEL: MATT 14:22-33
Key Verse: “Do not be afraid.” (v.27)
I’m sure many of you are familiar with this Gospel passage about the storm that the Apostles encountered while they were on a boat with Jesus and the story goes that the Apostles were terrified when the strong winds they encountered tossed their boat from side to side until Jesus caught sight of them and when he got into the boat the wind sank, meaning the wind for one reason or another stopped blowing.
There is a distinct parallelism in the strong wind that buffeted the boat with the Apostles with the storms that we experience in life for there are many times when we too will have to confront these storms of life that pass us by.
It is amazing how the Church arranges the Liturgical readings so that we may learn from what the gospel teaches us that we may grow as Christian disciples in spirit and in truth. Yesterday, Jesus talked about the trials and tribulations that will challenge our faith and today Our Lord again is telling that only faith can carry us through the storms that we will experience in life.
The calamity spawned by the strongest typhoon ever recorded in human history presents us with an enormous challenge that will test our faith and hope in God. Many are moved to question why God allows such suffering from which many of our brethren may never be able to recover from the trauma of losing not only their properties but their love ones as well.
These challenges will always be in our midst and we can never run away from it when it happens just as when Typhoon Yolanda struck. Without God, such experiences can be frightening but with God we can turn every challenged into an spiritual adventure. Just as God promised Joshua in Jos 1:5, God is also with us as we face the challenges that happen in our lives.
We may not conquer nations as Joshua did, but the tough situations such as starvation, sickness and sadness that the victims of the calamity are facing now, the difficult people that we meet and are hard to deal with, and the temptations that come are the challenges that we can conquer because God himself promised that he will never abandon us or will fail to help us. There is, however, one thing we need to do and that is ask God to direct us so we can conquer many of life’s challenges.
And in order for us to weather these storms of life, there is also a need for us to identify the strong winds that we face. What are these? How are these winds affecting our lives and our relationship with God. Our failure to identify these storms of life will not only put us at a disadvantage in terms of our relationship with God but it may also prove difficult for anyone helping us to weather these storms especially if we cannot qualify the storms in our lives.
Could these winds be: Failed relationships? Failed business transactions? Addiction, alcoholism and drug addition? Unemployment? Debt burdens? Excessive smoking? Different forms of Temptations? Gambling? Loss of a love one? Disappointments and sorrows that we experience? Swindled? Turmoil in the family? Terminal disease? There are many more that cause an imbalance in our day-to-day living.
When faced with such enormous problems in life, the only alternative is to call on Our God who made heaven and earth. The same God who several chapters later will find himself being welcomed like a royalty as he enters Jerusalem, his popularity and credentials preceding him and yet twenty four hours later, the same Jesus that was welcomed like a hero stood like a criminal before the Sanhedrin, Sadducees, and the Pharisees.
It is important that we qualify which of the storms of life tend to overwhelm us so that when Jesus comes into our lives and provides us the balance that we need, he will do so in accord with our need.
In our life the winds that we experience normally blow against our faces and many times we experience difficulty in living our lives. There are struggles we need to overcome and it is during these times that we can invite Jesus to come into our lives because when he does, the winds that we face will sink as with the storm the Apostles faced.
We may not be in the same situation as those in Leyte and Samar, but like them we too have to contend with the challenge brought about by the stroke that my spouse Malou suffered more than a month ago. As we remain steadfast in our faith, we are confident that God will heal Malou of this infirmity and will grant her complete healing in due time.
That is why when call on Jesus we need to bring to him the so-called specifics meaning we have to tell Jesus the type of wind we are encountering because Jesus is not a generic God whom we can ask for just about anything that we want. But the one definite message behind this passage is that Jesus will come when we ask for his help and he will as much calm the storms of life that we face.
And we can draw the picture of the character of Jesus who will never let any believer down in the way that he kept Peter from sinking into the water. And this is basically what we should all do when faced with the same situation as that of Peter.
In times when we imagine ourselves standing on the ledge of a 30-storey building, on a cliff without anything to hold on to, or when we feel like we are being swept by a strong undercurrent, all we have to do is to cling to Jesus because he is the only one who could put stability into our lives.
But when we call on Jesus to save us from sinking, remember too that we are also being called to take stock of our own lives for these winds or storms that we face may also be of our own making as these storms may have been caused by the untruthful life that we live.
The words of Jesus in Matt 7:21 “No everyone who calls me Lord, Lord will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only he who does the Will of my Father who is in heaven.”
In other words, there may also be no need for us to call on Jesus to help us face the winds that we face in our lives if we will only heed his words that the Kingdom of Heaven is reserved only for those who will respond positively to the Will of the Father in heaven.
And this is what Jesus liked with Peter who never let go of the hand of Jesus each time he fell and in all likelihood, it could be these failures of Peter and his undying loyalty to Jesus that brought him closer to Christ. As it is said, a saint is a man who rises up and moves on each time he fails. And this is what the Lord expects from us – a heart like that of Peter who falls but who remains anchored on his faith in Jesus.
GOD FAVORS PERSISTENCE
NOV. 16, 2013: THIRTY SECOND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Wis 18:14-16; 19:6-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 105: 2-3, 36-37, 42-43 “Remember the marvels the Lord has done!”
GOSPEL: LK 18:1-8
Key Verse: “I tell you, he will see to it that
they get justice, and quickly.” (v.8)
The two characters in this Gospel – the judge and the widow – are what make this passage interesting because we see here not just the contrasting disposition of the judge and the widow but how even an unjust judge will cave in to the persistence of an impoverished widow.
Jesus described the judge in this parable as someone “who neither feared God nor cared about men.” (v.2) In other words, the judge was someone who was not only indifferent but one who is oblivious to the plight of even the poor.
Based on existing Jewish law at the time, differences and or disagreements among the Jews are normally brought before the elders of the community and when a case is brought before the attention of the elders, it is the tradition during that time that at least three elders and or arbitrators are to sit in judgment, one to be chosen by the complaining party, the other by the defendant in a dispute and, the third is someone who is independent of either party.
Because some Bible translations point to the judge as an unjust judge, it was assumed that the judge in question was notorious or known to be a corrupt judge who accepts bribes in exchange for the settlement of cases that can go either way depending on who puts up the bigger bribe.
On the other hand, we can safely say that the widow was poor and it was on account of her poverty that she had no other choice but to keep coming back to implore the judge to decide in her favor. Otherwise, she could have done what others do and that was to bribe the judge to earn for her a favorable decision.
And while the widow neither had the money to bribe the judge nor the political influence to force the judge to decide in her favor, the widow was armed with a weapon more powerful than anything else. That weapon was persistence and the judge finally said to himself: “I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!” (v.5)
Persistence, however, is merely our response to God’s own persistence to save us from eternal damnation. If you will just open your Bibles you will find that throughout the Scriptures God does nothing but show his great love and patience for all men so that all will be saved. In fact, creation itself is an expression and manifestation of God’s persistent Grace.
And Christ who is God’s only Son is the expression of God’s persistent love. So persistent was God’s love that He went as far as to sacrifice His only Son to ransom us as an expiation of our sins. It is out of God’s own persistence that he now demands from us the same disposition and Jesus himself is telling us to persist in seeking God.
Many times people give up in their quest for God saying that they cannot find God and it is true because God cannot be found if we don’t exert enough effort to find him. To find God requires a deep amount of faith, an unwavering determination to seek him and forge a deeper relationship with him and God assures us that we will be rewarded in the end.
In this age when we are beset with problems not only in our search for God but even in the world that we live in, God is asking us not to give in our efforts to search for Him and we can do this by continually asking Him to pour out on us his Spirit of knowledge, patience, wisdom, love and understanding and believe that these will all be granted.
Thus, translated into our current life situation, persistence is a virtue that sits well with God. “Pray continually.” St. Paul tells the people of Thessalonica because he knew that this is the Will of God not only for the Thessalonians but also for us.
While God may not always give whatever we pray for, God will nevertheless grant our prayers based on what God wills for us. This means that while we can draw on our ability to call on God in prayer especially for those to whom God has revealed himself, the day and time as to when our prayers will be granted is for God to decide.
It is possible that God may withhold answering our prayers to test our faith that is why he asks: “However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” (v.8) God raised this question because of the many who have fallen on the wayside and have turned their backs on their faith when they failed to get answers to their prayers.
This is true even today. How many even went as far as to question God for whatever misfortune they may have experienced in life. How many blamed God for not lending an ear and took God to task for taking a long time to come to their aid. Aren’t we one of these? Wasn’t there a time when we too asked God why our prayers are not being answered?
If we will only open our eyes, we will see that God has already answered our prayers although not in the manner that we wanted or expected. If suppose we pray that God change a person whom we don’t like but instead of changing that person God changed us instead and gave us a heart to know and understand the person’s nature as he is. Won’t we consider this as an answered prayer?
This was why Our Lord Jesus Christ was asking if we will turn our backs on our faith instead of persisting in our prayers regardless of whether our prayers are answered or not. And God will look kindly at our persistence especially if we will add what the Saints found to be the perfect prayer when they learned to say “your will be done.” (Matt 6:10)
Perhaps this is what may be lacking in our prayers. Regardless of whether God’s answer to our prayers may be late in coming, we all must learn how to accept his Will and say not my will Lord but your Will be done.
1st Reading: Wis 18:14-16; 19:6-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 105: 2-3, 36-37, 42-43 “Remember the marvels the Lord has done!”
GOSPEL: LK 18:1-8
Key Verse: “I tell you, he will see to it that
they get justice, and quickly.” (v.8)
The two characters in this Gospel – the judge and the widow – are what make this passage interesting because we see here not just the contrasting disposition of the judge and the widow but how even an unjust judge will cave in to the persistence of an impoverished widow.
Jesus described the judge in this parable as someone “who neither feared God nor cared about men.” (v.2) In other words, the judge was someone who was not only indifferent but one who is oblivious to the plight of even the poor.
Based on existing Jewish law at the time, differences and or disagreements among the Jews are normally brought before the elders of the community and when a case is brought before the attention of the elders, it is the tradition during that time that at least three elders and or arbitrators are to sit in judgment, one to be chosen by the complaining party, the other by the defendant in a dispute and, the third is someone who is independent of either party.
Because some Bible translations point to the judge as an unjust judge, it was assumed that the judge in question was notorious or known to be a corrupt judge who accepts bribes in exchange for the settlement of cases that can go either way depending on who puts up the bigger bribe.
On the other hand, we can safely say that the widow was poor and it was on account of her poverty that she had no other choice but to keep coming back to implore the judge to decide in her favor. Otherwise, she could have done what others do and that was to bribe the judge to earn for her a favorable decision.
And while the widow neither had the money to bribe the judge nor the political influence to force the judge to decide in her favor, the widow was armed with a weapon more powerful than anything else. That weapon was persistence and the judge finally said to himself: “I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!” (v.5)
Persistence, however, is merely our response to God’s own persistence to save us from eternal damnation. If you will just open your Bibles you will find that throughout the Scriptures God does nothing but show his great love and patience for all men so that all will be saved. In fact, creation itself is an expression and manifestation of God’s persistent Grace.
And Christ who is God’s only Son is the expression of God’s persistent love. So persistent was God’s love that He went as far as to sacrifice His only Son to ransom us as an expiation of our sins. It is out of God’s own persistence that he now demands from us the same disposition and Jesus himself is telling us to persist in seeking God.
Many times people give up in their quest for God saying that they cannot find God and it is true because God cannot be found if we don’t exert enough effort to find him. To find God requires a deep amount of faith, an unwavering determination to seek him and forge a deeper relationship with him and God assures us that we will be rewarded in the end.
In this age when we are beset with problems not only in our search for God but even in the world that we live in, God is asking us not to give in our efforts to search for Him and we can do this by continually asking Him to pour out on us his Spirit of knowledge, patience, wisdom, love and understanding and believe that these will all be granted.
Thus, translated into our current life situation, persistence is a virtue that sits well with God. “Pray continually.” St. Paul tells the people of Thessalonica because he knew that this is the Will of God not only for the Thessalonians but also for us.
While God may not always give whatever we pray for, God will nevertheless grant our prayers based on what God wills for us. This means that while we can draw on our ability to call on God in prayer especially for those to whom God has revealed himself, the day and time as to when our prayers will be granted is for God to decide.
It is possible that God may withhold answering our prayers to test our faith that is why he asks: “However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” (v.8) God raised this question because of the many who have fallen on the wayside and have turned their backs on their faith when they failed to get answers to their prayers.
This is true even today. How many even went as far as to question God for whatever misfortune they may have experienced in life. How many blamed God for not lending an ear and took God to task for taking a long time to come to their aid. Aren’t we one of these? Wasn’t there a time when we too asked God why our prayers are not being answered?
If we will only open our eyes, we will see that God has already answered our prayers although not in the manner that we wanted or expected. If suppose we pray that God change a person whom we don’t like but instead of changing that person God changed us instead and gave us a heart to know and understand the person’s nature as he is. Won’t we consider this as an answered prayer?
This was why Our Lord Jesus Christ was asking if we will turn our backs on our faith instead of persisting in our prayers regardless of whether our prayers are answered or not. And God will look kindly at our persistence especially if we will add what the Saints found to be the perfect prayer when they learned to say “your will be done.” (Matt 6:10)
Perhaps this is what may be lacking in our prayers. Regardless of whether God’s answer to our prayers may be late in coming, we all must learn how to accept his Will and say not my will Lord but your Will be done.
THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS IN US
NOV. 14, 2013: THIRTY SECOND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: WIS 7:22-8:1
Responsorial Psalm: PSA 119: 89-91, 130, 135, 175 “Your Word is forever, O Lord”
GOSPEL: LK 17:20-25
Key Verse: “The Kingdom of God is within you.” (v.21)
What is the kingdom of God like? And when will the kingdom of God come? At some point in time, some of us who have been praying The Lord’s Prayer would most probably seek an answer to these questions. It shouldn’t be taken as a loss of faith on the part of the one searching for answers but a question such as these require a response especially if we are to find meaning in the words we utter in prayer.
At times we need to look back to be able to see what is before us and we can probably draw some reference to the attitude of the Pharisees in this Gospel passage who asked Jesus when the kingdom of God would come. And the greatest error the Pharisees committed was their failure or refusal to see and acknowledge that they were already standing face-to-face with the kingdom of God personified in Jesus who was born of human parents from the line of David.
The scene at the Baptism of Jesus should have been enough to send a message to the Pharisees that Jesus indeed was the Son of God sent down from above. The teachings, miracles and healings that took place should have sufficed but the Pharisees remained unconvinced. They still wanted a sign, a visible sign.
From all indications, however, the Pharisees may have lost all sense of reason for even up to this point no event nor words can convince them of the reality that the kingdom of God was already in their midst. Knowing that he has to operate in this kind of an environment, Jesus used a different approach saying in vv.20-21 “the kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say ‘here it is’ or ‘there it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.”
Still the Pharisees were unmoved and couldn’t grasp the substance of what he was saying so Jesus turned to his disciples and said: “For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other. But he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.” (v.25)
Both Jesus and the religious leaders of his time were faced with difficulty at two levels. Jesus was having difficulty trying to convince the Pharisees of his nature and, the Pharisees were faced with the difficulty to accept an amplification of their religious belief as they were unprepared for that since their faith was primarily based on rules and regulations.
This was also the reason why Jesus warned of false prophets who will come and he cautioned his disciples not to follow them and he used lightning as an illustration of the coming of the kingdom of God because as with lightning the kingdom of God will come like a powerful surge of energy that will transform an unbeliever and the doubtful into a disciple.
In effect this was what happened to most of us who placed our lives at the foot of the cross and allowed the Holy Spirit to move in us to transform our lives and clothed our sinful nature with the righteousness of Christ. As Jesus breathe his last on the cross, a powerful surge of lightning struck and the energy it created reverberated throughout the world that he has conquered with his death on the cross.
This is what this Gospel passage is all about. His coming to become the Son of Man has assured us of our divinity as “the Word of God was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God at the beginning.” (Jn 1:1-2) And we can see the connection of our humanity with the divine if we can see ourselves as an incarnation of the Word “the Word became flesh and made its dwelling among us.” (Jn 1:14)
But we can only be aware that the kingdom of God has come upon us in fulfillment of his promise when we recognize his ownership over us on account of our having been purchased at a high cost. The kingdom of God among us is not defined by geographical or territorial boundaries but it begins when the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit are made manifest in our lives and in our relationship with God and our neighbor.
In so doing, we must resist the temptation to look at institutions, programs and projects for evidence of how the kingdom of God is progressing but we should instead focus on how the Holy Spirit is moving to transform our hearts that we may see Jesus present among us in so many ways.
He is in the Word that we read. He is in those with whom we share our lives with, our family, relatives, friend and those whom we don’t know but whom we meet everyday on the street. In other words Jesus is everywhere and He is present in the Eucharist that we receive and makes us also divine by our reception of his soul and divinity.
In Jesus we see the power and glory of God’s kingdom and by his death on the cross, his overpowering presence was passed on to us such that the kingdom of God is now among us and the world will know we are truly his disciples when we have love for one another. That is when the kingdom of God is really present because love is the air that we breathe in God’s kingdom.
No doubt Christ will return but like the bridegroom we know neither the day nor the hour of his coming. But regardless of when that will be we need to be morally and spiritually ready. To do this, we all must live as if Jesus will be coming today.
The fact is that we can all live as citizens of the Kingdom of God today without need of dying physically but this is dependent on understanding God’s real purpose as revealed in the Scriptures. When Jesus said: “The knowledge of the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven has been revealed to you, but not to them.” (Mt 13:11) he was actually giving us a vision of the treasure that will benefit us.
While the teachers of the law in the time of Jesus were looking for a future kingdom that is preceded by judgment, Jesus is telling us that the Kingdom of Heaven is now and that the judgment will come in the future. To experience living in the Kingdom of God now is to make Jesus the Lord and King of our life.
Translated into present-day realities, it means that we are to turn our lives to Jesus and give him control of every area of our lives – our work, plans, and relationships. In other words, we are to subordinate our will to His Divine Will and make him central in all that we do.
1st Reading: WIS 7:22-8:1
Responsorial Psalm: PSA 119: 89-91, 130, 135, 175 “Your Word is forever, O Lord”
GOSPEL: LK 17:20-25
Key Verse: “The Kingdom of God is within you.” (v.21)
What is the kingdom of God like? And when will the kingdom of God come? At some point in time, some of us who have been praying The Lord’s Prayer would most probably seek an answer to these questions. It shouldn’t be taken as a loss of faith on the part of the one searching for answers but a question such as these require a response especially if we are to find meaning in the words we utter in prayer.
At times we need to look back to be able to see what is before us and we can probably draw some reference to the attitude of the Pharisees in this Gospel passage who asked Jesus when the kingdom of God would come. And the greatest error the Pharisees committed was their failure or refusal to see and acknowledge that they were already standing face-to-face with the kingdom of God personified in Jesus who was born of human parents from the line of David.
The scene at the Baptism of Jesus should have been enough to send a message to the Pharisees that Jesus indeed was the Son of God sent down from above. The teachings, miracles and healings that took place should have sufficed but the Pharisees remained unconvinced. They still wanted a sign, a visible sign.
From all indications, however, the Pharisees may have lost all sense of reason for even up to this point no event nor words can convince them of the reality that the kingdom of God was already in their midst. Knowing that he has to operate in this kind of an environment, Jesus used a different approach saying in vv.20-21 “the kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say ‘here it is’ or ‘there it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.”
Still the Pharisees were unmoved and couldn’t grasp the substance of what he was saying so Jesus turned to his disciples and said: “For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other. But he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.” (v.25)
Both Jesus and the religious leaders of his time were faced with difficulty at two levels. Jesus was having difficulty trying to convince the Pharisees of his nature and, the Pharisees were faced with the difficulty to accept an amplification of their religious belief as they were unprepared for that since their faith was primarily based on rules and regulations.
This was also the reason why Jesus warned of false prophets who will come and he cautioned his disciples not to follow them and he used lightning as an illustration of the coming of the kingdom of God because as with lightning the kingdom of God will come like a powerful surge of energy that will transform an unbeliever and the doubtful into a disciple.
In effect this was what happened to most of us who placed our lives at the foot of the cross and allowed the Holy Spirit to move in us to transform our lives and clothed our sinful nature with the righteousness of Christ. As Jesus breathe his last on the cross, a powerful surge of lightning struck and the energy it created reverberated throughout the world that he has conquered with his death on the cross.
This is what this Gospel passage is all about. His coming to become the Son of Man has assured us of our divinity as “the Word of God was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God at the beginning.” (Jn 1:1-2) And we can see the connection of our humanity with the divine if we can see ourselves as an incarnation of the Word “the Word became flesh and made its dwelling among us.” (Jn 1:14)
But we can only be aware that the kingdom of God has come upon us in fulfillment of his promise when we recognize his ownership over us on account of our having been purchased at a high cost. The kingdom of God among us is not defined by geographical or territorial boundaries but it begins when the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit are made manifest in our lives and in our relationship with God and our neighbor.
In so doing, we must resist the temptation to look at institutions, programs and projects for evidence of how the kingdom of God is progressing but we should instead focus on how the Holy Spirit is moving to transform our hearts that we may see Jesus present among us in so many ways.
He is in the Word that we read. He is in those with whom we share our lives with, our family, relatives, friend and those whom we don’t know but whom we meet everyday on the street. In other words Jesus is everywhere and He is present in the Eucharist that we receive and makes us also divine by our reception of his soul and divinity.
In Jesus we see the power and glory of God’s kingdom and by his death on the cross, his overpowering presence was passed on to us such that the kingdom of God is now among us and the world will know we are truly his disciples when we have love for one another. That is when the kingdom of God is really present because love is the air that we breathe in God’s kingdom.
No doubt Christ will return but like the bridegroom we know neither the day nor the hour of his coming. But regardless of when that will be we need to be morally and spiritually ready. To do this, we all must live as if Jesus will be coming today.
The fact is that we can all live as citizens of the Kingdom of God today without need of dying physically but this is dependent on understanding God’s real purpose as revealed in the Scriptures. When Jesus said: “The knowledge of the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven has been revealed to you, but not to them.” (Mt 13:11) he was actually giving us a vision of the treasure that will benefit us.
While the teachers of the law in the time of Jesus were looking for a future kingdom that is preceded by judgment, Jesus is telling us that the Kingdom of Heaven is now and that the judgment will come in the future. To experience living in the Kingdom of God now is to make Jesus the Lord and King of our life.
Translated into present-day realities, it means that we are to turn our lives to Jesus and give him control of every area of our lives – our work, plans, and relationships. In other words, we are to subordinate our will to His Divine Will and make him central in all that we do.
BE THANKFUL ALWAYS
NOV. 13, 2013: THIRTY SECOND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Wis 6:1-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 82:3-4, 6-7 “Rise up, O God, bring judgment to the earth.”
GOSPEL: Lk 17:11-19
Key Verse: “your faith has made you well.” (v.19)
What we have today is a moving story that should remind us of our attitude towards God. It teaches us to be always grateful for the blessings we have received especially those that God has poured out on us even if we didn’t ask for it.
God sent his only begotten Son so that whomsoever believe in him will not perish but will have eternal life (Jn 3:16). God need not send his Son but he did and Jesus had to suffer and die on the cross for us – to ransom us from our sinfulness.
We all know the story. We have heard it many times. Jn 3:16 after all is what is largely known as everybody’s text and we have practically heard countless homilies, sermons and reflections on this but the question is – have we expressed our gratitude to God for all he’s done for us. Do we wake up in the morning and say “Good morning Lord, thank you for this brand new day you’ve given me.” Many of us actually don’t even offer grace before meals anymore.
Such ingratitude to God probably has its roots in the environment we grew up with which is the reason why many of us became adults without realizing there is so much to thank God for in our lives. In fact, even the lives we now have are on account of God’s generosity and we should always consider it a blessing that we still woke up knowing God has given us another day.
Going back to the Gospel passage today, we most certainly will be moved to ask about the nine of the ten lepers in this story. We see Jesus who was practically amazed at the ingratitude of the nine lepers as he asked: “But the other nine, where are they?” (v.17). And so to distinguish the one leper who returned Jesus continued asking: “Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” (v.18).
To get right inside this Gospel passage which does not appear in any of the other gospels, we see Jesus moving on the road between Galilee and Samaria and he was met by ten lepers who stayed at a distance – about 50 yards away – because lepers are considered as unclean and are prohibited by Jewish law to stand at a distance from a clean or healthy person.
We also see in this story that in time of great need even those who are separated by racial prejudice forget that they were Jews and Samaritan and what they only know was that they were in need. In fact, even in this post-modern era one of the factors that draw people together is their common need for God.
What comes as a surprise was that the ten lepers actually did not ask for healing but what they did ask was “pity” as they cried out from a distance: “Jesus, Master, have pity on us.” (v.13) And moved with pity and compassion and without telling them they were healed, Jesus told them to show themselves to the priest (v.14). And you might ask why? It’s because the priests are the one who are to declare them clean and free of leprosy. As they went, they were cleansed.
It is at this point that the drama begins because of the ten lepers only one returned to thank Jesus who called the leper a foreigner (v.18) because he was a Samaritan and that meant that he and Jesus were divided by tradition and cultural differences.
Jesus knew he would again incur the ire of the Pharisees because it was unlawful in those days for a Jew to associate with a Samaritan but Jesus effectively tore down the barrier separating the two tribes when he gave credence to the public confession of gratitude by the Samaritan and rewarding him when he said: “Rise and go, your faith has made you well.” (v.19)
The question now is do we find anything significant in this passage? Aren’t we being reminded of the times we failed to express our gratitude to those who have helped us get over our need in the past? Are we like those who never came back when they got what they wanted? Perhaps the reason we are not expressive with regards to being grateful is because we actually don’t know what thankfulness is all about.
Let me thus run you through the four significant aspects of thankfulness and we can find this in Psalm 92 where the Psalmist tells us that having a grateful spirit is: 1) To remember what God has done for us; (2) To tell others about it; (3) To show God’s glory to others, and (4) To offer your gifts of self, time and resources.
To be thankful for all that God has done for you is a necessary ingredient towards a deeper relationship with the source of everything that you possess right now because one of the most glaring signs of rejecting God is forgetting to thank him.
How about your relationship with your parents? In your growing up years you were totally dependent on your parents for almost everything you need yet there are instances I’m sure when aging parents have become a nuisance in the lives of many people.
Don’t you also have a debt to pay to friends who may have sympathized with you when you were at the low point of your life? Perhaps to your teacher who unselfishly imparted his wisdom to you that ensured your future. Or maybe even a priest who has offered you valuable counsel in times you may have reached a dead end.
Aren’t you also ungrateful to God whom you remember and pray to with great intensity during the rainy days in your life and whom you tend to forget when the dark clouds pass. God gave us his only Son and we’ve never even said thank you Lord.
Today, God is reminding us to do what the Samaritan did. He came back and prostrated himself at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. For all the bountiful blessings we have received, God expects us to be grateful and one of the ways we can thank God for what he’s done is for us to start looking for those whom God has richly blessed but who have not even dared look back much less return.
In this Year of Faith, we have a duty to bring back to God those who are no longer practicing their faith as baptized Catholic Christians. In the words of Pope Benedict XVI: “It was urgent to make Christ known again “where the fire of God” has become mere “embers that need to be rekindled so it can again be a lively flame that gives light and warmth to the entire house.”
Following the Synodal Assembly last year, the Church is also telling us that the work of the new evangelization consists in presenting once more the beauty and perennial newness of the encounter with Christ to the often distracted and confused heart and mind of the men and women of our time, above all to ourselves.
And in today’s Gospel passage, the Church invites us all to contemplate the face of the Lord Jesus Christ, to enter the mystery of his existence given for us on the cross, reconfirmed in his resurrection from the dead as the Father's gift and imparted to us through the Spirit. In the person of Jesus, the mystery of God the Father's love for the entire human family is revealed. So we must return to the source of all Grace and give him thanks because thankfulness is the primary characteristic in the life of a Christian.
1st Reading: Wis 6:1-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 82:3-4, 6-7 “Rise up, O God, bring judgment to the earth.”
GOSPEL: Lk 17:11-19
Key Verse: “your faith has made you well.” (v.19)
What we have today is a moving story that should remind us of our attitude towards God. It teaches us to be always grateful for the blessings we have received especially those that God has poured out on us even if we didn’t ask for it.
God sent his only begotten Son so that whomsoever believe in him will not perish but will have eternal life (Jn 3:16). God need not send his Son but he did and Jesus had to suffer and die on the cross for us – to ransom us from our sinfulness.
We all know the story. We have heard it many times. Jn 3:16 after all is what is largely known as everybody’s text and we have practically heard countless homilies, sermons and reflections on this but the question is – have we expressed our gratitude to God for all he’s done for us. Do we wake up in the morning and say “Good morning Lord, thank you for this brand new day you’ve given me.” Many of us actually don’t even offer grace before meals anymore.
Such ingratitude to God probably has its roots in the environment we grew up with which is the reason why many of us became adults without realizing there is so much to thank God for in our lives. In fact, even the lives we now have are on account of God’s generosity and we should always consider it a blessing that we still woke up knowing God has given us another day.
Going back to the Gospel passage today, we most certainly will be moved to ask about the nine of the ten lepers in this story. We see Jesus who was practically amazed at the ingratitude of the nine lepers as he asked: “But the other nine, where are they?” (v.17). And so to distinguish the one leper who returned Jesus continued asking: “Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” (v.18).
To get right inside this Gospel passage which does not appear in any of the other gospels, we see Jesus moving on the road between Galilee and Samaria and he was met by ten lepers who stayed at a distance – about 50 yards away – because lepers are considered as unclean and are prohibited by Jewish law to stand at a distance from a clean or healthy person.
We also see in this story that in time of great need even those who are separated by racial prejudice forget that they were Jews and Samaritan and what they only know was that they were in need. In fact, even in this post-modern era one of the factors that draw people together is their common need for God.
What comes as a surprise was that the ten lepers actually did not ask for healing but what they did ask was “pity” as they cried out from a distance: “Jesus, Master, have pity on us.” (v.13) And moved with pity and compassion and without telling them they were healed, Jesus told them to show themselves to the priest (v.14). And you might ask why? It’s because the priests are the one who are to declare them clean and free of leprosy. As they went, they were cleansed.
It is at this point that the drama begins because of the ten lepers only one returned to thank Jesus who called the leper a foreigner (v.18) because he was a Samaritan and that meant that he and Jesus were divided by tradition and cultural differences.
Jesus knew he would again incur the ire of the Pharisees because it was unlawful in those days for a Jew to associate with a Samaritan but Jesus effectively tore down the barrier separating the two tribes when he gave credence to the public confession of gratitude by the Samaritan and rewarding him when he said: “Rise and go, your faith has made you well.” (v.19)
The question now is do we find anything significant in this passage? Aren’t we being reminded of the times we failed to express our gratitude to those who have helped us get over our need in the past? Are we like those who never came back when they got what they wanted? Perhaps the reason we are not expressive with regards to being grateful is because we actually don’t know what thankfulness is all about.
Let me thus run you through the four significant aspects of thankfulness and we can find this in Psalm 92 where the Psalmist tells us that having a grateful spirit is: 1) To remember what God has done for us; (2) To tell others about it; (3) To show God’s glory to others, and (4) To offer your gifts of self, time and resources.
To be thankful for all that God has done for you is a necessary ingredient towards a deeper relationship with the source of everything that you possess right now because one of the most glaring signs of rejecting God is forgetting to thank him.
How about your relationship with your parents? In your growing up years you were totally dependent on your parents for almost everything you need yet there are instances I’m sure when aging parents have become a nuisance in the lives of many people.
Don’t you also have a debt to pay to friends who may have sympathized with you when you were at the low point of your life? Perhaps to your teacher who unselfishly imparted his wisdom to you that ensured your future. Or maybe even a priest who has offered you valuable counsel in times you may have reached a dead end.
Aren’t you also ungrateful to God whom you remember and pray to with great intensity during the rainy days in your life and whom you tend to forget when the dark clouds pass. God gave us his only Son and we’ve never even said thank you Lord.
Today, God is reminding us to do what the Samaritan did. He came back and prostrated himself at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. For all the bountiful blessings we have received, God expects us to be grateful and one of the ways we can thank God for what he’s done is for us to start looking for those whom God has richly blessed but who have not even dared look back much less return.
In this Year of Faith, we have a duty to bring back to God those who are no longer practicing their faith as baptized Catholic Christians. In the words of Pope Benedict XVI: “It was urgent to make Christ known again “where the fire of God” has become mere “embers that need to be rekindled so it can again be a lively flame that gives light and warmth to the entire house.”
Following the Synodal Assembly last year, the Church is also telling us that the work of the new evangelization consists in presenting once more the beauty and perennial newness of the encounter with Christ to the often distracted and confused heart and mind of the men and women of our time, above all to ourselves.
And in today’s Gospel passage, the Church invites us all to contemplate the face of the Lord Jesus Christ, to enter the mystery of his existence given for us on the cross, reconfirmed in his resurrection from the dead as the Father's gift and imparted to us through the Spirit. In the person of Jesus, the mystery of God the Father's love for the entire human family is revealed. So we must return to the source of all Grace and give him thanks because thankfulness is the primary characteristic in the life of a Christian.
TO SERVE GOD IS AN HONOR
NOV. 12, 2013: THIRTY SECOND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Wis 2:23-3:9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 34:2-3, 16-19 “I will bless the Lord at all times.”
GOSPEL: LK 17:7-10
Key Verse: “We are unfaithful servants;
we have only done our duty.” (v.10)
Short this passage may be but it speaks so much about the kind of service we are to render not only for others but for God as well. But what Jesus was saying in this parable contradicts not only a common practice in today’s contemporary setting as it runs counter to what has become a tradition in the workplace.
The Holiday Season is just around the corner and we can now feel the cool and soothing breeze brushing our cheeks. And in the corporate world, this season is highly anticipated because this is the time when mandated yearend benefits and bonuses are apportioned to the rank and file. The mood, however, is dampened by the recent calamity that inundated large parts of the Visayas particularly Tacloban City and in times like these how we respond will define our Christian identity.
To give out bonuses based on performance is not unusual and there are many companies especially the ones that monopolize certain industries are known to hand out fat bonuses just to keep their top executives from looking elsewhere.
In other words, expecting rewards for a job well done has become a practice not only in the corporate world but even in the most ordinary setting as supermarkets where tips are given to salaried bagmen, waiters, taxi-drivers, hotel doormen, bellboys, utility boys, or even in farmlands where farmhands are rewarded for a good harvest. You name it, just about everybody nowadays are and are expecting a reward for the amount of work they have put in.
But Jesus in this parable is telling us that to perform our tasks in obedience to what we are supposed to do is our duty and that we actually haven’t done anything yet. Which is why there are some cultures where people are very particular to time. If say their work an eight-hour shift, expect them to pack up after faithfully giving out an eight-hour workload.
This is why Filipino workers for some reason are preferred especially overseas because they stand out as Filipinos are known to be industrious and diligent as they also work even beyond the required eight-hour shift sans the extra pay.
And as dutiful servants we cannot obligate God to reward us for the amount of work that we put in in pursuit of our profession. Translated into our lives in the Church and or in the Community if ever we are involved in serving in a ministry or apostolate it means serving in relation to the gifts that we have received is our duty and that we should not think that God owes us. This is why we must practice our calling to serve in the Church relative to the gift we have received if it inconveniences us.
To serve God by serving others in the Church and or Community is our response in praise and worship to him who ransomed us from our slavery to sin. Just as God came not be served but to serve (Mk 10:45) so we too must toil in his vineyard because it is not only a privilege for those who are called but a sacred duty as well.
And in everything that we do as professionals and or in Church ministry, we must not forget God in what we do because it is God himself who calls each one of us to our vocation and God gives everyone the graces necessary to our calling.
As our vocation comes from God, in the end it is God whom we serve especially when it is done out of love flowing from our hearts. At some point in time, we leave god to serve God which happens when we turn away from things that we idolize in our lives to serve him by serving others.
But lest it not be said, our work also obtains for us both a temporal and an eternal recompense because the kind of work that we put in as a response to our calling or station in life is a symbol of divine worship. The temporal reward is contentment and earthly happiness but the eternal recompense still awaits us when we are finally invited to the feast.
If you will notice, most of the readings for the past several days now are eschatological in nature. Where before I wonder why these readings are arranged this way. Now I realize that these readings are meant to remind us of the need to reorient our priorities in life and hew it closely to our calling.
In this parable, Jesus reminds us that we should not expect an extra credit for serving God through others because obedience to our calling should not be treated as something extra out of what we do but it is our duty.
Nor is he suggesting that our service is meaningless because God is pleased at anything that we do that is done for the glory of God as St. Paul reminds us in 1 Cor 10:31 “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
What should remain etched in our minds and hearts is the fact that God doesn’t owe us anything and we have no claim in him but his love should compel us to give him the best that we can give. In fact, to serve others is a distinguishing mark of a Christian wherever he may be. If you want to live for God, you must be ready to say and do what may seem strange to the world you live in.
To truly serve God, you must know how to give when others take, to love when others hate, to help where others have been exploited. The true quality of a Christian is when you can give up your own rights in order to serve others and when you can do this, hope that one day you will receive everything that God has promised.
Furthermore, to serve others is the best way to become like Christ. There are people who work their way towards the Kingdom of God by trying to keep the Mosaic laws, the doctrines of the Catholic faith, by trying to look good and holy in public or by doing good deeds. And most of the time, people who live this way end up being frustrated. What you can actually do is just let the Holy Spirit help in turning your mind away from your performance and redirect it towards Jesus. In this way you will succeed in serving him out of love and gratitude. This is what living in the Spirit is all about.
Paul also tells us in 1 Thes 5:17 “pray continually.” As pilgrims who are in a journey, we must accustom ourselves in uttering ejaculatory prayers in everything that we do and we can do well by adopting as our personal theme “Ora et Labora” which means work and pray and while putting our hands to work, we need to raise our hearts to God in prayer. This is what makes our work pleasing to God by the love we express out of the work of our hands.
1st Reading: Wis 2:23-3:9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 34:2-3, 16-19 “I will bless the Lord at all times.”
GOSPEL: LK 17:7-10
Key Verse: “We are unfaithful servants;
we have only done our duty.” (v.10)
Short this passage may be but it speaks so much about the kind of service we are to render not only for others but for God as well. But what Jesus was saying in this parable contradicts not only a common practice in today’s contemporary setting as it runs counter to what has become a tradition in the workplace.
The Holiday Season is just around the corner and we can now feel the cool and soothing breeze brushing our cheeks. And in the corporate world, this season is highly anticipated because this is the time when mandated yearend benefits and bonuses are apportioned to the rank and file. The mood, however, is dampened by the recent calamity that inundated large parts of the Visayas particularly Tacloban City and in times like these how we respond will define our Christian identity.
To give out bonuses based on performance is not unusual and there are many companies especially the ones that monopolize certain industries are known to hand out fat bonuses just to keep their top executives from looking elsewhere.
In other words, expecting rewards for a job well done has become a practice not only in the corporate world but even in the most ordinary setting as supermarkets where tips are given to salaried bagmen, waiters, taxi-drivers, hotel doormen, bellboys, utility boys, or even in farmlands where farmhands are rewarded for a good harvest. You name it, just about everybody nowadays are and are expecting a reward for the amount of work they have put in.
But Jesus in this parable is telling us that to perform our tasks in obedience to what we are supposed to do is our duty and that we actually haven’t done anything yet. Which is why there are some cultures where people are very particular to time. If say their work an eight-hour shift, expect them to pack up after faithfully giving out an eight-hour workload.
This is why Filipino workers for some reason are preferred especially overseas because they stand out as Filipinos are known to be industrious and diligent as they also work even beyond the required eight-hour shift sans the extra pay.
And as dutiful servants we cannot obligate God to reward us for the amount of work that we put in in pursuit of our profession. Translated into our lives in the Church and or in the Community if ever we are involved in serving in a ministry or apostolate it means serving in relation to the gifts that we have received is our duty and that we should not think that God owes us. This is why we must practice our calling to serve in the Church relative to the gift we have received if it inconveniences us.
To serve God by serving others in the Church and or Community is our response in praise and worship to him who ransomed us from our slavery to sin. Just as God came not be served but to serve (Mk 10:45) so we too must toil in his vineyard because it is not only a privilege for those who are called but a sacred duty as well.
And in everything that we do as professionals and or in Church ministry, we must not forget God in what we do because it is God himself who calls each one of us to our vocation and God gives everyone the graces necessary to our calling.
As our vocation comes from God, in the end it is God whom we serve especially when it is done out of love flowing from our hearts. At some point in time, we leave god to serve God which happens when we turn away from things that we idolize in our lives to serve him by serving others.
But lest it not be said, our work also obtains for us both a temporal and an eternal recompense because the kind of work that we put in as a response to our calling or station in life is a symbol of divine worship. The temporal reward is contentment and earthly happiness but the eternal recompense still awaits us when we are finally invited to the feast.
If you will notice, most of the readings for the past several days now are eschatological in nature. Where before I wonder why these readings are arranged this way. Now I realize that these readings are meant to remind us of the need to reorient our priorities in life and hew it closely to our calling.
In this parable, Jesus reminds us that we should not expect an extra credit for serving God through others because obedience to our calling should not be treated as something extra out of what we do but it is our duty.
Nor is he suggesting that our service is meaningless because God is pleased at anything that we do that is done for the glory of God as St. Paul reminds us in 1 Cor 10:31 “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
What should remain etched in our minds and hearts is the fact that God doesn’t owe us anything and we have no claim in him but his love should compel us to give him the best that we can give. In fact, to serve others is a distinguishing mark of a Christian wherever he may be. If you want to live for God, you must be ready to say and do what may seem strange to the world you live in.
To truly serve God, you must know how to give when others take, to love when others hate, to help where others have been exploited. The true quality of a Christian is when you can give up your own rights in order to serve others and when you can do this, hope that one day you will receive everything that God has promised.
Furthermore, to serve others is the best way to become like Christ. There are people who work their way towards the Kingdom of God by trying to keep the Mosaic laws, the doctrines of the Catholic faith, by trying to look good and holy in public or by doing good deeds. And most of the time, people who live this way end up being frustrated. What you can actually do is just let the Holy Spirit help in turning your mind away from your performance and redirect it towards Jesus. In this way you will succeed in serving him out of love and gratitude. This is what living in the Spirit is all about.
Paul also tells us in 1 Thes 5:17 “pray continually.” As pilgrims who are in a journey, we must accustom ourselves in uttering ejaculatory prayers in everything that we do and we can do well by adopting as our personal theme “Ora et Labora” which means work and pray and while putting our hands to work, we need to raise our hearts to God in prayer. This is what makes our work pleasing to God by the love we express out of the work of our hands.
FAITH IN GOD IS THE KEY
NOV. 11, 2013: THIRTY SECOND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Wis 1:1-7
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 139:3-10 “Guide me Lord, along the everlasting way.”
GOSPEL: LK 17:1-6
Key verse: “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed,
you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘be uprooted
and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.” (v.6)
Gospel passages which contain a succession of lessons that are at times disconnected show that Jesus was in a hurry to do as much as he can knowing that he only has a short three years to complete his earthly mission before he suffers his passion, death and resurrection.
This Gospel passage today is typical of such disjunctive teachings but from which we can derive at least three lessons nonetheless that will be of tremendous help to us in our own journey of faith. Though these three lessons in this passage may appear to be disconnected, they are in fact linked as all three scenarios lead us to a disposition that we as Christians must have.
And here Jesus provides us with three examples of powers that are operative in us that we need to be aware of. Jesus starts by warning us of the power of temptation that confront us as we go through life. We are tempted by many things and most common is the internal desire to seek self-glorification, sex, alcohol, drugs, inordinate desire for wealth and power.
But there are also times when temptations come from external sources such as from a person who leads us to sin without our even knowing it. Such temptations can come from disguised intentions such as a conversation that is directed towards certain individuals and situations that cloud our perceptions and leads us to become prejudicial towards these individuals and or situations.
In whatever form it may come, what Jesus is warning us about is how Our Lord looks at those who cause others to sin. While (v.1) may have been directed at the Pharisees who teach the people to follow their hypocritical ways, those of us who cause others to sin are also being rebuked by Jesus. And the corresponding punishment that Jesus spoke of in (v.2) should serve as a grim reminder for us to be more circumspect in the way we relate and or lead others.
This responsibility is greater for those who teach or preach because Our God will not look the other way if we lead others to the wrong way. This is, however, premised if the one who leads others to sin will remain oblivious to the sin he has committed because Jesus also prescribes a mechanism by which those who sin can be restored to fellowship with God and this is through the power of forgiveness.
As Christians, we are told to forgive seven times. To forgive is to release the offender from any moral obligation or consequence. Perhaps the words of Jesus in Lk 6:27-28 “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” Regardless of the wrong or sin that may have been done to us, this should remind us of what we need to do in situations when we are struggling on whether to forgive or not.
All things considered, we as Christians can overcome whatever temptation we may face and whether we need to forgive or not through the power of faith in Our Lord in whom we can draw an example as when Jesus overcame his own temptation in the desert (Lk 4:1-13) and when he forgave his persecutors and executioners (Lk 23:34) as he hung on the cross.
What then is faith? Why is it necessary? Why, because faith is a gift of God since the power to believe can only be attained through the Grace of God who bestows the knowledge of the truth and the gift of faith on those who strive after it with perseverance, who live a God-fearing life and, who pray that they may find the truth.
Although St. Paul tells us in Eph 2:8 that “by Grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves” we, as Catholics, still need to believe in the doctrines of our Catholic faith because the absence of such is like a home without a foundation.
And just like a bell with a crack loses its value or when one disjointed note destroys the harmony of a melody, so the rejection by a person of even one of the doctrines of the Church makes faith impossible. Take for example the controversial RH Bill. How could a person who has been baptized into the Catholic faith support this proposed legislation the ultimate end of which is to destroy life?
Faith is like the root of a tree. A tree cannot exist without it. We too cannot exist nor hope to reach heaven without faith which is the key that opens the treasure-chest of all virtues. Faith is the lamp that will guide us in our journey towards our final destination.
But faith alone is not sufficient. Our faith must be a living faith which means that we must add to it good works and we must confess it openly to others for “not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matt 7:21).
If you will recall the foolish virgins also had faith but no works. Faith without works is like a tree without fruit or a lamp with no oil. But lest we be deviated from that which is necessary, good works can only be performed by someone who is clothed with sanctifying grace and who loves God in his heart. And one of the ways to practice our faith is by serving in a ministry or apostolate in our Church or Community especially in the difficult outreach missions where our faith is put to a test.
As we are commanded to also confess our faith, we must tell everyone by standing as a witness as to how we have been saved by Our God who created us, by Our Lord Jesus Christ who redeemed us from eternal damnation and, by Our Lord the Holy Spirit who continues to sanctify the work of our hands.
1st Reading: Wis 1:1-7
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 139:3-10 “Guide me Lord, along the everlasting way.”
GOSPEL: LK 17:1-6
Key verse: “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed,
you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘be uprooted
and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.” (v.6)
Gospel passages which contain a succession of lessons that are at times disconnected show that Jesus was in a hurry to do as much as he can knowing that he only has a short three years to complete his earthly mission before he suffers his passion, death and resurrection.
This Gospel passage today is typical of such disjunctive teachings but from which we can derive at least three lessons nonetheless that will be of tremendous help to us in our own journey of faith. Though these three lessons in this passage may appear to be disconnected, they are in fact linked as all three scenarios lead us to a disposition that we as Christians must have.
And here Jesus provides us with three examples of powers that are operative in us that we need to be aware of. Jesus starts by warning us of the power of temptation that confront us as we go through life. We are tempted by many things and most common is the internal desire to seek self-glorification, sex, alcohol, drugs, inordinate desire for wealth and power.
But there are also times when temptations come from external sources such as from a person who leads us to sin without our even knowing it. Such temptations can come from disguised intentions such as a conversation that is directed towards certain individuals and situations that cloud our perceptions and leads us to become prejudicial towards these individuals and or situations.
In whatever form it may come, what Jesus is warning us about is how Our Lord looks at those who cause others to sin. While (v.1) may have been directed at the Pharisees who teach the people to follow their hypocritical ways, those of us who cause others to sin are also being rebuked by Jesus. And the corresponding punishment that Jesus spoke of in (v.2) should serve as a grim reminder for us to be more circumspect in the way we relate and or lead others.
This responsibility is greater for those who teach or preach because Our God will not look the other way if we lead others to the wrong way. This is, however, premised if the one who leads others to sin will remain oblivious to the sin he has committed because Jesus also prescribes a mechanism by which those who sin can be restored to fellowship with God and this is through the power of forgiveness.
As Christians, we are told to forgive seven times. To forgive is to release the offender from any moral obligation or consequence. Perhaps the words of Jesus in Lk 6:27-28 “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” Regardless of the wrong or sin that may have been done to us, this should remind us of what we need to do in situations when we are struggling on whether to forgive or not.
All things considered, we as Christians can overcome whatever temptation we may face and whether we need to forgive or not through the power of faith in Our Lord in whom we can draw an example as when Jesus overcame his own temptation in the desert (Lk 4:1-13) and when he forgave his persecutors and executioners (Lk 23:34) as he hung on the cross.
What then is faith? Why is it necessary? Why, because faith is a gift of God since the power to believe can only be attained through the Grace of God who bestows the knowledge of the truth and the gift of faith on those who strive after it with perseverance, who live a God-fearing life and, who pray that they may find the truth.
Although St. Paul tells us in Eph 2:8 that “by Grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves” we, as Catholics, still need to believe in the doctrines of our Catholic faith because the absence of such is like a home without a foundation.
And just like a bell with a crack loses its value or when one disjointed note destroys the harmony of a melody, so the rejection by a person of even one of the doctrines of the Church makes faith impossible. Take for example the controversial RH Bill. How could a person who has been baptized into the Catholic faith support this proposed legislation the ultimate end of which is to destroy life?
Faith is like the root of a tree. A tree cannot exist without it. We too cannot exist nor hope to reach heaven without faith which is the key that opens the treasure-chest of all virtues. Faith is the lamp that will guide us in our journey towards our final destination.
But faith alone is not sufficient. Our faith must be a living faith which means that we must add to it good works and we must confess it openly to others for “not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matt 7:21).
If you will recall the foolish virgins also had faith but no works. Faith without works is like a tree without fruit or a lamp with no oil. But lest we be deviated from that which is necessary, good works can only be performed by someone who is clothed with sanctifying grace and who loves God in his heart. And one of the ways to practice our faith is by serving in a ministry or apostolate in our Church or Community especially in the difficult outreach missions where our faith is put to a test.
As we are commanded to also confess our faith, we must tell everyone by standing as a witness as to how we have been saved by Our God who created us, by Our Lord Jesus Christ who redeemed us from eternal damnation and, by Our Lord the Holy Spirit who continues to sanctify the work of our hands.
JESUS OR THE WORLD! YOU CAN'T HAVE BOTH!
NOV. 9, 2013: THIRTY FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Rom 16: 3-9, 16, 22-27
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 145: 2-5, 10-11 “I will praise Your Name for ever, Lord.”
GOSPEL: LK 16: 9-15
Key Verse: “…What is highly valued among men
is detestable in God’s sight.” (v.15)
Jesus once again rebuked the Pharisees and this time he gave them an illustration that will clearly define their attitude towards God and their love for wealth and power. In a way this passage is also for us because in our own journey of faith, we will have to choose between God and money and there is nothing in between and there are no gray areas either.
It’s either we choose to be on the side of God or to remain imprisoned in the world. Jesus, however, qualified that money is not evil and it can also be used for meaningful purposes.
In a continuation of the preceding passage, Jesus shows that money can be used not as an investment to bribe God and earn for us a place in heaven, but to help other people find their way to God. Without thinking of the rewards, our helping the needful especially those whom we can lead to Christ through the financial resources that we have will reap for us eternal benefits.
The Jews firmly believe that charity given to the poor would be credited to the giver in the world to come. And commenting on the rich fool who built bigger barns to store his harvest, St. Ambrose said “the bosoms of the poor, the house of widows, the mouths of children are the barns which last forever.”
Money can be used for selfish purposes or it can be used to make life easier for others. As God has been merciful to us during the times when we are in need, so we too are being asked to follow the shrewd steward who used his position to make friends whom he expect will help him at some future time. Generous giving is related to alms-giving and those to whom we give become our friends and they will ultimately see Christ through us. In time, our generosity will lead us to eternity as St. Ambrose commented.
The opposite of generosity is greed or the excessive desire for wealth and power. And greed doesn’t only refer to the accumulation of material possessions but also to the insatiable desire for power and position. Generosity nurtures the soul while greed blocks the flow of Grace in a person.
This parable teaches us of the need to manage the resources that God has entrusted to us. Once again, we are faced with the reality that we have been put in charge of things that are not ours. While these resources have their present-day use and after-life benefit, still we cannot take these resources with us when we finally meet our maker. In other words, we are merely stewards and our place in heaven will largely depend on how wise we manage these resources that were lent to us.
These resources include our talent, skills, positions, the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit and as we go through life we need to constantly account for our actions and be an exemplar for honesty and integrity even on small matters. No one becomes chief operating officer of a company in an instant unless you own the company. COOs and CEOs advance in their corporate paths but they all started from scratch.
It gives me tremendous joy whenever I look back at my work in the media sector for the past 47 years when I started as a Radio DJ and moving up the ladder of success until I became a Station Manager. When I moved to the Print Media, I again started as a Beat Reporter until I moved up to become a Business Editor of a major daily.
Along the way, I met, helped and trained numerous Announcers and Writers who have become successful in their own right. I rubbed elbows with ordinary military, police officers, politicians and upstart businessmen who would later become generals, congressmen, senators and top corporate officials, respectively. And this association and linkages I have established proved beneficial at some point in time. A general even became President of the Philippines and with whom I am associated with.
Indeed money, wealth and power can corrupt but it also brings some benefit to the person with such. As money and greed have the power to ease out God in our lives, it can ultimately become our master and this is what Jesus is warning us in this parable. A master is one who rules our lives and in this life there is a tendency we can be ruled by love of money and possessions, power or position, the glamor associated with wealth and prestige. These can control not only our thoughts but even our desires and values.
Money can be a deceptive master. It may offer power and prestige but there is no permanency in these. We have witnessed how the fortunes of the high and mighty changed overnight and no amount of money can give us health, true joy and eternal life. On the other side is God who offers us peace of mind and a place in his heavenly kingdom where we will reign in glory in the company of his angels and his saints.
Which is why Jesus demands that we choose between God and mammon because we cannot dwell in God and immerse ourselves in the cares of this world. And there shouldn’t be any doubt or vacillation in the way we make our choice. To take the side of God assures us of our eternal inheritance in heaven. To remain in the world would lead us to the fiery furnace where there will be gnashing and grinding of teeth.
There is only one Master and that is Our God who created us, Jesus Christ who redeemed us and freed us from our slavery to sinful desires and greed and, the Holy Spirit who sanctifies the work of our hands.
Let me end with my favorite line – there was somebody who said I will follow the Lord one of these days. He never did because he never saw and lived one of these days. Brothers and sisters, let us not put off our response to God’s call. There is only one Master and that is Jesus Christ who is the door to eternity.
1st Reading: Rom 16: 3-9, 16, 22-27
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 145: 2-5, 10-11 “I will praise Your Name for ever, Lord.”
GOSPEL: LK 16: 9-15
Key Verse: “…What is highly valued among men
is detestable in God’s sight.” (v.15)
Jesus once again rebuked the Pharisees and this time he gave them an illustration that will clearly define their attitude towards God and their love for wealth and power. In a way this passage is also for us because in our own journey of faith, we will have to choose between God and money and there is nothing in between and there are no gray areas either.
It’s either we choose to be on the side of God or to remain imprisoned in the world. Jesus, however, qualified that money is not evil and it can also be used for meaningful purposes.
In a continuation of the preceding passage, Jesus shows that money can be used not as an investment to bribe God and earn for us a place in heaven, but to help other people find their way to God. Without thinking of the rewards, our helping the needful especially those whom we can lead to Christ through the financial resources that we have will reap for us eternal benefits.
The Jews firmly believe that charity given to the poor would be credited to the giver in the world to come. And commenting on the rich fool who built bigger barns to store his harvest, St. Ambrose said “the bosoms of the poor, the house of widows, the mouths of children are the barns which last forever.”
Money can be used for selfish purposes or it can be used to make life easier for others. As God has been merciful to us during the times when we are in need, so we too are being asked to follow the shrewd steward who used his position to make friends whom he expect will help him at some future time. Generous giving is related to alms-giving and those to whom we give become our friends and they will ultimately see Christ through us. In time, our generosity will lead us to eternity as St. Ambrose commented.
The opposite of generosity is greed or the excessive desire for wealth and power. And greed doesn’t only refer to the accumulation of material possessions but also to the insatiable desire for power and position. Generosity nurtures the soul while greed blocks the flow of Grace in a person.
This parable teaches us of the need to manage the resources that God has entrusted to us. Once again, we are faced with the reality that we have been put in charge of things that are not ours. While these resources have their present-day use and after-life benefit, still we cannot take these resources with us when we finally meet our maker. In other words, we are merely stewards and our place in heaven will largely depend on how wise we manage these resources that were lent to us.
These resources include our talent, skills, positions, the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit and as we go through life we need to constantly account for our actions and be an exemplar for honesty and integrity even on small matters. No one becomes chief operating officer of a company in an instant unless you own the company. COOs and CEOs advance in their corporate paths but they all started from scratch.
It gives me tremendous joy whenever I look back at my work in the media sector for the past 47 years when I started as a Radio DJ and moving up the ladder of success until I became a Station Manager. When I moved to the Print Media, I again started as a Beat Reporter until I moved up to become a Business Editor of a major daily.
Along the way, I met, helped and trained numerous Announcers and Writers who have become successful in their own right. I rubbed elbows with ordinary military, police officers, politicians and upstart businessmen who would later become generals, congressmen, senators and top corporate officials, respectively. And this association and linkages I have established proved beneficial at some point in time. A general even became President of the Philippines and with whom I am associated with.
Indeed money, wealth and power can corrupt but it also brings some benefit to the person with such. As money and greed have the power to ease out God in our lives, it can ultimately become our master and this is what Jesus is warning us in this parable. A master is one who rules our lives and in this life there is a tendency we can be ruled by love of money and possessions, power or position, the glamor associated with wealth and prestige. These can control not only our thoughts but even our desires and values.
Money can be a deceptive master. It may offer power and prestige but there is no permanency in these. We have witnessed how the fortunes of the high and mighty changed overnight and no amount of money can give us health, true joy and eternal life. On the other side is God who offers us peace of mind and a place in his heavenly kingdom where we will reign in glory in the company of his angels and his saints.
Which is why Jesus demands that we choose between God and mammon because we cannot dwell in God and immerse ourselves in the cares of this world. And there shouldn’t be any doubt or vacillation in the way we make our choice. To take the side of God assures us of our eternal inheritance in heaven. To remain in the world would lead us to the fiery furnace where there will be gnashing and grinding of teeth.
There is only one Master and that is Our God who created us, Jesus Christ who redeemed us and freed us from our slavery to sinful desires and greed and, the Holy Spirit who sanctifies the work of our hands.
Let me end with my favorite line – there was somebody who said I will follow the Lord one of these days. He never did because he never saw and lived one of these days. Brothers and sisters, let us not put off our response to God’s call. There is only one Master and that is Jesus Christ who is the door to eternity.
TURN SHREWDNESS INTO AN ASSET
NOV. 8, 2013: THIRTY FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Rom 15:14-21
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:1-4 “The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.”
GOSPEL: LK 16:1-8
Key Verse: “For the children of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light.” (v.8)
This parable can be described in two ways. It is paradoxical as it is incongruous and I’m sure there are many of those who will read this Gospel passage will find it to be perplexing if not difficult to interpret. All on account of what may seem to be a contradiction in the message that Jesus wanted to convey.
What makes this parable difficult to understand was how Jesus could have commended the dishonest manager of the household for his shrewdness and expect his disciples to derive a spiritual lesson from the parable.
To understand the whys and the wherefores of this Gospel passage, we have to draw on how Jesus at times uses an interplay of words to deliver his message and in this parable the key word is the shrewdness of the manager or the steward who was entrusted with the management of the household of the rich man.
It was common during those times for rich landlords to leave the affairs of their properties to stewards and this parable was one example of this practice. There probably were good stewards during the time of Jesus but to illustrate his teaching, Jesus used the shrewdness of a bad steward as an example.
Though being shrewd has a negative character in it, shrewdness also has a positive connotation to it. The dictionary defines shrewdness as astuteness and or level-headedness and a person described as shrewd is also synonymous to one who acts with perceptiveness, discernment, inside, judgment and wisdom, intelligence, judiciousness and cleverness.
A person who is shrewd is also known to have foresight and this is the main point that Jesus wanted to expound in this parable.
It was not the dishonesty of the steward that was commendable but it was the way he acted to avert the wrath of the rich landlord that Jesus wanted to emphasize. What Jesus wanted his disciples to acquire was the shrewdness with which the steward acted which he stressed when he said: “The master commended the dishonest steward for he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light.” (v.8)
This was the point that Jesus wanted to make because a shrewd person is one who acts with dispatch and foresight. When faced with a crisis such as an impending loss of job and being made to account for monies that he has embezzled the shrewd manager drew on his faith on himself and cleverness believing that he could pull it through and he actually did as his landlord commended him for a job well done.
What Jesus was impressing upon his disciples was the need for the disciples and the people to translate this shrewdness in accumulating material wealth and comfort to a spiritual pursuit that would make them better persons. Jesus doesn’t want us to be dishonest but for us to have the shrewdness to prepare for our spiritual future – an eternal life spent in God’s kingdom.
There is actually nothing wrong with trying to amass as much wealth as we can but what God wants is for us to be responsible in the way we dispense or spend our resources. And if we believe that everything here on earth is the Lord’s (Psa 24) then we have to act responsibly by using these resources that have been entrusted to our care to serve God by serving those who are needful.
God loves a cheerful giver and St. Paul says “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2 Cor 9:8) We have also been showered with spiritual gifts and God expects us to bear fruit and we can only do so if we will be shrewd enough to discern that we are still a work in progress and that we need to cooperate with God if we desire to take our place in heaven.
Shrewdness for us is to remain focused on the goal ahead and into finishing the race. The inappropriate desire for temporal wealth and its improper use can be likened to a haze that blurs our vision of God. Being shrewd in our spiritual pursuit should lead us to use our material possessions to serve the needs of the poor.
As St. Ambrose of Milan said “the bosoms of the poor, the houses of widows and the mouths of children are the barns that will last forever.” This simply means that we need to draw on our shrewdness to stock up on good works because these are the kind of spiritual investments that will earn for us a higher yield when the time for accounting comes.
1st Reading: Rom 15:14-21
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:1-4 “The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.”
GOSPEL: LK 16:1-8
Key Verse: “For the children of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light.” (v.8)
This parable can be described in two ways. It is paradoxical as it is incongruous and I’m sure there are many of those who will read this Gospel passage will find it to be perplexing if not difficult to interpret. All on account of what may seem to be a contradiction in the message that Jesus wanted to convey.
What makes this parable difficult to understand was how Jesus could have commended the dishonest manager of the household for his shrewdness and expect his disciples to derive a spiritual lesson from the parable.
To understand the whys and the wherefores of this Gospel passage, we have to draw on how Jesus at times uses an interplay of words to deliver his message and in this parable the key word is the shrewdness of the manager or the steward who was entrusted with the management of the household of the rich man.
It was common during those times for rich landlords to leave the affairs of their properties to stewards and this parable was one example of this practice. There probably were good stewards during the time of Jesus but to illustrate his teaching, Jesus used the shrewdness of a bad steward as an example.
Though being shrewd has a negative character in it, shrewdness also has a positive connotation to it. The dictionary defines shrewdness as astuteness and or level-headedness and a person described as shrewd is also synonymous to one who acts with perceptiveness, discernment, inside, judgment and wisdom, intelligence, judiciousness and cleverness.
A person who is shrewd is also known to have foresight and this is the main point that Jesus wanted to expound in this parable.
It was not the dishonesty of the steward that was commendable but it was the way he acted to avert the wrath of the rich landlord that Jesus wanted to emphasize. What Jesus wanted his disciples to acquire was the shrewdness with which the steward acted which he stressed when he said: “The master commended the dishonest steward for he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light.” (v.8)
This was the point that Jesus wanted to make because a shrewd person is one who acts with dispatch and foresight. When faced with a crisis such as an impending loss of job and being made to account for monies that he has embezzled the shrewd manager drew on his faith on himself and cleverness believing that he could pull it through and he actually did as his landlord commended him for a job well done.
What Jesus was impressing upon his disciples was the need for the disciples and the people to translate this shrewdness in accumulating material wealth and comfort to a spiritual pursuit that would make them better persons. Jesus doesn’t want us to be dishonest but for us to have the shrewdness to prepare for our spiritual future – an eternal life spent in God’s kingdom.
There is actually nothing wrong with trying to amass as much wealth as we can but what God wants is for us to be responsible in the way we dispense or spend our resources. And if we believe that everything here on earth is the Lord’s (Psa 24) then we have to act responsibly by using these resources that have been entrusted to our care to serve God by serving those who are needful.
God loves a cheerful giver and St. Paul says “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2 Cor 9:8) We have also been showered with spiritual gifts and God expects us to bear fruit and we can only do so if we will be shrewd enough to discern that we are still a work in progress and that we need to cooperate with God if we desire to take our place in heaven.
Shrewdness for us is to remain focused on the goal ahead and into finishing the race. The inappropriate desire for temporal wealth and its improper use can be likened to a haze that blurs our vision of God. Being shrewd in our spiritual pursuit should lead us to use our material possessions to serve the needs of the poor.
As St. Ambrose of Milan said “the bosoms of the poor, the houses of widows and the mouths of children are the barns that will last forever.” This simply means that we need to draw on our shrewdness to stock up on good works because these are the kind of spiritual investments that will earn for us a higher yield when the time for accounting comes.
LOST IN TRANSLATION
NOV. 7, 2013: THIRTY FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Rom 14:7-12
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 27: 1, 4, 13-14 “I believe that I shall see the good tings of the Lord in the land of the living.”
GOSPEL: LK 15:1-10
Key Verse: “… there will be more rejoicing
in heaven over one sinner who repents ...” (v.7)
We have heard these two parables many times in the past and I’m sure that many of you may have already interpreted these parables in many different ways but ending up with the same conclusion – that God is a merciful God who will stop at nothing to search and bring back a sinner to the kingdom of heaven.
These two parables are not new because these are actual life situations that Jesus used to deliver a spiritual message to his audience in this Gospel passage which was a commingling of the ultra-religious Pharisees and the tax collectors and sinners.
There is, however, a very significant message that this gospel conveys and that is the necessity for a sinner to find his way to repentance and Jesus stressed its importance when he said: “I tell you, there will be the same kind of joy before the angels of God over one repentant sinner.” (v.7) This simply means that heaven rejoices when a sinner repents as when it celebrates when a lost sheep or a lost coin is found.
You will probably ask why repentance is important. There are at least four reasons why it is so. One is that repentance opens the way towards a relationship with God. Like a coin, repentance has two important sides – turning away from sins and turning towards God. We must do both as it cannot be an either or situation.
In the same way, we cannot say we believe in God and then elect to live in wild abandon. We also cannot say we are living a morally upright life without entering into a personal relationship with God because living a righteous life doesn’t result in forgiveness. There was a time when money flowed but my business wasn’t exactly moral and I thought that being generous would make me right in the eyes of God. I was wrong and when I was convicted of this I accepted God’s redeeming sacrifice that helped me in turning around my life.
Repentance also demonstrates real faith. Acknowledgement and confession of sins and a transformed life, again, are like the two side of a coin and they are inseparable. As the Apostle James said “Faith without deeds is dead.” And so it is with us. We cannot say we acknowledged our sins without turning away from it. Repentance is inseparably linked to action. To follow Jesus is to act on what he commands us to do.
Repentance leads to transformation. When John the Baptist said “Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” (Mt 3:1-2) We cannot possibly say we repent of our sins without a change not only in our behavior but also in our nature. Such change may not be evident overnight but only a transformed life can make your repentance real and visible.
Repentance is also a means in which we are delivered from our bondage to sin. Have you ever experienced committing the same sin over and over again and doesn’t it feel embarrassing that you are confessing the same sins to a priest. This is a normal behavioral pattern and will be repeated again and again and the only way to stop this is to repent of that particular sin and invoking the power of the Holy Spirit to help you resist all occasion of sin.
Though Jesus could have rebuked the Pharisees as he had done in the past, he instead cited these two parables that the Jews are familiar with, the parable related to a shepherd who left the 99 sheep behind to look for the one lost sheep and when he found he brought it home and called his neighbors and they rejoiced.
Then Jesus followed this up with another parable about a woman who lost one of her ten silver coins. The woman was apparently poor because she placed so much value on the missing coin. She even had to light a lamp because it was nighttime and most homes at that time only had one small window and to look for a coin in a poor Jewish home that has a floor of hardened soil is like looking for a needle in a haystack. When she found it the woman called her friends and neighbors to share her joy.
Aren’t we like the shepherd and the woman? Don’t we also rejoice when we find something of value that we lost? Isn’t it that our first reaction when we find what we lost was to tell our relatives and friends? and ? I believe this is how God feels when he finds a sinner who repents and humbly submits himself to God anew.
Jesus told his listeners that “there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (v.10) What these two parables also symbolize are the persistence of the shepherd and the woman until they found what they were looking for. Our God acts in the same way. God will keep searching and persist until we, aided by his Grace, are confronted with the truth that God did not create us to wallow in sin and mediocrity.
We were created in God’s image and likeness and were given the authority to rule over the fish of the sea and birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground (Gen 1:28). This is who we really are. We may have lost our way but God will never abandon us because we have been predestined according to his plan (Eph 1:11).
In the same vein, we must try to draw a parallelism between the content of these parables with the way we move in the church and or community. Now is the time for us to leave the 99 behind albeit temporarily so that we can go out and search for our brothers and sisters whom we have not seen for quite sometime. It is time for us to light a lamp and look for that lost coin, those whom we don’t see anymore.
Aren’t we alarmed when our parishioners and members have stopped attending the Eucharistic celebration and or Prayer Meeting? Are they sick? Did they move to another place? Did someone offend them which was why they distanced themselves from the Church? We will never know for sure until we search for them.
God is a God of mercy and compassion and he will not stop until all who are lost are found. This was the reason why Jesus was sent “for the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” (Lk 19:10) As Jesus searches on we must join him in this search and rescue operation to save those who are lost.
Time is of the essence and today the world has changed radically as our faith is now being challenged not only by the immoral pieces of legislation like banning prayer in schools and legalizing abortion and same-sex marriage but we are now confronted with modern-day Pharisees who are so enamored with titles and power that the more important mission of the church and or community which is to evangelize and search for the lost have been lost in translation.
As disciples of Christ, this task of looking out for the lost also falls squarely on our shoulders because as disciples we must share in the mission of Christ to search for those who are lost and lead them “to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow to attain to the resurrection of the dead.” (Phi 3:10-11)
1st Reading: Rom 14:7-12
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 27: 1, 4, 13-14 “I believe that I shall see the good tings of the Lord in the land of the living.”
GOSPEL: LK 15:1-10
Key Verse: “… there will be more rejoicing
in heaven over one sinner who repents ...” (v.7)
We have heard these two parables many times in the past and I’m sure that many of you may have already interpreted these parables in many different ways but ending up with the same conclusion – that God is a merciful God who will stop at nothing to search and bring back a sinner to the kingdom of heaven.
These two parables are not new because these are actual life situations that Jesus used to deliver a spiritual message to his audience in this Gospel passage which was a commingling of the ultra-religious Pharisees and the tax collectors and sinners.
There is, however, a very significant message that this gospel conveys and that is the necessity for a sinner to find his way to repentance and Jesus stressed its importance when he said: “I tell you, there will be the same kind of joy before the angels of God over one repentant sinner.” (v.7) This simply means that heaven rejoices when a sinner repents as when it celebrates when a lost sheep or a lost coin is found.
You will probably ask why repentance is important. There are at least four reasons why it is so. One is that repentance opens the way towards a relationship with God. Like a coin, repentance has two important sides – turning away from sins and turning towards God. We must do both as it cannot be an either or situation.
In the same way, we cannot say we believe in God and then elect to live in wild abandon. We also cannot say we are living a morally upright life without entering into a personal relationship with God because living a righteous life doesn’t result in forgiveness. There was a time when money flowed but my business wasn’t exactly moral and I thought that being generous would make me right in the eyes of God. I was wrong and when I was convicted of this I accepted God’s redeeming sacrifice that helped me in turning around my life.
Repentance also demonstrates real faith. Acknowledgement and confession of sins and a transformed life, again, are like the two side of a coin and they are inseparable. As the Apostle James said “Faith without deeds is dead.” And so it is with us. We cannot say we acknowledged our sins without turning away from it. Repentance is inseparably linked to action. To follow Jesus is to act on what he commands us to do.
Repentance leads to transformation. When John the Baptist said “Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” (Mt 3:1-2) We cannot possibly say we repent of our sins without a change not only in our behavior but also in our nature. Such change may not be evident overnight but only a transformed life can make your repentance real and visible.
Repentance is also a means in which we are delivered from our bondage to sin. Have you ever experienced committing the same sin over and over again and doesn’t it feel embarrassing that you are confessing the same sins to a priest. This is a normal behavioral pattern and will be repeated again and again and the only way to stop this is to repent of that particular sin and invoking the power of the Holy Spirit to help you resist all occasion of sin.
Though Jesus could have rebuked the Pharisees as he had done in the past, he instead cited these two parables that the Jews are familiar with, the parable related to a shepherd who left the 99 sheep behind to look for the one lost sheep and when he found he brought it home and called his neighbors and they rejoiced.
Then Jesus followed this up with another parable about a woman who lost one of her ten silver coins. The woman was apparently poor because she placed so much value on the missing coin. She even had to light a lamp because it was nighttime and most homes at that time only had one small window and to look for a coin in a poor Jewish home that has a floor of hardened soil is like looking for a needle in a haystack. When she found it the woman called her friends and neighbors to share her joy.
Aren’t we like the shepherd and the woman? Don’t we also rejoice when we find something of value that we lost? Isn’t it that our first reaction when we find what we lost was to tell our relatives and friends? and ? I believe this is how God feels when he finds a sinner who repents and humbly submits himself to God anew.
Jesus told his listeners that “there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (v.10) What these two parables also symbolize are the persistence of the shepherd and the woman until they found what they were looking for. Our God acts in the same way. God will keep searching and persist until we, aided by his Grace, are confronted with the truth that God did not create us to wallow in sin and mediocrity.
We were created in God’s image and likeness and were given the authority to rule over the fish of the sea and birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground (Gen 1:28). This is who we really are. We may have lost our way but God will never abandon us because we have been predestined according to his plan (Eph 1:11).
In the same vein, we must try to draw a parallelism between the content of these parables with the way we move in the church and or community. Now is the time for us to leave the 99 behind albeit temporarily so that we can go out and search for our brothers and sisters whom we have not seen for quite sometime. It is time for us to light a lamp and look for that lost coin, those whom we don’t see anymore.
Aren’t we alarmed when our parishioners and members have stopped attending the Eucharistic celebration and or Prayer Meeting? Are they sick? Did they move to another place? Did someone offend them which was why they distanced themselves from the Church? We will never know for sure until we search for them.
God is a God of mercy and compassion and he will not stop until all who are lost are found. This was the reason why Jesus was sent “for the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” (Lk 19:10) As Jesus searches on we must join him in this search and rescue operation to save those who are lost.
Time is of the essence and today the world has changed radically as our faith is now being challenged not only by the immoral pieces of legislation like banning prayer in schools and legalizing abortion and same-sex marriage but we are now confronted with modern-day Pharisees who are so enamored with titles and power that the more important mission of the church and or community which is to evangelize and search for the lost have been lost in translation.
As disciples of Christ, this task of looking out for the lost also falls squarely on our shoulders because as disciples we must share in the mission of Christ to search for those who are lost and lead them “to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow to attain to the resurrection of the dead.” (Phi 3:10-11)
JESUS MUST BE NUMERO UNO
NOV. 6, 2013: THIRTY FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Rom 13:8-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 112:1-2, 4-5, 9 “Happy the man who is merciful and lends to those in need.”
GOSPEL: Lk 14:25-33
Key Verse: “Anyone who does not carry his cross
and follow me cannot be my disciple.” (v.27)
To take this Gospel passage today in its literal form might move us to actually hate even our most immediate relatives in exchange for following Jesus. Literally it may take it to mean that we may have to hate our families, those who are dear to us and probably even ourselves and love no one else but Our Lord.
But this was not what Jesus really meant and again we will need to dig a little bit into the intricacies of the Jewish language to be able to get into the meat of what Jesus was saying. Among the Jews the word “hate” simply meant “less preferred” or lower in the degree of importance.
The next question we might ask is why did Jesus used a rather strong language as he was giving a teaching to the crowd who were traveling with him and the only rationale could be that this was a sequel to the previous Gospel passage in which Jesus narrated the story of the guests who ignored the invitation of the owner of a house who prepared a great banquet for them. At the end of that parable, Jesus said: “Not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.” (v.24)
This time, Jesus may have wanted to drive home the point that love of God should occupy a higher priority than anything else. At this point in time, Jesus already knew what awaits him and he knew that his subservience to His Father’s Will must take precedence over anything else.
As Jesus said yes to his Father’s Will and counted the cost of suffering and death on the cross as a ransom for God’s chosen people, we too are obliged to count the cost and be ready to follow Jesus and share with Our Lord the way of the cross if we want to share in his glory and victory.
What then you might ask is the way of the cross for us. This could be the crossroads in which we find ourselves entangled in. It may be that our careers and or business enterprise was not going anywhere and we are faced with decision in our hands that has an impact in the lives of others.
It could also be personal conflicts that we need to address, our relationship in our family perhaps and to some extent even in the spiritual realm and we are laboring on the kind of decision we need to make.
When we do find ourselves in situations such as these we cannot avoid that our human biases and preferences will come in conflict with God's Will and our own way of the cross begins when we cannot discern the way we need to take – follow our own human will or follow God’s Will.
To follow God’s Will is to embrace and follow the way of the cross because such will involve sacrifice since God’s Will is not necessarily easy and comfortable. It becomes a cross for us when we need to put to death our worldly nature and put on the nature of Christ that is clothed in meekness and humility.
Following Jesus has its privileges but the cost to us far outweigh the benefits in terms of rewards because there wouldn’t be any. Which is why we need to count the cost so that we will be able to complete the tower of faith, hope and love that we will build in order to follow Jesus.
In light of the eschatological dimension of this gospel narrative today, what we should realize is the need for all of us is to be loyal to our calling as Christian disciples. Loyalty is an essential part of true friendship and we need to check what kind of a friend are we to Jesus? There is an ocean of difference between knowing someone well and being a true friend. We of course know who Jesus is and was. If you are active in the church and or the community, everybody must have been talking about him and the teachings that you regularly attend have given you a fairly good idea of who Jesus is. But the question is are you a friend of Jesus?
The greatest evidence of genuine friendship is loyalty (1 Cor 13:7) which simply means making yourselves available to help in times of distress or personal struggles. Even in the church or community, there are too many so-called fair-weather friends. They stick around when the friendship helps them and leave when they’re not getting anything out of the relationship. What you can do is probably think of your friends and Jesus and assess your loyalty to them and be the king od true friend the Bible encourages.
What irritates me is when I see elders of a ministry or community for that matter who wouldn’t even exert even a superficial effort to greet fellow-members but who would spring to their feet when they spot a member or guest from abroad or overseas. The question is why? Because they could get more out of these out-of-town members than from the members of their own ministry or community.
Our highest loyalty should be to God and his eternal values. Jesus contrasted heavenly values with earthly values and he stressed that our first loyalty should be t those things that do not fade, cannot be stolen or used up, and never wear out. We should not be fascinated with our possessions, influence and or power – imagined or otherwise – lest these possess us. Jesus is actually asking us to make a decision to live contentedly with whatever we have because we have chosen what is eternal and lasting.
As a disciple who want to follow Jesus we will probably find ourselves dispossessed of our social status and wealth because to follow Jesus is to serve him since he is more important than our own personal relations (v.26). We are commanded to subordinate our own interests and make the interests of Christ our own and at some point we may have to surrender control of our money, time or career (v.27).
To follow Jesus we need to be in touch with the reality that our gifts and talents are not our own but were given to us by the Grace of God who poured on us such manifold gifts that we will need so we can proclaim the Word of God and make disciples of all nations. We need these gifts to equip and empower us because we will certainly be hated and separated from our own families in the pursuit of an higher order – that all may be saved through Jesus Christ Our Lord.
Following Christ doesn’t mean a trouble-free life but our way of the cross is made easier by the love of God that has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Rom 5:5). And what Jesus is telling us when we experience our own way of the cross is that we can avoid the pitfalls of an unsuccessful construction of a building and or a king who is planning to go to war.
On both occasions, Jesus wants us to count the cost of discipleship if we want to succeed and finish the race. True we may have to give up a lot to follow Jesus but it’s a kind of decision that is worth the cost because what Jesus is offering us in return is a life that is lived to the full (Jn 10:10). We also need to count the cost so that we will not find ourselves wavering when the going gets tough.
1st Reading: Rom 13:8-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 112:1-2, 4-5, 9 “Happy the man who is merciful and lends to those in need.”
GOSPEL: Lk 14:25-33
Key Verse: “Anyone who does not carry his cross
and follow me cannot be my disciple.” (v.27)
To take this Gospel passage today in its literal form might move us to actually hate even our most immediate relatives in exchange for following Jesus. Literally it may take it to mean that we may have to hate our families, those who are dear to us and probably even ourselves and love no one else but Our Lord.
But this was not what Jesus really meant and again we will need to dig a little bit into the intricacies of the Jewish language to be able to get into the meat of what Jesus was saying. Among the Jews the word “hate” simply meant “less preferred” or lower in the degree of importance.
The next question we might ask is why did Jesus used a rather strong language as he was giving a teaching to the crowd who were traveling with him and the only rationale could be that this was a sequel to the previous Gospel passage in which Jesus narrated the story of the guests who ignored the invitation of the owner of a house who prepared a great banquet for them. At the end of that parable, Jesus said: “Not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.” (v.24)
This time, Jesus may have wanted to drive home the point that love of God should occupy a higher priority than anything else. At this point in time, Jesus already knew what awaits him and he knew that his subservience to His Father’s Will must take precedence over anything else.
As Jesus said yes to his Father’s Will and counted the cost of suffering and death on the cross as a ransom for God’s chosen people, we too are obliged to count the cost and be ready to follow Jesus and share with Our Lord the way of the cross if we want to share in his glory and victory.
What then you might ask is the way of the cross for us. This could be the crossroads in which we find ourselves entangled in. It may be that our careers and or business enterprise was not going anywhere and we are faced with decision in our hands that has an impact in the lives of others.
It could also be personal conflicts that we need to address, our relationship in our family perhaps and to some extent even in the spiritual realm and we are laboring on the kind of decision we need to make.
When we do find ourselves in situations such as these we cannot avoid that our human biases and preferences will come in conflict with God's Will and our own way of the cross begins when we cannot discern the way we need to take – follow our own human will or follow God’s Will.
To follow God’s Will is to embrace and follow the way of the cross because such will involve sacrifice since God’s Will is not necessarily easy and comfortable. It becomes a cross for us when we need to put to death our worldly nature and put on the nature of Christ that is clothed in meekness and humility.
Following Jesus has its privileges but the cost to us far outweigh the benefits in terms of rewards because there wouldn’t be any. Which is why we need to count the cost so that we will be able to complete the tower of faith, hope and love that we will build in order to follow Jesus.
In light of the eschatological dimension of this gospel narrative today, what we should realize is the need for all of us is to be loyal to our calling as Christian disciples. Loyalty is an essential part of true friendship and we need to check what kind of a friend are we to Jesus? There is an ocean of difference between knowing someone well and being a true friend. We of course know who Jesus is and was. If you are active in the church and or the community, everybody must have been talking about him and the teachings that you regularly attend have given you a fairly good idea of who Jesus is. But the question is are you a friend of Jesus?
The greatest evidence of genuine friendship is loyalty (1 Cor 13:7) which simply means making yourselves available to help in times of distress or personal struggles. Even in the church or community, there are too many so-called fair-weather friends. They stick around when the friendship helps them and leave when they’re not getting anything out of the relationship. What you can do is probably think of your friends and Jesus and assess your loyalty to them and be the king od true friend the Bible encourages.
What irritates me is when I see elders of a ministry or community for that matter who wouldn’t even exert even a superficial effort to greet fellow-members but who would spring to their feet when they spot a member or guest from abroad or overseas. The question is why? Because they could get more out of these out-of-town members than from the members of their own ministry or community.
Our highest loyalty should be to God and his eternal values. Jesus contrasted heavenly values with earthly values and he stressed that our first loyalty should be t those things that do not fade, cannot be stolen or used up, and never wear out. We should not be fascinated with our possessions, influence and or power – imagined or otherwise – lest these possess us. Jesus is actually asking us to make a decision to live contentedly with whatever we have because we have chosen what is eternal and lasting.
As a disciple who want to follow Jesus we will probably find ourselves dispossessed of our social status and wealth because to follow Jesus is to serve him since he is more important than our own personal relations (v.26). We are commanded to subordinate our own interests and make the interests of Christ our own and at some point we may have to surrender control of our money, time or career (v.27).
To follow Jesus we need to be in touch with the reality that our gifts and talents are not our own but were given to us by the Grace of God who poured on us such manifold gifts that we will need so we can proclaim the Word of God and make disciples of all nations. We need these gifts to equip and empower us because we will certainly be hated and separated from our own families in the pursuit of an higher order – that all may be saved through Jesus Christ Our Lord.
Following Christ doesn’t mean a trouble-free life but our way of the cross is made easier by the love of God that has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Rom 5:5). And what Jesus is telling us when we experience our own way of the cross is that we can avoid the pitfalls of an unsuccessful construction of a building and or a king who is planning to go to war.
On both occasions, Jesus wants us to count the cost of discipleship if we want to succeed and finish the race. True we may have to give up a lot to follow Jesus but it’s a kind of decision that is worth the cost because what Jesus is offering us in return is a life that is lived to the full (Jn 10:10). We also need to count the cost so that we will not find ourselves wavering when the going gets tough.
CHANGE TO BE INVITED
NOV. 5, 2013: THIRTY FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Rom 12:5-16
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 131:1-3 “In you, Lord, I have found peace.”
GOSPEL: Lk 14:15-24
Key Verse: “Not one of those men who were invited
will get a taste of my banquet.” (v.24)
This is definitely a beautiful parable because even if it shows what awaits those who will ignore the Lord’s invitation (v.24), it also provides us a window of opportunity to allow us to amend our ways and prepare just in case we receive our invitation to come to the great banquet (v.16).
To fully understand this Gospel passage today, we need to at least take a look back at how a banquet was prepared during the time of Jesus to be able to understand why the Master was enraged when his invitation was ignored by those he invited.
There was a reason for his anger because the tradition in those days call for invitations to be sent ahead of the date of the banquet. This was intended to give those invited enough time to also prepare what they needed to wear and usually they wear garments made of the finest linen that is seamless.
The host of the banquet who, in this case was described as a Master which could only mean that he was wealthy, had prepared the animals to be slaughtered for the banquet and when the time of the feast comes, the Master sent his servants to remind those invited to come to the banquet (v.17). Actually, there were even times in the when a barker walks ahead of the servants to announce that the banquet was ready if it was a wedding feast.
All told there were three invitations and two types of judgments in this parable. There was the invitation to one who simply made excuses and ignored the Master’s invitation (v.18). Another said he had to take care of an oxen that he bought and so could not go (v.19). Still, a third one said he just got married and also could not go (v.20). Different situations, different excuses. And so the owner of the house though angry decided to invited everyone – the poor, cripple, blind and the lame (v.21).
The beauty of this parable is that we can start looking into our own selves and equate ourselves with the three persons who ignored the invitation to the banquet and see what areas of our lives we may have fallen short of what Our God expects of us. This parable gives us the chance to check the kind of excuses we made just so we can skip attending the Celebration of the Holy Eucharist especially on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation.
In today’s parable we see that everyone was invited. Not just some people. Not just supposedly holy people or those appearing to be holy. But even we who are sinners are invited! Everyone and absolutely no one is left out. What this Gospel passage teaches us is that when we reject God’s invitation to participate in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist especially on Sundays and Holy Days of obligation, we are actually rejecting God.
On the other hand, to assume that we, sinners as we are, will all be invited is a very risky proposition because there is the possibility we may not get invited. If that is the case, why should we put our salvation on the line when there is an opportunity that is available to all of us to change the circumstances of our lives.
While change doesn’t happen quickly, we should not forget that God can change even the worst in us because he desires that the people he created and who have been stained by sin be changed on the inside and this process begins when we encounter Jesus Christ and accept him as our Savior and Redeemer.
And this parable should be reflected on particularly by those who are quite active in the Church and or a spiritual community for that matter because salvation is not measured by what we do or don’t do but salvation rests entirely on our response to God’s invitation for us to go and make disciples of all nations.
We have heard that many times but we qualify it. We interpret the Gospel into our own words and actions. Instead of proclaiming the Gospel of Christ to the world especially the unchurched and build the house of the Lord in the hearts of men, we went out and build physical structures claiming we are doing it for the poor.
We rationalize and supplant what God’s Word is saying by expanding it to accommodate our own desires. But the Word and his instructions are clear as day but we simply shoot it down and disregard what the Gospel is telling us and would rather listen to our own gospel.
This parable should remind all of us that we are the poor, the cripple, the blind and the lame mentioned here (v.21). We are those who are now being invited after those whom God originally invited rejected Him.
Let us not look at ourselves as second-fiddle but we must feel honored that despite the poverty of our spirits, our handicap that we use as an excuse not to attend the Mass and or Prayer Meetings, our blindness and not seeing the hand of God in our everyday life, God has kept open the gates of heaven for us as Christ Himself takes our poverty, our infirmities as he enlightens us and heals every area of our lives that prevent us from accepting his invitation but we must also open our hearts to repentance and change.
What is also important is that we must all come to an awareness that when this plan was revealed to us by God, it should serve as the invitation for us to the feast that will come at a later date just as what the parable says. What this parable is telling us is that when the date of the feast comes – when we stand face to face with God – we must give back to Our God our souls with the same purity that our souls had when he first brought us into the world.
And we can all begin by preparing our hearts and minds as we come to the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, Corporate Worship or Prayer Meetings, Word Sharing Circles and or, Teachings by settling down and dissociating ourselves from the cares and concerns of daily living because it is when we worship the Lord not just with our lips but with our hearts that the Lord moves and turns the encounter into a joyful celebration.
1st Reading: Rom 12:5-16
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 131:1-3 “In you, Lord, I have found peace.”
GOSPEL: Lk 14:15-24
Key Verse: “Not one of those men who were invited
will get a taste of my banquet.” (v.24)
This is definitely a beautiful parable because even if it shows what awaits those who will ignore the Lord’s invitation (v.24), it also provides us a window of opportunity to allow us to amend our ways and prepare just in case we receive our invitation to come to the great banquet (v.16).
To fully understand this Gospel passage today, we need to at least take a look back at how a banquet was prepared during the time of Jesus to be able to understand why the Master was enraged when his invitation was ignored by those he invited.
There was a reason for his anger because the tradition in those days call for invitations to be sent ahead of the date of the banquet. This was intended to give those invited enough time to also prepare what they needed to wear and usually they wear garments made of the finest linen that is seamless.
The host of the banquet who, in this case was described as a Master which could only mean that he was wealthy, had prepared the animals to be slaughtered for the banquet and when the time of the feast comes, the Master sent his servants to remind those invited to come to the banquet (v.17). Actually, there were even times in the when a barker walks ahead of the servants to announce that the banquet was ready if it was a wedding feast.
All told there were three invitations and two types of judgments in this parable. There was the invitation to one who simply made excuses and ignored the Master’s invitation (v.18). Another said he had to take care of an oxen that he bought and so could not go (v.19). Still, a third one said he just got married and also could not go (v.20). Different situations, different excuses. And so the owner of the house though angry decided to invited everyone – the poor, cripple, blind and the lame (v.21).
The beauty of this parable is that we can start looking into our own selves and equate ourselves with the three persons who ignored the invitation to the banquet and see what areas of our lives we may have fallen short of what Our God expects of us. This parable gives us the chance to check the kind of excuses we made just so we can skip attending the Celebration of the Holy Eucharist especially on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation.
In today’s parable we see that everyone was invited. Not just some people. Not just supposedly holy people or those appearing to be holy. But even we who are sinners are invited! Everyone and absolutely no one is left out. What this Gospel passage teaches us is that when we reject God’s invitation to participate in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist especially on Sundays and Holy Days of obligation, we are actually rejecting God.
On the other hand, to assume that we, sinners as we are, will all be invited is a very risky proposition because there is the possibility we may not get invited. If that is the case, why should we put our salvation on the line when there is an opportunity that is available to all of us to change the circumstances of our lives.
While change doesn’t happen quickly, we should not forget that God can change even the worst in us because he desires that the people he created and who have been stained by sin be changed on the inside and this process begins when we encounter Jesus Christ and accept him as our Savior and Redeemer.
And this parable should be reflected on particularly by those who are quite active in the Church and or a spiritual community for that matter because salvation is not measured by what we do or don’t do but salvation rests entirely on our response to God’s invitation for us to go and make disciples of all nations.
We have heard that many times but we qualify it. We interpret the Gospel into our own words and actions. Instead of proclaiming the Gospel of Christ to the world especially the unchurched and build the house of the Lord in the hearts of men, we went out and build physical structures claiming we are doing it for the poor.
We rationalize and supplant what God’s Word is saying by expanding it to accommodate our own desires. But the Word and his instructions are clear as day but we simply shoot it down and disregard what the Gospel is telling us and would rather listen to our own gospel.
This parable should remind all of us that we are the poor, the cripple, the blind and the lame mentioned here (v.21). We are those who are now being invited after those whom God originally invited rejected Him.
Let us not look at ourselves as second-fiddle but we must feel honored that despite the poverty of our spirits, our handicap that we use as an excuse not to attend the Mass and or Prayer Meetings, our blindness and not seeing the hand of God in our everyday life, God has kept open the gates of heaven for us as Christ Himself takes our poverty, our infirmities as he enlightens us and heals every area of our lives that prevent us from accepting his invitation but we must also open our hearts to repentance and change.
What is also important is that we must all come to an awareness that when this plan was revealed to us by God, it should serve as the invitation for us to the feast that will come at a later date just as what the parable says. What this parable is telling us is that when the date of the feast comes – when we stand face to face with God – we must give back to Our God our souls with the same purity that our souls had when he first brought us into the world.
And we can all begin by preparing our hearts and minds as we come to the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, Corporate Worship or Prayer Meetings, Word Sharing Circles and or, Teachings by settling down and dissociating ourselves from the cares and concerns of daily living because it is when we worship the Lord not just with our lips but with our hearts that the Lord moves and turns the encounter into a joyful celebration.
GENEROSITY OPENS THE HEART OF GOD
NOV. 4, 2013: THIRTY FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Rom 11: 29-36
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 69: 30-31, 33-34, 36 “Lord, in your great love, answer me.”
GOSPEL: LK 14:12-14
Key Verse: “But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the cripple, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed.” (vv.13-14)
We often hear people say that it’s better to give than to receive especially when they feel a sense of joy when giving gifts to friends, relatives and to social causes. It may seem secular to some but this expression is very biblical with no less than St. Paul saying in Ac 20:35 quoted Our Lord Jesus Christ as saying “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Though we as a people regardless of race, color and creed are basically helpful to those in need, the motives behind our being generous differ. Giving may be innate to some but this is not always the case.
Some of us give out of a sense of duty, others are moved to give because it gives them a feeling of being superior while others are motivated by self-interest. Whatever our motives are, we must spend some time to dwell on what moves us to give because to give or to extend help to those in need especially the poor must be borne out of love flowing from our hearts.
Christian generosity must be premised on the condition of our hearts that feel mercy and compassion for the poor driven only by the thought that our generosity is our response to the Grace of God who loved us first and who by his passion, death and resurrection gave us a perfect example of what it takes to give.
There are at least four points that I would like to emphasize with regards to generosity as a virtue that we need to acquire for ourselves. Generosity means giving cheerfully because God loves cheerful givers (2 Cor 9:7). Our giving should be from love and generosity and not from a guilty conscience.
The second point is generosity means giving enthusiastically. In today’s modern age, we are familiar with buttons that we press to test if our gadgets are working properly. God also has a quick test button to measure the level of our commitment – that is our wallets. Generous people aren’t necessarily faithful to God. But faithful people are always generous.
Third point is that generosity flows out of concern for those in need. Reluctant giving reflects a lack of concern for people. When giving, let us focus our concern on the needy and I assure that you will all be motivated to give.
The fourth and last point is that generosity takes preparation. Part of the Jewish law was for the people in the time of Jesus to leave the edges of their fields unharvested so that it would provide food for travelers and the poor. It is easy to ignore the poor or forget about those who have less than we do. But God wants us to be generous especially to the poor.
Some of us balk when there is talk of dipping into our pockets to finance an outreach project, a soup kitchen, or a medical-dental mission. Others simply look elsewhere when the love offering baskets are being passed around in the church.
And Jesus tired from the day spent in preaching and healing will never refuse an invitation to dinner but in this Gospel passage he lectures his host on who he should or should not invite to dinner the next time around. In very particular terms, Jesus is reminding us not to invite those with the capacity to repay but to invite “the poor, the cripple, the lame and the blind, and you will be blessed.” (v.13-14)
In other words, we should not expect any reward or recompense in exchange for what we give. This reminder from Jesus is not without basis because what we give is not ours in the first place because we own nothing of what we have and possess.
The Lord tells us in Psa 24:1 “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world, and all who live in it.” Again he says in Psa 50:12 “for the world is mine, and all that is in it.” This shows that we are mere trustees or stewards. We were created simply to manage what God has entrusted us with.
As stewards, Lk 12:46 should serve as a reminder for those of us who abuse the authority entrusted to us. On the other hand, Mt 25:19-23 should provide us with an inspiration on how Our God deals with those who are faithful to him.
There was a time in my early years in the renewal that I give a check instead of cash to our community’s projects and or encounter programs. Why? Not because of the need to account for the money disbursed but because I want the recipients to see my name on the check. I give because I wanted to be recognized for my generosity and I haven’t the slightest idea I was only making a fool of myself in God’s eyes.
We cannot buy spiritual favors from God. In the same way, we cannot pay our way to heaven which means that the Grace we receive is an initiative of God and not because of our generosity towards others no matter the good these may bring. Without our asking for it, God gave his only begotten Son to be the ransom for many and because of this action, God practically made us into his prized possession (Ti 2:14) and from whom we continue to receive everything that we need in life (Neh 9:20).
Jesus tells us “to invite the poor, the cripple, the lame and the blind.” In other words, we are to give to those who cannot reciprocate our generosity. Since Christian generosity is a reflection of the character of Our Lord in us, we are thus mandated to give on account of God’s love that dwells in us.
And Jesus assures us that when we give without expecting any reward or recompense, our reward will come at the proper time when we receive our invitation to the wedding feast.
As we cannot apportion our salvation by our own effort and thus are dependent on God’s generosity, we must go through life with utmost confidence that Our God will reward those who give as an expression of God’s Will for us to be clothed ourselves with the image of Christ in us.
The Catholic Church doesn’t teach Tithing per se. What the Church recommends is seen in CCC 2043 which says “the faithful also have the duty of providing for the material needs of the Church, each according to his own abilities.”
And the Church’s Code of Canon Law No. 222 states that: “The Christian faithful are obliged to assist with the needs of the Church so that the Church has what is necessary for divine worship, for apostolic works and works of charity and for the decent sustenance of ministers. They are also obliged to promote social justice and, mindful of the
precept of the Lord, to assist the poor from their own resources.”
As we reflect on the teachings of the Church, we will readily appreciate the reason why our Church doesn’t teach about Tithing and it is because our giving cannot and should not be measured in percentages. In fact, if we are to digest what the CCC says “according their own abilities” and what the Canon Law 222 referred to as “from their own resources” these simply mean that we are to give back to God what is God’s.
In other words, this Gospel passage is teaching us to be honest with ourselves and if we believe that everything here on earth is owned by Our God, then it presupposes that we can give back to him what is His in the first place. And payback time is not here and now but when we are finally made to account how well we have managed what God has entrusted to us.
1st Reading: Rom 11: 29-36
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 69: 30-31, 33-34, 36 “Lord, in your great love, answer me.”
GOSPEL: LK 14:12-14
Key Verse: “But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the cripple, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed.” (vv.13-14)
We often hear people say that it’s better to give than to receive especially when they feel a sense of joy when giving gifts to friends, relatives and to social causes. It may seem secular to some but this expression is very biblical with no less than St. Paul saying in Ac 20:35 quoted Our Lord Jesus Christ as saying “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Though we as a people regardless of race, color and creed are basically helpful to those in need, the motives behind our being generous differ. Giving may be innate to some but this is not always the case.
Some of us give out of a sense of duty, others are moved to give because it gives them a feeling of being superior while others are motivated by self-interest. Whatever our motives are, we must spend some time to dwell on what moves us to give because to give or to extend help to those in need especially the poor must be borne out of love flowing from our hearts.
Christian generosity must be premised on the condition of our hearts that feel mercy and compassion for the poor driven only by the thought that our generosity is our response to the Grace of God who loved us first and who by his passion, death and resurrection gave us a perfect example of what it takes to give.
There are at least four points that I would like to emphasize with regards to generosity as a virtue that we need to acquire for ourselves. Generosity means giving cheerfully because God loves cheerful givers (2 Cor 9:7). Our giving should be from love and generosity and not from a guilty conscience.
The second point is generosity means giving enthusiastically. In today’s modern age, we are familiar with buttons that we press to test if our gadgets are working properly. God also has a quick test button to measure the level of our commitment – that is our wallets. Generous people aren’t necessarily faithful to God. But faithful people are always generous.
Third point is that generosity flows out of concern for those in need. Reluctant giving reflects a lack of concern for people. When giving, let us focus our concern on the needy and I assure that you will all be motivated to give.
The fourth and last point is that generosity takes preparation. Part of the Jewish law was for the people in the time of Jesus to leave the edges of their fields unharvested so that it would provide food for travelers and the poor. It is easy to ignore the poor or forget about those who have less than we do. But God wants us to be generous especially to the poor.
Some of us balk when there is talk of dipping into our pockets to finance an outreach project, a soup kitchen, or a medical-dental mission. Others simply look elsewhere when the love offering baskets are being passed around in the church.
And Jesus tired from the day spent in preaching and healing will never refuse an invitation to dinner but in this Gospel passage he lectures his host on who he should or should not invite to dinner the next time around. In very particular terms, Jesus is reminding us not to invite those with the capacity to repay but to invite “the poor, the cripple, the lame and the blind, and you will be blessed.” (v.13-14)
In other words, we should not expect any reward or recompense in exchange for what we give. This reminder from Jesus is not without basis because what we give is not ours in the first place because we own nothing of what we have and possess.
The Lord tells us in Psa 24:1 “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world, and all who live in it.” Again he says in Psa 50:12 “for the world is mine, and all that is in it.” This shows that we are mere trustees or stewards. We were created simply to manage what God has entrusted us with.
As stewards, Lk 12:46 should serve as a reminder for those of us who abuse the authority entrusted to us. On the other hand, Mt 25:19-23 should provide us with an inspiration on how Our God deals with those who are faithful to him.
There was a time in my early years in the renewal that I give a check instead of cash to our community’s projects and or encounter programs. Why? Not because of the need to account for the money disbursed but because I want the recipients to see my name on the check. I give because I wanted to be recognized for my generosity and I haven’t the slightest idea I was only making a fool of myself in God’s eyes.
We cannot buy spiritual favors from God. In the same way, we cannot pay our way to heaven which means that the Grace we receive is an initiative of God and not because of our generosity towards others no matter the good these may bring. Without our asking for it, God gave his only begotten Son to be the ransom for many and because of this action, God practically made us into his prized possession (Ti 2:14) and from whom we continue to receive everything that we need in life (Neh 9:20).
Jesus tells us “to invite the poor, the cripple, the lame and the blind.” In other words, we are to give to those who cannot reciprocate our generosity. Since Christian generosity is a reflection of the character of Our Lord in us, we are thus mandated to give on account of God’s love that dwells in us.
And Jesus assures us that when we give without expecting any reward or recompense, our reward will come at the proper time when we receive our invitation to the wedding feast.
As we cannot apportion our salvation by our own effort and thus are dependent on God’s generosity, we must go through life with utmost confidence that Our God will reward those who give as an expression of God’s Will for us to be clothed ourselves with the image of Christ in us.
The Catholic Church doesn’t teach Tithing per se. What the Church recommends is seen in CCC 2043 which says “the faithful also have the duty of providing for the material needs of the Church, each according to his own abilities.”
And the Church’s Code of Canon Law No. 222 states that: “The Christian faithful are obliged to assist with the needs of the Church so that the Church has what is necessary for divine worship, for apostolic works and works of charity and for the decent sustenance of ministers. They are also obliged to promote social justice and, mindful of the
precept of the Lord, to assist the poor from their own resources.”
As we reflect on the teachings of the Church, we will readily appreciate the reason why our Church doesn’t teach about Tithing and it is because our giving cannot and should not be measured in percentages. In fact, if we are to digest what the CCC says “according their own abilities” and what the Canon Law 222 referred to as “from their own resources” these simply mean that we are to give back to God what is God’s.
In other words, this Gospel passage is teaching us to be honest with ourselves and if we believe that everything here on earth is owned by Our God, then it presupposes that we can give back to him what is His in the first place. And payback time is not here and now but when we are finally made to account how well we have managed what God has entrusted to us.
NOT JUST REPENTANCE, BUT RESTITUTION
NOV. 3, 2013: THIRTY FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Wis 11:22-12:1
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 145:1-2, 8-11, 13-14 “I will praise your name forever, my King and my God.”
2nd Reading: 2 Thes 1:11-2:2
GOSPEL: LK 19: 1-10
Key Verse: “Today salvation has come to this house.” (v.9)
The question that most people in Jericho asked at the time this event happened was who would want to have dinner with Zacchaeus? Certainly not the Pharisees and definitely not even the ordinary man on the street of Jericho because they hated him and treated him with utmost contempt. Zacchaeus was a tax collector employed by the Romans and thus was considered a traitor.
In exchange for their loyalty to the Roman empire, tax collectors like Zacchaeus were allowed to levy and collect taxes that are more than what was prescribed. And Zacchaeus was a crooked tax collector because he helped himself from the taxes that he collect from the people and this was the reason the people treat him with utmost contempt. To them, Zacchaeus was not only a traitor but a sinner of the first degree as well.
This was the reason why it came as a big surprise when Jesus stopped and looked at Zacchaeus, who perched on a sycamore-fig tree to get a glimpse of Jesus, and said: “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” (v.5) We could imagine the murmuring and protestation that followed the scenario when Zacchaeus came down and led Jesus to his house.
And for Zacchaeus who merely wanted to see Jesus for he had already heard of his uncompromising brand of preaching and healings, what Jesus said was not only a surprise but it provided him with the opportunity to recover even a little of his reputation that was lost on account of his profession.
While this narrative speaks of the repentant heart of Zacchaeus, there was another element that made this gospel event significant. This element was restitution because repentance is only the first step towards restoration. There has to be restitution to complete the process to attain forgiveness.
And being a Jew who must have been steeped in religious learning, Zaachaeus knew about this and this was the reason why he said: “I will give half of my property to the poor. And I will now pay back four times as much to everyone I have ever cheated.” (v.8) and this gospel passage today gives us a model of behavior that we can follow if and when we find ourselves in the same situation as Zacchaeus.
This tax collector was right in doing what he did because restitution is essential to justice. If anyone of you have done something wrong against another person, perhaps you should go beyond what is expected to make things right. In doing so, it will help ease the pain you may have caused, it will help the other person become more forgiving and, it will probably move you to think carefully before committing the same sin again.
Restitution is also essential to righteousness. Stealing, cheating, estafa, embezzlement, graft and corruption, finding a lost item and not returning it to the owner or failure to return a borrowed item fall under the definition of stealing and these are sins against God and not just to your neighbor, employees who are short-changed, customers and even strangers. If you may have acquired something under deceitful means, then you are called upon to confess your sins to God and return the stolen items with interest if necessary.
Restitution is essential to forgiveness. God explicitly included this in the law as we can see in Num 5:5-7 because it is not enough to just apologize to the person we may have done wrong but we should look for ways to set matters right and when necessary leave the aggrieved person in a much better position than at the time when the person was wronged. In the same way, if we are the ones wronged, then we should seek restitution from the person who caused us harm rather than think of revenge.
What Jesus did in inviting Zacchaeus to come down from the tree was to show that love should be encompassing and that even sinners are entitled to hear the Good News. Despite his wealth, Zacchaeus probably was no longer happy with the kind of hate that he had to live with and he needed to see Jesus.
Although the Scriptures did not describe the scenario, Zacchaeus was probably grinning from ear to ear because he must have felt that all his bad reputation have become a thing of the past as he led Jesus towards his house to have dinner with him. By tradition, only friends are invited by household owners to have dinner with them. But this scenario actually has a two-fold dimension to it. Zacchaeus may have been hosting Jesus to dinner but Our Lord, on the other hand, was hosting the tax collector to his table of Grace when he called on Zacchaeus to come down.
Overwhelmed by the presence of Jesus in his house, Zacchaeus did what for most of the people was unthinkable. He did not only have a change of heart but he showed his true repentance by giving half of his wealth to the poor and the other half to make payments and restitution for the corruption that he perpetrated. This went far beyond what was legally necessary in those days and this change had a lasting effect on how the people perceived him.
“Salvation has come to this house” (v.9) and what followed was a shocker to the Pharisees when Jesus said “this man too is the son of Abraham.” (v.9) Despite the protests as the Pharisees would not want to admit that a corrupt tax collector was a son of Abraham, Jesus merely showed that heritage was not an assurance that one can be saved but faith was what will bring back the lost and be forgiven and made new.
Like Zacchaeus, there is a need for us to find our own sycamore-fig tree on which we could climb to see Jesus for there are times when we could not see Jesus from the cares and concerns of the world around us. To climb a tree just to get a glimpse of Jesus was a sign of humility especially for a wealthy man like Zacchaeus. And who among us would do the same. What we should not forget is that we are also sinners like Zacchaeus and at some point in time, we all need to find our way to see Jesus and even climb our own fig tree as the despised tax collector did.
Perhaps our own story will end in the same way as Zacchaeus did for “the Son of Man came to seek and save what was lost.” (v.10) We are lost when we wander away from God even with so-called menial sins but Our Lord is there to make his home in us and we need to make room for him in our hearts.
1st Reading: Wis 11:22-12:1
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 145:1-2, 8-11, 13-14 “I will praise your name forever, my King and my God.”
2nd Reading: 2 Thes 1:11-2:2
GOSPEL: LK 19: 1-10
Key Verse: “Today salvation has come to this house.” (v.9)
The question that most people in Jericho asked at the time this event happened was who would want to have dinner with Zacchaeus? Certainly not the Pharisees and definitely not even the ordinary man on the street of Jericho because they hated him and treated him with utmost contempt. Zacchaeus was a tax collector employed by the Romans and thus was considered a traitor.
In exchange for their loyalty to the Roman empire, tax collectors like Zacchaeus were allowed to levy and collect taxes that are more than what was prescribed. And Zacchaeus was a crooked tax collector because he helped himself from the taxes that he collect from the people and this was the reason the people treat him with utmost contempt. To them, Zacchaeus was not only a traitor but a sinner of the first degree as well.
This was the reason why it came as a big surprise when Jesus stopped and looked at Zacchaeus, who perched on a sycamore-fig tree to get a glimpse of Jesus, and said: “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” (v.5) We could imagine the murmuring and protestation that followed the scenario when Zacchaeus came down and led Jesus to his house.
And for Zacchaeus who merely wanted to see Jesus for he had already heard of his uncompromising brand of preaching and healings, what Jesus said was not only a surprise but it provided him with the opportunity to recover even a little of his reputation that was lost on account of his profession.
While this narrative speaks of the repentant heart of Zacchaeus, there was another element that made this gospel event significant. This element was restitution because repentance is only the first step towards restoration. There has to be restitution to complete the process to attain forgiveness.
And being a Jew who must have been steeped in religious learning, Zaachaeus knew about this and this was the reason why he said: “I will give half of my property to the poor. And I will now pay back four times as much to everyone I have ever cheated.” (v.8) and this gospel passage today gives us a model of behavior that we can follow if and when we find ourselves in the same situation as Zacchaeus.
This tax collector was right in doing what he did because restitution is essential to justice. If anyone of you have done something wrong against another person, perhaps you should go beyond what is expected to make things right. In doing so, it will help ease the pain you may have caused, it will help the other person become more forgiving and, it will probably move you to think carefully before committing the same sin again.
Restitution is also essential to righteousness. Stealing, cheating, estafa, embezzlement, graft and corruption, finding a lost item and not returning it to the owner or failure to return a borrowed item fall under the definition of stealing and these are sins against God and not just to your neighbor, employees who are short-changed, customers and even strangers. If you may have acquired something under deceitful means, then you are called upon to confess your sins to God and return the stolen items with interest if necessary.
Restitution is essential to forgiveness. God explicitly included this in the law as we can see in Num 5:5-7 because it is not enough to just apologize to the person we may have done wrong but we should look for ways to set matters right and when necessary leave the aggrieved person in a much better position than at the time when the person was wronged. In the same way, if we are the ones wronged, then we should seek restitution from the person who caused us harm rather than think of revenge.
What Jesus did in inviting Zacchaeus to come down from the tree was to show that love should be encompassing and that even sinners are entitled to hear the Good News. Despite his wealth, Zacchaeus probably was no longer happy with the kind of hate that he had to live with and he needed to see Jesus.
Although the Scriptures did not describe the scenario, Zacchaeus was probably grinning from ear to ear because he must have felt that all his bad reputation have become a thing of the past as he led Jesus towards his house to have dinner with him. By tradition, only friends are invited by household owners to have dinner with them. But this scenario actually has a two-fold dimension to it. Zacchaeus may have been hosting Jesus to dinner but Our Lord, on the other hand, was hosting the tax collector to his table of Grace when he called on Zacchaeus to come down.
Overwhelmed by the presence of Jesus in his house, Zacchaeus did what for most of the people was unthinkable. He did not only have a change of heart but he showed his true repentance by giving half of his wealth to the poor and the other half to make payments and restitution for the corruption that he perpetrated. This went far beyond what was legally necessary in those days and this change had a lasting effect on how the people perceived him.
“Salvation has come to this house” (v.9) and what followed was a shocker to the Pharisees when Jesus said “this man too is the son of Abraham.” (v.9) Despite the protests as the Pharisees would not want to admit that a corrupt tax collector was a son of Abraham, Jesus merely showed that heritage was not an assurance that one can be saved but faith was what will bring back the lost and be forgiven and made new.
Like Zacchaeus, there is a need for us to find our own sycamore-fig tree on which we could climb to see Jesus for there are times when we could not see Jesus from the cares and concerns of the world around us. To climb a tree just to get a glimpse of Jesus was a sign of humility especially for a wealthy man like Zacchaeus. And who among us would do the same. What we should not forget is that we are also sinners like Zacchaeus and at some point in time, we all need to find our way to see Jesus and even climb our own fig tree as the despised tax collector did.
Perhaps our own story will end in the same way as Zacchaeus did for “the Son of Man came to seek and save what was lost.” (v.10) We are lost when we wander away from God even with so-called menial sins but Our Lord is there to make his home in us and we need to make room for him in our hearts.
FAITH IS KEY TO BEING RAISED FROM DEATH
NOV. 2, 2013: Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed
1st Reading: Wis 3:1-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 23:1-6 “The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want”
2nd Reading: Rom 6:3-9
GOSPEL: JN 6:37-40
Key Verse: “…none of the ones he has given me
will be lost.” (v.39)
There are two words that we can associate with this Gospel passage for today the commemoration of all the faithful departed and it is imperative that we try to understand what we need to do in life because these are the only two choices we have especially when we reflect on what it would be to be raised on the last day. I also suggest that you pull out from your book shelves your Thesaurus to be able to comprehend what these choices are.
One of these two words is punishment which is associated with chastisement, retribution, torture, suffer, beating, flogging, scourging, and judgment referring providential punishment. The other is the term righteous which refers to those who are virtuous and godly. Those who are virtuous act with moral rectitude, saintliness, godliness, right-minded. They can also be described as good persons, respectable, pillar of the church and society. Godly persons are those possessing purity of heart, spiritual-minded, good-natured, and unworldly.
It is important for us to know these so that we may be able to prepare for our final destination while there is still time. We need to prepare so we can be clothed with the righteousness that God requires so we can avoid the punishment that awaits those who will fail in their final exams.
While Jesus says that our God the Father in heaven “wants to make certain that none of the ones he has given me will be lost. (v.39) it doesn’t mean we can live our lives in wild abandon and the key to living a righteous life that would qualify us to claim our heavenly inheritance can be seen in the last verse of the gospel passage: “My Father wants everyone who sees the Son to have faith in him and to have eternal life. Then I will raise them to life on the last day.” (v.40)
The effect of being raised by Jesus on the last day results from the cause which is to have faith in Jesus. To have faith means more than just believing in Jesus. It means obeying all what Jesus requires of anyone who would like to be his disciple and this means living the kind of life that Jesus lived which is to love God by loving your neighbor even those whom you may view as unlovable in utmost humility.
I look at life as an educational system that I go through and as I go through the preliminary exams (trials, challenges, frustrations, persecution, loss of jobs) and, the mid-term exams (sickness, loss of loved ones, failed relationships, spiritual dryness, indiscretions, among others), I know that there is a final exam that I need to hurdle and it is not as easy as it may seem to be.
The good thing with this final exam that will determine how we will be graded by Our Lord is that we already know what are in the questionnaire and we also know that we will pass this final exam by simply doing what are being asked of us. Granting that we may have missed these opportunities, Our Lord who is the final arbiter provides us with the time we need to reorient our priorities in life and align it with the terms specified in our final exams.
This final exams has only six questions and we can see these in Mt 25:35-46 and these are: 1) Did you feed me when I was hungry? (2) Did you give me a drink when I was thirsty? (3) Did you welcome me when I appeared as a stranger? (4) Did you give me clothing when I had nothing to wear? (5) Did you take care of me when I was sick? And, (6) Did you visit me when I was in prison?
What is amazing with this exam is that we can bring home the questionnaire and ponder on it as well as on the answers that Our Lord Himself has already provided and all we have to do is to just be honest with our answers.
On the other hand, granting that we come up short of the answers required in the questionnaire, Our Lord Jesus out of the generosity of his heart still gives us the opportunity to work on it so that when he comes we will have completed the answers to the questionnaire.
This Gospel passage on being raised on the last day (v.40) should ring clear in our ears in that there is no doubt there is a day of judgment when we will be classified either as goats or as sheep. The Lord used this example and this may have shocked his listeners because to the Jews any referral to goats represent evil and Our Lord will judge us not only for the wrong we have done but even for the things we failed to do.
In reading this gospel passage today, it would be good for us to again read the previous parables on the wedding feast, soil, sower, vineyard workers, and talents among others, because these will show that there is indeed a time when we will be judged and made to atone for how well we lived our lives in accordance with the two greatest commandments that Our Lord had specified – love of God and love of neighbor.
There shouldn’t be any doubt that we will be judged when the time comes. The only variable that still isn’t clear is whether we will be made to stand on the right hand of God as sheep and inherit the Kingdom prepared for us or on his left as goats and be left out. But God is merciful and we should be able to take advantage of his love for us that should compel us to address the six scenarios specified in the questionnaire.
These acts that we may also term as corporal acts of mercy are things that we can do everyday and such acts are not dependent on wealth, talent or intelligence as these are actions that we can give for others to receive. These are acts that are exclusive to us and we are responsible for these and should not pass on the responsibility to either the government or the church because the men running these two institutions also have their own set of questionnaire.
To treat others and or our neighbor as if they are Jesus Himself is not easy because we have our own human biases to contend with. But this gospel today requires that we rise about our prejudices driven by our faith in Jesus so that we will be able to see Jesus in those around us especially the hungry, thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick and those in prison. Then and only then will we be prepared when Jesus comes to raise us up on the last day.
Today as we remember the faithful departed let us spend a few moments of prayer for them that God may grant them a merciful judgment and bring them to eternal rest and peace in his heavenly kingdom.
1st Reading: Wis 3:1-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 23:1-6 “The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want”
2nd Reading: Rom 6:3-9
GOSPEL: JN 6:37-40
Key Verse: “…none of the ones he has given me
will be lost.” (v.39)
There are two words that we can associate with this Gospel passage for today the commemoration of all the faithful departed and it is imperative that we try to understand what we need to do in life because these are the only two choices we have especially when we reflect on what it would be to be raised on the last day. I also suggest that you pull out from your book shelves your Thesaurus to be able to comprehend what these choices are.
One of these two words is punishment which is associated with chastisement, retribution, torture, suffer, beating, flogging, scourging, and judgment referring providential punishment. The other is the term righteous which refers to those who are virtuous and godly. Those who are virtuous act with moral rectitude, saintliness, godliness, right-minded. They can also be described as good persons, respectable, pillar of the church and society. Godly persons are those possessing purity of heart, spiritual-minded, good-natured, and unworldly.
It is important for us to know these so that we may be able to prepare for our final destination while there is still time. We need to prepare so we can be clothed with the righteousness that God requires so we can avoid the punishment that awaits those who will fail in their final exams.
While Jesus says that our God the Father in heaven “wants to make certain that none of the ones he has given me will be lost. (v.39) it doesn’t mean we can live our lives in wild abandon and the key to living a righteous life that would qualify us to claim our heavenly inheritance can be seen in the last verse of the gospel passage: “My Father wants everyone who sees the Son to have faith in him and to have eternal life. Then I will raise them to life on the last day.” (v.40)
The effect of being raised by Jesus on the last day results from the cause which is to have faith in Jesus. To have faith means more than just believing in Jesus. It means obeying all what Jesus requires of anyone who would like to be his disciple and this means living the kind of life that Jesus lived which is to love God by loving your neighbor even those whom you may view as unlovable in utmost humility.
I look at life as an educational system that I go through and as I go through the preliminary exams (trials, challenges, frustrations, persecution, loss of jobs) and, the mid-term exams (sickness, loss of loved ones, failed relationships, spiritual dryness, indiscretions, among others), I know that there is a final exam that I need to hurdle and it is not as easy as it may seem to be.
The good thing with this final exam that will determine how we will be graded by Our Lord is that we already know what are in the questionnaire and we also know that we will pass this final exam by simply doing what are being asked of us. Granting that we may have missed these opportunities, Our Lord who is the final arbiter provides us with the time we need to reorient our priorities in life and align it with the terms specified in our final exams.
This final exams has only six questions and we can see these in Mt 25:35-46 and these are: 1) Did you feed me when I was hungry? (2) Did you give me a drink when I was thirsty? (3) Did you welcome me when I appeared as a stranger? (4) Did you give me clothing when I had nothing to wear? (5) Did you take care of me when I was sick? And, (6) Did you visit me when I was in prison?
What is amazing with this exam is that we can bring home the questionnaire and ponder on it as well as on the answers that Our Lord Himself has already provided and all we have to do is to just be honest with our answers.
On the other hand, granting that we come up short of the answers required in the questionnaire, Our Lord Jesus out of the generosity of his heart still gives us the opportunity to work on it so that when he comes we will have completed the answers to the questionnaire.
This Gospel passage on being raised on the last day (v.40) should ring clear in our ears in that there is no doubt there is a day of judgment when we will be classified either as goats or as sheep. The Lord used this example and this may have shocked his listeners because to the Jews any referral to goats represent evil and Our Lord will judge us not only for the wrong we have done but even for the things we failed to do.
In reading this gospel passage today, it would be good for us to again read the previous parables on the wedding feast, soil, sower, vineyard workers, and talents among others, because these will show that there is indeed a time when we will be judged and made to atone for how well we lived our lives in accordance with the two greatest commandments that Our Lord had specified – love of God and love of neighbor.
There shouldn’t be any doubt that we will be judged when the time comes. The only variable that still isn’t clear is whether we will be made to stand on the right hand of God as sheep and inherit the Kingdom prepared for us or on his left as goats and be left out. But God is merciful and we should be able to take advantage of his love for us that should compel us to address the six scenarios specified in the questionnaire.
These acts that we may also term as corporal acts of mercy are things that we can do everyday and such acts are not dependent on wealth, talent or intelligence as these are actions that we can give for others to receive. These are acts that are exclusive to us and we are responsible for these and should not pass on the responsibility to either the government or the church because the men running these two institutions also have their own set of questionnaire.
To treat others and or our neighbor as if they are Jesus Himself is not easy because we have our own human biases to contend with. But this gospel today requires that we rise about our prejudices driven by our faith in Jesus so that we will be able to see Jesus in those around us especially the hungry, thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick and those in prison. Then and only then will we be prepared when Jesus comes to raise us up on the last day.
Today as we remember the faithful departed let us spend a few moments of prayer for them that God may grant them a merciful judgment and bring them to eternal rest and peace in his heavenly kingdom.
JESUS HAS CONQUERED DEATH
NOV. 1, 2013: ALL SAINTS DAY
1st Reading: Rev 7:2-4, 9-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 24:24:1-6 “Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.”
GOSPEL: MT 5:1-12
Key Verse: “Rejoice and be glad, because great
is your reward in heaven.” (v.12)
Today and tomorrow our focus will be to remember the dead especially those who are dear to us, those who created an impact in our lives and, those whom we remember so deeply because they comforted us when we were hanging on the edge, who shared our sorrows and also our joys.
But just like change, death is also a constant scenario that we will have to come to grips with. People die and there’s nothing we can do about it and many times we ask why? We will all die because Adam brought death into the world. All of us without exception have inherited his guilt, the tendency to sin and God’s punishment.
So the question we should ask is not why do people die but how can we face death? Indeed death casts a frightening shadow over us because we are helpless in its presence. We may have the strength to confront pain, suffering, disease, injury but strength and courage cannot overcome death which has the final word.
But there is one person who can walk with us through death’s dark valley and bring us safely to the other side – the God of life, our shepherd, our deliverer and our salvation. And in view of the uncertainties of this life, we should dispossess ourselves of whatever arrogance and pride that may have infected our nature and instead humble ourselves to follow Christ who offers us eternal comfort and salvation.
Since death is unavoidable, we should all be prepared so that when it comes we can face it with the assurance that as we die we also will be raised to eternal life in his Kingdom where sin has been banished. While we will die physically, Christ died so that we will not die spiritually and one of the ways this can be achieved is to live our lives as closely hewn to the Beatitudes.
Today’s Gospel passage brings us to the reality that when we read through the Sermon on the Mount there is in us a tendency to look at it as just one of those sermons or teachings of Jesus. This, however, is not the case as even the Catholic Church itself views the Beatitudes with utmost importance as it declared in CCC 1716 that: “The Beatitudes are at the heart of Jesus’ preaching. They take up the promises made to the chosen people since Abraham, the Beatitudes fulfill the promises by ordering them no longer merely to the possession of a territory, but to the Kingdom of heaven.”
The Sermon on the Mount, in fact, is seen as a summary of all the teachings of Jesus as “it reveals the goal of human existence.” (CCC 1719) since the Beatitudes is our “response to the natural desire for happiness. This desire is of divine origin. God has placed it in the human heart in order to draw man to the One who alone can fulfill it.” (CCC 1718)
Our search for happiness is innate in us all. Everybody wants to be happy which to some of us is the ultimate purpose of why we exist. And Jesus addresses this need for happiness by placing it in our hearts but this desire for happiness must lead us to the reason for our existence which is the appropriation of eternal happiness that only God can supply.
But for us to fully appreciate the relevance of the Beatitudes to our daily life we must look at these pronouncements in the here and now and not as a state of happiness into the future. As some Bible scholars put it, the Beatitudes which actually means happiness or blessedness is not something to which the Christian will enter but, it is something to which the Christian has already entered.
The Catechism also explains that those “who scrupulously keep God’s commandments are happy even on earth” and it is in this context that Jesus pronounced the Beatitudes or which has been largely accepted as the Sermon on the Mount.
The assumption that the Beatitudes is a present-day state of happiness has also been explained by these same Biblical scholars who believe that the use of the word “blessed” should not be read as a simple statement but are in fact exclamations that depict the present condition the people must find themselves to be at the time the Sermon on the Mount was made. While it may be true that a promised reward in heaven awaits those who live out the Beatitudes in their lives (v.12), such is contingent on the Beatitudes being present in our lives now.
Don Schwager of the Sword of the Spirit wrote that “Jesus' beatitudes also confront us with decisive choices concerning the life we pursue here on earth and the use we make of the goods he puts at our disposal and that God alone satisfies,” and he suggests that we must continually prod ourselves to seek the highest good, the total good which is above all else.
The Beatitudes, according to Don, may confuse some of us as these contradict the world's understanding of what happiness and joy is for how can one possibly find happiness in poverty, hunger, mourning, and persecution? And Don wrote “poverty of spirit finds ample room and joy in possessing God as the greatest treasure possible. Hunger of the spirit seeks nourishment and strength in God's word and Spirit.”
What this means is that even amidst our wealth, dignity, health, educational status, titles, honors and accomplishments, those who will experience a foretaste of eternal happiness and attain happiness now are those who will acknowledge that all of these temporal riches are valueless in God’s sight.
Blessed are those who can withstand adversity and who are not provoked to anger notwithstanding the wrong done to them. Blessed are they who do not brood over the loss of earthly things. Blessed are those who strive for justice and moral perfection. Blessed are they who help their neighbor in need. Blessed are those who do not allow worldly things to block their view of God. Blessed are they who offer sacrifices for the sake of peace. And blessed are they who suffer for the sake of their faith.
And the question we might ask is how do we attain beatitude or happiness in our present-day lives. The Catechism of the Catholic Church addresses this question in CCC 1716 which says: “We attain beatitude by virtue of the grace of Christ which makes us participants in the divine life. Christ in the Gospel points out to his followers the way that leads to eternal happiness: the beatitudes. The grace of Christ also is operative in every person who, following a correct conscience, seeks and loves the true and the good and avoids evil.”
The world definitely has its own standards and most of the time these are opposed to the banner of Christ to which we all must stand firm. But a summary of CCC 1720-1729 show us that “It is the vision of God in eternal life in which we are fully “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Pet 1:4), of the glory of Christ and of the joy of the Trinitarian life. This happiness surpasses human capabilities. It is a supernatural and gratuitous gift of God just as is the Grace that leads to it. This promised happiness confronts us with decisive moral choices concerning earthly goods and urges us to love God above all things.”
1st Reading: Rev 7:2-4, 9-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 24:24:1-6 “Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.”
GOSPEL: MT 5:1-12
Key Verse: “Rejoice and be glad, because great
is your reward in heaven.” (v.12)
Today and tomorrow our focus will be to remember the dead especially those who are dear to us, those who created an impact in our lives and, those whom we remember so deeply because they comforted us when we were hanging on the edge, who shared our sorrows and also our joys.
But just like change, death is also a constant scenario that we will have to come to grips with. People die and there’s nothing we can do about it and many times we ask why? We will all die because Adam brought death into the world. All of us without exception have inherited his guilt, the tendency to sin and God’s punishment.
So the question we should ask is not why do people die but how can we face death? Indeed death casts a frightening shadow over us because we are helpless in its presence. We may have the strength to confront pain, suffering, disease, injury but strength and courage cannot overcome death which has the final word.
But there is one person who can walk with us through death’s dark valley and bring us safely to the other side – the God of life, our shepherd, our deliverer and our salvation. And in view of the uncertainties of this life, we should dispossess ourselves of whatever arrogance and pride that may have infected our nature and instead humble ourselves to follow Christ who offers us eternal comfort and salvation.
Since death is unavoidable, we should all be prepared so that when it comes we can face it with the assurance that as we die we also will be raised to eternal life in his Kingdom where sin has been banished. While we will die physically, Christ died so that we will not die spiritually and one of the ways this can be achieved is to live our lives as closely hewn to the Beatitudes.
Today’s Gospel passage brings us to the reality that when we read through the Sermon on the Mount there is in us a tendency to look at it as just one of those sermons or teachings of Jesus. This, however, is not the case as even the Catholic Church itself views the Beatitudes with utmost importance as it declared in CCC 1716 that: “The Beatitudes are at the heart of Jesus’ preaching. They take up the promises made to the chosen people since Abraham, the Beatitudes fulfill the promises by ordering them no longer merely to the possession of a territory, but to the Kingdom of heaven.”
The Sermon on the Mount, in fact, is seen as a summary of all the teachings of Jesus as “it reveals the goal of human existence.” (CCC 1719) since the Beatitudes is our “response to the natural desire for happiness. This desire is of divine origin. God has placed it in the human heart in order to draw man to the One who alone can fulfill it.” (CCC 1718)
Our search for happiness is innate in us all. Everybody wants to be happy which to some of us is the ultimate purpose of why we exist. And Jesus addresses this need for happiness by placing it in our hearts but this desire for happiness must lead us to the reason for our existence which is the appropriation of eternal happiness that only God can supply.
But for us to fully appreciate the relevance of the Beatitudes to our daily life we must look at these pronouncements in the here and now and not as a state of happiness into the future. As some Bible scholars put it, the Beatitudes which actually means happiness or blessedness is not something to which the Christian will enter but, it is something to which the Christian has already entered.
The Catechism also explains that those “who scrupulously keep God’s commandments are happy even on earth” and it is in this context that Jesus pronounced the Beatitudes or which has been largely accepted as the Sermon on the Mount.
The assumption that the Beatitudes is a present-day state of happiness has also been explained by these same Biblical scholars who believe that the use of the word “blessed” should not be read as a simple statement but are in fact exclamations that depict the present condition the people must find themselves to be at the time the Sermon on the Mount was made. While it may be true that a promised reward in heaven awaits those who live out the Beatitudes in their lives (v.12), such is contingent on the Beatitudes being present in our lives now.
Don Schwager of the Sword of the Spirit wrote that “Jesus' beatitudes also confront us with decisive choices concerning the life we pursue here on earth and the use we make of the goods he puts at our disposal and that God alone satisfies,” and he suggests that we must continually prod ourselves to seek the highest good, the total good which is above all else.
The Beatitudes, according to Don, may confuse some of us as these contradict the world's understanding of what happiness and joy is for how can one possibly find happiness in poverty, hunger, mourning, and persecution? And Don wrote “poverty of spirit finds ample room and joy in possessing God as the greatest treasure possible. Hunger of the spirit seeks nourishment and strength in God's word and Spirit.”
What this means is that even amidst our wealth, dignity, health, educational status, titles, honors and accomplishments, those who will experience a foretaste of eternal happiness and attain happiness now are those who will acknowledge that all of these temporal riches are valueless in God’s sight.
Blessed are those who can withstand adversity and who are not provoked to anger notwithstanding the wrong done to them. Blessed are they who do not brood over the loss of earthly things. Blessed are those who strive for justice and moral perfection. Blessed are they who help their neighbor in need. Blessed are those who do not allow worldly things to block their view of God. Blessed are they who offer sacrifices for the sake of peace. And blessed are they who suffer for the sake of their faith.
And the question we might ask is how do we attain beatitude or happiness in our present-day lives. The Catechism of the Catholic Church addresses this question in CCC 1716 which says: “We attain beatitude by virtue of the grace of Christ which makes us participants in the divine life. Christ in the Gospel points out to his followers the way that leads to eternal happiness: the beatitudes. The grace of Christ also is operative in every person who, following a correct conscience, seeks and loves the true and the good and avoids evil.”
The world definitely has its own standards and most of the time these are opposed to the banner of Christ to which we all must stand firm. But a summary of CCC 1720-1729 show us that “It is the vision of God in eternal life in which we are fully “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Pet 1:4), of the glory of Christ and of the joy of the Trinitarian life. This happiness surpasses human capabilities. It is a supernatural and gratuitous gift of God just as is the Grace that leads to it. This promised happiness confronts us with decisive moral choices concerning earthly goods and urges us to love God above all things.”
JESUS GRIEVES FOR SINNERS
OCT. 31, 2013: THIRTIETH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Rom 8:31-39
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 109:21-22, 26-27, 30-31 “Save me, o Lord in your mercy”
GOSPEL: LK 13:31-35
Key Verse: “Blessed is he comes in the name of the Lord.” (v.35)
Friends, this is a revealing and an emotional passage at the same time. Revealing because it gives us a picture of the other side of the Pharisees, the part of their lives that feels compassion for what awaits Jesus when he goes to Jerusalem. Emotional because we see in it and we can feel the grief and sorrow that Jesus has for the people of Jerusalem.
At the beginning of this passage, we see some of the Pharisees telling Jesus “leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.” It shows that not all Pharisees are as bad as we think. Majority of these priests may have taken offense at the teachings of Jesus that exposed the duplicity in the practice of their faith but, as this passage will show there are still among the Pharisees who believe that Jesus was right.
As the Pharisees are godly people, they also probably thought Jesus should be judged by God and not by men and certainly not by Herod whom the Pharisees also despised for collaborating with Rome and for the immoral life that he lived.
Any mortal would have fled at the sign of threat to his life but Jesus would not allow such threats to distract him from his mission and he responds in v.32 “go tell that fox, I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.”
It shows the boldness of Jesus in calling Herod a fox in public because this was a contemptuous term since the Jews regard the fox as not only the slyest of all animals but insignificant and useless as well. Somehow, Jesus is reminding us in this passage to gather all the courage we can summon in order to proclaim the Gospel to others. But the question remains is how many of us can actually defend our Catholic faith? How many of us have the boldness of our Christian brothers to go out and make disciples of all nations?
For us Catholics I believe the issue is not about boldness or courage but it is about our lack of knowledge and appreciation of the treasures that lie at the table of Grace of our church. In other words, we have the moral duty to bring this knowledge of the beauty of our Catholic faith to the rest of our church so that like Jesus we too will have the boldness to go against all odds to preserve our faith.
And for Jesus, he needed to go to Jerusalem not only to fulfill the purpose of his coming but because it is a Holy City that is also the seat of the throne of David. While it was Herod who sat at the throne at the time, we should remember that in Mt 1, the genealogy of Jesus will show that he comes from a long line of ancestors that go back not only to David but even to Abraham fourteen generations in all which means that Jesus also has a stake on Jerusalem.
Here we can feel the grief and sorrow of Jesus for the people of Jerusalem because of his foreknowledge that he would be betrayed by one of his Apostles, persecuted by the religious and, suffer death on the cross as he exclaims in v.34 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you.”
There are two contrasts in this Gospel. There was the desire of Jesus to go and proclaim the truth to the people of Jerusalem and, to gather the people and worship the Lord like a hen gathers her chicks. But there was also the persistent rejection of the people of his teachings. This rejection of the Word of God has been going on since the time the Psalmist wrote about this in Psa 81:8-14 and Jesus laments this fact.
But isn’t this scenario also present in our contemporary life. Don’t we find people who attend the Mass, listen to the Gospel and the homily that brings to light the message of the Gospel and yet persist in living their lives that is opposed to the values of Christ? Don’t we at times reject Christ when we insist in doing things our own way in our ministry or apostolates instead of being guided by the Word of God? Worst is when we even interpret the Scriptures to suit our own desires.
And Jesus provides us with what will happen if we remain stubborn and not heed his Word “Look, your house is left to you desolate” (v.35) which means that anyone who will remain oblivious to his Word will find himself to be barren of the joy and peace that is enjoyed by those who are in Christ Jesus.
Even with the foreknowledge of his impending death, Jesus perfectly knew that his death is what will bring victory and salvation not only for the Jews but for the Gentiles alike. At the end of the day, it is God’s Will that we all be saved but salvation is not a free gift.
Salvation maybe a gift from God but we need to accept the gift and apportion it. This means that we need to do something with the gift. This means that we need to live honorable lives as this is the only we can give honor to the source of our salvation. By the power of the Holy Spirit that we have received, we need to use the gift so that we will all bear fruit.
Heb 4:12 tells us that “the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any two-edge sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitude of the heart.” Like a two-edged sword, the Word of God points to our salvation if we listen to it. And it also leads us to destruction if we reject it. That’s all there is to it. So what will it be?
1st Reading: Rom 8:31-39
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 109:21-22, 26-27, 30-31 “Save me, o Lord in your mercy”
GOSPEL: LK 13:31-35
Key Verse: “Blessed is he comes in the name of the Lord.” (v.35)
Friends, this is a revealing and an emotional passage at the same time. Revealing because it gives us a picture of the other side of the Pharisees, the part of their lives that feels compassion for what awaits Jesus when he goes to Jerusalem. Emotional because we see in it and we can feel the grief and sorrow that Jesus has for the people of Jerusalem.
At the beginning of this passage, we see some of the Pharisees telling Jesus “leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.” It shows that not all Pharisees are as bad as we think. Majority of these priests may have taken offense at the teachings of Jesus that exposed the duplicity in the practice of their faith but, as this passage will show there are still among the Pharisees who believe that Jesus was right.
As the Pharisees are godly people, they also probably thought Jesus should be judged by God and not by men and certainly not by Herod whom the Pharisees also despised for collaborating with Rome and for the immoral life that he lived.
Any mortal would have fled at the sign of threat to his life but Jesus would not allow such threats to distract him from his mission and he responds in v.32 “go tell that fox, I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.”
It shows the boldness of Jesus in calling Herod a fox in public because this was a contemptuous term since the Jews regard the fox as not only the slyest of all animals but insignificant and useless as well. Somehow, Jesus is reminding us in this passage to gather all the courage we can summon in order to proclaim the Gospel to others. But the question remains is how many of us can actually defend our Catholic faith? How many of us have the boldness of our Christian brothers to go out and make disciples of all nations?
For us Catholics I believe the issue is not about boldness or courage but it is about our lack of knowledge and appreciation of the treasures that lie at the table of Grace of our church. In other words, we have the moral duty to bring this knowledge of the beauty of our Catholic faith to the rest of our church so that like Jesus we too will have the boldness to go against all odds to preserve our faith.
And for Jesus, he needed to go to Jerusalem not only to fulfill the purpose of his coming but because it is a Holy City that is also the seat of the throne of David. While it was Herod who sat at the throne at the time, we should remember that in Mt 1, the genealogy of Jesus will show that he comes from a long line of ancestors that go back not only to David but even to Abraham fourteen generations in all which means that Jesus also has a stake on Jerusalem.
Here we can feel the grief and sorrow of Jesus for the people of Jerusalem because of his foreknowledge that he would be betrayed by one of his Apostles, persecuted by the religious and, suffer death on the cross as he exclaims in v.34 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you.”
There are two contrasts in this Gospel. There was the desire of Jesus to go and proclaim the truth to the people of Jerusalem and, to gather the people and worship the Lord like a hen gathers her chicks. But there was also the persistent rejection of the people of his teachings. This rejection of the Word of God has been going on since the time the Psalmist wrote about this in Psa 81:8-14 and Jesus laments this fact.
But isn’t this scenario also present in our contemporary life. Don’t we find people who attend the Mass, listen to the Gospel and the homily that brings to light the message of the Gospel and yet persist in living their lives that is opposed to the values of Christ? Don’t we at times reject Christ when we insist in doing things our own way in our ministry or apostolates instead of being guided by the Word of God? Worst is when we even interpret the Scriptures to suit our own desires.
And Jesus provides us with what will happen if we remain stubborn and not heed his Word “Look, your house is left to you desolate” (v.35) which means that anyone who will remain oblivious to his Word will find himself to be barren of the joy and peace that is enjoyed by those who are in Christ Jesus.
Even with the foreknowledge of his impending death, Jesus perfectly knew that his death is what will bring victory and salvation not only for the Jews but for the Gentiles alike. At the end of the day, it is God’s Will that we all be saved but salvation is not a free gift.
Salvation maybe a gift from God but we need to accept the gift and apportion it. This means that we need to do something with the gift. This means that we need to live honorable lives as this is the only we can give honor to the source of our salvation. By the power of the Holy Spirit that we have received, we need to use the gift so that we will all bear fruit.
Heb 4:12 tells us that “the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any two-edge sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitude of the heart.” Like a two-edged sword, the Word of God points to our salvation if we listen to it. And it also leads us to destruction if we reject it. That’s all there is to it. So what will it be?
ROAD TO HEAVEN AIN'T EASY
OCT. 30, 2013: THIRTIETH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Rom 8:26-30
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 13:4-6 “My hope, O Lord, is in your mercy”
GOSPEL: LK 13:22-30
Key Verse: “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell
you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.” (v.24)
Belief in God does not necessarily translate into a ticket to enter the kingdom of Heaven. Nor even a signed covenant such as what members of covenanted communities do can qualify a person to a membership in God’s kingdom because a man though he lives in a Christian setting is not necessarily a Christian.
This is what Christ is emphasizing in this passage in which Our Lord gave us a clear indication of what we all need to do to enter the kingdom of Heaven as he also declared in very clear terms that not all will be saved.
For all intents and purposes, this passage points to the kingdom of God as an exclusive enclave that is open only to those who will be given their titles to their heavenly inheritance the right that they earned by sharing in the suffering of Christ
But Jesus, kind as he was, provided the man who asked how many will be saved with the word or disposition that man can use to unlock the mystery of the kingdom of Heaven. And the secret, he said, is for everyone to “Strive” (v.24). The way this word was used in this passage refers to the struggle that an athlete has to contend with to win the prize.
In other words, we are to treat our lives and our desire to claim our inheritance as an athletic competition in which our eyes are set on fighting a good fight and running the race to win. Paul tells us in 2 Tim 4:7 “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.”
Lest our focus be deviated we all need to remember that life is a struggle against the lures of the material world that we live in. From the rising to the setting of the sun, our faith is constantly being put to a test when we face temptation, loss of loved ones, sickness, loss of jobs and income opportunities, family relationships rocked by division. There are a lot of challenges and trials we face and how we manage these will determine our reward.
I grew up in a big house in a ritzy part of the town, a house that my parents shared with the relatives of my mother. But we were poor compared to our neighbors and I equated comfort with wealth and power and I strove to have these. That opportunity came when I became a media practitioner and soon I found my pockets oozing with cash unmindful of the means by which these were sourced. What was important was the wealth and power I had. I thought I had everything. What I didn’t know then was that this wasn’t the plan of God for me and God found me at a time when business reversals almost put me back to where I was before.
God led me to rediscover my faith and he impressed upon me the need to repent of my sins and allow the Holy Spirit to transform my life and I am just glad that God found me at the right time. In this passage, Jesus spoke of the Heavenly kingdom as a narrow gate and indeed it is because the door becomes narrow when we persist in our sinfulness and refuse to repent and change.
Many times we want to claim our inheritance but without paying the cost of faith and obedience. We are fond of compromising our faith as I did in my past life. I went to Mass every Sunday and there was no doubt that I understood what the Mass was as I went to a Catholic school in my youth. I ate and drank with Jesus and I heard him speak but as I was to find out after the Lord found me that this was not enough.
This passage has an eschatological dimension to it in that the door will be shut and there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth in apparent reference to those who will be left out of the kingdom of Heaven. Certainly this is something that we all don’t want to happen to us. So the question that we need to ask is why take the risk?
The main message of this Gospel is for us to repent so that we can enter through the door while there is still time. Jesus is the door, “I am the gate, whoever enters through me will be saved.” (Jn 10:9) There is no other way through which we gain admission to the kingdom of God but to enter through Jesus. To enter in, we have to deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow him. This means a life of struggle but a life that is shared with Christ.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that to be called to suffering in this life is to be called into the mystery of Christ’s passion and to cooperate in the redemption of mankind. And suffering can be redemptive especially when we offer our trials and tribulations as our gift to Jesus to express our love through a costly way.
Paul reminds us in Rom 8:16-17 “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, the we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” To share in his glory is the reward that awaits those who will struggle in finishing the race.
Let me end by saying that the quality and standard of our lives will not be determined by our achievements and accomplishments, titles, honors, awards, fame and wealth but by how well we confront the adversities that we face in life. Attitude is the key to a glorious end but an attitude that is attuned to the Word of God. An attitude that will move us to integrate the Gospel values into our way of life and we have God’s assurance that we can do all things in Christ who strengthens us.
In this life, we just have to keep on running the race and keeping the faith and we will leave this world as winners. But we also need to cooperate with God.
1st Reading: Rom 8:26-30
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 13:4-6 “My hope, O Lord, is in your mercy”
GOSPEL: LK 13:22-30
Key Verse: “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell
you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.” (v.24)
Belief in God does not necessarily translate into a ticket to enter the kingdom of Heaven. Nor even a signed covenant such as what members of covenanted communities do can qualify a person to a membership in God’s kingdom because a man though he lives in a Christian setting is not necessarily a Christian.
This is what Christ is emphasizing in this passage in which Our Lord gave us a clear indication of what we all need to do to enter the kingdom of Heaven as he also declared in very clear terms that not all will be saved.
For all intents and purposes, this passage points to the kingdom of God as an exclusive enclave that is open only to those who will be given their titles to their heavenly inheritance the right that they earned by sharing in the suffering of Christ
But Jesus, kind as he was, provided the man who asked how many will be saved with the word or disposition that man can use to unlock the mystery of the kingdom of Heaven. And the secret, he said, is for everyone to “Strive” (v.24). The way this word was used in this passage refers to the struggle that an athlete has to contend with to win the prize.
In other words, we are to treat our lives and our desire to claim our inheritance as an athletic competition in which our eyes are set on fighting a good fight and running the race to win. Paul tells us in 2 Tim 4:7 “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.”
Lest our focus be deviated we all need to remember that life is a struggle against the lures of the material world that we live in. From the rising to the setting of the sun, our faith is constantly being put to a test when we face temptation, loss of loved ones, sickness, loss of jobs and income opportunities, family relationships rocked by division. There are a lot of challenges and trials we face and how we manage these will determine our reward.
I grew up in a big house in a ritzy part of the town, a house that my parents shared with the relatives of my mother. But we were poor compared to our neighbors and I equated comfort with wealth and power and I strove to have these. That opportunity came when I became a media practitioner and soon I found my pockets oozing with cash unmindful of the means by which these were sourced. What was important was the wealth and power I had. I thought I had everything. What I didn’t know then was that this wasn’t the plan of God for me and God found me at a time when business reversals almost put me back to where I was before.
God led me to rediscover my faith and he impressed upon me the need to repent of my sins and allow the Holy Spirit to transform my life and I am just glad that God found me at the right time. In this passage, Jesus spoke of the Heavenly kingdom as a narrow gate and indeed it is because the door becomes narrow when we persist in our sinfulness and refuse to repent and change.
Many times we want to claim our inheritance but without paying the cost of faith and obedience. We are fond of compromising our faith as I did in my past life. I went to Mass every Sunday and there was no doubt that I understood what the Mass was as I went to a Catholic school in my youth. I ate and drank with Jesus and I heard him speak but as I was to find out after the Lord found me that this was not enough.
This passage has an eschatological dimension to it in that the door will be shut and there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth in apparent reference to those who will be left out of the kingdom of Heaven. Certainly this is something that we all don’t want to happen to us. So the question that we need to ask is why take the risk?
The main message of this Gospel is for us to repent so that we can enter through the door while there is still time. Jesus is the door, “I am the gate, whoever enters through me will be saved.” (Jn 10:9) There is no other way through which we gain admission to the kingdom of God but to enter through Jesus. To enter in, we have to deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow him. This means a life of struggle but a life that is shared with Christ.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that to be called to suffering in this life is to be called into the mystery of Christ’s passion and to cooperate in the redemption of mankind. And suffering can be redemptive especially when we offer our trials and tribulations as our gift to Jesus to express our love through a costly way.
Paul reminds us in Rom 8:16-17 “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, the we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” To share in his glory is the reward that awaits those who will struggle in finishing the race.
Let me end by saying that the quality and standard of our lives will not be determined by our achievements and accomplishments, titles, honors, awards, fame and wealth but by how well we confront the adversities that we face in life. Attitude is the key to a glorious end but an attitude that is attuned to the Word of God. An attitude that will move us to integrate the Gospel values into our way of life and we have God’s assurance that we can do all things in Christ who strengthens us.
In this life, we just have to keep on running the race and keeping the faith and we will leave this world as winners. But we also need to cooperate with God.
BIG THINGS START SMALL
OCT. 29, 2013: THIRTIETH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Rom 8:18-25
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 126:1-6 “The Lord has done marvels for us”
GOSPEL: LK 13:18-21
Key Verse: “What is the kingdom of God like?
What shall I compare it to?” (v. 18)
We often hear this during the inaugural or launch of a project, a program, of an organization or even an activity for a long-term goal and we believe it because it has become a reality many times and this is also true for this Church which has Christ as its cornerstone and to which we have been blessed to be part of.
Following his temptation in the desert, Jesus left Nazareth and moved to Capernaum and began to preach. He started organizing his ministry by inviting ordinary men and simply told them “Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men” (Mt 4:19). Brothers Simon (Peter) and Andrew dropped whatever they were doing at the time and they followed him. Then two others James and his brother John, sons of Zebedee, left the boat and their father and went with Jesus (Mt 4:21).
From this small group of men who certainly didn’t know where Jesus will be taking them and what they will do as they know of no other job than catch fish that the now universal Church that is one, holy and apostolic can trace its origin.
Indeed big things start small and I can speak also from our experience in the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community which came into being in 1985 as a prayer group that conducts Marriage Encounter Weekends for married couples in the Catholic Church. It grew from there and onto the Life in the Spirit Seminars and the rest is history and the BLD now has 51 Districts in the Philippines, HK, USA and Canada and currently maintains outreach programs at the National Bilibid Prisons, Correctional Institute for Women, Philippine General Hospital and in several parishes throughout the country.
Similarly, other lay organizations started from just being a prayer group until they all became national organizations with global presence. Prominent among these is the Couples for Christ that has chapters and so-called households in the US, Canada and other countries as well.
Another organization is the Ligaya ng Panginoon which over the years has become a vehicle for Christian formation which is its primary charism as a lay organization.
Officially-recognized Catholic Church organizations also saw their beginnings from a simple seed that was planted by dedicated lay leaders if not the religious mostly in Italy and Spain and these apostolic movements have since expanded and are present in every Archdiocese and Dioceses and Parishes not only in the Philippines but elsewhere.
The Basic Ecclesial Community or BEC which is also referred at times as Basic Christian Communities, Small Christian Communities is a a case in point. The BEC took off from the Liberation Theology that spread in Latin America. Soon, the creation of the BEC provided new meaning to the communitarian model of the Church (as Communion and as People of God) that was promoted by the Second Vatican Council.
The BECs were regarded as a new way of “being the Church” — the Church at the grassroots, in the neighborhood and villages. The earliest communities were formed and organized in Brazil and in the Philippines in the late 1960s and later spread to Africa, Asia and in recent times in Australia and North America.
The BECs made it possible for ordinary Catholics or the lay faithful to experience the Church as a community and to actively participate in the life and mission of the Church. This vision of a renewed Church arose as a post-Vatican II event and its objectives are contained in at least two conciliar documents Lumen Gentium and Gaudium et Spes that became the inspiration for the BECs.
Within the BECs, the members are called to live in communion with the Triune God, with one another, with their Parish Priests and those who exercise pastoral authority over the lay faithful. They actively participate in Christ's prophetic mission by listening to the Word of God, proclaiming it and giving witness to it. They are called to announce the message of total salvation, peace and justice. They are also called to denounce evil and all its manifestation in society - the idolatry of wealth and power, violence, injustices, the culture of death.
The ordinary faithful are enabled to exercise their priestly function by actively participating in the liturgical celebrations. They also are given the opportunity to participate in Christ's kingly mission by their loving service to others especially the poor and the needy, their work for justice and peace for social transformation.
Thus, in many parts of the world, BECs are referred to as prophetic (evangelizing), priestly (worshipping) and kingly (serving) communities that replicates Vatican II's vision of the Universal Church as People of God.
In his encyclical Redemptoris Missio, Pope John Paul II affirmed that “BECs are centers for Christian formation and missionary outreach. They are a sign of vitality within the Church, an instrument of formation and evangelization, a solid starting point for a new society based on a “civilization of love. BECs decentralize and organize the parish community to which they remain united. They take root among the less privileged. They become a leaven of Christian life, care for the poor, and commitment to the transformation of society... They are a means of evangelization and of initial proclamation of the Gospel - a source of new ministries. They are a true expression of communion and a means for the construction of a more profound communion. They are a cause for great hope for the life of the Church.” (RM 51).
And in this Gospel today, Christ talks of the mustard seed that grew into a tree on which the birds perched on its branches. The Jews often regard a mighty tree as a symbol of a great empire. Christ also talks about the dough that changes when mixed with leaven and this is how God’s kingdom is established in the hearts of men.
In both parables, the underlying message was that the kingdom of God can be likened into a tree on which the people of God can take shelter in and like a leaven (Word of God) that fills a man who grows to become a leaven to others. And the cycle goes on and on until the Light of Christ fills the world.
The Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas (Council of the Laity of the Philippines) is a leaven to the unchurched, the marginal Catholics and the laity who have not heard of Jesus Christ. With its mandate to put fire into every Parish in the Philippines, the Laiko (CLP) certainly is faced with a daunting task especially amidst the challenges posed by the secular world that undermine our Christian faith such as the passage of the “death bills” now pending in Congress.
It is now the CLP’s role to lead others to yield to Jesus Christ for it is only when we turn away from our past life and our sins that we are transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.
1st Reading: Rom 8:18-25
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 126:1-6 “The Lord has done marvels for us”
GOSPEL: LK 13:18-21
Key Verse: “What is the kingdom of God like?
What shall I compare it to?” (v. 18)
We often hear this during the inaugural or launch of a project, a program, of an organization or even an activity for a long-term goal and we believe it because it has become a reality many times and this is also true for this Church which has Christ as its cornerstone and to which we have been blessed to be part of.
Following his temptation in the desert, Jesus left Nazareth and moved to Capernaum and began to preach. He started organizing his ministry by inviting ordinary men and simply told them “Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men” (Mt 4:19). Brothers Simon (Peter) and Andrew dropped whatever they were doing at the time and they followed him. Then two others James and his brother John, sons of Zebedee, left the boat and their father and went with Jesus (Mt 4:21).
From this small group of men who certainly didn’t know where Jesus will be taking them and what they will do as they know of no other job than catch fish that the now universal Church that is one, holy and apostolic can trace its origin.
Indeed big things start small and I can speak also from our experience in the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community which came into being in 1985 as a prayer group that conducts Marriage Encounter Weekends for married couples in the Catholic Church. It grew from there and onto the Life in the Spirit Seminars and the rest is history and the BLD now has 51 Districts in the Philippines, HK, USA and Canada and currently maintains outreach programs at the National Bilibid Prisons, Correctional Institute for Women, Philippine General Hospital and in several parishes throughout the country.
Similarly, other lay organizations started from just being a prayer group until they all became national organizations with global presence. Prominent among these is the Couples for Christ that has chapters and so-called households in the US, Canada and other countries as well.
Another organization is the Ligaya ng Panginoon which over the years has become a vehicle for Christian formation which is its primary charism as a lay organization.
Officially-recognized Catholic Church organizations also saw their beginnings from a simple seed that was planted by dedicated lay leaders if not the religious mostly in Italy and Spain and these apostolic movements have since expanded and are present in every Archdiocese and Dioceses and Parishes not only in the Philippines but elsewhere.
The Basic Ecclesial Community or BEC which is also referred at times as Basic Christian Communities, Small Christian Communities is a a case in point. The BEC took off from the Liberation Theology that spread in Latin America. Soon, the creation of the BEC provided new meaning to the communitarian model of the Church (as Communion and as People of God) that was promoted by the Second Vatican Council.
The BECs were regarded as a new way of “being the Church” — the Church at the grassroots, in the neighborhood and villages. The earliest communities were formed and organized in Brazil and in the Philippines in the late 1960s and later spread to Africa, Asia and in recent times in Australia and North America.
The BECs made it possible for ordinary Catholics or the lay faithful to experience the Church as a community and to actively participate in the life and mission of the Church. This vision of a renewed Church arose as a post-Vatican II event and its objectives are contained in at least two conciliar documents Lumen Gentium and Gaudium et Spes that became the inspiration for the BECs.
Within the BECs, the members are called to live in communion with the Triune God, with one another, with their Parish Priests and those who exercise pastoral authority over the lay faithful. They actively participate in Christ's prophetic mission by listening to the Word of God, proclaiming it and giving witness to it. They are called to announce the message of total salvation, peace and justice. They are also called to denounce evil and all its manifestation in society - the idolatry of wealth and power, violence, injustices, the culture of death.
The ordinary faithful are enabled to exercise their priestly function by actively participating in the liturgical celebrations. They also are given the opportunity to participate in Christ's kingly mission by their loving service to others especially the poor and the needy, their work for justice and peace for social transformation.
Thus, in many parts of the world, BECs are referred to as prophetic (evangelizing), priestly (worshipping) and kingly (serving) communities that replicates Vatican II's vision of the Universal Church as People of God.
In his encyclical Redemptoris Missio, Pope John Paul II affirmed that “BECs are centers for Christian formation and missionary outreach. They are a sign of vitality within the Church, an instrument of formation and evangelization, a solid starting point for a new society based on a “civilization of love. BECs decentralize and organize the parish community to which they remain united. They take root among the less privileged. They become a leaven of Christian life, care for the poor, and commitment to the transformation of society... They are a means of evangelization and of initial proclamation of the Gospel - a source of new ministries. They are a true expression of communion and a means for the construction of a more profound communion. They are a cause for great hope for the life of the Church.” (RM 51).
And in this Gospel today, Christ talks of the mustard seed that grew into a tree on which the birds perched on its branches. The Jews often regard a mighty tree as a symbol of a great empire. Christ also talks about the dough that changes when mixed with leaven and this is how God’s kingdom is established in the hearts of men.
In both parables, the underlying message was that the kingdom of God can be likened into a tree on which the people of God can take shelter in and like a leaven (Word of God) that fills a man who grows to become a leaven to others. And the cycle goes on and on until the Light of Christ fills the world.
The Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas (Council of the Laity of the Philippines) is a leaven to the unchurched, the marginal Catholics and the laity who have not heard of Jesus Christ. With its mandate to put fire into every Parish in the Philippines, the Laiko (CLP) certainly is faced with a daunting task especially amidst the challenges posed by the secular world that undermine our Christian faith such as the passage of the “death bills” now pending in Congress.
It is now the CLP’s role to lead others to yield to Jesus Christ for it is only when we turn away from our past life and our sins that we are transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.
WE ALL COME AND GO
OCT. 28, 2013: STS. SIMON AND JUDE, Apostles
1st Reading: Eph 2:19-22
Responsorial Psalm: PSA 19: 2-5 “Their message goes out through all the earth”
GOSPEL: LK 6:12-16
Key Verse: “One of those days, Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.” (v.12)
As we read in the Gospel narratives, we know that Jesus had many disciples. Some accounts point to 72 disciples whom he sent out in pairs ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go (Lk 10:1).
Out of this number, Jesus chose twelve who would be his Apostles and who were meant to be the inner circle or the core of his ministry. While all the disciples were learners, the Apostles received special training because these twelve were to become the foundation of the Catholic Church.
There are, however, two very significant points in this Gospel passage for today which is also the Feast Day of Saints Simon and Jude. These are found on vv.12-13 which says: “One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated as Apostles.”
This shows that prayer has become second nature to Jesus and as we will read in the Gospels, Jesus prays in the morning but he always caps the day with prayer most oftentimes in a solitary place which provides him the environment to commune with the Father.
Here in this Gospel, Jesus was again in prayer and it was only after that he called his disciples to choose the twelve Apostles. In Mk 6:7, we read: “Calling the twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits.”
This only shows that Jesus prays for guidance in every major decision he was about to make such as choosing the twelve from among the 72 disciples who journey with him. And this was not an ordinary task because Jesus has to consider how not to offend those who will not be chosen to be his Apostles and there was no account of grumbling nor complaining from those who were not named as Apostles.
Does this scenario remind us of something? Can we find some parallelism between the choosing of the twelve Apostles with the way we choose our leaders either in the church ministries or in the community. It has been my experience that choosing leaders, coordinators and or shepherds to ministries and apostolates has become so complicated if not contentious and it becomes so when we base our decisions on human judgment rather than through prayer.
Jesus chose ordinary men. The twelve who were chosen were not professionals and are not known for their wealth or position in the cities where they came from. Matthew was a tax collector who was despised by the people. Simon was a zealot, a radical group sworn to assassinate every traitor and or Roman whenever possible. To have Matthew and Simon stand side by side was in itself a miracle.
And today, Jesus still calls ordinary men and women with a mixture of backgrounds and personalities to keep on building the church that he first established through Simon who was given the name Peter to symbolize the rock (Petros) who was given the task to build the church.
We too are being called although many times, men refuse to heed the call because they feel they have nothing to offer or are incapable of serving in the church. What we oftentimes forget is that when we are called, God himself will equip and empower us through the promptings of the Holy Spirit. The only thing that we need to do is respond to the calling with obedience and humility.
The twelve Apostles come from different backgrounds and so are we. Some of those who are serving the Church now or render service in a Community are lawyers, doctors, engineers, accountants, teachers while others are housewives and ordinary men and women who answered the call.
What we at times forget is that Our Lord Jesus Christ can transform the ordinariness of our lives and can use us an instrument for greatness in his kingdom but this is dependent on the degree of our obedience to the Word of God. What we must always remember is that we who are now serving in the Church or Community are not called for what we are but for what we can become especially if we allow the Holy Spirit to take full control of our lives.
Titles, achievements, fame and fortune have no value in his kingdom. Let it not be said, however, that what we have accomplished in our temporal lives are also a gift from God and we also have to savor them but these only become valuable in the eyes of God if these gifts are used to give glory to God which means that our talents, skills, time and treasures must be used to build his kingdom on earth.
The role played by the twelve Apostles also provides us with a lesson on our dispensability as servants regardless of how gifted or how talented we may be. At some point in time we all have to hang up our gloves after we have done our part and never should be assume that the church or the community to which we belong cannot survive without us.
This, however, is the problem with many church organizations and renewal communities where leaders could not detach from the prestige, power and authority related to the positions they held such that they will do everything to remain visible or afloat. Rather than fade into the sunset and or serve as an ordinary layman in a ministry or apostolate, most former leaders get into the habit of organizing separate ministries and or get themselves appointed into special committees. What we must bear in mind is that we all come and go. What is important is we should do our best when given the opportunity to serve and we should not even entertain the idea that the church will not survive without us.
But unlike the Apostles who were martyred with the exception of John, many former leaders whom we know of only want to enjoy the glory but not the pain and suffering that goes with serving in the Lord’s vineyard as many of those I know beg off from serving in assignments that will inconvenience them.
Two of those whom Jesus chose to be his Apostles were Simon and Jude. Not much were said about these two except for Simon who was identified as a zealot or someone whose ideology was so radical that their objective was to destroy the enemy of the Jewish nation. Jude, on the other hand, was known as the one who asked Jesus after the Last Supper why he chose to reveal himself only to his disciples. And Jude received this reply from Jesus: “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” (Jn 14:22)
This then should inspire all those who are called and are being called to a life of service to his kingdom that we are assured of the presence of the Trinitarian God in our lives for as long as we keep the fire burning by loving God, listening to his Word and, obeying his teaching.
1st Reading: Eph 2:19-22
Responsorial Psalm: PSA 19: 2-5 “Their message goes out through all the earth”
GOSPEL: LK 6:12-16
Key Verse: “One of those days, Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.” (v.12)
As we read in the Gospel narratives, we know that Jesus had many disciples. Some accounts point to 72 disciples whom he sent out in pairs ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go (Lk 10:1).
Out of this number, Jesus chose twelve who would be his Apostles and who were meant to be the inner circle or the core of his ministry. While all the disciples were learners, the Apostles received special training because these twelve were to become the foundation of the Catholic Church.
There are, however, two very significant points in this Gospel passage for today which is also the Feast Day of Saints Simon and Jude. These are found on vv.12-13 which says: “One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated as Apostles.”
This shows that prayer has become second nature to Jesus and as we will read in the Gospels, Jesus prays in the morning but he always caps the day with prayer most oftentimes in a solitary place which provides him the environment to commune with the Father.
Here in this Gospel, Jesus was again in prayer and it was only after that he called his disciples to choose the twelve Apostles. In Mk 6:7, we read: “Calling the twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits.”
This only shows that Jesus prays for guidance in every major decision he was about to make such as choosing the twelve from among the 72 disciples who journey with him. And this was not an ordinary task because Jesus has to consider how not to offend those who will not be chosen to be his Apostles and there was no account of grumbling nor complaining from those who were not named as Apostles.
Does this scenario remind us of something? Can we find some parallelism between the choosing of the twelve Apostles with the way we choose our leaders either in the church ministries or in the community. It has been my experience that choosing leaders, coordinators and or shepherds to ministries and apostolates has become so complicated if not contentious and it becomes so when we base our decisions on human judgment rather than through prayer.
Jesus chose ordinary men. The twelve who were chosen were not professionals and are not known for their wealth or position in the cities where they came from. Matthew was a tax collector who was despised by the people. Simon was a zealot, a radical group sworn to assassinate every traitor and or Roman whenever possible. To have Matthew and Simon stand side by side was in itself a miracle.
And today, Jesus still calls ordinary men and women with a mixture of backgrounds and personalities to keep on building the church that he first established through Simon who was given the name Peter to symbolize the rock (Petros) who was given the task to build the church.
We too are being called although many times, men refuse to heed the call because they feel they have nothing to offer or are incapable of serving in the church. What we oftentimes forget is that when we are called, God himself will equip and empower us through the promptings of the Holy Spirit. The only thing that we need to do is respond to the calling with obedience and humility.
The twelve Apostles come from different backgrounds and so are we. Some of those who are serving the Church now or render service in a Community are lawyers, doctors, engineers, accountants, teachers while others are housewives and ordinary men and women who answered the call.
What we at times forget is that Our Lord Jesus Christ can transform the ordinariness of our lives and can use us an instrument for greatness in his kingdom but this is dependent on the degree of our obedience to the Word of God. What we must always remember is that we who are now serving in the Church or Community are not called for what we are but for what we can become especially if we allow the Holy Spirit to take full control of our lives.
Titles, achievements, fame and fortune have no value in his kingdom. Let it not be said, however, that what we have accomplished in our temporal lives are also a gift from God and we also have to savor them but these only become valuable in the eyes of God if these gifts are used to give glory to God which means that our talents, skills, time and treasures must be used to build his kingdom on earth.
The role played by the twelve Apostles also provides us with a lesson on our dispensability as servants regardless of how gifted or how talented we may be. At some point in time we all have to hang up our gloves after we have done our part and never should be assume that the church or the community to which we belong cannot survive without us.
This, however, is the problem with many church organizations and renewal communities where leaders could not detach from the prestige, power and authority related to the positions they held such that they will do everything to remain visible or afloat. Rather than fade into the sunset and or serve as an ordinary layman in a ministry or apostolate, most former leaders get into the habit of organizing separate ministries and or get themselves appointed into special committees. What we must bear in mind is that we all come and go. What is important is we should do our best when given the opportunity to serve and we should not even entertain the idea that the church will not survive without us.
But unlike the Apostles who were martyred with the exception of John, many former leaders whom we know of only want to enjoy the glory but not the pain and suffering that goes with serving in the Lord’s vineyard as many of those I know beg off from serving in assignments that will inconvenience them.
Two of those whom Jesus chose to be his Apostles were Simon and Jude. Not much were said about these two except for Simon who was identified as a zealot or someone whose ideology was so radical that their objective was to destroy the enemy of the Jewish nation. Jude, on the other hand, was known as the one who asked Jesus after the Last Supper why he chose to reveal himself only to his disciples. And Jude received this reply from Jesus: “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” (Jn 14:22)
This then should inspire all those who are called and are being called to a life of service to his kingdom that we are assured of the presence of the Trinitarian God in our lives for as long as we keep the fire burning by loving God, listening to his Word and, obeying his teaching.
EACH ONE IS UNIQUE IN GOD'S EYES
OCT. 27, 2013: THIRTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Sir 35:12-14, 16-18
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 34:2-3, 17-18, 19, 23 “The Lord hears the cry of the poor.”
2nd Reading: 2 Tim 4:6-8, 16-18
GOSPEL: LK 18:9-14
Key Verse: “and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (v.14)
Today we are treated to another lesson on humility and we see this in the examples of the Pharisees and the tax collector who went to the temple to pray. We also see in this parable of Jesus that no two persons are alike because even for twins there are will be a thing or two that makes one different from the other. And this Gospel passage is a beautiful lesson not only on the manner with which we are to pray but also in the way that we get on with our lives.
Yesterday, we read about the ancient Jews who equated the signs of the times with just about everything that happen in their lives. They searched for signs to prove that Jesus was indeed the Messiah who had been foretold in the Scriptures
And today, as we await with anticipation the coming of the Advent Season Jesus gives us a timely lesson through this parable that will help us establish our identities as Christian disciples. While all created beings were created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26) each one of us is unique and one-of-a-kind. One very remarkable proof of our uniqueness is that no two persons have the same fingerprints or ears for that matter.
But what really makes us different from the person beside us is something that we cannot see but which God sees – our souls. This is what makes us unique and different. God gave us different gifts and we are to make use of these gifts for the upbuilding of the body of Christ to which we are grafted.
Sadly, however, it is also our being distinct to one another that sometimes moves us to compare ourselves with others and we may not be aware that comparisonitis has already afflicted us especially if this attitude turns into a habit.
To think that we are better, smarter and more talented than others should not be regarded as just a feeling or an opinion because this attitude is most certainly rooted in envy which in itself is a sin. Perhaps we are envious of our neighbor over a new car, his job that fetches a higher salary than yours, a new designer dress, a branded bag, or it could even be an inheritance.
What we may not be aware of is that if we persist in doing this, comparisonitis will only lead us to a loveless and heartless pursuit of life. In other words, we will turn into a “Christ-less” person instead of being Christ-like which is supposed to be our original nature and identity. We must confront this attitude if ever this is happening to us and the worst that could happen is to turn away and be in denial because if we do that we are teetering on the edge of living a loveless life.
Those afflicted with this disease are those who are fueled by vanity and their incessant desire to seek admiration for themselves and belittling others in the process. But comparisonitis is not a new disease. It is actually an ancient disease and can be traced all the way to the time of Jesus as we read in this parable.
This was the reason why St. Paul recognized how deadly this disease and has given us an antidote when he said: “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith of faith has given you.” (Rom 12:3) What Paul was saying was that we should not see ourselves as how others see us but how God sees us.
In effect, what is important is how God will define us and God is not particular about our gender, ethnicity, family heritage, possessions, achievements, titles because these are not important to God. And it’s all about how willing are we to allow the Grace of God to be at work in us (1 Cor 15:10).
Jesus is thus using this parable to teach us the real value of prayer as he pointed to the Pharisee who went to the church in this parable “who stood up and prayed about himself: God I thank you that I am not like other men – robbers, evildoers, adulterers – or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.” (v.11-12)
The Pharisee that Jesus cited in this parable did not actually go to God to pray as he not only prayed with himself but he went to the Temple to inform God of what he does while at the same time comparing himself with those around him whom he believes were irreligious.
What this Pharisee forgot was the most basic premise of prayer which is to pray with humility acknowledging our own weakness and unworthiness. “The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds; it does not rest till it reaches its goal; Nor will it withdraw till the Most High responds.” (Sir 35:21) Prayer is in itself an act of humility, for by it we testify a sense of our dependence upon the Lord who rules the heaven above and earth below.
In other words, we should actually assume the position of a beggar knocking at the door of the Almighty God our Father just as the Tax Collector did standing at a distance who did not even look up to heaven “but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” (v.13)
The difference between these two characters in this parable was that the Tax Collector knew how despised he was and how others looked at him and he looked to God so that he could see himself properly and his admission of his sin brought God’s forgiveness and restoration upon him. Self-righteousness as what the Pharisee did is a dangerous preoccupation because it not only leads to pride but it makes us despise others that prevents us from hearing what God is telling us.
The Tax Collector was actually showing us the path we need to take to discover our real identity for it is only in being honest with ourselves that we can become more like Christ. Just like the Tax Collector, we should know that humility is the proper attitude before God and it also prevents us from depending too much on our own strengths especially in the way we relate to others including those who exercise pastoral authority over us.
What I also found interesting in this Gospel passage was that the humility of the Tax Collector made his prayer direct and honest and though I highlighted the negative aspect of making comparison, I also cannot help but compare the attitude of the Tax Collector with those who are fond of lengthy and verbose type of prayers.
The Advent Season would be a great opportunity for all of us to become content in the knowledge that we are unique. We must come to terms of who we are and the purpose for which God made us for “blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding” (Prov 3:13).
God didn’t make us to become a carbon copy of the person beside us. God’s desire if for us to become the best of what we can be with the gifts that he has entrusted to us. And one of the ways to become what God intended us to be is to develop the character traits of Jesus – his love and compassion, honesty, integrity, credibility, and above all his humility and obedience. And we must keep in mind that our calling is to serve others and not to impress others and that takes humility.
1st Reading: Sir 35:12-14, 16-18
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 34:2-3, 17-18, 19, 23 “The Lord hears the cry of the poor.”
2nd Reading: 2 Tim 4:6-8, 16-18
GOSPEL: LK 18:9-14
Key Verse: “and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (v.14)
Today we are treated to another lesson on humility and we see this in the examples of the Pharisees and the tax collector who went to the temple to pray. We also see in this parable of Jesus that no two persons are alike because even for twins there are will be a thing or two that makes one different from the other. And this Gospel passage is a beautiful lesson not only on the manner with which we are to pray but also in the way that we get on with our lives.
Yesterday, we read about the ancient Jews who equated the signs of the times with just about everything that happen in their lives. They searched for signs to prove that Jesus was indeed the Messiah who had been foretold in the Scriptures
And today, as we await with anticipation the coming of the Advent Season Jesus gives us a timely lesson through this parable that will help us establish our identities as Christian disciples. While all created beings were created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26) each one of us is unique and one-of-a-kind. One very remarkable proof of our uniqueness is that no two persons have the same fingerprints or ears for that matter.
But what really makes us different from the person beside us is something that we cannot see but which God sees – our souls. This is what makes us unique and different. God gave us different gifts and we are to make use of these gifts for the upbuilding of the body of Christ to which we are grafted.
Sadly, however, it is also our being distinct to one another that sometimes moves us to compare ourselves with others and we may not be aware that comparisonitis has already afflicted us especially if this attitude turns into a habit.
To think that we are better, smarter and more talented than others should not be regarded as just a feeling or an opinion because this attitude is most certainly rooted in envy which in itself is a sin. Perhaps we are envious of our neighbor over a new car, his job that fetches a higher salary than yours, a new designer dress, a branded bag, or it could even be an inheritance.
What we may not be aware of is that if we persist in doing this, comparisonitis will only lead us to a loveless and heartless pursuit of life. In other words, we will turn into a “Christ-less” person instead of being Christ-like which is supposed to be our original nature and identity. We must confront this attitude if ever this is happening to us and the worst that could happen is to turn away and be in denial because if we do that we are teetering on the edge of living a loveless life.
Those afflicted with this disease are those who are fueled by vanity and their incessant desire to seek admiration for themselves and belittling others in the process. But comparisonitis is not a new disease. It is actually an ancient disease and can be traced all the way to the time of Jesus as we read in this parable.
This was the reason why St. Paul recognized how deadly this disease and has given us an antidote when he said: “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith of faith has given you.” (Rom 12:3) What Paul was saying was that we should not see ourselves as how others see us but how God sees us.
In effect, what is important is how God will define us and God is not particular about our gender, ethnicity, family heritage, possessions, achievements, titles because these are not important to God. And it’s all about how willing are we to allow the Grace of God to be at work in us (1 Cor 15:10).
Jesus is thus using this parable to teach us the real value of prayer as he pointed to the Pharisee who went to the church in this parable “who stood up and prayed about himself: God I thank you that I am not like other men – robbers, evildoers, adulterers – or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.” (v.11-12)
The Pharisee that Jesus cited in this parable did not actually go to God to pray as he not only prayed with himself but he went to the Temple to inform God of what he does while at the same time comparing himself with those around him whom he believes were irreligious.
What this Pharisee forgot was the most basic premise of prayer which is to pray with humility acknowledging our own weakness and unworthiness. “The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds; it does not rest till it reaches its goal; Nor will it withdraw till the Most High responds.” (Sir 35:21) Prayer is in itself an act of humility, for by it we testify a sense of our dependence upon the Lord who rules the heaven above and earth below.
In other words, we should actually assume the position of a beggar knocking at the door of the Almighty God our Father just as the Tax Collector did standing at a distance who did not even look up to heaven “but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” (v.13)
The difference between these two characters in this parable was that the Tax Collector knew how despised he was and how others looked at him and he looked to God so that he could see himself properly and his admission of his sin brought God’s forgiveness and restoration upon him. Self-righteousness as what the Pharisee did is a dangerous preoccupation because it not only leads to pride but it makes us despise others that prevents us from hearing what God is telling us.
The Tax Collector was actually showing us the path we need to take to discover our real identity for it is only in being honest with ourselves that we can become more like Christ. Just like the Tax Collector, we should know that humility is the proper attitude before God and it also prevents us from depending too much on our own strengths especially in the way we relate to others including those who exercise pastoral authority over us.
What I also found interesting in this Gospel passage was that the humility of the Tax Collector made his prayer direct and honest and though I highlighted the negative aspect of making comparison, I also cannot help but compare the attitude of the Tax Collector with those who are fond of lengthy and verbose type of prayers.
The Advent Season would be a great opportunity for all of us to become content in the knowledge that we are unique. We must come to terms of who we are and the purpose for which God made us for “blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding” (Prov 3:13).
God didn’t make us to become a carbon copy of the person beside us. God’s desire if for us to become the best of what we can be with the gifts that he has entrusted to us. And one of the ways to become what God intended us to be is to develop the character traits of Jesus – his love and compassion, honesty, integrity, credibility, and above all his humility and obedience. And we must keep in mind that our calling is to serve others and not to impress others and that takes humility.
REPENTANCE: KEY TO TRANSFORMATION
OCT. 26, 2013: TWENTY NINTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Rom 8:1-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 24:1-6 “Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face”
GOSPEL: LK 13:1-9
Key Verse: “I tell you, no! But unless you repent,
you too will perish.” (vv. 3, 5)
The Jews in the olden times always associate sin with suffering, calamitous events and unrighteous death. Inversely, the Jews also believe that sin can cause suffering, and even natural calamities.
But Jesus in this Gospel presented to the people a view that was entirely new and was opposed to their traditional beliefs. Instead, Jesus preached about the need to repent as a condition that could spare man the judgment of God and the chastisement and suffering experienced by those who sinned.
The massacre of the Galileans on orders of Pilate and the 18 who were killed when the Tower of Siloam fell on them fall on this category in that the Jews would normally linked these events with the sin of those who perished in these incidents.
And Jesus corrected this assumption by asking his listeners if those who perished in those two events were worse sinners than the other Galileans and, Jesus went on to say that this was not the case as the people can be spared from similar suffering if they will repent.
But these Jewish beliefs that drew a correlation between sin and calamities are still relevant today as it were in the olden times. I remember the claims made by some modern-day prophets who in 1990 said the earthquake that caused the death of thousands in Baguio City, Cabanatuan City and, Dagupan City were as a result of the sins of the people in those areas. And we are moved to ask how presumptuous could these people get? Certainly God will not resort to calamities as a punishment for sinners.
As natural calamities since then have been occurring with increasing regularity, these disasters were tagged as acts of God and when such calamities became an almost regular phenomenon, the people began to accept this as part of climate change and somehow we all forgot about blaming sin as the cause of these misfortunes.
While Jesus said those Galileans who were massacred by the Romans and the 18 on whom the Tower of Siloam fell were in no way worse sinners than the rest of the Galileans, these events must be viewed as a sign for us to take positive action with regards our sinful nature.
In the previous chapter we heard Jesus talking of the need to properly discern the signs that would lead us back to God and in this Gospel today Jesus once again used the two tragic events (vv. 2-4) as a sign that should remind us that God’s judgment should be viewed as a mechanism in which God is providing us with the opportunity to make things right by repenting of our sins.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church has a beautiful description of what repentance is all about. In CCC1431, it says: “Interior repentance is a radical reorientation of our whole life, a return, a conversion to God with all our heart, an end of sin, a turning away from evil, with repugnance toward the evil actions we have committed. At the same time, it entails the desire and resolution to change one’s life, with hope in God’s mercy and trust in the help of his Grace. This conversion of heart is accompanied by a salutary pain and sadness which the Fathers called animi cruciatus (affliction of the spirit) and compunctio cordis (repentance of the heart).
In a way, repentance is what is needed in order for us to bear fruit and not risk being cut down like the fig tree that doesn’t bear fruit. The man who planted an unproductive fig tree in his vineyard but told his worker to give it another year is a sign that we should spend our time between now and the time when we will be judged to repent of our sins, work on our own transformation so that we can change our fate.
An unfruitful fig tree was looked upon as a sign of disobedience on the part of the Israelites and Jeremiah compared rotten fig trees to those who commit evil deeds. This parable on the unproductive fig tree shows that God is patient with the people he has created but it doesn’t mean that we tarry.
Patient though he may, we should remember that Jesus had also warned us of the thief who will come without any warning. Again, these are signs that Jesus gives us to afford us the opportunity to turn away from the world but we should not presume that we could take our time.
Jesus was never more emphatic than in this Gospel as he drives home the need for us to really repent and be productive. The parable of the unproductive fig tree shows that God will not tolerate our not using the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit that he has so generously made available to us.
In his mercy and compassion, God always gives us the opportunity to find our way to repentance which is the key to transformation so that we can use our gifts to our advantage by becoming productive so that our God can use us in his vineyard. In so doing, we must keep in mind the terrible consequence of being cut down if we persist in our sinfulness.
The necessity of repentance is borne of the fact that it opens the way to the restoration of our relationship with God that was impaired because of our sins. Repentance has two kinds of movements – one is turning away from sins and the other is turning towards God. For true repentance to happen, we must do both. We can’t just say we believe and then live our lives anyway we choose and, neither can we live a morally correct life without a personal relationship with God because there is no way we can be forgiven of our sins if we don’t give God primacy in our lives.
Washing your hands may be a simple day-to-day process but if you carefully observe what happens you will notice that the results of washing your hands are immediately visible. Repentance, on the other hand, is a process of which the results cannot be readily seen. This is why John the Baptist in Mt 3:1-2 used baptism as a symbolic action that people can see especially the Jews who are familiar with the rites of baptism as a means of repentance and forgiveness.
To repent means “to turn” which means a change in behavior and which also means turning from sin toward God. To repent is to accept Him who created us in his image and likeness. To repent is to change the disposition of our hearts. To repent is to put our trust in God and place our lives in the palm of his hand.
Try spending a few quiet moments and ask yourself: Have you repented of the sins in your life? Are the changes in your life visible that others can see the difference that repentance made in your life? Remember that for repentance to be real and visible, others must see the changed life and reformed behavior in your life.
1st Reading: Rom 8:1-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 24:1-6 “Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face”
GOSPEL: LK 13:1-9
Key Verse: “I tell you, no! But unless you repent,
you too will perish.” (vv. 3, 5)
The Jews in the olden times always associate sin with suffering, calamitous events and unrighteous death. Inversely, the Jews also believe that sin can cause suffering, and even natural calamities.
But Jesus in this Gospel presented to the people a view that was entirely new and was opposed to their traditional beliefs. Instead, Jesus preached about the need to repent as a condition that could spare man the judgment of God and the chastisement and suffering experienced by those who sinned.
The massacre of the Galileans on orders of Pilate and the 18 who were killed when the Tower of Siloam fell on them fall on this category in that the Jews would normally linked these events with the sin of those who perished in these incidents.
And Jesus corrected this assumption by asking his listeners if those who perished in those two events were worse sinners than the other Galileans and, Jesus went on to say that this was not the case as the people can be spared from similar suffering if they will repent.
But these Jewish beliefs that drew a correlation between sin and calamities are still relevant today as it were in the olden times. I remember the claims made by some modern-day prophets who in 1990 said the earthquake that caused the death of thousands in Baguio City, Cabanatuan City and, Dagupan City were as a result of the sins of the people in those areas. And we are moved to ask how presumptuous could these people get? Certainly God will not resort to calamities as a punishment for sinners.
As natural calamities since then have been occurring with increasing regularity, these disasters were tagged as acts of God and when such calamities became an almost regular phenomenon, the people began to accept this as part of climate change and somehow we all forgot about blaming sin as the cause of these misfortunes.
While Jesus said those Galileans who were massacred by the Romans and the 18 on whom the Tower of Siloam fell were in no way worse sinners than the rest of the Galileans, these events must be viewed as a sign for us to take positive action with regards our sinful nature.
In the previous chapter we heard Jesus talking of the need to properly discern the signs that would lead us back to God and in this Gospel today Jesus once again used the two tragic events (vv. 2-4) as a sign that should remind us that God’s judgment should be viewed as a mechanism in which God is providing us with the opportunity to make things right by repenting of our sins.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church has a beautiful description of what repentance is all about. In CCC1431, it says: “Interior repentance is a radical reorientation of our whole life, a return, a conversion to God with all our heart, an end of sin, a turning away from evil, with repugnance toward the evil actions we have committed. At the same time, it entails the desire and resolution to change one’s life, with hope in God’s mercy and trust in the help of his Grace. This conversion of heart is accompanied by a salutary pain and sadness which the Fathers called animi cruciatus (affliction of the spirit) and compunctio cordis (repentance of the heart).
In a way, repentance is what is needed in order for us to bear fruit and not risk being cut down like the fig tree that doesn’t bear fruit. The man who planted an unproductive fig tree in his vineyard but told his worker to give it another year is a sign that we should spend our time between now and the time when we will be judged to repent of our sins, work on our own transformation so that we can change our fate.
An unfruitful fig tree was looked upon as a sign of disobedience on the part of the Israelites and Jeremiah compared rotten fig trees to those who commit evil deeds. This parable on the unproductive fig tree shows that God is patient with the people he has created but it doesn’t mean that we tarry.
Patient though he may, we should remember that Jesus had also warned us of the thief who will come without any warning. Again, these are signs that Jesus gives us to afford us the opportunity to turn away from the world but we should not presume that we could take our time.
Jesus was never more emphatic than in this Gospel as he drives home the need for us to really repent and be productive. The parable of the unproductive fig tree shows that God will not tolerate our not using the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit that he has so generously made available to us.
In his mercy and compassion, God always gives us the opportunity to find our way to repentance which is the key to transformation so that we can use our gifts to our advantage by becoming productive so that our God can use us in his vineyard. In so doing, we must keep in mind the terrible consequence of being cut down if we persist in our sinfulness.
The necessity of repentance is borne of the fact that it opens the way to the restoration of our relationship with God that was impaired because of our sins. Repentance has two kinds of movements – one is turning away from sins and the other is turning towards God. For true repentance to happen, we must do both. We can’t just say we believe and then live our lives anyway we choose and, neither can we live a morally correct life without a personal relationship with God because there is no way we can be forgiven of our sins if we don’t give God primacy in our lives.
Washing your hands may be a simple day-to-day process but if you carefully observe what happens you will notice that the results of washing your hands are immediately visible. Repentance, on the other hand, is a process of which the results cannot be readily seen. This is why John the Baptist in Mt 3:1-2 used baptism as a symbolic action that people can see especially the Jews who are familiar with the rites of baptism as a means of repentance and forgiveness.
To repent means “to turn” which means a change in behavior and which also means turning from sin toward God. To repent is to accept Him who created us in his image and likeness. To repent is to change the disposition of our hearts. To repent is to put our trust in God and place our lives in the palm of his hand.
Try spending a few quiet moments and ask yourself: Have you repented of the sins in your life? Are the changes in your life visible that others can see the difference that repentance made in your life? Remember that for repentance to be real and visible, others must see the changed life and reformed behavior in your life.
LOOK NO FURTHER, HE IS THE SIGN
OCT. 25, 2013: TWENTY NINTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Rom 7:18-25
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 119:66, 68, 77, 93-94 “Lord, teach me your statutes”
GOSPEL: LK 12:54-59
Key Verse: How is it that you don’t know
how to interpret this present time?” (v.56)
Signs have become an integral part of life especially in terms of its relevance in our search for directions. We look for signs and symbols to avoid getting lost when we are in uncharted territory or places that we are visiting for the first time.
People living in the rural areas especially those who are engaged in tilling the earth have an uncanny ability to accurately tell the time of the day just by looking at the position of the sun. They can also foretell what the weather would be just by observing the cloud formation or the direction of the wind. Fishermen also know if there is an oncoming storm. They have no choice but to be good at it because their livelihood depended on it.
Today, modern gadgets have been developed to help weather forecasters observe and read not only the weather but other natural disturbances as well such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and the accuracy of their forecasts have helped save lives on many instances.
As of late, however, the flash floods that have inundated many parts of the world – Europe, the East Coast, Thailand in Asia and more recently the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that pulverized and destroyed many churches in Bohol – showed that even modern gadgets are of no match to nature’s wrath.
And translated into the spiritual realm, there is a need for us to update ourselves with the necessary skill to spot the numerous spiritual manholes in view of the way the world around us is progressing. One such instance is what is happening in many places where the sanctity of marriage as specified in the Scriptures is being challenged and mocked.
Religion and even fear of God has been thrown out of the window that everything now has become relative when people do what they believe is right without regard to what is morally right.
In this Gospel, we see Jesus expressing his irritation at the way people have prioritized their penchant for signs rather than on the Word of God. While Jesus was generally regarded as the Messiah, the people were looking for signs that would picture Jesus as the conquering Messiah, a picture that they have formed in their minds.
Notwithstanding the sign of his coming, the world didn’t yet accept him till the day he died, rose on the third day and ascended into heaven.
This was the ultimate sign and proof that Jesus indeed was the Son of God and those who believe in him were made co-heirs of his Kingdom.
And one of the means by which we can make right what may be wrong in our lives that hinders our relationship with God is to be reconciled with those with whom we are differing with which means that we also need to reconcile with God himself if we find our lives to be bereft of the joy and peace that comes only from God who is the source of all good.
In view of the perversion that punctuate our world today, there is an urgent need for us to reconcile with God, subordinate our will to his Will and, allow the Holy Spirit to take control of our lives that we may be completely transformed into the image and likeness to which we have been created.
For some, transformation comes in an instant at the moment of their Baptism in the Spirit in the Life in the Spirit Seminar. For me personally, it was a long winding road on my way to conversion. I knew what I got into when I was introduced to the renewal movement but the influence of the material world was so great that it took me some time before I figured out the plan of God for me.
Others also take a much longer time before they realize the plan of God in their lives and in my case, the series of formation programs that I attended following my Baptism in the Spirit was what opened my conscience and my heart to the plan of God for me.
And the pruning that followed was painful and not easy as I had to give up a lot of things – vices, love of money, arrogance and pride, indiscretion, dishonesty in my business transactions – but which I needed to give up because these things are what hinder the flow of Grace in my life.
Even now, some of these negatives still manifest itself especially when I am confronted with people who are insolent and who try to rationalize their overbearing character as an aftermath of the modernistic and impersonal society they have settled into. What is ironic is that we even find these kinds of people not only in the marketplace but even in the confines of the church and or spiritual community itself.
And the only plausible explanation is perhaps it was not Christ whom these people have encountered because an encounter with the risen Christ should almost always lead to conversion and this process should result in the death of the human nature and a rebirth of man with divine attributes that is centered on humility and obedience.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church 1776 says: “Deep within his conscience man discovers a law which he has not laid upon himself but which he must obey. Its voice, ever calling him to love and to do what is good and to avoid evil, sounds in his heart at the right moment…For man has in his heart a law inscribe by God…His conscience is man’s most secret core and his sanctuary. There he is alone with God whose voice echoes in his depths.”
Thus, we should rely on our consciences to point to us the signs that would lead us back to God. Jesus gave us many signs in which he revealed himself in different ways and we see and hear him through the Scriptures. We feel his physical presence in the Celebration of the Holy Eucharist and in everyone whom we meet because they too have the image of Christ in them.
Jesus gave us a sign that should forever be etched in our conscience – his passion, death and resurrection. We need nothing more. Let me thus invite you to what St. Theresa of Avila wrote in her journal: “Let nothing disturb you, let nothing frighten you; All things pass: God never changes. Patience achieves all it strives for. Whoever has God lacks nothing, God alone suffices.
1st Reading: Rom 7:18-25
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 119:66, 68, 77, 93-94 “Lord, teach me your statutes”
GOSPEL: LK 12:54-59
Key Verse: How is it that you don’t know
how to interpret this present time?” (v.56)
Signs have become an integral part of life especially in terms of its relevance in our search for directions. We look for signs and symbols to avoid getting lost when we are in uncharted territory or places that we are visiting for the first time.
People living in the rural areas especially those who are engaged in tilling the earth have an uncanny ability to accurately tell the time of the day just by looking at the position of the sun. They can also foretell what the weather would be just by observing the cloud formation or the direction of the wind. Fishermen also know if there is an oncoming storm. They have no choice but to be good at it because their livelihood depended on it.
Today, modern gadgets have been developed to help weather forecasters observe and read not only the weather but other natural disturbances as well such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and the accuracy of their forecasts have helped save lives on many instances.
As of late, however, the flash floods that have inundated many parts of the world – Europe, the East Coast, Thailand in Asia and more recently the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that pulverized and destroyed many churches in Bohol – showed that even modern gadgets are of no match to nature’s wrath.
And translated into the spiritual realm, there is a need for us to update ourselves with the necessary skill to spot the numerous spiritual manholes in view of the way the world around us is progressing. One such instance is what is happening in many places where the sanctity of marriage as specified in the Scriptures is being challenged and mocked.
Religion and even fear of God has been thrown out of the window that everything now has become relative when people do what they believe is right without regard to what is morally right.
In this Gospel, we see Jesus expressing his irritation at the way people have prioritized their penchant for signs rather than on the Word of God. While Jesus was generally regarded as the Messiah, the people were looking for signs that would picture Jesus as the conquering Messiah, a picture that they have formed in their minds.
Notwithstanding the sign of his coming, the world didn’t yet accept him till the day he died, rose on the third day and ascended into heaven.
This was the ultimate sign and proof that Jesus indeed was the Son of God and those who believe in him were made co-heirs of his Kingdom.
And one of the means by which we can make right what may be wrong in our lives that hinders our relationship with God is to be reconciled with those with whom we are differing with which means that we also need to reconcile with God himself if we find our lives to be bereft of the joy and peace that comes only from God who is the source of all good.
In view of the perversion that punctuate our world today, there is an urgent need for us to reconcile with God, subordinate our will to his Will and, allow the Holy Spirit to take control of our lives that we may be completely transformed into the image and likeness to which we have been created.
For some, transformation comes in an instant at the moment of their Baptism in the Spirit in the Life in the Spirit Seminar. For me personally, it was a long winding road on my way to conversion. I knew what I got into when I was introduced to the renewal movement but the influence of the material world was so great that it took me some time before I figured out the plan of God for me.
Others also take a much longer time before they realize the plan of God in their lives and in my case, the series of formation programs that I attended following my Baptism in the Spirit was what opened my conscience and my heart to the plan of God for me.
And the pruning that followed was painful and not easy as I had to give up a lot of things – vices, love of money, arrogance and pride, indiscretion, dishonesty in my business transactions – but which I needed to give up because these things are what hinder the flow of Grace in my life.
Even now, some of these negatives still manifest itself especially when I am confronted with people who are insolent and who try to rationalize their overbearing character as an aftermath of the modernistic and impersonal society they have settled into. What is ironic is that we even find these kinds of people not only in the marketplace but even in the confines of the church and or spiritual community itself.
And the only plausible explanation is perhaps it was not Christ whom these people have encountered because an encounter with the risen Christ should almost always lead to conversion and this process should result in the death of the human nature and a rebirth of man with divine attributes that is centered on humility and obedience.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church 1776 says: “Deep within his conscience man discovers a law which he has not laid upon himself but which he must obey. Its voice, ever calling him to love and to do what is good and to avoid evil, sounds in his heart at the right moment…For man has in his heart a law inscribe by God…His conscience is man’s most secret core and his sanctuary. There he is alone with God whose voice echoes in his depths.”
Thus, we should rely on our consciences to point to us the signs that would lead us back to God. Jesus gave us many signs in which he revealed himself in different ways and we see and hear him through the Scriptures. We feel his physical presence in the Celebration of the Holy Eucharist and in everyone whom we meet because they too have the image of Christ in them.
Jesus gave us a sign that should forever be etched in our conscience – his passion, death and resurrection. We need nothing more. Let me thus invite you to what St. Theresa of Avila wrote in her journal: “Let nothing disturb you, let nothing frighten you; All things pass: God never changes. Patience achieves all it strives for. Whoever has God lacks nothing, God alone suffices.
FAITH IN THE LINE OF FIRE
OCT. 24, 2013: TWENTY NINTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Rom 6:19-23
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 1:1-4, 6 “Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.”
GOSPEL: LK 12:49-53
Key Verse: “I have come to bring fire on the earth,
and how I wish it were already kindled.” (v.49)
This Gospel can be interpreted in two ways. It either referred to his coming when he was borne of a woman or to his second coming.
If we are to regard this passage as an aftermath of the passion, death and resurrection of Christ when Jesus talks of his second coming, then this Gospel appears to be directed specifically to those who belong to a Parish or in a Renewal Community as it speaks of his coming as a day of judgment when Jesus will scrutinize all our works and how we used our gifts, how we invested the talents entrusted to us, how well we loved our neighbor, and whether our lives bore fruit.
On the other hand, if we are to look at this passage in terms of a pre-crucifixion scenario, then we see Jesus giving his disciples the reason and the purpose of why he was sent into the world: “I have come to bring fire on the earth…” (v.49)
Again, this passage is like a double-edged sword in that Jesus came not only to cast judgment on the people which was probably how the Jews associated it since fire in the olden times was regarded as a symbol of judgment. But it could also mean to be a future event that would happen on the day of Pentecost.
Prior to the advent of the New Testament, God has been sending prophets to bring the people closer to God. But the people’s faith in those days wasn’t what God had expected and this was what Jesus pointed out when he said: “and how I wish it were already kindled.”
The fact that Jesus talked of “a baptism that he had to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed!” (v.50) meant that this passage was a pre-crucifixion scenario in which he was talking of his passion, death and resurrection which to him was a baptism that he had to undergo in obedience to the Will of the Father.
A deeper reflection of vv.49-50 will reveal the pain and frustration that Jesus feels and the following verses will show in the strongest possible terms what his coming would create – a division not only within the family but also among the people.
His words in this Gospel was actually a warning to the people that they should expect and be prepared to make a decision that will have a bearing on their future in the Heavenly kingdom. Indeed Jesus was not only giving his disciples and his listeners a preview of what his coming meant but he was actually demanding a response not only from the people who listened to him preach and those who were healed but he also wants us now to draw the line between the world and eternal salvation.
I’m sure many of those who have committed their lives to serve God through the Parish or a Renewal Community may not have noticed it but our commitment has separated us from the previous circle we used to socialize. In my case, even my choice of music has shifted from standards to praise songs. I have also stopped going out with my friends from the past, albeit unintentionally, as I am now preoccupied with assignments to teach and to stand as a sharer in the Marriage Encounter or LSS whenever and wherever my spouse and I are invited.
But Christianity should not be viewed as divisive which was probably the reason why the Roman government hated Christianity because it divided families. But Christianity should be looked into as a unifying force because its true intention is to bring everyone to believe, to have faith and to love God.
What Jesus was trying to picture in this Gospel is that loyalty to Him must be the priority over anything else. For those who have accepted Christ as his Savior, we must do what Paul says in Phi 3:8 “I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”
Because at the end of the day, neither of our good works, titles or positions we occupy and, or material possessions can compensate for that which Our Lord deems as the most important which he will look for in each one of us when he finally comes – our loyalty to Our God who created us in His image and likeness.
And to those who will confess their loyalty to Christ, he will give them the power of the Holy Spirit “and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Act 1:8). The prophet Isaiah (43:10) also reminds us “You are my witnesses, declares the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.”
To witness for Christ is our primary responsibility and this is rooted in our loyalty to him who chose us and loved us and a true disciple is one who will forsake everything to love God with all our minds, hearts and soul and, to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.
These two commandments are the fire that will kindle and turn our hearts as our burnt offering when he comes in glory.
1st Reading: Rom 6:19-23
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 1:1-4, 6 “Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.”
GOSPEL: LK 12:49-53
Key Verse: “I have come to bring fire on the earth,
and how I wish it were already kindled.” (v.49)
This Gospel can be interpreted in two ways. It either referred to his coming when he was borne of a woman or to his second coming.
If we are to regard this passage as an aftermath of the passion, death and resurrection of Christ when Jesus talks of his second coming, then this Gospel appears to be directed specifically to those who belong to a Parish or in a Renewal Community as it speaks of his coming as a day of judgment when Jesus will scrutinize all our works and how we used our gifts, how we invested the talents entrusted to us, how well we loved our neighbor, and whether our lives bore fruit.
On the other hand, if we are to look at this passage in terms of a pre-crucifixion scenario, then we see Jesus giving his disciples the reason and the purpose of why he was sent into the world: “I have come to bring fire on the earth…” (v.49)
Again, this passage is like a double-edged sword in that Jesus came not only to cast judgment on the people which was probably how the Jews associated it since fire in the olden times was regarded as a symbol of judgment. But it could also mean to be a future event that would happen on the day of Pentecost.
Prior to the advent of the New Testament, God has been sending prophets to bring the people closer to God. But the people’s faith in those days wasn’t what God had expected and this was what Jesus pointed out when he said: “and how I wish it were already kindled.”
The fact that Jesus talked of “a baptism that he had to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed!” (v.50) meant that this passage was a pre-crucifixion scenario in which he was talking of his passion, death and resurrection which to him was a baptism that he had to undergo in obedience to the Will of the Father.
A deeper reflection of vv.49-50 will reveal the pain and frustration that Jesus feels and the following verses will show in the strongest possible terms what his coming would create – a division not only within the family but also among the people.
His words in this Gospel was actually a warning to the people that they should expect and be prepared to make a decision that will have a bearing on their future in the Heavenly kingdom. Indeed Jesus was not only giving his disciples and his listeners a preview of what his coming meant but he was actually demanding a response not only from the people who listened to him preach and those who were healed but he also wants us now to draw the line between the world and eternal salvation.
I’m sure many of those who have committed their lives to serve God through the Parish or a Renewal Community may not have noticed it but our commitment has separated us from the previous circle we used to socialize. In my case, even my choice of music has shifted from standards to praise songs. I have also stopped going out with my friends from the past, albeit unintentionally, as I am now preoccupied with assignments to teach and to stand as a sharer in the Marriage Encounter or LSS whenever and wherever my spouse and I are invited.
But Christianity should not be viewed as divisive which was probably the reason why the Roman government hated Christianity because it divided families. But Christianity should be looked into as a unifying force because its true intention is to bring everyone to believe, to have faith and to love God.
What Jesus was trying to picture in this Gospel is that loyalty to Him must be the priority over anything else. For those who have accepted Christ as his Savior, we must do what Paul says in Phi 3:8 “I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”
Because at the end of the day, neither of our good works, titles or positions we occupy and, or material possessions can compensate for that which Our Lord deems as the most important which he will look for in each one of us when he finally comes – our loyalty to Our God who created us in His image and likeness.
And to those who will confess their loyalty to Christ, he will give them the power of the Holy Spirit “and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Act 1:8). The prophet Isaiah (43:10) also reminds us “You are my witnesses, declares the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.”
To witness for Christ is our primary responsibility and this is rooted in our loyalty to him who chose us and loved us and a true disciple is one who will forsake everything to love God with all our minds, hearts and soul and, to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.
These two commandments are the fire that will kindle and turn our hearts as our burnt offering when he comes in glory.
BE FAITHFUL TILL HE COMES
OCT. 23, 2013: TWENTY NINTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Rom 5:12, 15, 17-21
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 40:7-10, 17 “Here I am Lord; I come to do your Will.”
GOSPEL: Lk 12:35-38
Key Verse: “…keep your lamps burning.” (v.35)
The central message of today’s Gospel speaks of salvation and the need to remain vigilant for the second coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ and this comes at a very opportune time because there are many of us including those who are already in the renewal who don’t take seriously the teachings of Jesus who has shown us the path to eternal life.
Reason for this could be our being overly-confident that Our God is a forgiving God and that He will definitely forgive those who will seek His forgiveness and repent of their sins. Another reason is a disordered appreciation of our primary purpose in life which is to evangelize and make disciples of all nations.
And in the pursuit of the Great Commission (Mt 28:18-20) confusion at times sets in as there are instances when programs and projects have been prioritized over evangelization and discipleship. This brings to mind the case of a particular community whose members no longer attend the teachings and formation made available to them because one of their leaders told them they are getting fat attending teachings and that they should instead go on mission. But without the heart of a disciple, no mission will ever last and so the question of which should come first – formation or mission – will always remain to be a contentious issue.
There are also times when we vacillate on our decision to commit ourselves to God as we hang-on to the material comforts, albeit fleeting, that the world offers. And we stretch God’s patience with us to the limit and we think of God when we can no longer find satisfaction with the world, when we find ourselves longing for joy that doesn’t disappear and, when the world we have built collapses and pins us down in the pit of depression and spiritual malaise.
Lest we set ourselves apart from those in the world, even those to whom God has already revealed Himself can still be living in their own world by dichotomizing the lives they live. On one side is the part wherein he worships God and on the other side is his human side that believes God will tolerate his imperfection.
What this Gospel for today is telling us is that our entire lives should be lived in interminable preparation for the second coming of Jesus because the expeditious manner by which he will come will not allow for any last-minute repentance. Where Jesus will find us when he comes will determine our eternal salvation. Towards this end, each one of us must be aware of the fact that taking for granted the warning contained in this Gospel is inviting disaster insofar as the salvation of our souls is concerned.
I grew up in a deeply religious setting and my parents sent me to a Catholic school where my faith was firmly established. But the world to which I ventured in my growing up years clouded my faith although I did not exactly lose my belief in God.
Abounding in mercy and love, God found me and led me to a renewal community through the Marriage Encounter and later to the Life in the Spirit Seminar. I could not help but recall the many deaths – violent ones such as armed encounters that I covered as a media practitioner, fatal road accidents and, deaths through natural causes. And the thought that always ran through my mind was that were these people ready when God sent for them.
The church and or every renewal community have their own formation programs that parishioners and members can avail of. These formation programs such as the Christian Discipleship Formation Program (CDFP) of our community are designed to enkindle the virtues of Faith, Hope and Love that have been infused in us during our Baptism and bring these to completion by leading us to a commitment to serve God.
These formation programs, either in the Church or in the Community, serve their purpose in preparing the lay faithful for the second coming of Our Lord Jesus the Christ. This is why Christian disciples must be formed first before they are sent in the same way that the Apostles were subjected to on-the-job training for three years before they were finally fielded. How we will respond to this invitation will determine our eternal destiny.
God desires that all men must be saved. Hence, God Himself provides us the time to prepare ourselves for His coming and the Catechism of the Catholic Church 1058 assures us: “The Church prays that no one should be lost: ‘Lord, let me never be parted from you.' If it is true that no one can save himself, it is also true that God ‘desires all men to be saved' (1 Tim 2:4), and that for him ‘all things are possible' (Mt 19:26).”
The reward for heeding the call of Jesus to be watchful is so great that we cannot take it for granted and play around with our souls. In us is the divine nature that God shared with us when we were born into the world. Thus, it means that we must be aware of the fact that we all share in the divinity of Christ (2 Pet 1:4) and that our preoccupation is to live our lives in God and with God.
To prepare is to remain vigilant which means we have to take care of our body, soul and spirit and we need to spend our time taking care of others in the Church and or Community and even those who have yet to believe in God. This is the best way to prepare for the second coming of Jesus.
And after everything has been said the question we should ask ourselves is: Do I want to be saved? If you think you can put God’s invitation into your pigeonhole and let it remain there for sometime while you step into the world and enjoy its glitter, the fame and fortune that you acquire using the gifts God has given you and, the perks that come with it – try reading and reflecting on the Gospel today and then – THINK AGAIN – because I don’t think you would ever want to be with those who spend their time weeping and gnashing their teeth which is what awaits those who will disregard God’s invitation.
1st Reading: Rom 5:12, 15, 17-21
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 40:7-10, 17 “Here I am Lord; I come to do your Will.”
GOSPEL: Lk 12:35-38
Key Verse: “…keep your lamps burning.” (v.35)
The central message of today’s Gospel speaks of salvation and the need to remain vigilant for the second coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ and this comes at a very opportune time because there are many of us including those who are already in the renewal who don’t take seriously the teachings of Jesus who has shown us the path to eternal life.
Reason for this could be our being overly-confident that Our God is a forgiving God and that He will definitely forgive those who will seek His forgiveness and repent of their sins. Another reason is a disordered appreciation of our primary purpose in life which is to evangelize and make disciples of all nations.
And in the pursuit of the Great Commission (Mt 28:18-20) confusion at times sets in as there are instances when programs and projects have been prioritized over evangelization and discipleship. This brings to mind the case of a particular community whose members no longer attend the teachings and formation made available to them because one of their leaders told them they are getting fat attending teachings and that they should instead go on mission. But without the heart of a disciple, no mission will ever last and so the question of which should come first – formation or mission – will always remain to be a contentious issue.
There are also times when we vacillate on our decision to commit ourselves to God as we hang-on to the material comforts, albeit fleeting, that the world offers. And we stretch God’s patience with us to the limit and we think of God when we can no longer find satisfaction with the world, when we find ourselves longing for joy that doesn’t disappear and, when the world we have built collapses and pins us down in the pit of depression and spiritual malaise.
Lest we set ourselves apart from those in the world, even those to whom God has already revealed Himself can still be living in their own world by dichotomizing the lives they live. On one side is the part wherein he worships God and on the other side is his human side that believes God will tolerate his imperfection.
What this Gospel for today is telling us is that our entire lives should be lived in interminable preparation for the second coming of Jesus because the expeditious manner by which he will come will not allow for any last-minute repentance. Where Jesus will find us when he comes will determine our eternal salvation. Towards this end, each one of us must be aware of the fact that taking for granted the warning contained in this Gospel is inviting disaster insofar as the salvation of our souls is concerned.
I grew up in a deeply religious setting and my parents sent me to a Catholic school where my faith was firmly established. But the world to which I ventured in my growing up years clouded my faith although I did not exactly lose my belief in God.
Abounding in mercy and love, God found me and led me to a renewal community through the Marriage Encounter and later to the Life in the Spirit Seminar. I could not help but recall the many deaths – violent ones such as armed encounters that I covered as a media practitioner, fatal road accidents and, deaths through natural causes. And the thought that always ran through my mind was that were these people ready when God sent for them.
The church and or every renewal community have their own formation programs that parishioners and members can avail of. These formation programs such as the Christian Discipleship Formation Program (CDFP) of our community are designed to enkindle the virtues of Faith, Hope and Love that have been infused in us during our Baptism and bring these to completion by leading us to a commitment to serve God.
These formation programs, either in the Church or in the Community, serve their purpose in preparing the lay faithful for the second coming of Our Lord Jesus the Christ. This is why Christian disciples must be formed first before they are sent in the same way that the Apostles were subjected to on-the-job training for three years before they were finally fielded. How we will respond to this invitation will determine our eternal destiny.
God desires that all men must be saved. Hence, God Himself provides us the time to prepare ourselves for His coming and the Catechism of the Catholic Church 1058 assures us: “The Church prays that no one should be lost: ‘Lord, let me never be parted from you.' If it is true that no one can save himself, it is also true that God ‘desires all men to be saved' (1 Tim 2:4), and that for him ‘all things are possible' (Mt 19:26).”
The reward for heeding the call of Jesus to be watchful is so great that we cannot take it for granted and play around with our souls. In us is the divine nature that God shared with us when we were born into the world. Thus, it means that we must be aware of the fact that we all share in the divinity of Christ (2 Pet 1:4) and that our preoccupation is to live our lives in God and with God.
To prepare is to remain vigilant which means we have to take care of our body, soul and spirit and we need to spend our time taking care of others in the Church and or Community and even those who have yet to believe in God. This is the best way to prepare for the second coming of Jesus.
And after everything has been said the question we should ask ourselves is: Do I want to be saved? If you think you can put God’s invitation into your pigeonhole and let it remain there for sometime while you step into the world and enjoy its glitter, the fame and fortune that you acquire using the gifts God has given you and, the perks that come with it – try reading and reflecting on the Gospel today and then – THINK AGAIN – because I don’t think you would ever want to be with those who spend their time weeping and gnashing their teeth which is what awaits those who will disregard God’s invitation.
STAY VIGILANT
OCT. 22, 2013: TWENTY NINTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Rom 5:12, 15, 17-21
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 40:7-10, 17 “Here I am Lord; I come to do your Will.”
GOSPEL: Lk 12:35-38
Key Verse: “…keep your lamps burning.” (v.35)
The central message of today’s Gospel speaks of salvation and the need to remain vigilant for the second coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ and this comes at a very opportune time because there are many of us including those who are already in the renewal who don’t take seriously the teachings of Jesus who has shown us the path to eternal life.
Reason for this could be our being overly-confident that Our God is a forgiving God and that He will definitely forgive those who will seek His forgiveness and repent of their sins. Another reason is a disordered appreciation of our primary purpose in life which is to evangelize and make disciples of all nations.
And in the pursuit of the Great Commission (Mt 28:18-20) confusion at times sets in as there are instances when programs and projects have been prioritized over evangelization and discipleship. This brings to mind the case of a particular community whose members no longer attend the teachings and formation made available to them because one of their leaders told them they are getting fat attending teachings and that they should instead go on mission. But without the heart of a disciple, no mission will ever last and so the question of which should come first – formation or mission – will always remain to be a contentious issue.
There are also times when we vacillate on our decision to commit ourselves to God as we hang-on to the material comforts, albeit fleeting, that the world offers. And we stretch God’s patience with us to the limit and we think of God when we can no longer find satisfaction with the world, when we find ourselves longing for joy that doesn’t disappear and, when the world we have built collapses and pins us down in the pit of depression and spiritual malaise.
Lest we set ourselves apart from those in the world, even those to whom God has already revealed Himself can still be living in their own world by dichotomizing the lives they live. On one side is the part wherein he worships God and on the other side is his human side that believes God will tolerate his imperfection.
What this Gospel for today is telling us is that our entire lives should be lived in interminable preparation for the second coming of Jesus because the expeditious manner by which he will come will not allow for any last-minute repentance. Where Jesus will find us when he comes will determine our eternal salvation. Towards this end, each one of us must be aware of the fact that taking for granted the warning contained in this Gospel is inviting disaster insofar as the salvation of our souls is concerned.
I grew up in a deeply religious setting and my parents sent me to a Catholic school where my faith was firmly established. But the world to which I ventured in my growing up years clouded my faith although I did not exactly lose my belief in God.
Abounding in mercy and love, God found me and led me to a renewal community through the Marriage Encounter and later to the Life in the Spirit Seminar. I could not help but recall the many deaths – violent ones such as armed encounters that I covered as a media practitioner, fatal road accidents and, deaths through natural causes. And the thought that always ran through my mind was that were these people ready when God sent for them.
The church and or every renewal community have their own formation programs that parishioners and members can avail of. These formation programs such as the Christian Discipleship Formation Program (CDFP) of our community are designed to enkindle the virtues of Faith, Hope and Love that have been infused in us during our Baptism and bring these to completion by leading us to a commitment to serve God.
These formation programs, either in the Church or in the Community, serve their purpose in preparing the lay faithful for the second coming of Our Lord Jesus the Christ. This is why Christian disciples must be formed first before they are sent in the same way that the Apostles were subjected to on-the-job training for three years before they were finally fielded. How we will respond to this invitation will determine our eternal destiny.
God desires that all men must be saved. Hence, God Himself provides us the time to prepare ourselves for His coming and the Catechism of the Catholic Church 1058 assures us: “The Church prays that no one should be lost: ‘Lord, let me never be parted from you.' If it is true that no one can save himself, it is also true that God ‘desires all men to be saved' (1 Tim 2:4), and that for him ‘all things are possible' (Mt 19:26).”
The reward for heeding the call of Jesus to be watchful is so great that we cannot take it for granted and play around with our souls. In us is the divine nature that God shared with us when we were born into the world. Thus, it means that we must be aware of the fact that we all share in the divinity of Christ (2 Pet 1:4) and that our preoccupation is to live our lives in God and with God.
To prepare is to remain vigilant which means we have to take care of our body, soul and spirit and we need to spend our time taking care of others in the Church and or Community and even those who have yet to believe in God. This is the best way to prepare for the second coming of Jesus.
And after everything has been said the question we should ask ourselves is: Do I want to be saved? If you think you can put God’s invitation into your pigeonhole and let it remain there for sometime while you step into the world and enjoy its glitter, the fame and fortune that you acquire using the gifts God has given you and, the perks that come with it – try reading and reflecting on the Gospel today and then – THINK AGAIN – because I don’t think you would ever want to be with those who spend their time weeping and gnashing their teeth which is what awaits those who will disregard God’s invitation.
1st Reading: Rom 5:12, 15, 17-21
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 40:7-10, 17 “Here I am Lord; I come to do your Will.”
GOSPEL: Lk 12:35-38
Key Verse: “…keep your lamps burning.” (v.35)
The central message of today’s Gospel speaks of salvation and the need to remain vigilant for the second coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ and this comes at a very opportune time because there are many of us including those who are already in the renewal who don’t take seriously the teachings of Jesus who has shown us the path to eternal life.
Reason for this could be our being overly-confident that Our God is a forgiving God and that He will definitely forgive those who will seek His forgiveness and repent of their sins. Another reason is a disordered appreciation of our primary purpose in life which is to evangelize and make disciples of all nations.
And in the pursuit of the Great Commission (Mt 28:18-20) confusion at times sets in as there are instances when programs and projects have been prioritized over evangelization and discipleship. This brings to mind the case of a particular community whose members no longer attend the teachings and formation made available to them because one of their leaders told them they are getting fat attending teachings and that they should instead go on mission. But without the heart of a disciple, no mission will ever last and so the question of which should come first – formation or mission – will always remain to be a contentious issue.
There are also times when we vacillate on our decision to commit ourselves to God as we hang-on to the material comforts, albeit fleeting, that the world offers. And we stretch God’s patience with us to the limit and we think of God when we can no longer find satisfaction with the world, when we find ourselves longing for joy that doesn’t disappear and, when the world we have built collapses and pins us down in the pit of depression and spiritual malaise.
Lest we set ourselves apart from those in the world, even those to whom God has already revealed Himself can still be living in their own world by dichotomizing the lives they live. On one side is the part wherein he worships God and on the other side is his human side that believes God will tolerate his imperfection.
What this Gospel for today is telling us is that our entire lives should be lived in interminable preparation for the second coming of Jesus because the expeditious manner by which he will come will not allow for any last-minute repentance. Where Jesus will find us when he comes will determine our eternal salvation. Towards this end, each one of us must be aware of the fact that taking for granted the warning contained in this Gospel is inviting disaster insofar as the salvation of our souls is concerned.
I grew up in a deeply religious setting and my parents sent me to a Catholic school where my faith was firmly established. But the world to which I ventured in my growing up years clouded my faith although I did not exactly lose my belief in God.
Abounding in mercy and love, God found me and led me to a renewal community through the Marriage Encounter and later to the Life in the Spirit Seminar. I could not help but recall the many deaths – violent ones such as armed encounters that I covered as a media practitioner, fatal road accidents and, deaths through natural causes. And the thought that always ran through my mind was that were these people ready when God sent for them.
The church and or every renewal community have their own formation programs that parishioners and members can avail of. These formation programs such as the Christian Discipleship Formation Program (CDFP) of our community are designed to enkindle the virtues of Faith, Hope and Love that have been infused in us during our Baptism and bring these to completion by leading us to a commitment to serve God.
These formation programs, either in the Church or in the Community, serve their purpose in preparing the lay faithful for the second coming of Our Lord Jesus the Christ. This is why Christian disciples must be formed first before they are sent in the same way that the Apostles were subjected to on-the-job training for three years before they were finally fielded. How we will respond to this invitation will determine our eternal destiny.
God desires that all men must be saved. Hence, God Himself provides us the time to prepare ourselves for His coming and the Catechism of the Catholic Church 1058 assures us: “The Church prays that no one should be lost: ‘Lord, let me never be parted from you.' If it is true that no one can save himself, it is also true that God ‘desires all men to be saved' (1 Tim 2:4), and that for him ‘all things are possible' (Mt 19:26).”
The reward for heeding the call of Jesus to be watchful is so great that we cannot take it for granted and play around with our souls. In us is the divine nature that God shared with us when we were born into the world. Thus, it means that we must be aware of the fact that we all share in the divinity of Christ (2 Pet 1:4) and that our preoccupation is to live our lives in God and with God.
To prepare is to remain vigilant which means we have to take care of our body, soul and spirit and we need to spend our time taking care of others in the Church and or Community and even those who have yet to believe in God. This is the best way to prepare for the second coming of Jesus.
And after everything has been said the question we should ask ourselves is: Do I want to be saved? If you think you can put God’s invitation into your pigeonhole and let it remain there for sometime while you step into the world and enjoy its glitter, the fame and fortune that you acquire using the gifts God has given you and, the perks that come with it – try reading and reflecting on the Gospel today and then – THINK AGAIN – because I don’t think you would ever want to be with those who spend their time weeping and gnashing their teeth which is what awaits those who will disregard God’s invitation.
FOCUS ON GOD, NOT WEALTH!
OCT. 21, 2013: TWENTY NINTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Rom 4:20-25
Responsorial Psalm: Lk 1:69-75 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited his people”
GOSPEL: LK 12: 13-21
Key Verse: “Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (v.15)
This Gospel is a continuation of Jesus’ teaching before a large crowd in which he branded the Pharisees as hypocrites and warned the people of the unforgiveable sin referring to the time when some of the Pharisees equated his miracles to the work of the devil.
Though Luke did not describe the atmosphere at the time, it was possible that Jesus was already approaching the climax of his teaching when all of a sudden someone called out to him and said: “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” (v.13).
Luke also did not describe how Jesus took it but it was probable that Jesus was irritated when someone interrupted his teaching and we can understand that. We who have been teaching ourselves know how it is when the flow of our thoughts is disrupted by a question or a reaction that has nothing to do with the topic of the teaching.
Here Jesus was just wrapping up his discourse on the unforgiveable sin when somebody from the crowd shouted. It was bad enough that he had interrupted the teaching but what was worst was that the tone of the man’s voice appeared to be telling Jesus what to do instead of simply asking him to arbitrate his dispute with his brother over their inheritance.
Jesus refused not because he did not have the skill and the wisdom to settle the dispute as what Rabbis do but Jesus’ refusal was on account of the inappropriateness in the way the man made his request. Besides, Jesus perfectly knew that his mission was to preach the Kingdom of Heaven and not to act as an arbitrator for those disputing their inheritance.
And so instead of acquiescing to the man’s request for arbitration Jesus told the crowd another parable – the story of a landowner who was expecting a good crop season and not having a space to store his grain. So the landowner decided to tear down his barns and build bigger ones to accommodate his bumper harvest.
The point Jesus wanted to make in the parable as well as his warning against greed was that life cannot be measured in the abundance of possession. Jesus must have seen how the man was consumed by his share in their inheritance and this was the point that Jesus wanted to make.
And it was not just simple greed that Jesus had in mind in this parable but all types of greed or excessive desire and for all intents and purposes greed does not refer only to material things but even to other matters such as positions, titles, fame, honor and admiration. And greed happens when man covets or has an excessive desire for these.
But in general terms, money will always be a prime motivator for greed and we always see this when the people rush to the PCSO betting stations to bet on the Lotto draw when the jackpot prize reaches the eight-figure or nine-figure mark.
And Jesus was saying: "a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions" (v.15). This means that those who consider themselves as Christian disciples must replace their desire to accumulate wealth by stacking up on pious investments that will earn for them a place in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Another point that Jesus raised in this parable was that riches or wealth could not provide us with security for the future as what we often hear from those who have been breaking their backs to save on their future.
And Jesus emphasizes this point when he said: “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” (v.20) which means that no amount of possessions whether these are abundant or not can prevent the wheel of life from turning and we don’t know the hour when the thief would come.
What Jesus was actually saying was that instead of desiring to accumulate more wealth, it would be better if we will store up heavenly treasures and focus on our journey of faith conscious of the presence of the Holy Spirit in us.
Thus it should be for each one of us that the rich man who came up to Jesus could not see. The man’s covetousness for his share in the inheritance filled his being instead of storing up things that matter to God and, which will be of no use when his life is demanded of him.
And so it will be for us because no amount of wealth can substitute for what God offers. It would certainly be a good idea to always check on your faith because you might unknowingly be moving from your worship of the One True God to idol worship which could come in the form of possessions and your insatiable appetite for the accumulation of wealth.
If we lose sight of where our faith lies, wealth can become the center of our live and take God’s place. The human tendency is that people tend to admire four qualities in others – human wisdom and intellectual superiority, power and influence, riches and to some extent even kindness. Each of these can be a source of pride but we should not forget that God has placed a higher priority on the need for us to know him personally and living a life that reflects his justice and righteousness.
There was a time when I became a slave to money and possessions. Because the business I was engaged in some years back brought in financial rewards that I’ve never experienced in life, I began to flaunt these wherever I went. I moved around with a gun in my clutch bag and another tucked in my waist. This change in status also changed my nature and God is so good that I was brought to this realization when he found me and brought me to the renewal and God impressed upon me that the person who may have everything on earth can still lack what is most important – eternal life.
So the question we need ask is this – what do you want people to admire most about you?
1st Reading: Rom 4:20-25
Responsorial Psalm: Lk 1:69-75 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited his people”
GOSPEL: LK 12: 13-21
Key Verse: “Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (v.15)
This Gospel is a continuation of Jesus’ teaching before a large crowd in which he branded the Pharisees as hypocrites and warned the people of the unforgiveable sin referring to the time when some of the Pharisees equated his miracles to the work of the devil.
Though Luke did not describe the atmosphere at the time, it was possible that Jesus was already approaching the climax of his teaching when all of a sudden someone called out to him and said: “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” (v.13).
Luke also did not describe how Jesus took it but it was probable that Jesus was irritated when someone interrupted his teaching and we can understand that. We who have been teaching ourselves know how it is when the flow of our thoughts is disrupted by a question or a reaction that has nothing to do with the topic of the teaching.
Here Jesus was just wrapping up his discourse on the unforgiveable sin when somebody from the crowd shouted. It was bad enough that he had interrupted the teaching but what was worst was that the tone of the man’s voice appeared to be telling Jesus what to do instead of simply asking him to arbitrate his dispute with his brother over their inheritance.
Jesus refused not because he did not have the skill and the wisdom to settle the dispute as what Rabbis do but Jesus’ refusal was on account of the inappropriateness in the way the man made his request. Besides, Jesus perfectly knew that his mission was to preach the Kingdom of Heaven and not to act as an arbitrator for those disputing their inheritance.
And so instead of acquiescing to the man’s request for arbitration Jesus told the crowd another parable – the story of a landowner who was expecting a good crop season and not having a space to store his grain. So the landowner decided to tear down his barns and build bigger ones to accommodate his bumper harvest.
The point Jesus wanted to make in the parable as well as his warning against greed was that life cannot be measured in the abundance of possession. Jesus must have seen how the man was consumed by his share in their inheritance and this was the point that Jesus wanted to make.
And it was not just simple greed that Jesus had in mind in this parable but all types of greed or excessive desire and for all intents and purposes greed does not refer only to material things but even to other matters such as positions, titles, fame, honor and admiration. And greed happens when man covets or has an excessive desire for these.
But in general terms, money will always be a prime motivator for greed and we always see this when the people rush to the PCSO betting stations to bet on the Lotto draw when the jackpot prize reaches the eight-figure or nine-figure mark.
And Jesus was saying: "a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions" (v.15). This means that those who consider themselves as Christian disciples must replace their desire to accumulate wealth by stacking up on pious investments that will earn for them a place in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Another point that Jesus raised in this parable was that riches or wealth could not provide us with security for the future as what we often hear from those who have been breaking their backs to save on their future.
And Jesus emphasizes this point when he said: “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” (v.20) which means that no amount of possessions whether these are abundant or not can prevent the wheel of life from turning and we don’t know the hour when the thief would come.
What Jesus was actually saying was that instead of desiring to accumulate more wealth, it would be better if we will store up heavenly treasures and focus on our journey of faith conscious of the presence of the Holy Spirit in us.
Thus it should be for each one of us that the rich man who came up to Jesus could not see. The man’s covetousness for his share in the inheritance filled his being instead of storing up things that matter to God and, which will be of no use when his life is demanded of him.
And so it will be for us because no amount of wealth can substitute for what God offers. It would certainly be a good idea to always check on your faith because you might unknowingly be moving from your worship of the One True God to idol worship which could come in the form of possessions and your insatiable appetite for the accumulation of wealth.
If we lose sight of where our faith lies, wealth can become the center of our live and take God’s place. The human tendency is that people tend to admire four qualities in others – human wisdom and intellectual superiority, power and influence, riches and to some extent even kindness. Each of these can be a source of pride but we should not forget that God has placed a higher priority on the need for us to know him personally and living a life that reflects his justice and righteousness.
There was a time when I became a slave to money and possessions. Because the business I was engaged in some years back brought in financial rewards that I’ve never experienced in life, I began to flaunt these wherever I went. I moved around with a gun in my clutch bag and another tucked in my waist. This change in status also changed my nature and God is so good that I was brought to this realization when he found me and brought me to the renewal and God impressed upon me that the person who may have everything on earth can still lack what is most important – eternal life.
So the question we need ask is this – what do you want people to admire most about you?
BLASPHEMY - THE UNFORGIVEABLE SIN
OCT. 19, 2013: TWENTY EIGHTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Rom 4:13, 16-18
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 105:6-9, 42-43 “The Lord remembers his covenant for ever”
GOSPEL: LK 12:8-12
Key Verse: “but anyone who blasphemes against
the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.” (v.10)
When I came into the renewal movement some 24 years ago and began my journey of faith, I could not forget one of the teachings I attended and mention was made of the unforgiveable sin but there was not enough explanation of what constitutes this type of sin and how does a person fall into such error.
In this Gospel for today, Jesus warns us of the unforgiveable sin and again, we all might fall into eternal damnation without even our knowing it if we are not aware what Our Lord considers as an unforgiveable sin.
It may also confuse us at times when we read that Our Lord can forgive anything we may say against him but not if we speak irreverently or blasphemes the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. But in the preceding verse, he also tells us that those who disown him will be disowned before the angels of God.
There is actually nothing confusing with what Jesus was saying in this Gospel because the focal point of the message is the right attitude that we need to bring when we are in the presence of God. And this warning should not be viewed as a situation prevailing in the time of Jesus because this is very much in vogue even now that many have fallen into apostasy and are relying more and more on themselves and not on God.
Apostasy happens when we either lose faith in God because of doubt and disbelief or when we find the Will of God to be incompatible with our worldly pursuits. This particular sin of apostasy also happens when a person moves away from the Catholic faith and joins another congregation that do not share the faith, tradition and beliefs of the Catholic Church.
And in the event that the person involved wakes up and find himself wanting to go back to the Catholic faith, there is a process that need to be followed and observed before such a person can be readmitted to the Catholic Church. This process includes a pastoral interview with a priest wherein the person also renounces the faith that he embraced when he moved away from the Church. Unless this is observed, the person remains stained with the sin of apostasy.
God is telling us in Scriptures to love our neighbor but how can that be if our neighbor wronged you and has caused you pain. Our neighbor could be a business partner who absconded with the company’s finances leaving us with a trail of debts to pay. Or he could be a friend who may have swindled us. Or he could be anyone who may have wronged is.
This happened to me some years back when the work done by a contractor I commissioned to repair portions of our home was seemingly inferior to what we have agreed upon. This created animosity between us and I even harbored a grudge against a friend of mine who recommended this particular contractor.
My human side took the better of me and it took me a long time before I can get over the anger I kept in me. But as I was growing in the Community, I was led to simply count my blessings and in time I was able to put all of these issues behind me. Eventually, the Holy Spirit moved in my midst so that I can put a closure to this issue and for some reason I accidently met the contractor in one of the restaurants I frequent and we had a good laugh over the episode in our lives and at that very moment the sin of unforgiveness was uprooted from my heart.
But blaspheming the Holy Spirit is something that God cannot put behind him. It is unforgiveable when we not only deny the existence of God before others but when we also utter slanderous words against God. Such action shows a total disrespect and disregard of God.
It becomes unforgiveable when the person blaspheming or speaking against God will refuse to acknowledge his sinfulness and repent of his sin towards God. A sin against the Holy Spirit becomes unforgiveable when repentance is no longer present or when this process is not availed of by a person who persists in his refusal to recognize God’s presence especially when a person falls into serious error by accepting evil as good.
This is the kind of hypocrisy that Jesus talked about when he spoke against the practice of the Pharisees whom he not only accused of greed and wickedness but whom he also called hypocrites. Worst, the Pharisees equated the miracles of Jesus as the work of the devil.
In a way, this condition is also what the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI branded as relativism when the people in the modern world justifies as right the general behavior of men even if it goes against the grain of what is right. In other words, we can commit unforgiveable sin if we refuse to recognize God and believe it is right because we live in an environment where God has become an historical event and close the door to repentance.
Even in this stage, reconciliation with God is still possible if we will only recognize the primacy of his mercy and love and the salvation that God is offering us through the Holy Spirit. We can begin by recognizing that God sent his only Son to suffer death on the cross to redeem us from your sins. His death on the cross should lead us to a true repentance of our sins and help us place your sinful nature at the foot of the cross.
And this can be made possible if we will seek the help of the Holy Spirit whom God sent to be our paraclete – or the one who mediates or stands in the gap between us and God. At the end of the day, regardless of the sin us may have committed, reconciliation with God is possible through repentance and allowing the Holy Spirit to indwell in us.
1st Reading: Rom 4:13, 16-18
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 105:6-9, 42-43 “The Lord remembers his covenant for ever”
GOSPEL: LK 12:8-12
Key Verse: “but anyone who blasphemes against
the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.” (v.10)
When I came into the renewal movement some 24 years ago and began my journey of faith, I could not forget one of the teachings I attended and mention was made of the unforgiveable sin but there was not enough explanation of what constitutes this type of sin and how does a person fall into such error.
In this Gospel for today, Jesus warns us of the unforgiveable sin and again, we all might fall into eternal damnation without even our knowing it if we are not aware what Our Lord considers as an unforgiveable sin.
It may also confuse us at times when we read that Our Lord can forgive anything we may say against him but not if we speak irreverently or blasphemes the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. But in the preceding verse, he also tells us that those who disown him will be disowned before the angels of God.
There is actually nothing confusing with what Jesus was saying in this Gospel because the focal point of the message is the right attitude that we need to bring when we are in the presence of God. And this warning should not be viewed as a situation prevailing in the time of Jesus because this is very much in vogue even now that many have fallen into apostasy and are relying more and more on themselves and not on God.
Apostasy happens when we either lose faith in God because of doubt and disbelief or when we find the Will of God to be incompatible with our worldly pursuits. This particular sin of apostasy also happens when a person moves away from the Catholic faith and joins another congregation that do not share the faith, tradition and beliefs of the Catholic Church.
And in the event that the person involved wakes up and find himself wanting to go back to the Catholic faith, there is a process that need to be followed and observed before such a person can be readmitted to the Catholic Church. This process includes a pastoral interview with a priest wherein the person also renounces the faith that he embraced when he moved away from the Church. Unless this is observed, the person remains stained with the sin of apostasy.
God is telling us in Scriptures to love our neighbor but how can that be if our neighbor wronged you and has caused you pain. Our neighbor could be a business partner who absconded with the company’s finances leaving us with a trail of debts to pay. Or he could be a friend who may have swindled us. Or he could be anyone who may have wronged is.
This happened to me some years back when the work done by a contractor I commissioned to repair portions of our home was seemingly inferior to what we have agreed upon. This created animosity between us and I even harbored a grudge against a friend of mine who recommended this particular contractor.
My human side took the better of me and it took me a long time before I can get over the anger I kept in me. But as I was growing in the Community, I was led to simply count my blessings and in time I was able to put all of these issues behind me. Eventually, the Holy Spirit moved in my midst so that I can put a closure to this issue and for some reason I accidently met the contractor in one of the restaurants I frequent and we had a good laugh over the episode in our lives and at that very moment the sin of unforgiveness was uprooted from my heart.
But blaspheming the Holy Spirit is something that God cannot put behind him. It is unforgiveable when we not only deny the existence of God before others but when we also utter slanderous words against God. Such action shows a total disrespect and disregard of God.
It becomes unforgiveable when the person blaspheming or speaking against God will refuse to acknowledge his sinfulness and repent of his sin towards God. A sin against the Holy Spirit becomes unforgiveable when repentance is no longer present or when this process is not availed of by a person who persists in his refusal to recognize God’s presence especially when a person falls into serious error by accepting evil as good.
This is the kind of hypocrisy that Jesus talked about when he spoke against the practice of the Pharisees whom he not only accused of greed and wickedness but whom he also called hypocrites. Worst, the Pharisees equated the miracles of Jesus as the work of the devil.
In a way, this condition is also what the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI branded as relativism when the people in the modern world justifies as right the general behavior of men even if it goes against the grain of what is right. In other words, we can commit unforgiveable sin if we refuse to recognize God and believe it is right because we live in an environment where God has become an historical event and close the door to repentance.
Even in this stage, reconciliation with God is still possible if we will only recognize the primacy of his mercy and love and the salvation that God is offering us through the Holy Spirit. We can begin by recognizing that God sent his only Son to suffer death on the cross to redeem us from your sins. His death on the cross should lead us to a true repentance of our sins and help us place your sinful nature at the foot of the cross.
And this can be made possible if we will seek the help of the Holy Spirit whom God sent to be our paraclete – or the one who mediates or stands in the gap between us and God. At the end of the day, regardless of the sin us may have committed, reconciliation with God is possible through repentance and allowing the Holy Spirit to indwell in us.
OUR CALLING IS TO GO
OCT. 18, 2013: FEAST OF ST. LUKE THE EVANGELIST
1st Reading: 2 Tim 4:9-17
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 145:10-13, 17-18 “Your friends tell the glory of your kingship, Lord.”
GOSPEL: LK 10:1-9
Key Verse: ‘The kingdom of God is near you.’ (v.9)
There are two important points that Our Lord Jesus Christ made when he appointed seventy two disciples whom he sent out in pairs to go every town and villages to proclaim that “the reign of God is at hand.” (v.9)
What are these two points? One is that there is so much to do then and now – meaning that the Gospel has to be preached throughout the world and the reality is that there are not enough workers who are willing to take up the challenge because of the sacrifices that go with it. The other point which every disciples must know is that even if we obey and take that first step to go and proclaim the Gospel the reality is that we cannot do it alone and at some point in time we will have to delegate the work that are before us.
Translated into present realities, the Gospel passage of today is telling us to look at the world around us as a field of great harvest that would draw all men to the Kingdom of God. And even if Jesus can do it alone, we see him delegating the work needed to get the harvest done. This is what Jesus also expects from us – that we need to delegate the work that need to be done because that is what evangelization is all about.
For those who exercise authority as I did when I was growing up in the corporate structure in the radio network that I was connected with many years back, I found it hard to delegate my workload to others. Not that I am a perfectionist but I struggled with this in my professional life as I’d rather do the job myself as I want to get things done in the way that I want it done. Little did I know that God has so graciously gifted each individual with talent, wisdom and knowledge such that we can have even a multitude of people of diverse background working to achieve the same purpose and objective.
Jesus certainly had more reason that any of us to avoid delegating his work to others especially when it came to proclaiming the Kingdom of God for he definitely knew whereof he speak. Yet he still sent out the 72 disciples who were divided into 36 teams with the full authority to preach and heal the sick on his behalf (v.1).
When Jesus did that, he merely affirmed the often heard but not practiced idea of the development of the human potential as the most important task of a person in authority. Jesus could easily achieve the purpose for which he came and he doesn’t need these 72 neophytes to help him but he nevertheless harnessed them because he knew they will only grow to spiritual maturity if they are clothed with responsibility and authority.
When he commissioned the 72, he gave them a vision of a great harvest for the kingdom of God. During his ministry, Jesus frequently used the image of a harvest to foretell the coming of God’s reign on earth. In doing so, Jesus makes it known that the harvest is the fruit of labor and growth – beginning with the sowing of seeds, then planting and weeding, growing, and finally fruit for the harvest.
In like manner, we are to endeavor with the same instructions that Jesus gave to the 72 disciples and sow and plant the Word of God in the hearts of receptive men and women who submit to God and honor him as their Lord and King. The harvest that Jesus had in mind was not only the Jews but all the people of the world for “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (Jn 3:16).
As before, we too are like lambs being sent in the midst of wolves as the world around us has greatly changed from the time of Jesus and during the great revival of the Christian faith in Europe and most parts of the world. While Isaiah has foretold of a time when wolves and lambs will dwell in peace (Isa 11:6, 65:25), we who are now being sent out must expect opposition and persecution from those who oppose the Gospel of Christ. Just as Jesus came to be our sacrificial lamb to atone for the sin of the world we too must be willing to sacrifice our lives in humble service of our Lord and Master.
In our commission as the ambassadors for Christ in the post-modern world, the instructions remain the same as it were when the 72 were sent out. Jesus gave them instructions on how they were to carry out their ministry. We must go and serve as men without guile, full of charity and peace, and simplicity. We must give our full attention to the proclamation of God’s kingdom and not be diverted by other lesser things.
We must travel light and only take what is essential and leave behind all forms of distractions in order to concentrate on the task of proclaiming the Word of the God. We must do our work not for what we can get out of it, but for what we can freely give to others, without expecting special privileges or reward.
Such poverty of spirit is what will deliver us from greed and preoccupation with possessions that gives ample room for God’s own provision because the Lord wants us to be dependent on him and not on ourselves.
What we all must remember is that when God gives us his Word we all are obliged to respond as there is no middle ground with respect to our commission. It’s either we are for or against God who gives us his Word that we may have life in him. God wills to work through and in each one of us for his glory. God shares his Word with us and he commissions us to speak it boldly and simply to others.
In our lives us Sharers for the Marriage Encounter Weekend and the Life in the Spirit Seminars and, as facilitators of teachings in parishes and other charismatic communities, my spouse Malou and I have practically experienced both extremes from first-class accommodations to places that have limited or no facilities at all. But as emissaries of Christ who is the epitome of what humility is, workers in the vineyard of the Lord should not complain or grumble. For Malou and me, we have learned to be content whatever the circumstances (Phi 4:11).
And today as we celebrate the Feast of St. Luke the Evangelist, Jesus is showing us from where our mission is to begin. It should begin with prayer: “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest and ask him to send more workers into the fields” (v.2).
Remember too that the 72 disciples whom Jesus sent in pairs are not better educated than the people they will be trying to draw. They also are not better situated as do the people to whom they will bring the message of salvation. What they had was the training and equipping they received from Jesus Himself. In other words, all that they had to stand on was the empowerment that Jesus gave to them and the vision they had to bring people to the kingdom of God.
This is the same with us who are now being sent to be the good news to others and to succeed we all must fill our lives with prayer as Jesus did.
This Gospel also represents the two most important rules that Jesus wants his disciples to observe. These are (1) to eat what is put before us and not seek better and more comfortable accommodations which is to accept hospitality without being picky or choosy (v.8) and, (2) to heal the sick because healings draw the attention of the people to the presence of God (v.9).
To bring to others and stand witness to the Word of God is a tremendous privilege. Still, greater responsibility rests on those who will hear the Word of God because they will ultimately be judged according to the measure of their actions in relation to what they heard. And we whom Christ have called to minister to the world around us need to do what we are told to do and this Gospel is simply reminding us to just do it.
1st Reading: 2 Tim 4:9-17
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 145:10-13, 17-18 “Your friends tell the glory of your kingship, Lord.”
GOSPEL: LK 10:1-9
Key Verse: ‘The kingdom of God is near you.’ (v.9)
There are two important points that Our Lord Jesus Christ made when he appointed seventy two disciples whom he sent out in pairs to go every town and villages to proclaim that “the reign of God is at hand.” (v.9)
What are these two points? One is that there is so much to do then and now – meaning that the Gospel has to be preached throughout the world and the reality is that there are not enough workers who are willing to take up the challenge because of the sacrifices that go with it. The other point which every disciples must know is that even if we obey and take that first step to go and proclaim the Gospel the reality is that we cannot do it alone and at some point in time we will have to delegate the work that are before us.
Translated into present realities, the Gospel passage of today is telling us to look at the world around us as a field of great harvest that would draw all men to the Kingdom of God. And even if Jesus can do it alone, we see him delegating the work needed to get the harvest done. This is what Jesus also expects from us – that we need to delegate the work that need to be done because that is what evangelization is all about.
For those who exercise authority as I did when I was growing up in the corporate structure in the radio network that I was connected with many years back, I found it hard to delegate my workload to others. Not that I am a perfectionist but I struggled with this in my professional life as I’d rather do the job myself as I want to get things done in the way that I want it done. Little did I know that God has so graciously gifted each individual with talent, wisdom and knowledge such that we can have even a multitude of people of diverse background working to achieve the same purpose and objective.
Jesus certainly had more reason that any of us to avoid delegating his work to others especially when it came to proclaiming the Kingdom of God for he definitely knew whereof he speak. Yet he still sent out the 72 disciples who were divided into 36 teams with the full authority to preach and heal the sick on his behalf (v.1).
When Jesus did that, he merely affirmed the often heard but not practiced idea of the development of the human potential as the most important task of a person in authority. Jesus could easily achieve the purpose for which he came and he doesn’t need these 72 neophytes to help him but he nevertheless harnessed them because he knew they will only grow to spiritual maturity if they are clothed with responsibility and authority.
When he commissioned the 72, he gave them a vision of a great harvest for the kingdom of God. During his ministry, Jesus frequently used the image of a harvest to foretell the coming of God’s reign on earth. In doing so, Jesus makes it known that the harvest is the fruit of labor and growth – beginning with the sowing of seeds, then planting and weeding, growing, and finally fruit for the harvest.
In like manner, we are to endeavor with the same instructions that Jesus gave to the 72 disciples and sow and plant the Word of God in the hearts of receptive men and women who submit to God and honor him as their Lord and King. The harvest that Jesus had in mind was not only the Jews but all the people of the world for “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (Jn 3:16).
As before, we too are like lambs being sent in the midst of wolves as the world around us has greatly changed from the time of Jesus and during the great revival of the Christian faith in Europe and most parts of the world. While Isaiah has foretold of a time when wolves and lambs will dwell in peace (Isa 11:6, 65:25), we who are now being sent out must expect opposition and persecution from those who oppose the Gospel of Christ. Just as Jesus came to be our sacrificial lamb to atone for the sin of the world we too must be willing to sacrifice our lives in humble service of our Lord and Master.
In our commission as the ambassadors for Christ in the post-modern world, the instructions remain the same as it were when the 72 were sent out. Jesus gave them instructions on how they were to carry out their ministry. We must go and serve as men without guile, full of charity and peace, and simplicity. We must give our full attention to the proclamation of God’s kingdom and not be diverted by other lesser things.
We must travel light and only take what is essential and leave behind all forms of distractions in order to concentrate on the task of proclaiming the Word of the God. We must do our work not for what we can get out of it, but for what we can freely give to others, without expecting special privileges or reward.
Such poverty of spirit is what will deliver us from greed and preoccupation with possessions that gives ample room for God’s own provision because the Lord wants us to be dependent on him and not on ourselves.
What we all must remember is that when God gives us his Word we all are obliged to respond as there is no middle ground with respect to our commission. It’s either we are for or against God who gives us his Word that we may have life in him. God wills to work through and in each one of us for his glory. God shares his Word with us and he commissions us to speak it boldly and simply to others.
In our lives us Sharers for the Marriage Encounter Weekend and the Life in the Spirit Seminars and, as facilitators of teachings in parishes and other charismatic communities, my spouse Malou and I have practically experienced both extremes from first-class accommodations to places that have limited or no facilities at all. But as emissaries of Christ who is the epitome of what humility is, workers in the vineyard of the Lord should not complain or grumble. For Malou and me, we have learned to be content whatever the circumstances (Phi 4:11).
And today as we celebrate the Feast of St. Luke the Evangelist, Jesus is showing us from where our mission is to begin. It should begin with prayer: “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest and ask him to send more workers into the fields” (v.2).
Remember too that the 72 disciples whom Jesus sent in pairs are not better educated than the people they will be trying to draw. They also are not better situated as do the people to whom they will bring the message of salvation. What they had was the training and equipping they received from Jesus Himself. In other words, all that they had to stand on was the empowerment that Jesus gave to them and the vision they had to bring people to the kingdom of God.
This is the same with us who are now being sent to be the good news to others and to succeed we all must fill our lives with prayer as Jesus did.
This Gospel also represents the two most important rules that Jesus wants his disciples to observe. These are (1) to eat what is put before us and not seek better and more comfortable accommodations which is to accept hospitality without being picky or choosy (v.8) and, (2) to heal the sick because healings draw the attention of the people to the presence of God (v.9).
To bring to others and stand witness to the Word of God is a tremendous privilege. Still, greater responsibility rests on those who will hear the Word of God because they will ultimately be judged according to the measure of their actions in relation to what they heard. And we whom Christ have called to minister to the world around us need to do what we are told to do and this Gospel is simply reminding us to just do it.
GOD PUTS PREMIUM ON SERVICE
OCT. 17, 2013: ST. IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH, Bishop and Doctor
1st Reading: Phi 3:17-4:1
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 130:1-6 “With the Lord there is mercy, fullness of redemption.”
GOSPEL: Jn 12:24-26
Key Verse: “The man who loves his life loses it,” (v.25)
Some who may be reading this Gospel for this day may be tempted to simply go through it without any intention of digesting its substance. After all, it is a short two-verse passage that once again shocked those who heard these words that Jesus said.
The significance of this passage, however, cannot be overlooked nor ignored for Jesus brings a new dimension that rippled through the set of beliefs of the Jews because in just these two verses alone, Jesus turned around their view of an emancipation as a conquered race through a military victory into becoming free through his death on the Cross.
This was what the Jews could not understand because their concept of a Messianic uprising by the Son of Man had been prophesied from ages before and which the Jews continue to await with bated breath.
The Jews knew and believed the Scriptures and they believed all the Prophets that God had sent to them and they did believe the prophet Daniel who wrote in Dn 7:13 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshipped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his king is one that will never be destroyed.”
This has been the dream of the Jews such that when Jesus said in v.23 “The hour has come when the Son of Man must be glorified,” his listeners excitedly jumped to their feet thinking that at last the military conquest they have been hoping for was about to start to be led by a Son of Man who had been prophesied to be their Messiah.
But Jesus had another concept in mind and he refused to be drawn to the belief of the Jews for an armed uprising but a victory that was to culminate at the Cross on Calvary and this was the reason why the Jews could not grasp the substance of his message and the tragedy was that except for his disciples, the people did not even try to give Jesus the benefit of the doubt.
And here in this Gospel passage, Jesus revealed what it was to be born again when he used the grain of wheat as an example of what happens to a man who will put himself to death in order to be born to a new life.
Actually this is what should happen Jesus during the moment of an encounter with him because what he is telling us contradicts what our worldly senses is telling us. When we stand before Jesus he will definitely tell us to give up our personal ambitions, our greed, our insatiable appetite for wealth and comfort, our illicit relationships and business activities.
But the world around us will be egging us that it is okay to be rich even if it comes from illegal business activities, that it is okay to cheat the government of its taxes, that it is okay to hoard, it’s alright to promote selfish desires, that it is okay to use fake documents just so you can pocket public funds intended for development, that everything is okay for as long as you are in control.
What Jesus is saying in today’s Gospel passage is that anyone who loves his life will eventually lose it and the one who spends his life wisely in the service of God and others will in the end gain it – meaning the eternal life promised. When Joan of Arc stood against her more powerful enemies she was known to have prayed “I shall only last a year, use me as you can.”
As we move on in our lives, in both the temporal and communal environment we live in, it is best that we start asking ourselves the purpose of our existence. Why did God find you and brought you to the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community?
Certainly there is a purpose for that. If he found you then in all probability the reason is that God wants to use you. This is the reason why Christian disciples are given the gifts of the Holy Spirit especially during the Baptism in the Spirit when you attend the Life in the Spirit Seminar and these gifts are not to be stored but like the wheat in this Gospel, we must fall on the ground and die to our personal ambitions, self-centeredness and vainglory so that we will be born to a new life and bear much fruit.
The Gift of Shepherding is one of the primary gifts that the Holy Spirit gave to the Bukas Loob sa Diyos and it pains and saddens me that the Community leadership has to beg for the services of its Covenanted Members to shepherd. Time was when the Community was overflowing with Shepherds willing to serve anywhere they are sent.
Today many spiritual communities are experiencing a marked decline in their attendance at their prayer meetings and members often come late to the prayer meeting and at times not at all. The sense of true mission is gone as projects and programs have taken over the primary task of every Christian which is to evangelize. In many church ministries and communities the proclamation of the Gospel has been supplanted by projects and the pursuit of the new evangelization program of the church has been reduced to just a program.
Perhaps the flaw is in the vagueness on what really is the new evangelization all about. Besides the radical methods in proclaiming the Gospel with new ardor and a revitalized message that the church hierarchy has recommended, the new evangelization should bring about a re-encounter with the person of Jesus Christ. And this re-encounter must lead to a complete transformation of man from being human into a partaker of the divine nature of God.
Jesus came with a new view of life and what he is telling us in this Gospel reading is that only in serving God can we become great. He is asking us once again what will it be. Are we going to remain in the world that cannot offer us anything but spiritual death? Or are we going to accept his invitation to a life of service to God and neighbor but which assures us of being honored by the Father.
Because when you really come down to it, the truth behind this paradox of losing our lives in order to gain life is there for everyone to see. If we say ‘No or Maybe’ to Jesus’ invitation for a life service to God – tomorrow may never come. But if we say ‘YES,’ we are assured of our eternal inheritance in his Heavenly Kingdom. So the question is what will it be, brothers and sisters?
1st Reading: Phi 3:17-4:1
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 130:1-6 “With the Lord there is mercy, fullness of redemption.”
GOSPEL: Jn 12:24-26
Key Verse: “The man who loves his life loses it,” (v.25)
Some who may be reading this Gospel for this day may be tempted to simply go through it without any intention of digesting its substance. After all, it is a short two-verse passage that once again shocked those who heard these words that Jesus said.
The significance of this passage, however, cannot be overlooked nor ignored for Jesus brings a new dimension that rippled through the set of beliefs of the Jews because in just these two verses alone, Jesus turned around their view of an emancipation as a conquered race through a military victory into becoming free through his death on the Cross.
This was what the Jews could not understand because their concept of a Messianic uprising by the Son of Man had been prophesied from ages before and which the Jews continue to await with bated breath.
The Jews knew and believed the Scriptures and they believed all the Prophets that God had sent to them and they did believe the prophet Daniel who wrote in Dn 7:13 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshipped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his king is one that will never be destroyed.”
This has been the dream of the Jews such that when Jesus said in v.23 “The hour has come when the Son of Man must be glorified,” his listeners excitedly jumped to their feet thinking that at last the military conquest they have been hoping for was about to start to be led by a Son of Man who had been prophesied to be their Messiah.
But Jesus had another concept in mind and he refused to be drawn to the belief of the Jews for an armed uprising but a victory that was to culminate at the Cross on Calvary and this was the reason why the Jews could not grasp the substance of his message and the tragedy was that except for his disciples, the people did not even try to give Jesus the benefit of the doubt.
And here in this Gospel passage, Jesus revealed what it was to be born again when he used the grain of wheat as an example of what happens to a man who will put himself to death in order to be born to a new life.
Actually this is what should happen Jesus during the moment of an encounter with him because what he is telling us contradicts what our worldly senses is telling us. When we stand before Jesus he will definitely tell us to give up our personal ambitions, our greed, our insatiable appetite for wealth and comfort, our illicit relationships and business activities.
But the world around us will be egging us that it is okay to be rich even if it comes from illegal business activities, that it is okay to cheat the government of its taxes, that it is okay to hoard, it’s alright to promote selfish desires, that it is okay to use fake documents just so you can pocket public funds intended for development, that everything is okay for as long as you are in control.
What Jesus is saying in today’s Gospel passage is that anyone who loves his life will eventually lose it and the one who spends his life wisely in the service of God and others will in the end gain it – meaning the eternal life promised. When Joan of Arc stood against her more powerful enemies she was known to have prayed “I shall only last a year, use me as you can.”
As we move on in our lives, in both the temporal and communal environment we live in, it is best that we start asking ourselves the purpose of our existence. Why did God find you and brought you to the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community?
Certainly there is a purpose for that. If he found you then in all probability the reason is that God wants to use you. This is the reason why Christian disciples are given the gifts of the Holy Spirit especially during the Baptism in the Spirit when you attend the Life in the Spirit Seminar and these gifts are not to be stored but like the wheat in this Gospel, we must fall on the ground and die to our personal ambitions, self-centeredness and vainglory so that we will be born to a new life and bear much fruit.
The Gift of Shepherding is one of the primary gifts that the Holy Spirit gave to the Bukas Loob sa Diyos and it pains and saddens me that the Community leadership has to beg for the services of its Covenanted Members to shepherd. Time was when the Community was overflowing with Shepherds willing to serve anywhere they are sent.
Today many spiritual communities are experiencing a marked decline in their attendance at their prayer meetings and members often come late to the prayer meeting and at times not at all. The sense of true mission is gone as projects and programs have taken over the primary task of every Christian which is to evangelize. In many church ministries and communities the proclamation of the Gospel has been supplanted by projects and the pursuit of the new evangelization program of the church has been reduced to just a program.
Perhaps the flaw is in the vagueness on what really is the new evangelization all about. Besides the radical methods in proclaiming the Gospel with new ardor and a revitalized message that the church hierarchy has recommended, the new evangelization should bring about a re-encounter with the person of Jesus Christ. And this re-encounter must lead to a complete transformation of man from being human into a partaker of the divine nature of God.
Jesus came with a new view of life and what he is telling us in this Gospel reading is that only in serving God can we become great. He is asking us once again what will it be. Are we going to remain in the world that cannot offer us anything but spiritual death? Or are we going to accept his invitation to a life of service to God and neighbor but which assures us of being honored by the Father.
Because when you really come down to it, the truth behind this paradox of losing our lives in order to gain life is there for everyone to see. If we say ‘No or Maybe’ to Jesus’ invitation for a life service to God – tomorrow may never come. But if we say ‘YES,’ we are assured of our eternal inheritance in his Heavenly Kingdom. So the question is what will it be, brothers and sisters?
TITHING CANNOT BUY YOUR SALVATION
OCT. 16, 2013: TWENTY EIGHTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Rom 2:1-11
Responsorial Psalm: PSA 62:2-3, 6-7, 9 “Lord, you give back to everyone according to his works”
GOSPEL: LK 11:42-46
Key Verse: “...but you neglect justice
and the love of God.” (v.42)
Parish churches and spiritual communities get by from the love offerings, donations and tithes from their parishioners and members as the case may be and the importance of tithing in the life of a church or a community cannot be discounted nor ignored. Sadly, however, there are those who believe that to give a tithe is enough and can supplant love of God and neighbor, then you are not only being overfamiliar with God but imprudent as well. At times, the amount of their donations and love offering is equated with the level of their spirituality.
This is the comparison that Jesus was trying to raise in his continuing discussion with the Pharisee who invited Jesus to dine with him at his home. And the Pharisee must have fallen flat on his face because Jesus minced no words in telling him pointblank that they “are like unmarked graves, which men walk over without knowing it.” (v.44)
In fact, the Pharisee did react saying “Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us also.” (v.45) And for a better understanding of the dispute between Jesus and the Pharisees, it was not the observance of the Laws of Moses that Jesus was against but the amendments and revisions the Pharisees inserted into the law that created additional burdens to the Jewish people.
The way the Pharisees played around with the Laws of Moses is somewhat similar to the way our legislators played with our civil laws. The “pork barrel” which was known as Countryside Development Fund (CDF) was previously limited to public works projects, health and sanitation, and educational projects like classrooms and infrastructure.
As the years passed, the CDF was replaced with the Philippine Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) and the scope was amended to now include financial assistance to Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) and this scheme allowed our legislators to help themselves with the financial largesse that was made available because of the flaws in the process.
And just like the Jews who were burdened by the additions to the Laws of Moses that the Pharisees made, the Filipino people are likewise burdened because the services that are supposed to be funded by the PDAF can no longer be delivered. The stark difference between the CDF then and the PDAF now is that legislators in previous years satisfied themselves with commissions from a low of 15% to a high of 30%. If you have been following the news reports on the pork barrel scam the PDAF funds were divided among the sources of the funds, the conduits, the generator of the projects and the facilitators and none whatsoever went to the projects that were identified for funding. What made it even worse was that the supposed end-user of the funds were fake and this actually turned the whole thing into a criminal activity.
How blessed are we then who are in a spiritual or renewal community when all that is asked of us is just 10% of our ‘gross’ income because the Pharisees wanted the people to give not just a tithe but there are at least three different tithes that the people in those days have to observe. These are:
1) The first fruits of seven types of produce that are to be offered at the Temple, e.g., fig-trees, olives, honey, wheat, vines, barley and pomegranates; (2) The Terumah which was the first fruits of all things growing that are owned or grown by the Jews of which 1/50th of the gross yield was given for the sustenance of the priests, and; (3) the Tithe itself which is 1/10th of all things that are cultivated which was given to the Levites who then pays a tithe to the priests.
These additional burdens are what Jesus was opposed to because it diverted the minds and hearts of the people to what Jesus felt was far more important than these outward expressions of faith and that is the - love of God and love of neighbor as well.
Jesus made mention of "unmarked graves" to draw the attention of those listening to him to the Jewish tradition that contact with a grave made a person unclean for seven days. His referral to the Pharisees as “unmarked graves” was because of their teachings that defiled the people who did not recognize the spiritual decay that lay in the false doctrines preached by the Pharisees.
The point that Jesus was trying to make in this Gospel was that the commandments of God should not translate into a compendium of laws that will make it hard for us to observe but should instead lead us to an understanding that love of God and love of neighbor should precede everything else.
Translated into our present-day reality as Christian disciples it simply means that while tithing is important in the maintenance of our Church’s and Community’s day-to-day operations, such cannot find favor with God if we are to neglect love of God and love of our neighbor.
This means that it is only our love of God that will help transform us from within that will keep us connected with the source of all that we are, all that we have and all that we will ever be. In the same way, our love for our neighbor is what will enable us to carry the burdens of others. And this is what community is all about.
Community is all about love of God and love of neighbor. One cannot exist without the other. These two principles are what I refer to as the two pillars of our Christian faith and both are equally important if we want to grow as Christian disciples. (CCC, Part 3, Sections 1 and 2)
As such even the programs and or projects that communities have in their pipelines should precede from love of God and love of neighbor. Outside of these, it will just take the form of programs that will titillate our egos and pride.
Love is sacrificial which is why our love of God is a great sacrifice on our part because it must lead us to die to our sinful nature and to metanoia or the transformation of our inner selves so that “it is no longer I who lives but Christ who lives in me” (Gal 2:20). And our love of our neighbor should lead us to “carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal 6:2).
For those who are in a church organization or in a community of disciples, charismatic or otherwise, it would help to know that we should not focus so much on the mundane concerns of the organization we belong to. What we must constantly remind ourselves is that an authentic Christian life is anchored on our relationship with God that is propelled by our love of God and love of neighbor.
It may be difficult to love others especially the unlovable but do we have any choice? That is why it is always a good exercise to sit down in a quiet place in your home just before you call it a day and try to look back at how your life went during the day. Did you let an opportunity to proclaim the Word of God pass you by? Was there an occasion when you could have shown your love for your neighbor and you hesitated? Did you hold back in coming to the aid of someone in need just because you didn’t like the person?
Everyday you will be faced with situations when you can show your love for your neighbor and it’s not easy because there are human factors that will definitely get in the way. But when you find yourself agonizing on whether to love or not to love your neighbor, just look to Jesus who offered his life to ransom us from our sins out of his great love for us even if we don’t deserve it.
1st Reading: Rom 2:1-11
Responsorial Psalm: PSA 62:2-3, 6-7, 9 “Lord, you give back to everyone according to his works”
GOSPEL: LK 11:42-46
Key Verse: “...but you neglect justice
and the love of God.” (v.42)
Parish churches and spiritual communities get by from the love offerings, donations and tithes from their parishioners and members as the case may be and the importance of tithing in the life of a church or a community cannot be discounted nor ignored. Sadly, however, there are those who believe that to give a tithe is enough and can supplant love of God and neighbor, then you are not only being overfamiliar with God but imprudent as well. At times, the amount of their donations and love offering is equated with the level of their spirituality.
This is the comparison that Jesus was trying to raise in his continuing discussion with the Pharisee who invited Jesus to dine with him at his home. And the Pharisee must have fallen flat on his face because Jesus minced no words in telling him pointblank that they “are like unmarked graves, which men walk over without knowing it.” (v.44)
In fact, the Pharisee did react saying “Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us also.” (v.45) And for a better understanding of the dispute between Jesus and the Pharisees, it was not the observance of the Laws of Moses that Jesus was against but the amendments and revisions the Pharisees inserted into the law that created additional burdens to the Jewish people.
The way the Pharisees played around with the Laws of Moses is somewhat similar to the way our legislators played with our civil laws. The “pork barrel” which was known as Countryside Development Fund (CDF) was previously limited to public works projects, health and sanitation, and educational projects like classrooms and infrastructure.
As the years passed, the CDF was replaced with the Philippine Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) and the scope was amended to now include financial assistance to Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) and this scheme allowed our legislators to help themselves with the financial largesse that was made available because of the flaws in the process.
And just like the Jews who were burdened by the additions to the Laws of Moses that the Pharisees made, the Filipino people are likewise burdened because the services that are supposed to be funded by the PDAF can no longer be delivered. The stark difference between the CDF then and the PDAF now is that legislators in previous years satisfied themselves with commissions from a low of 15% to a high of 30%. If you have been following the news reports on the pork barrel scam the PDAF funds were divided among the sources of the funds, the conduits, the generator of the projects and the facilitators and none whatsoever went to the projects that were identified for funding. What made it even worse was that the supposed end-user of the funds were fake and this actually turned the whole thing into a criminal activity.
How blessed are we then who are in a spiritual or renewal community when all that is asked of us is just 10% of our ‘gross’ income because the Pharisees wanted the people to give not just a tithe but there are at least three different tithes that the people in those days have to observe. These are:
1) The first fruits of seven types of produce that are to be offered at the Temple, e.g., fig-trees, olives, honey, wheat, vines, barley and pomegranates; (2) The Terumah which was the first fruits of all things growing that are owned or grown by the Jews of which 1/50th of the gross yield was given for the sustenance of the priests, and; (3) the Tithe itself which is 1/10th of all things that are cultivated which was given to the Levites who then pays a tithe to the priests.
These additional burdens are what Jesus was opposed to because it diverted the minds and hearts of the people to what Jesus felt was far more important than these outward expressions of faith and that is the - love of God and love of neighbor as well.
Jesus made mention of "unmarked graves" to draw the attention of those listening to him to the Jewish tradition that contact with a grave made a person unclean for seven days. His referral to the Pharisees as “unmarked graves” was because of their teachings that defiled the people who did not recognize the spiritual decay that lay in the false doctrines preached by the Pharisees.
The point that Jesus was trying to make in this Gospel was that the commandments of God should not translate into a compendium of laws that will make it hard for us to observe but should instead lead us to an understanding that love of God and love of neighbor should precede everything else.
Translated into our present-day reality as Christian disciples it simply means that while tithing is important in the maintenance of our Church’s and Community’s day-to-day operations, such cannot find favor with God if we are to neglect love of God and love of our neighbor.
This means that it is only our love of God that will help transform us from within that will keep us connected with the source of all that we are, all that we have and all that we will ever be. In the same way, our love for our neighbor is what will enable us to carry the burdens of others. And this is what community is all about.
Community is all about love of God and love of neighbor. One cannot exist without the other. These two principles are what I refer to as the two pillars of our Christian faith and both are equally important if we want to grow as Christian disciples. (CCC, Part 3, Sections 1 and 2)
As such even the programs and or projects that communities have in their pipelines should precede from love of God and love of neighbor. Outside of these, it will just take the form of programs that will titillate our egos and pride.
Love is sacrificial which is why our love of God is a great sacrifice on our part because it must lead us to die to our sinful nature and to metanoia or the transformation of our inner selves so that “it is no longer I who lives but Christ who lives in me” (Gal 2:20). And our love of our neighbor should lead us to “carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal 6:2).
For those who are in a church organization or in a community of disciples, charismatic or otherwise, it would help to know that we should not focus so much on the mundane concerns of the organization we belong to. What we must constantly remind ourselves is that an authentic Christian life is anchored on our relationship with God that is propelled by our love of God and love of neighbor.
It may be difficult to love others especially the unlovable but do we have any choice? That is why it is always a good exercise to sit down in a quiet place in your home just before you call it a day and try to look back at how your life went during the day. Did you let an opportunity to proclaim the Word of God pass you by? Was there an occasion when you could have shown your love for your neighbor and you hesitated? Did you hold back in coming to the aid of someone in need just because you didn’t like the person?
Everyday you will be faced with situations when you can show your love for your neighbor and it’s not easy because there are human factors that will definitely get in the way. But when you find yourself agonizing on whether to love or not to love your neighbor, just look to Jesus who offered his life to ransom us from our sins out of his great love for us even if we don’t deserve it.
GREED CORRUPTS THE SOUL
OCT. 15, 2013: TWENTY EIGHTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Rom 1:16-25
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 19:2-5 “The heavens proclaim the Glory
of God”
GOSPEL: LK 11:37-41
Key Verse: “But give what is inside the dish to the poor,
and everything will be clean for you.” (v.41)
In your face! This is not an expression but a type of situation that puts you in a position to say what you feel about another person without pulling your punches. It means that you can tell someone what is wrong with him, his faults, his misdemeanor and, standing your ground. There is another word for it – brutally frank.
People regardless of the culture and traditions they grew up in are likely to change once they step into another environment and are influenced by the culture of the country or places they settle in. And because the primary reason for most of these migration is economic, migrants will certainly also acquire not only the diverse character of the populace they socialize with but also the materialistic nature of the place they have integrated into.
This is why even close family relations these migrants left behind are surprised to find the changes in the nature of their relatives and friends. From being the courteous and likable person they used to know, family and friends will come to grips with persons whom they hardly know, not only because of the long years they haven’t seen them but more so because of the radical makeover in the nature and character of many of these migrants.
But the narrative in today’s Gospel doesn’t speak of Jesus changing his nature but we see him telling the Pharisees with all the frankness at his command what was wrong with them: “You Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.” (v.39) And just to show you how serious he was Jesus even followed this up in with: “You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also?” (v.40)
These are indeed strong words that could only come from Jesus because he knows whereof he stands. It may sound unkind but Jesus may have felt he has no other choice but to stop the Pharisees from institutionalizing their wrong beliefs and interpretation of the Mosaic laws.
This face-off came about when a Pharisee decided to invite Jesus to dinner in his home after listening to his preaching perhaps to hear more from the kind of wisdom that Jesus had that no one else had spoken before.
But as they were to start eating their meal, Jesus did something that was out of the ordinary or to a certain extent a violation of the existing tradition for Jewish priests to perform the ceremonial washing of the hands before a meal. It is also possible that Jesus did it on purpose because he wants to deliver a message to the Pharisees.
This was probably the opening that Jesus was waiting for as he blatantly told the Pharisees that what was important was not the externals but what is inside. It was like Jesus telling the Pharisees and those listening to him of what could be more important, clean hands or a clean heart?
And Jesus went on to say why the Pharisees fill their hearts with greed, arrogance, pride that he likened to the outside of the cup instead of filling the inside or their hearts with love and compassion that will keep out such negative spirits in a person.
Today this challenge remains and the question that we need to ask is how far have we allowed Jesus to transform us. Did we put our old self at the foot of the cross when we were baptized in the Spirit? Or do we still allow our old self to dominate our persona?
In this Gospel, Jesus is inviting us to look into the deepest recesses of our hearts and to gather the courage to remove from our midst the evil spirit that compass us about – greed which provides the window for all the other negative spirits to enter into our hearts.
And greed doesn’t just refer to the insatiable appetite to accumulate material wealth but anything that we crave for regardless of the means by which we acquire it and this could be positions in the workplace, social organization or even in the church for that matter.
To some extent, greed even refers to the way we behave and relate to others by imposing our beliefs, views and, positions that we want others to embrace. In other words, throwing our weight around and thinking highly only of ourselves is a form of greed.
And greed for the most part is often present behind ambition which has influenced even the people of ancient Israel. In what could be a similarity between the then and now, as in the story of Korah who desired the power of the priesthood and Moses saw through this greed for power and position. (Num 16:1-22) Inappropriate ambition is greed in disguise and even today, this greed for power and position have driven people to manipulate situations and even perceptions just so they will get noticed as they weave their way up towards a leadership position.
This was what Jesus wanted to point out because the ceremonial washing of the hands was a practice reserved only for priests in the olden times and need not be observed by the people and Jesus brought to fore the case of the Pharisees who filled themselves with rules and regulations but have no heart for the needs of the poor.
Again, we can see ourselves in this category as Jesus implores us to take stock of ourselves and see what areas in our lives do we need to change that we may not become Pharisaic.
Perhaps we can begin by asking ourselves how we used the resources that God has entrusted to us may these be the materials blessings we have received or the gifts of the Holy Spirit that was poured on us in our baptism in the Holy Spirit or the virtues infused in us when we were confirmed.
More than our diligence in the performance of our functions and responsibilities in our careers, in the social organization or church to which we belong, Jesus puts a premium and importance on how we relate to the poor because the purity of our hearts is measured by our generosity towards those who are poor materially and poor in spirit.
Jesus ends saying: “Give what is inside the dish to the poor and, everything will be clean for you.” (v.41) At the end of the day, we will all be measured not by our speech or the ideas we proposed but by our deeds which should mirror what we say.
1st Reading: Rom 1:16-25
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 19:2-5 “The heavens proclaim the Glory
of God”
GOSPEL: LK 11:37-41
Key Verse: “But give what is inside the dish to the poor,
and everything will be clean for you.” (v.41)
In your face! This is not an expression but a type of situation that puts you in a position to say what you feel about another person without pulling your punches. It means that you can tell someone what is wrong with him, his faults, his misdemeanor and, standing your ground. There is another word for it – brutally frank.
People regardless of the culture and traditions they grew up in are likely to change once they step into another environment and are influenced by the culture of the country or places they settle in. And because the primary reason for most of these migration is economic, migrants will certainly also acquire not only the diverse character of the populace they socialize with but also the materialistic nature of the place they have integrated into.
This is why even close family relations these migrants left behind are surprised to find the changes in the nature of their relatives and friends. From being the courteous and likable person they used to know, family and friends will come to grips with persons whom they hardly know, not only because of the long years they haven’t seen them but more so because of the radical makeover in the nature and character of many of these migrants.
But the narrative in today’s Gospel doesn’t speak of Jesus changing his nature but we see him telling the Pharisees with all the frankness at his command what was wrong with them: “You Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.” (v.39) And just to show you how serious he was Jesus even followed this up in with: “You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also?” (v.40)
These are indeed strong words that could only come from Jesus because he knows whereof he stands. It may sound unkind but Jesus may have felt he has no other choice but to stop the Pharisees from institutionalizing their wrong beliefs and interpretation of the Mosaic laws.
This face-off came about when a Pharisee decided to invite Jesus to dinner in his home after listening to his preaching perhaps to hear more from the kind of wisdom that Jesus had that no one else had spoken before.
But as they were to start eating their meal, Jesus did something that was out of the ordinary or to a certain extent a violation of the existing tradition for Jewish priests to perform the ceremonial washing of the hands before a meal. It is also possible that Jesus did it on purpose because he wants to deliver a message to the Pharisees.
This was probably the opening that Jesus was waiting for as he blatantly told the Pharisees that what was important was not the externals but what is inside. It was like Jesus telling the Pharisees and those listening to him of what could be more important, clean hands or a clean heart?
And Jesus went on to say why the Pharisees fill their hearts with greed, arrogance, pride that he likened to the outside of the cup instead of filling the inside or their hearts with love and compassion that will keep out such negative spirits in a person.
Today this challenge remains and the question that we need to ask is how far have we allowed Jesus to transform us. Did we put our old self at the foot of the cross when we were baptized in the Spirit? Or do we still allow our old self to dominate our persona?
In this Gospel, Jesus is inviting us to look into the deepest recesses of our hearts and to gather the courage to remove from our midst the evil spirit that compass us about – greed which provides the window for all the other negative spirits to enter into our hearts.
And greed doesn’t just refer to the insatiable appetite to accumulate material wealth but anything that we crave for regardless of the means by which we acquire it and this could be positions in the workplace, social organization or even in the church for that matter.
To some extent, greed even refers to the way we behave and relate to others by imposing our beliefs, views and, positions that we want others to embrace. In other words, throwing our weight around and thinking highly only of ourselves is a form of greed.
And greed for the most part is often present behind ambition which has influenced even the people of ancient Israel. In what could be a similarity between the then and now, as in the story of Korah who desired the power of the priesthood and Moses saw through this greed for power and position. (Num 16:1-22) Inappropriate ambition is greed in disguise and even today, this greed for power and position have driven people to manipulate situations and even perceptions just so they will get noticed as they weave their way up towards a leadership position.
This was what Jesus wanted to point out because the ceremonial washing of the hands was a practice reserved only for priests in the olden times and need not be observed by the people and Jesus brought to fore the case of the Pharisees who filled themselves with rules and regulations but have no heart for the needs of the poor.
Again, we can see ourselves in this category as Jesus implores us to take stock of ourselves and see what areas in our lives do we need to change that we may not become Pharisaic.
Perhaps we can begin by asking ourselves how we used the resources that God has entrusted to us may these be the materials blessings we have received or the gifts of the Holy Spirit that was poured on us in our baptism in the Holy Spirit or the virtues infused in us when we were confirmed.
More than our diligence in the performance of our functions and responsibilities in our careers, in the social organization or church to which we belong, Jesus puts a premium and importance on how we relate to the poor because the purity of our hearts is measured by our generosity towards those who are poor materially and poor in spirit.
Jesus ends saying: “Give what is inside the dish to the poor and, everything will be clean for you.” (v.41) At the end of the day, we will all be measured not by our speech or the ideas we proposed but by our deeds which should mirror what we say.
JESUS THE ONLY SIGN YOU'LL NEED
OCT. 14, 2013: TWENTY EIGHTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Rom 1:1-7
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:1-4 “The Lord has made know his salvation”
GOSPEL: LK 11:29-32
Key Verse: “This is a wicked generation,
it asks for a sign…” (v.29)
Notwithstanding the many instances of healings, of the dead rising again and, of people freed from demon-possession, the religious leaders and some of the Jews in the early days kept pressing on Jesus to give them a sign to support his claim that he was indeed the Son of God.
And this unbelief was what moved Jesus to say what a wicked generation it was that the Jews kept asking for a sign that hides their real intent which was they just couldn’t accept that Jesus to be the Son of God because the Jews were expecting someone more than just a carpenter’s son to save and liberate them.
But instead of providing them with a sign which was yet to come and which was going to be biggest sign the world will ever see, Jesus brought those listening to him to the events of the past when the people of Nineveh repented after they heard Jonah preached to them (v.30) even if Jonah resented it for he was biased against the Ninevites.
Jesus also refreshed their memories to the events surrounding the Queen of Sheba who praised God whom she recognized after she heard Solomon speaking words of wisdom despite the fact that Solomon had many faults of his own.
What Jesus was trying to emphasize to the Jews was the irony behind these two events in the Old Testament in that God can use even those who are imperfect to bring the message of salvation to the people and that he whom the Jews do not recognize was greater than Jonah or Solomon for that matter.
What Jesus was also pointing out was that the healing, the miracles and deliverance from demon-possession were enough signs of someone greater than Jonah or the wisdom of Solomon but which the religious leaders still refused to acknowledge.
In effect what Jesus was saying in this Gospel was that “I have given you everything. You have seen what I can do. What sign do you still need for you to believe that I am the Messiah?” What he was trying to stress was that the Jews stand to be condemned because they had more privileges than the people of Nineveh or the Queen of Sheba who both repented after they heard the Word of God spoken to them.
And this is what Jesus is also telling our present generation that He has practically given us all the privileges to live our lives as comfortably as we can so that we can find the time to abide by his statutes and yet there are still many in today’s generation who appear to be waiting for a sign before they turn away from their sinfulness.
Compared to the people of Nineveh, to the Queen of Sheba and even to the Jews in the olden times, we all have seen the signs that should make us accept Jesus as the Son of God. The more than 2,000 years following his passion, death and resurrection were filled with accounts of those who were witness to his ministry, to the greatest sign on Calvary, the Pentecost event. All these have been captured in the Scriptures. There also are the messages of Fatima, apparitions in Naju, Akita and Medjugorje that call on the world to be faithful to God.
Our lives are filled with signs and symbols from the moment we wake up in the morning up to when the day comes to an end. We rely on traffic signs to get us to where we want to go. We depend on cloud formation and how the wind blows on our faces to give us a feel of the kind of weather we will be experiencing for the day.
There are some who look to number signs, dates and times or even circumstances to help them in their business decisions. Worst, there are some and I was one of them who place even their future on fortune tellers and ancient methods such as geomancy. I used to believe in feng shui before and I didn’t know that as a Catholic I am not supposed to delve in such practices. When the Lord revealed himself to me through the Marriage Encounter and the Life in the Spirit Seminar, I knew that I have found the only sign that I will ever need in life because Jesus is the only sign who can assure us of our eternal salvation.
Today, the Sacred Scriptures is available to anyone who would devote time to know God – who he is and what he did and what he continues to do for us. No other book in history has survived the test of time, translated into practically all the languages of the world and, used as reference for millions of books that has been printed ever since.
Accounts of healing and even instances when those who have been pronounced as clinically dead but who by the Grace of God miraculously recovered, stood up and lived. How about the many prayers that we uttered and were answered.
Indeed God is the only sign we need and will ever need. What more signs do we need to make us believe and live the kind of life that God wants us to live – an abundant life (Jn 10:10) but a life that is disposed to serving Him by serving our neighbor. The signs are all over our midst and have been available to us to help us increase our faith that we may believe that Jesus is Lord. Our faith is even sustained with the help of new technologies as the Word of God is also now available on cyberspace.
With these privileges to know God more and what he has given us including the material comforts that we now enjoy – jobs, homes, clothes, cars, jewelries and, food on our table – we are now called upon to be responsible for what God has provided for us and we can begin by acknowledging him as the source of all we have (1 Cor 10:26) “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything on it.”
Out of what Our Lord has made available to us, we as Christians especially for disciples must respond to the Lord with complete devotion and setting aside whatever doubt or unbelief we have because “to all who received him, to those who believed in his name he gave the right to become children of God” (Jn 1:12)
And those who will continue and persist in their refusal to accept him as Lord and Savior will be condemned. Let us not miss the opportunity to meet, know and be faithful to someone greater than Jonah or Solomon for there are only two choices in life – it’s either we are for Him or against him. So don’t play games with your life, it’s the only one you’ve got.
1st Reading: Rom 1:1-7
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:1-4 “The Lord has made know his salvation”
GOSPEL: LK 11:29-32
Key Verse: “This is a wicked generation,
it asks for a sign…” (v.29)
Notwithstanding the many instances of healings, of the dead rising again and, of people freed from demon-possession, the religious leaders and some of the Jews in the early days kept pressing on Jesus to give them a sign to support his claim that he was indeed the Son of God.
And this unbelief was what moved Jesus to say what a wicked generation it was that the Jews kept asking for a sign that hides their real intent which was they just couldn’t accept that Jesus to be the Son of God because the Jews were expecting someone more than just a carpenter’s son to save and liberate them.
But instead of providing them with a sign which was yet to come and which was going to be biggest sign the world will ever see, Jesus brought those listening to him to the events of the past when the people of Nineveh repented after they heard Jonah preached to them (v.30) even if Jonah resented it for he was biased against the Ninevites.
Jesus also refreshed their memories to the events surrounding the Queen of Sheba who praised God whom she recognized after she heard Solomon speaking words of wisdom despite the fact that Solomon had many faults of his own.
What Jesus was trying to emphasize to the Jews was the irony behind these two events in the Old Testament in that God can use even those who are imperfect to bring the message of salvation to the people and that he whom the Jews do not recognize was greater than Jonah or Solomon for that matter.
What Jesus was also pointing out was that the healing, the miracles and deliverance from demon-possession were enough signs of someone greater than Jonah or the wisdom of Solomon but which the religious leaders still refused to acknowledge.
In effect what Jesus was saying in this Gospel was that “I have given you everything. You have seen what I can do. What sign do you still need for you to believe that I am the Messiah?” What he was trying to stress was that the Jews stand to be condemned because they had more privileges than the people of Nineveh or the Queen of Sheba who both repented after they heard the Word of God spoken to them.
And this is what Jesus is also telling our present generation that He has practically given us all the privileges to live our lives as comfortably as we can so that we can find the time to abide by his statutes and yet there are still many in today’s generation who appear to be waiting for a sign before they turn away from their sinfulness.
Compared to the people of Nineveh, to the Queen of Sheba and even to the Jews in the olden times, we all have seen the signs that should make us accept Jesus as the Son of God. The more than 2,000 years following his passion, death and resurrection were filled with accounts of those who were witness to his ministry, to the greatest sign on Calvary, the Pentecost event. All these have been captured in the Scriptures. There also are the messages of Fatima, apparitions in Naju, Akita and Medjugorje that call on the world to be faithful to God.
Our lives are filled with signs and symbols from the moment we wake up in the morning up to when the day comes to an end. We rely on traffic signs to get us to where we want to go. We depend on cloud formation and how the wind blows on our faces to give us a feel of the kind of weather we will be experiencing for the day.
There are some who look to number signs, dates and times or even circumstances to help them in their business decisions. Worst, there are some and I was one of them who place even their future on fortune tellers and ancient methods such as geomancy. I used to believe in feng shui before and I didn’t know that as a Catholic I am not supposed to delve in such practices. When the Lord revealed himself to me through the Marriage Encounter and the Life in the Spirit Seminar, I knew that I have found the only sign that I will ever need in life because Jesus is the only sign who can assure us of our eternal salvation.
Today, the Sacred Scriptures is available to anyone who would devote time to know God – who he is and what he did and what he continues to do for us. No other book in history has survived the test of time, translated into practically all the languages of the world and, used as reference for millions of books that has been printed ever since.
Accounts of healing and even instances when those who have been pronounced as clinically dead but who by the Grace of God miraculously recovered, stood up and lived. How about the many prayers that we uttered and were answered.
Indeed God is the only sign we need and will ever need. What more signs do we need to make us believe and live the kind of life that God wants us to live – an abundant life (Jn 10:10) but a life that is disposed to serving Him by serving our neighbor. The signs are all over our midst and have been available to us to help us increase our faith that we may believe that Jesus is Lord. Our faith is even sustained with the help of new technologies as the Word of God is also now available on cyberspace.
With these privileges to know God more and what he has given us including the material comforts that we now enjoy – jobs, homes, clothes, cars, jewelries and, food on our table – we are now called upon to be responsible for what God has provided for us and we can begin by acknowledging him as the source of all we have (1 Cor 10:26) “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything on it.”
Out of what Our Lord has made available to us, we as Christians especially for disciples must respond to the Lord with complete devotion and setting aside whatever doubt or unbelief we have because “to all who received him, to those who believed in his name he gave the right to become children of God” (Jn 1:12)
And those who will continue and persist in their refusal to accept him as Lord and Savior will be condemned. Let us not miss the opportunity to meet, know and be faithful to someone greater than Jonah or Solomon for there are only two choices in life – it’s either we are for Him or against him. So don’t play games with your life, it’s the only one you’ve got.
GRATITUDE IS GRACE EXPRESSED
OCT. 13, 2013: TWENTY EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 2 Kgs 5:14-17
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:1-4 “The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.”
2nd Reading: 2 Tim 2:8-13
GOSPEL: Lk 17:11-19
Key Verse: “your faith has made you well.” (v.19)
What we have today is a moving story that should remind us of our attitude towards God. It teaches us to be always grateful for the blessings we have received especially those that God has poured out on us even if we didn’t ask for it.
God sent his only begotten Son so that whomsoever believe in him will not perish but will have eternal life (Jn 3:16). God need not send his Son but he did and Jesus had to suffer and die on the cross for us – to ransom us from our sinfulness but more so out of his great love for us.
We all know the story. We have heard it many times. Jn 3:16 after all is what is largely known as everybody’s text and we have practically heard countless homilies, sermons and reflections on this but the question is – have we expressed our gratitude to God for all he’s done for us. Do we wake up in the morning and say “Good morning Lord, thank you for this brand new day you’ve given me.” Many of us actually don’t even offer grace before meals anymore.
Such ingratitude to God probably has its roots in the environment we grew up with which is the reason why many of us became adults without realizing there is so much to thank God for in our lives. In fact, even the lives we now have are on account of God’s generosity and we should always consider it a blessing that we still woke up knowing God has given us another day.
Going back to the Gospel passage today, we most certainly will be moved to ask about the nine of the ten lepers in this story. We see Jesus who was practically amazed at the ingratitude of the nine lepers as he asked: “But the other nine, where are they?” (v.17). And so to distinguish the one leper who returned Jesus continued asking: “Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” (v.18).
To get right inside this Gospel passage which does not appear in any of the other gospels, we see Jesus moving on the road between Galilee and Samaria and he was met by ten lepers who stayed at a distance – about 50 yards away – because lepers are considered unclean and are prohibited by Jewish law to get near a clean or healthy person.
We also see in this story that in time of great need even those who are separated by racial prejudice forget that they were Jews and Samaritan and what they only know was that they were in need. In fact, even in this post-modern era one of the factors that draw people together is their common need for God.
What comes as a surprise was that the ten lepers actually did not ask for healing but what they did ask was “pity” as they cried out from a distance: “Jesus, Master, have pity on us.” (v.13) And moved with pity and compassion and without telling them they were healed, Jesus told them to show themselves to the priest (v.14). And you might ask why? It’s because the priests are the one who are to declare them clean and free of leprosy. As they went, they were cleansed.
It is at this point that the drama begins because of the ten lepers only one returned to thank Jesus who called the leper a foreigner (v.18) because he was a Samaritan and that meant that he and Jesus were divided by tradition and cultural differences.
Jesus knew he would again incur the ire of the Pharisees because it was unlawful in those days for a Jew to associate with a Samaritan but Jesus effectively tore down the barrier separating the two tribes when he gave credence to the public confession of gratitude by the Samaritan and rewarding him when he said: “Rise and go, your faith has made you well.” (v.19)
The question now is do we find anything significant in this passage? Aren’t we being reminded of the times we failed to express our gratitude to those who have helped us get over our need in the past? Are we like those who never came back when we got what we wanted?
How about our relationship with our parents? In our growing up years we were totally dependent on our parents for almost everything we need yet there are instances when aging parents have become a nuisance in the lives of many people.
Don’t we also have a debt to pay to friends who may have sympathized with us when we were at the low point of our lives? Perhaps to our teacher who unselfishly imparted his wisdom to us that ensured our future. Or maybe even a priest who has offered us valuable counsel in times we may have reached a dead end.
Aren’t we also ungrateful to God whom we remember and pray to with great intensity during the stormy days in our lives and whom we tend to forget when the dark clouds passed us by. God gave us his only Son and we’ve never even said thank you Lord.
Today, God is reminding us to do what the Samaritan did. He came back and prostrated himself at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. For all the bountiful blessings we have received, God expects us to be grateful and one of the ways we can thank God for what he’s done is for us to start looking for those whom God has richly blessed but who have not
even dared look back much less return.
In this Year of Faith, we have a duty to bring back to God those who are no longer practicing their faith as baptized Catholic Christians. In the words of Pope Benedict XVI: “It was urgent to make Christ known again “where the fire of God” has become mere “embers that need to be rekindled so it can again be a lively flame that gives light and warmth to the entire house.”
Following the Synodal Assembly, the Church is also telling us that the work of the new evangelization consists in presenting once more the beauty and perennial newness of the encounter with Christ to the often distracted and confused heart and mind of the men and women of our time, above all to ourselves. We must also remember that the call to new evangelization is inclusive the aim of which is to bring everyone into the church especially the baptized Catholic Christians but who for some reason are not practicing their faith.
To do this we all must go out and evangelize because it is the duty of everyone who believes that Jesus Christ came, died and rose again from the dead to save us from eternal damnation to bring the Gospel of Christ to the ends of the world. To evangelize is to teach and this is the call to everyone who has ears and not just to a select few.
And in today’s Gospel passage, the Church invites us all to contemplate the face of the Lord Jesus Christ, to enter into the mystery of his existence that was given for us on the cross, reconfirmed in his resurrection from the dead as the Father's gift and imparted to us through the Spirit. In the person of Jesus, the mystery of God the Father's love for the entire human family is revealed. So we must return to the source of all Grace and give him thanks. (By Ed Malay)
1st Reading: 2 Kgs 5:14-17
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:1-4 “The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.”
2nd Reading: 2 Tim 2:8-13
GOSPEL: Lk 17:11-19
Key Verse: “your faith has made you well.” (v.19)
What we have today is a moving story that should remind us of our attitude towards God. It teaches us to be always grateful for the blessings we have received especially those that God has poured out on us even if we didn’t ask for it.
God sent his only begotten Son so that whomsoever believe in him will not perish but will have eternal life (Jn 3:16). God need not send his Son but he did and Jesus had to suffer and die on the cross for us – to ransom us from our sinfulness but more so out of his great love for us.
We all know the story. We have heard it many times. Jn 3:16 after all is what is largely known as everybody’s text and we have practically heard countless homilies, sermons and reflections on this but the question is – have we expressed our gratitude to God for all he’s done for us. Do we wake up in the morning and say “Good morning Lord, thank you for this brand new day you’ve given me.” Many of us actually don’t even offer grace before meals anymore.
Such ingratitude to God probably has its roots in the environment we grew up with which is the reason why many of us became adults without realizing there is so much to thank God for in our lives. In fact, even the lives we now have are on account of God’s generosity and we should always consider it a blessing that we still woke up knowing God has given us another day.
Going back to the Gospel passage today, we most certainly will be moved to ask about the nine of the ten lepers in this story. We see Jesus who was practically amazed at the ingratitude of the nine lepers as he asked: “But the other nine, where are they?” (v.17). And so to distinguish the one leper who returned Jesus continued asking: “Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” (v.18).
To get right inside this Gospel passage which does not appear in any of the other gospels, we see Jesus moving on the road between Galilee and Samaria and he was met by ten lepers who stayed at a distance – about 50 yards away – because lepers are considered unclean and are prohibited by Jewish law to get near a clean or healthy person.
We also see in this story that in time of great need even those who are separated by racial prejudice forget that they were Jews and Samaritan and what they only know was that they were in need. In fact, even in this post-modern era one of the factors that draw people together is their common need for God.
What comes as a surprise was that the ten lepers actually did not ask for healing but what they did ask was “pity” as they cried out from a distance: “Jesus, Master, have pity on us.” (v.13) And moved with pity and compassion and without telling them they were healed, Jesus told them to show themselves to the priest (v.14). And you might ask why? It’s because the priests are the one who are to declare them clean and free of leprosy. As they went, they were cleansed.
It is at this point that the drama begins because of the ten lepers only one returned to thank Jesus who called the leper a foreigner (v.18) because he was a Samaritan and that meant that he and Jesus were divided by tradition and cultural differences.
Jesus knew he would again incur the ire of the Pharisees because it was unlawful in those days for a Jew to associate with a Samaritan but Jesus effectively tore down the barrier separating the two tribes when he gave credence to the public confession of gratitude by the Samaritan and rewarding him when he said: “Rise and go, your faith has made you well.” (v.19)
The question now is do we find anything significant in this passage? Aren’t we being reminded of the times we failed to express our gratitude to those who have helped us get over our need in the past? Are we like those who never came back when we got what we wanted?
How about our relationship with our parents? In our growing up years we were totally dependent on our parents for almost everything we need yet there are instances when aging parents have become a nuisance in the lives of many people.
Don’t we also have a debt to pay to friends who may have sympathized with us when we were at the low point of our lives? Perhaps to our teacher who unselfishly imparted his wisdom to us that ensured our future. Or maybe even a priest who has offered us valuable counsel in times we may have reached a dead end.
Aren’t we also ungrateful to God whom we remember and pray to with great intensity during the stormy days in our lives and whom we tend to forget when the dark clouds passed us by. God gave us his only Son and we’ve never even said thank you Lord.
Today, God is reminding us to do what the Samaritan did. He came back and prostrated himself at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. For all the bountiful blessings we have received, God expects us to be grateful and one of the ways we can thank God for what he’s done is for us to start looking for those whom God has richly blessed but who have not
even dared look back much less return.
In this Year of Faith, we have a duty to bring back to God those who are no longer practicing their faith as baptized Catholic Christians. In the words of Pope Benedict XVI: “It was urgent to make Christ known again “where the fire of God” has become mere “embers that need to be rekindled so it can again be a lively flame that gives light and warmth to the entire house.”
Following the Synodal Assembly, the Church is also telling us that the work of the new evangelization consists in presenting once more the beauty and perennial newness of the encounter with Christ to the often distracted and confused heart and mind of the men and women of our time, above all to ourselves. We must also remember that the call to new evangelization is inclusive the aim of which is to bring everyone into the church especially the baptized Catholic Christians but who for some reason are not practicing their faith.
To do this we all must go out and evangelize because it is the duty of everyone who believes that Jesus Christ came, died and rose again from the dead to save us from eternal damnation to bring the Gospel of Christ to the ends of the world. To evangelize is to teach and this is the call to everyone who has ears and not just to a select few.
And in today’s Gospel passage, the Church invites us all to contemplate the face of the Lord Jesus Christ, to enter into the mystery of his existence that was given for us on the cross, reconfirmed in his resurrection from the dead as the Father's gift and imparted to us through the Spirit. In the person of Jesus, the mystery of God the Father's love for the entire human family is revealed. So we must return to the source of all Grace and give him thanks. (By Ed Malay)
BLESSED ARE THE OBEDIENT
OCT. 12, 2013: TWENTY SEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Joel 4:12-21
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 97: 1-2, 5-6, 11-12: “Rejoice in the Lord, you just”
GOSPEL: LK 11:27-28
Key Verse: “Blessed are those who hear
the Word of God and obey it.” (v.28)
While Jesus was explaining to the crowd that men have to fill their hearts with all that is good to keep the evil spirits out, a woman from among the crowd said “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.” (v.27)
If this happened to us and somebody tells us how good our mother is, the natural tendency is for us to accept the compliment and feel elated that someone recognizes what our mother did for us.
We will definitely carry such compliment with us because it is reflective of what we have become on account of our mother’s labor and the more we become appreciative of the toil our mother have to experience to raise us.
But Jesus was not drawn to such praises even if it was directed towards his own mother and his response was something that we need to ponder on in relation to the teaching that lie hidden in the parable in the previous Gospel passage.
His response has all the makings of an admonition for all of us because it gives us a purview of what we can expect if we are to follow not only his teachings but more so the very Word of God (v.28). Because as far as Jesus was concerned he regards obedience as a virtue with a higher value than anything else and this was evident in his response: “Blessed rather are those who hear the Word of God and obey it.” (v.28)
What Jesus was saying was that he already knew his mother was blessed but not because of the way she raised him up but because of her obedience to what the Lord told her to do: “I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as you have said.” (Lk 1:38)
The key to our being blessed therefore is the level of obedience that we have in relation to how the Word of God rests in our ears. Hence, it can be said that if we hear the Word of God being spoken to us and not do anything about it, we can expect nothing from our God.
Like Mary his mother, Jesus is telling us in this Gospel passage, short it may be, that we too stand to be blessed by God if we will only listen and obey what God wills.
As with the other gifts that God gives his people, to be blessed is premised on our disposition to share this same blessing to others. Mary obeyed when she heard the Word of God being said to her by the angel Gabriel and she responded positively and obeyed and she was blessed with the opportunity to carry in her womb the Lamb of God who will become the Savior of the world.
Mary was blessed and in turn she shared this blessing to others and not for once did Mary held back. She could have but she didn’t because she knew that this was part of the plan of God to bless the world.
Jesus in this Gospel is telling us that we have no choice but to listen and obey God through his written Word of God because we were created to be united with God. Our Lord is actually telling us that those who follow Jesus Christ and whose lives conform to the Will of God become part of God’s own family. This is the blessing that we will receive that we also are required to share with others.
At the celebration of the Holy Eucharist of the BLD Manila District last Wednesday (Oct. 9, 2013), I presided, in my capacity as Presiding Servant Leader of Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community, to witness the sealing of the covenant of 33 disciples of BLD Manila. These 33 disciples went through a rigorous discipling program and they perfectly understood the meaning of the covenant they entered into with God.
I have seen how these 33 disciples grew in the Community having facilitated many of their teachings in the 3-1/2 years of their formation program and I am equally blessed to be a witness to their enthusiasm in responding to the call of God for them to serve in his vineyard.
These 33 disciples heard the Word of God, listened to the teachings of Jesus and have obeyed as they responded to his call and now they have been blessed as they sealed their covenants with the Lord. Indeed, those who heard and obeyed will be more blessed than those who heard and did nothing about it.
I remember a time when I was growing up in the Community when I somewhat got tired as I experienced what is commonly referred to as spiritual burnout. This happens when we are not aware of the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives because it is actually the Holy Spirit that propels us to do and understand things beyond our imagination.
I filed a leave and from the Teaching Ministry and while I attended the Corporate Worship regularly, I did not accept assignments unaware that our spiritual muscles are actually being developed in the mission field. One time while I was reading my Bible, the Holy Spirit led me to Paul’s letter and I almost fell off my chair when I started reading the passage which says: “Do everything without complaining or grumbling.” (Phi 2:14)
I cut short my leave and I went back to serving the Community and for the past 24 years I have never grown tired, complained or grumbled and I accepted every assignment anywhere, whenever and wherever even if I am inconvenienced. I heard and I obeyed and I have been blessed and continue to be blessed.
Obedience is a very important component of the salvation that God is offering to us and obeying God is in our best interest. God has called on us to keep his commands and he assures us that his laws are not hidden from us or beyond the reach of our human understanding.
And if we are to apply this virtue in the context of the church, obedience should not be directed only at the source of Grace but also to those who exercise pastoral authority over us in the church ministry or community that we belong to.
It would be the height of hypocrisy to say we obey God and yet not obey those who represent his authority on the ground where we operate. Worst is when the leaders themselves become the source of disunity and discord on account of their disobedient nature towards their pastoral heads especially when these leaders have become bigger than the God they serve without their knowing it.
When faced with doubt or uncertainty, the best way to get back on track is to reflect on the assurance of Jesus Christ when he said: “Blessed rather are those who hear the Word of God and obey it.” (v.28) To be blessed gives us the inspiration to do even more and Jesus again assures us that “those who teach God’s laws and obey them shall be great in the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Mt 5:19)
Certainly the reward for obedience far outweighs the difficulties we may face in doing so but the most difficult part of obeying God’s laws is simply deciding to start now.
1st Reading: Joel 4:12-21
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 97: 1-2, 5-6, 11-12: “Rejoice in the Lord, you just”
GOSPEL: LK 11:27-28
Key Verse: “Blessed are those who hear
the Word of God and obey it.” (v.28)
While Jesus was explaining to the crowd that men have to fill their hearts with all that is good to keep the evil spirits out, a woman from among the crowd said “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.” (v.27)
If this happened to us and somebody tells us how good our mother is, the natural tendency is for us to accept the compliment and feel elated that someone recognizes what our mother did for us.
We will definitely carry such compliment with us because it is reflective of what we have become on account of our mother’s labor and the more we become appreciative of the toil our mother have to experience to raise us.
But Jesus was not drawn to such praises even if it was directed towards his own mother and his response was something that we need to ponder on in relation to the teaching that lie hidden in the parable in the previous Gospel passage.
His response has all the makings of an admonition for all of us because it gives us a purview of what we can expect if we are to follow not only his teachings but more so the very Word of God (v.28). Because as far as Jesus was concerned he regards obedience as a virtue with a higher value than anything else and this was evident in his response: “Blessed rather are those who hear the Word of God and obey it.” (v.28)
What Jesus was saying was that he already knew his mother was blessed but not because of the way she raised him up but because of her obedience to what the Lord told her to do: “I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as you have said.” (Lk 1:38)
The key to our being blessed therefore is the level of obedience that we have in relation to how the Word of God rests in our ears. Hence, it can be said that if we hear the Word of God being spoken to us and not do anything about it, we can expect nothing from our God.
Like Mary his mother, Jesus is telling us in this Gospel passage, short it may be, that we too stand to be blessed by God if we will only listen and obey what God wills.
As with the other gifts that God gives his people, to be blessed is premised on our disposition to share this same blessing to others. Mary obeyed when she heard the Word of God being said to her by the angel Gabriel and she responded positively and obeyed and she was blessed with the opportunity to carry in her womb the Lamb of God who will become the Savior of the world.
Mary was blessed and in turn she shared this blessing to others and not for once did Mary held back. She could have but she didn’t because she knew that this was part of the plan of God to bless the world.
Jesus in this Gospel is telling us that we have no choice but to listen and obey God through his written Word of God because we were created to be united with God. Our Lord is actually telling us that those who follow Jesus Christ and whose lives conform to the Will of God become part of God’s own family. This is the blessing that we will receive that we also are required to share with others.
At the celebration of the Holy Eucharist of the BLD Manila District last Wednesday (Oct. 9, 2013), I presided, in my capacity as Presiding Servant Leader of Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community, to witness the sealing of the covenant of 33 disciples of BLD Manila. These 33 disciples went through a rigorous discipling program and they perfectly understood the meaning of the covenant they entered into with God.
I have seen how these 33 disciples grew in the Community having facilitated many of their teachings in the 3-1/2 years of their formation program and I am equally blessed to be a witness to their enthusiasm in responding to the call of God for them to serve in his vineyard.
These 33 disciples heard the Word of God, listened to the teachings of Jesus and have obeyed as they responded to his call and now they have been blessed as they sealed their covenants with the Lord. Indeed, those who heard and obeyed will be more blessed than those who heard and did nothing about it.
I remember a time when I was growing up in the Community when I somewhat got tired as I experienced what is commonly referred to as spiritual burnout. This happens when we are not aware of the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives because it is actually the Holy Spirit that propels us to do and understand things beyond our imagination.
I filed a leave and from the Teaching Ministry and while I attended the Corporate Worship regularly, I did not accept assignments unaware that our spiritual muscles are actually being developed in the mission field. One time while I was reading my Bible, the Holy Spirit led me to Paul’s letter and I almost fell off my chair when I started reading the passage which says: “Do everything without complaining or grumbling.” (Phi 2:14)
I cut short my leave and I went back to serving the Community and for the past 24 years I have never grown tired, complained or grumbled and I accepted every assignment anywhere, whenever and wherever even if I am inconvenienced. I heard and I obeyed and I have been blessed and continue to be blessed.
Obedience is a very important component of the salvation that God is offering to us and obeying God is in our best interest. God has called on us to keep his commands and he assures us that his laws are not hidden from us or beyond the reach of our human understanding.
And if we are to apply this virtue in the context of the church, obedience should not be directed only at the source of Grace but also to those who exercise pastoral authority over us in the church ministry or community that we belong to.
It would be the height of hypocrisy to say we obey God and yet not obey those who represent his authority on the ground where we operate. Worst is when the leaders themselves become the source of disunity and discord on account of their disobedient nature towards their pastoral heads especially when these leaders have become bigger than the God they serve without their knowing it.
When faced with doubt or uncertainty, the best way to get back on track is to reflect on the assurance of Jesus Christ when he said: “Blessed rather are those who hear the Word of God and obey it.” (v.28) To be blessed gives us the inspiration to do even more and Jesus again assures us that “those who teach God’s laws and obey them shall be great in the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Mt 5:19)
Certainly the reward for obedience far outweighs the difficulties we may face in doing so but the most difficult part of obeying God’s laws is simply deciding to start now.
KNOW THERE IS AN UNPARDONABLE SIN
OCT. 11, 2013: TWENTY SEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Joel 1:13-15; 2:1-2
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 9:2-3, 6, 16, 8-9 “The Lord will judge the world with justice.”
GOSPEL: LK 11:15-26
Key Verse: “He who is not with me is against me,” (v.23)
Like the Pharisees of old, we could be committing the so-called unforgiveable sin when we dishonor God not only by our actions that are incompatible with the Christian standard but also out of the blasphemous words that come out of our lips.
And we will most certainly ask how come there is an unforgiveable sin when God is known to be a forgiving God. The truth is there exists an unforgiveable sin and the Pharisees may have committed it without their knowing it when they attributed the healing miracles of Jesus to Beelzebub, the prince of demons (v.15-16). A similar event reported by Mark quoted Jesus describing this claim of the Pharisees as blaspheming the Holy Spirit (Mk 3:29).
To blaspheme is "to speak reproachfully, revile, calumniate, cuss, and or use foul language." Thus, to speak ill of the Holy Spirit who empowers Jesus to heal the mute (v.14) was a grievous sin because it was tantamount to calling the Holy Spirit a demon. Hence, when the Pharisees ascribed the miracles of Jesus to the prince of demon, they denied that Jesus was truly from God thus divesting themselves of any hope of forgiveness that comes only through Jesus.
To help you understand what this unpardonable sin is all about, let me fill you in on what the Church teaches about this matter and we’d better know this because we could be committing some of these sins and not know that we are already being cut off from the grace of God.
What this gospel reading was pointing to pertains to what is referred to as the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit or the “deliberate refusal” to accept God’s mercy and forgiveness (CCC 1864) and there are six types of this sin which we take for granted: (1) Despair; (2) Presumption; (3) Impenitence or a firm determination not to repent; (4) Obstinacy; (5) Resisting divine truth known to be such; and (6) Envy of another’s welfare or good. Now let me run you through what each one means.
Despair is regarded as a sin because a person who is in such a state gives up hope for his personal salvation from God (CCC 2091) and this is opposed to the theological virtue of hope, which is, in part, a reliance on the Grace of the Holy Spirit (CCC 1817). Presumption is also a sin against the Holy Spirit because a person should never presume that he can save himself apart from the grace of the Holy Spirit or that God will save him without conversion CCC 2092).
Impenitence is considered a sin because it prevents the Holy Spirit in leading us to conversion and repentance (CCC 1430-33). Obstinacy is similar to impenitence, because an impenitent person not only resists the grace of the Holy Spirit, but he knowingly persists in committing a grievous sin.
Resisting divine truth is the act of resisting what has been revealed by the Holy Spirit that is necessary to shape our divinity and our Christian faith. An example of this is heresy which separates a heretic from God (CCC 2089). And perhaps a sin that we normally shun as unimportant is Envy because it was because of the envious nature of Satan that sin and death had entered the world (CCC 2538). Envy is an act of desiring that which belongs to another and this puts the person on the same level of Satan who wanted God’s glory for Himself rather than humbly accepting the gifts God had given him (Ezek. 28:11-19).
What the Pharisees did in this gospel passage could be summed up in what Matt 12:32 says: “but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.” So the question now is how are we going to reconcile this passage with what we have been taught about the Father’s infinite love and mercy “that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (Jn 3:16).
We can find the answer from a commentary by Blessed John Paul II on the Scriptural prohibition of blaspheming against the Holy Spirit: “According to such an exegesis, 'blasphemy' does not properly consist in offending against the Holy Spirit in words; it consists rather in the refusal to accept the salvation which God offers to man through the Holy Spirit, working through the power of the Cross” (Dominum et Vivificantem, Encyclical Letter on the Holy Spirit, no. 46).
Thus, we can deduce from this commentary that there actually is no limit to the mercy of God but anyone who deliberately and with willful intent refuse the accept God’s mercy through repentance is actually guilty of rejecting the forgiveness of his sins as well as the salvation offered by God through the Holy Spirit. This hardness of heart is what will lead an impenitent person to eternal loss and damnation (CCC 1864.)
And when Jesus told the Pharisees: “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters” (v.23) He was simply making it clear and he is also telling us now that we cannot be neutral in our ways. It’s either we are on the side of Jesus or we are not, it’s as simple as that because there are only two choices we have. Do we want to enter the kingdom of God or do we want to remain in the kingdom of darkness. There are no ifs and buts when it comes to our salvation.
As we celebrate the Year of the Faith (Oct. 2012 – Nov. 2013), let us make it a habit to spend a few moments reading the Holy Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church and God Himself assures us that it will be a time well spent.
We should look at the Bible as our personal manual of operations that teaches us how to remain on the road leading to the kingdom of God. To disobey these sacred instructions from God, we open ourselves to the influence of the evil one whose main objective is to separate us from the Grace of God. This is why Jesus must fill our souls and he will provide us the strength to resist the evil one.
What then is the best protection that brings lasting security to our lives? Scripture tells us that true peace and security come to those who trust in God and obey his Word. "Obey my voice and walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you" (Jer 7:23). The struggle between choosing to do good or evil, yielding to our will or God's will, God's way or our way, cannot be won by human strength or will-power alone.
Our enemy conspires with the world and our flesh to lead us into sinful desires. Peter the Apostle tells us that the devil prowls the earth seeking the ruin of souls (1 Peter 5:8-9). In this light, God Himself offers us Grace and protection if we are willing to obey his Word and resist the devil. “Because you have made the Lord your refuge, the Most High your habitation, no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent. For he will give his angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways.” (Psa 91:9-11)
1st Reading: Joel 1:13-15; 2:1-2
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 9:2-3, 6, 16, 8-9 “The Lord will judge the world with justice.”
GOSPEL: LK 11:15-26
Key Verse: “He who is not with me is against me,” (v.23)
Like the Pharisees of old, we could be committing the so-called unforgiveable sin when we dishonor God not only by our actions that are incompatible with the Christian standard but also out of the blasphemous words that come out of our lips.
And we will most certainly ask how come there is an unforgiveable sin when God is known to be a forgiving God. The truth is there exists an unforgiveable sin and the Pharisees may have committed it without their knowing it when they attributed the healing miracles of Jesus to Beelzebub, the prince of demons (v.15-16). A similar event reported by Mark quoted Jesus describing this claim of the Pharisees as blaspheming the Holy Spirit (Mk 3:29).
To blaspheme is "to speak reproachfully, revile, calumniate, cuss, and or use foul language." Thus, to speak ill of the Holy Spirit who empowers Jesus to heal the mute (v.14) was a grievous sin because it was tantamount to calling the Holy Spirit a demon. Hence, when the Pharisees ascribed the miracles of Jesus to the prince of demon, they denied that Jesus was truly from God thus divesting themselves of any hope of forgiveness that comes only through Jesus.
To help you understand what this unpardonable sin is all about, let me fill you in on what the Church teaches about this matter and we’d better know this because we could be committing some of these sins and not know that we are already being cut off from the grace of God.
What this gospel reading was pointing to pertains to what is referred to as the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit or the “deliberate refusal” to accept God’s mercy and forgiveness (CCC 1864) and there are six types of this sin which we take for granted: (1) Despair; (2) Presumption; (3) Impenitence or a firm determination not to repent; (4) Obstinacy; (5) Resisting divine truth known to be such; and (6) Envy of another’s welfare or good. Now let me run you through what each one means.
Despair is regarded as a sin because a person who is in such a state gives up hope for his personal salvation from God (CCC 2091) and this is opposed to the theological virtue of hope, which is, in part, a reliance on the Grace of the Holy Spirit (CCC 1817). Presumption is also a sin against the Holy Spirit because a person should never presume that he can save himself apart from the grace of the Holy Spirit or that God will save him without conversion CCC 2092).
Impenitence is considered a sin because it prevents the Holy Spirit in leading us to conversion and repentance (CCC 1430-33). Obstinacy is similar to impenitence, because an impenitent person not only resists the grace of the Holy Spirit, but he knowingly persists in committing a grievous sin.
Resisting divine truth is the act of resisting what has been revealed by the Holy Spirit that is necessary to shape our divinity and our Christian faith. An example of this is heresy which separates a heretic from God (CCC 2089). And perhaps a sin that we normally shun as unimportant is Envy because it was because of the envious nature of Satan that sin and death had entered the world (CCC 2538). Envy is an act of desiring that which belongs to another and this puts the person on the same level of Satan who wanted God’s glory for Himself rather than humbly accepting the gifts God had given him (Ezek. 28:11-19).
What the Pharisees did in this gospel passage could be summed up in what Matt 12:32 says: “but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.” So the question now is how are we going to reconcile this passage with what we have been taught about the Father’s infinite love and mercy “that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (Jn 3:16).
We can find the answer from a commentary by Blessed John Paul II on the Scriptural prohibition of blaspheming against the Holy Spirit: “According to such an exegesis, 'blasphemy' does not properly consist in offending against the Holy Spirit in words; it consists rather in the refusal to accept the salvation which God offers to man through the Holy Spirit, working through the power of the Cross” (Dominum et Vivificantem, Encyclical Letter on the Holy Spirit, no. 46).
Thus, we can deduce from this commentary that there actually is no limit to the mercy of God but anyone who deliberately and with willful intent refuse the accept God’s mercy through repentance is actually guilty of rejecting the forgiveness of his sins as well as the salvation offered by God through the Holy Spirit. This hardness of heart is what will lead an impenitent person to eternal loss and damnation (CCC 1864.)
And when Jesus told the Pharisees: “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters” (v.23) He was simply making it clear and he is also telling us now that we cannot be neutral in our ways. It’s either we are on the side of Jesus or we are not, it’s as simple as that because there are only two choices we have. Do we want to enter the kingdom of God or do we want to remain in the kingdom of darkness. There are no ifs and buts when it comes to our salvation.
As we celebrate the Year of the Faith (Oct. 2012 – Nov. 2013), let us make it a habit to spend a few moments reading the Holy Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church and God Himself assures us that it will be a time well spent.
We should look at the Bible as our personal manual of operations that teaches us how to remain on the road leading to the kingdom of God. To disobey these sacred instructions from God, we open ourselves to the influence of the evil one whose main objective is to separate us from the Grace of God. This is why Jesus must fill our souls and he will provide us the strength to resist the evil one.
What then is the best protection that brings lasting security to our lives? Scripture tells us that true peace and security come to those who trust in God and obey his Word. "Obey my voice and walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you" (Jer 7:23). The struggle between choosing to do good or evil, yielding to our will or God's will, God's way or our way, cannot be won by human strength or will-power alone.
Our enemy conspires with the world and our flesh to lead us into sinful desires. Peter the Apostle tells us that the devil prowls the earth seeking the ruin of souls (1 Peter 5:8-9). In this light, God Himself offers us Grace and protection if we are willing to obey his Word and resist the devil. “Because you have made the Lord your refuge, the Most High your habitation, no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent. For he will give his angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways.” (Psa 91:9-11)
BE PERSISTENT IN PRAYER
OCT. 10, 2013: TWENTY SEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Mal 3:13-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 1:1-4, 6 “Blessed are they who hope in the Lord”
GOSPEL: LK 11:5-13
Key Verse: “how much more will your Father in heaven give
the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
The Webster Dictionary defines persistence in many ways and among these are perseverance, constancy, staying power, pertinacity, tenacity, tenaciousness, doggedness, indefatigability, boldness and relentless. There are other words related to persistence but what are enumerated here more or less provides us an idea of what persistence means.
Of these words, I particularly like tenaciousness, doggedness, boldness and relentless since these words aptly describe the action of the man in this parable who went to his friend and neighbor to ask for bread in the middle of the night because a friend of his who was on a journey stopped over his house and he was caught unprepared.
We need to gloss on the culture of the people at the time so that we can at least grasp the scenario in this parable. Many travelers in those days travel at night to avoid the day’s hot temperature and this particular traveler went to the man’s house because the man was his friend and he knew perfectly well that he would not be refused.
The man was embarrassed because he had ran out of bread and so he, in turn, mustered all the tenacity that he could to knock and wake up his neighbor to ask for bread. Tradition has it that bread which is the primary staple of the Jews in those days was baked at home but households would normally bake just enough for the needs of the family for the day.
The family of the neighbor was already asleep and he didn’t want to open his door lest the commotion wake up his family but there were two compelling reasons why he did open his door and give the man the bread he was asking for.
One is because of the “shameless persistence” (v.8) of the man. The other reason is that hospitality was a sacred duty at that time and to refuse to give bread to a neighbor in need would bring shame because it was a sign of inhospitality and the neighbor couldn’t risk being labeled as inhospitable especially to a friend who had a valid reason for waking him up even in the dead of the night.
Which is why this parable is not just about persistent prayer which is our common understanding of this parable but this Gospel is also about us particularly in the way we relate to our neighbor and we might again ask “who is my neighbor?” Well, anyone who is in need is our neighbor and in this parable the man who was traveling and who dropped in unannounced definitely fell into the category of what a neighbor was.
I am sure that there are some of you who was like the neighbor who at first refused to get up and open his door. There were times before in my life when I also acted in the same way when I refused to help even a friend who would pop out from nowhere and especially if they would come when I am in a bad mood.
What this parable is telling us is that generosity knows no bounds and, similar to the tradition of the Jews we are obliged to be hospitable and help our friends and neighbors when they come to us for help even if they come at a most inopportune time which means we are not to refuse anyone who will ask us for help. In other words, we are to be ready to help 24/7.
Such generosity on our part finds a model in the magnanimity of Our Lord Jesus Christ who “if we believe you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” (Matt 21:22) And in this parable, Jesus provides us with three types of cause and effect when he said in v.9 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
Ask, seek and knock are the causes which means these are the three things that we need to do to find answers to our prayers. And Jesus assures us he will grant whatever we ask in faith and in this parable he shows us the effect or the result when he said: it will be given us if we ask, we will find if we will only seek, and the door will be opened and all we have to do is knock.
This parable shows that if the boldness of the man could propel his neighbor “to get up and give him as much as he needs,” (v.8) how much more hospitable can God be who is sure to give us what we need. And in these times when we are still coping with the effects of the stroke that my spouse suffered last month, we need to be persistent in our prayers hoping that our God will look kindly and restore Malou to wholeness. From the time Malou was discharged from the hospital her condition has improved tremendously and I am sure that God was with her in each passing day.
But such generosity on the part of God is conditioned on the level of trust and confidence that we have in God. And in this parable, God raised the bar even higher because what he is prepared to give us is none other than the Holy Spirit who will not only shower us with his many different gifts but will “…help us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will" Romans 8:26-27 (NIV); CCC741
The Spirit is the Father's very best gift. It is the gift of Himself to dwell with us and within us forever. The Catechism of the Catholic Church also states in CCC2652 that “The Holy Spirit is the living water welling up to eternal life in the heart that prays. It is he who teaches us to accept it at its source: Christ. Indeed in the Christian life there are several wellsprings where Christ awaits us to enable us to drink of the Holy Spirit.”
1st Reading: Mal 3:13-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 1:1-4, 6 “Blessed are they who hope in the Lord”
GOSPEL: LK 11:5-13
Key Verse: “how much more will your Father in heaven give
the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
The Webster Dictionary defines persistence in many ways and among these are perseverance, constancy, staying power, pertinacity, tenacity, tenaciousness, doggedness, indefatigability, boldness and relentless. There are other words related to persistence but what are enumerated here more or less provides us an idea of what persistence means.
Of these words, I particularly like tenaciousness, doggedness, boldness and relentless since these words aptly describe the action of the man in this parable who went to his friend and neighbor to ask for bread in the middle of the night because a friend of his who was on a journey stopped over his house and he was caught unprepared.
We need to gloss on the culture of the people at the time so that we can at least grasp the scenario in this parable. Many travelers in those days travel at night to avoid the day’s hot temperature and this particular traveler went to the man’s house because the man was his friend and he knew perfectly well that he would not be refused.
The man was embarrassed because he had ran out of bread and so he, in turn, mustered all the tenacity that he could to knock and wake up his neighbor to ask for bread. Tradition has it that bread which is the primary staple of the Jews in those days was baked at home but households would normally bake just enough for the needs of the family for the day.
The family of the neighbor was already asleep and he didn’t want to open his door lest the commotion wake up his family but there were two compelling reasons why he did open his door and give the man the bread he was asking for.
One is because of the “shameless persistence” (v.8) of the man. The other reason is that hospitality was a sacred duty at that time and to refuse to give bread to a neighbor in need would bring shame because it was a sign of inhospitality and the neighbor couldn’t risk being labeled as inhospitable especially to a friend who had a valid reason for waking him up even in the dead of the night.
Which is why this parable is not just about persistent prayer which is our common understanding of this parable but this Gospel is also about us particularly in the way we relate to our neighbor and we might again ask “who is my neighbor?” Well, anyone who is in need is our neighbor and in this parable the man who was traveling and who dropped in unannounced definitely fell into the category of what a neighbor was.
I am sure that there are some of you who was like the neighbor who at first refused to get up and open his door. There were times before in my life when I also acted in the same way when I refused to help even a friend who would pop out from nowhere and especially if they would come when I am in a bad mood.
What this parable is telling us is that generosity knows no bounds and, similar to the tradition of the Jews we are obliged to be hospitable and help our friends and neighbors when they come to us for help even if they come at a most inopportune time which means we are not to refuse anyone who will ask us for help. In other words, we are to be ready to help 24/7.
Such generosity on our part finds a model in the magnanimity of Our Lord Jesus Christ who “if we believe you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” (Matt 21:22) And in this parable, Jesus provides us with three types of cause and effect when he said in v.9 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
Ask, seek and knock are the causes which means these are the three things that we need to do to find answers to our prayers. And Jesus assures us he will grant whatever we ask in faith and in this parable he shows us the effect or the result when he said: it will be given us if we ask, we will find if we will only seek, and the door will be opened and all we have to do is knock.
This parable shows that if the boldness of the man could propel his neighbor “to get up and give him as much as he needs,” (v.8) how much more hospitable can God be who is sure to give us what we need. And in these times when we are still coping with the effects of the stroke that my spouse suffered last month, we need to be persistent in our prayers hoping that our God will look kindly and restore Malou to wholeness. From the time Malou was discharged from the hospital her condition has improved tremendously and I am sure that God was with her in each passing day.
But such generosity on the part of God is conditioned on the level of trust and confidence that we have in God. And in this parable, God raised the bar even higher because what he is prepared to give us is none other than the Holy Spirit who will not only shower us with his many different gifts but will “…help us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will" Romans 8:26-27 (NIV); CCC741
The Spirit is the Father's very best gift. It is the gift of Himself to dwell with us and within us forever. The Catechism of the Catholic Church also states in CCC2652 that “The Holy Spirit is the living water welling up to eternal life in the heart that prays. It is he who teaches us to accept it at its source: Christ. Indeed in the Christian life there are several wellsprings where Christ awaits us to enable us to drink of the Holy Spirit.”
PRAYER BRINGS US INTO GOD'S PRESENCE
OCT. 9, 2013: TWENTY SEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Jon 4:1-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 86:3-6, 9-10 “Lord, you are merciful and gracious”
GOSPEL: LK 11:1-4
Key Verse: “Lord, teach us to pray” (v.1)
This gospel reading may just be a short four-verse teaching of Jesus on prayer but its importance cannot be overemphasized as prayer can be likened to a key that unlocks the heart of God.
We can actually spend a lifetime talking about prayer and not see the end of it. Why? Because prayer is at the heart of every Christian and no disciple can ever expect to go through life without prayer. As Mary found the “one thing that is needed” when she sat at the feet of Jesus, prayer is also the “one thing” that we will all need to get connected with Our God.
In today’s Gospel Jesus was again praying in a certain place as he normally does after a hectic day and before he rests for the night wherever that might be. If Jesus and his disciples will spend the night before reaching the next town, he would find a secluded place and there pray. If he happened to be in whatever town he was teaching, Jesus would always find a place to pray.
When Jesus stopped praying, one of his disciples said: “Lord teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.” (v.1) This disciple definitely knew what he was saying because it was customary for Rabbis to teach their disciples even a simple prayer and John the Baptist had done this for his disciples.
But this time, the disciple did not just want to know how to pray because his request to Jesus was interpreted by many religious scholars as a desire to pray like Jesus because the disciples see a connectedness to God in the way Jesus prays.
This is the whole point of this Gospel today because prayer is our lifeline to God. Prayer establishes a connection with God and it’s like there is an imaginary path that we can tread leading to the Kingdom of God. Prayer is in fact entering into a conversation with God.
As when we are in a conversation with someone, like a relative, a good friend and, a loved for that matter, there is in us a tendency to forget everything else as we seem oblivious to what is going on around us and this is what we should do when we talk to God.
As prayer is an elevation of our hearts to God, we must find a way that will allow us to direct all the powers of our soul to God. The mere thought of God is not a prayer because the devil also think of God but they do not pray to Him. So when we pray, we must use our understanding because we must think of Him in prayer. We must use our memory because we must forget our worldly concerns and, we are to use our affections because we must take delight in Him when we pray.
Though Luke has a shorter version of the Lord’s Prayer compared to that of Matthew (Mt 6:9-13), it is by no means insignificant as we should not be so concerned as to which of the two versions is right. The Lord’s Prayer (Our Father) has been described by the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC2761) as the “summary of the whole Gospel.”
In today’s Gospel, Jesus said: “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.” (v.2) CCC2787 also says that: “when we say ‘Our Father’ we recognize first that all his promises of love announced by the prophets are fulfilled in the new and eternal covenant in his Christ: we have become “his” people and he is henceforth “our” God. This new relationship is the purely gratuitous gift of belonging to each other: we are to respond to “grace and truth” given us in Jesus Christ with love and faithfulness.”
Thus, St. John Chrysostom said that “to be permitted to talk with his Creator and hold familiar intercourse with Him, is the greatest honor and privilege mortal man can enjoy.”
While there is also no doubt that we can obtain all things from God through prayer, we must also be resigned to God’s will: “Not my will, but yours be done.” (Lk 22:42) We must all remember that our prayers are never in vain but the time and manner of its fulfillment lie in the hands of God which means that everything depends upon the will of God.
And when Jesus taught his disciples how to pray, he made forgiveness as the cornerstone of their relationship with God. As God has forgiven our sins, we too are also obliged to forgive those who may have wronged us without conditions. To persist in unforgiveness only shows that we do not understand that we ourselves need to be forgiven.
It is by means of prayer that sinners can become saints because prayer earns for sinners the graces of contrition and amendment and, prayer enables the just to continue in a state of grace because prayer is a safeguard against temptation and sin. Prayer is actually an antidote to the poison of temptation.
As St. Alphonsus once said: “The souls in heaven are there because they have prayed well; the condemned are in hell because they have not prayed.” Thus, failure to pray is the first step to unbelief and, eventually to hell. “Prayer is the one thing that men have in common with angels.” (St. John Chrysostom) and prayer unites the created with His Creator.
The Lord’s Prayer which Jesus taught to his disciples is the simplest of all prayers yet rich in meaning. It is so simple that a child’s lips can recite it with devotion and yet, theologians have never stopped searching for the depth of its meaning since time immemorial.
The Lord’s Prayer also unites all men because it is a prayer that can be availed of by all regardless of race, color or creed. In it we ask for all things that we need for our soul and body as it teaches us what we need to ask and the proper way of asking them.
CCC2761 says the Lord’s Prayer is the foundation on which all other desires of the heart is rooted. Such is the importance and significance of this prayer and we can only thank Our Lord Jesus Christ for teaching us how to pray this prayer.
There will be some who will struggle in their prayer life, but we all must persevere in this regard because prayer is an opportunity to bring our will into line with God’s plan. We can draw from the exchange that Abraham had with God with regards to God’s plan to destroy Sodom and it was because of Abraham’s persistence that God relented and spared Sodom his wrath.
This is the same with us. There is no doubt that God will answer our prayers. As to when, it is God who will determine that but we should not stop praying to God because it is an opportunity to demonstrate not only our trust and dependence in Him but more importantly it restores our relationship with God.
1st Reading: Jon 4:1-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 86:3-6, 9-10 “Lord, you are merciful and gracious”
GOSPEL: LK 11:1-4
Key Verse: “Lord, teach us to pray” (v.1)
This gospel reading may just be a short four-verse teaching of Jesus on prayer but its importance cannot be overemphasized as prayer can be likened to a key that unlocks the heart of God.
We can actually spend a lifetime talking about prayer and not see the end of it. Why? Because prayer is at the heart of every Christian and no disciple can ever expect to go through life without prayer. As Mary found the “one thing that is needed” when she sat at the feet of Jesus, prayer is also the “one thing” that we will all need to get connected with Our God.
In today’s Gospel Jesus was again praying in a certain place as he normally does after a hectic day and before he rests for the night wherever that might be. If Jesus and his disciples will spend the night before reaching the next town, he would find a secluded place and there pray. If he happened to be in whatever town he was teaching, Jesus would always find a place to pray.
When Jesus stopped praying, one of his disciples said: “Lord teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.” (v.1) This disciple definitely knew what he was saying because it was customary for Rabbis to teach their disciples even a simple prayer and John the Baptist had done this for his disciples.
But this time, the disciple did not just want to know how to pray because his request to Jesus was interpreted by many religious scholars as a desire to pray like Jesus because the disciples see a connectedness to God in the way Jesus prays.
This is the whole point of this Gospel today because prayer is our lifeline to God. Prayer establishes a connection with God and it’s like there is an imaginary path that we can tread leading to the Kingdom of God. Prayer is in fact entering into a conversation with God.
As when we are in a conversation with someone, like a relative, a good friend and, a loved for that matter, there is in us a tendency to forget everything else as we seem oblivious to what is going on around us and this is what we should do when we talk to God.
As prayer is an elevation of our hearts to God, we must find a way that will allow us to direct all the powers of our soul to God. The mere thought of God is not a prayer because the devil also think of God but they do not pray to Him. So when we pray, we must use our understanding because we must think of Him in prayer. We must use our memory because we must forget our worldly concerns and, we are to use our affections because we must take delight in Him when we pray.
Though Luke has a shorter version of the Lord’s Prayer compared to that of Matthew (Mt 6:9-13), it is by no means insignificant as we should not be so concerned as to which of the two versions is right. The Lord’s Prayer (Our Father) has been described by the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC2761) as the “summary of the whole Gospel.”
In today’s Gospel, Jesus said: “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.” (v.2) CCC2787 also says that: “when we say ‘Our Father’ we recognize first that all his promises of love announced by the prophets are fulfilled in the new and eternal covenant in his Christ: we have become “his” people and he is henceforth “our” God. This new relationship is the purely gratuitous gift of belonging to each other: we are to respond to “grace and truth” given us in Jesus Christ with love and faithfulness.”
Thus, St. John Chrysostom said that “to be permitted to talk with his Creator and hold familiar intercourse with Him, is the greatest honor and privilege mortal man can enjoy.”
While there is also no doubt that we can obtain all things from God through prayer, we must also be resigned to God’s will: “Not my will, but yours be done.” (Lk 22:42) We must all remember that our prayers are never in vain but the time and manner of its fulfillment lie in the hands of God which means that everything depends upon the will of God.
And when Jesus taught his disciples how to pray, he made forgiveness as the cornerstone of their relationship with God. As God has forgiven our sins, we too are also obliged to forgive those who may have wronged us without conditions. To persist in unforgiveness only shows that we do not understand that we ourselves need to be forgiven.
It is by means of prayer that sinners can become saints because prayer earns for sinners the graces of contrition and amendment and, prayer enables the just to continue in a state of grace because prayer is a safeguard against temptation and sin. Prayer is actually an antidote to the poison of temptation.
As St. Alphonsus once said: “The souls in heaven are there because they have prayed well; the condemned are in hell because they have not prayed.” Thus, failure to pray is the first step to unbelief and, eventually to hell. “Prayer is the one thing that men have in common with angels.” (St. John Chrysostom) and prayer unites the created with His Creator.
The Lord’s Prayer which Jesus taught to his disciples is the simplest of all prayers yet rich in meaning. It is so simple that a child’s lips can recite it with devotion and yet, theologians have never stopped searching for the depth of its meaning since time immemorial.
The Lord’s Prayer also unites all men because it is a prayer that can be availed of by all regardless of race, color or creed. In it we ask for all things that we need for our soul and body as it teaches us what we need to ask and the proper way of asking them.
CCC2761 says the Lord’s Prayer is the foundation on which all other desires of the heart is rooted. Such is the importance and significance of this prayer and we can only thank Our Lord Jesus Christ for teaching us how to pray this prayer.
There will be some who will struggle in their prayer life, but we all must persevere in this regard because prayer is an opportunity to bring our will into line with God’s plan. We can draw from the exchange that Abraham had with God with regards to God’s plan to destroy Sodom and it was because of Abraham’s persistence that God relented and spared Sodom his wrath.
This is the same with us. There is no doubt that God will answer our prayers. As to when, it is God who will determine that but we should not stop praying to God because it is an opportunity to demonstrate not only our trust and dependence in Him but more importantly it restores our relationship with God.
NEED OF ONLY ONE THING
OCT. 8, 2013: TWENTY SEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Jon 3:1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 130:1-4, 7-8 “If you, o Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?”
GOSPEL: LK 10:38-42
Key Verse: “but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen
what is better, and it will not be taken from her.” (v.42)
This is certainly an interesting narrative and the fact that it appears only in the Gospel of Luke will definitely create not only a lot of discussion but reflection as well especially if we ponder as to what was it that Luke wanted to point out in highlighting the difference in the way Martha and Mary played hosts to Jesus as he passed by the town of Bethany.
Located some two miles from Jerusalem, Bethany was a favorite stopover of Jesus probably because of his friendship with Lazarus who was the brother of Martha and Mary. And on this particular day, Jesus passed by Bethany and Martha opened up her home for him.
Based on Jewish custom, to open up a home is not only to welcome a guest but to entertain that guest and the fact that Martha opened up her home to Jesus shows the degree of her respect for Jesus. Not only was Jesus a good friend of her brother but Martha knew she was welcoming an important person into her home, someone who has become popular with the people on account of his teachings and the many healing miracles that he has performed.
And this is not going to be an ordinary day because Jesus doesn’t travel alone as he usually moves with his disciples in tow such that he always has to find a home that will welcome them when they move from town to town as staying in an inn was out of the question.
With the way this narrative was weaved we might be led into thinking that Mary was more spiritual than Martha which is of course wrong as Martha despite her being a busybody can also be regarded as a disciple as she opened up her home which means that she was supportive of the cause that Jesus was espousing.
As the story goes, Martha kept herself busy preparing the dinner table and what Jesus and the other disciples were to eat while Mary sat at the feet of Jesus listening to his teaching. By doing so, Mary also made herself a disciple of Jesus because “to sit at his feet” was a figurative way of describing a disciple in those days and we also see this in Paul who proudly claimed to have sat “at the feet of Gamaliel.”
This scene was also significant because when Mary sat at the feet of Jesus to listen to his teachings as the other disciples did, it effectively removed the distinction between men and women with respect to discipleship because women during the time of Jesus were not only exempted from the study of the law but were also discouraged from doing so.
But as Mary listened to Jesus, Martha must have been rushing in her preparations that she was moved to ask Jesus “tell her to help me.” (v.40) Some may view this as a sign of disrespect as it partook of a command to Jesus to tell Mary to help her.
Jesus’ response may also be seen as a rebuke but this was probably not the case because Jesus was a close friend of the family and thus it would also have been inappropriate for him to speak sternly to Martha who was hosting him such that his response was probably spoken with understanding and love.
“Martha, Martha you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” (vv.41-42)
This is actually what Luke wanted to point out in this Gospel in that Mary has rightfully discerned that listening to Jesus and learning from the Master is far more important than anything else. Here, Mary simply showed that listening to Jesus is the highest form of respect as sitting at his feet is to give Jesus the honor that he deserves. It also provides us with the thought that we need to shift our priorities in order to listen and follow Our Lord.
Many times in our lives we are caught up with the many mundane concerns of housekeeping. Others lose themselves in the maze of life as they try to find their place in the sun searching for the gold at the end of the rainbow. In this Gospel we see two contrasting situations with Martha offering her labor to Jesus while Mary offers her time to listen to him.
How about you? What is it that you have or are doing that you can offer to Jesus? Do you use the talent and gifts that he gave you? Do you render faithful service that is compatible with your position in the Church or Community? I was at one time like Martha. I looked forward to the weekends I can use to clean my stuff, our home, garage, my book shelves, my files as this is the only free time I have.
We were active in our ministry in the community and we never turned down invitations to go on mission. But the time came when I felt I wasn’t going anywhere in my spiritual journey and when I sat down to discern, God impressed upon me the one thing that was lacking and that was an intimate time with him by pondering on his Word because at the end of the day, the Word is the one thing that we all need to guide us in our spiritual journey.
It was a good thing that I found this out because to sit at his feet and listen provides us the impetus to obey what he is telling us and this is what Jesus wants from us in that we need to spend time listening to him. This was the “one thing” that Mary found and it cannot be taken away from her because it is at his feet that we can find peace and joy.
In this gospel reading, Jesus is telling us to keep our minds off the world around us and spend a few moments listening to him. It’s like Jesus is actually telling us “hold on for a few minutes, dinner can wait. What I am telling you now is more important.” Therefore the question we need to ask ourselves now is can we be like Mary who found “the only thing that is needed.” Could there be something in this world that is more important than Jesus Christ?
1st Reading: Jon 3:1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 130:1-4, 7-8 “If you, o Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?”
GOSPEL: LK 10:38-42
Key Verse: “but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen
what is better, and it will not be taken from her.” (v.42)
This is certainly an interesting narrative and the fact that it appears only in the Gospel of Luke will definitely create not only a lot of discussion but reflection as well especially if we ponder as to what was it that Luke wanted to point out in highlighting the difference in the way Martha and Mary played hosts to Jesus as he passed by the town of Bethany.
Located some two miles from Jerusalem, Bethany was a favorite stopover of Jesus probably because of his friendship with Lazarus who was the brother of Martha and Mary. And on this particular day, Jesus passed by Bethany and Martha opened up her home for him.
Based on Jewish custom, to open up a home is not only to welcome a guest but to entertain that guest and the fact that Martha opened up her home to Jesus shows the degree of her respect for Jesus. Not only was Jesus a good friend of her brother but Martha knew she was welcoming an important person into her home, someone who has become popular with the people on account of his teachings and the many healing miracles that he has performed.
And this is not going to be an ordinary day because Jesus doesn’t travel alone as he usually moves with his disciples in tow such that he always has to find a home that will welcome them when they move from town to town as staying in an inn was out of the question.
With the way this narrative was weaved we might be led into thinking that Mary was more spiritual than Martha which is of course wrong as Martha despite her being a busybody can also be regarded as a disciple as she opened up her home which means that she was supportive of the cause that Jesus was espousing.
As the story goes, Martha kept herself busy preparing the dinner table and what Jesus and the other disciples were to eat while Mary sat at the feet of Jesus listening to his teaching. By doing so, Mary also made herself a disciple of Jesus because “to sit at his feet” was a figurative way of describing a disciple in those days and we also see this in Paul who proudly claimed to have sat “at the feet of Gamaliel.”
This scene was also significant because when Mary sat at the feet of Jesus to listen to his teachings as the other disciples did, it effectively removed the distinction between men and women with respect to discipleship because women during the time of Jesus were not only exempted from the study of the law but were also discouraged from doing so.
But as Mary listened to Jesus, Martha must have been rushing in her preparations that she was moved to ask Jesus “tell her to help me.” (v.40) Some may view this as a sign of disrespect as it partook of a command to Jesus to tell Mary to help her.
Jesus’ response may also be seen as a rebuke but this was probably not the case because Jesus was a close friend of the family and thus it would also have been inappropriate for him to speak sternly to Martha who was hosting him such that his response was probably spoken with understanding and love.
“Martha, Martha you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” (vv.41-42)
This is actually what Luke wanted to point out in this Gospel in that Mary has rightfully discerned that listening to Jesus and learning from the Master is far more important than anything else. Here, Mary simply showed that listening to Jesus is the highest form of respect as sitting at his feet is to give Jesus the honor that he deserves. It also provides us with the thought that we need to shift our priorities in order to listen and follow Our Lord.
Many times in our lives we are caught up with the many mundane concerns of housekeeping. Others lose themselves in the maze of life as they try to find their place in the sun searching for the gold at the end of the rainbow. In this Gospel we see two contrasting situations with Martha offering her labor to Jesus while Mary offers her time to listen to him.
How about you? What is it that you have or are doing that you can offer to Jesus? Do you use the talent and gifts that he gave you? Do you render faithful service that is compatible with your position in the Church or Community? I was at one time like Martha. I looked forward to the weekends I can use to clean my stuff, our home, garage, my book shelves, my files as this is the only free time I have.
We were active in our ministry in the community and we never turned down invitations to go on mission. But the time came when I felt I wasn’t going anywhere in my spiritual journey and when I sat down to discern, God impressed upon me the one thing that was lacking and that was an intimate time with him by pondering on his Word because at the end of the day, the Word is the one thing that we all need to guide us in our spiritual journey.
It was a good thing that I found this out because to sit at his feet and listen provides us the impetus to obey what he is telling us and this is what Jesus wants from us in that we need to spend time listening to him. This was the “one thing” that Mary found and it cannot be taken away from her because it is at his feet that we can find peace and joy.
In this gospel reading, Jesus is telling us to keep our minds off the world around us and spend a few moments listening to him. It’s like Jesus is actually telling us “hold on for a few minutes, dinner can wait. What I am telling you now is more important.” Therefore the question we need to ask ourselves now is can we be like Mary who found “the only thing that is needed.” Could there be something in this world that is more important than Jesus Christ?
LOVING GOD BY LOVING OTHERS
OCT. 7, 2013: OUR LADY OF THE HOLY ROSARY
1st Reading: Jon 1:1-2:2
Responsorial Psalm: Jon 2:3-5, 8 “You will rescue my life from the pit Lord”
GOSPEL: LK 10:25-37
Key Verse: “…. Go and do likewise.” (Lk 10:37)
The Gospel today is something that is close to the heart of every Filipino especially those who were reared under the traditions of the olden days when the people in this part of the world were the epitome of kindness and generosity such that the land is often called the Pearl of the Orient.
To be held in such precious esteem was probably due to the land being endowed with rich natural resources that has become the envy of the neighboring nations or, it may probably be on account of the unbridled hospitality of the Filipino people known the world over.
But times have changed and the influence of the Western culture has created a new mindset among the populace and the once leisurely pace of life gave way to a radical change in the way of life and in the character of the people especially during these times when mundane concerns seem to have upstaged the good-natured spirit behind the “bayanihan” spirit for which Filipinos are known for.
And this parable on the Good Samaritan comes as a timely reminder for all of us to reacquire the spirit of good neighborly relations that springs from our innate love for our God before this “bayanihan” spirit is forever lost to us.
Here in today’s Gospel, Jesus once again emphasizes the means by which we can enjoy eternal life. Tested by an expert in the Torah or the Laws of Moses, Jesus was asked: “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Lk 10:25) Instead of answering, Jesus threw back the question by asking: “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” (v.26)
In this way, Jesus wanted the legal expert to find out for himself what the Scriptures and he obliged by quoting from Deut 6:5 and Lev 19:18 saying: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and, Love your neighbor as yourself.”
And Jesus said: “You have answered correctly. Do this and you will live.” (v.28) What Jesus was emphasizing in this verse was not just the two greatest commandment that anyone desiring eternal life should know but in the doing. In other words, anyone who comes across these two verses can memorize it without any effort but it will not give us eternal life. It is only when we take this to heart and put it into action that eternal life becomes a reality.
But the Jews have a different concept of who might a neighbor be limiting his definition to fellow Jews and Jesus once again tore down this argument by narrating a parable about how a Jew was beaten and robbed on the road to Jericho which was a dangerous place to be as it teemed with thieves and bandits.
As the Jew lay wounded on the road, a priest and a Levite passed by one after the other but ignored the man as they went by the other side of the road. Then came a Samaritan who belongs to a tribe that was so hated by the Jews but he stopped and cared for the wounded Jew. The rest is history as they say.
Here Jesus did not give an exact definition of who might our neighbor be but what he showed by way of this parable was that anyone who is in need regardless of race, color and creed is our neighbor. In this parable, Jesus shows that to love our neighbor can be costly as was in the case of the Samaritan who used his own logistics to help the wounded Jew. But this is precisely what love is for what good are our material possessions if we will not help a brother in need and still say that we love God? (1 Jn 3:17).
When the legal expert himself said the one who showed mercy was the neighbor to the wounded Jew, Jesus told him and is now telling us to go and do what the Samaritan did for only in doing so can we find eternal life.
In the face of life’s myriad of challenges today, we need to examine and ask ourselves if this parable is still relevant to our present time. How much of my person has been invaded by my selfishness, looking only after my own interests and, in believing “why should I help the poor who are poor because they chose to be poor.”
We as disciples of Jesus must ask ourselves how much of the world has dimmed the gift of mercy that Jesus has planted in our hearts. We may be riding on the chariots of success in our careers and business but which is my priority when put on the same spot as the Samaritan. Will we be like the priest and the Levite? Or will we choose to be a Samaritan?
As a Christian and a disciple, we must take heed of the command of Jesus to “go and do likewise.” (v.37) This means that we must prioritize acts of mercy (CCC 2447-2448) over our personal comfort and convenience. And it is only in doing that we can gain eternal life.
The priest and the Levite definitely felt pity for the wounded Jew but they did nothing. For love to be real, it must be accompanied by action. What does this parable mean to you?
And since today we officially usher in the month devoted to the devotion of the Most Holy Rosary, let me give you a brief background behind the declaration of Oct. 7 as the Feast of the Holy Rosary. This will bring us back to a time in 1571 when the Ottoman Empire tried to expand their territory by invading Europe. The Pope at the time was Pope Pius V who assembled a Christian army out of volunteers from Spain, Austria and Italy among others.
While the Christian soldiers were getting ready for battle to avert the invasion of Europe, Pope Pius V asked all the nuns and priests throughout the Europe to pray the Holy Rosary unceasingly. The Christian force met the Turks at Lepanto on the coast of Greece and while the Christians were outnumbered 3-to-1, the Christian army defeated the invading Turkish fleet in what is now regarded as the most famous and important military victory that was won through the Holy Rosary.
With that victory in Lepanto, Europe was saved and Pope Pius V decreed that from then on Oct. 7 will be celebrated as the Feast of the Holy Rosary.
1st Reading: Jon 1:1-2:2
Responsorial Psalm: Jon 2:3-5, 8 “You will rescue my life from the pit Lord”
GOSPEL: LK 10:25-37
Key Verse: “…. Go and do likewise.” (Lk 10:37)
The Gospel today is something that is close to the heart of every Filipino especially those who were reared under the traditions of the olden days when the people in this part of the world were the epitome of kindness and generosity such that the land is often called the Pearl of the Orient.
To be held in such precious esteem was probably due to the land being endowed with rich natural resources that has become the envy of the neighboring nations or, it may probably be on account of the unbridled hospitality of the Filipino people known the world over.
But times have changed and the influence of the Western culture has created a new mindset among the populace and the once leisurely pace of life gave way to a radical change in the way of life and in the character of the people especially during these times when mundane concerns seem to have upstaged the good-natured spirit behind the “bayanihan” spirit for which Filipinos are known for.
And this parable on the Good Samaritan comes as a timely reminder for all of us to reacquire the spirit of good neighborly relations that springs from our innate love for our God before this “bayanihan” spirit is forever lost to us.
Here in today’s Gospel, Jesus once again emphasizes the means by which we can enjoy eternal life. Tested by an expert in the Torah or the Laws of Moses, Jesus was asked: “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Lk 10:25) Instead of answering, Jesus threw back the question by asking: “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” (v.26)
In this way, Jesus wanted the legal expert to find out for himself what the Scriptures and he obliged by quoting from Deut 6:5 and Lev 19:18 saying: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and, Love your neighbor as yourself.”
And Jesus said: “You have answered correctly. Do this and you will live.” (v.28) What Jesus was emphasizing in this verse was not just the two greatest commandment that anyone desiring eternal life should know but in the doing. In other words, anyone who comes across these two verses can memorize it without any effort but it will not give us eternal life. It is only when we take this to heart and put it into action that eternal life becomes a reality.
But the Jews have a different concept of who might a neighbor be limiting his definition to fellow Jews and Jesus once again tore down this argument by narrating a parable about how a Jew was beaten and robbed on the road to Jericho which was a dangerous place to be as it teemed with thieves and bandits.
As the Jew lay wounded on the road, a priest and a Levite passed by one after the other but ignored the man as they went by the other side of the road. Then came a Samaritan who belongs to a tribe that was so hated by the Jews but he stopped and cared for the wounded Jew. The rest is history as they say.
Here Jesus did not give an exact definition of who might our neighbor be but what he showed by way of this parable was that anyone who is in need regardless of race, color and creed is our neighbor. In this parable, Jesus shows that to love our neighbor can be costly as was in the case of the Samaritan who used his own logistics to help the wounded Jew. But this is precisely what love is for what good are our material possessions if we will not help a brother in need and still say that we love God? (1 Jn 3:17).
When the legal expert himself said the one who showed mercy was the neighbor to the wounded Jew, Jesus told him and is now telling us to go and do what the Samaritan did for only in doing so can we find eternal life.
In the face of life’s myriad of challenges today, we need to examine and ask ourselves if this parable is still relevant to our present time. How much of my person has been invaded by my selfishness, looking only after my own interests and, in believing “why should I help the poor who are poor because they chose to be poor.”
We as disciples of Jesus must ask ourselves how much of the world has dimmed the gift of mercy that Jesus has planted in our hearts. We may be riding on the chariots of success in our careers and business but which is my priority when put on the same spot as the Samaritan. Will we be like the priest and the Levite? Or will we choose to be a Samaritan?
As a Christian and a disciple, we must take heed of the command of Jesus to “go and do likewise.” (v.37) This means that we must prioritize acts of mercy (CCC 2447-2448) over our personal comfort and convenience. And it is only in doing that we can gain eternal life.
The priest and the Levite definitely felt pity for the wounded Jew but they did nothing. For love to be real, it must be accompanied by action. What does this parable mean to you?
And since today we officially usher in the month devoted to the devotion of the Most Holy Rosary, let me give you a brief background behind the declaration of Oct. 7 as the Feast of the Holy Rosary. This will bring us back to a time in 1571 when the Ottoman Empire tried to expand their territory by invading Europe. The Pope at the time was Pope Pius V who assembled a Christian army out of volunteers from Spain, Austria and Italy among others.
While the Christian soldiers were getting ready for battle to avert the invasion of Europe, Pope Pius V asked all the nuns and priests throughout the Europe to pray the Holy Rosary unceasingly. The Christian force met the Turks at Lepanto on the coast of Greece and while the Christians were outnumbered 3-to-1, the Christian army defeated the invading Turkish fleet in what is now regarded as the most famous and important military victory that was won through the Holy Rosary.
With that victory in Lepanto, Europe was saved and Pope Pius V decreed that from then on Oct. 7 will be celebrated as the Feast of the Holy Rosary.
FAITH IS WHAT WE NEED
OCT. 6, 2013: TWENTY SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Hab 1:2-3; 2:2-4
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 95:1-2, 6-7, 7-9 “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.”
2nd Reading: 2 Tim 1:6-8, 13-14
GOSPEL: LK 17:5-10
Key Verse: “Increase our faith.” (v.5)
Many of us who read this gospel passage for today are probably asking what may have moved the Apostles to ask their Master to “increase our faith.” And many of us also at some point in time may have asked God to also increase our faith. Perhaps some will ask why? Isn’t faith one of the three theological virtues that has been infused in us at the time of our baptism as we learned from our catechism class? Thus it presupposes that everyone has faith.
True indeed, everyone has faith but the circumstances in our lives dictate the degrees of faith that a person may have. For those who find their lives going in the way they planned it to be they probably will have no need to ask for an increase in their faith if ever they believe in such. As for those who find themselves holding on to the shorter end of the stick with their careers, studies, relationships hitting rock bottom, they probably will be asking God for an increase in their faith if ever God will be the first one they will think of in times of adversity.
What then is faith? Why is it necessary? Why, because faith is a gift from God since the power to believe can only be attained through the Grace of God who bestows the knowledge of the truth and the gift of faith on those who strive after it with perseverance, who live a God-fearing life and, who pray that they may find the truth.
Although St. Paul tells us that “by Grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves” (Eph 2:8) but we, as Catholics, still have to believe in the doctrines of our Catholic faith because the absence of such is like a home without a foundation.
And just like when a church bell with a crack loses its value or when one disjointed note destroys the harmony of a melody, so the rejection by a person of even one of the doctrines of the Church makes faith impossible. Take for example the controversial RH Bill. How could a person who has been baptized into the Catholic faith support this proposed legislation the ultimate end of which is to destroy life?
Faith is like the root of a tree. A tree cannot exist without it. We too cannot exist nor hope to reach heaven without faith which is the key that opens the treasure-chest of all virtues. Faith is the lamp that will guide us in our journey towards our final destination.
But faith alone is not sufficient. Our faith must be a living faith which means that we must add to it good works and we must confess it openly to others for “not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matt 7:21).
The five foolish virgins in Matt 25:1-13 who were locked out had faith but no works. Faith without works is like a tree without fruit or a lamp with no oil. But lest we deviate from that which is necessary, good works can only be performed by someone who is clothed with sanctifying Grace and who loves God in his heart. And one of the ways to practice our faith is by serving in a ministry or apostolate in our Church or Community especially in the difficult outreach missions where our faith is put to a test.
As Christians we are commanded to also confess our faith by standing as a witness as to how we have been saved by Our God who created us, by Our Lord Jesus Christ who redeemed us from eternal damnation and, by Our Lord the Holy Spirit who continues to sanctify the work of our hands.
Towards the end of this Gospel passage there is a message that tells us about the kind of service that we are to render not only for others but for God as well. But what Jesus was saying in this parable contradicts not only a common practice in today’s contemporary setting as it runs counter to what has become a tradition in the workplace.
The Christmas season is just around the corner and we can now feel the cool and soothing breeze brushing our cheeks. And in the corporate world, this season is highly anticipated because this is the time when mandated yearend benefits and bonuses are apportioned to the rank and file.
To give out bonuses based on performance is not unusual and there are many companies especially the ones that monopolize certain industries are known to hand out fat bonuses just to keep their top executives from looking elsewhere.
In other words, expecting rewards for a job well done has become a practice not only in the corporate world but even in the most ordinary setting as supermarkets where tips are given to salaried bagmen, waiters, taxi-drivers, hotel doormen, bellboys, utility boys, or even in farmlands where farmhands are rewarded for a good harvest. You name it, just about everybody nowadays are and are expecting a reward for the amount of work they have put in.
But Jesus in this parable is telling us that to perform our tasks in obedience to what we are supposed to do is our duty and that we actually haven’t done anything yet. Which is why there are some cultures where people are very particular to time. If say they work an eight-hour shift, expect them to pack up after faithfully giving out an eight-hour workload.
This is why Filipino workers for some reason are preferred especially overseas because they stand out as Filipinos are known to be industrious and diligent as they also work even beyond the required eight-hour shift sans the extra pay.
And as dutiful servants we cannot obligate God to reward us for the amount of work that we put in in pursuit of our profession. Translated into our lives in the Church and or in the Community if ever we are involved in serving in a ministry or apostolate it means serving in relation to the gifts that we have received is our duty and that we should not think that God owes us. This is why we must practice our calling to serve in the Church relative to the gift we have received if it inconveniences us.
To serve God by serving others in the Church and or Community is our response in praise and worship to him who ransomed us from our slavery to sin. Just as God came not be served but to serve (Mk 10:45) so we too must toil in his vineyard because it is not only a privilege for those who are called but a sacred duty as well.
And in everything that we do as professionals and or in Church ministry, we must not forget that it is God himself who calls each one of us to our vocation and God gives everyone the graces necessary to our calling. As our vocation comes from God, in the end it is God whom we serve especially when it is done out of love flowing from our hearts. At some point in time, we leave the gods we have created for ourselves to serve the one true God which happens when we turn away from things that we idolize in our lives to serve him by serving others.
1st Reading: Hab 1:2-3; 2:2-4
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 95:1-2, 6-7, 7-9 “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.”
2nd Reading: 2 Tim 1:6-8, 13-14
GOSPEL: LK 17:5-10
Key Verse: “Increase our faith.” (v.5)
Many of us who read this gospel passage for today are probably asking what may have moved the Apostles to ask their Master to “increase our faith.” And many of us also at some point in time may have asked God to also increase our faith. Perhaps some will ask why? Isn’t faith one of the three theological virtues that has been infused in us at the time of our baptism as we learned from our catechism class? Thus it presupposes that everyone has faith.
True indeed, everyone has faith but the circumstances in our lives dictate the degrees of faith that a person may have. For those who find their lives going in the way they planned it to be they probably will have no need to ask for an increase in their faith if ever they believe in such. As for those who find themselves holding on to the shorter end of the stick with their careers, studies, relationships hitting rock bottom, they probably will be asking God for an increase in their faith if ever God will be the first one they will think of in times of adversity.
What then is faith? Why is it necessary? Why, because faith is a gift from God since the power to believe can only be attained through the Grace of God who bestows the knowledge of the truth and the gift of faith on those who strive after it with perseverance, who live a God-fearing life and, who pray that they may find the truth.
Although St. Paul tells us that “by Grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves” (Eph 2:8) but we, as Catholics, still have to believe in the doctrines of our Catholic faith because the absence of such is like a home without a foundation.
And just like when a church bell with a crack loses its value or when one disjointed note destroys the harmony of a melody, so the rejection by a person of even one of the doctrines of the Church makes faith impossible. Take for example the controversial RH Bill. How could a person who has been baptized into the Catholic faith support this proposed legislation the ultimate end of which is to destroy life?
Faith is like the root of a tree. A tree cannot exist without it. We too cannot exist nor hope to reach heaven without faith which is the key that opens the treasure-chest of all virtues. Faith is the lamp that will guide us in our journey towards our final destination.
But faith alone is not sufficient. Our faith must be a living faith which means that we must add to it good works and we must confess it openly to others for “not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matt 7:21).
The five foolish virgins in Matt 25:1-13 who were locked out had faith but no works. Faith without works is like a tree without fruit or a lamp with no oil. But lest we deviate from that which is necessary, good works can only be performed by someone who is clothed with sanctifying Grace and who loves God in his heart. And one of the ways to practice our faith is by serving in a ministry or apostolate in our Church or Community especially in the difficult outreach missions where our faith is put to a test.
As Christians we are commanded to also confess our faith by standing as a witness as to how we have been saved by Our God who created us, by Our Lord Jesus Christ who redeemed us from eternal damnation and, by Our Lord the Holy Spirit who continues to sanctify the work of our hands.
Towards the end of this Gospel passage there is a message that tells us about the kind of service that we are to render not only for others but for God as well. But what Jesus was saying in this parable contradicts not only a common practice in today’s contemporary setting as it runs counter to what has become a tradition in the workplace.
The Christmas season is just around the corner and we can now feel the cool and soothing breeze brushing our cheeks. And in the corporate world, this season is highly anticipated because this is the time when mandated yearend benefits and bonuses are apportioned to the rank and file.
To give out bonuses based on performance is not unusual and there are many companies especially the ones that monopolize certain industries are known to hand out fat bonuses just to keep their top executives from looking elsewhere.
In other words, expecting rewards for a job well done has become a practice not only in the corporate world but even in the most ordinary setting as supermarkets where tips are given to salaried bagmen, waiters, taxi-drivers, hotel doormen, bellboys, utility boys, or even in farmlands where farmhands are rewarded for a good harvest. You name it, just about everybody nowadays are and are expecting a reward for the amount of work they have put in.
But Jesus in this parable is telling us that to perform our tasks in obedience to what we are supposed to do is our duty and that we actually haven’t done anything yet. Which is why there are some cultures where people are very particular to time. If say they work an eight-hour shift, expect them to pack up after faithfully giving out an eight-hour workload.
This is why Filipino workers for some reason are preferred especially overseas because they stand out as Filipinos are known to be industrious and diligent as they also work even beyond the required eight-hour shift sans the extra pay.
And as dutiful servants we cannot obligate God to reward us for the amount of work that we put in in pursuit of our profession. Translated into our lives in the Church and or in the Community if ever we are involved in serving in a ministry or apostolate it means serving in relation to the gifts that we have received is our duty and that we should not think that God owes us. This is why we must practice our calling to serve in the Church relative to the gift we have received if it inconveniences us.
To serve God by serving others in the Church and or Community is our response in praise and worship to him who ransomed us from our slavery to sin. Just as God came not be served but to serve (Mk 10:45) so we too must toil in his vineyard because it is not only a privilege for those who are called but a sacred duty as well.
And in everything that we do as professionals and or in Church ministry, we must not forget that it is God himself who calls each one of us to our vocation and God gives everyone the graces necessary to our calling. As our vocation comes from God, in the end it is God whom we serve especially when it is done out of love flowing from our hearts. At some point in time, we leave the gods we have created for ourselves to serve the one true God which happens when we turn away from things that we idolize in our lives to serve him by serving others.
BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO BELIEVE
OCT. 5, 2013: TWNETY SIXTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Bar 4:5-12, 27-29
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 69:33-37 “The Lord listens to the poor.”
GOSPEL: LK 10:17-24
Key Verse (v.20): “…but rejoice that your names
are written in heaven.”
Like the disciples pictured in today’s Gospel, there is in us that tendency to express our elation and at times our euphoria over our successes may it be in our studies, careers, sporting events, projects or activities we are involved in and, there is that urge to arrogate unto ourselves the credit for these accomplishments.
There is actually nothing to worry about because it means that we are alive as being happy at the way our lives are turning out especially with regards to our achievements is part of human nature. But as the disciples returned with joy at the way they were able to cast out demons in persons, Jesus tells them (v.19) “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.”
This may have befuddled the minds of the disciples and this I’m sure will have moved many of us to also ponder on this but what Jesus was saying was that we are not to rest on our laurels and on our skills and talents.
Jesus warns that we must give credit where credit is due which means that we must take great care that we do not become slaves to sinful pride that will not only keep us from the love and knowledge of God and which will make us ignorant and unmindful of the things of God.
When Jesus said he saw Satan fall from heaven, he was actually referring to the reason why Satan was cast out from the presence of God and this is because of sinful pride. Unknown to many that unless we remain clothed with an active awareness of God, we can fall victim to sinful pride arising from inordinate self-centeredness which closes our minds to the truths and wisdom of God.
What Jesus requires, on the other hand, is for us to be filled with humility which to Jesus is the only true remedy against pride as humility will lead us to a genuine recognition of who we are in the eyes of God and of our confession of our complete dependence on the provisions of Our Lord.
Just as pride leads us to persist in our self-centeredness, humility is the good soil in which the Grace of God will take root and grow and will bring us to a right attitude in and with God “who opposes the proud but gives Grace to the humble.” (Jam 4:6)
Jesus assures us as he has assured his disciples that he has power over the evil that permeates in the world that he has the power to drive out the prince of this world (Jn 12:31) and as his disciples we too have been given this same authority to overcome the works of evil not only in the world but much more in our own selves and that we should not be joyful in our sinful pride but because “your names are written in heaven.” (v.20)
The message that Jesus wants to impart to us in this Gospel is for us to bank on the virtue of humility because it alone will lead us clothed us with God’s wisdom and as our names are written in heaven, it presupposes that God has already established a link that will help lead us to yield to our knowledge of God in a personal way.
And in v.22 Jesus unlocks the key that will pave the way for us to know God when he said: “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
In effect what Jesus was saying here is simply this – if you want to know who God is, look at me – and we are blessed indeed because Our Lord found us and brought us to the renewal where he revealed himself to us. “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but he did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”
And the key to all these is the virtue of humility that we need to acquire because it is only through humility that we can see the wisdom of God and hear his truths and not his truths that we have perverted to suit our own desires and only humility will lead us to a total dependence on God to give us strength and the boldness to follow him.
“Come follow me,” Jesus told Peter, Andrew, James, John Matthew and the rest of the Apostles and the other disciples and they remained with him and proclaimed the Kingdom of God even against tremendous odds. Would we do the same? One of those who followed Christ was St. Faustina Kowalska whose memorial we are celebrating today.
St. Faustina Kowalska, was canonized in 2000 by Blessed John Paul II, the first Saint of the new millennium whom God has chosen to spread the devotion to His Divine Mercy. In one of her visions of Jesus, Our Lord spoke to St. Faustina and told her: “Humanity will never find peace until it turns with trust to the Divine Mercy.” Today this Devotion to His Divine Mercy that St. Faustina initiated is drawing more and more Catholics throughout the world and towards humble obedience to Jesus.
1st Reading: Bar 4:5-12, 27-29
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 69:33-37 “The Lord listens to the poor.”
GOSPEL: LK 10:17-24
Key Verse (v.20): “…but rejoice that your names
are written in heaven.”
Like the disciples pictured in today’s Gospel, there is in us that tendency to express our elation and at times our euphoria over our successes may it be in our studies, careers, sporting events, projects or activities we are involved in and, there is that urge to arrogate unto ourselves the credit for these accomplishments.
There is actually nothing to worry about because it means that we are alive as being happy at the way our lives are turning out especially with regards to our achievements is part of human nature. But as the disciples returned with joy at the way they were able to cast out demons in persons, Jesus tells them (v.19) “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.”
This may have befuddled the minds of the disciples and this I’m sure will have moved many of us to also ponder on this but what Jesus was saying was that we are not to rest on our laurels and on our skills and talents.
Jesus warns that we must give credit where credit is due which means that we must take great care that we do not become slaves to sinful pride that will not only keep us from the love and knowledge of God and which will make us ignorant and unmindful of the things of God.
When Jesus said he saw Satan fall from heaven, he was actually referring to the reason why Satan was cast out from the presence of God and this is because of sinful pride. Unknown to many that unless we remain clothed with an active awareness of God, we can fall victim to sinful pride arising from inordinate self-centeredness which closes our minds to the truths and wisdom of God.
What Jesus requires, on the other hand, is for us to be filled with humility which to Jesus is the only true remedy against pride as humility will lead us to a genuine recognition of who we are in the eyes of God and of our confession of our complete dependence on the provisions of Our Lord.
Just as pride leads us to persist in our self-centeredness, humility is the good soil in which the Grace of God will take root and grow and will bring us to a right attitude in and with God “who opposes the proud but gives Grace to the humble.” (Jam 4:6)
Jesus assures us as he has assured his disciples that he has power over the evil that permeates in the world that he has the power to drive out the prince of this world (Jn 12:31) and as his disciples we too have been given this same authority to overcome the works of evil not only in the world but much more in our own selves and that we should not be joyful in our sinful pride but because “your names are written in heaven.” (v.20)
The message that Jesus wants to impart to us in this Gospel is for us to bank on the virtue of humility because it alone will lead us clothed us with God’s wisdom and as our names are written in heaven, it presupposes that God has already established a link that will help lead us to yield to our knowledge of God in a personal way.
And in v.22 Jesus unlocks the key that will pave the way for us to know God when he said: “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
In effect what Jesus was saying here is simply this – if you want to know who God is, look at me – and we are blessed indeed because Our Lord found us and brought us to the renewal where he revealed himself to us. “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but he did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”
And the key to all these is the virtue of humility that we need to acquire because it is only through humility that we can see the wisdom of God and hear his truths and not his truths that we have perverted to suit our own desires and only humility will lead us to a total dependence on God to give us strength and the boldness to follow him.
“Come follow me,” Jesus told Peter, Andrew, James, John Matthew and the rest of the Apostles and the other disciples and they remained with him and proclaimed the Kingdom of God even against tremendous odds. Would we do the same? One of those who followed Christ was St. Faustina Kowalska whose memorial we are celebrating today.
St. Faustina Kowalska, was canonized in 2000 by Blessed John Paul II, the first Saint of the new millennium whom God has chosen to spread the devotion to His Divine Mercy. In one of her visions of Jesus, Our Lord spoke to St. Faustina and told her: “Humanity will never find peace until it turns with trust to the Divine Mercy.” Today this Devotion to His Divine Mercy that St. Faustina initiated is drawing more and more Catholics throughout the world and towards humble obedience to Jesus.
INDIFFERENCE IS A SIN
OCT. 4, 2013: ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI
1st Reading: Bar 1:15-22
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 79:1-3, 5, 8-9 “For the glory of your name, Lord deliver us.”
GOSPEL: LK 10:13-16
Key verse: “…but he who rejects me rejects him
who sent me.” (v.16)
In all probability, many of us who will be reading this Gospel passage for the first time will interpret this as a reflection of the anger of Jesus towards the people of Chorazin and Bethsaida because of the use of the word “woe.”
Woe is in fact a very strong word that can be interpreted as a curse or as an expression of anger by a person towards a wrong done to his persona. But the word woe that Jesus used in this Gospel was one that carries with it sorrow and pity for a people who will never have a chance to enter the Kingdom of God.
This passage also comes as a surprise especially since there is no record of what Jesus did in either of these two cities except for some references implying that Jesus did mighty works there.
It is also probable that Chorazin and Bethsaida were simply dragged along with the people of Capernaum who are actually the object of the anger of Jesus and, again, to understand this we must look back at the ministry of Jesus.
Rejected by the people in his own hometown, Jesus often traveled to Capernaum which was a bustling city but where the people’s customs and traditions are being influenced by the corruption foisted by the presence of a Roman garrison in the area.
Jesus wanted the people of Capernaum who have sunk to the depths of sinfulness to embrace his message of salvation and deliverance but the majority of the people remained unresponsive to the Good News that he brings.
What made Jesus angry actually was not the rejection he met but the indifference of the people to his message. The Pharisees, on the other hand, busied themselves plotting and looking at every opportunity to either prove Jesus wrong or to silence him by arresting him on trumped-up charges.
The people of Capernaum simply disregarded him and this was what really got into the goat of Jesus because to be ignored and disregarded are probably much worse than being criminally persecuted and executed.
At the end of the day, Jesus denounced the people of Capernaum “and you Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths.” (v.15) History shows us that Capernaum was destroyed during the Jewish-Roman war in 66-70A.D. and although it was rebuilt to become a center of Judaism, the city of Capernaum was finally destroyed and occupied by the Arabs in the 7th Century.
What this Gospel tells us is that we too stand to suffer the same fate as the people of Capernaum, Chorazin and Bethsaida if we will choose to become indifferent and ignore the message of salvation that Christ brings. Indifference is doing nothing or ignoring to do something even when the chance to do good is already in your midst.
Indifference also come in the form of your ignoring some of the five-point and eight-point covenants that you signed in the Community. You may be running away from assignments in your respective ministries. You may be dodging assignments to shepherd in the LSS or you have not a regular in your attendance in the Corporate Worships and Word Sharing Circles. All these constitute what amount to indifference which could actually be a form of grieving the Holy Spirit.
But the greatest sin that we as baptized Catholic Christians can ever commit is to be indifferent by ignoring the presence of Christ and His Word of salvation and deliverance. Not only were the people of Capernaum, Chorazin and Bethsaida indifferent but they were unrepentant as well and Jesus stresses that it would have been better if he brought his message to Tyre and Sidon instead.
Capernaum, Chorazin and Bethsaida could have been spared the wrath of God had they repented and accepted the Good News and Jesus was showing us that what may happen to the people of these three cities will also happen to us if we will persist in ignoring his call.
Repentance brings a change of heart and way of life and in love Jesus is calling us to walk in his way of truth, love and holiness and the question we need to ask ourselves now is are we embracing His Word with genuine faith and obedience? Because the other alternative is unbearable.
As I have told you in one of my earlier reflections there was a man who kept holding off his decision to become a Christian saying “I will follow Christ one of these days.” Unfortunately, he never saw “one of these days” because God called him in “one of those days.”
We should not play games with our lives since time is a luxury that we don’t have. It’s either we live in and with God or we don’t. If we choose to be in and with Christ, then eternal salvation is within our reach. If we choose to reject, ignore and disregard Christ, then it is no different from putting a millstone tied around our necks and be thrown to the depths of the sea.
To be in and with Christ is to move out of our comfort zones. I heard Mark Nimo, a Catholic evangelist from Chicago, who once said in a seminar I attended that renewed Christians must be a people on the move. He said the time for talking is over. We are now in a time that requires action. How true indeed because not to bring the Gospel of Christ to others is an act of indifference and could be regarded as a rejection of not only Jesus Christ himself but even the One who sent Him.
The Church after the Synod of Bishops last year issued a call for New Evangelization that was addressed to all the faithful to go out into the deep and bring the gospel of Christ to the world especially baptized Christians who are no longer practicing their Catholic faith.
This was in response to the call of Jesus in Mt 28:18-20 and when the Lord calls he does not look into your credentials but on the disposition of your heart because at the end of the day, it will be the Holy Spirit who will equip you with his gifts.
1st Reading: Bar 1:15-22
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 79:1-3, 5, 8-9 “For the glory of your name, Lord deliver us.”
GOSPEL: LK 10:13-16
Key verse: “…but he who rejects me rejects him
who sent me.” (v.16)
In all probability, many of us who will be reading this Gospel passage for the first time will interpret this as a reflection of the anger of Jesus towards the people of Chorazin and Bethsaida because of the use of the word “woe.”
Woe is in fact a very strong word that can be interpreted as a curse or as an expression of anger by a person towards a wrong done to his persona. But the word woe that Jesus used in this Gospel was one that carries with it sorrow and pity for a people who will never have a chance to enter the Kingdom of God.
This passage also comes as a surprise especially since there is no record of what Jesus did in either of these two cities except for some references implying that Jesus did mighty works there.
It is also probable that Chorazin and Bethsaida were simply dragged along with the people of Capernaum who are actually the object of the anger of Jesus and, again, to understand this we must look back at the ministry of Jesus.
Rejected by the people in his own hometown, Jesus often traveled to Capernaum which was a bustling city but where the people’s customs and traditions are being influenced by the corruption foisted by the presence of a Roman garrison in the area.
Jesus wanted the people of Capernaum who have sunk to the depths of sinfulness to embrace his message of salvation and deliverance but the majority of the people remained unresponsive to the Good News that he brings.
What made Jesus angry actually was not the rejection he met but the indifference of the people to his message. The Pharisees, on the other hand, busied themselves plotting and looking at every opportunity to either prove Jesus wrong or to silence him by arresting him on trumped-up charges.
The people of Capernaum simply disregarded him and this was what really got into the goat of Jesus because to be ignored and disregarded are probably much worse than being criminally persecuted and executed.
At the end of the day, Jesus denounced the people of Capernaum “and you Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths.” (v.15) History shows us that Capernaum was destroyed during the Jewish-Roman war in 66-70A.D. and although it was rebuilt to become a center of Judaism, the city of Capernaum was finally destroyed and occupied by the Arabs in the 7th Century.
What this Gospel tells us is that we too stand to suffer the same fate as the people of Capernaum, Chorazin and Bethsaida if we will choose to become indifferent and ignore the message of salvation that Christ brings. Indifference is doing nothing or ignoring to do something even when the chance to do good is already in your midst.
Indifference also come in the form of your ignoring some of the five-point and eight-point covenants that you signed in the Community. You may be running away from assignments in your respective ministries. You may be dodging assignments to shepherd in the LSS or you have not a regular in your attendance in the Corporate Worships and Word Sharing Circles. All these constitute what amount to indifference which could actually be a form of grieving the Holy Spirit.
But the greatest sin that we as baptized Catholic Christians can ever commit is to be indifferent by ignoring the presence of Christ and His Word of salvation and deliverance. Not only were the people of Capernaum, Chorazin and Bethsaida indifferent but they were unrepentant as well and Jesus stresses that it would have been better if he brought his message to Tyre and Sidon instead.
Capernaum, Chorazin and Bethsaida could have been spared the wrath of God had they repented and accepted the Good News and Jesus was showing us that what may happen to the people of these three cities will also happen to us if we will persist in ignoring his call.
Repentance brings a change of heart and way of life and in love Jesus is calling us to walk in his way of truth, love and holiness and the question we need to ask ourselves now is are we embracing His Word with genuine faith and obedience? Because the other alternative is unbearable.
As I have told you in one of my earlier reflections there was a man who kept holding off his decision to become a Christian saying “I will follow Christ one of these days.” Unfortunately, he never saw “one of these days” because God called him in “one of those days.”
We should not play games with our lives since time is a luxury that we don’t have. It’s either we live in and with God or we don’t. If we choose to be in and with Christ, then eternal salvation is within our reach. If we choose to reject, ignore and disregard Christ, then it is no different from putting a millstone tied around our necks and be thrown to the depths of the sea.
To be in and with Christ is to move out of our comfort zones. I heard Mark Nimo, a Catholic evangelist from Chicago, who once said in a seminar I attended that renewed Christians must be a people on the move. He said the time for talking is over. We are now in a time that requires action. How true indeed because not to bring the Gospel of Christ to others is an act of indifference and could be regarded as a rejection of not only Jesus Christ himself but even the One who sent Him.
The Church after the Synod of Bishops last year issued a call for New Evangelization that was addressed to all the faithful to go out into the deep and bring the gospel of Christ to the world especially baptized Christians who are no longer practicing their Catholic faith.
This was in response to the call of Jesus in Mt 28:18-20 and when the Lord calls he does not look into your credentials but on the disposition of your heart because at the end of the day, it will be the Holy Spirit who will equip you with his gifts.
SAY YES WITHOUT ASKING
OCT. 3, 2012: TWENTY SIXTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Neh 8:1-6, 7-12
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 19:8-11 “The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.”
GOSPEL: LK 10:1-12
Key Verse: “I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.” (v.3)
Today we have a beautiful Gospel reading that defines our roles in relation to our journey towards the Kingdom of God as it tells us of the right attitude that we should have as we go and be the evangel to others.
And Jesus in this passage equated this role with the image of harvest time to help his disciples and the people visualize the coming of the Kingdom of God because harvest represents the fruit of labor and growth and the entire process requires a lot of workers or laborers.
As a rice farmer myself, I am quite familiar with the process employed during the planting season from the sourcing of the seeds, preparing both the field and the seeds, watering and plowing the field, weeding and winnowing, fertilizing and when the rice grain is ripe, then the harvest begins.
This farming process of sowing and harvesting is what we do as messengers in which the Word of God is likened to a seed that is sown in the hearts of men where it is winnowed by norms and values of the faith, fertilized by the Sacraments until the man matures and sent out to repeat the same process.
There was, however, another analogy that Jesus used in this particular Gospel passage when he said: “ Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.” (v.3) While Luke did not elaborate, Jesus could be referring to the prophecy in Isa 11:6 who said that there will come a time when wolves and lambs will dwell in peace.
Bible scholars view this to be the second coming of Christ when everyone will be united under the Lordship of Jesus after he has established the reign of God in the heavens and in the earth. But while we are still going through our journey of faith, we are to expect opposition and persecution from those who reject the Gospel. But when we are confronted by those opposed to the Gospel, Christ is telling us to face such aggression in love and peace.
The point of this Gospel is that as Jesus came as the sacrificial lamb who atoned for our sins, we whom he has purchased at a great cost must also sacrifice our lives to serve our Lord and King. Here, we see Jesus sending out his 72 disciples in pairs to a two-fold task which was “to heal the sick and tell them the Kingdom of God is at hand” (v.9) and he instructed them to go and serve without counting the cost. “Do not greet anyone on the road” (v.4). “Eat and drink whatever they give you.. Do not move from house to house” (v.7).
These may look like stringent guidelines that some may find unsettling but what Jesus is telling us is if we are to proclaim the Word of God we must give our full attention to the proclamation of God’s kingdom and not be diverted by other lesser things. We must travel light and only bring what is necessary and leave behind any paraphernalia that would distract us from our goal which is to sow the Word of God in men.
We must work and serve the Lord not for what we can get out of it, but for what we can give freely to others, without expecting special privileges or reward and it is this poverty of spirit that frees us from greed and attachment to possessions and make ample room for God’s provision because the Lord wants his disciples to be dependent on him and not on themselves.
In our lives us Sharers for the Marriage Encounter Weekend and in the Life in the Spirit Seminars and when we go to facilitate teachings in parishes and charismatic communities, my spouse and I have practically experienced both extremes from first-class accommodations to places that have limited or no facilities at all. But as emissaries of Christ we who work in the vineyard of the Lord should not complain or grumble. Thus, we have “learned to be content whatever the circumstances” (Phi 4:11).
This was the mission that Jesus had entrusted to his disciples and which he is entrusting to us now. And in this Gospel Jesus is showing us where our mission should begin. It begins with prayer: “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest and ask him to send more workers into the fields” (v.2).
This Gospel actually represents the two most important rules that Jesus wants his disciples to observe. These are (1) to eat what is put before us and not seek better and more comfortable accommodations which is to accept hospitality without being picky or choosy (v.8) and, (2) to heal the sick because healing draws the attention of the people to the presence of God (v.9).
It is human nature for people to want and be better than everyone else. At times people are drawn to material things. They want a big house, branded clothes, a 3-carat diamond to wear. If life is a game, no one goes to the game to lose. But to be the best and win the prize requires endurance, stamina, dedication and determination. The question is why do we see people living as if they have already lost the game in life?
It's because people don't care anymore how their relationship with God is progressing. Many have been reduced to apathy. Others are content in living mediocre lives. They have forgotten about the ultimate goal. Being a Christian is a lifetime commitment. It's a journey in which we need to have a full-time relationship with the Lord. Some people say they want to follow God, but they are so busy they do all sorts of things except follow God as other priorities get in the way.
The truth of the matter is life is like a salad in a buffet bar. You put in your plate what you feel and believe will satisfy your palate. At times you leave the bitter herbs even if you know these are nutritious. But life is actually a combination of all these, and the dressing enhances the taste of the salad.
Likened to life, we are confronted with the sweetness and good tasting joy and successes in our lives and also the bitter herbs of sorrows and failures that we face. But the dressing which is our desire to follow God is what makes it different. If you will only stop for a moment and look into where you are now, your journey will be more satisfying when you know that life has a purpose and it can only be enhanced by giving our time, talent and treasure to make the journey worthwhile.
To bring to others and stand witness to the Word of God is a tremendous privilege. Still, greater responsibility rests on those who will hear the Word of God because they will ultimately be judged according to the measure of their actions in relation to what they heard.
Jesus reminds us: “When you enter a house, first say, Peace to this house. If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you.” (vv.5-6) This is actually a warning from Jesus which means that it would be a terrible thing to reject the invitation of God that comes when the Word of God is spoken.
We whom Christ have called to minister to the world around us need to do what we are told to do and this Gospel reminds us to go without counting the cost. And we can all begin by asking ourselves - Have we witnessed to our own passion, death and resurrection in Christ to those around us?
Because at the end of the day, the world will look not just at us but whether Christ is indeed present in us. Just do it, as the famous commercial says, regardless of the circumstances. And when God sends you out, he doesn’t prequalify those whom he has chosen but he will equip even those who stutter like Moses for the task that is at hand. In other words, when you are called – say yes without asking. That’s the bottom line of evangelization.
1st Reading: Neh 8:1-6, 7-12
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 19:8-11 “The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.”
GOSPEL: LK 10:1-12
Key Verse: “I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.” (v.3)
Today we have a beautiful Gospel reading that defines our roles in relation to our journey towards the Kingdom of God as it tells us of the right attitude that we should have as we go and be the evangel to others.
And Jesus in this passage equated this role with the image of harvest time to help his disciples and the people visualize the coming of the Kingdom of God because harvest represents the fruit of labor and growth and the entire process requires a lot of workers or laborers.
As a rice farmer myself, I am quite familiar with the process employed during the planting season from the sourcing of the seeds, preparing both the field and the seeds, watering and plowing the field, weeding and winnowing, fertilizing and when the rice grain is ripe, then the harvest begins.
This farming process of sowing and harvesting is what we do as messengers in which the Word of God is likened to a seed that is sown in the hearts of men where it is winnowed by norms and values of the faith, fertilized by the Sacraments until the man matures and sent out to repeat the same process.
There was, however, another analogy that Jesus used in this particular Gospel passage when he said: “ Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.” (v.3) While Luke did not elaborate, Jesus could be referring to the prophecy in Isa 11:6 who said that there will come a time when wolves and lambs will dwell in peace.
Bible scholars view this to be the second coming of Christ when everyone will be united under the Lordship of Jesus after he has established the reign of God in the heavens and in the earth. But while we are still going through our journey of faith, we are to expect opposition and persecution from those who reject the Gospel. But when we are confronted by those opposed to the Gospel, Christ is telling us to face such aggression in love and peace.
The point of this Gospel is that as Jesus came as the sacrificial lamb who atoned for our sins, we whom he has purchased at a great cost must also sacrifice our lives to serve our Lord and King. Here, we see Jesus sending out his 72 disciples in pairs to a two-fold task which was “to heal the sick and tell them the Kingdom of God is at hand” (v.9) and he instructed them to go and serve without counting the cost. “Do not greet anyone on the road” (v.4). “Eat and drink whatever they give you.. Do not move from house to house” (v.7).
These may look like stringent guidelines that some may find unsettling but what Jesus is telling us is if we are to proclaim the Word of God we must give our full attention to the proclamation of God’s kingdom and not be diverted by other lesser things. We must travel light and only bring what is necessary and leave behind any paraphernalia that would distract us from our goal which is to sow the Word of God in men.
We must work and serve the Lord not for what we can get out of it, but for what we can give freely to others, without expecting special privileges or reward and it is this poverty of spirit that frees us from greed and attachment to possessions and make ample room for God’s provision because the Lord wants his disciples to be dependent on him and not on themselves.
In our lives us Sharers for the Marriage Encounter Weekend and in the Life in the Spirit Seminars and when we go to facilitate teachings in parishes and charismatic communities, my spouse and I have practically experienced both extremes from first-class accommodations to places that have limited or no facilities at all. But as emissaries of Christ we who work in the vineyard of the Lord should not complain or grumble. Thus, we have “learned to be content whatever the circumstances” (Phi 4:11).
This was the mission that Jesus had entrusted to his disciples and which he is entrusting to us now. And in this Gospel Jesus is showing us where our mission should begin. It begins with prayer: “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest and ask him to send more workers into the fields” (v.2).
This Gospel actually represents the two most important rules that Jesus wants his disciples to observe. These are (1) to eat what is put before us and not seek better and more comfortable accommodations which is to accept hospitality without being picky or choosy (v.8) and, (2) to heal the sick because healing draws the attention of the people to the presence of God (v.9).
It is human nature for people to want and be better than everyone else. At times people are drawn to material things. They want a big house, branded clothes, a 3-carat diamond to wear. If life is a game, no one goes to the game to lose. But to be the best and win the prize requires endurance, stamina, dedication and determination. The question is why do we see people living as if they have already lost the game in life?
It's because people don't care anymore how their relationship with God is progressing. Many have been reduced to apathy. Others are content in living mediocre lives. They have forgotten about the ultimate goal. Being a Christian is a lifetime commitment. It's a journey in which we need to have a full-time relationship with the Lord. Some people say they want to follow God, but they are so busy they do all sorts of things except follow God as other priorities get in the way.
The truth of the matter is life is like a salad in a buffet bar. You put in your plate what you feel and believe will satisfy your palate. At times you leave the bitter herbs even if you know these are nutritious. But life is actually a combination of all these, and the dressing enhances the taste of the salad.
Likened to life, we are confronted with the sweetness and good tasting joy and successes in our lives and also the bitter herbs of sorrows and failures that we face. But the dressing which is our desire to follow God is what makes it different. If you will only stop for a moment and look into where you are now, your journey will be more satisfying when you know that life has a purpose and it can only be enhanced by giving our time, talent and treasure to make the journey worthwhile.
To bring to others and stand witness to the Word of God is a tremendous privilege. Still, greater responsibility rests on those who will hear the Word of God because they will ultimately be judged according to the measure of their actions in relation to what they heard.
Jesus reminds us: “When you enter a house, first say, Peace to this house. If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you.” (vv.5-6) This is actually a warning from Jesus which means that it would be a terrible thing to reject the invitation of God that comes when the Word of God is spoken.
We whom Christ have called to minister to the world around us need to do what we are told to do and this Gospel reminds us to go without counting the cost. And we can all begin by asking ourselves - Have we witnessed to our own passion, death and resurrection in Christ to those around us?
Because at the end of the day, the world will look not just at us but whether Christ is indeed present in us. Just do it, as the famous commercial says, regardless of the circumstances. And when God sends you out, he doesn’t prequalify those whom he has chosen but he will equip even those who stutter like Moses for the task that is at hand. In other words, when you are called – say yes without asking. That’s the bottom line of evangelization.
HUMBLE LIKE A CHILD
OCT. 2, 2013: HOLY GUARDIAN ANGELS
1st Reading: Exo 23:20-23
Responsorial Psalm: 91:1-6, 10-11 “The Lord has put angels in charge of you, to guard you in all your ways.”
GOSPEL: Matt 18:1-5, 10
Key Verse: “Whoever humbles himself as this little child,
he is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.” (vv.3-4)
Another perplexing message that Jesus made was when his disciples asked him who was the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. And again, Jesus comes up with a picturesque response by taking a child saying in vv. 3-4: “unless you turn and become as children, you will not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Whoever humbles himself as this little child, he is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.”
Jesus used a child to describe a citizen of the Heavenly Kingdom because the child is clothed with the characteristics of anyone who want to enter and live in God’s Kingdom. First and foremost of these qualities is the humility of a child which Jesus referred to as the model for Christian behavior.
A child is also utterly dependent on those who are raising him up and shall have developed in his lifetime a complete trust on his parents. These two virtues – dependence and trust – are the attitude that each Christian must have in his relationship to God.
Jesus used the example of a little child to also break down the misconception of his disciples towards the kind of Kingdom that he has come to establish on earth. Up to this time, his disciples were still thinking of the worldly realm when Jesus will finally take his place as the Messiah and Jesus had to stop them on their tracks without hurting their enthusiasm. Hence, he equated the inhabitants of heaven to the character of a child.
There is also another interpretation on why Jesus used the child as a metaphor to bring across his message and in this second version, it is possible that Jesus was referring to a young adult and or even men who are undergoing study and training in righteousness and this is borne by the fact that the Jews sometimes apply a double meaning to certain words.
The word child is no different which to the Jews could mean a little child and or someone who is known to be a disciple or follower who is normally labeled as a son or child of a teacher. Thus, Jesus may also have been referring to a person who is still under the wings of his teacher.
Regardless of which of these interpretations is accurate, what we should bear in mind is the tremendous responsibility that Jesus passed on to us which is to teach children not only to develop their child-like faith but to eventually lead them to live a Godly life.
And to further emphasize the importance of looking after one another, Jesus follows it up by another narrative – the Parable of the Lost Sheep, a story so clear and vivid among the Jews because this is the profession that most of the Jews are engaged in.
As love is the inherent principle in the Kingdom of Heaven, Jesus used the kind of love that Shepherds have of their sheep to draw a parallelism with the love of God and Jesus masterfully linked this parable to the need to instruct and guide the little ones to find their way to the Kingdom of God just like the Shepherd does when tending his sheep.
What Jesus revealed in this parable is the kind of love of God that seeks and saves the lost or those who wander away from the faith. And God will not stop until all who strayed are found to serve the purpose for which we have all been created.
All of us have at one time or another also wandered. We did things we thought was right. Some of us are so gifted it made us think that we don’t need God to make a life. We pursued our dreams to fame and fortune. We stepped on other people’s toes along the way but we shrugged them off as part of my right to promote myself. We didn’t mind the injustices that we perpetrated to get things done. We cheated on our family. Spent time on vices and we gambled our lives away.
But God like a Good Shepherd is not going to wait until we come back because he knows we are incapable of doing that as we remain attached to the world around us that brings comfort and happiness that are fleeting compared to the eternal joy of God’s Kingdom but which is characterized by trials, pains and suffering.
And before we could totally destroy ourselves, God out of his great love for us intervened and found us and brought us to either the Marriage Encounter Weekend, Singles Encounter, Solo Parents Encounter, Youth Encounter and or the Life in the Spirit Seminar which are the entry points to renewal communities like the BLD Catholic Charismatic Community and God put all our sins behind his back when we all returned to him and there was great rejoicing for the lost sheep that was found.
God will go out to search for each and every lamb and sheep that is lost and bring them back at all cost – even if this will cause his death at the cross in exchange. And this is what God expects from those he has saved.
This is what God expects of us. As the Gift of Shepherding is one of the primary gifts that God has bestowed on charismatics, it is incumbent for everyone, except for reasons of health, to exercise their Gift of Shepherding to seek, search and find the lambs in the field. The word “beg off” should never be on the lips of God's under-shepherds. Besides, God ransomed us with his death on the cross which means he now owns us and we should go where he tells us to go.
That we too must also go out on a limb to seek and find the lost and provide them the care and love and the teachings they will need so that they may “know” God and enjoy the abundant life that God has promised us. In other words, it's pay back time for all Christians who have been found and have been given the right to call God - Abba Father!
1st Reading: Exo 23:20-23
Responsorial Psalm: 91:1-6, 10-11 “The Lord has put angels in charge of you, to guard you in all your ways.”
GOSPEL: Matt 18:1-5, 10
Key Verse: “Whoever humbles himself as this little child,
he is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.” (vv.3-4)
Another perplexing message that Jesus made was when his disciples asked him who was the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. And again, Jesus comes up with a picturesque response by taking a child saying in vv. 3-4: “unless you turn and become as children, you will not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Whoever humbles himself as this little child, he is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.”
Jesus used a child to describe a citizen of the Heavenly Kingdom because the child is clothed with the characteristics of anyone who want to enter and live in God’s Kingdom. First and foremost of these qualities is the humility of a child which Jesus referred to as the model for Christian behavior.
A child is also utterly dependent on those who are raising him up and shall have developed in his lifetime a complete trust on his parents. These two virtues – dependence and trust – are the attitude that each Christian must have in his relationship to God.
Jesus used the example of a little child to also break down the misconception of his disciples towards the kind of Kingdom that he has come to establish on earth. Up to this time, his disciples were still thinking of the worldly realm when Jesus will finally take his place as the Messiah and Jesus had to stop them on their tracks without hurting their enthusiasm. Hence, he equated the inhabitants of heaven to the character of a child.
There is also another interpretation on why Jesus used the child as a metaphor to bring across his message and in this second version, it is possible that Jesus was referring to a young adult and or even men who are undergoing study and training in righteousness and this is borne by the fact that the Jews sometimes apply a double meaning to certain words.
The word child is no different which to the Jews could mean a little child and or someone who is known to be a disciple or follower who is normally labeled as a son or child of a teacher. Thus, Jesus may also have been referring to a person who is still under the wings of his teacher.
Regardless of which of these interpretations is accurate, what we should bear in mind is the tremendous responsibility that Jesus passed on to us which is to teach children not only to develop their child-like faith but to eventually lead them to live a Godly life.
And to further emphasize the importance of looking after one another, Jesus follows it up by another narrative – the Parable of the Lost Sheep, a story so clear and vivid among the Jews because this is the profession that most of the Jews are engaged in.
As love is the inherent principle in the Kingdom of Heaven, Jesus used the kind of love that Shepherds have of their sheep to draw a parallelism with the love of God and Jesus masterfully linked this parable to the need to instruct and guide the little ones to find their way to the Kingdom of God just like the Shepherd does when tending his sheep.
What Jesus revealed in this parable is the kind of love of God that seeks and saves the lost or those who wander away from the faith. And God will not stop until all who strayed are found to serve the purpose for which we have all been created.
All of us have at one time or another also wandered. We did things we thought was right. Some of us are so gifted it made us think that we don’t need God to make a life. We pursued our dreams to fame and fortune. We stepped on other people’s toes along the way but we shrugged them off as part of my right to promote myself. We didn’t mind the injustices that we perpetrated to get things done. We cheated on our family. Spent time on vices and we gambled our lives away.
But God like a Good Shepherd is not going to wait until we come back because he knows we are incapable of doing that as we remain attached to the world around us that brings comfort and happiness that are fleeting compared to the eternal joy of God’s Kingdom but which is characterized by trials, pains and suffering.
And before we could totally destroy ourselves, God out of his great love for us intervened and found us and brought us to either the Marriage Encounter Weekend, Singles Encounter, Solo Parents Encounter, Youth Encounter and or the Life in the Spirit Seminar which are the entry points to renewal communities like the BLD Catholic Charismatic Community and God put all our sins behind his back when we all returned to him and there was great rejoicing for the lost sheep that was found.
God will go out to search for each and every lamb and sheep that is lost and bring them back at all cost – even if this will cause his death at the cross in exchange. And this is what God expects from those he has saved.
This is what God expects of us. As the Gift of Shepherding is one of the primary gifts that God has bestowed on charismatics, it is incumbent for everyone, except for reasons of health, to exercise their Gift of Shepherding to seek, search and find the lambs in the field. The word “beg off” should never be on the lips of God's under-shepherds. Besides, God ransomed us with his death on the cross which means he now owns us and we should go where he tells us to go.
That we too must also go out on a limb to seek and find the lost and provide them the care and love and the teachings they will need so that they may “know” God and enjoy the abundant life that God has promised us. In other words, it's pay back time for all Christians who have been found and have been given the right to call God - Abba Father!
JESUS TEACHES TOLERANCE
OCT. 1, 2013: ST. THERESE OF THE CHILD JESUS
1st Reading: Zec 8:20-23
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 87:1-7 “God is with us.”
GOSPEL: LK 9:51-56
Key Verse: “But Jesus turned and rebuked them.” (Lk 9:55)
To understand this Gospel we need to go back in time and know the great divide between the Jews and the Samaritans as the people in Samaria are called. This enmity between these two races contradicts the image that we have of the Samaritans as good on account of the parable.
And this apathy was not without reason and Scriptures tells us that the Israelites themselves brought this culture of hatred upon them. In 2 Kgs 17:24-41 it describes how God allowed other nations to invade Israel because of the sins of the people at that time.
The Israelites were exiled to Assyria and the Assyrian king brought his people to settle in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. In time, mixed marriages gave birth to a mixed race that were labeled as Samaritans and the Jews hated these so-called half-breeds and the Samaritans in turn also hated the Jews.
But to go from Galilee to Jerusalem, the Jews needed to pass through Samaria being the shortest route but because of the dispute between the two races, the Jews have to go around Samaria to go to and from Galilee and Jerusalem. This will explain why Jesus had to send an advance party to Samaria to seek their blessing that he and his disciples will be passing thru.
In effect, what Jesus did was extend an offer of reconciliation but this was not only refused but rejected as well which was what prompted James and John to seek divine intervention to retaliate against the Samaritans.
The rejection that Jesus and his disciples suffered at the hands of the Samaritans is no different from our situation today as there are many in the world that we are in who still aren’t prepared to meet Jesus. They will simply reject him because of their unbelief and or because they are not ready yet to give up the world operating in their own lives.
That Jesus had to go around to go to Jerusalem is what some of us also do when we see or spot a person with whom there is enmity that separates us with the other person. We either take a different path to avoid the person and or simply ignore the person as if he doesn’t exist. What we don’t know is that this unforgiveness or apathy that we harbor in our hearts is a form of rejection that is similar to that which Jesus suffered in Samaria.
In refusing to forgive we are actually rejecting Christ because our response as Christians shouldn't be anger and hostility that we harbor as these attitudes use up too much energy that can only damage our hearts.
Instead, our response should be to do good when and where we can, and when we are rejected we move on to the next open door as what Jesus and his disciples did because there will come a time when that closed door will open and many will come to know Jesus when the time in their hearts is right as what happened to the Samaritans (Jn 4; Acts 8).
Jesus also remained focused on his mission and that not even this rejection by the Samaritans nor by the Pharisees will stop him from going through his passion and death because he knew that this is the only way that the world can be saved from eternal damnation.
When his disciples followed Jesus to another town after he rebuked James and John for wanting to bring down fire from heaven gives us an example of what true discipleship is all about. Scriptures will tell us that Jesus had to suffer and die before he ascended to heaven and sat at the right hand of the Father to reign in glory and the message is that we too have to follow Jesus on the road to Calvary and live a life of sacrifice and die to ourselves before we can also reign with him in glory.
What James and John learned and what we all must also learn is that we must not be afraid of taking our own journey to our own Jerusalem because to follow Jesus gives us no other choice but to model our lives after him. If we seek a secure life and shall so decide to return evil for evil as what James and John wanted to do or, surround ourselves with luxury in the face of human need that is around us we will definitely lose our life. And we can only save our life if we follow Christ on the road to Calvary onto the Cross.
In this Gospel, Jesus teaches us to be tolerant which is a virtue that has long been lost as the people of today have become so uptight probably because of the pressures that the world bring. And intolerance at times moves us to a conviction that our beliefs and methods alone are correct and unknown to us this attitude has become the cause of so much distress and dissension in the church.
As no man has a monopoly of the truth of God, the kind of tolerance that Jesus is showing us in this Gospel must not be based on indifference but on love which means that we have to look at others with love. Many times we disabuse the word fraternal correction as taught in the Community and we tend to focus on the word “treat him as a Gentile or a tax-collector” when the process fails.
But even that passage is not what it seems because for Jesus it simply means there is hope even for a Gentile and a tax-collector to enter the Kingdom of God (Matt 21:31) and fraternal correction merely tells us not to lose hope and be tolerant of others by looking at them with love.
1st Reading: Zec 8:20-23
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 87:1-7 “God is with us.”
GOSPEL: LK 9:51-56
Key Verse: “But Jesus turned and rebuked them.” (Lk 9:55)
To understand this Gospel we need to go back in time and know the great divide between the Jews and the Samaritans as the people in Samaria are called. This enmity between these two races contradicts the image that we have of the Samaritans as good on account of the parable.
And this apathy was not without reason and Scriptures tells us that the Israelites themselves brought this culture of hatred upon them. In 2 Kgs 17:24-41 it describes how God allowed other nations to invade Israel because of the sins of the people at that time.
The Israelites were exiled to Assyria and the Assyrian king brought his people to settle in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. In time, mixed marriages gave birth to a mixed race that were labeled as Samaritans and the Jews hated these so-called half-breeds and the Samaritans in turn also hated the Jews.
But to go from Galilee to Jerusalem, the Jews needed to pass through Samaria being the shortest route but because of the dispute between the two races, the Jews have to go around Samaria to go to and from Galilee and Jerusalem. This will explain why Jesus had to send an advance party to Samaria to seek their blessing that he and his disciples will be passing thru.
In effect, what Jesus did was extend an offer of reconciliation but this was not only refused but rejected as well which was what prompted James and John to seek divine intervention to retaliate against the Samaritans.
The rejection that Jesus and his disciples suffered at the hands of the Samaritans is no different from our situation today as there are many in the world that we are in who still aren’t prepared to meet Jesus. They will simply reject him because of their unbelief and or because they are not ready yet to give up the world operating in their own lives.
That Jesus had to go around to go to Jerusalem is what some of us also do when we see or spot a person with whom there is enmity that separates us with the other person. We either take a different path to avoid the person and or simply ignore the person as if he doesn’t exist. What we don’t know is that this unforgiveness or apathy that we harbor in our hearts is a form of rejection that is similar to that which Jesus suffered in Samaria.
In refusing to forgive we are actually rejecting Christ because our response as Christians shouldn't be anger and hostility that we harbor as these attitudes use up too much energy that can only damage our hearts.
Instead, our response should be to do good when and where we can, and when we are rejected we move on to the next open door as what Jesus and his disciples did because there will come a time when that closed door will open and many will come to know Jesus when the time in their hearts is right as what happened to the Samaritans (Jn 4; Acts 8).
Jesus also remained focused on his mission and that not even this rejection by the Samaritans nor by the Pharisees will stop him from going through his passion and death because he knew that this is the only way that the world can be saved from eternal damnation.
When his disciples followed Jesus to another town after he rebuked James and John for wanting to bring down fire from heaven gives us an example of what true discipleship is all about. Scriptures will tell us that Jesus had to suffer and die before he ascended to heaven and sat at the right hand of the Father to reign in glory and the message is that we too have to follow Jesus on the road to Calvary and live a life of sacrifice and die to ourselves before we can also reign with him in glory.
What James and John learned and what we all must also learn is that we must not be afraid of taking our own journey to our own Jerusalem because to follow Jesus gives us no other choice but to model our lives after him. If we seek a secure life and shall so decide to return evil for evil as what James and John wanted to do or, surround ourselves with luxury in the face of human need that is around us we will definitely lose our life. And we can only save our life if we follow Christ on the road to Calvary onto the Cross.
In this Gospel, Jesus teaches us to be tolerant which is a virtue that has long been lost as the people of today have become so uptight probably because of the pressures that the world bring. And intolerance at times moves us to a conviction that our beliefs and methods alone are correct and unknown to us this attitude has become the cause of so much distress and dissension in the church.
As no man has a monopoly of the truth of God, the kind of tolerance that Jesus is showing us in this Gospel must not be based on indifference but on love which means that we have to look at others with love. Many times we disabuse the word fraternal correction as taught in the Community and we tend to focus on the word “treat him as a Gentile or a tax-collector” when the process fails.
But even that passage is not what it seems because for Jesus it simply means there is hope even for a Gentile and a tax-collector to enter the Kingdom of God (Matt 21:31) and fraternal correction merely tells us not to lose hope and be tolerant of others by looking at them with love.
THE LEAST IS THE GREATEST
SEPT. 30, 2013: ST. JEROME, Priest and Doctor
1st Reading: Zech 8:1-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 102:16-21, 29, 22-23 : “The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory:
GOSPEL: LK 9:46-50
Key Verse: “Whoever is the least is the greatest.” (v.48)
Of the 12 Apostles whom Jesus chose from among the initial batch of 72 disciples, three – Peter, James and his brother John – formed what may be called as his inner circle. The three were also the only ones whom Jesus brought along to the Mount of Transfiguration.
Still looking at Jesus as an earthly king the disciples ignored his admonitions about his suffering and death on the cross and probably thinking that Peter, James and John curried favor from Jesus and will occupy a lofty position in the earthly kingdom that they are imagining, the other disciples began to argue as to who of them should be the greatest.
The disciples should not be faulted if they argued about who was to sit on the left and right of Jesus because there is in every man a natural tendency to aspire for greatness and the world is full of them which ironically include even those in the Church and or even Christian organizations.
And the reason is simply linked to the perceived honor that comes from being great especially in the temporal world that we are in. And this is what separates us from Our Lord Jesus Christ “who being in very nature, God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped at.” (Phi 2:6)
Though man may have been created in the image and likeness of God, there is that human desire to aspire for prestige. Archibald Joseph Cronin (1896-1981) a Scottish physician who was also a novelist (author of The Stars Look Down, The Citadel, The Keys of the Kingdom) whose novels combined reality with social criticism narrated a story about a nurse that he encountered in the course of his medical practice.
The nurse as Cronin recounted served a very large district and who was on call 24/7 but there never was any trace of irritation nor impatience in her that led Cronin to ask her “why don’t you make them pay you more? God knows you are worth it.” And the nurse simply said: “if God knows I’m worth it that’s all that matters to me.”
The message is that when we work in God’s vineyard, the desire for prestige should be the last thing on our minds because even our best is not good enough for him. This also reminds me of an incident about two years ago when I attended a convention of Catholic organizations and as I went to the Bishop who was in charge of the convention and introduced myself I was floored at his response when he said “ah so you’re with the BLD the one of ….. and he mentioned the name of the person.” And I felt I needed to make a rejoinder and I said “no Bishop I’m from the BLD that is of the Holy Spirit.” It was only later that I found out that this person has been claiming ownership of the BLD Community.
There is also in us a desire to sit in places of honor and prominence. Dissension at times creep into a church organization when appointees to certain functions regard their designation as an honor that they deserve rather than a responsibility they needed to assume.
To put his disciples in their proper frame of mind with regards to what being great is, Jesus placed a child on his right side. This is a significant message because it is customary for the Jews to seat the guest of honor at the right side of the host. And Jesus went on to say that the one who is humble of heart like a little child is the greatest in God's kingdom? Jesus, himself, is our model of what it is to be great for He came “not to be served, but to serve” (Mt 20:28).
If we want our lives to be filled with the Grace of God, then we need to detach ourselves from things that stand in the way like pride, self-seeking glory, vanity, self-centeredness. God wants us to empty ourselves so he can fill us with his own glory (2 Cor. 4:7).
There are many among us who are drawn to service and at times generosity but whose aim is to be noticed and praised. And the disciples went through this realization when they complained to Jesus that there was someone who did not belong to their group but was casting out demons in the name of Jesus and he rebuked them saying: “don’t stop him, for he who is not against you is for you.” (v.50)
This is what happens when our pride is hurt when someone else succeeds where we have failed. You may not believe this but throughout my life I never felt insecure in any of the positions and situations to which Our Lord has brought me into in the past and in the present and where he is still leading me in the future. This is because I am very much aware of the fact that each one of us have different gifts and these gifts are personal to us such that I am very much comfortable with the gifts that I have and which I keep nurturing with the Grace of God. And so must you.
What Jesus was saying in this Gospel was that there is no room for jealousy in his vineyard because we are engaged in spiritual warfare every moment of our lives and we need to be constantly aware that there is only who is great and He is the One who created everything from nothing. And God will measure not our greatness but our worth by the measure with which we have cared for others especially the helpless and the needy those who aren’t in a position to reciprocate.
Let me end this reflection with a quote from Margot Asquith, Countess of Oxford and Asquith and a noted Scottish author, who said: “The first element of greatness is fundamental humbleness (this should not be confused with servility); the second is freedom from self; the third is intrepid courage, which, taken in its widest interpretation, generally goes with truth, and the fourth – the power to love – although I have put it last, is the rarest.”
Indeed, as Jesus commanded us to “love one another” (Jn 13:34) and that “all will know that you are my disciples by the love you have for one another.” (Jn 13:35). To love is to forgive and to forgive is to love. This is the cycle of life that we all need to blend with. Because to love and to forgive without conditionalities is to be great in the eyes of God.
1st Reading: Zech 8:1-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 102:16-21, 29, 22-23 : “The Lord will build up Zion again, and appear in all his glory:
GOSPEL: LK 9:46-50
Key Verse: “Whoever is the least is the greatest.” (v.48)
Of the 12 Apostles whom Jesus chose from among the initial batch of 72 disciples, three – Peter, James and his brother John – formed what may be called as his inner circle. The three were also the only ones whom Jesus brought along to the Mount of Transfiguration.
Still looking at Jesus as an earthly king the disciples ignored his admonitions about his suffering and death on the cross and probably thinking that Peter, James and John curried favor from Jesus and will occupy a lofty position in the earthly kingdom that they are imagining, the other disciples began to argue as to who of them should be the greatest.
The disciples should not be faulted if they argued about who was to sit on the left and right of Jesus because there is in every man a natural tendency to aspire for greatness and the world is full of them which ironically include even those in the Church and or even Christian organizations.
And the reason is simply linked to the perceived honor that comes from being great especially in the temporal world that we are in. And this is what separates us from Our Lord Jesus Christ “who being in very nature, God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped at.” (Phi 2:6)
Though man may have been created in the image and likeness of God, there is that human desire to aspire for prestige. Archibald Joseph Cronin (1896-1981) a Scottish physician who was also a novelist (author of The Stars Look Down, The Citadel, The Keys of the Kingdom) whose novels combined reality with social criticism narrated a story about a nurse that he encountered in the course of his medical practice.
The nurse as Cronin recounted served a very large district and who was on call 24/7 but there never was any trace of irritation nor impatience in her that led Cronin to ask her “why don’t you make them pay you more? God knows you are worth it.” And the nurse simply said: “if God knows I’m worth it that’s all that matters to me.”
The message is that when we work in God’s vineyard, the desire for prestige should be the last thing on our minds because even our best is not good enough for him. This also reminds me of an incident about two years ago when I attended a convention of Catholic organizations and as I went to the Bishop who was in charge of the convention and introduced myself I was floored at his response when he said “ah so you’re with the BLD the one of ….. and he mentioned the name of the person.” And I felt I needed to make a rejoinder and I said “no Bishop I’m from the BLD that is of the Holy Spirit.” It was only later that I found out that this person has been claiming ownership of the BLD Community.
There is also in us a desire to sit in places of honor and prominence. Dissension at times creep into a church organization when appointees to certain functions regard their designation as an honor that they deserve rather than a responsibility they needed to assume.
To put his disciples in their proper frame of mind with regards to what being great is, Jesus placed a child on his right side. This is a significant message because it is customary for the Jews to seat the guest of honor at the right side of the host. And Jesus went on to say that the one who is humble of heart like a little child is the greatest in God's kingdom? Jesus, himself, is our model of what it is to be great for He came “not to be served, but to serve” (Mt 20:28).
If we want our lives to be filled with the Grace of God, then we need to detach ourselves from things that stand in the way like pride, self-seeking glory, vanity, self-centeredness. God wants us to empty ourselves so he can fill us with his own glory (2 Cor. 4:7).
There are many among us who are drawn to service and at times generosity but whose aim is to be noticed and praised. And the disciples went through this realization when they complained to Jesus that there was someone who did not belong to their group but was casting out demons in the name of Jesus and he rebuked them saying: “don’t stop him, for he who is not against you is for you.” (v.50)
This is what happens when our pride is hurt when someone else succeeds where we have failed. You may not believe this but throughout my life I never felt insecure in any of the positions and situations to which Our Lord has brought me into in the past and in the present and where he is still leading me in the future. This is because I am very much aware of the fact that each one of us have different gifts and these gifts are personal to us such that I am very much comfortable with the gifts that I have and which I keep nurturing with the Grace of God. And so must you.
What Jesus was saying in this Gospel was that there is no room for jealousy in his vineyard because we are engaged in spiritual warfare every moment of our lives and we need to be constantly aware that there is only who is great and He is the One who created everything from nothing. And God will measure not our greatness but our worth by the measure with which we have cared for others especially the helpless and the needy those who aren’t in a position to reciprocate.
Let me end this reflection with a quote from Margot Asquith, Countess of Oxford and Asquith and a noted Scottish author, who said: “The first element of greatness is fundamental humbleness (this should not be confused with servility); the second is freedom from self; the third is intrepid courage, which, taken in its widest interpretation, generally goes with truth, and the fourth – the power to love – although I have put it last, is the rarest.”
Indeed, as Jesus commanded us to “love one another” (Jn 13:34) and that “all will know that you are my disciples by the love you have for one another.” (Jn 13:35). To love is to forgive and to forgive is to love. This is the cycle of life that we all need to blend with. Because to love and to forgive without conditionalities is to be great in the eyes of God.
WEALTH CAN'T OPEN UP HEAVEN
SEPT. 29, 2013: TWENTY SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Am 6:1, 4-7
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 146: 7-10 “Praise the Lord, my soul!”
2nd Reading: 1 Tim 6:11-16
GOSPEL: LK 16:19-31
Key Verse: “..they will not be convinced even
if someone rises from the dead.” (v.31)
Life is a choice. How many times have we heard that from our closest friends, from the clergy, inspirational speakers and even from our own parents and teachers. And indeed it is and what we will ultimately become will depend on the kind of choices that we make.
And for baptized Christians we have been taught in our Catechism classes that there is a heaven and there is a place called hell. As to which of these two places do we want to end up from here is largely dependent on our choice. As you go through life you will begin to realize that going to heaven is much more complicated than dreaming about it for indeed the road is not only narrow but it is strewn with so many pitfalls that discourage those aspiring to live in the Heavenly Kingdom.
The gospel passage today presents us with the two discernible choices that we can make. On one hand is the desire for many of us to live a life of comfort and luxury and on the other is to endure a life of sacrifice and suffering. But is it wrong to be rich? Not if we are to consider the view of the ancient Jews who regard wealth and fame, title and position as a sign of righteousness? This situation was brought to the fore in today’s Gospel passage because this was how the Pharisees felt as it was the general belief among the religious leaders during the time of Jesus that wealth was a proof of a person’s righteousness.
But this Gospel, however, gives us another lesson in life as it paints a picture of a very dramatic contrast of wealth and poverty, of heaven and hell, compassion and indifference, as well as inclusion and exclusion.
On this occasion, Jesus once again startled the Pharisees who were present when he narrated a story about a beggar who was named Lazarus who was rewarded and a rich man who was punished. Lazarus was not only poor, he was also sick and unable to even lift himself. He lay at the gate of the rich man’s house and the story tells of dogs licking at his sores.
It follows that Lazarus was competing with the dogs for the crumbs that fall from the table of the rich man. The crumbs were all that Lazarus was waiting for and this was probably the way he survived. To grasp the drama of this scenario, we must understand that in those days even the wealthy do not use knives, forks, spoons or napkins.
They ate with their hands and in very lavish surroundings such as the house of this rich man, the traces of food on their hands were wiped with the use of bread that they throw away after wiping their hands and this was what Lazarus was waiting for.
On the other hand, dogs in those days were not regarded with fondness as they are now because in the time of Jesus dogs symbolized contempt. To endure the torment of dogs licking at the sores of Lazarus must have added to his pain and suffering. His misery was compounded even more by the way he was treated by the rich man who simply ignored him.
And Jesus seized this opportunity to hammer down the message behind the story and the Pharisees was probably flabbergasted when Jesus went on to say that when both the rich man and the beggar died at almost the same time the situation was dramatically reversed with the rich man’s soul going to the place of the dead while he saw Lazarus farther away in the company of Abraham.
As abrupt and dramatic this reversal of fortune was, the underlying message was that the rich man did not go to hell just because he was wealthy but because of his selfishness highlighted by his abject refusal to feed Lazarus and or even care for him. Notwithstanding the tremendous blessings that he enjoyed, the rich man was hard-hearted and treated the beggar with indifference and contempt.
The name Lazarus means God is my help and to a certain degree, we should see ourselves in the person of the beggar. In his pitiful condition Lazarus did not lose hope in God.
Amidst the political and social issues today when wealth is flaunted regardless of whether such wealth were procured illegally, this Gospel passage should remind us that whatever material possessions and wealth we may be enjoying now should not cloud our vision of God. In other words, the amount of money or wealth that we have is not as important as the manner in which we make use of these.
The sin of the rich man in this passage that earned him his place in hell was that he never took notice of the beggar treating him with such contempt as if he was not there at all. The rich man did not remove the beggar from his gate. He did not kick him as he would a dog and he was not cruel to the beggar but the rich man merely looked at the beggar to be non-existent and it was not what he did that got him to hell but what he did not do.
Today, God is asking us to look at ourselves especially our attitude towards money and possessions. Do we hoard these or do we use them to help others? And to be more clear about it, wealth should not be confined to material possessions but should include gifts, talents and skills that we have for these are also blessings that could not have come from any other source but from God.
As such, we are to use such blessings not just for our own satisfaction but that through these gifts we may also be a blessing to others. The sin of the rich man was that he was indifferent to the grief and pain of the beggar who lay at his gate but whom he never took notice of. He was thrown to hell because he never noticed that he had a neighbor who needed help. This is what this Gospel passage is all about.
As the story went, Jesus said the rich man became the beggar as he begged Abraham to send the poor man to remind his brothers of his misfortune but which Abraham rejected saying “if they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t listen even if someone rises from the dead” (v.31).
We should ask ourselves today what we consider as the true and lasting treasure. Do we put all our fortunes and our security on our possessions? This Gospel passage is a terrible warning for all of us that we may be aware that it is not enough that we refrain from doing wrong but we must at every opportunity do something for someone beside us who is in need.
We can interpret from what the prophet Amos tells us in the First Reading that everything always comes to an end but whoever looks to God in hope will not be disappointed or be in want when everything around them dries up or disappears. When we put our trust and confidence in God, He will not only be our consolation, but He will be the inexhaustible source of our joy as well.
This Gospel passage should remind us that in the economy of God those who cling to what they have will lose it all in the end while those who make use of their gifts to bless others by sharing generously of what they have and possess will be rewarded even more. Such is the Grace that comes from God which has no end.
1st Reading: Am 6:1, 4-7
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 146: 7-10 “Praise the Lord, my soul!”
2nd Reading: 1 Tim 6:11-16
GOSPEL: LK 16:19-31
Key Verse: “..they will not be convinced even
if someone rises from the dead.” (v.31)
Life is a choice. How many times have we heard that from our closest friends, from the clergy, inspirational speakers and even from our own parents and teachers. And indeed it is and what we will ultimately become will depend on the kind of choices that we make.
And for baptized Christians we have been taught in our Catechism classes that there is a heaven and there is a place called hell. As to which of these two places do we want to end up from here is largely dependent on our choice. As you go through life you will begin to realize that going to heaven is much more complicated than dreaming about it for indeed the road is not only narrow but it is strewn with so many pitfalls that discourage those aspiring to live in the Heavenly Kingdom.
The gospel passage today presents us with the two discernible choices that we can make. On one hand is the desire for many of us to live a life of comfort and luxury and on the other is to endure a life of sacrifice and suffering. But is it wrong to be rich? Not if we are to consider the view of the ancient Jews who regard wealth and fame, title and position as a sign of righteousness? This situation was brought to the fore in today’s Gospel passage because this was how the Pharisees felt as it was the general belief among the religious leaders during the time of Jesus that wealth was a proof of a person’s righteousness.
But this Gospel, however, gives us another lesson in life as it paints a picture of a very dramatic contrast of wealth and poverty, of heaven and hell, compassion and indifference, as well as inclusion and exclusion.
On this occasion, Jesus once again startled the Pharisees who were present when he narrated a story about a beggar who was named Lazarus who was rewarded and a rich man who was punished. Lazarus was not only poor, he was also sick and unable to even lift himself. He lay at the gate of the rich man’s house and the story tells of dogs licking at his sores.
It follows that Lazarus was competing with the dogs for the crumbs that fall from the table of the rich man. The crumbs were all that Lazarus was waiting for and this was probably the way he survived. To grasp the drama of this scenario, we must understand that in those days even the wealthy do not use knives, forks, spoons or napkins.
They ate with their hands and in very lavish surroundings such as the house of this rich man, the traces of food on their hands were wiped with the use of bread that they throw away after wiping their hands and this was what Lazarus was waiting for.
On the other hand, dogs in those days were not regarded with fondness as they are now because in the time of Jesus dogs symbolized contempt. To endure the torment of dogs licking at the sores of Lazarus must have added to his pain and suffering. His misery was compounded even more by the way he was treated by the rich man who simply ignored him.
And Jesus seized this opportunity to hammer down the message behind the story and the Pharisees was probably flabbergasted when Jesus went on to say that when both the rich man and the beggar died at almost the same time the situation was dramatically reversed with the rich man’s soul going to the place of the dead while he saw Lazarus farther away in the company of Abraham.
As abrupt and dramatic this reversal of fortune was, the underlying message was that the rich man did not go to hell just because he was wealthy but because of his selfishness highlighted by his abject refusal to feed Lazarus and or even care for him. Notwithstanding the tremendous blessings that he enjoyed, the rich man was hard-hearted and treated the beggar with indifference and contempt.
The name Lazarus means God is my help and to a certain degree, we should see ourselves in the person of the beggar. In his pitiful condition Lazarus did not lose hope in God.
Amidst the political and social issues today when wealth is flaunted regardless of whether such wealth were procured illegally, this Gospel passage should remind us that whatever material possessions and wealth we may be enjoying now should not cloud our vision of God. In other words, the amount of money or wealth that we have is not as important as the manner in which we make use of these.
The sin of the rich man in this passage that earned him his place in hell was that he never took notice of the beggar treating him with such contempt as if he was not there at all. The rich man did not remove the beggar from his gate. He did not kick him as he would a dog and he was not cruel to the beggar but the rich man merely looked at the beggar to be non-existent and it was not what he did that got him to hell but what he did not do.
Today, God is asking us to look at ourselves especially our attitude towards money and possessions. Do we hoard these or do we use them to help others? And to be more clear about it, wealth should not be confined to material possessions but should include gifts, talents and skills that we have for these are also blessings that could not have come from any other source but from God.
As such, we are to use such blessings not just for our own satisfaction but that through these gifts we may also be a blessing to others. The sin of the rich man was that he was indifferent to the grief and pain of the beggar who lay at his gate but whom he never took notice of. He was thrown to hell because he never noticed that he had a neighbor who needed help. This is what this Gospel passage is all about.
As the story went, Jesus said the rich man became the beggar as he begged Abraham to send the poor man to remind his brothers of his misfortune but which Abraham rejected saying “if they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t listen even if someone rises from the dead” (v.31).
We should ask ourselves today what we consider as the true and lasting treasure. Do we put all our fortunes and our security on our possessions? This Gospel passage is a terrible warning for all of us that we may be aware that it is not enough that we refrain from doing wrong but we must at every opportunity do something for someone beside us who is in need.
We can interpret from what the prophet Amos tells us in the First Reading that everything always comes to an end but whoever looks to God in hope will not be disappointed or be in want when everything around them dries up or disappears. When we put our trust and confidence in God, He will not only be our consolation, but He will be the inexhaustible source of our joy as well.
This Gospel passage should remind us that in the economy of God those who cling to what they have will lose it all in the end while those who make use of their gifts to bless others by sharing generously of what they have and possess will be rewarded even more. Such is the Grace that comes from God which has no end.
HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW JESUS?
SEPT. 27, 2013: ST. VINCENT de PAUL
1st Reading: Hag 2:1-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 43:1-4 “Hope in God; I will praise him, my Savior and my God”
GOSPEL: LK 9:18-22
Key Verse: “But who do you say that I am?” (v.20)
Was there a time when you wondered why God deigned that his only begotten Son who was without blemish should be born in a manger where the first visitors were not kings and princes but ordinary shepherds and the three wise men from the east?
This thought certainly must have crossed yours minds for how was it possible that the Son of God must suffer his first rejection when the Holy Family was denied accommodation at the local inn in Bethlehem. This was not the way a King was supposed to be born and definitely not for the Messiah who was being sent to save the world.
There was, however, a purpose for such and while I do not claim to have the power nor the authority to know much less presume what God was thinking at the time, I would dare propose a scenario in that Jesus has to come into the world in the humblest way possible because the people he came to save must come to know him for what he is and not for what he can do or give.
In other words, what God wants is for us to see Jesus in the simplicity of our environs, among the poor and the downtrodden who are not given their due as human beings, in the faces of the oppressed and even among those whom we view with disregard and contempt and this very short passage is perhaps one of the most meaningful passages in the Sacred Scriptures for it opens our minds and our hearts to the reality that indeed we should know how to respond if in case we will be asked when we are before the pearly gates of Heaven.
This passage is actually a wake-up call for us because the question that Jesus asked: “But who do you say that I am?” (v.20) is not only important but it iss a question that is filled with meaning that everyone who wants to be a disciple of Jesus Christ must grasp.
This exchange with his disciples and Peter happened right after the feeding of the five thousand and Jesus must have been so tired that he went out to pray as he usually does before he tucks in for the night. His disciples were with him and so he saw this as an opportunity to ask them: “Who do people say that I am?” (v.18) And they answered some say John the Baptist others Elijah.
At this point, Jesus knew that the people still do not know or would not accept him for who he was. His avowed claim of being the Son of God was received with violent opposition especially from the Pharisees whose religious beliefs ran counter to his teachings. And this greatly troubled Jesus because he could not possibly abide by the Father’s Will to go to Jerusalem to suffer and die without any assurance that there was someone who understood his purpose and will pursue his mission.
And so Jesus turned to Peter and asked: “But you, who do you say that I am?” Without any hesitation, Peter answered: “You are the Christ, the anointed one of God.” There and there Jesus knew that there was at least one among his 72 disciples who knew him and the reason for which he came.
But the question that Jesus asked was not just a simple question. There was more to that because the word “who” in Hebrew means much more than asking about who and what a person is. It is used to determine how much one knows of a person such that if Jesus were to ask us the same question now, he will want to know how much of him do we know.
There is an ocean of difference between knowing about Jesus and actually knowing him and this was what Jesus wants to know. How about us? Do we possess a head knowledge of Jesus that was culled from seminars, workshops and theological studies that we have attended or do we personally know him from what he has done to us and for us.
To know a person and Jesus for that matter, we need to get inside the person, to share his thoughts, his emotions, to laugh at his humor, to empathize with his sorrow, to suffer with him, to pray with him and to believe in him and his mission because Christianity is not just knowing about Jesus but in truly knowing Jesus. To do this we should go beyond what others believe.
In other words, we need to know Jesus in a personal way while we still have time because “the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him” (Lk 12:40) and when he comes he will ask as we stand before him face-to-face: “You, who do you say that I am?”
On our response will depend whether we will be allowed to enter the Kingdom of Heaven that is only for those who truly know him. Which is why when he asks us that same question, Jesus expects us to take a stand, to defend him in the face of the growing campaign to make a mockery of our Christian faith, to rise up and do battle against the evil forces that are behind the propagation of immorality in the world.
And in the same Gospel, Jesus warned his disciples not to tell anyone because the people at that time weren’t ready yet to accept him not as the militant and conquering Messiah. The finite minds of the people will find it hard to grasp the depth of the love of Jesus who as the Messiah will suffer and die for our sins.
But this was the turning point in the ministry of Jesus. Peter’s confession gave Jesus the assurance that somebody did recognize him as the Messiah and from hereon he pursued his ministry to bring the Gospel of love to the people.
And as Peter discovered at that very moment when Jesus asked the question, we too must make our own discovery of Jesus Christ and not just rely on what others say because our knowing Jesus must never come from a second hand source. Jesus is not interested in knowing what we know of him from what others tell us about him. Our own discovery of Jesus must be personal and this discovery will ultimately lead us to knowing him in a personal way.
One person who knew Jesus well enough so as to give his life to serve the Lord was St. Vincent de Paul who devoted his life to serving the poor. In time he founded one of the largest charitable organizations in the world.
1st Reading: Hag 2:1-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 43:1-4 “Hope in God; I will praise him, my Savior and my God”
GOSPEL: LK 9:18-22
Key Verse: “But who do you say that I am?” (v.20)
Was there a time when you wondered why God deigned that his only begotten Son who was without blemish should be born in a manger where the first visitors were not kings and princes but ordinary shepherds and the three wise men from the east?
This thought certainly must have crossed yours minds for how was it possible that the Son of God must suffer his first rejection when the Holy Family was denied accommodation at the local inn in Bethlehem. This was not the way a King was supposed to be born and definitely not for the Messiah who was being sent to save the world.
There was, however, a purpose for such and while I do not claim to have the power nor the authority to know much less presume what God was thinking at the time, I would dare propose a scenario in that Jesus has to come into the world in the humblest way possible because the people he came to save must come to know him for what he is and not for what he can do or give.
In other words, what God wants is for us to see Jesus in the simplicity of our environs, among the poor and the downtrodden who are not given their due as human beings, in the faces of the oppressed and even among those whom we view with disregard and contempt and this very short passage is perhaps one of the most meaningful passages in the Sacred Scriptures for it opens our minds and our hearts to the reality that indeed we should know how to respond if in case we will be asked when we are before the pearly gates of Heaven.
This passage is actually a wake-up call for us because the question that Jesus asked: “But who do you say that I am?” (v.20) is not only important but it iss a question that is filled with meaning that everyone who wants to be a disciple of Jesus Christ must grasp.
This exchange with his disciples and Peter happened right after the feeding of the five thousand and Jesus must have been so tired that he went out to pray as he usually does before he tucks in for the night. His disciples were with him and so he saw this as an opportunity to ask them: “Who do people say that I am?” (v.18) And they answered some say John the Baptist others Elijah.
At this point, Jesus knew that the people still do not know or would not accept him for who he was. His avowed claim of being the Son of God was received with violent opposition especially from the Pharisees whose religious beliefs ran counter to his teachings. And this greatly troubled Jesus because he could not possibly abide by the Father’s Will to go to Jerusalem to suffer and die without any assurance that there was someone who understood his purpose and will pursue his mission.
And so Jesus turned to Peter and asked: “But you, who do you say that I am?” Without any hesitation, Peter answered: “You are the Christ, the anointed one of God.” There and there Jesus knew that there was at least one among his 72 disciples who knew him and the reason for which he came.
But the question that Jesus asked was not just a simple question. There was more to that because the word “who” in Hebrew means much more than asking about who and what a person is. It is used to determine how much one knows of a person such that if Jesus were to ask us the same question now, he will want to know how much of him do we know.
There is an ocean of difference between knowing about Jesus and actually knowing him and this was what Jesus wants to know. How about us? Do we possess a head knowledge of Jesus that was culled from seminars, workshops and theological studies that we have attended or do we personally know him from what he has done to us and for us.
To know a person and Jesus for that matter, we need to get inside the person, to share his thoughts, his emotions, to laugh at his humor, to empathize with his sorrow, to suffer with him, to pray with him and to believe in him and his mission because Christianity is not just knowing about Jesus but in truly knowing Jesus. To do this we should go beyond what others believe.
In other words, we need to know Jesus in a personal way while we still have time because “the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him” (Lk 12:40) and when he comes he will ask as we stand before him face-to-face: “You, who do you say that I am?”
On our response will depend whether we will be allowed to enter the Kingdom of Heaven that is only for those who truly know him. Which is why when he asks us that same question, Jesus expects us to take a stand, to defend him in the face of the growing campaign to make a mockery of our Christian faith, to rise up and do battle against the evil forces that are behind the propagation of immorality in the world.
And in the same Gospel, Jesus warned his disciples not to tell anyone because the people at that time weren’t ready yet to accept him not as the militant and conquering Messiah. The finite minds of the people will find it hard to grasp the depth of the love of Jesus who as the Messiah will suffer and die for our sins.
But this was the turning point in the ministry of Jesus. Peter’s confession gave Jesus the assurance that somebody did recognize him as the Messiah and from hereon he pursued his ministry to bring the Gospel of love to the people.
And as Peter discovered at that very moment when Jesus asked the question, we too must make our own discovery of Jesus Christ and not just rely on what others say because our knowing Jesus must never come from a second hand source. Jesus is not interested in knowing what we know of him from what others tell us about him. Our own discovery of Jesus must be personal and this discovery will ultimately lead us to knowing him in a personal way.
One person who knew Jesus well enough so as to give his life to serve the Lord was St. Vincent de Paul who devoted his life to serving the poor. In time he founded one of the largest charitable organizations in the world.
EVERYONE WANTS TO SEE JESUS
SEPT. 26, 2013: TWENTY FIFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Hag 1:1-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 149:1-6, 9 “The Lord takes delight in his people.”
GOSPEL: LK 9:7-9
Key Verse: “And he kept trying to see him.” (v.9)
Celebrities, politicians, prominent businessmen, achievers, or just about anyone who is in the news except perhaps those involved in shady deals often draw attention to themselves. And it’s natural because human beings are social beings meaning that at some point in time each one of us are expected to relate to another and even those who have already made a name for themselves make it a habit to be seen in the company of not only their peers but those with whom they share equal status in life.
And Herod was no different. He was supposed to be the king but somehow he heard of Jesus whose popularity and influence was slowly becoming a threat not only to his fiefdom but even to the Roman colonizers.
The last verse (v.9) in this short Gospel passage of today tells us that Herod Antipas tried to see Jesus who was with his disciples traveling throughout Galilee preaching and healing at the same time. Herod was also known as the Tetrarch meaning the fourth part as he was made the ruler of the regions of Galilee and Perea.
The interest of Herod was in some way similar to the interest of Herod the Great at the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem but this time the interest of Herod Antipas was not so much out of fear but of curiosity and, probably out of guilt for the beheading of John the Baptist.
This anxiety of Herod was also borne out of the conflicting claims on the identity of Jesus that he heard. Some news that Herod received said Jesus was perhaps Elijah (v.8) whom the Jews have also been waiting for to announce the coming of their savior.
But what must have troubled Herod was the news that Jesus could be John the Baptist who “rose from the dead” (v.7) and what was perplexing for Herod was that he himself ordered the beheading of John the Baptist.
It was probably this guilt that Herod had in his consciousness that he wanted to see Jesus. This is also true for many people who are haunted by their guilt and most often the guilt that they carry affects the way they relate to others.
Herod loved to listen to the prophetic words spoken by John the Baptist and the only thing that he didn’t like was when the prophet started speaking against his illicit relationship with Herodias who was previously married to his brother Philip.
This time, Herod also wanted to see Jesus and listen to his teachings because news of the ministry of Jesus has already reached the ears of Herod and he probably wanted to know for himself if Jesus was indeed a resurrected John the Baptist or the great prophet Elijah.
Herod, however, was not able to see Jesus because there was no more account that he did meet Jesus except in Lk 23:6-8 “Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. When he learned that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod who was also in Jerusalem at that time. When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him…”
Besides the interest of Herod in Jesus that was borne out of his guilt in beheading John the Baptist, another significant point in this Gospel was the difficulty the Jews had in accepting Jesus as the Son of God and this was the reason why the Jews came out with conflicting versions as to the identity of Jesus.
Some said he was John the Baptist who has resurrected and some said he was Elijah who did not die but who “went up to heaven in a whirlwind” (2 Kgs 2:11). Except for Peter who accepted and confessed to the true identity of Jesus (Mt 16:16) “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” the Jews particularly the Chief Priests and the Pharisees never accepted Jesus for what he was.
There was a reason for it because if they were to do so, they would have to give up many of their religious beliefs as well as the laws they have drawn which, according to Jesus, had only stifled the relationship between God and the chosen people.
For many people today, there is still some difficulty in accepting Jesus as fully human born of the Virgin Mary and as the divine Son of God. Like the Pharisees, there are those in the world today who cannot accept Jesus because of the duality in their lives.
As there are no ifs and buts when it comes to salvation we all must make a decision to know who Jesus is and what he is to us. And many times, we run into a wall in our relationship with Christ even if we know that he is the door through which we have to pass to get to the Kingdom of Heaven because of our misplaced priorities in life.
What we should keep ingrained in our hearts is that it’s either we are in and with Jesus or we are not. And we need to step out and take that leap of faith and be filled with the Grace of God that will free us from the tyranny of fear and sin and will enable us to reject what is wrong and choose what is good.
For it is only when we are filled with Grace that we can truly recognize who Jesus is. “Grace builds upon nature” is a theological statement which simply means that while Grace is given to all without prejudice, we will only benefit from it if we will allow our nature – our own entire being – to subordinate our human will to the Will of God.
And this is founded on Christ’s command in Jn 13:34-35 for us to “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
1st Reading: Hag 1:1-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 149:1-6, 9 “The Lord takes delight in his people.”
GOSPEL: LK 9:7-9
Key Verse: “And he kept trying to see him.” (v.9)
Celebrities, politicians, prominent businessmen, achievers, or just about anyone who is in the news except perhaps those involved in shady deals often draw attention to themselves. And it’s natural because human beings are social beings meaning that at some point in time each one of us are expected to relate to another and even those who have already made a name for themselves make it a habit to be seen in the company of not only their peers but those with whom they share equal status in life.
And Herod was no different. He was supposed to be the king but somehow he heard of Jesus whose popularity and influence was slowly becoming a threat not only to his fiefdom but even to the Roman colonizers.
The last verse (v.9) in this short Gospel passage of today tells us that Herod Antipas tried to see Jesus who was with his disciples traveling throughout Galilee preaching and healing at the same time. Herod was also known as the Tetrarch meaning the fourth part as he was made the ruler of the regions of Galilee and Perea.
The interest of Herod was in some way similar to the interest of Herod the Great at the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem but this time the interest of Herod Antipas was not so much out of fear but of curiosity and, probably out of guilt for the beheading of John the Baptist.
This anxiety of Herod was also borne out of the conflicting claims on the identity of Jesus that he heard. Some news that Herod received said Jesus was perhaps Elijah (v.8) whom the Jews have also been waiting for to announce the coming of their savior.
But what must have troubled Herod was the news that Jesus could be John the Baptist who “rose from the dead” (v.7) and what was perplexing for Herod was that he himself ordered the beheading of John the Baptist.
It was probably this guilt that Herod had in his consciousness that he wanted to see Jesus. This is also true for many people who are haunted by their guilt and most often the guilt that they carry affects the way they relate to others.
Herod loved to listen to the prophetic words spoken by John the Baptist and the only thing that he didn’t like was when the prophet started speaking against his illicit relationship with Herodias who was previously married to his brother Philip.
This time, Herod also wanted to see Jesus and listen to his teachings because news of the ministry of Jesus has already reached the ears of Herod and he probably wanted to know for himself if Jesus was indeed a resurrected John the Baptist or the great prophet Elijah.
Herod, however, was not able to see Jesus because there was no more account that he did meet Jesus except in Lk 23:6-8 “Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. When he learned that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod who was also in Jerusalem at that time. When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him…”
Besides the interest of Herod in Jesus that was borne out of his guilt in beheading John the Baptist, another significant point in this Gospel was the difficulty the Jews had in accepting Jesus as the Son of God and this was the reason why the Jews came out with conflicting versions as to the identity of Jesus.
Some said he was John the Baptist who has resurrected and some said he was Elijah who did not die but who “went up to heaven in a whirlwind” (2 Kgs 2:11). Except for Peter who accepted and confessed to the true identity of Jesus (Mt 16:16) “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” the Jews particularly the Chief Priests and the Pharisees never accepted Jesus for what he was.
There was a reason for it because if they were to do so, they would have to give up many of their religious beliefs as well as the laws they have drawn which, according to Jesus, had only stifled the relationship between God and the chosen people.
For many people today, there is still some difficulty in accepting Jesus as fully human born of the Virgin Mary and as the divine Son of God. Like the Pharisees, there are those in the world today who cannot accept Jesus because of the duality in their lives.
As there are no ifs and buts when it comes to salvation we all must make a decision to know who Jesus is and what he is to us. And many times, we run into a wall in our relationship with Christ even if we know that he is the door through which we have to pass to get to the Kingdom of Heaven because of our misplaced priorities in life.
What we should keep ingrained in our hearts is that it’s either we are in and with Jesus or we are not. And we need to step out and take that leap of faith and be filled with the Grace of God that will free us from the tyranny of fear and sin and will enable us to reject what is wrong and choose what is good.
For it is only when we are filled with Grace that we can truly recognize who Jesus is. “Grace builds upon nature” is a theological statement which simply means that while Grace is given to all without prejudice, we will only benefit from it if we will allow our nature – our own entire being – to subordinate our human will to the Will of God.
And this is founded on Christ’s command in Jn 13:34-35 for us to “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
USING THE NAME OF JESUS IS A SACRED DUTY
SEPT. 25, 2013: TWENTY FIFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Ezra 9:5-9
Responsorial Psalm: Tob 13:2-4, 7-8 “Blessed be God who lives forever.”
GOSPEL: LK 9:1-6
Key Verse: “…and healing people everywhere.” (v.6)
About the second week of July, we read from the gospel of Matthew (Mt 10:1-7) that Jesus had chosen his so-called A-Team, the 12 disciples from among the 72 who have been following him and whom he has elevated to become the Apostles who will help build the church that will be born on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit takes its place as the Advocate who will equip and empower the Church as we see it now.
Then, we also read in the same gospel (Mt 10:7-15) that Jesus had issued what appears to be the mission orders for his Apostles and those who will come after them and these tasks include: (1) Heal the sick, (2) Raise the dead, (3) Cleanse the lepers, and (4) Cast out demons. But over and above all these is the need to proclaim the Kingdom of God to all who will hear and listen.
And in today’s Gospel, Jesus sends out his disciples in pairs and gave them the power and the authority to speak and to act in his name. He gave specific instructions to them to do the same works that he did – to heal, to free people from the power of the evil one, and to speak the word of God – the good news of the gospel that they received from Jesus.
When Jesus gave his disciples the power and authority to evangelize, he also meshed this power and authority with love and humility that they are to be clothed with. While the “world” and the “flesh” seek power for selfish gain, Jesus is teaching us to use it for the good of our neighbor.
Our Lord Jesus is actually giving us the members of his body today to serve as his ambassadors and missionaries – to bring the Good News to all peoples, lands, and nations as he freely pours out his Holy Spirit upon each one of us so that we may have the confidence and boldness to speak and act in his name wherever he places and sends us.
As he did with his Apostles and disciples, Jesus is also telling us the new breed of evangelists to “travel light” with as little provision or none at all and depend on what we will find in the mission field where we are to go. What Jesus is teaching is for us to embrace this poverty of spirit that will free us from greed and desire for possessions instead of God's provision.
What the Lord wants is for us to be dependent on him and not on ourselves. What these directives of Jesus represent is the pursuit of a radical kind of faith which simply means doing things that we are not used to. This also means getting out of our comfort zones and into the mission fields even if such will inconvenience us.
I am particularly saddened when I meet Christians who claim to have been renewed but who serve only where it is comfortable and conformable for them. While Jesus and his disciples make do with whatever is given them in the homes they go to, there are a new breed of Pharisaic disciples who expect that they be treated like royalty.
To talk of radicalism in the way we practice our faith is to look at the way we conduct ourselves as disciples. There is an ocean of difference between talking about discipleship and actually doing it. Preaching the Gospel and living it is what the call of Jesus is all about.
All these translate to servanthood which means that in Christ’s schema, we lose our identity. We forget who we are and we go to the mission field to toil and to serve and not to issue orders because only Christ gives the order. While a leadership structure puts order even in a Christian setting, leaders are expected to become encouragers and not controllers who impose their will on others.
We should take to heart that the mission orders that Jesus gave to the Apostles are the same as what He has been doing during his earthly ministry and it presupposes that as we have seen what he has done Jesus also expects that we can replicate this in our own mission fields.
As with the Apostles, we are to do this in conjunction with the more important task of proclaiming the Kingdom of God. The Jews longed to have their own Kingdom and be freed from the oppression but they had a different mindset of the Messiah. And what Jesus was saying was that His coming into the world heralds the coming of the Kingdom of God.
This pronouncement rings true even today that the Kingdom of God is near. Jesus actually began his Kingdom in the hearts of his Apostles and his disciples and in us whom he has gathered from the dark valleys where we dwelt before Jesus found us. The time will come when this Kingdom will be fully realized and evil will be erased from the face of the earth and the people will live in peace with one another.
He is also telling us that the gift of life that we received has been freely given by Our God and that we are to give this gift to others as a free gift. Translated into action, what Jesus is saying is that for all the many blessings that we have received, we are now called upon to give generously of our time, love and possessions.
To serve God without counting the cost is one of the things that we can do for Our Lord. We have all been purchased at a high price with the life that the Son of God offered for our redemption. Our calling then is to serve him faithfully at every opportunity.
A two-day revival conference called F.I.R.E. which stands for Fruitful – Inspired – Renewed – Empowered was launched some months back by the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community in the Philippines the objective of which is to reignite the fire that Christian disciples have received when they were baptized in the Holy Spirit. And for the embers to keep on burning, we need to “fan into flame the gift of God” (2 Tim 1:6) and “this burnt offering is to remain on the altar throughout the night, till morning, and the fire must be kept burning on the altar.” (Lev. 6:9)
This simply means that the fire of the Holy Spirit must constantly be in the heart of every disciple, the heart being the altar of the Lord. As with the Apostles, we too are commanded to simply shake off the dust on our feet – meaning leave when the person or people we bring the Good News to will not listen or will reject the Kingdom of God and proceed to a more fertile field where the Good News will be accepted with enthusiasm and delight.
There is, however, a deeper reality that lies beneath this gospel reading and you can find this in the opening verse itself when Jesus “summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority” (v.1). This meant that the Apostles were able to proclaim the Kingdom of God, drive out demons and cure the sick not on their own power but on the basis of the power and authority given them by Jesus.
In the same manner, when we are sent we should not even for once assume that we have the power to cure the sick. What we have is the power and authority that we receive from Jesus and we should always bear in mind that to be given this power and authority is a privilege that carries with it a tremendous responsibility.
As Paul wrote in his letter to Titus, to use the Name of Jesus means that we are “to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.” (Tit 2:12)
1st Reading: Ezra 9:5-9
Responsorial Psalm: Tob 13:2-4, 7-8 “Blessed be God who lives forever.”
GOSPEL: LK 9:1-6
Key Verse: “…and healing people everywhere.” (v.6)
About the second week of July, we read from the gospel of Matthew (Mt 10:1-7) that Jesus had chosen his so-called A-Team, the 12 disciples from among the 72 who have been following him and whom he has elevated to become the Apostles who will help build the church that will be born on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit takes its place as the Advocate who will equip and empower the Church as we see it now.
Then, we also read in the same gospel (Mt 10:7-15) that Jesus had issued what appears to be the mission orders for his Apostles and those who will come after them and these tasks include: (1) Heal the sick, (2) Raise the dead, (3) Cleanse the lepers, and (4) Cast out demons. But over and above all these is the need to proclaim the Kingdom of God to all who will hear and listen.
And in today’s Gospel, Jesus sends out his disciples in pairs and gave them the power and the authority to speak and to act in his name. He gave specific instructions to them to do the same works that he did – to heal, to free people from the power of the evil one, and to speak the word of God – the good news of the gospel that they received from Jesus.
When Jesus gave his disciples the power and authority to evangelize, he also meshed this power and authority with love and humility that they are to be clothed with. While the “world” and the “flesh” seek power for selfish gain, Jesus is teaching us to use it for the good of our neighbor.
Our Lord Jesus is actually giving us the members of his body today to serve as his ambassadors and missionaries – to bring the Good News to all peoples, lands, and nations as he freely pours out his Holy Spirit upon each one of us so that we may have the confidence and boldness to speak and act in his name wherever he places and sends us.
As he did with his Apostles and disciples, Jesus is also telling us the new breed of evangelists to “travel light” with as little provision or none at all and depend on what we will find in the mission field where we are to go. What Jesus is teaching is for us to embrace this poverty of spirit that will free us from greed and desire for possessions instead of God's provision.
What the Lord wants is for us to be dependent on him and not on ourselves. What these directives of Jesus represent is the pursuit of a radical kind of faith which simply means doing things that we are not used to. This also means getting out of our comfort zones and into the mission fields even if such will inconvenience us.
I am particularly saddened when I meet Christians who claim to have been renewed but who serve only where it is comfortable and conformable for them. While Jesus and his disciples make do with whatever is given them in the homes they go to, there are a new breed of Pharisaic disciples who expect that they be treated like royalty.
To talk of radicalism in the way we practice our faith is to look at the way we conduct ourselves as disciples. There is an ocean of difference between talking about discipleship and actually doing it. Preaching the Gospel and living it is what the call of Jesus is all about.
All these translate to servanthood which means that in Christ’s schema, we lose our identity. We forget who we are and we go to the mission field to toil and to serve and not to issue orders because only Christ gives the order. While a leadership structure puts order even in a Christian setting, leaders are expected to become encouragers and not controllers who impose their will on others.
We should take to heart that the mission orders that Jesus gave to the Apostles are the same as what He has been doing during his earthly ministry and it presupposes that as we have seen what he has done Jesus also expects that we can replicate this in our own mission fields.
As with the Apostles, we are to do this in conjunction with the more important task of proclaiming the Kingdom of God. The Jews longed to have their own Kingdom and be freed from the oppression but they had a different mindset of the Messiah. And what Jesus was saying was that His coming into the world heralds the coming of the Kingdom of God.
This pronouncement rings true even today that the Kingdom of God is near. Jesus actually began his Kingdom in the hearts of his Apostles and his disciples and in us whom he has gathered from the dark valleys where we dwelt before Jesus found us. The time will come when this Kingdom will be fully realized and evil will be erased from the face of the earth and the people will live in peace with one another.
He is also telling us that the gift of life that we received has been freely given by Our God and that we are to give this gift to others as a free gift. Translated into action, what Jesus is saying is that for all the many blessings that we have received, we are now called upon to give generously of our time, love and possessions.
To serve God without counting the cost is one of the things that we can do for Our Lord. We have all been purchased at a high price with the life that the Son of God offered for our redemption. Our calling then is to serve him faithfully at every opportunity.
A two-day revival conference called F.I.R.E. which stands for Fruitful – Inspired – Renewed – Empowered was launched some months back by the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community in the Philippines the objective of which is to reignite the fire that Christian disciples have received when they were baptized in the Holy Spirit. And for the embers to keep on burning, we need to “fan into flame the gift of God” (2 Tim 1:6) and “this burnt offering is to remain on the altar throughout the night, till morning, and the fire must be kept burning on the altar.” (Lev. 6:9)
This simply means that the fire of the Holy Spirit must constantly be in the heart of every disciple, the heart being the altar of the Lord. As with the Apostles, we too are commanded to simply shake off the dust on our feet – meaning leave when the person or people we bring the Good News to will not listen or will reject the Kingdom of God and proceed to a more fertile field where the Good News will be accepted with enthusiasm and delight.
There is, however, a deeper reality that lies beneath this gospel reading and you can find this in the opening verse itself when Jesus “summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority” (v.1). This meant that the Apostles were able to proclaim the Kingdom of God, drive out demons and cure the sick not on their own power but on the basis of the power and authority given them by Jesus.
In the same manner, when we are sent we should not even for once assume that we have the power to cure the sick. What we have is the power and authority that we receive from Jesus and we should always bear in mind that to be given this power and authority is a privilege that carries with it a tremendous responsibility.
As Paul wrote in his letter to Titus, to use the Name of Jesus means that we are “to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.” (Tit 2:12)
NOT EASY TO BE CHRIST'S RELATIVE
SEPT. 24, 2013: TWENTY FIFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Ezra 6:7-8,12, 14-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 122:1-5 “Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: LK 8:19-21
Key Verse: “My mother and brothers are those who hear
God’s word and put it into practice.” (v.21)
When going through the Gospel reading today let me caution you not to think of this passage as a simple story about the family of Jesus who wanted to see him and Jesus expressing his surprise. It’s actually more than just an encounter among family members because if you will read the last verse (v.21) and reflect on it, you will realize that this three-verse passage is actually a precondition that everyone must have if we want to be admitted into the family circle of Jesus.
We also need to read and reread this passage to fully understand its meaning because to just read it for the sake of reading it might lead us to conclude that Jesus was disrespectful of his mother and his brothers.
This Gospel narrative must have taken place in a town near Nazareth because Mary his mother and his brothers came to see him but could not get near him because of the crowd who came to listen to his teaching and for the most part to seek healing from Jesus for their sickness and afflictions as word of his wisdom as a prophet and the many whom Jesus healed began to spread throughout Judea.
And when he was told that his mother and brothers came to see him, Jesus merely said in v.21: “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s Word and put it into practice.”
If we turn to Mt 12:48-50, Jesus was more descriptive as he said: “Who is my mother and who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the Will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
There have been so many variations in the way this Gospel has been interpreted in the past and it remains to be the subject of discussion among Bible students and even confusion at times owing to the question of who are the brothers of Jesus who are referred to in this narrative.
A closer scrutiny of this Gospel passage, however, will show that Jesus wasn’t disrespectful of his mother and what is clear in this Gospel is the fact that Jesus did not deny his mother nor did he deny his brothers who came to see him.
Jesus merely said “my mother and brothers are those who hear God’s Word and put it into practice.” (v.21) There is also a distinct possibility that Jesus was also surprised when his mother went to see him together with his brothers as it reminded him of the time when his brothers “went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.” (Mk 3:21)
And what Jesus did is similar to the relationship that some of us have with our friends with whom we have become closer even if they are not related to us but with whom we share many things in common. This is especially true for some of us who are the only child of our parents and have no siblings we can relate to. There are also those who by force of circumstance do not have relatives we can turn to and so we relate to and have become closer to our friends especially with friends with whom we grew up together.
Here Jesus points out that his mother and brothers are those “who hear God’s Word and put it into practice.” (v.21) What this simply means is that we all need to subordinate our will to the Will of God. We need to align our priorities with the priorities of God that must take precedence to what our human mind wills.
And for us to be considered as the brothers and sisters of Jesus we must give God full control of our lives and allow the Holy Spirit to fill us with its “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law." (Gal 5:22-23)
When these nine virtues that are also the attributes of Christ Himself become operative in our lives, we too will bear the image of Christ in us and this is when we become the mother, brothers and sisters of Christ.
To allow these fruits of the Holy Spirit to grow in us, we need to take to heart the command of Jesus to “love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mt 22:39) because “by this all will know you are my disciples, if you have love for another.” (Jn 13:35)
In addition to bearing fruit we as Catholics have to build up on our faith by our faithful observance and adherence to the Sacraments of our faith such as Baptism for our children as this is the time when the stain of original sin is removed and the three theological virtues are infused into the child by the working of the Holy Spirit that empowers the baptized person to seek God. Sacrament of Confirmation when the child reaches 7 years old which grants the child the power and privilege to go out into the world and be the Good News to others as with the Apostles on the Day of Pentecost.
Confession which in reality is also a form of exorcism because going to confession expunges the evil in us and the regular reception of the Holy Eucharist because it is this commingling of the Body and Blood of Christ with our own that empowers us to live sanctified lives. Couples must not forego the Sacrament of Marriage because it is through this sacrament that brings married couples into union with Christ. If by chance any of your children may appear to have the calling to the priesthood, don’t stifle it nor stand in his way because the Sacrament of the Holy Orders is a noble profession as it is a continuation of the priesthood of Christ. Finally, make sure that the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick be administered to those who are dying and who are gravely ill or about to undergo a major operation.
These, however, are not the only things we as Catholics should do. We must not forget the other important things that we know as the Corporal Works of Mercy and these are: Feed the hungry; Give drink to the thirsty; Clothe the naked; Shelter the homeless; Visit the sick; Visit the imprisoned, and; Bury the dead.
Then there are the so-called Spiritual Works of Mercy that we also need to enflesh in our lives. These are: Admonish the sinner; Instruct the ignorant (This and the next work are extremely pertinent categories today, when so many people are confused by what the Church teaches on contraception, abortion, homosexuality, etc.); Counsel the doubtful; Comfort the sorrowful; Bear wrongs patiently; Forgive all injuries; Pray for the living and the dead.
So you see friends, it is not that easy to be admitted into the family of Christ much less be identified as his Mother, Brother or Sister. It takes more than just attending Prayer Meetings or Bible Reflection. To be one with Christ we must have the capacity to love not only God, ourselves, our neighbor but also what we do either in the workplace, at home or in our community.
Because it is when love fills our hearts that we can begin to look at one another as relatives and we can hear Jesus say “my mother and brothers are those who hear God’s Word and put it into practice.” (v.21)
1st Reading: Ezra 6:7-8,12, 14-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 122:1-5 “Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: LK 8:19-21
Key Verse: “My mother and brothers are those who hear
God’s word and put it into practice.” (v.21)
When going through the Gospel reading today let me caution you not to think of this passage as a simple story about the family of Jesus who wanted to see him and Jesus expressing his surprise. It’s actually more than just an encounter among family members because if you will read the last verse (v.21) and reflect on it, you will realize that this three-verse passage is actually a precondition that everyone must have if we want to be admitted into the family circle of Jesus.
We also need to read and reread this passage to fully understand its meaning because to just read it for the sake of reading it might lead us to conclude that Jesus was disrespectful of his mother and his brothers.
This Gospel narrative must have taken place in a town near Nazareth because Mary his mother and his brothers came to see him but could not get near him because of the crowd who came to listen to his teaching and for the most part to seek healing from Jesus for their sickness and afflictions as word of his wisdom as a prophet and the many whom Jesus healed began to spread throughout Judea.
And when he was told that his mother and brothers came to see him, Jesus merely said in v.21: “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s Word and put it into practice.”
If we turn to Mt 12:48-50, Jesus was more descriptive as he said: “Who is my mother and who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the Will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
There have been so many variations in the way this Gospel has been interpreted in the past and it remains to be the subject of discussion among Bible students and even confusion at times owing to the question of who are the brothers of Jesus who are referred to in this narrative.
A closer scrutiny of this Gospel passage, however, will show that Jesus wasn’t disrespectful of his mother and what is clear in this Gospel is the fact that Jesus did not deny his mother nor did he deny his brothers who came to see him.
Jesus merely said “my mother and brothers are those who hear God’s Word and put it into practice.” (v.21) There is also a distinct possibility that Jesus was also surprised when his mother went to see him together with his brothers as it reminded him of the time when his brothers “went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.” (Mk 3:21)
And what Jesus did is similar to the relationship that some of us have with our friends with whom we have become closer even if they are not related to us but with whom we share many things in common. This is especially true for some of us who are the only child of our parents and have no siblings we can relate to. There are also those who by force of circumstance do not have relatives we can turn to and so we relate to and have become closer to our friends especially with friends with whom we grew up together.
Here Jesus points out that his mother and brothers are those “who hear God’s Word and put it into practice.” (v.21) What this simply means is that we all need to subordinate our will to the Will of God. We need to align our priorities with the priorities of God that must take precedence to what our human mind wills.
And for us to be considered as the brothers and sisters of Jesus we must give God full control of our lives and allow the Holy Spirit to fill us with its “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law." (Gal 5:22-23)
When these nine virtues that are also the attributes of Christ Himself become operative in our lives, we too will bear the image of Christ in us and this is when we become the mother, brothers and sisters of Christ.
To allow these fruits of the Holy Spirit to grow in us, we need to take to heart the command of Jesus to “love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mt 22:39) because “by this all will know you are my disciples, if you have love for another.” (Jn 13:35)
In addition to bearing fruit we as Catholics have to build up on our faith by our faithful observance and adherence to the Sacraments of our faith such as Baptism for our children as this is the time when the stain of original sin is removed and the three theological virtues are infused into the child by the working of the Holy Spirit that empowers the baptized person to seek God. Sacrament of Confirmation when the child reaches 7 years old which grants the child the power and privilege to go out into the world and be the Good News to others as with the Apostles on the Day of Pentecost.
Confession which in reality is also a form of exorcism because going to confession expunges the evil in us and the regular reception of the Holy Eucharist because it is this commingling of the Body and Blood of Christ with our own that empowers us to live sanctified lives. Couples must not forego the Sacrament of Marriage because it is through this sacrament that brings married couples into union with Christ. If by chance any of your children may appear to have the calling to the priesthood, don’t stifle it nor stand in his way because the Sacrament of the Holy Orders is a noble profession as it is a continuation of the priesthood of Christ. Finally, make sure that the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick be administered to those who are dying and who are gravely ill or about to undergo a major operation.
These, however, are not the only things we as Catholics should do. We must not forget the other important things that we know as the Corporal Works of Mercy and these are: Feed the hungry; Give drink to the thirsty; Clothe the naked; Shelter the homeless; Visit the sick; Visit the imprisoned, and; Bury the dead.
Then there are the so-called Spiritual Works of Mercy that we also need to enflesh in our lives. These are: Admonish the sinner; Instruct the ignorant (This and the next work are extremely pertinent categories today, when so many people are confused by what the Church teaches on contraception, abortion, homosexuality, etc.); Counsel the doubtful; Comfort the sorrowful; Bear wrongs patiently; Forgive all injuries; Pray for the living and the dead.
So you see friends, it is not that easy to be admitted into the family of Christ much less be identified as his Mother, Brother or Sister. It takes more than just attending Prayer Meetings or Bible Reflection. To be one with Christ we must have the capacity to love not only God, ourselves, our neighbor but also what we do either in the workplace, at home or in our community.
Because it is when love fills our hearts that we can begin to look at one another as relatives and we can hear Jesus say “my mother and brothers are those who hear God’s Word and put it into practice.” (v.21)
ST. PADRE PIO - A LIFETIME OF SACRIFICE
SEPT. 23, 2013: FEAST DAY OF ST. PIO DE PIETRELCINA
1st Reading: Ezra 1:1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 126:1-6 “The Lord has done marvels for us.”
GOSPEL: LK 8:16-18
“The life of a Christian is nothing but a perpetual struggle against self; there is no flowering of the soul to the beauty of its perfection except at the price of pain.” (St. Pio del Pietrelcina)
Short this gospel passage may be but these verses are probably one of the most significant verses in the Scriptures because these are what we are supposed to be as Christians whose lives have been touched and illumined by the love and Grace of God.
Simply put this Gospel tells us to show to the world who and what we are. And again, we need to go back to the foundation of our nature that we are all created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26) and this is the nature that the world must see in us.
This also brings me back to June 12, 1998 when the Philippines celebrated its Centennial and then President Fidel V. Ramos, through an Executive Order, enjoined the entire nation to display the Philippine flag in their homes, business establishments, vehicles, buildings, etc.
Again after the 9-11 tragedy, we see American homes displaying the American flag in their porches, in their lawns and, wherever they can display it to express their solidarity as a nation.
In both instances, Filipinos and Americans took pride in their identities with the use of their respective national banners because those colors project our image of who we are. Our national banners speak of who we are as a nation and as a people and in fact we are taught in school to take pride in our flag because it carries with it the very history of our nation.
This brings us to the Gospel of today which simply means that our lives must take the form of a lamp that has been lighted up by the nature of Jesus contained in the Scriptures and empowered by the Holy Spirit such that we are to consider ourselves as a lampstand that will illumine not only our surroundings but more importantly those around us.
The Word of God who is Jesus personified must be operative in our lives which means that we who have seen the light must now become the lamps that should proclaim the message of the Kingdom of God “so that those who come in can see the light” (v.16) and again we are reminded of our great commission (Mt 28:18) and that we are not to “grieve the Holy Spirit with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Eph 4:30).
To be sealed in the Holy Spirit means that we who have received the Word of God are mandated to act on it, to proclaim it because this is our primary responsibility as Christians and we are not stifle its proclamation lest we grieve the Holy Spirit who can take away even the little that we have which could even mean this life that we now live.
What Jesus was emphasizing in this Gospel is that if we consider our lives as a lamp that has been lighted up by the Word of God then we must understand that we are not to hide and keep the light to ourselves but we must show to the world the light that is in us. Our being Christians must become the banner that we must be proud of. Our transformed lives must mirror the banner that flutters proudly so that everyone can see not just the Christian in us but the Jesus in us who is in reality the True Light.
In this Gospel we are being reminded that the Word of God does not only light up our lives but it will help us grow as Christians. As with our bodies, our muscles grow stronger when these are exercised and unused muscles become weak and will become flabby.
And it is our duty to shine so that others may also see the light. As we are commanded by Christ in Mt 28:18, we are to witness or we are to bring this light that we have received to others publicly and must not keep it to ourselves.
What may, however, confound those who will read this Gospel is what Jesus said: “therefore, consider carefully how you listen.” (v.18) But fear not because what Jesus was merely saying here was that we all must be careful in digesting what we hear because there are many deceptive messages in the world today that there is a danger that these deceptions is what we may be passing on to others.
This actually should serve as a motivation for us to keep on learning, to keep on seeking the truth because what Jesus was saying in v.18 is that if we stop learning, if we don’t proclaim the Word of God which is a way of exercising our Christian muscles, if we stop searching for the Kingdom of Heaven and, if we keep the light hidden from others even the little knowledge that we have will be taken away from us.
In closing, we should all ask ourselves are we proud of our Christian heritage? Are we proud of our faith that we have in Jesus that it impels us to proclaim the Word to others? Have our lives been transformed that we have become the light on a lampstand that others can come in and see the light? Do we take pride in displaying the Christian banner that reflects the presence of Christ in our lives?
Today also happens to be the Feast Day of St. Pio de Pietrelcina who is one of the most revered saints of modern church history whose life was touched by God and in turn did not withhold the light from others.
In one of the largest such ceremonies in history, Blessed John Paul II canonized Padre Pio of Pietrelcina on June 16, 2002. It was the 45th canonization ceremony in Pope John Paul's pontificate. More than 300,000 people braved blistering heat as they filled St. Peter's Square and nearby streets. They heard the Holy Father praise the new saint for his prayer and charity. “This is the most concrete synthesis of Padre Pio's teaching,” said the then Pope John Paul II. He also stressed Padre Pio's witness to the power of suffering. If accepted with love, the Holy Father stressed, such suffering can lead to “a privileged path of sanctity.”
It was on September 20, 1918 when he was making his thanksgiving after Mass that Padre Pio had a vision of Jesus. When the vision ended, he had the stigmata in his hands, feet and side. He rarely left the friary after he received the stigmata, but busloads of people soon began coming to see him. Each morning after a 5 a.m. Mass in a crowded church, he heard confessions until noon.
He took a mid-morning break to bless the sick and all who came to see him. Every afternoon he also heard confessions. In time his confessional ministry would take 10 hours a day such that penitents had to take a number so that the situation could be handled. Many of them said that Padre Pio knew details of their lives that they had never mentioned. He died on September 23, 1968, and was beatified in 1999.
At Padre Pio's canonization Mass in 2002, Blessed John Paul II referred to that day's Gospel (Mt 11:25-30) and said: “The Gospel image of 'yoke' evokes the many trials that the humble Capuchin of San Giovanni Rotondo endured. Today we contemplate in him how sweet is the 'yoke' of Christ and indeed how light the burden are whenever someone carries these with faithful love. The life and mission of Padre Pio testify that difficulties and sorrows, if accepted with love, transform themselves into a privileged journey of holiness, which opens the person toward a greater good, known only to the Lord.”
Let me end with this Prayer For Intercession by St. Pio del Pietrelcina:
Dear God, You generously blessed Your servant, St. Pio of Pietrelcina, with the gifts of the Spirit.
You marked his body with the five wounds of Christ Crucified, as a powerful witness to the saving Passion and
Death of Your Son.
Endowed with the gift of discernment, St. Pio labored endlessly in the confessional for the salvation of souls.
With reverence and intense devotion in the celebration of Mass, he invited countless men and women to a
greater union with Jesus Christ in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.
Through the intercession of St. Pio of Pietrelcina, I confidently beseech You to grant me the grace of
(here state your petition).
Glory be to the Father… (3x). Amen.
1st Reading: Ezra 1:1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 126:1-6 “The Lord has done marvels for us.”
GOSPEL: LK 8:16-18
“The life of a Christian is nothing but a perpetual struggle against self; there is no flowering of the soul to the beauty of its perfection except at the price of pain.” (St. Pio del Pietrelcina)
Short this gospel passage may be but these verses are probably one of the most significant verses in the Scriptures because these are what we are supposed to be as Christians whose lives have been touched and illumined by the love and Grace of God.
Simply put this Gospel tells us to show to the world who and what we are. And again, we need to go back to the foundation of our nature that we are all created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26) and this is the nature that the world must see in us.
This also brings me back to June 12, 1998 when the Philippines celebrated its Centennial and then President Fidel V. Ramos, through an Executive Order, enjoined the entire nation to display the Philippine flag in their homes, business establishments, vehicles, buildings, etc.
Again after the 9-11 tragedy, we see American homes displaying the American flag in their porches, in their lawns and, wherever they can display it to express their solidarity as a nation.
In both instances, Filipinos and Americans took pride in their identities with the use of their respective national banners because those colors project our image of who we are. Our national banners speak of who we are as a nation and as a people and in fact we are taught in school to take pride in our flag because it carries with it the very history of our nation.
This brings us to the Gospel of today which simply means that our lives must take the form of a lamp that has been lighted up by the nature of Jesus contained in the Scriptures and empowered by the Holy Spirit such that we are to consider ourselves as a lampstand that will illumine not only our surroundings but more importantly those around us.
The Word of God who is Jesus personified must be operative in our lives which means that we who have seen the light must now become the lamps that should proclaim the message of the Kingdom of God “so that those who come in can see the light” (v.16) and again we are reminded of our great commission (Mt 28:18) and that we are not to “grieve the Holy Spirit with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Eph 4:30).
To be sealed in the Holy Spirit means that we who have received the Word of God are mandated to act on it, to proclaim it because this is our primary responsibility as Christians and we are not stifle its proclamation lest we grieve the Holy Spirit who can take away even the little that we have which could even mean this life that we now live.
What Jesus was emphasizing in this Gospel is that if we consider our lives as a lamp that has been lighted up by the Word of God then we must understand that we are not to hide and keep the light to ourselves but we must show to the world the light that is in us. Our being Christians must become the banner that we must be proud of. Our transformed lives must mirror the banner that flutters proudly so that everyone can see not just the Christian in us but the Jesus in us who is in reality the True Light.
In this Gospel we are being reminded that the Word of God does not only light up our lives but it will help us grow as Christians. As with our bodies, our muscles grow stronger when these are exercised and unused muscles become weak and will become flabby.
And it is our duty to shine so that others may also see the light. As we are commanded by Christ in Mt 28:18, we are to witness or we are to bring this light that we have received to others publicly and must not keep it to ourselves.
What may, however, confound those who will read this Gospel is what Jesus said: “therefore, consider carefully how you listen.” (v.18) But fear not because what Jesus was merely saying here was that we all must be careful in digesting what we hear because there are many deceptive messages in the world today that there is a danger that these deceptions is what we may be passing on to others.
This actually should serve as a motivation for us to keep on learning, to keep on seeking the truth because what Jesus was saying in v.18 is that if we stop learning, if we don’t proclaim the Word of God which is a way of exercising our Christian muscles, if we stop searching for the Kingdom of Heaven and, if we keep the light hidden from others even the little knowledge that we have will be taken away from us.
In closing, we should all ask ourselves are we proud of our Christian heritage? Are we proud of our faith that we have in Jesus that it impels us to proclaim the Word to others? Have our lives been transformed that we have become the light on a lampstand that others can come in and see the light? Do we take pride in displaying the Christian banner that reflects the presence of Christ in our lives?
Today also happens to be the Feast Day of St. Pio de Pietrelcina who is one of the most revered saints of modern church history whose life was touched by God and in turn did not withhold the light from others.
In one of the largest such ceremonies in history, Blessed John Paul II canonized Padre Pio of Pietrelcina on June 16, 2002. It was the 45th canonization ceremony in Pope John Paul's pontificate. More than 300,000 people braved blistering heat as they filled St. Peter's Square and nearby streets. They heard the Holy Father praise the new saint for his prayer and charity. “This is the most concrete synthesis of Padre Pio's teaching,” said the then Pope John Paul II. He also stressed Padre Pio's witness to the power of suffering. If accepted with love, the Holy Father stressed, such suffering can lead to “a privileged path of sanctity.”
It was on September 20, 1918 when he was making his thanksgiving after Mass that Padre Pio had a vision of Jesus. When the vision ended, he had the stigmata in his hands, feet and side. He rarely left the friary after he received the stigmata, but busloads of people soon began coming to see him. Each morning after a 5 a.m. Mass in a crowded church, he heard confessions until noon.
He took a mid-morning break to bless the sick and all who came to see him. Every afternoon he also heard confessions. In time his confessional ministry would take 10 hours a day such that penitents had to take a number so that the situation could be handled. Many of them said that Padre Pio knew details of their lives that they had never mentioned. He died on September 23, 1968, and was beatified in 1999.
At Padre Pio's canonization Mass in 2002, Blessed John Paul II referred to that day's Gospel (Mt 11:25-30) and said: “The Gospel image of 'yoke' evokes the many trials that the humble Capuchin of San Giovanni Rotondo endured. Today we contemplate in him how sweet is the 'yoke' of Christ and indeed how light the burden are whenever someone carries these with faithful love. The life and mission of Padre Pio testify that difficulties and sorrows, if accepted with love, transform themselves into a privileged journey of holiness, which opens the person toward a greater good, known only to the Lord.”
Let me end with this Prayer For Intercession by St. Pio del Pietrelcina:
Dear God, You generously blessed Your servant, St. Pio of Pietrelcina, with the gifts of the Spirit.
You marked his body with the five wounds of Christ Crucified, as a powerful witness to the saving Passion and
Death of Your Son.
Endowed with the gift of discernment, St. Pio labored endlessly in the confessional for the salvation of souls.
With reverence and intense devotion in the celebration of Mass, he invited countless men and women to a
greater union with Jesus Christ in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.
Through the intercession of St. Pio of Pietrelcina, I confidently beseech You to grant me the grace of
(here state your petition).
Glory be to the Father… (3x). Amen.
YOU CAN'T HAVE TWO MASTERS
SEPT. 22, 2013: TWENTY FIFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Amos 8:4-7
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 113:1-2, 4-8 “Praise the Lord who lifts up the poor.”
2nd Reading: 1 Tim 2:1-8
GOSPEL: LK 16: 1-13
Key Verse: “…You cannot serve God and money.” (v.13)
In this age when people seem stuck in their desire to eke out a living and provide a comfortable life for their family, there is a tendency to push God aside. Worship of God has not only become mechanical but it has been turned into an obligation that people need to go through and that’s it.
And there are those who think they can buy their way to salvation by picking up the tab whenever the church needs a new roof or a new coat of paint. They are the ones who will rise to the occasion whenever the church or community will be in need of funds for a certain project or program. And of course there are also those whose giving is motivated by their desire to control or manipulate their parish, community or ministry for that matter.
But in this Gospel passage, Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and this time he gave them an illustration that will clearly define their attitude towards God and their love for wealth and power. In a way this passage is also for us because in our own journey of faith, we will have to choose between God and money and there is nothing in between and there are no gray areas either.
It’s either we choose to be on the side of God or we choose to remain imprisoned in the world. Jesus, however, qualified that money is not evil and it can also be used for meaningful purposes.
If we look back to the passage before this, Jesus showed that money can be used not as an investment to bribe God and earn for us a place in heaven, but to help other people find their way to God. Without thinking of the rewards, our helping the needful especially those whom we can lead to Christ through the financial resources that we have will reap for us eternal benefits.
The Jews firmly believe that charity given to the poor would be credited to the giver in the world to come. And commenting on the rich fool who built bigger barns to store his harvest, St. Ambrose said “the bosoms of the poor, the house of widows, the mouths of children are the barns which last forever.”
Money can be used for selfish purposes or it can be used to make life easier for others. As God has been merciful to us during the times when we are in need, so we too are being asked to follow the shrewd steward who used his position to make friends whom he expect will help him at some future time. Generous giving is related to alms-giving and those to whom we give become our friends and they will ultimately see Christ through us. In time, our generosity will lead us to eternity as St. Ambrose commented.
The opposite of generosity is greed or the excessive desire for wealth and power. And greed doesn’t only refer to the accumulation of material possessions but also to the insatiable desire for power and position. Generosity nurtures the soul while greed blocks the flow of Grace in a person.
This parable teaches us the need to manage the resources that God has entrusted to us. Once again, we are faced with the reality that we have been put in charge of things that are not ours. While these resources have their present-day use and after-life benefit, still we cannot take these resources with us when we finally meet our maker. In other words, we are merely stewards and our place in heaven will largely depend on how wise we manage these resources that were lent to us.
These resources include our talent, skills, positions, the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit and as we go through life we need to constantly account for our actions and be an exemplar for honesty and integrity even on small matters. No one becomes chief operating officer of a company in an instant unless you own the company. COOs and CEOs advance in their corporate paths but they all started from scratch.
It gives me tremendous joy whenever I look back at my work in the media sector for the past 47 years when I started as a Radio DJ and moving up the ladder of success until I became a Station Manager. When I moved to the Print Media, I again started as a Beat Reporter until I moved up to become a Business Editor of a major daily. Along the way, I met, helped and trained numerous Announcers and Writers who have become successful in their own right many of them have also become Editors.
I rubbed elbows with ordinary military, police officers, politicians and upstart businessmen who would later become generals, congressmen, senators and top corporate officials, respectively. And this association and linkages I have established proved beneficial at some point in time. A police general I worked with even became President of the Philippines.
Indeed money, wealth and power can corrupt but it also brings some benefit to the person with such. As money and greed have the power to ease out God in our lives, it can ultimately become our master and this is what Jesus is warning us in this parable. A master is one who rules our lives and in this life there is a tendency we can be ruled by love of money and possessions, power of position, the glamor associated with wealth and prestige. These can control not only our thoughts but even our desires and values.
Money can be a deceptive master. It may offer power and prestige but there is no permanency in these. We have witnessed how the fortunes of the high and mighty changed overnight and no amount of money can give us health, true joy and eternal life. On the other side is God who offers us peace of mind and a place in his heavenly kingdom where we will reign in glory in the company of his angels and his saints.
Which is why Jesus demands that we choose between God and mammon because we cannot dwell in God and immerse ourselves in the cares of this world. And there shouldn’t be any doubt or vacillation in the way we make our choice. To take the side of God assures us of our eternal inheritance in heaven. To remain in the world would lead us to the fiery furnace where there will be gnashing and grinding of teeth.
There is only one Master and that is Our God who created us, Jesus Christ who redeemed us and freed us from our slavery to sinful desires and greed and, the Holy Spirit who sanctifies the work of our hands.
Let me end with my favorite line – there was somebody who said “I will follow the Lord one of these days.” He never did because he never saw and lived one of these days. Brothers and sisters, let us not put off our response to God’s call. There is only one Master and that is Jesus Christ who is the door to eternity.
1st Reading: Amos 8:4-7
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 113:1-2, 4-8 “Praise the Lord who lifts up the poor.”
2nd Reading: 1 Tim 2:1-8
GOSPEL: LK 16: 1-13
Key Verse: “…You cannot serve God and money.” (v.13)
In this age when people seem stuck in their desire to eke out a living and provide a comfortable life for their family, there is a tendency to push God aside. Worship of God has not only become mechanical but it has been turned into an obligation that people need to go through and that’s it.
And there are those who think they can buy their way to salvation by picking up the tab whenever the church needs a new roof or a new coat of paint. They are the ones who will rise to the occasion whenever the church or community will be in need of funds for a certain project or program. And of course there are also those whose giving is motivated by their desire to control or manipulate their parish, community or ministry for that matter.
But in this Gospel passage, Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and this time he gave them an illustration that will clearly define their attitude towards God and their love for wealth and power. In a way this passage is also for us because in our own journey of faith, we will have to choose between God and money and there is nothing in between and there are no gray areas either.
It’s either we choose to be on the side of God or we choose to remain imprisoned in the world. Jesus, however, qualified that money is not evil and it can also be used for meaningful purposes.
If we look back to the passage before this, Jesus showed that money can be used not as an investment to bribe God and earn for us a place in heaven, but to help other people find their way to God. Without thinking of the rewards, our helping the needful especially those whom we can lead to Christ through the financial resources that we have will reap for us eternal benefits.
The Jews firmly believe that charity given to the poor would be credited to the giver in the world to come. And commenting on the rich fool who built bigger barns to store his harvest, St. Ambrose said “the bosoms of the poor, the house of widows, the mouths of children are the barns which last forever.”
Money can be used for selfish purposes or it can be used to make life easier for others. As God has been merciful to us during the times when we are in need, so we too are being asked to follow the shrewd steward who used his position to make friends whom he expect will help him at some future time. Generous giving is related to alms-giving and those to whom we give become our friends and they will ultimately see Christ through us. In time, our generosity will lead us to eternity as St. Ambrose commented.
The opposite of generosity is greed or the excessive desire for wealth and power. And greed doesn’t only refer to the accumulation of material possessions but also to the insatiable desire for power and position. Generosity nurtures the soul while greed blocks the flow of Grace in a person.
This parable teaches us the need to manage the resources that God has entrusted to us. Once again, we are faced with the reality that we have been put in charge of things that are not ours. While these resources have their present-day use and after-life benefit, still we cannot take these resources with us when we finally meet our maker. In other words, we are merely stewards and our place in heaven will largely depend on how wise we manage these resources that were lent to us.
These resources include our talent, skills, positions, the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit and as we go through life we need to constantly account for our actions and be an exemplar for honesty and integrity even on small matters. No one becomes chief operating officer of a company in an instant unless you own the company. COOs and CEOs advance in their corporate paths but they all started from scratch.
It gives me tremendous joy whenever I look back at my work in the media sector for the past 47 years when I started as a Radio DJ and moving up the ladder of success until I became a Station Manager. When I moved to the Print Media, I again started as a Beat Reporter until I moved up to become a Business Editor of a major daily. Along the way, I met, helped and trained numerous Announcers and Writers who have become successful in their own right many of them have also become Editors.
I rubbed elbows with ordinary military, police officers, politicians and upstart businessmen who would later become generals, congressmen, senators and top corporate officials, respectively. And this association and linkages I have established proved beneficial at some point in time. A police general I worked with even became President of the Philippines.
Indeed money, wealth and power can corrupt but it also brings some benefit to the person with such. As money and greed have the power to ease out God in our lives, it can ultimately become our master and this is what Jesus is warning us in this parable. A master is one who rules our lives and in this life there is a tendency we can be ruled by love of money and possessions, power of position, the glamor associated with wealth and prestige. These can control not only our thoughts but even our desires and values.
Money can be a deceptive master. It may offer power and prestige but there is no permanency in these. We have witnessed how the fortunes of the high and mighty changed overnight and no amount of money can give us health, true joy and eternal life. On the other side is God who offers us peace of mind and a place in his heavenly kingdom where we will reign in glory in the company of his angels and his saints.
Which is why Jesus demands that we choose between God and mammon because we cannot dwell in God and immerse ourselves in the cares of this world. And there shouldn’t be any doubt or vacillation in the way we make our choice. To take the side of God assures us of our eternal inheritance in heaven. To remain in the world would lead us to the fiery furnace where there will be gnashing and grinding of teeth.
There is only one Master and that is Our God who created us, Jesus Christ who redeemed us and freed us from our slavery to sinful desires and greed and, the Holy Spirit who sanctifies the work of our hands.
Let me end with my favorite line – there was somebody who said “I will follow the Lord one of these days.” He never did because he never saw and lived one of these days. Brothers and sisters, let us not put off our response to God’s call. There is only one Master and that is Jesus Christ who is the door to eternity.
SALVATION IS FOR SINNERS ALSO
SEPT. 21, 2013: ST. MATTHEW, Apostle and Evangelist
1st Reading: Eph 4:1-7, 11-13
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 19:2-5 “Their message goes out through all the earth.”
GOSPEL: MATT 9:9-13
Key Verse: “I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (v.13)
If you will be asked to identify a religious person, what are the things that you would look for? Would wearing a habit suffice? How then would you recognize a religious person or how would you define a man if he is religious or not?
This is actually a difficult thing to do because there are people who can project the image that they want others to see. In other words, the true character of a person is something that you don’t readily see. In fact you need to know a person for a certain period of time before you can really say that you know that person.
But there is one thing you can use as a gauge to know if a man is religious or not. Try to see if that man at any given time and without counting the cost can stretch out his hand to help another man who is in need. Otherwise, it would just be another form of outward piety and we see so many of these in the church or community where projects and programs have are prioritized over the proclamation of the Gospel.
The Gospel today speaks of what the inner disposition of man should be in terms of his relationship with others especially those who are in great need. This has become the subject of many of the teachings of Jesus and it could not be avoided that the attitude of the Scribes and Pharisees would become the benchmark to which man’s relationship with God and neighbor was to be compared with.
This was probably the case of Levi who was one of the most hated among men in Capernaum and who was regarded by the Jews as notoriously dishonest. What we actually don’t know was that Levi perfectly knew the sentiments of the Jews against him and that he probably was just waiting for the right opportunity to turn his life around.
That this account on the calling of Levi would be arranged in such a way that it comes on the heels of the healing of the demon-possessed men (Matt 9:28-34) and the paralytic (Matt 9:1-8) only shows that Jesus was indeed sent not just for a particular set of people but for all of creation. This can also be gleaned from the Words of Jesus in Jn 3:16 when he proclaimed that: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that anyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” Jesus was explicit that he came not just for you and me but for the world which means that no one would be left behind when the Son of God will come again.
As Jesus went on from healing the paralytic, he saw Levi at the tax collector’s booth, Jesus said: “Follow me” (v.9) and Levi got up and followed him. In the next few moments, try to imagine that you were one of those in the crowd. As an adult Jew you have received faith formation and religious studies since your childhood days from visiting Rabbis, Scribes and Pharisees.
Certainly you’d be surprised as the people at that time when Jesus called on Levi, who as a tax collector was hated by the Jews because his profession was to collect taxes and fees for the Roman government thus tax collectors were considered as traitors. They are also viewed as extortionists because they normally get a slice of the taxes that they collect.
As such, tax collectors are lumped together with sinners and harlots (Lk 15:1-2) and no Jew who was in his proper frame of mind would associate themselves with tax collectors. Except for Jesus no one in the crowd knew what was in the mind of Levi who must have heard of Jesus and it was possible that Levi was already overcome by guilt at his sinful ways and was planning to turn a new leaf and was just waiting for an opportune time.
This was the only plausible explanation why Levi stood up, left everything and followed Jesus (v.9). And if the Scribes were perplexed at the calling of Levi, they were even more scandalized when Levi hosted a feast for Jesus in his house that was attended by other tax collectors and sinners as well and the teachers of the law asked his disciples why Jesus eats with sinners (v.11).
What follows in vv.12-13 was the response of Jesus which reveals his mission on earth: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Jesus chose a sinner like Levi who would later be called Matthew because he knew that Levi was repentant and has what it takes to become a disciple as the former tax collector left everything and staked whatever he has left on Christ.
What Jesus requires of his disciples is the willingness to give up everything “deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Lk 9:23) This is also what Jesus requires from us in that we must be prepared to step out of our comfort zones and follow him wherever he leads us. What Jesus said to Levi was “follow me.” Jesus did not mean “I am calling you to become the Boss.” To follow Jesus is to do what he did. He led the disciples but only for the purpose of training them towards a life of humility and obedience.
In the church or community for that matter, it has become too common to see people stepping up to the plate but only to give orders “do this, do that” but you’ll never see them work up a sweat. What Jesus needs are workers and not bosses because on our way to eternity there is only one Master and that is Jesus.
The underlying message in this Gospel is that Jesus is not inviting people who believe that they are already good enough and have no need of help. What Jesus is pointing out here is that the first step in discipleship is to acknowledge our need for a savior and admit that we don’t have all the answers.
The true and authentic Christian life is to follow Christ by turning our backs from the world we are in. We will experience hardships, comfort, deprivation and, we will find ourselves poorer in terms of material possessions. Worldly ambitions are thrown out of the window but through it all, following Christ will bring joy and peace and the privilege to become co-heir to the Kingdom of Heaven.
Last Sunday, my wife Malou suffered a stroke that left her experiencing weakness in her right arm and a slurring in her speech. Her blood pressure is now under control while her blood sugar still fluctuates but she is responding very well to medication and treatment.
As Malou is a busybody who serves in all of our community’s outreaches and never attracting attention despite her being a Servant Leader, I know that she is suffering inside because in her current condition she knows that she cannot do what she wants to do and that is to serve God through the community, at least in the next few weeks.
But are we discouraged? Or are we questioning God why this thing has to happen to her? Of course not because when we heard Jesus call “Come follow me” we did so because we believed in his promise that “for so whoever believes in him will not perish but will have eternal life.” (Jn 3:16) We know that there is a purpose for what is happening to our lives now and we also know that God will not abandon us nor leave us and I know that Malou will be healed completely because that was what Jesus promised when he said: “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (Mk 11:24)
To follow Christ as Matthew did, we are commanded to share the Gospel with the poor, immoral, the deprived and depraved, the outcasts of society and, not just the rich, popular and powerful. Heaven, after all, is also for sinners. “God doesn’t want burnt offerings; he wants our lifelong service” (Psa 40:6-8).
Thus if Jesus will pass by you at this very moment and will tell you: “Follow me.” How are you going to respond? Are you going to do what Matthew did and leave everything behind to follow Jesus? How you will respond will define who you truly are.
1st Reading: Eph 4:1-7, 11-13
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 19:2-5 “Their message goes out through all the earth.”
GOSPEL: MATT 9:9-13
Key Verse: “I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (v.13)
If you will be asked to identify a religious person, what are the things that you would look for? Would wearing a habit suffice? How then would you recognize a religious person or how would you define a man if he is religious or not?
This is actually a difficult thing to do because there are people who can project the image that they want others to see. In other words, the true character of a person is something that you don’t readily see. In fact you need to know a person for a certain period of time before you can really say that you know that person.
But there is one thing you can use as a gauge to know if a man is religious or not. Try to see if that man at any given time and without counting the cost can stretch out his hand to help another man who is in need. Otherwise, it would just be another form of outward piety and we see so many of these in the church or community where projects and programs have are prioritized over the proclamation of the Gospel.
The Gospel today speaks of what the inner disposition of man should be in terms of his relationship with others especially those who are in great need. This has become the subject of many of the teachings of Jesus and it could not be avoided that the attitude of the Scribes and Pharisees would become the benchmark to which man’s relationship with God and neighbor was to be compared with.
This was probably the case of Levi who was one of the most hated among men in Capernaum and who was regarded by the Jews as notoriously dishonest. What we actually don’t know was that Levi perfectly knew the sentiments of the Jews against him and that he probably was just waiting for the right opportunity to turn his life around.
That this account on the calling of Levi would be arranged in such a way that it comes on the heels of the healing of the demon-possessed men (Matt 9:28-34) and the paralytic (Matt 9:1-8) only shows that Jesus was indeed sent not just for a particular set of people but for all of creation. This can also be gleaned from the Words of Jesus in Jn 3:16 when he proclaimed that: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that anyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” Jesus was explicit that he came not just for you and me but for the world which means that no one would be left behind when the Son of God will come again.
As Jesus went on from healing the paralytic, he saw Levi at the tax collector’s booth, Jesus said: “Follow me” (v.9) and Levi got up and followed him. In the next few moments, try to imagine that you were one of those in the crowd. As an adult Jew you have received faith formation and religious studies since your childhood days from visiting Rabbis, Scribes and Pharisees.
Certainly you’d be surprised as the people at that time when Jesus called on Levi, who as a tax collector was hated by the Jews because his profession was to collect taxes and fees for the Roman government thus tax collectors were considered as traitors. They are also viewed as extortionists because they normally get a slice of the taxes that they collect.
As such, tax collectors are lumped together with sinners and harlots (Lk 15:1-2) and no Jew who was in his proper frame of mind would associate themselves with tax collectors. Except for Jesus no one in the crowd knew what was in the mind of Levi who must have heard of Jesus and it was possible that Levi was already overcome by guilt at his sinful ways and was planning to turn a new leaf and was just waiting for an opportune time.
This was the only plausible explanation why Levi stood up, left everything and followed Jesus (v.9). And if the Scribes were perplexed at the calling of Levi, they were even more scandalized when Levi hosted a feast for Jesus in his house that was attended by other tax collectors and sinners as well and the teachers of the law asked his disciples why Jesus eats with sinners (v.11).
What follows in vv.12-13 was the response of Jesus which reveals his mission on earth: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Jesus chose a sinner like Levi who would later be called Matthew because he knew that Levi was repentant and has what it takes to become a disciple as the former tax collector left everything and staked whatever he has left on Christ.
What Jesus requires of his disciples is the willingness to give up everything “deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Lk 9:23) This is also what Jesus requires from us in that we must be prepared to step out of our comfort zones and follow him wherever he leads us. What Jesus said to Levi was “follow me.” Jesus did not mean “I am calling you to become the Boss.” To follow Jesus is to do what he did. He led the disciples but only for the purpose of training them towards a life of humility and obedience.
In the church or community for that matter, it has become too common to see people stepping up to the plate but only to give orders “do this, do that” but you’ll never see them work up a sweat. What Jesus needs are workers and not bosses because on our way to eternity there is only one Master and that is Jesus.
The underlying message in this Gospel is that Jesus is not inviting people who believe that they are already good enough and have no need of help. What Jesus is pointing out here is that the first step in discipleship is to acknowledge our need for a savior and admit that we don’t have all the answers.
The true and authentic Christian life is to follow Christ by turning our backs from the world we are in. We will experience hardships, comfort, deprivation and, we will find ourselves poorer in terms of material possessions. Worldly ambitions are thrown out of the window but through it all, following Christ will bring joy and peace and the privilege to become co-heir to the Kingdom of Heaven.
Last Sunday, my wife Malou suffered a stroke that left her experiencing weakness in her right arm and a slurring in her speech. Her blood pressure is now under control while her blood sugar still fluctuates but she is responding very well to medication and treatment.
As Malou is a busybody who serves in all of our community’s outreaches and never attracting attention despite her being a Servant Leader, I know that she is suffering inside because in her current condition she knows that she cannot do what she wants to do and that is to serve God through the community, at least in the next few weeks.
But are we discouraged? Or are we questioning God why this thing has to happen to her? Of course not because when we heard Jesus call “Come follow me” we did so because we believed in his promise that “for so whoever believes in him will not perish but will have eternal life.” (Jn 3:16) We know that there is a purpose for what is happening to our lives now and we also know that God will not abandon us nor leave us and I know that Malou will be healed completely because that was what Jesus promised when he said: “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (Mk 11:24)
To follow Christ as Matthew did, we are commanded to share the Gospel with the poor, immoral, the deprived and depraved, the outcasts of society and, not just the rich, popular and powerful. Heaven, after all, is also for sinners. “God doesn’t want burnt offerings; he wants our lifelong service” (Psa 40:6-8).
Thus if Jesus will pass by you at this very moment and will tell you: “Follow me.” How are you going to respond? Are you going to do what Matthew did and leave everything behind to follow Jesus? How you will respond will define who you truly are.
MAKE JESUS THE PRIORITY
SEPT. 20, 2013: TWENTY FOURTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 1 Tim 6:2-12
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 49:6-7, 8-10, 17-20 “Blessed the poor in spirit, the kingdom of heaven is theirs”
GOSPEL: LK 8:1-3
Key Verse: “Jesus journeyed.. preaching the Good News.” (v.1)
Because today’s gospel passage is very short and it doesn’t say anything except narrate what Jesus was doing and who were the people with him, those who are reading this may come to think this is just a feeler as we come to the end of the week but this is not so.
If we closely read through the three verses in the Gospel, we will readily see, however, that there is more to it than just an account of who were traveling with Jesus as he went out to preach the Good News throughout the towns and villages in Galilee.
What makes this Gospel account written by Luke interesting is that this is the only record in the Scriptures of the identity of the women who were among the disciples traveling with Jesus as he went about his ministry to bring the Good News of salvation to the Jewish nation.
While Mary, the mother of Jesus, and other women were at the foot of the cross when Jesus was crucified, Luke’s account was the only record that made mention of the women who were with the group of Jesus and his disciples and what they did in the course of these journeys.
Among those who were with Jesus and his disciples were Mary from Magdala who has been wrongly portrayed as a prostitute but who in reality was a woman whom Jesus healed when he cast out seven demons that were the cause of her illness. In the group was Joanna, the wife of Chuza, who headed the household staff of Herod Agrippa and there also was Susanna and many other women who have not been identified.
What makes the women important was that they supported Jesus and his disciples in these journeys “out of their own means” (v.3) which showed that these women were spending their own resources to support Jesus and his disciples as they went about their ministry.
But beyond the financial support and the service these women rendered to Jesus and his disciples, these women were also regarded as the first women disciples of Jesus as they were privileged to hear and listen to the teachings of Jesus whether these were made in the synagogue, on the shore, on the mount and elsewhere.
These women like the disciples heard it first-hand from the Master himself and not only did they occupy places of honor in the ministry of Jesus but they were most probably present too when Jesus exchanged pleasantries with his disciples at night as He expounded and explained in detail the parables that he frequently used in his preaching.
What this Gospel also shows us is that discipleship is not limited to men alone and that while women are not allowed to preach there was no law prohibiting women from supporting a Rabbi or a prophet in those days as it was not just a tradition during the time of Jesus but to support a Rabbi was considered an act of piety. At the same time, this was probably the only way these women could repay Jesus for what he did for them as many of them like Mary of Magdala were healed by Jesus.
The group that went with Jesus during his earthly ministry could actually be likened to the beginnings of a church in which both men and women could gather together as one to worship God and by allowing the women to join his group, Jesus was actually sending out a message that everyone is equal in God’s eyes and, was providing the people at the time with a glimpse of how a church should be in which “there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Gal 3:28)
And for standing by the side of Jesus, Mary of Magdala was given the ultimate reward of being the first person to whom Jesus appeared as she was also chosen to report his resurrection to the other disciples and while the other disciples did not believe her at first, Jesus “rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen” (Mk 16:14).
We can actually also experience what Mary of Magdala went through if we will only remain with Jesus as we set out in our own journey of faith. To see him as Mary Magdalene did following his resurrection is the reward that awaits those who will join Jesus in his journey.
But the question that we need to ask now is can Jesus also depend on us when the need to support the church/ community activities arises especially when it involves spreading the Good News to the world. This is a hard question to ask because we all have different ideas on what money means, what it can or can’t do and perhaps we should call to mind what St. Paul said in his letter to Timothy: “The love of money is the root of all evil.”
This “love of money” is what has separated many of us from God because the desire to have everything that money can acquire such as freedom, power and fame will ultimately lead us to replace God with an idol that we have created for ourselves. And most of the time, it leads many of us to live dichotomous lives – one that expresses our allegiance to God and the other in which our lives are ruled by everything that money represents.
Can we honestly say to ourselves and before God that we can also do what the women in this Gospel did to pursue the mission that has been left to us by Our Lord Jesus Christ? As this work has already been entrusted to us, how generous have we been with our time, talent and most of all our treasure?
In particular, this is a question that those in positions of leadership and authority in the church/ community should ask. I am very much familiar with the leaders of some spiritual communities who have become experts in the way the policies and guidelines of their respective ministries are to be followed.
To them, the policies and statutes of their ministries take precedence over the one thing that could lead to salvation which is to step out in faith and worship God in spirit and in truth. The sad part is that while these leaders have proven to be a tickler for rules, statutes and policies, the ministries that have been assigned to them are barely moving.
In fact, many of these ministries are merely surviving and notwithstanding the call for a radical shift in the way the gospel is to be proclaimed, these ministries handled by these Pharisaical leaders are faced with a gloomy future with no viable plans to revive what otherwise has become moribund ministries.
Perhaps it is time to ask ourselves how faithful have we been to our duties and responsibilities and to our covenant with God? As availability is the primary criteria in discipleship and leadership, have we given of ourselves to wait on the Lord? Have we given of our time, talent and treasure to support our ministries and apostolates? Or have we become boardroom and armchair evangelists who are good at looking for gaps to criticize others but not mindful of the speck in our own eyes.? Now is the time to look inwardly and see if Jesus is our priority. If not, then make Him your priority now before it's too late.
1st Reading: 1 Tim 6:2-12
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 49:6-7, 8-10, 17-20 “Blessed the poor in spirit, the kingdom of heaven is theirs”
GOSPEL: LK 8:1-3
Key Verse: “Jesus journeyed.. preaching the Good News.” (v.1)
Because today’s gospel passage is very short and it doesn’t say anything except narrate what Jesus was doing and who were the people with him, those who are reading this may come to think this is just a feeler as we come to the end of the week but this is not so.
If we closely read through the three verses in the Gospel, we will readily see, however, that there is more to it than just an account of who were traveling with Jesus as he went out to preach the Good News throughout the towns and villages in Galilee.
What makes this Gospel account written by Luke interesting is that this is the only record in the Scriptures of the identity of the women who were among the disciples traveling with Jesus as he went about his ministry to bring the Good News of salvation to the Jewish nation.
While Mary, the mother of Jesus, and other women were at the foot of the cross when Jesus was crucified, Luke’s account was the only record that made mention of the women who were with the group of Jesus and his disciples and what they did in the course of these journeys.
Among those who were with Jesus and his disciples were Mary from Magdala who has been wrongly portrayed as a prostitute but who in reality was a woman whom Jesus healed when he cast out seven demons that were the cause of her illness. In the group was Joanna, the wife of Chuza, who headed the household staff of Herod Agrippa and there also was Susanna and many other women who have not been identified.
What makes the women important was that they supported Jesus and his disciples in these journeys “out of their own means” (v.3) which showed that these women were spending their own resources to support Jesus and his disciples as they went about their ministry.
But beyond the financial support and the service these women rendered to Jesus and his disciples, these women were also regarded as the first women disciples of Jesus as they were privileged to hear and listen to the teachings of Jesus whether these were made in the synagogue, on the shore, on the mount and elsewhere.
These women like the disciples heard it first-hand from the Master himself and not only did they occupy places of honor in the ministry of Jesus but they were most probably present too when Jesus exchanged pleasantries with his disciples at night as He expounded and explained in detail the parables that he frequently used in his preaching.
What this Gospel also shows us is that discipleship is not limited to men alone and that while women are not allowed to preach there was no law prohibiting women from supporting a Rabbi or a prophet in those days as it was not just a tradition during the time of Jesus but to support a Rabbi was considered an act of piety. At the same time, this was probably the only way these women could repay Jesus for what he did for them as many of them like Mary of Magdala were healed by Jesus.
The group that went with Jesus during his earthly ministry could actually be likened to the beginnings of a church in which both men and women could gather together as one to worship God and by allowing the women to join his group, Jesus was actually sending out a message that everyone is equal in God’s eyes and, was providing the people at the time with a glimpse of how a church should be in which “there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Gal 3:28)
And for standing by the side of Jesus, Mary of Magdala was given the ultimate reward of being the first person to whom Jesus appeared as she was also chosen to report his resurrection to the other disciples and while the other disciples did not believe her at first, Jesus “rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen” (Mk 16:14).
We can actually also experience what Mary of Magdala went through if we will only remain with Jesus as we set out in our own journey of faith. To see him as Mary Magdalene did following his resurrection is the reward that awaits those who will join Jesus in his journey.
But the question that we need to ask now is can Jesus also depend on us when the need to support the church/ community activities arises especially when it involves spreading the Good News to the world. This is a hard question to ask because we all have different ideas on what money means, what it can or can’t do and perhaps we should call to mind what St. Paul said in his letter to Timothy: “The love of money is the root of all evil.”
This “love of money” is what has separated many of us from God because the desire to have everything that money can acquire such as freedom, power and fame will ultimately lead us to replace God with an idol that we have created for ourselves. And most of the time, it leads many of us to live dichotomous lives – one that expresses our allegiance to God and the other in which our lives are ruled by everything that money represents.
Can we honestly say to ourselves and before God that we can also do what the women in this Gospel did to pursue the mission that has been left to us by Our Lord Jesus Christ? As this work has already been entrusted to us, how generous have we been with our time, talent and most of all our treasure?
In particular, this is a question that those in positions of leadership and authority in the church/ community should ask. I am very much familiar with the leaders of some spiritual communities who have become experts in the way the policies and guidelines of their respective ministries are to be followed.
To them, the policies and statutes of their ministries take precedence over the one thing that could lead to salvation which is to step out in faith and worship God in spirit and in truth. The sad part is that while these leaders have proven to be a tickler for rules, statutes and policies, the ministries that have been assigned to them are barely moving.
In fact, many of these ministries are merely surviving and notwithstanding the call for a radical shift in the way the gospel is to be proclaimed, these ministries handled by these Pharisaical leaders are faced with a gloomy future with no viable plans to revive what otherwise has become moribund ministries.
Perhaps it is time to ask ourselves how faithful have we been to our duties and responsibilities and to our covenant with God? As availability is the primary criteria in discipleship and leadership, have we given of ourselves to wait on the Lord? Have we given of our time, talent and treasure to support our ministries and apostolates? Or have we become boardroom and armchair evangelists who are good at looking for gaps to criticize others but not mindful of the speck in our own eyes.? Now is the time to look inwardly and see if Jesus is our priority. If not, then make Him your priority now before it's too late.
SAVED BY LOVE
SEPT. 19, 2013: TWENTY FOURTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 1 Tim 4:12-16
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 111: 7-10 “How great are the works of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: LK 7:36-50
Key Verse: “Your faith has saved you…” (v.50)
Today’s Gospel reading speaks of people who have the audacity to identify themselves with Jesus like the Pharisee in this narrative and yet not listen much less obey his Words. And there will be those who will humble themselves and bow down at the feet of Jesus like what the sinful woman did. How we will decide will determine our future.
And this same scenario has remained unchanged and even up to today we still see and know of people who have the temerity to call themselves Christians and yet are so full of themselves that they can’t see beyond their own reason and it’s not unusual to find them in the church or spiritual community.
Actually this is what happens when members of communities or ministries remain cloistered behind the walls of comfort to which they have been introduced since they began what they believed was their journey towards spiritual transformation.
For lack of mission work or missional activities which is common to many communities or ministries in modern economies in the west, many of these communities pursued their spiritual growth through various forms of catechetical programs and courses to compensate for their inability to go on mission in relation to the call of Missio Ad Gentes.
What happened was that many of these communities and ministries, spiritual though they may be, have become cerebral in their approaches as to how evangelization is to be pursued. Because of this overflow of knowledge and information, many of the members and even leaders of these spiritual organizations have become demigods who no longer recognize pastoral authority except their own.
There is no denying the fact that the charismatic renewal has done wonders for the Church in terms of reviving the sunken spirituality of many baptized Catholics and in arresting the growing secularism in society today. But it has also created a problem in some way as the encounter experience with Jesus has turned some of these modern-day disciples into self-righteous characters.
When Jesus began his ministry of spreading the Gospel of salvation to the Jews and then to the Gentiles, the ordinary mass of people who marveled at his teaching and who were healed by him were naturally attracted to him.
On the other hand, those who were in positions of honor and authority who abused their privileges such as the religious leaders in those days were repelled by his presence for he exposed their extravagant demeanor and their misplaced religiosity.
As there were still no paved roads at the time, cool water was also poured over the feet of the invited guest and a drop of sweet-smelling perfume was dropped on the head of the guest. In this case, not one of the courtesies reserved for dinner guests was extended to Jesus.
And the only plausible reason was that Simon could have been an admirer of Jesus as not all Pharisees were his enemies but he did not want extend to him the usual courtesies as he would not want to be identified as someone who has compromised his position as a religious leader whose beliefs and principles were in contrast to what Jesus preached.
As it was also customary that almost anyone can come into the house where a Rabbi was invited to dinner, the host has no control over who will come to listen if ever the invited Rabbi will speak and this was the case when a woman of ill-repute joined in the dinner celebration.
As the Pharisees shun the company of public sinners such that they frown on giving them the help they needed for them to reform their lives and find healing and wholeness Simon was moved to say: “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” (v.39) And this was what makes this Gospel passage interesting because we can relate the situation of the woman described in this scenario with our own relationship with Jesus.
Here we see the woman risked being ridiculed when she approached Jesus and anointed him with expensive oil and washed his feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. For a Jewish woman to appear in public with unbound hair was considered immodest but her action probably was motivated by one thing and that was love for Jesus and her gratitude for forgiveness.
This scenario presents us with contrasting attitudes of mind and heart. Simon was conscious of his position as a Pharisee who notwithstanding his invitation for Jesus to dine in his house felt no need to extend to him the usual courtesies and thus was devoid of love. It was like his actions was all for show to have a celebrity like Jesus in his house.
The woman apparently was conscious of nothing else but the forgiveness of her sins. The fact that she loosed her hair in public as she approached Jesus only shows that she was oblivious to her surroundings and was focused only on Jesus. She also did something that only love can do as she took the precious perfume she had and poured it all on Jesus. Her love was not calculated but extravagant. In a spirit of humility and heart-felt repentance, she lavishly served the one who showed her the
mercy and kindness of God.
And Jesus used the opportunity to draw a lesson from such an incident by narrating a parable about the case of two debtors and when Simon said the debtor who had more debt that was written off would love the creditor more Jesus drew a comparison between Simon and the woman. (vv. 44-48) This is the same with us. At times we are like Simon who invites
Jesus into our home but not give him the courtesies that befit him as Lord and King. We allow him into our home because this is what is popular. In the same way, we join organizations in our parishes or spiritual communities for that matter because this is where our friends are but not really understanding why we are there in the first place – and that is to worship Our Lord and Savior in faith and deed.
We go through the process of listening to Jesus speak but not grasping the substance of his Word. People go through the motions of moving about in the church or community with the sole intent of manipulating the situations for their own benefit unaware of their actions that are influenced by the spirit of Jezebel.
Self righteousness has become the bane in the church and or community today but this term is deceptive because self-righteousness is a defense mechanism of someone who has made it a habit to compare himself/ herself with others and to show that he/ she is better than the other person.
And Christian communities are loaded with these kinds of people because of the rules and policies that govern communities and organizations and the interpretation of such rules, practices and traditions has become an opportunity for self-righteousness to manifest.
Most of the time they don’t realize that self-righteousness is a sin and is in the same level as the so-called seven capital sins. While we are obliged to point out this particular sin in a person, many of us balk because self-righteous individuals are not easy to deal with as they respect no other views except their own.
The reality in today’s post-modern era is that there will be Simons among us who will identify ourselves with Jesus yet not listening to what he is saying and what he represents much more obey him and, there are among us like the woman in this Gospel reading who received forgiveness and was saved by love.
Simon, who regarded himself as an upright Pharisee felt no need for love or mercy. His self-sufficiency kept him from acknowledging his need for God's grace and herein lies the difference of an authentic relationship with God. Self-sufficiency or the attitude that we can go through the motions of worshiping God without subordinating our human will to His Will is what actually separates us from God.
This passage presents us with a choice. How we will choose will determine our future.
1st Reading: 1 Tim 4:12-16
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 111: 7-10 “How great are the works of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: LK 7:36-50
Key Verse: “Your faith has saved you…” (v.50)
Today’s Gospel reading speaks of people who have the audacity to identify themselves with Jesus like the Pharisee in this narrative and yet not listen much less obey his Words. And there will be those who will humble themselves and bow down at the feet of Jesus like what the sinful woman did. How we will decide will determine our future.
And this same scenario has remained unchanged and even up to today we still see and know of people who have the temerity to call themselves Christians and yet are so full of themselves that they can’t see beyond their own reason and it’s not unusual to find them in the church or spiritual community.
Actually this is what happens when members of communities or ministries remain cloistered behind the walls of comfort to which they have been introduced since they began what they believed was their journey towards spiritual transformation.
For lack of mission work or missional activities which is common to many communities or ministries in modern economies in the west, many of these communities pursued their spiritual growth through various forms of catechetical programs and courses to compensate for their inability to go on mission in relation to the call of Missio Ad Gentes.
What happened was that many of these communities and ministries, spiritual though they may be, have become cerebral in their approaches as to how evangelization is to be pursued. Because of this overflow of knowledge and information, many of the members and even leaders of these spiritual organizations have become demigods who no longer recognize pastoral authority except their own.
There is no denying the fact that the charismatic renewal has done wonders for the Church in terms of reviving the sunken spirituality of many baptized Catholics and in arresting the growing secularism in society today. But it has also created a problem in some way as the encounter experience with Jesus has turned some of these modern-day disciples into self-righteous characters.
When Jesus began his ministry of spreading the Gospel of salvation to the Jews and then to the Gentiles, the ordinary mass of people who marveled at his teaching and who were healed by him were naturally attracted to him.
On the other hand, those who were in positions of honor and authority who abused their privileges such as the religious leaders in those days were repelled by his presence for he exposed their extravagant demeanor and their misplaced religiosity.
As there were still no paved roads at the time, cool water was also poured over the feet of the invited guest and a drop of sweet-smelling perfume was dropped on the head of the guest. In this case, not one of the courtesies reserved for dinner guests was extended to Jesus.
And the only plausible reason was that Simon could have been an admirer of Jesus as not all Pharisees were his enemies but he did not want extend to him the usual courtesies as he would not want to be identified as someone who has compromised his position as a religious leader whose beliefs and principles were in contrast to what Jesus preached.
As it was also customary that almost anyone can come into the house where a Rabbi was invited to dinner, the host has no control over who will come to listen if ever the invited Rabbi will speak and this was the case when a woman of ill-repute joined in the dinner celebration.
As the Pharisees shun the company of public sinners such that they frown on giving them the help they needed for them to reform their lives and find healing and wholeness Simon was moved to say: “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” (v.39) And this was what makes this Gospel passage interesting because we can relate the situation of the woman described in this scenario with our own relationship with Jesus.
Here we see the woman risked being ridiculed when she approached Jesus and anointed him with expensive oil and washed his feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. For a Jewish woman to appear in public with unbound hair was considered immodest but her action probably was motivated by one thing and that was love for Jesus and her gratitude for forgiveness.
This scenario presents us with contrasting attitudes of mind and heart. Simon was conscious of his position as a Pharisee who notwithstanding his invitation for Jesus to dine in his house felt no need to extend to him the usual courtesies and thus was devoid of love. It was like his actions was all for show to have a celebrity like Jesus in his house.
The woman apparently was conscious of nothing else but the forgiveness of her sins. The fact that she loosed her hair in public as she approached Jesus only shows that she was oblivious to her surroundings and was focused only on Jesus. She also did something that only love can do as she took the precious perfume she had and poured it all on Jesus. Her love was not calculated but extravagant. In a spirit of humility and heart-felt repentance, she lavishly served the one who showed her the
mercy and kindness of God.
And Jesus used the opportunity to draw a lesson from such an incident by narrating a parable about the case of two debtors and when Simon said the debtor who had more debt that was written off would love the creditor more Jesus drew a comparison between Simon and the woman. (vv. 44-48) This is the same with us. At times we are like Simon who invites
Jesus into our home but not give him the courtesies that befit him as Lord and King. We allow him into our home because this is what is popular. In the same way, we join organizations in our parishes or spiritual communities for that matter because this is where our friends are but not really understanding why we are there in the first place – and that is to worship Our Lord and Savior in faith and deed.
We go through the process of listening to Jesus speak but not grasping the substance of his Word. People go through the motions of moving about in the church or community with the sole intent of manipulating the situations for their own benefit unaware of their actions that are influenced by the spirit of Jezebel.
Self righteousness has become the bane in the church and or community today but this term is deceptive because self-righteousness is a defense mechanism of someone who has made it a habit to compare himself/ herself with others and to show that he/ she is better than the other person.
And Christian communities are loaded with these kinds of people because of the rules and policies that govern communities and organizations and the interpretation of such rules, practices and traditions has become an opportunity for self-righteousness to manifest.
Most of the time they don’t realize that self-righteousness is a sin and is in the same level as the so-called seven capital sins. While we are obliged to point out this particular sin in a person, many of us balk because self-righteous individuals are not easy to deal with as they respect no other views except their own.
The reality in today’s post-modern era is that there will be Simons among us who will identify ourselves with Jesus yet not listening to what he is saying and what he represents much more obey him and, there are among us like the woman in this Gospel reading who received forgiveness and was saved by love.
Simon, who regarded himself as an upright Pharisee felt no need for love or mercy. His self-sufficiency kept him from acknowledging his need for God's grace and herein lies the difference of an authentic relationship with God. Self-sufficiency or the attitude that we can go through the motions of worshiping God without subordinating our human will to His Will is what actually separates us from God.
This passage presents us with a choice. How we will choose will determine our future.
BE ON GUARD ALWAYS
SEPT. 18, 2013: TWENTY FOURTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 1 Tim 3:14-16
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 111:1-6 “How great are the works of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: LK 7:31-35
Key Verse: “to what shall I compare this generation?” (v.31)
When Jesus warned Peter and the other disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah who came from God he had a reason for doing so and it was because he still needed to reorient the concept of the Messiah that his disciples like most of the Jews were expecting.
And to be able to understand the Gospel passage today, we need to go back by at least one verse (v.30) which says: “But the Pharisees and experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.”
This particular verse was the predicate that will provide us the foundation as to why Jesus asked: “To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like?” (vv.31-32) Jesus was apparently referring to the Pharisees and the Scribes who have alienated the people instead of bringing them closer to God.
In defining the actuations of the Pharisees, Jesus compared them to the kind of games that children play in the marketplace and many would definitely ask what connection do games played by children have to do with the Kingdom of God?
Games are the favorite pastime of children who play to their heart’s delight until their energy is spent. The more interaction between and among the playmates the merrier it would be. The children in Jesus' parable react with disappointment because they cannot convince others to join in their musical play.
They complain that when they make merry music such as played at weddings, no one dances or sings along; and when they play mournful tunes for sad occasions such as funerals, it is the same dead response. This refrain echoes the words of Eccl 3:4 “there is a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance.” Take for example the birth of a child and the homecoming of a hero or the loss of a loved one and the destruction of a community or nation these are joyous and sad occasions and they demand a response. To show indifference, lack of interest or support, or disdain, is unfitting and unkind.
The proclamation of the kingdom of God by Jesus should have been regarded by the Jews in the ancient times as Good News that produces great joy and hope for those who will listen but it is also a warning of disaster for those who refuse to accept God's gracious offer. So the question we need to ask is why were the messages of John the Baptist and that of Jesus met with resistance and deaf ears? Was it out of jealously and spiritual blindness that the scribes and Pharisees even attributed John the Baptist's ministry to the devil and they referred to Jesus' table fellowship as evidence for messianic pretense. What they did was they only succeeded in frustrating God's plan for their lives because they had closed their hearts to the message of John the Baptist and closed their ears to that of Jesus.
In this life, we can draw a parallelism to what many of us do to the “children squatting in the city square and calling to their playmates” because we as Christians are not supposed to just sit idly by while the opportunities to exercise our gifts to make this world into a better place pass us by.
Like the generation in the time of Jesus, many among us have become spiritually dull and slow to hear God's voice which is a requisite to salvation. Our world today is marked by indifference and contempt, especially with regards to the things of God's kingdom.
Indifference is what dulls our ears to God's voice and to the Good News being proclaimed to us. Contempt, on the other hand, is what moves us to reject Jesus altogether because we find his ways as too demanding for comfort as it intrudes into our personal agenda to be merry and be happy because life is too short.
God gave us the Gifts of the Holy Spirit: “The Holy Spirit is given to each of us in a special way. That is for the good of all. To some people the Spirit gives the message of wisdom. To others the same Spirit gives the message of knowledge. To others the same Spirit gives faith. To others that one Spirit gives gifts of healing. To others he gives the power to do miracles. To others he gives the ability to prophesy. To others he gives the ability to tell the spirits apart. To others he gives the ability to speak in different kinds of languages they had not known before. And to still others he gives the ability to explain what was said in those languages.” (1 Cor 12:7-11)
It cannot be that God will just give us gifts for us to waste. It doesn’t work that way. Life has a purpose and God expects us to use these gifts to equip us when we set out into the world to “teach all that I have commanded you, and I will be with you till the end of age.” (Mt 28:19-20)
And Christians who heard the Good News and listened to what God is saying are to use these Gifts of the Holy Spirit in order to bear fruit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Gal 5:22-23)
What we must keep in mind is that only the humble of hearts who are hungry for God are the ones who will find true joy and happiness that can only be possible if we do what we are commanded to do instead of squatting in the marketplace to play games. Life is not a game. It is a vocation in which success is largely dependent on losing our life for the gospel in order to gain it.
1st Reading: 1 Tim 3:14-16
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 111:1-6 “How great are the works of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: LK 7:31-35
Key Verse: “to what shall I compare this generation?” (v.31)
When Jesus warned Peter and the other disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah who came from God he had a reason for doing so and it was because he still needed to reorient the concept of the Messiah that his disciples like most of the Jews were expecting.
And to be able to understand the Gospel passage today, we need to go back by at least one verse (v.30) which says: “But the Pharisees and experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.”
This particular verse was the predicate that will provide us the foundation as to why Jesus asked: “To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like?” (vv.31-32) Jesus was apparently referring to the Pharisees and the Scribes who have alienated the people instead of bringing them closer to God.
In defining the actuations of the Pharisees, Jesus compared them to the kind of games that children play in the marketplace and many would definitely ask what connection do games played by children have to do with the Kingdom of God?
Games are the favorite pastime of children who play to their heart’s delight until their energy is spent. The more interaction between and among the playmates the merrier it would be. The children in Jesus' parable react with disappointment because they cannot convince others to join in their musical play.
They complain that when they make merry music such as played at weddings, no one dances or sings along; and when they play mournful tunes for sad occasions such as funerals, it is the same dead response. This refrain echoes the words of Eccl 3:4 “there is a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance.” Take for example the birth of a child and the homecoming of a hero or the loss of a loved one and the destruction of a community or nation these are joyous and sad occasions and they demand a response. To show indifference, lack of interest or support, or disdain, is unfitting and unkind.
The proclamation of the kingdom of God by Jesus should have been regarded by the Jews in the ancient times as Good News that produces great joy and hope for those who will listen but it is also a warning of disaster for those who refuse to accept God's gracious offer. So the question we need to ask is why were the messages of John the Baptist and that of Jesus met with resistance and deaf ears? Was it out of jealously and spiritual blindness that the scribes and Pharisees even attributed John the Baptist's ministry to the devil and they referred to Jesus' table fellowship as evidence for messianic pretense. What they did was they only succeeded in frustrating God's plan for their lives because they had closed their hearts to the message of John the Baptist and closed their ears to that of Jesus.
In this life, we can draw a parallelism to what many of us do to the “children squatting in the city square and calling to their playmates” because we as Christians are not supposed to just sit idly by while the opportunities to exercise our gifts to make this world into a better place pass us by.
Like the generation in the time of Jesus, many among us have become spiritually dull and slow to hear God's voice which is a requisite to salvation. Our world today is marked by indifference and contempt, especially with regards to the things of God's kingdom.
Indifference is what dulls our ears to God's voice and to the Good News being proclaimed to us. Contempt, on the other hand, is what moves us to reject Jesus altogether because we find his ways as too demanding for comfort as it intrudes into our personal agenda to be merry and be happy because life is too short.
God gave us the Gifts of the Holy Spirit: “The Holy Spirit is given to each of us in a special way. That is for the good of all. To some people the Spirit gives the message of wisdom. To others the same Spirit gives the message of knowledge. To others the same Spirit gives faith. To others that one Spirit gives gifts of healing. To others he gives the power to do miracles. To others he gives the ability to prophesy. To others he gives the ability to tell the spirits apart. To others he gives the ability to speak in different kinds of languages they had not known before. And to still others he gives the ability to explain what was said in those languages.” (1 Cor 12:7-11)
It cannot be that God will just give us gifts for us to waste. It doesn’t work that way. Life has a purpose and God expects us to use these gifts to equip us when we set out into the world to “teach all that I have commanded you, and I will be with you till the end of age.” (Mt 28:19-20)
And Christians who heard the Good News and listened to what God is saying are to use these Gifts of the Holy Spirit in order to bear fruit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Gal 5:22-23)
What we must keep in mind is that only the humble of hearts who are hungry for God are the ones who will find true joy and happiness that can only be possible if we do what we are commanded to do instead of squatting in the marketplace to play games. Life is not a game. It is a vocation in which success is largely dependent on losing our life for the gospel in order to gain it.
WE TOO NEED TO BE RAISED ANEW
SEPT. 17, 2013: TWENTY FOURTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 1 Tim 3:1-13
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 101:1-6 “I will walk with blameless heart”
GOSPEL: LK 7:11-17
Key Verse: “Young man, I tell you, arise.” (v.14)
Today we have a beautiful Gospel passage in which we can easily identify ourselves with because a deeper reflection of the account depicted in this Gospel will ultimately lead us to a conclusion that there are many among us who may be alive or look as if we are alive but whose nature are dead that needs to be brought back to life.
This passage actually brings to life what salvation is. Just as the son of the widow in this passage was dead and so is the world that is also dead to sin (Eph 2:1) “As for you, you were dead in transgressions and sins” and there are no exceptions even among the ranks of the leaders of the Church and or Community. (Eph 2:4) “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved.”
This event was actually the first time that God through Jesus raised a dead person back to life took place as Jesus left Capernaum where he healed the servant of the Roman Centurion and was entering the town of Nain when they were met by a funeral procession in which the young son of a widow was being brought to his grave.
As it was customary for Jewish funerals there were a lot of weeping and crying from the group of professional mourners but beyond the grief that permeated the air in this burial procession, Jesus saw the grief that filled the mother of the dead man who was a widow.
Mention of the widow is particularly important because unlike today when widows can either be taken cared by their relatives or can find work if they are able to, widows in the olden times have no future to look forward to unless they have other children or relatives to take care of them. But this widow had only one child – the son who was being buried and so she faced an uncertain future that is gloomy and desolate.
And Jesus who is a Jew was very much aware of this scenario and his heart “went out to her.” (v.13). Other translations say “overflowed with compassion,” or “moved to the depths of his heart.” Nonetheless, what is evident is that Jesus was moved to so great a compassion that he said to the widow “don’t cry.”
As there were still no caskets during the time of Jesus the dead was usually placed in a bier that is made of wicker that could fit the mortal remains of the person to be buried. The dead was usually wrapped with burial cloth with only the head exposed and the men take turns in carrying the bier.
And as Jesus came near the bier, He did not even ask that the bier be put down. What He did was he merely touched the bier saying (v.14) “young man, I say to you, get up” and the young man sat up, spoke and Jesus gave him back to his mother.
What happened next is important (v.16) “They were all filled with awe and praised God.” The people did not praise Jesus but they praised God which is actually what we all should do and the people at that time knew this as they said “God has come to help his people.” The raising of the young man shows the power of prayer in the life of the believer.
Indeed God comes to the aid of those who pray earnestly as did the widow in this Gospel and the Scriptures is replete with many accounts of people whose prayers for help were granted. This Gospel also shows that God intervenes in the normal course of life if He wills it as Jesus did in this account of Luke.
There are times, however, when our prayers are not being answered and we should not blame God as some do but times such as these give us an opportunity to examine our own lives and see if the way we live fits into the standards of God for the “prayers of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” (Jam 5:16)
God is a God of compassion as Jesus showed in this Gospel and the only thing that God cannot do is not to love and J esus is asking us to make it a habit to call on Our Father in prayer: "In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God." (Jn 16:26-27/NIV)
And for all intents and purposes, this Gospel also speaks about us for there are many among us who walk around as if we are wrapped in burial cloth with only our head exposed. Let us not kid ourselves and go on a denial of our sinfulness. Each and everyone of us have sinned and have been deprived of the glory of God and at that very moment when we are at the pit of our depravation we suddenly find ourselves in the bosom of God who in fact has not stopped looking for us.
Unless we live a cloistered life in a monastery, we will always be infected by the perversion in this world we live in. And as we go through life, we unknowingly wrap ourselves with the sin of pride and arrogance, self-exaltation, insatiable appetite for fame and fortune, immorality, jealousy, selfish ambition, hatred, discord, dissension, factions, envy, unforgiveness, impurity, idolatry (Gal 5:20-21) and these are the things that put our spirits to death.
But as with the dead man in this Gospel, we should remember that we can also be saved and raised back to life but this is “not from ourselves but a gift of God (Eph 2:8) and this is also contingent on our prostrating ourselves before the throne of Grace and pray that Jesus will meet us as He passes by during our journey of faith as “He is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” (Heb 7:25)
And when Jesus raises us back to life, we must not forget the mission that has been entrusted to us “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Eph 2:10) That mission is to proclaim that Jesus is Lord and to make disciples of all nations.
1st Reading: 1 Tim 3:1-13
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 101:1-6 “I will walk with blameless heart”
GOSPEL: LK 7:11-17
Key Verse: “Young man, I tell you, arise.” (v.14)
Today we have a beautiful Gospel passage in which we can easily identify ourselves with because a deeper reflection of the account depicted in this Gospel will ultimately lead us to a conclusion that there are many among us who may be alive or look as if we are alive but whose nature are dead that needs to be brought back to life.
This passage actually brings to life what salvation is. Just as the son of the widow in this passage was dead and so is the world that is also dead to sin (Eph 2:1) “As for you, you were dead in transgressions and sins” and there are no exceptions even among the ranks of the leaders of the Church and or Community. (Eph 2:4) “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved.”
This event was actually the first time that God through Jesus raised a dead person back to life took place as Jesus left Capernaum where he healed the servant of the Roman Centurion and was entering the town of Nain when they were met by a funeral procession in which the young son of a widow was being brought to his grave.
As it was customary for Jewish funerals there were a lot of weeping and crying from the group of professional mourners but beyond the grief that permeated the air in this burial procession, Jesus saw the grief that filled the mother of the dead man who was a widow.
Mention of the widow is particularly important because unlike today when widows can either be taken cared by their relatives or can find work if they are able to, widows in the olden times have no future to look forward to unless they have other children or relatives to take care of them. But this widow had only one child – the son who was being buried and so she faced an uncertain future that is gloomy and desolate.
And Jesus who is a Jew was very much aware of this scenario and his heart “went out to her.” (v.13). Other translations say “overflowed with compassion,” or “moved to the depths of his heart.” Nonetheless, what is evident is that Jesus was moved to so great a compassion that he said to the widow “don’t cry.”
As there were still no caskets during the time of Jesus the dead was usually placed in a bier that is made of wicker that could fit the mortal remains of the person to be buried. The dead was usually wrapped with burial cloth with only the head exposed and the men take turns in carrying the bier.
And as Jesus came near the bier, He did not even ask that the bier be put down. What He did was he merely touched the bier saying (v.14) “young man, I say to you, get up” and the young man sat up, spoke and Jesus gave him back to his mother.
What happened next is important (v.16) “They were all filled with awe and praised God.” The people did not praise Jesus but they praised God which is actually what we all should do and the people at that time knew this as they said “God has come to help his people.” The raising of the young man shows the power of prayer in the life of the believer.
Indeed God comes to the aid of those who pray earnestly as did the widow in this Gospel and the Scriptures is replete with many accounts of people whose prayers for help were granted. This Gospel also shows that God intervenes in the normal course of life if He wills it as Jesus did in this account of Luke.
There are times, however, when our prayers are not being answered and we should not blame God as some do but times such as these give us an opportunity to examine our own lives and see if the way we live fits into the standards of God for the “prayers of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” (Jam 5:16)
God is a God of compassion as Jesus showed in this Gospel and the only thing that God cannot do is not to love and J esus is asking us to make it a habit to call on Our Father in prayer: "In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God." (Jn 16:26-27/NIV)
And for all intents and purposes, this Gospel also speaks about us for there are many among us who walk around as if we are wrapped in burial cloth with only our head exposed. Let us not kid ourselves and go on a denial of our sinfulness. Each and everyone of us have sinned and have been deprived of the glory of God and at that very moment when we are at the pit of our depravation we suddenly find ourselves in the bosom of God who in fact has not stopped looking for us.
Unless we live a cloistered life in a monastery, we will always be infected by the perversion in this world we live in. And as we go through life, we unknowingly wrap ourselves with the sin of pride and arrogance, self-exaltation, insatiable appetite for fame and fortune, immorality, jealousy, selfish ambition, hatred, discord, dissension, factions, envy, unforgiveness, impurity, idolatry (Gal 5:20-21) and these are the things that put our spirits to death.
But as with the dead man in this Gospel, we should remember that we can also be saved and raised back to life but this is “not from ourselves but a gift of God (Eph 2:8) and this is also contingent on our prostrating ourselves before the throne of Grace and pray that Jesus will meet us as He passes by during our journey of faith as “He is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” (Heb 7:25)
And when Jesus raises us back to life, we must not forget the mission that has been entrusted to us “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Eph 2:10) That mission is to proclaim that Jesus is Lord and to make disciples of all nations.
FAITH HELPS, BUT GOD HEALS
SEPT. 16, 2013: TWENTY FOURTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 1 Tim 2:1-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 28:2, 7-9 “Blessed be the Lord, for he has heard my prayer.”
GOSPEL: LK 7:1-10
Key Verse: “But say the word, and my servant
will be healed.” (v.7)
There are two factors that need to be present in order for healing to take place – the Will of God and the faith of the person seeking healing. And from the accounts of the writers of the Synoptic Gospels, we are given the privilege to witness the different instances of healing taking place throughout the ministry of Jesus.
That healing is contingent on the Will of God is seen in Lk 5:13 when a man stricken with leprosy came rushing and knelt before Jesus saying: “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” And here we see Jesus’ response: “I am willing,” he said, “be clean!”
If we are to examine the healing of the servant of the Roman Centurion and ranged it on the progression of the events that took place that were recorded by Luke in his Gospel, we will see that the first recorded healing that Jesus did was when He drove out the evil spirit from a man possessed by the demon (Lk 4:33) at the synagogue in Capernaum where Jesus was preaching.
From the synagogue, Jesus proceeded to the home of Simon where He probably wanted to relax and be among His disciples but He had to heal the mother-in-law of Simon who was suffering from high fever and Jesus rebuked the fever and it left her (Lk 4:39) and she began to wait on them.
But the people in the area learned of the presence of Jesus and there were many who were stricken with various forms of illnesses came and Jesus laid hands on each one of them and he healed them. In Lk 4:41 we read: “demons came out of many people shouting, “You are the Son of God.”
And in Lk 5:24 we again see Jesus telling a paralyzed man “I tell you, get up, take up your mat and go home.” But not after Jesus told the paralyzed man “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”
The reason why I am citing these healing events as recorded by Luke is because there is a probability that the Roman Centurion may have already heard of the teachings and discourses that Jesus have made in the synagogue and elsewhere as well as the healings that took place which could have been the reason why he decided to seek the help of Jesus to heal his servant whom the Centurion valued highly.
References also showed that the Centurion was a highly respected man who enjoyed an harmonious relationship with the Jewish leaders having initiated the construction of a synagogue in Capernaum. In other words, this Centurion was highly regarded in that city and was well aware of the nuances pertaining to the relationship between the Jews and non-Jews.
The Centurion probably held Jesus in high esteem and regarded Jesus as a man of authority who could heal and drive evil spirits out of demon-possessed men which is why he acknowledged his unworthiness as a Gentile as he stopped Jesus from entering his house notwithstanding the fact that he too was also clothed with authority being the commander of the Roman camp in Capernaum as he simply told Jesus in v.7: “But say the word, and my servant will be healed.”
The response of Jesus was swift “I tell you I haven’t found such great faith even in Israel” and the servant became well. I knew what faith is all about because I learned it in catechism class at the Paco Catholic School and I believed it then as I believe it now that faith is one of the three theological virtues that are infused in us by the Holy Spirit at the time of our sacramental baptism.
But I only came to know the second element of healing which is the Will of God when I was already going through my formation in the community. And it is this realization of God’s presence that became the turning point in my life. When I took that leap of faith and crossed over from the life of carefree living and wild abandon to a life of living in the light of God, I knew that this is the Will of God not only for me but for all whom he has created.
This passage actually is not just about the healing of the servant but there is a greater truth that lies hidden in this account and that is the authority that Jesus had which the Centurion recognized when he said: “I myself is a man under authority.” (v.8) The key word is “I myself” meaning that the Centurion did not only perceive the authority of Jesus but he knew perfectly well the authority of Jesus as the Son of God and it is on the basis of this authority that Jesus healed his servant without need for Jesus to come to his home.
This authority that Jesus had which the Centurion recognized is what is being passed on to us as his disciples who have been given the commission to continue His mission here on earth. Jesus in Matt 28:18 says “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations….”
This simply means that this same authority that Jesus had which He received from God the Father is now being given to us and, it is by this same authority that we are to step up in faith where the Apostles and the disciples have left off for us to proclaim the Good News.
Pope Benedict XVI says that “It is the duty of the Church to proclaim always and everywhere the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” In his encyclical Ad Gentes, Pope Paul VI also said that “The pilgrim Church is missionary by her very nature, since it is from the mission of the Son and the mission of the Holy Spirit that she draws her origin, in accordance with the decree of God the Father.”
And St. Paul also tells us in Rom 10:14-17 "How can they call to God for help if they have not believed? And how can they believe if they have not heard the message? And how can they hear if the message is not proclaimed? And how can the message be proclaimed if the messengers are not sent out? Faith, then, comes from hearing the message, and the message comes through preaching Christ."
This then is our primary duty as disciples – to proclaim the Good News that brings not only healing but will also take us into the path that leads to the Kingdom of Heaven because it is in the Good News that we can find the Way, the Truth and the Life (Jn 14:6).
1st Reading: 1 Tim 2:1-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 28:2, 7-9 “Blessed be the Lord, for he has heard my prayer.”
GOSPEL: LK 7:1-10
Key Verse: “But say the word, and my servant
will be healed.” (v.7)
There are two factors that need to be present in order for healing to take place – the Will of God and the faith of the person seeking healing. And from the accounts of the writers of the Synoptic Gospels, we are given the privilege to witness the different instances of healing taking place throughout the ministry of Jesus.
That healing is contingent on the Will of God is seen in Lk 5:13 when a man stricken with leprosy came rushing and knelt before Jesus saying: “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” And here we see Jesus’ response: “I am willing,” he said, “be clean!”
If we are to examine the healing of the servant of the Roman Centurion and ranged it on the progression of the events that took place that were recorded by Luke in his Gospel, we will see that the first recorded healing that Jesus did was when He drove out the evil spirit from a man possessed by the demon (Lk 4:33) at the synagogue in Capernaum where Jesus was preaching.
From the synagogue, Jesus proceeded to the home of Simon where He probably wanted to relax and be among His disciples but He had to heal the mother-in-law of Simon who was suffering from high fever and Jesus rebuked the fever and it left her (Lk 4:39) and she began to wait on them.
But the people in the area learned of the presence of Jesus and there were many who were stricken with various forms of illnesses came and Jesus laid hands on each one of them and he healed them. In Lk 4:41 we read: “demons came out of many people shouting, “You are the Son of God.”
And in Lk 5:24 we again see Jesus telling a paralyzed man “I tell you, get up, take up your mat and go home.” But not after Jesus told the paralyzed man “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”
The reason why I am citing these healing events as recorded by Luke is because there is a probability that the Roman Centurion may have already heard of the teachings and discourses that Jesus have made in the synagogue and elsewhere as well as the healings that took place which could have been the reason why he decided to seek the help of Jesus to heal his servant whom the Centurion valued highly.
References also showed that the Centurion was a highly respected man who enjoyed an harmonious relationship with the Jewish leaders having initiated the construction of a synagogue in Capernaum. In other words, this Centurion was highly regarded in that city and was well aware of the nuances pertaining to the relationship between the Jews and non-Jews.
The Centurion probably held Jesus in high esteem and regarded Jesus as a man of authority who could heal and drive evil spirits out of demon-possessed men which is why he acknowledged his unworthiness as a Gentile as he stopped Jesus from entering his house notwithstanding the fact that he too was also clothed with authority being the commander of the Roman camp in Capernaum as he simply told Jesus in v.7: “But say the word, and my servant will be healed.”
The response of Jesus was swift “I tell you I haven’t found such great faith even in Israel” and the servant became well. I knew what faith is all about because I learned it in catechism class at the Paco Catholic School and I believed it then as I believe it now that faith is one of the three theological virtues that are infused in us by the Holy Spirit at the time of our sacramental baptism.
But I only came to know the second element of healing which is the Will of God when I was already going through my formation in the community. And it is this realization of God’s presence that became the turning point in my life. When I took that leap of faith and crossed over from the life of carefree living and wild abandon to a life of living in the light of God, I knew that this is the Will of God not only for me but for all whom he has created.
This passage actually is not just about the healing of the servant but there is a greater truth that lies hidden in this account and that is the authority that Jesus had which the Centurion recognized when he said: “I myself is a man under authority.” (v.8) The key word is “I myself” meaning that the Centurion did not only perceive the authority of Jesus but he knew perfectly well the authority of Jesus as the Son of God and it is on the basis of this authority that Jesus healed his servant without need for Jesus to come to his home.
This authority that Jesus had which the Centurion recognized is what is being passed on to us as his disciples who have been given the commission to continue His mission here on earth. Jesus in Matt 28:18 says “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations….”
This simply means that this same authority that Jesus had which He received from God the Father is now being given to us and, it is by this same authority that we are to step up in faith where the Apostles and the disciples have left off for us to proclaim the Good News.
Pope Benedict XVI says that “It is the duty of the Church to proclaim always and everywhere the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” In his encyclical Ad Gentes, Pope Paul VI also said that “The pilgrim Church is missionary by her very nature, since it is from the mission of the Son and the mission of the Holy Spirit that she draws her origin, in accordance with the decree of God the Father.”
And St. Paul also tells us in Rom 10:14-17 "How can they call to God for help if they have not believed? And how can they believe if they have not heard the message? And how can they hear if the message is not proclaimed? And how can the message be proclaimed if the messengers are not sent out? Faith, then, comes from hearing the message, and the message comes through preaching Christ."
This then is our primary duty as disciples – to proclaim the Good News that brings not only healing but will also take us into the path that leads to the Kingdom of Heaven because it is in the Good News that we can find the Way, the Truth and the Life (Jn 14:6).
GOD REJOICES WHEN WE ARE FOUND
SEPT. 15, 2013: TWENTY FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Exo 32:7-11, 13-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 51:3-4, 12-13, 17, 19 “I will rise and go to my Father.”
2nd Reading: 1 Tim 1:12-17
GOSPEL: Lk 15:1-32
Key Verse: “… there will be more rejoicing
in heaven over one sinner who repents..” (v.7)
If there is anything that is common to all the three parables presented in today’s Gospel passage it’s none other than the compassion of God who rejoices in heaven with his angels and saints over the one sinner who is found and who repents.
How many times have we heard these three parables being read during the celebration of the Holy Eucharist that we have attended and many of us have already interpreted these parables in many different ways but always ending up with the same conclusion – that God is a merciful God who will stop at nothing to search and bring back a sinner to the Kingdom of Heaven.
The three parables that are presented here are not new because these are actual life situations that Jesus cited to deliver a spiritual message to his audience in this gospel passage who were a commingling of the ultra-religious Pharisees and tax collectors and sinners.
Imagine the tense atmosphere prevailing at the time since these two groups if given a choice will not even dare stand side-by-side on the same spot. The Pharisees cannot risk being stained or become unclean by mingling with tax-collectors and sinners. But they had no choice. They were all there, Pharisees, tax collectors and sinners, because they all want to listen to Jesus. But the Pharisees will not let this situation pass unnoticed and they complained and reminded Jesus of the sanctions on Jews especially for teachers who associate themselves with tax collectors and sinners.
Though Jesus could have rebuked the Pharisees as he had done in the past, he instead cited two parables that the Jews are familiar with. He began with the parable related to a shepherd who has a herd of about 100 sheep and finding one to be missing left the ninety nine and thoroughly searched for the lost sheep until he found it, brought it home and called his neighbors and they rejoiced because they found the lost sheep.
Then Jesus followed this up with another parable about a woman who lost one of her ten silver coins. The woman was apparently poor because she placed so much value on the missing coin. She even had to light a lamp because it was nighttime and most homes at that time only had one small window and to look for a coin in a poor Jewish home that has a floor of hardened soil is like looking for a needle in a haystack. When she found it the woman called her friends and neighbors to share her joy.
Aren’t we like the shepherd and the woman? Don’t we also rejoice when we find something of value that we lost? Isn’t it that our first reaction when we find what we lost was to tell our relatives and friends? and ? I believe this is how God feels when he finds a sinner who repents and humbly submits himself to God anew.
Jesus told his listeners that “there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (v.10) What these two parables also symbolize are the persistence of the shepherd and the woman who diligently searched until they found what they were looking for.
Our God acts in the same way. God will keep searching and persist until we, aided by his Grace, are confronted with the truth that God did not create us to wallow in sin and mediocrity. We were created in God’s image and likeness and were given the authority to rule over the fish of the sea and birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground (Gen 1:28). This is who we really are. We may have lost our way but God will never abandon us who have been predestined according to his plan (Eph 1:11).
In the same vein, we must try to draw a parallelism between the content of these parables with the way we move in the Church and or Community. Now is the time for us to leave the 99 behind albeit temporarily so that we can go out and search for our brothers and sisters whom we have not seen for quite sometime. It is time for us to light a lamp and look for that lost coin, those whom we don’t see anymore.
Aren’t we alarmed when our parishioners and members have stopped attending the Eucharistic celebration and or Prayer Meeting? Are they sick? Did they move to another place? Were they offended which was why they left? We will never know for sure until we search for them.
God is a God of mercy and compassion and he will not stop until all who are lost are found. This was the reason why Jesus was sent “for the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” (LK 19:10) As Jesus searches on we must join him in this search and rescue operation to save those who are lost. Time is of the essence and today the world has changed radically as our faith is now being challenged and we need to look for and help those who are lost and couldn’t find their way.
As disciples of Christ, this task of looking out for the lost also falls squarely on our shoulders because as disciples we must share in the mission of Christ to search for those who are lost and lead them “to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow to attain to the resurrection of the dead.” (Phi 3:10-11)
The third parable is another beautiful passage that demonstrates the unparalleled love of a father for his son and this is also one passage that we can relate to in one way or the other. When you reflect on this parable, I suggest that you try to go back in time and recall the times that you have disobeyed your parents. When I did this, my past flashed before me like a diorama.
Suddenly, I found myself in the very person of the son who ran away from home to live the kind of life that I thought would translate to happiness and the words of Jesus in v.13 pierces my soul like a double-edged sword. While I did not have the kind of wealth the son had I also went on with my life then with wild abandon as I lived only for what the present will bring and thinking not of the tomorrows that are to come.
This was indeed a beautiful story about forgiveness and many times you will ask how you can still love someone who turned his back on you? The prophet Micah reminds us that God does not abandon us, even if we turn our backs on him. He will call us back to himself – over and over and over again.
We can also find ourselves in the image of the elder brother who was resentful at the good fortune of his younger brother. I’m sure that there were times also when we resented the blessings that others have received. Like the Pharisees who were bitter that Jesus dined with sinners and not with them, we too at times may have resented why others are getting promoted or are moving up at a much faster pace than us.
Here in this parable, Jesus gives us a very clear picture of the attributes of God, a God whose loving kindness is bigger than we could ever imagine and definitely deeper than the kindness we could ever give to others.
Many of us easily lose hope when things don’t turn out the way we expected and we sink into the pit of depression and despair. But in this parable we see a God who does not lose hope or give up when we go astray and He rejoices when the Holy Spirit finds us and brings us back to our senses and leads us home.
This was what happened to me when Our Lord Jesus Christ found me in September 1989 and brought me to the renewal where he impressed upon me that the life I was living was not the kind of life that he planned for me. And when the Lord revealed himself to me in the Life in the Spirit Seminar that I attended and as I asked for and received his forgiveness I knew that I was home.
1st Reading: Exo 32:7-11, 13-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 51:3-4, 12-13, 17, 19 “I will rise and go to my Father.”
2nd Reading: 1 Tim 1:12-17
GOSPEL: Lk 15:1-32
Key Verse: “… there will be more rejoicing
in heaven over one sinner who repents..” (v.7)
If there is anything that is common to all the three parables presented in today’s Gospel passage it’s none other than the compassion of God who rejoices in heaven with his angels and saints over the one sinner who is found and who repents.
How many times have we heard these three parables being read during the celebration of the Holy Eucharist that we have attended and many of us have already interpreted these parables in many different ways but always ending up with the same conclusion – that God is a merciful God who will stop at nothing to search and bring back a sinner to the Kingdom of Heaven.
The three parables that are presented here are not new because these are actual life situations that Jesus cited to deliver a spiritual message to his audience in this gospel passage who were a commingling of the ultra-religious Pharisees and tax collectors and sinners.
Imagine the tense atmosphere prevailing at the time since these two groups if given a choice will not even dare stand side-by-side on the same spot. The Pharisees cannot risk being stained or become unclean by mingling with tax-collectors and sinners. But they had no choice. They were all there, Pharisees, tax collectors and sinners, because they all want to listen to Jesus. But the Pharisees will not let this situation pass unnoticed and they complained and reminded Jesus of the sanctions on Jews especially for teachers who associate themselves with tax collectors and sinners.
Though Jesus could have rebuked the Pharisees as he had done in the past, he instead cited two parables that the Jews are familiar with. He began with the parable related to a shepherd who has a herd of about 100 sheep and finding one to be missing left the ninety nine and thoroughly searched for the lost sheep until he found it, brought it home and called his neighbors and they rejoiced because they found the lost sheep.
Then Jesus followed this up with another parable about a woman who lost one of her ten silver coins. The woman was apparently poor because she placed so much value on the missing coin. She even had to light a lamp because it was nighttime and most homes at that time only had one small window and to look for a coin in a poor Jewish home that has a floor of hardened soil is like looking for a needle in a haystack. When she found it the woman called her friends and neighbors to share her joy.
Aren’t we like the shepherd and the woman? Don’t we also rejoice when we find something of value that we lost? Isn’t it that our first reaction when we find what we lost was to tell our relatives and friends? and ? I believe this is how God feels when he finds a sinner who repents and humbly submits himself to God anew.
Jesus told his listeners that “there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (v.10) What these two parables also symbolize are the persistence of the shepherd and the woman who diligently searched until they found what they were looking for.
Our God acts in the same way. God will keep searching and persist until we, aided by his Grace, are confronted with the truth that God did not create us to wallow in sin and mediocrity. We were created in God’s image and likeness and were given the authority to rule over the fish of the sea and birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground (Gen 1:28). This is who we really are. We may have lost our way but God will never abandon us who have been predestined according to his plan (Eph 1:11).
In the same vein, we must try to draw a parallelism between the content of these parables with the way we move in the Church and or Community. Now is the time for us to leave the 99 behind albeit temporarily so that we can go out and search for our brothers and sisters whom we have not seen for quite sometime. It is time for us to light a lamp and look for that lost coin, those whom we don’t see anymore.
Aren’t we alarmed when our parishioners and members have stopped attending the Eucharistic celebration and or Prayer Meeting? Are they sick? Did they move to another place? Were they offended which was why they left? We will never know for sure until we search for them.
God is a God of mercy and compassion and he will not stop until all who are lost are found. This was the reason why Jesus was sent “for the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” (LK 19:10) As Jesus searches on we must join him in this search and rescue operation to save those who are lost. Time is of the essence and today the world has changed radically as our faith is now being challenged and we need to look for and help those who are lost and couldn’t find their way.
As disciples of Christ, this task of looking out for the lost also falls squarely on our shoulders because as disciples we must share in the mission of Christ to search for those who are lost and lead them “to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow to attain to the resurrection of the dead.” (Phi 3:10-11)
The third parable is another beautiful passage that demonstrates the unparalleled love of a father for his son and this is also one passage that we can relate to in one way or the other. When you reflect on this parable, I suggest that you try to go back in time and recall the times that you have disobeyed your parents. When I did this, my past flashed before me like a diorama.
Suddenly, I found myself in the very person of the son who ran away from home to live the kind of life that I thought would translate to happiness and the words of Jesus in v.13 pierces my soul like a double-edged sword. While I did not have the kind of wealth the son had I also went on with my life then with wild abandon as I lived only for what the present will bring and thinking not of the tomorrows that are to come.
This was indeed a beautiful story about forgiveness and many times you will ask how you can still love someone who turned his back on you? The prophet Micah reminds us that God does not abandon us, even if we turn our backs on him. He will call us back to himself – over and over and over again.
We can also find ourselves in the image of the elder brother who was resentful at the good fortune of his younger brother. I’m sure that there were times also when we resented the blessings that others have received. Like the Pharisees who were bitter that Jesus dined with sinners and not with them, we too at times may have resented why others are getting promoted or are moving up at a much faster pace than us.
Here in this parable, Jesus gives us a very clear picture of the attributes of God, a God whose loving kindness is bigger than we could ever imagine and definitely deeper than the kindness we could ever give to others.
Many of us easily lose hope when things don’t turn out the way we expected and we sink into the pit of depression and despair. But in this parable we see a God who does not lose hope or give up when we go astray and He rejoices when the Holy Spirit finds us and brings us back to our senses and leads us home.
This was what happened to me when Our Lord Jesus Christ found me in September 1989 and brought me to the renewal where he impressed upon me that the life I was living was not the kind of life that he planned for me. And when the Lord revealed himself to me in the Life in the Spirit Seminar that I attended and as I asked for and received his forgiveness I knew that I was home.
BELIEVING IN CHRIST LEADS TO SALVATION
SEPT. 14, 2013: THE EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS
1st Reading: Num 21:4-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 78:1-2, 34-38 “Do not forget the works of the Lord”
2nd Reading: Phi 2:6-11
GOSPEL: JN 3:13-17
Key Verse: “that everyone who believes in him
may have eternal life.” (v.15)
As we celebrate today the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, the gospel reading should move us to ask ourselves what is it that we believe in. Definitely there is something that each one of us believes in. Some probably believe in their own talent and skill that he could use these to build his future.
There are some who may believe that material possessions are the be-all and end-all of life. Still, there will be those who believe that life is short, indeed it is, and they will enjoy every moment of it even if their lifestyle will be devoid of any morals. Whatever, you’ve got to believe in something and no one goes through life without believing in something.
And if someone is to tell you that when your life ends your salvation will depend on what you believed in how would you react? This in fact is what this gospel is all about because your final destination is contingent on the choices you make in life.
God is so good that in our lifetime we are given the privilege to choose the way we want to go and sometimes we prefer the way of the world seeking fame and fortune, the comfort and convenience of the material world but losing the glory in the process because the path to eternal reward is strewn with suffering and pain.
No pain, no glory is a metaphoric phrase that we often hear of athletes who have to train hard in their pursuit of victory and this also rings true to the practice of our faith because if there is no cross, there can be no victory to hope for.
And the key that will unlock the way to the eternal reward that God has promised is founded on our believing in Him whom God has sent down from heaven to help us transform our lives so that we will be worthy of going into the Kingdom of Heaven.
To believe as mentioned in vv. 15-16 of the Gospel is not just a condition to accept that Jesus indeed is God but to believe in the language of the Jews and the Greeks is to completely put our trust and confidence in Jesus that He alone can save us and redeem us from our sinful nature.
At first, you might think that this gospel passage is disconnected as John wrote about Jesus telling Nicodemus of the time when Moses lifted up an image of the serpent in the desert (Num 21:8-9) and equating this with his own crucifixion and an uniformed reader of the Scriptures may end up getting confused especially with regards to the practice of our faith particularly with reference to images.
To correct the misunderstanding of this Old Testament event, the Rabbis themselves explained that it was not the serpent that restored life but God. The serpent was only a symbol that the people who, because of their complaining attitude, were bitten by the snake and were made well if they turn their thoughts to God by looking up at the pole with the serpent on it.
And this is where we can draw a parallelism with our Christian faith because all we have to do to have our lives restored from the sinful world to which we have sunk ourselves in is to simply look up to the cross with the image of Christ nailed to it.
This is something that we Christians cannot overlook because to look at the Cross and share in the suffering of Jesus who is nailed to the Cross is inextricably linked to the eternal reward that God has promised those who will believe in Him because the Way of the Cross is the way to Glory.
But this is not so with many Christians who shun away from the cross thinking perhaps that the free choice that we have gives us the freedom to choose the path we are to take. Many still entertain the notion that salvation is given even to sinners who repent at the time of death.
The problem is this is not how it works because salvation is given only to those who will believe in Jesus Christ whom God sent as an expiation for our sins. To believe in the Son of Man is not just to know about him but to believe in Jesus is to place our lives in the palm of his hand.
To believe in Him is to trust His Words as reliable and credible and, to depend on Him who alone can provide us the power to transform ourselves so that we may be worthy enough to receive the eternal life as our reward for believing in Jesus the Christ.
Thus, to believe has three important elements in it. We must believe that God loves us, that he cares for us and that God wants nothing more than to forgive us of our sins. We also must believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that everything he says is true. And believing also means that we must obey whatever he commands us to do. We must rely on his Word such that all our actions are done in unquestioning obedience to him.
The Cross with Jesus nailed on it is the only way to salvation, the only way to escape the condemnation that awaits all unbelievers at the last judgment and Jesus goes on to say in that “God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” (v.17) Sin fills our world and we are all guilty of sin and we cannot escape condemnation if we will remain in our sinful state and the only way to escape such condemnation is to believe in the Son of God, Himself.
Today is the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross and even among us Christians there are many who don’t understand the significance of the Cross in our lives. By making the sign of the Cross, we profess the most important mysteries of our Catholic faith – the doctrine of the Blessed Trinity and of the Incarnation of Our Lord Jesus Christ. By uniting all the three persons of the Trinity we profess our belief in God.
The sign of the Cross is not an empty ritual but it is in itself a blessing and a prayer for a blessing from God. The sign of the Cross drives away the devil and its temptations as with a dog who fears the whip with which it is beaten and so it is with the devil who dread the sign of the Cross because it reminds the evil one of his defeat on Calvary.
We should make the sign of the Cross when we wake up in the morning and before we sleep at night, before and after our prayers, before and after our meals, whenever we are tempted to sin and, when we have any important duty to perform and, at all times possible with holy water.
There was an old story that tells of a stag (deer) with a tag on its antlers saying “I belong to the emperor, hurt me not” and no hunter dared to shoot this deer. When we make the sign of the Cross, we also put a tag on our person saying “I belong to Jesus Christ” and this will protect us from our enemy the devil.
And St. John Damascene says “the sign of the Cross is the seal at the sight of which the destroying angel passes on and does us no harm.”
To end, please allow me to quote from the Catechism of the Catholic Church which says in CCC1257 “each time we make the sign of the cross we remember that we belong to Christ. The Christian begins his day, his prayers, and his activities with the sign of the cross: “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” The baptized person dedicates the day to the glory of God and calls on the Savior’s grace which lets him act in the Spirit as a child of the Father. The sign of the cross strengthens us in temptations and difficulties.”
1st Reading: Num 21:4-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 78:1-2, 34-38 “Do not forget the works of the Lord”
2nd Reading: Phi 2:6-11
GOSPEL: JN 3:13-17
Key Verse: “that everyone who believes in him
may have eternal life.” (v.15)
As we celebrate today the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, the gospel reading should move us to ask ourselves what is it that we believe in. Definitely there is something that each one of us believes in. Some probably believe in their own talent and skill that he could use these to build his future.
There are some who may believe that material possessions are the be-all and end-all of life. Still, there will be those who believe that life is short, indeed it is, and they will enjoy every moment of it even if their lifestyle will be devoid of any morals. Whatever, you’ve got to believe in something and no one goes through life without believing in something.
And if someone is to tell you that when your life ends your salvation will depend on what you believed in how would you react? This in fact is what this gospel is all about because your final destination is contingent on the choices you make in life.
God is so good that in our lifetime we are given the privilege to choose the way we want to go and sometimes we prefer the way of the world seeking fame and fortune, the comfort and convenience of the material world but losing the glory in the process because the path to eternal reward is strewn with suffering and pain.
No pain, no glory is a metaphoric phrase that we often hear of athletes who have to train hard in their pursuit of victory and this also rings true to the practice of our faith because if there is no cross, there can be no victory to hope for.
And the key that will unlock the way to the eternal reward that God has promised is founded on our believing in Him whom God has sent down from heaven to help us transform our lives so that we will be worthy of going into the Kingdom of Heaven.
To believe as mentioned in vv. 15-16 of the Gospel is not just a condition to accept that Jesus indeed is God but to believe in the language of the Jews and the Greeks is to completely put our trust and confidence in Jesus that He alone can save us and redeem us from our sinful nature.
At first, you might think that this gospel passage is disconnected as John wrote about Jesus telling Nicodemus of the time when Moses lifted up an image of the serpent in the desert (Num 21:8-9) and equating this with his own crucifixion and an uniformed reader of the Scriptures may end up getting confused especially with regards to the practice of our faith particularly with reference to images.
To correct the misunderstanding of this Old Testament event, the Rabbis themselves explained that it was not the serpent that restored life but God. The serpent was only a symbol that the people who, because of their complaining attitude, were bitten by the snake and were made well if they turn their thoughts to God by looking up at the pole with the serpent on it.
And this is where we can draw a parallelism with our Christian faith because all we have to do to have our lives restored from the sinful world to which we have sunk ourselves in is to simply look up to the cross with the image of Christ nailed to it.
This is something that we Christians cannot overlook because to look at the Cross and share in the suffering of Jesus who is nailed to the Cross is inextricably linked to the eternal reward that God has promised those who will believe in Him because the Way of the Cross is the way to Glory.
But this is not so with many Christians who shun away from the cross thinking perhaps that the free choice that we have gives us the freedom to choose the path we are to take. Many still entertain the notion that salvation is given even to sinners who repent at the time of death.
The problem is this is not how it works because salvation is given only to those who will believe in Jesus Christ whom God sent as an expiation for our sins. To believe in the Son of Man is not just to know about him but to believe in Jesus is to place our lives in the palm of his hand.
To believe in Him is to trust His Words as reliable and credible and, to depend on Him who alone can provide us the power to transform ourselves so that we may be worthy enough to receive the eternal life as our reward for believing in Jesus the Christ.
Thus, to believe has three important elements in it. We must believe that God loves us, that he cares for us and that God wants nothing more than to forgive us of our sins. We also must believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that everything he says is true. And believing also means that we must obey whatever he commands us to do. We must rely on his Word such that all our actions are done in unquestioning obedience to him.
The Cross with Jesus nailed on it is the only way to salvation, the only way to escape the condemnation that awaits all unbelievers at the last judgment and Jesus goes on to say in that “God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” (v.17) Sin fills our world and we are all guilty of sin and we cannot escape condemnation if we will remain in our sinful state and the only way to escape such condemnation is to believe in the Son of God, Himself.
Today is the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross and even among us Christians there are many who don’t understand the significance of the Cross in our lives. By making the sign of the Cross, we profess the most important mysteries of our Catholic faith – the doctrine of the Blessed Trinity and of the Incarnation of Our Lord Jesus Christ. By uniting all the three persons of the Trinity we profess our belief in God.
The sign of the Cross is not an empty ritual but it is in itself a blessing and a prayer for a blessing from God. The sign of the Cross drives away the devil and its temptations as with a dog who fears the whip with which it is beaten and so it is with the devil who dread the sign of the Cross because it reminds the evil one of his defeat on Calvary.
We should make the sign of the Cross when we wake up in the morning and before we sleep at night, before and after our prayers, before and after our meals, whenever we are tempted to sin and, when we have any important duty to perform and, at all times possible with holy water.
There was an old story that tells of a stag (deer) with a tag on its antlers saying “I belong to the emperor, hurt me not” and no hunter dared to shoot this deer. When we make the sign of the Cross, we also put a tag on our person saying “I belong to Jesus Christ” and this will protect us from our enemy the devil.
And St. John Damascene says “the sign of the Cross is the seal at the sight of which the destroying angel passes on and does us no harm.”
To end, please allow me to quote from the Catechism of the Catholic Church which says in CCC1257 “each time we make the sign of the cross we remember that we belong to Christ. The Christian begins his day, his prayers, and his activities with the sign of the cross: “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” The baptized person dedicates the day to the glory of God and calls on the Savior’s grace which lets him act in the Spirit as a child of the Father. The sign of the cross strengthens us in temptations and difficulties.”
REMOVING THE "I" FROM OUR EYE
SEPT. 13, 2013: ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM, Bishop and Doctor
1st Reading: 1 Tim 1:1-2, 12-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 11 “You are my inheritance O, Lord”
GOSPEL: Lk 6:39-42
Key Verse: “..get rid of the log from your own eye.” (v.42)
To forgive someone who has wronged you and caused you a lot of pain is hard enough. But there is one thing that people find doing that more difficult than to forgive – and that is to cross over from being judgmental and critical of others to being more tolerant, patient and understanding. And more important than that is removing the “I” from your eye.
Today’s gospel reading may look like a very short passage but certainly this is one that is full of meaning and substance. There is a need for us to be discerning when going through this narrative because there may be a tendency for us to look elsewhere and miss the mark because this Gospel is actually all about us.
The way the two parables in this Gospel today were weaved into one interconnected narrative shows the prolificacy of Luke as a writer. Of the four Gospel writers, Luke is the only one who is not a Jew and he is known to have traveled in many of the journeys of Paul and as he was a well-educated man being a doctor by profession, Luke was able to piece together the accounts in the life of Jesus and present the humanity and perfection of the Son of Man.
Here in this Gospel Luke presents us with a looksee into the humorous side of Jesus’ persona as He leads the readers of this Gospel to examine their own worth without offending them. And at the end of this four-verse narrative for today, we must settle down and come to a decision to go to Jesus the great physician and allow Him to perform a surgery to remove the “I” in our eye.
To do this we will have to make that arduous decision to humble ourselves which is not an easy thing to do especially when you grow up acquiring a culture that is different from the one that you grew up with. This is especially true for those who migrated to another country and are swept by the undercurrent of a social orientation that is different from their own.
Removing the “I” in our eye requires humility on our part and oftentimes this is most difficult to do because it challenges our pride and what this Gospel is telling us is that all disciples of Christ need to have a 20/20 Christian vision for three reasons: 1) To see with clarity where we are going or headed to; 2) To see where we are leading others to, and; 3) To also see what may be stopping us in getting to our destination.
Heb 4:12 says: “For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword.” (NIV) This is precisely what this Gospel is all about because of the duality of purpose behind this narrative. To also understand what Jesus is telling us, let us draw on the meaning of Prov 29:18 “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” (KJV)
This is not just a warning but this is a theological cause and effect principle which clearly shows the vision or for that matter the plans that every elder of the Church and or Community, Apostolate and Ministry heads or coordinators, Circle Shepherds, Class and Circle Shepherds have as the cause and the effect it will have in the event there is an absence of any clearly defined goals and objectives that will keep the Community and its ministries in limbo.
In other words, Christian disciples who are leading others to Christ cannot move around like headless chickens not knowing where to go and or, being blind and oblivious to the fact that we cannot teach others that which we ourselves haven’t been taught. We charismatics always love to say “the gift that you received, give as a gift.” To paraphrase this, we might as well also ask ourselves, how can we lead others to overcome their faults if we ourselves remain impervious to our own fault as it is easier to find fault in others than to look into our own.
Certainly a blind person cannot lead another one who is also blind because to do so would be tragic for both. Because if we are to lead others, we must have a clear vision to where we are going and we all need a plan to provide us with a roadmap. If our final goal is the Kingdom of Heaven, the only way to get there is through the Cross of Christ and there is no way we can get to heaven by avoiding the Cross.
Another reality that Jesus is showing us in this Gospel is we cannot possibly see where we are going much less lead others because there is a tendency for most of us to look at the speck in the eye of our brother and yet totally ignoring the plank that mars our vision.
In other words, we cannot teach the Word to others and or point out the sin of others until we have corrected ourselves which means that we have to come to Our Lord and ask Him to purify us first before we can tell others of their own sin. In effect, what this Gospel is saying is that we should not judge, criticize or find fault in others unless we too have rid ourselves of our own sinfulness.
Jesus spoke strong words in v.42 but we should not be unsettled if Jesus calls us hypocrites that we at times withdraw from the mainstream of church and or community life because anyone of us who is trying to do what is right in God’s eyes and fails is not a hypocrite as it is also not hypocrisy to be weak in faith. What Jesus meant is that a hypocrite is someone who displays a religious demeanor for the purpose of gaining attention, approval or admiration from others.
And this is what we must all be careful about because we may be living a hypocritical life without our knowing it. While it is easy to look at the faults of others, to be critical and judgmental of others, Jesus is telling us to look into our own brokenness first so that we can also lead others without the baggage that will weigh us down.
The message behind this parable is that Jesus is inviting us to be more honest with ourselves and He offers us a way to rinse ourselves our own sinfulness by coming to Him in prayer. And when we do come to Jesus, surrender our lives to Him and, do His Will, we will all come out of it with a clearer vision of where we intend to go and, thus be able to also lead others to a destination that is illumined by the light of God.
1st Reading: 1 Tim 1:1-2, 12-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 11 “You are my inheritance O, Lord”
GOSPEL: Lk 6:39-42
Key Verse: “..get rid of the log from your own eye.” (v.42)
To forgive someone who has wronged you and caused you a lot of pain is hard enough. But there is one thing that people find doing that more difficult than to forgive – and that is to cross over from being judgmental and critical of others to being more tolerant, patient and understanding. And more important than that is removing the “I” from your eye.
Today’s gospel reading may look like a very short passage but certainly this is one that is full of meaning and substance. There is a need for us to be discerning when going through this narrative because there may be a tendency for us to look elsewhere and miss the mark because this Gospel is actually all about us.
The way the two parables in this Gospel today were weaved into one interconnected narrative shows the prolificacy of Luke as a writer. Of the four Gospel writers, Luke is the only one who is not a Jew and he is known to have traveled in many of the journeys of Paul and as he was a well-educated man being a doctor by profession, Luke was able to piece together the accounts in the life of Jesus and present the humanity and perfection of the Son of Man.
Here in this Gospel Luke presents us with a looksee into the humorous side of Jesus’ persona as He leads the readers of this Gospel to examine their own worth without offending them. And at the end of this four-verse narrative for today, we must settle down and come to a decision to go to Jesus the great physician and allow Him to perform a surgery to remove the “I” in our eye.
To do this we will have to make that arduous decision to humble ourselves which is not an easy thing to do especially when you grow up acquiring a culture that is different from the one that you grew up with. This is especially true for those who migrated to another country and are swept by the undercurrent of a social orientation that is different from their own.
Removing the “I” in our eye requires humility on our part and oftentimes this is most difficult to do because it challenges our pride and what this Gospel is telling us is that all disciples of Christ need to have a 20/20 Christian vision for three reasons: 1) To see with clarity where we are going or headed to; 2) To see where we are leading others to, and; 3) To also see what may be stopping us in getting to our destination.
Heb 4:12 says: “For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword.” (NIV) This is precisely what this Gospel is all about because of the duality of purpose behind this narrative. To also understand what Jesus is telling us, let us draw on the meaning of Prov 29:18 “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” (KJV)
This is not just a warning but this is a theological cause and effect principle which clearly shows the vision or for that matter the plans that every elder of the Church and or Community, Apostolate and Ministry heads or coordinators, Circle Shepherds, Class and Circle Shepherds have as the cause and the effect it will have in the event there is an absence of any clearly defined goals and objectives that will keep the Community and its ministries in limbo.
In other words, Christian disciples who are leading others to Christ cannot move around like headless chickens not knowing where to go and or, being blind and oblivious to the fact that we cannot teach others that which we ourselves haven’t been taught. We charismatics always love to say “the gift that you received, give as a gift.” To paraphrase this, we might as well also ask ourselves, how can we lead others to overcome their faults if we ourselves remain impervious to our own fault as it is easier to find fault in others than to look into our own.
Certainly a blind person cannot lead another one who is also blind because to do so would be tragic for both. Because if we are to lead others, we must have a clear vision to where we are going and we all need a plan to provide us with a roadmap. If our final goal is the Kingdom of Heaven, the only way to get there is through the Cross of Christ and there is no way we can get to heaven by avoiding the Cross.
Another reality that Jesus is showing us in this Gospel is we cannot possibly see where we are going much less lead others because there is a tendency for most of us to look at the speck in the eye of our brother and yet totally ignoring the plank that mars our vision.
In other words, we cannot teach the Word to others and or point out the sin of others until we have corrected ourselves which means that we have to come to Our Lord and ask Him to purify us first before we can tell others of their own sin. In effect, what this Gospel is saying is that we should not judge, criticize or find fault in others unless we too have rid ourselves of our own sinfulness.
Jesus spoke strong words in v.42 but we should not be unsettled if Jesus calls us hypocrites that we at times withdraw from the mainstream of church and or community life because anyone of us who is trying to do what is right in God’s eyes and fails is not a hypocrite as it is also not hypocrisy to be weak in faith. What Jesus meant is that a hypocrite is someone who displays a religious demeanor for the purpose of gaining attention, approval or admiration from others.
And this is what we must all be careful about because we may be living a hypocritical life without our knowing it. While it is easy to look at the faults of others, to be critical and judgmental of others, Jesus is telling us to look into our own brokenness first so that we can also lead others without the baggage that will weigh us down.
The message behind this parable is that Jesus is inviting us to be more honest with ourselves and He offers us a way to rinse ourselves our own sinfulness by coming to Him in prayer. And when we do come to Jesus, surrender our lives to Him and, do His Will, we will all come out of it with a clearer vision of where we intend to go and, thus be able to also lead others to a destination that is illumined by the light of God.
GRACE MAKES YOU HOLY
SEPT. 12, 2013: THE MOST HOLY NAME OF MARY
1st Reading: Col 3:12-17
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 150:1-6 “Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!”
GOSPEL: LK 6:27-38
Key Verse: “Love your enemies…” (v.27)
We know Jesus to be a person with a firm conviction who holds his his ground when it comes to debating over traditions and practices that the Scribes and Pharisees carved from the Mosaic law and this gospel passage today has become one of the most contentious during his ministry that this is still being debated to this day.
Why? Because it runs counter to the Jewish tradition of an “eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth” (Matt 5:38) and for us to understand what Jesus meant when he said: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” (vv.27-28) we will need to digest what Our Lord really meant when he used the word “love” because we need to discover what it means in order for us to obey what he is telling us to do.
Take for example the ongoing siege of Zamboanga City in the Mindanao Peninsula by MNLF elements. How could the kin of the innocent civilians who died in the crossfire love those who invaded the solitude of their lives. If we take it closer to home, how can you love those who stole government funds which otherwise could have been used to help the poor. What about those who sow confusion and disunity in the church, in community or in your ministries, can you love them? Or what about those who spread gossip about you? How about those who refuse to grow spiritually who persist in their stubbornness as did the Pharisees, can you also love them?
In the time of Jesus, Greek was the universal language and the word “love” usually referred to three types of feeling. One was “eran” which pertains to passionate love or the love of a man towards a woman. Another form of love was “philein” which refers to loving those within our family circle, a warm affection of the heart.
But what Jesus used in stressing his point in this passage was “agapan” which defines love as an active feeling of benevolence towards another person. It simply means that regardless of what another person does to us we will not allow ourselves to desire anything but the highest good of that person.
What this passage comes down to is the fact that it is easy or natural to say the least for us to love those who are dear to us – our parents, siblings, children, relatives and even close friends and to love them is something we cannot help doing.
But to love our enemies or to treat with benevolence those whom we are not friendly with is not only something that comes from our hearts but it is something that springs from our will which is impelled by the Grace of God that is at work in us.
This is what makes Christians different and what makes Christianity distinct from any other religion. As Christians we are filled with Grace which moves us to treat others, not as they deserve, but as God wishes to be treated – with loving-kindness and mercy.
God is good to the unjust as well as the just. His love embraces saint and sinner alike. God seeks our highest good and teaches us to seek the greatest good of others, even those who hate and abuse us. Our love for others, even those who are ungrateful and selfish towards us, must be marked by the same kindness and mercy which God has shown to us.
The Christian norm is and should always be on the positive side and it does not consist in not doing bad things but in doing what is good. We are all too familiar with the Golden Rule that tells us not to do to others what we don’t want others do to us.
This kind of ethic merely encourages us to refrain from doing bad to others. What Jesus is telling us in this Gospel today is the positive form of the Golden Rule which is to do good things to others. In fact the message of this passage is for us to bend backwards and do more than what is necessary, to go out of our way and serve the highest good of another person even at our own inconvenience.
Jesus commands us not only to avoid returning evil for evil but that we must seek the good of those who wish us ill. This means that we are to humble ourselves and accept insults, as Jesus did, with no resentment or malice. It also means doing more than what is expected of us. This means that we need to rise above the level of expectations when we are confronted with insults, intrigues, wrongdoing, and persecution and that we must respond with grace and cheerfulness.
When we are wronged the human tendency is always to get even. But what Jesus is telling us in this Gospel reading is to do good to those who wrong us. Our Lord commands us that we should not keep score of whatever wrongs done to us but to just love and forgive.
This reminds me of someone who accused me of wrongdoing and as I sat down to iron out our differences my accuser came out with a list of wrongdoings that I allegedly committed against him. The dialogue never led to a resolution as the person concerned would not accept anything beyond the mindset that he has already created for himself. Still, I humbled myself and asked for his forgiveness for whatever wrong I may have committed against him. But I never heard the person say he was accepting my apology. And the dialogue ended the way it started.
While we may think it to be hard and difficult to do, we are a supernatural being and we can rely on God to give us the strength to love as he does and instead of seeking vengeance, it would be a much better proposition if we can just pray for those who may have hurt us.
How we will respond to difficult situations such as when others wrong us or hurt us will define our character and this is what makes a Christian stand out in the crowd. When we are encountering difficulty in forgiving others, we only have to look at the cross of Jesus Christ and we will be freed of malice, hatred, revenge, and resentment and Christ Himself will give us the courage to return evil with good. It is this kind of love and grace which will give us the power to be healed of our hatred and bitterness that will eventually save us from our own destruction.
Let me end with this prayer: “Merciful and loving God, fill our hearts today with the graces of your Holy Spirit. May the fruits of the Holy Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control be manifest in our lives today. Teach us to love and grant us the grace to pray for those who have wronged us and hurt us. In times of adversity grant us the grace to be patient and in prosperity make us humble and we know that your plan for us is that we may live a fruitful and disciplined lives and become productive so that our lives will bear fruit as you have planned it to be. All these we pray in the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ and through the intercession of Virgin Mary, our blessed Mother, AMEN!
1st Reading: Col 3:12-17
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 150:1-6 “Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!”
GOSPEL: LK 6:27-38
Key Verse: “Love your enemies…” (v.27)
We know Jesus to be a person with a firm conviction who holds his his ground when it comes to debating over traditions and practices that the Scribes and Pharisees carved from the Mosaic law and this gospel passage today has become one of the most contentious during his ministry that this is still being debated to this day.
Why? Because it runs counter to the Jewish tradition of an “eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth” (Matt 5:38) and for us to understand what Jesus meant when he said: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” (vv.27-28) we will need to digest what Our Lord really meant when he used the word “love” because we need to discover what it means in order for us to obey what he is telling us to do.
Take for example the ongoing siege of Zamboanga City in the Mindanao Peninsula by MNLF elements. How could the kin of the innocent civilians who died in the crossfire love those who invaded the solitude of their lives. If we take it closer to home, how can you love those who stole government funds which otherwise could have been used to help the poor. What about those who sow confusion and disunity in the church, in community or in your ministries, can you love them? Or what about those who spread gossip about you? How about those who refuse to grow spiritually who persist in their stubbornness as did the Pharisees, can you also love them?
In the time of Jesus, Greek was the universal language and the word “love” usually referred to three types of feeling. One was “eran” which pertains to passionate love or the love of a man towards a woman. Another form of love was “philein” which refers to loving those within our family circle, a warm affection of the heart.
But what Jesus used in stressing his point in this passage was “agapan” which defines love as an active feeling of benevolence towards another person. It simply means that regardless of what another person does to us we will not allow ourselves to desire anything but the highest good of that person.
What this passage comes down to is the fact that it is easy or natural to say the least for us to love those who are dear to us – our parents, siblings, children, relatives and even close friends and to love them is something we cannot help doing.
But to love our enemies or to treat with benevolence those whom we are not friendly with is not only something that comes from our hearts but it is something that springs from our will which is impelled by the Grace of God that is at work in us.
This is what makes Christians different and what makes Christianity distinct from any other religion. As Christians we are filled with Grace which moves us to treat others, not as they deserve, but as God wishes to be treated – with loving-kindness and mercy.
God is good to the unjust as well as the just. His love embraces saint and sinner alike. God seeks our highest good and teaches us to seek the greatest good of others, even those who hate and abuse us. Our love for others, even those who are ungrateful and selfish towards us, must be marked by the same kindness and mercy which God has shown to us.
The Christian norm is and should always be on the positive side and it does not consist in not doing bad things but in doing what is good. We are all too familiar with the Golden Rule that tells us not to do to others what we don’t want others do to us.
This kind of ethic merely encourages us to refrain from doing bad to others. What Jesus is telling us in this Gospel today is the positive form of the Golden Rule which is to do good things to others. In fact the message of this passage is for us to bend backwards and do more than what is necessary, to go out of our way and serve the highest good of another person even at our own inconvenience.
Jesus commands us not only to avoid returning evil for evil but that we must seek the good of those who wish us ill. This means that we are to humble ourselves and accept insults, as Jesus did, with no resentment or malice. It also means doing more than what is expected of us. This means that we need to rise above the level of expectations when we are confronted with insults, intrigues, wrongdoing, and persecution and that we must respond with grace and cheerfulness.
When we are wronged the human tendency is always to get even. But what Jesus is telling us in this Gospel reading is to do good to those who wrong us. Our Lord commands us that we should not keep score of whatever wrongs done to us but to just love and forgive.
This reminds me of someone who accused me of wrongdoing and as I sat down to iron out our differences my accuser came out with a list of wrongdoings that I allegedly committed against him. The dialogue never led to a resolution as the person concerned would not accept anything beyond the mindset that he has already created for himself. Still, I humbled myself and asked for his forgiveness for whatever wrong I may have committed against him. But I never heard the person say he was accepting my apology. And the dialogue ended the way it started.
While we may think it to be hard and difficult to do, we are a supernatural being and we can rely on God to give us the strength to love as he does and instead of seeking vengeance, it would be a much better proposition if we can just pray for those who may have hurt us.
How we will respond to difficult situations such as when others wrong us or hurt us will define our character and this is what makes a Christian stand out in the crowd. When we are encountering difficulty in forgiving others, we only have to look at the cross of Jesus Christ and we will be freed of malice, hatred, revenge, and resentment and Christ Himself will give us the courage to return evil with good. It is this kind of love and grace which will give us the power to be healed of our hatred and bitterness that will eventually save us from our own destruction.
Let me end with this prayer: “Merciful and loving God, fill our hearts today with the graces of your Holy Spirit. May the fruits of the Holy Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control be manifest in our lives today. Teach us to love and grant us the grace to pray for those who have wronged us and hurt us. In times of adversity grant us the grace to be patient and in prosperity make us humble and we know that your plan for us is that we may live a fruitful and disciplined lives and become productive so that our lives will bear fruit as you have planned it to be. All these we pray in the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ and through the intercession of Virgin Mary, our blessed Mother, AMEN!
REWARDS OF OBEDIENCE
SEPT. 11, 2013: TWENTY THIRD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Col 3:1-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 145:2-3, 10-13 “The Lord is compassionate toward all his works.”
GOSPEL: LK 6:20-26
Key Verse: “your reward will be great in heaven.” (v.23)
At first glance, you might think this is the same as the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5:3-12) but this narrative written by Luke was made by Jesus on a plain which is why there are some references to this Gospel as the Sermon on the Plain.
This Gospel also differs in some way from the Sermon on the Mount or what is now commonly referred to as the Beatitudes in that Luke’s account only carries four “blessings” and the Evangelist included four “woes” or what I might call as “encumbrances” which might prevent the soul of a person from entering the Kingdom of Heaven and avail of the eternal salvation that God promised.
Let us also not belabor ourselves with trying to read through the minds of Luke and Matthew relative to the differences in their account of the Beatitudes and it would be best to just appreciate what Jesus is trying to tell us in this Gospel written by Luke.
Actually, the word “woe” is a curse and perhaps this is the message that Jesus is trying to put across to the people who were listening at the time. What Jesus is presenting in this Lucan account are the contrasts between the blessings that we can expect if we follow the standards of Christ and what awaits us if we remain grafted to the pattern or criterion of the world’s values.
In these contrasting scenarios, Jesus is also reminding us that our lives are constantly filled with making a choice or choices and it begins from the moment we acquire the capacity to understand what life is all about up to the time when we are called to our final destination.
And to better understand what Jesus is saying in this Lucan account, let us go back to what “blessed” and “woe” meant. As the Greek language was what was commonly used in those days, the Greek refers to a person who is blessed as someone who is filled with religious joy because he is aware that he has been saved whereas, woe is an expression of abomination to someone who has done wrong.
Here in today’s Gospel, Jesus presents His own standard of conduct that he expects from His disciples or anyone who has committed to follow Him and He also outlines what await those who will prefer to remain anchored on the values of the world. Jesus is actually giving us two choices and because He respects our independence and the choice is actually left for us to make.
In the first verse alone v.20 Jesus already set the tone when he extends His blessings to those who are poor contrasting this with v.24 which is a curse to those who are rich. Not that being rich is bad or a sin but what Jesus is saying is that when we try to find fulfillment by seeking material wealth, indeed wealth is the only thing we will ever get. In contrast, the poor in spirit are those who are humble, those who have the spirit of a child.
What led Jesus to deliver this Gospel is premised on the presence of false prophets in the olden times who were praised by the kings and the Jews because they promised victory over the occupation of their land. And these false prophets were hugely popular in those days and Jesus is saying that popularity doesn’t guaranty the truthfulness of the message of these false prophets nor do their actions merit the approval of God.
Even in this modern day and age, there are still false prophets who are not only full of themselves but are inconsiderate and self-absorbed who are endowed with the “I’m right and no one else is” attitude and this contrasts with a Christian disciple who will run into all kinds of trouble, sacrifices, suffering and we may be led to think we are unhappy but Jesus assures those who will choose His values that their reward is still to come and it will bring eternal joy to those who will make the right choice.
What Jesus is trying to emphasize in this Gospel is that seeking the approval of men and or of the world brings disaster especially when we place too much value on how favorable we are perceived by the world. What He is telling us is we must not seek popularity or the approval of the world but to seek faithfulness. We also are not to make persecution as our objective in life but if persecution comes "because of the Son of Man," then that should be counted as a privilege rather than reject it and run away from it because the value system of every Christian disciple is based on love for and faithfulness to God, not the opinions of the Church, the Community or the world.
With this Gospel, Jesus assures the poor in spirit with admission to eternal felicity or blessedness as heaven belongs to those who will choose Christ over the world as the pearl belongs to the man who acquires it as well as to those who will renounce all earthly possessions as they have already bought heaven at the cost of all their possessions.
This Gospel is actually directed to those who will commit to follow Christ as it speaks of what motivates us and what tempts us and Jesus assures us that blessings will pour out on us if we remain in Him because the alternative are the woes (curses) that await us if we do otherwise.
As we reflect on this Gospel, let us ask ourselves WIJTM?
1st Reading: Col 3:1-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 145:2-3, 10-13 “The Lord is compassionate toward all his works.”
GOSPEL: LK 6:20-26
Key Verse: “your reward will be great in heaven.” (v.23)
At first glance, you might think this is the same as the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5:3-12) but this narrative written by Luke was made by Jesus on a plain which is why there are some references to this Gospel as the Sermon on the Plain.
This Gospel also differs in some way from the Sermon on the Mount or what is now commonly referred to as the Beatitudes in that Luke’s account only carries four “blessings” and the Evangelist included four “woes” or what I might call as “encumbrances” which might prevent the soul of a person from entering the Kingdom of Heaven and avail of the eternal salvation that God promised.
Let us also not belabor ourselves with trying to read through the minds of Luke and Matthew relative to the differences in their account of the Beatitudes and it would be best to just appreciate what Jesus is trying to tell us in this Gospel written by Luke.
Actually, the word “woe” is a curse and perhaps this is the message that Jesus is trying to put across to the people who were listening at the time. What Jesus is presenting in this Lucan account are the contrasts between the blessings that we can expect if we follow the standards of Christ and what awaits us if we remain grafted to the pattern or criterion of the world’s values.
In these contrasting scenarios, Jesus is also reminding us that our lives are constantly filled with making a choice or choices and it begins from the moment we acquire the capacity to understand what life is all about up to the time when we are called to our final destination.
And to better understand what Jesus is saying in this Lucan account, let us go back to what “blessed” and “woe” meant. As the Greek language was what was commonly used in those days, the Greek refers to a person who is blessed as someone who is filled with religious joy because he is aware that he has been saved whereas, woe is an expression of abomination to someone who has done wrong.
Here in today’s Gospel, Jesus presents His own standard of conduct that he expects from His disciples or anyone who has committed to follow Him and He also outlines what await those who will prefer to remain anchored on the values of the world. Jesus is actually giving us two choices and because He respects our independence and the choice is actually left for us to make.
In the first verse alone v.20 Jesus already set the tone when he extends His blessings to those who are poor contrasting this with v.24 which is a curse to those who are rich. Not that being rich is bad or a sin but what Jesus is saying is that when we try to find fulfillment by seeking material wealth, indeed wealth is the only thing we will ever get. In contrast, the poor in spirit are those who are humble, those who have the spirit of a child.
What led Jesus to deliver this Gospel is premised on the presence of false prophets in the olden times who were praised by the kings and the Jews because they promised victory over the occupation of their land. And these false prophets were hugely popular in those days and Jesus is saying that popularity doesn’t guaranty the truthfulness of the message of these false prophets nor do their actions merit the approval of God.
Even in this modern day and age, there are still false prophets who are not only full of themselves but are inconsiderate and self-absorbed who are endowed with the “I’m right and no one else is” attitude and this contrasts with a Christian disciple who will run into all kinds of trouble, sacrifices, suffering and we may be led to think we are unhappy but Jesus assures those who will choose His values that their reward is still to come and it will bring eternal joy to those who will make the right choice.
What Jesus is trying to emphasize in this Gospel is that seeking the approval of men and or of the world brings disaster especially when we place too much value on how favorable we are perceived by the world. What He is telling us is we must not seek popularity or the approval of the world but to seek faithfulness. We also are not to make persecution as our objective in life but if persecution comes "because of the Son of Man," then that should be counted as a privilege rather than reject it and run away from it because the value system of every Christian disciple is based on love for and faithfulness to God, not the opinions of the Church, the Community or the world.
With this Gospel, Jesus assures the poor in spirit with admission to eternal felicity or blessedness as heaven belongs to those who will choose Christ over the world as the pearl belongs to the man who acquires it as well as to those who will renounce all earthly possessions as they have already bought heaven at the cost of all their possessions.
This Gospel is actually directed to those who will commit to follow Christ as it speaks of what motivates us and what tempts us and Jesus assures us that blessings will pour out on us if we remain in Him because the alternative are the woes (curses) that await us if we do otherwise.
As we reflect on this Gospel, let us ask ourselves WIJTM?
WHAT IS JESUS TELLING ME?
SEPT. 10, 2013: TWENTY THIRD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Col 2:6-15
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 145:1-2, 8-11 “The Lord is compassionate toward all his works”
GOSPEL: LK 6:12-19
Key Verse: “because power came forth from him” (v.19)
The bio-data or what is known as resume’ has become an important piece of document that speaks of the person who is applying for a job even for the lowliest position in the corporate ladder. Conversely, no one gets employed nowadays without submitting his or her resume because your persona is reflected in that piece of paper that you send to prospective employers.
That resume’ is your credential that guides employers as they try to find a match between your skills and qualifications with the job that is waiting to be filled up in the company. But that is how it is today. How about in the olden times especially in the time of Jesus?
If the 12 Apostles – Simon, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Simon the Zealot, Judas the son of James and Judas Iscariot were to go to Jesus lugging an envelope with their resume’ inside do you think Our Lord will take the risk in choosing these 12 men on whose shoulders lay the future of the church that Jesus was to establish?
I don’t think so. Because if this happened today, those 12 would have been politely dismissed with the customary “we’ll give you a call.” And if ever there was anyone among them who stood a chance in getting hired it was Judas Iscariot because he probably had the best resume of the 12 and this was also the reason why he was designated as the treasurer of the group.
Let’s take a look at the 12 men whom Jesus called: Simon, Andrew (Simon’s brother), James the Great (brother of John) and John who were sons of Zebedee were all fishermen; Philip was from Behtsaida and a town mate of Peter and Andrew; Bartholomew, from Cana in Galilee (a friend of Philip); Thomas (Didymus) was also a fisherman; Matthew (Levi), a tax-collector; James the Less, farmer (brother to Judas Thaddeus); Judas Thaddeus, farmer (brother of James the Less); Simon, zealot or a revolutionary; Judas Iscariot, from Kerioth in Judah, and; Matthias who took over the place of Judas Iscariot.
There is no record even in the Scriptures that would show the parameters as to how Jesus chose the 12 Apostles and the only record of the credentials needed to be an Apostle comes from the conditions that Peter laid down when the remaining 11 Apostles and perhaps the other disciples have to adhere to especially when they chose a replacement for Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus.
Peter (Acts 1:21-22) said an Apostle must have three qualifications: He must be called; He must accept his calling, and; He must be sent. It was possible that Jesus too may have these three conditions in mind when he made that decision. Whatever the reason was, Jesus definitely saw beyond the externalities and knew there was something good that he can draw from the 12 Apostles.
And now we know for a fact that after the 12 Apostles, 266 Popes including Pope Francis have emerged to sit at the chair of Peter. Still, there are numerous saints who have been canonized by the church and Jesus is still calling men and women to pursue the same mission that he left to the church that he established through Peter.
Mark the Evangelist provides an additional piece of information when he wrote in Mk 3:14 that Jesus chose the 12 Apostles that “they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach.” At that time, the term “to be with Him” meant to be associated with Him as his friends and Jesus still uses this relational principle to call those who will be sent. Simply said, we have to have a friendly relationship with Jesus if we feel we are called and sent, and before we go the mission field.
Roget’s Thesaurus defines “friend” as someone in “good terms, good footing, good graces, an acquaintance, intimate, a confidante, a bosom friend.” In other words, to be a Christian disciple, we need to be in good terms with Our Lord. We need to be in good footing with Jesus meaning we can stand before him sans the bitterness, resentments, unforgiveness, self-righteousness and sinfulness that we may have picked up in the world around us.
A friend of Jesus is someone who follows, accepts and embraces his commission to spread the Good News. And to provide you with an overview of our calling as Christian disciples, the Catechism of the Catholic Church No. 96 states that: “What Christ entrusted to the Apostles, they in turn handed on by their preaching and writing, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to all generations, until Christ returns in glory.” This only means that the Sacred Traditions of our Church has been handed down from the time of the Apostles and that we who now comprise the church that Jesus established are mandated to preserve this faith and traditions by making sure that these are passed on to others.
As Jesus chose ordinary men and a strange mixture at that to be his Apostles we who also come from diverse backgrounds and social standing are now being called to continue the mission of Christ.
And Jesus shows us right at the beginning of this Gospel the key that will ensure the success of our mission: “Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, spent the night praying to God.” (Lk 6:12) Here we see Jesus setting up the foundation of his mission – prayer, forming his community of disciples and then proceeding with his ministry. This is the reason why many of us fail in our mission because many times we do things in reverse and we only think of prayer when everything else have failed.
Jesus shows us that evangelization doesn’t begin with programs and techniques but with prayer which brings fellowship not only with God but with others that will lead to the birth of an authentic community and it is only then that we can go to bring the Good News to the world.
The last part of today’s gospel provides an interesting sidelight in that “everyone in the crowd sought to touch him because power came forth from him and healed them all.” (v.19) Prayer is one of the means by which we can touch Jesus and prayer becomes the lifeline through which God bestows on us his power and his Grace which are necessary to equip us in our mission.
Prayer is the most important component of ministry work because when we pray we are actually listening to the voice of God. When we make prayer a habit, it provides us the power to deal with success and failure, prosperity and poverty, health and sickness, life and death and, the times when we feel we are going through a storm and or desert in our life. The question now is What Is Jesus Telling Me (WIJTM) in this gospel?
1st Reading: Col 2:6-15
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 145:1-2, 8-11 “The Lord is compassionate toward all his works”
GOSPEL: LK 6:12-19
Key Verse: “because power came forth from him” (v.19)
The bio-data or what is known as resume’ has become an important piece of document that speaks of the person who is applying for a job even for the lowliest position in the corporate ladder. Conversely, no one gets employed nowadays without submitting his or her resume because your persona is reflected in that piece of paper that you send to prospective employers.
That resume’ is your credential that guides employers as they try to find a match between your skills and qualifications with the job that is waiting to be filled up in the company. But that is how it is today. How about in the olden times especially in the time of Jesus?
If the 12 Apostles – Simon, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Simon the Zealot, Judas the son of James and Judas Iscariot were to go to Jesus lugging an envelope with their resume’ inside do you think Our Lord will take the risk in choosing these 12 men on whose shoulders lay the future of the church that Jesus was to establish?
I don’t think so. Because if this happened today, those 12 would have been politely dismissed with the customary “we’ll give you a call.” And if ever there was anyone among them who stood a chance in getting hired it was Judas Iscariot because he probably had the best resume of the 12 and this was also the reason why he was designated as the treasurer of the group.
Let’s take a look at the 12 men whom Jesus called: Simon, Andrew (Simon’s brother), James the Great (brother of John) and John who were sons of Zebedee were all fishermen; Philip was from Behtsaida and a town mate of Peter and Andrew; Bartholomew, from Cana in Galilee (a friend of Philip); Thomas (Didymus) was also a fisherman; Matthew (Levi), a tax-collector; James the Less, farmer (brother to Judas Thaddeus); Judas Thaddeus, farmer (brother of James the Less); Simon, zealot or a revolutionary; Judas Iscariot, from Kerioth in Judah, and; Matthias who took over the place of Judas Iscariot.
There is no record even in the Scriptures that would show the parameters as to how Jesus chose the 12 Apostles and the only record of the credentials needed to be an Apostle comes from the conditions that Peter laid down when the remaining 11 Apostles and perhaps the other disciples have to adhere to especially when they chose a replacement for Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus.
Peter (Acts 1:21-22) said an Apostle must have three qualifications: He must be called; He must accept his calling, and; He must be sent. It was possible that Jesus too may have these three conditions in mind when he made that decision. Whatever the reason was, Jesus definitely saw beyond the externalities and knew there was something good that he can draw from the 12 Apostles.
And now we know for a fact that after the 12 Apostles, 266 Popes including Pope Francis have emerged to sit at the chair of Peter. Still, there are numerous saints who have been canonized by the church and Jesus is still calling men and women to pursue the same mission that he left to the church that he established through Peter.
Mark the Evangelist provides an additional piece of information when he wrote in Mk 3:14 that Jesus chose the 12 Apostles that “they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach.” At that time, the term “to be with Him” meant to be associated with Him as his friends and Jesus still uses this relational principle to call those who will be sent. Simply said, we have to have a friendly relationship with Jesus if we feel we are called and sent, and before we go the mission field.
Roget’s Thesaurus defines “friend” as someone in “good terms, good footing, good graces, an acquaintance, intimate, a confidante, a bosom friend.” In other words, to be a Christian disciple, we need to be in good terms with Our Lord. We need to be in good footing with Jesus meaning we can stand before him sans the bitterness, resentments, unforgiveness, self-righteousness and sinfulness that we may have picked up in the world around us.
A friend of Jesus is someone who follows, accepts and embraces his commission to spread the Good News. And to provide you with an overview of our calling as Christian disciples, the Catechism of the Catholic Church No. 96 states that: “What Christ entrusted to the Apostles, they in turn handed on by their preaching and writing, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to all generations, until Christ returns in glory.” This only means that the Sacred Traditions of our Church has been handed down from the time of the Apostles and that we who now comprise the church that Jesus established are mandated to preserve this faith and traditions by making sure that these are passed on to others.
As Jesus chose ordinary men and a strange mixture at that to be his Apostles we who also come from diverse backgrounds and social standing are now being called to continue the mission of Christ.
And Jesus shows us right at the beginning of this Gospel the key that will ensure the success of our mission: “Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, spent the night praying to God.” (Lk 6:12) Here we see Jesus setting up the foundation of his mission – prayer, forming his community of disciples and then proceeding with his ministry. This is the reason why many of us fail in our mission because many times we do things in reverse and we only think of prayer when everything else have failed.
Jesus shows us that evangelization doesn’t begin with programs and techniques but with prayer which brings fellowship not only with God but with others that will lead to the birth of an authentic community and it is only then that we can go to bring the Good News to the world.
The last part of today’s gospel provides an interesting sidelight in that “everyone in the crowd sought to touch him because power came forth from him and healed them all.” (v.19) Prayer is one of the means by which we can touch Jesus and prayer becomes the lifeline through which God bestows on us his power and his Grace which are necessary to equip us in our mission.
Prayer is the most important component of ministry work because when we pray we are actually listening to the voice of God. When we make prayer a habit, it provides us the power to deal with success and failure, prosperity and poverty, health and sickness, life and death and, the times when we feel we are going through a storm and or desert in our life. The question now is What Is Jesus Telling Me (WIJTM) in this gospel?
REST AND GIVE THANKS
SEPT. 9, 2013: TWENTY THIRD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Col 1:24-2:3
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 62:6-7, 9 “In God is my safety and my glory.”
GOSPEL: LK 6:6-11
Key Verse: “Stretch out your hand.” (v.10)
While most accidents on the road are caused by defective brakes, unruly drivers, lack of traffic signs and slippery roads, falling asleep or dozing off while driving has become the primary cause of accidents and even deaths on the highway especially at night.
And motoring specialists are not lacking in advice to motorists admonishing us that when we experience this situation we are to roll down the window, turn on the radio and or make a brief stop to bring out your thermos and have a cup of coffee. But if none of these suggestions work, medical practitioners will tell you that the only remedy to stop falling asleep while driving is to stop and sleep.
Similarly, if and when you feel tired from work what with the growing pressure to make both ends meet, to earn enough to pay your bills to the utility companies that have been tightening the noose around your necks, from the high productivity demanded by your employers, from the spiraling prices of basic commodities especially the cost of petroleum products, you will find that there is only one solution to all these – and that is to take advantage of the day of your Sabbath and by making sure that you spend quality time during your rest days. By quality time we mean not just having lots of sleep but spending some time with the One who can provide you comfort, strength and blessings.
There is no disputing the fact that we are now trying to just survive in a world that has gone awry such that the concept of an abundant life seem so vague to most of us. But this is probably the case for those who look at material possessions as the be-all and end-all of life and cannot cope with the stress that comes when the world comes crashing down on them.
We can, however, learn from the God who created us and the Son who came to redeem us not only from sin but also from the difficulties and suffering that we may find ourselves in. God created the world in six days and he rested on the seventh day finding that all he has created are good. His Son Jesus never missed a bit during his earthly ministry spending time to rest and pray after a hard day’s work of teaching, preaching and healing.
But this was not always the case for even during the time of Jesus, the Jewish people found themselves living on the edge from the burdensome impositions of the Pharisees who made life hard for them. Take for example the Fourth Commandment that the Pharisees translated into a set of rules that made it illegal for anyone to work and even eat during the Sabbath.
The same difficulties the Jewish people experienced as a result of the unreasonable laws are still being experienced to this day as there are leaders who seem anchored on their personal interpretation of the rules of their respective organizations in both the temporal and spiritual world and many organizations from within and outside the Church in which rules have become rigid that restricts the Holy Spirit to move like a winnowing fan.
And today we are again confronted with the subject of the law of the Mosaic law on the Sabbath observance but which in the course of time have been expanded by the Scribes or the teachers of the law into a never-ending litany of rules and regulations which have overshadowed the original intent of the Sabbath.
This became their own undoing when Pompeii the Roman general laid siege on Jerusalem built a mound during the Sabbath day from where he can view the Temple where the Jews took refuge. Pompeii knew that on the Sabbath the Jews would not lift even one hand to defend themselves even if they knew that by their inaction they were facing imminent death.
Growing up in a Jewish household afforded Jesus with a hands-on view of the rigidity in the way the Pharisees observe the rules of the Sabbath and it was probably his desire to awaken this kind of insensitivity to the needs of the people that led him to return to the synagogue.
Ignoring the protests and threats raised by the Pharisees who were jealous of the growing popularity of Jesus who not only spoke with authority during his preaching but who also brought healing and performed miracles that no eye has ever seen, Jesus confronted the Pharisees on their own terms as he exposed the inconsistency in the way the Pharisees were practicing their faith. This brought him into a collision course with the Pharisees who started looking for ways to eliminate him.
Just like on this day in the synagogue, a man with a withered hand was there and the Pharisees were watching Jesus if he would heal the man on the Sabbath. If he did they will add this to the issues they have raised against him but Jesus knew what they were thinking which was why he asked the question: “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” (v.9)
When the Pharisees couldn’t answer, Jesus “looked at them with anger and deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts,” he said to the man: “Stretch out your hand.” (v.10) and the man was healed. What this Gospel passage is telling us is that we need to spend some time and go before the Lord to reflect if there is a trace of Pharisee in us especially at this time when we need to contend with the three levels of faith that pose a challenge to our lives as Christian disciples. In his inspirational message in one of the Planning Sessions we had for the BLD, Archbishop Angel Lagdameo said that today’s Christians need to strengthen their faith for them to struggle and live in our traditional society, the modern world and the post-modern world.
Without our knowing it there could be a chance we may have become Pharisaical in the way we have been practicing our faith especially for those who are in positions of leadership in the Church or in lay organizations such as a charismatic community. More so for those who are outside the ambit of the Church who, said Archbishop Lagdameo, have abandoned their Christian faith and who today find themselves unable to work their way back to the old metaphysics or religion. This is also the reason, His Grace said, why most of the youth today no longer share the religion of their elders.
As with the Pharisees some of us could be suffering from a hardening of our hearts that we may have picked from our ancestors dating back from the time of Cain and we will know if we are in this stage of our spiritual growth if we are experiencing not just spiritual dullness but when we refuse to see the truths that Jesus teaches. It would be calamitous for us if we will not confront this situation. (Pro 28:14)
Hard hearts result in hard thoughts and in our present situation this could be likened to our inability to see any good in those who maybe opposed to our ideas or positions. Such hard hearts and thoughts at times provoke us into engaging in a politics of personal destruction. And in our effort to stand firm on our position we begin to think ill of our neighbors, colleagues in the workplace and, even our brethren in the Church or community and this becomes evident in the way we treat others at times ignoring, maligning and or abusing those whom we don’t like.
Just like lies that become truth when repeated overtime, hard thoughts emanating from a hardened heart are likely to progress into deeds which means that our actions albeit irreligious are a consequence of our thoughts.
In our quiet times, we can detach from the Pharisaical nature that may be in us by reigniting the fire in our relationship with God by remembering that we are weak and we need to forgive (Col 3:13). We can take that big leap of faith from our hardened hearts into having a compassionate heart by our conscious effort to turn ourselves into a good soil and by aligning our attitude with that of Christ (Phi 2:3-5).
The Sabbath is thus not just a day of rest but it should be spent to express our gratitude for all that God has done for us. We should use the Sabbath as a means of purifying ourselves of the Pharisee in us by doing good to others. To keep the Sabbath holy is to serve God by serving man.
1st Reading: Col 1:24-2:3
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 62:6-7, 9 “In God is my safety and my glory.”
GOSPEL: LK 6:6-11
Key Verse: “Stretch out your hand.” (v.10)
While most accidents on the road are caused by defective brakes, unruly drivers, lack of traffic signs and slippery roads, falling asleep or dozing off while driving has become the primary cause of accidents and even deaths on the highway especially at night.
And motoring specialists are not lacking in advice to motorists admonishing us that when we experience this situation we are to roll down the window, turn on the radio and or make a brief stop to bring out your thermos and have a cup of coffee. But if none of these suggestions work, medical practitioners will tell you that the only remedy to stop falling asleep while driving is to stop and sleep.
Similarly, if and when you feel tired from work what with the growing pressure to make both ends meet, to earn enough to pay your bills to the utility companies that have been tightening the noose around your necks, from the high productivity demanded by your employers, from the spiraling prices of basic commodities especially the cost of petroleum products, you will find that there is only one solution to all these – and that is to take advantage of the day of your Sabbath and by making sure that you spend quality time during your rest days. By quality time we mean not just having lots of sleep but spending some time with the One who can provide you comfort, strength and blessings.
There is no disputing the fact that we are now trying to just survive in a world that has gone awry such that the concept of an abundant life seem so vague to most of us. But this is probably the case for those who look at material possessions as the be-all and end-all of life and cannot cope with the stress that comes when the world comes crashing down on them.
We can, however, learn from the God who created us and the Son who came to redeem us not only from sin but also from the difficulties and suffering that we may find ourselves in. God created the world in six days and he rested on the seventh day finding that all he has created are good. His Son Jesus never missed a bit during his earthly ministry spending time to rest and pray after a hard day’s work of teaching, preaching and healing.
But this was not always the case for even during the time of Jesus, the Jewish people found themselves living on the edge from the burdensome impositions of the Pharisees who made life hard for them. Take for example the Fourth Commandment that the Pharisees translated into a set of rules that made it illegal for anyone to work and even eat during the Sabbath.
The same difficulties the Jewish people experienced as a result of the unreasonable laws are still being experienced to this day as there are leaders who seem anchored on their personal interpretation of the rules of their respective organizations in both the temporal and spiritual world and many organizations from within and outside the Church in which rules have become rigid that restricts the Holy Spirit to move like a winnowing fan.
And today we are again confronted with the subject of the law of the Mosaic law on the Sabbath observance but which in the course of time have been expanded by the Scribes or the teachers of the law into a never-ending litany of rules and regulations which have overshadowed the original intent of the Sabbath.
This became their own undoing when Pompeii the Roman general laid siege on Jerusalem built a mound during the Sabbath day from where he can view the Temple where the Jews took refuge. Pompeii knew that on the Sabbath the Jews would not lift even one hand to defend themselves even if they knew that by their inaction they were facing imminent death.
Growing up in a Jewish household afforded Jesus with a hands-on view of the rigidity in the way the Pharisees observe the rules of the Sabbath and it was probably his desire to awaken this kind of insensitivity to the needs of the people that led him to return to the synagogue.
Ignoring the protests and threats raised by the Pharisees who were jealous of the growing popularity of Jesus who not only spoke with authority during his preaching but who also brought healing and performed miracles that no eye has ever seen, Jesus confronted the Pharisees on their own terms as he exposed the inconsistency in the way the Pharisees were practicing their faith. This brought him into a collision course with the Pharisees who started looking for ways to eliminate him.
Just like on this day in the synagogue, a man with a withered hand was there and the Pharisees were watching Jesus if he would heal the man on the Sabbath. If he did they will add this to the issues they have raised against him but Jesus knew what they were thinking which was why he asked the question: “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” (v.9)
When the Pharisees couldn’t answer, Jesus “looked at them with anger and deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts,” he said to the man: “Stretch out your hand.” (v.10) and the man was healed. What this Gospel passage is telling us is that we need to spend some time and go before the Lord to reflect if there is a trace of Pharisee in us especially at this time when we need to contend with the three levels of faith that pose a challenge to our lives as Christian disciples. In his inspirational message in one of the Planning Sessions we had for the BLD, Archbishop Angel Lagdameo said that today’s Christians need to strengthen their faith for them to struggle and live in our traditional society, the modern world and the post-modern world.
Without our knowing it there could be a chance we may have become Pharisaical in the way we have been practicing our faith especially for those who are in positions of leadership in the Church or in lay organizations such as a charismatic community. More so for those who are outside the ambit of the Church who, said Archbishop Lagdameo, have abandoned their Christian faith and who today find themselves unable to work their way back to the old metaphysics or religion. This is also the reason, His Grace said, why most of the youth today no longer share the religion of their elders.
As with the Pharisees some of us could be suffering from a hardening of our hearts that we may have picked from our ancestors dating back from the time of Cain and we will know if we are in this stage of our spiritual growth if we are experiencing not just spiritual dullness but when we refuse to see the truths that Jesus teaches. It would be calamitous for us if we will not confront this situation. (Pro 28:14)
Hard hearts result in hard thoughts and in our present situation this could be likened to our inability to see any good in those who maybe opposed to our ideas or positions. Such hard hearts and thoughts at times provoke us into engaging in a politics of personal destruction. And in our effort to stand firm on our position we begin to think ill of our neighbors, colleagues in the workplace and, even our brethren in the Church or community and this becomes evident in the way we treat others at times ignoring, maligning and or abusing those whom we don’t like.
Just like lies that become truth when repeated overtime, hard thoughts emanating from a hardened heart are likely to progress into deeds which means that our actions albeit irreligious are a consequence of our thoughts.
In our quiet times, we can detach from the Pharisaical nature that may be in us by reigniting the fire in our relationship with God by remembering that we are weak and we need to forgive (Col 3:13). We can take that big leap of faith from our hardened hearts into having a compassionate heart by our conscious effort to turn ourselves into a good soil and by aligning our attitude with that of Christ (Phi 2:3-5).
The Sabbath is thus not just a day of rest but it should be spent to express our gratitude for all that God has done for us. We should use the Sabbath as a means of purifying ourselves of the Pharisee in us by doing good to others. To keep the Sabbath holy is to serve God by serving man.
MAKE GOD YOUR BUSINESS
SEPT. 8, 2013: TWENTY THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Wis 9:13-18
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 90:3-6, 12-17 “In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.”
2nd Reading: Phi 9-10, 12-17
GOSPEL: Lk 14:25-33
Key Verse: “Anyone who does not carry his cross
and follow me cannot be my disciple.” (v.27)
The danger in just reading today’s Gospel passage in its literal form is it might move us to actually hate even our most immediate relatives in exchange for following Jesus. Literally it may take it to mean that we may have to hate our families, those who are dear to us and probably even ourselves and love no one else but Our Lord.
An exegetical analysis of this passage will show that this was not what Jesus really meant and again we will need to dig a little bit into the intricacies of the Jewish language to be able to get into the meat of what Jesus was saying. Among the Jews the word “hate” simply meant “less preferred” or lower in the degree of importance.
The next question we might ask is why did Jesus used a rather strong language as he was giving a teaching to the crowd who were traveling with him and the only rationale could be that this was a sequel to the previous Gospel passage in which Jesus narrated the story of the guests who ignored the invitation of the owner of a house who prepared a great banquet for them. At the end of that parable, Jesus said: “Not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.” (v.24)
This time, Jesus may have wanted to drive home the point that love of God should occupy a higher priority than anything else. At this point in time, Jesus already knew what awaits him and he knew that his subservience to His Father’s Will must take precedence over anything else.
As Jesus said yes to his Father’s Will and counted the cost of suffering and death on the cross as a ransom for God’s chosen people, we too are obliged to count the cost and be ready to follow Jesus and share with Our Lord the way of the cross if we want to share in his glory and victory.
What then you might ask is the way of the cross for us. This could be the crossroads in which we find ourselves entangled in. It may be that our careers and or business enterprise is not going anywhere and we are faced with a decision in our hands that has an impact in the lives of others.
It could also be personal conflicts that we need to address, our relationship in our family perhaps and to some extent even in the spiritual realm and we are laboring on the kind of decision we need to make. When we do find ourselves in situations such as these we cannot avoid that our human biases and preferences will come in conflict with God's Will and our own way of the cross begins when we cannot discern the way we need to take – follow our own human will or follow God’s Will.
To follow God’s Will is to share in his way of the cross because such will involve utmost sacrifice on our part since God’s Will is not necessarily easy and comfortable. It becomes a cross for us when we need to put to death our worldly nature and put on the nature of Christ that is clothed in meekness and humility.
Following Jesus has its privileges but the cost to us far outweigh the benefits in terms of rewards because there wouldn’t be any. Which is why we need to count the cost so that we will be able to complete the tower of faith, hope and love that we will build in order to follow Jesus.
As a disciple who want to follow Jesus we will probably find ourselves dispossessed of our social status and wealth because to follow Our Lord is to serve him since he is more important than our own personal relations (v.26). We are commanded to subordinate our own interests and make the interests of Christ our own and at some point we may have to surrender control of our money, time or career (v.27).
To follow Jesus we need to be in touch with the reality that our gifts and talents are not our own but were given to us by the Grace of God who poured on us such manifold gifts so we can proclaim the Word of God and make disciples of all nations. We need these gifts to equip and empower us because we will certainly be hated and separated from our own families in the pursuit of an higher order – that all may be saved through Jesus Christ Our Lord.
Following Christ doesn’t mean a trouble-free life but our way of the cross is made easier by the love of God that has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Rom 5:5). And what Jesus is telling us when we experience our own way of the cross is that we can avoid the pitfalls of an unsuccessful construction of a building and or a king who is planning to go to war.
On both occasions, Jesus wants us to count the cost of discipleship if we want to succeed and finish the race. True we may have to give up a lot to follow Jesus but it’s a kind of decision that is worth the cost because what Jesus is offering us in return is a life that is lived to the full (Jn 10:10). We also need to count the cost so that we will not find ourselves wavering when the going gets tough.
Our lives were bought at such a cost and for that alone we must also be willing to give up everything to follow Jesus. In the mid-80s and well into the 90s I gained prominence and notoriety as one of the biggest brokers of financial instruments and I used my position in the media to negotiate deals after deals even if the methods I employed were irregular at times.
But the time came when God impressed upon me my sinful nature and God led me to turn my back from the world I was in. It was painful because I was turning away from a life that gave me luxury and comfort. I was holding office at the lobbies of five-star hotels and on the golf course and it was not an easy choice.
And when I made the choice to detach from the world and follow Christ, that choice separated me from my peers in the Media and in the financial business I was in, but God also gave me the means to carry my cross. Now I have set aside my affinity to things that shine and I no longer do what I like, but what Christ wills.
When Christ calls, there can be no room for compromises. It’s either we yield our lives over to him totally or not. St. Paul says: “We are not our own. We were bought with a price” (1 Cor 6:19). That price was the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed for us on the cross to ransom us from sin and death. Jesus is challenging us now to examine the object of our love. The choice is ours, but the Lord does not leave us alone if we choose to follow him. A life without Jesus is like building a house on sand. But a life that is inextricably tied in Jesus is like building your house on a rock.
I have died a hundred times when Jesus polished the rough edges in my nature especially the parts that did not subscribe to His Will. But I also know that I will also resurrect with Him when Christ who is hidden in my life appears in all His glory.
Now I have found the way to live a life that is worth living and that is to serve Him by serving in our community and in the larger church. This is the choice that I made hard as it was but a choice that I know you too can make and I assure you that you will not regret it. For a life in Jesus is a life on a roll. At the Aspirant’s Retreat of the BLD Manila Cluster last week, there was something that Archbishop Angel Lagdameo said that still rings in my ears to this day. He said: “If you make God your business, God will make you his business.”
1st Reading: Wis 9:13-18
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 90:3-6, 12-17 “In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.”
2nd Reading: Phi 9-10, 12-17
GOSPEL: Lk 14:25-33
Key Verse: “Anyone who does not carry his cross
and follow me cannot be my disciple.” (v.27)
The danger in just reading today’s Gospel passage in its literal form is it might move us to actually hate even our most immediate relatives in exchange for following Jesus. Literally it may take it to mean that we may have to hate our families, those who are dear to us and probably even ourselves and love no one else but Our Lord.
An exegetical analysis of this passage will show that this was not what Jesus really meant and again we will need to dig a little bit into the intricacies of the Jewish language to be able to get into the meat of what Jesus was saying. Among the Jews the word “hate” simply meant “less preferred” or lower in the degree of importance.
The next question we might ask is why did Jesus used a rather strong language as he was giving a teaching to the crowd who were traveling with him and the only rationale could be that this was a sequel to the previous Gospel passage in which Jesus narrated the story of the guests who ignored the invitation of the owner of a house who prepared a great banquet for them. At the end of that parable, Jesus said: “Not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.” (v.24)
This time, Jesus may have wanted to drive home the point that love of God should occupy a higher priority than anything else. At this point in time, Jesus already knew what awaits him and he knew that his subservience to His Father’s Will must take precedence over anything else.
As Jesus said yes to his Father’s Will and counted the cost of suffering and death on the cross as a ransom for God’s chosen people, we too are obliged to count the cost and be ready to follow Jesus and share with Our Lord the way of the cross if we want to share in his glory and victory.
What then you might ask is the way of the cross for us. This could be the crossroads in which we find ourselves entangled in. It may be that our careers and or business enterprise is not going anywhere and we are faced with a decision in our hands that has an impact in the lives of others.
It could also be personal conflicts that we need to address, our relationship in our family perhaps and to some extent even in the spiritual realm and we are laboring on the kind of decision we need to make. When we do find ourselves in situations such as these we cannot avoid that our human biases and preferences will come in conflict with God's Will and our own way of the cross begins when we cannot discern the way we need to take – follow our own human will or follow God’s Will.
To follow God’s Will is to share in his way of the cross because such will involve utmost sacrifice on our part since God’s Will is not necessarily easy and comfortable. It becomes a cross for us when we need to put to death our worldly nature and put on the nature of Christ that is clothed in meekness and humility.
Following Jesus has its privileges but the cost to us far outweigh the benefits in terms of rewards because there wouldn’t be any. Which is why we need to count the cost so that we will be able to complete the tower of faith, hope and love that we will build in order to follow Jesus.
As a disciple who want to follow Jesus we will probably find ourselves dispossessed of our social status and wealth because to follow Our Lord is to serve him since he is more important than our own personal relations (v.26). We are commanded to subordinate our own interests and make the interests of Christ our own and at some point we may have to surrender control of our money, time or career (v.27).
To follow Jesus we need to be in touch with the reality that our gifts and talents are not our own but were given to us by the Grace of God who poured on us such manifold gifts so we can proclaim the Word of God and make disciples of all nations. We need these gifts to equip and empower us because we will certainly be hated and separated from our own families in the pursuit of an higher order – that all may be saved through Jesus Christ Our Lord.
Following Christ doesn’t mean a trouble-free life but our way of the cross is made easier by the love of God that has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Rom 5:5). And what Jesus is telling us when we experience our own way of the cross is that we can avoid the pitfalls of an unsuccessful construction of a building and or a king who is planning to go to war.
On both occasions, Jesus wants us to count the cost of discipleship if we want to succeed and finish the race. True we may have to give up a lot to follow Jesus but it’s a kind of decision that is worth the cost because what Jesus is offering us in return is a life that is lived to the full (Jn 10:10). We also need to count the cost so that we will not find ourselves wavering when the going gets tough.
Our lives were bought at such a cost and for that alone we must also be willing to give up everything to follow Jesus. In the mid-80s and well into the 90s I gained prominence and notoriety as one of the biggest brokers of financial instruments and I used my position in the media to negotiate deals after deals even if the methods I employed were irregular at times.
But the time came when God impressed upon me my sinful nature and God led me to turn my back from the world I was in. It was painful because I was turning away from a life that gave me luxury and comfort. I was holding office at the lobbies of five-star hotels and on the golf course and it was not an easy choice.
And when I made the choice to detach from the world and follow Christ, that choice separated me from my peers in the Media and in the financial business I was in, but God also gave me the means to carry my cross. Now I have set aside my affinity to things that shine and I no longer do what I like, but what Christ wills.
When Christ calls, there can be no room for compromises. It’s either we yield our lives over to him totally or not. St. Paul says: “We are not our own. We were bought with a price” (1 Cor 6:19). That price was the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed for us on the cross to ransom us from sin and death. Jesus is challenging us now to examine the object of our love. The choice is ours, but the Lord does not leave us alone if we choose to follow him. A life without Jesus is like building a house on sand. But a life that is inextricably tied in Jesus is like building your house on a rock.
I have died a hundred times when Jesus polished the rough edges in my nature especially the parts that did not subscribe to His Will. But I also know that I will also resurrect with Him when Christ who is hidden in my life appears in all His glory.
Now I have found the way to live a life that is worth living and that is to serve Him by serving in our community and in the larger church. This is the choice that I made hard as it was but a choice that I know you too can make and I assure you that you will not regret it. For a life in Jesus is a life on a roll. At the Aspirant’s Retreat of the BLD Manila Cluster last week, there was something that Archbishop Angel Lagdameo said that still rings in my ears to this day. He said: “If you make God your business, God will make you his business.”
THE SON OF MAN IS LORD OF ALL
SEPT. 7, 2013: TWENTY SECOND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Col 1:21-23
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 54:3-4, 6-8 “God himself is my help”
GOSPEL: LK 6:1-5
Key Verse: “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” (v.5)
Many times in our lives we become preoccupied with finding fault in others and this is especially true for those who have been brought to the renewal movement or even among those who have become active in church work.
Experiencing a spiritual high after our Baptism in the Spirit we at times move about as if we are floating on air and worse there may have been instances when we tend to separate ourselves from the rest of the world especially those whom we see as unrighteous. We feel that we alone have been given the privilege to enter into the sanctuary of Our Lord and unlike those still in the world, we praise God with all our might believing that the manner in which we praise God in our prayer meetings is the right way.
Believing that we were given new eyes we tend to overemphasize the spirit that is within us such that we oftentimes verbalize the difference between the right and wrong that we see. The slightest mistake won’t escape our attention and we try to correct the imperfections we see in the Name of the Lord.
In other words, many of us may have become like the Pharisees without our even knowing it. We are carried by the strong undercurrent of our newfound faith that it is possible that we are creating a new spiritual dimension that is actually opposed to the teachings of Jesus.
The political, economic and social disequilibrium that we are experiencing gives us enough reason to spend some quiet time and listen to the teachings of Jesus because when we do things in our own way we alienate ourselves from the Church. Doing so may delude us into thinking that this is coming from our faith but what we may not be aware of is that this may be the work of the devil whose sole objective is to divide the Church.
There may be times we are opening the Scriptures and we may be reading it but the fact is we remain oblivious to the truth that is hidden in the written Word. We marvel at the beauty of the sea and the expanse of the ocean not knowing that the real beauty is in the pearl that lies on the ocean floor. We are awed by the majesty of the mountain before us yet the real treasure lies deep beneath what we see. And we can only savor the beauty of the pearl and or the gold if we try to go deeper into the ocean and or the mountain and extract it.
This is the same with the Scriptures. We need to go beyond and beneath what is written and what our eyes see. What we see must trigger our other senses so that we can extract what Our Lord is telling us. This is where the Pharisees erred and today’s Gospel clearly shows us that we need to be attentive to what Our Lord is telling us.
Here we see the Pharisees finding fault at the disciples of Jesus who plucked the ears of the corn as they passed by the cornfields. Traditionally during the time of Jesus, it was not a crime to pluck the ears of the corn to be eaten by those who may be hungry and who may be passing through the cornfield.
What the Pharisees are complaining about was that the disciples plucked the corn on the day of the Sabbath and for the Jews there are 39 types of activities that are forbidden on the Sabbath and harvesting is one of these.
But Jesus countered by citing the Words of the Scriptures during the time of David when 12 loaves of bread representing the 12 tribes of Israel are placed at the Temple and the priests are allowed to eat it. Jesus also narrated the story about David who was fleeing from Saul who partook of this bread at the Temple as their physical sustenance was more important than the rituals.
What Jesus was trying to imply was that if the Pharisees will condemn him and his disciples for violating the Sabbath, they should also condemn David and, Jesus went on to say at the end of this Gospel story that: “I, the Son of Man, am Lord of the Sabbath.” (v.5) This simply means that it was God who created the Sabbath and that the Creator is always greater than what was created.
The point of this Gospel is the Pharisees missed the message in what the Scriptures said in reference to David in 1 Sam 21:1-6. Like some of us, the Pharisees have closed their minds and have used the Scriptures to find fault in others but not to know what God is saying in the Scriptures.
We too can miss the mark if we come to the Scriptures by simply reading it and trying to find a passage, a verse or a word that we can use to sustain that which we have already formed in our minds. We miss the mark and it removes our eyes on Jesus when we use the Scriptures to find fault in others. In other words, we may be reading the Scriptures for the purpose of validating what we have formed in our minds and not to know what the Lord is telling us.
We must come to the Scriptures not only to understand what the writers of the Bible meant for which we need to arm ourselves with the Concordance, Bible Commentaries, Bible Dictionary, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Papal Encyclicals especially those written by Blessed John Paul II during his Papacy, and for those who are really serious in getting steeped into their Catholic Faith, the Summa Theologica of St. Thomas remains on top of the book shelf but I am not
recommending this as your daily reader.
All things considered, what we all need to do before we open the Holy Scriptures is simply pray and invite the Holy Spirit to move in our hearts and our minds, to provide us with the divine light to help us see through what is written and to know what the Lord is telling us.
We must all come and approach the Word of God that has been captured by the authors of the 72 Books who were all inspired by the Holy Spirit with a mind that is predisposed to understanding what is before us as well as the need to know the Will of God for us.
I heard Mark Nimo, a Catholic Evangelist from Chicago, speak at an international convention of charismatic leaders that we attended and he said that there are two important dates in our lives – the day we were born and the day we found the Will of God for us. And this is what we will find in the Scriptures – the purpose and the reason why we were born and, the Will of God for us.
1st Reading: Col 1:21-23
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 54:3-4, 6-8 “God himself is my help”
GOSPEL: LK 6:1-5
Key Verse: “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” (v.5)
Many times in our lives we become preoccupied with finding fault in others and this is especially true for those who have been brought to the renewal movement or even among those who have become active in church work.
Experiencing a spiritual high after our Baptism in the Spirit we at times move about as if we are floating on air and worse there may have been instances when we tend to separate ourselves from the rest of the world especially those whom we see as unrighteous. We feel that we alone have been given the privilege to enter into the sanctuary of Our Lord and unlike those still in the world, we praise God with all our might believing that the manner in which we praise God in our prayer meetings is the right way.
Believing that we were given new eyes we tend to overemphasize the spirit that is within us such that we oftentimes verbalize the difference between the right and wrong that we see. The slightest mistake won’t escape our attention and we try to correct the imperfections we see in the Name of the Lord.
In other words, many of us may have become like the Pharisees without our even knowing it. We are carried by the strong undercurrent of our newfound faith that it is possible that we are creating a new spiritual dimension that is actually opposed to the teachings of Jesus.
The political, economic and social disequilibrium that we are experiencing gives us enough reason to spend some quiet time and listen to the teachings of Jesus because when we do things in our own way we alienate ourselves from the Church. Doing so may delude us into thinking that this is coming from our faith but what we may not be aware of is that this may be the work of the devil whose sole objective is to divide the Church.
There may be times we are opening the Scriptures and we may be reading it but the fact is we remain oblivious to the truth that is hidden in the written Word. We marvel at the beauty of the sea and the expanse of the ocean not knowing that the real beauty is in the pearl that lies on the ocean floor. We are awed by the majesty of the mountain before us yet the real treasure lies deep beneath what we see. And we can only savor the beauty of the pearl and or the gold if we try to go deeper into the ocean and or the mountain and extract it.
This is the same with the Scriptures. We need to go beyond and beneath what is written and what our eyes see. What we see must trigger our other senses so that we can extract what Our Lord is telling us. This is where the Pharisees erred and today’s Gospel clearly shows us that we need to be attentive to what Our Lord is telling us.
Here we see the Pharisees finding fault at the disciples of Jesus who plucked the ears of the corn as they passed by the cornfields. Traditionally during the time of Jesus, it was not a crime to pluck the ears of the corn to be eaten by those who may be hungry and who may be passing through the cornfield.
What the Pharisees are complaining about was that the disciples plucked the corn on the day of the Sabbath and for the Jews there are 39 types of activities that are forbidden on the Sabbath and harvesting is one of these.
But Jesus countered by citing the Words of the Scriptures during the time of David when 12 loaves of bread representing the 12 tribes of Israel are placed at the Temple and the priests are allowed to eat it. Jesus also narrated the story about David who was fleeing from Saul who partook of this bread at the Temple as their physical sustenance was more important than the rituals.
What Jesus was trying to imply was that if the Pharisees will condemn him and his disciples for violating the Sabbath, they should also condemn David and, Jesus went on to say at the end of this Gospel story that: “I, the Son of Man, am Lord of the Sabbath.” (v.5) This simply means that it was God who created the Sabbath and that the Creator is always greater than what was created.
The point of this Gospel is the Pharisees missed the message in what the Scriptures said in reference to David in 1 Sam 21:1-6. Like some of us, the Pharisees have closed their minds and have used the Scriptures to find fault in others but not to know what God is saying in the Scriptures.
We too can miss the mark if we come to the Scriptures by simply reading it and trying to find a passage, a verse or a word that we can use to sustain that which we have already formed in our minds. We miss the mark and it removes our eyes on Jesus when we use the Scriptures to find fault in others. In other words, we may be reading the Scriptures for the purpose of validating what we have formed in our minds and not to know what the Lord is telling us.
We must come to the Scriptures not only to understand what the writers of the Bible meant for which we need to arm ourselves with the Concordance, Bible Commentaries, Bible Dictionary, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Papal Encyclicals especially those written by Blessed John Paul II during his Papacy, and for those who are really serious in getting steeped into their Catholic Faith, the Summa Theologica of St. Thomas remains on top of the book shelf but I am not
recommending this as your daily reader.
All things considered, what we all need to do before we open the Holy Scriptures is simply pray and invite the Holy Spirit to move in our hearts and our minds, to provide us with the divine light to help us see through what is written and to know what the Lord is telling us.
We must all come and approach the Word of God that has been captured by the authors of the 72 Books who were all inspired by the Holy Spirit with a mind that is predisposed to understanding what is before us as well as the need to know the Will of God for us.
I heard Mark Nimo, a Catholic Evangelist from Chicago, speak at an international convention of charismatic leaders that we attended and he said that there are two important dates in our lives – the day we were born and the day we found the Will of God for us. And this is what we will find in the Scriptures – the purpose and the reason why we were born and, the Will of God for us.
CALLED TO NEW EVANGELIZATION
SEPT. 6, 2013: TWENTY SECOND WEEK IN ORDRINARY TIME
1st Reading: Col 1:15-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 100:1-5 “Come with joy into the presence of the Lord”
GOSPEL: LK 5:33-39
Key Verse: “New wine must be put into new wineskins.” (v.38)
This gospel passage should be close to the heart of those who are in the renewal because this is what they normally experience in relation to what St. Paul said when he wrote to the Christians in Corinth: “So if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old is gone, the new has come.” (2 Cor 5:17)
Clearly St. Paul was talking about not just a paradigm shift but the total transformation of man who has accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior. And this was the same with those who experienced a personal encounter with the Lord at the time of their baptism in the Holy Spirit.
Change they say is the only thing that is constant in this world and everyday we see change happening before our eyes. We see fortunes change overnight as in the case of the woman who built up a personal fortune but who is now in custody while awaiting trial for kidnaping and possibly for plunder. We are also witness to the political star of two senators who are strong contenders for the presidency in 2016 who have lost their glitter after they were dragged into the P10-billion pork barrel scam.
Those involved in this scam are grown men and women and they are aware of the choices before them. They can either change to becoming better than what they were before or change to something that would compromise their Christian faith. The news reports of their involvement in the scam show the kind of choices they made.
The resistance to change was what created the great divide between Jesus and the Pharisees and it was not not actually about Jesus being right or wrong but it was because the ideas of Jesus did not sit well with the Pharisees and the other religious leaders at the time because these were new and would require them to change many of their practices which benefited them personally.
And Jesus saw through this deception and he sidestepped this resistance of the Pharisees by addressing his preaching to the people who acknowledged their sinfulness and turned back to God. This was what the Pharisees did not want to happen because they would lose their only lifeline to make a living.
In some way, there is a Pharisee in some of us as we give more importance and priority to programs and projects rather than that which is more important – to bring others to Jesus and make disciples of all men (Mt 28:18). This is the great commission and this was the parting words of Jesus before He ascended to heaven.
In Redemptoris Missio, Blessed John Paul II stresses that: "Evangelization will always contain as the foundation, center and, at the same time, the summit of its dynamism -- a clear proclamation that, in Jesus Christ salvation is offered to all men, as a gift of God's grace and mercy." "The new evangelization," according to John Paul II, "is not a matter of merely passing on doctrine but rather of a personal and profound meeting with the Savior."
There was a time not long ago when I participated in what was supposed to be a dialogue to find ways to revive what used to be a vibrant Christian community. The main problem, however, was that some of the leaders of this group were in denial mode and instead of discussing how it can retain its members while attracting new ones by proclaiming the Gospel of Christ with new ardor, new methods and new expressions (John Paul II, Discourse to the XIX Assembly of CELAM, Port-au-Prince, 9 March 1983, n. 3), the discussion centered on changing their organizational structure principally the process by which their leaders are selected. The declining spirituality of its members which was the primary cause of its problems was placed in the backburner and was never even discussed.
Not that projects and programs are not good. They are also good. But these should not supplant the need for spiritual growth and evangelization per se as the primary function of disciples who want to follow Christ and the development of a sound spiritual environment in a church/ community and evangelization doesn’t begin with programs and projects but with prayer. Neither does it begin by changing the process by how its leaders are selected or emerged.
His Excellency Leon Joseph Cardinal Suenens one time said: “Don’t keep the Grace for yourself. The soul of the renewal which is baptism in the Spirit is the Grace of Pentecost. A refreshment offered for all in the world.”
What Cardinal Suenens is actually saying is that we who are in the charismatic renewal movement have a treasure, but which we must share that treasure to and with others. In so doing, we are to be open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit which is the Grace of the renewal movement.
The new wine (Gifts of the Holy Spirit) that has been poured out upon us at our Baptism in the Spirit cannot be poured into our old self. We all must be renewed as we are baptized in the Spirit in order for us to receive the new wine that will be poured out to us.
As renewed Christians, we must not be anxious of going on an adventure especially when we come to think that it is the Spirit of God who is leading us and this is what the Pharisees could not accept. They have become so rigid that new ideas are rejected outright and they sacrificed the joy of knowing God in a more personal way.
This is what we as Christians should avoid because Christianity brings a never-ending process of change with new approaches, new traditions, new methodologies. Thus, the methods and expressions that we use in our parish churches, community, ministries and apostolates should not be so structured that we leave no room for the Holy Spirit to move and lead us into finding new things or ideas that would raise the level of spirituality .
Churches and communities at times have plateaued or have become stagnant, remaining on an “as-is, where-is” condition and could no longer draw new members. Even if it does, the attrition rate is so high that members leave the moment they got in and the culprit is the tendency of leaders to hang on to their old and outmoded principles.
The International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Service (ICCRS) has always held the view that the Grace of the renewal is to move out and has espoused the idea that charismatics are supposed to be a people on the move. As such, we must be careful that we don’t become as rigid as the Pharisees that would prevent us from learning new lessons in spirituality from the Gospel of Christ.
This gospel passage tells us to become pliant so we can always upgrade ourselves to accept the new wine that comes from the new message of Christ for us. This new evangelization should not unnerve our church and or our community as what the Pharisees did when Jesus preached old doctrines to the people of his time that sounded like new. The new evangelization to which we all are being asked to participate is all about bringing others – our family, neighbor, relatives, friends, co-workers and the ordinary man on the street that we meet – to a personal and profound meeting with Jesus Christ our Savior.
1st Reading: Col 1:15-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 100:1-5 “Come with joy into the presence of the Lord”
GOSPEL: LK 5:33-39
Key Verse: “New wine must be put into new wineskins.” (v.38)
This gospel passage should be close to the heart of those who are in the renewal because this is what they normally experience in relation to what St. Paul said when he wrote to the Christians in Corinth: “So if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old is gone, the new has come.” (2 Cor 5:17)
Clearly St. Paul was talking about not just a paradigm shift but the total transformation of man who has accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior. And this was the same with those who experienced a personal encounter with the Lord at the time of their baptism in the Holy Spirit.
Change they say is the only thing that is constant in this world and everyday we see change happening before our eyes. We see fortunes change overnight as in the case of the woman who built up a personal fortune but who is now in custody while awaiting trial for kidnaping and possibly for plunder. We are also witness to the political star of two senators who are strong contenders for the presidency in 2016 who have lost their glitter after they were dragged into the P10-billion pork barrel scam.
Those involved in this scam are grown men and women and they are aware of the choices before them. They can either change to becoming better than what they were before or change to something that would compromise their Christian faith. The news reports of their involvement in the scam show the kind of choices they made.
The resistance to change was what created the great divide between Jesus and the Pharisees and it was not not actually about Jesus being right or wrong but it was because the ideas of Jesus did not sit well with the Pharisees and the other religious leaders at the time because these were new and would require them to change many of their practices which benefited them personally.
And Jesus saw through this deception and he sidestepped this resistance of the Pharisees by addressing his preaching to the people who acknowledged their sinfulness and turned back to God. This was what the Pharisees did not want to happen because they would lose their only lifeline to make a living.
In some way, there is a Pharisee in some of us as we give more importance and priority to programs and projects rather than that which is more important – to bring others to Jesus and make disciples of all men (Mt 28:18). This is the great commission and this was the parting words of Jesus before He ascended to heaven.
In Redemptoris Missio, Blessed John Paul II stresses that: "Evangelization will always contain as the foundation, center and, at the same time, the summit of its dynamism -- a clear proclamation that, in Jesus Christ salvation is offered to all men, as a gift of God's grace and mercy." "The new evangelization," according to John Paul II, "is not a matter of merely passing on doctrine but rather of a personal and profound meeting with the Savior."
There was a time not long ago when I participated in what was supposed to be a dialogue to find ways to revive what used to be a vibrant Christian community. The main problem, however, was that some of the leaders of this group were in denial mode and instead of discussing how it can retain its members while attracting new ones by proclaiming the Gospel of Christ with new ardor, new methods and new expressions (John Paul II, Discourse to the XIX Assembly of CELAM, Port-au-Prince, 9 March 1983, n. 3), the discussion centered on changing their organizational structure principally the process by which their leaders are selected. The declining spirituality of its members which was the primary cause of its problems was placed in the backburner and was never even discussed.
Not that projects and programs are not good. They are also good. But these should not supplant the need for spiritual growth and evangelization per se as the primary function of disciples who want to follow Christ and the development of a sound spiritual environment in a church/ community and evangelization doesn’t begin with programs and projects but with prayer. Neither does it begin by changing the process by how its leaders are selected or emerged.
His Excellency Leon Joseph Cardinal Suenens one time said: “Don’t keep the Grace for yourself. The soul of the renewal which is baptism in the Spirit is the Grace of Pentecost. A refreshment offered for all in the world.”
What Cardinal Suenens is actually saying is that we who are in the charismatic renewal movement have a treasure, but which we must share that treasure to and with others. In so doing, we are to be open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit which is the Grace of the renewal movement.
The new wine (Gifts of the Holy Spirit) that has been poured out upon us at our Baptism in the Spirit cannot be poured into our old self. We all must be renewed as we are baptized in the Spirit in order for us to receive the new wine that will be poured out to us.
As renewed Christians, we must not be anxious of going on an adventure especially when we come to think that it is the Spirit of God who is leading us and this is what the Pharisees could not accept. They have become so rigid that new ideas are rejected outright and they sacrificed the joy of knowing God in a more personal way.
This is what we as Christians should avoid because Christianity brings a never-ending process of change with new approaches, new traditions, new methodologies. Thus, the methods and expressions that we use in our parish churches, community, ministries and apostolates should not be so structured that we leave no room for the Holy Spirit to move and lead us into finding new things or ideas that would raise the level of spirituality .
Churches and communities at times have plateaued or have become stagnant, remaining on an “as-is, where-is” condition and could no longer draw new members. Even if it does, the attrition rate is so high that members leave the moment they got in and the culprit is the tendency of leaders to hang on to their old and outmoded principles.
The International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Service (ICCRS) has always held the view that the Grace of the renewal is to move out and has espoused the idea that charismatics are supposed to be a people on the move. As such, we must be careful that we don’t become as rigid as the Pharisees that would prevent us from learning new lessons in spirituality from the Gospel of Christ.
This gospel passage tells us to become pliant so we can always upgrade ourselves to accept the new wine that comes from the new message of Christ for us. This new evangelization should not unnerve our church and or our community as what the Pharisees did when Jesus preached old doctrines to the people of his time that sounded like new. The new evangelization to which we all are being asked to participate is all about bringing others – our family, neighbor, relatives, friends, co-workers and the ordinary man on the street that we meet – to a personal and profound meeting with Jesus Christ our Savior.
OUR JOB IS TO EVANGELIZE, NOTHING ELSE!
SEPT. 5, 2013: TWENTY SECOND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Col 1:9-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:2-6 “The Lord has made know his salvation”
GOSPEL: LK 5:1-11
Key Verse: “..from now on you will be catching men.” (v.10)
At some point in time there will be some of you who will ask what is your purpose in life. For some who may have been raised in a Christian environment, perhaps you’ll even ask why did God created you. Responses may be varied and what you believe in determines the path you take.
If for example you believe that your purpose is to gain fame and wealth then all your energies will definitely be directed towards this goal from the time that you started internalizing such concept of becoming famous and wealthy.
Would you be attracted to a life of suffering, sacrifice and poverty if someone told you this is the life that you need to pursue? Do you think Levi (Matthew) would have followed Jesus if he knew that he was going to die for doing so? How about those who joined the renewal and attended the Life in the Spirit Seminar and faced numerous challenges and trials in life? Are you regretting that you did?
For Peter, James and John this second encounter with Jesus was the turning point in their lives and we will see at the end of this narrative that they pulled their boats to the shore, left everything – including their catch perhaps – and followed Jesus.
Beneath this Gospel today is an important message for all of us – that we are to leave behind everything that belongs to our past life that has separated us from the source of Grace when we encounter Jesus and are called.
And we can draw from Peter who felt not only embarrassed but humbled at the miracle that he personally witnessed when they drew their nets that filled their boats with fish that they were on the verge of sinking. It wasn’t like Peter and the rest weren’t good fishermen. It was their livelihood and they probably were familiar with the Sea of Galilee as they grew up in that place. But what they couldn’t see, Jesus could see far beyond than what the human eye can see. He saw in Peter, James and John the qualities that he was looking for to be his disciples.
And Peter sets an example for all of us as he realized his nothingness at the mighty power who stood in front of him, Peter fell down on his knees and in utter humility acknowledged his sinfulness. As Christians we too can, like Peter, put our pride in our pockets and acknowledge our sinfulness before the Lord.
This is what besets many of us as we prefer to rationalize our actions instead of learning from them. We justify even that which we already know to be a sinful act rather than make amends to repair broker relationships. Take for example the personalities who are now being dragged into the so-called “pork barrel” scam. I personally saw the list of Senators and Congressmen whose pork barrel allocations were directed to Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs).
Many of the items were for “livelihood training projects” and one of the Senators who has plans to run for President in 2016 had funded such projects amounting to P300-million ($6.7 million at the prevailing exchange rate of $1.00 = P44.50). The question that I myself asked and many of you will ask is what kind of training projects would require an expenditure of such a huge amount of public funds.
This gospel today reminds us that acknowledging our sinfulness is actually one of at least two things that we need to do when we come before the Lord. The other which I learned when I was already growing in the renewal movement through the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community is that I cannot do it alone.
I cannot change myself. I cannot become what Jesus want me to become. I cannot be a Christian by myself. I cannot possibly be the disciple I want to be. I cannot forgive. I cannot love God in the way that God wants to be loved. I cannot just love anyone, I cannot love my neighbor as God has commanded us to do. I cannot save myself. I need someone who is more powerful than I am in order for me to do these things. In other words, I need God who will help me change and be restored into the image and likeness of Him who created me.
Before calling Peter and his brother Andrew, James and John, Jesus has already been preaching in the synagogues and his popularity was growing and Peter, Andrew, James and John must have heard about him but are not yet convinced at who Jesus is.
The miracle they saw when Jesus asked them to lower their nets filling their boats in the process was the key that unlocked their doubt and when Jesus said to Peter: “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men. So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.” (vv.10-11)
What happened to Peter, Andrew, James and John will also happen to us and many times these things happen for a reason. To Peter and the others, it opened their eyes and they followed Jesus. Remember that they have been up all night but haven’t caught anything.
This is the same with us especially in the confines of the Church and or the Community. Some of us may be in a situation that may seem hopeless and the natural tendency is we wait for an opportune time before we take action. This is where we differ from Peter because if we wait for the proper time, that time may never come and we may never be able to start at all.
Peter dropped all his years of hands-on experience as a fisherman and he did what Jesus told him to do: “put out into the deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” (v.4) The result was a miracle.
We may be at the crossroad of our lives now and Jesus is telling us to go out into the deep and uncharted territory and to lower our nets. It means doing what we think we can’t do. If it means we need to humble ourselves, that is to lower our nets, to put our guards down, set aside our pride, turn around from our self-centeredness, then expect a miracle like what Jesus did to Peter.
Remember too that there were no conditions when Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James and John and the rest of the Apostles. He simply said: Matt 4:18-22 “come follow me,” and they did. Aren’t we supposed to do the same?
1st Reading: Col 1:9-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:2-6 “The Lord has made know his salvation”
GOSPEL: LK 5:1-11
Key Verse: “..from now on you will be catching men.” (v.10)
At some point in time there will be some of you who will ask what is your purpose in life. For some who may have been raised in a Christian environment, perhaps you’ll even ask why did God created you. Responses may be varied and what you believe in determines the path you take.
If for example you believe that your purpose is to gain fame and wealth then all your energies will definitely be directed towards this goal from the time that you started internalizing such concept of becoming famous and wealthy.
Would you be attracted to a life of suffering, sacrifice and poverty if someone told you this is the life that you need to pursue? Do you think Levi (Matthew) would have followed Jesus if he knew that he was going to die for doing so? How about those who joined the renewal and attended the Life in the Spirit Seminar and faced numerous challenges and trials in life? Are you regretting that you did?
For Peter, James and John this second encounter with Jesus was the turning point in their lives and we will see at the end of this narrative that they pulled their boats to the shore, left everything – including their catch perhaps – and followed Jesus.
Beneath this Gospel today is an important message for all of us – that we are to leave behind everything that belongs to our past life that has separated us from the source of Grace when we encounter Jesus and are called.
And we can draw from Peter who felt not only embarrassed but humbled at the miracle that he personally witnessed when they drew their nets that filled their boats with fish that they were on the verge of sinking. It wasn’t like Peter and the rest weren’t good fishermen. It was their livelihood and they probably were familiar with the Sea of Galilee as they grew up in that place. But what they couldn’t see, Jesus could see far beyond than what the human eye can see. He saw in Peter, James and John the qualities that he was looking for to be his disciples.
And Peter sets an example for all of us as he realized his nothingness at the mighty power who stood in front of him, Peter fell down on his knees and in utter humility acknowledged his sinfulness. As Christians we too can, like Peter, put our pride in our pockets and acknowledge our sinfulness before the Lord.
This is what besets many of us as we prefer to rationalize our actions instead of learning from them. We justify even that which we already know to be a sinful act rather than make amends to repair broker relationships. Take for example the personalities who are now being dragged into the so-called “pork barrel” scam. I personally saw the list of Senators and Congressmen whose pork barrel allocations were directed to Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs).
Many of the items were for “livelihood training projects” and one of the Senators who has plans to run for President in 2016 had funded such projects amounting to P300-million ($6.7 million at the prevailing exchange rate of $1.00 = P44.50). The question that I myself asked and many of you will ask is what kind of training projects would require an expenditure of such a huge amount of public funds.
This gospel today reminds us that acknowledging our sinfulness is actually one of at least two things that we need to do when we come before the Lord. The other which I learned when I was already growing in the renewal movement through the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community is that I cannot do it alone.
I cannot change myself. I cannot become what Jesus want me to become. I cannot be a Christian by myself. I cannot possibly be the disciple I want to be. I cannot forgive. I cannot love God in the way that God wants to be loved. I cannot just love anyone, I cannot love my neighbor as God has commanded us to do. I cannot save myself. I need someone who is more powerful than I am in order for me to do these things. In other words, I need God who will help me change and be restored into the image and likeness of Him who created me.
Before calling Peter and his brother Andrew, James and John, Jesus has already been preaching in the synagogues and his popularity was growing and Peter, Andrew, James and John must have heard about him but are not yet convinced at who Jesus is.
The miracle they saw when Jesus asked them to lower their nets filling their boats in the process was the key that unlocked their doubt and when Jesus said to Peter: “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men. So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.” (vv.10-11)
What happened to Peter, Andrew, James and John will also happen to us and many times these things happen for a reason. To Peter and the others, it opened their eyes and they followed Jesus. Remember that they have been up all night but haven’t caught anything.
This is the same with us especially in the confines of the Church and or the Community. Some of us may be in a situation that may seem hopeless and the natural tendency is we wait for an opportune time before we take action. This is where we differ from Peter because if we wait for the proper time, that time may never come and we may never be able to start at all.
Peter dropped all his years of hands-on experience as a fisherman and he did what Jesus told him to do: “put out into the deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” (v.4) The result was a miracle.
We may be at the crossroad of our lives now and Jesus is telling us to go out into the deep and uncharted territory and to lower our nets. It means doing what we think we can’t do. If it means we need to humble ourselves, that is to lower our nets, to put our guards down, set aside our pride, turn around from our self-centeredness, then expect a miracle like what Jesus did to Peter.
Remember too that there were no conditions when Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James and John and the rest of the Apostles. He simply said: Matt 4:18-22 “come follow me,” and they did. Aren’t we supposed to do the same?
JESUS HEALS ALL WHO COME TO HIM
SEPT. 4, 2013: TWENTY SECOND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Col 1:1-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 52:10-11 “I trust in the mercy of God for ever”
GOSPEL: LK 4:38-44
Key Verse: “People in other towns must hear the good news…” (v.43)
There was a movie I once saw and one of the lines struck me and it goes like this: “When you are in love, you lose yourself as the love that
you have for one another fills you and that love controls you.” This is what also happens with us. The love of Jesus for us which is so great that He gave his life to ransom us should now control us which means that this love should move us to also do what Jesus did for us and that is to help the sick, the beggar on the streets, the homeless, out-of-school youths and, the spiritually impoverished.
Today’s Gospel narrative is so pregnant with meaning that it shows us three characteristics of Jesus that are actually learning curves for us to emulate.
Here we see Jesus giving evidence of his being the Messiah when he healed Peter’s mother-in-law whose health was restored that she immediately moved about to serve Jesus and his disciples and, towards the setting of the sun as the day of the Sabbath ends, Jesus healed everyone by laying hands on each of those who came with various forms of illnesses and sickness.
Not only do we see Jesus demonstrating with conclusive proof his divine power as he healed all forms (v.40) of sickness and diseases but it also brought to light His compassion for those who are in need. This should provide us with a clear image of our roles as disciples in terms of how we relate to those who are not as fortunate or blessed as we are.
Like Jesus, are we open to helping those in need even if we are being inconvenienced especially when these circumstances come at a time when we are on our way to work, to a vacation, to attend a party or on our way to the mall. Or do we forego these opportunities to be a Christian by withholding our help to those who come to us.
At the house of Peter, Jesus demonstrated his heart that is predisposed to serving others as Jesus did not have a chance to even grasp a deep breath as he went on to heal Peter’s mother-in-law and countless others who came after news of his healing power spread throughout the region like wildfire.
This only shows us that as disciples we no longer own our time. That if we are to follow Jesus we are to deny ourselves (Lk 9:23), we are to deny certain pleasures to come to the aid of others. We are to deny ourselves the luxuries that we enjoy in favor of the need of others. In other words, we all must have the heart of Jesus that is bent towards serving others.
The second reality in this Gospel shows that at the sound of his voice and command the demons came out of the people who were at the house of Peter. As it was customary in those days to equate certain forms of illness to being possessed by evil spirits, Jesus healed everyone by laying hands on each one of them.
He didn’t have to but to be touched by someone in authority is a privilege and an honor and again, it shows the compassion of Jesus for he didn’t categorize the class of people who came to him to be healed as Jesus healed them all.
What we now need to ask is what are the demons in our lives. Could these be our vanities, judgments, criticality, prejudices, arrogance and pride, self-exaltation, wealth? Do our priorities stand in the way of our relationship with God? As we stand face-to-face with Jesus at the Eucharistic Celebration and at our Prayer Meetings, these demons must come out in order for us to be healed. As Christians, Jesus must take the place of the demons in our lives. This is the abundant life (Jn 10:10) that he promised us.
At the end of the Gospel, it tells us that Jesus probably just had enough time to rest as he went out at daybreak to pray. This should be the same for us because evangelization which is our primary duty as Christians doesn’t start with programs or projects but with prayer.
For many of us, life continues to be a blur because we don’t spend enough time in prayer which is not only our link to God but prayer brings clarity and purpose to the busyness of our lives and the confusion in our world. Often we prioritize ministry work ahead of prayer but Jesus shows us that communion with God through prayer must precede everything else.
And finally Jesus stopped those who were looking for him by telling them: “I must preach the Good News…because this is why I was sent.” (v.43) This resolve came after Jesus prayed and it gives credence to what he said in Jn 5:19 “the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does." And He went on to preach throughout Judea because this was the reason why he was sent.
This is also the reason why we have to give up the demons in our lives and allow Jesus to enter and take his seat in our hearts because if we are to become the Good News we have to have the humility to allow the Holy Spirit to move in us, take control of our lives and change us. If not, we become bad news and we can’t preach that.
To be the disciples of Jesus that we hope to be, we must grasp the meaning of the Lord’s Prayer: “Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Unless we can do this, we will never be able to enjoy the freedom from slavery to sin and selfishness.
The CCC primarily states in Para 2818: “In the Lord's Prayer, "thy kingdom come" refers primarily to the final coming of the reign of God through Christ's return. But, far from distracting the Church from her mission in this present world, this desire commits her to it all the more strongly. Since Pentecost, the coming of that Reign is the work of the Spirit of the Lord who "complete[s] his work on earth and brings us the fullness of grace."
We, in fact, can experience the joy of living in the Kingdom of God by allowing the Holy Spirit to reside in our hearts and we can begin by allotting time for prayer, ministering to our marginalized brethren and, denying ourselves, take up His cross and follow Him (Lk 9:23-25) and be the Good News to others.
1st Reading: Col 1:1-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 52:10-11 “I trust in the mercy of God for ever”
GOSPEL: LK 4:38-44
Key Verse: “People in other towns must hear the good news…” (v.43)
There was a movie I once saw and one of the lines struck me and it goes like this: “When you are in love, you lose yourself as the love that
you have for one another fills you and that love controls you.” This is what also happens with us. The love of Jesus for us which is so great that He gave his life to ransom us should now control us which means that this love should move us to also do what Jesus did for us and that is to help the sick, the beggar on the streets, the homeless, out-of-school youths and, the spiritually impoverished.
Today’s Gospel narrative is so pregnant with meaning that it shows us three characteristics of Jesus that are actually learning curves for us to emulate.
Here we see Jesus giving evidence of his being the Messiah when he healed Peter’s mother-in-law whose health was restored that she immediately moved about to serve Jesus and his disciples and, towards the setting of the sun as the day of the Sabbath ends, Jesus healed everyone by laying hands on each of those who came with various forms of illnesses and sickness.
Not only do we see Jesus demonstrating with conclusive proof his divine power as he healed all forms (v.40) of sickness and diseases but it also brought to light His compassion for those who are in need. This should provide us with a clear image of our roles as disciples in terms of how we relate to those who are not as fortunate or blessed as we are.
Like Jesus, are we open to helping those in need even if we are being inconvenienced especially when these circumstances come at a time when we are on our way to work, to a vacation, to attend a party or on our way to the mall. Or do we forego these opportunities to be a Christian by withholding our help to those who come to us.
At the house of Peter, Jesus demonstrated his heart that is predisposed to serving others as Jesus did not have a chance to even grasp a deep breath as he went on to heal Peter’s mother-in-law and countless others who came after news of his healing power spread throughout the region like wildfire.
This only shows us that as disciples we no longer own our time. That if we are to follow Jesus we are to deny ourselves (Lk 9:23), we are to deny certain pleasures to come to the aid of others. We are to deny ourselves the luxuries that we enjoy in favor of the need of others. In other words, we all must have the heart of Jesus that is bent towards serving others.
The second reality in this Gospel shows that at the sound of his voice and command the demons came out of the people who were at the house of Peter. As it was customary in those days to equate certain forms of illness to being possessed by evil spirits, Jesus healed everyone by laying hands on each one of them.
He didn’t have to but to be touched by someone in authority is a privilege and an honor and again, it shows the compassion of Jesus for he didn’t categorize the class of people who came to him to be healed as Jesus healed them all.
What we now need to ask is what are the demons in our lives. Could these be our vanities, judgments, criticality, prejudices, arrogance and pride, self-exaltation, wealth? Do our priorities stand in the way of our relationship with God? As we stand face-to-face with Jesus at the Eucharistic Celebration and at our Prayer Meetings, these demons must come out in order for us to be healed. As Christians, Jesus must take the place of the demons in our lives. This is the abundant life (Jn 10:10) that he promised us.
At the end of the Gospel, it tells us that Jesus probably just had enough time to rest as he went out at daybreak to pray. This should be the same for us because evangelization which is our primary duty as Christians doesn’t start with programs or projects but with prayer.
For many of us, life continues to be a blur because we don’t spend enough time in prayer which is not only our link to God but prayer brings clarity and purpose to the busyness of our lives and the confusion in our world. Often we prioritize ministry work ahead of prayer but Jesus shows us that communion with God through prayer must precede everything else.
And finally Jesus stopped those who were looking for him by telling them: “I must preach the Good News…because this is why I was sent.” (v.43) This resolve came after Jesus prayed and it gives credence to what he said in Jn 5:19 “the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does." And He went on to preach throughout Judea because this was the reason why he was sent.
This is also the reason why we have to give up the demons in our lives and allow Jesus to enter and take his seat in our hearts because if we are to become the Good News we have to have the humility to allow the Holy Spirit to move in us, take control of our lives and change us. If not, we become bad news and we can’t preach that.
To be the disciples of Jesus that we hope to be, we must grasp the meaning of the Lord’s Prayer: “Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Unless we can do this, we will never be able to enjoy the freedom from slavery to sin and selfishness.
The CCC primarily states in Para 2818: “In the Lord's Prayer, "thy kingdom come" refers primarily to the final coming of the reign of God through Christ's return. But, far from distracting the Church from her mission in this present world, this desire commits her to it all the more strongly. Since Pentecost, the coming of that Reign is the work of the Spirit of the Lord who "complete[s] his work on earth and brings us the fullness of grace."
We, in fact, can experience the joy of living in the Kingdom of God by allowing the Holy Spirit to reside in our hearts and we can begin by allotting time for prayer, ministering to our marginalized brethren and, denying ourselves, take up His cross and follow Him (Lk 9:23-25) and be the Good News to others.
POWER OVER DEMONS
SEPT. 3, 2013: TWENTY SECOND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 1 Thes 5:1-6, 9-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 27:1,4, 13-14 “I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.”
GOSPEL: LK 4:31-37
Key Verse: “You are God’s Holy One.” (v.34)
The evil spirit that possessed the man at the synagogue knew who Jesus was as he exclaimed: “I know who you are! You are God’s Holy One.” (v.34) This only goes to show that even the evil spirit or spirits know who Jesus was and the only difference between these forces of evil and believers is that they don’t recognize the sovereignty of God.
But in the light of the many issues affecting the Philippines’ political environment today especially those related to the scandalous disbursements of “pork barrel” funds, the question that our Asian neighbors are probably asking is or would want to ask is how well do the only Christian nation in Asia know God.
Do not be offended if ever this question is asked because there is some merit behind it as these things won’t be happening if we see ourselves in the way that God sees us. Why this culture of corruption has spread like wildfire is because we have learned to live with the unholiness of our surrounding that we have come to look at it as part of the social landscape.
Indeed times have changed over the years and today we no longer find it unusual when people especially our elected officials will look you straight in the eye and lie and the only way this can be reversed and restore the sanctity of God’s created beings is to live under the shadow of the Holy Spirit because only the Spirit of God can impart to the human spirit the knowledge of the holiness of God that is in man.
Today’s gospel passage comes on the heels of the rejection of Jesus in his own hometown Nazareth and Luke wrote right at the beginning of this Gospel narrative what provided the Jews a view of who Jesus might be as “they were amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority.” (v.32)
Compared to the other prophets and the Rabbis in those days who spoke quoting from the Words of God given to them and to some extent even us who are given the privilege to teach based on a delegated authority, Jesus separates Himself from the other proclaimers of the Word because He is the incarnated authority. He Himself is already the authority and his teachings are the evidence of this reality.
And to the amazement of the people in Capernaum, Jesus showed his authority even against the evil spirits that possessed a man who was in the synagogue at the time. Again this is something that we all need to ponder upon.
While demon-possession was also mentioned in Matt 8:16 and Mark 1:23-26, this was the first time that Luke wrote about demons and this was not without basis as it was the common belief in those days that some of the illnesses related to deafness, dumbness, chronic fever and even insanity were caused by possession of evil spirits.
And this man in v.33 shows us that even demons can make its way into places of worship and it would be foolish for us to think that the Church can provide us shelter from evil spirits as Satan can intrude into our presence wherever and whenever he can.
This is the reason why baptized Christians especially disciples who are committed to following Jesus must always be aware of the environment that we are in even with the people that we deal with in both inside or outside of the Church or Community. We must develop in us the gift of discernment so that we can properly and adequately discern the presence of the evil spirits in our midst as they may come in every form and shape and they may even proclaim words of wisdom as do the false prophets.
Evil is something that we have to live with as it suffuses the world around us and unaware of how evil spirits operate, people are often fearful as they are incapable to ward off the influence of the evil spirits in their lives. To begin with, we can start by reflecting on the circumstances in our own lives. How is our relationship with our family, with the church or community, with my colleagues in the workplace, with the ordinary people that we meet on the street.
What are the demons in our lives? This is something we need to know so we can confront it, bind it and put at the foot of the cross of Jesus. Demons come in different forms or shapes and these can even come in a way that we may not be aware of as it can crawl and influence our lives without our knowing it such that we may unconsciously be harboring hatred, grudge, rancor or recrimination against someone and just as suddenly find our relationship shattered to pieces.
We may be considering ourselves loftier or superior than others. It is possible that our position and wealth may also be influencing the way we relate to others. Many times we find it difficult to forgive others. At some point, we also find it hard to respect authority not only in the church or community thinking of ourselves as better than those who exercise pastoral authority over us.
The important thing is we have the Word of God upon which we can rely on and we see this when Jesus commanded the demon saying: “Come out of the man!’ and the demon threw the man to the floor as the crowd watched; then it left him without hurting him further.” (v.35) This passage is significant because it tells us that not only did the evil spirit leave the man but the man was not even injured. This shows the extent of the authority of Jesus that it left the people at the synagogue so amazed that he came to be known throughout the while region of Galilee.
This proves the authority of Jesus in conquering evil and this also shows us that the first step to confront evil and the demons in our lives is to confess the power and authority of Jesus who has overcome evil and Satan himself.
Luke assures us that the authority of Jesus is much greater than Satan as Jesus also emboldens us in Jn 16:33 “But take heart! I have overcome the world.” And what Luke is actually telling us is that where Jesus is present, demons cannot stay for long.
1st Reading: 1 Thes 5:1-6, 9-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 27:1,4, 13-14 “I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.”
GOSPEL: LK 4:31-37
Key Verse: “You are God’s Holy One.” (v.34)
The evil spirit that possessed the man at the synagogue knew who Jesus was as he exclaimed: “I know who you are! You are God’s Holy One.” (v.34) This only goes to show that even the evil spirit or spirits know who Jesus was and the only difference between these forces of evil and believers is that they don’t recognize the sovereignty of God.
But in the light of the many issues affecting the Philippines’ political environment today especially those related to the scandalous disbursements of “pork barrel” funds, the question that our Asian neighbors are probably asking is or would want to ask is how well do the only Christian nation in Asia know God.
Do not be offended if ever this question is asked because there is some merit behind it as these things won’t be happening if we see ourselves in the way that God sees us. Why this culture of corruption has spread like wildfire is because we have learned to live with the unholiness of our surrounding that we have come to look at it as part of the social landscape.
Indeed times have changed over the years and today we no longer find it unusual when people especially our elected officials will look you straight in the eye and lie and the only way this can be reversed and restore the sanctity of God’s created beings is to live under the shadow of the Holy Spirit because only the Spirit of God can impart to the human spirit the knowledge of the holiness of God that is in man.
Today’s gospel passage comes on the heels of the rejection of Jesus in his own hometown Nazareth and Luke wrote right at the beginning of this Gospel narrative what provided the Jews a view of who Jesus might be as “they were amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority.” (v.32)
Compared to the other prophets and the Rabbis in those days who spoke quoting from the Words of God given to them and to some extent even us who are given the privilege to teach based on a delegated authority, Jesus separates Himself from the other proclaimers of the Word because He is the incarnated authority. He Himself is already the authority and his teachings are the evidence of this reality.
And to the amazement of the people in Capernaum, Jesus showed his authority even against the evil spirits that possessed a man who was in the synagogue at the time. Again this is something that we all need to ponder upon.
While demon-possession was also mentioned in Matt 8:16 and Mark 1:23-26, this was the first time that Luke wrote about demons and this was not without basis as it was the common belief in those days that some of the illnesses related to deafness, dumbness, chronic fever and even insanity were caused by possession of evil spirits.
And this man in v.33 shows us that even demons can make its way into places of worship and it would be foolish for us to think that the Church can provide us shelter from evil spirits as Satan can intrude into our presence wherever and whenever he can.
This is the reason why baptized Christians especially disciples who are committed to following Jesus must always be aware of the environment that we are in even with the people that we deal with in both inside or outside of the Church or Community. We must develop in us the gift of discernment so that we can properly and adequately discern the presence of the evil spirits in our midst as they may come in every form and shape and they may even proclaim words of wisdom as do the false prophets.
Evil is something that we have to live with as it suffuses the world around us and unaware of how evil spirits operate, people are often fearful as they are incapable to ward off the influence of the evil spirits in their lives. To begin with, we can start by reflecting on the circumstances in our own lives. How is our relationship with our family, with the church or community, with my colleagues in the workplace, with the ordinary people that we meet on the street.
What are the demons in our lives? This is something we need to know so we can confront it, bind it and put at the foot of the cross of Jesus. Demons come in different forms or shapes and these can even come in a way that we may not be aware of as it can crawl and influence our lives without our knowing it such that we may unconsciously be harboring hatred, grudge, rancor or recrimination against someone and just as suddenly find our relationship shattered to pieces.
We may be considering ourselves loftier or superior than others. It is possible that our position and wealth may also be influencing the way we relate to others. Many times we find it difficult to forgive others. At some point, we also find it hard to respect authority not only in the church or community thinking of ourselves as better than those who exercise pastoral authority over us.
The important thing is we have the Word of God upon which we can rely on and we see this when Jesus commanded the demon saying: “Come out of the man!’ and the demon threw the man to the floor as the crowd watched; then it left him without hurting him further.” (v.35) This passage is significant because it tells us that not only did the evil spirit leave the man but the man was not even injured. This shows the extent of the authority of Jesus that it left the people at the synagogue so amazed that he came to be known throughout the while region of Galilee.
This proves the authority of Jesus in conquering evil and this also shows us that the first step to confront evil and the demons in our lives is to confess the power and authority of Jesus who has overcome evil and Satan himself.
Luke assures us that the authority of Jesus is much greater than Satan as Jesus also emboldens us in Jn 16:33 “But take heart! I have overcome the world.” And what Luke is actually telling us is that where Jesus is present, demons cannot stay for long.
FAMILIARITY BREEDS CONTEMPT
SEPT. 2, 2013: TWENTY SECOND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 1 Thes 4:13-18
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 96:1-5, 11-13 “The Lord comes to judge the earth.”
GOSPEL: Lk 4:16-30
Key Verse: “no prophet is accepted in his own native place.”
If at all, there are two things that you will readily notice as you read through this particular gospel passage. One was the humiliating experience that Jesus suffered at the hands of his own countrymen (v.24) and, the other was his seeming amazement at the “lack of faith” of the people in his hometown (vv.25-30).
There is an old idiomatic expression of which many of us are familiar with that goes like this – familiarity breeds contempt – and this could very well apply to the situation that Jesus found himself in when his own town mates severely questioned his credentials even if they were amazed at the way he taught at the synagogue in Nazareth.
At times this also happens to us especially for those who teach in the church or in community and to some extent even those who are tasked with spreading the Gospel of Christ. I’m sure many of you must have experienced being sneered at, jeered and treated with indifference. How many times have we heard someone say “I don’t need to listen anymore to his talks, I know everything there is to know about religion.”
Conversely, I also know of instances when people who have achieved success have become the butt of envy and scorn especially in their own hometown. But don’t you think that we should rather share in the joy at the good fortune of a relative or a friend perhaps?
At least this was how I feel each time a video presentation is shown at wedding receptions we go to because most of the time the couple who just got wed would always express their gratitude to God for their union.
But this was not so in the case of the people of Nazareth who instead of expressing their joy at the healing that took place in their midst even went as far as to question not only his persona by inquiring as to his family heritage: “Isn't this the son of Joseph?” (v.22)
This reaction of his town mates probably stemmed from their familiarity with Jesus who stayed with Joseph and Mary and only left Nazareth when he was already thirty years old. In all those years, there was probably nothing spectacular that he said or did that could have generated the admiration of his town mates.
His town mates were amazed at the wisdom of his teaching but what they could not accept was how a very ordinary carpenter’s son could teach with authority, performed miracles, healed the sick and cast out the demons from those possessed by evil spirits.
Jews normally receive religious instructions at an early age such that by the time they reach the age of puberty they are already well-versed in the so-called Law of God which was why Jesus was amazed at the lack of faith of his town mates.
Thus it would be illogical for Jesus to preach where he was unwelcome but what his town mates didn’t realize then was that they would be missing a lot from the teachings of Jesus and the things that he could do for them. This contemptuous display of arrogance deprived them of learning what God’s Will was for them.
Today, we could also be committing what the Nazoreans did which is why we need to always check the level of our faith in God. Knowing that our Lord is a forgiving God might push us to abuse God’s kindness and mercy and find the gates closed when the bridegroom arrives if we continue to wallow in sin.
As he moved out of Nazareth to go to where he was welcome, we might also find Jesus moving out of our presence if we don’t take heed of his teachings and if we don’t reform our ways and stay clear of sin. We cannot afford to be contemptuous because our salvation is largely dependent on our obedience to God’s Will for us.
Jesus himself tells us: “Remain in me, and I will remain in you.” (Jn 15:4). “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.” (Jn 15:9) Familiarity can work both ways. It can either breed contempt as what happened to the Nazoreans or our being familiar with Jesus can strengthen the ties that bind us to him.
God is actually giving us a choice. We can either help proclaim the Good News to others as we are obliged to do especially in this Year of Faith or reject it altogether. There are no gray areas nor a thin line when it comes to our salvation and we cannot assume that God will forgive us if we will repay his kindness and generosity with a contemptible attitude.
When the people of Nazareth treated Jesus with contempt, what happened was that they missed their opportunity to be on the caravan to salvation. In fact, they did not only miss the benefit of being saved from eternal damnation but Jesus took his message and his blessings to places where the people will receive them (Mk 6.6).
We will experience the same tragedy if we persist in turning a deaf ear to the Word of God. Familiarity is not at all bad because it is also the key to salvation and our familiarity with Jesus should motivate us to listen, study, live and share the Word of God. Then and only then can we expect blessings upon blessings from the source of life and light.
By paying close attention to his Word we can be assured of the promise of Jesus in Jn 14:23 “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” And in this life, there are only two choices that we can make. It’s either we “are for him or against him?”
1st Reading: 1 Thes 4:13-18
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 96:1-5, 11-13 “The Lord comes to judge the earth.”
GOSPEL: Lk 4:16-30
Key Verse: “no prophet is accepted in his own native place.”
If at all, there are two things that you will readily notice as you read through this particular gospel passage. One was the humiliating experience that Jesus suffered at the hands of his own countrymen (v.24) and, the other was his seeming amazement at the “lack of faith” of the people in his hometown (vv.25-30).
There is an old idiomatic expression of which many of us are familiar with that goes like this – familiarity breeds contempt – and this could very well apply to the situation that Jesus found himself in when his own town mates severely questioned his credentials even if they were amazed at the way he taught at the synagogue in Nazareth.
At times this also happens to us especially for those who teach in the church or in community and to some extent even those who are tasked with spreading the Gospel of Christ. I’m sure many of you must have experienced being sneered at, jeered and treated with indifference. How many times have we heard someone say “I don’t need to listen anymore to his talks, I know everything there is to know about religion.”
Conversely, I also know of instances when people who have achieved success have become the butt of envy and scorn especially in their own hometown. But don’t you think that we should rather share in the joy at the good fortune of a relative or a friend perhaps?
At least this was how I feel each time a video presentation is shown at wedding receptions we go to because most of the time the couple who just got wed would always express their gratitude to God for their union.
But this was not so in the case of the people of Nazareth who instead of expressing their joy at the healing that took place in their midst even went as far as to question not only his persona by inquiring as to his family heritage: “Isn't this the son of Joseph?” (v.22)
This reaction of his town mates probably stemmed from their familiarity with Jesus who stayed with Joseph and Mary and only left Nazareth when he was already thirty years old. In all those years, there was probably nothing spectacular that he said or did that could have generated the admiration of his town mates.
His town mates were amazed at the wisdom of his teaching but what they could not accept was how a very ordinary carpenter’s son could teach with authority, performed miracles, healed the sick and cast out the demons from those possessed by evil spirits.
Jews normally receive religious instructions at an early age such that by the time they reach the age of puberty they are already well-versed in the so-called Law of God which was why Jesus was amazed at the lack of faith of his town mates.
Thus it would be illogical for Jesus to preach where he was unwelcome but what his town mates didn’t realize then was that they would be missing a lot from the teachings of Jesus and the things that he could do for them. This contemptuous display of arrogance deprived them of learning what God’s Will was for them.
Today, we could also be committing what the Nazoreans did which is why we need to always check the level of our faith in God. Knowing that our Lord is a forgiving God might push us to abuse God’s kindness and mercy and find the gates closed when the bridegroom arrives if we continue to wallow in sin.
As he moved out of Nazareth to go to where he was welcome, we might also find Jesus moving out of our presence if we don’t take heed of his teachings and if we don’t reform our ways and stay clear of sin. We cannot afford to be contemptuous because our salvation is largely dependent on our obedience to God’s Will for us.
Jesus himself tells us: “Remain in me, and I will remain in you.” (Jn 15:4). “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.” (Jn 15:9) Familiarity can work both ways. It can either breed contempt as what happened to the Nazoreans or our being familiar with Jesus can strengthen the ties that bind us to him.
God is actually giving us a choice. We can either help proclaim the Good News to others as we are obliged to do especially in this Year of Faith or reject it altogether. There are no gray areas nor a thin line when it comes to our salvation and we cannot assume that God will forgive us if we will repay his kindness and generosity with a contemptible attitude.
When the people of Nazareth treated Jesus with contempt, what happened was that they missed their opportunity to be on the caravan to salvation. In fact, they did not only miss the benefit of being saved from eternal damnation but Jesus took his message and his blessings to places where the people will receive them (Mk 6.6).
We will experience the same tragedy if we persist in turning a deaf ear to the Word of God. Familiarity is not at all bad because it is also the key to salvation and our familiarity with Jesus should motivate us to listen, study, live and share the Word of God. Then and only then can we expect blessings upon blessings from the source of life and light.
By paying close attention to his Word we can be assured of the promise of Jesus in Jn 14:23 “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” And in this life, there are only two choices that we can make. It’s either we “are for him or against him?”
HUMILITY IS THE KEY
JESUS: THE MODEL OF TRUE HUMILITY
SEPT. 1, 2013: 22ND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Sir 3:17-18, 20, 28-29
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 68:4-7, 10-11 “God, in your goodness, you have made a home for the poor.”
2nd Reading: Heb 12:18-19, 22-24a
GOSPEL: LK 14: 1, 7-14
Key Verse: “...he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (v.11)
In reading the Gospel passage on this the first day of September, we probably need to ask if ever there was a time when you found yourself humiliated such as when you are caught lying or the times you may have offered a piece of information that was untruthful. Or how would you feel if you were invited to dinner and you feel everyone in the house was watching every move you make.
In fact, this happened to me once when I was still working as a Business Reporter for a major newspaper and I was invited to a dinner that was hosted by the then Central Bank Gov. Jaime Laya for a group of foreign investors and bankers. It was a very formal dinner and there were three sets of utensils and cutlery on the left and right of my plate and honestly I really couldn’t figure out how to use these things. The Central Bank Deputy Governor who was seated beside me came to my rescue and whispered to me “just follow which of these I will pick up and use and you’ll be alright.”
But this was not the case for Jesus because he already knew what their intention was when they invited him to dinner. They want to see if he would again violate the Sabbath upon learning that he did so in some instance.
The Jews revere the Sabbath. It was a holy day of obligation and no one was supposed to exert any physical effort that would constitute work. In other words, the Sabbath is a day of rest, an opportunity for each Jew to remember and celebrate the goodness of God.
But as we have seen and heard from Jesus, the Sabbath should not hinder the flow of God’s Grace which means that love of God and love of neighbor should weigh more than the observance of the Sabbath which was merely a law created by man and Jesus has expounded on this in Mk 2:27 “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”
Instead of allowing himself to be pinned down by the legalism of the Pharisees, Jesus lets out a parable that probably made his listeners shudder particularly the Pharisees who have turned themselves into mini-gods in the way they have been pursuing their brand of faithfulness to God that has become burdensome for the people.
There is no doubt that Jesus can speak about humility with authority because he had experienced it. St. Paul tells us in Phi 2:6 that Jesus “who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God as something to be grasped.” Born in a lowly manger, Jesus grew up without the trappings of a comfortable life associated with the royalty even if he comes from the line of David.
And here in this Gospel, Jesus also has a message for all of us as he advises us not to concern ourselves with the best places when invited by our Districts or by any of our members to a private celebration much more when it is a community gathering. While we may deny it, there are times when we want to sit in places of honor. This positioning on how guests are to be seated is actually prevalent nowadays especially when event planners are involved though not necessarily their fault as it is also the host/s who qualify the guests who are placed in numbered tables in the order of their importance and or degree of relations.
Everyone wants to be honored. This is natural and there’s nothing wrong with that except if and when it goes to your head. This also happened to me in my past life. It prides me when I am acknowledged for what I have contributed and did. Wealth brings power and prestige. God probably allowed me to enjoy these things to see how I would manage it. And I was back to the reality of my humanity when I lost everything except the roof on my head.
Today, many of our brothers and sisters especially those who still live in the material world are fixated with raising their life status. They want to be with the right people in their social or business circles. They dress in accord with their status and drive the right car. And this is not only happening in the temporal world. There are people who want to be honored and exalted even in the church or community setting. Of course they will deny it but their actions will speak for itself.
But the question is who are we trying to impress because at the end of the day, all these have no value when we stand face-to-face with Our God who not only created us but who is the source of all that we have and will have. Psa 24:1 says “the earth is the Lord’s, everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.”
Humility is not about feeling bad nor of having a low opinion of ourselves or of thinking of ourselves as inferior to others. No. True humility is seeing ourselves in the way God sees us. A humble person is one who sees himself without the pretense or illusion for something that he is not.
In other words, be what God made you to be. There’s nothing wrong with admiring someone but we can’t just idolize someone who breathes the same air and or drinks the same water as we do. If we are going to admire or idolize someone, that someone has to be one who is greater than us and he is none other than God Himself.
Genuine humility is one of the two pillars of Christian living (the other is obedience) because humility allows us to view and correctly judge circumstances around us the way God would judge these. Instead of aiming for honor and prestige, true humility should move us to look for ways to serve God by serving others through the Church and or Community.
If God desires that we serve on a higher level such as a leadership position in the Church, then God himself will make it possible but we cannot manipulate what only God can do. At the end of the day, it’s all about placing ourselves in subservience to His Will. As a Christian, we must see ourselves as unworthy servants when we place ourselves in comparison with the radiance and magnificence of God.
When we can do this, it will lead us to die to our pride and self-exaltation. Admitting that we are nothing will give us the courage to remove our masks, our pretenses and, most of all our prejudices towards others. The Catechism of the Catholic Church 2554 says it clearly “the baptized person combats evil through goodwill, humility and abandonment to divine providence.”
Towards the end of this Gospel, we have another parable about giving as a better alternative than receiving. Christian generosity must be premised on the condition of our hearts that feel mercy and compassion for the poor driven only by the thought that our generosity is our response to the Grace of God who loved us first and who by his passion, death and resurrection gave us a perfect example of what it takes to give.
And Jesus tired from the day spent in preaching and healing will never refuse an invitation to dinner but in this Gospel passage he lectures his host on who he should or should not invite to dinner the next time around. In very particular terms, Jesus is reminding us not to invite those with the capacity to repay but to invite “the poor, the cripple, the lame and the blind, and you will be blessed.” (v.13-14)
In other words, we should not expect any reward or recompense in exchange for what we give. This reminder from Jesus is not without basis because what we give is not ours in the first place because we own nothing of what we have and possess.
We cannot buy spiritual favors from God. In the same way, we cannot pay our way to heaven which means that the Grace we receive is an initiative of God and not because of our generosity towards others no matter the good these may bring. Without our asking for it, God gave his only begotten Son to be the ransom for many and because of this action, God practically made us into his prized possession (Ti 2:14) and from whom we continue to receive everything that we need in life (Neh 9:20).
Jesus tells us “to invite the poor, the cripple, the lame and the blind.” In other words, we are to give to those who cannot reciprocate our generosity. Since Christian generosity is a reflection of the character of Our Lord in us, we are thus mandated to give on account of God’s love that dwells in us.
And Jesus assures us that when we give without expecting any reward or recompense, our reward will come at the proper time when we receive our invitation to the wedding feast.
As we cannot apportion our salvation by our own effort and thus are dependent on God’s generosity, we must go through life with utmost confidence that Our God will reward those who give as an expression of God’s Will for us to be clothed ourselves with the image of Christ in us.
In other words, this Gospel passage is teaching us to be honest with ourselves and if we believe that everything here on earth is owned by Our God, then it presupposes that we can give back to him what is His in the first place. And payback time is not here and now but when we are finally made to account how well we have managed what God has entrusted to us.
1st Reading: Sir 3:17-18, 20, 28-29
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 68:4-7, 10-11 “God, in your goodness, you have made a home for the poor.”
2nd Reading: Heb 12:18-19, 22-24a
GOSPEL: LK 14: 1, 7-14
Key Verse: “...he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (v.11)
In reading the Gospel passage on this the first day of September, we probably need to ask if ever there was a time when you found yourself humiliated such as when you are caught lying or the times you may have offered a piece of information that was untruthful. Or how would you feel if you were invited to dinner and you feel everyone in the house was watching every move you make.
In fact, this happened to me once when I was still working as a Business Reporter for a major newspaper and I was invited to a dinner that was hosted by the then Central Bank Gov. Jaime Laya for a group of foreign investors and bankers. It was a very formal dinner and there were three sets of utensils and cutlery on the left and right of my plate and honestly I really couldn’t figure out how to use these things. The Central Bank Deputy Governor who was seated beside me came to my rescue and whispered to me “just follow which of these I will pick up and use and you’ll be alright.”
But this was not the case for Jesus because he already knew what their intention was when they invited him to dinner. They want to see if he would again violate the Sabbath upon learning that he did so in some instance.
The Jews revere the Sabbath. It was a holy day of obligation and no one was supposed to exert any physical effort that would constitute work. In other words, the Sabbath is a day of rest, an opportunity for each Jew to remember and celebrate the goodness of God.
But as we have seen and heard from Jesus, the Sabbath should not hinder the flow of God’s Grace which means that love of God and love of neighbor should weigh more than the observance of the Sabbath which was merely a law created by man and Jesus has expounded on this in Mk 2:27 “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”
Instead of allowing himself to be pinned down by the legalism of the Pharisees, Jesus lets out a parable that probably made his listeners shudder particularly the Pharisees who have turned themselves into mini-gods in the way they have been pursuing their brand of faithfulness to God that has become burdensome for the people.
There is no doubt that Jesus can speak about humility with authority because he had experienced it. St. Paul tells us in Phi 2:6 that Jesus “who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God as something to be grasped.” Born in a lowly manger, Jesus grew up without the trappings of a comfortable life associated with the royalty even if he comes from the line of David.
And here in this Gospel, Jesus also has a message for all of us as he advises us not to concern ourselves with the best places when invited by our Districts or by any of our members to a private celebration much more when it is a community gathering. While we may deny it, there are times when we want to sit in places of honor. This positioning on how guests are to be seated is actually prevalent nowadays especially when event planners are involved though not necessarily their fault as it is also the host/s who qualify the guests who are placed in numbered tables in the order of their importance and or degree of relations.
Everyone wants to be honored. This is natural and there’s nothing wrong with that except if and when it goes to your head. This also happened to me in my past life. It prides me when I am acknowledged for what I have contributed and did. Wealth brings power and prestige. God probably allowed me to enjoy these things to see how I would manage it. And I was back to the reality of my humanity when I lost everything except the roof on my head.
Today, many of our brothers and sisters especially those who still live in the material world are fixated with raising their life status. They want to be with the right people in their social or business circles. They dress in accord with their status and drive the right car. And this is not only happening in the temporal world. There are people who want to be honored and exalted even in the church or community setting. Of course they will deny it but their actions will speak for itself.
But the question is who are we trying to impress because at the end of the day, all these have no value when we stand face-to-face with Our God who not only created us but who is the source of all that we have and will have. Psa 24:1 says “the earth is the Lord’s, everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.”
Humility is not about feeling bad nor of having a low opinion of ourselves or of thinking of ourselves as inferior to others. No. True humility is seeing ourselves in the way God sees us. A humble person is one who sees himself without the pretense or illusion for something that he is not.
In other words, be what God made you to be. There’s nothing wrong with admiring someone but we can’t just idolize someone who breathes the same air and or drinks the same water as we do. If we are going to admire or idolize someone, that someone has to be one who is greater than us and he is none other than God Himself.
Genuine humility is one of the two pillars of Christian living (the other is obedience) because humility allows us to view and correctly judge circumstances around us the way God would judge these. Instead of aiming for honor and prestige, true humility should move us to look for ways to serve God by serving others through the Church and or Community.
If God desires that we serve on a higher level such as a leadership position in the Church, then God himself will make it possible but we cannot manipulate what only God can do. At the end of the day, it’s all about placing ourselves in subservience to His Will. As a Christian, we must see ourselves as unworthy servants when we place ourselves in comparison with the radiance and magnificence of God.
When we can do this, it will lead us to die to our pride and self-exaltation. Admitting that we are nothing will give us the courage to remove our masks, our pretenses and, most of all our prejudices towards others. The Catechism of the Catholic Church 2554 says it clearly “the baptized person combats evil through goodwill, humility and abandonment to divine providence.”
Towards the end of this Gospel, we have another parable about giving as a better alternative than receiving. Christian generosity must be premised on the condition of our hearts that feel mercy and compassion for the poor driven only by the thought that our generosity is our response to the Grace of God who loved us first and who by his passion, death and resurrection gave us a perfect example of what it takes to give.
And Jesus tired from the day spent in preaching and healing will never refuse an invitation to dinner but in this Gospel passage he lectures his host on who he should or should not invite to dinner the next time around. In very particular terms, Jesus is reminding us not to invite those with the capacity to repay but to invite “the poor, the cripple, the lame and the blind, and you will be blessed.” (v.13-14)
In other words, we should not expect any reward or recompense in exchange for what we give. This reminder from Jesus is not without basis because what we give is not ours in the first place because we own nothing of what we have and possess.
We cannot buy spiritual favors from God. In the same way, we cannot pay our way to heaven which means that the Grace we receive is an initiative of God and not because of our generosity towards others no matter the good these may bring. Without our asking for it, God gave his only begotten Son to be the ransom for many and because of this action, God practically made us into his prized possession (Ti 2:14) and from whom we continue to receive everything that we need in life (Neh 9:20).
Jesus tells us “to invite the poor, the cripple, the lame and the blind.” In other words, we are to give to those who cannot reciprocate our generosity. Since Christian generosity is a reflection of the character of Our Lord in us, we are thus mandated to give on account of God’s love that dwells in us.
And Jesus assures us that when we give without expecting any reward or recompense, our reward will come at the proper time when we receive our invitation to the wedding feast.
As we cannot apportion our salvation by our own effort and thus are dependent on God’s generosity, we must go through life with utmost confidence that Our God will reward those who give as an expression of God’s Will for us to be clothed ourselves with the image of Christ in us.
In other words, this Gospel passage is teaching us to be honest with ourselves and if we believe that everything here on earth is owned by Our God, then it presupposes that we can give back to him what is His in the first place. And payback time is not here and now but when we are finally made to account how well we have managed what God has entrusted to us.
GIFTS ARE TO BE USED
AUG. 31, 2013: TWENTY FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 1 Thes 4:9-12
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:1, 7-9 “The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.”
GOSPEL: MATT 25:14-30
Key Verse: “..even what he has will be taken from him.” (v.29)
With the foreknowledge of the short time he has on earth, Jesus may have decided to maximize his time to impart all the knowledge, wisdom and training to his disciples and we read in the gospel readings in the past few days that Jesus was giving his disciples a preview of the events to come particularly his passion, death and resurrection apparently to prepare them for the monumental tasks they are to assume once he departs from their company.
Most of the time, Jesus uses parables so that his disciples can visualize and understand the context of his message. The parable of the talents that we have today is significant for us because it provides us with a clearer understanding of what we are to do, what we need to do in relation to the short time that we have on earth.
There is an exercise that I want those reading this reflection to do. Get an 8.5in. x 11in. coupon bond and folded it into four equal parts. Then let us say that the number of years that we are expected to live here on earth is 68 for women and 66 for men based on a previous clinical study on man’s longevity. From the coupon bond that you are holding put the number of years that we are expected to live and tear out the part in the coupon bond that represents the number of years that you have already lived. What will be left will be the number of years that you still have.
The question that you now need to ask is what are you going to do with what is left of your life. If for example you have already outlived the average age of man’s longevity then consider it as a bonus that God has given you but still it means that you need to be fruitful in what is left of your life.
This is reason why God has poured out on his gifts (1 Cor 12:1ff) so that by the power of the Holy Spirit these gifts will be made manifest in our lives so that each one of us will bear fruit (Gal 5:22) to help us live an abundant life (Jn 10:10) that he has promised. In the same way, when we allow these spiritual gifts to bear fruit, loving God and neighbor will become second nature to us all.
This parable for today shows us in very clear terms that when the Master of the household returns the accounting we need to make of the talents he left with his servants. This is a prefigurement of the second coming of Jesus and that he will conduct an audit of how we lived our lives given the fact that he gifted us with talents and Jesus who is our Master will naturally want to know how we made use of these.
Different versions of the Scriptures have different description of what was given to the servants. There are some versions that speak of bags of gold, but common to most versions tell of talents given to the servants. In those days, a talent is measured in terms of weight such that a talent is equal to 75 pounds or 34 kilograms. There were three types of metal element that were in use in the ancient times and these were copper, silver and gold with silver as the most common.
To one the Master left five talents. To the other he gave two talents and to the third servant one talent. Over the years, the talents that were given to the servants have been interpreted to mean the talents that each one of us possesses. Some turn out to be doctors, accountants, engineers, nurses, teachers, chefs, businessmen and if we are to equate ourselves with the third servant some may be doing what to us may be menial tasks such as laborers, peons, or street sweepers.
And this parable speak about stewardship for it shows us that we are merely managers and not owners of whatever has been entrusted to us and that our talents are to be used not only for our own benefit but for the benefit of others and not buried as what the third servant did.
In other words, the Master of our household who is Jesus expects us not only to make use of what he gave us but he expects us to be faithful in the way that we render our service. In our lifetime, we actually may not be as successful as others have in terms of wealth, fame, influence and fame but this is not as important as our faithfulness in serving God and our neighbor with what has been entrusted to us.
Our failure to present something of what we did with our talent and gifts would only indicate either laziness on our part or indifference and lack of respect to Our Lord to whom we should all be beholden and grateful for whatever state in life we are in and this is what is depicted in the servant who did not make use of his talent.
This parable is all about gifts the Lord gives and entrusts to us and in our Community we speak of gifts in terms of: Pneumatika or the 9 Power Gifts (1 Cor12: 8-10) Tongues, Interpretation of Tongues, Prophecy, Wisdom, Knowledge, Discernment, Faith, Healing, and Miracles. Rom 12:3-8 also speak of the Charismata or the 7 Ministry Gifts: Prophecy, Giving, Service, Leading, Teaching, Mercy and Exhortation. We also have what we call Diakonia or the 5 Office Gifts described
in Eph 4:11-16 as Apostles, Pastors, Prophets, Teachers and Evangelists.
Differing gifts and or talents yes but these are inconsequential because what matters is how we make use of our talents and God does not demand from us the fruit of talents that we don’t have but God will require an accounting of what we did with the talents that we have. We may not all be equal in terms of talent given to us but we are all equal in terms of effort and this parable tells us that whatever talent we have must be used for the service of God.
The one who has prepared well by making use of his talent will be rewarded when Our Lord returns. The two servants who took risks were amply rewarded while the lazy servant who did not make use of his talent was punished because it would have been better if he had invested it and lost than to do nothing at all.
This is actually the lesson in this parable in that the only way we can progress in both our spiritual and temporal lives is to make use of our gifts and or talents but we must always remember that the fruitful exercise of these talents are not only meant for own edification but for the service of Our God and for the benefit of our neighbor.
When the Master returns I would not want to be caught unprepared and be labeled as a worthless servant because the alternative is something that many would not even want to imagine and that is to be thrown into darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (v.30).
We all must be on fire and the only way to do that and keep the fire aflame is to invest our talents in the service of our church or community and this is what will help us become a community of disciples who are inspired by the Holy Spirit to be living witnesses for transformation in Christ to bring about a world of justice, human development and true peace.
1st Reading: 1 Thes 4:9-12
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:1, 7-9 “The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.”
GOSPEL: MATT 25:14-30
Key Verse: “..even what he has will be taken from him.” (v.29)
With the foreknowledge of the short time he has on earth, Jesus may have decided to maximize his time to impart all the knowledge, wisdom and training to his disciples and we read in the gospel readings in the past few days that Jesus was giving his disciples a preview of the events to come particularly his passion, death and resurrection apparently to prepare them for the monumental tasks they are to assume once he departs from their company.
Most of the time, Jesus uses parables so that his disciples can visualize and understand the context of his message. The parable of the talents that we have today is significant for us because it provides us with a clearer understanding of what we are to do, what we need to do in relation to the short time that we have on earth.
There is an exercise that I want those reading this reflection to do. Get an 8.5in. x 11in. coupon bond and folded it into four equal parts. Then let us say that the number of years that we are expected to live here on earth is 68 for women and 66 for men based on a previous clinical study on man’s longevity. From the coupon bond that you are holding put the number of years that we are expected to live and tear out the part in the coupon bond that represents the number of years that you have already lived. What will be left will be the number of years that you still have.
The question that you now need to ask is what are you going to do with what is left of your life. If for example you have already outlived the average age of man’s longevity then consider it as a bonus that God has given you but still it means that you need to be fruitful in what is left of your life.
This is reason why God has poured out on his gifts (1 Cor 12:1ff) so that by the power of the Holy Spirit these gifts will be made manifest in our lives so that each one of us will bear fruit (Gal 5:22) to help us live an abundant life (Jn 10:10) that he has promised. In the same way, when we allow these spiritual gifts to bear fruit, loving God and neighbor will become second nature to us all.
This parable for today shows us in very clear terms that when the Master of the household returns the accounting we need to make of the talents he left with his servants. This is a prefigurement of the second coming of Jesus and that he will conduct an audit of how we lived our lives given the fact that he gifted us with talents and Jesus who is our Master will naturally want to know how we made use of these.
Different versions of the Scriptures have different description of what was given to the servants. There are some versions that speak of bags of gold, but common to most versions tell of talents given to the servants. In those days, a talent is measured in terms of weight such that a talent is equal to 75 pounds or 34 kilograms. There were three types of metal element that were in use in the ancient times and these were copper, silver and gold with silver as the most common.
To one the Master left five talents. To the other he gave two talents and to the third servant one talent. Over the years, the talents that were given to the servants have been interpreted to mean the talents that each one of us possesses. Some turn out to be doctors, accountants, engineers, nurses, teachers, chefs, businessmen and if we are to equate ourselves with the third servant some may be doing what to us may be menial tasks such as laborers, peons, or street sweepers.
And this parable speak about stewardship for it shows us that we are merely managers and not owners of whatever has been entrusted to us and that our talents are to be used not only for our own benefit but for the benefit of others and not buried as what the third servant did.
In other words, the Master of our household who is Jesus expects us not only to make use of what he gave us but he expects us to be faithful in the way that we render our service. In our lifetime, we actually may not be as successful as others have in terms of wealth, fame, influence and fame but this is not as important as our faithfulness in serving God and our neighbor with what has been entrusted to us.
Our failure to present something of what we did with our talent and gifts would only indicate either laziness on our part or indifference and lack of respect to Our Lord to whom we should all be beholden and grateful for whatever state in life we are in and this is what is depicted in the servant who did not make use of his talent.
This parable is all about gifts the Lord gives and entrusts to us and in our Community we speak of gifts in terms of: Pneumatika or the 9 Power Gifts (1 Cor12: 8-10) Tongues, Interpretation of Tongues, Prophecy, Wisdom, Knowledge, Discernment, Faith, Healing, and Miracles. Rom 12:3-8 also speak of the Charismata or the 7 Ministry Gifts: Prophecy, Giving, Service, Leading, Teaching, Mercy and Exhortation. We also have what we call Diakonia or the 5 Office Gifts described
in Eph 4:11-16 as Apostles, Pastors, Prophets, Teachers and Evangelists.
Differing gifts and or talents yes but these are inconsequential because what matters is how we make use of our talents and God does not demand from us the fruit of talents that we don’t have but God will require an accounting of what we did with the talents that we have. We may not all be equal in terms of talent given to us but we are all equal in terms of effort and this parable tells us that whatever talent we have must be used for the service of God.
The one who has prepared well by making use of his talent will be rewarded when Our Lord returns. The two servants who took risks were amply rewarded while the lazy servant who did not make use of his talent was punished because it would have been better if he had invested it and lost than to do nothing at all.
This is actually the lesson in this parable in that the only way we can progress in both our spiritual and temporal lives is to make use of our gifts and or talents but we must always remember that the fruitful exercise of these talents are not only meant for own edification but for the service of Our God and for the benefit of our neighbor.
When the Master returns I would not want to be caught unprepared and be labeled as a worthless servant because the alternative is something that many would not even want to imagine and that is to be thrown into darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (v.30).
We all must be on fire and the only way to do that and keep the fire aflame is to invest our talents in the service of our church or community and this is what will help us become a community of disciples who are inspired by the Holy Spirit to be living witnesses for transformation in Christ to bring about a world of justice, human development and true peace.
DON'T GET CAUGHT NAPPING
AUG. 30, 2013: TWENTY FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 1 Thes 4:1-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 97:1-2, 5-6, 10-12 “Rejoice in the Lord, you just!”
GOSPEL: MATT 25:1-13
Key Verse: “Therefore, stay awake…” (v.13)
In your lifetime, how many times have you been late for an important appointment either for an interview, a business meeting or to your dentist or family physician? There were even times when you ran late for an important seminar that you have been looking forward to or, to a show that you waited for ages to watch or, even to a Prayer Meeting or Eucharistic Celebration.
In most of these times, there is that feeling of frustration and dejection mainly because you knew you missed the opportunity to be employed, to close a transaction and or, you missed the most important part you wanted to hear from the speaker of the seminar or, to some extent the homily of the priest-celebrant.
Today’s Gospel also speak of the consequences of being unprepared when Our God comes to bind us unto Himself as in a wedding feast. And to be able to fully grasp the message that lie beneath this parable we must try to understand the Jewish culture when it comes to wedding feasts.
The Jewish wedding feast normally lasts for about a week at which time the bride, her family, relatives and friends wait with joyful expectation for the arrival of the bridegroom. Nobody knows exactly when the bridegroom will arrive although he is usually preceded by a barker who announces his coming.
But the actual date and time of his coming was always shrouded in mystery and in those days it was customary for everyone involved in the wedding feast to just wait at which time everyone should have already prepared and or, are preparing for the arrival of the bridegroom.
The parable of the ten bridesmaids is a lesson for us in terms of what we are supposed to do while waiting for the second coming of Our Lord Jesus the Christ. Unlike the five bridesmaids, we should not take our salvation for granted and or assume that Our Lord may be delayed. What if he comes tonight or tomorrow or this coming weekend and he finds us without oil in our lamps.
The fact is that we cannot take risks when it comes to our salvation such that God has actually given us all the time and space, the opportunities and the venues to prepare ourselves for His coming and it is now up to us if we are going to keep a watchful attitude as we wait on the Lord or are we going to take our chance and suffer the tragedy that befell the Jews who did not prepare for the coming of Jesus Christ.
But this is precisely what many of us find ourselves in. Amidst the mundane concerns of the world around us, the pay that is no longer enough for our daily sustenance, the promotion that is long overdue, our children who have gone astray, family ties that are in a quandary, we are just so filled with problems that nag us from the rising to the setting of the sun and it is this busyness of our lives that prevents us from keeping enough oil to keep the fire in our lamps burning.
Again this reminds us of what those involved in the P10-billion pork barrel scam were thinking when they agreed to be a party to what it now appears as a plunderous raid on the coffers of the government. Was this their way of preparing for the coming of the bridegroom? Should they have not prepared the oil in their lamps so that they will be ready when he comes?
Minute as it may seem but the oil plays an important part in this parable because it is the oil that keeps the lamps burning and it is necessary that we keep as much oil for our lamps. Symbolically, the lamp is our heart and the fire is the love that comes from our hearts.
What keeps the fire going is the oil or the means that we employ to keep our hearts burning. These may come in the form of our faithful attendance in our Prayer Meetings, Bible Sharing Circles or Bible Study Groups, personal and conjugal prayers accompanied by fasting, acts of charity such as alms-giving, and serving in the mission fields by feeding the hungry, giving drink to those who are thirsty, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and those in prison.
These are all personal to us which means that we have to have all these as oil to keep the fire in our lamps as these cannot be borrowed and this is the same with our relationships either with God or with our loved one because whatever relationship we have is personal to us.
And the lesson for us is it is better to prepare while there is still time and not wait until it’s too late. Solomon said in Eccl 9:10 “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might.”
William Shakespeare also once said: “Better three hours too soon than a minute too late.” Since I came to the renewal through the BLD and committed to give myself in the service of Our God, I have always made it a point to be early by at least 15 minutes for the Celebration of the Holy Eucharist and at the Community Prayer Meetings. We all need to be careful that we don’t develop the habit of coming late to our church and community activities.
Attitude is something we cannot borrow from other people as with the oil to keep our hearts burning with love. We have to have the oil ourselves to keep the fire burning for it is only in this way that we can be ready and prepared when Our Lord comes.
Let me end with the thought of somebody who said to himself “I will follow the Lord one of these days.” Sadly, that person never saw that day in his life when Our Lord Jesus called him before he could even see “one of these days.” This is the same with us, as we cannot stall for time in making our commitment to serve the Lord because time is something we don’t have. Time is with the Lord’s.
1st Reading: 1 Thes 4:1-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 97:1-2, 5-6, 10-12 “Rejoice in the Lord, you just!”
GOSPEL: MATT 25:1-13
Key Verse: “Therefore, stay awake…” (v.13)
In your lifetime, how many times have you been late for an important appointment either for an interview, a business meeting or to your dentist or family physician? There were even times when you ran late for an important seminar that you have been looking forward to or, to a show that you waited for ages to watch or, even to a Prayer Meeting or Eucharistic Celebration.
In most of these times, there is that feeling of frustration and dejection mainly because you knew you missed the opportunity to be employed, to close a transaction and or, you missed the most important part you wanted to hear from the speaker of the seminar or, to some extent the homily of the priest-celebrant.
Today’s Gospel also speak of the consequences of being unprepared when Our God comes to bind us unto Himself as in a wedding feast. And to be able to fully grasp the message that lie beneath this parable we must try to understand the Jewish culture when it comes to wedding feasts.
The Jewish wedding feast normally lasts for about a week at which time the bride, her family, relatives and friends wait with joyful expectation for the arrival of the bridegroom. Nobody knows exactly when the bridegroom will arrive although he is usually preceded by a barker who announces his coming.
But the actual date and time of his coming was always shrouded in mystery and in those days it was customary for everyone involved in the wedding feast to just wait at which time everyone should have already prepared and or, are preparing for the arrival of the bridegroom.
The parable of the ten bridesmaids is a lesson for us in terms of what we are supposed to do while waiting for the second coming of Our Lord Jesus the Christ. Unlike the five bridesmaids, we should not take our salvation for granted and or assume that Our Lord may be delayed. What if he comes tonight or tomorrow or this coming weekend and he finds us without oil in our lamps.
The fact is that we cannot take risks when it comes to our salvation such that God has actually given us all the time and space, the opportunities and the venues to prepare ourselves for His coming and it is now up to us if we are going to keep a watchful attitude as we wait on the Lord or are we going to take our chance and suffer the tragedy that befell the Jews who did not prepare for the coming of Jesus Christ.
But this is precisely what many of us find ourselves in. Amidst the mundane concerns of the world around us, the pay that is no longer enough for our daily sustenance, the promotion that is long overdue, our children who have gone astray, family ties that are in a quandary, we are just so filled with problems that nag us from the rising to the setting of the sun and it is this busyness of our lives that prevents us from keeping enough oil to keep the fire in our lamps burning.
Again this reminds us of what those involved in the P10-billion pork barrel scam were thinking when they agreed to be a party to what it now appears as a plunderous raid on the coffers of the government. Was this their way of preparing for the coming of the bridegroom? Should they have not prepared the oil in their lamps so that they will be ready when he comes?
Minute as it may seem but the oil plays an important part in this parable because it is the oil that keeps the lamps burning and it is necessary that we keep as much oil for our lamps. Symbolically, the lamp is our heart and the fire is the love that comes from our hearts.
What keeps the fire going is the oil or the means that we employ to keep our hearts burning. These may come in the form of our faithful attendance in our Prayer Meetings, Bible Sharing Circles or Bible Study Groups, personal and conjugal prayers accompanied by fasting, acts of charity such as alms-giving, and serving in the mission fields by feeding the hungry, giving drink to those who are thirsty, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and those in prison.
These are all personal to us which means that we have to have all these as oil to keep the fire in our lamps as these cannot be borrowed and this is the same with our relationships either with God or with our loved one because whatever relationship we have is personal to us.
And the lesson for us is it is better to prepare while there is still time and not wait until it’s too late. Solomon said in Eccl 9:10 “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might.”
William Shakespeare also once said: “Better three hours too soon than a minute too late.” Since I came to the renewal through the BLD and committed to give myself in the service of Our God, I have always made it a point to be early by at least 15 minutes for the Celebration of the Holy Eucharist and at the Community Prayer Meetings. We all need to be careful that we don’t develop the habit of coming late to our church and community activities.
Attitude is something we cannot borrow from other people as with the oil to keep our hearts burning with love. We have to have the oil ourselves to keep the fire burning for it is only in this way that we can be ready and prepared when Our Lord comes.
Let me end with the thought of somebody who said to himself “I will follow the Lord one of these days.” Sadly, that person never saw that day in his life when Our Lord Jesus called him before he could even see “one of these days.” This is the same with us, as we cannot stall for time in making our commitment to serve the Lord because time is something we don’t have. Time is with the Lord’s.
CAN YOU STAND UP FOR JESUS?
AUG. 29, 2013: THE PASSION OF JOHN THE BAPIST
1st Reading: Jer 1:17-19
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 71:1-6, 15, 17 “I will sing your salvation.”
GOSPEL: MK 6:17-29
Key Verse: “… yet he liked to listen to him.” (v.20)
Just like the other Gospel narratives of Jesus, this particular account of Mark is replete with messages which could also be taken as an instruction for us who consider ourselves as Christians and, thus can be regarded as followers of Christ.
Just like the Gospel passage today which tells of the beheading of John the Baptist and we can appreciate the substance of this narrative if we will try to digest the two parts in this passage to help us extract the underlying message of what Jesus wants to convey to us.
The first part tells of the main characters in this Gospel – Herod Antipas or Herod the Tetrarch who ruled part of the kingdom left by his father Herod the Great who is known to have ordered the massacre of the little children in Bethlehem.
The story speaks of Herod Antipas who feared John the Baptist because he spoke the truth about his adulterous relationship with Herodias. But he also respected John because he knew that he was a man of unquestionable integrity and that many people believe in the evangelist.
And this is where we can also draw some form of parallelism because this oddity in the character of Herod can also be found in many of us who unknowingly are treading on two parallel courses in our spiritual and temporal journey.
We may be faithful in our attendance in the Eucharistic Celebrations or the Mass and also in Prayer Meetings if we belong to a community or prayer group and we lift up our hands and say “yes Lord,” “Amen, Lord” but our temporal lives do not reflect any of the spirituality that we have when we are in the spiritual setting.
The sin of Herod was that he gave in to his impulsive nature when he failed to discern the request of Salome, the daughter of Herodias, for the head of John to be delivered on a plate. Such impulsiveness is not new to some of us who at times also lose our sense of right judgment and we do things that we regret afterwards.
There was someone who once said “there are quick decisions and there are good decisions” but it is very seldom that a man will arrive at a good quick decision. There was no doubt that Herod made a bad quick decision but have we asked ourselves how many times have we also made a quick decision that turned awry or bad.
Herod was drunk at the time and he failed to rein in his impulsive nature and this is what Paul warns in his letter: “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery (riotous living). Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit.” (Eph 5:18) I’m sure those who at one time or another have experienced getting drunk will agree with Paul’s admonition because there are things we do with wild abandon when drunkenness affects our decision-making process.
In this present generation, drunkenness no longer refers to the consumption of alcoholic drinks but there are people who also get drunk because of the tremendous power and authority they hold. Some get drunk from the wealth, influence, and fame that they enjoy and recent events have provided us with actual examples of how people can get drunk from their possessions.
And the personalities who were dragged into the “pork barrel” scam that include elected public officials have only themselves to blame. Drink moderately is an oft-repeated advice to those who gather for a drinking session and perhaps those involved in the PDAF imbroglio should have heeded these words of caution that anything in excess is bad.
The second part of this Gospel instructs us on how to go about our mission to make disciples of all nations (Matt 28:18) and this time, the model to which Mark is leading us is John the Baptist.
What Mark is telling us is that for anyone who would like to be a disciple of Jesus Christ and take over the mission he left behind following his Ascension to heaven, we all must have the courage and the boldness to speak the truth.
John had the courage to rebuke Herod for his adulterous relationship with Herodias who was previously married to his brother Herod Philip. Herodias herself is the daughter of Aristobulus, one of the half-brothers of Herod Antipas. In effect, Herodias is actually the niece of Herod Antipas. And this adulterous and incestuous relationship was what John spoke against which earned the ire of Herodias who plotted to eliminate John.
It is this character of John the Baptist who never minced any words to speak the truth that Mark is trying to show to us in that anyone who will want to take over where Jesus and the Apostles have left will have to do what John the Baptist did – to speak the truth to the point of death.
As evangelists or catechists whose primary duty is to bring the unbelievers and the doubters to Jesus Christ, this example of John is the model that Jesus is asking us to follow. Historical accounts claim that Herod Antipas had talked to John to soften his critique of the former’s relationship with Herodias but John stood his ground and risked is life rather than compromise.
We who are now tasked with bringing the Gospel of Christ to others can take the same path that John the Baptist took when he placed his life in the hands of God and the Catechism of the Catholic Church provides us an inspiration when it said in Para 2471:“Before Pilate, Christ proclaims that he "has come into the world, to bear witness to the truth." The Christian is not to "be ashamed then of testifying to our Lord." In situations that require witness to the faith, the Christian must profess it without equivocation, after the example of St. Paul before his judges. We must keep "a clear conscience toward God and toward men."
Like John the Baptist, we are to bear witness to the truth and as Christians we must not be ashamed of testifying to what the Lord has done in our lives. We are actually the gospel that we preach and teach such that it is imperative that others must see Jesus present in our lives. This was what John the Baptist did. He spoke the truth. He was the conscience of God and he gave his life for the truth.
1st Reading: Jer 1:17-19
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 71:1-6, 15, 17 “I will sing your salvation.”
GOSPEL: MK 6:17-29
Key Verse: “… yet he liked to listen to him.” (v.20)
Just like the other Gospel narratives of Jesus, this particular account of Mark is replete with messages which could also be taken as an instruction for us who consider ourselves as Christians and, thus can be regarded as followers of Christ.
Just like the Gospel passage today which tells of the beheading of John the Baptist and we can appreciate the substance of this narrative if we will try to digest the two parts in this passage to help us extract the underlying message of what Jesus wants to convey to us.
The first part tells of the main characters in this Gospel – Herod Antipas or Herod the Tetrarch who ruled part of the kingdom left by his father Herod the Great who is known to have ordered the massacre of the little children in Bethlehem.
The story speaks of Herod Antipas who feared John the Baptist because he spoke the truth about his adulterous relationship with Herodias. But he also respected John because he knew that he was a man of unquestionable integrity and that many people believe in the evangelist.
And this is where we can also draw some form of parallelism because this oddity in the character of Herod can also be found in many of us who unknowingly are treading on two parallel courses in our spiritual and temporal journey.
We may be faithful in our attendance in the Eucharistic Celebrations or the Mass and also in Prayer Meetings if we belong to a community or prayer group and we lift up our hands and say “yes Lord,” “Amen, Lord” but our temporal lives do not reflect any of the spirituality that we have when we are in the spiritual setting.
The sin of Herod was that he gave in to his impulsive nature when he failed to discern the request of Salome, the daughter of Herodias, for the head of John to be delivered on a plate. Such impulsiveness is not new to some of us who at times also lose our sense of right judgment and we do things that we regret afterwards.
There was someone who once said “there are quick decisions and there are good decisions” but it is very seldom that a man will arrive at a good quick decision. There was no doubt that Herod made a bad quick decision but have we asked ourselves how many times have we also made a quick decision that turned awry or bad.
Herod was drunk at the time and he failed to rein in his impulsive nature and this is what Paul warns in his letter: “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery (riotous living). Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit.” (Eph 5:18) I’m sure those who at one time or another have experienced getting drunk will agree with Paul’s admonition because there are things we do with wild abandon when drunkenness affects our decision-making process.
In this present generation, drunkenness no longer refers to the consumption of alcoholic drinks but there are people who also get drunk because of the tremendous power and authority they hold. Some get drunk from the wealth, influence, and fame that they enjoy and recent events have provided us with actual examples of how people can get drunk from their possessions.
And the personalities who were dragged into the “pork barrel” scam that include elected public officials have only themselves to blame. Drink moderately is an oft-repeated advice to those who gather for a drinking session and perhaps those involved in the PDAF imbroglio should have heeded these words of caution that anything in excess is bad.
The second part of this Gospel instructs us on how to go about our mission to make disciples of all nations (Matt 28:18) and this time, the model to which Mark is leading us is John the Baptist.
What Mark is telling us is that for anyone who would like to be a disciple of Jesus Christ and take over the mission he left behind following his Ascension to heaven, we all must have the courage and the boldness to speak the truth.
John had the courage to rebuke Herod for his adulterous relationship with Herodias who was previously married to his brother Herod Philip. Herodias herself is the daughter of Aristobulus, one of the half-brothers of Herod Antipas. In effect, Herodias is actually the niece of Herod Antipas. And this adulterous and incestuous relationship was what John spoke against which earned the ire of Herodias who plotted to eliminate John.
It is this character of John the Baptist who never minced any words to speak the truth that Mark is trying to show to us in that anyone who will want to take over where Jesus and the Apostles have left will have to do what John the Baptist did – to speak the truth to the point of death.
As evangelists or catechists whose primary duty is to bring the unbelievers and the doubters to Jesus Christ, this example of John is the model that Jesus is asking us to follow. Historical accounts claim that Herod Antipas had talked to John to soften his critique of the former’s relationship with Herodias but John stood his ground and risked is life rather than compromise.
We who are now tasked with bringing the Gospel of Christ to others can take the same path that John the Baptist took when he placed his life in the hands of God and the Catechism of the Catholic Church provides us an inspiration when it said in Para 2471:“Before Pilate, Christ proclaims that he "has come into the world, to bear witness to the truth." The Christian is not to "be ashamed then of testifying to our Lord." In situations that require witness to the faith, the Christian must profess it without equivocation, after the example of St. Paul before his judges. We must keep "a clear conscience toward God and toward men."
Like John the Baptist, we are to bear witness to the truth and as Christians we must not be ashamed of testifying to what the Lord has done in our lives. We are actually the gospel that we preach and teach such that it is imperative that others must see Jesus present in our lives. This was what John the Baptist did. He spoke the truth. He was the conscience of God and he gave his life for the truth.
ALL YE HYPOCRITES, BEWARE!
AUG. 28, 2013: ST. AUGUSTINE, Bishop and Doctor
1st Reading: 1 Thes 2:9-13
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 139:7-12 “You have searched me and you know me, Lord.”
GOSPEL: MATT 23:27-32
Key Verse: “… but inside you are evil…” (v.28)
In last Sunday’s issue of the New York Times supplement that comes with the Manila Bulletin was a story about Pei-Shen Qian, a 73-year old Chinese immigrant who settled in Queens, New York sometime in 1981. The NY Times reported that he was under investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for producing numerous paintings and drawings that carried the signatures of artistic giants like Jackson Pollock, Barnett Newman, Robert Motherwell among others that were being sold by an art dealer as authentic art pieces.
The fraudulent scheme collapsed when several buyers began questioning the authenticity of the paintings and the FBI was called in when buyers demanded a reimbursement of their money.
Presented with a faithful reproduction of expensive art pieces the question you might ask yourself is how can you tell what is real or fake, genuine or counterfeit? Because the buyers in this case trusted the credibility and integrity of the art dealers they threw caution in the wind and did not as a rule brought in an expert to authenticate the paintings.
In my younger days when I used to smoke less than three packs of imported “blue seal” cigarettes which was the status symbol at the time, I somehow developed the ability to spot the difference between a genuine imported Marlboro cigarette from a fake. I remember that even blue denims were being faked in those days.
Today, we still are witness to fakes and counterfeits especially in the political milieu where we are treated to some elected officials who fit into the mold of the Pharisees whom Jesus had described in this gospel passage as hypocrites. Now that the improper and unethical use of the pork barrel funds has been made public, it comes as no surprise how many of our legislators could afford suits made by well known signature brands like “Ferragamo, Boss, Armani, and Versace.”
These officials probably thought that wearing these signature brands will make them credible and would raise the level of their integrity but outward appearances can be deceptive. In fact, the prophet Isaiah had prophesied that the Messiah would not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth (Isa 11:3-4).
In today’s gospel, Jesus used strong language to warn the religious leaders about the vanity of appearance and pretense. In his time, Palestine tombs were often placed by the roadside. The tombs were painted white which made them glisten in the noonday sun, especially around the time of the great feasts, so that the people would not accidently touch them and make them impure.
Jesus had warned that what truly corrupts a person is not ritual impurity but the impurity of sinful attitudes – such as pride, envy, gluttony, sloth, lust, avarice and wrath – that lead to sinful behavior. The scribes and Pharisees were intensely religious in their outward observances, but these did not jibe with the inner disposition of their hearts. They not only neglected the poor and the weak, but they were intolerant towards anyone who challenged their idea of religion.
Jesus criticized the religious leaders for the incongruity in the way they urged the Jews to follow the law that they themselves ignored and abused. Outwardly, they impressed upon the people their admiration for the prophets by building their tombs but the truth was that they ignored Word of God that the prophets proclaimed. They refused to accept Jesus as the Messiah because their hearts were hardened to the truth voice of God.
But this contradiction in the way the Pharisees display their external religiosity which was not compatible with their inner spirituality was not only akin in the time of Jesus because even today we are confronted with religious leaders who live dichotomous lives and we see them in the church or spiritual community for that matter.
In the same way, those who have made a decision to pursue our lives outside the ambit of God’s grace can be likened to the Pharisees because any action that they take sans prayerful discernment and which runs counter to the Will of God is in truth a rejection of God.
Such hypocrisy can still happen today and as Shakespeare said once that a man may smile and smile and remain a villain. In similar fashion, a man in church can also walk with his head bowed and walk in a reverential manner with his hands folded in humble fashion and yet look with contempt at others whom he regard as sinners.
Barclay also wrote in one of his commentaries that there is nothing harder than for a good man not to know that he is good, and once he knows that he is good, his goodness is gone, however he may appear to men from the outside.
The underlying message in today’s gospel is that only the humble of heart can receive from God the gift of true wisdom and understanding, forgiveness and healing. Jesus assures us that the Holy Spirit is always ready to renew our minds and hearts and to instruct us God's way of love and holiness.
1st Reading: 1 Thes 2:9-13
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 139:7-12 “You have searched me and you know me, Lord.”
GOSPEL: MATT 23:27-32
Key Verse: “… but inside you are evil…” (v.28)
In last Sunday’s issue of the New York Times supplement that comes with the Manila Bulletin was a story about Pei-Shen Qian, a 73-year old Chinese immigrant who settled in Queens, New York sometime in 1981. The NY Times reported that he was under investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for producing numerous paintings and drawings that carried the signatures of artistic giants like Jackson Pollock, Barnett Newman, Robert Motherwell among others that were being sold by an art dealer as authentic art pieces.
The fraudulent scheme collapsed when several buyers began questioning the authenticity of the paintings and the FBI was called in when buyers demanded a reimbursement of their money.
Presented with a faithful reproduction of expensive art pieces the question you might ask yourself is how can you tell what is real or fake, genuine or counterfeit? Because the buyers in this case trusted the credibility and integrity of the art dealers they threw caution in the wind and did not as a rule brought in an expert to authenticate the paintings.
In my younger days when I used to smoke less than three packs of imported “blue seal” cigarettes which was the status symbol at the time, I somehow developed the ability to spot the difference between a genuine imported Marlboro cigarette from a fake. I remember that even blue denims were being faked in those days.
Today, we still are witness to fakes and counterfeits especially in the political milieu where we are treated to some elected officials who fit into the mold of the Pharisees whom Jesus had described in this gospel passage as hypocrites. Now that the improper and unethical use of the pork barrel funds has been made public, it comes as no surprise how many of our legislators could afford suits made by well known signature brands like “Ferragamo, Boss, Armani, and Versace.”
These officials probably thought that wearing these signature brands will make them credible and would raise the level of their integrity but outward appearances can be deceptive. In fact, the prophet Isaiah had prophesied that the Messiah would not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth (Isa 11:3-4).
In today’s gospel, Jesus used strong language to warn the religious leaders about the vanity of appearance and pretense. In his time, Palestine tombs were often placed by the roadside. The tombs were painted white which made them glisten in the noonday sun, especially around the time of the great feasts, so that the people would not accidently touch them and make them impure.
Jesus had warned that what truly corrupts a person is not ritual impurity but the impurity of sinful attitudes – such as pride, envy, gluttony, sloth, lust, avarice and wrath – that lead to sinful behavior. The scribes and Pharisees were intensely religious in their outward observances, but these did not jibe with the inner disposition of their hearts. They not only neglected the poor and the weak, but they were intolerant towards anyone who challenged their idea of religion.
Jesus criticized the religious leaders for the incongruity in the way they urged the Jews to follow the law that they themselves ignored and abused. Outwardly, they impressed upon the people their admiration for the prophets by building their tombs but the truth was that they ignored Word of God that the prophets proclaimed. They refused to accept Jesus as the Messiah because their hearts were hardened to the truth voice of God.
But this contradiction in the way the Pharisees display their external religiosity which was not compatible with their inner spirituality was not only akin in the time of Jesus because even today we are confronted with religious leaders who live dichotomous lives and we see them in the church or spiritual community for that matter.
In the same way, those who have made a decision to pursue our lives outside the ambit of God’s grace can be likened to the Pharisees because any action that they take sans prayerful discernment and which runs counter to the Will of God is in truth a rejection of God.
Such hypocrisy can still happen today and as Shakespeare said once that a man may smile and smile and remain a villain. In similar fashion, a man in church can also walk with his head bowed and walk in a reverential manner with his hands folded in humble fashion and yet look with contempt at others whom he regard as sinners.
Barclay also wrote in one of his commentaries that there is nothing harder than for a good man not to know that he is good, and once he knows that he is good, his goodness is gone, however he may appear to men from the outside.
The underlying message in today’s gospel is that only the humble of heart can receive from God the gift of true wisdom and understanding, forgiveness and healing. Jesus assures us that the Holy Spirit is always ready to renew our minds and hearts and to instruct us God's way of love and holiness.
JUSTICE IS WHAT IS IMPORTANT
AUG. 27, 2013: ST. MONICA
1st Reading: 1 Thes 2:1-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 139:1-6 “You have searched me and you know me Lord”
GOSPEL: MATT 23:23-26
Key Verse: “..you have neglected… justice, mercy and faith.” (v.23)
If you will only look closely at the events that led to the “Million People March” as a form of protest against the so-called pork barrel allocation given to legislators, you will find some resemblance between the gospel passage for today and the stench of corruption that has been sweeping our social and political milieu here in the Philippines.
Some of the legislators involved in this scam will probably try to wiggle their way out of the mess by claiming good intentions in the way their pork barrel funds were appropriated but the manner by which these funds have been diverted elsewhere belie such claims.
But no matter how much good there is in their intentions, the gospel today indicates that the first priority of those in authority is to ensure that justice is carried out to the fullest, that mercy is extended to the poor and the marginalized who have been deprived of basic services and to harmonize their words with their deeds in the practice of their faith.
And if the reports are true, the only ones whom the people see as having benefited from the good that the pork barrel system were the legislators who were clothed with the authority to direct the application of these funds and the individuals who facilitated these transactions.
Coming to the end of his critique of the burdensome practices that the Pharisees imposed on the Israelites which block their view of God, Jesus now drives homes the point that the injustice we perpetrate, our insincerity in our dealings with our neighbors and, our failure to respond to calls for help from our marginalized and impoverished brethren cannot be offset or replaced by our giving of tithes and or our outward display of good works.
When reading the Scriptures, we should always remember that the Word of God especially the Gospels were written for specific audiences to address the needs at the time and, Jesus is still using these same words to talk to us and the beauty of it all is that with the advent of modern communication tools we are now in a better position to grasp the substance and meaning of the Gospel message than the people in the time of Jesus.
If some persist in their ungodly ways, do not blame it on Jesus or on the message but on them who receive or hear of the Word of God because even during the time of Jesus, there were the Pharisees who listened to his discourses but they lent a deaf ear to what he was saying. The truth was they actually rejected him and his teachings.
And this same scenario still exists today as there are among us who have dichotomize our lives with one half attached to Jesus and the other half remaining in the world and all its allurements. We know fully well that this cannot be and that at some point in time we have to choose between salvation and damnation.
There is nothing wrong with tithing as mentioned in this and the previous passage because this is necessary to upbuild the Church and or the religious Community to which we belong but what is wrong is when we tithe, give love offerings and or, donate to projects our motivation is to either impress others or to compensate for our inability to get involved in the mission of the Church which is to evangelize or bring the message of salvation to others.
I know of several men who gave generously to the Church but the manner by which they lived their lives are opposed to the pious image they projected as patrons of the parishes to which they belong. And many times, we too are like the Pharisees. We religiously attend the weekly Prayer Meetings, Bible Reflection in our Ministry and we serve in the outreach programs of our community and we give generously at every opportunity.
But we tend to forget that there is another world outside of our Church and or Community that is suffering from injustice, insincerity of the temporal leaders to deliver their promise to alleviate the plight of the poor and, the thousands who do not have food on their tables, those who are sick who have no means to seek medical attention, those who cannot read or write. Not that we are judging the actions of our public officials but this is where they probably are in error especially when what they do is not what they say.
This was what Jesus was telling the Pharisees then and he is telling us now in that there shouldn’t be any difference between such outward actions relative to our religion and our devotion to Our God. Both must complement each other in order for us to merit the favor of God.
Jesus ends by equating the attitude of the Pharisees to an unclean vessel and a person who is considered as ceremonially unclean is prohibited from entering the Synagogue and or prevented from worshipping God.
In fact, sin which makes us unclean bars us from entering the Kingdom of God and this is specifically stated in Para 1861 of the CCC: “It results in the loss of charity and the privation of sanctifying grace, that is, of the state of grace. If it is not redeemed by repentance and God's forgiveness, it causes exclusion from Christ's Kingdom and the eternal death of hell, for our freedom has the power to make choices for ever, with no turning back. However, although we can judge that an act is in itself a grave offense, we must entrust judgment of persons to the justice and mercy of God.”
Jesus condemned the Pharisees for outwardly appearing upright and holy but are full of corruption and greed on the inside. Pretending to be a Christian and putting up a mask for others to see is like washing the outside of the cup.
I remember asking an elderly man what is it that makes him look younger than his age and without any sign of hesitation he said it is what is inside of him that makes all the difference. When I pressed him to elaborate, he said he doesn’t think ill of anyone. He holds no grudge nor does he keep rancor and recrimination against anyone in his heart. He said he doesn’t turn his back on anyone and he helps those who are in need. He prays, goes to Church and receives the Eucharist daily.
In other words, this elderly man was simply trying to follow the two greatest commandments of Jesus and that is “to love God and to love our neighbor as well.” And this is what Jesus is telling us now because only those who are clean on the inside can enter the Kingdom of God.
1st Reading: 1 Thes 2:1-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 139:1-6 “You have searched me and you know me Lord”
GOSPEL: MATT 23:23-26
Key Verse: “..you have neglected… justice, mercy and faith.” (v.23)
If you will only look closely at the events that led to the “Million People March” as a form of protest against the so-called pork barrel allocation given to legislators, you will find some resemblance between the gospel passage for today and the stench of corruption that has been sweeping our social and political milieu here in the Philippines.
Some of the legislators involved in this scam will probably try to wiggle their way out of the mess by claiming good intentions in the way their pork barrel funds were appropriated but the manner by which these funds have been diverted elsewhere belie such claims.
But no matter how much good there is in their intentions, the gospel today indicates that the first priority of those in authority is to ensure that justice is carried out to the fullest, that mercy is extended to the poor and the marginalized who have been deprived of basic services and to harmonize their words with their deeds in the practice of their faith.
And if the reports are true, the only ones whom the people see as having benefited from the good that the pork barrel system were the legislators who were clothed with the authority to direct the application of these funds and the individuals who facilitated these transactions.
Coming to the end of his critique of the burdensome practices that the Pharisees imposed on the Israelites which block their view of God, Jesus now drives homes the point that the injustice we perpetrate, our insincerity in our dealings with our neighbors and, our failure to respond to calls for help from our marginalized and impoverished brethren cannot be offset or replaced by our giving of tithes and or our outward display of good works.
When reading the Scriptures, we should always remember that the Word of God especially the Gospels were written for specific audiences to address the needs at the time and, Jesus is still using these same words to talk to us and the beauty of it all is that with the advent of modern communication tools we are now in a better position to grasp the substance and meaning of the Gospel message than the people in the time of Jesus.
If some persist in their ungodly ways, do not blame it on Jesus or on the message but on them who receive or hear of the Word of God because even during the time of Jesus, there were the Pharisees who listened to his discourses but they lent a deaf ear to what he was saying. The truth was they actually rejected him and his teachings.
And this same scenario still exists today as there are among us who have dichotomize our lives with one half attached to Jesus and the other half remaining in the world and all its allurements. We know fully well that this cannot be and that at some point in time we have to choose between salvation and damnation.
There is nothing wrong with tithing as mentioned in this and the previous passage because this is necessary to upbuild the Church and or the religious Community to which we belong but what is wrong is when we tithe, give love offerings and or, donate to projects our motivation is to either impress others or to compensate for our inability to get involved in the mission of the Church which is to evangelize or bring the message of salvation to others.
I know of several men who gave generously to the Church but the manner by which they lived their lives are opposed to the pious image they projected as patrons of the parishes to which they belong. And many times, we too are like the Pharisees. We religiously attend the weekly Prayer Meetings, Bible Reflection in our Ministry and we serve in the outreach programs of our community and we give generously at every opportunity.
But we tend to forget that there is another world outside of our Church and or Community that is suffering from injustice, insincerity of the temporal leaders to deliver their promise to alleviate the plight of the poor and, the thousands who do not have food on their tables, those who are sick who have no means to seek medical attention, those who cannot read or write. Not that we are judging the actions of our public officials but this is where they probably are in error especially when what they do is not what they say.
This was what Jesus was telling the Pharisees then and he is telling us now in that there shouldn’t be any difference between such outward actions relative to our religion and our devotion to Our God. Both must complement each other in order for us to merit the favor of God.
Jesus ends by equating the attitude of the Pharisees to an unclean vessel and a person who is considered as ceremonially unclean is prohibited from entering the Synagogue and or prevented from worshipping God.
In fact, sin which makes us unclean bars us from entering the Kingdom of God and this is specifically stated in Para 1861 of the CCC: “It results in the loss of charity and the privation of sanctifying grace, that is, of the state of grace. If it is not redeemed by repentance and God's forgiveness, it causes exclusion from Christ's Kingdom and the eternal death of hell, for our freedom has the power to make choices for ever, with no turning back. However, although we can judge that an act is in itself a grave offense, we must entrust judgment of persons to the justice and mercy of God.”
Jesus condemned the Pharisees for outwardly appearing upright and holy but are full of corruption and greed on the inside. Pretending to be a Christian and putting up a mask for others to see is like washing the outside of the cup.
I remember asking an elderly man what is it that makes him look younger than his age and without any sign of hesitation he said it is what is inside of him that makes all the difference. When I pressed him to elaborate, he said he doesn’t think ill of anyone. He holds no grudge nor does he keep rancor and recrimination against anyone in his heart. He said he doesn’t turn his back on anyone and he helps those who are in need. He prays, goes to Church and receives the Eucharist daily.
In other words, this elderly man was simply trying to follow the two greatest commandments of Jesus and that is “to love God and to love our neighbor as well.” And this is what Jesus is telling us now because only those who are clean on the inside can enter the Kingdom of God.
NOT WORTH THE RISK
AUG. 26, 2013: TWENTY FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 1 Thes 1:1-5, 8-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 149: 1-6, 9 “The Lord takes delight in his people.”
GOSPEL: MATT 23:13-22
Key Verse: “Woe to you blind guides…” (v.16)
As we watch the Million March against the Pork Barrel at the Luneta, we cannot help but be reminded of the untypical Jesus who seem to be venting his anger at the religious leaders in today’s Gospel passage who is the exact opposite of the meek and humble of heart that his disciples are familiar with. But there’s a reason for it. As time for his willed passion, death and resurrection nears, time is indeed short and there’s still so much to do.
While Jesus prior to this encounter may have criticized and or debated with the Scribes and the Pharisees, this was the first time that he used very strong words to unmask the attitude of the religious leaders whom he accused of setting up rules that block their view of God.
The Million People March against the PDAF is a case in point because the problem of graft and corruption lies not only in the disbursement of the pork barrel funds allocated to legislators but more of a problem of morality that stems from the low level of spirituality of the only Christian nation in Asia.
This situation I believe was caused by the declining influence of religious instruction especially to the youth and it was possible that those involved in the large scale misuse and plunder of government funds channeled through the pork barrel system were either not properly instructed on the foundations of the Christian faith or did not understand anything about the difference between the natural law and the moral law.
And if this was the case, we probably have to also look into how such catechetical instructions are given to our youth and to our people in general. In the same way that there are priests who cannot deliver a good homily that people leave after the Mass without anything they could carry in terms of spiritual lessons, it is possible that those delegated to provide these religious instructions may have come up short. In other words, those who were tasked to give catechetical instructions failed in their goal to introduce Jesus to their listeners.
The use of the word hypocrite reveals the sentiments of Jesus against the Pharisees as the Greek language point uses the word hypocrite to a person who acts a part, someone who wears a mask to cover his true feelings and or, one who puts on an external attitude that differs from his inner thoughts and feelings.
In other words, Jesus had unmasked the Pharisees as pretenders who have imposed stringent rules and practices that made it difficult for the people to know God. In short, Jesus exposed the Pharisees for substituting their own set of ideas for the truth that comes from God.
What Jesus was also pointing out in this Gospel is that a religion that focuses on deeds will put pressure on people to surpass others in what they know and do. It follows that a hypocritical teacher will most likely produce students who will become even more critical and what Jesus said remains valid some 2,000 years later because not so much has changed from that day till now.
Thus, in a Church or Community where new members are placed under the supervision and guidance of shepherds, coordinators and or, circle heads we must make sure that we are not creating Pharisees out of these new members by putting more emphasis on the set of rules, policies and statutes that every religious organization has.
We in the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community have our own set of policies that govern our Community which is referred to as the BLD Statutes. This includes not only the policy on governance but also the Community Values, Norms and Culture.
This is where the danger lurks and this Gospel should serve as a reminder for all of us to distinguish the path that we are treading because there is the possibility we may be leading the new members to an outward display of obedience instead of leading them to a transformative change of heart or what we charismatics call ‘metanoia.’ It presupposes that leaders of religious organizations such as the BLD in whatever ministry or apostolate they are in should have been evangelized first before they can evangelize.
The greatest danger in evangelization is when preachers and leaders are more concerned in bringing people to a Church and or Community as an institution than to Jesus with whom the Church and or Community should be in communion with.
To put order in a church or community setting, there is definitely a need for policies to be in place but these set of rules, policies and statutes should lead members into a realization of his person in relation to the image to which he has been created which means that insofar as we have all been created in the image and likeness of God, the primacy in the exercise of our religion should be to worship God and to do His Will.
Christians today and that includes us who have been baptized in the church are caught up with the mundane concerns of the social and political environment that we live in and this is the greatest challenge for us – that is to find God amidst the profanities that pervade in the world around us.
Our faith has been attacked by ungodly forces. The RH Law has been passed and renamed into the Responsible Parenthood Bill in an apparent reference that those who will oppose it are not responsible parents. In the United States, the legalization of abortion and same-sex marriage has altered the plan of God and this, for all intents and purposes, could be one of the factors for the economic recession now being experienced.
A blasphemous poster by an artist who admitted to be an atheist was exhibited at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. The only Christian nation in Asia is listed as among the most corrupt country in the world. Many religious leaders hunger for more power, money and status with some even dipping their hands in the political sector either as candidates to elective positions or to use their organizations to influence the outcome of the political exercise.
Now the question is who and what are we? What is our understanding of the church and community to which we belong and to which we were brought into by Our God? Is the community a social organization highlighted by external and outward display of charity? Or is it a venue for us to attain an inner renewal that will make it possible for us to see, to know and to worship God.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 2208 states that: “The family should live in such a way that its members learn to care and take responsibility for the young, the old, the sick, the handicapped, and the poor. There are many families who are at times incapable of providing this help. It devolves then on other persons, other families, and, in a subsidiary way, society to provide for their needs: "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained from the world."
And paragraph 583 of the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, an encyclical of Blessed John Paul II also says: “Charity is the greatest social commandment. It respects others and their rights. It requires the practice of justice and it alone makes us capable of it. Charity inspires a life of self-giving: ‘Whoever seeks to gain his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it' (Lk 17:33)”[1231]. Nor can love find its full expression solely in the earthly dimension of human relationships and social relations, because it is in relation to God that it finds its full effectiveness.”
Had our legislators and other government officials involved in this pork barrel scam received the proper religious instruction, they would have realized that public service is all about love not only for the self but more so love for God and others. And a life without Jesus is not worth the risk. Brothers and Sisters, the choice is yours!
1st Reading: 1 Thes 1:1-5, 8-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 149: 1-6, 9 “The Lord takes delight in his people.”
GOSPEL: MATT 23:13-22
Key Verse: “Woe to you blind guides…” (v.16)
As we watch the Million March against the Pork Barrel at the Luneta, we cannot help but be reminded of the untypical Jesus who seem to be venting his anger at the religious leaders in today’s Gospel passage who is the exact opposite of the meek and humble of heart that his disciples are familiar with. But there’s a reason for it. As time for his willed passion, death and resurrection nears, time is indeed short and there’s still so much to do.
While Jesus prior to this encounter may have criticized and or debated with the Scribes and the Pharisees, this was the first time that he used very strong words to unmask the attitude of the religious leaders whom he accused of setting up rules that block their view of God.
The Million People March against the PDAF is a case in point because the problem of graft and corruption lies not only in the disbursement of the pork barrel funds allocated to legislators but more of a problem of morality that stems from the low level of spirituality of the only Christian nation in Asia.
This situation I believe was caused by the declining influence of religious instruction especially to the youth and it was possible that those involved in the large scale misuse and plunder of government funds channeled through the pork barrel system were either not properly instructed on the foundations of the Christian faith or did not understand anything about the difference between the natural law and the moral law.
And if this was the case, we probably have to also look into how such catechetical instructions are given to our youth and to our people in general. In the same way that there are priests who cannot deliver a good homily that people leave after the Mass without anything they could carry in terms of spiritual lessons, it is possible that those delegated to provide these religious instructions may have come up short. In other words, those who were tasked to give catechetical instructions failed in their goal to introduce Jesus to their listeners.
The use of the word hypocrite reveals the sentiments of Jesus against the Pharisees as the Greek language point uses the word hypocrite to a person who acts a part, someone who wears a mask to cover his true feelings and or, one who puts on an external attitude that differs from his inner thoughts and feelings.
In other words, Jesus had unmasked the Pharisees as pretenders who have imposed stringent rules and practices that made it difficult for the people to know God. In short, Jesus exposed the Pharisees for substituting their own set of ideas for the truth that comes from God.
What Jesus was also pointing out in this Gospel is that a religion that focuses on deeds will put pressure on people to surpass others in what they know and do. It follows that a hypocritical teacher will most likely produce students who will become even more critical and what Jesus said remains valid some 2,000 years later because not so much has changed from that day till now.
Thus, in a Church or Community where new members are placed under the supervision and guidance of shepherds, coordinators and or, circle heads we must make sure that we are not creating Pharisees out of these new members by putting more emphasis on the set of rules, policies and statutes that every religious organization has.
We in the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community have our own set of policies that govern our Community which is referred to as the BLD Statutes. This includes not only the policy on governance but also the Community Values, Norms and Culture.
This is where the danger lurks and this Gospel should serve as a reminder for all of us to distinguish the path that we are treading because there is the possibility we may be leading the new members to an outward display of obedience instead of leading them to a transformative change of heart or what we charismatics call ‘metanoia.’ It presupposes that leaders of religious organizations such as the BLD in whatever ministry or apostolate they are in should have been evangelized first before they can evangelize.
The greatest danger in evangelization is when preachers and leaders are more concerned in bringing people to a Church and or Community as an institution than to Jesus with whom the Church and or Community should be in communion with.
To put order in a church or community setting, there is definitely a need for policies to be in place but these set of rules, policies and statutes should lead members into a realization of his person in relation to the image to which he has been created which means that insofar as we have all been created in the image and likeness of God, the primacy in the exercise of our religion should be to worship God and to do His Will.
Christians today and that includes us who have been baptized in the church are caught up with the mundane concerns of the social and political environment that we live in and this is the greatest challenge for us – that is to find God amidst the profanities that pervade in the world around us.
Our faith has been attacked by ungodly forces. The RH Law has been passed and renamed into the Responsible Parenthood Bill in an apparent reference that those who will oppose it are not responsible parents. In the United States, the legalization of abortion and same-sex marriage has altered the plan of God and this, for all intents and purposes, could be one of the factors for the economic recession now being experienced.
A blasphemous poster by an artist who admitted to be an atheist was exhibited at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. The only Christian nation in Asia is listed as among the most corrupt country in the world. Many religious leaders hunger for more power, money and status with some even dipping their hands in the political sector either as candidates to elective positions or to use their organizations to influence the outcome of the political exercise.
Now the question is who and what are we? What is our understanding of the church and community to which we belong and to which we were brought into by Our God? Is the community a social organization highlighted by external and outward display of charity? Or is it a venue for us to attain an inner renewal that will make it possible for us to see, to know and to worship God.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 2208 states that: “The family should live in such a way that its members learn to care and take responsibility for the young, the old, the sick, the handicapped, and the poor. There are many families who are at times incapable of providing this help. It devolves then on other persons, other families, and, in a subsidiary way, society to provide for their needs: "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained from the world."
And paragraph 583 of the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, an encyclical of Blessed John Paul II also says: “Charity is the greatest social commandment. It respects others and their rights. It requires the practice of justice and it alone makes us capable of it. Charity inspires a life of self-giving: ‘Whoever seeks to gain his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it' (Lk 17:33)”[1231]. Nor can love find its full expression solely in the earthly dimension of human relationships and social relations, because it is in relation to God that it finds its full effectiveness.”
Had our legislators and other government officials involved in this pork barrel scam received the proper religious instruction, they would have realized that public service is all about love not only for the self but more so love for God and others. And a life without Jesus is not worth the risk. Brothers and Sisters, the choice is yours!
THE ROAD TO SALVATION IS NARROW
AUG. 25, 2013: TWENTY FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Isa 66:18-21
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 117:1-2 “Go out to all the world and tell the good news.”
2nd Reading: Heb 12:5-7, 11-13
GOSPEL: Lk 13:22-30
Key Verse: “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.” (v.24)
Belief in God does not necessarily translate into a ticket to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Nor even a signed covenant such as what members of covenanted communities have can qualify a person to a membership in God’s kingdom because a man though he lives in a Christian setting is not necessarily a Christian.
This was what Christ emphasized in this passage in which Our Lord gave us a clear indication of what we all need to do to enter the Kingdom of Heaven as he also declared in very clear terms that not all will be saved.
For all intents and purposes, this passage points to the kingdom of God as an exclusive enclave that is open only to those who will be given their titles to their heavenly inheritance the right that they earned by sharing in the suffering of Christ
But Jesus, kind as he was, provided the man who asked how many will be saved with the word or disposition that man can use to unlock the mystery of the kingdom of Heaven. And the secret, he said, is for everyone to “strive” (v.24). The way this word was used in this passage refers to the struggle that an athlete has to contend with to win the prize.
In other words, we are to treat our lives and our desire to claim our inheritance as an athletic competition in which our eyes are set on fighting a good fight and running the race to win. Paul tells us in 2 Tim 4:7 “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.”
Lest our focus be deviated we all need to remember that life is a struggle against the lures of the material world that we live in. From the rising to the setting of the sun, our faith is constantly being put to a test when we face temptation, loss of loved ones, sickness, loss of jobs and income opportunities, family relationships rocked by division. There are a lot of challenges and trials we face and how we manage these will determine our reward.
I grew up in a big house in a ritzy part of the town, a house that my parents shared with the relatives of my mother. But we were poor compared to our neighbors and I equated comfort with wealth and power and I strove to have these. That opportunity came when I became a media practitioner and soon my pockets were filled with cash unmindful of the means by which these were sourced. What was important was the wealth and power I had. I thought I had everything. What I didn’t know then was that this wasn’t the plan of God for me and He found me at a time when business reversals almost put me back to where I was before.
God led me to rediscover my faith and he impressed upon me the need to repent of my sins and allow the Holy Spirit to transform my life and I am just glad that God found me at the right time. In this passage, Jesus spoke of the Heavenly kingdom as a narrow gate and indeed it is because the door becomes narrow when we persist in our sinfulness and refuse to repent and change.
Many times we want to claim our inheritance but without paying the cost of faith and obedience. We are fond of compromising our faith as I did in my past life. I went to Mass every Sunday and there was no doubt that I understood what the Mass was as I went to a Catholic school in my youth. I ate and drank with Jesus and I heard him speak but as I was to find out after the Lord found me that this was not enough.
This passage also has an eschatological dimension to it in that the door will be shut and there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth in apparent reference to those who will be left out of the kingdom of Heaven. Certainly this is something that we all don’t want to happen to us. So the question that we need to ask is why take the risk?
The main message of this Gospel is for us to repent so that we can enter through the door while there is still time. Jesus is the door, “I am the gate, whoever enters through me will be saved.” (Jn 10:9) There is no other way through which we can gain admission to the kingdom of God but to enter through Jesus. To enter in, we have to deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow him. This means a life of struggle but a life that is shared with Christ.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that to be called to suffering in this life is to be called into the mystery of Christ’s passion and to cooperate in the redemption of mankind. And suffering can be redemptive especially when we offer our trials and tribulations as our gift to Jesus to express our love through a costly way.
Paul reminds us in Rom 8:16-17 “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, the we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” To share in his glory is the reward that awaits those who will struggle in finishing the race.
Let me end by saying that the quality and standard of our lives will not be determined by our achievements and accomplishments, titles, honors, awards, fame and wealth but by how well we confront the adversities that we face in life. Attitude is the key to a glorious end but an attitude that is attuned to the Word of God. An attitude that will move us to integrate the Gospel values into our way of life and we have God’s assurance that we can do all things in Christ who strengthens us.
In this life, we just have to keep on running the race and keeping the faith and we will leave this world as winners. But we also need to cooperate with God. To God be the Glory!
1st Reading: Isa 66:18-21
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 117:1-2 “Go out to all the world and tell the good news.”
2nd Reading: Heb 12:5-7, 11-13
GOSPEL: Lk 13:22-30
Key Verse: “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.” (v.24)
Belief in God does not necessarily translate into a ticket to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Nor even a signed covenant such as what members of covenanted communities have can qualify a person to a membership in God’s kingdom because a man though he lives in a Christian setting is not necessarily a Christian.
This was what Christ emphasized in this passage in which Our Lord gave us a clear indication of what we all need to do to enter the Kingdom of Heaven as he also declared in very clear terms that not all will be saved.
For all intents and purposes, this passage points to the kingdom of God as an exclusive enclave that is open only to those who will be given their titles to their heavenly inheritance the right that they earned by sharing in the suffering of Christ
But Jesus, kind as he was, provided the man who asked how many will be saved with the word or disposition that man can use to unlock the mystery of the kingdom of Heaven. And the secret, he said, is for everyone to “strive” (v.24). The way this word was used in this passage refers to the struggle that an athlete has to contend with to win the prize.
In other words, we are to treat our lives and our desire to claim our inheritance as an athletic competition in which our eyes are set on fighting a good fight and running the race to win. Paul tells us in 2 Tim 4:7 “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.”
Lest our focus be deviated we all need to remember that life is a struggle against the lures of the material world that we live in. From the rising to the setting of the sun, our faith is constantly being put to a test when we face temptation, loss of loved ones, sickness, loss of jobs and income opportunities, family relationships rocked by division. There are a lot of challenges and trials we face and how we manage these will determine our reward.
I grew up in a big house in a ritzy part of the town, a house that my parents shared with the relatives of my mother. But we were poor compared to our neighbors and I equated comfort with wealth and power and I strove to have these. That opportunity came when I became a media practitioner and soon my pockets were filled with cash unmindful of the means by which these were sourced. What was important was the wealth and power I had. I thought I had everything. What I didn’t know then was that this wasn’t the plan of God for me and He found me at a time when business reversals almost put me back to where I was before.
God led me to rediscover my faith and he impressed upon me the need to repent of my sins and allow the Holy Spirit to transform my life and I am just glad that God found me at the right time. In this passage, Jesus spoke of the Heavenly kingdom as a narrow gate and indeed it is because the door becomes narrow when we persist in our sinfulness and refuse to repent and change.
Many times we want to claim our inheritance but without paying the cost of faith and obedience. We are fond of compromising our faith as I did in my past life. I went to Mass every Sunday and there was no doubt that I understood what the Mass was as I went to a Catholic school in my youth. I ate and drank with Jesus and I heard him speak but as I was to find out after the Lord found me that this was not enough.
This passage also has an eschatological dimension to it in that the door will be shut and there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth in apparent reference to those who will be left out of the kingdom of Heaven. Certainly this is something that we all don’t want to happen to us. So the question that we need to ask is why take the risk?
The main message of this Gospel is for us to repent so that we can enter through the door while there is still time. Jesus is the door, “I am the gate, whoever enters through me will be saved.” (Jn 10:9) There is no other way through which we can gain admission to the kingdom of God but to enter through Jesus. To enter in, we have to deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow him. This means a life of struggle but a life that is shared with Christ.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that to be called to suffering in this life is to be called into the mystery of Christ’s passion and to cooperate in the redemption of mankind. And suffering can be redemptive especially when we offer our trials and tribulations as our gift to Jesus to express our love through a costly way.
Paul reminds us in Rom 8:16-17 “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, the we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” To share in his glory is the reward that awaits those who will struggle in finishing the race.
Let me end by saying that the quality and standard of our lives will not be determined by our achievements and accomplishments, titles, honors, awards, fame and wealth but by how well we confront the adversities that we face in life. Attitude is the key to a glorious end but an attitude that is attuned to the Word of God. An attitude that will move us to integrate the Gospel values into our way of life and we have God’s assurance that we can do all things in Christ who strengthens us.
In this life, we just have to keep on running the race and keeping the faith and we will leave this world as winners. But we also need to cooperate with God. To God be the Glory!
ROAD TO PEACE ENDS IN JESUS
AUG. 24, 2011: FEAST OF ST. BARTHOLOMEW, Apostle (RED)
1st Reading: Rev. 21:9-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 145: 10-13, 17-18 “Your friends make known, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom”
GOSPEL: JN 1:45-51
Key Verse: “You will see something even greater.” (v.50)
If for some reason, someone who knew you are very much active in the church or in a renewal community and is going to ask you if you are ready to die for Jesus, how will you respond? Are you going to respond in the way you did when you turned your life to Jesus when you were baptized in the Spirit.
With the words of Jesus running in your mind “greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friend.” (Jn 15:14 NIV) and knowing that Jesus died for you, how are you going to react to that question? I began with this question because we are commemorating the Feast of St. Bartholomew one of the twelve Apostles of Jesus.
Somehow, this question has some bearing on the life of St. Bartholomew because of the twelve Apostles, we could probably single him out as the one who suffered a violent death that no other mortal could even come close to as he was skinned while still alive by his executioners.
We remember St. Bartholomew or Nathanael as the one who uttered that now famous phrase: “Can anything good come from there?” (v.46) in apparent reference to Nazareth where Jesus came from. This, however, should not be taken as an outright rejection of Jesus but more of a reflection of the sentiment that the Jews have of Nazareth.
In Nazareth at the time was a garrison of the Roman army and it was generally believed that their presence may have somewhat influenced the deep religiosity of the Jews. This passage also shows how the ranks of the disciples of Jesus grew and this is perhaps the platform and the methodology that the networking and multi-level marketing business are using to generate the numbers needed for them to become profitable.
This passage should also remind us of our primary duty to pass on to others the gift that we have received. In fact, our attitude upon receiving the gift of salvation should be one of overflowing excitement that we cannot contain the joy that we have received propelling us to immediately tell others of the Good News.
This was what Philip felt and he had to tell Nathanael about Jesus and here we can see the beginning of what evangelization should be like. Philip told Nathanael “come and see for yourself.” This is the prototype that we who are in the renewal should keep in mind when evangelizing.
Many times we introduce Jesus as if he is a commodity that is for sale and many times we fail to bring others to the Church because our style do more harm than good. Philip in this passage shows us the how – and the best way to introduce Jesus is to simply say: “Come and see.” (v.46)
This, however, should be founded on our own knowledge of Jesus, his person and character but most importantly what He did to us – how He brought us out of darkness and into the light. And this is how it should be for us.
Like Nathanael, we also give in when we are confronted with someone bigger than us and who can see through us, understands us, forgives us and accepts us despite our broken nature. When confronted with Jesus, our defenses simply wither and the masks we wear are removed and, filled by God’s Grace, our nature is restored to its original form.
All my life I have been with the Media – Radio, TV and Print. This was what I knew and what I do best. Being in the Media also gave me a sense of power and in the course of time, I lined up my pockets with envelopes filled with cash given by unscrupulous politicians and businessmen involved in different forms of shenanigans.
This was my life. Not that what I reported wasn’t true but there was always that element of making something out of what I do. I was whooping it up when the Lord found me in a most unnatural way. I was puffing at my imported cigarette when I felt my chest constricting.
I asked my wife to rush me to the hospital where I was diagnosed as having suffered from a heart attack. I stayed in the ICU for almost five days and I was sandwiched between two patients who later died. Fear of death moved me to pray and pray I did and asked God to heal me. In exchange, I told God I would serve Him for the rest of my life.
I recovered and was discharged. Not content with the findings of the hospital I went to my own Internist who ran a series of tests and after a week I was told by my Doctor he could see nothing wrong with me. It was then that I remembered my promise to the Lord. The rest is history. I resigned from the Media and switched to a less demanding job.
Now, filled with gratitude for the peace, love and joy that God has given us my wife and I go to where we are sent by the Community not minding the inconveniences we experience along the way. It has been a painful journey especially when the Lord started removing the arrogance, pride, prejudice and, judgments that provided me with a false sense of security in my past life. But this is a journey that I didn’t mind taking.
Man is by nature sinful because of the effects of the original sin that altered the plan of God. But because of the virtues infused in man at his Baptism, man is in constant search for that which will bring him joy and peace. Without the proper guidance, man satisfies himself with the passing fancies the world offers and not finding satisfaction in them is led back to the origin and source of pure love.
We are told that Grace is a free gift but as the saying goes something has to give and in the exchange initiated by God we need to give up and allow God to work on the rough edges in our lives so that we may be restored to our original nature. Painful it may be, we need to hang on if we want to gain for ourselves the eternity that God has promised us.
Indeed, we all need to persevere in walking with Jesus encouraged by his promise that we will see greater things because it is only when we clothed ourselves with the love of Jesus that we can see a glimpse of heaven here on earth and it is with and in Jesus that our search ends.
God is in Jesus the Christ and, Jesus is in us. When Jesus told Nathanael he will see heaven open and the angels of God going up and down upon the Son of Man, Jesus is simply reminding Nathanael of the Old Testament theology that a place becomes sacred when it is visited by God.
And this is also the reality in our lives that every place we go also becomes a sacred place but only if we have been filled with the Grace of God. With God working in us through the gifts He has bestowed on us, God Himself will make every place we enter and stand into a place of grace and blessing for us and for others.
Like St. Bartholomew who believed in Jesus and even in death I’m sure he saw something greater and that is the Kingdom of God. There will be times when we too will suffer in our journey of faith. But what will carry us through is the assurance of Jesus to St. Bartholomew and to us in this age that “you will see heaven open and God’s angels going up and coming down on the Son of Man.” (v.51)
1st Reading: Rev. 21:9-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 145: 10-13, 17-18 “Your friends make known, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom”
GOSPEL: JN 1:45-51
Key Verse: “You will see something even greater.” (v.50)
If for some reason, someone who knew you are very much active in the church or in a renewal community and is going to ask you if you are ready to die for Jesus, how will you respond? Are you going to respond in the way you did when you turned your life to Jesus when you were baptized in the Spirit.
With the words of Jesus running in your mind “greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friend.” (Jn 15:14 NIV) and knowing that Jesus died for you, how are you going to react to that question? I began with this question because we are commemorating the Feast of St. Bartholomew one of the twelve Apostles of Jesus.
Somehow, this question has some bearing on the life of St. Bartholomew because of the twelve Apostles, we could probably single him out as the one who suffered a violent death that no other mortal could even come close to as he was skinned while still alive by his executioners.
We remember St. Bartholomew or Nathanael as the one who uttered that now famous phrase: “Can anything good come from there?” (v.46) in apparent reference to Nazareth where Jesus came from. This, however, should not be taken as an outright rejection of Jesus but more of a reflection of the sentiment that the Jews have of Nazareth.
In Nazareth at the time was a garrison of the Roman army and it was generally believed that their presence may have somewhat influenced the deep religiosity of the Jews. This passage also shows how the ranks of the disciples of Jesus grew and this is perhaps the platform and the methodology that the networking and multi-level marketing business are using to generate the numbers needed for them to become profitable.
This passage should also remind us of our primary duty to pass on to others the gift that we have received. In fact, our attitude upon receiving the gift of salvation should be one of overflowing excitement that we cannot contain the joy that we have received propelling us to immediately tell others of the Good News.
This was what Philip felt and he had to tell Nathanael about Jesus and here we can see the beginning of what evangelization should be like. Philip told Nathanael “come and see for yourself.” This is the prototype that we who are in the renewal should keep in mind when evangelizing.
Many times we introduce Jesus as if he is a commodity that is for sale and many times we fail to bring others to the Church because our style do more harm than good. Philip in this passage shows us the how – and the best way to introduce Jesus is to simply say: “Come and see.” (v.46)
This, however, should be founded on our own knowledge of Jesus, his person and character but most importantly what He did to us – how He brought us out of darkness and into the light. And this is how it should be for us.
Like Nathanael, we also give in when we are confronted with someone bigger than us and who can see through us, understands us, forgives us and accepts us despite our broken nature. When confronted with Jesus, our defenses simply wither and the masks we wear are removed and, filled by God’s Grace, our nature is restored to its original form.
All my life I have been with the Media – Radio, TV and Print. This was what I knew and what I do best. Being in the Media also gave me a sense of power and in the course of time, I lined up my pockets with envelopes filled with cash given by unscrupulous politicians and businessmen involved in different forms of shenanigans.
This was my life. Not that what I reported wasn’t true but there was always that element of making something out of what I do. I was whooping it up when the Lord found me in a most unnatural way. I was puffing at my imported cigarette when I felt my chest constricting.
I asked my wife to rush me to the hospital where I was diagnosed as having suffered from a heart attack. I stayed in the ICU for almost five days and I was sandwiched between two patients who later died. Fear of death moved me to pray and pray I did and asked God to heal me. In exchange, I told God I would serve Him for the rest of my life.
I recovered and was discharged. Not content with the findings of the hospital I went to my own Internist who ran a series of tests and after a week I was told by my Doctor he could see nothing wrong with me. It was then that I remembered my promise to the Lord. The rest is history. I resigned from the Media and switched to a less demanding job.
Now, filled with gratitude for the peace, love and joy that God has given us my wife and I go to where we are sent by the Community not minding the inconveniences we experience along the way. It has been a painful journey especially when the Lord started removing the arrogance, pride, prejudice and, judgments that provided me with a false sense of security in my past life. But this is a journey that I didn’t mind taking.
Man is by nature sinful because of the effects of the original sin that altered the plan of God. But because of the virtues infused in man at his Baptism, man is in constant search for that which will bring him joy and peace. Without the proper guidance, man satisfies himself with the passing fancies the world offers and not finding satisfaction in them is led back to the origin and source of pure love.
We are told that Grace is a free gift but as the saying goes something has to give and in the exchange initiated by God we need to give up and allow God to work on the rough edges in our lives so that we may be restored to our original nature. Painful it may be, we need to hang on if we want to gain for ourselves the eternity that God has promised us.
Indeed, we all need to persevere in walking with Jesus encouraged by his promise that we will see greater things because it is only when we clothed ourselves with the love of Jesus that we can see a glimpse of heaven here on earth and it is with and in Jesus that our search ends.
God is in Jesus the Christ and, Jesus is in us. When Jesus told Nathanael he will see heaven open and the angels of God going up and down upon the Son of Man, Jesus is simply reminding Nathanael of the Old Testament theology that a place becomes sacred when it is visited by God.
And this is also the reality in our lives that every place we go also becomes a sacred place but only if we have been filled with the Grace of God. With God working in us through the gifts He has bestowed on us, God Himself will make every place we enter and stand into a place of grace and blessing for us and for others.
Like St. Bartholomew who believed in Jesus and even in death I’m sure he saw something greater and that is the Kingdom of God. There will be times when we too will suffer in our journey of faith. But what will carry us through is the assurance of Jesus to St. Bartholomew and to us in this age that “you will see heaven open and God’s angels going up and coming down on the Son of Man.” (v.51)
KEY TO PERFECTION: LOVE GOD AND NEIGHBOR
AUG. 23, 2013: FEAST DAY OF ST. ROSE OF LIMA (Secondary Patroness of the Philippines
1st Reading: Ruth 1:1, 3-6, 14-16, 22
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 146:5-10 “Praise the Lord, my soul.”
GOSPEL: MATT 22:34-40)
Key Verse: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart
and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (v.37)
Our God exhorts us “consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy” (Lev 11:44) and Our Lord said this again in 1 Pet 1:16 “Be holy because I am holy,” and everyone of course want to be holy and there are many of us who will spend a lifetime searching for the Kingdom of God and the means to attain holiness.
We respond to the call to holiness because there is that inner desire in us to gain the eternal salvation that God has so generously promised those who will believe in him. And in the pursuit of holiness and eternity, we find ourselves doing so many things in the Church or Community than what we actually are capable of handling.
And when we miss our goal we get frustrated and end up in the same spiritless condition we were in. The wise will reflect on what could have gone wrong in their search and, perhaps resume their search. Others will fall back into the same world that they tried to escape from and they’ll end up living the same kind of life marked by spiritual despondency.
But the common problem in the pursuit of holiness is not knowing where to begin and oftentimes we tend to give up when we are battered by life-storms (problems, failures, losses, death in the family, sickness) and strong winds (irritants, frustrations, bitterness, resentments, anger, unforgiveness) that punctuate our lives.
We can begin by drawing inspiration from what the Catechism of the Catholic Church says: “The way of perfection passes by way of the Cross. There is no holiness without renunciation and spiritual battle.” (CCC2015)
And this is where we get stuck because many of us who have been spoiled by the cares of this world just couldn’t shake off the dust off our feet and no matter how many times we resolve to change we find ourselves living and loving what the world can offer.
This is where the difference between believing and doing comes into play. It is not enough that we only believe in God because while salvation may be a free gift from God, it just doesn’t work that way. There is a corresponding action that we need to adopt in order to begin the process of salvation.
We need to work on our salvation ourselves and we can start by believing and doing what Jesus told the Sadducees – we need to (v.37) love the Lord our God with all our hearts and with all our souls and with all our minds which is the greatest commandment.
To love God is to know Him and enter into an intimate union with Him and, we need not only commit this v.37 to memory but we must move ourselves to give to God the totality of our being because salvation starts with a total commitment of our lives to God. This is where the positive action is needed because to know and love God, we have to make a decision to detach from our worldly ways that are incompatible with God.
And here, Jesus raised the ante even further when he said in v.39 “love your neighbors as yourself” as the second greatest commandment. Again, this requires a positive action on our part because there are many Christians who get stuck when loving our neighbors is asked of us.
The human side in us resist when memories of past hurts surface when we come face to face with our neighbors particularly our relatives and loved ones with whom we have tangled with in the past especially those with whom we are still locked in personal differences.
But Jesus is not only being emphatic in the Gospel but he actually changed the whole concept of what the Jews believed at the time and this means that if the Jews were to follow His words they are obliged to love even the Gentiles and non-Jews whom they treat as dogs.
This is the same with us and we just have to draw on our faith and our complete reliance on the Holy Spirit to move in us and bring us to perfection and holiness by loving God and our neighbor. "All Christians in any state or walk of life are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of love." All are called to holiness: "Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (CCC2013)
Being aware of who we are makes it easy for us to love God and our neighbor as well. To love God first takes precedence above everything else because it is only when we are able to love God that man is infused with the Grace to love those who like us were created in the image and likeness of God.
It is when we act positively to love God and our neighbor that “the Grace of the Holy Spirit confers upon us the righteousness of God. Uniting us by faith and Baptism to the Passion and Resurrection of Christ, the Spirit makes us sharers in his life.” (CCC2017)
And it is this same Grace that will move us to enter into an intimate union with Christ that will help establish our complete devotion to God and the impetus to serve and love our neighbor along the way. Jesus emphasizes the importance of these two commandments because the action that results from our loving God and our neighbor in a positive way is what will propel us as Christian disciples to become fruitful in our service to God through our service in the Church or Community for that matter.
To become fruitful servants means that the fruits of the Holy Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control – have become evident in our lives and are easily discernible when others look at us.
But these fruits of the Holy Spirit need to be anchored on our loving our God with all our hearts, soul and minds and loving our neighbor as ourselves because these two commandments are what will motivate us to give of our time, talent and treasure in the service of our Community.
Today is also the Feast Day of the Philippines’ second patroness – St. Rose of Lima who was born in Lima, Peru on April 20, 1586 and as she grew older, she became more and more beautiful, and one day, her mother put a wreath of flowers on her head to show off her loveliness to friends. But Rose had no desire to be admired, for her heart had been given to Jesus. So she put a long pin into that wreath and it pierced her so deeply, that she had a hard time getting the wreath off afterward. Another time she became afraid that her beauty might be a temptation to someone, since people could not take their eyes off her. Therefore, she rubbed her face with pepper until it was all red and blistered.
St. Rose worked hard to support her poor parents and she humbly obeyed them, except when they tried to get her to marry. That she would not do. Her love of Jesus was so great that when she talked about Him, her face glowed and her eyes sparkled. She also experienced many temptations from the devil, and there were many times when she had to suffer a feeling of terrible loneliness and sadness, for God seemed far away. Yet she cheerfully offered all these troubles to Him. In fact, in her last long, painful sickness, this heroic young woman use to pray: “Lord, increase my sufferings, and with them increase Your love in my heart.”
Many miracles followed her death on August 24, 1617. St. Rose was beatified by Clement IX in 1667 and was canonized in 1671 by Clement X, the first South American to be so honored.
1st Reading: Ruth 1:1, 3-6, 14-16, 22
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 146:5-10 “Praise the Lord, my soul.”
GOSPEL: MATT 22:34-40)
Key Verse: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart
and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (v.37)
Our God exhorts us “consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy” (Lev 11:44) and Our Lord said this again in 1 Pet 1:16 “Be holy because I am holy,” and everyone of course want to be holy and there are many of us who will spend a lifetime searching for the Kingdom of God and the means to attain holiness.
We respond to the call to holiness because there is that inner desire in us to gain the eternal salvation that God has so generously promised those who will believe in him. And in the pursuit of holiness and eternity, we find ourselves doing so many things in the Church or Community than what we actually are capable of handling.
And when we miss our goal we get frustrated and end up in the same spiritless condition we were in. The wise will reflect on what could have gone wrong in their search and, perhaps resume their search. Others will fall back into the same world that they tried to escape from and they’ll end up living the same kind of life marked by spiritual despondency.
But the common problem in the pursuit of holiness is not knowing where to begin and oftentimes we tend to give up when we are battered by life-storms (problems, failures, losses, death in the family, sickness) and strong winds (irritants, frustrations, bitterness, resentments, anger, unforgiveness) that punctuate our lives.
We can begin by drawing inspiration from what the Catechism of the Catholic Church says: “The way of perfection passes by way of the Cross. There is no holiness without renunciation and spiritual battle.” (CCC2015)
And this is where we get stuck because many of us who have been spoiled by the cares of this world just couldn’t shake off the dust off our feet and no matter how many times we resolve to change we find ourselves living and loving what the world can offer.
This is where the difference between believing and doing comes into play. It is not enough that we only believe in God because while salvation may be a free gift from God, it just doesn’t work that way. There is a corresponding action that we need to adopt in order to begin the process of salvation.
We need to work on our salvation ourselves and we can start by believing and doing what Jesus told the Sadducees – we need to (v.37) love the Lord our God with all our hearts and with all our souls and with all our minds which is the greatest commandment.
To love God is to know Him and enter into an intimate union with Him and, we need not only commit this v.37 to memory but we must move ourselves to give to God the totality of our being because salvation starts with a total commitment of our lives to God. This is where the positive action is needed because to know and love God, we have to make a decision to detach from our worldly ways that are incompatible with God.
And here, Jesus raised the ante even further when he said in v.39 “love your neighbors as yourself” as the second greatest commandment. Again, this requires a positive action on our part because there are many Christians who get stuck when loving our neighbors is asked of us.
The human side in us resist when memories of past hurts surface when we come face to face with our neighbors particularly our relatives and loved ones with whom we have tangled with in the past especially those with whom we are still locked in personal differences.
But Jesus is not only being emphatic in the Gospel but he actually changed the whole concept of what the Jews believed at the time and this means that if the Jews were to follow His words they are obliged to love even the Gentiles and non-Jews whom they treat as dogs.
This is the same with us and we just have to draw on our faith and our complete reliance on the Holy Spirit to move in us and bring us to perfection and holiness by loving God and our neighbor. "All Christians in any state or walk of life are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of love." All are called to holiness: "Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (CCC2013)
Being aware of who we are makes it easy for us to love God and our neighbor as well. To love God first takes precedence above everything else because it is only when we are able to love God that man is infused with the Grace to love those who like us were created in the image and likeness of God.
It is when we act positively to love God and our neighbor that “the Grace of the Holy Spirit confers upon us the righteousness of God. Uniting us by faith and Baptism to the Passion and Resurrection of Christ, the Spirit makes us sharers in his life.” (CCC2017)
And it is this same Grace that will move us to enter into an intimate union with Christ that will help establish our complete devotion to God and the impetus to serve and love our neighbor along the way. Jesus emphasizes the importance of these two commandments because the action that results from our loving God and our neighbor in a positive way is what will propel us as Christian disciples to become fruitful in our service to God through our service in the Church or Community for that matter.
To become fruitful servants means that the fruits of the Holy Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control – have become evident in our lives and are easily discernible when others look at us.
But these fruits of the Holy Spirit need to be anchored on our loving our God with all our hearts, soul and minds and loving our neighbor as ourselves because these two commandments are what will motivate us to give of our time, talent and treasure in the service of our Community.
Today is also the Feast Day of the Philippines’ second patroness – St. Rose of Lima who was born in Lima, Peru on April 20, 1586 and as she grew older, she became more and more beautiful, and one day, her mother put a wreath of flowers on her head to show off her loveliness to friends. But Rose had no desire to be admired, for her heart had been given to Jesus. So she put a long pin into that wreath and it pierced her so deeply, that she had a hard time getting the wreath off afterward. Another time she became afraid that her beauty might be a temptation to someone, since people could not take their eyes off her. Therefore, she rubbed her face with pepper until it was all red and blistered.
St. Rose worked hard to support her poor parents and she humbly obeyed them, except when they tried to get her to marry. That she would not do. Her love of Jesus was so great that when she talked about Him, her face glowed and her eyes sparkled. She also experienced many temptations from the devil, and there were many times when she had to suffer a feeling of terrible loneliness and sadness, for God seemed far away. Yet she cheerfully offered all these troubles to Him. In fact, in her last long, painful sickness, this heroic young woman use to pray: “Lord, increase my sufferings, and with them increase Your love in my heart.”
Many miracles followed her death on August 24, 1617. St. Rose was beatified by Clement IX in 1667 and was canonized in 1671 by Clement X, the first South American to be so honored.
GOD FAVORS HUMILITY AND OBEDIENCE
AUG. 22, 2013: THE QUEENSHIP OF MARY
1st Reading: Isa 9:1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 113:1-7 “Blessed be the Name of the Lord forever.”
GOSPEL: LK 1:26-38
Key Verse: “May it be to me as you have said.” (v.38)
Today we see Mary our Blessed Mother as the focal point in the Gospel narrative that we read in Luke and to be able to fully grasp this story we need to again go back in history and know the situation Mary was in when this event happened for us to really appreciate the sterling character of our Blessed Mother.
Mary was a young maiden who was betrothed to Joseph. A betrothal normally lasts for a year and was generally regarded as binding as if they are already married. Such betrothal can only be recalled or cancelled either by divorce or death of either one of the contracting parties. And in the event that a man to whom a woman was betrothed dies, the woman was regarded as a widow.
A young and an unmarried maiden who gets pregnant outside of marriage will invite disaster. And for Mary to tell her story of becoming pregnant by the Holy Spirit also risked being considered crazy. This was the predicament to which Mary was in when the angel Gabriel told her: “You will be child and give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus” (v.31). Disbelief and wonderment must have filled Mary at that very moment but the angel assured her “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (v.35).
Despite the risks of being ridiculed and the possibility of divorce, Mary’s response stood out and would be hailed from that time on till now as a primary model of obedience. Her subservience to the Will of God was not only unparalleled but it became the avenue through which Salvation came into the world. The only thing she knew was that she was being asked by God to serve him and she willingly obeyed.
The hope and future of mankind rested on that simple phrase that Mary uttered: “I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as you have said” (v.38). In that short response, Mary became the vessel through which Our Lord Jesus Christ came into the world and we should not forget the sacrifice and humility of Joseph who took Mary as his spouse and who stood as guardian of the Savior of all humanity.
As Eve was referred to as the mother of humanity that was doomed to sin, Mary is regarded as the mother of the new Adam who will reverse the sinful nature of man by his Grace (Rom 5:19). As the angel Gabriel instructed Mary and Joseph the child to be born was to named Jesus which is a Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua meaning “the Lord saves.” This was also a fulfillment of God’s promise to David that his kingdom will last forever (2 Sam 7:16). And rightly so, for Jesus who came from the house of David (Matt 1) has reigned since then and continues to rule today in the hearts of men.
Although the Virgin Birth has largely remained a mystery that many people find hard to believe, we should remember that Luke was a medical doctor and while it was hard for him to believe how a baby can be conceived in the case of Mary, he probably wrote about it based on the facts or interviews he made with witnesses and his own conversation with Mary.
But the most important facet of this Virgin Birth was that there shouldn’t be any doubt in our minds that God has the power to create a child even in the womb of a virgin.
The message for us in this Gospel reading is as clear as day in that God’s favor doesn’t mean success or fame overnight because as with Mary being favored at times would lead to pain and ridicule. At times, being favored by God will bring hardships and difficulties but it is during these trying times when our faith is tested that God is present.
And like Mary whose submission was an embodiment of the world’s greatest prayer: “Thy Will be done” (Matt 6:10), it is when we can say the same that God will pour out on us his manifold Graces that will allow us to endure our suffering and experience joy amidst the pain and tribulations in our lives because anyone who will trust God like Mary will be definitely be filled with the Grace of God.
What we all must remember was that Mary withstood the predicament she was in because God favored her and blessed all the circumstances in her life. This simply means that God will also provide us the strength, endurance and perseverance to go through with our lives but this is anchored on our saying “yes, Thy Will be done.”
In our profession of faith when we recite the Apostles’ Creed during the Eucharistic Celebration, we must not only understand what the Creed is all about but we must comprehend the depth of what it is. In so doing, we must understand and believe when we say: “I believe in God the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, Our Lord; who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit; born of the Virgin Mary…”
The Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed in the New Roman Missal will mean much more if we truly understand and believe what it says. Ask God then for faith if anyone of you lack wisdom (Jam 1:5).
Today as we celebrate the Queenship of Mary, let us keep in mind that Mary was highly favored because of the humility and obedience she displayed in response to the Will of God. Such favor will also be upon us if we, like Mary, will humble ourselves and worship no other gods besides the Triune God and spend a life in obedience to God’s Will.
These two virtues are inextricably joined to one another because humility is not only a good training in obedience but it also defines our dependence on God since humility challenges our pride. Humility makes us aware of our unworthiness but it also increases our appreciation for God. And in the ministry or apostolate where we serve, humility is an essential trait we need to develop in order to serve others. What makes it easier for us is the presence of Jesus whom we can use as a model.
Humility is what turns us into becoming obedient servants which is a virtue that lies at the core of Christian discipleship and many times we merely pay lip service to it not knowing that obedience is what keeps harmony and unity in a ministry or community for that matter. Moreover, obedience is what gives us true freedom and peace because obeying God is the first step on the path to peace.
What we must remember though is, like Mary, humility and obedience comes through the Grace of God and we can experience this when we come to Jesus who takes and leads to the presence of God and it is when Jesus lifts us up into God’s presence that we are given the freedom to obey, our of love and not necessity and, through God’s power and not our own. It is by the same Grace that we acquire the confidence that when we stumble we know that we will not fall to the ground but will be caught and held in the loving arms of Christ.
1st Reading: Isa 9:1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 113:1-7 “Blessed be the Name of the Lord forever.”
GOSPEL: LK 1:26-38
Key Verse: “May it be to me as you have said.” (v.38)
Today we see Mary our Blessed Mother as the focal point in the Gospel narrative that we read in Luke and to be able to fully grasp this story we need to again go back in history and know the situation Mary was in when this event happened for us to really appreciate the sterling character of our Blessed Mother.
Mary was a young maiden who was betrothed to Joseph. A betrothal normally lasts for a year and was generally regarded as binding as if they are already married. Such betrothal can only be recalled or cancelled either by divorce or death of either one of the contracting parties. And in the event that a man to whom a woman was betrothed dies, the woman was regarded as a widow.
A young and an unmarried maiden who gets pregnant outside of marriage will invite disaster. And for Mary to tell her story of becoming pregnant by the Holy Spirit also risked being considered crazy. This was the predicament to which Mary was in when the angel Gabriel told her: “You will be child and give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus” (v.31). Disbelief and wonderment must have filled Mary at that very moment but the angel assured her “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (v.35).
Despite the risks of being ridiculed and the possibility of divorce, Mary’s response stood out and would be hailed from that time on till now as a primary model of obedience. Her subservience to the Will of God was not only unparalleled but it became the avenue through which Salvation came into the world. The only thing she knew was that she was being asked by God to serve him and she willingly obeyed.
The hope and future of mankind rested on that simple phrase that Mary uttered: “I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as you have said” (v.38). In that short response, Mary became the vessel through which Our Lord Jesus Christ came into the world and we should not forget the sacrifice and humility of Joseph who took Mary as his spouse and who stood as guardian of the Savior of all humanity.
As Eve was referred to as the mother of humanity that was doomed to sin, Mary is regarded as the mother of the new Adam who will reverse the sinful nature of man by his Grace (Rom 5:19). As the angel Gabriel instructed Mary and Joseph the child to be born was to named Jesus which is a Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua meaning “the Lord saves.” This was also a fulfillment of God’s promise to David that his kingdom will last forever (2 Sam 7:16). And rightly so, for Jesus who came from the house of David (Matt 1) has reigned since then and continues to rule today in the hearts of men.
Although the Virgin Birth has largely remained a mystery that many people find hard to believe, we should remember that Luke was a medical doctor and while it was hard for him to believe how a baby can be conceived in the case of Mary, he probably wrote about it based on the facts or interviews he made with witnesses and his own conversation with Mary.
But the most important facet of this Virgin Birth was that there shouldn’t be any doubt in our minds that God has the power to create a child even in the womb of a virgin.
The message for us in this Gospel reading is as clear as day in that God’s favor doesn’t mean success or fame overnight because as with Mary being favored at times would lead to pain and ridicule. At times, being favored by God will bring hardships and difficulties but it is during these trying times when our faith is tested that God is present.
And like Mary whose submission was an embodiment of the world’s greatest prayer: “Thy Will be done” (Matt 6:10), it is when we can say the same that God will pour out on us his manifold Graces that will allow us to endure our suffering and experience joy amidst the pain and tribulations in our lives because anyone who will trust God like Mary will be definitely be filled with the Grace of God.
What we all must remember was that Mary withstood the predicament she was in because God favored her and blessed all the circumstances in her life. This simply means that God will also provide us the strength, endurance and perseverance to go through with our lives but this is anchored on our saying “yes, Thy Will be done.”
In our profession of faith when we recite the Apostles’ Creed during the Eucharistic Celebration, we must not only understand what the Creed is all about but we must comprehend the depth of what it is. In so doing, we must understand and believe when we say: “I believe in God the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, Our Lord; who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit; born of the Virgin Mary…”
The Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed in the New Roman Missal will mean much more if we truly understand and believe what it says. Ask God then for faith if anyone of you lack wisdom (Jam 1:5).
Today as we celebrate the Queenship of Mary, let us keep in mind that Mary was highly favored because of the humility and obedience she displayed in response to the Will of God. Such favor will also be upon us if we, like Mary, will humble ourselves and worship no other gods besides the Triune God and spend a life in obedience to God’s Will.
These two virtues are inextricably joined to one another because humility is not only a good training in obedience but it also defines our dependence on God since humility challenges our pride. Humility makes us aware of our unworthiness but it also increases our appreciation for God. And in the ministry or apostolate where we serve, humility is an essential trait we need to develop in order to serve others. What makes it easier for us is the presence of Jesus whom we can use as a model.
Humility is what turns us into becoming obedient servants which is a virtue that lies at the core of Christian discipleship and many times we merely pay lip service to it not knowing that obedience is what keeps harmony and unity in a ministry or community for that matter. Moreover, obedience is what gives us true freedom and peace because obeying God is the first step on the path to peace.
What we must remember though is, like Mary, humility and obedience comes through the Grace of God and we can experience this when we come to Jesus who takes and leads to the presence of God and it is when Jesus lifts us up into God’s presence that we are given the freedom to obey, our of love and not necessity and, through God’s power and not our own. It is by the same Grace that we acquire the confidence that when we stumble we know that we will not fall to the ground but will be caught and held in the loving arms of Christ.
HEAVEN IS FOR EVERYONE
AUG. 21, 2013: TWENTIETH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Jgs 9:6-15
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 21:2-4, 6-7 “Lord, in your strength the king is glad”
GOSPEL: MATT 20:1-16
Key Verse: “So the last will be first,” (v.16)
If you are familiar with the Gospels you will note that there is a certain progression in the way the liturgical readings are arranged and the same pattern can be seen in the manner Jesus has been preaching to his disciples and the people during his time and the writers of the Synoptic Gospels ably captured the intent of Jesus to impart as much lessons as he possibly could in the short span of time that he has left on earth.
His use of parables most of which were recorded by Matthew also belies his intention to move his listeners to keep in their hearts all that he has said in that short period since these set of parables are actual scenarios in the lives of the Jews of which the people are all too familiar with.
Take the case of this Gospel reading for today. It tells of an actual situation at the time of the grape harvest. The scene was a familiar one with workers using the marketplace as their office where vineyard or farm owners can come and haggle for the price of their labor as was the case in this parable where the vineyard owner agreed to pay the normal daily wage of the initial batch of workers he hired.
But then the vineyard owner needed more workers and so he hired more workers up to late in the day just so they can complete the harvest before the day is over. But when everything was done with, the first batch of workers hired complained about receiving the same daily wage for the longer hours they worked against the workers hired late in the day and received the same pay.
We all know the story and we have heard about this many times but there are instance when we still miss the nuggets of wisdom that are strewn all over the place because we didn’t see it shine the first time we passed by.
Besides the generosity of God as represented by the vineyard owner which is the focal point of this parable, there are also two lessons that we can pick up from Matthew’s account of this parable which are right down our alleys in the church or community where we belong.
Like the first batch of workers who were hired who complained of the last batch of workers receiving the same pay, Jesus used this situation to caution his disciples that not because they have been with him from the beginning that they should consider themselves as privileged over the new disciples who may come at a later time.
This also serves as a message for us who have been in the church or community for quite sometime and have a tendency to think we own the ministry where we belong and that we can dictate the manner by which the church or community should move. At times, we even resent the entry of new blood into the community especially when we find they will be a threat to our position.
In the long years that I’ve been in the renewal I have practically met all kinds of people from the humble who just work with no fanfare and without drawing attention to himself and it is a joy and a privilege to work with them. There are those who equate service to God with just building missions regardless of whether these mission fields thrive or not. And there are also those who impress upon others that the church/ community to which they belong will not survive without them. But the worst kind are those who perpetuate lies to manipulate situations in their favor.
We should not forget that spiritual communities move through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit thus seniority does not necessarily mean honor and privilege because God doesn’t look at who comes into the community first and who went in last. God doesn’t work that way because his love will be the same love for those who came in last as for those who went in first.
The other lesson is what I’ve said many times in the past about the difference between working “for” God and “in” or “with” God. This time around, it’s not just working in God and or with God but working with joy in our hearts.
As we read in this Gospel, the service given by the vineyard workers were all given similar values by the vineyard owner which simply means that God alone knows the value of the service that we give to him in the church or community regardless of the yardstick with which our service are measured by others in the Community. We may not know the logic behind it but God is always fair especially when no one is looking and, many times we do not appreciate God’s goodness and we tend to complain.
What is important to God is not the amount of service that we give but the love that we put into our service that matters. As in the vineyard, we also see in the community two existing groups of workers. One who works because he expects to be rewarded for his effort. These workers tithe but they expect a return.
But there are also those, like the last batch of workers, who came and worked but gave the vineyard owner the prerogative to determine how much they are to be paid. These members are those who shepherd, join mission activities, regularly attend the Prayer Meetings and Word Sharing Circles because they find joy in doing it.
A disciple serves God through the church or community out of pure joy never expecting any recompense but leaving to God the right to determine his reward. This is what Jesus meant when he said the first will be last and the last will be first.
There are many in this world who have been richly rewarded in terms of material wealth, professional titles, academic and career accolades, personal ambition and vain glory and they will find themselves on equal footing with the poor, the simple, those who have less in life but who just went about his way serving the church and the community with only his love for serving God and others as his primary motivation.
While the Kingdom of Heaven is for everyone, those who have labored out of love and pure joy are those who will be exalted for love is the one thing that will lead us to God. “By this all will know you are truly my disciples if you have love for one another.” (JN 13:35)
Let me end with this short prayer: Lord, I pray that you fill my heart with gratitude, that I will be content with what you provide for me one day at a time. Let me love you Lord by loving what you tell me to do, in Jesus’ Name…Amen!
1st Reading: Jgs 9:6-15
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 21:2-4, 6-7 “Lord, in your strength the king is glad”
GOSPEL: MATT 20:1-16
Key Verse: “So the last will be first,” (v.16)
If you are familiar with the Gospels you will note that there is a certain progression in the way the liturgical readings are arranged and the same pattern can be seen in the manner Jesus has been preaching to his disciples and the people during his time and the writers of the Synoptic Gospels ably captured the intent of Jesus to impart as much lessons as he possibly could in the short span of time that he has left on earth.
His use of parables most of which were recorded by Matthew also belies his intention to move his listeners to keep in their hearts all that he has said in that short period since these set of parables are actual scenarios in the lives of the Jews of which the people are all too familiar with.
Take the case of this Gospel reading for today. It tells of an actual situation at the time of the grape harvest. The scene was a familiar one with workers using the marketplace as their office where vineyard or farm owners can come and haggle for the price of their labor as was the case in this parable where the vineyard owner agreed to pay the normal daily wage of the initial batch of workers he hired.
But then the vineyard owner needed more workers and so he hired more workers up to late in the day just so they can complete the harvest before the day is over. But when everything was done with, the first batch of workers hired complained about receiving the same daily wage for the longer hours they worked against the workers hired late in the day and received the same pay.
We all know the story and we have heard about this many times but there are instance when we still miss the nuggets of wisdom that are strewn all over the place because we didn’t see it shine the first time we passed by.
Besides the generosity of God as represented by the vineyard owner which is the focal point of this parable, there are also two lessons that we can pick up from Matthew’s account of this parable which are right down our alleys in the church or community where we belong.
Like the first batch of workers who were hired who complained of the last batch of workers receiving the same pay, Jesus used this situation to caution his disciples that not because they have been with him from the beginning that they should consider themselves as privileged over the new disciples who may come at a later time.
This also serves as a message for us who have been in the church or community for quite sometime and have a tendency to think we own the ministry where we belong and that we can dictate the manner by which the church or community should move. At times, we even resent the entry of new blood into the community especially when we find they will be a threat to our position.
In the long years that I’ve been in the renewal I have practically met all kinds of people from the humble who just work with no fanfare and without drawing attention to himself and it is a joy and a privilege to work with them. There are those who equate service to God with just building missions regardless of whether these mission fields thrive or not. And there are also those who impress upon others that the church/ community to which they belong will not survive without them. But the worst kind are those who perpetuate lies to manipulate situations in their favor.
We should not forget that spiritual communities move through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit thus seniority does not necessarily mean honor and privilege because God doesn’t look at who comes into the community first and who went in last. God doesn’t work that way because his love will be the same love for those who came in last as for those who went in first.
The other lesson is what I’ve said many times in the past about the difference between working “for” God and “in” or “with” God. This time around, it’s not just working in God and or with God but working with joy in our hearts.
As we read in this Gospel, the service given by the vineyard workers were all given similar values by the vineyard owner which simply means that God alone knows the value of the service that we give to him in the church or community regardless of the yardstick with which our service are measured by others in the Community. We may not know the logic behind it but God is always fair especially when no one is looking and, many times we do not appreciate God’s goodness and we tend to complain.
What is important to God is not the amount of service that we give but the love that we put into our service that matters. As in the vineyard, we also see in the community two existing groups of workers. One who works because he expects to be rewarded for his effort. These workers tithe but they expect a return.
But there are also those, like the last batch of workers, who came and worked but gave the vineyard owner the prerogative to determine how much they are to be paid. These members are those who shepherd, join mission activities, regularly attend the Prayer Meetings and Word Sharing Circles because they find joy in doing it.
A disciple serves God through the church or community out of pure joy never expecting any recompense but leaving to God the right to determine his reward. This is what Jesus meant when he said the first will be last and the last will be first.
There are many in this world who have been richly rewarded in terms of material wealth, professional titles, academic and career accolades, personal ambition and vain glory and they will find themselves on equal footing with the poor, the simple, those who have less in life but who just went about his way serving the church and the community with only his love for serving God and others as his primary motivation.
While the Kingdom of Heaven is for everyone, those who have labored out of love and pure joy are those who will be exalted for love is the one thing that will lead us to God. “By this all will know you are truly my disciples if you have love for one another.” (JN 13:35)
Let me end with this short prayer: Lord, I pray that you fill my heart with gratitude, that I will be content with what you provide for me one day at a time. Let me love you Lord by loving what you tell me to do, in Jesus’ Name…Amen!
THE CHOICES WE MAKE DEFINE US
AUG. 20, 2013: TWENTIETH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Jgs 6:11-24
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 85:9, 11-14 “The Lord speaks of peace to his people”
GOSPEL: MATT 19:23-30
Key Verse: “but with God all things are possible.” (v.26)
Life is all about the choices we make and making a choice has actually become our preoccupation from the moment we open our eyes at the break of dawn to the setting of the sun. We choose if we are going to lift and stretch ourselves up, go through our usual routines in the morning and off to what we are suppose to do for the day.
Or we can remain curled up in bed and for all I care say to ourselves “I won’t work today.” We can choose to be jovial, warm and accommodating towards everyone we meet outside our gates, on the street, on the bus, workplace, everywhere. We can also choose to sneer, be obnoxious and arrogant towards others.
The point I am trying to make is we become what we choose to be. We can be loving and kind and in an instant we can be the exact opposite - unkind, indifferent, ungenial and unbenignant to our fellowmen. What we project springs from the kind of choices that we make.
This was the case of the rich young man in this Scripture passage. A few verses back, this rich young man was asking Jesus what he can do to possess eternal life? But when Jesus said go sell your possessions and give it to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven, the rich young man went away in sorrow.
And as we come to this passage for today we see Jesus telling his disciples it would be easier for a camel to pass through the eye a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. But before those who may be rich get discouraged, what Jesus was saying is not to be taken as a sweeping statement that the rich have no place in heaven.
The possessions that may bar us from entering the Kingdom of Heaven may not actually even be the material wealth that rich people possess for such possessions at times are also being used for the good of the Church and the Community. This means that mere possession of material wealth is not sinful. What becomes sin is in the way these materials blessings are being employed by those who own them.
In the world we now live in, wealth almost always gives us the false independence that we don’t need anything other than the wealth we can depend on to pursue a comfortable life. Take the case of the current “pork barrel” issue that has become daily fare among Filipinos. What we see being projected is the life of luxury of the major characters involved in the scam and the question we need to ask ourselves is can any of these material possessions bring us to life eternal in heaven?
Possession of material wealth at times also leads us to forget the source of our possessions as we rely largely on the exercise of our personal talents that we thought we were born with and sustained by our education and training rather than on the gifts that God has generously entrusted to us.
There are also times when we develop the propensity to hold back in sharing what we have with those in need that as we begin to accumulate more, the more we become stingy to the point that we even rationalize that people are poor because they chose to be poor and we are wealthy because we worked our butts off to be what we are now.
As we get richer we tend to withhold helping others even if our resources are more than what we need and or will actually use in our lifetime. Worst, we may actually part with a fraction of the blessings we have received but we want it to be known in every corner of the Church and or the Community.
In other words, if some of us who may actually be rich will ignore the need for an intimate relationship with God, there is a tendency that the rich will acquire these negative attitudes which Jesus refers to as “worldly possessions” that would make it hard for them to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
And this is where the problem lies because many times those who come to Jesus look at the rewards they can get in terms of material possessions and Peter mirrored what many of us also expect when Peter asked “What can we get from following you?”
But instead of rebuking Peter, Jesus patiently explained to him and the other disciples that those who will share in his suffering will also most assuredly share in his glory.
What Jesus was emphasizing is that anyone who wishes to follow him, who denies himself, and who will take up his own cross will receive not material possessions but will be given the right to enter into a divine fellowship with him.
As such, we need to detach and dispossess ourselves from all the worldly possessions that weigh us down as represented by these seven capital sins – pride, envy, gluttony, sloth, lust, avarice and wrath. These seven sins that give birth to sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery, idolatry and witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy, drunkenness, orgies and the like.
In contrast, Jesus is asking us to acquire and fill ourselves with the riches of his Kingdom that spring from love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. And this is the message in this Gospel.
Those among us who want to enter the Kingdom of Heaven must crucify our sinful nature for it is only in doing so that we can also be resurrected with Him in glory. Then and only then can we say that God is truly with us.
1st Reading: Jgs 6:11-24
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 85:9, 11-14 “The Lord speaks of peace to his people”
GOSPEL: MATT 19:23-30
Key Verse: “but with God all things are possible.” (v.26)
Life is all about the choices we make and making a choice has actually become our preoccupation from the moment we open our eyes at the break of dawn to the setting of the sun. We choose if we are going to lift and stretch ourselves up, go through our usual routines in the morning and off to what we are suppose to do for the day.
Or we can remain curled up in bed and for all I care say to ourselves “I won’t work today.” We can choose to be jovial, warm and accommodating towards everyone we meet outside our gates, on the street, on the bus, workplace, everywhere. We can also choose to sneer, be obnoxious and arrogant towards others.
The point I am trying to make is we become what we choose to be. We can be loving and kind and in an instant we can be the exact opposite - unkind, indifferent, ungenial and unbenignant to our fellowmen. What we project springs from the kind of choices that we make.
This was the case of the rich young man in this Scripture passage. A few verses back, this rich young man was asking Jesus what he can do to possess eternal life? But when Jesus said go sell your possessions and give it to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven, the rich young man went away in sorrow.
And as we come to this passage for today we see Jesus telling his disciples it would be easier for a camel to pass through the eye a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. But before those who may be rich get discouraged, what Jesus was saying is not to be taken as a sweeping statement that the rich have no place in heaven.
The possessions that may bar us from entering the Kingdom of Heaven may not actually even be the material wealth that rich people possess for such possessions at times are also being used for the good of the Church and the Community. This means that mere possession of material wealth is not sinful. What becomes sin is in the way these materials blessings are being employed by those who own them.
In the world we now live in, wealth almost always gives us the false independence that we don’t need anything other than the wealth we can depend on to pursue a comfortable life. Take the case of the current “pork barrel” issue that has become daily fare among Filipinos. What we see being projected is the life of luxury of the major characters involved in the scam and the question we need to ask ourselves is can any of these material possessions bring us to life eternal in heaven?
Possession of material wealth at times also leads us to forget the source of our possessions as we rely largely on the exercise of our personal talents that we thought we were born with and sustained by our education and training rather than on the gifts that God has generously entrusted to us.
There are also times when we develop the propensity to hold back in sharing what we have with those in need that as we begin to accumulate more, the more we become stingy to the point that we even rationalize that people are poor because they chose to be poor and we are wealthy because we worked our butts off to be what we are now.
As we get richer we tend to withhold helping others even if our resources are more than what we need and or will actually use in our lifetime. Worst, we may actually part with a fraction of the blessings we have received but we want it to be known in every corner of the Church and or the Community.
In other words, if some of us who may actually be rich will ignore the need for an intimate relationship with God, there is a tendency that the rich will acquire these negative attitudes which Jesus refers to as “worldly possessions” that would make it hard for them to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
And this is where the problem lies because many times those who come to Jesus look at the rewards they can get in terms of material possessions and Peter mirrored what many of us also expect when Peter asked “What can we get from following you?”
But instead of rebuking Peter, Jesus patiently explained to him and the other disciples that those who will share in his suffering will also most assuredly share in his glory.
What Jesus was emphasizing is that anyone who wishes to follow him, who denies himself, and who will take up his own cross will receive not material possessions but will be given the right to enter into a divine fellowship with him.
As such, we need to detach and dispossess ourselves from all the worldly possessions that weigh us down as represented by these seven capital sins – pride, envy, gluttony, sloth, lust, avarice and wrath. These seven sins that give birth to sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery, idolatry and witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy, drunkenness, orgies and the like.
In contrast, Jesus is asking us to acquire and fill ourselves with the riches of his Kingdom that spring from love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. And this is the message in this Gospel.
Those among us who want to enter the Kingdom of Heaven must crucify our sinful nature for it is only in doing so that we can also be resurrected with Him in glory. Then and only then can we say that God is truly with us.
TO LOSE IS TO GAIN
AUG. 20, 2012: 20TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Jgs 2:11-19
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 106:34-37, 39, 44 “Remember us O, Lord, as you favor your people.”
GOSPEL: MATT 19:16-22
Key Verse: “You will have great treasure in heaven.” (v.21)
There is more to this Gospel reading than what Jesus said to the rich young man: “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (v.21)
What Jesus said was a turn off not only for the rich young man depicted in this passage and who wouldn’t be. Because even for us now in the 21st century if Jesus were to tell this to us I am sure that many of you will have second thoughts as it is not easy to just give up something we have worked for in our life. For many of us in the here and now, the purpose of education is to eke out a living not only for us but also for our family.
We strive to have a good education as an insurance towards a flourishing career, a business perhaps and out of these will come the fruits such as a house, cars, travel, the capacity to clothe ourselves with branded clothes, jewelries and all the perks of what a good life is.
And we are no different from the young man in this Gospel passage. He was apparently young, well-mannered and educated and seemingly well-off for he was portrayed as a rich young man. There was no doubt he was honest and above reproach because he told Jesus: “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” (v.20)
He was a man who had everything but there was something he was looking for. There was something he hungered for. Basically this is the same with us. Don’t we often hear people say “been there, done that.”
And in this age of package tours and discounted travel opportunities, we see young people shuttling to and from tourist destinations whenever they get the chance. Spas are filled on weekends with young junior executives who just want to relax after the hustle and bustle of the week as competition had become so fierce that it puts pressure on these young people. But the question is “are they happy?”
We will most certainly draw varied responses if we dare ask that question. Some will say they are happy and some will definitely say they are not fulfilled. And somewhere down the line, there will be some who may have accomplished what they have worked and yet will remain in search of that joy that will never end just as this young man did.
Do not be mistaken that Jesus condemns wealth because he doesn’t and will never do nor does the Scripture condemn the accumulation of wealth but Jesus on several instances told the people to be aware of the lure of wealth (Mk 4:19) and he also warned that no one can serve both God and money (Matt 6:24).
So we should view this Gospel passage as an advisory that should serve as a guide whenever we reach the point when our possessions can only bring us to a certain point. Having the means to enjoy life will give us momentary happiness but as we long for that eternal joy we will realize that even our wealth is not enough to acquire eternity and at some point in time we will also ask “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” (v.16)
And Jesus’s response will still be the same – “If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.” (v.17). There are many rich young men today and many have also acquired sizeable assets. We see homes with imported furnishings and fixtures. I have been to a home where the wash basins at the bathrooms were made out of lapis lazuli and gold-filled fixtures.
As with this rich young man in the Gospel, Jesus will challenge us to detach from our possessions and make God our one true possession and treasure. As God Himself is the greatest treasure we can ever have, Jesus wanted the rich young man and he is telling us now to give up everything in our hearts and replace it with God who should be the only treasure in our hearts.
Selling all that we have could mean many different things – letting go of attachments, friendships, influences, jobs, entertainments, styles of life and even the way we deal with others especially if these are opposed to Christian values – anything that might stand in the way of our loving God first and foremost in our lives and giving him the best we can with our time, resources, gifts, and service.
His disciples were amazed because he reversed the common Jewish belief that prosperity was a symbol of a good man because God rewards good with prosperity. What Jesus meant was that men who are attached to their wealth and possession tend to fix their interests to this world as it makes them think of everything in terms of price and costs and not in terms of value.
Jesus clearly wanted to convert the young man’s mindset as he probably wanted to use him in his ministry but when Jesus told him to give up everything he had, the rich young man “went away sad because he had great wealth.” (v.22)
In what is yet another great paradox, Jesus is telling us in this Gospel today that we can lose what we keep and we gain what we give away. Generosity will be amply repaid, both in this life and in eternity (Prov 3:9-10, Luke 6:38) and what Jesus is offering us in today’s Gospel is an incomparable treasure in exchange for our decision to surrender and give up all our possessions that do not have any value in God’s Kingdom.
What should ring clear in today’s Gospel is that the man who trusts in himself and in his possessions can never be saved as it is only the man who trusts in the saving power and redeeming love of God who can enter the Kingdom of God and enjoy the eternity that comes from putting God at the center of our lives.
1st Reading: Jgs 2:11-19
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 106:34-37, 39, 44 “Remember us O, Lord, as you favor your people.”
GOSPEL: MATT 19:16-22
Key Verse: “You will have great treasure in heaven.” (v.21)
There is more to this Gospel reading than what Jesus said to the rich young man: “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (v.21)
What Jesus said was a turn off not only for the rich young man depicted in this passage and who wouldn’t be. Because even for us now in the 21st century if Jesus were to tell this to us I am sure that many of you will have second thoughts as it is not easy to just give up something we have worked for in our life. For many of us in the here and now, the purpose of education is to eke out a living not only for us but also for our family.
We strive to have a good education as an insurance towards a flourishing career, a business perhaps and out of these will come the fruits such as a house, cars, travel, the capacity to clothe ourselves with branded clothes, jewelries and all the perks of what a good life is.
And we are no different from the young man in this Gospel passage. He was apparently young, well-mannered and educated and seemingly well-off for he was portrayed as a rich young man. There was no doubt he was honest and above reproach because he told Jesus: “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” (v.20)
He was a man who had everything but there was something he was looking for. There was something he hungered for. Basically this is the same with us. Don’t we often hear people say “been there, done that.”
And in this age of package tours and discounted travel opportunities, we see young people shuttling to and from tourist destinations whenever they get the chance. Spas are filled on weekends with young junior executives who just want to relax after the hustle and bustle of the week as competition had become so fierce that it puts pressure on these young people. But the question is “are they happy?”
We will most certainly draw varied responses if we dare ask that question. Some will say they are happy and some will definitely say they are not fulfilled. And somewhere down the line, there will be some who may have accomplished what they have worked and yet will remain in search of that joy that will never end just as this young man did.
Do not be mistaken that Jesus condemns wealth because he doesn’t and will never do nor does the Scripture condemn the accumulation of wealth but Jesus on several instances told the people to be aware of the lure of wealth (Mk 4:19) and he also warned that no one can serve both God and money (Matt 6:24).
So we should view this Gospel passage as an advisory that should serve as a guide whenever we reach the point when our possessions can only bring us to a certain point. Having the means to enjoy life will give us momentary happiness but as we long for that eternal joy we will realize that even our wealth is not enough to acquire eternity and at some point in time we will also ask “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” (v.16)
And Jesus’s response will still be the same – “If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.” (v.17). There are many rich young men today and many have also acquired sizeable assets. We see homes with imported furnishings and fixtures. I have been to a home where the wash basins at the bathrooms were made out of lapis lazuli and gold-filled fixtures.
As with this rich young man in the Gospel, Jesus will challenge us to detach from our possessions and make God our one true possession and treasure. As God Himself is the greatest treasure we can ever have, Jesus wanted the rich young man and he is telling us now to give up everything in our hearts and replace it with God who should be the only treasure in our hearts.
Selling all that we have could mean many different things – letting go of attachments, friendships, influences, jobs, entertainments, styles of life and even the way we deal with others especially if these are opposed to Christian values – anything that might stand in the way of our loving God first and foremost in our lives and giving him the best we can with our time, resources, gifts, and service.
His disciples were amazed because he reversed the common Jewish belief that prosperity was a symbol of a good man because God rewards good with prosperity. What Jesus meant was that men who are attached to their wealth and possession tend to fix their interests to this world as it makes them think of everything in terms of price and costs and not in terms of value.
Jesus clearly wanted to convert the young man’s mindset as he probably wanted to use him in his ministry but when Jesus told him to give up everything he had, the rich young man “went away sad because he had great wealth.” (v.22)
In what is yet another great paradox, Jesus is telling us in this Gospel today that we can lose what we keep and we gain what we give away. Generosity will be amply repaid, both in this life and in eternity (Prov 3:9-10, Luke 6:38) and what Jesus is offering us in today’s Gospel is an incomparable treasure in exchange for our decision to surrender and give up all our possessions that do not have any value in God’s Kingdom.
What should ring clear in today’s Gospel is that the man who trusts in himself and in his possessions can never be saved as it is only the man who trusts in the saving power and redeeming love of God who can enter the Kingdom of God and enjoy the eternity that comes from putting God at the center of our lives.
THE BIG CHALLENGE
AUG. 18, 2013: TWENTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Jer 38:4-6, 8-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 40:2-4, 18 “Lord, come to my aid.”
2nd Reading: Heb 12:1-4
GOSPEL: LK 12:49-53
Key Verse: “I have come to bring fire on the earth,” (v.49)
There are several forms of approaches in Bible study and in the Basic Bible Seminar that some communities such as the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Catholic Charismatic Community are offering, its members are introduced to the so-called “contextual” and “thematic” approaches. These two types of study, however, are merely introductory as it simply provides readers with extracting the contexts and themes pertaining to the Scripture passages they are reading.
There are other comprehensive ways and these include the “deductive” type which is the most common and the “inductive” method which moves the reader to interpret and applies them but this should not depart from the meaning of the text.
For a truly meaningful and satisfying Bible study experience, many students of Scriptures use the exegetical analysis method which is to break down phrases, verses, words and analyze them through a systematic research and putting them all together for better illumination. In exegesis, both the deductive and inductive approaches come into play as these methods enhances the exegesis or critical examination and interpretation of the text.
This analytical study of Scriptures as what is being applied in using the Joy of Discovery program can be useful in examining and interpreting the Scripture such as the Gospel passage that we have for today which can be interpreted in two ways. It could either refer to the coming of Jesus when he was born of a woman or to his second coming.
If we are to regard this passage as an aftermath of the passion, death and resurrection of Christ when Jesus talks of his second coming, then this Gospel appears to be directed specifically to those who belong to a Parish or to a Renewal Community as it speaks of his coming as a day of judgment when Jesus will scrutinize all our works and how we used our gifts, how we invested the talents entrusted to us, how well we loved our neighbor, and whether our lives bore fruit.
On the other hand, if we are to look at this passage in terms of a pre-crucifixion scenario, then we see Jesus giving his disciples the reason and the purpose for why he was sent into the world: “I have come to bring fire on the earth…” (v.49)
Again, this passage is like a double-edged sword in that Jesus came not only to cast judgment on the people which was probably how the Jews associated it since fire in the olden times was regarded as a symbol of judgment. But it could also mean to be a future event that would happen on the day of Pentecost.
Prior to the advent of the New Testament, God has been sending prophets to bring the people closer to God. But the people’s faith in those days wasn’t what God had expected and this was what Jesus pointed out when he said: “and how I wish it were already kindled.” (v.49)
The fact that Jesus talked of “a baptism that he had to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed!” (v.50) meant that this passage was a pre-crucifixion scenario in which he was talking of his passion, death and resurrection which to him was a baptism that he had to undergo in obedience to the Will of the Father.
A deeper reflection of vv.49-50 will reveal the pain and frustration that Jesus feels and the following verses will show in the strongest possible terms what his coming would create – a division not only within the family but also among the people.
His words in this Gospel is actually an advisory for us that we should be prepared to make a decision that will have a bearing on our future in the Heavenly kingdom. Indeed Jesus is not only giving us a preview of what his coming meant but he is actually demanding a response from us now to draw the line between the world and eternal salvation.
I’m sure many of those who have committed their lives to serve God through their respective parishes or in spiritual communities may not have noticed it but our commitment has separated us from the previous circle we used to socialize.
In my case, even my choice of music has shifted from standards to praise songs. I have also stopped going out with my friends from the past, albeit unintentionally, as I am now preoccupied with assignments to teach in the community and in parishes and to stand as a sharer in the Marriage Encounter Weekend and or in the Life in the Spirit Seminar whenever and wherever we are called to serve.
But Christianity should not be viewed as divisive which was probably the reason why the Roman government hated Christianity because it divided families. But Christianity should be looked into as a unifying force because its true intention is to bring everyone to believe, to have faith and to love God.
And Jesus also warns us to be wary of those who teach false doctrines which was what Paul told Timothy: “If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.” (1 Tim 6:3-5)
Most often people think of false doctrines along doctrinal lines but this isn’t always the case. We could be espousing a false doctrine when we promote our own agenda on top of the established programs of the church and or community and or worst when we lead others astray and distract their focus on God. A very simple example of such is when a leader incites disciples to stop attending teachings offered by the church or community.
What Jesus was trying to picture in this Gospel was that loyalty to Him must be the priority over anything else. For those who have accepted Christ as his Savior, we must do what Paul says in Phi 3:8 “I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”
Because at the end of the day, neither our good works, titles or positions we occupy and, or material possessions can compensate for that which Our Lord deems as the most important which he will look for in each one of us when he finally comes – our loyalty to Our God who created us in His image and likeness.
And to those who will confess their loyalty to Christ, he will give them the power of the Holy Spirit: “and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Ac 1:8). The great prophet Isaiah also reminds us: “You are my witnesses, declares the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.” (Isa 43:10)
To witness for Christ is our primary responsibility and this must be rooted in our loyalty to him who chose us and loved us and a true disciple is one who will forsake everything to love God with all their minds, hearts and soul and, to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.
These two commandments are the fire that will kindle and turn our hearts as our burnt offering when he comes in glory. And that is the big challenge for us Christians and our choice will determine our future.
1st Reading: Jer 38:4-6, 8-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 40:2-4, 18 “Lord, come to my aid.”
2nd Reading: Heb 12:1-4
GOSPEL: LK 12:49-53
Key Verse: “I have come to bring fire on the earth,” (v.49)
There are several forms of approaches in Bible study and in the Basic Bible Seminar that some communities such as the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Catholic Charismatic Community are offering, its members are introduced to the so-called “contextual” and “thematic” approaches. These two types of study, however, are merely introductory as it simply provides readers with extracting the contexts and themes pertaining to the Scripture passages they are reading.
There are other comprehensive ways and these include the “deductive” type which is the most common and the “inductive” method which moves the reader to interpret and applies them but this should not depart from the meaning of the text.
For a truly meaningful and satisfying Bible study experience, many students of Scriptures use the exegetical analysis method which is to break down phrases, verses, words and analyze them through a systematic research and putting them all together for better illumination. In exegesis, both the deductive and inductive approaches come into play as these methods enhances the exegesis or critical examination and interpretation of the text.
This analytical study of Scriptures as what is being applied in using the Joy of Discovery program can be useful in examining and interpreting the Scripture such as the Gospel passage that we have for today which can be interpreted in two ways. It could either refer to the coming of Jesus when he was born of a woman or to his second coming.
If we are to regard this passage as an aftermath of the passion, death and resurrection of Christ when Jesus talks of his second coming, then this Gospel appears to be directed specifically to those who belong to a Parish or to a Renewal Community as it speaks of his coming as a day of judgment when Jesus will scrutinize all our works and how we used our gifts, how we invested the talents entrusted to us, how well we loved our neighbor, and whether our lives bore fruit.
On the other hand, if we are to look at this passage in terms of a pre-crucifixion scenario, then we see Jesus giving his disciples the reason and the purpose for why he was sent into the world: “I have come to bring fire on the earth…” (v.49)
Again, this passage is like a double-edged sword in that Jesus came not only to cast judgment on the people which was probably how the Jews associated it since fire in the olden times was regarded as a symbol of judgment. But it could also mean to be a future event that would happen on the day of Pentecost.
Prior to the advent of the New Testament, God has been sending prophets to bring the people closer to God. But the people’s faith in those days wasn’t what God had expected and this was what Jesus pointed out when he said: “and how I wish it were already kindled.” (v.49)
The fact that Jesus talked of “a baptism that he had to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed!” (v.50) meant that this passage was a pre-crucifixion scenario in which he was talking of his passion, death and resurrection which to him was a baptism that he had to undergo in obedience to the Will of the Father.
A deeper reflection of vv.49-50 will reveal the pain and frustration that Jesus feels and the following verses will show in the strongest possible terms what his coming would create – a division not only within the family but also among the people.
His words in this Gospel is actually an advisory for us that we should be prepared to make a decision that will have a bearing on our future in the Heavenly kingdom. Indeed Jesus is not only giving us a preview of what his coming meant but he is actually demanding a response from us now to draw the line between the world and eternal salvation.
I’m sure many of those who have committed their lives to serve God through their respective parishes or in spiritual communities may not have noticed it but our commitment has separated us from the previous circle we used to socialize.
In my case, even my choice of music has shifted from standards to praise songs. I have also stopped going out with my friends from the past, albeit unintentionally, as I am now preoccupied with assignments to teach in the community and in parishes and to stand as a sharer in the Marriage Encounter Weekend and or in the Life in the Spirit Seminar whenever and wherever we are called to serve.
But Christianity should not be viewed as divisive which was probably the reason why the Roman government hated Christianity because it divided families. But Christianity should be looked into as a unifying force because its true intention is to bring everyone to believe, to have faith and to love God.
And Jesus also warns us to be wary of those who teach false doctrines which was what Paul told Timothy: “If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.” (1 Tim 6:3-5)
Most often people think of false doctrines along doctrinal lines but this isn’t always the case. We could be espousing a false doctrine when we promote our own agenda on top of the established programs of the church and or community and or worst when we lead others astray and distract their focus on God. A very simple example of such is when a leader incites disciples to stop attending teachings offered by the church or community.
What Jesus was trying to picture in this Gospel was that loyalty to Him must be the priority over anything else. For those who have accepted Christ as his Savior, we must do what Paul says in Phi 3:8 “I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”
Because at the end of the day, neither our good works, titles or positions we occupy and, or material possessions can compensate for that which Our Lord deems as the most important which he will look for in each one of us when he finally comes – our loyalty to Our God who created us in His image and likeness.
And to those who will confess their loyalty to Christ, he will give them the power of the Holy Spirit: “and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Ac 1:8). The great prophet Isaiah also reminds us: “You are my witnesses, declares the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.” (Isa 43:10)
To witness for Christ is our primary responsibility and this must be rooted in our loyalty to him who chose us and loved us and a true disciple is one who will forsake everything to love God with all their minds, hearts and soul and, to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.
These two commandments are the fire that will kindle and turn our hearts as our burnt offering when he comes in glory. And that is the big challenge for us Christians and our choice will determine our future.
NO DISCRIMINATION IN SALVATION
AUG. 17, 2013: NINETEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: JOS 24:14-29
Responsorial Psalm: PSA 16:1-2, 5, 7-8 , 11 “You are my inheritance O’ Lord”
GOSPEL: MATT 19:13-15
Key Verse: “..for it is to such as these that
the Kingdom of Heaven belong.” (v.14)
This is probably one of the most poignant passages in the Scriptures because it shows the kind of compassion Jesus has for the people regardless of social standing and or to a certain extent their ages as with the little children in the Gospel.
The arrogance his disciples displayed on those who brought their children along should by no means be interpreted as their true nature for they were probably just being protective of Jesus. In the same manner, we probably are irritated at times when children become unruly while the Mass is going on.
Tired from their constant traveling from one town to another, the disciples definitely are most concerned with the comfort of Jesus as well as his security for there is by now a growing opposition to Jesus whose teachings do not sit well with the Pharisees.
But on this occasion, there were those who brought their children along and though they do not as yet believe in Jesus as the Son of God they nevertheless are drawn by the news of the healing miracles that he performed and this is probably the reason they wanted Jesus to touch their children.
We also heard Jesus earlier in Matt 18:3-4 when he cautioned his disciples to clothe themselves with the humility of a child whom Jesus called as the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
It is in this context that Jesus motioned to his disciples to bring the children to him and not hinder them “for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as they are.” (v.14) And he laid hands on the children and Matthew wrote that he went away from there.
Again, there is a tendency we could be misled when reading passages referring to children such as this one because during the time of Jesus, even the adults who are under training and or are undergoing discipleship are generally regarded as children. This is also what we are especially when we just stepped out of the Life in the Spirit Seminar.
Having been baptized in the Spirit we become born again as we put to death our old nature and experience a spiritual rebirth (2 Cor 5:17) and this spiritual experience can be likened to the time when we were like little children taking our first step into the world.
On the other hand, there may be some instance when we too acted like his disciples when we prevented others especially those who are new in the faith to experience what we have experienced in the renewal. There may be times when our selfish nature come into play and we keep the light we have received to ourselves refusing to either share it with others or ignoring the needs of others to also receive the light that comes from Jesus.
And this holds true especially for those in leadership positions. What we should remember is that we cannot be like the disciples who wanted to form a cordon sanitaire around Jesus to keep the people from coming to him for this would run counter to the purpose for which we have all been called – and that is to evangelize.
This is why we have to guard and examine ourselves every now and then so that we will not fall prey to being so zealous as to drive people out of their ministries and apostolates instead of encouraging them to serve believing we can do it alone. The fact is that a Community only becomes such when all its members are moving because Christians are supposed to be a people who are on the move. Thus it can well be said that a Community without a mission is dead. But mission should not mean projects and programs. To proclaim the Word of God is first and foremost the mission of every disciple.
It is also good to bear in mind that we are not even in a position to decide who should and should not come to the Church and or to any spiritual community for that matter because Jesus welcomes everyone - men, women and children alike and Jesus in the parable of the vineyard owner has made it clear that while judgment will come, such judgment will be handed down by God and not by mortals.
And Jesus has shown that his heart is closer to children because of the simplicity by which they go about their ways and the tragedy of life is that as people grow older they sometimes grow farther away from God and Jesus’ compassion for children should serve as a reminder for each one of us to remain like little children for that is actually what we are – the pilgrim church who are still on our journey of faith.
1st Reading: JOS 24:14-29
Responsorial Psalm: PSA 16:1-2, 5, 7-8 , 11 “You are my inheritance O’ Lord”
GOSPEL: MATT 19:13-15
Key Verse: “..for it is to such as these that
the Kingdom of Heaven belong.” (v.14)
This is probably one of the most poignant passages in the Scriptures because it shows the kind of compassion Jesus has for the people regardless of social standing and or to a certain extent their ages as with the little children in the Gospel.
The arrogance his disciples displayed on those who brought their children along should by no means be interpreted as their true nature for they were probably just being protective of Jesus. In the same manner, we probably are irritated at times when children become unruly while the Mass is going on.
Tired from their constant traveling from one town to another, the disciples definitely are most concerned with the comfort of Jesus as well as his security for there is by now a growing opposition to Jesus whose teachings do not sit well with the Pharisees.
But on this occasion, there were those who brought their children along and though they do not as yet believe in Jesus as the Son of God they nevertheless are drawn by the news of the healing miracles that he performed and this is probably the reason they wanted Jesus to touch their children.
We also heard Jesus earlier in Matt 18:3-4 when he cautioned his disciples to clothe themselves with the humility of a child whom Jesus called as the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
It is in this context that Jesus motioned to his disciples to bring the children to him and not hinder them “for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as they are.” (v.14) And he laid hands on the children and Matthew wrote that he went away from there.
Again, there is a tendency we could be misled when reading passages referring to children such as this one because during the time of Jesus, even the adults who are under training and or are undergoing discipleship are generally regarded as children. This is also what we are especially when we just stepped out of the Life in the Spirit Seminar.
Having been baptized in the Spirit we become born again as we put to death our old nature and experience a spiritual rebirth (2 Cor 5:17) and this spiritual experience can be likened to the time when we were like little children taking our first step into the world.
On the other hand, there may be some instance when we too acted like his disciples when we prevented others especially those who are new in the faith to experience what we have experienced in the renewal. There may be times when our selfish nature come into play and we keep the light we have received to ourselves refusing to either share it with others or ignoring the needs of others to also receive the light that comes from Jesus.
And this holds true especially for those in leadership positions. What we should remember is that we cannot be like the disciples who wanted to form a cordon sanitaire around Jesus to keep the people from coming to him for this would run counter to the purpose for which we have all been called – and that is to evangelize.
This is why we have to guard and examine ourselves every now and then so that we will not fall prey to being so zealous as to drive people out of their ministries and apostolates instead of encouraging them to serve believing we can do it alone. The fact is that a Community only becomes such when all its members are moving because Christians are supposed to be a people who are on the move. Thus it can well be said that a Community without a mission is dead. But mission should not mean projects and programs. To proclaim the Word of God is first and foremost the mission of every disciple.
It is also good to bear in mind that we are not even in a position to decide who should and should not come to the Church and or to any spiritual community for that matter because Jesus welcomes everyone - men, women and children alike and Jesus in the parable of the vineyard owner has made it clear that while judgment will come, such judgment will be handed down by God and not by mortals.
And Jesus has shown that his heart is closer to children because of the simplicity by which they go about their ways and the tragedy of life is that as people grow older they sometimes grow farther away from God and Jesus’ compassion for children should serve as a reminder for each one of us to remain like little children for that is actually what we are – the pilgrim church who are still on our journey of faith.
DIVORCE: AN ACT SEPARATING US FROM GOD
AUG. 16, 2013: NINETEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Jos 24:1-13
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 136:1-3, 16-18, 21-22, 24 “His mercy endures forever.”
GOSPEL: MATT 19:3-12
Key Verse: “..what God has joined together,
let no one separate.” (v.6)
Today’s Gospel reading is somehow related to an issue that remains to be the subject of many debates up to now. And perhaps, it may also be an opportune time to look at the consequences experienced by couples and even nations where the sanctity of the marriage bond has been transgressed.
And here in this passage, it was evident that the Pharisees are trying to involve Jesus in a controversial issue that would place him in a bind that would justify their intention to finally place him under arrest and perhaps suffer the same fate as that of his kin John the Baptist.
The trap was very simple. It was a question about divorce. “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause?” (v.3) Jesus knew the motive behind the question because even if the Jews who have a very strict standard when it comes to the marriage bond still they remain divided as to the issue of divorce.
There were two schools of thought on this issue insofar as the Jews are concerned. One was a stricter rule that divorce was applicable only when fornication or indecency was involved. The other was a more relaxed rule that divorce can also be secured if a man no longer finds favor in his wife and it was this laxer rule that many Jews took advantage of.
This division among the Jews stem from what Moses decreed in Deut 24:1 but Jesus countered that what was referred to in Deuteronomy was not a law but more of a concession to the fallen human nature to address the need at the time Moses said it.
Rather than spend our time looking at the legality and getting embroiled on the issue of divorce, we should instead focus on the key message in vv. 4-6 to be able to get into Jesus’ own view of marriage.
Since the Scriptures is also at the heart of all the teachings of the Catholic Church it is best that we look at what Mark and Luke say about this issue. While Matthew included fornication and or indecency as basis for divorce, Mark and Luke wrote that divorce was prohibited and that whoever divorces his wife and marries another has committed adultery.
These interpretations of Mark and Luke was apparently what Jesus had in mind when he said in v.6 “therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
This is also the principle behind the Theology of the Sacrament of Marriage in which the Church states: “The well being of the individual person and of both human and Christian society is closely bound up with the healthy state of conjugal and family life.”
The Code of Canon Law also summarizes the essence of marriage: The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a communion of the whole life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament.
We can also draw from what Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen said about marriage: “It is because they symbolize the unbreakable, eternal union of Our Lord and the Church. When the Son of God came to earth and took upon Himself a human nature, which flowered into His Mystical Body, the Church, He did not take it for three years or for 33 years, but for all eternity. So, too, when a husband takes a wife, he takes that wife as Christ took the Church. He takes that wife until death does him part! And in order to symbolize that enduring union of the espousals of Christ and His Church, they are to love one another until death separates them.”
Archbishop Sheen adds: “How beautiful marriage is in the Church! Fidelity is an engagement with the future, and when that future is eternity, when the soul knows that it cannot be saved unless it is faithful to the spouse, it remains faithful, even in the midst of trial. That God’s love is never withdrawn from His Church, so too, the love of husband and wife are never withdrawn one from another. It is made in the full consciousness that their love is a proclamation to the world of another marriage—the marriage which gives joy and happiness—the beautiful union of Christ and His Bride, the Church!”
This sanctity of the bond of marriage which even the Jews actually observe regardless of the Mosaic decree on divorce was what led God to say in Malachi 2:6 “I hate divorce” and it was said even during the time of the Jews that the very altar on which marriage is solemnized wept when a man divorced the wife of his youth.
The prohibition on divorce that Jesus emphasized highlights the indissolubility of the union between man and a woman and this is still what the Church teaches today. This teaching, however, has been desecrated when the Philippine Congress passed the Reproductive Health Bill which has become a law but which is still being debated on at the Supreme Court.
While divorce is not included in the RH Law there are fears that future amendments to the law would include divorce and even abortion for that matter. What has become evident but which still lay hidden from public scrutiny is the fact both divorce and abortion have the same objective and that is not only to control population but to ultimately stop the flow of life. And what many don’t realize is that we could be committing a grievous sin if we go against the Sacrament that God has instituted.
Conversely, anyone divorcing his or her spouse, unless for sufficient reason, may be displeasing God because what is being violated is the Word of God per se because God has deigned that “man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh.” (vv.5-6) Because God himself is present in the lives of couples who have been joined through the Sacrament of Matrimony, to divorce one’s spouse is also tantamount to severing our ties with God himself.
Allow me to end with another quote from Archbishop Sheen: “Your marriage will become like a tuning fork to the song of the angels. It will be like a river that runs into the sea where the romance and the marriage fuse into one; or since God is boundless eternal love, it will take that eternal chase to sound its depths; that in one and the same moment, a limitless receptivity and a boundless gift. This is what you marry for: for love—and love leads you to God.”
1st Reading: Jos 24:1-13
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 136:1-3, 16-18, 21-22, 24 “His mercy endures forever.”
GOSPEL: MATT 19:3-12
Key Verse: “..what God has joined together,
let no one separate.” (v.6)
Today’s Gospel reading is somehow related to an issue that remains to be the subject of many debates up to now. And perhaps, it may also be an opportune time to look at the consequences experienced by couples and even nations where the sanctity of the marriage bond has been transgressed.
And here in this passage, it was evident that the Pharisees are trying to involve Jesus in a controversial issue that would place him in a bind that would justify their intention to finally place him under arrest and perhaps suffer the same fate as that of his kin John the Baptist.
The trap was very simple. It was a question about divorce. “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause?” (v.3) Jesus knew the motive behind the question because even if the Jews who have a very strict standard when it comes to the marriage bond still they remain divided as to the issue of divorce.
There were two schools of thought on this issue insofar as the Jews are concerned. One was a stricter rule that divorce was applicable only when fornication or indecency was involved. The other was a more relaxed rule that divorce can also be secured if a man no longer finds favor in his wife and it was this laxer rule that many Jews took advantage of.
This division among the Jews stem from what Moses decreed in Deut 24:1 but Jesus countered that what was referred to in Deuteronomy was not a law but more of a concession to the fallen human nature to address the need at the time Moses said it.
Rather than spend our time looking at the legality and getting embroiled on the issue of divorce, we should instead focus on the key message in vv. 4-6 to be able to get into Jesus’ own view of marriage.
Since the Scriptures is also at the heart of all the teachings of the Catholic Church it is best that we look at what Mark and Luke say about this issue. While Matthew included fornication and or indecency as basis for divorce, Mark and Luke wrote that divorce was prohibited and that whoever divorces his wife and marries another has committed adultery.
These interpretations of Mark and Luke was apparently what Jesus had in mind when he said in v.6 “therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
This is also the principle behind the Theology of the Sacrament of Marriage in which the Church states: “The well being of the individual person and of both human and Christian society is closely bound up with the healthy state of conjugal and family life.”
The Code of Canon Law also summarizes the essence of marriage: The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a communion of the whole life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament.
We can also draw from what Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen said about marriage: “It is because they symbolize the unbreakable, eternal union of Our Lord and the Church. When the Son of God came to earth and took upon Himself a human nature, which flowered into His Mystical Body, the Church, He did not take it for three years or for 33 years, but for all eternity. So, too, when a husband takes a wife, he takes that wife as Christ took the Church. He takes that wife until death does him part! And in order to symbolize that enduring union of the espousals of Christ and His Church, they are to love one another until death separates them.”
Archbishop Sheen adds: “How beautiful marriage is in the Church! Fidelity is an engagement with the future, and when that future is eternity, when the soul knows that it cannot be saved unless it is faithful to the spouse, it remains faithful, even in the midst of trial. That God’s love is never withdrawn from His Church, so too, the love of husband and wife are never withdrawn one from another. It is made in the full consciousness that their love is a proclamation to the world of another marriage—the marriage which gives joy and happiness—the beautiful union of Christ and His Bride, the Church!”
This sanctity of the bond of marriage which even the Jews actually observe regardless of the Mosaic decree on divorce was what led God to say in Malachi 2:6 “I hate divorce” and it was said even during the time of the Jews that the very altar on which marriage is solemnized wept when a man divorced the wife of his youth.
The prohibition on divorce that Jesus emphasized highlights the indissolubility of the union between man and a woman and this is still what the Church teaches today. This teaching, however, has been desecrated when the Philippine Congress passed the Reproductive Health Bill which has become a law but which is still being debated on at the Supreme Court.
While divorce is not included in the RH Law there are fears that future amendments to the law would include divorce and even abortion for that matter. What has become evident but which still lay hidden from public scrutiny is the fact both divorce and abortion have the same objective and that is not only to control population but to ultimately stop the flow of life. And what many don’t realize is that we could be committing a grievous sin if we go against the Sacrament that God has instituted.
Conversely, anyone divorcing his or her spouse, unless for sufficient reason, may be displeasing God because what is being violated is the Word of God per se because God has deigned that “man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh.” (vv.5-6) Because God himself is present in the lives of couples who have been joined through the Sacrament of Matrimony, to divorce one’s spouse is also tantamount to severing our ties with God himself.
Allow me to end with another quote from Archbishop Sheen: “Your marriage will become like a tuning fork to the song of the angels. It will be like a river that runs into the sea where the romance and the marriage fuse into one; or since God is boundless eternal love, it will take that eternal chase to sound its depths; that in one and the same moment, a limitless receptivity and a boundless gift. This is what you marry for: for love—and love leads you to God.”
IT'S NOT WHY, BUT WHY NOT?
MARY: THE MEDIATRIX OF ALL GRACE
AUG. 15, 2015: FEAST OF THE THE ASSUMPTION
OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
1st Reading: Rev 11:19, 12:1-6, 10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 45:10-11, 12, 16 “The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.”
2nd Reading: 1 Cor 15:20-27
GOSPEL: LK 1:39-56
Key Verse: “Blessed are you among women…” (v.42)
Today millions of Catholics around the world will troop to their respective Parishes to join in the celebration of the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and, in many countries in Europe this is a Holy Day of Obligation.
And members of other churches, as usual, will exert much effort in taking up issue with us Catholics on why we honor Mary. I believe, however, that non-Catholics do not only miss the point but even the question that need be asked is not “why?” do we Catholics honor or venerate Mary but it is a question of why not?
I will also not belabor you with the rationale behind the different feasts that the Catholic Church has decreed to honor Mary as it will take forever to reason out with those who have closed themselves to reason. But you see, religious denominations have their own seats of authority. The Catholic Church has its Magisterium which is vested on the Holy Father the Pope and all doctrines on matters of faith and morals flow from this seat which we Catholics believe as having flowed and flowing from Jesus Christ who established our Church.
Now I don’t know and am not privy as to where the Protestants, Evangelicals, Fundamentals source or generate their doctrines from or where the seat of their central authority is if ever they have one. As there are no Scriptural basis for the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we believe in the teachings that has been handed down by the Catholic Church from generations to generations and believe we must if we consider ourselves as members and belonging to this Church.
If other religious sects say we are in error, then let it be and allow us to err in what we believe to be what is right. It is a matter of respect for one’s faith in the same way that we Catholics respect the faith that people from other denominations believe in.
Now as for the Assumption of the Blessed Mary, the celebration of this Feast by us Catholics is not only defensible but will reduce all arguments to the contrary into shreds and pieces of shallow discourse bordering on envy. Why? For the simple fact that there is reason to honor Mary is seen in the Scriptures itself. We begin with Gabriel giving her a salutation that is reserved for the royalty “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.” (Lk 1:28) Was there a time in history that a simple maiden was greeted by a royal salutation by an Angel sent from heaven?
Again, the Angel appeared on the flight to Egypt and in Mt 2:13-14 “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you.”
After Joseph and Mary found Jesus at the Temple “and He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them; and His mother kept all these things carefully in her heart. And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and grace before GOD and men.” (Lk 2:51-52) Surely, he advanced in wisdom by the power of the Holy Spirit but it also cannot be discounted that Joseph and Mary were also part of his growing up years.
Jesus initially balked when Mary told him about the lack of wine in Jn 2:3-5 but he later on obeyed his Mother and turned water into wine. If Jesus himself, knowing that he is God but did not deem equality with God as something to be grasped honored Mary by obeying her how much more with us who are subjects of Jesus. Mary was also with Jesus all throughout his passion, death and resurrection and Mary was at the Upper Room with the other Apostles on the day of Pentecost and this association and closeness should provide us with more reason to be closely associated with His Mother.
And in Revelations, John wrote “And a great sign appeared in heaven: A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.” (Rev 12:1). Biblical scholars interpret this as a sign that Mary the Mother of God reflects her Son, the Light of the World in just as the moon is reflected by sunlight. John to whom Mary was entrusted by Jesus definitely saw something in the sign and the crown on her head representing the 12 tribes of Israel meant Mary was indeed given the honor to be Queen.
And to critics and Catholic-bashers who insist that we give Mary primacy over Jesus, Lk 1:46 says it all: “My soul magnifies the Lord.” Here, Mary herself expresses that she has no other intention but to magnify Our Lord Jesus Christ and it’s clear that her role is to make her Son shine.
For all intents and purposes, Mary is the Mother of the Son of God (Lk 2:7-11, 41-43) , she is the spouse of the Holy Spirit (Lk 1:35-38). This cannot be denied such that while Mary’s Assumption is not recorded in the Scriptures it doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. Knowing that she is intimately and intrinsically related to all three persons of the most Holy Trinity, the question really is not to ask why do we honor Mary, but why not?
OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
1st Reading: Rev 11:19, 12:1-6, 10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 45:10-11, 12, 16 “The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.”
2nd Reading: 1 Cor 15:20-27
GOSPEL: LK 1:39-56
Key Verse: “Blessed are you among women…” (v.42)
Today millions of Catholics around the world will troop to their respective Parishes to join in the celebration of the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and, in many countries in Europe this is a Holy Day of Obligation.
And members of other churches, as usual, will exert much effort in taking up issue with us Catholics on why we honor Mary. I believe, however, that non-Catholics do not only miss the point but even the question that need be asked is not “why?” do we Catholics honor or venerate Mary but it is a question of why not?
I will also not belabor you with the rationale behind the different feasts that the Catholic Church has decreed to honor Mary as it will take forever to reason out with those who have closed themselves to reason. But you see, religious denominations have their own seats of authority. The Catholic Church has its Magisterium which is vested on the Holy Father the Pope and all doctrines on matters of faith and morals flow from this seat which we Catholics believe as having flowed and flowing from Jesus Christ who established our Church.
Now I don’t know and am not privy as to where the Protestants, Evangelicals, Fundamentals source or generate their doctrines from or where the seat of their central authority is if ever they have one. As there are no Scriptural basis for the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we believe in the teachings that has been handed down by the Catholic Church from generations to generations and believe we must if we consider ourselves as members and belonging to this Church.
If other religious sects say we are in error, then let it be and allow us to err in what we believe to be what is right. It is a matter of respect for one’s faith in the same way that we Catholics respect the faith that people from other denominations believe in.
Now as for the Assumption of the Blessed Mary, the celebration of this Feast by us Catholics is not only defensible but will reduce all arguments to the contrary into shreds and pieces of shallow discourse bordering on envy. Why? For the simple fact that there is reason to honor Mary is seen in the Scriptures itself. We begin with Gabriel giving her a salutation that is reserved for the royalty “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.” (Lk 1:28) Was there a time in history that a simple maiden was greeted by a royal salutation by an Angel sent from heaven?
Again, the Angel appeared on the flight to Egypt and in Mt 2:13-14 “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you.”
After Joseph and Mary found Jesus at the Temple “and He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them; and His mother kept all these things carefully in her heart. And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and grace before GOD and men.” (Lk 2:51-52) Surely, he advanced in wisdom by the power of the Holy Spirit but it also cannot be discounted that Joseph and Mary were also part of his growing up years.
Jesus initially balked when Mary told him about the lack of wine in Jn 2:3-5 but he later on obeyed his Mother and turned water into wine. If Jesus himself, knowing that he is God but did not deem equality with God as something to be grasped honored Mary by obeying her how much more with us who are subjects of Jesus. Mary was also with Jesus all throughout his passion, death and resurrection and Mary was at the Upper Room with the other Apostles on the day of Pentecost and this association and closeness should provide us with more reason to be closely associated with His Mother.
And in Revelations, John wrote “And a great sign appeared in heaven: A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.” (Rev 12:1). Biblical scholars interpret this as a sign that Mary the Mother of God reflects her Son, the Light of the World in just as the moon is reflected by sunlight. John to whom Mary was entrusted by Jesus definitely saw something in the sign and the crown on her head representing the 12 tribes of Israel meant Mary was indeed given the honor to be Queen.
And to critics and Catholic-bashers who insist that we give Mary primacy over Jesus, Lk 1:46 says it all: “My soul magnifies the Lord.” Here, Mary herself expresses that she has no other intention but to magnify Our Lord Jesus Christ and it’s clear that her role is to make her Son shine.
For all intents and purposes, Mary is the Mother of the Son of God (Lk 2:7-11, 41-43) , she is the spouse of the Holy Spirit (Lk 1:35-38). This cannot be denied such that while Mary’s Assumption is not recorded in the Scriptures it doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. Knowing that she is intimately and intrinsically related to all three persons of the most Holy Trinity, the question really is not to ask why do we honor Mary, but why not?
TO FORGIVE IS TO LOVE
AUG. 14, 2013: NINETEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Deut 34:1-12
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 66:1-3, 5, 8, 16-17 “Blessed be God who filled my soul with fire.”
GOSPEL: MATT 18:15-20
Key Verse: “..it will be done for you
by my Father in Heaven.” (v.19)
When reading this Gospel narrative there is a tendency to follow to the letter the suggestions laid down by Jesus relative to how differences and sins that have been committed are to be addressed and resolved. And there are some who have actually subscribed to these guidelines.
Granting for the sake of argument that we follow what Jesus said in v.17 “treat him as you would a pagan, or a tax-collector,” will it not contradict what he is said in v.21-22 of this same Chapter although this is not yet the subject of our Reflection today.
This was what we said yesterday that we need to look beyond the written words of the Scriptures before us in order for us to grasp the full meaning and substance of what God is telling us. This Gospel narrative is one such example in which we have to rely not only on the counsel of the Holy Spirit but on the works of other Biblical scholars.
It would be a good exercise for us to read not just the Gospel passage before us which in this case range from vv.15-20 but also the preceding passages and the following passages thereafter because in them we will find what Jesus truly meant.
Remember that the passage before this one was about the lost sheep and it is clear that Jesus is referring to sinners as the lost sheep that must be found hence, He prescribes certain measures on how to deal with sinners.
Clearly this is a message for believers and not for those who doesn’t share our faith and religious beliefs and this should also not be used as an authority for everyone who may have hurt us to just bring our conflict to the Church. Far from it because the real intent of these steps that Jesus are suggesting are meant to bring healing and reconciliation to the contending parties in a conflict.
And the message for us is that most often many of us do exactly the opposite of what was being suggested here. When we are hurt, we run away carrying with us our hatred, anger and bitterness. There are times when seeking revenge and getting back on our oppressors cross our minds.
Difficult as it may seem to be, what Jesus was saying is for us to go to that person who may have wronged us and forgive that person as this will create an atmosphere that can help restore broken relationships. And the grant of forgiveness shouldn’t be made on the basis of conditions but one that is freely given.
While Jesus may indeed be talking of the participation of the Church in resolving conflicts among believers, decisions of the Church are to be result of its discernment using the Word of God as the foundation because the Church is mandated to use the guidance of the Holy Spirit to resolve conflicts.
Outside of the Church per se, the need to enter into a dialogue with anyone who may have wronged us is necessary because there is also the possibility that what we may think or may be harboring in our hearts are merely perceptions of what we thought somebody may have said done or said against us.
People are relational beings and there are many instances when words are spoken and what is being passed on to others that have been brought to our attention is no longer the same as what was originally said. Again, granting that the offender justifies his action and refuses to reconcile and or heed the guidance of the Church, we are not to literally take what Jesus said in v.17 “treat him as a pagan or a tax-collector” because what Jesus actually meant is that we are to treat them with sympathy and not lose hope because they can still be won, e.g. Levi and Zacchaeus.
And finally, Jesus establishes the foundation that can impel us to forgive and bring the lost back into the fold and that is through prayer especially when there are two or more gathered in His Name. Indeed, Jesus is present in all the areas of our lives and there is no place we can hide where he is not there.
At the end of the day, the Cross should remind us that there are no conditions to forgiveness because Jesus ransomed us even if we don’t deserve it.
I will end this Reflection by extending an olive branch to anyone including those in the Community whom I may have wronged, whom I may have hurt either by words that I have spoken or uttered or what I may have done – knowingly and unknowingly – including those that I may have been perceived to have said or done, those who may have been offended by my actions, please accept my sincerest apology as I remain hopeful that you will find it in your heart to grant me forgiveness for whatever wrong I may have done. God bless you all!
1st Reading: Deut 34:1-12
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 66:1-3, 5, 8, 16-17 “Blessed be God who filled my soul with fire.”
GOSPEL: MATT 18:15-20
Key Verse: “..it will be done for you
by my Father in Heaven.” (v.19)
When reading this Gospel narrative there is a tendency to follow to the letter the suggestions laid down by Jesus relative to how differences and sins that have been committed are to be addressed and resolved. And there are some who have actually subscribed to these guidelines.
Granting for the sake of argument that we follow what Jesus said in v.17 “treat him as you would a pagan, or a tax-collector,” will it not contradict what he is said in v.21-22 of this same Chapter although this is not yet the subject of our Reflection today.
This was what we said yesterday that we need to look beyond the written words of the Scriptures before us in order for us to grasp the full meaning and substance of what God is telling us. This Gospel narrative is one such example in which we have to rely not only on the counsel of the Holy Spirit but on the works of other Biblical scholars.
It would be a good exercise for us to read not just the Gospel passage before us which in this case range from vv.15-20 but also the preceding passages and the following passages thereafter because in them we will find what Jesus truly meant.
Remember that the passage before this one was about the lost sheep and it is clear that Jesus is referring to sinners as the lost sheep that must be found hence, He prescribes certain measures on how to deal with sinners.
Clearly this is a message for believers and not for those who doesn’t share our faith and religious beliefs and this should also not be used as an authority for everyone who may have hurt us to just bring our conflict to the Church. Far from it because the real intent of these steps that Jesus are suggesting are meant to bring healing and reconciliation to the contending parties in a conflict.
And the message for us is that most often many of us do exactly the opposite of what was being suggested here. When we are hurt, we run away carrying with us our hatred, anger and bitterness. There are times when seeking revenge and getting back on our oppressors cross our minds.
Difficult as it may seem to be, what Jesus was saying is for us to go to that person who may have wronged us and forgive that person as this will create an atmosphere that can help restore broken relationships. And the grant of forgiveness shouldn’t be made on the basis of conditions but one that is freely given.
While Jesus may indeed be talking of the participation of the Church in resolving conflicts among believers, decisions of the Church are to be result of its discernment using the Word of God as the foundation because the Church is mandated to use the guidance of the Holy Spirit to resolve conflicts.
Outside of the Church per se, the need to enter into a dialogue with anyone who may have wronged us is necessary because there is also the possibility that what we may think or may be harboring in our hearts are merely perceptions of what we thought somebody may have said done or said against us.
People are relational beings and there are many instances when words are spoken and what is being passed on to others that have been brought to our attention is no longer the same as what was originally said. Again, granting that the offender justifies his action and refuses to reconcile and or heed the guidance of the Church, we are not to literally take what Jesus said in v.17 “treat him as a pagan or a tax-collector” because what Jesus actually meant is that we are to treat them with sympathy and not lose hope because they can still be won, e.g. Levi and Zacchaeus.
And finally, Jesus establishes the foundation that can impel us to forgive and bring the lost back into the fold and that is through prayer especially when there are two or more gathered in His Name. Indeed, Jesus is present in all the areas of our lives and there is no place we can hide where he is not there.
At the end of the day, the Cross should remind us that there are no conditions to forgiveness because Jesus ransomed us even if we don’t deserve it.
I will end this Reflection by extending an olive branch to anyone including those in the Community whom I may have wronged, whom I may have hurt either by words that I have spoken or uttered or what I may have done – knowingly and unknowingly – including those that I may have been perceived to have said or done, those who may have been offended by my actions, please accept my sincerest apology as I remain hopeful that you will find it in your heart to grant me forgiveness for whatever wrong I may have done. God bless you all!
HUMILITY UNLOCKS HEAVEN
AUG. 13, 2013: NINETEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Deut 31:1-8
Responsorial Psalm: Deut 32:3-4, 7-9, 12 “The portion of the Lord is his people.”
GOSPEL: MATT 18:1-5, 10, 12-14
Key Verse: “Whoever humbles himself like this child
is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.” (v.4)
If there were times when the disciples of Jesus failed to grasp what he was saying, it was because Jesus at times also responds in a manner that was hard for his disciples to understand. And today’s Gospel passage was one of those times when his disciples asked him who was the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
And Jesus comes up with a picturesque response by taking a child saying in (vv.3-4) “unless you turn and become as children, you will not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Whoever humbles himself as this little child, he is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.”
Jesus used a child to describe a citizen of the Heavenly Kingdom because the child is clothed with the characteristics of anyone who want to enter and live in God’s Kingdom. First and foremost of these qualities is the humility of a child which Jesus referred to as the model for Christian behavior.
A child is utterly dependent on those who are raising him up and shall have developed in his lifetime a complete trust on his parents. These two virtues – dependence and trust – are the attitudes that each Christian must have in his relationship to God.
Jesus used the example of a little child to also break down the misconception of his disciples towards the kind of Kingdom that he has come to establish on earth. Up to this time, his disciples were still thinking of the worldly realm when Jesus will finally take his place as the Messiah and Jesus had to stop them on their tracks without hurting their enthusiasm. Hence, he equated the inhabitants of heaven to the character of a child.
There is also another interpretation on why Jesus used the child as a metaphor to bring across his message and in this second version, it is possible that Jesus was referring to a young adult and or even men who are undergoing study and training in righteousness and this is borne by the fact that the Jews sometimes apply a double meaning to certain words.
The word child is no different which to the Jews could mean a little child and or someone who is known to be a disciple or follower who is normally labeled as a son or child of a teacher. Thus, Jesus may also have been referring to a person who is still under the wings of his teacher.
Regardless of which of these interpretations is accurate, what we should bear in mind is the tremendous responsibility that Jesus passed on to us which is to teach children not only to develop their child-like faith but to eventually lead them to live a Godly life.
And to further emphasize the importance of looking after one another, Jesus follows it up by another narrative – the Parable of the Lost Sheep, a story so clear and vivid among the Jews because this was the profession that most of the Jews were engaged in.
As love is the inherent principle in the Kingdom of Heaven, Jesus used the kind of love that Shepherds have of their sheep to draw a parallelism with the love of God and Jesus masterfully linked this parable to the need to instruct and guide the little ones to find their way to the Kingdom of God just like the Shepherd does when tending his sheep.
What Jesus revealed in this parable is the kind of love of God who seeks and saves the lost or those who wander away from the faith. And God will not stop until all who strayed are found to serve the purpose for which we have all been created.
All of us have at one time or another also wandered. We did things we thought was right. Some of us are so gifted it made us think that we don’t need God to make a life. We pursued our dreams to fame and fortune. We stepped on other people’s toes along the way and we shrugged off the injustices that we perpetrated to get things done. We cheated not only on our family but even in our business or profession. We spent time on vices and we gambled our lives away.
But God like a Good Shepherd is not going to wait until we come back because he knows we are incapable of doing that as we remain attached to the world around us that brings comfort and happiness no matter how fleeting these may be compared to the eternal joy of God’s Kingdom but which is characterized by trials, pains and suffering.
And before we could totally destroy ourselves, God out of his great love for us intervened and found us and brought us back to the path of righteousness and there was great rejoicing for the lost sheep that was found.
God will go out to search for each and every lamb and sheep that is lost and bring them back at all cost – even if this will cause his death on the cross in exchange. And this is what God expects from those he has saved. Since God ransomed us with his death on the cross he practically owns us and we actually have no choice but to go where he tells us to go.
The message rings clear that we too must also go out on a limb to seek and find the lost and provide them the care and love and the teachings they will need so that they may “know” God and enjoy the abundant life that He has promised us. In other words, it's pay back time for all Christians who have been found and have been given the right to call God - Abba Father!
1st Reading: Deut 31:1-8
Responsorial Psalm: Deut 32:3-4, 7-9, 12 “The portion of the Lord is his people.”
GOSPEL: MATT 18:1-5, 10, 12-14
Key Verse: “Whoever humbles himself like this child
is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.” (v.4)
If there were times when the disciples of Jesus failed to grasp what he was saying, it was because Jesus at times also responds in a manner that was hard for his disciples to understand. And today’s Gospel passage was one of those times when his disciples asked him who was the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
And Jesus comes up with a picturesque response by taking a child saying in (vv.3-4) “unless you turn and become as children, you will not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Whoever humbles himself as this little child, he is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.”
Jesus used a child to describe a citizen of the Heavenly Kingdom because the child is clothed with the characteristics of anyone who want to enter and live in God’s Kingdom. First and foremost of these qualities is the humility of a child which Jesus referred to as the model for Christian behavior.
A child is utterly dependent on those who are raising him up and shall have developed in his lifetime a complete trust on his parents. These two virtues – dependence and trust – are the attitudes that each Christian must have in his relationship to God.
Jesus used the example of a little child to also break down the misconception of his disciples towards the kind of Kingdom that he has come to establish on earth. Up to this time, his disciples were still thinking of the worldly realm when Jesus will finally take his place as the Messiah and Jesus had to stop them on their tracks without hurting their enthusiasm. Hence, he equated the inhabitants of heaven to the character of a child.
There is also another interpretation on why Jesus used the child as a metaphor to bring across his message and in this second version, it is possible that Jesus was referring to a young adult and or even men who are undergoing study and training in righteousness and this is borne by the fact that the Jews sometimes apply a double meaning to certain words.
The word child is no different which to the Jews could mean a little child and or someone who is known to be a disciple or follower who is normally labeled as a son or child of a teacher. Thus, Jesus may also have been referring to a person who is still under the wings of his teacher.
Regardless of which of these interpretations is accurate, what we should bear in mind is the tremendous responsibility that Jesus passed on to us which is to teach children not only to develop their child-like faith but to eventually lead them to live a Godly life.
And to further emphasize the importance of looking after one another, Jesus follows it up by another narrative – the Parable of the Lost Sheep, a story so clear and vivid among the Jews because this was the profession that most of the Jews were engaged in.
As love is the inherent principle in the Kingdom of Heaven, Jesus used the kind of love that Shepherds have of their sheep to draw a parallelism with the love of God and Jesus masterfully linked this parable to the need to instruct and guide the little ones to find their way to the Kingdom of God just like the Shepherd does when tending his sheep.
What Jesus revealed in this parable is the kind of love of God who seeks and saves the lost or those who wander away from the faith. And God will not stop until all who strayed are found to serve the purpose for which we have all been created.
All of us have at one time or another also wandered. We did things we thought was right. Some of us are so gifted it made us think that we don’t need God to make a life. We pursued our dreams to fame and fortune. We stepped on other people’s toes along the way and we shrugged off the injustices that we perpetrated to get things done. We cheated not only on our family but even in our business or profession. We spent time on vices and we gambled our lives away.
But God like a Good Shepherd is not going to wait until we come back because he knows we are incapable of doing that as we remain attached to the world around us that brings comfort and happiness no matter how fleeting these may be compared to the eternal joy of God’s Kingdom but which is characterized by trials, pains and suffering.
And before we could totally destroy ourselves, God out of his great love for us intervened and found us and brought us back to the path of righteousness and there was great rejoicing for the lost sheep that was found.
God will go out to search for each and every lamb and sheep that is lost and bring them back at all cost – even if this will cause his death on the cross in exchange. And this is what God expects from those he has saved. Since God ransomed us with his death on the cross he practically owns us and we actually have no choice but to go where he tells us to go.
The message rings clear that we too must also go out on a limb to seek and find the lost and provide them the care and love and the teachings they will need so that they may “know” God and enjoy the abundant life that He has promised us. In other words, it's pay back time for all Christians who have been found and have been given the right to call God - Abba Father!
BE CONSIDERATE OF OTHERS
AUG. 12, 2013: NINETEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Deut 31:1-8
Responsorial Psalm: Deut 32:3-4, 7-9, 12 “The portion of the Lord is his people.”
GOSPEL: MATT 17:22-27
Key Verse: “so that we may not offend them.” (v.27)
This will be the third time that Jesus has told his disciples about his impending death but this is also the first time that he revealed to them that he will be resurrected on the third day.
With their minds still fixed on Jesus as the conquering Messiah, his disciples could not as of yet comprehend the greatest event that is to unfold before their very eyes and they were upset as they could not fully grasp the purpose of his death and the resurrection he was telling them about.
But while they may have expressed disappointment that Jesus is not the king they expected him to be who is going to set up a political kingdom and, though they had difficulty understanding his disciples nevertheless believed in Jesus in such a way that they stayed with him for three years, witnessed the miracles he did, heard his teachings.
And this should also be the same with us. With the faith that we received in our baptism, Jesus is expecting us to draw on this gift of faith to move ourselves into at least try to grasp even a fraction of what Jesus is telling us.
In this Gospel, Jesus also presents to us the standard that will guide our actions and relationships with the authorities and with one another. Here we also see Our Lord putting himself at the level of the ordinary citizen that though he is God he did not deem equality with God as something to be grasped at.
In those days, all Jewish males from age 20 and above are required to pay a Temple Tax to support the high cost of maintaining the Temple in Jerusalem. There were morning and evening sacrifices of a year-old lamb that were offered daily at the temple, the wine, flour and oil, the incense that is kept burning all day and, even the robes and garments worn by the priests and the High Priest are sourced from the Temple Tax and these expenditures are by no less cheap.
But also in those days, the royal family are not required to pay these taxes and while he did not yet fully understand, Peter the ever impulsive emerging leader of the Church Jesus will establish answered in a positive way when asked whether he and Jesus described here as Teacher have paid their Temple Tax.
It presupposes that if the royalty in those days need not pay the Temple Tax then Jesus who is the King is also not required to pay taxes. Because he is the Son of God, then all the more that Jesus should not be required to pay the Temple Tax because technically he was exempt from such taxation. But this is where Jesus laid down the parameters of how it is to become a good citizen.
Jesus told Peter they should voluntarily pay the tax to avoid offending the religious leaders and the tax collectors and this provided his disciples with a panorama of how they should live. The coin in the mouth of the fish is merely a metaphor because what Jesus actually did was that in order for Peter to get the money to pay the tax, he has to work on it and the use of the fish with the shekel in it is more in keeping with Peter’s profession as a fisherman.
While we as Christians are practically free with regards to our relationship with God and we are not bound by the legalism that may pervade in the society we are in, we are reminded by Jesus that we are not supposed to use this freedom to offend other people.
In other words, Jesus is telling us to bend over backwards in times when we are confronted with people who do not understand our being free from the law especially on matters pertaining to our faith. What Jesus is emphasizing here is that while our loyalty may be to God, we still need to cooperate with the temporal authorities of our time and be good responsible citizens.
In fact this is the underlying principle that guides Ambassadors who are sent to a foreign country by their government. While they are required to observe, honor and respect the laws of the host countries, ambassadors are also guided by the laws of his own country and that they must act with proper decorum in the country they are being sent to.
St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians (2 Cor 5:20) says “we are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.” Do we consider ourselves as Ambassadors for Christ? Because if we do, then we must move and act in a way that we don’t offend those to whom we bring God’s message.
We as Christians are being sent into the world. But how we draw others to Christ depends on the way we conduct ourselves. In our zealousness to proclaim the gospel, do we offend the sensibilities of others? Do we inculturate God’s message with the culture and traditions of the place where we operate as God’s messengers?
Have we become overbearing in the profession of our faith because of our awareness of our worth and value to God? Do we impose our will, our whims and caprices on those we minister to or do we lead them to subordinate their will to God’s Will? Are we leading others to embrace a culture of doing everything for God and expect a reward? Or do we lead others to a life in God and with God and let the love of God flow through them? The choice to become good citizens lies in our hands.
1st Reading: Deut 31:1-8
Responsorial Psalm: Deut 32:3-4, 7-9, 12 “The portion of the Lord is his people.”
GOSPEL: MATT 17:22-27
Key Verse: “so that we may not offend them.” (v.27)
This will be the third time that Jesus has told his disciples about his impending death but this is also the first time that he revealed to them that he will be resurrected on the third day.
With their minds still fixed on Jesus as the conquering Messiah, his disciples could not as of yet comprehend the greatest event that is to unfold before their very eyes and they were upset as they could not fully grasp the purpose of his death and the resurrection he was telling them about.
But while they may have expressed disappointment that Jesus is not the king they expected him to be who is going to set up a political kingdom and, though they had difficulty understanding his disciples nevertheless believed in Jesus in such a way that they stayed with him for three years, witnessed the miracles he did, heard his teachings.
And this should also be the same with us. With the faith that we received in our baptism, Jesus is expecting us to draw on this gift of faith to move ourselves into at least try to grasp even a fraction of what Jesus is telling us.
In this Gospel, Jesus also presents to us the standard that will guide our actions and relationships with the authorities and with one another. Here we also see Our Lord putting himself at the level of the ordinary citizen that though he is God he did not deem equality with God as something to be grasped at.
In those days, all Jewish males from age 20 and above are required to pay a Temple Tax to support the high cost of maintaining the Temple in Jerusalem. There were morning and evening sacrifices of a year-old lamb that were offered daily at the temple, the wine, flour and oil, the incense that is kept burning all day and, even the robes and garments worn by the priests and the High Priest are sourced from the Temple Tax and these expenditures are by no less cheap.
But also in those days, the royal family are not required to pay these taxes and while he did not yet fully understand, Peter the ever impulsive emerging leader of the Church Jesus will establish answered in a positive way when asked whether he and Jesus described here as Teacher have paid their Temple Tax.
It presupposes that if the royalty in those days need not pay the Temple Tax then Jesus who is the King is also not required to pay taxes. Because he is the Son of God, then all the more that Jesus should not be required to pay the Temple Tax because technically he was exempt from such taxation. But this is where Jesus laid down the parameters of how it is to become a good citizen.
Jesus told Peter they should voluntarily pay the tax to avoid offending the religious leaders and the tax collectors and this provided his disciples with a panorama of how they should live. The coin in the mouth of the fish is merely a metaphor because what Jesus actually did was that in order for Peter to get the money to pay the tax, he has to work on it and the use of the fish with the shekel in it is more in keeping with Peter’s profession as a fisherman.
While we as Christians are practically free with regards to our relationship with God and we are not bound by the legalism that may pervade in the society we are in, we are reminded by Jesus that we are not supposed to use this freedom to offend other people.
In other words, Jesus is telling us to bend over backwards in times when we are confronted with people who do not understand our being free from the law especially on matters pertaining to our faith. What Jesus is emphasizing here is that while our loyalty may be to God, we still need to cooperate with the temporal authorities of our time and be good responsible citizens.
In fact this is the underlying principle that guides Ambassadors who are sent to a foreign country by their government. While they are required to observe, honor and respect the laws of the host countries, ambassadors are also guided by the laws of his own country and that they must act with proper decorum in the country they are being sent to.
St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians (2 Cor 5:20) says “we are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.” Do we consider ourselves as Ambassadors for Christ? Because if we do, then we must move and act in a way that we don’t offend those to whom we bring God’s message.
We as Christians are being sent into the world. But how we draw others to Christ depends on the way we conduct ourselves. In our zealousness to proclaim the gospel, do we offend the sensibilities of others? Do we inculturate God’s message with the culture and traditions of the place where we operate as God’s messengers?
Have we become overbearing in the profession of our faith because of our awareness of our worth and value to God? Do we impose our will, our whims and caprices on those we minister to or do we lead them to subordinate their will to God’s Will? Are we leading others to embrace a culture of doing everything for God and expect a reward? Or do we lead others to a life in God and with God and let the love of God flow through them? The choice to become good citizens lies in our hands.
FAITH REQUIRED IN HEAVEN
AUG. 11, 2013: NINETEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Wis 18:6-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 33:1, 12, 18-22 “Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.”
2nd Reading: Heb 11:1-2, 8-12 or 11:1-2, 8-19
GOSPEL: Lk 12:32-48
Key Verse: “..the Son of Man will come at an hour
when you do not expect him.” (v.40)
One of the primary means through which Jesus conveys his message of salvation was through the use of parables and stories that were not only relevant to the times that lived in but narratives to which his audience or listeners were quite familiar with.
But through these stories, Jesus made sure that there was an element of surprise such as in the parable of the workers in the vineyard who were paid the same amount of wages or in this story of the master who went home after the marriage feast which was rather unusual because wedding feasts in those days normally lasted for several days.
Perhaps there was a reason for it. The master probably wanted to catch his servant off-guard and see if he was sleeping and not keeping watch over his estate. In these times of economic uncertainties we can see a sudden rise in crime incidents ranging from petty thievery like snatching to the more daring instances of holdups of banks and pawnshops.
What about those who burn the so-called midnight oil to stash up on cash or to some extent the busybodies in the church or community who believe that they are earning points in heaven by supplanting the more important mission of the church which is to proclaim the Good News with programs, projects and mission activities.
What do these instances tell us about the Kingdom of Heaven? What we must carve in our minds and hearts is that the treasure that God offers is of far greater value that any earthly treasure. We are not saying that programs and projects are not good. Of course they are but these projects must not supplant the more important goal of the church/ community which is to bring Christ to the lapsed Catholics and the unchurched especially in this era of New Evangelization.
This is the missio ad gentes of the church/ community and many times we lose sight of this mission and focus on fishing in our own aquarium. This was what Archbishop Soc Villegas said in our meeting of the Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas (Council of the Laity of the Philippines) that there must be a paradigm shift in the way we pursue our calling as he stressed that we should not focus so much in fishing in our aquarium because they are already ours. Instead, he said that we must fish outside of the aquarium.
In retrospect, I believe that we can only do this if we are anchored on what the real treasure is or that which we value in life. Are we attached to the material things that we have acquired and continue to accumulate or are we striving to gain the eternal treasure that God has promised which is the Kingdom of Heaven and not lose it.
The world may have probably cloud our view of this treasure because of the comforts the world offers but we must not forget that the real and only treasure that could provide us joy is the Lord himself whom we should see as the gold and silver who can provide us with delight and restore us to our original nature (Job 22:22-23).
The Lord is actually offering us a relationship with him as his sons and daughters and the promise of eternal life as well and if we will only make the Lord our treasure, he will make us his honored friends at his banquet table in heaven.
The parable in this Sunday’s Gospel passage also contains a lesson in faithfulness and a warning against laziness. Faithfulness is important to God because it is the foundation for any lasting and meaningful relationship. Fidelity is what provides us with the resolve to persevere in our commitment to know him, love him and serve him.
While there is no doubting that our Lord is totally committed to us in a bond of unbreakable love and fidelity which is the covenant that he made to us, our being faithful to him is the one thing that he expects us to commit. This is what covenant means – and as his disciples we are mandated to keep our word, promise, and commitment that we made when we entered into a covenant with God no matter how tough or difficult our lives become.
To be called sons and daughters of God carry with it tremendous responsibility primary of which is to allow the gifts that God has poured out on us to grow and bear fruit and the more he gives in terms of blessings we have received as reward for our faithfulness, the more that he will require from us.
Many times we have this wrong notion that getting involved in so many programs and projects in the church/ community is what God requires from us to reciprocate the blessings we have received. What we may not be aware of is that when we are faithful even in the little tasks and promises we make, our faith increases such that God will entrust to us bigger and more important responsibilities and tasks. But these are conditioned on our not losing sight of the premise that these tasks should lead us to a genuine worship of God.
This, however, is easier said than done because in the post-modern world that we live in today faith has been replaced by science and reason such that many of the people today follow their own dictates based on their own emotions and convictions rather than on faith in the unseen God. What we think and believe is good for us has also supplanted prayerful discernment as the platform in life’s pursuits.
And in this era that everything is relative, it is sad that even baptized Catholics have lost sight of the presence of God. Furthermore, we have lost our view of our eternal destiny and have forgotten that “the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” (v.40)
As our world today plunges deeper into the corruption of the soul it has become imperative that we come to grips with the fact depicted in today’s Gospel passage that when the day of reckoning comes it is the faithful servant who will receive a promotion while the unfaithful servant is the one who will be condemned and sent to the company of unbelievers.
The question we need ask ourselves is would we risk our eternal inheritance in the Kingdom of Heaven to wallow in worldly comfort and luxury and keep God out of our lives? The choice is yours and yours alone to make.
1st Reading: Wis 18:6-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 33:1, 12, 18-22 “Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.”
2nd Reading: Heb 11:1-2, 8-12 or 11:1-2, 8-19
GOSPEL: Lk 12:32-48
Key Verse: “..the Son of Man will come at an hour
when you do not expect him.” (v.40)
One of the primary means through which Jesus conveys his message of salvation was through the use of parables and stories that were not only relevant to the times that lived in but narratives to which his audience or listeners were quite familiar with.
But through these stories, Jesus made sure that there was an element of surprise such as in the parable of the workers in the vineyard who were paid the same amount of wages or in this story of the master who went home after the marriage feast which was rather unusual because wedding feasts in those days normally lasted for several days.
Perhaps there was a reason for it. The master probably wanted to catch his servant off-guard and see if he was sleeping and not keeping watch over his estate. In these times of economic uncertainties we can see a sudden rise in crime incidents ranging from petty thievery like snatching to the more daring instances of holdups of banks and pawnshops.
What about those who burn the so-called midnight oil to stash up on cash or to some extent the busybodies in the church or community who believe that they are earning points in heaven by supplanting the more important mission of the church which is to proclaim the Good News with programs, projects and mission activities.
What do these instances tell us about the Kingdom of Heaven? What we must carve in our minds and hearts is that the treasure that God offers is of far greater value that any earthly treasure. We are not saying that programs and projects are not good. Of course they are but these projects must not supplant the more important goal of the church/ community which is to bring Christ to the lapsed Catholics and the unchurched especially in this era of New Evangelization.
This is the missio ad gentes of the church/ community and many times we lose sight of this mission and focus on fishing in our own aquarium. This was what Archbishop Soc Villegas said in our meeting of the Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas (Council of the Laity of the Philippines) that there must be a paradigm shift in the way we pursue our calling as he stressed that we should not focus so much in fishing in our aquarium because they are already ours. Instead, he said that we must fish outside of the aquarium.
In retrospect, I believe that we can only do this if we are anchored on what the real treasure is or that which we value in life. Are we attached to the material things that we have acquired and continue to accumulate or are we striving to gain the eternal treasure that God has promised which is the Kingdom of Heaven and not lose it.
The world may have probably cloud our view of this treasure because of the comforts the world offers but we must not forget that the real and only treasure that could provide us joy is the Lord himself whom we should see as the gold and silver who can provide us with delight and restore us to our original nature (Job 22:22-23).
The Lord is actually offering us a relationship with him as his sons and daughters and the promise of eternal life as well and if we will only make the Lord our treasure, he will make us his honored friends at his banquet table in heaven.
The parable in this Sunday’s Gospel passage also contains a lesson in faithfulness and a warning against laziness. Faithfulness is important to God because it is the foundation for any lasting and meaningful relationship. Fidelity is what provides us with the resolve to persevere in our commitment to know him, love him and serve him.
While there is no doubting that our Lord is totally committed to us in a bond of unbreakable love and fidelity which is the covenant that he made to us, our being faithful to him is the one thing that he expects us to commit. This is what covenant means – and as his disciples we are mandated to keep our word, promise, and commitment that we made when we entered into a covenant with God no matter how tough or difficult our lives become.
To be called sons and daughters of God carry with it tremendous responsibility primary of which is to allow the gifts that God has poured out on us to grow and bear fruit and the more he gives in terms of blessings we have received as reward for our faithfulness, the more that he will require from us.
Many times we have this wrong notion that getting involved in so many programs and projects in the church/ community is what God requires from us to reciprocate the blessings we have received. What we may not be aware of is that when we are faithful even in the little tasks and promises we make, our faith increases such that God will entrust to us bigger and more important responsibilities and tasks. But these are conditioned on our not losing sight of the premise that these tasks should lead us to a genuine worship of God.
This, however, is easier said than done because in the post-modern world that we live in today faith has been replaced by science and reason such that many of the people today follow their own dictates based on their own emotions and convictions rather than on faith in the unseen God. What we think and believe is good for us has also supplanted prayerful discernment as the platform in life’s pursuits.
And in this era that everything is relative, it is sad that even baptized Catholics have lost sight of the presence of God. Furthermore, we have lost our view of our eternal destiny and have forgotten that “the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” (v.40)
As our world today plunges deeper into the corruption of the soul it has become imperative that we come to grips with the fact depicted in today’s Gospel passage that when the day of reckoning comes it is the faithful servant who will receive a promotion while the unfaithful servant is the one who will be condemned and sent to the company of unbelievers.
The question we need ask ourselves is would we risk our eternal inheritance in the Kingdom of Heaven to wallow in worldly comfort and luxury and keep God out of our lives? The choice is yours and yours alone to make.
GOD HONORS THE SERVANT
AUG. 10, 2011: FEAST OF ST. LAWRENCE, Deacon and Martyr
1st Reading: 2 Cor 9:6-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 112:1-2, 5-9 “Blessed the man who fears the Lord.”
GOSPEL: JN 12:24-26
Key Verse: “If you serve me, my Father will honor you.” (v.26)
Those who may be reading this Gospel for this day may be tempted to simply leaf through it without any intention of digesting its substance. After all, it is a short two-verse passage that once again shocked those who heard spoken by Jesus.
The significance of this passage, however, cannot be overlooked nor ignored for Jesus brings a new dimension that rippled through the set of beliefs of the Jews because in just these two verses alone, Jesus turned around their view of an emancipation as a conquered race through a military victory into becoming free through his death on the Cross.
This is what the Jews could not understand whose concept of a Messianic uprising by the Son of Man had been prophesied from ages before and which the Jews continue to await with bated breath.
The Jews knew and believed the Scriptures and they believed all the Prophets that God has sent to them and they did believe the prophet Daniel who wrote in Dn 7:13 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshipped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his king is one that will never be destroyed.”
This has been the dream of the Jews such that when Jesus said in v.23 “The hour has come when the Son of Man must be glorified,” his listeners excitedly jumped to their feet thinking that at last the military conquest they have been hoping for is about to start to be led by a Son of Man who had been prophesied to be their Messiah.
But Jesus had another concept in mind and he refused to be drawn to the belief of the Jews for an armed uprising but a victory that was to culminate the Cross on Calvary and this is the reason why the Jews could not grasp the substance of his message and the tragedy is that except for his disciples, the people did not even try to give Jesus the benefit of the doubt.
And here in this Gospel passage, Jesus revealed what it is to be born again when he used the grain of wheat as an example of what happens to a man who will put himself to death in order to be born to a new life. This is what happens when we stand before Jesus because what he is telling us contradicts what our worldly senses is telling us. Jesus tells us to give up on our personal ambitions, our greed, our insatiable appetite for wealth and comfort, our illicit relationships and business activities. But the world around us is telling us that it is okay to be rich even if it comes from illegal business activities, cheating the government of its taxes, that it is okay to hoard, it’s alright to promote selfish desires, that everything is okay for as long as you are in control.
What Jesus is saying is that anyone who loves his life will eventually lose it and the one who spent his life wisely in the service of God and others will in the end gain it – meaning the eternal life promised. Joan of Arc stood against her more powerful enemies and was known to have prayed “I shall only last a year, use me as you can.”
As we move on in our lives, in both the temporal and communal environment we live in, it is best that we start asking ourselves for the purpose of our existence. Certainly there is a purpose for that. In all probability the reason is God wants to use us. This is the reason why we were given the gifts of the Holy Spirit in our Baptism in the Spirit and these gifts are not to be stored but we must fall on the ground and die to our personal ambitions, self-centeredness and vainglory so that we will bear much fruit.
The gift to love one another is one of the primary gifts the Holy Spirit has given us and it still remains a puzzle why there is so much disharmony and disunity in the world today and disrespect for human rights. There has been a marked decline in the level of faith even among baptized Catholics due to the what Pope Benedict XVI described as reductive secularism brought about the perpetration of the culture of relativism in the today’s post-modern world.
Jesus came with a new view of life and what he is telling us in this Gospel reading is that only in serving God can we become great. He is asking us once again what will it be.
Because when you really come down to it, the truth behind this paradox of losing our lives in order to gain life is there for everyone to see. If we say ‘no or maybe’ to Jesus’ invitation for a life of service to God – tomorrow may never come. But if we say ‘yes,’ we are assured of our eternal inheritance of a place in his Heavenly Kingdom. Do you want to be on fire? Then say yes to God’s invitation.
So what will it be, brothers and sisters?
1st Reading: 2 Cor 9:6-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 112:1-2, 5-9 “Blessed the man who fears the Lord.”
GOSPEL: JN 12:24-26
Key Verse: “If you serve me, my Father will honor you.” (v.26)
Those who may be reading this Gospel for this day may be tempted to simply leaf through it without any intention of digesting its substance. After all, it is a short two-verse passage that once again shocked those who heard spoken by Jesus.
The significance of this passage, however, cannot be overlooked nor ignored for Jesus brings a new dimension that rippled through the set of beliefs of the Jews because in just these two verses alone, Jesus turned around their view of an emancipation as a conquered race through a military victory into becoming free through his death on the Cross.
This is what the Jews could not understand whose concept of a Messianic uprising by the Son of Man had been prophesied from ages before and which the Jews continue to await with bated breath.
The Jews knew and believed the Scriptures and they believed all the Prophets that God has sent to them and they did believe the prophet Daniel who wrote in Dn 7:13 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshipped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his king is one that will never be destroyed.”
This has been the dream of the Jews such that when Jesus said in v.23 “The hour has come when the Son of Man must be glorified,” his listeners excitedly jumped to their feet thinking that at last the military conquest they have been hoping for is about to start to be led by a Son of Man who had been prophesied to be their Messiah.
But Jesus had another concept in mind and he refused to be drawn to the belief of the Jews for an armed uprising but a victory that was to culminate the Cross on Calvary and this is the reason why the Jews could not grasp the substance of his message and the tragedy is that except for his disciples, the people did not even try to give Jesus the benefit of the doubt.
And here in this Gospel passage, Jesus revealed what it is to be born again when he used the grain of wheat as an example of what happens to a man who will put himself to death in order to be born to a new life. This is what happens when we stand before Jesus because what he is telling us contradicts what our worldly senses is telling us. Jesus tells us to give up on our personal ambitions, our greed, our insatiable appetite for wealth and comfort, our illicit relationships and business activities. But the world around us is telling us that it is okay to be rich even if it comes from illegal business activities, cheating the government of its taxes, that it is okay to hoard, it’s alright to promote selfish desires, that everything is okay for as long as you are in control.
What Jesus is saying is that anyone who loves his life will eventually lose it and the one who spent his life wisely in the service of God and others will in the end gain it – meaning the eternal life promised. Joan of Arc stood against her more powerful enemies and was known to have prayed “I shall only last a year, use me as you can.”
As we move on in our lives, in both the temporal and communal environment we live in, it is best that we start asking ourselves for the purpose of our existence. Certainly there is a purpose for that. In all probability the reason is God wants to use us. This is the reason why we were given the gifts of the Holy Spirit in our Baptism in the Spirit and these gifts are not to be stored but we must fall on the ground and die to our personal ambitions, self-centeredness and vainglory so that we will bear much fruit.
The gift to love one another is one of the primary gifts the Holy Spirit has given us and it still remains a puzzle why there is so much disharmony and disunity in the world today and disrespect for human rights. There has been a marked decline in the level of faith even among baptized Catholics due to the what Pope Benedict XVI described as reductive secularism brought about the perpetration of the culture of relativism in the today’s post-modern world.
Jesus came with a new view of life and what he is telling us in this Gospel reading is that only in serving God can we become great. He is asking us once again what will it be.
Because when you really come down to it, the truth behind this paradox of losing our lives in order to gain life is there for everyone to see. If we say ‘no or maybe’ to Jesus’ invitation for a life of service to God – tomorrow may never come. But if we say ‘yes,’ we are assured of our eternal inheritance of a place in his Heavenly Kingdom. Do you want to be on fire? Then say yes to God’s invitation.
So what will it be, brothers and sisters?
THE CALL IS TO IMITATE CHRIST
AUG. 9, 2013: EIGHTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Deut 4:32-40
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 77:12-16, 21 “I remember the deeds of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: MATT 16:24-28
Key Verse: “But if you give up your life for me,
you will find it.” (v.25)
“If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and let him follow me.” (v.24)
In just this one verse of Matthew’s 16th chapter, Jesus sums up the parameters of what it is to be his disciple and he narrows it down to just three underlying principles which are clearly specified in this verse.
The first of these three sets of discipling principles is to deny himself. To some this may be as easy as going on a fast or abstaining from your favorite food or activity to merit the favor of God.
But what Jesus Christ is referring to when he said anyone who wishes to follow him must deny himself is for that would-disciple to put to death his own character or persona and put on the person of Christ. To deny oneself is to deny that your original personhood even exist and putting on the character and person of Christ in you.
In other words, a would-be disciple is one who dies to himself and is resurrected to a new life clothe with the character of the person he wants to follow or emulate. In simpler terms, this is like the slaves employed by their master during the time of Jesus. In those days, the slave has no character of his own since he is considered owned by his Master. He literally only waits for what his master will tell him to do for the day such that his entire life is spent in the service of the Master until such time he is given his freedom if ever such time will come. To deny oneself is to step down from your throne and to put God at the throne of your entire being.
The second principle is for the would-be disciple to take up his cross. This simply means that those who want to follow Christ and end up being glorified with him must embrace a life of sacrificial service. To sacrifice is to forego certain pleasures enjoyed by a would-be disciple and exchange this for an opportunity to serve without expecting any reward at all.
It also means putting oneself at a disadvantage especially when responding to the needs of the marginalized ones. There are times when a would-be disciple will have to face persecution in the pursuit of what he believes is a noble cause and or inconvenience when being asked to serve in the mission field that is not entirely to his liking.
Crosses come in different forms and shapes. It could be as simple as being asked to do menial tasks in your ministry or in an outreach mission in a place bereft of the comforts of home to the struggle that you face in being moved to forgive someone who may have wronged you. The Christian life is filled with crosses but one thing is clear, the glory that Christ spoke of is there at the foot of the cross.
The third principle is a would-be disciple has to follow Christ. To follow Christ is to obey, obey, obey, obey. There is no other way and there are no ifs and buts. A would-be disciple will just have to obey all the things that Christ taught which is encapsulated in the two most important commands that Christ gave to his disciples: “Love the Lord your God with all your mind, heart, soul and strength.” And the second is more like it: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” On these twin commandments are founded the Christian life because love is what will propel a would-be disciple into denying himself, carry his cross and follow Christ.
And after he laid down the principles of discipleship, Christ reminded his disciples anew that judgment will definitely be levied on those who will persist in living a sinful life. What Christ warns is the tendency of some to give up on the difficult and sacrificial life of discipleship and exchange these with the comforts that the world brings.
To Christ, such an attitude is foolishness because no man can bring with him any of these material possessions to the afterlife when his end of age comes as these worldly wealth also cannot stop the inevitable – death – from happening nor can it add any years, months, weeks, or days to one’s life.
What Christ is simply telling us in this Gospel passage is for us to turn our back on the world and to offer ourselves wholly and completely to him and to the Church as a living sacrifice. We cannot avoid or turn away from the pain and suffering in serving God because if we do run away from these inconveniences and sacrifices, we risk the possibility of dying a spiritual death. In reality to serve without counting the cost actually takes us on the road to eternity.
How we live this short span of our lives determines our eternal goal and what we accumulate on earth has no value whatsoever in the Heavenly Kingdom which is our final destination. Even our professional titles, positions, education and learning cannot earn for us the right to enter heaven but only in following Christ can we be assured of salvation.
But while our own salvation has been assured, we as Christians will still be evaluated by the Supreme Judge and Author of Life on whether we have been faithful in the use of the gifts that have been given to us. And this brings us back again to the question of whether we are spending our lives for God, and in God or with God. To know the difference definitely matters insofar as it will point us to the right direction in life. To deny yourself, take up your cross and follow him is to spend a life in God or with God.
1st Reading: Deut 4:32-40
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 77:12-16, 21 “I remember the deeds of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: MATT 16:24-28
Key Verse: “But if you give up your life for me,
you will find it.” (v.25)
“If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and let him follow me.” (v.24)
In just this one verse of Matthew’s 16th chapter, Jesus sums up the parameters of what it is to be his disciple and he narrows it down to just three underlying principles which are clearly specified in this verse.
The first of these three sets of discipling principles is to deny himself. To some this may be as easy as going on a fast or abstaining from your favorite food or activity to merit the favor of God.
But what Jesus Christ is referring to when he said anyone who wishes to follow him must deny himself is for that would-disciple to put to death his own character or persona and put on the person of Christ. To deny oneself is to deny that your original personhood even exist and putting on the character and person of Christ in you.
In other words, a would-be disciple is one who dies to himself and is resurrected to a new life clothe with the character of the person he wants to follow or emulate. In simpler terms, this is like the slaves employed by their master during the time of Jesus. In those days, the slave has no character of his own since he is considered owned by his Master. He literally only waits for what his master will tell him to do for the day such that his entire life is spent in the service of the Master until such time he is given his freedom if ever such time will come. To deny oneself is to step down from your throne and to put God at the throne of your entire being.
The second principle is for the would-be disciple to take up his cross. This simply means that those who want to follow Christ and end up being glorified with him must embrace a life of sacrificial service. To sacrifice is to forego certain pleasures enjoyed by a would-be disciple and exchange this for an opportunity to serve without expecting any reward at all.
It also means putting oneself at a disadvantage especially when responding to the needs of the marginalized ones. There are times when a would-be disciple will have to face persecution in the pursuit of what he believes is a noble cause and or inconvenience when being asked to serve in the mission field that is not entirely to his liking.
Crosses come in different forms and shapes. It could be as simple as being asked to do menial tasks in your ministry or in an outreach mission in a place bereft of the comforts of home to the struggle that you face in being moved to forgive someone who may have wronged you. The Christian life is filled with crosses but one thing is clear, the glory that Christ spoke of is there at the foot of the cross.
The third principle is a would-be disciple has to follow Christ. To follow Christ is to obey, obey, obey, obey. There is no other way and there are no ifs and buts. A would-be disciple will just have to obey all the things that Christ taught which is encapsulated in the two most important commands that Christ gave to his disciples: “Love the Lord your God with all your mind, heart, soul and strength.” And the second is more like it: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” On these twin commandments are founded the Christian life because love is what will propel a would-be disciple into denying himself, carry his cross and follow Christ.
And after he laid down the principles of discipleship, Christ reminded his disciples anew that judgment will definitely be levied on those who will persist in living a sinful life. What Christ warns is the tendency of some to give up on the difficult and sacrificial life of discipleship and exchange these with the comforts that the world brings.
To Christ, such an attitude is foolishness because no man can bring with him any of these material possessions to the afterlife when his end of age comes as these worldly wealth also cannot stop the inevitable – death – from happening nor can it add any years, months, weeks, or days to one’s life.
What Christ is simply telling us in this Gospel passage is for us to turn our back on the world and to offer ourselves wholly and completely to him and to the Church as a living sacrifice. We cannot avoid or turn away from the pain and suffering in serving God because if we do run away from these inconveniences and sacrifices, we risk the possibility of dying a spiritual death. In reality to serve without counting the cost actually takes us on the road to eternity.
How we live this short span of our lives determines our eternal goal and what we accumulate on earth has no value whatsoever in the Heavenly Kingdom which is our final destination. Even our professional titles, positions, education and learning cannot earn for us the right to enter heaven but only in following Christ can we be assured of salvation.
But while our own salvation has been assured, we as Christians will still be evaluated by the Supreme Judge and Author of Life on whether we have been faithful in the use of the gifts that have been given to us. And this brings us back again to the question of whether we are spending our lives for God, and in God or with God. To know the difference definitely matters insofar as it will point us to the right direction in life. To deny yourself, take up your cross and follow him is to spend a life in God or with God.
JESUS CONDUCTS HEADCOUNT
AUG. 8, 2013: EIGHTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Num 20:1-13
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 95:1-2, 6-9 “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.”
GOSPEL: MATT 16:13-23
Key Verse: "What about you? Who do you say I am? (v.15)
This is a very interesting Gospel passage in that here we see Jesus beginning to get worried that his teachings have not taken root among his disciples amidst the very little time left in his earthly ministry and so he decides to make a headcount who among his disciples know him.
That Jesus chose to go to Caesarea Philippi is also packed with reason. To be able to determine what his disciples know of him, their subconscious must be at peace and this region is outside the jurisdiction of Herod Antipas.
Caesarea Philippi is also a non-Jewish region where there are numerous temples or places of worship that do not exactly conform to the religious standards that Jesus is trying to establish among the Jews but which are of historical value.
It is against this backdrop that Jesus wanted to know from his disciples if they really know him and the setting he chose should provide his disciples with a comparative view of the world and its religions and the divinity of Jesus himself.
But when Jesus first posed the question: “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” (v.13) Jesus received divergent points of views as some said he was John the Baptist, others say Elijah and others Jeremiah. Again, there is a reason for these differences of opinion.
This was borne out of the refusal of the Jews to acknowledge him as coming from God. While many Jews admired and actually believed in him, Jesus was not received as the Messiah the Jewish nation has been waiting for but equated him with some the prophets who merely heralds the coming of the Messiah.
After listening to the different interpretations as to how he was perceived to be by the people, Jesus now turns to his disciples. At this point that he knows his earthly ministry was coming to an end, Jesus has to know if his disciples have absorbed everything that he has said and seen what he has done because if they have not at least understood, then it will reduce to waste everything that has done.
As in the feeding of the 5,000 which Jesus could not have done so by himself, he needs his disciples to continue his mission of spreading the Good News to the world. He also needs us who have now taken over the tasks originally given to the Apostles. Which is why Jesus has to ask this question: “And how about you? Who do you say that I am?” (v.15)
From wanting to know what others know about him, Jesus now turns to his own flock to make sure they “know” him. In both the Hebrew and Greek language, to “know” a person is not just to know about his persona, his family lineage, his ethnicity or his profession. To “know” is to get into the person himself, to empathize with him, to get to know his feelings. In other words, to “know” is to be one with the person.
This is the rationale behind the question that Jesus asked of his disciples. And this is the same question that Jesus is asking all of us. Do we really “know” him? Do we “know” what is in his heart? Do we “know” his thoughts, his emotions, his goals and mission, the Words he spoke and which were handed down from generations past.
This is important because it would be pointless for us and or anyone to join in this crusade of spreading the Good News if do not know the person we are trying to introduce to the world. Like Peter who, blessed by the Father in heaven, made the great discovery that Jesus “is the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (v.16) we, too, must on our own accord discover what Peter discovered.
This should now become the foundation of our faith because Christianity is not just knowing about Jesus but it is rooted in knowing Jesus because this is the only way that we can let others get into the heart of Jesus.
With the assurance that there is at least one among his disciples who know him, Jesus described Peter as the rock upon whom the Church shall be founded and the debate on this particular verses rages on and we would not venture into dipping our minds into this seemingly endless debate.
But one of the many interpretations that I subscribe to is that of Peter to be one of the first stones for the whole Church that Christ had established but the rock referred to is no other than God himself. In other words, since Peter has been designated by Christ himself to be the first member of the Church being the first man to have discovered who Jesus was, the whole Church is built around Peter but the rock is Jesus himself.
Equally perplexing is what some scholars describe as a rebuke of Peter and again, we will not get into the debate of whether Peter was possessed by the devil at the time he cautioned Jesus on his impending salvific death.
But when Jesus said: “Get behind me Satan,” (v.23) what he merely meant was for Peter to take his usual and natural place which was behind him, not in front of Jesus nor to his side but behind him. The description of Peter as Satan was figurative because Satan means adversary and Jesus simply took it as Peter becoming adversarial when he tried to stop Jesus from going through his Passion, Death and Resurrection.
What to me is rather important in this passage about binding and loosing. These phrases are parabolic in a sense because it describes the custom of the Jews in deciding which need to be bound or prohibited and which can be loosed or allowed.
And when Jesus directed this verse to Peter, he was actually giving Peter the responsibility to make decisions for the Church that is yet to be established.
This same responsibility is what has also been passed on to us. In our life in the church or community for that matter, the leaders and the members are always being asked to make such responsible decisions that impact the church as a whole. One of this is to live in peace with one another, not insisting on the righteousness of one’s actions against the other but communal living in which we all recognize the strengths and weaknesses of one another.
Community living is not about imposing our ideas, thoughts, perceptions, feelings and our will on the other be it in an apostolate or ministry, but in living as one thoroughly accepting the fact that while one is different from the other we have all been predestined to be God’s adopted sons through Jesus Christ
Thus, we all share in the same glory of God in union with the Rock who is the foundation of our faith – Jesus Christ Our Lord.
1st Reading: Num 20:1-13
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 95:1-2, 6-9 “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.”
GOSPEL: MATT 16:13-23
Key Verse: "What about you? Who do you say I am? (v.15)
This is a very interesting Gospel passage in that here we see Jesus beginning to get worried that his teachings have not taken root among his disciples amidst the very little time left in his earthly ministry and so he decides to make a headcount who among his disciples know him.
That Jesus chose to go to Caesarea Philippi is also packed with reason. To be able to determine what his disciples know of him, their subconscious must be at peace and this region is outside the jurisdiction of Herod Antipas.
Caesarea Philippi is also a non-Jewish region where there are numerous temples or places of worship that do not exactly conform to the religious standards that Jesus is trying to establish among the Jews but which are of historical value.
It is against this backdrop that Jesus wanted to know from his disciples if they really know him and the setting he chose should provide his disciples with a comparative view of the world and its religions and the divinity of Jesus himself.
But when Jesus first posed the question: “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” (v.13) Jesus received divergent points of views as some said he was John the Baptist, others say Elijah and others Jeremiah. Again, there is a reason for these differences of opinion.
This was borne out of the refusal of the Jews to acknowledge him as coming from God. While many Jews admired and actually believed in him, Jesus was not received as the Messiah the Jewish nation has been waiting for but equated him with some the prophets who merely heralds the coming of the Messiah.
After listening to the different interpretations as to how he was perceived to be by the people, Jesus now turns to his disciples. At this point that he knows his earthly ministry was coming to an end, Jesus has to know if his disciples have absorbed everything that he has said and seen what he has done because if they have not at least understood, then it will reduce to waste everything that has done.
As in the feeding of the 5,000 which Jesus could not have done so by himself, he needs his disciples to continue his mission of spreading the Good News to the world. He also needs us who have now taken over the tasks originally given to the Apostles. Which is why Jesus has to ask this question: “And how about you? Who do you say that I am?” (v.15)
From wanting to know what others know about him, Jesus now turns to his own flock to make sure they “know” him. In both the Hebrew and Greek language, to “know” a person is not just to know about his persona, his family lineage, his ethnicity or his profession. To “know” is to get into the person himself, to empathize with him, to get to know his feelings. In other words, to “know” is to be one with the person.
This is the rationale behind the question that Jesus asked of his disciples. And this is the same question that Jesus is asking all of us. Do we really “know” him? Do we “know” what is in his heart? Do we “know” his thoughts, his emotions, his goals and mission, the Words he spoke and which were handed down from generations past.
This is important because it would be pointless for us and or anyone to join in this crusade of spreading the Good News if do not know the person we are trying to introduce to the world. Like Peter who, blessed by the Father in heaven, made the great discovery that Jesus “is the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (v.16) we, too, must on our own accord discover what Peter discovered.
This should now become the foundation of our faith because Christianity is not just knowing about Jesus but it is rooted in knowing Jesus because this is the only way that we can let others get into the heart of Jesus.
With the assurance that there is at least one among his disciples who know him, Jesus described Peter as the rock upon whom the Church shall be founded and the debate on this particular verses rages on and we would not venture into dipping our minds into this seemingly endless debate.
But one of the many interpretations that I subscribe to is that of Peter to be one of the first stones for the whole Church that Christ had established but the rock referred to is no other than God himself. In other words, since Peter has been designated by Christ himself to be the first member of the Church being the first man to have discovered who Jesus was, the whole Church is built around Peter but the rock is Jesus himself.
Equally perplexing is what some scholars describe as a rebuke of Peter and again, we will not get into the debate of whether Peter was possessed by the devil at the time he cautioned Jesus on his impending salvific death.
But when Jesus said: “Get behind me Satan,” (v.23) what he merely meant was for Peter to take his usual and natural place which was behind him, not in front of Jesus nor to his side but behind him. The description of Peter as Satan was figurative because Satan means adversary and Jesus simply took it as Peter becoming adversarial when he tried to stop Jesus from going through his Passion, Death and Resurrection.
What to me is rather important in this passage about binding and loosing. These phrases are parabolic in a sense because it describes the custom of the Jews in deciding which need to be bound or prohibited and which can be loosed or allowed.
And when Jesus directed this verse to Peter, he was actually giving Peter the responsibility to make decisions for the Church that is yet to be established.
This same responsibility is what has also been passed on to us. In our life in the church or community for that matter, the leaders and the members are always being asked to make such responsible decisions that impact the church as a whole. One of this is to live in peace with one another, not insisting on the righteousness of one’s actions against the other but communal living in which we all recognize the strengths and weaknesses of one another.
Community living is not about imposing our ideas, thoughts, perceptions, feelings and our will on the other be it in an apostolate or ministry, but in living as one thoroughly accepting the fact that while one is different from the other we have all been predestined to be God’s adopted sons through Jesus Christ
Thus, we all share in the same glory of God in union with the Rock who is the foundation of our faith – Jesus Christ Our Lord.
FAITH BRINGS HEALING
AUG. 7, 2013: EIGHTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Num 13:1-2, 25-14:1, 26-29, 34-35
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 106:6-7, 13-14, 21-22, 23 “Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.”
GOSPEL: MATT 15:21-28
Key Verse: “Woman, you have great faith!
Your request is granted.” (v.28)
The reason the Gospel narratives are interesting is because the plot thickens and builds up into a flurry of exciting events and sub-plots that even if we already know how it will end you’d still want to leaf through its pages hoping that there is something we may have missed.
And unlike other books, the Gospel stories provide the reader with something new in terms of insight and interpretation. In other words, the Gospel is not your ordinary book that you either put into your shelf or in your center table as a furniture accessory. It is a book that one would love reading over and over again because the message is always of current value and usage especially on matters pertaining to faith and morals.
Take this narrative from the Gospel of Matthew for example which tells us of the deep faith that the Canaanite woman had on the healing power that Jesus possess, something which she might have heard being talked about by the people in Nazareth and Capernaum which are to the south and southwest of Tyre and Sidon where the Canaanite woman lived.
But there are also other realities in this narrative that we need to look into to be able to understand the ministry of Jesus. Going to Tyre and Sidon was forced by circumstances beginning from the death of John the Baptist and to the reality that even when Jesus knew the end for him is nearing, he feared that the level of understanding of the Apostles still leaves much to be desired.
Jesus actually wanted to rest in Tyre and Sidon (Mk 7:24) and contemplate following the fiery confrontation in the preceding chapter with the Pharisees who were shocked to hear Jesus openly contradicting their religious laws and rituals related to the washing of the hands before partaking of a meal.
Indeed to Jesus, these are mere rituals and external regulations that have no value at all because to Jesus what matters besides the Pharisaic rituals and ceremonies is the state of relationship between God and man. This position of Jesus so angered the Jews especially when he stressed that none of these external practices of the Jews can ever atone for a heart that is filled with pride, bitterness, resentments and lust.
Sensing the violent rejection of the Pharisees and the religious leaders, Jesus went to Tyre and Sidon knowing that he will not be deluded by the crowd who followed him wherever he went in Galilee. What Jesus didn’t expect is that his popularity has already preceded him such that even in Tyre and Sidon, he was still approached by the woman whose daughter was possessed by a demon.
The only catch in this narrative is that the woman is a Gentile. Mark (Mk 7:26) described the woman as coming from Syrian-Phoenicia and is thus considered as a Gentile. The attitude of the Apostles is what actually has Jesus worrying. Despite the healing and miracles that Jesus performed, the Apostles still lacked – compassion – the most basic ingredient which to Jesus is the most important in evangelization.
The Apostles wanted Jesus to get rid of the woman because to them she has become a nuisance. This is also true for many of us who have become oblivious to the needs around us. We show prejudice against people in need especially in times when we are inconvenienced by their presence.
The response of Jesus to the woman whose child was possessed by a demon may surprise many readers of the Gospel and one would think that he is selective as to who will benefit from the healing miracles that he brings. But there is a deeper understanding of why he initially rejected the woman and that was because he was sent first to bring salvation to the chosen people of God, the Israelites.
But Jesus showed compassion when the woman knelt before him. Though the woman may not have known it at that time, the act of worship was what moved Jesus to listen to her plea as he said: “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.”
Had not the woman knelt, Jesus would not have acquiesced to her promptings. This is the same with us. Whenever we come to Jesus, we must first come with an adoration of his majesty and a commitment to serve him in our mission despite the cost to us.
There are two significant realities make this particular passage of great value. One is that Jesus had compassion that transcends the boundaries of culture and tradition – he responded positively to the woman and healed her child even if she was a Gentile. This also marks the very first time that Jesus went outside the territory of Israel and treated a Gentile. This scenario gives us a glimpse that the Gospel is to be proclaimed to everyone regardless of race, color or creed.
The other reality is that Jesus always responds positively to anyone whose faith that grows from utter humility that turns into a prayer. Remember that the Israelites treated the Gentiles as dogs but not only did Jesus saw through the genuine love the woman had for her daughter possessed by a demon but his heart sank when the woman called him “Lord, even the dogs eat the pieces which fall from their master’s table.”
This totally melted the heart of Jesus because the woman’s faith gradually grew from her recognition of Jesus as the Son of David until she acknowledged him as Lord. And this also rings true for us. Jesus responds and grants the prayers of anyone who possesses such impregnable faith as that of the woman that is founded on humility and acceptance of Jesus as Lord and Savior.
We should view this Gospel passage as a reminder that we need to put more faith in our prayers. But if our prayers are not answered it doesn’t mean that God has turned a deaf ear to our cry for help. But if you feel that you are not getting any answer to your prayers, perhaps it is time to look inwardly and ask where you may have come up short.
Do you spend quality time to pray? By quality we mean the time that you that spend with God without the distractions of the world around you? How faithful have you been to his commandment to love God and your neighbor as well? Do you tithe regularly because when you withhold your tithe you are actually robbing God (Mal 3:8). What we must remember is that God has nothing but love for us all and that he may not answer our prayers now but he will certainly do and that’s for sure.
1st Reading: Num 13:1-2, 25-14:1, 26-29, 34-35
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 106:6-7, 13-14, 21-22, 23 “Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.”
GOSPEL: MATT 15:21-28
Key Verse: “Woman, you have great faith!
Your request is granted.” (v.28)
The reason the Gospel narratives are interesting is because the plot thickens and builds up into a flurry of exciting events and sub-plots that even if we already know how it will end you’d still want to leaf through its pages hoping that there is something we may have missed.
And unlike other books, the Gospel stories provide the reader with something new in terms of insight and interpretation. In other words, the Gospel is not your ordinary book that you either put into your shelf or in your center table as a furniture accessory. It is a book that one would love reading over and over again because the message is always of current value and usage especially on matters pertaining to faith and morals.
Take this narrative from the Gospel of Matthew for example which tells us of the deep faith that the Canaanite woman had on the healing power that Jesus possess, something which she might have heard being talked about by the people in Nazareth and Capernaum which are to the south and southwest of Tyre and Sidon where the Canaanite woman lived.
But there are also other realities in this narrative that we need to look into to be able to understand the ministry of Jesus. Going to Tyre and Sidon was forced by circumstances beginning from the death of John the Baptist and to the reality that even when Jesus knew the end for him is nearing, he feared that the level of understanding of the Apostles still leaves much to be desired.
Jesus actually wanted to rest in Tyre and Sidon (Mk 7:24) and contemplate following the fiery confrontation in the preceding chapter with the Pharisees who were shocked to hear Jesus openly contradicting their religious laws and rituals related to the washing of the hands before partaking of a meal.
Indeed to Jesus, these are mere rituals and external regulations that have no value at all because to Jesus what matters besides the Pharisaic rituals and ceremonies is the state of relationship between God and man. This position of Jesus so angered the Jews especially when he stressed that none of these external practices of the Jews can ever atone for a heart that is filled with pride, bitterness, resentments and lust.
Sensing the violent rejection of the Pharisees and the religious leaders, Jesus went to Tyre and Sidon knowing that he will not be deluded by the crowd who followed him wherever he went in Galilee. What Jesus didn’t expect is that his popularity has already preceded him such that even in Tyre and Sidon, he was still approached by the woman whose daughter was possessed by a demon.
The only catch in this narrative is that the woman is a Gentile. Mark (Mk 7:26) described the woman as coming from Syrian-Phoenicia and is thus considered as a Gentile. The attitude of the Apostles is what actually has Jesus worrying. Despite the healing and miracles that Jesus performed, the Apostles still lacked – compassion – the most basic ingredient which to Jesus is the most important in evangelization.
The Apostles wanted Jesus to get rid of the woman because to them she has become a nuisance. This is also true for many of us who have become oblivious to the needs around us. We show prejudice against people in need especially in times when we are inconvenienced by their presence.
The response of Jesus to the woman whose child was possessed by a demon may surprise many readers of the Gospel and one would think that he is selective as to who will benefit from the healing miracles that he brings. But there is a deeper understanding of why he initially rejected the woman and that was because he was sent first to bring salvation to the chosen people of God, the Israelites.
But Jesus showed compassion when the woman knelt before him. Though the woman may not have known it at that time, the act of worship was what moved Jesus to listen to her plea as he said: “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.”
Had not the woman knelt, Jesus would not have acquiesced to her promptings. This is the same with us. Whenever we come to Jesus, we must first come with an adoration of his majesty and a commitment to serve him in our mission despite the cost to us.
There are two significant realities make this particular passage of great value. One is that Jesus had compassion that transcends the boundaries of culture and tradition – he responded positively to the woman and healed her child even if she was a Gentile. This also marks the very first time that Jesus went outside the territory of Israel and treated a Gentile. This scenario gives us a glimpse that the Gospel is to be proclaimed to everyone regardless of race, color or creed.
The other reality is that Jesus always responds positively to anyone whose faith that grows from utter humility that turns into a prayer. Remember that the Israelites treated the Gentiles as dogs but not only did Jesus saw through the genuine love the woman had for her daughter possessed by a demon but his heart sank when the woman called him “Lord, even the dogs eat the pieces which fall from their master’s table.”
This totally melted the heart of Jesus because the woman’s faith gradually grew from her recognition of Jesus as the Son of David until she acknowledged him as Lord. And this also rings true for us. Jesus responds and grants the prayers of anyone who possesses such impregnable faith as that of the woman that is founded on humility and acceptance of Jesus as Lord and Savior.
We should view this Gospel passage as a reminder that we need to put more faith in our prayers. But if our prayers are not answered it doesn’t mean that God has turned a deaf ear to our cry for help. But if you feel that you are not getting any answer to your prayers, perhaps it is time to look inwardly and ask where you may have come up short.
Do you spend quality time to pray? By quality we mean the time that you that spend with God without the distractions of the world around you? How faithful have you been to his commandment to love God and your neighbor as well? Do you tithe regularly because when you withhold your tithe you are actually robbing God (Mal 3:8). What we must remember is that God has nothing but love for us all and that he may not answer our prayers now but he will certainly do and that’s for sure.
TO LISTEN IS TO OBEY
AUG. 6, 2013: THE TRANSFIGURATION OF THE LORD
1st Reading: Dan 7:9-10, 13-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 97:1-2, 5-6, 9 “The Lord is King, the most high over all the earth.”
2nd Reading: 2 Pet 1:16-19
GOSPEL: Lk 9:28-36
Key Verse: “This is my Son, whom I have chosen;
listen to him.” (v.35)
Let me begin this reflection with these words - metamorphosis, conversion and, transformation because these are some of the words that are used to define transfiguration. And it is necessary for us to know what transfiguration means so that we will at least have an idea of what took place at Mt. Hermon that the Church describes as the Transfiguration of Our Lord.
The fact that this event is depicted in all the Synoptic Gospels (Matt 17:1-6; Mk 9:2-10 and Lk 9:28-36) makes the Transfiguration one of the most significant events in the life of Jesus.
Mark’s account says that Jesus was transfigured while he was with Peter, James and John on high mountain as his clothes turned into dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them (Mk 9:2-3) and before them appeared Elijah and Moses who talked to Jesus (Mk 9:4). Luke, on the other hand, wrote that “his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.” (Lk 9:29)
There was also something peculiar and common to all of the three major characters in this event (Jesus, Elijah and Moses) and that is the mountain. We see in the Scriptures that Jesus always goes to a mountain or something higher especially to pray at night.
The same was true for Moses who was given the Ten Commandments written on tablets of stone on Mt. Sinai and Elijah encountered God in Mt. Horeb. There was no clear explanation for their choice of a mountain to pray and the only plausible explanation could be that it brings them closer to heaven where God is supposed to be, and it could also be the stillness of the place that makes it conducive to prayer.
The Transfiguration of Our Lord is deemed significant because as his Baptism in the River Jordan by John the Baptist was the starting point of his public life and his Ascension to Heaven the end of his earthly mission, the Transfiguration was the culminating event of his ministry.
This event was also important to Jesus because it confirmed the Will of God for him to proceed with his salvific journey to finally bind the powers of Satan and the world to reconcile all men through his death on the cross.
And the appearance of Eljah and Moses was not a coincidence but part of God’s design so that the Apostles – at least the three of them Peter, James and John – can testify to the truth that Jesus indeed was the Son of God. The presence of the three Apostles made them witnesses of the Glory of Jesus Christ and this is important because as witnesses, they must first see and then show to the world what they have seen. This is the same with us. In order for us to witness for Christ, we must first encounter him and be transfigured into his image and then go out into the world and make disciples of all nations (Matt 28:18).
What the Transfiguration showed was that in everything that he does, Jesus always asks the Father to direct his works and this decision to go to Jerusalem was no different. Jesus placed his life in the hands of the Father in heaven and this was what Jesus was actually telling his disciples that they are to put all their trust in God.
What makes this narrative significant was the transfiguration of the personhood of Jesus Christ from being a Teacher or Rabbi into the sacrificial lamb who will be offered as an expiation for our sins. When God spoke in v.35, Jesus knew that it was the Will of the One who sent him that he should go to Jerusalem and suffer for all of mankind.
In this Gospel narrative, Jesus is actually inviting each one of us to take a leap of faith and step out of our comfort zones and into the unknown. When Jesus went up to Mt. Hermon, he was stepping into the unknown and he needed to pray and ask God for an affirmation that going to Jerusalem to suffer and die was the right thing to do.
Most Christians in today’s post-modern lives are living defeated lives. We wake up in the morning with all the heaviness that we went to sleep with last night. We open our eyes with all the negativity that we have entertained in our lives and we invite these same negative trends by patronizing them. We may not be aware of it but we stay and remain defeated when the first thing that cross our minds upon waking up is “it’s going to be another bad day. I’m going to meet the same people I hate in the workplace. I can’t make it in life with what I am receiving for work. I should have been the one who was promoted. I should have been appointed coordinator of that ministry as I am more qualified than the one appointed.”
At times we try to look good by lying and manipulating situations and people around us. What we may not be aware if is that these negative thoughts and actions are blocking the flow of grace into our lives such that instead of becoming a vessel that would attract blessings from God, we unknowingly turn our backs into the favors that are in store for us.
To be transfigured in the way we live as Christians is what is being asked of us as we step into the unknowns in this era of New Evangelization but this is something that we all need to do if we are to save our Church from being decapitated by the secularism and relativism that are beginning to destroy our Christian values.
Serving God is filled with “unknowns” and only those among us who are bold enough to go up to our own Mt. Hermon and seek God in prayer will be equipped with the strength to enable us to also carry our crosses and experience our own transfiguration so that we may also know that we do not belong to this generation.
There is nothing that God wants than to share his glory with us and the transfiguration that gave Peter, James and John the unique opportunity to have witnessed the glory of God in its fullness as Jesus appeared in glory with Moses and Elijah can also happen to us if we will only abide by his Word.
We as disciples of Christ are called to be witnesses of his glory and we have to make it a habit to listen to Jesus as what Paul the Apostle said to the people of Corinth: “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Cor 3:18)
Thus we must ask in faith what God wants from us today. The transfiguration shows us that God simply wants us to obey his Son. When God spoke from the clouds and said “listen to him” it means we are not to just read the Scriptures, enroll in seminars and workshops, go to prayer meetings and attend Bible-sharing sessions but what he wants is for us to move and act on what we hear and casting our vote for the right candidates following a prayerful discernment process is one of the ways we can contribute to the conversion and or transfiguration of the political environment.
This Transfiguration event is actually a message for everyone who wishes to follow Our Lord especially those who regard themselves as disciples. The Lenten Season is the time for us to take stock of our relationship with Jesus Christ because our spirituality rests in our being transfigured into the personhood of Christ. As we step deeper into the season, we must gather all our energies to fuse together our inner and public life which means that who we are when no one is looking is the same as what people see. This is what we call integrity and this is our spirituality.
To listen is to obey. That’s the bottom line. This means that we are die to our human nature and be transfigured into the nature of Christ. It also means we are to serve God by serving men without counting the cost.
And if we as disciples want to give honor and glory to Jesus and look forward to joining him in heaven where we can behold His majesty and power, then all we need to do is to heed what the Apostle Paul told the people of Corinth: “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” (1 Cor 11:1)
1st Reading: Dan 7:9-10, 13-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 97:1-2, 5-6, 9 “The Lord is King, the most high over all the earth.”
2nd Reading: 2 Pet 1:16-19
GOSPEL: Lk 9:28-36
Key Verse: “This is my Son, whom I have chosen;
listen to him.” (v.35)
Let me begin this reflection with these words - metamorphosis, conversion and, transformation because these are some of the words that are used to define transfiguration. And it is necessary for us to know what transfiguration means so that we will at least have an idea of what took place at Mt. Hermon that the Church describes as the Transfiguration of Our Lord.
The fact that this event is depicted in all the Synoptic Gospels (Matt 17:1-6; Mk 9:2-10 and Lk 9:28-36) makes the Transfiguration one of the most significant events in the life of Jesus.
Mark’s account says that Jesus was transfigured while he was with Peter, James and John on high mountain as his clothes turned into dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them (Mk 9:2-3) and before them appeared Elijah and Moses who talked to Jesus (Mk 9:4). Luke, on the other hand, wrote that “his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.” (Lk 9:29)
There was also something peculiar and common to all of the three major characters in this event (Jesus, Elijah and Moses) and that is the mountain. We see in the Scriptures that Jesus always goes to a mountain or something higher especially to pray at night.
The same was true for Moses who was given the Ten Commandments written on tablets of stone on Mt. Sinai and Elijah encountered God in Mt. Horeb. There was no clear explanation for their choice of a mountain to pray and the only plausible explanation could be that it brings them closer to heaven where God is supposed to be, and it could also be the stillness of the place that makes it conducive to prayer.
The Transfiguration of Our Lord is deemed significant because as his Baptism in the River Jordan by John the Baptist was the starting point of his public life and his Ascension to Heaven the end of his earthly mission, the Transfiguration was the culminating event of his ministry.
This event was also important to Jesus because it confirmed the Will of God for him to proceed with his salvific journey to finally bind the powers of Satan and the world to reconcile all men through his death on the cross.
And the appearance of Eljah and Moses was not a coincidence but part of God’s design so that the Apostles – at least the three of them Peter, James and John – can testify to the truth that Jesus indeed was the Son of God. The presence of the three Apostles made them witnesses of the Glory of Jesus Christ and this is important because as witnesses, they must first see and then show to the world what they have seen. This is the same with us. In order for us to witness for Christ, we must first encounter him and be transfigured into his image and then go out into the world and make disciples of all nations (Matt 28:18).
What the Transfiguration showed was that in everything that he does, Jesus always asks the Father to direct his works and this decision to go to Jerusalem was no different. Jesus placed his life in the hands of the Father in heaven and this was what Jesus was actually telling his disciples that they are to put all their trust in God.
What makes this narrative significant was the transfiguration of the personhood of Jesus Christ from being a Teacher or Rabbi into the sacrificial lamb who will be offered as an expiation for our sins. When God spoke in v.35, Jesus knew that it was the Will of the One who sent him that he should go to Jerusalem and suffer for all of mankind.
In this Gospel narrative, Jesus is actually inviting each one of us to take a leap of faith and step out of our comfort zones and into the unknown. When Jesus went up to Mt. Hermon, he was stepping into the unknown and he needed to pray and ask God for an affirmation that going to Jerusalem to suffer and die was the right thing to do.
Most Christians in today’s post-modern lives are living defeated lives. We wake up in the morning with all the heaviness that we went to sleep with last night. We open our eyes with all the negativity that we have entertained in our lives and we invite these same negative trends by patronizing them. We may not be aware of it but we stay and remain defeated when the first thing that cross our minds upon waking up is “it’s going to be another bad day. I’m going to meet the same people I hate in the workplace. I can’t make it in life with what I am receiving for work. I should have been the one who was promoted. I should have been appointed coordinator of that ministry as I am more qualified than the one appointed.”
At times we try to look good by lying and manipulating situations and people around us. What we may not be aware if is that these negative thoughts and actions are blocking the flow of grace into our lives such that instead of becoming a vessel that would attract blessings from God, we unknowingly turn our backs into the favors that are in store for us.
To be transfigured in the way we live as Christians is what is being asked of us as we step into the unknowns in this era of New Evangelization but this is something that we all need to do if we are to save our Church from being decapitated by the secularism and relativism that are beginning to destroy our Christian values.
Serving God is filled with “unknowns” and only those among us who are bold enough to go up to our own Mt. Hermon and seek God in prayer will be equipped with the strength to enable us to also carry our crosses and experience our own transfiguration so that we may also know that we do not belong to this generation.
There is nothing that God wants than to share his glory with us and the transfiguration that gave Peter, James and John the unique opportunity to have witnessed the glory of God in its fullness as Jesus appeared in glory with Moses and Elijah can also happen to us if we will only abide by his Word.
We as disciples of Christ are called to be witnesses of his glory and we have to make it a habit to listen to Jesus as what Paul the Apostle said to the people of Corinth: “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Cor 3:18)
Thus we must ask in faith what God wants from us today. The transfiguration shows us that God simply wants us to obey his Son. When God spoke from the clouds and said “listen to him” it means we are not to just read the Scriptures, enroll in seminars and workshops, go to prayer meetings and attend Bible-sharing sessions but what he wants is for us to move and act on what we hear and casting our vote for the right candidates following a prayerful discernment process is one of the ways we can contribute to the conversion and or transfiguration of the political environment.
This Transfiguration event is actually a message for everyone who wishes to follow Our Lord especially those who regard themselves as disciples. The Lenten Season is the time for us to take stock of our relationship with Jesus Christ because our spirituality rests in our being transfigured into the personhood of Christ. As we step deeper into the season, we must gather all our energies to fuse together our inner and public life which means that who we are when no one is looking is the same as what people see. This is what we call integrity and this is our spirituality.
To listen is to obey. That’s the bottom line. This means that we are die to our human nature and be transfigured into the nature of Christ. It also means we are to serve God by serving men without counting the cost.
And if we as disciples want to give honor and glory to Jesus and look forward to joining him in heaven where we can behold His majesty and power, then all we need to do is to heed what the Apostle Paul told the people of Corinth: “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” (1 Cor 11:1)
WE ARE SECURE IN JESUS
AUG. 5, 2013: EIGHTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Num 11:4-15
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 81:12-17 “Sing with joy to God our help”
GOSPEL: MATT 14:22-36
Key Verse: “You really are the Son of God.” (v.32)
We are coming into the Gospel reading of today with the assumption that almost everyone are already familiar with the events depicted in this gospel.
We have heard many times how the faith and or lack of faith of Peter has been highlighted by some and we will no longer add to that as we already know what happened. The boat boarded by Peter and the Apostles encountered a storm as they were crossing to the other side of the lake and while the boat was being tossed around, the Apostles saw Jesus walking on the water.
Peter also got out of the boat to meet Jesus and he did walk on the water but when Peter felt the strong wind, he began to sink and the key statement here which has an impact in our lives is the verse that says “but when Jesus got into the boat, the wind sank.”
There are two things that may remain unnoticed if we will only look at the most common event in this Gospel as we are tempted to focus on the faith of Peter and these are the matter of the (1) wind and the (2) response we need to make once we have encountered Jesus Christ.
Many times in our lives we don’t give much thought of what the winds may represent in our lives. We look at it as one of the components of our environment. We know and feel the wind is important as we also cannot live without as it provides us with the air that we breathe. At times the wind refreshes our tired bodies parched by the noonday sun. But that’s all there is to it.
But as with the wind that nearly capsized the boat where Peter and the other Apostles were on board, the wind could also represent the struggles that we experience in our lives. It could be the circumstances that weigh down heavily on us as we set out to meet the challenges of everyday living.
The winds could also be the temptations that we face and which could separate us from the source of joy and happiness if we don’t deal with it in a godly way. Frustrations over our failure to meet our targets, loss of business opportunities, failed business or even the sorrows we experience over the loss of our loved ones could be the strong winds which may create instability in our lives.
It is during these storms in our lives that we can find stability in the cross of Jesus. And we find assurance in one of the letters written by St. Francis de Sales who was telling his friend what he noticed as the practice of the people in the village where he lived.
Always the observant person that he is, St. Francis de Sales noticed that those who fetch water from the well near the house where he lived always place a piece of wood on the pail of water that they draw from the well and when he asked why, he was told it is to keep the water from spilling because the wood keeps the water stable.
St. Francis de Sales later wrote that this is a picturesque analogy with the Cross of Jesus that brings peace into our lives. On the cross we can put our trust and confidence to bring stability to our lives when we are buffeted with strong winds.
This also brings us to the need for us to develop the habit of listening and we can draw inspiration from Moses who told the people in Deut 5:1 “Listen carefully now to all these laws God has given you; learn then, and be sure to obey them!” During this time the people have entered into a covenant with God, and Moses was commanding them to hear, learn and follow his statutes.
We Christians by virtue of our baptism are also in a covenant with God through Jesus Christ. As such, we should be responsive to what God expects. We can learn from the three-fold command of Moses to the Israelites by (a) Hearing which means absorbing and accepting information about God and from God. (b) Learning which is to understand its meaning and implications, and(c) Following which mandates us to put into action all we have heard and learned. All three parts are essential to a growing relationship with God.
This is also what Pope Francis is saying in his encyclical – LUMEN FIDEI (Light of Faith). All of 88 pages, this encyclical can be summarized to mean that for faith to be complete, it must be learned, lived and shared with others.
The Gospel reading ends with Matthew writing that Jesus healed everyone who came to him and all those who touched him were restored to health. And this is also the same with many of us. Most often people go to Jesus when they need something.
People at times go to Jesus to take advantage of what he can give, of what he can do for us. In other words, we think of Jesus whenever there is something that we want to ask. And how we ask him for all the things in life and the only thing that we don’t ask is for Jesus to pay our rent.
But that is as far as we go. We go to Church and join some of the organizations and or Communities in the Church because we want to enjoy the benefits of being a Christian but we shun the corresponding responsibility that Jesus asks of those who come to him and are alleviated from the burdens they carry.
For us to enjoy the eternal salvation that Jesus promised us, we need to respond positively to his invitation for us to a life of holiness in Him. We have been predestined after all and anyone who will come to him and accept his invitation to discipleship are assured of his Grace that flows from the cross which puts stability in our lives.
And we can remind ourselves of Paul’s letter to the Eph 2:10 "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
1st Reading: Num 11:4-15
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 81:12-17 “Sing with joy to God our help”
GOSPEL: MATT 14:22-36
Key Verse: “You really are the Son of God.” (v.32)
We are coming into the Gospel reading of today with the assumption that almost everyone are already familiar with the events depicted in this gospel.
We have heard many times how the faith and or lack of faith of Peter has been highlighted by some and we will no longer add to that as we already know what happened. The boat boarded by Peter and the Apostles encountered a storm as they were crossing to the other side of the lake and while the boat was being tossed around, the Apostles saw Jesus walking on the water.
Peter also got out of the boat to meet Jesus and he did walk on the water but when Peter felt the strong wind, he began to sink and the key statement here which has an impact in our lives is the verse that says “but when Jesus got into the boat, the wind sank.”
There are two things that may remain unnoticed if we will only look at the most common event in this Gospel as we are tempted to focus on the faith of Peter and these are the matter of the (1) wind and the (2) response we need to make once we have encountered Jesus Christ.
Many times in our lives we don’t give much thought of what the winds may represent in our lives. We look at it as one of the components of our environment. We know and feel the wind is important as we also cannot live without as it provides us with the air that we breathe. At times the wind refreshes our tired bodies parched by the noonday sun. But that’s all there is to it.
But as with the wind that nearly capsized the boat where Peter and the other Apostles were on board, the wind could also represent the struggles that we experience in our lives. It could be the circumstances that weigh down heavily on us as we set out to meet the challenges of everyday living.
The winds could also be the temptations that we face and which could separate us from the source of joy and happiness if we don’t deal with it in a godly way. Frustrations over our failure to meet our targets, loss of business opportunities, failed business or even the sorrows we experience over the loss of our loved ones could be the strong winds which may create instability in our lives.
It is during these storms in our lives that we can find stability in the cross of Jesus. And we find assurance in one of the letters written by St. Francis de Sales who was telling his friend what he noticed as the practice of the people in the village where he lived.
Always the observant person that he is, St. Francis de Sales noticed that those who fetch water from the well near the house where he lived always place a piece of wood on the pail of water that they draw from the well and when he asked why, he was told it is to keep the water from spilling because the wood keeps the water stable.
St. Francis de Sales later wrote that this is a picturesque analogy with the Cross of Jesus that brings peace into our lives. On the cross we can put our trust and confidence to bring stability to our lives when we are buffeted with strong winds.
This also brings us to the need for us to develop the habit of listening and we can draw inspiration from Moses who told the people in Deut 5:1 “Listen carefully now to all these laws God has given you; learn then, and be sure to obey them!” During this time the people have entered into a covenant with God, and Moses was commanding them to hear, learn and follow his statutes.
We Christians by virtue of our baptism are also in a covenant with God through Jesus Christ. As such, we should be responsive to what God expects. We can learn from the three-fold command of Moses to the Israelites by (a) Hearing which means absorbing and accepting information about God and from God. (b) Learning which is to understand its meaning and implications, and(c) Following which mandates us to put into action all we have heard and learned. All three parts are essential to a growing relationship with God.
This is also what Pope Francis is saying in his encyclical – LUMEN FIDEI (Light of Faith). All of 88 pages, this encyclical can be summarized to mean that for faith to be complete, it must be learned, lived and shared with others.
The Gospel reading ends with Matthew writing that Jesus healed everyone who came to him and all those who touched him were restored to health. And this is also the same with many of us. Most often people go to Jesus when they need something.
People at times go to Jesus to take advantage of what he can give, of what he can do for us. In other words, we think of Jesus whenever there is something that we want to ask. And how we ask him for all the things in life and the only thing that we don’t ask is for Jesus to pay our rent.
But that is as far as we go. We go to Church and join some of the organizations and or Communities in the Church because we want to enjoy the benefits of being a Christian but we shun the corresponding responsibility that Jesus asks of those who come to him and are alleviated from the burdens they carry.
For us to enjoy the eternal salvation that Jesus promised us, we need to respond positively to his invitation for us to a life of holiness in Him. We have been predestined after all and anyone who will come to him and accept his invitation to discipleship are assured of his Grace that flows from the cross which puts stability in our lives.
And we can remind ourselves of Paul’s letter to the Eph 2:10 "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
WEALTH DISTRACTS OUR VIEW OF GOD
AUG. 4, 2013: EIGHTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Eccl 1:2; 2:21-23
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 90:3-6, 12-14, 17 “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.”
2nd Reading: Col 3:1-5, 9-11
GOSPEL: LK 12: 13-21
Key Verse: “Be on your guard against all kinds of greed;
a man’s life does not consist in the abundance
of his possessions.” (v.15)
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that someone came to Jesus with a problem about his father’s inheritance because in those days problems such as these are normally brought to the attention of Rabbis for them to settle.
Note that this Gospel passage was a continuation of Jesus’ teaching before a large crowd in which he branded the Pharisees as hypocrites and warned the people of the unforgiveable sin referring to the time when some of the Pharisees equated his miracles to the work of the devil.
While Luke did not describe how Jesus felt when someone called out to him and said: “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” (v.13) it was probable that Jesus may have been irritated at the interruption and we can understand that. We who have been teaching ourselves know how it is when the flow of our thoughts is disrupted by a question or a reaction that has nothing to do with the topic of the teaching.
Here Jesus was just wrapping up his discourse on the unforgiveable sin when somebody from the crowd shouted. It was bad enough that he had interrupted the teaching but what was worst was that the tone of the man’s voice appeared to be telling Jesus what to do instead of simply asking him to arbitrate his dispute with his brother over their inheritance.
Not that he did not have the wisdom to settle the dispute as what Rabbis do but Jesus deflected the matter to redirect the attention of the man and the crowd to what was more important as he said: “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (v.15) With his response, we also see that Jesus remain grounded on his mission which was to preach the Kingdom of Heaven and not to act as an arbitrator for those disputing their inheritance.
And so instead of acquiescing to the man’s request for arbitration Jesus told the crowd another parable – the story of a landowner who was expecting a good crop season and not having a space to store his grain. So the landowner decided to tear down his barns and build bigger ones to accommodate his bumper harvest.
The point that Jesus wanted to make in the parable as well as his warning against greed was that life could not be measured in the abundance of possessions. Jesus must have seen how the man was consumed by his share in their inheritance and Jesus was concerned that the man did not look at his supposed inheritance as a blessing but with a greedy attitude that threatens his spiritual inheritance which was his eternal destiny.
Take for example the case of the Titanic. Almost all of England’s crème de la crème booked a cabin just for the prestige to be among the first to sail in what at that time was the most ostentatious display of luxury. But in the end, not even the riches of those who were on board could save them from death.
Even in today’s setting, how many have placed all their trust not only in their possessions but even in their talents. How many still have become so full of themselves and even to the extent of wallowing in lies to prop up their public image and this is happening even in the church.
In this Gospel, it was not just simple greed that Jesus had in mind in relating this parable to the concern of the man but all types of greed or excessive desire and for all intents and purposes greed does not refer only to material things but even to other matters such as positions, titles, fame, honor and admiration. And greed happens when man covets or has an excessive desire for these.
But in general, money will always be a prime motivator for greed and we always see this when the people rush to the Lotto betting stations to bet especially when the jackpot prize reaches the eight-figure or nine-figure mark.
And Jesus was saying: "a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions" (v.15). This means that those who consider themselves as Christian disciples must replace their desire to accumulate wealth by stacking up on pious investments that will earn for them a place in the Kingdom of Heaven. Life is more than material possessions and more important is our relationship with God.
Another point that Jesus raised in this parable was that riches or wealth could not provide us with security for the future as what we often hear from those who have been breaking their backs to save on their future. And if people in today’s post-modern world lose their focus on God it is because of the kind of world we live in. Today, advertisers spend millions to induce people to equate happiness and comfort with possessions. How we respond to such enticements determines our perception of what is important to us.
And Jesus emphasizes this point when he said: “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” (v.20) which means that no amount of possessions whether these are abundant or not can prevent the wheel of life from turning and we don’t know the hour when the thief would come.
What Jesus was actually saying was that instead of desiring to accumulate more wealth, it would be better if we will store up heavenly treasures and focus on our journey of faith conscious of the presence of the Holy Spirit in us. Thus it should be for each one of us to see what the rich man could not see. The man’s covetousness for his share in the inheritance filled his entire being which will be of no use when his life is demanded of him.
The challenge for us then is to ask ourselves: What is our view of the inheritance coming to us in this world we live in? Or are we like the man in the parable who made a life out of the abundance of his possessions? Every now and then, it would probably do us good to always go back and reflect on vv.20-21 for at the end of the day no amount of wealth can substitute for what God offers.
1st Reading: Eccl 1:2; 2:21-23
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 90:3-6, 12-14, 17 “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.”
2nd Reading: Col 3:1-5, 9-11
GOSPEL: LK 12: 13-21
Key Verse: “Be on your guard against all kinds of greed;
a man’s life does not consist in the abundance
of his possessions.” (v.15)
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that someone came to Jesus with a problem about his father’s inheritance because in those days problems such as these are normally brought to the attention of Rabbis for them to settle.
Note that this Gospel passage was a continuation of Jesus’ teaching before a large crowd in which he branded the Pharisees as hypocrites and warned the people of the unforgiveable sin referring to the time when some of the Pharisees equated his miracles to the work of the devil.
While Luke did not describe how Jesus felt when someone called out to him and said: “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” (v.13) it was probable that Jesus may have been irritated at the interruption and we can understand that. We who have been teaching ourselves know how it is when the flow of our thoughts is disrupted by a question or a reaction that has nothing to do with the topic of the teaching.
Here Jesus was just wrapping up his discourse on the unforgiveable sin when somebody from the crowd shouted. It was bad enough that he had interrupted the teaching but what was worst was that the tone of the man’s voice appeared to be telling Jesus what to do instead of simply asking him to arbitrate his dispute with his brother over their inheritance.
Not that he did not have the wisdom to settle the dispute as what Rabbis do but Jesus deflected the matter to redirect the attention of the man and the crowd to what was more important as he said: “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (v.15) With his response, we also see that Jesus remain grounded on his mission which was to preach the Kingdom of Heaven and not to act as an arbitrator for those disputing their inheritance.
And so instead of acquiescing to the man’s request for arbitration Jesus told the crowd another parable – the story of a landowner who was expecting a good crop season and not having a space to store his grain. So the landowner decided to tear down his barns and build bigger ones to accommodate his bumper harvest.
The point that Jesus wanted to make in the parable as well as his warning against greed was that life could not be measured in the abundance of possessions. Jesus must have seen how the man was consumed by his share in their inheritance and Jesus was concerned that the man did not look at his supposed inheritance as a blessing but with a greedy attitude that threatens his spiritual inheritance which was his eternal destiny.
Take for example the case of the Titanic. Almost all of England’s crème de la crème booked a cabin just for the prestige to be among the first to sail in what at that time was the most ostentatious display of luxury. But in the end, not even the riches of those who were on board could save them from death.
Even in today’s setting, how many have placed all their trust not only in their possessions but even in their talents. How many still have become so full of themselves and even to the extent of wallowing in lies to prop up their public image and this is happening even in the church.
In this Gospel, it was not just simple greed that Jesus had in mind in relating this parable to the concern of the man but all types of greed or excessive desire and for all intents and purposes greed does not refer only to material things but even to other matters such as positions, titles, fame, honor and admiration. And greed happens when man covets or has an excessive desire for these.
But in general, money will always be a prime motivator for greed and we always see this when the people rush to the Lotto betting stations to bet especially when the jackpot prize reaches the eight-figure or nine-figure mark.
And Jesus was saying: "a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions" (v.15). This means that those who consider themselves as Christian disciples must replace their desire to accumulate wealth by stacking up on pious investments that will earn for them a place in the Kingdom of Heaven. Life is more than material possessions and more important is our relationship with God.
Another point that Jesus raised in this parable was that riches or wealth could not provide us with security for the future as what we often hear from those who have been breaking their backs to save on their future. And if people in today’s post-modern world lose their focus on God it is because of the kind of world we live in. Today, advertisers spend millions to induce people to equate happiness and comfort with possessions. How we respond to such enticements determines our perception of what is important to us.
And Jesus emphasizes this point when he said: “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” (v.20) which means that no amount of possessions whether these are abundant or not can prevent the wheel of life from turning and we don’t know the hour when the thief would come.
What Jesus was actually saying was that instead of desiring to accumulate more wealth, it would be better if we will store up heavenly treasures and focus on our journey of faith conscious of the presence of the Holy Spirit in us. Thus it should be for each one of us to see what the rich man could not see. The man’s covetousness for his share in the inheritance filled his entire being which will be of no use when his life is demanded of him.
The challenge for us then is to ask ourselves: What is our view of the inheritance coming to us in this world we live in? Or are we like the man in the parable who made a life out of the abundance of his possessions? Every now and then, it would probably do us good to always go back and reflect on vv.20-21 for at the end of the day no amount of wealth can substitute for what God offers.
TO KNOW JESUS IS TO SPEAK THE TRUTH
AUG. 3, 2013: 17th WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Lev 25:1, 8-17
Responsorial Psalm: Psa: 67:2-3, 5, 7-8 “O God, let all the nations praise you.”
GOSPEL: MATT 14:1-12
Key Verse: “…and Herod was afraid.” (v.5)
Only those who have a genuine relationship with God and who profess faith in the Trinitarian God would know who Jesus is. Probably not the average man on the street much more a person who has never been to a church.
This was the case of Herod who just couldn’t make out who Jesus was and this was not without reason. Herod lived in Tiberias which was part of Galilee but which at the time was populated by Gentiles and there was no account that Jesus went to Tiberias.
Because Herod didn’t know who Jesus was the first thing that came to his mind was the name of John the Baptist: “This is John the Baptist… he has come back from the dead,” (v.2) To refer to Jesus as John was probably out of guilt that Herod felt for the murder of the prophet who is remembered for paving the way for the coming of Jesus.
Others said Jesus was Elijah (Mk 6:15). Again, this was based on the conduct of the Jews who were awaiting the return of the great prophet who also was expected to announce the coming of the Lord. And others simply dismissed Jesus as “a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago.” (Mk 6:15)
This scenario is no different from what we see in the ordinary course of everyday life today. The “unchurched” who wasn’t provided with catechetical instruction in their growing up years will not be able to give us even an abstract view of who Jesus is and this is the reason why there is now a revival of the faith that is sweeping the country to bring the unchurch into the Christian faith.
What this passage today is telling us is that past sins especially that which was as grievous as the murder perpetrated by Herod will not go away especially if it remains buried in the memory of an unrepentant sinner because the natural tendency is it will keep coming back as the sin continues to haunt an offender like Herod.
The irony of it all was that Herod loved to listen to the prophetic words spoken by John the Baptist and the only thing that he couldn’t accept was when the prophet started speaking against his illicit relationship with Herodias who was previously married to his brother Philip.
And Herod Antipas feared John the Baptist because he spoke the truth about his adulterous relationship with Herodias. But he also respected John because he knew that he was a man of unquestionable integrity and that many people believed in the evangelist. This is where we draw a parallelism because this oddity in the character of Herod can also be found in many of us who unknowingly are treading on two parallel courses in our spiritual and temporal journey.
Some of us may be faithful in our attendance in the Eucharistic Celebrations or the Mass and also in Prayer Meetings if we belong to a community or prayer group and we lift up our hands and say “yes Lord,” “Amen, Lord” but our temporal lives and our disposition do not reflect any of the spirituality that we have in the spiritual setting.
The sin of Herod was that he gave in to his impulsive nature when he failed to discern the request of Salome, the daughter of Herodias, for the head of John to be delivered on a plate. Such impulsiveness is not new as there are times when some of us also lose our sense of right judgment and we do things that we regret afterwards.
There was someone who once said there are quick decisions and there are good decisions but it is very seldom that a man will arrive at a good quick decision. There was no doubt that Herod made a bad quick decision but have we asked ourselves how many times have we also made a quick decision that turned awry or bad.
Herod was drunk at the time and he failed to rein in his impulsive nature and this was what Paul warned in his letter to the Eph 5:18: “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery (riotous living). Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
What this gospel written by Matthew shows is that we who would like to be a disciple of Jesus Christ and take over the mission he left behind must have the courage and the boldness to speak the truth. John had the courage to rebuke Herod for his adulterous relationship with Herodias and he put his life on the line for telling the truth.
Jesus is actually telling us to pattern our lives to that of John the Baptist who never minced any words who spoke the truth to the point of death. As evangelists or catechists whose primary duty is to bring the unbelievers and the doubters to Jesus Christ, this example of John is the model that Jesus is asking us to follow. Historical accounts claim that Herod Antipas had talked to John to soften his critique of the former’s relationship with Herodias but John stood his ground and risked is life rather than compromise.
We who are now tasked to bring the Gospel of Christ to others and take the same path that John the Baptist took when he placed his life in the hands of God and the Catechism of the Catholic Church provides us an inspiration when it said in Para 2471:“Before Pilate, Christ proclaims that he "has come into the world, to bear witness to the truth." The Christian is not to "be ashamed then of testifying to our Lord." In situations that require witness to the faith, the Christian must profess it without equivocation, after the example of St. Paul before his judges. We must keep "a clear conscience toward God and toward men."
In each one of us there is a John the Baptist who will never waver in expressing his conviction to what is right. But there also are those who like Herod will extinguish the truth through lies and manipulation. What this Gospel presents to us are two characters to which we may fall into. We can be the purveyors of the truths of the Gospel or we can also become the stumbling blocks to the spiritual growth of others. How and which way we will choose will determine our heavenly future.
Like John the Baptist, we are to bear witness to the truth and as Christians we must not be ashamed of testifying to what the Lord has done in our lives. We are actually the Gospel that we preach and teach such that it is imperative that others must see Jesus present in our lives. This is what John the Baptist did. He spoke the truth. He was the conscience of God and he gave his life for the truth.
1st Reading: Lev 25:1, 8-17
Responsorial Psalm: Psa: 67:2-3, 5, 7-8 “O God, let all the nations praise you.”
GOSPEL: MATT 14:1-12
Key Verse: “…and Herod was afraid.” (v.5)
Only those who have a genuine relationship with God and who profess faith in the Trinitarian God would know who Jesus is. Probably not the average man on the street much more a person who has never been to a church.
This was the case of Herod who just couldn’t make out who Jesus was and this was not without reason. Herod lived in Tiberias which was part of Galilee but which at the time was populated by Gentiles and there was no account that Jesus went to Tiberias.
Because Herod didn’t know who Jesus was the first thing that came to his mind was the name of John the Baptist: “This is John the Baptist… he has come back from the dead,” (v.2) To refer to Jesus as John was probably out of guilt that Herod felt for the murder of the prophet who is remembered for paving the way for the coming of Jesus.
Others said Jesus was Elijah (Mk 6:15). Again, this was based on the conduct of the Jews who were awaiting the return of the great prophet who also was expected to announce the coming of the Lord. And others simply dismissed Jesus as “a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago.” (Mk 6:15)
This scenario is no different from what we see in the ordinary course of everyday life today. The “unchurched” who wasn’t provided with catechetical instruction in their growing up years will not be able to give us even an abstract view of who Jesus is and this is the reason why there is now a revival of the faith that is sweeping the country to bring the unchurch into the Christian faith.
What this passage today is telling us is that past sins especially that which was as grievous as the murder perpetrated by Herod will not go away especially if it remains buried in the memory of an unrepentant sinner because the natural tendency is it will keep coming back as the sin continues to haunt an offender like Herod.
The irony of it all was that Herod loved to listen to the prophetic words spoken by John the Baptist and the only thing that he couldn’t accept was when the prophet started speaking against his illicit relationship with Herodias who was previously married to his brother Philip.
And Herod Antipas feared John the Baptist because he spoke the truth about his adulterous relationship with Herodias. But he also respected John because he knew that he was a man of unquestionable integrity and that many people believed in the evangelist. This is where we draw a parallelism because this oddity in the character of Herod can also be found in many of us who unknowingly are treading on two parallel courses in our spiritual and temporal journey.
Some of us may be faithful in our attendance in the Eucharistic Celebrations or the Mass and also in Prayer Meetings if we belong to a community or prayer group and we lift up our hands and say “yes Lord,” “Amen, Lord” but our temporal lives and our disposition do not reflect any of the spirituality that we have in the spiritual setting.
The sin of Herod was that he gave in to his impulsive nature when he failed to discern the request of Salome, the daughter of Herodias, for the head of John to be delivered on a plate. Such impulsiveness is not new as there are times when some of us also lose our sense of right judgment and we do things that we regret afterwards.
There was someone who once said there are quick decisions and there are good decisions but it is very seldom that a man will arrive at a good quick decision. There was no doubt that Herod made a bad quick decision but have we asked ourselves how many times have we also made a quick decision that turned awry or bad.
Herod was drunk at the time and he failed to rein in his impulsive nature and this was what Paul warned in his letter to the Eph 5:18: “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery (riotous living). Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
What this gospel written by Matthew shows is that we who would like to be a disciple of Jesus Christ and take over the mission he left behind must have the courage and the boldness to speak the truth. John had the courage to rebuke Herod for his adulterous relationship with Herodias and he put his life on the line for telling the truth.
Jesus is actually telling us to pattern our lives to that of John the Baptist who never minced any words who spoke the truth to the point of death. As evangelists or catechists whose primary duty is to bring the unbelievers and the doubters to Jesus Christ, this example of John is the model that Jesus is asking us to follow. Historical accounts claim that Herod Antipas had talked to John to soften his critique of the former’s relationship with Herodias but John stood his ground and risked is life rather than compromise.
We who are now tasked to bring the Gospel of Christ to others and take the same path that John the Baptist took when he placed his life in the hands of God and the Catechism of the Catholic Church provides us an inspiration when it said in Para 2471:“Before Pilate, Christ proclaims that he "has come into the world, to bear witness to the truth." The Christian is not to "be ashamed then of testifying to our Lord." In situations that require witness to the faith, the Christian must profess it without equivocation, after the example of St. Paul before his judges. We must keep "a clear conscience toward God and toward men."
In each one of us there is a John the Baptist who will never waver in expressing his conviction to what is right. But there also are those who like Herod will extinguish the truth through lies and manipulation. What this Gospel presents to us are two characters to which we may fall into. We can be the purveyors of the truths of the Gospel or we can also become the stumbling blocks to the spiritual growth of others. How and which way we will choose will determine our heavenly future.
Like John the Baptist, we are to bear witness to the truth and as Christians we must not be ashamed of testifying to what the Lord has done in our lives. We are actually the Gospel that we preach and teach such that it is imperative that others must see Jesus present in our lives. This is what John the Baptist did. He spoke the truth. He was the conscience of God and he gave his life for the truth.
JESUS DISDAINS UNBELIEF
AUG. 2, 2013: SEVENTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Lev 23:1, 4-11, 15-16, 27, 34-37
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 81:3-6, 10-11 “Sing with joy to God our help.”
GOSPEL: MATT 13:54-58
“..so they were astonished.” (v.54)
What was striking in the Gospel passage today was what Matthew wrote about at the end of this narrative: “And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.” (v.58)
While the Gospel writer did not say if Jesus left when the people in his own town of Nazareth and his kinsfolks took to his teaching with unbelief and refused to believe even if they were astonished (v.54) this passage showed in very clear terms what awaits those who will refuse to listen to Him.
It also means that taking the Words of Jesus to our hearts has its rewards – the eternal inheritance that awaits those who will believe in Jesus and obey his commands, and so too do unbelief and rejection has its corresponding pitfall. For if we are to translate what the last verse really meant, it simply says that Jesus will not come or reveal Himself to anyone who does not believe.
What happened following his discourse at the synagogue at Nazareth was that the people already stood condemned for rejecting Jesus because only those “whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” (Jn 3:16) In the same way, those who will ignore and ascribe his works to Satan stand accused of the unpardonable sin.
What Jesus faced in Nazareth was part of the natural human process because no person could be more critical of us than our own kin and neighbors who have known us from our childhood days. In fact, if we will only take stock of our present situation, we will realize that we too have at times been critical of the person beside us especially in the Church to which we go to or the Community to which we belong.
Jesus faced a severe test when he returned to his hometown and the people at the synagogue though astonished and marveled at his wisdom could not admit that the son of someone they knew as a carpenter could speak with such authority.
In those who were at the synagogue we see part of ourselves because this is also what is happening when we sneer and or reject the homily of the priest-celebrant at Mass because he was not a good speaker or simply because we refused to hear and listen to the homily of the priest.
The same is true with someone who was invited to give the reflection before a Community and our listening ears are influenced by our bias against the invited speaker. This is why the Scriptures is such a beautiful book because what happened some 2,500 years ago is still happening today and the reality is that all the elements that is necessary for our salvation is clearly written in the Scriptures.
In other words, the Scriptures should serve as a manual for daily living in the present time and the beauty of it all is that the Scriptures allows us to stay away from situations that will cause us to veer away from the path leading to the Kingdom of God. But if we do, then we are no different from the people of Nazareth who rejected Jesus and if we find the door to heaven is shut we only have ourselves to blame.
There is nothing wrong with poring over Christian books and other publications such as the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Rediscovering Catholicism, Theology, and Doctrinal Documents. All these are intended to strengthen the faith that has been infused upon baptized Catholics.
These documents are also a big help in providing the lay faithful with the necessary tools to know more of our Catholic Faith, the Church and more importantly the Liturgy, Eucharist and the Sacraments. But the Sacred Scriptures is where we get to know the person and character of Jesus which is what Jesus wants to replicate in our nature. Besides, no person can rightfully claim he is a preacher or a teacher if he cannot teach or preach from the Scriptures. Remember that the only thing that the Apostles had with them when they were starting to build the Church was the Scripture and the Traditions that Jesus had passed on to them.
In this passage, Jesus presents us with the reality that many times we sidle up to him not for what he is saying but for what he can do for us. While relationship is a two-way process, we at times look at relationships in terms of what we can get out of it. The people of Nazareth have heard of the miracles Jesus had performed in other towns and they also want the same.
But instead of performing a miracle to feed their curiosity, Jesus startled them with a seeming rebuke that no prophet or servant of God can receive honor among his own people. (v.57) The people of Nazareth took offense and retaliated by refusing to listen to him not knowing that their action will forever keep them out of the sheepfold.
Isn’t this the same with us as we look down on the workingman, carpenters, farmers, fishermen and we dismiss whatever they say because they could not possibly be more wise than we are. We look at our lowly neighbors with contempt. This is the same thing in the Church where members who believe they know everything usually look down on others with indifference.
But what we don’t know is that when we do this we have effectively blocked the flow of Grace into our own lives because Jesus will not work in the hearts of those who are filled with unbelief and discrimination.
This is what happens when people in a Church or a Community come together and talk negatively about another person because when they do this they also effectively block any other view regardless of how positive these may be and believe only in themselves.
The word "Gospel" means the "Good News" and the prophet Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would come in the power of the Holy Spirit to bring freedom to those oppressed by sin and evil (Isa 61:1-2). Jesus came to set us free from the worst tyranny of all -- the tyranny of slavery to sin and the fear of death, and to reject Him leads to the destruction of our bodies and souls.
We must always keep in mind that man cannot save himself as it is God's power alone that can save us from emptiness and poverty of spirit, from confusion and error, and from the fear of death and hopelessness. And we cannot preach the Gospel of Christ to the ends of the earth unless we too have heard the Good News and have taken it to heart.
It is thru obedience to His Word that we can become the “Good News.” In other words, we preach what Jesus had done to our lives and we do not preach ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake (2 Cor 4:5).
1st Reading: Lev 23:1, 4-11, 15-16, 27, 34-37
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 81:3-6, 10-11 “Sing with joy to God our help.”
GOSPEL: MATT 13:54-58
“..so they were astonished.” (v.54)
What was striking in the Gospel passage today was what Matthew wrote about at the end of this narrative: “And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.” (v.58)
While the Gospel writer did not say if Jesus left when the people in his own town of Nazareth and his kinsfolks took to his teaching with unbelief and refused to believe even if they were astonished (v.54) this passage showed in very clear terms what awaits those who will refuse to listen to Him.
It also means that taking the Words of Jesus to our hearts has its rewards – the eternal inheritance that awaits those who will believe in Jesus and obey his commands, and so too do unbelief and rejection has its corresponding pitfall. For if we are to translate what the last verse really meant, it simply says that Jesus will not come or reveal Himself to anyone who does not believe.
What happened following his discourse at the synagogue at Nazareth was that the people already stood condemned for rejecting Jesus because only those “whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” (Jn 3:16) In the same way, those who will ignore and ascribe his works to Satan stand accused of the unpardonable sin.
What Jesus faced in Nazareth was part of the natural human process because no person could be more critical of us than our own kin and neighbors who have known us from our childhood days. In fact, if we will only take stock of our present situation, we will realize that we too have at times been critical of the person beside us especially in the Church to which we go to or the Community to which we belong.
Jesus faced a severe test when he returned to his hometown and the people at the synagogue though astonished and marveled at his wisdom could not admit that the son of someone they knew as a carpenter could speak with such authority.
In those who were at the synagogue we see part of ourselves because this is also what is happening when we sneer and or reject the homily of the priest-celebrant at Mass because he was not a good speaker or simply because we refused to hear and listen to the homily of the priest.
The same is true with someone who was invited to give the reflection before a Community and our listening ears are influenced by our bias against the invited speaker. This is why the Scriptures is such a beautiful book because what happened some 2,500 years ago is still happening today and the reality is that all the elements that is necessary for our salvation is clearly written in the Scriptures.
In other words, the Scriptures should serve as a manual for daily living in the present time and the beauty of it all is that the Scriptures allows us to stay away from situations that will cause us to veer away from the path leading to the Kingdom of God. But if we do, then we are no different from the people of Nazareth who rejected Jesus and if we find the door to heaven is shut we only have ourselves to blame.
There is nothing wrong with poring over Christian books and other publications such as the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Rediscovering Catholicism, Theology, and Doctrinal Documents. All these are intended to strengthen the faith that has been infused upon baptized Catholics.
These documents are also a big help in providing the lay faithful with the necessary tools to know more of our Catholic Faith, the Church and more importantly the Liturgy, Eucharist and the Sacraments. But the Sacred Scriptures is where we get to know the person and character of Jesus which is what Jesus wants to replicate in our nature. Besides, no person can rightfully claim he is a preacher or a teacher if he cannot teach or preach from the Scriptures. Remember that the only thing that the Apostles had with them when they were starting to build the Church was the Scripture and the Traditions that Jesus had passed on to them.
In this passage, Jesus presents us with the reality that many times we sidle up to him not for what he is saying but for what he can do for us. While relationship is a two-way process, we at times look at relationships in terms of what we can get out of it. The people of Nazareth have heard of the miracles Jesus had performed in other towns and they also want the same.
But instead of performing a miracle to feed their curiosity, Jesus startled them with a seeming rebuke that no prophet or servant of God can receive honor among his own people. (v.57) The people of Nazareth took offense and retaliated by refusing to listen to him not knowing that their action will forever keep them out of the sheepfold.
Isn’t this the same with us as we look down on the workingman, carpenters, farmers, fishermen and we dismiss whatever they say because they could not possibly be more wise than we are. We look at our lowly neighbors with contempt. This is the same thing in the Church where members who believe they know everything usually look down on others with indifference.
But what we don’t know is that when we do this we have effectively blocked the flow of Grace into our own lives because Jesus will not work in the hearts of those who are filled with unbelief and discrimination.
This is what happens when people in a Church or a Community come together and talk negatively about another person because when they do this they also effectively block any other view regardless of how positive these may be and believe only in themselves.
The word "Gospel" means the "Good News" and the prophet Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would come in the power of the Holy Spirit to bring freedom to those oppressed by sin and evil (Isa 61:1-2). Jesus came to set us free from the worst tyranny of all -- the tyranny of slavery to sin and the fear of death, and to reject Him leads to the destruction of our bodies and souls.
We must always keep in mind that man cannot save himself as it is God's power alone that can save us from emptiness and poverty of spirit, from confusion and error, and from the fear of death and hopelessness. And we cannot preach the Gospel of Christ to the ends of the earth unless we too have heard the Good News and have taken it to heart.
It is thru obedience to His Word that we can become the “Good News.” In other words, we preach what Jesus had done to our lives and we do not preach ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake (2 Cor 4:5).
JUDGMENT WILL COME, NO DOUBT
AUG. 1, 2013: ST. ALPHONSUS LIGUORI, Bishop & Doctor
1st Reading: Exo 40:16-21, 34-38
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 84:3-6, 8-11 “How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Mighty God.”
GOSPEL: MATT: 13:47-53
Key Verse: “The angels will come and separate
the wicked from the righteous.” (v.49)
For the people to be able to understand his teachings, Jesus used parables to make it easier for his listeners to discover the truth and he usually adapts his teachings either to the existing landscape and or seascape such as this one depending on the place where he was giving a teaching.
And this was probably one of the most significant parables of Jesus in that he gave his disciples also a foreshadow of their future commission which Jesus will give to them before he takes his seat at the right hand of God.
If you have been following through the readings in the past several days, you will notice that some of the Gospels were being repeated even within days apart from each other and, while I’m not aware of any particular reason at this time, I would venture to say that the Church probably believes there is a need to drum up on us these Gospel passages to help develop the faith of believers and also as a guide for us to remember and keep the Words of Jesus to heart.
Speaking to fishermen this time and drawing their attention to the similarity between what he is preaching and their occupation so that they can easily identify themselves with the parable, Jesus talked of how all types of fish are caught in the net when fishermen adopt the trawl fishing method.
As in the parable of the weeds and the wheat that are separated at harvest, the fishermen also wait until they reach the shore where they will separate their catch. They will throw away the bad ones and keep the good ones to be sold.
If we are to relate this scenario to our present situation, what Jesus was saying in this parable is that we who are in the Church today cannot discriminate and be exclusive in our approaches to draw people in but it must be inclusive which means that when we evangelize we have to keep our doors open to all kinds of people and leave to God the authority to judge and sift who among those in the Church will finally enter the Kingdom of Heaven on judgment day.
What this parable emphasizes is what Jesus also pointed out in the parable of the weeds and the wheat – that the time for separation will definitely come when the bad and the useless will be thrown away to fiery furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, while the good and useful ones will be allowed to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
This parable should also serve as a grim reminder for those who patronize the RH Bill that at some point in time will legalize abortion and, perhaps lead to other proposals such as the legalization of divorce and same-sex marriage, as well as the propensity of corrupt government officials who exploit the poor and use their positions to enrich themselves.
Let me stress, however, that we don’t know who among us will be allowed entry into the Kingdom of Heaven for it is God alone who judges. But we know who among us will not make it to the Kingdom of Heaven which is why we constantly need to look inwardly and see how near or far are we to God. Having faith is not enough in the same way that knowing about God is also not enough.
Another highlight of this parable of the fishing net was the response the disciples gave when Jesus asked them “have you understood all these things?” (v.51) Jesus knew at this point the presumptive nature of the response the disciples gave and this was the reason why he told them the parable of the householder to provide them with a preview of how they are to use what they learned when they begin to evangelize.
In adding this parable, Jesus was telling his disciples that the teacher of the law should be like the householder or owner of a house who regales his visitors with old heirloom pieces that he has kept and some of the new things he recently purchased that are also of value.
What Jesus actually told his disciples and he is telling us now that we are to bring the Good News to others who are in the world and for us to draw on our old faith experiences and training that we have gathered in the past and to apply these biblical truths to new and current situations.
We are not being compelled to set aside the old traditions and everything we have learned but that we should make use of these knowledge and old practices that are good to put light to the present that will help keep these truths fresh and alive for Jesus did not come to remove the law but to enrich it with his teachings and his love.
And as with his disciples, Jesus is also telling us whom he has commissioned to preach and teach to make use of the old treasures of knowledge and wisdom that we may have picked up along the way to illuminate the present world that we live in.
In other words, our primary duty is to evangelize (Evangelii Nuntiandi 14, 18) and to go and make disciples of all nations (Matt 28:18) by using our gifts culled from the teachings we have received in the past and driven by our commitment to the Gospel to help bring to light in this present time the truths about the Kingdom of Heaven.
1st Reading: Exo 40:16-21, 34-38
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 84:3-6, 8-11 “How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Mighty God.”
GOSPEL: MATT: 13:47-53
Key Verse: “The angels will come and separate
the wicked from the righteous.” (v.49)
For the people to be able to understand his teachings, Jesus used parables to make it easier for his listeners to discover the truth and he usually adapts his teachings either to the existing landscape and or seascape such as this one depending on the place where he was giving a teaching.
And this was probably one of the most significant parables of Jesus in that he gave his disciples also a foreshadow of their future commission which Jesus will give to them before he takes his seat at the right hand of God.
If you have been following through the readings in the past several days, you will notice that some of the Gospels were being repeated even within days apart from each other and, while I’m not aware of any particular reason at this time, I would venture to say that the Church probably believes there is a need to drum up on us these Gospel passages to help develop the faith of believers and also as a guide for us to remember and keep the Words of Jesus to heart.
Speaking to fishermen this time and drawing their attention to the similarity between what he is preaching and their occupation so that they can easily identify themselves with the parable, Jesus talked of how all types of fish are caught in the net when fishermen adopt the trawl fishing method.
As in the parable of the weeds and the wheat that are separated at harvest, the fishermen also wait until they reach the shore where they will separate their catch. They will throw away the bad ones and keep the good ones to be sold.
If we are to relate this scenario to our present situation, what Jesus was saying in this parable is that we who are in the Church today cannot discriminate and be exclusive in our approaches to draw people in but it must be inclusive which means that when we evangelize we have to keep our doors open to all kinds of people and leave to God the authority to judge and sift who among those in the Church will finally enter the Kingdom of Heaven on judgment day.
What this parable emphasizes is what Jesus also pointed out in the parable of the weeds and the wheat – that the time for separation will definitely come when the bad and the useless will be thrown away to fiery furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, while the good and useful ones will be allowed to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
This parable should also serve as a grim reminder for those who patronize the RH Bill that at some point in time will legalize abortion and, perhaps lead to other proposals such as the legalization of divorce and same-sex marriage, as well as the propensity of corrupt government officials who exploit the poor and use their positions to enrich themselves.
Let me stress, however, that we don’t know who among us will be allowed entry into the Kingdom of Heaven for it is God alone who judges. But we know who among us will not make it to the Kingdom of Heaven which is why we constantly need to look inwardly and see how near or far are we to God. Having faith is not enough in the same way that knowing about God is also not enough.
Another highlight of this parable of the fishing net was the response the disciples gave when Jesus asked them “have you understood all these things?” (v.51) Jesus knew at this point the presumptive nature of the response the disciples gave and this was the reason why he told them the parable of the householder to provide them with a preview of how they are to use what they learned when they begin to evangelize.
In adding this parable, Jesus was telling his disciples that the teacher of the law should be like the householder or owner of a house who regales his visitors with old heirloom pieces that he has kept and some of the new things he recently purchased that are also of value.
What Jesus actually told his disciples and he is telling us now that we are to bring the Good News to others who are in the world and for us to draw on our old faith experiences and training that we have gathered in the past and to apply these biblical truths to new and current situations.
We are not being compelled to set aside the old traditions and everything we have learned but that we should make use of these knowledge and old practices that are good to put light to the present that will help keep these truths fresh and alive for Jesus did not come to remove the law but to enrich it with his teachings and his love.
And as with his disciples, Jesus is also telling us whom he has commissioned to preach and teach to make use of the old treasures of knowledge and wisdom that we may have picked up along the way to illuminate the present world that we live in.
In other words, our primary duty is to evangelize (Evangelii Nuntiandi 14, 18) and to go and make disciples of all nations (Matt 28:18) by using our gifts culled from the teachings we have received in the past and driven by our commitment to the Gospel to help bring to light in this present time the truths about the Kingdom of Heaven.
THE JOY OF FINDING HEAVEN
JULY 31, 2013: ST. IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA
1st Reading: Exo 34:29-35
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 99:5-7, 9 “Holy is the Lord our God.”
GOSPEL: MATT 13:44-46
Key Verse: “..sold everything he had and bought it.” (v.46
When we read this Gospel passage today in commemoration of St. Ignatius of Loyola, there are certain realities that we will be confronted with and how we will respond will determine our future.
While many of us are at times mystified by these parables we should keep in mind that Jesus was addressing the Jews and the target audience of Matthew is also the Jewish nation. As such, both Jesus and Matthew who recorded and later wrote about the spoken words that were drawn from the preaching and teaching of his Master, the parables are a reflection of the Jewish way of life and culture.
And Jesus used this methodology of delivering his message in a way that the Jews can easily understand because the people can identify with the situation that they experience in their lives and this parable is no different because many of the Jews at that time work on the land and on the fields.
Because there were no depository banks at the time, it was also natural for some of the Jews to keep their valuable items and or treasure for that matter in carefully dug-up holes on the ground which will also explain why the worthless servant in the parable of the talents decided to dig a hole to keep the money entrusted to him instead of investing it.
What Jesus through this parable is trying to tell us is to have the attitude of the man who found the treasure hidden on a field or what the merchant did when he found a pearl of great price.
The reality here from which we can draw a parallelism with our present-day lives is that both the man and the merchant were doing what they are supposed to do everyday except on the Sabbath. Both were working at the time – the man was working on the field. He must have been a tenant otherwise he could have been identified as the owner of the field. When he found the treasure hidden beneath the ground he sold all his possessions and bought the field he was working on.
The merchant, on the other hand, did his daily rounds looking for something that he could invest and later on sell at a profit. This is what he does for a living. And in those times, the pearl is the loveliest thing in the world. The people during the time of Jesus were fascinated by the pearl not only because it is valuable but because of its beauty and they take pleasure in just holding it in their hands and looking at it.
And the merchant like everyone else like him are always in search of a pearl of unparalleled beauty and just like the man who dug up a treasure, the merchant who saw the pearl of great price left and later on returned after selling everything he had to buy and take possession of the pearl which to him was the loveliest pearl he ever saw.
Similarly, we spend almost a lifetime in our search for true peace and genuine happiness and when we find it, we may have to give up certain if not many things in our lives be it ambition, position, fame and or the insatiable appetite to accumulate wealth; turn away from what to us has become a habit and a way of life which we find difficult to give up; we may need to give up on our comfortable lifestyles in exchange for the cross in the mission field; and certainly the vices that gives us pleasure that are fleeting like smoking, drinking, sex, gambling that we need to give up.
Both the man and the merchant may have lived a clean life but we don’t know that. Or they may have spent their lives in pleasure whenever they earned from the pursuit of their work. We don’t know that either. But in my lifetime especially when I was still single, I used my money for things that I thought would give me pleasure. I smoked three packs of cigarettes a day, I got drunk almost every night, I gambled and, I frequented nightclubs and bars.
Nothing changed when I got married except that now I have a family to go home to. But the craving for material things persisted especially when I started earning from the business I was involved in. The standard also changed. Instead of bars and nightclubs, now my friends and I frequented the bars at the five-star hotels. I still gambled but no longer on the gaming tables but on the golf course.
But everything changed when I was invited to the Marriage Encounter Weekend of the BLD and when I took the Life in the Spirit Seminar, it transported me to the same situation that the man and the merchant were in when they found the treasure and the pearl of great price.
The moral of the story in these two situations is that both the man and the merchant gave up their possessions to acquire that which to them is worth than everything they had. I too have to give up practically everything that I possessed including my job in the media when I found what to me is the treasure and the pearl of great price – the Kingdom of Heaven.
And Jesus likened the treasure that the man discovered and the pearl of great price that the merchant found and bought to the Kingdom of Heaven. This is so because there is no other way that will lead us to peace and happiness in this life and to the glory of the life to come than to give up everything to accept the Will of God because to enter the Kingdom of Heaven is premised on accepting and doing the Will of God.
Today is also the feast day of St. Ignatius of Loyola who will be remembered for saying: “When I believe it, I’ll see it” that runs counter to the familiar phrase we often hear: “I’ll believe it when I see it.” In a book written by Rev. Fr. David Fleming, SJ, he wrote that St. Ignatius of Loyola has observed that our vision largely controls our perception, If we think the world is a bleak place, full of evil, greedy, selfish people who have no love for God or each other, that’s what we will see when we look around.
1st Reading: Exo 34:29-35
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 99:5-7, 9 “Holy is the Lord our God.”
GOSPEL: MATT 13:44-46
Key Verse: “..sold everything he had and bought it.” (v.46
When we read this Gospel passage today in commemoration of St. Ignatius of Loyola, there are certain realities that we will be confronted with and how we will respond will determine our future.
While many of us are at times mystified by these parables we should keep in mind that Jesus was addressing the Jews and the target audience of Matthew is also the Jewish nation. As such, both Jesus and Matthew who recorded and later wrote about the spoken words that were drawn from the preaching and teaching of his Master, the parables are a reflection of the Jewish way of life and culture.
And Jesus used this methodology of delivering his message in a way that the Jews can easily understand because the people can identify with the situation that they experience in their lives and this parable is no different because many of the Jews at that time work on the land and on the fields.
Because there were no depository banks at the time, it was also natural for some of the Jews to keep their valuable items and or treasure for that matter in carefully dug-up holes on the ground which will also explain why the worthless servant in the parable of the talents decided to dig a hole to keep the money entrusted to him instead of investing it.
What Jesus through this parable is trying to tell us is to have the attitude of the man who found the treasure hidden on a field or what the merchant did when he found a pearl of great price.
The reality here from which we can draw a parallelism with our present-day lives is that both the man and the merchant were doing what they are supposed to do everyday except on the Sabbath. Both were working at the time – the man was working on the field. He must have been a tenant otherwise he could have been identified as the owner of the field. When he found the treasure hidden beneath the ground he sold all his possessions and bought the field he was working on.
The merchant, on the other hand, did his daily rounds looking for something that he could invest and later on sell at a profit. This is what he does for a living. And in those times, the pearl is the loveliest thing in the world. The people during the time of Jesus were fascinated by the pearl not only because it is valuable but because of its beauty and they take pleasure in just holding it in their hands and looking at it.
And the merchant like everyone else like him are always in search of a pearl of unparalleled beauty and just like the man who dug up a treasure, the merchant who saw the pearl of great price left and later on returned after selling everything he had to buy and take possession of the pearl which to him was the loveliest pearl he ever saw.
Similarly, we spend almost a lifetime in our search for true peace and genuine happiness and when we find it, we may have to give up certain if not many things in our lives be it ambition, position, fame and or the insatiable appetite to accumulate wealth; turn away from what to us has become a habit and a way of life which we find difficult to give up; we may need to give up on our comfortable lifestyles in exchange for the cross in the mission field; and certainly the vices that gives us pleasure that are fleeting like smoking, drinking, sex, gambling that we need to give up.
Both the man and the merchant may have lived a clean life but we don’t know that. Or they may have spent their lives in pleasure whenever they earned from the pursuit of their work. We don’t know that either. But in my lifetime especially when I was still single, I used my money for things that I thought would give me pleasure. I smoked three packs of cigarettes a day, I got drunk almost every night, I gambled and, I frequented nightclubs and bars.
Nothing changed when I got married except that now I have a family to go home to. But the craving for material things persisted especially when I started earning from the business I was involved in. The standard also changed. Instead of bars and nightclubs, now my friends and I frequented the bars at the five-star hotels. I still gambled but no longer on the gaming tables but on the golf course.
But everything changed when I was invited to the Marriage Encounter Weekend of the BLD and when I took the Life in the Spirit Seminar, it transported me to the same situation that the man and the merchant were in when they found the treasure and the pearl of great price.
The moral of the story in these two situations is that both the man and the merchant gave up their possessions to acquire that which to them is worth than everything they had. I too have to give up practically everything that I possessed including my job in the media when I found what to me is the treasure and the pearl of great price – the Kingdom of Heaven.
And Jesus likened the treasure that the man discovered and the pearl of great price that the merchant found and bought to the Kingdom of Heaven. This is so because there is no other way that will lead us to peace and happiness in this life and to the glory of the life to come than to give up everything to accept the Will of God because to enter the Kingdom of Heaven is premised on accepting and doing the Will of God.
Today is also the feast day of St. Ignatius of Loyola who will be remembered for saying: “When I believe it, I’ll see it” that runs counter to the familiar phrase we often hear: “I’ll believe it when I see it.” In a book written by Rev. Fr. David Fleming, SJ, he wrote that St. Ignatius of Loyola has observed that our vision largely controls our perception, If we think the world is a bleak place, full of evil, greedy, selfish people who have no love for God or each other, that’s what we will see when we look around.
OBEDIENCE WILL SAVE YOU
JULY 30, 2013: SEVENTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Exo 33:7-11; 34:5-9, 28
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 103:6-13 “The Lord is kind and merciful.”
GOSPEL: MATT 13:36-43
Key Verse: “He who has ears, let him hear.” (v.43)
If there is anything that we can digest from this Gospel passage it is the reality that the devil does exist and that its primary aim is to destroy the good seed that God has planted in us. Today’s Gospel reading also tells us to be aware that judging others is not one of the many privileges that God gave to man because the power to judge rests on God alone.
We need to recognize that there are hostile forces in our midst whose powers are greater than us mere mortals and that we also have to recognize that although we have a God who has already conquered the evil in the world we live in (Jn 16:33), these evil forces still exist and will always try to deceive us and snare us from the hands of Our God.
We were blessed to have joined in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist in our Parish last night because it was followed by a talk by Fr. Josys Siquia who is the appointed exorcist of the Archdiocese of Manila and as he explained in detail how the devil works, he made it clear that the devil and his legion remains active through deception and lies. He said that the best weapon against the devil is prayer and faith in Jesus Christ our Lord.
In this Gospel passage, what Jesus is telling us is that we also need to be awake and aware that evil exists and that we should be on guard to remain in control of ourselves against whatever evil tendency that may enter out hearts.
Jesus also presents us with what will happen to those who allowed evil to gain control of their lives. He likened them to the weeds that will be thrown into the furnace of hell where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (v.42).
But Jesus also provides us with a picture of what the wheat or those who chose to do good can expect “then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father” and he ends by saying “he who has ears, let him hear” (v.43)
Indeed, there is an ocean of difference between listening and hearing. Many of us attend Mass on Sundays, Weekdays, during the Liturgical Seasons and we listen to the Word of God being pronounced. We listen to the Homilies that illuminate the Word spoken during the Liturgy of the Word. At times we listen to resource speakers who are invited in our parishes during the period of recollections and these should become avenues to help us achieve what is called ‘metanoia’ or the transformation of our inner selves.
The Church provides us these opportunities so that we may be able to use what we hear to shore up our faith to help us put order into our disordered lives and bring us to a closer relationship with Our God.
But while God has laid down before us his plan of salvation including what we may expect, a life of eternity with Him, God still doesn’t impose his Will on us as he gives us the freedom to choose for ourselves. And many times, many of us choose the lure and fleeting comforts that the world offers exchanging these to what is more important – the salvation of our souls from eternal damnation.
One of the reasons why there are those in our midst who are unhappy with the way their lives are turning out is because we tend to qualify the weight of sin that pervades in our lives. There is a tendency among us to allow venial sins to enter into our hearts premised on the assumption that venial sins can be forgiven as against what we believe are mortal sins.
Many do believe that because we didn’t kill or murder anyone, we didn’t commit abortion or help in the abortion of an unborn child, and or we didn’t commit acts that are sacrilegious, that it is all right for us to commit what to us are venial sins or those little acts of spiritual infractions that we believe can be forgiven.
But what we may be forgetting is that these little acts of sinfulness regardless of how minute these are will infect our souls especially if we allow these little sins to persist and will eventually choke the wheat in us if we are not cognizant of the evil effects these will have in our lives.
In Community or in the Church, one of the most common of these little sins is the habit of talking negatively about someone or other members of the Church, self-exaltation by regarding ourselves as higher in stature than others, rationalizing our disobedience, disrespect and disregard to pastoral authority, refusal and or choosing when or where to serve.
We may assume that these bad habits may be inconsequential but when allowed to percolate, these evil tendencies will separate us from the flow and source of Grace. This Gospel passage also provides us with a clearer understanding that there will always be a time of harvest in which Our God will send his angels to separate the weeds from the wheat.
Fr. Syquia also said that exorcism or even prayer of liberation and deliverance done by a Priest will not be of any use to a person who will not forgive as he emphasized that unforgiveness is the biggest hindrance to deliverance as it blocks the flow of Grace into the person.
This means that judgment is in the hands of God alone and that while we mortals are given all the privileges in life, to judge one another is not among these perks in life for it is God alone who judges the good and the bad. It is God alone who sees all of what man is made of because he is the one who created us and he alone has the right to separate the weeds from the wheat.
This is actually what this Gospel passage is telling us in that we have the opportunity to choose what we want to become by seeing what our senses see. Do we want to remain in the world and grow as a weed that will be thrown into the fiery furnace? Or do we want to become the wheat that Our God can use to feed the world. The choice is in your hands.
1st Reading: Exo 33:7-11; 34:5-9, 28
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 103:6-13 “The Lord is kind and merciful.”
GOSPEL: MATT 13:36-43
Key Verse: “He who has ears, let him hear.” (v.43)
If there is anything that we can digest from this Gospel passage it is the reality that the devil does exist and that its primary aim is to destroy the good seed that God has planted in us. Today’s Gospel reading also tells us to be aware that judging others is not one of the many privileges that God gave to man because the power to judge rests on God alone.
We need to recognize that there are hostile forces in our midst whose powers are greater than us mere mortals and that we also have to recognize that although we have a God who has already conquered the evil in the world we live in (Jn 16:33), these evil forces still exist and will always try to deceive us and snare us from the hands of Our God.
We were blessed to have joined in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist in our Parish last night because it was followed by a talk by Fr. Josys Siquia who is the appointed exorcist of the Archdiocese of Manila and as he explained in detail how the devil works, he made it clear that the devil and his legion remains active through deception and lies. He said that the best weapon against the devil is prayer and faith in Jesus Christ our Lord.
In this Gospel passage, what Jesus is telling us is that we also need to be awake and aware that evil exists and that we should be on guard to remain in control of ourselves against whatever evil tendency that may enter out hearts.
Jesus also presents us with what will happen to those who allowed evil to gain control of their lives. He likened them to the weeds that will be thrown into the furnace of hell where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (v.42).
But Jesus also provides us with a picture of what the wheat or those who chose to do good can expect “then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father” and he ends by saying “he who has ears, let him hear” (v.43)
Indeed, there is an ocean of difference between listening and hearing. Many of us attend Mass on Sundays, Weekdays, during the Liturgical Seasons and we listen to the Word of God being pronounced. We listen to the Homilies that illuminate the Word spoken during the Liturgy of the Word. At times we listen to resource speakers who are invited in our parishes during the period of recollections and these should become avenues to help us achieve what is called ‘metanoia’ or the transformation of our inner selves.
The Church provides us these opportunities so that we may be able to use what we hear to shore up our faith to help us put order into our disordered lives and bring us to a closer relationship with Our God.
But while God has laid down before us his plan of salvation including what we may expect, a life of eternity with Him, God still doesn’t impose his Will on us as he gives us the freedom to choose for ourselves. And many times, many of us choose the lure and fleeting comforts that the world offers exchanging these to what is more important – the salvation of our souls from eternal damnation.
One of the reasons why there are those in our midst who are unhappy with the way their lives are turning out is because we tend to qualify the weight of sin that pervades in our lives. There is a tendency among us to allow venial sins to enter into our hearts premised on the assumption that venial sins can be forgiven as against what we believe are mortal sins.
Many do believe that because we didn’t kill or murder anyone, we didn’t commit abortion or help in the abortion of an unborn child, and or we didn’t commit acts that are sacrilegious, that it is all right for us to commit what to us are venial sins or those little acts of spiritual infractions that we believe can be forgiven.
But what we may be forgetting is that these little acts of sinfulness regardless of how minute these are will infect our souls especially if we allow these little sins to persist and will eventually choke the wheat in us if we are not cognizant of the evil effects these will have in our lives.
In Community or in the Church, one of the most common of these little sins is the habit of talking negatively about someone or other members of the Church, self-exaltation by regarding ourselves as higher in stature than others, rationalizing our disobedience, disrespect and disregard to pastoral authority, refusal and or choosing when or where to serve.
We may assume that these bad habits may be inconsequential but when allowed to percolate, these evil tendencies will separate us from the flow and source of Grace. This Gospel passage also provides us with a clearer understanding that there will always be a time of harvest in which Our God will send his angels to separate the weeds from the wheat.
Fr. Syquia also said that exorcism or even prayer of liberation and deliverance done by a Priest will not be of any use to a person who will not forgive as he emphasized that unforgiveness is the biggest hindrance to deliverance as it blocks the flow of Grace into the person.
This means that judgment is in the hands of God alone and that while we mortals are given all the privileges in life, to judge one another is not among these perks in life for it is God alone who judges the good and the bad. It is God alone who sees all of what man is made of because he is the one who created us and he alone has the right to separate the weeds from the wheat.
This is actually what this Gospel passage is telling us in that we have the opportunity to choose what we want to become by seeing what our senses see. Do we want to remain in the world and grow as a weed that will be thrown into the fiery furnace? Or do we want to become the wheat that Our God can use to feed the world. The choice is in your hands.
JESUS: THE WAY TO RESURRECTED LIFE
JULY 29, 2013: FEAST OF ST. MARTHA
1st Reading: 1 Jn 4:7-16
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 34:2-9 “Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: JN 11:19-27 or LK 10:38-42
Key Verse: “whoever lives and believes in me
will never die.” (v.26)
Today is the feast of St. Martha, the sister of Mary and Lazarus. Known for her hospitality and as a model disciple of Jesus, Martha was said to have confessed her faith in Jesus as the Son of God. The Church named her as the patroness of housewives, waiters and waitresses.
We also have different readings for today and the liturgical calendar lists down Matt 13:54-58 as its Gospel Reading. But since today is the Feast Day of St. Martha, we will defer to the Liturgy of the Hours which uses the Gospel of Jn 11:19-27 and or Lk 10:38-42 as both readings correspond to the narrative about Martha.
John tells us the story of the raising of Lazarus while Luke highlights the servant heart of Martha and Mary having found the “one thing that is necessary” as she preferred to sit down at the foot of Jesus while listening to him.
In his acquiescence to Martha’s aggressive nature, Jesus may have also signed his own death warrant because the raising of Lazarus was an incredible miracle that moved many people to believe in Jesus.
That this event happened in Bethany which was just two miles from Jerusalem also prompted the chief priests and the Pharisees to finally put the capstone to their plot to kill Jesus for they feared this kind of publicity will provide undeniable proof to the claim that Jesus is indeed the Son of God.
With his pronouncement “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live even if he has died; and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” (v.25) became a cause of worry for the Pharisees because these are not empty words as these were accompanied by a factual deed when Lazarus actually rose even if he had been dead for four days.
This event will certainly have serious political repercussions and the Pharisees used this to finally muster the courage to plan and bring Jesus before the Roman on a charge of rebellion.
The chief priests actually succeeded as we saw what happened to Jesus but what Caiaphas failed to comprehend was they may have done Jesus a favor because by his death Jesus finally proved once and for all that he spoke the truth when he said “I am the resurrection and the life.” The rest is history and his death and resurrection led a multitude to finally believe and have faith in him which eventually led to the downfall of the Roman empire and the spread of Christianity throughout the world.
And when we look deeper into the Gospel of John and Luke we will find that these events also take place in our lives and is still taking place in the lives of many believers and converts yet to come. In each one of us there is a Lazarus that is waiting to be resurrected. There is also a Martha in us who is always on the move. And there is also a Mary in some of us who have found “the one thing that is necessary.”
That Lazarus had been laid out in a tomb for four days is in keeping with the tradition in those days that the dead need to be buried within 24 hours since they yet do not have an advanced embalming process at that time. For all intents and purposes, there was no way that Lazarus would rise up and live. At least to the people who were there.
But what this event is telling us is that we who are dead to sin can still be resurrected and brought out of darkness and into a marvelous light if we will only believe in Jesus. Belief in Jesus is the key to being resurrected from the depth of our sinfulness.
We suffer spiritual death when we ignore the needs of others and or when we become insensitive to the feelings of others. We put to death our honor and integrity when we engage in a dishonest pursuit of livelihood. There is no life in us when we prefer to sow disunity and disharmony in the Church and or in the Community by our disrespect to the flow of pastoral authority.
We are dead when we refuse to use our hands for the building of God’s Kingdom on earth by our refusal to serve in the mission field. We are dead when we allow pride to rule our lives thinking highly of ourselves instead of embracing the humility and obedience that Christ has set as a standard. We can be dead by our endless pursuit of fame, power and honor in both our temporal lives and even inside the Church.
And like Lazarus, Jesus Christ can resurrect our bodies that are dead to sin and bring us into a renewed relationship with God and with life itself for life begins the moment a person accepts Jesus as his personal Lord and Savior. We begin to enjoy life because the fear of death is removed from our midst as we begin to believe in Jesus who is the source of life.
We are also ushered into a relationship with life itself by our resurrection because believing in Jesus means not only observing but following his commands of which there are only two – “love the Lord Thy God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your might.” And the second is more like it “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.
This means that we are resurrected to a new life when we find joy in the company of fellow believers and finding joy in bringing the Good News to others as we have been commanded to do.
To evangelize is to be like Martha who is a woman of action. Some of us may be hard and unkind to Martha for the way she acted towards Mary but impatient though she may be there is no doubt she has the faith bigger than a mustard seed when she told Jesus “Yes Lord, I am convinced that you are God’s Anointed One, the Son of God, the One who is to come into the world.”
This was also what Mary found when instead of helping Martha she chose to stay with Jesus kneeling down in front of him and listening to him. And when Martha protested and complained of Mary’s childish behavior Jesus only said “one thing is needed.” At this very moment, Mary became like the man who found the treasure and the merchant who found the pearl of great price when she found joy in the Word of God while listening to Jesus – the one thing that is necessary.
And it is the same with us. When we believe in Jesus and accept everything that he says to be true and if we stake everything we have in our possession to gain the truth that Jesus brings then we are resurrected for we are released from the fear that punctuates the godless life that we lived in the past.
What happens is that when we are raised to a new life in Jesus, our lives become so fulfilled that death has no more power over us and it is also through Jesus and with the Holy Spirit working in us that we are assured of our place in the Kingdom of Heaven.
1st Reading: 1 Jn 4:7-16
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 34:2-9 “Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: JN 11:19-27 or LK 10:38-42
Key Verse: “whoever lives and believes in me
will never die.” (v.26)
Today is the feast of St. Martha, the sister of Mary and Lazarus. Known for her hospitality and as a model disciple of Jesus, Martha was said to have confessed her faith in Jesus as the Son of God. The Church named her as the patroness of housewives, waiters and waitresses.
We also have different readings for today and the liturgical calendar lists down Matt 13:54-58 as its Gospel Reading. But since today is the Feast Day of St. Martha, we will defer to the Liturgy of the Hours which uses the Gospel of Jn 11:19-27 and or Lk 10:38-42 as both readings correspond to the narrative about Martha.
John tells us the story of the raising of Lazarus while Luke highlights the servant heart of Martha and Mary having found the “one thing that is necessary” as she preferred to sit down at the foot of Jesus while listening to him.
In his acquiescence to Martha’s aggressive nature, Jesus may have also signed his own death warrant because the raising of Lazarus was an incredible miracle that moved many people to believe in Jesus.
That this event happened in Bethany which was just two miles from Jerusalem also prompted the chief priests and the Pharisees to finally put the capstone to their plot to kill Jesus for they feared this kind of publicity will provide undeniable proof to the claim that Jesus is indeed the Son of God.
With his pronouncement “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live even if he has died; and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” (v.25) became a cause of worry for the Pharisees because these are not empty words as these were accompanied by a factual deed when Lazarus actually rose even if he had been dead for four days.
This event will certainly have serious political repercussions and the Pharisees used this to finally muster the courage to plan and bring Jesus before the Roman on a charge of rebellion.
The chief priests actually succeeded as we saw what happened to Jesus but what Caiaphas failed to comprehend was they may have done Jesus a favor because by his death Jesus finally proved once and for all that he spoke the truth when he said “I am the resurrection and the life.” The rest is history and his death and resurrection led a multitude to finally believe and have faith in him which eventually led to the downfall of the Roman empire and the spread of Christianity throughout the world.
And when we look deeper into the Gospel of John and Luke we will find that these events also take place in our lives and is still taking place in the lives of many believers and converts yet to come. In each one of us there is a Lazarus that is waiting to be resurrected. There is also a Martha in us who is always on the move. And there is also a Mary in some of us who have found “the one thing that is necessary.”
That Lazarus had been laid out in a tomb for four days is in keeping with the tradition in those days that the dead need to be buried within 24 hours since they yet do not have an advanced embalming process at that time. For all intents and purposes, there was no way that Lazarus would rise up and live. At least to the people who were there.
But what this event is telling us is that we who are dead to sin can still be resurrected and brought out of darkness and into a marvelous light if we will only believe in Jesus. Belief in Jesus is the key to being resurrected from the depth of our sinfulness.
We suffer spiritual death when we ignore the needs of others and or when we become insensitive to the feelings of others. We put to death our honor and integrity when we engage in a dishonest pursuit of livelihood. There is no life in us when we prefer to sow disunity and disharmony in the Church and or in the Community by our disrespect to the flow of pastoral authority.
We are dead when we refuse to use our hands for the building of God’s Kingdom on earth by our refusal to serve in the mission field. We are dead when we allow pride to rule our lives thinking highly of ourselves instead of embracing the humility and obedience that Christ has set as a standard. We can be dead by our endless pursuit of fame, power and honor in both our temporal lives and even inside the Church.
And like Lazarus, Jesus Christ can resurrect our bodies that are dead to sin and bring us into a renewed relationship with God and with life itself for life begins the moment a person accepts Jesus as his personal Lord and Savior. We begin to enjoy life because the fear of death is removed from our midst as we begin to believe in Jesus who is the source of life.
We are also ushered into a relationship with life itself by our resurrection because believing in Jesus means not only observing but following his commands of which there are only two – “love the Lord Thy God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your might.” And the second is more like it “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.
This means that we are resurrected to a new life when we find joy in the company of fellow believers and finding joy in bringing the Good News to others as we have been commanded to do.
To evangelize is to be like Martha who is a woman of action. Some of us may be hard and unkind to Martha for the way she acted towards Mary but impatient though she may be there is no doubt she has the faith bigger than a mustard seed when she told Jesus “Yes Lord, I am convinced that you are God’s Anointed One, the Son of God, the One who is to come into the world.”
This was also what Mary found when instead of helping Martha she chose to stay with Jesus kneeling down in front of him and listening to him. And when Martha protested and complained of Mary’s childish behavior Jesus only said “one thing is needed.” At this very moment, Mary became like the man who found the treasure and the merchant who found the pearl of great price when she found joy in the Word of God while listening to Jesus – the one thing that is necessary.
And it is the same with us. When we believe in Jesus and accept everything that he says to be true and if we stake everything we have in our possession to gain the truth that Jesus brings then we are resurrected for we are released from the fear that punctuates the godless life that we lived in the past.
What happens is that when we are raised to a new life in Jesus, our lives become so fulfilled that death has no more power over us and it is also through Jesus and with the Holy Spirit working in us that we are assured of our place in the Kingdom of Heaven.
GOD FAVORS PERSISTENCE
JULY 28, 2013: SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
First Reading: Gen 18:20-32
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 138:1-8 “Lord, on the day I called for help; you answered me.”
Second Reading: Col 2:12-14
GOSPEL: LK 11:1-13
Key Verse: “Lord, teach us to pray” (v.1)
In reading through the Gospel passage today, it is best that you be honest with yourself and ask: Have you really ever longed to learn to pray – really pray in the way Jesus taught his first disciples? Was there a time that you longed and hungered for a prayer relationship with God? Have you ever found yourself asking God to teach you to pray because you just don’t know where to begin and what to pray for?
And if you do pray, perhaps you may also want to examine yourself where you are now in your prayer relationship with God. How is your prayer life? How often do you go to God in prayer? Do you feel the presence of God when you pray? Amidst the distractions in the world today, do you persevere in prayer?
Today’s Gospel is a short four-verse teaching of Jesus on prayer but its importance cannot be overemphasized as prayer can be likened to a key that unlocks the heart of God.
People can actually spend a lifetime talking about prayer and not see the end of it. Why? Because prayer is at the heart of every Christian and no disciple can ever expect to go through life without prayer. As Mary found the “one thing that is needed” (Lk 10:42) when she sat at the feet of Jesus, prayer is also the “one thing” that we will all need to get connected with Our God.
In the Gospel Jesus was again praying in a certain place as he normally does after a hectic day and before he rests for the night wherever that might be. When Jesus and his disciples spend the night before reaching the next town, he would always try to look for a secluded place where he could pray. If he happened to be in whatever town he was teaching, Jesus would always find a place to pray.
And in this instance when he stopped praying, one of his disciples said to Jesus: “Lord teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.” (v.1) This disciple definitely knew what he was saying because it was customary for Rabbis to teach their disciples even a simple prayer and John the Baptist had done this for his disciples.
But this time, the disciple did not just want to know how to pray because his request to Jesus was interpreted by many religious scholars as a desire to pray like Jesus because the disciples see a connectedness to God in the way Jesus prays.
This is the whole point of this Gospel today because prayer is our lifeline to God. Prayer establishes a connection with God and it’s like there is an imaginary path that we can tread leading to the Kingdom of God. Prayer is in fact entering into a conversation with God.
As when we are in a conversation with someone, like a relative, a good friend and, a love one for that matter, there is in us a tendency to forget everything else as we seem oblivious to what is going on around us and this is what we should do when we talk to God.
As prayer is an elevation of our hearts to God, we must find a way that will allow us to direct all the powers of our souls to God. The mere thought of God is not a prayer because the devil also think of God but they do not pray to Him. So when we pray, we must use our understanding because we must think of Him in prayer. We must use our memory because we must forget our worldly concerns and, we are to use our affections because we must take delight in Him when we pray.
Though Luke has a shorter version of the Lord’s Prayer compared to that in Matt 6:9-13, it is by no means insignificant as we should not be so concerned as to which of the two versions is right or more appropriate. The Lord’s Prayer (Our Father) has been described by the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC2761) as the “summary of the whole Gospel.”
Thus, St. John Chrysostom said that “to be permitted to talk with his Creator and hold familiar intercourse with Him, is the greatest honor and privilege mortal man can enjoy.”
While there is also no doubt that we can obtain all things from God through prayer, we must also be resigned to God’s will: “Not my will, but yours be done.” (Lk 22:42) We must all remember that our prayers are never in vain but the time and manner of its fulfillment lie in the hands of God which means that everything depends upon the will of God.
And when Jesus taught his disciples how to pray, he made forgiveness as the cornerstone of their relationship with God. As God has forgiven our sins, we too are also obliged to forgive those who may have wronged us without conditions. To persist in unforgiveness only shows that we do not understand that we ourselves need to be forgiven.
It is by means of prayer that sinners are justified because prayer earns for sinners the graces of contrition and amendment and, prayer enables the just to continue in a state of grace because prayer is a safeguard against temptation and sin. Prayer is actually an antidote to the poison of temptation.
As St. Alphonsus once said: “The souls in heaven are there because they have prayed well; the condemned are in hell because they have not prayed.” Thus, failure to pray is the first step to unbelief and, eventually to hell. St. John Chrysostom also stresses: “Prayer is the one thing that men have in common with angels” and prayer unites the created with His Creator.
Persistence is also what we see in the Gospel today and this is defined in the dictionary as perseverance, constancy, staying power, pertinacity, tenacity, tenaciousness, doggedness, indefatigability, boldness and relentless. There are other words that describe what persistence is but what are enumerated here more or less provides us an idea of what it means.
Of these words, what I like in particular are the words tenaciousness, doggedness, boldness and relentless since these words aptly describe the action of the man in this parable who went to his friend and neighbor to ask for bread in the middle of the night because a friend of his who was on a journey stopped over his house and he was caught unprepared.
This parable was not just about persistent prayer which is our common understanding of this parable but this Gospel is also about us particularly in the way we relate to our neighbor and we might again ask “who is my neighbor?” Well, anyone who is in need is our neighbor and in this parable the man who was traveling and who dropped in unannounced definitely fell into the category of what a neighbor was.
This parable shows that if the boldness of the man could propel his neighbor “to get up and give him as much as he needs,” (v.8) how much more hospitable can God be who is sure to give us what we need. But such generosity on the part of God is conditioned on the level of trust and confidence that we have in God. And in this parable, God raised the bar even higher because what he is prepared to give us is none other than the Holy Spirit who will not only shower us with his many different gifts but will “…help us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will" Romans 8:26-27 (NIV)
First Reading: Gen 18:20-32
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 138:1-8 “Lord, on the day I called for help; you answered me.”
Second Reading: Col 2:12-14
GOSPEL: LK 11:1-13
Key Verse: “Lord, teach us to pray” (v.1)
In reading through the Gospel passage today, it is best that you be honest with yourself and ask: Have you really ever longed to learn to pray – really pray in the way Jesus taught his first disciples? Was there a time that you longed and hungered for a prayer relationship with God? Have you ever found yourself asking God to teach you to pray because you just don’t know where to begin and what to pray for?
And if you do pray, perhaps you may also want to examine yourself where you are now in your prayer relationship with God. How is your prayer life? How often do you go to God in prayer? Do you feel the presence of God when you pray? Amidst the distractions in the world today, do you persevere in prayer?
Today’s Gospel is a short four-verse teaching of Jesus on prayer but its importance cannot be overemphasized as prayer can be likened to a key that unlocks the heart of God.
People can actually spend a lifetime talking about prayer and not see the end of it. Why? Because prayer is at the heart of every Christian and no disciple can ever expect to go through life without prayer. As Mary found the “one thing that is needed” (Lk 10:42) when she sat at the feet of Jesus, prayer is also the “one thing” that we will all need to get connected with Our God.
In the Gospel Jesus was again praying in a certain place as he normally does after a hectic day and before he rests for the night wherever that might be. When Jesus and his disciples spend the night before reaching the next town, he would always try to look for a secluded place where he could pray. If he happened to be in whatever town he was teaching, Jesus would always find a place to pray.
And in this instance when he stopped praying, one of his disciples said to Jesus: “Lord teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.” (v.1) This disciple definitely knew what he was saying because it was customary for Rabbis to teach their disciples even a simple prayer and John the Baptist had done this for his disciples.
But this time, the disciple did not just want to know how to pray because his request to Jesus was interpreted by many religious scholars as a desire to pray like Jesus because the disciples see a connectedness to God in the way Jesus prays.
This is the whole point of this Gospel today because prayer is our lifeline to God. Prayer establishes a connection with God and it’s like there is an imaginary path that we can tread leading to the Kingdom of God. Prayer is in fact entering into a conversation with God.
As when we are in a conversation with someone, like a relative, a good friend and, a love one for that matter, there is in us a tendency to forget everything else as we seem oblivious to what is going on around us and this is what we should do when we talk to God.
As prayer is an elevation of our hearts to God, we must find a way that will allow us to direct all the powers of our souls to God. The mere thought of God is not a prayer because the devil also think of God but they do not pray to Him. So when we pray, we must use our understanding because we must think of Him in prayer. We must use our memory because we must forget our worldly concerns and, we are to use our affections because we must take delight in Him when we pray.
Though Luke has a shorter version of the Lord’s Prayer compared to that in Matt 6:9-13, it is by no means insignificant as we should not be so concerned as to which of the two versions is right or more appropriate. The Lord’s Prayer (Our Father) has been described by the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC2761) as the “summary of the whole Gospel.”
Thus, St. John Chrysostom said that “to be permitted to talk with his Creator and hold familiar intercourse with Him, is the greatest honor and privilege mortal man can enjoy.”
While there is also no doubt that we can obtain all things from God through prayer, we must also be resigned to God’s will: “Not my will, but yours be done.” (Lk 22:42) We must all remember that our prayers are never in vain but the time and manner of its fulfillment lie in the hands of God which means that everything depends upon the will of God.
And when Jesus taught his disciples how to pray, he made forgiveness as the cornerstone of their relationship with God. As God has forgiven our sins, we too are also obliged to forgive those who may have wronged us without conditions. To persist in unforgiveness only shows that we do not understand that we ourselves need to be forgiven.
It is by means of prayer that sinners are justified because prayer earns for sinners the graces of contrition and amendment and, prayer enables the just to continue in a state of grace because prayer is a safeguard against temptation and sin. Prayer is actually an antidote to the poison of temptation.
As St. Alphonsus once said: “The souls in heaven are there because they have prayed well; the condemned are in hell because they have not prayed.” Thus, failure to pray is the first step to unbelief and, eventually to hell. St. John Chrysostom also stresses: “Prayer is the one thing that men have in common with angels” and prayer unites the created with His Creator.
Persistence is also what we see in the Gospel today and this is defined in the dictionary as perseverance, constancy, staying power, pertinacity, tenacity, tenaciousness, doggedness, indefatigability, boldness and relentless. There are other words that describe what persistence is but what are enumerated here more or less provides us an idea of what it means.
Of these words, what I like in particular are the words tenaciousness, doggedness, boldness and relentless since these words aptly describe the action of the man in this parable who went to his friend and neighbor to ask for bread in the middle of the night because a friend of his who was on a journey stopped over his house and he was caught unprepared.
This parable was not just about persistent prayer which is our common understanding of this parable but this Gospel is also about us particularly in the way we relate to our neighbor and we might again ask “who is my neighbor?” Well, anyone who is in need is our neighbor and in this parable the man who was traveling and who dropped in unannounced definitely fell into the category of what a neighbor was.
This parable shows that if the boldness of the man could propel his neighbor “to get up and give him as much as he needs,” (v.8) how much more hospitable can God be who is sure to give us what we need. But such generosity on the part of God is conditioned on the level of trust and confidence that we have in God. And in this parable, God raised the bar even higher because what he is prepared to give us is none other than the Holy Spirit who will not only shower us with his many different gifts but will “…help us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will" Romans 8:26-27 (NIV)
WHAT'LL IT BE, TO BE A WHEAT OR WEEDS?
JULY 27, 2013: SIXTEENTH IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Exo 24:3-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 50:1-2, 5-6, 14-15 “Offer to God a sacrifice of praise.”
GOSPEL: MATT 13:24-30
Key Verse: “then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.” (v.30)
There was a story about a man who went to the confessional once with a whole fried chicken in his hands. Kneeling down he said “forgive me Father for I have sinned. I stole this fried chicken to feed my family. Will you take this to settle my sin?”
“Of course not,” the Priest said. “For your penance you must return it for there must be restitution so that you may be forgiven.”
“I tried but the one who owns this fried chicken refused,” the man said. “Then if what you’re saying is true, you can keep that friend chicken for your family’s needs.” The man thanked the Priest and left.
When the confession was over, the Priest returned to his residence beside the Church and as he lifted the cover of what was supposed to be his dinner, he found that someone had stolen his fried chicken.
Our Gospel for this Sunday speaks of the wheat and the tares (weeds) growing together. This has been interpreted by Bible scholars as representing the presence of good and evil in the world. Not that the man who stole the chicken was evil and the Priest was good but the difference in these two situations is sometimes what we also experience in our lives.
We also have two versions of the Gospel reading. One is the short form vv. 24-30 in which Jesus talks about the wheat and the weeds and the long form vv. 24-43 in which Matthew included the parable of the mustard seed and of the yeast.
So as not to clog our thoughts with so many points as we reflect on the Gospel today, let me limit this reflection on the short form which is on the parable of the wheat and the weeds as I believe that this has some relevance in the environment that we are in especially for those who belong to a ministry in the church or in a renewal movement.
When the farmer was asked in v.28 “shall we pull out the weeds?” The farmer replied “no, you will hurt the wheat if you do.” Also striking is v. 27 wherein the farmer was informed by his servants “Sir, the field where you planted the good seed is full of weeds.” To which the Farmer exclaimed in v. 28 “An enemy has done it.”
If we are then to equate the weeds with the evil that permeates in the world and, the wheat as the good that is also operative in the world, then we can summarily conclude that both good and evil do co-exist in this world that we live in.
As we see in the Gospel, the wheat (good) and the weeds (evil) cannot be separated while these are just sprouting and growing but will have to be sifted at the time of harvest because the grains that come from the weeds are poison. It is also difficult to uproot the weeds when these are growing together with the wheat because both are indistinguishable.
What this Gospel is telling us is that even the evil that is before us can at times look good. I am sure that there have been times when we have met people whose character are entirely different from the reputation that they project. On the other hand, we may perceive someone to be bad but who is actually a good person.
In other words, there are times in our life that we have become too quick in judging people and putting a tag on them without first verifying the truth behind the façade that we see. Most often, we judge people by the one single mistake that they commit forgetting all the good that they may have done in their lives.
In fact, a person can sin and when he realizes what he has committed against God he becomes remorseful and returns to the every-flowing Grace of God. In the same way, a person can appear to be living a holy life but succumbs to sin and not finding the way to repentance.
While this Gospel teaches us that the wheat and the weeds will definitely be separated, the point that is being stated here is that we are not the ones who will sift through the harvest and separate the weeds from the wheat. At the end of the day, it is our God who is going to do it for judgment is His alone for it is He alone who will ultimately decide who are the wheat and who are the weeds.
I’m sure that you will agree with me that there were times when we allowed evil thoughts to come into our consciousness especially against those who may have wronged us. To allow these evil thoughts to linger and occupy our thoughts is to allow the weed to choke the wheat that also grows in us.
Like what I shared with you sometime ago, I thought of getting back at my two business associates who cheated me of my rightful share in our business. But the wheat that was formed in me by the Christian Discipleship Formation Program that I attended in our community grew abundantly that it bore fruit in my life. And I forgot all about this sad experience when God Himself pulled out the weed (spirit of anger, hate and revenge) from my heart and allowed the wheat (Spirit of forgiveness) to grow and bear fruit in my life.
Our job and which should be our preoccupation is not to pull out the weeds around us but to sow the wheat (Word of God) which should be our primary responsibility. We should actually be thankful that it is not our job to pull out the weeds because we might also pull out some of the wheat when we do.
What we need to do is to constantly look into our inner self and see what becomes us for there is the possibility we may turning into a weed without knowing it. This passage is indeed significant especially for those who are in ministry because it makes us aware that weeds and wheat can grow together and what we want to become is really a matter of choice.
But the job of separating the weeds from the wheat or the right to judge what is good and what is evil rests in God for it is He alone who can judge. Our job is to simply become the wheat and to grow and bear fruit (love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control) while keeping in mind that (sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like) are the poison that could turn us into a weed and ruin our relationship with God.
1st Reading: Exo 24:3-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 50:1-2, 5-6, 14-15 “Offer to God a sacrifice of praise.”
GOSPEL: MATT 13:24-30
Key Verse: “then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.” (v.30)
There was a story about a man who went to the confessional once with a whole fried chicken in his hands. Kneeling down he said “forgive me Father for I have sinned. I stole this fried chicken to feed my family. Will you take this to settle my sin?”
“Of course not,” the Priest said. “For your penance you must return it for there must be restitution so that you may be forgiven.”
“I tried but the one who owns this fried chicken refused,” the man said. “Then if what you’re saying is true, you can keep that friend chicken for your family’s needs.” The man thanked the Priest and left.
When the confession was over, the Priest returned to his residence beside the Church and as he lifted the cover of what was supposed to be his dinner, he found that someone had stolen his fried chicken.
Our Gospel for this Sunday speaks of the wheat and the tares (weeds) growing together. This has been interpreted by Bible scholars as representing the presence of good and evil in the world. Not that the man who stole the chicken was evil and the Priest was good but the difference in these two situations is sometimes what we also experience in our lives.
We also have two versions of the Gospel reading. One is the short form vv. 24-30 in which Jesus talks about the wheat and the weeds and the long form vv. 24-43 in which Matthew included the parable of the mustard seed and of the yeast.
So as not to clog our thoughts with so many points as we reflect on the Gospel today, let me limit this reflection on the short form which is on the parable of the wheat and the weeds as I believe that this has some relevance in the environment that we are in especially for those who belong to a ministry in the church or in a renewal movement.
When the farmer was asked in v.28 “shall we pull out the weeds?” The farmer replied “no, you will hurt the wheat if you do.” Also striking is v. 27 wherein the farmer was informed by his servants “Sir, the field where you planted the good seed is full of weeds.” To which the Farmer exclaimed in v. 28 “An enemy has done it.”
If we are then to equate the weeds with the evil that permeates in the world and, the wheat as the good that is also operative in the world, then we can summarily conclude that both good and evil do co-exist in this world that we live in.
As we see in the Gospel, the wheat (good) and the weeds (evil) cannot be separated while these are just sprouting and growing but will have to be sifted at the time of harvest because the grains that come from the weeds are poison. It is also difficult to uproot the weeds when these are growing together with the wheat because both are indistinguishable.
What this Gospel is telling us is that even the evil that is before us can at times look good. I am sure that there have been times when we have met people whose character are entirely different from the reputation that they project. On the other hand, we may perceive someone to be bad but who is actually a good person.
In other words, there are times in our life that we have become too quick in judging people and putting a tag on them without first verifying the truth behind the façade that we see. Most often, we judge people by the one single mistake that they commit forgetting all the good that they may have done in their lives.
In fact, a person can sin and when he realizes what he has committed against God he becomes remorseful and returns to the every-flowing Grace of God. In the same way, a person can appear to be living a holy life but succumbs to sin and not finding the way to repentance.
While this Gospel teaches us that the wheat and the weeds will definitely be separated, the point that is being stated here is that we are not the ones who will sift through the harvest and separate the weeds from the wheat. At the end of the day, it is our God who is going to do it for judgment is His alone for it is He alone who will ultimately decide who are the wheat and who are the weeds.
I’m sure that you will agree with me that there were times when we allowed evil thoughts to come into our consciousness especially against those who may have wronged us. To allow these evil thoughts to linger and occupy our thoughts is to allow the weed to choke the wheat that also grows in us.
Like what I shared with you sometime ago, I thought of getting back at my two business associates who cheated me of my rightful share in our business. But the wheat that was formed in me by the Christian Discipleship Formation Program that I attended in our community grew abundantly that it bore fruit in my life. And I forgot all about this sad experience when God Himself pulled out the weed (spirit of anger, hate and revenge) from my heart and allowed the wheat (Spirit of forgiveness) to grow and bear fruit in my life.
Our job and which should be our preoccupation is not to pull out the weeds around us but to sow the wheat (Word of God) which should be our primary responsibility. We should actually be thankful that it is not our job to pull out the weeds because we might also pull out some of the wheat when we do.
What we need to do is to constantly look into our inner self and see what becomes us for there is the possibility we may turning into a weed without knowing it. This passage is indeed significant especially for those who are in ministry because it makes us aware that weeds and wheat can grow together and what we want to become is really a matter of choice.
But the job of separating the weeds from the wheat or the right to judge what is good and what is evil rests in God for it is He alone who can judge. Our job is to simply become the wheat and to grow and bear fruit (love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control) while keeping in mind that (sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like) are the poison that could turn us into a weed and ruin our relationship with God.
LOOK AND LISTEN
JULY 26, 2013: FEAST OF STS. JOACHIM AND ANNE
1st Reading: Sir 44:1, 10-15
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 132:11, 13-14, 17-18 “God will give him the throne of David, his Father.”
GOSPEL: MATT 13:16-17
Key Verse: “Blessed are your eyes because they see,
and your ears because they hear.” (v.16)
There may only be two verses in today’s Gospel reading but these are probably among the most difficult passages in the whole of this chapter in Matthew’s gospel account. We believe, however, that these two verses have been made part of our Gospel reading in our liturgical celebrations because of its relationship in our search for truth.
The truth at times is something that we need to search for not only to satisfy our curiosity but to satisfy our own longing for that which will give us peace. And while there is truth to what we at times hear, there is still that desire to search for the truth ourselves.
This is the reason why Jesus preferred to use parables as his method in preaching and teaching because he wants the people listening to him to discover the truth themselves because he knows that there are pieces of information that have been kept hidden from some of those who hear him speak which were given to others.
Those to whom the Word was hidden are the Pharisees who despite their vast knowledge of religion have persisted in their unbelief in the truth that Jesus brought into the world. Contrast this with the attitude of the ordinary people who ingested all the words that came out of the mouth of Jesus. Where the Pharisees branded his miracle as the work of evil spirits, the ordinary people have nothing but awe and gratitude for the healing that takes place whenever Jesus is in their midst.
The purpose of using a parable is for the people to draw a picture of the truth based on what they see and what they normally do everyday and this is why Jesus told his disciples “But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.” (v.16) The secrets he was referring to here are the mysteries of faith that they learn from Jesus because they follow him and which the Pharisees have rejected.
In other words, what Jesus was actually saying was that we can only understand what the Kingdom of Heaven would be like if we are to spend time with him. And if we are to draw a picture of this scenario, what Jesus was saying was that Christianity can only be understood from the inside meaning we need to immerse ourselves with knowing Jesus because we can never become a Christian if we will just stay on the sidelines and learn from there.
To those who want to know the truth, they will easily understand the parables told by Jesus but to others who come to listen but do not hear because their mindsets differ with what Jesus taught, these parables will remain meaningless to them.
Jesus also teaches us in this Gospel reading that there is also a responsibility that corresponds to hearing the Word of God. Jesus expects us to use our gifts so that others may also benefit from what we heard and we are assured that he will keep on adding to what we have already heard because the more that we want to know the Lord, the more that he will keep adding to what we already know of him.
To establish a connection with this Gospel passage, we need to look at Isa 6:9-10 from which Jesus quoted from. And here we can see how both Isaiah the greatest of all the prophets and Jesus who was sent down from heaven to make all things divine have experienced pain in the pursuit of their respective ministries.
Jesus as with Isaiah brought with Him a message from God but which the people could not understand and this also rings true for us in the Community who teach, shepherd and lead when the receivers of what we speak treat us with disbelief and lack of understanding and worst, with indifference.
And in both readings, Isaiah and Jesus have been given to despair which is similar to what we also experience when we see inconsistency in the way our Christian communities are growing. It is painful when we see members moving out instead of remaining in. Worst is when the leaders themselves become the reason why members leave and seek spiritual growth elsewhere.
A charismatic community I am familiar with stood out as one of the most gifted movements in the 80s and it’s growth was phenomenal. This community could fill up the plenary hall of the Philippine International Convention Center in those days. But differences in how the community was to be governed crept in. Worst was when new members with a disoriented sense of priorities came in and began questioning the leadership. This led to schism from which this community has never recovered and soon many of the chapters it created that have experienced tremendous growth in the past years have reached a growth plateau.
What made matters worse was that instead of trying to look inwardly to discern where it could have gone wrong and listen to what God may be saying, this community went into a denial mode and it was all downhill from there with recycled leaders offering little or no hope at all. Palliatives were and are still being applied but the most basic orientation that make a community stand the test of time was shunted and that is to listen with the heart to hear the words that Jesus has proclaimed.
Programs and projects became the priority as mission outreaches was equated to spiritual growth. What was forgotten was the need to turn the community around by encouraging its members to use the Gifts that the Holy Spirit has poured on them for it is only through these gifts that the community can bear fruit.
At the end of the day, what is needed is for Christian disciples to once again be inspired by the Word of God. We need to humble ourselves that we may put to death our worldly nature and be transformed and renewed. In other words, we need to pursue what is referred to as “radical faith” which is to abandon our lives to Divine Providence.
We must remind ourselves that we are servant leaders whose mission is to serve God by serving men. We need to perpetuate the image of Christ in the church and not our image. Others must see Christ and not us. And it presupposes that everything that we do must be founded on the Word of God and that is to “make disciples of all nations” and not create our own disciples.
It is only then that we can be empowered to pursue a radical kind of faith that will allow us to be on fire again.
1st Reading: Sir 44:1, 10-15
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 132:11, 13-14, 17-18 “God will give him the throne of David, his Father.”
GOSPEL: MATT 13:16-17
Key Verse: “Blessed are your eyes because they see,
and your ears because they hear.” (v.16)
There may only be two verses in today’s Gospel reading but these are probably among the most difficult passages in the whole of this chapter in Matthew’s gospel account. We believe, however, that these two verses have been made part of our Gospel reading in our liturgical celebrations because of its relationship in our search for truth.
The truth at times is something that we need to search for not only to satisfy our curiosity but to satisfy our own longing for that which will give us peace. And while there is truth to what we at times hear, there is still that desire to search for the truth ourselves.
This is the reason why Jesus preferred to use parables as his method in preaching and teaching because he wants the people listening to him to discover the truth themselves because he knows that there are pieces of information that have been kept hidden from some of those who hear him speak which were given to others.
Those to whom the Word was hidden are the Pharisees who despite their vast knowledge of religion have persisted in their unbelief in the truth that Jesus brought into the world. Contrast this with the attitude of the ordinary people who ingested all the words that came out of the mouth of Jesus. Where the Pharisees branded his miracle as the work of evil spirits, the ordinary people have nothing but awe and gratitude for the healing that takes place whenever Jesus is in their midst.
The purpose of using a parable is for the people to draw a picture of the truth based on what they see and what they normally do everyday and this is why Jesus told his disciples “But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.” (v.16) The secrets he was referring to here are the mysteries of faith that they learn from Jesus because they follow him and which the Pharisees have rejected.
In other words, what Jesus was actually saying was that we can only understand what the Kingdom of Heaven would be like if we are to spend time with him. And if we are to draw a picture of this scenario, what Jesus was saying was that Christianity can only be understood from the inside meaning we need to immerse ourselves with knowing Jesus because we can never become a Christian if we will just stay on the sidelines and learn from there.
To those who want to know the truth, they will easily understand the parables told by Jesus but to others who come to listen but do not hear because their mindsets differ with what Jesus taught, these parables will remain meaningless to them.
Jesus also teaches us in this Gospel reading that there is also a responsibility that corresponds to hearing the Word of God. Jesus expects us to use our gifts so that others may also benefit from what we heard and we are assured that he will keep on adding to what we have already heard because the more that we want to know the Lord, the more that he will keep adding to what we already know of him.
To establish a connection with this Gospel passage, we need to look at Isa 6:9-10 from which Jesus quoted from. And here we can see how both Isaiah the greatest of all the prophets and Jesus who was sent down from heaven to make all things divine have experienced pain in the pursuit of their respective ministries.
Jesus as with Isaiah brought with Him a message from God but which the people could not understand and this also rings true for us in the Community who teach, shepherd and lead when the receivers of what we speak treat us with disbelief and lack of understanding and worst, with indifference.
And in both readings, Isaiah and Jesus have been given to despair which is similar to what we also experience when we see inconsistency in the way our Christian communities are growing. It is painful when we see members moving out instead of remaining in. Worst is when the leaders themselves become the reason why members leave and seek spiritual growth elsewhere.
A charismatic community I am familiar with stood out as one of the most gifted movements in the 80s and it’s growth was phenomenal. This community could fill up the plenary hall of the Philippine International Convention Center in those days. But differences in how the community was to be governed crept in. Worst was when new members with a disoriented sense of priorities came in and began questioning the leadership. This led to schism from which this community has never recovered and soon many of the chapters it created that have experienced tremendous growth in the past years have reached a growth plateau.
What made matters worse was that instead of trying to look inwardly to discern where it could have gone wrong and listen to what God may be saying, this community went into a denial mode and it was all downhill from there with recycled leaders offering little or no hope at all. Palliatives were and are still being applied but the most basic orientation that make a community stand the test of time was shunted and that is to listen with the heart to hear the words that Jesus has proclaimed.
Programs and projects became the priority as mission outreaches was equated to spiritual growth. What was forgotten was the need to turn the community around by encouraging its members to use the Gifts that the Holy Spirit has poured on them for it is only through these gifts that the community can bear fruit.
At the end of the day, what is needed is for Christian disciples to once again be inspired by the Word of God. We need to humble ourselves that we may put to death our worldly nature and be transformed and renewed. In other words, we need to pursue what is referred to as “radical faith” which is to abandon our lives to Divine Providence.
We must remind ourselves that we are servant leaders whose mission is to serve God by serving men. We need to perpetuate the image of Christ in the church and not our image. Others must see Christ and not us. And it presupposes that everything that we do must be founded on the Word of God and that is to “make disciples of all nations” and not create our own disciples.
It is only then that we can be empowered to pursue a radical kind of faith that will allow us to be on fire again.
HUMILITY, SACRIFICE REQUIRED
JULY 25, 2013: FEAST OF ST. JAMES THE APOSTLE
1st Reading: 2 COR 4:17-15
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 126:1-6 “Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.”
GOSPEL: MATT 20:20-28
Key Verse: “Whoever wants to be first
must be your slave.” (v.27)
The Gospel reading today is viewed as an intriguing event in the life of Jesus and his Apostles as well as an opportunity that gives us an insight into the true character of Our Lord Jesus Christ. But let us first draw the predicate leading to this incident.
Before this happened, Jesus has already been preaching about the events that are yet to unfold, his own passion, death and resurrection. And even the Apostles who have been with him for quite sometime have heard and listened to his discourses on love and up to this time his Apostles still looked at Jesus as the conquering king who will lead them out of their captivity.
It was probably out of fear that the organization that Jesus has established will be left orphaned if his prophetic words will turn to reality that drove the mother of James and John to talk to Jesus and tried to make him agree to place her sons to his right and to his left.
And before we draw our swords at James and John, we must remember that it was not they who went to Jesus but it was their mother whom Mark identified as Salome, a sister of Mary the mother of Jesus, and this gives us a picture of the concern of mothers for the welfare of their children. And her relations to Jesus must have impelled her to have the boldness to ask what she taught was just right that Jesus should pass on the mantle of leadership to since James and John who are his close relatives.
On the other hand, even if it was the mother who went to Jesus, I am pretty sure that Salome did so after consulting with both James and John who must have also entertained the idea of sitting in a place of honor and so did not stop their mother from raising the matter with Jesus.
Here we find a parallelism with the attitude of members in many Christian congregations or even in civic and social organizations. There are those who would go to great lengths just to sit in places of honor. They would do everything even pretend to be a person they are not to become chairman, president of their organizations and or as an elder of their congregation and this ambition to become one has been their lifelong quest and desire.
There are those who would hang on to positions of honor forgetting that the true value of leadership is when a leader can reproduce other leaders from among those that he serves. I have had the privilege to stand witness to people who are driven to occupy positions of honor in both the temporal and spiritual world. This diseases of sitting at the head table has in fact infected even the church/ community and I have seen and is still witnessing how communities and ministries are being torn because of the controlling and manipulating spirit of its leaders.
To address such problems if ever you have one in your community, let us view the response of Jesus in this Gospel today as he sets the tone for the paradigm that his ministry will pursue. This was a paradigm that is set on the daily struggle, heart-breaks, disappointments, frustrations, life-long obedience and faithfulness, sacrificial and humble service that everyone must embrace if we want to follow Christ wherever he may lead us and to be like him in any life situation that we may find ourselves to be in.
And this passage shows us how we too must address the situations in our lives when confronted with incidents and or even persons who may be irritating, irrational, and or impertinent. Jesus is telling us not to lose our composure and patience and that we must respond with sincerity and honesty.
To be great in the eyes of God is to be humble in the eyes of men and this is the kind of revolution that Jesus launched but which the people and the Pharisees at that time found difficult to grasp. This attitude of serving others without counting the cost is what will lead us to the Kingdom of God.
Matthew ends this passage with a summation of what it is to lead. As with Jesus who provides us with a new perspective of leadership, he shows us by example that a leader must be prepared to give his life away. Instead of using people, we are to serve them. Rather than manipulate situations to your favor and advantage, we are to humble ourselves and focus our attention on God than on ourselves.
This should remind us of the martyrdom of St. James the Apostle who was the first among the Apostles to have been martyred in the service of God and men. I am also reminded of Toyohiko Kagawa, a Japanese who served the poor in the Tokyo slums by living with them. In one of his books he wrote: “God dwells among the lowliest of men. He sits on the dust heap among the prison convicts. He stands with the juvenile delinquents, He is there with the beggars. He is among the sick, he stands with the unemployed. Therefore let him who would meet God visit the prison cell before going to the temple. Before he goes to Church let him visit the hospital. Before he reads the Bible let him help the beggar.”
This is the kind of greatness that God seeks. The world may have its own standard of greatness – intellectual standing, academic prominence, the number of committees and or ministries where one is a member, the number of outreaches that one may have organized in well-appointed communities and or homes, bank balances and material possessions – but these things are irrelevant because in assessing a person Jesus simply asks: “How many people have you helped?”
Sure we serve in your Community’s Encounter Programs, Life in the Spirit Seminars, Teachings, Shepherding, in the Communities that you may have helped establish but many of these are held in comfortable venues. Have you gathered the courage to really ask yourself if this was what Jesus would do if he were here with us.
Wouldn’t Jesus want us to be like Toyohiko Kagawa who served the poor by living with them. Or like St. James who faced death in the service of the Church. At the end of the day, what matters is the fruit of the seed that you planted. Is your ministry growing in spiritual terms or is it disintegrating? Are you respected by the people under your pastoral care or do they disdain you? Are you a pillar of unity in your ministry or division?
In addition to the qualifications of future leaders in Church Ministries/ Community, we should realize that Jesus summed up his whole life in just one phrase (v.28) and this should be written in the hearts of all men especially those in leadership: “The Son of Man came to give his life a ransom for many.”
Jesus came not as a conqueror who will occupy a throne, but he came to occupy a cross. The Jews looked for a king who will smash their enemies to pieces but Jesus came as a broken King who hung on the cross. But his death that ransomed us from the slavery of sin is the epitome of the sacrificial love that Jesus also wants us to possess.
Jesus gave everything to lead sinners like us back to God and this is the kind of life that he wants us to live. We must walk in his steps and be prepared to give up our lives to love and serve our neighbors. Because it is only by loving and dying for our neighbors that we can find the way to God.
1st Reading: 2 COR 4:17-15
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 126:1-6 “Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.”
GOSPEL: MATT 20:20-28
Key Verse: “Whoever wants to be first
must be your slave.” (v.27)
The Gospel reading today is viewed as an intriguing event in the life of Jesus and his Apostles as well as an opportunity that gives us an insight into the true character of Our Lord Jesus Christ. But let us first draw the predicate leading to this incident.
Before this happened, Jesus has already been preaching about the events that are yet to unfold, his own passion, death and resurrection. And even the Apostles who have been with him for quite sometime have heard and listened to his discourses on love and up to this time his Apostles still looked at Jesus as the conquering king who will lead them out of their captivity.
It was probably out of fear that the organization that Jesus has established will be left orphaned if his prophetic words will turn to reality that drove the mother of James and John to talk to Jesus and tried to make him agree to place her sons to his right and to his left.
And before we draw our swords at James and John, we must remember that it was not they who went to Jesus but it was their mother whom Mark identified as Salome, a sister of Mary the mother of Jesus, and this gives us a picture of the concern of mothers for the welfare of their children. And her relations to Jesus must have impelled her to have the boldness to ask what she taught was just right that Jesus should pass on the mantle of leadership to since James and John who are his close relatives.
On the other hand, even if it was the mother who went to Jesus, I am pretty sure that Salome did so after consulting with both James and John who must have also entertained the idea of sitting in a place of honor and so did not stop their mother from raising the matter with Jesus.
Here we find a parallelism with the attitude of members in many Christian congregations or even in civic and social organizations. There are those who would go to great lengths just to sit in places of honor. They would do everything even pretend to be a person they are not to become chairman, president of their organizations and or as an elder of their congregation and this ambition to become one has been their lifelong quest and desire.
There are those who would hang on to positions of honor forgetting that the true value of leadership is when a leader can reproduce other leaders from among those that he serves. I have had the privilege to stand witness to people who are driven to occupy positions of honor in both the temporal and spiritual world. This diseases of sitting at the head table has in fact infected even the church/ community and I have seen and is still witnessing how communities and ministries are being torn because of the controlling and manipulating spirit of its leaders.
To address such problems if ever you have one in your community, let us view the response of Jesus in this Gospel today as he sets the tone for the paradigm that his ministry will pursue. This was a paradigm that is set on the daily struggle, heart-breaks, disappointments, frustrations, life-long obedience and faithfulness, sacrificial and humble service that everyone must embrace if we want to follow Christ wherever he may lead us and to be like him in any life situation that we may find ourselves to be in.
And this passage shows us how we too must address the situations in our lives when confronted with incidents and or even persons who may be irritating, irrational, and or impertinent. Jesus is telling us not to lose our composure and patience and that we must respond with sincerity and honesty.
To be great in the eyes of God is to be humble in the eyes of men and this is the kind of revolution that Jesus launched but which the people and the Pharisees at that time found difficult to grasp. This attitude of serving others without counting the cost is what will lead us to the Kingdom of God.
Matthew ends this passage with a summation of what it is to lead. As with Jesus who provides us with a new perspective of leadership, he shows us by example that a leader must be prepared to give his life away. Instead of using people, we are to serve them. Rather than manipulate situations to your favor and advantage, we are to humble ourselves and focus our attention on God than on ourselves.
This should remind us of the martyrdom of St. James the Apostle who was the first among the Apostles to have been martyred in the service of God and men. I am also reminded of Toyohiko Kagawa, a Japanese who served the poor in the Tokyo slums by living with them. In one of his books he wrote: “God dwells among the lowliest of men. He sits on the dust heap among the prison convicts. He stands with the juvenile delinquents, He is there with the beggars. He is among the sick, he stands with the unemployed. Therefore let him who would meet God visit the prison cell before going to the temple. Before he goes to Church let him visit the hospital. Before he reads the Bible let him help the beggar.”
This is the kind of greatness that God seeks. The world may have its own standard of greatness – intellectual standing, academic prominence, the number of committees and or ministries where one is a member, the number of outreaches that one may have organized in well-appointed communities and or homes, bank balances and material possessions – but these things are irrelevant because in assessing a person Jesus simply asks: “How many people have you helped?”
Sure we serve in your Community’s Encounter Programs, Life in the Spirit Seminars, Teachings, Shepherding, in the Communities that you may have helped establish but many of these are held in comfortable venues. Have you gathered the courage to really ask yourself if this was what Jesus would do if he were here with us.
Wouldn’t Jesus want us to be like Toyohiko Kagawa who served the poor by living with them. Or like St. James who faced death in the service of the Church. At the end of the day, what matters is the fruit of the seed that you planted. Is your ministry growing in spiritual terms or is it disintegrating? Are you respected by the people under your pastoral care or do they disdain you? Are you a pillar of unity in your ministry or division?
In addition to the qualifications of future leaders in Church Ministries/ Community, we should realize that Jesus summed up his whole life in just one phrase (v.28) and this should be written in the hearts of all men especially those in leadership: “The Son of Man came to give his life a ransom for many.”
Jesus came not as a conqueror who will occupy a throne, but he came to occupy a cross. The Jews looked for a king who will smash their enemies to pieces but Jesus came as a broken King who hung on the cross. But his death that ransomed us from the slavery of sin is the epitome of the sacrificial love that Jesus also wants us to possess.
Jesus gave everything to lead sinners like us back to God and this is the kind of life that he wants us to live. We must walk in his steps and be prepared to give up our lives to love and serve our neighbors. Because it is only by loving and dying for our neighbors that we can find the way to God.
PATIENCE NEEDED IN SOWING
JULY 24, 2013: SIXTEENTH Week in Ordinary Time
1st Reading: Exo 16:1-5, 9-15
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 78:18-19, 23-28 “The Lord gave them bread from heaven”
GOSPEL: MATT 13:1-9
Key Verse: “Let anyone with ears listen!” (v.9)
Many churchgoers, those who have been attending catechetical instruction and those who have been in the charismatic renewal movement for some time are definitely familiar with this Gospel passage that tells of the four types of soil on which the farmer sowed. There was the pathway, the stony ground, the soil filled with thorns and thistles and, finally the good soil.
Over the years of listening to this passage, many of us have become familiar with the parable in the same way that the Jews at the time this parable was said were all too familiar with the conditions that farmers were faced with in those days. It was also probable that as Jesus spoke on a boat on the seashore, he caught sight of a farmer sowing in the not too distant field and Jesus may have used the farmer as an example when he preached this parable to the people.
In doing so, Jesus drew a parallelism between the actual conditions under which Jewish farmers operated at the time and the manner by which the Word that was made flesh was being received. By this time, Jesus has already been preaching in the synagogues. The sick, lame, demon-possessed were healed and even the dead were raised back to life but these were not enough to transform the people steeped in their religious laws.
But these problems Jesus faced did not only exist in those days because even with the Holy Spirit who is now operating in the world that we live in these same problems remain. Many of us hear the Word of God preached at Mass, on Radio and TV, in publications that we read but the Good News doesn’t sink in and it is clouded with the influences of the world.
Some of us who grew up in an environment in which the Word of God was never introduced have rejected the Good News as soon as it is spoken. Others are so enamored by the glitter of the material world around them – an endless search for fame and fortune, the mad dash towards ephemeral things, e.g. body sculpture, botox, implants, facial rejuvenation, anti-aging formulas, stem cell treatment, the insatiable appetite to accumulate wealth, personal aggrandizement, self-deification – and these worldly desires choke the Word of God in our lives and the Good News doesn’t take root and instead of us becoming the Good News that God planned, we become a bad news to others and this is the reason why we are having a difficult time evangelizing others.
Worse still for those who have acquired a misdirected concept of what the renewal movement is all about oftentimes drawing people to themselves rather than to Christ. This has become the reason why some movements, ministries and apostolates have stopped growing because of the presence of people who know everything and these are the most dangerous people who can destroy a church or community. Even in the time of Jesus, there were those who go to listen to Jesus to look for opportunity to charge him with treason but there are those who listen to Jesus because they want to learn.
This is true even today as preachers try to discredit one another as we have seen in the case of two popular TV evangelists in the US. Last night I gave the Reflection at the Corporate Worship of our Community and while there were those who will say they have been blessed and were appreciative of the message behind the reflection, there were also others who sat through the reflection with a smirk on their faces and this scenario has become the bane of Christian communities that have stopped growing both in terms of spirituality and numerical numbers.
But everyone goes through life’s stages and I recall the time when I was like the hard soil, the parched land and the soil with thorns and thistles. I basked in the knowledge that my talent was all mine. I was the star reporter of the largest TV network in the Philippines and I was fortunate to have covered many of the most interesting news events at that time. What other reporters could not cover, I could. But I stopped growing as I did not allow new strategies and technologies to seep in as I coasted along with what I knew which I thought was enough.
I was the best in the field but when I committed an infraction of a company policy the network president called me to his office and told me that I am being suspended for a month without pay. The president knew what was running in my mind then – that I would hand in my resignation and move to another network never mind if this was the biggest network then.
As I stood up and as I turned around, the president said “Ed, the moment you step out of this room, there will be 10 others who will be applying for your job.” I turned and faced the president and I told him…. “I will take the suspension.” This was my first lesson in humility. There are many situations in my life when the Lord humbled me and I am grateful that he did because these were the learning curves that turned me into a good and rich soil.
In this Gospel reading, we see Jesus sending out into the world the spiritual farmers to sow the seed which is the Word of God. In our world today especially in the Church to which we all belong, there are what we may call spiritual farmers – those who teach, preach and lead others to the Lord as is the case during the shepherding sessions in the Life in the Spirit Seminars. Class Shepherds, Circle Shepherds, Ministry Coordinators and the Servant Leaders of charismatic communities and parish organizations all fall under the category of spiritual farmers.
And as in the parable, we plant the Word of God but the plants that grow differ from one another but like a good farmer we all should not get discouraged if the results are not what we expect because belief and faith cannot be forced. Rather it is a miracle that is dependent on how the Holy Spirit will move in the life of the person or soil in which the seed is being planted.
When we sow the Word of God we must not become impatient as to expect immediate results. The environment that we lived was not created overnight. Even the universe was completed in seven days. It takes at least 108 days for a palay to grow to maturity and it may take sometime before the seed that is the Word of God germinates in the heart of a man.
We live in a fast-paced environment and we expect quick results. I once worked for a company that is so techie that when I was given a project to work on and I asked “when is the deadline?” the answer I got almost floored me “yesterday.” It meant that I needed to rush and provide the results needed.
But when we sow and plant the Good News, we all must be patient and pray that the seed will take root and grow to maturity – knowing Christ Our Lord who will save us from eternal damnation. Knowing is to hear what the Lord is saying and doing what he is telling us to do. The key to a successful evangelization is to hear and be doers of the Word because we cannot possibly tell others the Good News if we ourselves have not heard and listened to it.
1st Reading: Exo 16:1-5, 9-15
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 78:18-19, 23-28 “The Lord gave them bread from heaven”
GOSPEL: MATT 13:1-9
Key Verse: “Let anyone with ears listen!” (v.9)
Many churchgoers, those who have been attending catechetical instruction and those who have been in the charismatic renewal movement for some time are definitely familiar with this Gospel passage that tells of the four types of soil on which the farmer sowed. There was the pathway, the stony ground, the soil filled with thorns and thistles and, finally the good soil.
Over the years of listening to this passage, many of us have become familiar with the parable in the same way that the Jews at the time this parable was said were all too familiar with the conditions that farmers were faced with in those days. It was also probable that as Jesus spoke on a boat on the seashore, he caught sight of a farmer sowing in the not too distant field and Jesus may have used the farmer as an example when he preached this parable to the people.
In doing so, Jesus drew a parallelism between the actual conditions under which Jewish farmers operated at the time and the manner by which the Word that was made flesh was being received. By this time, Jesus has already been preaching in the synagogues. The sick, lame, demon-possessed were healed and even the dead were raised back to life but these were not enough to transform the people steeped in their religious laws.
But these problems Jesus faced did not only exist in those days because even with the Holy Spirit who is now operating in the world that we live in these same problems remain. Many of us hear the Word of God preached at Mass, on Radio and TV, in publications that we read but the Good News doesn’t sink in and it is clouded with the influences of the world.
Some of us who grew up in an environment in which the Word of God was never introduced have rejected the Good News as soon as it is spoken. Others are so enamored by the glitter of the material world around them – an endless search for fame and fortune, the mad dash towards ephemeral things, e.g. body sculpture, botox, implants, facial rejuvenation, anti-aging formulas, stem cell treatment, the insatiable appetite to accumulate wealth, personal aggrandizement, self-deification – and these worldly desires choke the Word of God in our lives and the Good News doesn’t take root and instead of us becoming the Good News that God planned, we become a bad news to others and this is the reason why we are having a difficult time evangelizing others.
Worse still for those who have acquired a misdirected concept of what the renewal movement is all about oftentimes drawing people to themselves rather than to Christ. This has become the reason why some movements, ministries and apostolates have stopped growing because of the presence of people who know everything and these are the most dangerous people who can destroy a church or community. Even in the time of Jesus, there were those who go to listen to Jesus to look for opportunity to charge him with treason but there are those who listen to Jesus because they want to learn.
This is true even today as preachers try to discredit one another as we have seen in the case of two popular TV evangelists in the US. Last night I gave the Reflection at the Corporate Worship of our Community and while there were those who will say they have been blessed and were appreciative of the message behind the reflection, there were also others who sat through the reflection with a smirk on their faces and this scenario has become the bane of Christian communities that have stopped growing both in terms of spirituality and numerical numbers.
But everyone goes through life’s stages and I recall the time when I was like the hard soil, the parched land and the soil with thorns and thistles. I basked in the knowledge that my talent was all mine. I was the star reporter of the largest TV network in the Philippines and I was fortunate to have covered many of the most interesting news events at that time. What other reporters could not cover, I could. But I stopped growing as I did not allow new strategies and technologies to seep in as I coasted along with what I knew which I thought was enough.
I was the best in the field but when I committed an infraction of a company policy the network president called me to his office and told me that I am being suspended for a month without pay. The president knew what was running in my mind then – that I would hand in my resignation and move to another network never mind if this was the biggest network then.
As I stood up and as I turned around, the president said “Ed, the moment you step out of this room, there will be 10 others who will be applying for your job.” I turned and faced the president and I told him…. “I will take the suspension.” This was my first lesson in humility. There are many situations in my life when the Lord humbled me and I am grateful that he did because these were the learning curves that turned me into a good and rich soil.
In this Gospel reading, we see Jesus sending out into the world the spiritual farmers to sow the seed which is the Word of God. In our world today especially in the Church to which we all belong, there are what we may call spiritual farmers – those who teach, preach and lead others to the Lord as is the case during the shepherding sessions in the Life in the Spirit Seminars. Class Shepherds, Circle Shepherds, Ministry Coordinators and the Servant Leaders of charismatic communities and parish organizations all fall under the category of spiritual farmers.
And as in the parable, we plant the Word of God but the plants that grow differ from one another but like a good farmer we all should not get discouraged if the results are not what we expect because belief and faith cannot be forced. Rather it is a miracle that is dependent on how the Holy Spirit will move in the life of the person or soil in which the seed is being planted.
When we sow the Word of God we must not become impatient as to expect immediate results. The environment that we lived was not created overnight. Even the universe was completed in seven days. It takes at least 108 days for a palay to grow to maturity and it may take sometime before the seed that is the Word of God germinates in the heart of a man.
We live in a fast-paced environment and we expect quick results. I once worked for a company that is so techie that when I was given a project to work on and I asked “when is the deadline?” the answer I got almost floored me “yesterday.” It meant that I needed to rush and provide the results needed.
But when we sow and plant the Good News, we all must be patient and pray that the seed will take root and grow to maturity – knowing Christ Our Lord who will save us from eternal damnation. Knowing is to hear what the Lord is saying and doing what he is telling us to do. The key to a successful evangelization is to hear and be doers of the Word because we cannot possibly tell others the Good News if we ourselves have not heard and listened to it.
WHAT MATTERS IS OBEDIENCE TO GOD'S WILL
JULY 23, 2013: SIXTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Exo 14:21-15:1
Responsorial Psalm: Exo 5:8-10, 12, 17
GOSPEL: MATT 12:46-50
Key Verse: “Anyone who does the Will of my Father
in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (v.50)
Anyone reading this passage will certainly be drawn to think that Jesus did not care about his mother, brother and sister. No doubt that this Gospel reading, short as it is, has become contentious insofar as other religious cults are concerned especially those who are opposed to the idea of Mary our Blessed Mother occupying a position of honor in the Catholic church.
Homilists, TV Evangelists, Preachers and Teachers in either the Catholic and or Christian Churches also interpret the verse saying “your mother and your brothers are outside, and they want to speak to you” (v. 47) to mean that they are cousins of Jesus citing Jewish culture and tradition in which cousins and kin within the same family lineage are also referred to as brothers and are considered as such.
What the Church is also saying is that the question of whether Jesus actually had a brother or brothers and whether the Blessed Virgin Mary bore a child after giving birth to Jesus or remained childless to preserve the virgin birth of Jesus is not material or relevant to our faith.
What this Gospel passage is trying to point out is that there are matters that are far more important than to pursue an exegesis and or do a hermeneutical analysis of this particular verse and this can be seen in the way Jesus responded.
Rather than rush to the side of his mother and brothers as would have been the natural thing to do, Jesus instead asked the question “who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” (v.48) For to Jesus, family relations are inconsequential because what is primordial is the relationship of a person to God.
And the way he ended this Gospel passage “anyone who does the will of my father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother” (v.50) gives us a complete picture of what Jesus demands from us – that we need to know God in a more intimate way should be the main goal of every Christian disciple.
That there would be divisions within the family on account of Him is to be expected and Jesus also found himself in the same situation when “even his own brothers did not believe in him” (Jn 7:5) and after his own family tried to take him into their custody and separate him from his disciples after they branded him as “out of his mind.” (Mk 3:21)
Indeed, Jesus is warning those who will come after Him to be prepared to be discriminated against, persecuted, branded as fanatical, ostracized by your own families because of Jesus. This is so and will be so because of the incompatibility between the ways of the world and the standards of God.
To a certain extent, I too experienced being shunted aside after Jesus found me in 1989 and led me to the Marriage Encounter Weekend. Though I grew up in a Catholic environment, the world around me had as much influence in me than the religion I grew up in.
But when Jesus revealed himself to me and after I was filled with the Holy Spirit in my Life in the Spirit Seminar, my life turned upside down. From being a man of the world that I was, I put a stop to my habit of staying out late at night. The standard, rock and R & B music collection in my car had to go and were replaced with stacks of praise songs. My wife and I pray the Rosary the moment we board our car and a daily reception of the Holy Eucharist became part of our lives.
This conversion has its plus points and it also has a downside to it. One of the major pluses is that I have experienced tremendous peace and joy and still am to this day. More importantly, the fear that filled me whenever I step out of the house has been replaced by a complete trust and confidence in the saving power of God.
But it is when I withdrew from my circle of friends that I really felt my world crumble. Bankers and financial brokers whom I previously bribed to facilitate my transactions would not settle for anything less than a thick wad of cash. I found myself losing a large chunk of the financial brokerage business. But there was no turning back the moment I gave my life to God. Something has to give as the saying goes and in this kind of an exchange I am the one who has to give in.
I have to give up on my worldly pleasure and material possessions in exchange for that which is far more important than anything else, the peace and joy that God made me experience and a life on high in Jesus Christ. Today I can say without any hesitancy that I have no regrets when I accepted the invitation of Jesus to establish a relationship with Him the one true God.
What Jesus is saying in this Gospel account of Matthew is that the relationship with God more than anything else is not only binding but more rewarding if we are to look at what Jesus is offering those who will follow after Him.
Indeed what he wants us to do by way of this Gospel passage is to enter into a spiritual relationship with other believers who will ultimately become our own brothers and sisters. We will definitely be ostracized and or discriminated against if and when we choose God against the evil one but this is a risk that is definitely worth taking.
It is my prayer that we can all be like Mary who found the one thing that cannot be taken away from her. God is the one thing that we all need to seek for it is only through him that we can find the peace and joy that the world cannot give. More importantly, Jesus will only recognize as his mother, brother or sister those who have made a commitment to do the Will of God. God bless!
1st Reading: Exo 14:21-15:1
Responsorial Psalm: Exo 5:8-10, 12, 17
GOSPEL: MATT 12:46-50
Key Verse: “Anyone who does the Will of my Father
in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (v.50)
Anyone reading this passage will certainly be drawn to think that Jesus did not care about his mother, brother and sister. No doubt that this Gospel reading, short as it is, has become contentious insofar as other religious cults are concerned especially those who are opposed to the idea of Mary our Blessed Mother occupying a position of honor in the Catholic church.
Homilists, TV Evangelists, Preachers and Teachers in either the Catholic and or Christian Churches also interpret the verse saying “your mother and your brothers are outside, and they want to speak to you” (v. 47) to mean that they are cousins of Jesus citing Jewish culture and tradition in which cousins and kin within the same family lineage are also referred to as brothers and are considered as such.
What the Church is also saying is that the question of whether Jesus actually had a brother or brothers and whether the Blessed Virgin Mary bore a child after giving birth to Jesus or remained childless to preserve the virgin birth of Jesus is not material or relevant to our faith.
What this Gospel passage is trying to point out is that there are matters that are far more important than to pursue an exegesis and or do a hermeneutical analysis of this particular verse and this can be seen in the way Jesus responded.
Rather than rush to the side of his mother and brothers as would have been the natural thing to do, Jesus instead asked the question “who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” (v.48) For to Jesus, family relations are inconsequential because what is primordial is the relationship of a person to God.
And the way he ended this Gospel passage “anyone who does the will of my father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother” (v.50) gives us a complete picture of what Jesus demands from us – that we need to know God in a more intimate way should be the main goal of every Christian disciple.
That there would be divisions within the family on account of Him is to be expected and Jesus also found himself in the same situation when “even his own brothers did not believe in him” (Jn 7:5) and after his own family tried to take him into their custody and separate him from his disciples after they branded him as “out of his mind.” (Mk 3:21)
Indeed, Jesus is warning those who will come after Him to be prepared to be discriminated against, persecuted, branded as fanatical, ostracized by your own families because of Jesus. This is so and will be so because of the incompatibility between the ways of the world and the standards of God.
To a certain extent, I too experienced being shunted aside after Jesus found me in 1989 and led me to the Marriage Encounter Weekend. Though I grew up in a Catholic environment, the world around me had as much influence in me than the religion I grew up in.
But when Jesus revealed himself to me and after I was filled with the Holy Spirit in my Life in the Spirit Seminar, my life turned upside down. From being a man of the world that I was, I put a stop to my habit of staying out late at night. The standard, rock and R & B music collection in my car had to go and were replaced with stacks of praise songs. My wife and I pray the Rosary the moment we board our car and a daily reception of the Holy Eucharist became part of our lives.
This conversion has its plus points and it also has a downside to it. One of the major pluses is that I have experienced tremendous peace and joy and still am to this day. More importantly, the fear that filled me whenever I step out of the house has been replaced by a complete trust and confidence in the saving power of God.
But it is when I withdrew from my circle of friends that I really felt my world crumble. Bankers and financial brokers whom I previously bribed to facilitate my transactions would not settle for anything less than a thick wad of cash. I found myself losing a large chunk of the financial brokerage business. But there was no turning back the moment I gave my life to God. Something has to give as the saying goes and in this kind of an exchange I am the one who has to give in.
I have to give up on my worldly pleasure and material possessions in exchange for that which is far more important than anything else, the peace and joy that God made me experience and a life on high in Jesus Christ. Today I can say without any hesitancy that I have no regrets when I accepted the invitation of Jesus to establish a relationship with Him the one true God.
What Jesus is saying in this Gospel account of Matthew is that the relationship with God more than anything else is not only binding but more rewarding if we are to look at what Jesus is offering those who will follow after Him.
Indeed what he wants us to do by way of this Gospel passage is to enter into a spiritual relationship with other believers who will ultimately become our own brothers and sisters. We will definitely be ostracized and or discriminated against if and when we choose God against the evil one but this is a risk that is definitely worth taking.
It is my prayer that we can all be like Mary who found the one thing that cannot be taken away from her. God is the one thing that we all need to seek for it is only through him that we can find the peace and joy that the world cannot give. More importantly, Jesus will only recognize as his mother, brother or sister those who have made a commitment to do the Will of God. God bless!
KNOW HIM BY LOVING HIM
JULY 22, 2013: ST. MARY MAGDALENE (WHITE)
1st Reading: Song of Songs 3:1-4b or 2 Cor 5:14-17
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 63:2-6, 8-9 “My soul is thirsting for you my God.”
GOSPEL: JN 20:1-2, 11-18
Key Verse: "I have seen the Lord..."(v.18)
Today we celebrate the Feast Day of Mary Magdalene who holds the distinction of the very first person to whom Jesus showed himself upon his resurrection on the third day following his death in fulfillment of the Scriptures.
This event is significant because the absence of women among the 12 Apostles of Jesus has raised some questions and even criticisms that there was a bias in the way the disciples are being treated. But it must be pointed out that there were many women among the followers of Jesus and accounts of his life on earth will show that he treated women with dignity.
It was the culture in the time of Jesus that relatives and or friends would visit the tomb of their loved one for at least three days after the burial but since Jesus was buried on a Friday but since the next day was a Sabbath the disciples could not visit his tomb for fear of breaking the law and everyone must have looked forward to visiting his tomb on Sunday.
But while everyone was still asleep on that Sunday after the burial, Mary Magdalene from whom Jesus drove seven demons out of her was the first one to wake up and immediately proceeded to visit the tomb. This was probably the only thing she could do to express her love for Jesus who freed her from her being enslaved by demons.
Mary Magdalene thus lived a life of unending gratitude to Jesus whom she followed all the way to his crucifixion and very early on Sunday it still was Mary who went ahead of the Disciples to visit the tomb of Jesus because she loved Our Lord and love was all that she could bring to the tomb.
Overwhelmed by the sight of an empty tomb, Mary sought Peter and John who came running towards the tomb and here we see three people with one common denominator – they all loved Jesus. Mary who loved Jesus so much after she was freed from the demons that possessed her, John the disciple whom Jesus loved and, Peter who denied Jesus three times and who he ran with John as an expression of his remorse and love for Jesus.
And while Peter and John were at the tomb, Jesus reciprocated and gave Mary the distinction of being the first person to see him as the Risen Christ. This scenario certainly raised some questions why Jesus did not appear to his disciples first but the words in Scriptures could explain why as it states in Pro 8:17 “I love them love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.” Indeed Mary Magdalene was a prime example of someone who loved and believed in Jesus even when she could not yet understand the depth of his earthly ministry
But grief filled Mary’s heart and her eyes must have been filled with tears that she failed to recognize Jesus whom she mistook for somebody else and it was not until Jesus called out her name “Mary” that she recognized the voice and all she could say was “Rabbouni” which in Hebrew means “Master.’
Jesus acknowledged her childlike faith by appearing to her first and by entrusting her with the first message of his resurrection “go find my brothers and tell them I am ascending to my Father and your Father, my God and your God.” (v.17)
Mary responded with joy and obedience by seeking out the other disciples and told them “I have seen the Lord,” and she proceeded to give them the message of Jesus.
What this Gospel account is telling us is that we too are being invited to live a life of gratitude for Our Lord who released us from our slavery to sin and who brought us out of darkness and into the marvelous light.
Like Mary, Jesus is near to each one of us and he is constantly calling us but we remain deaf to his voice because of the other voices that fill our hearing. In the world that we live in today, our ears are being pounded by the sound of materialism, desire for fame and fortune, the sound of unbelief and doubt in the one true God, the sound of comfortable living, the sound of self-centeredness and uncaring attitude and indifference towards the poor, the sound of illicit relationships, corruption and greed. These are the sounds we hear that have kept us from hearing the voice of Jesus.
Many times we pretend not to hear the voice of Jesus because our lives are incompatible with the kind of sacrificial living that we will be asked of us if we are to respond to the call of Jesus and many of us just couldn’t give up the comforts of life regardless of the mark of sin attached to our way of life.
The resurrection of Jesus is the key to our Christian faith and we whose eyes are clouded with the lures of the world cannot meet Christ until we discover for ourselves that Our Lord is indeed alive. Like Mary, our hearts must instead be flooded with love when we hear Our Lord calling our names.
Most often, we also don’t hear his voice because unlike Mary and the other disciples, we may have set aside our need for prayers and our love for the Scriptures. Time was when our Community grew by leaps and bounds when the mere mention of a mission activity will bring excitement and spring everyone to their feet. The venues of our BLD Prayer Meetings as our Corporate Worship was called then were filled to the rafters and one could feel the tremendous outpouring of the anointing of the Holy Spirit at the sound of members praying in tongues.
The strict observance of prayer and fasting became the norm in those days. Members come to the venue of the prayer meetings ahead of time and they can be seen huddled in prayer and or sharing the Scriptures with one another.
The Community has indeed changed. Attendance to the Corporate Worships and the Word Sharing Circles have dwindled in recent years. Candidates to the Marriage Encounter Weekends and even the Life in the Spirit Seminars have dipped and the retention ratio has also dropped. Members don’t bring their Bibles anymore to the Corporate Worship.
And on many occasions when the current situation is being discussed and assessed the only thing that is not being asked is “how is the prayer life of the Community and its members?”
Not all is lost, however, because the lukewarm and even those who have a misdirected concept of what the renewal is all about can be on fire again if we – like Mary and the disciples – will recognize that Christ is alive and that he is calling us to a life of prayer. We need to relearn how to get down on our knees again. We don’t just pay lip service to fasting but we have to make prayer with fasting our norm.
In other words, we must bring to life the words of Pope Francis in Lumen Fidei that faith should not remain as a head knowledge. This must be lived and for faith to be complete, it must be shared to the rest of the world. This is also what St. Paul is telling us that we shouldn’t be stuck in just being hearers of the Word but we should be doers of the Word.
How we will respond will determine our eternal future.
1st Reading: Song of Songs 3:1-4b or 2 Cor 5:14-17
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 63:2-6, 8-9 “My soul is thirsting for you my God.”
GOSPEL: JN 20:1-2, 11-18
Key Verse: "I have seen the Lord..."(v.18)
Today we celebrate the Feast Day of Mary Magdalene who holds the distinction of the very first person to whom Jesus showed himself upon his resurrection on the third day following his death in fulfillment of the Scriptures.
This event is significant because the absence of women among the 12 Apostles of Jesus has raised some questions and even criticisms that there was a bias in the way the disciples are being treated. But it must be pointed out that there were many women among the followers of Jesus and accounts of his life on earth will show that he treated women with dignity.
It was the culture in the time of Jesus that relatives and or friends would visit the tomb of their loved one for at least three days after the burial but since Jesus was buried on a Friday but since the next day was a Sabbath the disciples could not visit his tomb for fear of breaking the law and everyone must have looked forward to visiting his tomb on Sunday.
But while everyone was still asleep on that Sunday after the burial, Mary Magdalene from whom Jesus drove seven demons out of her was the first one to wake up and immediately proceeded to visit the tomb. This was probably the only thing she could do to express her love for Jesus who freed her from her being enslaved by demons.
Mary Magdalene thus lived a life of unending gratitude to Jesus whom she followed all the way to his crucifixion and very early on Sunday it still was Mary who went ahead of the Disciples to visit the tomb of Jesus because she loved Our Lord and love was all that she could bring to the tomb.
Overwhelmed by the sight of an empty tomb, Mary sought Peter and John who came running towards the tomb and here we see three people with one common denominator – they all loved Jesus. Mary who loved Jesus so much after she was freed from the demons that possessed her, John the disciple whom Jesus loved and, Peter who denied Jesus three times and who he ran with John as an expression of his remorse and love for Jesus.
And while Peter and John were at the tomb, Jesus reciprocated and gave Mary the distinction of being the first person to see him as the Risen Christ. This scenario certainly raised some questions why Jesus did not appear to his disciples first but the words in Scriptures could explain why as it states in Pro 8:17 “I love them love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.” Indeed Mary Magdalene was a prime example of someone who loved and believed in Jesus even when she could not yet understand the depth of his earthly ministry
But grief filled Mary’s heart and her eyes must have been filled with tears that she failed to recognize Jesus whom she mistook for somebody else and it was not until Jesus called out her name “Mary” that she recognized the voice and all she could say was “Rabbouni” which in Hebrew means “Master.’
Jesus acknowledged her childlike faith by appearing to her first and by entrusting her with the first message of his resurrection “go find my brothers and tell them I am ascending to my Father and your Father, my God and your God.” (v.17)
Mary responded with joy and obedience by seeking out the other disciples and told them “I have seen the Lord,” and she proceeded to give them the message of Jesus.
What this Gospel account is telling us is that we too are being invited to live a life of gratitude for Our Lord who released us from our slavery to sin and who brought us out of darkness and into the marvelous light.
Like Mary, Jesus is near to each one of us and he is constantly calling us but we remain deaf to his voice because of the other voices that fill our hearing. In the world that we live in today, our ears are being pounded by the sound of materialism, desire for fame and fortune, the sound of unbelief and doubt in the one true God, the sound of comfortable living, the sound of self-centeredness and uncaring attitude and indifference towards the poor, the sound of illicit relationships, corruption and greed. These are the sounds we hear that have kept us from hearing the voice of Jesus.
Many times we pretend not to hear the voice of Jesus because our lives are incompatible with the kind of sacrificial living that we will be asked of us if we are to respond to the call of Jesus and many of us just couldn’t give up the comforts of life regardless of the mark of sin attached to our way of life.
The resurrection of Jesus is the key to our Christian faith and we whose eyes are clouded with the lures of the world cannot meet Christ until we discover for ourselves that Our Lord is indeed alive. Like Mary, our hearts must instead be flooded with love when we hear Our Lord calling our names.
Most often, we also don’t hear his voice because unlike Mary and the other disciples, we may have set aside our need for prayers and our love for the Scriptures. Time was when our Community grew by leaps and bounds when the mere mention of a mission activity will bring excitement and spring everyone to their feet. The venues of our BLD Prayer Meetings as our Corporate Worship was called then were filled to the rafters and one could feel the tremendous outpouring of the anointing of the Holy Spirit at the sound of members praying in tongues.
The strict observance of prayer and fasting became the norm in those days. Members come to the venue of the prayer meetings ahead of time and they can be seen huddled in prayer and or sharing the Scriptures with one another.
The Community has indeed changed. Attendance to the Corporate Worships and the Word Sharing Circles have dwindled in recent years. Candidates to the Marriage Encounter Weekends and even the Life in the Spirit Seminars have dipped and the retention ratio has also dropped. Members don’t bring their Bibles anymore to the Corporate Worship.
And on many occasions when the current situation is being discussed and assessed the only thing that is not being asked is “how is the prayer life of the Community and its members?”
Not all is lost, however, because the lukewarm and even those who have a misdirected concept of what the renewal is all about can be on fire again if we – like Mary and the disciples – will recognize that Christ is alive and that he is calling us to a life of prayer. We need to relearn how to get down on our knees again. We don’t just pay lip service to fasting but we have to make prayer with fasting our norm.
In other words, we must bring to life the words of Pope Francis in Lumen Fidei that faith should not remain as a head knowledge. This must be lived and for faith to be complete, it must be shared to the rest of the world. This is also what St. Paul is telling us that we shouldn’t be stuck in just being hearers of the Word but we should be doers of the Word.
How we will respond will determine our eternal future.
WHAT MATTERS IS OBEDIENCE TO GOD'S WILL
JULY 23, 2013: SIXTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Exo 14:21-15:1
Responsorial Psalm: Exo 5:8-10, 12, 17
GOSPEL: MATT 12:46-50
Key Verse: “Anyone who does the Will of my Father
in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (v.50)
Anyone reading this passage will certainly be drawn to think that Jesus did not care about his mother, brother and sister. No doubt that this Gospel reading, short as it is, has become contentious insofar as other religious cults are concerned especially those who are opposed to the idea of Mary our Blessed Mother occupying a position of honor in the Catholic church.
Homilists, TV Evangelists, Preachers and Teachers in either the Catholic and or Christian Churches also interpret the verse saying “your mother and your brothers are outside, and they want to speak to you” (v. 47) to mean that they are cousins of Jesus citing Jewish culture and tradition in which cousins and kin within the same family lineage are also referred to as brothers and are considered as such.
What the Church is also saying is that the question of whether Jesus actually had a brother or brothers and whether the Blessed Virgin Mary bore a child after giving birth to Jesus or remained childless to preserve the virgin birth of Jesus is not material or relevant to our faith.
What this Gospel passage is trying to point out is that there are matters that are far more important than to pursue an exegesis and or do a hermeneutical analysis of this particular verse and this can be seen in the way Jesus responded.
Rather than rush to the side of his mother and brothers as would have been the natural thing to do, Jesus instead asked the question “who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” (v.48) For to Jesus, family relations are inconsequential because what is primordial is the relationship of a person to God.
And the way he ended this Gospel passage “anyone who does the will of my father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother” (v.50) gives us a complete picture of what Jesus demands from us – that we need to know God in a more intimate way should be the main goal of every Christian disciple.
That there would be divisions within the family on account of Him is to be expected and Jesus also found himself in the same situation when “even his own brothers did not believe in him” (Jn 7:5) and after his own family tried to take him into their custody and separate him from his disciples after they branded him as “out of his mind.” (Mk 3:21)
Indeed, Jesus is warning those who will come after Him to be
prepared to be discriminated against, persecuted, branded as fanatical, ostracized by your own families because of Jesus. This is so and will be so because of the incompatibility between the ways of the world and the standards of God.
To a certain extent, I too experienced being shunted aside after Jesus found me in 1989 and led me to the Marriage Encounter Weekend. Though I grew up in a Catholic environment, the world around me had as much influence in me than the religion I grew up in.
But when Jesus revealed himself to me and after I was filled with the Holy Spirit in my Life in the Spirit Seminar, my life turned upside down. From being a man of the world that I was, I put a stop to my habit of staying out late at night. The standard, rock and R & B music collection in my car had to go and were replaced with stacks of praise songs. My wife and I pray the Rosary the moment we board our car and a daily reception of the Holy Eucharist became part of our lives.
This conversion has its plus points and it also has a downside to it. One of the major pluses is that I have experienced tremendous peace and joy and still am to this day. More importantly, the fear that filled me whenever I step out of the house has been replaced by a complete trust and confidence in the saving power of God.
But it is when I withdrew from my circle of friends that I really felt my world crumble. Bankers and financial brokers whom I previously bribed to facilitate my transactions would not settle for anything less than a thick wad of cash. I found myself losing a large chunk of the financial brokerage business. But there was no turning back the moment I gave my life to God. Something has to give as the saying goes and in this kind of an exchange I am the one who has to give in.
I have to give up on my worldly pleasure and material possessions in exchange for that which is far more important than anything else, the peace and joy that God made me experience and a life on high in Jesus Christ. Today I can say without any hesitancy that I have no regrets when I accepted the invitation of Jesus to establish a relationship with Him the one true God.
What Jesus is saying in this Gospel account of Matthew is that the relationship with God more than anything else is not only binding but more rewarding if we are to look at what Jesus is offering those who will follow after Him.
Indeed what he wants us to do by way of this Gospel passage is to enter into a spiritual relationship with other believers who will ultimately become our own brothers and sisters. We will definitely be ostracized and or discriminated against if and when we choose God against the evil one but this is a risk that is definitely worth taking.
It is my prayer that we can all be like Mary who found the one thing that cannot be taken from her. God is the one thing that we all need to seek for it is only through him that we can find the peace and joy that the world cannot give. More importantly, Jesus will only recognize as his mother, brother or sister those who have made a commitment to do the Will of God. God bless!
1st Reading: Exo 14:21-15:1
Responsorial Psalm: Exo 5:8-10, 12, 17
GOSPEL: MATT 12:46-50
Key Verse: “Anyone who does the Will of my Father
in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (v.50)
Anyone reading this passage will certainly be drawn to think that Jesus did not care about his mother, brother and sister. No doubt that this Gospel reading, short as it is, has become contentious insofar as other religious cults are concerned especially those who are opposed to the idea of Mary our Blessed Mother occupying a position of honor in the Catholic church.
Homilists, TV Evangelists, Preachers and Teachers in either the Catholic and or Christian Churches also interpret the verse saying “your mother and your brothers are outside, and they want to speak to you” (v. 47) to mean that they are cousins of Jesus citing Jewish culture and tradition in which cousins and kin within the same family lineage are also referred to as brothers and are considered as such.
What the Church is also saying is that the question of whether Jesus actually had a brother or brothers and whether the Blessed Virgin Mary bore a child after giving birth to Jesus or remained childless to preserve the virgin birth of Jesus is not material or relevant to our faith.
What this Gospel passage is trying to point out is that there are matters that are far more important than to pursue an exegesis and or do a hermeneutical analysis of this particular verse and this can be seen in the way Jesus responded.
Rather than rush to the side of his mother and brothers as would have been the natural thing to do, Jesus instead asked the question “who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” (v.48) For to Jesus, family relations are inconsequential because what is primordial is the relationship of a person to God.
And the way he ended this Gospel passage “anyone who does the will of my father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother” (v.50) gives us a complete picture of what Jesus demands from us – that we need to know God in a more intimate way should be the main goal of every Christian disciple.
That there would be divisions within the family on account of Him is to be expected and Jesus also found himself in the same situation when “even his own brothers did not believe in him” (Jn 7:5) and after his own family tried to take him into their custody and separate him from his disciples after they branded him as “out of his mind.” (Mk 3:21)
Indeed, Jesus is warning those who will come after Him to be
prepared to be discriminated against, persecuted, branded as fanatical, ostracized by your own families because of Jesus. This is so and will be so because of the incompatibility between the ways of the world and the standards of God.
To a certain extent, I too experienced being shunted aside after Jesus found me in 1989 and led me to the Marriage Encounter Weekend. Though I grew up in a Catholic environment, the world around me had as much influence in me than the religion I grew up in.
But when Jesus revealed himself to me and after I was filled with the Holy Spirit in my Life in the Spirit Seminar, my life turned upside down. From being a man of the world that I was, I put a stop to my habit of staying out late at night. The standard, rock and R & B music collection in my car had to go and were replaced with stacks of praise songs. My wife and I pray the Rosary the moment we board our car and a daily reception of the Holy Eucharist became part of our lives.
This conversion has its plus points and it also has a downside to it. One of the major pluses is that I have experienced tremendous peace and joy and still am to this day. More importantly, the fear that filled me whenever I step out of the house has been replaced by a complete trust and confidence in the saving power of God.
But it is when I withdrew from my circle of friends that I really felt my world crumble. Bankers and financial brokers whom I previously bribed to facilitate my transactions would not settle for anything less than a thick wad of cash. I found myself losing a large chunk of the financial brokerage business. But there was no turning back the moment I gave my life to God. Something has to give as the saying goes and in this kind of an exchange I am the one who has to give in.
I have to give up on my worldly pleasure and material possessions in exchange for that which is far more important than anything else, the peace and joy that God made me experience and a life on high in Jesus Christ. Today I can say without any hesitancy that I have no regrets when I accepted the invitation of Jesus to establish a relationship with Him the one true God.
What Jesus is saying in this Gospel account of Matthew is that the relationship with God more than anything else is not only binding but more rewarding if we are to look at what Jesus is offering those who will follow after Him.
Indeed what he wants us to do by way of this Gospel passage is to enter into a spiritual relationship with other believers who will ultimately become our own brothers and sisters. We will definitely be ostracized and or discriminated against if and when we choose God against the evil one but this is a risk that is definitely worth taking.
It is my prayer that we can all be like Mary who found the one thing that cannot be taken from her. God is the one thing that we all need to seek for it is only through him that we can find the peace and joy that the world cannot give. More importantly, Jesus will only recognize as his mother, brother or sister those who have made a commitment to do the Will of God. God bless!
ONLY ONE THING IS NEEDED
JULY 21, 2013: SIXTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Gen 18:1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 15:2-5 “He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.”
2nd Reading: Col 1:24-28
GOSPEL: LK 10:38-42
Key Verse: “but only one thing is needed.” (v.42)
In our life there are things that we set out to do and the underlying motivation is normally the advancement of self, to gather all the necessary knowledge and skills that will ensure for us a bright future not only for us personally but for the family that we will raise at some point in time.
There will, however, come a point that everything we have achieved will no longer suffice and we will begin to crave for that one thing that will give us pure joy, the peace of mind that wealth, fame and power cannot give, the satisfaction of knowing that we have a purpose in life and just like everyone else before us, we will find that one thing at the feet of Jesus Christ.
This was what Mary found when she sat on the floor at the feet of Jesus Christ and was accorded the rare opportunity of entering into the very heart of Our Lord. This encounter was what makes this Gospel reading an interesting narrative and the fact that it appears only in the Gospel of Luke has evoked a lot of discussion of what was it that Luke wanted to point out in highlighting the difference in the way Martha and Mary played hosts to Jesus as he passed by the town of Bethany.
Located some two miles from Jerusalem, Bethany was a favorite stopover of Jesus probably because of his friendship with Lazarus who was the brother of Martha and Mary. And on this particular day, Jesus passed by Bethany and Martha opened up her home for him.
Based on Jewish custom, to open up a home is not only to welcome a guest but to entertain that guest and the fact that Martha opened up her home to Jesus shows the degree of her respect for Jesus. Not only was Jesus a good friend of her brother but Martha knew she was welcoming an important person into her home, someone who has become popular with the people on account of his teachings and the many healing miracles that he has performed.
And this was not going to be an ordinary day because Jesus doesn’t travel alone as he usually moves with his disciples in tow such that he always has to find a home that will welcome them when they move from town to town as staying in an inn was out of the question.
With the way this narrative was weaved we might think that Mary was more spiritual than Martha which is of course wrong as Martha despite her being a busybody can also be regarded as a disciple as she opened up her home which means that she was supportive of the cause that Jesus was espousing.
As the story goes, Martha kept herself busy preparing the dinner table and what Jesus and the other disciples were to eat while Mary sat at the feet of Jesus listening to his teaching. By doing so, Mary also made herself a disciple of Jesus because “to sit at his feet” was a figurative way of describing a disciple in those days and we also see this in Paul who proudly claimed to have sat “at the feet of Gamaliel.”
This scene was also significant because when Mary sat at the feet of Jesus to listen to his teachings as the other disciples did, it effectively removed the distinction between men and women with respect to discipleship because women during the time of Jesus were not only exempted from the study of the law but were also discouraged from doing so.
But as Mary listened to Jesus, Martha must have been rushing in her preparations that she was moved to ask Jesus “tell her to help me.” (v.40) Some may view this as a sign of disrespect as it partook of a command to Jesus to tell Mary to help her.
Jesus’ response may also be seen as a rebuke but this was probably not the case because Jesus was a close friend of the family and thus it would also have been inappropriate for him to speak sternly to Martha who was hosting him such that his response was probably spoken with understanding and love.
“Martha, Martha you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” (vv.41-42)
This was what Luke wanted to point out in this Gospel in that Mary has rightfully discerned that listening to Jesus and learning from the Master was far more important than anything else. Here, Mary simply showed that listening to Jesus was the highest form of respect as sitting at his feet was to give Jesus the honor that he deserves. It also provides us with the thought that we need to shift our priorities from the mundane concerns of the world to seeking the presence of Jesus in order to listen and follow Him.
Many times in our lives we are caught up with the concerns of housekeeping. Others lose themselves in the maze of life as they try to find their place in the sun searching for the gold at the end of the rainbow. In this Gospel we see two contrasting situations with Martha offering her labor to Jesus while Mary offers her time to listen to him.
And so we turn to our own self and ask how about us? What is it that we have or are doing that we can offer to Jesus? Do we use the talent and gifts that he gave us? Do we render faithful service that is compatible with our position in the Church or Community?
A deeper study of this Gospel will reveal that Jesus passed by the house of Martha and Mary to find a quiet place to rest. With the cross before him, his inner self must have been filled with tension and Jesus probably looked forward to having a rest and this was what Mary gave.
When Jesus said: “but only one thing is needed.” (v.42) he probably was telling Martha “don’t trouble yourself, just one course, the simplest meal is all I want.” We at times are like Martha. We want to be kind to people but in our own way and at times we are offended because we feel we are not appreciated.
This Gospel provides us a lesson in that when we try to be kind to someone the first thing we need to do is to get into the heart of the person we are helping and then forget everything we plan to do and think only of what the person needs.
To sit at his feet and listen was to obey and this is what Jesus wants from us in that we need to spend time listening to him. This is the “one thing” that Mary found and it cannot be taken away from her because it is only at his feet that we can find peace and joy. In this story, Jesus is telling us to keep our minds off the world around us and spend a few moments listening to him. It’s like Jesus is telling us “hold on for a few minutes, dinner can wait. What I am telling you now is more important.”
This is what Lumen Fidei – the first encyclical of Pope Francis – is all about. In all, Lumen Fidei talks about the light of our Catholic Christian faith which is not complete unless we go through the three cycles of our faith – learning it, living it and sharing it. The question we need to ask now is can we be like Mary who found “the only thing that is needed” and after finding that one thing we are moved to live it and most importantly to share it with others.
1st Reading: Gen 18:1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 15:2-5 “He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.”
2nd Reading: Col 1:24-28
GOSPEL: LK 10:38-42
Key Verse: “but only one thing is needed.” (v.42)
In our life there are things that we set out to do and the underlying motivation is normally the advancement of self, to gather all the necessary knowledge and skills that will ensure for us a bright future not only for us personally but for the family that we will raise at some point in time.
There will, however, come a point that everything we have achieved will no longer suffice and we will begin to crave for that one thing that will give us pure joy, the peace of mind that wealth, fame and power cannot give, the satisfaction of knowing that we have a purpose in life and just like everyone else before us, we will find that one thing at the feet of Jesus Christ.
This was what Mary found when she sat on the floor at the feet of Jesus Christ and was accorded the rare opportunity of entering into the very heart of Our Lord. This encounter was what makes this Gospel reading an interesting narrative and the fact that it appears only in the Gospel of Luke has evoked a lot of discussion of what was it that Luke wanted to point out in highlighting the difference in the way Martha and Mary played hosts to Jesus as he passed by the town of Bethany.
Located some two miles from Jerusalem, Bethany was a favorite stopover of Jesus probably because of his friendship with Lazarus who was the brother of Martha and Mary. And on this particular day, Jesus passed by Bethany and Martha opened up her home for him.
Based on Jewish custom, to open up a home is not only to welcome a guest but to entertain that guest and the fact that Martha opened up her home to Jesus shows the degree of her respect for Jesus. Not only was Jesus a good friend of her brother but Martha knew she was welcoming an important person into her home, someone who has become popular with the people on account of his teachings and the many healing miracles that he has performed.
And this was not going to be an ordinary day because Jesus doesn’t travel alone as he usually moves with his disciples in tow such that he always has to find a home that will welcome them when they move from town to town as staying in an inn was out of the question.
With the way this narrative was weaved we might think that Mary was more spiritual than Martha which is of course wrong as Martha despite her being a busybody can also be regarded as a disciple as she opened up her home which means that she was supportive of the cause that Jesus was espousing.
As the story goes, Martha kept herself busy preparing the dinner table and what Jesus and the other disciples were to eat while Mary sat at the feet of Jesus listening to his teaching. By doing so, Mary also made herself a disciple of Jesus because “to sit at his feet” was a figurative way of describing a disciple in those days and we also see this in Paul who proudly claimed to have sat “at the feet of Gamaliel.”
This scene was also significant because when Mary sat at the feet of Jesus to listen to his teachings as the other disciples did, it effectively removed the distinction between men and women with respect to discipleship because women during the time of Jesus were not only exempted from the study of the law but were also discouraged from doing so.
But as Mary listened to Jesus, Martha must have been rushing in her preparations that she was moved to ask Jesus “tell her to help me.” (v.40) Some may view this as a sign of disrespect as it partook of a command to Jesus to tell Mary to help her.
Jesus’ response may also be seen as a rebuke but this was probably not the case because Jesus was a close friend of the family and thus it would also have been inappropriate for him to speak sternly to Martha who was hosting him such that his response was probably spoken with understanding and love.
“Martha, Martha you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” (vv.41-42)
This was what Luke wanted to point out in this Gospel in that Mary has rightfully discerned that listening to Jesus and learning from the Master was far more important than anything else. Here, Mary simply showed that listening to Jesus was the highest form of respect as sitting at his feet was to give Jesus the honor that he deserves. It also provides us with the thought that we need to shift our priorities from the mundane concerns of the world to seeking the presence of Jesus in order to listen and follow Him.
Many times in our lives we are caught up with the concerns of housekeeping. Others lose themselves in the maze of life as they try to find their place in the sun searching for the gold at the end of the rainbow. In this Gospel we see two contrasting situations with Martha offering her labor to Jesus while Mary offers her time to listen to him.
And so we turn to our own self and ask how about us? What is it that we have or are doing that we can offer to Jesus? Do we use the talent and gifts that he gave us? Do we render faithful service that is compatible with our position in the Church or Community?
A deeper study of this Gospel will reveal that Jesus passed by the house of Martha and Mary to find a quiet place to rest. With the cross before him, his inner self must have been filled with tension and Jesus probably looked forward to having a rest and this was what Mary gave.
When Jesus said: “but only one thing is needed.” (v.42) he probably was telling Martha “don’t trouble yourself, just one course, the simplest meal is all I want.” We at times are like Martha. We want to be kind to people but in our own way and at times we are offended because we feel we are not appreciated.
This Gospel provides us a lesson in that when we try to be kind to someone the first thing we need to do is to get into the heart of the person we are helping and then forget everything we plan to do and think only of what the person needs.
To sit at his feet and listen was to obey and this is what Jesus wants from us in that we need to spend time listening to him. This is the “one thing” that Mary found and it cannot be taken away from her because it is only at his feet that we can find peace and joy. In this story, Jesus is telling us to keep our minds off the world around us and spend a few moments listening to him. It’s like Jesus is telling us “hold on for a few minutes, dinner can wait. What I am telling you now is more important.”
This is what Lumen Fidei – the first encyclical of Pope Francis – is all about. In all, Lumen Fidei talks about the light of our Catholic Christian faith which is not complete unless we go through the three cycles of our faith – learning it, living it and sharing it. The question we need to ask now is can we be like Mary who found “the only thing that is needed” and after finding that one thing we are moved to live it and most importantly to share it with others.
A HEART FOR THE BRUISED REED
JULY 20, 2013: FIFTEENTH WEEK OF ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Exo 12:37-42
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 136:1, 23-24, 10-15 "His mercy endures forever."
GOSPEL: MATT 12:14-21
Key Verse: “In His Name the nations will put their hope.” (v.21)
Our Gospel passage today can be better understood if we will at least read through the preceding passage in vv. 9-14 where the Scribes and Pharisees were left speechless after Jesus healed a man with a deformed hand during the Sabbath.
We all know that the Jews has a very strict standard when it comes to the Sabbath and Jesus threw out all their arguments after he was asked if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath. Jesus then cited a Mosaic law that allowed a sheep to be saved if it fell into a pit and Jesus used this exemption to stress his point that it is not against the law that man should be healed of his affliction even on a Sabbath.
Humiliated by the argument of Jesus, the Pharisees started to plot against him. In fact, they wanted to arrest him at the synagogue were it not for the crowd (Mark’s account described the crowd as a multitude) that had gathered at the Temple, drawn by the news of miraculous healings that Jesus did.
And this is the same with us, many of us think of going to Jesus whenever we feel forlorn and or are heavily burdened by frustrations, disappointments and despair. It has actually become customary for many of our sisters and brothers to only think of Jesus when the going gets rough but we put Him aside when everything seems to be going alright in our lives.
I too have been guilty of this. Early in my journey in the faith I labored between pursuing my business and following the path towards the righteousness of God. At that time, I just couldn’t give up my business activities even if was opposed to the standards of God. This brings to mind the current “pork barrel scam” that is in the news today because I too used to bribe executives of financial institutions that I was using before as conduits for my transactions.
I sealed my Covenant with the Lord in 1992 but I still went on with my life believing that God will understand as I was also generous in my Tithes and support for our Community activities. But somewhere along the way, I knew I will have to make a decision as my business dealings and the Kingdom of God are like two opposite poles and never the twain shall meet.
But God is patient. He never abandoned me and my conversion came in a most unusual way. My business collapsed. The swine breeding farm I put up also went bankrupt. In such a short time, I went from doing business at the coffee shops of five-star hotels to selling almost everything I had just to get by.
I was back to commuting on public transport. I could not even step into the lobby of the hotels that I used to frequent. In this time of despair, I turned to God and in His faithfulness He carried me through.
One day a friend of mine from out of nowhere called me up and told me to get one of the cars from their home that they are no longer using and that I could pay it when I am able to get back on my feet. When I took the car from my friend’s home, I nearly froze when I saw a sticker of the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community pasted on the car’s rear windshield.
Right there and then I thanked the Lord for His goodness and kindness and I made a decision to put things right in my life. I started to make use of my gift as a Writer and did work as a public relations practitioner till now. The rewards may not be as much as when I was engaged in financial wheeling and dealing but we have never been in want every since.
Trust in the Lord is all that I am banking on and I know that He will not let us down in our time of need. The multitude saw in Jesus their hope for healing and a better life. And the Pharisees who were humiliated when Jesus overruled their authority began to plot against him.
Aware of the danger and because his time had not yet come, Jesus withdrew from the synagogues and went on preaching in the countryside and He also healed all who came to him for healing. But Jesus warned the crowd not to tell anyone because He did not want the people to come to Him for the wrong reason.
Nevertheless, Jesus offered hope to the people and instead of a king the people expected, what the people saw was a gentle ruler who brings justice to all the nations which fulfilled the prophecy in Isa 42:1-4 which describes Jesus as a chosen servant who is a character of gentleness, encouragement, justice and truth.
When we become like a bruised reed, Jesus won’t toss us around like a useless reed but He will pick us up gently and through His Spirit, we too can show our sensitivity to those around us by replicating this same gentleness that others may also be drawn to God. In Jesus, we can feel God reaching out to each and every one of us in love. And God expects us to also deal with one another especially the poor in a spirit of love and compassion.
Let me end with this prayer through the intercession of Our Lady of Mount Carmel: O most beautiful Flower of Mount Carmel, Fruitful Vine, Splendor of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me this my necessity. O Star of the Sea, help me and show me herein you are my Mother.
O Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart, to succor me in this necessity; there are none that can withstand your power.
O, show me herein you are my Mother, O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee. (3 times)
Sweet Mother, I place this cause in your hands. (3 times)
1st Reading: Exo 12:37-42
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 136:1, 23-24, 10-15 "His mercy endures forever."
GOSPEL: MATT 12:14-21
Key Verse: “In His Name the nations will put their hope.” (v.21)
Our Gospel passage today can be better understood if we will at least read through the preceding passage in vv. 9-14 where the Scribes and Pharisees were left speechless after Jesus healed a man with a deformed hand during the Sabbath.
We all know that the Jews has a very strict standard when it comes to the Sabbath and Jesus threw out all their arguments after he was asked if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath. Jesus then cited a Mosaic law that allowed a sheep to be saved if it fell into a pit and Jesus used this exemption to stress his point that it is not against the law that man should be healed of his affliction even on a Sabbath.
Humiliated by the argument of Jesus, the Pharisees started to plot against him. In fact, they wanted to arrest him at the synagogue were it not for the crowd (Mark’s account described the crowd as a multitude) that had gathered at the Temple, drawn by the news of miraculous healings that Jesus did.
And this is the same with us, many of us think of going to Jesus whenever we feel forlorn and or are heavily burdened by frustrations, disappointments and despair. It has actually become customary for many of our sisters and brothers to only think of Jesus when the going gets rough but we put Him aside when everything seems to be going alright in our lives.
I too have been guilty of this. Early in my journey in the faith I labored between pursuing my business and following the path towards the righteousness of God. At that time, I just couldn’t give up my business activities even if was opposed to the standards of God. This brings to mind the current “pork barrel scam” that is in the news today because I too used to bribe executives of financial institutions that I was using before as conduits for my transactions.
I sealed my Covenant with the Lord in 1992 but I still went on with my life believing that God will understand as I was also generous in my Tithes and support for our Community activities. But somewhere along the way, I knew I will have to make a decision as my business dealings and the Kingdom of God are like two opposite poles and never the twain shall meet.
But God is patient. He never abandoned me and my conversion came in a most unusual way. My business collapsed. The swine breeding farm I put up also went bankrupt. In such a short time, I went from doing business at the coffee shops of five-star hotels to selling almost everything I had just to get by.
I was back to commuting on public transport. I could not even step into the lobby of the hotels that I used to frequent. In this time of despair, I turned to God and in His faithfulness He carried me through.
One day a friend of mine from out of nowhere called me up and told me to get one of the cars from their home that they are no longer using and that I could pay it when I am able to get back on my feet. When I took the car from my friend’s home, I nearly froze when I saw a sticker of the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community pasted on the car’s rear windshield.
Right there and then I thanked the Lord for His goodness and kindness and I made a decision to put things right in my life. I started to make use of my gift as a Writer and did work as a public relations practitioner till now. The rewards may not be as much as when I was engaged in financial wheeling and dealing but we have never been in want every since.
Trust in the Lord is all that I am banking on and I know that He will not let us down in our time of need. The multitude saw in Jesus their hope for healing and a better life. And the Pharisees who were humiliated when Jesus overruled their authority began to plot against him.
Aware of the danger and because his time had not yet come, Jesus withdrew from the synagogues and went on preaching in the countryside and He also healed all who came to him for healing. But Jesus warned the crowd not to tell anyone because He did not want the people to come to Him for the wrong reason.
Nevertheless, Jesus offered hope to the people and instead of a king the people expected, what the people saw was a gentle ruler who brings justice to all the nations which fulfilled the prophecy in Isa 42:1-4 which describes Jesus as a chosen servant who is a character of gentleness, encouragement, justice and truth.
When we become like a bruised reed, Jesus won’t toss us around like a useless reed but He will pick us up gently and through His Spirit, we too can show our sensitivity to those around us by replicating this same gentleness that others may also be drawn to God. In Jesus, we can feel God reaching out to each and every one of us in love. And God expects us to also deal with one another especially the poor in a spirit of love and compassion.
Let me end with this prayer through the intercession of Our Lady of Mount Carmel: O most beautiful Flower of Mount Carmel, Fruitful Vine, Splendor of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me this my necessity. O Star of the Sea, help me and show me herein you are my Mother.
O Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart, to succor me in this necessity; there are none that can withstand your power.
O, show me herein you are my Mother, O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee. (3 times)
Sweet Mother, I place this cause in your hands. (3 times)
CHRIST: THE LORD OF ALL
JULY 19, 2013: FIFTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Exo 11:10-12, 14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 116:12-18 “I will take the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: MATT 12:1-8
Key Verse: “For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” (v.8)
The Gospel reading today brings into focus the intensity with which the Pharisees observe their religious laws and beliefs. To the Jews the Sabbath is a holy day in which everyone is commanded to take the day off but they are not to do anything that would require some effort or a burden on the part of the person.
The Jews equate burden with the weight of at least two dried figs which means that to pick up two dried figs in your front yard or back yard can be considered a violation of the Law of the Sabbath. But what the Jews aren’t aware of was that these set of Laws are also beginning to become a burden to the people and Jesus is primarily being blamed for bringing to light the burdens the people carried.
The question in this Gospel passage is did the Apostles violate the Law of the Sabbath when they plucked the ears of the corn as they passed by the ripened field. They rubbed it in their hands to clean it and eat it raw. To the Pharisees who saw it this was a violation of the Law.
And Jesus responded by asking the Pharisees “have you not read?” quoting from 1 Sam 21:1-6 where it is written that David entered a Temple and partook of the consecrated bread because he was hungry. The Apostles too were hungry following a day of following Jesus who said that to pluck the ear of a corn was not a violation of the Law and again Jesus bluntly told the Pharisees using the words in Hos 6:6 “for I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.”
What Jesus was actually saying was that religious laws must be able to bring people closer to God and not to the rituals that accompany worship. Even in the prayer meetings of charismatic communities, if the people become more concerned with the means of worship than with the one they worship, they will miss the real presence of God in their lives believing that they are worshiping Him.
And then Jesus capped this Gospel passage by saying “For the Son of Man is the Lord of the Sabbath” (v.8) and it drew even more criticisms from the Pharisees because to them this was blasphemous but what they did not understand at the time was that Jesus had all the right to say it because He is the Lord who made the Sabbath and this was a fact that the Pharisees refused to accept.
To Jesus, far more important than the rituals of worship is the need to serve those in need and this is an area that we need to ask ourselves. Have we become so enamored by the rituals in our church or community that we try to become excellent in the conduct of our prayer meetings but neglecting that which is more important which is to evangelize? Where is worship in that?
A whole compendium of Papal Encyclicals provide us with the mission of the Catholic Church that is anchored not on the rituals of our worship but in our getting involved in all the problems and demands of the world and the people around us especially those who have been deprived of their share in the wealth of the earth and the need to bring the Gospel message to the oppressed and the marginalized.
And most often this is where worship begin to diminish as we replace our mandate to evangelize with projects and programs which are also good but which must be treated as the fruit of evangelization rather than regard these as the main preoccupation of every Christian.
As we go through life, we will definitely come face to face with life’s standards – the human standard and God’s standard – and never the twain shall meet. Just as with the Apostles who were plucking the ears of the corn on a Sabbath, we too are sometimes judged in accord with human standards.
This is the same with how the charismatic renewal is related to the conversion experience of a person. The encounter with Christ that is at the heart of the Life in the Spirit seminar is an opportunity through which the conversion of a person is achieved.
There are times, however, when conversion takes a different path. Some will emerge from the experience as a new person, humbled by his nothingness before Christ who died that we may live. But there are some who will step out of the LSS with an attitude that is worse than when they came in. Being created in the image and likeness of God means we can be like God but we cannot be God.
When Jesus said “I tell you that one greater than the temple is here” he was simply saying that the object of worship should be the focal point of worship and not the rituals. In the same way, to spread the Gospel of Christ should be the goal of every church or community over and above whatever projects and programs there are.
At the end of the day, what Jesus is telling us is what the Psalmist said in Psa 40:8 “I desire to do Your Will, O my God; Your law is within my heart.” The Sabbath indeed, if we are to take the words of Jesus to heart, should be used not only for our own human development as a disciple but to be used to bring God to the world.
1st Reading: Exo 11:10-12, 14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 116:12-18 “I will take the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: MATT 12:1-8
Key Verse: “For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” (v.8)
The Gospel reading today brings into focus the intensity with which the Pharisees observe their religious laws and beliefs. To the Jews the Sabbath is a holy day in which everyone is commanded to take the day off but they are not to do anything that would require some effort or a burden on the part of the person.
The Jews equate burden with the weight of at least two dried figs which means that to pick up two dried figs in your front yard or back yard can be considered a violation of the Law of the Sabbath. But what the Jews aren’t aware of was that these set of Laws are also beginning to become a burden to the people and Jesus is primarily being blamed for bringing to light the burdens the people carried.
The question in this Gospel passage is did the Apostles violate the Law of the Sabbath when they plucked the ears of the corn as they passed by the ripened field. They rubbed it in their hands to clean it and eat it raw. To the Pharisees who saw it this was a violation of the Law.
And Jesus responded by asking the Pharisees “have you not read?” quoting from 1 Sam 21:1-6 where it is written that David entered a Temple and partook of the consecrated bread because he was hungry. The Apostles too were hungry following a day of following Jesus who said that to pluck the ear of a corn was not a violation of the Law and again Jesus bluntly told the Pharisees using the words in Hos 6:6 “for I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.”
What Jesus was actually saying was that religious laws must be able to bring people closer to God and not to the rituals that accompany worship. Even in the prayer meetings of charismatic communities, if the people become more concerned with the means of worship than with the one they worship, they will miss the real presence of God in their lives believing that they are worshiping Him.
And then Jesus capped this Gospel passage by saying “For the Son of Man is the Lord of the Sabbath” (v.8) and it drew even more criticisms from the Pharisees because to them this was blasphemous but what they did not understand at the time was that Jesus had all the right to say it because He is the Lord who made the Sabbath and this was a fact that the Pharisees refused to accept.
To Jesus, far more important than the rituals of worship is the need to serve those in need and this is an area that we need to ask ourselves. Have we become so enamored by the rituals in our church or community that we try to become excellent in the conduct of our prayer meetings but neglecting that which is more important which is to evangelize? Where is worship in that?
A whole compendium of Papal Encyclicals provide us with the mission of the Catholic Church that is anchored not on the rituals of our worship but in our getting involved in all the problems and demands of the world and the people around us especially those who have been deprived of their share in the wealth of the earth and the need to bring the Gospel message to the oppressed and the marginalized.
And most often this is where worship begin to diminish as we replace our mandate to evangelize with projects and programs which are also good but which must be treated as the fruit of evangelization rather than regard these as the main preoccupation of every Christian.
As we go through life, we will definitely come face to face with life’s standards – the human standard and God’s standard – and never the twain shall meet. Just as with the Apostles who were plucking the ears of the corn on a Sabbath, we too are sometimes judged in accord with human standards.
This is the same with how the charismatic renewal is related to the conversion experience of a person. The encounter with Christ that is at the heart of the Life in the Spirit seminar is an opportunity through which the conversion of a person is achieved.
There are times, however, when conversion takes a different path. Some will emerge from the experience as a new person, humbled by his nothingness before Christ who died that we may live. But there are some who will step out of the LSS with an attitude that is worse than when they came in. Being created in the image and likeness of God means we can be like God but we cannot be God.
When Jesus said “I tell you that one greater than the temple is here” he was simply saying that the object of worship should be the focal point of worship and not the rituals. In the same way, to spread the Gospel of Christ should be the goal of every church or community over and above whatever projects and programs there are.
At the end of the day, what Jesus is telling us is what the Psalmist said in Psa 40:8 “I desire to do Your Will, O my God; Your law is within my heart.” The Sabbath indeed, if we are to take the words of Jesus to heart, should be used not only for our own human development as a disciple but to be used to bring God to the world.
EASY LIFE IN JESUS
JULY 18, 2013: FIFTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Exo 3:13-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 105:1, 5, 8-9, 24-27 “The Lord remembers his covenant forever.”
GOSPEL: Matt 11:28-30
Key Verse: “For my yoke is easy and my burden light.” (v.30)
Has it ever occurred to you that Jesus in this Gospel passage had equated his yoke in reference to himself as easy and described his burden as light because he actually made the best yokes in Galilee?
In fact there was a legend saying that Jesus being a carpenter made the best yokes in all of Galilee and that men from all over the region came to him to buy the best yokes that one could find. It was even pointed out that there was a sign at the door of Joseph’s carpentry shop in Nazareth that says “My yokes fit well.”
As with the other narratives in Matthew’s Gospel, the evangelist quotes Jesus using parables when teaching to the Jews and, in this particular passage he spoke of his yoke that he described as easy and the burdens coming from his teachings as light. As we are not present when he gave this teaching, we need to dig into our historical briefs so that we can get a clearer picture of what he meant with this passage.
Firstly, the burden that Jesus was referring to in this passage pertains to the rules and regulations that the Scribes and the Pharisees have imposed on the Jews in those days that were not only hard to bear but which keep the people from worshiping and having a relationship with God. The religious leaders have expanded the Ten Commandments so that if you look at these Decalogue principles in the modern technological sense it would look like a computer file folder that you can collapse that would open or lead you to different other files.
Jesus took sides with the people who have been burdened by the seemingly endless demands of the Law made by the religious leaders of his time. Take for example the laws that govern the observance of the Sabbath that forbade Jews from even tying their animals or even in the preparation of food or the intricate ritual in the washing of the hands before every meal.
And Jesus invites those listening to him to take his yoke which he termed as easy and his burden light. Again, we need to understand what a yoke is and why Jesus used this as a reference. It was because the Jews are familiar with what the yoke was and how it works.
During the time of Jesus, yokes are made of wood and are fitted to neck of the ox and no two yokes are the same. This means that the oxen are brought to a carpenter who then measures the yoke to be made. The oxen are then brought back to fit the yoke, make the necessary adjustments so that it would fit well and not make it difficult for the ox to carry. In other words, the yoke was tailor fit to the ox.
As we leave this Biblical scene and fast-forward into our present-day realities, we will find that there are many around us who find themselves in a similar situation in which they carry so much burden that prevent them from entering into a relationship with God. Thus it becomes necessary that we need to know what could be the yoke that is causing so much burden in our lives.
This burden could either be our ignorance of who God is or simply our refusal to place ourselves under an unseen force preferring to rely on our instincts moved by our exercise of free will that God himself gave us.
Or it could be our anxiety, depression, fear and doubt, lack of inner peace and perhaps we are overwhelmed by our sins and transgressions that separate us from God (Isa 59:1-2).
At some point in time when all our chips are down, we will come to realize that we need divine assistance to reverse whatever situation we are in and by God’s own design he will seek us and when he finds us he will also invite us to come to him, take his yoke and learn from him.
When Jesus said his “yoke is easy” it simply meant that he already has measured the size of our neck and shoulders so that his yoke will fit well. This means that whatever tasks that God gives us are measured in accordance with our abilities which is why he gave us the Gifts of the Holy Spirit to equip and empower us in our journey to his Kingdom.
Jesus also said “my burden is light.” It doesn’t mean he will make our burdens light but he will make it light on account of the love that goes with it. When we do others a favor. When we go to the mission field. When we bring the Good News to others. When we minister to those who are hurting and sick. When we shepherd others. When we give alms. All these will become light when these are done in love.
Do you still remember the song “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” by Neil Diamond and Glen Campbell? It tells of a story about a boy who was carrying on his shoulders a smaller boy and a man they met on the road remarked “that’s a heavy burden for you to carry.” And the boy said “that’s no burden, he’s my brother.” Any burden carried in love will always be light.
Jesus used the yoke as an illustration to show us how we can be relieved from the burden of sin, despair and disobedience and replace these with the yoke that will lead us to deliverance from bondages and into a glorious life and eternal joy.
“Learn from me” (v.29), he said, because it is only through him that we will learn how to live in grace, power, freedom and to live in love, peace and joy by the power of his Word on which we can stand firm (Lk 6:46-49). In his mercy and compassion, Christ himself will provide us the strength (Phi 4:13) so that his yoke will be easy and his burden light.
In this the Ordinary Time in the Liturgical Calendar, God invites us to use this period to put into practice the readings and the teachings of Jesus during the liturgical seasons and we can do this by putting all our trust in him because it is only in doing so that we can receive the blessings of his kingdom and those “who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isa 40:31).
1st Reading: Exo 3:13-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 105:1, 5, 8-9, 24-27 “The Lord remembers his covenant forever.”
GOSPEL: Matt 11:28-30
Key Verse: “For my yoke is easy and my burden light.” (v.30)
Has it ever occurred to you that Jesus in this Gospel passage had equated his yoke in reference to himself as easy and described his burden as light because he actually made the best yokes in Galilee?
In fact there was a legend saying that Jesus being a carpenter made the best yokes in all of Galilee and that men from all over the region came to him to buy the best yokes that one could find. It was even pointed out that there was a sign at the door of Joseph’s carpentry shop in Nazareth that says “My yokes fit well.”
As with the other narratives in Matthew’s Gospel, the evangelist quotes Jesus using parables when teaching to the Jews and, in this particular passage he spoke of his yoke that he described as easy and the burdens coming from his teachings as light. As we are not present when he gave this teaching, we need to dig into our historical briefs so that we can get a clearer picture of what he meant with this passage.
Firstly, the burden that Jesus was referring to in this passage pertains to the rules and regulations that the Scribes and the Pharisees have imposed on the Jews in those days that were not only hard to bear but which keep the people from worshiping and having a relationship with God. The religious leaders have expanded the Ten Commandments so that if you look at these Decalogue principles in the modern technological sense it would look like a computer file folder that you can collapse that would open or lead you to different other files.
Jesus took sides with the people who have been burdened by the seemingly endless demands of the Law made by the religious leaders of his time. Take for example the laws that govern the observance of the Sabbath that forbade Jews from even tying their animals or even in the preparation of food or the intricate ritual in the washing of the hands before every meal.
And Jesus invites those listening to him to take his yoke which he termed as easy and his burden light. Again, we need to understand what a yoke is and why Jesus used this as a reference. It was because the Jews are familiar with what the yoke was and how it works.
During the time of Jesus, yokes are made of wood and are fitted to neck of the ox and no two yokes are the same. This means that the oxen are brought to a carpenter who then measures the yoke to be made. The oxen are then brought back to fit the yoke, make the necessary adjustments so that it would fit well and not make it difficult for the ox to carry. In other words, the yoke was tailor fit to the ox.
As we leave this Biblical scene and fast-forward into our present-day realities, we will find that there are many around us who find themselves in a similar situation in which they carry so much burden that prevent them from entering into a relationship with God. Thus it becomes necessary that we need to know what could be the yoke that is causing so much burden in our lives.
This burden could either be our ignorance of who God is or simply our refusal to place ourselves under an unseen force preferring to rely on our instincts moved by our exercise of free will that God himself gave us.
Or it could be our anxiety, depression, fear and doubt, lack of inner peace and perhaps we are overwhelmed by our sins and transgressions that separate us from God (Isa 59:1-2).
At some point in time when all our chips are down, we will come to realize that we need divine assistance to reverse whatever situation we are in and by God’s own design he will seek us and when he finds us he will also invite us to come to him, take his yoke and learn from him.
When Jesus said his “yoke is easy” it simply meant that he already has measured the size of our neck and shoulders so that his yoke will fit well. This means that whatever tasks that God gives us are measured in accordance with our abilities which is why he gave us the Gifts of the Holy Spirit to equip and empower us in our journey to his Kingdom.
Jesus also said “my burden is light.” It doesn’t mean he will make our burdens light but he will make it light on account of the love that goes with it. When we do others a favor. When we go to the mission field. When we bring the Good News to others. When we minister to those who are hurting and sick. When we shepherd others. When we give alms. All these will become light when these are done in love.
Do you still remember the song “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” by Neil Diamond and Glen Campbell? It tells of a story about a boy who was carrying on his shoulders a smaller boy and a man they met on the road remarked “that’s a heavy burden for you to carry.” And the boy said “that’s no burden, he’s my brother.” Any burden carried in love will always be light.
Jesus used the yoke as an illustration to show us how we can be relieved from the burden of sin, despair and disobedience and replace these with the yoke that will lead us to deliverance from bondages and into a glorious life and eternal joy.
“Learn from me” (v.29), he said, because it is only through him that we will learn how to live in grace, power, freedom and to live in love, peace and joy by the power of his Word on which we can stand firm (Lk 6:46-49). In his mercy and compassion, Christ himself will provide us the strength (Phi 4:13) so that his yoke will be easy and his burden light.
In this the Ordinary Time in the Liturgical Calendar, God invites us to use this period to put into practice the readings and the teachings of Jesus during the liturgical seasons and we can do this by putting all our trust in him because it is only in doing so that we can receive the blessings of his kingdom and those “who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isa 40:31).
SEE GOD THROUGH JESUS
JULY 17, 2013: FIFTEENTH WEEK OF ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Exo 3:1-6, 9-12
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 103:1-4, 6-7 “The Lord is kind
and merciful.”
GOSPEL: MATT 11:25-27
Key Verse: “No one knows the Father except the Son.” (v.27)
Jesus in prayer pours out his heart to God and here He mentions two kinds of people – the wise and the clever, the arrogant who take pride in their knowledge of their religion and the childlike, the self-righteous and the humble.
Even if this Gospel was written by Matthew more than 2,000 years ago, the words of Jesus still echo up to this time because we are still confronted with the same set of people even now.
How we relate to Jesus today was how the people related to Him in his time. In the same manner that the Pharisees and their followers have rejected Jesus then, so too do some of us reject Him now and we may not even know it.
In presenting a contrast between these two situations He faced in those days, Jesus was rejected by the elite of society at that time but He was welcomed and accepted by the ordinary people and this growing popularity and acceptance of Jesus by the masses was what unnerved the religious leaders.
It was in fact out of fear of a growing rebellion against the established order that became the reason for his rejection by the Pharisees and the ruling elite.
But Jesus was not actually against those who are learned but it was more of the intellectual arrogance that He was against. This is true even today when we at times are confronted with people who have kept the Scriptures in their heads rather than store it in their hearts.
But the most important point in this Gospel passage is v.27 when Jesus said “No one really knows the Son except the Father, and no one really knows the Father except the Son and to those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.”
This represents the centrality of our Christian faith that the only way we will know God is to know Jesus. In the Old Testament times, to know is more than just head knowledge. To know a person in the time of Jesus is to have an intimate relationship with the person.
This intimate communion between the Father and the Son is at the heart of their relationship and allow me to paraphrase what Jesus is saying here in v.27: “you want to see what God is like. If you want to know more about who God is. All you have to do is look at me.”
But the conditionality that is present here is that it is God Himself through Jesus who chooses to whom He will reveal Himself. In other words, Jesus will reveal who God is to those whom He shall so choose. As in this Gospel passage, God will keep His presence from those who have rejected and or will reject Jesus.
We are not only fortunate but blessed that in our own time, Jesus has revealed to us who God is. The question that awaits our response is do we have the humility to receive this revelation. Do we have the heart of the ordinary people who accepted Jesus to now accept God or will we be like the Pharisees who rejected Him.
Pope Francis has recently released his first encyclical – Lumen Fidei – or the Light of Faith. What is highlighted in this book is that underlying truth that faith has three stages in order for it to be complete. The first is that while faith is a virtue that has been mysteriously infused in us at the time of our baptism, faith nevertheless is something we need to learn but it does not end there because faith has to be lived.
And in order for our faith to become complete it has to be shared with others. It is not enough that we believe Jesus. What makes the faith that we have complete is to believe “in” Jesus. To believe in Jesus is to be one with him by getting into his heart such that our nature is transposed into the image and likeness of God.
In other words, we lose our own identities because to believe in Jesus is to forget who we are, our stature, titles, possessions, accomplishments and instead put on the character of Christ which is rooted on two basic premises – love God with all our heart, mind and soul and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.
When we can do this, we are assured of his patronage that we can truly become his disciples who are ready for the mission ahead of us and that is to proclaim the Gospel of Christ to others.
1st Reading: Exo 3:1-6, 9-12
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 103:1-4, 6-7 “The Lord is kind
and merciful.”
GOSPEL: MATT 11:25-27
Key Verse: “No one knows the Father except the Son.” (v.27)
Jesus in prayer pours out his heart to God and here He mentions two kinds of people – the wise and the clever, the arrogant who take pride in their knowledge of their religion and the childlike, the self-righteous and the humble.
Even if this Gospel was written by Matthew more than 2,000 years ago, the words of Jesus still echo up to this time because we are still confronted with the same set of people even now.
How we relate to Jesus today was how the people related to Him in his time. In the same manner that the Pharisees and their followers have rejected Jesus then, so too do some of us reject Him now and we may not even know it.
In presenting a contrast between these two situations He faced in those days, Jesus was rejected by the elite of society at that time but He was welcomed and accepted by the ordinary people and this growing popularity and acceptance of Jesus by the masses was what unnerved the religious leaders.
It was in fact out of fear of a growing rebellion against the established order that became the reason for his rejection by the Pharisees and the ruling elite.
But Jesus was not actually against those who are learned but it was more of the intellectual arrogance that He was against. This is true even today when we at times are confronted with people who have kept the Scriptures in their heads rather than store it in their hearts.
But the most important point in this Gospel passage is v.27 when Jesus said “No one really knows the Son except the Father, and no one really knows the Father except the Son and to those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.”
This represents the centrality of our Christian faith that the only way we will know God is to know Jesus. In the Old Testament times, to know is more than just head knowledge. To know a person in the time of Jesus is to have an intimate relationship with the person.
This intimate communion between the Father and the Son is at the heart of their relationship and allow me to paraphrase what Jesus is saying here in v.27: “you want to see what God is like. If you want to know more about who God is. All you have to do is look at me.”
But the conditionality that is present here is that it is God Himself through Jesus who chooses to whom He will reveal Himself. In other words, Jesus will reveal who God is to those whom He shall so choose. As in this Gospel passage, God will keep His presence from those who have rejected and or will reject Jesus.
We are not only fortunate but blessed that in our own time, Jesus has revealed to us who God is. The question that awaits our response is do we have the humility to receive this revelation. Do we have the heart of the ordinary people who accepted Jesus to now accept God or will we be like the Pharisees who rejected Him.
Pope Francis has recently released his first encyclical – Lumen Fidei – or the Light of Faith. What is highlighted in this book is that underlying truth that faith has three stages in order for it to be complete. The first is that while faith is a virtue that has been mysteriously infused in us at the time of our baptism, faith nevertheless is something we need to learn but it does not end there because faith has to be lived.
And in order for our faith to become complete it has to be shared with others. It is not enough that we believe Jesus. What makes the faith that we have complete is to believe “in” Jesus. To believe in Jesus is to be one with him by getting into his heart such that our nature is transposed into the image and likeness of God.
In other words, we lose our own identities because to believe in Jesus is to forget who we are, our stature, titles, possessions, accomplishments and instead put on the character of Christ which is rooted on two basic premises – love God with all our heart, mind and soul and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.
When we can do this, we are assured of his patronage that we can truly become his disciples who are ready for the mission ahead of us and that is to proclaim the Gospel of Christ to others.
REJECTION BRINGS CONDEMNATION
JULY 16, 2013: MEMORIAL OF OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL
1st Reading: Exo 2:1-15
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 69:3, 14, 30-31, 33-34 “Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.”
GOSPEL: Matt 11:20-24
Key verse: “No, you will go down to the depths.” (v.23)
In all likelihood, many of us who will be reading this Gospel passage for the first time will interpret this as a reflection of the anger of Jesus towards the people of Chorazin and Bethsaida because of the use of the word “woe.”
Woe is in fact a very strong word that can be interpreted as a curse or as an expression of anger by a person towards a wrong done to his persona. But the word woe that Jesus used in this Gospel was one that carries with it sorrow and pity for a people who will never have a chance to enter the Kingdom of God.
This passage also comes as a surprise especially since there is no record of what Jesus did in either of these two cities except for some references implying that Jesus did mighty works there.
It may also be probable that Chorazin and Bethsaida were simply dragged along with the people of Capernaum who are actually the object of the anger of Jesus and, again, to understand this we must look back at the ministry of Jesus.
Rejected by the people in his own hometown, Jesus often traveled to Capernaum which was a bustling city but where the people’s customs and traditions are being influenced by the corruption foisted by the presence of a Roman garrison in the area.
Jesus wanted the people of Capernaum who have sunk to the depths of sinfulness to embrace his message of salvation and deliverance but the majority of the people remained unresponsive to the Good News that he brings.
What made Jesus angry actually was not the rejection he met but the indifference of the people to his message. The Pharisees, on the other hand, were not indifferent but they merely resented Jesus because he exposed their abuses and the contradictions in the way they practiced their faith.
The people of Capernaum simply disregarded him and this is what really got into the goat of Jesus because to be ignored and disregarded are probably much worse than being criminally persecuted and executed.
At the end of the day, Jesus denounced the people of Capernaum “and you Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths.” (v.23) History shows us that Capernaum was destroyed during the Jewish-Roman war in 66-70A.D. and although it was rebuilt to become a center of Judaism, the city of Capernaum was finally destroyed and occupied by the Arabs in the 7th Century.
What this Gospel tells us is that we too stand to suffer the same fate as the people of Capernaum, Chorazin and Bethsaida if we will choose to become indifferent and ignore the message of salvation that Christ brings.
Many of us may be violating some of the resolutions and pledges to turn our lives around that we made before God. We may be running away from invitations to serve in the church. Those who are already in the church, it is possible many of you may be turning down assignments to serve in a ministry or apostolate. Or your attendance in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist may not be as regular as it should be. And many times, we become indifferent because we cannot sacrifice the comforts, the night outs, the life in the fast lane to a committed life that is needed to spread the Gospel here on earth.
And this is the greatest sin that we as baptized Catholic Christians can ever commit and that is to be indifferent by ignoring the presence of Christ and His Word of Salvation and Deliverance. Not only were the people of Capernaum, Chorazin and Bethsaida indifferent but they were unrepentant as well and Jesus stresses that it would have been better if he brought his message to Tyre and Sidon instead.
Capernaum, Chorazin and Bethsaida could have been spared the wrath of God had they repented and accepted the Good News and Jesus is showing us that what may happen to the people of these three cities will also happen to us if we will persist in ignoring his call.
Repentance brings a change of heart and way of life and in love Jesus is calling us to walk in his way of truth, love and holiness and the question we need to ask ourselves now is are we embracing His Word with genuine faith and obedience? Because the other alternative is unbearable.
As I have told you in one of my earlier reflections there was a man who kept holding off his decision to become a Christian saying “I will follow Christ one of these days.” Unfortunately, he never saw “one of these days” because God called him in “one of those days.”
We should not play with our lives since time is a luxury that we don’t have. It’s either we live in and with God or we don’t. If we choose to be in and with Christ, then eternal salvation is within our reach. If we choose to reject, ignore and disregard Christ, then it is no different from putting a millstone tied around our necks and be thrown to the depths of the sea. What we may not be aware of is that we bring upon ourselves our own condemnation when we reject Christ.
To be in and with Christ is to move out of our comfort zones. I heard Mark Nimo, a Catholic evangelist from Chicago, who once said in a seminar I attended that renewed Christians must be a people on the move. He said the time for talking is over. We are now in a time that requires action. How true indeed and this was explicitly highlighted by the Holy Father Pope Francis in his encyclical Lumen Fidei in which the Pope said that faith is not complete when it remains as a head-knowledge. Faith has to be lived and shared with others for faith to be complete.
How true because not to bring the Gospel of Christ to others is to reject Christ and thus reject the One who sent Him.
1st Reading: Exo 2:1-15
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 69:3, 14, 30-31, 33-34 “Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.”
GOSPEL: Matt 11:20-24
Key verse: “No, you will go down to the depths.” (v.23)
In all likelihood, many of us who will be reading this Gospel passage for the first time will interpret this as a reflection of the anger of Jesus towards the people of Chorazin and Bethsaida because of the use of the word “woe.”
Woe is in fact a very strong word that can be interpreted as a curse or as an expression of anger by a person towards a wrong done to his persona. But the word woe that Jesus used in this Gospel was one that carries with it sorrow and pity for a people who will never have a chance to enter the Kingdom of God.
This passage also comes as a surprise especially since there is no record of what Jesus did in either of these two cities except for some references implying that Jesus did mighty works there.
It may also be probable that Chorazin and Bethsaida were simply dragged along with the people of Capernaum who are actually the object of the anger of Jesus and, again, to understand this we must look back at the ministry of Jesus.
Rejected by the people in his own hometown, Jesus often traveled to Capernaum which was a bustling city but where the people’s customs and traditions are being influenced by the corruption foisted by the presence of a Roman garrison in the area.
Jesus wanted the people of Capernaum who have sunk to the depths of sinfulness to embrace his message of salvation and deliverance but the majority of the people remained unresponsive to the Good News that he brings.
What made Jesus angry actually was not the rejection he met but the indifference of the people to his message. The Pharisees, on the other hand, were not indifferent but they merely resented Jesus because he exposed their abuses and the contradictions in the way they practiced their faith.
The people of Capernaum simply disregarded him and this is what really got into the goat of Jesus because to be ignored and disregarded are probably much worse than being criminally persecuted and executed.
At the end of the day, Jesus denounced the people of Capernaum “and you Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths.” (v.23) History shows us that Capernaum was destroyed during the Jewish-Roman war in 66-70A.D. and although it was rebuilt to become a center of Judaism, the city of Capernaum was finally destroyed and occupied by the Arabs in the 7th Century.
What this Gospel tells us is that we too stand to suffer the same fate as the people of Capernaum, Chorazin and Bethsaida if we will choose to become indifferent and ignore the message of salvation that Christ brings.
Many of us may be violating some of the resolutions and pledges to turn our lives around that we made before God. We may be running away from invitations to serve in the church. Those who are already in the church, it is possible many of you may be turning down assignments to serve in a ministry or apostolate. Or your attendance in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist may not be as regular as it should be. And many times, we become indifferent because we cannot sacrifice the comforts, the night outs, the life in the fast lane to a committed life that is needed to spread the Gospel here on earth.
And this is the greatest sin that we as baptized Catholic Christians can ever commit and that is to be indifferent by ignoring the presence of Christ and His Word of Salvation and Deliverance. Not only were the people of Capernaum, Chorazin and Bethsaida indifferent but they were unrepentant as well and Jesus stresses that it would have been better if he brought his message to Tyre and Sidon instead.
Capernaum, Chorazin and Bethsaida could have been spared the wrath of God had they repented and accepted the Good News and Jesus is showing us that what may happen to the people of these three cities will also happen to us if we will persist in ignoring his call.
Repentance brings a change of heart and way of life and in love Jesus is calling us to walk in his way of truth, love and holiness and the question we need to ask ourselves now is are we embracing His Word with genuine faith and obedience? Because the other alternative is unbearable.
As I have told you in one of my earlier reflections there was a man who kept holding off his decision to become a Christian saying “I will follow Christ one of these days.” Unfortunately, he never saw “one of these days” because God called him in “one of those days.”
We should not play with our lives since time is a luxury that we don’t have. It’s either we live in and with God or we don’t. If we choose to be in and with Christ, then eternal salvation is within our reach. If we choose to reject, ignore and disregard Christ, then it is no different from putting a millstone tied around our necks and be thrown to the depths of the sea. What we may not be aware of is that we bring upon ourselves our own condemnation when we reject Christ.
To be in and with Christ is to move out of our comfort zones. I heard Mark Nimo, a Catholic evangelist from Chicago, who once said in a seminar I attended that renewed Christians must be a people on the move. He said the time for talking is over. We are now in a time that requires action. How true indeed and this was explicitly highlighted by the Holy Father Pope Francis in his encyclical Lumen Fidei in which the Pope said that faith is not complete when it remains as a head-knowledge. Faith has to be lived and shared with others for faith to be complete.
How true because not to bring the Gospel of Christ to others is to reject Christ and thus reject the One who sent Him.
FINDING BY LOSING
JULY 15, 2013: ST. BONAVENTURE, Bishop and Doctor
1st Reading: Exo 1:8-14, 22
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 124:1, 3-4, 6-8 “Our help is in the name of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: MATT 10:34-11:1
Key Verse: “…whoever loses his life for my sake
will find it.” (v.39)
By this time Jesus was already on a fast-track mode and he had to use a methodology that was not only effective but something in which the Jews are very familiar with. This is the use of parables (stories that the people of his time are familiar with) and he needed to be concise, direct to the point, sincere and honest in the three years that he has to complete his ministry before he goes through his passion and death in obedience to the Father’s Will.
Take for example this spoken record of Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel which may discourage many who have professed their desire to follow the Son of God. Others will probably even ask if Jesus really spoke these words.
But this was precisely what he said and this is also what he is telling us now. Conflict and differences will always arise and create divisions not only in the family but even in the society that we live whenever a cause or an issue surfaces.
Take the case of the RH Law that is now the subject of an ongoing case being heard at the Supreme Court. The Law that was initially bandied about as a mere population control measure to arrest the growing poverty in the Philippines will in fact legalize abortion in the long term.
Another proposed legislation is that of legalizing divorce, same-sex marriage and euthanasia. All these four pending bills have divided not only the Philippine Congress but the nation as well and even the Filipino families that inhabit the only remaining bastion of Catholicism and Christianity in Asia.
The fact that these types of legislation which are immoral in nature are being proposed and debated in the legislature also show the decline of morality and religiosity even among the leaders of the country. That the proponents of such pieces of legislation would go to the extent of violating the Philippine Constitution itself, specifically: Sec. 12, Art. II which states: “The State recognizes the sanctity of family life and shall protect and strengthen the family as a basic autonomous social institution. It shall equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception.” has now become a cause of major major concern.
There is also another battle that we need to fight if we are to follow Jesus and gain the eternal life that He has promised. We need to fight our own personal wars, conflicts with our own set of priorities, biases, preferences and even, in the kind of lifestyle that we pursue. We need to give up on our vices, our habits that are attached to the material world around us, immoral tendencies that tend to impair our relationship with God.
We need to extend forgiveness to those who may have wronged us without any conditionality even if it will go against our own beliefs and perceptions. We need to approximate our words with action. We cannot displease God by just keeping our mouths shut and do nothing against these travesty of our religious tradition but we cannot also just speak and talk about it and not do anything about it. In other words, faith cannot just be learned. It must be lived and only by sharing this faith that it can be a complete act of faith.
What Jesus Christ expects from us is that we must do what we preach which means we have to be where the action is. When we give orders we must make sure we are there in front of the pack and not behind.
In our life, there are conflicts and storms that will pass us by and we need to either ride these storms or sink in it. Storms may vary. It may the loss of a loved one. Losing our job at a time when schools are about to open. Financial losses. Floundering business. Failed relationship. Sickness. You name it, storms come in different forms and shapes. But if you are open to the presence and promptings of the Holy Spirit, you will realize that these storms are what will strengthen your relationship with God for only when you lose your life that Christ will help you find it.
Indeed He came into the world not only to divide our families, our society but even our own nature and these are the kinds of warfare that we need to fight because when Jesus reveals Himself to us, we are given the choice whether to accept Him or to deny Him and this battle will always be raging in the lives of those whom He has called.
When the Lord called me in 1989, I was living it high with a successful trading business and I was also on top of my career as a media practitioner. I was on a first name basis with high government officials and even with the presidents of financial institutions with whom I dealt with as a broker of government securities and debt instruments. With a cellular phone which was relatively a new technology in those days, I closed business deals in the golf course if not in coffee shops where I usually hold office.
I walked the streets with a gun on my waist and I felt no compunction in displaying my arrogance and pride. I wore signature clothes, dined in five-star hotels, drove a Lincoln Continental, a Ford Mustang, a Chevy Malibu. I was on a roll. I loved to go against the traffic on a one-way street if only to prove that I can get away with it.
I used my position in the Media as a leverage. And there wasn’t anything anyone could do. I had the proper connections with the military and the police. I was in this kind of situation when Jesus found me. My spouse and I were invited to the Marriage Encounter Weekend in September, 1989 and we attended the Life in the Spirit Seminar in November of the same year and the rest is history.
I soon resigned from the Media and stopped my involvement in the financial brokerage business the moment that I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior and to this day, I can now say with conviction in my heart that I am glad that God may not have come in peace but He gave me the sword that I was able to use to fight my own battle.
Now, 24 years after Jesus found me, I have never missed a single beat in our life in the BLD, we now serve as Servant Leaders for the Formation Apostolate of the BLD Community and we are normally invited to facilitate teachings in other parishes and communities. There were accommodations that are comfortable but others were not. At the end of the day, we simply accept what the Lord provides in the places he sends us to.
And everywhere we go, we could feel His power and we don’t think we would be doing what we are doing now had not Jesus found me and my spouse in 1989 and had I not decided to fight the evil that pervaded in my past life.
1st Reading: Exo 1:8-14, 22
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 124:1, 3-4, 6-8 “Our help is in the name of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: MATT 10:34-11:1
Key Verse: “…whoever loses his life for my sake
will find it.” (v.39)
By this time Jesus was already on a fast-track mode and he had to use a methodology that was not only effective but something in which the Jews are very familiar with. This is the use of parables (stories that the people of his time are familiar with) and he needed to be concise, direct to the point, sincere and honest in the three years that he has to complete his ministry before he goes through his passion and death in obedience to the Father’s Will.
Take for example this spoken record of Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel which may discourage many who have professed their desire to follow the Son of God. Others will probably even ask if Jesus really spoke these words.
But this was precisely what he said and this is also what he is telling us now. Conflict and differences will always arise and create divisions not only in the family but even in the society that we live whenever a cause or an issue surfaces.
Take the case of the RH Law that is now the subject of an ongoing case being heard at the Supreme Court. The Law that was initially bandied about as a mere population control measure to arrest the growing poverty in the Philippines will in fact legalize abortion in the long term.
Another proposed legislation is that of legalizing divorce, same-sex marriage and euthanasia. All these four pending bills have divided not only the Philippine Congress but the nation as well and even the Filipino families that inhabit the only remaining bastion of Catholicism and Christianity in Asia.
The fact that these types of legislation which are immoral in nature are being proposed and debated in the legislature also show the decline of morality and religiosity even among the leaders of the country. That the proponents of such pieces of legislation would go to the extent of violating the Philippine Constitution itself, specifically: Sec. 12, Art. II which states: “The State recognizes the sanctity of family life and shall protect and strengthen the family as a basic autonomous social institution. It shall equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception.” has now become a cause of major major concern.
There is also another battle that we need to fight if we are to follow Jesus and gain the eternal life that He has promised. We need to fight our own personal wars, conflicts with our own set of priorities, biases, preferences and even, in the kind of lifestyle that we pursue. We need to give up on our vices, our habits that are attached to the material world around us, immoral tendencies that tend to impair our relationship with God.
We need to extend forgiveness to those who may have wronged us without any conditionality even if it will go against our own beliefs and perceptions. We need to approximate our words with action. We cannot displease God by just keeping our mouths shut and do nothing against these travesty of our religious tradition but we cannot also just speak and talk about it and not do anything about it. In other words, faith cannot just be learned. It must be lived and only by sharing this faith that it can be a complete act of faith.
What Jesus Christ expects from us is that we must do what we preach which means we have to be where the action is. When we give orders we must make sure we are there in front of the pack and not behind.
In our life, there are conflicts and storms that will pass us by and we need to either ride these storms or sink in it. Storms may vary. It may the loss of a loved one. Losing our job at a time when schools are about to open. Financial losses. Floundering business. Failed relationship. Sickness. You name it, storms come in different forms and shapes. But if you are open to the presence and promptings of the Holy Spirit, you will realize that these storms are what will strengthen your relationship with God for only when you lose your life that Christ will help you find it.
Indeed He came into the world not only to divide our families, our society but even our own nature and these are the kinds of warfare that we need to fight because when Jesus reveals Himself to us, we are given the choice whether to accept Him or to deny Him and this battle will always be raging in the lives of those whom He has called.
When the Lord called me in 1989, I was living it high with a successful trading business and I was also on top of my career as a media practitioner. I was on a first name basis with high government officials and even with the presidents of financial institutions with whom I dealt with as a broker of government securities and debt instruments. With a cellular phone which was relatively a new technology in those days, I closed business deals in the golf course if not in coffee shops where I usually hold office.
I walked the streets with a gun on my waist and I felt no compunction in displaying my arrogance and pride. I wore signature clothes, dined in five-star hotels, drove a Lincoln Continental, a Ford Mustang, a Chevy Malibu. I was on a roll. I loved to go against the traffic on a one-way street if only to prove that I can get away with it.
I used my position in the Media as a leverage. And there wasn’t anything anyone could do. I had the proper connections with the military and the police. I was in this kind of situation when Jesus found me. My spouse and I were invited to the Marriage Encounter Weekend in September, 1989 and we attended the Life in the Spirit Seminar in November of the same year and the rest is history.
I soon resigned from the Media and stopped my involvement in the financial brokerage business the moment that I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior and to this day, I can now say with conviction in my heart that I am glad that God may not have come in peace but He gave me the sword that I was able to use to fight my own battle.
Now, 24 years after Jesus found me, I have never missed a single beat in our life in the BLD, we now serve as Servant Leaders for the Formation Apostolate of the BLD Community and we are normally invited to facilitate teachings in other parishes and communities. There were accommodations that are comfortable but others were not. At the end of the day, we simply accept what the Lord provides in the places he sends us to.
And everywhere we go, we could feel His power and we don’t think we would be doing what we are doing now had not Jesus found me and my spouse in 1989 and had I not decided to fight the evil that pervaded in my past life.
KNOWING SHOULD LEAD TO DOING
JULY 14, 2013: FIFTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Dt 30:10-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 69:14, 17, 30-31, 33-34, 36, 37
“Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.”
2nd Reading: Col 1:15-20
GOSPEL: Lk 10:25-37
Key Verse: “…. Go and do likewise.” (Lk 10:37)
This Sunday’s Gospel is something that Filipinos are very familiar with especially those who were raised in the old tradition when people in this part of the world were the epitome of kindness and generosity such that the Filipino’s unbridled brand of hospitality has now become a national identity known the world over.
But times have changed and the influence of the Western culture has created a new mindset among the populace and the once leisurely pace of life gave way to a radical change in the way of life and in the character of the people especially during these times when mundane concerns seem to have upstaged the good-natured spirit behind the “bayanihan” spirit for which Filipinos are known for.
And this parable on the Good Samaritan comes as a timely reminder for all of us to reacquire the spirit of good neighborly relations that springs from our innate love for our God before this “bayanihan” spirit is forever lost to us.
Here in today’s Gospel, Jesus once again emphasizes the means by which we can enjoy eternal life. Tested by an expert in the Torah or the Laws of Moses, Jesus was asked: “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Lk 10:25) Instead of answering, Jesus threw back the question by asking: “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” (v.26)
In this way, Jesus wanted the legal expert to find out for himself what the Scriptures and he obliged by quoting from Deut 6:5 and Lev 19:18 saying: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and, Love your neighbor as yourself.”
And Jesus said: “You have answered correctly. Do this and you will live.” (v.28) What Jesus was emphasizing in this verse was not just the need for those desiring eternal life to know and be aware of the two greatest commandments more importantly the action that should spring from the knowing part and that is in the doing. In other words, anyone who comes across these two verses can memorize it without any effort at all but it will not give us eternal life. It is only when we take this to heart and put them into action that eternal life becomes a reality.
But the Jews have a different concept of who might a neighbor be, thus limiting his definition to fellow Jews and Jesus once again tore down this argument by narrating a parable about how a Jew was beaten and robbed on the road to Jericho which was a dangerous place to be as it teemed with thieves and bandits.
As the Jew lay wounded on the road, a priest and a Levite passed by one after the other but ignored the man as they went by the other side of the road. Then came a Samaritan who belongs to a tribe that was so hated by the Jews but he stopped and cared for the wounded Jew. The rest is history as they say. The priest and the Levite, however, cannot be faulted for not coming to the aid of the man and this was somewhat tied to their belief that contact with a bloodied person will make them unclean.
Even today, there are many who will refuse to give help or alms to the needy because they disdain getting in contact with unkempt beggars on the road. In some cases, our biases and prejudices against those whose fortunes have turned for the worse have kept us from helping them. And how about those in the renewal communities who choose to serve where it is comfortable and convenient.
But in today’s parable, although Jesus did not give an exact definition of who is our neighbor he nevertheless shows us that anyone who is in need regardless of race, color and creed is our neighbor. Jesus further shows us that to love our neighbor can be costly as was in the case of the Samaritan who used his own logistics to help the wounded Jew. But this is precisely what compassion is all about for what good are our material possessions if we will not help a brother in need and still say that we love God? (1 Jn 3:17).
When the legal expert himself said the one who showed mercy was the neighbor to the wounded Jew, Jesus told him and Our Lord is telling us now to go and do what the Samaritan did for only in doing can we find eternal life.
In the face of life’s challenges today, we need to examine ourselves and ask if this parable is still relevant to our present time. How much of my person has been invaded by my selfishness, looking only after my own interests and, in believing “why should I help the poor who are poor because they chose to be poor.”
We as disciples of Jesus must ask ourselves how much of the world has dimmed the gift of mercy that Jesus has planted in our hearts. We may be riding on the chariots of success in our careers and business but which is my priority when put on the same spot as the Samaritan. Will we be like the priest and the Levite? Or will we choose to be a Samaritan?
As a Christian and a disciple, we must take heed of the command of Jesus to “go and do likewise.” (v.37) This means that we must prioritize acts of mercy (CCC 2447-2448) over our personal comfort and convenience. And it is only in doing that we can gain eternal life.
The priest and the Levite definitely felt pity for the wounded Jew but they did nothing. For love to be real, it must be accompanied by action. What does this parable mean to you?
1st Reading: Dt 30:10-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 69:14, 17, 30-31, 33-34, 36, 37
“Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live.”
2nd Reading: Col 1:15-20
GOSPEL: Lk 10:25-37
Key Verse: “…. Go and do likewise.” (Lk 10:37)
This Sunday’s Gospel is something that Filipinos are very familiar with especially those who were raised in the old tradition when people in this part of the world were the epitome of kindness and generosity such that the Filipino’s unbridled brand of hospitality has now become a national identity known the world over.
But times have changed and the influence of the Western culture has created a new mindset among the populace and the once leisurely pace of life gave way to a radical change in the way of life and in the character of the people especially during these times when mundane concerns seem to have upstaged the good-natured spirit behind the “bayanihan” spirit for which Filipinos are known for.
And this parable on the Good Samaritan comes as a timely reminder for all of us to reacquire the spirit of good neighborly relations that springs from our innate love for our God before this “bayanihan” spirit is forever lost to us.
Here in today’s Gospel, Jesus once again emphasizes the means by which we can enjoy eternal life. Tested by an expert in the Torah or the Laws of Moses, Jesus was asked: “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Lk 10:25) Instead of answering, Jesus threw back the question by asking: “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” (v.26)
In this way, Jesus wanted the legal expert to find out for himself what the Scriptures and he obliged by quoting from Deut 6:5 and Lev 19:18 saying: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and, Love your neighbor as yourself.”
And Jesus said: “You have answered correctly. Do this and you will live.” (v.28) What Jesus was emphasizing in this verse was not just the need for those desiring eternal life to know and be aware of the two greatest commandments more importantly the action that should spring from the knowing part and that is in the doing. In other words, anyone who comes across these two verses can memorize it without any effort at all but it will not give us eternal life. It is only when we take this to heart and put them into action that eternal life becomes a reality.
But the Jews have a different concept of who might a neighbor be, thus limiting his definition to fellow Jews and Jesus once again tore down this argument by narrating a parable about how a Jew was beaten and robbed on the road to Jericho which was a dangerous place to be as it teemed with thieves and bandits.
As the Jew lay wounded on the road, a priest and a Levite passed by one after the other but ignored the man as they went by the other side of the road. Then came a Samaritan who belongs to a tribe that was so hated by the Jews but he stopped and cared for the wounded Jew. The rest is history as they say. The priest and the Levite, however, cannot be faulted for not coming to the aid of the man and this was somewhat tied to their belief that contact with a bloodied person will make them unclean.
Even today, there are many who will refuse to give help or alms to the needy because they disdain getting in contact with unkempt beggars on the road. In some cases, our biases and prejudices against those whose fortunes have turned for the worse have kept us from helping them. And how about those in the renewal communities who choose to serve where it is comfortable and convenient.
But in today’s parable, although Jesus did not give an exact definition of who is our neighbor he nevertheless shows us that anyone who is in need regardless of race, color and creed is our neighbor. Jesus further shows us that to love our neighbor can be costly as was in the case of the Samaritan who used his own logistics to help the wounded Jew. But this is precisely what compassion is all about for what good are our material possessions if we will not help a brother in need and still say that we love God? (1 Jn 3:17).
When the legal expert himself said the one who showed mercy was the neighbor to the wounded Jew, Jesus told him and Our Lord is telling us now to go and do what the Samaritan did for only in doing can we find eternal life.
In the face of life’s challenges today, we need to examine ourselves and ask if this parable is still relevant to our present time. How much of my person has been invaded by my selfishness, looking only after my own interests and, in believing “why should I help the poor who are poor because they chose to be poor.”
We as disciples of Jesus must ask ourselves how much of the world has dimmed the gift of mercy that Jesus has planted in our hearts. We may be riding on the chariots of success in our careers and business but which is my priority when put on the same spot as the Samaritan. Will we be like the priest and the Levite? Or will we choose to be a Samaritan?
As a Christian and a disciple, we must take heed of the command of Jesus to “go and do likewise.” (v.37) This means that we must prioritize acts of mercy (CCC 2447-2448) over our personal comfort and convenience. And it is only in doing that we can gain eternal life.
The priest and the Levite definitely felt pity for the wounded Jew but they did nothing. For love to be real, it must be accompanied by action. What does this parable mean to you?
GLORY IN LISTENING
JULY 13, 2013: FOURTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Gen 49:29-30; 50:15-26
Responsorial Psalm: PSA 105:1-4, 6-7 “Be glad you lowly ones, may your hearts be glad.”
GOSPEL: MATT 10:24-33
Key Verse: "A student is not above his teacher." (v.24)
To be a Disciple of Christ is to share also in His suffering and there are two things that Jesus wants us to keep in mind in this Gospel reading. One is that this is a warning that we as Christians must also carry a cross. What He is telling us is that if we want to identify ourselves with Him as a Christian and share His glory we must be able to also share in His agony.
The other is that to identify ourselves with Christ is also a privilege because it is only when we share in His suffering can we also share in His glory. And Jesus tells those who serve Him to expect these two things. What happened to Him will also happen to us as we bring the Gospel to others.
This is to be expected because Jesus who is the perfect being was rejected and at times was branded as evil. What more with us who are imperfect but those of us who will endure are assured of eternal salvation (v.22). To share His suffering is to put Christ first in our lives.
We whom He has called out from our comfort zones into a life of discipleship must bear in mind that as representatives of Christ we need to put Him first and those who will respond positively to His invitation of a life of obedience to His Will should never fear any threats or difficult trials because God has put so much value in us that He sent his only Son to die for us.
Although it doesn’t mean that God will take away all our troubles, the real test of our being of value to God is how well we go through the stress of daily living and proclaiming His Kingdom to the world around us.
There are, however, a set of principles involved when we proclaim the Kingdom of God on earth. Those who bring the Good News to others must first of all listen. We must all have the discipline to have a moment of silence so that Christ can speak to us in the stillness of our hearts.
We need to listen to Him who is the repository of all truth because we cannot proclaim that which we do not know. While it is true that we who have received the gift without cost also has to give without cost, it is imperative that we know the truth that we are to proclaim.
Those in the renewal community who are tasked with proclaiming the Kingdom of God especially the Shepherds, those serving in Mission, the Witnesses, those who Teach and most especially those holding on to responsible positions of leadership – the Servant Leaders, Stewards, Ministry Coordinators and even the Class Shepherds – must be in a secret place with Christ to listen to the truth and learn from it.
What we say is what we hear from Him who sent us and we must proclaim the underlying truth of the Good News even at the expense of being hated by the world to the extent of dying for what the truth represents because the Christian witness is a man who serves God without counting the cost because he knows that he is doing so in the presence of God.
But as disciples in a life-long quest for holiness, we must be aware of how go through our lives for there are time when our difficulties and struggles that we face may lead us to deny Him and there are many ways by which we unknowingly are denying Him. We deny Him with the kind of words that we speak that offend others.
We can also deny Him by our silence or when we let opportunities go by without proclaiming the Kingdom of God. And we can also deny Him by our actions when we refuse to serve in places and or ways that do not conform to our set of preferences. We deny Him when we choose when and where to serve, when we choose the ministry where we want to belong, when we don’t recognize or respect those who exercise pastoral authority over us, when we let the stain of unforgiveness reign in our hearts, when we turn our backs to His call for us to testify to His transforming love in our lives.
But Christ also assures us that those who will endure and persevere as we set forth to proclaim the Good News will receive great rewards as He promised in Matt 5:11-12. To remain in Christ is one of the many ways by which we can become a Community of Disciples who are by the Holy Spirit to be living witnesses for transformation in Christ to bring about a world of justice, human development and true peace.
1st Reading: Gen 49:29-30; 50:15-26
Responsorial Psalm: PSA 105:1-4, 6-7 “Be glad you lowly ones, may your hearts be glad.”
GOSPEL: MATT 10:24-33
Key Verse: "A student is not above his teacher." (v.24)
To be a Disciple of Christ is to share also in His suffering and there are two things that Jesus wants us to keep in mind in this Gospel reading. One is that this is a warning that we as Christians must also carry a cross. What He is telling us is that if we want to identify ourselves with Him as a Christian and share His glory we must be able to also share in His agony.
The other is that to identify ourselves with Christ is also a privilege because it is only when we share in His suffering can we also share in His glory. And Jesus tells those who serve Him to expect these two things. What happened to Him will also happen to us as we bring the Gospel to others.
This is to be expected because Jesus who is the perfect being was rejected and at times was branded as evil. What more with us who are imperfect but those of us who will endure are assured of eternal salvation (v.22). To share His suffering is to put Christ first in our lives.
We whom He has called out from our comfort zones into a life of discipleship must bear in mind that as representatives of Christ we need to put Him first and those who will respond positively to His invitation of a life of obedience to His Will should never fear any threats or difficult trials because God has put so much value in us that He sent his only Son to die for us.
Although it doesn’t mean that God will take away all our troubles, the real test of our being of value to God is how well we go through the stress of daily living and proclaiming His Kingdom to the world around us.
There are, however, a set of principles involved when we proclaim the Kingdom of God on earth. Those who bring the Good News to others must first of all listen. We must all have the discipline to have a moment of silence so that Christ can speak to us in the stillness of our hearts.
We need to listen to Him who is the repository of all truth because we cannot proclaim that which we do not know. While it is true that we who have received the gift without cost also has to give without cost, it is imperative that we know the truth that we are to proclaim.
Those in the renewal community who are tasked with proclaiming the Kingdom of God especially the Shepherds, those serving in Mission, the Witnesses, those who Teach and most especially those holding on to responsible positions of leadership – the Servant Leaders, Stewards, Ministry Coordinators and even the Class Shepherds – must be in a secret place with Christ to listen to the truth and learn from it.
What we say is what we hear from Him who sent us and we must proclaim the underlying truth of the Good News even at the expense of being hated by the world to the extent of dying for what the truth represents because the Christian witness is a man who serves God without counting the cost because he knows that he is doing so in the presence of God.
But as disciples in a life-long quest for holiness, we must be aware of how go through our lives for there are time when our difficulties and struggles that we face may lead us to deny Him and there are many ways by which we unknowingly are denying Him. We deny Him with the kind of words that we speak that offend others.
We can also deny Him by our silence or when we let opportunities go by without proclaiming the Kingdom of God. And we can also deny Him by our actions when we refuse to serve in places and or ways that do not conform to our set of preferences. We deny Him when we choose when and where to serve, when we choose the ministry where we want to belong, when we don’t recognize or respect those who exercise pastoral authority over us, when we let the stain of unforgiveness reign in our hearts, when we turn our backs to His call for us to testify to His transforming love in our lives.
But Christ also assures us that those who will endure and persevere as we set forth to proclaim the Good News will receive great rewards as He promised in Matt 5:11-12. To remain in Christ is one of the many ways by which we can become a Community of Disciples who are by the Holy Spirit to be living witnesses for transformation in Christ to bring about a world of justice, human development and true peace.
FAITH THAT WILL LAST
JULY 12, 2013: FOURTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Gen 46:1-7, 28-30
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 37:3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40 “The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.”
GOSPEL: MATT 10:16-23
Key Verse: “..but he who stands firm to the end
will be saved.” (v.22)
Some two days ago we saw Jesus choosing his A-Team or the 12 Apostles for a special assignment. And yesterday, we saw Jesus issuing what amounts to be a mission order for the Apostles. And today, Jesus gives the Apostles the guidelines on how they are to conduct themselves and in the way they are to evangelize.
Perhaps we will ask why the need for a crescendo of instruction. Was Jesus trying to needle his apostles into having these instructions carved in their minds. We will try to venture a guess. Short of being repetitive, Jesus simply wanted his apostles to bear in mind the clarity of their goals and objectives and by doing so he expects the 12 apostles to stick to the plan – to proclaim that the Kingdom of God is at hand.
These instructions, however, may strike a chord of fear and anxiety in our hearts especially with the warning that the Apostles should be on guard against men as they will hand them over to the local councils and flog them in their synagogues (v.17). In fact, v.16 alone would have unnerved an ordinary disciple as Jesus himself said: “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.”
To work in the vineyard of the Lord will not always be easy. Who said it would be? Even the first batch of disciples and or the twelve whom he named as Apostles never thought they would be in the same predicament as Jesus. They looked at him as a conquering Messiah who will deliver them from captivity by the Gentiles and to suffer persecution was the least they could think of.
In fact, it was on this thought of establishing a glorious kingdom that one of his kin asked Jesus to allow her two sons to sit on his left and the other on his right (Mt 20:21). Had they known they would live a persecuted life, would they have followed him?
But they did follow him and they saw what he did in those three years that he was with them and this became the unwritten operating manual of what they too will be going to do. In that brief span of time, he showed them the meaning of victory and the eternal reward that await those who will remain faithful to his Word.
This was the assurance he made as he capped the Sermon on the Mount with these words: “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Mt 5:11-12)
Again we ask why God will lead us to live persecuted lives. God himself gives the answer in Mt 5:11 “When you are reviled and persecuted and lied about because you are my followers – wonderful! Be happy about it! Be very glad!” Persecution builds character and it can be comforting to know that God’s greatest prophets were also persecuted. The fact that we are being persecuted only proves that we have been faithful to our calling because faithless people remain unnoticed.
In relation to the apostles with the exception of John who died of old age, we should not forget the fact that the Son of God also took on a human form to redeem us from our slavery to sin and death and to give us new life as the adopted children of God. The Scriptures will show us that the ultimate way to glory in the kingdom of God is through the cross.
And Jesus didn’t quibble when he said to his disciples and he is telling us now that if we want to share in His glory, then we too must take up our cross each day and follow in his footsteps. Jesus never hesitated to tell his disciples what they might expect if they followed him.
As disciples of Christ, we will definitely experience difficulties from without such as what we are now experiencing in the public sector when our faith is being tested by immoral legislation such as the RH Law and, from within as there are times when even members of our own families cannot comprehend our faithfulness to the Word (v.21).
Persecution, however, leads people to spiritual maturity. Thus we must accept all the trials we face in life as part of the refining process that cleanses us of all the impurities that have infected our souls and prepares us to meet Christ. The trials that we experience in life help us to grow to be the kind of people that God wants us to be.
In this age we live in, we are still being called by God to pursue a life of faithfulness to his Word and to be a witness to the transforming power of his love. The message remains the same – to leave the imprint of the life of Jesus into the fiber of our own lives and we can do this by either proclaiming orally or writing about the Good News to others, by our actions such as accepting shepherding assignments, going on mission and, in our decision to turn our lifestyles into a reflection of the life of Jesus.
In Jn 8:31 Jesus said: “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.” To hold on to his teachings is to listen to him and to follow him. To be persecuted is not exactly the message that we prefer to hear. But lest we forget, the message of Jesus is anchored on the eternal joy that He brings but which we can only enjoy if we will follow in his footsteps by also laying down our lives for others.
We may feel ill-equipped as of now but Our Lord gives us sufficient grace to follow him and to bear our cross with courage and hope. It is for this reason that we “need to see once again that faith is a light, for once the flame of faith dies out, all other lights begin to dim. The light of faith is unique, since it is capable of illuminating every aspect of human existence.” (Lumen Fidei)
It is in this light that we must have the kind of faith that will last for through it we will realize that while living for God often brings persecution, it will also provide us with the opportunity to proclaim the Good News of salvation to the world around us and those who will endure to the end will be saved (v.22). This is the true joy and victory that Jesus promised and which his Apostles and many of the Saints found.
1st Reading: Gen 46:1-7, 28-30
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 37:3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40 “The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.”
GOSPEL: MATT 10:16-23
Key Verse: “..but he who stands firm to the end
will be saved.” (v.22)
Some two days ago we saw Jesus choosing his A-Team or the 12 Apostles for a special assignment. And yesterday, we saw Jesus issuing what amounts to be a mission order for the Apostles. And today, Jesus gives the Apostles the guidelines on how they are to conduct themselves and in the way they are to evangelize.
Perhaps we will ask why the need for a crescendo of instruction. Was Jesus trying to needle his apostles into having these instructions carved in their minds. We will try to venture a guess. Short of being repetitive, Jesus simply wanted his apostles to bear in mind the clarity of their goals and objectives and by doing so he expects the 12 apostles to stick to the plan – to proclaim that the Kingdom of God is at hand.
These instructions, however, may strike a chord of fear and anxiety in our hearts especially with the warning that the Apostles should be on guard against men as they will hand them over to the local councils and flog them in their synagogues (v.17). In fact, v.16 alone would have unnerved an ordinary disciple as Jesus himself said: “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.”
To work in the vineyard of the Lord will not always be easy. Who said it would be? Even the first batch of disciples and or the twelve whom he named as Apostles never thought they would be in the same predicament as Jesus. They looked at him as a conquering Messiah who will deliver them from captivity by the Gentiles and to suffer persecution was the least they could think of.
In fact, it was on this thought of establishing a glorious kingdom that one of his kin asked Jesus to allow her two sons to sit on his left and the other on his right (Mt 20:21). Had they known they would live a persecuted life, would they have followed him?
But they did follow him and they saw what he did in those three years that he was with them and this became the unwritten operating manual of what they too will be going to do. In that brief span of time, he showed them the meaning of victory and the eternal reward that await those who will remain faithful to his Word.
This was the assurance he made as he capped the Sermon on the Mount with these words: “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Mt 5:11-12)
Again we ask why God will lead us to live persecuted lives. God himself gives the answer in Mt 5:11 “When you are reviled and persecuted and lied about because you are my followers – wonderful! Be happy about it! Be very glad!” Persecution builds character and it can be comforting to know that God’s greatest prophets were also persecuted. The fact that we are being persecuted only proves that we have been faithful to our calling because faithless people remain unnoticed.
In relation to the apostles with the exception of John who died of old age, we should not forget the fact that the Son of God also took on a human form to redeem us from our slavery to sin and death and to give us new life as the adopted children of God. The Scriptures will show us that the ultimate way to glory in the kingdom of God is through the cross.
And Jesus didn’t quibble when he said to his disciples and he is telling us now that if we want to share in His glory, then we too must take up our cross each day and follow in his footsteps. Jesus never hesitated to tell his disciples what they might expect if they followed him.
As disciples of Christ, we will definitely experience difficulties from without such as what we are now experiencing in the public sector when our faith is being tested by immoral legislation such as the RH Law and, from within as there are times when even members of our own families cannot comprehend our faithfulness to the Word (v.21).
Persecution, however, leads people to spiritual maturity. Thus we must accept all the trials we face in life as part of the refining process that cleanses us of all the impurities that have infected our souls and prepares us to meet Christ. The trials that we experience in life help us to grow to be the kind of people that God wants us to be.
In this age we live in, we are still being called by God to pursue a life of faithfulness to his Word and to be a witness to the transforming power of his love. The message remains the same – to leave the imprint of the life of Jesus into the fiber of our own lives and we can do this by either proclaiming orally or writing about the Good News to others, by our actions such as accepting shepherding assignments, going on mission and, in our decision to turn our lifestyles into a reflection of the life of Jesus.
In Jn 8:31 Jesus said: “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.” To hold on to his teachings is to listen to him and to follow him. To be persecuted is not exactly the message that we prefer to hear. But lest we forget, the message of Jesus is anchored on the eternal joy that He brings but which we can only enjoy if we will follow in his footsteps by also laying down our lives for others.
We may feel ill-equipped as of now but Our Lord gives us sufficient grace to follow him and to bear our cross with courage and hope. It is for this reason that we “need to see once again that faith is a light, for once the flame of faith dies out, all other lights begin to dim. The light of faith is unique, since it is capable of illuminating every aspect of human existence.” (Lumen Fidei)
It is in this light that we must have the kind of faith that will last for through it we will realize that while living for God often brings persecution, it will also provide us with the opportunity to proclaim the Good News of salvation to the world around us and those who will endure to the end will be saved (v.22). This is the true joy and victory that Jesus promised and which his Apostles and many of the Saints found.
JESUS ISSUES MARCHING ORDERS
JULY 11, 2013: FOURTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Gen 44:18-21, 23-29; 45:1-5
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 105:16-21 “Remember the marvels the Lord has done.”
GOSPEL: MATT 10:7-15
Key Verse: “The Kingdom of Heaven is near.” (v.7)
Yesterday we read Jesus choosing his A-Team, the 12 disciples whom he has elevated to become the Apostles who will help build the church that Jesus will officially establish on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit takes its place as the Paraclete who will equip and empower the Church as we see it now.
And today, we see Jesus issuing mission orders for what the Apostles and those who will come after them are to do, and these tasks include: (1) Heal the sick, (2) Raise the dead, (3) Cleanse the lepers, and (4) Cast out demons. These, however, are the action part of what the Apostles are to do. Over and above that is the need to proclaim the Kingdom of God to all who will hear and listen.
These directives may as well be ours also in the light of the call for Christians to participate in the thrust for a new evangelization to breathe fire not only to the church that is under threat but more so with respect to our personal spirituality through the pursuit of a radical kind of faith.
To be on fire is to allow the Holy Spirit to illumine all the parts of our lives and give the Spirit primacy over our own dispositions which means that our actions are to be aligned with the promptings of the Holy Spirit on whose command we can do things that we never imagined we can such as to love even the unlovable.
The pursuit of a radical kind of faith is not about building and reconstructing structures as some members and leaders perceived it but a radical kind of faith which when translated into action is to be in a place where you have not been before. This means doing things you have not done before. It means abandoning your will and embracing the Will of the One who created you.
I had a very long and fruitful talk with Bishop Jesse Mercado of the Diocese of Paranaque who also happens to be my Bishop in the Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas and I clearly remember what he said that faith can only be complete if it is lived and shared with the others. In other words, faith is inconsequential if it remains as a head knowledge. Faith, he said, can only find its consummation if it is lived and shared.
As such, we are to profess our faithfulness to our Trinitarian God by living a trinitarian life – God, neighbor (others) and me. And there shouldn’t be any doubt as to whether we can be as one for as long as we keep on recognizing and accepting the truth of our faith – that we have a God who creates everything unto Himself (Father), a God who redeems the fallen nature of man and reunites it to Himself (the Son) and, a God who sanctifies (Holy Spirit) the work of our hands.
Notice too that the mission orders that Jesus gave to the Apostles are the same as what He has been doing during his earthly ministry. It presupposes that the Apostles have seen what he has done and Jesus also is showing us now how to heal the sick, raise the dead to life, cleanse the lepers and cast out demons and what He expects is that we can replicate this in our own mission.
Raising the dead to life can actually be a metaphor because a dead person need not necessarily be dead physically but anyone whose life is enveloped by darkness is considered dead. The Jews then and now equate death with sinfulness in the same way that it is the belief of the Jews that persons afflicted with leprosy are as a result of their sins.
And what Jesus is actually saying is that we can help bring back to life a person who is unclean if we can help them heal themselves and provide them with the antidote to their unforgiveness, bitterness and, resentments which may have been lingering in their lives that make them unclean.
As with the Apostles, we are to do this in conjunction with the more important task of proclaiming the Kingdom of God. The Jews longed to have their own Kingdom and be freed from the oppression but they had a different mindset of the Messiah. And what Jesus was saying was that His coming into the world heralds the coming of the Kingdom of God.
This pronouncement rings true even today that the Kingdom of God is near. Jesus has actually begun His Kingdom in the hearts of His Apostles and his disciples and in us whom He has gathered from the dark valleys where we dwelt before Jesus found us. The time will come when this Kingdom will be fully realized and evil will be erased from the face of the earth and the people will live in peace with one another.
He is also telling us that the gift of life that we received has been freely given by Our God and that we are to also give this gift to others as a free gift. Translated into action, what Jesus is saying is that for all the many blessings that we have received, we are now called upon to give generously of our time, love and possessions.
To serve God without counting the cost is one of the things that we can give back to Our Lord. We have all been purchased at a high price with the life that the Son of God offered for our redemption. Our calling is to serve Him faithfully in our community’s activities.
Finally, Jesus admonishes us that we are not to receive payment for our services in the Kingdom especially when we exercise our gifts although we can receive some form of compensation when we do things outside of the practice of our gifts. Just as a Rabbi in the olden times are forbidden to accept payment for his teaching, he can do so if he teaches a child because teaching a child is the duty of the parent and teaching a child is an extra preoccupation for a Rabbi in those days.
As with the Apostles, we too are commanded to simply shake off the dust on our feet – meaning leave when the person or people we bring the Good News to will not listen or will reject the Kingdom of God and proceed to a more fertile field where the Good News will be accepted with enthusiasm and delight.
1st Reading: Gen 44:18-21, 23-29; 45:1-5
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 105:16-21 “Remember the marvels the Lord has done.”
GOSPEL: MATT 10:7-15
Key Verse: “The Kingdom of Heaven is near.” (v.7)
Yesterday we read Jesus choosing his A-Team, the 12 disciples whom he has elevated to become the Apostles who will help build the church that Jesus will officially establish on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit takes its place as the Paraclete who will equip and empower the Church as we see it now.
And today, we see Jesus issuing mission orders for what the Apostles and those who will come after them are to do, and these tasks include: (1) Heal the sick, (2) Raise the dead, (3) Cleanse the lepers, and (4) Cast out demons. These, however, are the action part of what the Apostles are to do. Over and above that is the need to proclaim the Kingdom of God to all who will hear and listen.
These directives may as well be ours also in the light of the call for Christians to participate in the thrust for a new evangelization to breathe fire not only to the church that is under threat but more so with respect to our personal spirituality through the pursuit of a radical kind of faith.
To be on fire is to allow the Holy Spirit to illumine all the parts of our lives and give the Spirit primacy over our own dispositions which means that our actions are to be aligned with the promptings of the Holy Spirit on whose command we can do things that we never imagined we can such as to love even the unlovable.
The pursuit of a radical kind of faith is not about building and reconstructing structures as some members and leaders perceived it but a radical kind of faith which when translated into action is to be in a place where you have not been before. This means doing things you have not done before. It means abandoning your will and embracing the Will of the One who created you.
I had a very long and fruitful talk with Bishop Jesse Mercado of the Diocese of Paranaque who also happens to be my Bishop in the Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas and I clearly remember what he said that faith can only be complete if it is lived and shared with the others. In other words, faith is inconsequential if it remains as a head knowledge. Faith, he said, can only find its consummation if it is lived and shared.
As such, we are to profess our faithfulness to our Trinitarian God by living a trinitarian life – God, neighbor (others) and me. And there shouldn’t be any doubt as to whether we can be as one for as long as we keep on recognizing and accepting the truth of our faith – that we have a God who creates everything unto Himself (Father), a God who redeems the fallen nature of man and reunites it to Himself (the Son) and, a God who sanctifies (Holy Spirit) the work of our hands.
Notice too that the mission orders that Jesus gave to the Apostles are the same as what He has been doing during his earthly ministry. It presupposes that the Apostles have seen what he has done and Jesus also is showing us now how to heal the sick, raise the dead to life, cleanse the lepers and cast out demons and what He expects is that we can replicate this in our own mission.
Raising the dead to life can actually be a metaphor because a dead person need not necessarily be dead physically but anyone whose life is enveloped by darkness is considered dead. The Jews then and now equate death with sinfulness in the same way that it is the belief of the Jews that persons afflicted with leprosy are as a result of their sins.
And what Jesus is actually saying is that we can help bring back to life a person who is unclean if we can help them heal themselves and provide them with the antidote to their unforgiveness, bitterness and, resentments which may have been lingering in their lives that make them unclean.
As with the Apostles, we are to do this in conjunction with the more important task of proclaiming the Kingdom of God. The Jews longed to have their own Kingdom and be freed from the oppression but they had a different mindset of the Messiah. And what Jesus was saying was that His coming into the world heralds the coming of the Kingdom of God.
This pronouncement rings true even today that the Kingdom of God is near. Jesus has actually begun His Kingdom in the hearts of His Apostles and his disciples and in us whom He has gathered from the dark valleys where we dwelt before Jesus found us. The time will come when this Kingdom will be fully realized and evil will be erased from the face of the earth and the people will live in peace with one another.
He is also telling us that the gift of life that we received has been freely given by Our God and that we are to also give this gift to others as a free gift. Translated into action, what Jesus is saying is that for all the many blessings that we have received, we are now called upon to give generously of our time, love and possessions.
To serve God without counting the cost is one of the things that we can give back to Our Lord. We have all been purchased at a high price with the life that the Son of God offered for our redemption. Our calling is to serve Him faithfully in our community’s activities.
Finally, Jesus admonishes us that we are not to receive payment for our services in the Kingdom especially when we exercise our gifts although we can receive some form of compensation when we do things outside of the practice of our gifts. Just as a Rabbi in the olden times are forbidden to accept payment for his teaching, he can do so if he teaches a child because teaching a child is the duty of the parent and teaching a child is an extra preoccupation for a Rabbi in those days.
As with the Apostles, we too are commanded to simply shake off the dust on our feet – meaning leave when the person or people we bring the Good News to will not listen or will reject the Kingdom of God and proceed to a more fertile field where the Good News will be accepted with enthusiasm and delight.
THE A-TEAM
JULY 10, 2013: FOURTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Gen 41:55-57; 42:5-7, 17-24
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 33:2-3, 10-11, 18-19 “Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.”
GOSPEL: MATT 10:1-7
Key Verse: “The Kingdom of Heaven is near.” (v.7)
This Gospel reading follows through what we have seen Jesus do in the previous chapters. Amidst the growing rejection of Jesus by the religious elders at that time and even from his own town, He still pursued his mission with unrelenting zeal performing healing miracles, raising up the dead and, teaching in synagogues.
Now we see Jesus choosing his team whom he will send to evangelize and bring the gospel of salvation to the Jews. It was evident that Jesus went through a painstaking effort to choose from among the disciples who have been following him before he settled on the 12 whose titles as disciples has been renamed to being an Apostle – meaning one who is sent.
In appointing the 12 Apostles, Jesus did so without forcing them, coercing them or even asked them to volunteer for something they are incapable of doing. He chose them and they accepted because they already saw what He has done and can do and they probably also want a part of his ministry.
An Apostle can be likened to an Ambassador that a country sends to another country. As such, the Apostles are given the authority and the privilege to represent Christ wherever they are sent and similarly, those who call themselves Christians are also ambassadors who represent the Kingdom of God.
As modern-day disciples, we are Christ’s ambassadors who are being sent armed with the message of reconciliation to the world. This carries tremendous responsibility and we should not take this responsibility lightly. Much of the world knows nothing about God except what it sees in the lives of the people of God and the responsibility to bridge this gap now rests on us.
As with the 12 Apostles, Jesus is also calling on us today to represent Him to put order into this dysfunctional world that we live in but He does so without twisting our arms and we are given the choice to either join Him or be left behind.
And when He calls, it would be interesting to know how you will respond. Will you be like Matthew who left everything behind and followed Jesus? Are you prepared to do what Peter, Andrew, James and John did who also left a lucrative fishing business to join Jesus? But nothing much can be said about the 12 Apostles. What is though was that they were ordinary men. One, Levi who will later be called Matthew, was despised by his countrymen for selling his soul to the Romans who ruled Judea in those times. This shows that Jesus was not really after men with extraordinary talent and abilities but He can see through the character of ordinary men who can do extraordinary things. He calls people from all walks of life and if you look at the list of his Apostles, some were fishermen, an activist and, a tax collector.
Today, Jesus is still calling on ordinary men, rich and poor alike, the educated and the uneducated to continue his mission that He passed on to his Apostles and which He is also passing on to us now. This only shows that God can use anyone no matter how insignificant one may be.
Being ordinary men, Jesus knew that the 12 Apostles He chose have the ability to follow after Him once they are clothed with influence and power. But this influence and power can only be acquired by his Apostles and by us if we are to be in His presence all the time. This means that we have to wait on Jesus as the Apostles did. We need to deny ourselves and put on the nature of Christ in order for us to heal the sick, cast out demons, raise the dead and cleanse the lepers.
The 12 Apostles must have been the most loyal followers of Jesus who practically stayed and lived with Him wherever he went and this is what Jesus may have considered when He chose them because he knew that they must live in His presence before they can go out into the world.
It’s the same with us as we need to bask in the presence of Jesus so that we can transition from being in the presence of Jesus into the presence of the world to be evangelized. And as we go out to evangelize the world, we must constantly take note of how we are coming across to others because this will give us a clear indication of how well we are representing God.
This simply means that we cannot go and make disciples of all nations unless we have immersed ourselves in the body and blood of Christ. Every Christian believer is commanded by Christ to bring with him the Word and the image of God’s Kingdom to the ends of the world.
And what was also striking here was why he sent the 12 Apostles only to the people of Israel and forbidding them to go into the cities inhabited by Samaritans and also to the Gentiles. The reason for this is that Jesus knew that the Apostles at that time were not yet equipped to preach to the Gentiles while bringing the gospel of salvation to the Samaritans is a task that He has reserved for Himself (Jn 4). Jesus also knew that at some point in the future, a person named Saul will be saved and be transformed and he would be the one to bring the gospel message to the Gentiles.
Today, we too are being called to take off from where the Apostles left off. Ours is now a time of religious decay. The permanent vitality of religion is gone and the mass of people have become superstitious, credulous or indifferent to religion.
Our Catholic faith is being threatened not only by the religious decay that pervades in our society but even in the area of public governance with the passage of the highly immoral RH Bill as well as several pieces of proposed legislation that would legalize abortion, divorce and same-sex marriage. The growing relativism in our society is also becoming a major concern for the Church.
The primary reason why we who believe in Him are now being called and are being sent is because the Church that Jesus established exists in order to evangelize – the carrying forth of the Good News to every sector of the human race so that by its strength it may enter into the hearts of men and renew the human race (Evangelii Nunitiandi 14, 18).
Oftentimes, many of us who have been called to the renewal lull ourselves into thinking that having attended an Life in the Spirit Seminar is the culmination of discipleship. We must remember that our life in the Community is only half of what discipleship is all about. The other half is outside the Community and or the Church for that matter.
This is actually what our church calls as the two-edged mission of lay Catholics – the Ad Intra and the Ad Extra mission of the laity and we can see this from the lyrics of the song “The Mission” which says: “Let us burn to know him deeper” (Ad Intra) and “Proclaim and live the Truth in Jesus’ Name” (Ad Extra).
This Ad Intra and Ad Extra mission of the Church is also what the BLD Vision is all about: “We are a community of disciples inspired by the Holy Spirit to be living witnesses for transformation in Christ (Ad Intra) to bring about a world of justice, human development and true peace.” (Ad Extra).
1st Reading: Gen 41:55-57; 42:5-7, 17-24
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 33:2-3, 10-11, 18-19 “Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.”
GOSPEL: MATT 10:1-7
Key Verse: “The Kingdom of Heaven is near.” (v.7)
This Gospel reading follows through what we have seen Jesus do in the previous chapters. Amidst the growing rejection of Jesus by the religious elders at that time and even from his own town, He still pursued his mission with unrelenting zeal performing healing miracles, raising up the dead and, teaching in synagogues.
Now we see Jesus choosing his team whom he will send to evangelize and bring the gospel of salvation to the Jews. It was evident that Jesus went through a painstaking effort to choose from among the disciples who have been following him before he settled on the 12 whose titles as disciples has been renamed to being an Apostle – meaning one who is sent.
In appointing the 12 Apostles, Jesus did so without forcing them, coercing them or even asked them to volunteer for something they are incapable of doing. He chose them and they accepted because they already saw what He has done and can do and they probably also want a part of his ministry.
An Apostle can be likened to an Ambassador that a country sends to another country. As such, the Apostles are given the authority and the privilege to represent Christ wherever they are sent and similarly, those who call themselves Christians are also ambassadors who represent the Kingdom of God.
As modern-day disciples, we are Christ’s ambassadors who are being sent armed with the message of reconciliation to the world. This carries tremendous responsibility and we should not take this responsibility lightly. Much of the world knows nothing about God except what it sees in the lives of the people of God and the responsibility to bridge this gap now rests on us.
As with the 12 Apostles, Jesus is also calling on us today to represent Him to put order into this dysfunctional world that we live in but He does so without twisting our arms and we are given the choice to either join Him or be left behind.
And when He calls, it would be interesting to know how you will respond. Will you be like Matthew who left everything behind and followed Jesus? Are you prepared to do what Peter, Andrew, James and John did who also left a lucrative fishing business to join Jesus? But nothing much can be said about the 12 Apostles. What is though was that they were ordinary men. One, Levi who will later be called Matthew, was despised by his countrymen for selling his soul to the Romans who ruled Judea in those times. This shows that Jesus was not really after men with extraordinary talent and abilities but He can see through the character of ordinary men who can do extraordinary things. He calls people from all walks of life and if you look at the list of his Apostles, some were fishermen, an activist and, a tax collector.
Today, Jesus is still calling on ordinary men, rich and poor alike, the educated and the uneducated to continue his mission that He passed on to his Apostles and which He is also passing on to us now. This only shows that God can use anyone no matter how insignificant one may be.
Being ordinary men, Jesus knew that the 12 Apostles He chose have the ability to follow after Him once they are clothed with influence and power. But this influence and power can only be acquired by his Apostles and by us if we are to be in His presence all the time. This means that we have to wait on Jesus as the Apostles did. We need to deny ourselves and put on the nature of Christ in order for us to heal the sick, cast out demons, raise the dead and cleanse the lepers.
The 12 Apostles must have been the most loyal followers of Jesus who practically stayed and lived with Him wherever he went and this is what Jesus may have considered when He chose them because he knew that they must live in His presence before they can go out into the world.
It’s the same with us as we need to bask in the presence of Jesus so that we can transition from being in the presence of Jesus into the presence of the world to be evangelized. And as we go out to evangelize the world, we must constantly take note of how we are coming across to others because this will give us a clear indication of how well we are representing God.
This simply means that we cannot go and make disciples of all nations unless we have immersed ourselves in the body and blood of Christ. Every Christian believer is commanded by Christ to bring with him the Word and the image of God’s Kingdom to the ends of the world.
And what was also striking here was why he sent the 12 Apostles only to the people of Israel and forbidding them to go into the cities inhabited by Samaritans and also to the Gentiles. The reason for this is that Jesus knew that the Apostles at that time were not yet equipped to preach to the Gentiles while bringing the gospel of salvation to the Samaritans is a task that He has reserved for Himself (Jn 4). Jesus also knew that at some point in the future, a person named Saul will be saved and be transformed and he would be the one to bring the gospel message to the Gentiles.
Today, we too are being called to take off from where the Apostles left off. Ours is now a time of religious decay. The permanent vitality of religion is gone and the mass of people have become superstitious, credulous or indifferent to religion.
Our Catholic faith is being threatened not only by the religious decay that pervades in our society but even in the area of public governance with the passage of the highly immoral RH Bill as well as several pieces of proposed legislation that would legalize abortion, divorce and same-sex marriage. The growing relativism in our society is also becoming a major concern for the Church.
The primary reason why we who believe in Him are now being called and are being sent is because the Church that Jesus established exists in order to evangelize – the carrying forth of the Good News to every sector of the human race so that by its strength it may enter into the hearts of men and renew the human race (Evangelii Nunitiandi 14, 18).
Oftentimes, many of us who have been called to the renewal lull ourselves into thinking that having attended an Life in the Spirit Seminar is the culmination of discipleship. We must remember that our life in the Community is only half of what discipleship is all about. The other half is outside the Community and or the Church for that matter.
This is actually what our church calls as the two-edged mission of lay Catholics – the Ad Intra and the Ad Extra mission of the laity and we can see this from the lyrics of the song “The Mission” which says: “Let us burn to know him deeper” (Ad Intra) and “Proclaim and live the Truth in Jesus’ Name” (Ad Extra).
This Ad Intra and Ad Extra mission of the Church is also what the BLD Vision is all about: “We are a community of disciples inspired by the Holy Spirit to be living witnesses for transformation in Christ (Ad Intra) to bring about a world of justice, human development and true peace.” (Ad Extra).
JESUS NEEDS YOU
JULY 9, 2013: FOURTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Gen 32:23-33
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 17:1-3, 6-8, 15 “In justice, I shall behold your face, O Lord.."
GOSPEL: MATT 9:32-38
Key Verse: "…but the workers are few." (v.37)
There may only be seven verses in this Gospel reading of today but there is no doubt that today’s passage will move us by its content for this certainly is a power-packed message that provides us with a view of the totality of the ministry of Jesus which is the same ministry that he is passing on to us.
And towards the end of the Gospel reading, Jesus also indirectly laid down the role to be played by believers who will come after Him long after he has ascended to his heavenly Kingdom. We should not, for all intents and purpose, miss the importance of this role that he is entrusting to us especially during these critical times when the authority and even the moral foundation of the Church is being challenged.
In other words, the continuance of the work of Jesus now rests on our shoulders and there is nothing to fear because God Himself will provide us the skills in proclaiming the Good News to the ends of the earth and he wants us to use these skills to the best of our ability.
As we go over these seven verses in Matthew’s Gospel, we will see that there are certain realities that we need to take into account in order for us to fully understand the purpose for which Jesus was sent down from heaven by God.
But before Matthew revealed the ministry of Jesus, he first presented to us the difference in the way Jesus was received while pursuing his mission that gives us a preview of the present-day reality in which the world is also divided in their appreciation of the Messiah.
Here Matthew shows Jesus being accepted with amazement by the crowd after he healed a demon-possessed man. The crowds were simple people who saw in Jesus someone who could address what they need. But this was not the way the Pharisees saw it. To them, Jesus was a threat to their age-old tradition that was founded in the Law of Moses.
These Pharisees knew Jesus spoke the truth but they were too ensconced with their set of religious laws that they didn’t find any need to change their ways and they were so steeped with their prejudice that they refused to see the truth that Jesus brought forth.
Today, people who are in need will always look to Jesus with amazement but the man who is wallowing in pride and conceit cannot and will not submit to Jesus and will always reject His words even if they know these are true. We may ask how can this be possible among the most avid people who serve in the different ministries and apostolates in the church or community? As in the case of Jehu (2 Kgs 10:30-31) we too can also be very active in our work for God and still not give the wholehearted obedience that God desires and this is something that we need to watch out for.
As with the mission of Jesus that begins to unravel in v.35 we see Jesus was introduced as the messenger or the herald who is sent to proclaim the message of the Kingdom of God. He also came as a teacher whose style differs from that of the Pharisees. Jesus came not just to teach about God but he showed the people what God is like.
In simpler terms, Jesus is also telling us who would like to follow after Him to bring others to God not by telling others about God but by showing others the kind of life we live. What Jesus did in his time and what He is also showing us is that we must live what we preached. In other words, our public life or what the people see in us must be the same as what our hidden life is or what the people don’t see. There shouldn’t be any bifidity in our private and public life.
Jesus also translated his words into action, healing people of every sort of disease and illness. The healing miracles that Jesus performed was a sign that his teaching was true and if we leaf through the Gospel accounts, we will see that Jesus spent more time to heal the sick, feed the hungry, comfort the grieving than the time he spent preaching. What he did was he translated his teachings into actual work that is anchored on love and compassion for the poor.
Similarly, what Jesus is telling us is that we cannot be a true disciple until the work of our hands will mirror that which come out of our lips. This is where you separate the chaff from the grain and we see this in the church where some members are fond of taking the center stage and speak of love for the marginalized but it starts and end there and you don’t see much of even their shadows when the actual work starts.
Worst is when they draw attention to themselves instead of leading others to Christ such that they may not be aware they are already fomenting division such as what is happening to a community north of Manila where the leaders themselves are the ones fomenting division among the members of this community.
Christian discipleship is first and foremost an inclusive endeavor which means that we should strive to keep everybody in the church rather than lead them out of the mainstream of believers much less teach them to disobey their leaders.
With compassion for the people longing for a God of comfort and with the Pharisees not being able to give to the people the comfort they seek, Jesus tried to fill that gap by presenting Himself to the people as an image of God that they were seeking but the elders rejected him.
Similarly, many of our leaders even on the national level have also become the source of confusion and bewilderment as with the people in Matthew’s Gospel by foisting on the people of our time a set or laws that are divisive and immoral such as the RH Law and the proposed death bills.
Finally, towards the end of the Gospel reading, Jesus provides us with a preview of what the Great Commission (Matt 28:18-20) is all about. In His time, there was a limit to the number of people that he can teach and, or even the areas that he can reach. The Gospel has to be preached and heralded and this is the reason why Jesus needs men to work in the mission fields. That’s why He needs you and me.
Jesus and or the Church that He has established needs workers who know how to deal with the problems of the people. Jesus desires that the world hears the Good News but the world will never be able to even get a glimpse of what the Gospel is all about if there will be no reapers who will work to harvest the field.
We in the BLD are part of the workers that Jesus is hiring to work for his fields. And for the BLD community to be on fire, we need to get out of our comfort zones to work in the field that is ripe for harvest. We need to exercise our gifts of prophecy, healing, teaching, leadership and, shepherding because this is the only way we can bring others to God.
To toil in the mission fields as did the Apostles before us is to establish our identity as a community of disciples inspired by the Holy Spirit to be living witnesses for transformation in Christ to bring about a world of justice, human development and true peace.
1st Reading: Gen 32:23-33
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 17:1-3, 6-8, 15 “In justice, I shall behold your face, O Lord.."
GOSPEL: MATT 9:32-38
Key Verse: "…but the workers are few." (v.37)
There may only be seven verses in this Gospel reading of today but there is no doubt that today’s passage will move us by its content for this certainly is a power-packed message that provides us with a view of the totality of the ministry of Jesus which is the same ministry that he is passing on to us.
And towards the end of the Gospel reading, Jesus also indirectly laid down the role to be played by believers who will come after Him long after he has ascended to his heavenly Kingdom. We should not, for all intents and purpose, miss the importance of this role that he is entrusting to us especially during these critical times when the authority and even the moral foundation of the Church is being challenged.
In other words, the continuance of the work of Jesus now rests on our shoulders and there is nothing to fear because God Himself will provide us the skills in proclaiming the Good News to the ends of the earth and he wants us to use these skills to the best of our ability.
As we go over these seven verses in Matthew’s Gospel, we will see that there are certain realities that we need to take into account in order for us to fully understand the purpose for which Jesus was sent down from heaven by God.
But before Matthew revealed the ministry of Jesus, he first presented to us the difference in the way Jesus was received while pursuing his mission that gives us a preview of the present-day reality in which the world is also divided in their appreciation of the Messiah.
Here Matthew shows Jesus being accepted with amazement by the crowd after he healed a demon-possessed man. The crowds were simple people who saw in Jesus someone who could address what they need. But this was not the way the Pharisees saw it. To them, Jesus was a threat to their age-old tradition that was founded in the Law of Moses.
These Pharisees knew Jesus spoke the truth but they were too ensconced with their set of religious laws that they didn’t find any need to change their ways and they were so steeped with their prejudice that they refused to see the truth that Jesus brought forth.
Today, people who are in need will always look to Jesus with amazement but the man who is wallowing in pride and conceit cannot and will not submit to Jesus and will always reject His words even if they know these are true. We may ask how can this be possible among the most avid people who serve in the different ministries and apostolates in the church or community? As in the case of Jehu (2 Kgs 10:30-31) we too can also be very active in our work for God and still not give the wholehearted obedience that God desires and this is something that we need to watch out for.
As with the mission of Jesus that begins to unravel in v.35 we see Jesus was introduced as the messenger or the herald who is sent to proclaim the message of the Kingdom of God. He also came as a teacher whose style differs from that of the Pharisees. Jesus came not just to teach about God but he showed the people what God is like.
In simpler terms, Jesus is also telling us who would like to follow after Him to bring others to God not by telling others about God but by showing others the kind of life we live. What Jesus did in his time and what He is also showing us is that we must live what we preached. In other words, our public life or what the people see in us must be the same as what our hidden life is or what the people don’t see. There shouldn’t be any bifidity in our private and public life.
Jesus also translated his words into action, healing people of every sort of disease and illness. The healing miracles that Jesus performed was a sign that his teaching was true and if we leaf through the Gospel accounts, we will see that Jesus spent more time to heal the sick, feed the hungry, comfort the grieving than the time he spent preaching. What he did was he translated his teachings into actual work that is anchored on love and compassion for the poor.
Similarly, what Jesus is telling us is that we cannot be a true disciple until the work of our hands will mirror that which come out of our lips. This is where you separate the chaff from the grain and we see this in the church where some members are fond of taking the center stage and speak of love for the marginalized but it starts and end there and you don’t see much of even their shadows when the actual work starts.
Worst is when they draw attention to themselves instead of leading others to Christ such that they may not be aware they are already fomenting division such as what is happening to a community north of Manila where the leaders themselves are the ones fomenting division among the members of this community.
Christian discipleship is first and foremost an inclusive endeavor which means that we should strive to keep everybody in the church rather than lead them out of the mainstream of believers much less teach them to disobey their leaders.
With compassion for the people longing for a God of comfort and with the Pharisees not being able to give to the people the comfort they seek, Jesus tried to fill that gap by presenting Himself to the people as an image of God that they were seeking but the elders rejected him.
Similarly, many of our leaders even on the national level have also become the source of confusion and bewilderment as with the people in Matthew’s Gospel by foisting on the people of our time a set or laws that are divisive and immoral such as the RH Law and the proposed death bills.
Finally, towards the end of the Gospel reading, Jesus provides us with a preview of what the Great Commission (Matt 28:18-20) is all about. In His time, there was a limit to the number of people that he can teach and, or even the areas that he can reach. The Gospel has to be preached and heralded and this is the reason why Jesus needs men to work in the mission fields. That’s why He needs you and me.
Jesus and or the Church that He has established needs workers who know how to deal with the problems of the people. Jesus desires that the world hears the Good News but the world will never be able to even get a glimpse of what the Gospel is all about if there will be no reapers who will work to harvest the field.
We in the BLD are part of the workers that Jesus is hiring to work for his fields. And for the BLD community to be on fire, we need to get out of our comfort zones to work in the field that is ripe for harvest. We need to exercise our gifts of prophecy, healing, teaching, leadership and, shepherding because this is the only way we can bring others to God.
To toil in the mission fields as did the Apostles before us is to establish our identity as a community of disciples inspired by the Holy Spirit to be living witnesses for transformation in Christ to bring about a world of justice, human development and true peace.
FAITH HEALS
JULY 8, 2013: FOURTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Gen 28:10-22
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 91:1-4, 14-15 “In you, my God, I place my trust.”
GOSPEL: MATT 9:18-26
Key Verse: Your faith has healed you.” (v.22)
If you want to get a more complete picture of this narrative on the healing of the woman suffering from hemorrhage for 12 years and the raising of the 12-year old daughter of the leader of a synagogue, you can read either Mark 5:21-43 or Luke 8:40-56 as this version of Matthew has been abbreviated drastically.
In fact, Matthew only identified the father of the dead girl as a “ruler who came and knelt before Jesus” (v.18) while Mark and Luke called him Jairus who was the leader of the synagogue. All three Gospel writers, however, were silent on the identity of the hemorrhaging woman. But in the Acts of Pilate the woman’s name was Bernice.
However, what is important in this narrative is not the names of the woman nor the official but the personal concern of Jesus for the needs of others and his readiness to heal and restore life. In this Gospel passage we see in Jesus the infinite love of God extending to each and every individual as he gives himself freely and wholly to each person he meets.
Jesus indeed is a loving God who brings forgiveness, joy and healing to those who come to him but his response to our cry for help is predicated on the way we come to him. There shouldn’t be any doubt in our minds that Jesus who is the Christ will save us and bring us out of the darkness of our lives into his marvelous light.
But to benefit from his kindness and generosity, we must come to Jesus with expectant faith and not with skepticism or doubt because Jesus will give hope when we have lost all hope as he did with the woman: “your faith has healed you.” (v.22)
What we can see from the two scenarios was the relationship between effective faith and hopeful anticipation. The woman knew in her heart that Jesus was the only chance she has to be healed of her infirmity while the official’s faith was also one of hopeful anticipation as he disregarded what his family and neighbors said as he placed his complete trust in Jesus.
This Gospel passage reveals not just the awesome power of Jesus over diseases and death but also the natural tendency of men to seek what to them was the only option available when all hope was lost. The problem of the woman actually was not just her affliction but that the hemorrhage that has been going on for 12 years had made her unclean and unfit to worship God at the temple and or association with her friends.
This posed a major concern because no matter how much she believed in the healing power of Jesus she knew that her condition would also make Jesus unclean under Jewish law if she was to touch him. This was the reason “she came up behind him and touched his cloak, because she thought, ‘If only I touch his clothes, I will be healed.’ (v.21)
What followed was a beautiful scenario as Jesus turned around and seeing her said: “Take heart, daughter, your faith has healed you.” (v.22) and this actually gives us a preview of what is needed when we come to Jesus and seek favors from him. Faith is the key that unlocks the compassion of Jesus for those in need such as this woman.
And the message for us is that the woman was healed because she was willing to touch Jesus. Today God gives us the opportunity to touch Jesus and be saved by gathering all the faith that we can muster and obey his Word through the Sacred Scriptures which should not pose any difficulty at all. Why? Because Jesus has been present in our lives all along when “the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” (Jn 1:14) and indwelt in us when he ascended to heaven and left the Holy Spirit to be our comforter, teacher, healer and light.
We should never even for once doubt the power of Jesus to put fire and magnify our lives but this is largely dependent on our response to his invitation to trust him and we should because “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8) and “neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8:38-39).
This is the same with the daughter of the ruler who knelt down before Jesus who upon entering the house rebuked the noisy crowd saying: “Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.” (v.24) Even if the crowd laughed at him, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. (v.25)
We may not know it but our lives today are inextricably linked to every detail in this passage. Many of us will find that our talents and skills are limited and there are many things we are incapable of doing and, when we have lost all sense of hope just like the woman and the synagogue official, that is when we look to Jesus who is only too willing to touch us.
And like the daughter who was raised back to life, those of us who believe and whose lives have been touched by Jesus will have experienced a spiritual resurrection in the here and now (Col 2:13) and will experience a resurrection into eternal life in the future (Jn 11:25).
There is thus no affliction, pain or suffering that we may be going through that cannot be healed by the simple touch of Jesus. The question we need to ask is: are we willing to touch Jesus and be touched by him. Because to touch and be touched by Jesus is not only an opportunity but a leap of faith from death to life, from darkness to light, from a life of want to a life of abundant blessings.
In this passage we see that we can turn our despair into joy just like the joy of the woman and the parents of the dead child raised back to life but to touch Jesus means a life of obedience to his Will and to his Word. Jesus is always ready to heal and restore life but to touch Jesus and be touched by Him means we are prepared to share his life, experiences and even his suffering.
1st Reading: Gen 28:10-22
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 91:1-4, 14-15 “In you, my God, I place my trust.”
GOSPEL: MATT 9:18-26
Key Verse: Your faith has healed you.” (v.22)
If you want to get a more complete picture of this narrative on the healing of the woman suffering from hemorrhage for 12 years and the raising of the 12-year old daughter of the leader of a synagogue, you can read either Mark 5:21-43 or Luke 8:40-56 as this version of Matthew has been abbreviated drastically.
In fact, Matthew only identified the father of the dead girl as a “ruler who came and knelt before Jesus” (v.18) while Mark and Luke called him Jairus who was the leader of the synagogue. All three Gospel writers, however, were silent on the identity of the hemorrhaging woman. But in the Acts of Pilate the woman’s name was Bernice.
However, what is important in this narrative is not the names of the woman nor the official but the personal concern of Jesus for the needs of others and his readiness to heal and restore life. In this Gospel passage we see in Jesus the infinite love of God extending to each and every individual as he gives himself freely and wholly to each person he meets.
Jesus indeed is a loving God who brings forgiveness, joy and healing to those who come to him but his response to our cry for help is predicated on the way we come to him. There shouldn’t be any doubt in our minds that Jesus who is the Christ will save us and bring us out of the darkness of our lives into his marvelous light.
But to benefit from his kindness and generosity, we must come to Jesus with expectant faith and not with skepticism or doubt because Jesus will give hope when we have lost all hope as he did with the woman: “your faith has healed you.” (v.22)
What we can see from the two scenarios was the relationship between effective faith and hopeful anticipation. The woman knew in her heart that Jesus was the only chance she has to be healed of her infirmity while the official’s faith was also one of hopeful anticipation as he disregarded what his family and neighbors said as he placed his complete trust in Jesus.
This Gospel passage reveals not just the awesome power of Jesus over diseases and death but also the natural tendency of men to seek what to them was the only option available when all hope was lost. The problem of the woman actually was not just her affliction but that the hemorrhage that has been going on for 12 years had made her unclean and unfit to worship God at the temple and or association with her friends.
This posed a major concern because no matter how much she believed in the healing power of Jesus she knew that her condition would also make Jesus unclean under Jewish law if she was to touch him. This was the reason “she came up behind him and touched his cloak, because she thought, ‘If only I touch his clothes, I will be healed.’ (v.21)
What followed was a beautiful scenario as Jesus turned around and seeing her said: “Take heart, daughter, your faith has healed you.” (v.22) and this actually gives us a preview of what is needed when we come to Jesus and seek favors from him. Faith is the key that unlocks the compassion of Jesus for those in need such as this woman.
And the message for us is that the woman was healed because she was willing to touch Jesus. Today God gives us the opportunity to touch Jesus and be saved by gathering all the faith that we can muster and obey his Word through the Sacred Scriptures which should not pose any difficulty at all. Why? Because Jesus has been present in our lives all along when “the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” (Jn 1:14) and indwelt in us when he ascended to heaven and left the Holy Spirit to be our comforter, teacher, healer and light.
We should never even for once doubt the power of Jesus to put fire and magnify our lives but this is largely dependent on our response to his invitation to trust him and we should because “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8) and “neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8:38-39).
This is the same with the daughter of the ruler who knelt down before Jesus who upon entering the house rebuked the noisy crowd saying: “Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.” (v.24) Even if the crowd laughed at him, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. (v.25)
We may not know it but our lives today are inextricably linked to every detail in this passage. Many of us will find that our talents and skills are limited and there are many things we are incapable of doing and, when we have lost all sense of hope just like the woman and the synagogue official, that is when we look to Jesus who is only too willing to touch us.
And like the daughter who was raised back to life, those of us who believe and whose lives have been touched by Jesus will have experienced a spiritual resurrection in the here and now (Col 2:13) and will experience a resurrection into eternal life in the future (Jn 11:25).
There is thus no affliction, pain or suffering that we may be going through that cannot be healed by the simple touch of Jesus. The question we need to ask is: are we willing to touch Jesus and be touched by him. Because to touch and be touched by Jesus is not only an opportunity but a leap of faith from death to life, from darkness to light, from a life of want to a life of abundant blessings.
In this passage we see that we can turn our despair into joy just like the joy of the woman and the parents of the dead child raised back to life but to touch Jesus means a life of obedience to his Will and to his Word. Jesus is always ready to heal and restore life but to touch Jesus and be touched by Him means we are prepared to share his life, experiences and even his suffering.
THE COST OF EVANGELISM
JULY 7, 2013: FOURTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading:Isa 66:10-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 66:1-7, 16, 20 “Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.”
2nd Reading: Gal 6:14-18
GOSPEL: LK 10:1-12, 17-20 or 10:1-9
Key Verse: Heal the sick who are there and tell them,
‘The kingdom of God is near you.’ (v.9)
This Gospel today speaks of what our roles are in relation to our journey towards the kingdom of God. It tells us of the right attitude that we should have when we are sent to go and be the evangel to others.
In our lives us Sharers for the Marriage Encounter Weekend and the Life in the Spirit Seminars and, when we facilitate teachings in parishes and charismatic communities, my spouse Malou and I have practically experienced both extremes from first-class accommodations to places that have limited or no facilities at all. But as emissaries of Christ, we must be the epitome of what humility is as workers in the vineyard of the Lord should not complain or grumble. For Malou and I, we have “learned to be content whatever the circumstances” (Phi 4:11).
And here in this Gospel as we enter into the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time, we are once again being reminded by Jesus that the harvest is great but the workers are few. Jesus frequently uses the harvest scenario to remind us of the coming of the kingdom of God.
As with the 72 disciples whom Jesus is sending out into the field, we are being reminded of the agricultural process that leads to the harvest. This process includes tilling the soil, sowing, planting, weeding, watering, nurturing and reaping and this is the kind of patience we all must have when we go to evangelize others.
This is so with the mission that Jesus had entrusted to his disciples and which he is entrusting to us now. And in this Gospel Jesus is showing us from where our mission is to begin. It should begin with prayer: “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest and ask him to send more workers into the fields” (v.2).
Christians are, in truth and in fact, representatives of Christ just like an ambassador of one country to another. “We are Christ’s ambassadors.” (2 Cor 5:20) As such, we in today’s post-modern world are sent with his message of reconciliation to the world. An ambassador of reconciliation has an important responsibility and we should not take our roles lightly and at some point in time we will have to ask ourselves how we are fulfilling this commission from Christ?
We should remember that the 72 disciples whom Jesus sent in pairs are not better educated than the people they will be trying to draw. They also are not better situated as do the people to whom they will bring the message of salvation. What they had was the training and equipping they received from Jesus Himself. In other words, all that they had to stand on was the empowerment that Jesus gave to them and the vision they had to bring people to the kingdom of God.
This is the same with us who are now being sent to be the good news to others. And to be one, we are to remind ourselves that we are to travel light and we are not to greet anyone on the road (v.4) which means we are not to be distracted from our focus on the mission that lay ahead.
We also need to be aware that there are wolves (v.3) or those who will oppose our mission but we are not to meet this with aggression but with love and gentleness. This is also what we need to do when we face opposition or find ourselves in the middle of disputes and disagreements in the church, parish or community to which we belong. As Jesus became the sacrificial lamb for the atonement of our sins, so we too need to humble ourselves and sacrifice for the love of God.
This poverty of the spirit that manifests when we humble ourselves in the pursuit of our mission for Christ will take our minds off our preoccupations with material possessions and will make us depend more on what God will provide.
To bring to others and stand witness to the Word of God is a tremendous privilege. Still, greater responsibility rests on those who will hear the Word of God because they will ultimately be judged according to the measure of their actions in relation to what they heard.
“When you enter a house, first say, Peace to this house. If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you.” (vv.5-6). This is actually a warning from Jesus which means that it would be a terrible thing to reject the invitation of God that comes when the Word of God is spoken.
But there will also come a time when “lambs and wolves will live side by side, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.” (Isa 11:6) This is a prophesy of Isaiah which was an image of the second coming of Christ when all the people will rise as one to worship God.
As with the Lord’s disciples in this Gospel, God has chosen us to be Christ’s representatives on earth. In light of this truth, Paul challenges us to “boast only about the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ; for by means of his cross the world is dead to me, and I am dead to the world. (Gal 6:14) and as such we are to live a life worthy of the calling we have received – the awesome privilege of being called Christ’s very own representative. This includes being humble, gentle, patient, understanding and peaceful. People will be watching our lives. So the question is can they see Christ in us? How well are we doing as his representative?
And we whom Christ have called to minister to the world around us need to do what we are told to do and this Gospel reminds us to go without counting the cost. We can all begin by asking ourselves have we witnessed to our own passion, death and resurrection in Christ to those around us?
Because at the end of the day, the world will look not just at us but whether Christ is indeed present in us. That’s the bottom line friends.
1st Reading:Isa 66:10-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 66:1-7, 16, 20 “Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.”
2nd Reading: Gal 6:14-18
GOSPEL: LK 10:1-12, 17-20 or 10:1-9
Key Verse: Heal the sick who are there and tell them,
‘The kingdom of God is near you.’ (v.9)
This Gospel today speaks of what our roles are in relation to our journey towards the kingdom of God. It tells us of the right attitude that we should have when we are sent to go and be the evangel to others.
In our lives us Sharers for the Marriage Encounter Weekend and the Life in the Spirit Seminars and, when we facilitate teachings in parishes and charismatic communities, my spouse Malou and I have practically experienced both extremes from first-class accommodations to places that have limited or no facilities at all. But as emissaries of Christ, we must be the epitome of what humility is as workers in the vineyard of the Lord should not complain or grumble. For Malou and I, we have “learned to be content whatever the circumstances” (Phi 4:11).
And here in this Gospel as we enter into the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time, we are once again being reminded by Jesus that the harvest is great but the workers are few. Jesus frequently uses the harvest scenario to remind us of the coming of the kingdom of God.
As with the 72 disciples whom Jesus is sending out into the field, we are being reminded of the agricultural process that leads to the harvest. This process includes tilling the soil, sowing, planting, weeding, watering, nurturing and reaping and this is the kind of patience we all must have when we go to evangelize others.
This is so with the mission that Jesus had entrusted to his disciples and which he is entrusting to us now. And in this Gospel Jesus is showing us from where our mission is to begin. It should begin with prayer: “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest and ask him to send more workers into the fields” (v.2).
Christians are, in truth and in fact, representatives of Christ just like an ambassador of one country to another. “We are Christ’s ambassadors.” (2 Cor 5:20) As such, we in today’s post-modern world are sent with his message of reconciliation to the world. An ambassador of reconciliation has an important responsibility and we should not take our roles lightly and at some point in time we will have to ask ourselves how we are fulfilling this commission from Christ?
We should remember that the 72 disciples whom Jesus sent in pairs are not better educated than the people they will be trying to draw. They also are not better situated as do the people to whom they will bring the message of salvation. What they had was the training and equipping they received from Jesus Himself. In other words, all that they had to stand on was the empowerment that Jesus gave to them and the vision they had to bring people to the kingdom of God.
This is the same with us who are now being sent to be the good news to others. And to be one, we are to remind ourselves that we are to travel light and we are not to greet anyone on the road (v.4) which means we are not to be distracted from our focus on the mission that lay ahead.
We also need to be aware that there are wolves (v.3) or those who will oppose our mission but we are not to meet this with aggression but with love and gentleness. This is also what we need to do when we face opposition or find ourselves in the middle of disputes and disagreements in the church, parish or community to which we belong. As Jesus became the sacrificial lamb for the atonement of our sins, so we too need to humble ourselves and sacrifice for the love of God.
This poverty of the spirit that manifests when we humble ourselves in the pursuit of our mission for Christ will take our minds off our preoccupations with material possessions and will make us depend more on what God will provide.
To bring to others and stand witness to the Word of God is a tremendous privilege. Still, greater responsibility rests on those who will hear the Word of God because they will ultimately be judged according to the measure of their actions in relation to what they heard.
“When you enter a house, first say, Peace to this house. If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you.” (vv.5-6). This is actually a warning from Jesus which means that it would be a terrible thing to reject the invitation of God that comes when the Word of God is spoken.
But there will also come a time when “lambs and wolves will live side by side, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.” (Isa 11:6) This is a prophesy of Isaiah which was an image of the second coming of Christ when all the people will rise as one to worship God.
As with the Lord’s disciples in this Gospel, God has chosen us to be Christ’s representatives on earth. In light of this truth, Paul challenges us to “boast only about the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ; for by means of his cross the world is dead to me, and I am dead to the world. (Gal 6:14) and as such we are to live a life worthy of the calling we have received – the awesome privilege of being called Christ’s very own representative. This includes being humble, gentle, patient, understanding and peaceful. People will be watching our lives. So the question is can they see Christ in us? How well are we doing as his representative?
And we whom Christ have called to minister to the world around us need to do what we are told to do and this Gospel reminds us to go without counting the cost. We can all begin by asking ourselves have we witnessed to our own passion, death and resurrection in Christ to those around us?
Because at the end of the day, the world will look not just at us but whether Christ is indeed present in us. That’s the bottom line friends.
LEAVE THE OLD TO BECOME NEW
JULY 6, 2013: THIRTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Gen 27:1-5, 15-29
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 135:1-6 “Praise the Lord for the Lord is good."
GOSPEL: MATT 9:14-17
Key Verse: “He pours new wine into new wineskins.” (v.17)
The great philosopher Isaac Newton’s third law on motion in states that: “to every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction” and could very well apply to our Gospel for today in which Jesus speaks about the action of emptying oneself and the opposite reaction of filling in what has been emptied.
The presence of such equal and opposite reaction in today’s passage is discernible in the two parts that make up the Gospel passage today in which Matthew wrote about the action of emptying ourselves which is what fasting is all about and, the opposite reaction of the filling in of ourselves with the life-changing truths of Christ.
Fasting or the act of emptying ourselves of the impurities that are displeasing to the eyes of God and the need for us to turn our lives into becoming new wineskins to accept the truths of Christ are what this Gospel passage is all about.
The opening scenario in this passage was founded on the practice of John the Baptist and his disciples to fast as a sign of repentance as fasting was viewed in both the Old and New Testament times as an external symbol of humility and repentance for sin. Fasting was also viewed as an inner discipline that clears the minds while at the same time keeping the spirits active and alert.
The ancient Jews and those in the time of Jesus and even now among the religious and Christians steeped in the traditions of the faith find some very good reasons why a man should fast. In most cases, fasting was accompanied with prayer because the Jews fasted whenever they seek divine intervention.
And lest it creates confusion in the minds of the ordinary hearer of the Word of God, Jesus was not against fasting as when the Pharisees asked why John’s disciples fast and his disciples did not (v.14) since Jesus himself fasted for 40 days. With his response, Jesus simply defined the boundaries that separate fasting and feasting and what he meant was that people need not fast when there was a celebration in which the bridegroom was still present.
This response must have evoked protests from the Pharisees as Jesus compared himself to being a groom which represents the image of God in relation to God’s chosen people who are symbolized to in the Scriptures as the bride (Isa 62:5 and Matt 25:1-13).
What followed was a stinging rebuke over the habit of the Pharisees who fast to display their piety but who because of their rigidity in the practice of their faith have been unable to digest the new revelations coming from God as personified by Jesus.
And Jesus went on to preach to his disciples and he is telling us now about the problem of the heart and mind that remains closed to accept new things. To illustrate, Jesus used an image that the Jews were familiar with – that of new and old wineskins.
In the time of Jesus, wine was usually stored in wineskins as there were no bottles in those days. Hence, new wine poured into wineskins was still fermenting and the expanded gases creates pressure on the wineskins and new wineskins were elastic enough to take the pressure, but old wineskins that have already hardened would easily burst.
The lesson for us is that we all must turn ourselves into new wineskins which means that we should get rid of the kind of rigidity that the Pharisees had because this will prevent us from accepting the new life that Christ offers.
As the world keeps moving, we as Christians who have been baptized in Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit must always be on the move and must not remain stationary in relation to the practice of our faith because to become fixed and closed to accept the truths of Christ may make us physically alive but mentally dead.
To become new wineskins is to become pliant which means that we must remain open not only to new ideas but to accepting the truths of Christ because the opposite which is a closed mind would result in spiritual lethargy and dryness in the practice of our Christian faith.
In conclusion, we have to go back to the laws on motion in which our actions as a Christian must consist of an equal and opposite reaction which is done when we fast and empty ourselves of the impurities that we have acquired especially those iniquities that we may have acquired without fear and or reservation and which can be purified through repentance.
For such action to become transformative in terms of our spiritual growth, we need to go through the corresponding opposite reaction which is to turn ourselves into new wineskins to be able accept the new and life-changing truths of Christ without choking our senses and emotions.
This Gospel passage today should therefore lead us to understand the necessity of fasting and becoming new wineskins as part of spiritual discipline as it would be a shame to have such a spiritual tool at our disposal and yet not make use of it as a disciple.
The imagery presented in this Gospel is what is being relived at the Aspirant’s Retreat of the BLD Manila Cluster which is ongoing at the BLD Covenant House which brought together some 130 aspirants who have been invited to seal their covenants with the Lord and be admitted to the Community of Covenanted Disciples.
I still remember what BLD Global Spiritual Director Archbishop Angel Lagdameo said in one of his homily told those attending a retreat that they could make their presence at the retreat more meaningful if they will surrender to Jesus all their sins which is the only thing that Jesus, in whom all things were made, doesn’t own.
Again, this is what fasting and becoming new wineskins is all about. We fast and submit to Jesus all our sins so that we can make room for the new wine (the truths of the Gospel) and thus be made right in the presence of our Lord and Savior.
1st Reading: Gen 27:1-5, 15-29
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 135:1-6 “Praise the Lord for the Lord is good."
GOSPEL: MATT 9:14-17
Key Verse: “He pours new wine into new wineskins.” (v.17)
The great philosopher Isaac Newton’s third law on motion in states that: “to every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction” and could very well apply to our Gospel for today in which Jesus speaks about the action of emptying oneself and the opposite reaction of filling in what has been emptied.
The presence of such equal and opposite reaction in today’s passage is discernible in the two parts that make up the Gospel passage today in which Matthew wrote about the action of emptying ourselves which is what fasting is all about and, the opposite reaction of the filling in of ourselves with the life-changing truths of Christ.
Fasting or the act of emptying ourselves of the impurities that are displeasing to the eyes of God and the need for us to turn our lives into becoming new wineskins to accept the truths of Christ are what this Gospel passage is all about.
The opening scenario in this passage was founded on the practice of John the Baptist and his disciples to fast as a sign of repentance as fasting was viewed in both the Old and New Testament times as an external symbol of humility and repentance for sin. Fasting was also viewed as an inner discipline that clears the minds while at the same time keeping the spirits active and alert.
The ancient Jews and those in the time of Jesus and even now among the religious and Christians steeped in the traditions of the faith find some very good reasons why a man should fast. In most cases, fasting was accompanied with prayer because the Jews fasted whenever they seek divine intervention.
And lest it creates confusion in the minds of the ordinary hearer of the Word of God, Jesus was not against fasting as when the Pharisees asked why John’s disciples fast and his disciples did not (v.14) since Jesus himself fasted for 40 days. With his response, Jesus simply defined the boundaries that separate fasting and feasting and what he meant was that people need not fast when there was a celebration in which the bridegroom was still present.
This response must have evoked protests from the Pharisees as Jesus compared himself to being a groom which represents the image of God in relation to God’s chosen people who are symbolized to in the Scriptures as the bride (Isa 62:5 and Matt 25:1-13).
What followed was a stinging rebuke over the habit of the Pharisees who fast to display their piety but who because of their rigidity in the practice of their faith have been unable to digest the new revelations coming from God as personified by Jesus.
And Jesus went on to preach to his disciples and he is telling us now about the problem of the heart and mind that remains closed to accept new things. To illustrate, Jesus used an image that the Jews were familiar with – that of new and old wineskins.
In the time of Jesus, wine was usually stored in wineskins as there were no bottles in those days. Hence, new wine poured into wineskins was still fermenting and the expanded gases creates pressure on the wineskins and new wineskins were elastic enough to take the pressure, but old wineskins that have already hardened would easily burst.
The lesson for us is that we all must turn ourselves into new wineskins which means that we should get rid of the kind of rigidity that the Pharisees had because this will prevent us from accepting the new life that Christ offers.
As the world keeps moving, we as Christians who have been baptized in Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit must always be on the move and must not remain stationary in relation to the practice of our faith because to become fixed and closed to accept the truths of Christ may make us physically alive but mentally dead.
To become new wineskins is to become pliant which means that we must remain open not only to new ideas but to accepting the truths of Christ because the opposite which is a closed mind would result in spiritual lethargy and dryness in the practice of our Christian faith.
In conclusion, we have to go back to the laws on motion in which our actions as a Christian must consist of an equal and opposite reaction which is done when we fast and empty ourselves of the impurities that we have acquired especially those iniquities that we may have acquired without fear and or reservation and which can be purified through repentance.
For such action to become transformative in terms of our spiritual growth, we need to go through the corresponding opposite reaction which is to turn ourselves into new wineskins to be able accept the new and life-changing truths of Christ without choking our senses and emotions.
This Gospel passage today should therefore lead us to understand the necessity of fasting and becoming new wineskins as part of spiritual discipline as it would be a shame to have such a spiritual tool at our disposal and yet not make use of it as a disciple.
The imagery presented in this Gospel is what is being relived at the Aspirant’s Retreat of the BLD Manila Cluster which is ongoing at the BLD Covenant House which brought together some 130 aspirants who have been invited to seal their covenants with the Lord and be admitted to the Community of Covenanted Disciples.
I still remember what BLD Global Spiritual Director Archbishop Angel Lagdameo said in one of his homily told those attending a retreat that they could make their presence at the retreat more meaningful if they will surrender to Jesus all their sins which is the only thing that Jesus, in whom all things were made, doesn’t own.
Again, this is what fasting and becoming new wineskins is all about. We fast and submit to Jesus all our sins so that we can make room for the new wine (the truths of the Gospel) and thus be made right in the presence of our Lord and Savior.
HEAVEN IS FOR EVERYONE
JULY 5, 2013: THIRTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Gen23:1-4, 19; 24:1-8, 62-67
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 106:1-5 “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.”
GOSPEL: MATT 9:9-13
Key Verse: “I did not come to call the righteous,
but sinners.” (v.13)
For a man to be regarded as religious, he must be able to stretch out his hand to help a man who is in need. Otherwise, it would just be another form of outward piety and we see so many of these in the church or community where projects and programs have are prioritized over the proclamation of the Gospel.
The Gospel today speaks of what the inner disposition of man should be in terms of his relationship with others especially those who are in great need. This has become the subject of many of the teachings of Jesus and it could not be avoided that the attitude of the Scribes and Pharisees would become the benchmark to which man’s relationship with God and neighbor was to be compared with.
Today’s Gospel also presents us with the reality that the Kingdom of God is for saints and sinners alike and this reminds of a contrast in the plot of an 1987 movie made by Steven Spielberg entitled “Batteries Not Included.” It tells of a story of an elderly apartment block tenants who sought the aid of alien mechanical life-forms to save their building from being demolished to give way to a new multi-story condominium.
Our lives at times are no different from those characterized in Spielberg’s movies such as the elderly couple who sought help from mechanical aliens to save their home from being demolished. And today, many of us who are mired in what appear to be insurmountable problems and difficulties lose ourselves in search for solutions and finding none we end up kneeling before God and storming heaven with our prayers.
This was probably the case of Levi who was one of the most hated among men in Capernaum and who was regarded by the Jews as notoriously dishonest. What we actually don’t know was that Levi perfectly knew the sentiments of the Jews against him and that he probably was just waiting for the right opportunity to turn his life around.
That this account on the calling of Levi would be arranged in such a way that it comes on the heels of the healing of the demon-possessed men (Matt 9:28-34) and the paralytic (Matt 9:1-8) only shows that Jesus was indeed sent not just for a particular set of people but for all of creation. This can also be gleaned from the Words of Jesus in Jn 3:16 when he proclaimed that: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that anyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” Jesus was explicit that he came not just for you and me but for the world which means that no one would be left behind when the Son of God will come again.
As Jesus went on from healing the paralytic, he saw Levi at the tax collector’s booth, Jesus said: “Follow me” (v.9) and Levi got up and followed him. In the next few moments, try to imagine that you were one of those in the crowd. As an adult Jew you have received faith formation and religious studies since your childhood days from visiting Rabbis, Scribes and Pharisees.
Certainly you’d be surprised as the people at that time when Jesus called on Levi, who as a tax collector was hated by the Jews because his profession was to collect taxes and fees for the Roman government thus tax collectors were considered as traitors. They are also viewed as extortionists because they normally get a slice of the taxes that they collect.
As such, tax collectors are lumped together with sinners and harlots (Lk 15:1-2) and no Jew who was in his proper frame of mind would associate themselves with tax collectors. Except for Jesus no one in the crowd knew what was in the mind of Levi who must have heard of Jesus and it was possible that Levi was already overcome by guilt at his sinful ways and was planning to turn a new leaf and was just waiting for an opportune time.
This was the only plausible explanation why Levi stood up, left everything and followed Jesus (v.9). And if the Scribes were perplexed at the calling of Levi, they were even more scandalized when Levi hosted a feast for Jesus in his house that was attended by other tax collectors and sinners as well and the teachers of the law asked his disciples why Jesus eats with sinners (v.11).
What follows in vv.12-13 was the response of Jesus which reveals his mission on earth: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Jesus chose a sinner like Levi who would later be called Matthew because he knew that Levi (Matthew) was repentant and has what it takes to become a disciple as the former tax collector left everything and staked whatever he has left on Christ.
What Jesus requires of his disciples is the willingness to give up everything “deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Lk 9:23) This is also what Jesus requires from us in that we must be prepared to step out of our comfort zones and follow him wherever he leads us. What Jesus said to Levi was “follow me.” Jesus did not mean “I am calling you to become the Boss.” To follow Jesus is to do what he did. He led the disciples but only for the purpose of training them towards a life of humility and obedience.
In the church or community for that matter, it has become too common to see people stepping up to the plate but only to give orders “do this, do that” but you’ll never see them work up a sweat. What Jesus needs are workers and not bosses because on our way to eternity there is only one Master and that is Jesus.
The underlying message in this Gospel is that Jesus is not inviting people who believe that they are already good enough and have no need of help. What Jesus is pointing out here is that the first step in discipleship is to acknowledge our need for a savior and admit that we don’t have all the answers.
The true and authentic Christian life is to follow Christ by turning our backs from the world we are in. We will experience hardships, comfort, deprivation and, we will find ourselves poorer in terms of material possessions. Worldly ambitions are thrown out of the window but through it all, following Christ will bring joy and peace and the privilege to become co-heir to the Kingdom of Heaven.
To follow Christ as Matthew did, we are commanded to share the Gospel with the poor, immoral, the deprived and depraved, the outcasts of society and, not just the rich, popular and powerful. Heaven, after all, is also for sinners. “God doesn’t want burnt offerings; he wants our lifelong service” (Psa 40:6-8).
Thus if Jesus will pass by you at this very moment and will tell you: “Follow me.” How are you going to respond? Are you going to do what Matthew did and leave everything behind to follow Jesus? How you will respond will define who you truly are.
1st Reading: Gen23:1-4, 19; 24:1-8, 62-67
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 106:1-5 “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.”
GOSPEL: MATT 9:9-13
Key Verse: “I did not come to call the righteous,
but sinners.” (v.13)
For a man to be regarded as religious, he must be able to stretch out his hand to help a man who is in need. Otherwise, it would just be another form of outward piety and we see so many of these in the church or community where projects and programs have are prioritized over the proclamation of the Gospel.
The Gospel today speaks of what the inner disposition of man should be in terms of his relationship with others especially those who are in great need. This has become the subject of many of the teachings of Jesus and it could not be avoided that the attitude of the Scribes and Pharisees would become the benchmark to which man’s relationship with God and neighbor was to be compared with.
Today’s Gospel also presents us with the reality that the Kingdom of God is for saints and sinners alike and this reminds of a contrast in the plot of an 1987 movie made by Steven Spielberg entitled “Batteries Not Included.” It tells of a story of an elderly apartment block tenants who sought the aid of alien mechanical life-forms to save their building from being demolished to give way to a new multi-story condominium.
Our lives at times are no different from those characterized in Spielberg’s movies such as the elderly couple who sought help from mechanical aliens to save their home from being demolished. And today, many of us who are mired in what appear to be insurmountable problems and difficulties lose ourselves in search for solutions and finding none we end up kneeling before God and storming heaven with our prayers.
This was probably the case of Levi who was one of the most hated among men in Capernaum and who was regarded by the Jews as notoriously dishonest. What we actually don’t know was that Levi perfectly knew the sentiments of the Jews against him and that he probably was just waiting for the right opportunity to turn his life around.
That this account on the calling of Levi would be arranged in such a way that it comes on the heels of the healing of the demon-possessed men (Matt 9:28-34) and the paralytic (Matt 9:1-8) only shows that Jesus was indeed sent not just for a particular set of people but for all of creation. This can also be gleaned from the Words of Jesus in Jn 3:16 when he proclaimed that: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that anyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” Jesus was explicit that he came not just for you and me but for the world which means that no one would be left behind when the Son of God will come again.
As Jesus went on from healing the paralytic, he saw Levi at the tax collector’s booth, Jesus said: “Follow me” (v.9) and Levi got up and followed him. In the next few moments, try to imagine that you were one of those in the crowd. As an adult Jew you have received faith formation and religious studies since your childhood days from visiting Rabbis, Scribes and Pharisees.
Certainly you’d be surprised as the people at that time when Jesus called on Levi, who as a tax collector was hated by the Jews because his profession was to collect taxes and fees for the Roman government thus tax collectors were considered as traitors. They are also viewed as extortionists because they normally get a slice of the taxes that they collect.
As such, tax collectors are lumped together with sinners and harlots (Lk 15:1-2) and no Jew who was in his proper frame of mind would associate themselves with tax collectors. Except for Jesus no one in the crowd knew what was in the mind of Levi who must have heard of Jesus and it was possible that Levi was already overcome by guilt at his sinful ways and was planning to turn a new leaf and was just waiting for an opportune time.
This was the only plausible explanation why Levi stood up, left everything and followed Jesus (v.9). And if the Scribes were perplexed at the calling of Levi, they were even more scandalized when Levi hosted a feast for Jesus in his house that was attended by other tax collectors and sinners as well and the teachers of the law asked his disciples why Jesus eats with sinners (v.11).
What follows in vv.12-13 was the response of Jesus which reveals his mission on earth: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Jesus chose a sinner like Levi who would later be called Matthew because he knew that Levi (Matthew) was repentant and has what it takes to become a disciple as the former tax collector left everything and staked whatever he has left on Christ.
What Jesus requires of his disciples is the willingness to give up everything “deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Lk 9:23) This is also what Jesus requires from us in that we must be prepared to step out of our comfort zones and follow him wherever he leads us. What Jesus said to Levi was “follow me.” Jesus did not mean “I am calling you to become the Boss.” To follow Jesus is to do what he did. He led the disciples but only for the purpose of training them towards a life of humility and obedience.
In the church or community for that matter, it has become too common to see people stepping up to the plate but only to give orders “do this, do that” but you’ll never see them work up a sweat. What Jesus needs are workers and not bosses because on our way to eternity there is only one Master and that is Jesus.
The underlying message in this Gospel is that Jesus is not inviting people who believe that they are already good enough and have no need of help. What Jesus is pointing out here is that the first step in discipleship is to acknowledge our need for a savior and admit that we don’t have all the answers.
The true and authentic Christian life is to follow Christ by turning our backs from the world we are in. We will experience hardships, comfort, deprivation and, we will find ourselves poorer in terms of material possessions. Worldly ambitions are thrown out of the window but through it all, following Christ will bring joy and peace and the privilege to become co-heir to the Kingdom of Heaven.
To follow Christ as Matthew did, we are commanded to share the Gospel with the poor, immoral, the deprived and depraved, the outcasts of society and, not just the rich, popular and powerful. Heaven, after all, is also for sinners. “God doesn’t want burnt offerings; he wants our lifelong service” (Psa 40:6-8).
Thus if Jesus will pass by you at this very moment and will tell you: “Follow me.” How are you going to respond? Are you going to do what Matthew did and leave everything behind to follow Jesus? How you will respond will define who you truly are.
POWER OF FORGIVENESS
JULY 4, 2013: THIRTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Gen 22:1-19
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 115:1-9 “I will walk in the presence of the Lord, in the land of the living.”
GOSPEL: MATT 9:1-8
Key Verse: “Your sins are forgiven.” (v.2)
Today’s Gospel begins with Matthew writing that Jesus got into a boat and crossed over to his own town but the Apostle did not say which town. Definitely it couldn’t be where he was born, raised and rejected by his own townspeople because one need not step into a boat to go to Nazareth as it is an inland town.
We can see which town it was when we read the Gospels written by Mark (Mk 2:1-12) and Luke (Lk 5:17-26) who both said the town was Capernaum which as we all know became the adopted city of Jesus because of its strategic importance as it was the economic melting pot at the time where there exists a commingling of Jews, Greeks and Romans that made Capernaum a thriving economy.
There are also some differences in Matthew’s description of the scenario in that “some people brought to Jesus a paralyzed man on a mat” (v.2) while Mark and Luke wrote that finding the way into the house where Jesus was preaching blocked by a crowd the friends of the paralyzed man created an opening on the parched roof where they lowered their friend whom Jesus healed.
All three Gospel writers, however, were one in saying that Jesus healed the paralyzed man by saying: “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” (v.2) That Matthew, Mark and Luke were in agreement in the way this dramatic scenario unfolded only reinforces the belief of the Jews that sickness and suffering are integrally connected to the presence of sin. In fact, the orthodox Jews have a saying that says: “There is no sick man healed of his sickness until all his sins have been forgiven him.”
While it may seem peculiar to heal the paralytic in this story by forgiving his sins, Jesus saw in this as an opportunity to hammer down at least two important messages. One was to impress upon the teachers of the law that he could do what he did because he carries with him the authority on earth to forgive sins (v.6) and, secondly was to confirm what the Jews have long believed in that forgiveness of sin brings healing.
To heal the paralytic by forgiving his sins was well within the religious beliefs in those days because the Jews believed that pain and suffering, sickness and diseases are caused by sin believing that if a man was suffering then he must have sinned. What the teachers of the law were objecting to was that forgiveness could only come from God and that it was blasphemous for Jesus to have forgiven the sins of the paralytic (v.3).
This Gospel narrative is actually a touching story that involved not only Jesus and the paralytic but also the friends of the paralytic and what Jesus saw must have moved him into doing what he did because right there in front of him was an unfolding story of friendship, love and faith.
The paralytic was blessed with friends with faith and it was this faith that Jesus saw (v.2). The paralytic and his friends may have been friends since childhood. Like the friendship that we keep with our friends in our workplace, neighborhood, school, church or community, in the ministries and apostolates where we serve, the paralytic and his friends may have shared many happy moments together.
The presence of Jesus in Capernaum was probably the moment they were waiting for and here we see an example of what true friendship means. Without his friends, the paralytic could not have come to Jesus and this story should also move us to appreciate the gift of friends.
It is about time perhaps that we should start reaching out to friends we haven’t seen for a long time such as members of our church or community who have drifted away? Have we shared our faith with them in our attempt to bring them back? Have we paid them a visit or called them to at least check on them, how they are doing? What this story is telling us is that we must nurture our relationships with our friends for they are the ones who can help us in time of our deepest need.
The other point in this Gospel of today was the power and authority of Jesus to forgive sins. While the teachers of the law were right that only God can forgive sins, what they didn’t realize then was that Jesus was the incarnated Son of God and he knew who he was and he was aware of his authority and he proved this by healing the paralytic (v.6).
What this Gospel passage also shows us was that we are also like the paralytic with needs that only Jesus can fill. We may not know it but there are instances when we too are suffering from paralysis of which there are several types. One such type is motor paralysis that occurs when we refuse to exercise our gifts like shepherding in an LSS. We suffer from this type of paralysis when we remain unmoved by the need to bring the Gospel of Christ to the ends of the earth.
Another type of paralysis is sensory paralysis that happens when we remain oblivious to the needs of others. This also happens when we don’t give back to God what is required of us. It is not enough that we place 10% or more in the love offering baskets but what is more important is the offering of ourselves so that God can use us.
Like the paralyzed man, we too can rise up, walk out and turn away from whatever type of paralysis we are suffering from, which may be due to our sinful tendencies by seeking the forgiveness that only Jesus has the power to give and, when we find we are unable to do it by ourselves, we can turn to our friends equipped with the faith and willingness to help us.
We should be able to see ourselves in the paralytic as we also need to be forgiven of our sins that only Jesus can give. And like the paralyzed man, we should find a church or community where we can be with friends who because of their faith will be more than willing to come to our aid.
On the other hand, we also should not just rely on the faith of our friends but we too must have faith even if it is just the size of a mustard seed. Like the paralytic who was clothed with expectant faith, we too must come to Jesus with complete trust and confidence that we will be forgiven and healed.
When we do muster the courage to go before Christ and be forgiven of our sins, the world around us would definitely stand amazed and say “we have never seen anything like this!” (Mk 2:12) and we can all praise him the Son of God who alone has the power to heal us of the paralysis of our minds, hearts and souls.
1st Reading: Gen 22:1-19
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 115:1-9 “I will walk in the presence of the Lord, in the land of the living.”
GOSPEL: MATT 9:1-8
Key Verse: “Your sins are forgiven.” (v.2)
Today’s Gospel begins with Matthew writing that Jesus got into a boat and crossed over to his own town but the Apostle did not say which town. Definitely it couldn’t be where he was born, raised and rejected by his own townspeople because one need not step into a boat to go to Nazareth as it is an inland town.
We can see which town it was when we read the Gospels written by Mark (Mk 2:1-12) and Luke (Lk 5:17-26) who both said the town was Capernaum which as we all know became the adopted city of Jesus because of its strategic importance as it was the economic melting pot at the time where there exists a commingling of Jews, Greeks and Romans that made Capernaum a thriving economy.
There are also some differences in Matthew’s description of the scenario in that “some people brought to Jesus a paralyzed man on a mat” (v.2) while Mark and Luke wrote that finding the way into the house where Jesus was preaching blocked by a crowd the friends of the paralyzed man created an opening on the parched roof where they lowered their friend whom Jesus healed.
All three Gospel writers, however, were one in saying that Jesus healed the paralyzed man by saying: “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” (v.2) That Matthew, Mark and Luke were in agreement in the way this dramatic scenario unfolded only reinforces the belief of the Jews that sickness and suffering are integrally connected to the presence of sin. In fact, the orthodox Jews have a saying that says: “There is no sick man healed of his sickness until all his sins have been forgiven him.”
While it may seem peculiar to heal the paralytic in this story by forgiving his sins, Jesus saw in this as an opportunity to hammer down at least two important messages. One was to impress upon the teachers of the law that he could do what he did because he carries with him the authority on earth to forgive sins (v.6) and, secondly was to confirm what the Jews have long believed in that forgiveness of sin brings healing.
To heal the paralytic by forgiving his sins was well within the religious beliefs in those days because the Jews believed that pain and suffering, sickness and diseases are caused by sin believing that if a man was suffering then he must have sinned. What the teachers of the law were objecting to was that forgiveness could only come from God and that it was blasphemous for Jesus to have forgiven the sins of the paralytic (v.3).
This Gospel narrative is actually a touching story that involved not only Jesus and the paralytic but also the friends of the paralytic and what Jesus saw must have moved him into doing what he did because right there in front of him was an unfolding story of friendship, love and faith.
The paralytic was blessed with friends with faith and it was this faith that Jesus saw (v.2). The paralytic and his friends may have been friends since childhood. Like the friendship that we keep with our friends in our workplace, neighborhood, school, church or community, in the ministries and apostolates where we serve, the paralytic and his friends may have shared many happy moments together.
The presence of Jesus in Capernaum was probably the moment they were waiting for and here we see an example of what true friendship means. Without his friends, the paralytic could not have come to Jesus and this story should also move us to appreciate the gift of friends.
It is about time perhaps that we should start reaching out to friends we haven’t seen for a long time such as members of our church or community who have drifted away? Have we shared our faith with them in our attempt to bring them back? Have we paid them a visit or called them to at least check on them, how they are doing? What this story is telling us is that we must nurture our relationships with our friends for they are the ones who can help us in time of our deepest need.
The other point in this Gospel of today was the power and authority of Jesus to forgive sins. While the teachers of the law were right that only God can forgive sins, what they didn’t realize then was that Jesus was the incarnated Son of God and he knew who he was and he was aware of his authority and he proved this by healing the paralytic (v.6).
What this Gospel passage also shows us was that we are also like the paralytic with needs that only Jesus can fill. We may not know it but there are instances when we too are suffering from paralysis of which there are several types. One such type is motor paralysis that occurs when we refuse to exercise our gifts like shepherding in an LSS. We suffer from this type of paralysis when we remain unmoved by the need to bring the Gospel of Christ to the ends of the earth.
Another type of paralysis is sensory paralysis that happens when we remain oblivious to the needs of others. This also happens when we don’t give back to God what is required of us. It is not enough that we place 10% or more in the love offering baskets but what is more important is the offering of ourselves so that God can use us.
Like the paralyzed man, we too can rise up, walk out and turn away from whatever type of paralysis we are suffering from, which may be due to our sinful tendencies by seeking the forgiveness that only Jesus has the power to give and, when we find we are unable to do it by ourselves, we can turn to our friends equipped with the faith and willingness to help us.
We should be able to see ourselves in the paralytic as we also need to be forgiven of our sins that only Jesus can give. And like the paralyzed man, we should find a church or community where we can be with friends who because of their faith will be more than willing to come to our aid.
On the other hand, we also should not just rely on the faith of our friends but we too must have faith even if it is just the size of a mustard seed. Like the paralytic who was clothed with expectant faith, we too must come to Jesus with complete trust and confidence that we will be forgiven and healed.
When we do muster the courage to go before Christ and be forgiven of our sins, the world around us would definitely stand amazed and say “we have never seen anything like this!” (Mk 2:12) and we can all praise him the Son of God who alone has the power to heal us of the paralysis of our minds, hearts and souls.
BELIEVE AND HAVE FAITH
JULY 3, 2013: ST. THOMAS, Apostle
1st Reading: Eph 2:19-22
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 117:1bc, 2 “Go out to all the world and tell the good news.”
GOSPEL: JN 20:24-29
Key Verse: “blessed are those who have not seen
and yet have believed.” (v.29)
In these days of uncertainty it has become natural for people to doubt something that they only heard about and have not seen. This is especially true with regards to the many vanity products such as those that make your skin whiter that are being marketed through aggressive marketing campaigns such that people no longer know what to believe in.
This was the predicament of many of the Jews who couldn’t make out what to believe even after news of the resurrection of Jesus had spread like wildfire in Jerusalem. Today more than 2,000 years later, we are still caught up in our own doubts and or indifference that prevent us from establishing a more concrete relationship with God that is rooted in humility and obedience. Why? Because the world itself is preventing us from doing so as it offers us a comparative view of life.
On one hand is the material world we live in, the fast-paced search for comfort and luxury, anything that would bring us fame, prestige and wealth have kept us glued in this mundane world. The other dimension is the eternal life that was promised to those who will believe in him.
Such belief, however, is premised on our subservience to his Holy Will and a life that is anchored on sacrifice and suffering. This last part is what makes people think because most often we want to reap the promise of eternal joy but without the pain and sacrifice attached to it.
The world has become too fast that anything you need is available at the press of a button. Everything can be procured and acquired and transactions are consummated within minutes. Every bit of information is available in this wired world we are in. Even Bible verses and inspirational message are now being disseminated through e-Mail and SMS or text.
But has this connectivity contributed to forming Christians to become a replica of Jesus in all aspects of his life? From the time we received Jesus in our baptism – whether sacramental or para-liturgical – have we allowed the Holy Spirit to take control of our entire persona?
Have we become forgiving of one another or do we persist in our unbelief, doubt and meaningless pursuit of what we perceive to be a joyful life. And how many of us demand a physical evidence before they will believe. “Unless I see I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe." (V.25)
It is not that the people now do not really believe that Jesus Christ is Lord but the circumstances of our present lives lead us to unbelief. The economic difficulties that we experience these days also contribute to the estranged relationship between God and the people He has created.
When Jesus appeared to his disciples he offered proofs of his resurrection by showing them the wounds of his passion, his pierced hands and side. He calmed their fears and brought them peace, the peace that reconciles sinners and makes one a friend of God.
Today this has not changed as Jesus still is offering the same proof at the table of the Paschal sacrifice each time Mass is celebrated and this should serve as a memorial for us that God already took our sins and sufferings to the cross and the peace that He offered to his disciples in the Upper Room is the same kind of peace he is offering to us now.
But in us there will always be a Thomas who will doubt not because we love the Lord less but because we simply lack the courage to stand with Jesus and share his passion and crucifixion. Like Thomas we also run away from the Church not only because we lack motivation but because we only want to earn the glory of heaven without the sacrifice needed to get there.
Jesus came back and appeared to his disciples not only to prove he had resurrected from death but he came back because he needed his disciples to establish his Church. In the same way, we who now comprise the Church also need Jesus. As we are being sent to make disciples of all nations, we need someone to send us and without Jesus we have no message to bring to all the nations. This means that as Jesus is dependent on us to keep his message alive, we also need Jesus to equip us and empower us by His Holy Spirit.
There may be times doubt will cloud our faith but there is something in Thomas that we also need to emulate. Thomas believed and became one of the most faithful messengers of God’s love and forgiveness who is credited for bringing Christianity to India.
There are times when differences and disputes arise within the Church that move us to leave and there will be times we will experience some low points in our life and we find ourselves going back to God. But why wait for the light to run out of our lives before we believe and realize that all we need is the light that comes from God.
When Thomas recognized his Master, he believed and exclaimed that Jesus was truly Lord and truly God! The gift of faith infused in us at our baptism should move us to also proclaim Jesus as our personal Lord and our God. He died and rose that we, too, might have new life in him.
And today, the same Jesus who appeared to Thomas is offering each one of us a new life in his Holy Spirit that we may know him personally and walk in this new way of life through the power of his Resurrection.
We don’t actually have to put our fingers in his wounds to believe that Jesus is real as we only need faith to believe that he has indeed resurrected from the dead and we have the Scriptures and the Church as it stands today as permanent proofs of his passion, death and resurrection.
The one thing to remember is that Jesus needs the Church to keep the fire burning and we need Jesus because he is the message that we only need to know and bring to others. As God sent Jesus to the cross, so Jesus is also sending us now and no one can truly understand why unless we come to realize that the relationship between God and Jesus is premised on Jesus’ obedience and love.
And so it must be with us. For us to develop a truly meaningful relationship with Jesus we need to humble ourselves and go down from our pedestal and obey whatever He tells us to do but this subservience to His will must be anchored on love for God and neighbor which is what true conversion is all about.
1st Reading: Eph 2:19-22
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 117:1bc, 2 “Go out to all the world and tell the good news.”
GOSPEL: JN 20:24-29
Key Verse: “blessed are those who have not seen
and yet have believed.” (v.29)
In these days of uncertainty it has become natural for people to doubt something that they only heard about and have not seen. This is especially true with regards to the many vanity products such as those that make your skin whiter that are being marketed through aggressive marketing campaigns such that people no longer know what to believe in.
This was the predicament of many of the Jews who couldn’t make out what to believe even after news of the resurrection of Jesus had spread like wildfire in Jerusalem. Today more than 2,000 years later, we are still caught up in our own doubts and or indifference that prevent us from establishing a more concrete relationship with God that is rooted in humility and obedience. Why? Because the world itself is preventing us from doing so as it offers us a comparative view of life.
On one hand is the material world we live in, the fast-paced search for comfort and luxury, anything that would bring us fame, prestige and wealth have kept us glued in this mundane world. The other dimension is the eternal life that was promised to those who will believe in him.
Such belief, however, is premised on our subservience to his Holy Will and a life that is anchored on sacrifice and suffering. This last part is what makes people think because most often we want to reap the promise of eternal joy but without the pain and sacrifice attached to it.
The world has become too fast that anything you need is available at the press of a button. Everything can be procured and acquired and transactions are consummated within minutes. Every bit of information is available in this wired world we are in. Even Bible verses and inspirational message are now being disseminated through e-Mail and SMS or text.
But has this connectivity contributed to forming Christians to become a replica of Jesus in all aspects of his life? From the time we received Jesus in our baptism – whether sacramental or para-liturgical – have we allowed the Holy Spirit to take control of our entire persona?
Have we become forgiving of one another or do we persist in our unbelief, doubt and meaningless pursuit of what we perceive to be a joyful life. And how many of us demand a physical evidence before they will believe. “Unless I see I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe." (V.25)
It is not that the people now do not really believe that Jesus Christ is Lord but the circumstances of our present lives lead us to unbelief. The economic difficulties that we experience these days also contribute to the estranged relationship between God and the people He has created.
When Jesus appeared to his disciples he offered proofs of his resurrection by showing them the wounds of his passion, his pierced hands and side. He calmed their fears and brought them peace, the peace that reconciles sinners and makes one a friend of God.
Today this has not changed as Jesus still is offering the same proof at the table of the Paschal sacrifice each time Mass is celebrated and this should serve as a memorial for us that God already took our sins and sufferings to the cross and the peace that He offered to his disciples in the Upper Room is the same kind of peace he is offering to us now.
But in us there will always be a Thomas who will doubt not because we love the Lord less but because we simply lack the courage to stand with Jesus and share his passion and crucifixion. Like Thomas we also run away from the Church not only because we lack motivation but because we only want to earn the glory of heaven without the sacrifice needed to get there.
Jesus came back and appeared to his disciples not only to prove he had resurrected from death but he came back because he needed his disciples to establish his Church. In the same way, we who now comprise the Church also need Jesus. As we are being sent to make disciples of all nations, we need someone to send us and without Jesus we have no message to bring to all the nations. This means that as Jesus is dependent on us to keep his message alive, we also need Jesus to equip us and empower us by His Holy Spirit.
There may be times doubt will cloud our faith but there is something in Thomas that we also need to emulate. Thomas believed and became one of the most faithful messengers of God’s love and forgiveness who is credited for bringing Christianity to India.
There are times when differences and disputes arise within the Church that move us to leave and there will be times we will experience some low points in our life and we find ourselves going back to God. But why wait for the light to run out of our lives before we believe and realize that all we need is the light that comes from God.
When Thomas recognized his Master, he believed and exclaimed that Jesus was truly Lord and truly God! The gift of faith infused in us at our baptism should move us to also proclaim Jesus as our personal Lord and our God. He died and rose that we, too, might have new life in him.
And today, the same Jesus who appeared to Thomas is offering each one of us a new life in his Holy Spirit that we may know him personally and walk in this new way of life through the power of his Resurrection.
We don’t actually have to put our fingers in his wounds to believe that Jesus is real as we only need faith to believe that he has indeed resurrected from the dead and we have the Scriptures and the Church as it stands today as permanent proofs of his passion, death and resurrection.
The one thing to remember is that Jesus needs the Church to keep the fire burning and we need Jesus because he is the message that we only need to know and bring to others. As God sent Jesus to the cross, so Jesus is also sending us now and no one can truly understand why unless we come to realize that the relationship between God and Jesus is premised on Jesus’ obedience and love.
And so it must be with us. For us to develop a truly meaningful relationship with Jesus we need to humble ourselves and go down from our pedestal and obey whatever He tells us to do but this subservience to His will must be anchored on love for God and neighbor which is what true conversion is all about.
JESUS IS LORD OF ALL
JULY 2, 2013: THIRTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Gen 19:15-29
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 26:2-3, 9-12 “O. Lord, your mercy is before my eyes.”
GOSPEL: Matt 8:23-27
Key Verse: “You of little faith?” (v.26)
Will there be any room for fear if you know that Jesus is in your midst? The natural response would of course be no there shouldn’t be. But this was not what was depicted in this gospel passage and the fact that this particular scenario appears in all the three synoptic gospel underscores its importance.
What actually struck us was the attitude of the disciples who out of fear and anxiety panicked and did what they felt was the only thing they could do under the circumstances and that was to call on the Lord who was asleep even when the boat they were on board was being tossed about by a great storm (vv.23-27).
What this means is that being a disciple of Our Lord is not an assurance that we will be spared from the storms that pass through our midst. The world we live in today is pockmarked with varying degrees of storms literally and symbolically.
Take for example the worsening climate change condition that induces typhoons, hurricanes, tsunamis, and flash floods even in times when it’s not supposed to. There is another kind of storm that we experience and this is the kind that dampens our spirits and causes depression and manic disorders.
These may come in the form of sickness and diseases, accidents, disappointments, death in the family, loss of job and income opportunities, failed relationships, indebtedness, addiction and, temptations. There are many more of these that may cause an imbalance or create a void in our day-to-day living and which to some extent will leave us not only perplexed but feeling abandoned by the God who created us.
While Jesus may have said that he came “that we may have life, life abundantly” (Jn 10:10), anything that happens in our lives especially that which are contrary to divine will and reason is not created by God but by our human will taking precedence. Life is a matter of choice and because man was created to have a will of his own, God gives man the leverage to choose which way he should go.
As with the storms that pass through our lives, there are two options that are available to us. We can either worry and assume that God doesn’t care, or we can resist fear and put all our trust in the Lord who is more than willing to help us if we will only call on him.
In this passage we see that being disciples won’t protect us from the storms in our lives. In fact, life becomes more complicated when we choose to give our lives to Jesus because life becomes a matter of choice day in and day out – a choice to do good or to patronize evil that is made attractive by its worldly rewards and Jesus doesn’t promise that we will be exempted from these trials and temptations if we follow him.
Peter in fact warns us “not to be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.” (1 Pet 4:12-13)
And in this passage Jesus teaches us that fear stems from lack of faith “do you still not have faith in me?” (v.40) which should remind us that we need to grow in faith and to “have faith in God.” (Mk 11:22)
In our life the storms blow against our faces and many times we experience difficulty in living. There are struggles we need to overcome and it is during these times that we can invite Jesus to come into our lives because when he does, the storms that we face will die down and our lives will become completely calm (v.26).
In life there are many different kinds of storms that may unsettle us and these storms are not limited to situations or events. It can even refer to an individual who is irrational, unreasonable, self-righteous, over-bearing, domineering and you name it a person who has these negative qualities can also become a storm in our lives that we need to deal with.
We can look to when we are carrying a pail of water from one place to another and it is always said that it would be advisable to place a piece of wood to keep the water on the pail steady and not spill it. This is the same with the storms that we experience. We need the cross of Jesus to keep us stable and still in the face of storms.
But for these storms to pass, we need to be specific about what these storms are because Jesus is not a generic God whom we can ask for just about anything we want. The one definite message behind this passage is that Jesus will come when we ask for his help and he will definitely calm the storms that we face and we need faith to be able to come and give our complete trust to Jesus.
Paragraph 162 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church says: “Faith is an entirely free gift that God makes to man. We can lose this priceless gift, as St. Paul indicated to St. Timothy: "Wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting conscience, certain persons have made shipwreck of their faith." (1 Tim 1:18-19) To live, grow and persevere in the faith until the end we must nourish it with the Word of God; we must beg the Lord to increase our faith (Lk 17:5); it must be "working through charity," abounding in hope, and rooted in the faith of the Church. (Gal 5:6)
What this Gospel passage teaches us is that Jesus alone can give us peace when we are faced with life’s storms and he will bring us out of the darkness of our lives and into the marvelous light of his presence. His looming presence that is bigger than any problem in the world gives us hope and confidence when we encounter doubt and uncertainty. And it is only his presence that will provide stability and balance when we are faced with worry and anxiety.
At the end of the day, the real tragedy is when we pass up the chance to weather these storms by not calling on Jesus.
1st Reading: Gen 19:15-29
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 26:2-3, 9-12 “O. Lord, your mercy is before my eyes.”
GOSPEL: Matt 8:23-27
Key Verse: “You of little faith?” (v.26)
Will there be any room for fear if you know that Jesus is in your midst? The natural response would of course be no there shouldn’t be. But this was not what was depicted in this gospel passage and the fact that this particular scenario appears in all the three synoptic gospel underscores its importance.
What actually struck us was the attitude of the disciples who out of fear and anxiety panicked and did what they felt was the only thing they could do under the circumstances and that was to call on the Lord who was asleep even when the boat they were on board was being tossed about by a great storm (vv.23-27).
What this means is that being a disciple of Our Lord is not an assurance that we will be spared from the storms that pass through our midst. The world we live in today is pockmarked with varying degrees of storms literally and symbolically.
Take for example the worsening climate change condition that induces typhoons, hurricanes, tsunamis, and flash floods even in times when it’s not supposed to. There is another kind of storm that we experience and this is the kind that dampens our spirits and causes depression and manic disorders.
These may come in the form of sickness and diseases, accidents, disappointments, death in the family, loss of job and income opportunities, failed relationships, indebtedness, addiction and, temptations. There are many more of these that may cause an imbalance or create a void in our day-to-day living and which to some extent will leave us not only perplexed but feeling abandoned by the God who created us.
While Jesus may have said that he came “that we may have life, life abundantly” (Jn 10:10), anything that happens in our lives especially that which are contrary to divine will and reason is not created by God but by our human will taking precedence. Life is a matter of choice and because man was created to have a will of his own, God gives man the leverage to choose which way he should go.
As with the storms that pass through our lives, there are two options that are available to us. We can either worry and assume that God doesn’t care, or we can resist fear and put all our trust in the Lord who is more than willing to help us if we will only call on him.
In this passage we see that being disciples won’t protect us from the storms in our lives. In fact, life becomes more complicated when we choose to give our lives to Jesus because life becomes a matter of choice day in and day out – a choice to do good or to patronize evil that is made attractive by its worldly rewards and Jesus doesn’t promise that we will be exempted from these trials and temptations if we follow him.
Peter in fact warns us “not to be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.” (1 Pet 4:12-13)
And in this passage Jesus teaches us that fear stems from lack of faith “do you still not have faith in me?” (v.40) which should remind us that we need to grow in faith and to “have faith in God.” (Mk 11:22)
In our life the storms blow against our faces and many times we experience difficulty in living. There are struggles we need to overcome and it is during these times that we can invite Jesus to come into our lives because when he does, the storms that we face will die down and our lives will become completely calm (v.26).
In life there are many different kinds of storms that may unsettle us and these storms are not limited to situations or events. It can even refer to an individual who is irrational, unreasonable, self-righteous, over-bearing, domineering and you name it a person who has these negative qualities can also become a storm in our lives that we need to deal with.
We can look to when we are carrying a pail of water from one place to another and it is always said that it would be advisable to place a piece of wood to keep the water on the pail steady and not spill it. This is the same with the storms that we experience. We need the cross of Jesus to keep us stable and still in the face of storms.
But for these storms to pass, we need to be specific about what these storms are because Jesus is not a generic God whom we can ask for just about anything we want. The one definite message behind this passage is that Jesus will come when we ask for his help and he will definitely calm the storms that we face and we need faith to be able to come and give our complete trust to Jesus.
Paragraph 162 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church says: “Faith is an entirely free gift that God makes to man. We can lose this priceless gift, as St. Paul indicated to St. Timothy: "Wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting conscience, certain persons have made shipwreck of their faith." (1 Tim 1:18-19) To live, grow and persevere in the faith until the end we must nourish it with the Word of God; we must beg the Lord to increase our faith (Lk 17:5); it must be "working through charity," abounding in hope, and rooted in the faith of the Church. (Gal 5:6)
What this Gospel passage teaches us is that Jesus alone can give us peace when we are faced with life’s storms and he will bring us out of the darkness of our lives and into the marvelous light of his presence. His looming presence that is bigger than any problem in the world gives us hope and confidence when we encounter doubt and uncertainty. And it is only his presence that will provide stability and balance when we are faced with worry and anxiety.
At the end of the day, the real tragedy is when we pass up the chance to weather these storms by not calling on Jesus.
GIVE UP ALL TO FOLLOW JESUS
JULY 1, 2013: THIRTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Gen 18:16-22
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 103:1-4, 8-11 “The Lord is kind and merciful.”
GOSPEL: Mt 8:18-22
Key Verse: “Follow me, and let the dead
bury their dead.” (v.22)
Those who have made a commitment to follow Jesus will soon find that following Jesus is not always easy or comfortable because most often it would mean great cost and tremendous sacrifice and you will soon find out that doing so offers no earthly rewards or even security.
At times, following Jesus will cost us our popularity, time for leisure like playing golf, tennis, or to some extent a round of poker in game rooms that have sprouted in the metropolis. It may even cost us our ties with friends as we no longer may have time for night-outs.
Indeed the cost of following Jesus is high and even higher when we step into a life of discipleship which means going to the ends of the earth even when it is uncomfortable especially to mission areas where there are no amenities, lodgings where there are no water or hotel rooms without windows, instances when sweat and dust cover our faces and bodies.
To follow Christ requires a radical change. In Mt 4:19-20 we see Jesus telling Peter and Andrew to leave their fishing business and become “fishers of men” to help others find God. In one way or the other, Jesus was calling them away from their productive jobs to be productive spiritually. As with Peter and Andrew we all need to fish for souls and if we practice Christ’s teachings and share the gospel with others, we will be able to draw those around us to Christ like a fisherman who pulls fish into his boat with nets.
To be a disciple, we all have to have the desire to go to uncharted territory, to places that do not exactly conform to your standards, to have the boldness to just go with just the clothes on our back, without need of a purse or food. And we don’t need a structured organization to become a disciple of Christ because discipleship does not require rules, guidelines and policies. Discipleship is a response to the call of Jesus in Mt 28:18-20 for us to go. And when you do, you will find that discipleship is an investment that will last for eternity and will yield unsurpassed rewards in heaven.
In today’s Gospel reading, we see Jesus laying down the parameters of discipleship to a teacher of the law and to one of his disciples who were walking alongside him. And to these two who professed their desire to follow him and to us who want to become a disciple of Christ, Jesus gives us three “must haves” for anyone who will want to follow him. (1) We must be prepared to venture into the unknown and uncharted territory. (2) Instantaneous action is needed which means we have to act immediately and not tomorrow or at some future time. (3) Jesus demands from us to leave everything behind, look ahead and move forward.
These are not mouth-watering conditions that we can readily grab but these provide us with something to ponder on especially in relation to our response to the call of Jesus for us to go to the ends of the earth (Mt 28:18-20). What actually amuses me is to hear people saying we need to have a structured organization to evangelize. OMG! Don’t they know the history of the Church that began without a structure, without policies or statutes? The Church began with just the call of Jesus and the response of Peter, Paul and the other Apostles.
In this Gospel, Jesus is telling us what he told the first would-be disciple “but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” (v.20) which means that those who will follow him must not remain stationary but must become a people on the move. Jesus is actually telling us to draw on our faith to go and step into the unknown as what Abraham did when he was commanded by God to go and he “obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.” (Heb 11:8).
And this is what we are supposed to do because the grace of the renewal compels us to move out and not remain stationary and become stagnant in our faith and or be a slave to structures. And this is especially true not just for disciple-members of a Church or Community but more so for leaders.
To the second would-be disciple, Jesus says “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead (v.22) This may seem harsh but Jesus also recognizes our duties to our loved ones and when he said this he knew that what the man meant was that he will follow after his father dies since, for all intents and purposes, the father of man is not dead yet because he has no business hanging around with Jesus if his father just died and waiting to be buried.
What Jesus wants from us is immediate action. We need not physically leave our families but spiritually and do what he tells us to and that is to evangelize and proclaim the Kingdom of God and not be stifled in doing so because we have to design an organization for this. Jesus requires instant decision on our part because when we put-off making such a decision for tomorrow there is a tendency we will never make that decision at all. Procrastination is human nature and to become a disciple, our desires must be translated into action.
Following Jesus is an all-encompassing commitment to lose our life for the sake of the gospel, not because our life is useless but because nothing – not even life itself – can compare to what we gain with Christ. Sadly, however, many still could not comprehend this reality as they persist in remaining bigger than Christ.
What Jesus wants is for us to stop controlling our destiny, our environment, our ministry and to give Him the authority to direct us. Ministries collapse from the overbearing attitude and controlling character of leaders and members alike. Jesus is asking for self-submission but not self-hatred. What he is merely asking us is to lose our self-centered character to be in charge.
Finally, Jesus advises us to leave everything behind – our past, our sinful nature, our tendency to dilly-dally, our penchant for grandstanding, our self-centeredness, our bitterness and unforgiveness and we see this in the Lucan version (Lk 9:62) when Jesus said: “no one who puts his hand on the plow and looks back is fit for service in the Kingdom of God.” This I believe is what many of us don’t want to accept as we persist on our set of beliefs rather than the Word of God.
Farmers normally put an imaginary point at the end of the field and he guides the animal and his plow towards that point on a straight path. It doesn’t mean we are not to look back but what Jesus is stressing is that we need to look forward once we have began to plow the field.
This reminds me of our primary task as disciples which is to evangelize and bring the Good News to the ends of the earth. To be a disciple of Christ, we must all be pro-active because Jesus is not going to accept any form of lukewarm service. Jesus requires total dedication and not half-hearted commitment. We have to accept the cross and not just aim for the crown and we need to focus on Jesus and not allow ourselves to be distracted along the way especially when we have put our hands on the plow.
1st Reading: Gen 18:16-22
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 103:1-4, 8-11 “The Lord is kind and merciful.”
GOSPEL: Mt 8:18-22
Key Verse: “Follow me, and let the dead
bury their dead.” (v.22)
Those who have made a commitment to follow Jesus will soon find that following Jesus is not always easy or comfortable because most often it would mean great cost and tremendous sacrifice and you will soon find out that doing so offers no earthly rewards or even security.
At times, following Jesus will cost us our popularity, time for leisure like playing golf, tennis, or to some extent a round of poker in game rooms that have sprouted in the metropolis. It may even cost us our ties with friends as we no longer may have time for night-outs.
Indeed the cost of following Jesus is high and even higher when we step into a life of discipleship which means going to the ends of the earth even when it is uncomfortable especially to mission areas where there are no amenities, lodgings where there are no water or hotel rooms without windows, instances when sweat and dust cover our faces and bodies.
To follow Christ requires a radical change. In Mt 4:19-20 we see Jesus telling Peter and Andrew to leave their fishing business and become “fishers of men” to help others find God. In one way or the other, Jesus was calling them away from their productive jobs to be productive spiritually. As with Peter and Andrew we all need to fish for souls and if we practice Christ’s teachings and share the gospel with others, we will be able to draw those around us to Christ like a fisherman who pulls fish into his boat with nets.
To be a disciple, we all have to have the desire to go to uncharted territory, to places that do not exactly conform to your standards, to have the boldness to just go with just the clothes on our back, without need of a purse or food. And we don’t need a structured organization to become a disciple of Christ because discipleship does not require rules, guidelines and policies. Discipleship is a response to the call of Jesus in Mt 28:18-20 for us to go. And when you do, you will find that discipleship is an investment that will last for eternity and will yield unsurpassed rewards in heaven.
In today’s Gospel reading, we see Jesus laying down the parameters of discipleship to a teacher of the law and to one of his disciples who were walking alongside him. And to these two who professed their desire to follow him and to us who want to become a disciple of Christ, Jesus gives us three “must haves” for anyone who will want to follow him. (1) We must be prepared to venture into the unknown and uncharted territory. (2) Instantaneous action is needed which means we have to act immediately and not tomorrow or at some future time. (3) Jesus demands from us to leave everything behind, look ahead and move forward.
These are not mouth-watering conditions that we can readily grab but these provide us with something to ponder on especially in relation to our response to the call of Jesus for us to go to the ends of the earth (Mt 28:18-20). What actually amuses me is to hear people saying we need to have a structured organization to evangelize. OMG! Don’t they know the history of the Church that began without a structure, without policies or statutes? The Church began with just the call of Jesus and the response of Peter, Paul and the other Apostles.
In this Gospel, Jesus is telling us what he told the first would-be disciple “but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” (v.20) which means that those who will follow him must not remain stationary but must become a people on the move. Jesus is actually telling us to draw on our faith to go and step into the unknown as what Abraham did when he was commanded by God to go and he “obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.” (Heb 11:8).
And this is what we are supposed to do because the grace of the renewal compels us to move out and not remain stationary and become stagnant in our faith and or be a slave to structures. And this is especially true not just for disciple-members of a Church or Community but more so for leaders.
To the second would-be disciple, Jesus says “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead (v.22) This may seem harsh but Jesus also recognizes our duties to our loved ones and when he said this he knew that what the man meant was that he will follow after his father dies since, for all intents and purposes, the father of man is not dead yet because he has no business hanging around with Jesus if his father just died and waiting to be buried.
What Jesus wants from us is immediate action. We need not physically leave our families but spiritually and do what he tells us to and that is to evangelize and proclaim the Kingdom of God and not be stifled in doing so because we have to design an organization for this. Jesus requires instant decision on our part because when we put-off making such a decision for tomorrow there is a tendency we will never make that decision at all. Procrastination is human nature and to become a disciple, our desires must be translated into action.
Following Jesus is an all-encompassing commitment to lose our life for the sake of the gospel, not because our life is useless but because nothing – not even life itself – can compare to what we gain with Christ. Sadly, however, many still could not comprehend this reality as they persist in remaining bigger than Christ.
What Jesus wants is for us to stop controlling our destiny, our environment, our ministry and to give Him the authority to direct us. Ministries collapse from the overbearing attitude and controlling character of leaders and members alike. Jesus is asking for self-submission but not self-hatred. What he is merely asking us is to lose our self-centered character to be in charge.
Finally, Jesus advises us to leave everything behind – our past, our sinful nature, our tendency to dilly-dally, our penchant for grandstanding, our self-centeredness, our bitterness and unforgiveness and we see this in the Lucan version (Lk 9:62) when Jesus said: “no one who puts his hand on the plow and looks back is fit for service in the Kingdom of God.” This I believe is what many of us don’t want to accept as we persist on our set of beliefs rather than the Word of God.
Farmers normally put an imaginary point at the end of the field and he guides the animal and his plow towards that point on a straight path. It doesn’t mean we are not to look back but what Jesus is stressing is that we need to look forward once we have began to plow the field.
This reminds me of our primary task as disciples which is to evangelize and bring the Good News to the ends of the earth. To be a disciple of Christ, we must all be pro-active because Jesus is not going to accept any form of lukewarm service. Jesus requires total dedication and not half-hearted commitment. We have to accept the cross and not just aim for the crown and we need to focus on Jesus and not allow ourselves to be distracted along the way especially when we have put our hands on the plow.
COMPASSION AND TOLERANCE
JUNE 30, 2013: THIRTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 1 Kgs 19:16, 19-21
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 16:1-2, 5, 7-11 “You are my inheritance, O Lord.”
2nd Reading: Gal 5:1, 13-18
Gospel: Lk 9:51-62
Key Verse: “But Jesus turned and rebuked them.” (LK 9:55)
To understand this Gospel we need to go back in time and know the great divide between the Jews and the Samaritans as the people in Samaria are called. This enmity between these two races contradicts the image that we have of the Samaritans as good on account of the parable.
And to go from Galilee to Jerusalem, the Jews needed to pass through Samaria being the shortest route but because of the dispute between the two races, the Jews have to go around Samaria to go to and from Galilee and Jerusalem. This will explain why Jesus had to send an advance party to Samaria to seek their blessing that he and his disciples will be passing thru.
In effect, what Jesus did was an offer of reconciliation but this was not only refused but rejected as well which was what prompted James and John to seek divine intervention to retaliate against the Samaritans.
The rejection that Jesus and his disciples suffered at the hands of the Samaritans is no different from our situation today as there are many in the world that we are in who still aren’t prepared to meet Jesus. They will simply reject him because of their unbelief and or because they are not ready yet to give up the world operating in their own lives.
That Jesus had to go around to go to Jerusalem is what some of us also do when we see or spot a person with whom there is enmity that separates us with the other person. We either take a different path to avoid the person and or simply ignore the person as if he doesn’t exist. What we don’t know is that this unforgiveness or apathy that we harbor in our hearts is a form of rejection that is similar to that which Jesus suffered in Samaria.
In refusing to forgive we are actually rejecting Christ because our response as Christians shouldn't be anger and hostility that we harbor as these attitudes use up too much energy that can only damage our hearts.
Instead, our response should be to do good when and where we can, and when we are rejected we move on to the next open door as what Jesus and his disciples did because there will come a time when that closed door will open and many will come to know Jesus when the time in their hearts is right as what happened to the Samaritans (Jn 4; Acts 8).
Jesus also remained focused on his mission and that not even this rejection by the Samaritans nor by the Pharisees will stop him from going through his passion and death because he knew that this is the only way that the world can be saved from eternal damnation.
In this Gospel, Jesus also teaches us to be tolerant which is a virtue that has long been lost as the people of today have become so uptight probably because of the pressures that the world bring. And intolerance at times moves us to a conviction that our beliefs and methods alone are correct and unknown to us this attitude has become the cause of so much distress and dissension in the church.
As no man has a monopoly of the truth of God, the kind of tolerance that Jesus is showing us in this Gospel must not be based on indifference but on love which means that we have to look at others with love. Many times we disabuse the word fraternal correction as taught in the Community and we tend to focus on the word “treat him as a Gentile or a tax-collector” when the process fails.
In order for his listeners to capture what he says Jesus Christ uses three different styles in the way that he teaches or preaches as the case may be. At times we see him standing in the synagogue but we also find Jesus sitting when he wants to discuss something at length as during the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5).
And today we see Jesus making use of every opportunity to deliver his message as he preaches while walking with some of his disciples on their way from Galilee to Jerusalem and today we hear Jesus laying down the parameters of discipleship to three of his disciples who were walking alongside him.
And to all three who professed their desire to follow him and as this teaching is also directed towards us we who regard ourselves as Christian disciples in the post-modern world, Jesus gave three “must haves” for anyone who will want to follow him. (1) We must be prepared to venture into the unknown and uncharted territory. (2) Instantaneous action is needed which means we have to act immediately and not tomorrow or at some future time. (3) Jesus demands from us to leave everything behind, look ahead and move forward.
By far these are not mouth-watering conditions that anyone can readily grab but these provide us with something to ponder on especially in relation to the covenants that we have entered into as disciples of covenanted communities and, even among those who have committed their lives to serve God through the church.
I do believe that this Lucan version on the cost of discipleship as compared to that in Matt 8:18-22 should be reflected upon by everyone who is in a renewal community regardless of how they are classified. In the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community, there are actually three sets of members – one is a regular member who simply attends the Community’s Corporate Worship (Prayer Meeting); a Committed Disciple who commits to attend the Formation Program leading to covenanting, and; a Covenanted Disciple who has completed the three-and-a-half year discipleship formation program and has signed his or her covenant, a document professing his/ her allegiance, a life of service and subservience to God.
In this Gospel, Jesus is telling us what he told the first would-be disciple “but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” (v.58) which means that those who will follow him must not remain stationary but must become a people on the move. Jesus is actually telling us to draw on our faith to go and step into the unknown as what Abraham did when he was commanded by God to go and he “obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.” (Heb 11:8).
And this is what disciples are supposed to do because the grace of the renewal compels us to move out and not remain stationary and become stagnant in our faith. And this is especially true not just for disciple-members of a Church or Community but more so for leaders.
What Jesus also wants from us is immediate action. We need not physically leave our families but like Jesus we are to make use of every opportunity to evangelize and proclaim the Kingdom of God. Jesus requires an instant decision on our part because when we put-off making such a decision for tomorrow there is a tendency we will never make that decision at all. Procrastination is akin to human nature and to become a disciple, our desires must be translated into action.
Finally, Jesus advises us to leave everything behind – our past, our sinful nature, our tendency to dilly-dally, our penchant for grandstanding, our self-centeredness, our bitterness and unforgiveness – because “no one who puts his hand on the plow and looks back is fit for service in the Kingdom of God.” (v.62)
Farmers normally put an imaginary point at the end of the field and he guides the animal and his plow towards that point on a straight path. It doesn’t mean we are not to look back but what Jesus is stressing is that we need to look forward once we have began to plow the field.
This reminds me of our mission fields that we need to review because the element of success must always be the focal point of the mission that the church and or community undertakes. It also means that we need to go and serve even in places with Spartan accommodations. We all must be convicted by the thought that Jesus Christ was constantly on the move and at times would let the night pass in some solitary place and simply lie on a clearing. Translated into present-day realities, it means we need not expect five-star treatment in the mission to which we are being sent.
Every program that the church and or community will put in place should be likened to a field that is being plowed. As we put our hands on the plow, we should put an imaginary point at the end of the field to which we are to direct the plow. What this means is that there is a need to determine the progress of every program that you will undertake. And many times too, projects and programs fail because these are not aligned to the charisms that are spelled out in the vision and mission of the church organization.
To be a disciple of Christ, we must all be pro-active because Jesus is not going to accept any form of lukewarm service. As Jesus also sees what is in our hearts, our Lord requires total dedication and not half-hearted commitment. We have to accept the cross and not just aim for the crown and we need to focus on Jesus and not allow ourselves to be distracted along the way especially when we have put our hands on the plow.
To be a disciple of Christ, we must all have the courage to make that 180-degree turn and leave our old life behind and put on the new self that is patterned after Christ. New wine cannot be put into old wine skins. This is the same with our lives. We must all decrease and He must increase and this goes for every Tom, Dick and Harry in the church or community for that matter.
1st Reading: 1 Kgs 19:16, 19-21
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 16:1-2, 5, 7-11 “You are my inheritance, O Lord.”
2nd Reading: Gal 5:1, 13-18
Gospel: Lk 9:51-62
Key Verse: “But Jesus turned and rebuked them.” (LK 9:55)
To understand this Gospel we need to go back in time and know the great divide between the Jews and the Samaritans as the people in Samaria are called. This enmity between these two races contradicts the image that we have of the Samaritans as good on account of the parable.
And to go from Galilee to Jerusalem, the Jews needed to pass through Samaria being the shortest route but because of the dispute between the two races, the Jews have to go around Samaria to go to and from Galilee and Jerusalem. This will explain why Jesus had to send an advance party to Samaria to seek their blessing that he and his disciples will be passing thru.
In effect, what Jesus did was an offer of reconciliation but this was not only refused but rejected as well which was what prompted James and John to seek divine intervention to retaliate against the Samaritans.
The rejection that Jesus and his disciples suffered at the hands of the Samaritans is no different from our situation today as there are many in the world that we are in who still aren’t prepared to meet Jesus. They will simply reject him because of their unbelief and or because they are not ready yet to give up the world operating in their own lives.
That Jesus had to go around to go to Jerusalem is what some of us also do when we see or spot a person with whom there is enmity that separates us with the other person. We either take a different path to avoid the person and or simply ignore the person as if he doesn’t exist. What we don’t know is that this unforgiveness or apathy that we harbor in our hearts is a form of rejection that is similar to that which Jesus suffered in Samaria.
In refusing to forgive we are actually rejecting Christ because our response as Christians shouldn't be anger and hostility that we harbor as these attitudes use up too much energy that can only damage our hearts.
Instead, our response should be to do good when and where we can, and when we are rejected we move on to the next open door as what Jesus and his disciples did because there will come a time when that closed door will open and many will come to know Jesus when the time in their hearts is right as what happened to the Samaritans (Jn 4; Acts 8).
Jesus also remained focused on his mission and that not even this rejection by the Samaritans nor by the Pharisees will stop him from going through his passion and death because he knew that this is the only way that the world can be saved from eternal damnation.
In this Gospel, Jesus also teaches us to be tolerant which is a virtue that has long been lost as the people of today have become so uptight probably because of the pressures that the world bring. And intolerance at times moves us to a conviction that our beliefs and methods alone are correct and unknown to us this attitude has become the cause of so much distress and dissension in the church.
As no man has a monopoly of the truth of God, the kind of tolerance that Jesus is showing us in this Gospel must not be based on indifference but on love which means that we have to look at others with love. Many times we disabuse the word fraternal correction as taught in the Community and we tend to focus on the word “treat him as a Gentile or a tax-collector” when the process fails.
In order for his listeners to capture what he says Jesus Christ uses three different styles in the way that he teaches or preaches as the case may be. At times we see him standing in the synagogue but we also find Jesus sitting when he wants to discuss something at length as during the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5).
And today we see Jesus making use of every opportunity to deliver his message as he preaches while walking with some of his disciples on their way from Galilee to Jerusalem and today we hear Jesus laying down the parameters of discipleship to three of his disciples who were walking alongside him.
And to all three who professed their desire to follow him and as this teaching is also directed towards us we who regard ourselves as Christian disciples in the post-modern world, Jesus gave three “must haves” for anyone who will want to follow him. (1) We must be prepared to venture into the unknown and uncharted territory. (2) Instantaneous action is needed which means we have to act immediately and not tomorrow or at some future time. (3) Jesus demands from us to leave everything behind, look ahead and move forward.
By far these are not mouth-watering conditions that anyone can readily grab but these provide us with something to ponder on especially in relation to the covenants that we have entered into as disciples of covenanted communities and, even among those who have committed their lives to serve God through the church.
I do believe that this Lucan version on the cost of discipleship as compared to that in Matt 8:18-22 should be reflected upon by everyone who is in a renewal community regardless of how they are classified. In the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community, there are actually three sets of members – one is a regular member who simply attends the Community’s Corporate Worship (Prayer Meeting); a Committed Disciple who commits to attend the Formation Program leading to covenanting, and; a Covenanted Disciple who has completed the three-and-a-half year discipleship formation program and has signed his or her covenant, a document professing his/ her allegiance, a life of service and subservience to God.
In this Gospel, Jesus is telling us what he told the first would-be disciple “but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” (v.58) which means that those who will follow him must not remain stationary but must become a people on the move. Jesus is actually telling us to draw on our faith to go and step into the unknown as what Abraham did when he was commanded by God to go and he “obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.” (Heb 11:8).
And this is what disciples are supposed to do because the grace of the renewal compels us to move out and not remain stationary and become stagnant in our faith. And this is especially true not just for disciple-members of a Church or Community but more so for leaders.
What Jesus also wants from us is immediate action. We need not physically leave our families but like Jesus we are to make use of every opportunity to evangelize and proclaim the Kingdom of God. Jesus requires an instant decision on our part because when we put-off making such a decision for tomorrow there is a tendency we will never make that decision at all. Procrastination is akin to human nature and to become a disciple, our desires must be translated into action.
Finally, Jesus advises us to leave everything behind – our past, our sinful nature, our tendency to dilly-dally, our penchant for grandstanding, our self-centeredness, our bitterness and unforgiveness – because “no one who puts his hand on the plow and looks back is fit for service in the Kingdom of God.” (v.62)
Farmers normally put an imaginary point at the end of the field and he guides the animal and his plow towards that point on a straight path. It doesn’t mean we are not to look back but what Jesus is stressing is that we need to look forward once we have began to plow the field.
This reminds me of our mission fields that we need to review because the element of success must always be the focal point of the mission that the church and or community undertakes. It also means that we need to go and serve even in places with Spartan accommodations. We all must be convicted by the thought that Jesus Christ was constantly on the move and at times would let the night pass in some solitary place and simply lie on a clearing. Translated into present-day realities, it means we need not expect five-star treatment in the mission to which we are being sent.
Every program that the church and or community will put in place should be likened to a field that is being plowed. As we put our hands on the plow, we should put an imaginary point at the end of the field to which we are to direct the plow. What this means is that there is a need to determine the progress of every program that you will undertake. And many times too, projects and programs fail because these are not aligned to the charisms that are spelled out in the vision and mission of the church organization.
To be a disciple of Christ, we must all be pro-active because Jesus is not going to accept any form of lukewarm service. As Jesus also sees what is in our hearts, our Lord requires total dedication and not half-hearted commitment. We have to accept the cross and not just aim for the crown and we need to focus on Jesus and not allow ourselves to be distracted along the way especially when we have put our hands on the plow.
To be a disciple of Christ, we must all have the courage to make that 180-degree turn and leave our old life behind and put on the new self that is patterned after Christ. New wine cannot be put into old wine skins. This is the same with our lives. We must all decrease and He must increase and this goes for every Tom, Dick and Harry in the church or community for that matter.
HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW JESUS
JUNE 29, 2013: SOLEMNITY OF STS. PETER and PAUL
1st Reading: Ac 12:1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 34:2-9 “The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.”
2nd Reading: 2 Tim 4:6-8, 17-18
GOSPEL: MATT 16:13-19
Key Verse: “and on this rock I will build my church.” (v.18)
If Jesus were to stand before you now and asks the same question he asked of Peter: “What about you, who do you say I am?” (v.15) How would you respond? How about those of you who belong to charismatic and renewal communities or those belonging to parish organizations? What about those who turn a deaf ear to God’s call for them to serve? How about those who hold positions of leadership in church organizations?
While we all can draw from the availability of new media tools to provide us with the means to know who God is, it may actually be a disadvantage because there is also the probability that we can get stuck and get mired in just acquiring a head knowledge of God rather than knowing God in a more personal way and his great plan for us.
I facilitated a Teachers Development Program over the weekend for the covenanted members of BLD Jaro District in Iloilo and I really enjoyed the time spent with them. There were 30 participants and these were probably the most attentive, receptive, open and enthusiastic batch of TDP participants that I met. And to the question in this Gospel, I believe these members from BLD Jaro knew perfectly well who Jesus was and is. It also helped that BLD Jaro has a very supportive and loving Spiritual Director in Rev. Fr. Butch Espeleta.
What we have today is a very interesting Gospel passage because here we see Jesus beginning to get worried that his teachings have not taken root among his disciples amidst the very little time left in his earthly ministry and so he decides to make a headcount who among his disciples know him.
That Jesus chose to go to Caesarea Philippi is also packed with reason. To be able to determine what his disciples know of him, their subconscious must be at peace and this region is outside the jurisdiction of Herod Antipas.
Caesarea Philippi is also a non-Jewish region where there are numerous temples or places of worship that do not exactly conform to the religious standards that Jesus was trying to establish among the Jews but which are of historical value. It is against this temporal backdrop that Jesus wanted to know from his disciples if they really know him and the setting he chose should provide his disciples with a comparative view of the world and its religions and the divinity of Jesus himself.
But when Jesus first posed the question: “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” (v.13) Jesus received divergent points of views as some said he was John the Baptist, others say Elijah and others Jeremiah. Again, there was a reason for these differences of opinion borne out of the refusal of the Jews to acknowledge him as coming from God. While many Jews were amazed at his teachings, Jesus was not received as the Messiah but placed him in the category of prophets who merely herald the coming of the Messiah.
After listening to the different interpretations as to how he was perceived to be by the people, Jesus now turns to his disciples probably to make sure that his disciples have absorbed everything that he has said and seen what he has done because if they have not at least understood, then it will reduce to waste everything that he has done so far.
As in the feeding of the 5,000 which Jesus could not have done so by himself, he needs his disciples to continue his mission of spreading the Good News to the world. Today, he also needs us to keep the Church alive. Which is why Jesus had to ask Peter and he is also asking us now: “And how about you? Who do you say that I am?” (v.15)
From wanting to know what others know about him, Jesus now turns to his own flock to make sure they “know” him. In both the Hebrew and Greek language, to “know” a person is not just to know about his persona, his family lineage, his ethnicity or his profession. To “know” is to get into the person himself, to empathize with him, to get to know his feelings.
In other words, to “know” is to be one with the person. This is the rationale behind the question that Jesus asked of his disciples. And this is the same question that Jesus is asking all of us. Do we really “know” him? Do we “know” what is in his heart? Do we “know” his thoughts, his emotions, his goals and mission, the Words he spoke and which were handed down to us from generations to generations?
This is important because it would be pointless for us to join in this crusade of spreading the Good News if we do not know the person we are trying to introduce to the world. Like Peter who, blessed by the Father in heaven, made the great discovery that Jesus “is the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (v.16) we, too, must on our own accord discover what Peter discovered.
This should now become the foundation of our faith because Christianity is not just about knowing about Jesus but it is rooted in being one with Jesus because this is the only way that we can let others get into the heart of Jesus. God’s revelation moved Jesus to designate Peter as the rock who will help build the Church that Christ will establish but there shouldn’t be any debate at all that Jesus is the rock himself.
What I deem to be important in this passage is the matter of binding and loosing. These phrases are parabolic in a sense because it describes the custom of the Jews in deciding which need to be bound or prohibited and which can be loosed or allowed. But when Jesus addressed Peter saying: “I will give you the keys of heaven” (v.19) Jesus actually gave Peter the responsibility to make decisions for the Church.
This same responsibility is what has also been passed on to us today. Leaders and members of church organizations are always being asked to make responsible decisions that impact the Church as a whole.
One of these is to make sure that we all live in peace with one another, not insisting on the righteousness of one’s actions against the other but communal living in which we all recognize the strengths and weaknesses of one another.
Life in the Church is not about imposing our ideas, thoughts, perceptions, feelings and our will on the other be it in an apostolate or ministry, but in living as one thoroughly accepting the fact that while one is different from the other we have all been predestined to be God’s adopted sons through Jesus Christ. This is the reason why we need to constantly examine our motivation for we may be veering away from what God wants and giving in to what we want.
As members of the Church we all share in the same glory of God in union with the Rock who is the foundation of our faith – Jesus Christ Our Lord. The New Testament describes the church, the people of God, as a spiritual house or temple with each member joined together as living stones (1 Pet 2:5). Thus, faith in Jesus Christ turns us into rocks and spiritual stones and Our Lord Jesus will definitely test each one of us with the same question: “Who do you say that I am?”
1st Reading: Ac 12:1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 34:2-9 “The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him.”
2nd Reading: 2 Tim 4:6-8, 17-18
GOSPEL: MATT 16:13-19
Key Verse: “and on this rock I will build my church.” (v.18)
If Jesus were to stand before you now and asks the same question he asked of Peter: “What about you, who do you say I am?” (v.15) How would you respond? How about those of you who belong to charismatic and renewal communities or those belonging to parish organizations? What about those who turn a deaf ear to God’s call for them to serve? How about those who hold positions of leadership in church organizations?
While we all can draw from the availability of new media tools to provide us with the means to know who God is, it may actually be a disadvantage because there is also the probability that we can get stuck and get mired in just acquiring a head knowledge of God rather than knowing God in a more personal way and his great plan for us.
I facilitated a Teachers Development Program over the weekend for the covenanted members of BLD Jaro District in Iloilo and I really enjoyed the time spent with them. There were 30 participants and these were probably the most attentive, receptive, open and enthusiastic batch of TDP participants that I met. And to the question in this Gospel, I believe these members from BLD Jaro knew perfectly well who Jesus was and is. It also helped that BLD Jaro has a very supportive and loving Spiritual Director in Rev. Fr. Butch Espeleta.
What we have today is a very interesting Gospel passage because here we see Jesus beginning to get worried that his teachings have not taken root among his disciples amidst the very little time left in his earthly ministry and so he decides to make a headcount who among his disciples know him.
That Jesus chose to go to Caesarea Philippi is also packed with reason. To be able to determine what his disciples know of him, their subconscious must be at peace and this region is outside the jurisdiction of Herod Antipas.
Caesarea Philippi is also a non-Jewish region where there are numerous temples or places of worship that do not exactly conform to the religious standards that Jesus was trying to establish among the Jews but which are of historical value. It is against this temporal backdrop that Jesus wanted to know from his disciples if they really know him and the setting he chose should provide his disciples with a comparative view of the world and its religions and the divinity of Jesus himself.
But when Jesus first posed the question: “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” (v.13) Jesus received divergent points of views as some said he was John the Baptist, others say Elijah and others Jeremiah. Again, there was a reason for these differences of opinion borne out of the refusal of the Jews to acknowledge him as coming from God. While many Jews were amazed at his teachings, Jesus was not received as the Messiah but placed him in the category of prophets who merely herald the coming of the Messiah.
After listening to the different interpretations as to how he was perceived to be by the people, Jesus now turns to his disciples probably to make sure that his disciples have absorbed everything that he has said and seen what he has done because if they have not at least understood, then it will reduce to waste everything that he has done so far.
As in the feeding of the 5,000 which Jesus could not have done so by himself, he needs his disciples to continue his mission of spreading the Good News to the world. Today, he also needs us to keep the Church alive. Which is why Jesus had to ask Peter and he is also asking us now: “And how about you? Who do you say that I am?” (v.15)
From wanting to know what others know about him, Jesus now turns to his own flock to make sure they “know” him. In both the Hebrew and Greek language, to “know” a person is not just to know about his persona, his family lineage, his ethnicity or his profession. To “know” is to get into the person himself, to empathize with him, to get to know his feelings.
In other words, to “know” is to be one with the person. This is the rationale behind the question that Jesus asked of his disciples. And this is the same question that Jesus is asking all of us. Do we really “know” him? Do we “know” what is in his heart? Do we “know” his thoughts, his emotions, his goals and mission, the Words he spoke and which were handed down to us from generations to generations?
This is important because it would be pointless for us to join in this crusade of spreading the Good News if we do not know the person we are trying to introduce to the world. Like Peter who, blessed by the Father in heaven, made the great discovery that Jesus “is the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (v.16) we, too, must on our own accord discover what Peter discovered.
This should now become the foundation of our faith because Christianity is not just about knowing about Jesus but it is rooted in being one with Jesus because this is the only way that we can let others get into the heart of Jesus. God’s revelation moved Jesus to designate Peter as the rock who will help build the Church that Christ will establish but there shouldn’t be any debate at all that Jesus is the rock himself.
What I deem to be important in this passage is the matter of binding and loosing. These phrases are parabolic in a sense because it describes the custom of the Jews in deciding which need to be bound or prohibited and which can be loosed or allowed. But when Jesus addressed Peter saying: “I will give you the keys of heaven” (v.19) Jesus actually gave Peter the responsibility to make decisions for the Church.
This same responsibility is what has also been passed on to us today. Leaders and members of church organizations are always being asked to make responsible decisions that impact the Church as a whole.
One of these is to make sure that we all live in peace with one another, not insisting on the righteousness of one’s actions against the other but communal living in which we all recognize the strengths and weaknesses of one another.
Life in the Church is not about imposing our ideas, thoughts, perceptions, feelings and our will on the other be it in an apostolate or ministry, but in living as one thoroughly accepting the fact that while one is different from the other we have all been predestined to be God’s adopted sons through Jesus Christ. This is the reason why we need to constantly examine our motivation for we may be veering away from what God wants and giving in to what we want.
As members of the Church we all share in the same glory of God in union with the Rock who is the foundation of our faith – Jesus Christ Our Lord. The New Testament describes the church, the people of God, as a spiritual house or temple with each member joined together as living stones (1 Pet 2:5). Thus, faith in Jesus Christ turns us into rocks and spiritual stones and Our Lord Jesus will definitely test each one of us with the same question: “Who do you say that I am?”
THE COMPASSION OF JESUS
JUNE 28, 2013: ST. IRENAEUS, Bishop and Martyr
1st Reading: Gen17:1, 9-10, 15-22
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 128:1-5 “See how the Lord blesses those who fear him.”
GOSPEL: Matt 8:1-4
Key Verse: “I am willing. Be clean!” (v.3)
What sets Jesus Christ apart from even the most committed modern-day disciples was in the way Our Lord reacted when a man afflicted with leprosy knelt before him and begged him saying: “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” (v.2)
The way Jesus reacted reveals not only his true identity but it provides us with a very incisive imagery of what his heart was made of – his was a heart that was filled with nothing but compassion and the willingness to serve – and here he shows his disciples, the people who were present at the time and he is showing us now that we who want to come after him should not, under any circumstance, turn away anyone who is need of help.
Healing was an important part of the ministry of Christ. Throughout his earthly ministry, Jesus was teaching, preaching and healing. These were the three main aspects of his ministry. Teaching shows the concern of Jesus for the people to understand the reason why he came. Preaching shows his concern for commitment and, healing shows his deep concern for the well-being of the people. The many miracles of healing complemented and gave credence to his teaching and preaching and giving evidence that indeed he was the Son of God.
For us to better appreciate today’s Gospel reading, we can create two scenarios out of this passage. One is that we can think of ourselves as the leper who gathered whatever courage left in him to prostrate himself before Jesus. Lepers in the time of Jesus are deemed unclean and they are not supposed to get near anyone. They were supposed to stay a safe distance from the people on the street. But this leper was different. He knew who Jesus was. He also knew that this was his last chance to be liberated from his misery.
A person who is wallowing in sin is similar in many respects to a leper. Leprosy causes skin sores, nerve damage, and muscle weakness which if left untreated will get worse over time that may even cause death. We too may suffer spiritual death if we will not seek the forgiveness from God through Jesus.
Since medical attention was not available at that time, people with leprosy will find themselves disfigured by the disease and there were instances when the entire appearance of the face will change until the leper loses his human appearance.
This is what happens to a person who is mired in sin because sin disfigures the godly nature of a person. In one of his reflections made in 2007, Pope Benedict XVI said: “The illness that truly disfigures the person and society is sin, and that only God can heal this infirmity.”
The Holy Father recalls that in the time of Christ, leprosy was considered a “contagious impurity, which required a rite of purification. In reality, the leprosy that truly disfigures the person and society is sin; pride and egotism give birth in the spirit to indifference, hate and violence. Only God, who is Love, can cure this leprosy of the spirit, which disfigures the face of humanity. Upon opening the heart to God, the converted person is healed interiorly of evil.”
This Gospel passage should remind us that as with the leper who knelt before Jesus, we too who have fallen short of the glory of God because of our sin must set aside our fears, doubts and most of all our pride to go and kneel before Jesus especially when our lives are not turning the way we expect or as they say when the chips are down because Jesus is the one person who will not turn his back on those who are in need.
This is what this Gospel was all about and this brings us to the other scenario. As the people in the time of Jesus turned their backs on those they regarded as outcasts such as those afflicted with leprosy, Jesus showed what compassion was when he touched the leper who came to him and asked to be made clean.
What was remarkable in this passage was that the leper came to Jesus and with humility and confidence asked the Lord to heal him and make him whole again. Normally a leper would be stoned or at least driven away if he tried to come near a rabbi but Jesus not only grants the leper his request, but he also demonstrated the personal love, compassion, and tenderness of God in his physical touch.
This is also how Jesus looks at us. Our Lord Jesus is more than ready to heal us and deliver us from fear, prejudice, and anxiety that may be keeping us from approaching others with selfless love and concern for their welfare. St. Paul also tells us that: "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us" (Rom 5:5). The Holy Spirit sets us free from our pride that allows us to love as God loves – with mercy, kindness, goodness, and compassionate care.
This passage should actually lead us to look deep into our lives and see how we treat our neighbors especially those whom society has rejected, mistreated, and or left to their own miseries. Do we approach them with the same love and compassion that Christ did in this passage? How have we been living our lives? Do we persist in sinning emboldened by the idea that God is a forgiving God? We should remember that not to help those in need is a sin.
What leprosy does to the body, sin does to the soul because sin disfigures the image of God in us. Without the forgiveness of God, sin will sink us deeper into slavery until “nothing good lives in us” (Rom 7:18). Worst, our sin “have separated us from our God” (Isa 59:2). And this separation from the source of joy and peace will eventually lead us to death “for the wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23).
What we can do is we should all draw inspiration from what the leper did as he went to Jesus in humble reverence, kneeling and saying “if you are willing, you can make me clean” (v.2) and Jesus filled with compassion touched the leper saying “I am willing, be clean!” (v.3).
Though we may not be suffering from leprosy in the physical sense, we will find ourselves in the same situation as the leper as we bear the pain of spiritual disfigurement and our separation from God and the Church because sin blocks the flow of grace into our lives.
But the real value of a person is not what people see but what God sees. In other words, God will not give up on us regardless of the sin that we have committed because even if sin may have disfigured, distorted and or have deformed the image of God in us (Gen 1:26), God will restore us into the fullness of his love “as we are baptized into his death” (Rom 6:3). “Just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” (Rom 6:4).
Regardless of what sin may have done to our nature, God who is compassionate will forgive us as only he can but this is contingent on our desire to be touched by Jesus This assurance is in this Gospel itself as we see Jesus who was “filled with compassion” (Mk 1:41) reaching out to the man and touched him.
What this Gospel shows us was that Jesus will not turn away anyone regardless of how sinful they may be for as long as the element of humility and reverence are present. This Gospel passage should serve as a reminder for all of us that without Christ we will remain in the same wretched state we were in before Christ came and touched us as he did with the leper. The question is are we willing to be touched by Jesus?
1st Reading: Gen17:1, 9-10, 15-22
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 128:1-5 “See how the Lord blesses those who fear him.”
GOSPEL: Matt 8:1-4
Key Verse: “I am willing. Be clean!” (v.3)
What sets Jesus Christ apart from even the most committed modern-day disciples was in the way Our Lord reacted when a man afflicted with leprosy knelt before him and begged him saying: “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” (v.2)
The way Jesus reacted reveals not only his true identity but it provides us with a very incisive imagery of what his heart was made of – his was a heart that was filled with nothing but compassion and the willingness to serve – and here he shows his disciples, the people who were present at the time and he is showing us now that we who want to come after him should not, under any circumstance, turn away anyone who is need of help.
Healing was an important part of the ministry of Christ. Throughout his earthly ministry, Jesus was teaching, preaching and healing. These were the three main aspects of his ministry. Teaching shows the concern of Jesus for the people to understand the reason why he came. Preaching shows his concern for commitment and, healing shows his deep concern for the well-being of the people. The many miracles of healing complemented and gave credence to his teaching and preaching and giving evidence that indeed he was the Son of God.
For us to better appreciate today’s Gospel reading, we can create two scenarios out of this passage. One is that we can think of ourselves as the leper who gathered whatever courage left in him to prostrate himself before Jesus. Lepers in the time of Jesus are deemed unclean and they are not supposed to get near anyone. They were supposed to stay a safe distance from the people on the street. But this leper was different. He knew who Jesus was. He also knew that this was his last chance to be liberated from his misery.
A person who is wallowing in sin is similar in many respects to a leper. Leprosy causes skin sores, nerve damage, and muscle weakness which if left untreated will get worse over time that may even cause death. We too may suffer spiritual death if we will not seek the forgiveness from God through Jesus.
Since medical attention was not available at that time, people with leprosy will find themselves disfigured by the disease and there were instances when the entire appearance of the face will change until the leper loses his human appearance.
This is what happens to a person who is mired in sin because sin disfigures the godly nature of a person. In one of his reflections made in 2007, Pope Benedict XVI said: “The illness that truly disfigures the person and society is sin, and that only God can heal this infirmity.”
The Holy Father recalls that in the time of Christ, leprosy was considered a “contagious impurity, which required a rite of purification. In reality, the leprosy that truly disfigures the person and society is sin; pride and egotism give birth in the spirit to indifference, hate and violence. Only God, who is Love, can cure this leprosy of the spirit, which disfigures the face of humanity. Upon opening the heart to God, the converted person is healed interiorly of evil.”
This Gospel passage should remind us that as with the leper who knelt before Jesus, we too who have fallen short of the glory of God because of our sin must set aside our fears, doubts and most of all our pride to go and kneel before Jesus especially when our lives are not turning the way we expect or as they say when the chips are down because Jesus is the one person who will not turn his back on those who are in need.
This is what this Gospel was all about and this brings us to the other scenario. As the people in the time of Jesus turned their backs on those they regarded as outcasts such as those afflicted with leprosy, Jesus showed what compassion was when he touched the leper who came to him and asked to be made clean.
What was remarkable in this passage was that the leper came to Jesus and with humility and confidence asked the Lord to heal him and make him whole again. Normally a leper would be stoned or at least driven away if he tried to come near a rabbi but Jesus not only grants the leper his request, but he also demonstrated the personal love, compassion, and tenderness of God in his physical touch.
This is also how Jesus looks at us. Our Lord Jesus is more than ready to heal us and deliver us from fear, prejudice, and anxiety that may be keeping us from approaching others with selfless love and concern for their welfare. St. Paul also tells us that: "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us" (Rom 5:5). The Holy Spirit sets us free from our pride that allows us to love as God loves – with mercy, kindness, goodness, and compassionate care.
This passage should actually lead us to look deep into our lives and see how we treat our neighbors especially those whom society has rejected, mistreated, and or left to their own miseries. Do we approach them with the same love and compassion that Christ did in this passage? How have we been living our lives? Do we persist in sinning emboldened by the idea that God is a forgiving God? We should remember that not to help those in need is a sin.
What leprosy does to the body, sin does to the soul because sin disfigures the image of God in us. Without the forgiveness of God, sin will sink us deeper into slavery until “nothing good lives in us” (Rom 7:18). Worst, our sin “have separated us from our God” (Isa 59:2). And this separation from the source of joy and peace will eventually lead us to death “for the wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23).
What we can do is we should all draw inspiration from what the leper did as he went to Jesus in humble reverence, kneeling and saying “if you are willing, you can make me clean” (v.2) and Jesus filled with compassion touched the leper saying “I am willing, be clean!” (v.3).
Though we may not be suffering from leprosy in the physical sense, we will find ourselves in the same situation as the leper as we bear the pain of spiritual disfigurement and our separation from God and the Church because sin blocks the flow of grace into our lives.
But the real value of a person is not what people see but what God sees. In other words, God will not give up on us regardless of the sin that we have committed because even if sin may have disfigured, distorted and or have deformed the image of God in us (Gen 1:26), God will restore us into the fullness of his love “as we are baptized into his death” (Rom 6:3). “Just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” (Rom 6:4).
Regardless of what sin may have done to our nature, God who is compassionate will forgive us as only he can but this is contingent on our desire to be touched by Jesus This assurance is in this Gospel itself as we see Jesus who was “filled with compassion” (Mk 1:41) reaching out to the man and touched him.
What this Gospel shows us was that Jesus will not turn away anyone regardless of how sinful they may be for as long as the element of humility and reverence are present. This Gospel passage should serve as a reminder for all of us that without Christ we will remain in the same wretched state we were in before Christ came and touched us as he did with the leper. The question is are we willing to be touched by Jesus?
GOD'S WORD OUR FIRM FOUNDATION
JUNE 27, 2013: ST. CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA, Bishop and Doctor
1st Reading: Gen 16:1-12, 15-16
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 106:1-5 “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.”
GOSPEL: MATT 7:21-29
Key Verse: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
will enter the kingdom of heaven,” (v.21)
The Gospel reading today should lead us to two great truths. One is the value of what we hear and spotting what is true and what is not. The other is the certainty of judgment on the day of reckoning when God will settle all our accounts, judge our sins and reward us for our faith as the case may be.
This passage which practically wraps up the series of teachings of Jesus beginning from the Sermon on the Mount when Our Lord handed down a code of ethics for all believers which must be understood and embraced in its entirety. This means that the Beatitudes is not a matter of multiple choice but a code that has to be taken as a whole.
And today, we see Jesus laying down the parameters of how it is to be a Christian and here He puts a premium on the importance of obedience in the life of every believer. Jesus knew whereof He speaks because he was aware of the habit of the religious leaders during his time who practically have the Scriptures written all over them and yet not doing what the law says. And this is what He doesn’t want to happen to us that is why He stresses in this Gospel the need to listen and not just hear.
In the same way, there is an ocean of difference between what we say and what we do and this is what Jesus is pointing out in this Gospel today because the words that we utter and our actions reveal the kind of person that we are and we could be committing boo-boos without knowing it and this is the purpose of this Gospel reading today.
What this means in terms of the realities of everyday life is that we can never show others especially the unbelievers, the doubters, the atheists and agnostics how wondrous the Christian life is unless our lives manifest the fruits of the Holy Spirit in the way we talk and live. This is also what Jesus meant when He said in Matt 6:21 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” because what comes out of our lips are what is in our hearts and what Jesus is saying is that there must be unanimity and harmony in what we say and do.
There is no doubt that there are some among us who are proficient in speech. But mere words alone cannot take the place of what we do. Walk the talk is a phrase that we often hear and this simply means that what we do must be a reflection of what we say. This may be true but this idiom has often been abused and misused by those who are critical of another for the simple reason that they themselves do not subscribe to what they say.
Why? Because to walk the talk, one must also walk-the-chalk which simply means follow the rules or follow the standard. This is the reason why Jesus in the Gospel told his disciples and he is telling us now that it would be hypocritical of us if we call him Lord and not do what He says.
What Jesus is impressing upon us here is that a true disciple is one who heard, listened and obeyed the Will of the Father in heaven. He wants us to build our house (our life) on solid rock (faith) that will withstand the storms we face in life but this is premised on doing what is right instead of just talking about it. In other words, what we do cannot be separated from what we believe or say.
Although each person is different from the other, some are famous and popular, some are not and there are times when our professional conduct clouds our nature. Some people are also transparent in their ways, some are not and some are so guarded that what they project is what they want others to see. But at the end of the day, what we do will reflect what is truly in our hearts.
This was the reason why Jesus exposes the lack of obedience among the Pharisees who knew the Scriptures but do not follow them and this is what He is telling us to avoid. What Jesus is actually saying is that obedience to what He tells us will give us a solid foundation within which to build our lives on.
Simply put, to disobey what the Lord wills for us will invite disaster in our lives. Many times we spend time pondering what went wrong or what is going wrong in our lives. Everything seems to have spun out of control. We lost our job. Our finances are nearly at the bottom of the well. Our relationship is in tatters. Even our worship seems dry. We try to solve our problems our own way. We wrack our brains thinking of why we suddenly found ourselves in the abyss of misfortune. And the only thing that we haven’t looked into is our relationship with Our Lord. Have we obeyed God and His Word?
This is what Jesus is telling us in this narrative for us to become like the builder who digs down deep and to lay the foundation of our house (heart) on the rock. What this means is that we who are pilgrims on this earth must make it a habit to listen to His Word attentively and put it into practice because to remain anchored on His Word will establish in us a foundation that cannot be shattered by the storms that pass our lives.
I grew up in a Catholic environment, went to a Catholic school but the influences of the world clouded my vision and I found myself drowned in the world. I used and abused the power I had as a media practitioner to gain influence and money through unscrupulous means. I succeeded and I thought I already have everything but I was unhappy because I wanted more.
And Our Lord found me and brought me to the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community and I spent some time trying to figure out how the Words of Our Lord will fit into my way of life as the Word of God is totally opposed to the world I was in and I knew then that something has to give.
And guess what? I chose to heed the Word of God because in them I found life. I found joy. It became the foundation that has made me strong against the onslaught of the enemy. Anyone of you can do it. All you need to do is to come before the Lord, humble yourself, remove your cloak of superiority, pride and arrogance. And Jesus assures us that on judgment day, those who listened and obeyed His Word and the Will of the Father will be rewarded with eternal joy.
1st Reading: Gen 16:1-12, 15-16
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 106:1-5 “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.”
GOSPEL: MATT 7:21-29
Key Verse: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
will enter the kingdom of heaven,” (v.21)
The Gospel reading today should lead us to two great truths. One is the value of what we hear and spotting what is true and what is not. The other is the certainty of judgment on the day of reckoning when God will settle all our accounts, judge our sins and reward us for our faith as the case may be.
This passage which practically wraps up the series of teachings of Jesus beginning from the Sermon on the Mount when Our Lord handed down a code of ethics for all believers which must be understood and embraced in its entirety. This means that the Beatitudes is not a matter of multiple choice but a code that has to be taken as a whole.
And today, we see Jesus laying down the parameters of how it is to be a Christian and here He puts a premium on the importance of obedience in the life of every believer. Jesus knew whereof He speaks because he was aware of the habit of the religious leaders during his time who practically have the Scriptures written all over them and yet not doing what the law says. And this is what He doesn’t want to happen to us that is why He stresses in this Gospel the need to listen and not just hear.
In the same way, there is an ocean of difference between what we say and what we do and this is what Jesus is pointing out in this Gospel today because the words that we utter and our actions reveal the kind of person that we are and we could be committing boo-boos without knowing it and this is the purpose of this Gospel reading today.
What this means in terms of the realities of everyday life is that we can never show others especially the unbelievers, the doubters, the atheists and agnostics how wondrous the Christian life is unless our lives manifest the fruits of the Holy Spirit in the way we talk and live. This is also what Jesus meant when He said in Matt 6:21 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” because what comes out of our lips are what is in our hearts and what Jesus is saying is that there must be unanimity and harmony in what we say and do.
There is no doubt that there are some among us who are proficient in speech. But mere words alone cannot take the place of what we do. Walk the talk is a phrase that we often hear and this simply means that what we do must be a reflection of what we say. This may be true but this idiom has often been abused and misused by those who are critical of another for the simple reason that they themselves do not subscribe to what they say.
Why? Because to walk the talk, one must also walk-the-chalk which simply means follow the rules or follow the standard. This is the reason why Jesus in the Gospel told his disciples and he is telling us now that it would be hypocritical of us if we call him Lord and not do what He says.
What Jesus is impressing upon us here is that a true disciple is one who heard, listened and obeyed the Will of the Father in heaven. He wants us to build our house (our life) on solid rock (faith) that will withstand the storms we face in life but this is premised on doing what is right instead of just talking about it. In other words, what we do cannot be separated from what we believe or say.
Although each person is different from the other, some are famous and popular, some are not and there are times when our professional conduct clouds our nature. Some people are also transparent in their ways, some are not and some are so guarded that what they project is what they want others to see. But at the end of the day, what we do will reflect what is truly in our hearts.
This was the reason why Jesus exposes the lack of obedience among the Pharisees who knew the Scriptures but do not follow them and this is what He is telling us to avoid. What Jesus is actually saying is that obedience to what He tells us will give us a solid foundation within which to build our lives on.
Simply put, to disobey what the Lord wills for us will invite disaster in our lives. Many times we spend time pondering what went wrong or what is going wrong in our lives. Everything seems to have spun out of control. We lost our job. Our finances are nearly at the bottom of the well. Our relationship is in tatters. Even our worship seems dry. We try to solve our problems our own way. We wrack our brains thinking of why we suddenly found ourselves in the abyss of misfortune. And the only thing that we haven’t looked into is our relationship with Our Lord. Have we obeyed God and His Word?
This is what Jesus is telling us in this narrative for us to become like the builder who digs down deep and to lay the foundation of our house (heart) on the rock. What this means is that we who are pilgrims on this earth must make it a habit to listen to His Word attentively and put it into practice because to remain anchored on His Word will establish in us a foundation that cannot be shattered by the storms that pass our lives.
I grew up in a Catholic environment, went to a Catholic school but the influences of the world clouded my vision and I found myself drowned in the world. I used and abused the power I had as a media practitioner to gain influence and money through unscrupulous means. I succeeded and I thought I already have everything but I was unhappy because I wanted more.
And Our Lord found me and brought me to the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community and I spent some time trying to figure out how the Words of Our Lord will fit into my way of life as the Word of God is totally opposed to the world I was in and I knew then that something has to give.
And guess what? I chose to heed the Word of God because in them I found life. I found joy. It became the foundation that has made me strong against the onslaught of the enemy. Anyone of you can do it. All you need to do is to come before the Lord, humble yourself, remove your cloak of superiority, pride and arrogance. And Jesus assures us that on judgment day, those who listened and obeyed His Word and the Will of the Father will be rewarded with eternal joy.
STAY AWAY FROM FALSE PROPHETS
CAN YOU SPOT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE SHEEP AND THE WOLF?
JUNE 26, 2013: 12th WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Gen15:1-12, 17-18
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 105:1-9 “The Lord remembers His covenant forever.”
GOSPEL: MATT 7:15-20
Key Verse: “A good tree bears good fruit.” (v.17)
Yesterday Jesus cautioned us not to waste our time on those who are not keen on listening to the Word of God. Today, Jesus warned his disciples of the presence of false prophets because this was something that was common in Old Testament times as there were pseudo prophets who prophesied only on what the kind and the people wanted to hear and bastardizing their message claiming it came from God.
Every disciple who have been called and empowered to teach or proclaim the Good News as an evangelist should be able to relate to this Gospel reading today because it serves as a reminder of our calling as messengers of the Good News in that we should never lose track of the purpose for which we have been called and the message we need to proclaim.
False teachers are as common today and Jesus says we are to beware of those whose words sound religious but who are motivated by money, fame, power and prestige. We can just as easily spot such false prophets in our midst because they minimize Christ in their teaching and instead draw attention to themselves.
In one of the teaching assignment that I facilitated in one of our BLD Districts in the Philippines, I tuned in to the TV while I was in my hotel room and I watched what seemed to be a large congregation who were all dressed in white and I couldn’t help but be amused when the Pastor said he was the “son” of god.
The small letter “g” in god was intentional and I have no intention of committing sacrilege but at that point in time I actually didn’t know who the god he was referring to because the one true God I know looks at all of us as his sons and daughters and no single individual could arrogate upon himself the singular honor of claiming to be the son of God as we all are children of God as St. Paul attests in his letter to the Corinthians: “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” (2 Cor 6:18)
But we also cannot and should not classify all the evangelists on TV as false prophets. To identify who is who and which is which among those who stand before us proclaiming God’s message we have to rely on our discernment to spot who is false and who is not. The fact that there are so-called “mega churches” in the US and elsewhere means that there is a certain degree of authenticity in their proclamation of God’s message.
This was why Jesus used the imagery of grapes and thornbushes, figs and thistles because the Jews are familiar with this as there are certain types of thornbushes in those days that had berries resembling grapes. In the same way, there were thistles that had flowers that looked like figs.
This is also the same today. What we hear might look and sound like the truth but, in fact, these are actually false because false prophets or false teachers abound today as much as they did in biblical times. What then is the test that qualifies a true or false teacher? Jesus associates what is being proclaimed with good fruit. A message is genuine and authentic when it is free from defect, decay, or disease and is healthy.
Good fruit is the result of good living which means the proclaimer of the Word of God must live according to the moral truth that he proclaims and is upright in character. The prophet Isaiah warns us against the dangers of falsehood: “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness.” (Isa 5:20).
Another sign of authenticity is that a genuine evangelist or prophet promotes unity and harmony in the church or community. This is especially true for leaders and this reminds me of our experience with a certain community in the South that we are now trying to rebuild after it was almost reduced to becoming non-existent.
This community used to be a vibrant and a growing Christian community but a coordinator of a mission outreach came and dished out his own set of rules that went against the established policies of the community. What followed was chaos and mayhem as disrespect for pastoral authority and disunity became the order of the day.
False teachings only produce an easy religion that takes the fire out of religion, the cross out of Christianity, and any other teaching that puts in the backburner the commands of Jesus on unity, harmony and love, and which push the judgments of God into the background and makes us think lightly of sin.
How then do we avoid falsehood in our personal lives and in the church? We can do so by being true – true to God, his Word, and his Grace. We must avoid paying lip service to God’s message. Instead we should live by what we say and that takes character. The true shepherd cares for the flock more than he cares for his life while the false prophet teaches not what he can give to others but what he can gain for himself.
A true prophet is one who has died to himself and one who desires self-obliteration. He is one who can proclaim: “He must increase, I must decrease.” (Jn 3:30) A genuine prophet doesn’t look at structures to guide him in bringing the Good News to the ends of the earth but he is propelled by the empowerment of the Holy Spirit and relies solely on his gifts that should bear fruit in his life rooted in his love for God and others.
1st Reading: Gen15:1-12, 17-18
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 105:1-9 “The Lord remembers His covenant forever.”
GOSPEL: MATT 7:15-20
Key Verse: “A good tree bears good fruit.” (v.17)
Yesterday Jesus cautioned us not to waste our time on those who are not keen on listening to the Word of God. Today, Jesus warned his disciples of the presence of false prophets because this was something that was common in Old Testament times as there were pseudo prophets who prophesied only on what the kind and the people wanted to hear and bastardizing their message claiming it came from God.
Every disciple who have been called and empowered to teach or proclaim the Good News as an evangelist should be able to relate to this Gospel reading today because it serves as a reminder of our calling as messengers of the Good News in that we should never lose track of the purpose for which we have been called and the message we need to proclaim.
False teachers are as common today and Jesus says we are to beware of those whose words sound religious but who are motivated by money, fame, power and prestige. We can just as easily spot such false prophets in our midst because they minimize Christ in their teaching and instead draw attention to themselves.
In one of the teaching assignment that I facilitated in one of our BLD Districts in the Philippines, I tuned in to the TV while I was in my hotel room and I watched what seemed to be a large congregation who were all dressed in white and I couldn’t help but be amused when the Pastor said he was the “son” of god.
The small letter “g” in god was intentional and I have no intention of committing sacrilege but at that point in time I actually didn’t know who the god he was referring to because the one true God I know looks at all of us as his sons and daughters and no single individual could arrogate upon himself the singular honor of claiming to be the son of God as we all are children of God as St. Paul attests in his letter to the Corinthians: “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” (2 Cor 6:18)
But we also cannot and should not classify all the evangelists on TV as false prophets. To identify who is who and which is which among those who stand before us proclaiming God’s message we have to rely on our discernment to spot who is false and who is not. The fact that there are so-called “mega churches” in the US and elsewhere means that there is a certain degree of authenticity in their proclamation of God’s message.
This was why Jesus used the imagery of grapes and thornbushes, figs and thistles because the Jews are familiar with this as there are certain types of thornbushes in those days that had berries resembling grapes. In the same way, there were thistles that had flowers that looked like figs.
This is also the same today. What we hear might look and sound like the truth but, in fact, these are actually false because false prophets or false teachers abound today as much as they did in biblical times. What then is the test that qualifies a true or false teacher? Jesus associates what is being proclaimed with good fruit. A message is genuine and authentic when it is free from defect, decay, or disease and is healthy.
Good fruit is the result of good living which means the proclaimer of the Word of God must live according to the moral truth that he proclaims and is upright in character. The prophet Isaiah warns us against the dangers of falsehood: “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness.” (Isa 5:20).
Another sign of authenticity is that a genuine evangelist or prophet promotes unity and harmony in the church or community. This is especially true for leaders and this reminds me of our experience with a certain community in the South that we are now trying to rebuild after it was almost reduced to becoming non-existent.
This community used to be a vibrant and a growing Christian community but a coordinator of a mission outreach came and dished out his own set of rules that went against the established policies of the community. What followed was chaos and mayhem as disrespect for pastoral authority and disunity became the order of the day.
False teachings only produce an easy religion that takes the fire out of religion, the cross out of Christianity, and any other teaching that puts in the backburner the commands of Jesus on unity, harmony and love, and which push the judgments of God into the background and makes us think lightly of sin.
How then do we avoid falsehood in our personal lives and in the church? We can do so by being true – true to God, his Word, and his Grace. We must avoid paying lip service to God’s message. Instead we should live by what we say and that takes character. The true shepherd cares for the flock more than he cares for his life while the false prophet teaches not what he can give to others but what he can gain for himself.
A true prophet is one who has died to himself and one who desires self-obliteration. He is one who can proclaim: “He must increase, I must decrease.” (Jn 3:30) A genuine prophet doesn’t look at structures to guide him in bringing the Good News to the ends of the earth but he is propelled by the empowerment of the Holy Spirit and relies solely on his gifts that should bear fruit in his life rooted in his love for God and others.
ROAD TO LIFE IS NARROW
JUNE 25, 2013: 12th WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Gen 13:2, 5-18
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 15:2-5 “He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: MATT 7: 6, 12-14
Key Verse: “only a few find it.” (v.14)
We will find in today’s Gospel reading, albeit short, three realities that confront us in our everyday life but which will lead us to the path of holiness. Just like other Sacred Scripture passages we need to settle down and reflect on what is before us so we can fully grasp the message contained in the Word of God.
The first reality in today’s Gospel speak of things that are sacred that we are to withhold from unbelievers and at first glance we will most certainly be led to think that God’s love and blessings is selective.
In order to understand what appears to be a difficult passage, we should remind ourselves that this Gospel was written by Matthew who was a Jew in order to convince the Jewish people that all the prophecies about the Messiah that were in the Old Testament have been fulfilled in Jesus and therefore he is the Messiah.
This was the reason why Jesus who was speaking to Jews had presented a contrast between pearls and what is sacred and dogs and swine because so that the Jews could easily understand what he was saying because the Jews refer to non-Jews as dogs and sinners as swine.
In ancient times, pearls were of great value and at times regarded as priceless. So too was holiness which in those days can be acquired by following and obeying the law. The danger in this passage is that it may lead us to think that our Christian faith is exclusive to us and that we are not to share these with unbelievers (dogs) and sinners alike (swine).
This, however, was not what Jesus meant in this passage. What Jesus clearly meant was that we should not actually stop in spreading and giving the Word of God to unbelievers but that we must also be discerning and wise in the way we witness so that we will not be wasting our time.
Because the reality is that there are some people who cannot receive Christian truth as their minds are shut. It is possible that people of this kind have lived with an obscure view of faith and religion and thus are unable to see the truth or perhaps were never given an opportunity to hear the Word of God in their lives.
In truth and in fact, there are actually those who are even active members of Church organizations or Christian communities whose lives do not reflect the kind of holiness that Jesus requires from his disciples as they follow their respective agenda and draw attention to themselves instead of pointing others to Christ such that instead of being transformed inside-out (metanoia) they become more like a square peg in a round hole.
But while it may often be impossible to make people understand who Jesus was on account of their moral blindness, intellectual pride or gross ignorance, it is still possible that we can show Christ to others in the way we live.
The second reality of this Gospel passage is what is now regarded as the peak of social ethics and what many consider as the summit of what the Beatitudes is all about. As only he can because he is the Word of God incarnated, Jesus uses the positive form of the Golden Rule: “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law of the Prophets.” (v.12)
What Jesus is telling us is that while it is easy for us to observe the negative form of this rule (“don’t do unto others what you don’t want others do unto you.”) those who can observe the positive form are those who have the love of Christ in their hearts. It means that when we adopt the positive form, we are to forgive as we would wish to be forgiven, to help as we would wish to be helped, to affirm others as we would want to be affirmed, to understand as we would want to be understood and, to love as we would want also to be loved.
In other words, a true Christian is one who will not seek to avoid doing things but one who will always look for things to do for others. This predisposition is difficult because it means having less time for our own desires. We may have to stop doing what we are doing to just go and help others. In other words, we think of others more than ourselves.
And we cannot possibly reach this stage when we are predisposed into giving priority to the needs of others than to our own selves unless we die to our human nature because to obey God, we must all become a new person equipped with a new focus that is fixed on God and, a new principle that is centered in God.
Finally the third reality in this Gospel passage is telling us that in our lifetime we are always confronted with making choices and that we can never avoid making a choice. In life, we are always placed in a situation when we have to take one way or the other.
Jesus says: “For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (v.14) and indeed it is because in choosing life we also need to give up our lives meaning we will have to die to our sinful selves, our desires that are incompatible with the plan of God and this isn’t easy which is why there are only a few among us who will truly be able to enter the narrow gate that leads to life.
In life we are always faced with a difference between the hard way and the easy way. As the way to greatness requires hard work, we too are also required to work for our own salvation which means we are to listen and obey everything that Jesus tells us to do. Following Christ means total submission to him – which means dying to our own self and being resurrected to the original image to which we have been created.
To enter the narrow gate that leads to life, we are to know the difference between the disciplined and the undisciplined life. As nothing is ever achieved without discipline, we too as Christians are required to live a disciplined life that is founded on loving God and loving our neighbor as well.
We will find that our lives and our faith are always at a crossroad where we must make a choice that will determine our judgment. God certainly gives us the freedom to choose the way we want to go but if the other way leads to our destruction and not to the eternal Kingdom, would we still take that way?
Before us is the way of life and the way of death (Jer 21:8) and Our Lord Jesus Christ is telling us now to allow God's love and wisdom to rule our hearts so that we can trust in his guidance and grace to follow the path of love and holiness.
1st Reading: Gen 13:2, 5-18
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 15:2-5 “He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: MATT 7: 6, 12-14
Key Verse: “only a few find it.” (v.14)
We will find in today’s Gospel reading, albeit short, three realities that confront us in our everyday life but which will lead us to the path of holiness. Just like other Sacred Scripture passages we need to settle down and reflect on what is before us so we can fully grasp the message contained in the Word of God.
The first reality in today’s Gospel speak of things that are sacred that we are to withhold from unbelievers and at first glance we will most certainly be led to think that God’s love and blessings is selective.
In order to understand what appears to be a difficult passage, we should remind ourselves that this Gospel was written by Matthew who was a Jew in order to convince the Jewish people that all the prophecies about the Messiah that were in the Old Testament have been fulfilled in Jesus and therefore he is the Messiah.
This was the reason why Jesus who was speaking to Jews had presented a contrast between pearls and what is sacred and dogs and swine because so that the Jews could easily understand what he was saying because the Jews refer to non-Jews as dogs and sinners as swine.
In ancient times, pearls were of great value and at times regarded as priceless. So too was holiness which in those days can be acquired by following and obeying the law. The danger in this passage is that it may lead us to think that our Christian faith is exclusive to us and that we are not to share these with unbelievers (dogs) and sinners alike (swine).
This, however, was not what Jesus meant in this passage. What Jesus clearly meant was that we should not actually stop in spreading and giving the Word of God to unbelievers but that we must also be discerning and wise in the way we witness so that we will not be wasting our time.
Because the reality is that there are some people who cannot receive Christian truth as their minds are shut. It is possible that people of this kind have lived with an obscure view of faith and religion and thus are unable to see the truth or perhaps were never given an opportunity to hear the Word of God in their lives.
In truth and in fact, there are actually those who are even active members of Church organizations or Christian communities whose lives do not reflect the kind of holiness that Jesus requires from his disciples as they follow their respective agenda and draw attention to themselves instead of pointing others to Christ such that instead of being transformed inside-out (metanoia) they become more like a square peg in a round hole.
But while it may often be impossible to make people understand who Jesus was on account of their moral blindness, intellectual pride or gross ignorance, it is still possible that we can show Christ to others in the way we live.
The second reality of this Gospel passage is what is now regarded as the peak of social ethics and what many consider as the summit of what the Beatitudes is all about. As only he can because he is the Word of God incarnated, Jesus uses the positive form of the Golden Rule: “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law of the Prophets.” (v.12)
What Jesus is telling us is that while it is easy for us to observe the negative form of this rule (“don’t do unto others what you don’t want others do unto you.”) those who can observe the positive form are those who have the love of Christ in their hearts. It means that when we adopt the positive form, we are to forgive as we would wish to be forgiven, to help as we would wish to be helped, to affirm others as we would want to be affirmed, to understand as we would want to be understood and, to love as we would want also to be loved.
In other words, a true Christian is one who will not seek to avoid doing things but one who will always look for things to do for others. This predisposition is difficult because it means having less time for our own desires. We may have to stop doing what we are doing to just go and help others. In other words, we think of others more than ourselves.
And we cannot possibly reach this stage when we are predisposed into giving priority to the needs of others than to our own selves unless we die to our human nature because to obey God, we must all become a new person equipped with a new focus that is fixed on God and, a new principle that is centered in God.
Finally the third reality in this Gospel passage is telling us that in our lifetime we are always confronted with making choices and that we can never avoid making a choice. In life, we are always placed in a situation when we have to take one way or the other.
Jesus says: “For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (v.14) and indeed it is because in choosing life we also need to give up our lives meaning we will have to die to our sinful selves, our desires that are incompatible with the plan of God and this isn’t easy which is why there are only a few among us who will truly be able to enter the narrow gate that leads to life.
In life we are always faced with a difference between the hard way and the easy way. As the way to greatness requires hard work, we too are also required to work for our own salvation which means we are to listen and obey everything that Jesus tells us to do. Following Christ means total submission to him – which means dying to our own self and being resurrected to the original image to which we have been created.
To enter the narrow gate that leads to life, we are to know the difference between the disciplined and the undisciplined life. As nothing is ever achieved without discipline, we too as Christians are required to live a disciplined life that is founded on loving God and loving our neighbor as well.
We will find that our lives and our faith are always at a crossroad where we must make a choice that will determine our judgment. God certainly gives us the freedom to choose the way we want to go but if the other way leads to our destruction and not to the eternal Kingdom, would we still take that way?
Before us is the way of life and the way of death (Jer 21:8) and Our Lord Jesus Christ is telling us now to allow God's love and wisdom to rule our hearts so that we can trust in his guidance and grace to follow the path of love and holiness.
GLORIFYING GOD IN OUR LIVES
JUNE 24, 2013: BIRTH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
1st Reading: Isa 49:1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 139:1-3, 13-15 “Praise you, for I am wonderfully made.”
GOSPEL: LK 1:57-66, 80
Key Verse: “What then is this child going to be.” (v.66)
What’s in a name? Do you have any idea how your parents chose the name that they gave you? Do names have a bearing on how a person will turn out to be? This was the predicament that Elizabeth and their relatives were in because of the custom and tradition prevailing in those days with regards to naming a new addition into the family.
Naming an infant has always been a much-awaited moment especially for parents and even relatives of the first-born child in the family as was in the case of the Gospel for today. That it became a concern was brought about by the fact that this infant was special because his coming was foretold from above and miraculous as well since both Zechariah and Elizabeth were already advanced in age at the time.
More so, they also did not know what their child would become. Had they known that their son will retreat to the desert to feed on locusts and honey and will be beheaded, perhaps Zechariah would not have wished to have a child.
But John the Baptist has already been prefigured by God to become not just a prophet but a messenger to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah and in this we can see that the life of John the Baptist was intrinsically hewn to the life of Jesus.
The coming of John and Jesus were in some way strikingly similar as their birth were both proclaimed by an angel who spoke to Zechariah at the Tent of God and also to Mary and Joseph. This manifestation shows that their birth was God’s design and what they will become has also been pre-ordained by God.
At that time, the birth of a boy became an occasion of great joy as friends and relatives accompanied by musicians will come when the time of birth was near. And when it was a boy as was in the case of Zechariah and Elizabeth there will be great rejoicing but if it was a girl, the musicians will leave silently.
Tradition also has it that a male child will be given his name on the eighth day which was the day of his circumcision and the relatives of Zechariah and Elizabeth couldn’t figure out why they named the child John. It was only after Zechariah began to speak again that they realized that he was merely responding to the promptings of God.
And as deigned by God, John became the herald that would announce the coming of the Kingdom of God. For us to appreciate what John the Baptist did as a messenger of God, we need to draw a comparison between the messengers in ancient times and the bearers of messages and or communications data of today.
As with the other messengers of his time, John the Baptist delivered his message by mouth meaning he had to move around and announce to the people the focal point of his message which was the coming of Jesus. Today, messengers are not only motorized but take advantage of the technological advances that has removed the borders between countries and the world.
But this is not the point of this Gospel because the passage we have for today focuses on the fact that God is sending messages to us the people he has created. These messages come in the form of the Scriptures, sacred writings, devotionals and, spiritual books. God also sends messages through other people like prophets and in our present time through the Clergy and those whom God has anointed to a divine office.
God also sends messages through nature. The sun that rises in the morning and the moon that settles through the night. The ocean waves that turn into ripples as it lands on the shore. Even tragic events contain messages that we need to discern. Through all these, God is in the messages that he sends to us and we should be able to see this reality.
Our God comes to his temple that is in us (1 Cor 6:19-20) and when we are lost he searches for us until we are found. It really is difficult to stand before God and this is where many of our brethren falter as they come with their titles and positions in life, accomplishments, possessions, etc. To stand before God is to come in our authentic nature, unmasked of pretensions and abandoning our human will to his divine providence. In other words, we are to come before the Lord as we are - “created in the image and likeness of God” (Gen 1:26).
In the birth of John and Jesus what we see is the Grace of God coming into a world broken by sin and hopelessness. And as John had been prefigured to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord, we too are prefigured to be the heralds of the Good News. Such is the purpose of God for bringing us into the renewal, not just for us to rediscover our identity but mainly to tell others that they too have been predestined, called, justified and have been glorified (Rom 8:30).
But for us to become an effective messenger, we have to go to our own desert like John to find our true selves. The desert allows us an opportunity that separates us from the world that will help transform us by the renewing of our minds (Rom 12:2).
Such a renewal is necessary because we cannot possibly evangelize others if we are not evangelized first. As we celebrate the Solemnity of the Birth of John the Baptist, let us not forget that we too have our own mission and that we may become heralds like John so that God may be glorified in us. In whatever position we are in either in the church or community or in the temporal world, we must remember that we have a duty and a responsibility to fulfill and there can be no justification if we refuse to carry out the terms of our calling.
God’s message is clear and this is especially true in this era of new evangelization that is upon us amidst the challenges against our faith. And we simply cannot do this if we are not going to “forget ourselves, pick up our cross everyday and follow him.” (Lk 9:23) for there is no way we can effectively proclaim the Gospel if others cannot see even a shadow of Jesus in our nature.
1st Reading: Isa 49:1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 139:1-3, 13-15 “Praise you, for I am wonderfully made.”
GOSPEL: LK 1:57-66, 80
Key Verse: “What then is this child going to be.” (v.66)
What’s in a name? Do you have any idea how your parents chose the name that they gave you? Do names have a bearing on how a person will turn out to be? This was the predicament that Elizabeth and their relatives were in because of the custom and tradition prevailing in those days with regards to naming a new addition into the family.
Naming an infant has always been a much-awaited moment especially for parents and even relatives of the first-born child in the family as was in the case of the Gospel for today. That it became a concern was brought about by the fact that this infant was special because his coming was foretold from above and miraculous as well since both Zechariah and Elizabeth were already advanced in age at the time.
More so, they also did not know what their child would become. Had they known that their son will retreat to the desert to feed on locusts and honey and will be beheaded, perhaps Zechariah would not have wished to have a child.
But John the Baptist has already been prefigured by God to become not just a prophet but a messenger to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah and in this we can see that the life of John the Baptist was intrinsically hewn to the life of Jesus.
The coming of John and Jesus were in some way strikingly similar as their birth were both proclaimed by an angel who spoke to Zechariah at the Tent of God and also to Mary and Joseph. This manifestation shows that their birth was God’s design and what they will become has also been pre-ordained by God.
At that time, the birth of a boy became an occasion of great joy as friends and relatives accompanied by musicians will come when the time of birth was near. And when it was a boy as was in the case of Zechariah and Elizabeth there will be great rejoicing but if it was a girl, the musicians will leave silently.
Tradition also has it that a male child will be given his name on the eighth day which was the day of his circumcision and the relatives of Zechariah and Elizabeth couldn’t figure out why they named the child John. It was only after Zechariah began to speak again that they realized that he was merely responding to the promptings of God.
And as deigned by God, John became the herald that would announce the coming of the Kingdom of God. For us to appreciate what John the Baptist did as a messenger of God, we need to draw a comparison between the messengers in ancient times and the bearers of messages and or communications data of today.
As with the other messengers of his time, John the Baptist delivered his message by mouth meaning he had to move around and announce to the people the focal point of his message which was the coming of Jesus. Today, messengers are not only motorized but take advantage of the technological advances that has removed the borders between countries and the world.
But this is not the point of this Gospel because the passage we have for today focuses on the fact that God is sending messages to us the people he has created. These messages come in the form of the Scriptures, sacred writings, devotionals and, spiritual books. God also sends messages through other people like prophets and in our present time through the Clergy and those whom God has anointed to a divine office.
God also sends messages through nature. The sun that rises in the morning and the moon that settles through the night. The ocean waves that turn into ripples as it lands on the shore. Even tragic events contain messages that we need to discern. Through all these, God is in the messages that he sends to us and we should be able to see this reality.
Our God comes to his temple that is in us (1 Cor 6:19-20) and when we are lost he searches for us until we are found. It really is difficult to stand before God and this is where many of our brethren falter as they come with their titles and positions in life, accomplishments, possessions, etc. To stand before God is to come in our authentic nature, unmasked of pretensions and abandoning our human will to his divine providence. In other words, we are to come before the Lord as we are - “created in the image and likeness of God” (Gen 1:26).
In the birth of John and Jesus what we see is the Grace of God coming into a world broken by sin and hopelessness. And as John had been prefigured to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord, we too are prefigured to be the heralds of the Good News. Such is the purpose of God for bringing us into the renewal, not just for us to rediscover our identity but mainly to tell others that they too have been predestined, called, justified and have been glorified (Rom 8:30).
But for us to become an effective messenger, we have to go to our own desert like John to find our true selves. The desert allows us an opportunity that separates us from the world that will help transform us by the renewing of our minds (Rom 12:2).
Such a renewal is necessary because we cannot possibly evangelize others if we are not evangelized first. As we celebrate the Solemnity of the Birth of John the Baptist, let us not forget that we too have our own mission and that we may become heralds like John so that God may be glorified in us. In whatever position we are in either in the church or community or in the temporal world, we must remember that we have a duty and a responsibility to fulfill and there can be no justification if we refuse to carry out the terms of our calling.
God’s message is clear and this is especially true in this era of new evangelization that is upon us amidst the challenges against our faith. And we simply cannot do this if we are not going to “forget ourselves, pick up our cross everyday and follow him.” (Lk 9:23) for there is no way we can effectively proclaim the Gospel if others cannot see even a shadow of Jesus in our nature.
FAITH REQUIRED
JUNE 23, 2013: TWELFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Zec 12:10-11; 13:1
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 63:2-6, 8-9 “My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.”
2nd Reading: Gal 3:26-29
Gospel: Lk 9:18-24
Key Verse: “…take up your cross daily and follow me.” (v.23)
It is only natural that we follow someone whom we know very well, a person we are familiar with, someone whom we have known for quite sometime with whom we share certain passions and even peculiarities. This is probably the reason why Jesus asked his disciples what they know of him. It could be that Jesus wanted to know if his disciples understood where they are going.
The question that Jesus asked of his disciples is the same question that he is asking us in this day and age. “What do people say about me?” (v.18) How then would you respond?
If Jesus were to stand before you now and asks the same question he asked of Peter: “But who do you say I am?” (v.20) What would your response be? How about the so-called covenanted disciples of covenanted communities? What about those who turn a deaf ear to God’s call for them to serve? How about those who hold positions of leadership in church organizations? And how about those whom the Church have called to proclaim the Gospel that is new in ardor, language and expression.
While we all can draw from the availability of new media tools to provide us with the means to know who God is, it may actually be a disadvantage because there is also the probability that we can get stuck and get mired in just acquiring a head knowledge of God rather than knowing God in a more personal way and his great plan for us.
In fact, this is what has been happening to some organizations that equate the practice of faith with the flaws in the structural organization rather than look back to the original mission of the Church – the same mission that has remain unchanged since Jesus walked on the face of the earth.
This is a very interesting Gospel passage because here we see Jesus beginning to get worried that his teachings have not taken root among his disciples amidst the very little time left in his earthly ministry and so he decides to make a headcount who among his disciples know him.
And when Jesus first posed the question: “What do people say about me?” (v.18) Jesus received divergent points of views as some said he was John the Baptist, others say Elijah and others Jeremiah. Again, there was a reason for these differences of opinion borne out of the refusal of the Jews to acknowledge him as coming from God. While many Jews were amazed at his teachings, Jesus was not received as the Messiah but placed him in the category of prophets who merely herald the coming of the Messiah.
After listening to the different interpretations as to how he was perceived by the people and Jesus asked: “But who do you say I am?” (v.20) and Peter answered: “You are the Messiah sent from God.” (v.20) and Jesus strictly warned his disciples not to tell anyone about this for his time had not yet come.
As in the feeding of the 5,000 which Jesus could not have done so by himself, he needs his disciples to continue his mission of spreading the Good News to the world. Today, he also needs us to keep the Church alive. Which is why Jesus had to ask Peter and he is also asking us now because there is no way we can proclaim the Gospel unless we know him who is sending us.
From wanting to know what others know about him, Jesus now turns to his own flock to make sure they “know” him. In both the Hebrew and Greek language, to “know” a person is not just to know about his persona, his family lineage, his ethnicity or his profession. To “know” is to get into the person himself, to empathize with him, to get to know his feelings.
In other words, to “know” is to be one with the person. This is the rationale behind the question that Jesus asked of his disciples. And this is the same question that Jesus is asking all of us. Do we really “know” him? Do we “know” what is in his heart? Do we “know” his thoughts, his emotions, his goals and mission, the Words he spoke and which were handed down to us from generations to generations?
This is important because it would be pointless for us to join in this crusade of spreading the Good News if we do not know the person we are trying to introduce to the world. Like Peter who, blessed by the Father in heaven, made the great discovery that Jesus “is the Messiah sent from God” (v.20) we, too, must on our own accord discover what Peter discovered.
This should now become the foundation of our faith because Christianity is not just about knowing about Jesus but it is rooted in being one with Jesus because this is the only way that we can let others get into the heart of Jesus. God’s revelation moved Jesus to designate Peter as the rock who will help build the Church that Christ will establish but there shouldn’t be any debate at all that Jesus is the rock himself.
What I deem to be important in today’s Gospel is what Jesus said not only to his disciples but to all the people: “If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget yourself. You must take up your cross every day and follow me. If you want to save your life, you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me, you will save it.” (vv.23-24)
This brings to mind one of Aesop’s fables about a hunter who was searching for the tracks of a lion. Along the way, the hunter met and asked a man in the forest if he had seen any tracks of a lion. The man said not only had he seen the tracks but that he could take the hunter to where the lion was. This stunned the hunter and out of fear said “No I am only looking for his tracks and not the lion itself.”
This is the same with our relationship with God and even with one another as we often claim that we stand for a cause or a principle but when the going gets touch we draw back. This is also what we see in today’s Gospel reading as many of the people and even his disciples were taken aback when Jesus told them what they needed to do to follow him. Too often we want to enjoy the yield without making an investment.
This is the reason why we need to ask ourselves if we are indeed ready to forget our stature, reputation, fame and honor that we have racked up our sleeves, wealth we have stashed away. Are we just looking for the tracks of the lion or are we going with Jesus who will take us to where the lion is.
Leaders and members of church organizations are always being asked to make responsible decisions that impact the Church as a whole.
One of these is to make sure that we all live in peace with one another, not insisting on the righteousness of one’s actions against the other but communal living in which we all recognize the strengths and weaknesses of one another.
Life in the Church is not about imposing our ideas, thoughts, perceptions, feelings and our will on the other be it in an apostolate or ministry, but in living as one thoroughly accepting the fact that while one is different from the other we have all been predestined to be God’s adopted sons through Jesus Christ. This is the reason why we need to constantly examine our motivation for we may be veering away from what God wants and giving in to what we want. This is also why we need to forget ourselves and focus only on Jesus if we really want to follow him.
As members of the Church we all share in the same glory of God in union with the Rock who is the foundation of our faith – Jesus Christ Our Lord. The New Testament describes the church, the people of God, as a spiritual house or temple with each member joined together as living stones (1 Pet 2:5). Thus, faith in Jesus Christ turns us into rocks and spiritual stones and Our Lord Jesus will definitely test each one of us with the same question: “But who do you say I am?”
1st Reading: Zec 12:10-11; 13:1
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 63:2-6, 8-9 “My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.”
2nd Reading: Gal 3:26-29
Gospel: Lk 9:18-24
Key Verse: “…take up your cross daily and follow me.” (v.23)
It is only natural that we follow someone whom we know very well, a person we are familiar with, someone whom we have known for quite sometime with whom we share certain passions and even peculiarities. This is probably the reason why Jesus asked his disciples what they know of him. It could be that Jesus wanted to know if his disciples understood where they are going.
The question that Jesus asked of his disciples is the same question that he is asking us in this day and age. “What do people say about me?” (v.18) How then would you respond?
If Jesus were to stand before you now and asks the same question he asked of Peter: “But who do you say I am?” (v.20) What would your response be? How about the so-called covenanted disciples of covenanted communities? What about those who turn a deaf ear to God’s call for them to serve? How about those who hold positions of leadership in church organizations? And how about those whom the Church have called to proclaim the Gospel that is new in ardor, language and expression.
While we all can draw from the availability of new media tools to provide us with the means to know who God is, it may actually be a disadvantage because there is also the probability that we can get stuck and get mired in just acquiring a head knowledge of God rather than knowing God in a more personal way and his great plan for us.
In fact, this is what has been happening to some organizations that equate the practice of faith with the flaws in the structural organization rather than look back to the original mission of the Church – the same mission that has remain unchanged since Jesus walked on the face of the earth.
This is a very interesting Gospel passage because here we see Jesus beginning to get worried that his teachings have not taken root among his disciples amidst the very little time left in his earthly ministry and so he decides to make a headcount who among his disciples know him.
And when Jesus first posed the question: “What do people say about me?” (v.18) Jesus received divergent points of views as some said he was John the Baptist, others say Elijah and others Jeremiah. Again, there was a reason for these differences of opinion borne out of the refusal of the Jews to acknowledge him as coming from God. While many Jews were amazed at his teachings, Jesus was not received as the Messiah but placed him in the category of prophets who merely herald the coming of the Messiah.
After listening to the different interpretations as to how he was perceived by the people and Jesus asked: “But who do you say I am?” (v.20) and Peter answered: “You are the Messiah sent from God.” (v.20) and Jesus strictly warned his disciples not to tell anyone about this for his time had not yet come.
As in the feeding of the 5,000 which Jesus could not have done so by himself, he needs his disciples to continue his mission of spreading the Good News to the world. Today, he also needs us to keep the Church alive. Which is why Jesus had to ask Peter and he is also asking us now because there is no way we can proclaim the Gospel unless we know him who is sending us.
From wanting to know what others know about him, Jesus now turns to his own flock to make sure they “know” him. In both the Hebrew and Greek language, to “know” a person is not just to know about his persona, his family lineage, his ethnicity or his profession. To “know” is to get into the person himself, to empathize with him, to get to know his feelings.
In other words, to “know” is to be one with the person. This is the rationale behind the question that Jesus asked of his disciples. And this is the same question that Jesus is asking all of us. Do we really “know” him? Do we “know” what is in his heart? Do we “know” his thoughts, his emotions, his goals and mission, the Words he spoke and which were handed down to us from generations to generations?
This is important because it would be pointless for us to join in this crusade of spreading the Good News if we do not know the person we are trying to introduce to the world. Like Peter who, blessed by the Father in heaven, made the great discovery that Jesus “is the Messiah sent from God” (v.20) we, too, must on our own accord discover what Peter discovered.
This should now become the foundation of our faith because Christianity is not just about knowing about Jesus but it is rooted in being one with Jesus because this is the only way that we can let others get into the heart of Jesus. God’s revelation moved Jesus to designate Peter as the rock who will help build the Church that Christ will establish but there shouldn’t be any debate at all that Jesus is the rock himself.
What I deem to be important in today’s Gospel is what Jesus said not only to his disciples but to all the people: “If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget yourself. You must take up your cross every day and follow me. If you want to save your life, you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me, you will save it.” (vv.23-24)
This brings to mind one of Aesop’s fables about a hunter who was searching for the tracks of a lion. Along the way, the hunter met and asked a man in the forest if he had seen any tracks of a lion. The man said not only had he seen the tracks but that he could take the hunter to where the lion was. This stunned the hunter and out of fear said “No I am only looking for his tracks and not the lion itself.”
This is the same with our relationship with God and even with one another as we often claim that we stand for a cause or a principle but when the going gets touch we draw back. This is also what we see in today’s Gospel reading as many of the people and even his disciples were taken aback when Jesus told them what they needed to do to follow him. Too often we want to enjoy the yield without making an investment.
This is the reason why we need to ask ourselves if we are indeed ready to forget our stature, reputation, fame and honor that we have racked up our sleeves, wealth we have stashed away. Are we just looking for the tracks of the lion or are we going with Jesus who will take us to where the lion is.
Leaders and members of church organizations are always being asked to make responsible decisions that impact the Church as a whole.
One of these is to make sure that we all live in peace with one another, not insisting on the righteousness of one’s actions against the other but communal living in which we all recognize the strengths and weaknesses of one another.
Life in the Church is not about imposing our ideas, thoughts, perceptions, feelings and our will on the other be it in an apostolate or ministry, but in living as one thoroughly accepting the fact that while one is different from the other we have all been predestined to be God’s adopted sons through Jesus Christ. This is the reason why we need to constantly examine our motivation for we may be veering away from what God wants and giving in to what we want. This is also why we need to forget ourselves and focus only on Jesus if we really want to follow him.
As members of the Church we all share in the same glory of God in union with the Rock who is the foundation of our faith – Jesus Christ Our Lord. The New Testament describes the church, the people of God, as a spiritual house or temple with each member joined together as living stones (1 Pet 2:5). Thus, faith in Jesus Christ turns us into rocks and spiritual stones and Our Lord Jesus will definitely test each one of us with the same question: “But who do you say I am?”
STOP WORRYING! TRUST GOD MORE!
JUNE 22, 2013: ELEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 2 Cor 12:1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 34:8-13 “Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.”
Gospel: Matt 6:24-34
Key Verse: “Only people who don’t know God
are always worrying about such things.” (v.32)
People worry about a lot of things especially in times when the economy is not at all good and this is natural. But when people worry a lot such that it already occupies most of their time and space may no longer be healthy.
Sure there are bills to pay, and we worry about what to eat and how to put food on the table for your family, what to wear. At times we even worry that we can’t go on vacation anymore or we can’t afford to change cars every two years like we used to. We may even say to ourselves: “this watch has been on my wrist for ages and I need to buy a new wrist watch but I don’t have any money to spare.”
The question is why do we need to worry about these things and what Jesus is telling us in today’s Gospel reading is that worrying will not add anything to our life. Jesus asks: “Can worry make you live longer?” (v.27) and Our Lord is right because worrying is a choice made by those who don’t trust God.
“Stop your anger! Turn off your wrath. Don’t fret and worry – it only leads to harm.” (Psa 37:8) Psychologists describe anger and worry as two of the most destructive emotional states that people should stay away from. It also reveals a lack of faith in the truth that God loves us and is in control.
When we do find ourselves in times of trouble we should instead put our trust in God and turn ourselves to him for his use and safekeeping. When we dwell on our problems we will end up getting anxious and angry such that it affects our nature that we could either isolate ourselves and withdraw from life’s mainstreams or we can be angry at a lot of things and or at people including those who are close to us.
We must understand that worrying can be harmful because of its ill effects and Jesus is telling us in this Gospel that we should not worry about those needs that God promises to supply. “God will surely do even more for you! Why do you have such little faith.” (v.30)
Even medical practitioners will tell you that worry can damage your health because worrying in a worst-case scenario can consume your thoughts. In the process, too much worrying disrupts your productivity and worst it affects the way you treat and relate to others and most importantly, worrying reduces your ability to trust in God.
Conversely, we should not lump worrying with concern because these are two different things. Worry immobilizes us such that it removes from us the ability to look objectively at problems we face while genuine concern moves us into action.
If anyone of you may be feeling the negative effects of worrying right now, the right thing to do is to immediately stop and start going down on your knees and place all your worry before the altar of Grace. Instead of worrying about what we cannot do, we should instead focus on what God can do.
I used to worry a lot and it's related to what I do when I was still a media practitioner as there were many times that I stepped on other people's toes and many of them have the capability to take me out of this world. I used to go around the block where I live for at least three times with my guns within easy reach before I will stop and step out of the car and open the gate of my home. I developed the uncanny ability to sense if someone's following me when I'm walking on the streets and even when I am driving, my vision extends not only to what is in front of me but also around me. In other words, I have practically filled my life with worrying about something I may have created in my mind. And worrying became a thing of the past when the Lord found me and brought me to the renewal.
To give God primacy over our lives means turning to God first for help at the first sign of trouble and let God fill all our thoughts and we can do this by acquiring his character as our behavioral pattern and to serve and obey him in everything.
In life we will have experienced that people, objects, goals, ambition, quest for power and fame, and the insatiable appetite for wealth all compete for priority and almost always it creates a barrier that keeps God out of our lives. When we find ourselves in this situation, we must remember to keep things in their proper perspective. Planning for tomorrow is time well spent but worrying about tomorrow is wasted time.
There will be times we may not be aware of the difference. Careful planning is thinking ahead to set up goals and objectives but always trusting in the guidance of God. When done this way, such planning removes the worry part because worrying brings fear and the difficulty to put our trust in God. First and foremost is that we should not allow our worries to interfere with our relationship with God.
The key to removing worrying in our lives is to replace it with something better and that is – prayer. St. Paul tells us: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Phi 4:6) It may seem impossible not to worry about anything as we all have worries about our job, finances, at home, in school, how we are perceived by others, we worry about our reputation in the business community to which we belong and in the church or community.
But Paul is advising us to turn our worries into prayers. What Paul is actually telling us is that if we want to have less time for worrying, then we should pray more. When you start to worry, then stop and pray because it is in prayer that we can find peace.
The peace that God offers us is different from the world’s peace (Jn 14:27) because true peace is not even found in positive thinking, in the absence of conflict, or even in feeling good. True peace comes from knowing that God is in control. What we must keep in mind that our citizenship in heaven as believers is assured and we can have victory over worry and anxiety by letting the peace of God guard our hearts.
1st Reading: 2 Cor 12:1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 34:8-13 “Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.”
Gospel: Matt 6:24-34
Key Verse: “Only people who don’t know God
are always worrying about such things.” (v.32)
People worry about a lot of things especially in times when the economy is not at all good and this is natural. But when people worry a lot such that it already occupies most of their time and space may no longer be healthy.
Sure there are bills to pay, and we worry about what to eat and how to put food on the table for your family, what to wear. At times we even worry that we can’t go on vacation anymore or we can’t afford to change cars every two years like we used to. We may even say to ourselves: “this watch has been on my wrist for ages and I need to buy a new wrist watch but I don’t have any money to spare.”
The question is why do we need to worry about these things and what Jesus is telling us in today’s Gospel reading is that worrying will not add anything to our life. Jesus asks: “Can worry make you live longer?” (v.27) and Our Lord is right because worrying is a choice made by those who don’t trust God.
“Stop your anger! Turn off your wrath. Don’t fret and worry – it only leads to harm.” (Psa 37:8) Psychologists describe anger and worry as two of the most destructive emotional states that people should stay away from. It also reveals a lack of faith in the truth that God loves us and is in control.
When we do find ourselves in times of trouble we should instead put our trust in God and turn ourselves to him for his use and safekeeping. When we dwell on our problems we will end up getting anxious and angry such that it affects our nature that we could either isolate ourselves and withdraw from life’s mainstreams or we can be angry at a lot of things and or at people including those who are close to us.
We must understand that worrying can be harmful because of its ill effects and Jesus is telling us in this Gospel that we should not worry about those needs that God promises to supply. “God will surely do even more for you! Why do you have such little faith.” (v.30)
Even medical practitioners will tell you that worry can damage your health because worrying in a worst-case scenario can consume your thoughts. In the process, too much worrying disrupts your productivity and worst it affects the way you treat and relate to others and most importantly, worrying reduces your ability to trust in God.
Conversely, we should not lump worrying with concern because these are two different things. Worry immobilizes us such that it removes from us the ability to look objectively at problems we face while genuine concern moves us into action.
If anyone of you may be feeling the negative effects of worrying right now, the right thing to do is to immediately stop and start going down on your knees and place all your worry before the altar of Grace. Instead of worrying about what we cannot do, we should instead focus on what God can do.
I used to worry a lot and it's related to what I do when I was still a media practitioner as there were many times that I stepped on other people's toes and many of them have the capability to take me out of this world. I used to go around the block where I live for at least three times with my guns within easy reach before I will stop and step out of the car and open the gate of my home. I developed the uncanny ability to sense if someone's following me when I'm walking on the streets and even when I am driving, my vision extends not only to what is in front of me but also around me. In other words, I have practically filled my life with worrying about something I may have created in my mind. And worrying became a thing of the past when the Lord found me and brought me to the renewal.
To give God primacy over our lives means turning to God first for help at the first sign of trouble and let God fill all our thoughts and we can do this by acquiring his character as our behavioral pattern and to serve and obey him in everything.
In life we will have experienced that people, objects, goals, ambition, quest for power and fame, and the insatiable appetite for wealth all compete for priority and almost always it creates a barrier that keeps God out of our lives. When we find ourselves in this situation, we must remember to keep things in their proper perspective. Planning for tomorrow is time well spent but worrying about tomorrow is wasted time.
There will be times we may not be aware of the difference. Careful planning is thinking ahead to set up goals and objectives but always trusting in the guidance of God. When done this way, such planning removes the worry part because worrying brings fear and the difficulty to put our trust in God. First and foremost is that we should not allow our worries to interfere with our relationship with God.
The key to removing worrying in our lives is to replace it with something better and that is – prayer. St. Paul tells us: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Phi 4:6) It may seem impossible not to worry about anything as we all have worries about our job, finances, at home, in school, how we are perceived by others, we worry about our reputation in the business community to which we belong and in the church or community.
But Paul is advising us to turn our worries into prayers. What Paul is actually telling us is that if we want to have less time for worrying, then we should pray more. When you start to worry, then stop and pray because it is in prayer that we can find peace.
The peace that God offers us is different from the world’s peace (Jn 14:27) because true peace is not even found in positive thinking, in the absence of conflict, or even in feeling good. True peace comes from knowing that God is in control. What we must keep in mind that our citizenship in heaven as believers is assured and we can have victory over worry and anxiety by letting the peace of God guard our hearts.
SALVATION: A HIGH-YIELDING INVESTMENT
JUNE 21, 2013: 11TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 2 Cor 11:18, 21-30
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 34:2-7 “From all their distress God rescues the just.”
GOSPEL: MATT 6.19-23
Key Verse: “The eye is the lamp of the body.” (v.22)
Yes we have been told and taught that salvation is a free gift from God but it also doesn’t mean we can be saved by doing nothing. Just like any financial instrument that offer high-yields at maturity, our salvation is a transaction that we need to work on because its yield will depend on the amount of investment that we put in.
In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus talks about the need for us to store our treasures in heaven and not on earth which means that our entire preoccupation while living our lives that has been leased to us is to make sure that we produce the fruit (Gal 5:22) out of the gifts (1 Cor 12) that have been given to us.
In other words, this life that has been given to us could be likened to a financial transaction in which God invests in us and we in turn are expected to also do the same while looking at our salvation as the yield upon maturity. Such is necessary because heaven is open only to those who believe in Christ.
And as Jesus warns us “not to store up treasures here on earth where moths and rust can destroy them, and thieves can break in and steal them.” (v.19) it means that we are to set our hearts on things above and to put the priorities of heaven into daily practice. Setting our minds on things above means focusing on the eternal rather than on the temporal (Phi 4:8-9; Col 3:15).
When we focus on heavenly things we put earthly things in their proper perspective. Since our home is where Christ lives (Jn 14:2-3) our thoughts must be filled with heavenly matters by simply looking at our lives from the perspective of God and to seek what God desires for us.
This reorientation of our perspective in life is in fact the antidote to materialism as we begin to look at material goods in the way God looks at these and the more we regard the world around us in the way that God does we will begin to live in harmony with Him.
Look at the things that we possess here on earth. There is nothing here on earth that is permanent including the life that we live. Wealth and possessions have an end. There was a time in my life when I was raking it in from the business I was engaged in and money was like rain pouring down on me and I thought this was the be-all and the end-all of life but this was not to be the case as everything also came to an end.
Jewelries, fancy homes, flashy cars, designer clothes, will also pass away. Even the fame we may have built for ourselves will also pass and soon nobody even remembers. There was a time when I can go anywhere in the Philippines and hobnob with political leaders and prominent people in the area. This will also change in the course of time.
Anicca is a word used by the Buddhists to describe the impermanence of things which means that everything will not last. In essence, the message of the Gospel is for us not to be attached to what is only temporary because there is an end to all that we have and possess.
There are times when our attention is directed to talks on TV that we chance upon as we switch from one channel to the other in search of our favorite programs on cable TV and we are somewhat attracted to the topic of salvation that God has so generously apportioned to all of us.
At the end of the day we will have to ask ourselves what is it that we are seeking? Throughout our earthly existence we are in continuous search for that which will give us joy, comfort and peace and many times we end up frustrated and sad because of the insatiable greed for power, fame and fortune that is in us and we see this not only in business but even in the church itself with the quest for power and authority corrupting the practice of faith.
Jesus is offering us a treasure of incomparable value and worth, but we need healthy eyes – good spiritual vision – to recognize it. What Jesus said about seeking treasure should make perfect sense to us all as He contrasts two different kinds of wealth – material wealth and spiritual wealth. Jesus is urging us now to get rich by investing in wealth and treasure that will truly last, not just for a life-time, but for all eternity as well.
Our Lord and Savior is offering us heavenly treasures which cannot lose their value by changing circumstances, such as diminishing currency, material degradation, income loss, or physical destruction. The treasure that Jesus is offering us is kept safe and uncorrupted by God himself.
What then is this treasure that Jesus is prepared to give to us freely and graciously? It is the treasure of God himself – the source and giver of every good gift and blessing in this life – and a kingdom that will endure forever. The treasure of God's kingdom produces unspeakable joy because it unites us with the source of all joy and blessings which is God himself.
God wants to share with us his treasure of unending joy and friendship with Himself and with all who are united with him in his heavenly kingdom. In Jesus Christ we receive an inheritance which St. Peter describes as imperishable, undefiled, and unfading that is kept in heaven for us (1 Pt 1:4 ). St. Paul describes it as a kingdom of everlasting peace, joy, and righteousness in the Holy Spirit (Ro 14:17).
And so we ask ourselves how realistic is this heavenly treasure? Can this be enjoyed in the here and now or do we still have to wait for it in the next life? No. The treasure that Jesus is referring to in this Gospel is both a present and a future reality. It’s like an investment that grows and matures, increasing and multiplying in value.
As we go through life, we focus all our energies and resources to seek that which will provide us happiness and to things that we value most. But to set our hearts on heavenly treasure we need to enter into a deeper relationship with God. But we must first detach ourselves from the false and the impermanence of the earthly treasure before we can enter into the everlasting joy of the heavenly treasure that will last forever.
For us to see the beauty and value of this heavenly treasure we need good eyesight which is the window of the “inner being” – the heart, mind, and soul of an individual person. How one views their life and reality reflects not only their personal vision – how they see themselves and the world around them, it also reflects their inner being and soul – the kind of moral person and character they choose for themselves.
If the window through which we view life, truth, and reality is clouded, soiled, or marred in any way, then the light of God's truth will be deflected, diminished, and distorted and this could happen even to leaders or elders of the church or community.
But when we turn to Jesus, He can deliver us from the spiritual darkness of sin, unbelief, prejudice, jealousy, and self-conceit that destroys our judgment of ourselves and others and lead us to moral blindness and self-righteousness. This is why Jesus calls Himself the light of the world – the one true source of light that can overcome the darkness of sin and the lies and deception of Satan.
1st Reading: 2 Cor 11:18, 21-30
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 34:2-7 “From all their distress God rescues the just.”
GOSPEL: MATT 6.19-23
Key Verse: “The eye is the lamp of the body.” (v.22)
Yes we have been told and taught that salvation is a free gift from God but it also doesn’t mean we can be saved by doing nothing. Just like any financial instrument that offer high-yields at maturity, our salvation is a transaction that we need to work on because its yield will depend on the amount of investment that we put in.
In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus talks about the need for us to store our treasures in heaven and not on earth which means that our entire preoccupation while living our lives that has been leased to us is to make sure that we produce the fruit (Gal 5:22) out of the gifts (1 Cor 12) that have been given to us.
In other words, this life that has been given to us could be likened to a financial transaction in which God invests in us and we in turn are expected to also do the same while looking at our salvation as the yield upon maturity. Such is necessary because heaven is open only to those who believe in Christ.
And as Jesus warns us “not to store up treasures here on earth where moths and rust can destroy them, and thieves can break in and steal them.” (v.19) it means that we are to set our hearts on things above and to put the priorities of heaven into daily practice. Setting our minds on things above means focusing on the eternal rather than on the temporal (Phi 4:8-9; Col 3:15).
When we focus on heavenly things we put earthly things in their proper perspective. Since our home is where Christ lives (Jn 14:2-3) our thoughts must be filled with heavenly matters by simply looking at our lives from the perspective of God and to seek what God desires for us.
This reorientation of our perspective in life is in fact the antidote to materialism as we begin to look at material goods in the way God looks at these and the more we regard the world around us in the way that God does we will begin to live in harmony with Him.
Look at the things that we possess here on earth. There is nothing here on earth that is permanent including the life that we live. Wealth and possessions have an end. There was a time in my life when I was raking it in from the business I was engaged in and money was like rain pouring down on me and I thought this was the be-all and the end-all of life but this was not to be the case as everything also came to an end.
Jewelries, fancy homes, flashy cars, designer clothes, will also pass away. Even the fame we may have built for ourselves will also pass and soon nobody even remembers. There was a time when I can go anywhere in the Philippines and hobnob with political leaders and prominent people in the area. This will also change in the course of time.
Anicca is a word used by the Buddhists to describe the impermanence of things which means that everything will not last. In essence, the message of the Gospel is for us not to be attached to what is only temporary because there is an end to all that we have and possess.
There are times when our attention is directed to talks on TV that we chance upon as we switch from one channel to the other in search of our favorite programs on cable TV and we are somewhat attracted to the topic of salvation that God has so generously apportioned to all of us.
At the end of the day we will have to ask ourselves what is it that we are seeking? Throughout our earthly existence we are in continuous search for that which will give us joy, comfort and peace and many times we end up frustrated and sad because of the insatiable greed for power, fame and fortune that is in us and we see this not only in business but even in the church itself with the quest for power and authority corrupting the practice of faith.
Jesus is offering us a treasure of incomparable value and worth, but we need healthy eyes – good spiritual vision – to recognize it. What Jesus said about seeking treasure should make perfect sense to us all as He contrasts two different kinds of wealth – material wealth and spiritual wealth. Jesus is urging us now to get rich by investing in wealth and treasure that will truly last, not just for a life-time, but for all eternity as well.
Our Lord and Savior is offering us heavenly treasures which cannot lose their value by changing circumstances, such as diminishing currency, material degradation, income loss, or physical destruction. The treasure that Jesus is offering us is kept safe and uncorrupted by God himself.
What then is this treasure that Jesus is prepared to give to us freely and graciously? It is the treasure of God himself – the source and giver of every good gift and blessing in this life – and a kingdom that will endure forever. The treasure of God's kingdom produces unspeakable joy because it unites us with the source of all joy and blessings which is God himself.
God wants to share with us his treasure of unending joy and friendship with Himself and with all who are united with him in his heavenly kingdom. In Jesus Christ we receive an inheritance which St. Peter describes as imperishable, undefiled, and unfading that is kept in heaven for us (1 Pt 1:4 ). St. Paul describes it as a kingdom of everlasting peace, joy, and righteousness in the Holy Spirit (Ro 14:17).
And so we ask ourselves how realistic is this heavenly treasure? Can this be enjoyed in the here and now or do we still have to wait for it in the next life? No. The treasure that Jesus is referring to in this Gospel is both a present and a future reality. It’s like an investment that grows and matures, increasing and multiplying in value.
As we go through life, we focus all our energies and resources to seek that which will provide us happiness and to things that we value most. But to set our hearts on heavenly treasure we need to enter into a deeper relationship with God. But we must first detach ourselves from the false and the impermanence of the earthly treasure before we can enter into the everlasting joy of the heavenly treasure that will last forever.
For us to see the beauty and value of this heavenly treasure we need good eyesight which is the window of the “inner being” – the heart, mind, and soul of an individual person. How one views their life and reality reflects not only their personal vision – how they see themselves and the world around them, it also reflects their inner being and soul – the kind of moral person and character they choose for themselves.
If the window through which we view life, truth, and reality is clouded, soiled, or marred in any way, then the light of God's truth will be deflected, diminished, and distorted and this could happen even to leaders or elders of the church or community.
But when we turn to Jesus, He can deliver us from the spiritual darkness of sin, unbelief, prejudice, jealousy, and self-conceit that destroys our judgment of ourselves and others and lead us to moral blindness and self-righteousness. This is why Jesus calls Himself the light of the world – the one true source of light that can overcome the darkness of sin and the lies and deception of Satan.
PRAYER OPENS THE HEART OF GOD
JUNE 20, 2013: ELEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 2 Cor 11:1-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 111:1-4, 7-8 “Your works, O Lord, are justice and truth.”
GOSPEL: Mt 6:7-15
Key Verse: “for your Father knows what you need..” (v.8)
In our meeting yesterday of the Executive Council of Servant Leaders of the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community (Open in Spirit to God), Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, Global Spiritual Director of the BLD called on the leaders and members of Community to turn the trials and challenges of the present time into blessings.
The call is considered timely as the Catholic Church today is in its last few months before the celebration of the Year of Faith ends in November this year. This celebration that started on October 2012 is supposed to be a period wherein the lay faithful are urged to go back to their roots in the practice of the Catholic faith. This celebration was highlighted by the canonization of Blessed Pedro Calungsod, the second Saint to be canonized in the history of Catholicism in the Philippines.
And one of the means by which we can turn our trials into blessings is for us to develop a sound prayer life until it becomes second nature to us because prayer is actually speaking to God. There are times when we ask ourselves how we can be godly and at times we ask who among us can be called godly.
The godly are those who are faithful and devoted to God. David knew in Psa 4:3 that God would hear him when he called and would answer him. We too can gather that same confidence that God listens to our prayers and answers when we call on him. There are times when we feel God is not listening but if we put our complete trust in Christ for our salvation, God will forgive us and he will listen to us.
If at some point we feel as if our prayers are just bouncing off the four corners of our room, we should always remember that we as a believer have been set apart by God and that he loves us. God will always hear and answer our prayers although the way he will respond may not be what we expect. What we should do to enjoy our prayer time is to look at our problems in the light of God’s love and authority rather than look at God in the light of our problems and trials.
How then can we turn our prayers into an effective means to enter into the heart of God? We should pray with an attitude of deep respect for God. Many of us can actually be good in praying relying on their proficiency in words. We can pray using our mastery of the English language but we may be praying superficially and not know it. Serious prayer, by contrast, requires concentration and it puts us in touch with God’s Will that prayer can change us. Without serious prayer, we reduce God to an over-the-counter pain killing drug that can relieve our pain albeit temporarily.
More importantly we should pray with humility and sincerity. Some people especially those occupying leadership positions project their holiness in the way they pray to draw attention as in the illustration that Jesus used today (Mt 6:7-15) and Jesus saw through their self-righteous acts and he is teaching us now that the essence of prayer is not public but a private communication with God. Where our prayers are designed for others to notice only indicates that our audience is not God.
When Jesus said: “This then is how you should pray – Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name, Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread… And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” (Mt 6:9-13) Our Lord is telling us that prayer is personal as he emphasizes that when we call on God as “Our Father” we are acknowledging that God is not only majestic and holy but also personal and loving.
What should remain etched in our minds is that when we say “Your Will be done” we are not resigning ourselves to fate but we are praying that God’s perfect plan for our lives will be accomplished in this world as well as in the afterlife.
Thus to pray in such a way that we are putting our complete trust and confidence in God because we acknowledge God to be our Creator and source of everything that we have is a way in which we can be radical in the practice of our faith because prayer enables us to gather the boldness to espouse the truth of God’s Word even in an unconventional or unorthodox manner.
To be radical in our faith is to develop a change of heart, a change of mindset and a change of attitude and we can do this through prayer. This means taking risks so we can effectively proclaim the Gospel which at times makes us unpopular as Jesus was but this is the kind of radicalization that we will have to pursue if we are to help in building the Kingdom of God here on earth.
As Jesus pursued a radical process of evangelization during his time, so we too are now being called to also adopt a radical way of proclaiming the Gospel of Christ and those who wish to follow Christ must disengage themselves from human intimacies (Lk 9:57-58).
In other words, every Christian especially those who wish to follow Christ must be aware of the cost of discipleship and to follow Christ is to be radical in our mindsets, attitude and relationships. When a Scribe said: “I will follow you wherever you go,” Jesus simply replied “foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” (Lk 9:58). It means that we are to understand that this world is not our home. That when we go and make disciples of all nations we are to keep moving and not remain stationary and complacent and comfortable and rest on our laurels.
A Christian is someone who is always on the move and to follow Christ is to do what he did and to be radical as he was radical which means making a commitment to follow Our Lord Jesus after we have counted the cost. A person who responds to Jesus because of an emotional appeal will not last in times of hardship. But a person, having seriously considered the cost of following Christ that is premised on detachment from the world and makes a commitment to follow Jesus to the ends of the earth is the one who will endure till he breathes his last.
This is the message of Jesus in today’s Gospel reading in which he warned his disciples against what he describes as formalism in prayer which most oftentimes turns prayer into a mechanical process but devoid of substance and meaning as the intent is to impress others rather than the pursuit of an intimate relationship with God.
When Jesus taught his disciples to pray he gave them a pattern on how they are to pray and he begins by giving the disciples then and we in today’s generation the privilege to also call God as “Our Father.” This was a radical departure from the way the Jews prayed in those days because Jesus has introduced a new form of prayer in which we can all approach God as Our Father with confidence and boldness because Jesus Christ has opened the way to heaven for us through his death and resurrection.
To forgive others even if we don’t feel like forgiving them is one of the radical ways by which we can express our faith. Whenever we ask God to forgive us of our sins, we should also ask ourselves: Have I forgiven others who have wronged me? To be radical requires humility and obedience and this is the time we can turn our trials into blessings. Are you ready to be a radical Christian?
1st Reading: 2 Cor 11:1-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 111:1-4, 7-8 “Your works, O Lord, are justice and truth.”
GOSPEL: Mt 6:7-15
Key Verse: “for your Father knows what you need..” (v.8)
In our meeting yesterday of the Executive Council of Servant Leaders of the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community (Open in Spirit to God), Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, Global Spiritual Director of the BLD called on the leaders and members of Community to turn the trials and challenges of the present time into blessings.
The call is considered timely as the Catholic Church today is in its last few months before the celebration of the Year of Faith ends in November this year. This celebration that started on October 2012 is supposed to be a period wherein the lay faithful are urged to go back to their roots in the practice of the Catholic faith. This celebration was highlighted by the canonization of Blessed Pedro Calungsod, the second Saint to be canonized in the history of Catholicism in the Philippines.
And one of the means by which we can turn our trials into blessings is for us to develop a sound prayer life until it becomes second nature to us because prayer is actually speaking to God. There are times when we ask ourselves how we can be godly and at times we ask who among us can be called godly.
The godly are those who are faithful and devoted to God. David knew in Psa 4:3 that God would hear him when he called and would answer him. We too can gather that same confidence that God listens to our prayers and answers when we call on him. There are times when we feel God is not listening but if we put our complete trust in Christ for our salvation, God will forgive us and he will listen to us.
If at some point we feel as if our prayers are just bouncing off the four corners of our room, we should always remember that we as a believer have been set apart by God and that he loves us. God will always hear and answer our prayers although the way he will respond may not be what we expect. What we should do to enjoy our prayer time is to look at our problems in the light of God’s love and authority rather than look at God in the light of our problems and trials.
How then can we turn our prayers into an effective means to enter into the heart of God? We should pray with an attitude of deep respect for God. Many of us can actually be good in praying relying on their proficiency in words. We can pray using our mastery of the English language but we may be praying superficially and not know it. Serious prayer, by contrast, requires concentration and it puts us in touch with God’s Will that prayer can change us. Without serious prayer, we reduce God to an over-the-counter pain killing drug that can relieve our pain albeit temporarily.
More importantly we should pray with humility and sincerity. Some people especially those occupying leadership positions project their holiness in the way they pray to draw attention as in the illustration that Jesus used today (Mt 6:7-15) and Jesus saw through their self-righteous acts and he is teaching us now that the essence of prayer is not public but a private communication with God. Where our prayers are designed for others to notice only indicates that our audience is not God.
When Jesus said: “This then is how you should pray – Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name, Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread… And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” (Mt 6:9-13) Our Lord is telling us that prayer is personal as he emphasizes that when we call on God as “Our Father” we are acknowledging that God is not only majestic and holy but also personal and loving.
What should remain etched in our minds is that when we say “Your Will be done” we are not resigning ourselves to fate but we are praying that God’s perfect plan for our lives will be accomplished in this world as well as in the afterlife.
Thus to pray in such a way that we are putting our complete trust and confidence in God because we acknowledge God to be our Creator and source of everything that we have is a way in which we can be radical in the practice of our faith because prayer enables us to gather the boldness to espouse the truth of God’s Word even in an unconventional or unorthodox manner.
To be radical in our faith is to develop a change of heart, a change of mindset and a change of attitude and we can do this through prayer. This means taking risks so we can effectively proclaim the Gospel which at times makes us unpopular as Jesus was but this is the kind of radicalization that we will have to pursue if we are to help in building the Kingdom of God here on earth.
As Jesus pursued a radical process of evangelization during his time, so we too are now being called to also adopt a radical way of proclaiming the Gospel of Christ and those who wish to follow Christ must disengage themselves from human intimacies (Lk 9:57-58).
In other words, every Christian especially those who wish to follow Christ must be aware of the cost of discipleship and to follow Christ is to be radical in our mindsets, attitude and relationships. When a Scribe said: “I will follow you wherever you go,” Jesus simply replied “foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” (Lk 9:58). It means that we are to understand that this world is not our home. That when we go and make disciples of all nations we are to keep moving and not remain stationary and complacent and comfortable and rest on our laurels.
A Christian is someone who is always on the move and to follow Christ is to do what he did and to be radical as he was radical which means making a commitment to follow Our Lord Jesus after we have counted the cost. A person who responds to Jesus because of an emotional appeal will not last in times of hardship. But a person, having seriously considered the cost of following Christ that is premised on detachment from the world and makes a commitment to follow Jesus to the ends of the earth is the one who will endure till he breathes his last.
This is the message of Jesus in today’s Gospel reading in which he warned his disciples against what he describes as formalism in prayer which most oftentimes turns prayer into a mechanical process but devoid of substance and meaning as the intent is to impress others rather than the pursuit of an intimate relationship with God.
When Jesus taught his disciples to pray he gave them a pattern on how they are to pray and he begins by giving the disciples then and we in today’s generation the privilege to also call God as “Our Father.” This was a radical departure from the way the Jews prayed in those days because Jesus has introduced a new form of prayer in which we can all approach God as Our Father with confidence and boldness because Jesus Christ has opened the way to heaven for us through his death and resurrection.
To forgive others even if we don’t feel like forgiving them is one of the radical ways by which we can express our faith. Whenever we ask God to forgive us of our sins, we should also ask ourselves: Have I forgiven others who have wronged me? To be radical requires humility and obedience and this is the time we can turn our trials into blessings. Are you ready to be a radical Christian?
LOVE MAKES US PERFECT
JUNE 18, 2013: ELEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 2 Cor 8:1-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 146:2-9 “Praise the Lord, my soul!”
GOSPEL: MATT 5:43-48
Key Verse: “Love your enemies and pray for those
who persecute you.” (v.44)
What has remained etched in my memory and which also played an important part in my formation as a Christian disciple was what the late Fr. Pascual Adorable loved to harp on in his homilies and talks and these are – to pray for the prosperity of your enemies and a disciple especially a covenanted disciple of the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community has to prioritize the call to mission of the community.
When I first hear these I asked myself – what? Pray for the prosperity of my enemies? What! Why should I? But this instruction came from the late Fr. Adorable who founded the Community to which my spouse and I were brought to by the Lord. And it continued to ring in my ears from the time I heard it sometime in the late 80s till the time I actually prayed for those whom I perceived to be my enemy.
And who are my enemies? They are those who beat me in a boxing bout in high school, my political detractors, the architect who failed to deliver on the terms of our contract when my house was being remodeled, and my two partners in a business who fled bringing with them my share in a financial transaction that I arranged and, even those in the Community itself who speak ill of me behind my back.
This, however, could just be the perception that I built on my mind and they might not even qualify to be called as such because an enemy is one who hates us and seeks to do us harm. If I am to apply this biblical definition to my situation, I will have to reconfigure my perception because it was not they who sought to do me harm but it was the reverse. Thus, they are not my enemy but I was the enemy to them.
I struggled with the message of that homily by Fr. Adorable but when the time came that I was to cross over from an imaginary line that separates an ordinary member of the Community to that of being a disciple I had to come to grips with that reality.
A disciple is a learner and this means I will have to bend down low and humble myself and be subservient to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. It meant enduring the pain of being disrobed of my nature and put on the nature of Christ. It meant I will have to die to my pride, arrogance, self-exaltation, of being in control, fame, appetite for wealth and, idolatry.
As I grew in my spiritual journey, I started praying for those whom I perceived to be my enemy. You know what? I felt an indescribable joy that I could actually pray for my perceived enemies and pray that they may prosper in life. And the veil that separated us was torn in half as we all became friends again in the course of time.
You may have noticed that the liturgical readings for the past few days spoke of humility, obedience, sharing, compassion, and now love. What the Church intends is for the lay believers to use these readings to reflect on their journey of faith with particular emphasis on their relationship with God. The Ordinary Time is a period for reflection on how our lives went by. What fills our minds and hearts? Do we fill it with hate or with love?
To be a Christian is to stand like a tree with deep roots that sways but never getting uprooted and it goes without saying that we should remain founded on the Words of Jesus if we are to remain steadfast in our faith and the Gospel passage for today, difficult it may be, provides us with a view of what it would be like in heaven: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (v.44).
Christ gave us the most striking example of how it is to love our enemies when while dying on the cross he prayed for those who persecuted him, who tortured him, spat on him, drove the nails on his hands and feet. In the Garden of Olives, Jesus out of love also restored the ear of the soldier that Peter had cut off.
And Our Heavenly Father Himself also gives us a model on which we should base the manner by which we are to relate to one another including those whom we may perceive as enemies when Jesus said: “He cause his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (v.45).
The reality in this Gospel passage is that everyone was created in the image and likeness of God. The same Word of God made its dwelling on all of us including those who we think of as our enemies. The images of kings and presidents are minted on coins and it retains its value as a currency regardless of whether these were minted in copper or gold.
Which is why there is really a need for us to look inwardly and see where our faith is taking us. Have we become self-righteous and have made it a habit to find fault in others and yet have closed ourselves to reason? Are we disposed to serving the church and or community for that matter even if it is inconvenient for us? Do we tithe and give back what God has only entrusted to us?
We must remember that man is God’s work and sin is man’s work. Thus, St. Augustine advises us to: “Love what God has made, not what man has done.” St. John Chrysostom also said: “The evil shape the good, as file and hammer shape iron; they are to them as the plough to the fallow ground.” Enemies are like bees. They sting, but they produce honey. What all these means is that enemies are also instruments of God. And St. Gregory the Great adds: “As the medical doctor uses the leech to draw the bad blood from the veins of a sick man, God also employs our enemies to remove our imperfections.”
Although love has many kinds, the one that Jesus Christ used in today’s Gospel is the agape type of love which is an unconquerable and benevolent type of love which means that no matter what others may do to us, no matter how others treat us, regardless of the severity of insults we experience, we will never allow any bitterness to invade and inhabit our hearts. Rather, we will regard those who persecute us with that unconquerable benevolence and goodwill that seeks nothing but their highest good.
Matthew ends with Jesus saying: “Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect.” (v.48) In all honesty, this is the only time that I am able to fully grasp the real meaning of how it is to be perfect. I was probably one among the multitude who struggled with the thought of how to achieve perfection in our lifetime. Jesus, however, would not have said it in this Gospel passage if it were not possible.
The perfection that Jesus is seeking from us is right there at the cross in that he died for all out of his great love for us – the righteous and the unrighteous. Jesus Christ was perfect because he could love those who followed him and even those who persecuted him.
We too can experience such perfection if we can love as Christ did. Love is not just of the heart. It is also of the will for it is something that we have to do because love is the one thing that will make us one with the Saints in heaven. It is when we reproduce in our lives the forgiving and sacrificial benevolence of God that we too are restored to our original nature which is the image of God in us.
To put it in a way that we can all understand, the man who cares for men is the most perfect man. The Christian perfection that Jesus Christ requires is when we can forgive us he forgave and, to love as he loved us. Unless we can do this, we cannot call ourselves a disciple of Christ.
1st Reading: 2 Cor 8:1-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 146:2-9 “Praise the Lord, my soul!”
GOSPEL: MATT 5:43-48
Key Verse: “Love your enemies and pray for those
who persecute you.” (v.44)
What has remained etched in my memory and which also played an important part in my formation as a Christian disciple was what the late Fr. Pascual Adorable loved to harp on in his homilies and talks and these are – to pray for the prosperity of your enemies and a disciple especially a covenanted disciple of the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community has to prioritize the call to mission of the community.
When I first hear these I asked myself – what? Pray for the prosperity of my enemies? What! Why should I? But this instruction came from the late Fr. Adorable who founded the Community to which my spouse and I were brought to by the Lord. And it continued to ring in my ears from the time I heard it sometime in the late 80s till the time I actually prayed for those whom I perceived to be my enemy.
And who are my enemies? They are those who beat me in a boxing bout in high school, my political detractors, the architect who failed to deliver on the terms of our contract when my house was being remodeled, and my two partners in a business who fled bringing with them my share in a financial transaction that I arranged and, even those in the Community itself who speak ill of me behind my back.
This, however, could just be the perception that I built on my mind and they might not even qualify to be called as such because an enemy is one who hates us and seeks to do us harm. If I am to apply this biblical definition to my situation, I will have to reconfigure my perception because it was not they who sought to do me harm but it was the reverse. Thus, they are not my enemy but I was the enemy to them.
I struggled with the message of that homily by Fr. Adorable but when the time came that I was to cross over from an imaginary line that separates an ordinary member of the Community to that of being a disciple I had to come to grips with that reality.
A disciple is a learner and this means I will have to bend down low and humble myself and be subservient to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. It meant enduring the pain of being disrobed of my nature and put on the nature of Christ. It meant I will have to die to my pride, arrogance, self-exaltation, of being in control, fame, appetite for wealth and, idolatry.
As I grew in my spiritual journey, I started praying for those whom I perceived to be my enemy. You know what? I felt an indescribable joy that I could actually pray for my perceived enemies and pray that they may prosper in life. And the veil that separated us was torn in half as we all became friends again in the course of time.
You may have noticed that the liturgical readings for the past few days spoke of humility, obedience, sharing, compassion, and now love. What the Church intends is for the lay believers to use these readings to reflect on their journey of faith with particular emphasis on their relationship with God. The Ordinary Time is a period for reflection on how our lives went by. What fills our minds and hearts? Do we fill it with hate or with love?
To be a Christian is to stand like a tree with deep roots that sways but never getting uprooted and it goes without saying that we should remain founded on the Words of Jesus if we are to remain steadfast in our faith and the Gospel passage for today, difficult it may be, provides us with a view of what it would be like in heaven: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (v.44).
Christ gave us the most striking example of how it is to love our enemies when while dying on the cross he prayed for those who persecuted him, who tortured him, spat on him, drove the nails on his hands and feet. In the Garden of Olives, Jesus out of love also restored the ear of the soldier that Peter had cut off.
And Our Heavenly Father Himself also gives us a model on which we should base the manner by which we are to relate to one another including those whom we may perceive as enemies when Jesus said: “He cause his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (v.45).
The reality in this Gospel passage is that everyone was created in the image and likeness of God. The same Word of God made its dwelling on all of us including those who we think of as our enemies. The images of kings and presidents are minted on coins and it retains its value as a currency regardless of whether these were minted in copper or gold.
Which is why there is really a need for us to look inwardly and see where our faith is taking us. Have we become self-righteous and have made it a habit to find fault in others and yet have closed ourselves to reason? Are we disposed to serving the church and or community for that matter even if it is inconvenient for us? Do we tithe and give back what God has only entrusted to us?
We must remember that man is God’s work and sin is man’s work. Thus, St. Augustine advises us to: “Love what God has made, not what man has done.” St. John Chrysostom also said: “The evil shape the good, as file and hammer shape iron; they are to them as the plough to the fallow ground.” Enemies are like bees. They sting, but they produce honey. What all these means is that enemies are also instruments of God. And St. Gregory the Great adds: “As the medical doctor uses the leech to draw the bad blood from the veins of a sick man, God also employs our enemies to remove our imperfections.”
Although love has many kinds, the one that Jesus Christ used in today’s Gospel is the agape type of love which is an unconquerable and benevolent type of love which means that no matter what others may do to us, no matter how others treat us, regardless of the severity of insults we experience, we will never allow any bitterness to invade and inhabit our hearts. Rather, we will regard those who persecute us with that unconquerable benevolence and goodwill that seeks nothing but their highest good.
Matthew ends with Jesus saying: “Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect.” (v.48) In all honesty, this is the only time that I am able to fully grasp the real meaning of how it is to be perfect. I was probably one among the multitude who struggled with the thought of how to achieve perfection in our lifetime. Jesus, however, would not have said it in this Gospel passage if it were not possible.
The perfection that Jesus is seeking from us is right there at the cross in that he died for all out of his great love for us – the righteous and the unrighteous. Jesus Christ was perfect because he could love those who followed him and even those who persecuted him.
We too can experience such perfection if we can love as Christ did. Love is not just of the heart. It is also of the will for it is something that we have to do because love is the one thing that will make us one with the Saints in heaven. It is when we reproduce in our lives the forgiving and sacrificial benevolence of God that we too are restored to our original nature which is the image of God in us.
To put it in a way that we can all understand, the man who cares for men is the most perfect man. The Christian perfection that Jesus Christ requires is when we can forgive us he forgave and, to love as he loved us. Unless we can do this, we cannot call ourselves a disciple of Christ.
GO OVER THE DISTANCE
JUNE 17, 2013: 11TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 2 Cor 6:1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:1-4 “The Lord has made known his salvation.”
GOSPEL: MATT 5:38-42
Key Verse: “do not resist an evil person.” (v.39)
To retaliate or to hit back at someone who may have done you wrong is a natural reaction of those who were subjected to invectives, ridicule, humiliation and of course physical pain. Tit for tat or getting even means measure for measure, blow for blow or what is referred to in ancient times as eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. It simply means exacting revenge in the same measure as the wrong done.
This was the law that the Jews followed in those days (Lev 24:19-20; Deut 19:21) but its original intention was not to turn the Jews into bloodthirsty hounds but simply to limit the act of vengeance and help the Jewish courts administer punishment that was neither too strict or too lenient but was commensurate to the offense inflicted on the aggrieved person.
This law, however, was abused by some Jews to justify their personal vendettas against their enemies or those with whom they were in conflict. But the original intent was not to give the individual the right and or privilege to exact vengeance but to help the judge and the courts determine the corresponding penalty that is equivalent to the wrong done.
In fact, there were interpretations made to indicate that this ancient Jewish law was written down to serve as a warning for wrongdoers and for the people to think about the consequences of their actions. It can even be said that this law served as a reminder to the Jews to be merciful towards others and these reminders were also written down for the Jews to observe: “You shall not take vengeance or bear any grudge against the sons of your own people.” (Lev 19:18)
The Book of Proverbs also says: If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he is thirsty, given him water to drink.” (Prov 25:21) This means that even if this provision on “eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth” was included as part of the ancient Jewish law it’s intent was merely to serve as a warning and or as a precaution for the Jews to always be aware of their actions.
What is sad and unfortunate is that this ancient law is still being quoted even up to this present age to justify personal vengeance or “taking the law into our own hands” as a response to the wrong that may have been committed against us.
The Gospel reading today is actually a continuation of the Sermon on the Mount and we hear Jesus contradicting the issue of just retribution with a surprising revelation of how God wants us to treat others, especially those who have been unfair to us. To the amazement of those listening to him, Jesus spoke of a new standard based not just on the requirements of justice that was practiced in those days but an amendment to the then existing law that was based on the law of grace and love.
The words that Jesus spoke was unheard of as he literally revised the law of which the intention was actually to teach the people to be merciful to others into a new law that was founded on grace and loving-kindness. Jesus made it clear that there should be no room for retaliation of any kind even in self defense as he admonished the people “do not resist one who is evil.” (v.39).
Jesus commands us not only to avoid returning evil for evil but that we must seek the good of those who wish us ill. This means that we are to humble ourselves and accept insults, as Jesus did, with no resentment or malice. It also means doing more than what is expected of us. This means that we need to rise above the level of expectations when we are confronted with insults, intrigues, wrongdoing, and persecution and that we must respond with grace and cheerfulness.
When we are wronged the human tendency is always to get even. But what Jesus is telling us in this Gospel reading is to do good to those who wrong us. Our Lord commands us that we should not keep score of whatever wrongs done to us but to just love and forgive.
This reminds me of someone who accused me of wrongdoing and as I sat down to iron out our differences my accuser came out with a list of wrongdoings that I allegedly committed against him. The dialogue never led to a resolution as the person concerned would not accept anything beyond the mindset that he has already created for himself. Still, I humbled myself and asked for his forgiveness for whatever wrong I may have committed against him. But I never heard the person say he was accepting my apology. And the dialogue ended the way it started.
While we may think it to be hard and difficult to do, we are a supernatural being and we can rely on God to give us the strength to love as he does and instead of seeking vengeance, it would be a much better proposition if we can just pray for those who may have hurt us.
How we will respond to difficult situations such as when others wrong us or hurt us will define our character and this is what makes a Christian stand out in the crowd. To be a Christian is to be different from everyone else because a Christian is someone who is filled with Grace in the way we treat others not because they deserve it but because this is the way God wants us to treat others – with loving kindness and mercy.
When we are encountering difficulty in forgiving others, we only have to look at the cross of Jesus Christ and we will be freed of malice, hatred, revenge, and resentment and Christ Himself will give us the courage to return evil with good. It is this kind of love and grace which will give us the power to be healed of our hatred and bitterness that will eventually save us from our own destruction.
Let me end with this prayer: “Merciful and loving God, fill our hearts today with the graces of your Holy Spirit. May the fruits of the Holy Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control be manifest in our lives today. Teach us to love and grant us the grace to pray for those who have wronged us and hurt us. In times of adversity grant us the grace to be patient and in prosperity make us humble and we know that your plan for us is that we may live a fruitful and disciplined lives and become productive so that our lives will bear fruit as you have planned it to be. All these we pray in the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ and through the intercession of Virgin Mary, our blessed Mother, AMEN!
1st Reading: 2 Cor 6:1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:1-4 “The Lord has made known his salvation.”
GOSPEL: MATT 5:38-42
Key Verse: “do not resist an evil person.” (v.39)
To retaliate or to hit back at someone who may have done you wrong is a natural reaction of those who were subjected to invectives, ridicule, humiliation and of course physical pain. Tit for tat or getting even means measure for measure, blow for blow or what is referred to in ancient times as eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. It simply means exacting revenge in the same measure as the wrong done.
This was the law that the Jews followed in those days (Lev 24:19-20; Deut 19:21) but its original intention was not to turn the Jews into bloodthirsty hounds but simply to limit the act of vengeance and help the Jewish courts administer punishment that was neither too strict or too lenient but was commensurate to the offense inflicted on the aggrieved person.
This law, however, was abused by some Jews to justify their personal vendettas against their enemies or those with whom they were in conflict. But the original intent was not to give the individual the right and or privilege to exact vengeance but to help the judge and the courts determine the corresponding penalty that is equivalent to the wrong done.
In fact, there were interpretations made to indicate that this ancient Jewish law was written down to serve as a warning for wrongdoers and for the people to think about the consequences of their actions. It can even be said that this law served as a reminder to the Jews to be merciful towards others and these reminders were also written down for the Jews to observe: “You shall not take vengeance or bear any grudge against the sons of your own people.” (Lev 19:18)
The Book of Proverbs also says: If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he is thirsty, given him water to drink.” (Prov 25:21) This means that even if this provision on “eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth” was included as part of the ancient Jewish law it’s intent was merely to serve as a warning and or as a precaution for the Jews to always be aware of their actions.
What is sad and unfortunate is that this ancient law is still being quoted even up to this present age to justify personal vengeance or “taking the law into our own hands” as a response to the wrong that may have been committed against us.
The Gospel reading today is actually a continuation of the Sermon on the Mount and we hear Jesus contradicting the issue of just retribution with a surprising revelation of how God wants us to treat others, especially those who have been unfair to us. To the amazement of those listening to him, Jesus spoke of a new standard based not just on the requirements of justice that was practiced in those days but an amendment to the then existing law that was based on the law of grace and love.
The words that Jesus spoke was unheard of as he literally revised the law of which the intention was actually to teach the people to be merciful to others into a new law that was founded on grace and loving-kindness. Jesus made it clear that there should be no room for retaliation of any kind even in self defense as he admonished the people “do not resist one who is evil.” (v.39).
Jesus commands us not only to avoid returning evil for evil but that we must seek the good of those who wish us ill. This means that we are to humble ourselves and accept insults, as Jesus did, with no resentment or malice. It also means doing more than what is expected of us. This means that we need to rise above the level of expectations when we are confronted with insults, intrigues, wrongdoing, and persecution and that we must respond with grace and cheerfulness.
When we are wronged the human tendency is always to get even. But what Jesus is telling us in this Gospel reading is to do good to those who wrong us. Our Lord commands us that we should not keep score of whatever wrongs done to us but to just love and forgive.
This reminds me of someone who accused me of wrongdoing and as I sat down to iron out our differences my accuser came out with a list of wrongdoings that I allegedly committed against him. The dialogue never led to a resolution as the person concerned would not accept anything beyond the mindset that he has already created for himself. Still, I humbled myself and asked for his forgiveness for whatever wrong I may have committed against him. But I never heard the person say he was accepting my apology. And the dialogue ended the way it started.
While we may think it to be hard and difficult to do, we are a supernatural being and we can rely on God to give us the strength to love as he does and instead of seeking vengeance, it would be a much better proposition if we can just pray for those who may have hurt us.
How we will respond to difficult situations such as when others wrong us or hurt us will define our character and this is what makes a Christian stand out in the crowd. To be a Christian is to be different from everyone else because a Christian is someone who is filled with Grace in the way we treat others not because they deserve it but because this is the way God wants us to treat others – with loving kindness and mercy.
When we are encountering difficulty in forgiving others, we only have to look at the cross of Jesus Christ and we will be freed of malice, hatred, revenge, and resentment and Christ Himself will give us the courage to return evil with good. It is this kind of love and grace which will give us the power to be healed of our hatred and bitterness that will eventually save us from our own destruction.
Let me end with this prayer: “Merciful and loving God, fill our hearts today with the graces of your Holy Spirit. May the fruits of the Holy Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control be manifest in our lives today. Teach us to love and grant us the grace to pray for those who have wronged us and hurt us. In times of adversity grant us the grace to be patient and in prosperity make us humble and we know that your plan for us is that we may live a fruitful and disciplined lives and become productive so that our lives will bear fruit as you have planned it to be. All these we pray in the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ and through the intercession of Virgin Mary, our blessed Mother, AMEN!
LOVE OVER SIN
JUNE 16, 2013: 11TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 2 Sam 12:7-10, 13
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 32:1-2, 5, 7, 11 “Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.”
2nd Reading: Col 2:16, 19-21
GOSPEL: LK 7:36-50
Key Verse: “Your faith has saved you…” (v.50)
Today’s Gospel reading speaks of the reality that there will be some who have the audacity to identify themselves with Jesus like the Pharisee in this narrative and yet not listen much less obey his Words. And there will be those who will humble themselves and bow down at the feet of Jesus like what the sinful woman did. How we will decide will determine our future.
There is no denying the fact that the charismatic renewal has done wonders for the Church in terms of reviving the sunken spirituality of many baptized Catholics and in arresting the growing secularism in society today. But it has also created a problem in some way as the encounter experience with Jesus has turned some of these modern-day disciples into self-righteous characters.
When Jesus began his ministry of spreading the Gospel of salvation to the Jews and then to the Gentiles, the ordinary mass of people who marveled at his teaching and who were healed by him were naturally attracted to him.
On the other hand, those who were in positions of honor and authority who abused their privileges such as the religious leaders in those days were repelled by his presence for he exposed their extravagant demeanor and their misplaced religiosity.
In the Gospel of Luke, we become witness to the seeming generosity of a Pharisee who invited Jesus to dinner but who did not give him the customary courtesies accorded to guests who were invited to a formal gathering.
In those days, when an honored guest was invited to a dinner in the home of an important person there are three things that are observed. The host places his hand on the shoulder of the guest and gives him a kiss of peace. As there were still no paved roads at the time, cool water was also poured over the feet of the invited guest and a drop of sweet-smelling perfume was dropped on the head of the guest. In this case, not one of this customary greeting was extended to Jesus.
And the only plausible reason was that Simon had been an admirer of Jesus as not all Pharisees were his enemies but did not extend to him the usual courtesies as he would not want to be identified as someone who has compromised his position as a religious leader whose beliefs and principles were in contradiction to what Jesus preached.
As it was also customary that almost anyone can come into the house where a Rabbi was invited to dinner which was usually held in the courtyard of the house, the host has no control over who will come to listen if ever the invited Rabbi will speak and this was the case when a woman of ill-repute such as the one depicted in today’s Gospel passage joined in the dinner celebration.
As the Pharisees shun the company of public sinners such that they frown on giving them the help they needed for them to reform their lives and find healing and wholeness Simon was moved to say: “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” (v.39) And this was what makes this Gospel passage interesting because we can relate the situation of the woman described in this scenario with our own relationship with Jesus.
Here we see the woman who had a bad reputation risking being ridiculed when she approached Jesus and anointed him with expensive oil and washed his feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. For a Jewish woman to appear in public with unbound hair was considered immodest but her action probably was motivated by one thing and that was love for Jesus and her gratitude for forgiveness.
This scenario presents us with contrasting attitudes of mind and heart. Simon was conscious of his position as a Pharisee who notwithstanding his invitation for Jesus to dine in his house felt no need to extend to him the usual courtesies and thus was devoid of love. It was like his actions was all for show to have a celebrity like Jesus in his house.
The woman apparently was conscious of nothing else but the forgiveness of her sins. She must have heard Jesus speak as she was behind the crowd and could not think of anything else but to extricate herself from the mire of sin she was in. The fact that she loosed her hair in public as she approached Jesus only shows that she was oblivious to her surroundings and was focused only on Jesus.
She also did something that only love can do as she took the precious perfume she had and poured it all on Jesus. Her love was not calculated but extravagant. In a spirit of humility and heart-felt repentance, she lavishly served the one who showed her the mercy and kindness of God.
And Jesus used the opportunity to draw a lesson from such an incident by narrating a parable about the case of two debtors and when Simon said the debtor who had more debt that was written off would love the creditor more Jesus drew a comparison between Simon and the woman. (vv. 44-48)
This is the same with us. At times we are like Simon who invites Jesus into our own home and not give him the courtesies that befit him as Lord and King. We allow him into our home because this is what is popular. In the same way, we join organizations in our parishes or spiritual communities for that matter because these are where our friends are but not really getting into the groove of why we are there in the first place – and that is to worship Our Lord and Savior in faith and deed.
We go through the process of listening to Jesus speak but not grasping the substance of his Word. People go through the motions of moving about in the church or community with the sole intent of manipulating the situations for their own benefit unaware of their actions that are influenced by the spirit of Jezebel.
Self righteousness has become the bane in the church and or community today but this term is deceptive because self-righteousness is a defense mechanism of someone who has made it a habit to compare himself/ herself with others and to show that he/ she is better than the other person.
And Christian communities are loaded with these kinds of people because of the rules and policies that govern communities and organizations and the interpretation of such rules, practices and traditions has become an opportunity for self-righteousness to manifest.
Most of the time they don’t realize that self-righteousness is a sin and is in the same level as the so-called seven capital sins (Pride, Envy, Gluttony, Sloth, Lust, Avarice, and Wrath). While we are obliged to point out this particular sin in a person, many of us balk because self-righteous individuals are not easy to deal with as they respect no other views except their own.
The reality in today’s post-modern era is that there will be Simons among us who will identify ourselves with Jesus yet not listening to what he is saying and what he represents much more obey him and, there are among us like the woman in this Gospel reading who received forgiveness and was overwhelmed by God’s love.
The woman's lavish expression of love was proof that she had found favor with God and the contrasting attitudes between Simon and the woman of ill-repute only shows how we can either accept or reject God's mercy.
Simon, who regarded himself as an upright Pharisee felt no need for love or mercy. His self-sufficiency kept him from acknowledging his need for God's grace and herein lies the difference of an authentic relationship with God. Self-sufficiency or the attitude that we can go through the motions of worshiping God without subordinating our human will to His Will is what actually separates us from God.
This passage presents us with a choice. How we will choose will determine our future.
1st Reading: 2 Sam 12:7-10, 13
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 32:1-2, 5, 7, 11 “Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.”
2nd Reading: Col 2:16, 19-21
GOSPEL: LK 7:36-50
Key Verse: “Your faith has saved you…” (v.50)
Today’s Gospel reading speaks of the reality that there will be some who have the audacity to identify themselves with Jesus like the Pharisee in this narrative and yet not listen much less obey his Words. And there will be those who will humble themselves and bow down at the feet of Jesus like what the sinful woman did. How we will decide will determine our future.
There is no denying the fact that the charismatic renewal has done wonders for the Church in terms of reviving the sunken spirituality of many baptized Catholics and in arresting the growing secularism in society today. But it has also created a problem in some way as the encounter experience with Jesus has turned some of these modern-day disciples into self-righteous characters.
When Jesus began his ministry of spreading the Gospel of salvation to the Jews and then to the Gentiles, the ordinary mass of people who marveled at his teaching and who were healed by him were naturally attracted to him.
On the other hand, those who were in positions of honor and authority who abused their privileges such as the religious leaders in those days were repelled by his presence for he exposed their extravagant demeanor and their misplaced religiosity.
In the Gospel of Luke, we become witness to the seeming generosity of a Pharisee who invited Jesus to dinner but who did not give him the customary courtesies accorded to guests who were invited to a formal gathering.
In those days, when an honored guest was invited to a dinner in the home of an important person there are three things that are observed. The host places his hand on the shoulder of the guest and gives him a kiss of peace. As there were still no paved roads at the time, cool water was also poured over the feet of the invited guest and a drop of sweet-smelling perfume was dropped on the head of the guest. In this case, not one of this customary greeting was extended to Jesus.
And the only plausible reason was that Simon had been an admirer of Jesus as not all Pharisees were his enemies but did not extend to him the usual courtesies as he would not want to be identified as someone who has compromised his position as a religious leader whose beliefs and principles were in contradiction to what Jesus preached.
As it was also customary that almost anyone can come into the house where a Rabbi was invited to dinner which was usually held in the courtyard of the house, the host has no control over who will come to listen if ever the invited Rabbi will speak and this was the case when a woman of ill-repute such as the one depicted in today’s Gospel passage joined in the dinner celebration.
As the Pharisees shun the company of public sinners such that they frown on giving them the help they needed for them to reform their lives and find healing and wholeness Simon was moved to say: “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” (v.39) And this was what makes this Gospel passage interesting because we can relate the situation of the woman described in this scenario with our own relationship with Jesus.
Here we see the woman who had a bad reputation risking being ridiculed when she approached Jesus and anointed him with expensive oil and washed his feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. For a Jewish woman to appear in public with unbound hair was considered immodest but her action probably was motivated by one thing and that was love for Jesus and her gratitude for forgiveness.
This scenario presents us with contrasting attitudes of mind and heart. Simon was conscious of his position as a Pharisee who notwithstanding his invitation for Jesus to dine in his house felt no need to extend to him the usual courtesies and thus was devoid of love. It was like his actions was all for show to have a celebrity like Jesus in his house.
The woman apparently was conscious of nothing else but the forgiveness of her sins. She must have heard Jesus speak as she was behind the crowd and could not think of anything else but to extricate herself from the mire of sin she was in. The fact that she loosed her hair in public as she approached Jesus only shows that she was oblivious to her surroundings and was focused only on Jesus.
She also did something that only love can do as she took the precious perfume she had and poured it all on Jesus. Her love was not calculated but extravagant. In a spirit of humility and heart-felt repentance, she lavishly served the one who showed her the mercy and kindness of God.
And Jesus used the opportunity to draw a lesson from such an incident by narrating a parable about the case of two debtors and when Simon said the debtor who had more debt that was written off would love the creditor more Jesus drew a comparison between Simon and the woman. (vv. 44-48)
This is the same with us. At times we are like Simon who invites Jesus into our own home and not give him the courtesies that befit him as Lord and King. We allow him into our home because this is what is popular. In the same way, we join organizations in our parishes or spiritual communities for that matter because these are where our friends are but not really getting into the groove of why we are there in the first place – and that is to worship Our Lord and Savior in faith and deed.
We go through the process of listening to Jesus speak but not grasping the substance of his Word. People go through the motions of moving about in the church or community with the sole intent of manipulating the situations for their own benefit unaware of their actions that are influenced by the spirit of Jezebel.
Self righteousness has become the bane in the church and or community today but this term is deceptive because self-righteousness is a defense mechanism of someone who has made it a habit to compare himself/ herself with others and to show that he/ she is better than the other person.
And Christian communities are loaded with these kinds of people because of the rules and policies that govern communities and organizations and the interpretation of such rules, practices and traditions has become an opportunity for self-righteousness to manifest.
Most of the time they don’t realize that self-righteousness is a sin and is in the same level as the so-called seven capital sins (Pride, Envy, Gluttony, Sloth, Lust, Avarice, and Wrath). While we are obliged to point out this particular sin in a person, many of us balk because self-righteous individuals are not easy to deal with as they respect no other views except their own.
The reality in today’s post-modern era is that there will be Simons among us who will identify ourselves with Jesus yet not listening to what he is saying and what he represents much more obey him and, there are among us like the woman in this Gospel reading who received forgiveness and was overwhelmed by God’s love.
The woman's lavish expression of love was proof that she had found favor with God and the contrasting attitudes between Simon and the woman of ill-repute only shows how we can either accept or reject God's mercy.
Simon, who regarded himself as an upright Pharisee felt no need for love or mercy. His self-sufficiency kept him from acknowledging his need for God's grace and herein lies the difference of an authentic relationship with God. Self-sufficiency or the attitude that we can go through the motions of worshiping God without subordinating our human will to His Will is what actually separates us from God.
This passage presents us with a choice. How we will choose will determine our future.
VEERING AWAY FROM SIN
JUNE 13, 2013: FEAST OF ST. ANTHONY OF PADUA
1st Reading: 2 Cor 3:15-4:1, 3-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 85:9-14 “The glory of the Lord will dwell in our land.”
GOSPEL: MATT 5:20-26
Key Verse: “First go and be reconciled with your brother,
then come and offer your gift.” (v.24)
This is a beautiful Gospel passage because a clear understanding of what this reading says will make us right with Our God and will allow us to surpass the righteousness of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law which will qualify us to enter the Kingdom of Heaven (v.20).
As this passage brings us to the topic of sin, it is imperative that we as Christians must have a complete grasp of what sin is all about because this is the one thing that severs our relationship with God and blocks the flow of Grace into our lives.
We must all remember that the devil is so cunning that we oftentimes fail to recognize the presence of sin until it has clothed our nature. Knowing that sin separates us from God, there is thus a felt need to understand how sin works.
The Apostle Paul equated the condition of a man who sins to that of a man who was shipwrecked (1 Tim 1:19) and who loses all that he has because a man who falls into sin especially mortal sin loses all the perfection in virtue and all the merits that he has acquired.
St. Bonaventure defines sin as the act of turning towards the world and turning away from God. The Catechism of the Catholic Church also describes sin as the only evil upon the earth because it robs man of the supernatural beauty of the soul as sin makes man resemble the devil and brings misery upon him while he remains on the earth.
The Ordinary Time provides us with a good opportunity to reflect on the liturgical readings we heard during the seasons and it allows us to dwell on our relationship with Our God. Most importantly this is also the time to look deeply into our hearts and see if there is any residue of sin that may reside there which is why it is necessary that we come to know how sin works.
We must understand that in our hearts there are two characters who are diametrically opposed to one another – one who praises you (conscience) and the other who is fond of blaming (concupiscence). These two characters bounce into action whenever an evil thought comes into our minds and conscience will always restrain us from entertaining such evil thoughts while concupiscence will naturally incite and even urge us that it is okay to keep these thoughts in our minds.
Let us use adultery as an example. If the thought of committing adultery is not expunged from our minds it will lead us to complacency and the evil desire then comes and finally the decision to commit the sin and if the occasion presents itself the exterior act of the sin is committed.
This is not confined only to the sin of adultery but it also pertains to other forms of transgressions and iniquities that we can all fall into and it will be good for us to be aware of such especially the so-called seven capital sins (Pride, Envy, Gluttony, Sloth or laziness, Lust, Avarice or insatiable appetite for worldly things and, Wrath.)
The same is true with murder (v.21) and the one who says to another “You fool!” (v.22) and destroys someone else’s reputation in the process will stand before the judgment seat unless the contending parties are reconciled to one another (v.24) as Jesus insists that injuring the reputation of others is equivalent to murder. This is also true with false accusations and judgments that we heap on others.
Many sins are so great that they separate us entirely from God and deprive us of his friendship and the Church refers to these as mortal sins and at times it is difficult to qualify which is which. One thing is certain though. Mortal sin is that in which God is the final end. One example of this is abortion which can only be brought before a Bishop.
While the so-called venial sins are lighter it nevertheless deprives us of that which is good and if left to percolate it will gradually lead to mortal sin and eventually the loss of sanctifying grace. Take for example a situation wherein the fault of another is disclosed to another, such remains a venial sin. But when we lodge or make a false accusation against another it partakes of a mortal sin because it is already injurious to the character of the person. This is what happens when we accuse others of wrongdoing that is devoid of conclusive proof.
In the same way idolatry, heresy, blasphemy, perjury, serious desecration of Sundays and Holy Days fall under the category of mortal sins because these are a direct affront to the majesty of God.
On the other hand, why should we risk the judgment of God when we as Christians have the ability to resist all occasions of sin through the Holy Spirit whom we have received in Baptism. And the only reason we fall into sin is because we refuse to allow the Holy Spirit to take control of our lives.
Hence, to be able to spot the circumstance that may lead us to sin we must recognize what these occasions of sins are. By occasions we refer to persons, places, things and such occasions of sin may be voluntary or involuntary and the most common and most dangerous occasions of sins are night clubs, beer joints, pornographic films and videos, magazines and posters and persons who lead us to these things must be avoided.
We should put into our lips the watchword that has guided the Saints when they were exposed to occasions of sin: “Safety is in flight” which means we must not only stay away from sin but we must run away from them.
And in His goodness, God also provided us with the means by which we can defend ourselves when we are confronted with sin. Prayer provides us with the shield to immediately resist occasions of sin. When faced with temptation a “Hail Mary” and or uttering the names of Jesus and Mary would be helpful. As St. John Chrysostom says: “These holy names have an intrinsic power over the devil, and are a terror to hell.”
Prayer is the weapon we can use to ward off the assaults of our spiritual enemy because in prayer we secure the assistance of God and nothing can withstand His might.
Let me end with this prayer of Eusebius, a 3rd century church father: "May I be no man's enemy, and may I be the friend of that which is eternal and abides. May I never quarrel with those nearest me: and if I do, may I be reconciled quickly. May I love, seek, and attain only that which is good. May I wish for all men's happiness and envy none. May I never rejoice in the ill-fortune of one who has wronged me. When I have done or said what is wrong, may I never wait for the rebuke of others, but always rebuke myself until I make amends. May I win no victory that harms either me or my opponent. May I reconcile friends who are angry with one another. May I never fail a friend who is in danger. When visiting those in grief may I be able by gentle and healing words to soften their pain. May I respect myself. May I always keep tame that which rages within me. May I accustom myself to be gentle, and never be angry with people because of circumstances. May I never discuss who is wicked and what wicked things he has done, but know good men and follow in their footsteps."
1st Reading: 2 Cor 3:15-4:1, 3-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 85:9-14 “The glory of the Lord will dwell in our land.”
GOSPEL: MATT 5:20-26
Key Verse: “First go and be reconciled with your brother,
then come and offer your gift.” (v.24)
This is a beautiful Gospel passage because a clear understanding of what this reading says will make us right with Our God and will allow us to surpass the righteousness of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law which will qualify us to enter the Kingdom of Heaven (v.20).
As this passage brings us to the topic of sin, it is imperative that we as Christians must have a complete grasp of what sin is all about because this is the one thing that severs our relationship with God and blocks the flow of Grace into our lives.
We must all remember that the devil is so cunning that we oftentimes fail to recognize the presence of sin until it has clothed our nature. Knowing that sin separates us from God, there is thus a felt need to understand how sin works.
The Apostle Paul equated the condition of a man who sins to that of a man who was shipwrecked (1 Tim 1:19) and who loses all that he has because a man who falls into sin especially mortal sin loses all the perfection in virtue and all the merits that he has acquired.
St. Bonaventure defines sin as the act of turning towards the world and turning away from God. The Catechism of the Catholic Church also describes sin as the only evil upon the earth because it robs man of the supernatural beauty of the soul as sin makes man resemble the devil and brings misery upon him while he remains on the earth.
The Ordinary Time provides us with a good opportunity to reflect on the liturgical readings we heard during the seasons and it allows us to dwell on our relationship with Our God. Most importantly this is also the time to look deeply into our hearts and see if there is any residue of sin that may reside there which is why it is necessary that we come to know how sin works.
We must understand that in our hearts there are two characters who are diametrically opposed to one another – one who praises you (conscience) and the other who is fond of blaming (concupiscence). These two characters bounce into action whenever an evil thought comes into our minds and conscience will always restrain us from entertaining such evil thoughts while concupiscence will naturally incite and even urge us that it is okay to keep these thoughts in our minds.
Let us use adultery as an example. If the thought of committing adultery is not expunged from our minds it will lead us to complacency and the evil desire then comes and finally the decision to commit the sin and if the occasion presents itself the exterior act of the sin is committed.
This is not confined only to the sin of adultery but it also pertains to other forms of transgressions and iniquities that we can all fall into and it will be good for us to be aware of such especially the so-called seven capital sins (Pride, Envy, Gluttony, Sloth or laziness, Lust, Avarice or insatiable appetite for worldly things and, Wrath.)
The same is true with murder (v.21) and the one who says to another “You fool!” (v.22) and destroys someone else’s reputation in the process will stand before the judgment seat unless the contending parties are reconciled to one another (v.24) as Jesus insists that injuring the reputation of others is equivalent to murder. This is also true with false accusations and judgments that we heap on others.
Many sins are so great that they separate us entirely from God and deprive us of his friendship and the Church refers to these as mortal sins and at times it is difficult to qualify which is which. One thing is certain though. Mortal sin is that in which God is the final end. One example of this is abortion which can only be brought before a Bishop.
While the so-called venial sins are lighter it nevertheless deprives us of that which is good and if left to percolate it will gradually lead to mortal sin and eventually the loss of sanctifying grace. Take for example a situation wherein the fault of another is disclosed to another, such remains a venial sin. But when we lodge or make a false accusation against another it partakes of a mortal sin because it is already injurious to the character of the person. This is what happens when we accuse others of wrongdoing that is devoid of conclusive proof.
In the same way idolatry, heresy, blasphemy, perjury, serious desecration of Sundays and Holy Days fall under the category of mortal sins because these are a direct affront to the majesty of God.
On the other hand, why should we risk the judgment of God when we as Christians have the ability to resist all occasions of sin through the Holy Spirit whom we have received in Baptism. And the only reason we fall into sin is because we refuse to allow the Holy Spirit to take control of our lives.
Hence, to be able to spot the circumstance that may lead us to sin we must recognize what these occasions of sins are. By occasions we refer to persons, places, things and such occasions of sin may be voluntary or involuntary and the most common and most dangerous occasions of sins are night clubs, beer joints, pornographic films and videos, magazines and posters and persons who lead us to these things must be avoided.
We should put into our lips the watchword that has guided the Saints when they were exposed to occasions of sin: “Safety is in flight” which means we must not only stay away from sin but we must run away from them.
And in His goodness, God also provided us with the means by which we can defend ourselves when we are confronted with sin. Prayer provides us with the shield to immediately resist occasions of sin. When faced with temptation a “Hail Mary” and or uttering the names of Jesus and Mary would be helpful. As St. John Chrysostom says: “These holy names have an intrinsic power over the devil, and are a terror to hell.”
Prayer is the weapon we can use to ward off the assaults of our spiritual enemy because in prayer we secure the assistance of God and nothing can withstand His might.
Let me end with this prayer of Eusebius, a 3rd century church father: "May I be no man's enemy, and may I be the friend of that which is eternal and abides. May I never quarrel with those nearest me: and if I do, may I be reconciled quickly. May I love, seek, and attain only that which is good. May I wish for all men's happiness and envy none. May I never rejoice in the ill-fortune of one who has wronged me. When I have done or said what is wrong, may I never wait for the rebuke of others, but always rebuke myself until I make amends. May I win no victory that harms either me or my opponent. May I reconcile friends who are angry with one another. May I never fail a friend who is in danger. When visiting those in grief may I be able by gentle and healing words to soften their pain. May I respect myself. May I always keep tame that which rages within me. May I accustom myself to be gentle, and never be angry with people because of circumstances. May I never discuss who is wicked and what wicked things he has done, but know good men and follow in their footsteps."
HEAVEN IS FOR THE OBEDIENT
JUNE 12, 2013: TENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 2 Cor 3:4-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 99:5-9 “Holy is the Lord Our God.”
GOSPEL: MATT 5:17-19
Key Verse: “I have not come to abolish the law,
but to fulfill them.” (v.17)
Laws, rules and regulations are necessary because it provides governments – whether in the national level or in the local government units – with the mechanism by which they can exercise control and governance. In the same way, even private corporations as well as organizations are also governed by rules and regulations and or policies for that matter. Even religious organizations, ministries and apostolates cannot do away with policies that define its vision and mission and its reason for existence.
In other words, such laws and or rules and regulations are part and parcel of governance and the main objective in the imposition of such laws is to put order in the way organizations operate.
In the religious setting such as in the time of Jesus these laws were instituted primarily to instill discipline as a way to help the Jewish people get closer to God as the intention of these laws was to impress upon the people that God was the source of all good and that the people are required to reciprocate in the same manner as a response to the love and generosity of God.
And Jesus said at the beginning of this Gospel passage: “Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (v.17) and this would probably leave many of us wondering what is this law that Our Lord was referring to.
Many times in the Synoptic Gospels Jesus talked of the law that has become such a burden to the people that it kept them away from God instead of bringing them closer to God. And for a better understanding of the law that Jesus mentioned it would be worth our while to look into how the Jews approach the laws that govern their relationship with God.
In the Jewish tradition, there were three types of laws, namely: the “ceremonial” law that pertains to Israel’s worship such as those specified in Lev 1:2-3. While we are not bound anymore by these sets of laws after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the principle behind this law still applies to the present day and that is to worship and love God.
The Jews also have what they called the “civil” law, e.g. Deut 24:10, 11 and as in the case of the ceremonial law many of its principles are still being observed by Israel today. And then the third type was what was called the “moral” law and it is under this category that the Ten Commandments are classified and which Jews are required to follow and obey strictly (Exo 20:13). The moral laws reveals the nature and will of God and again the principles behind this law still applies today and Jesus obeyed the moral law completely.
Many of those who were listening to Jesus were legal experts as they were teachers of the law but what they missed was the central point of these laws which was to bring the people closer to God. What happened, however, was that these laws were expanded by the Scribes into numerous other laws that it became a burden for the people to follow.
This was the reason why the people tend to view these laws negatively rather than positively. The Jews in Jesus’ time also used it as a description of the oral or scribal law but the scribes added many more things to the law than God intended. It was these scribal laws or additions made by the Scribes that Jesus often condemned and not the laws of God per se.
Jesus, however, made it very clear that the essence of God’s law – his commandments and way of life, must be fulfilled. The law of God is truth and when we live according to that truth it produces the fruits of righteousness, holiness, peace, and joy. And Jesus’ attitude towards the law of God can be summed up in the great prayer of Psa 119: “Oh, how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.”
Throughout his earthly ministry Jesus taught reverence for God’s law – reverence for God himself and, reverence or respect for parents, respect for life, for property, for another person’s good name, respect for oneself and for one’s neighbor. What Jesus actually did was that he reduced these numerous laws of the Scribes into two focal points – love of God and love of neighbor.
And what is impossible to men is possible with God and to those who have steadfast faith, God gives them the grace to love as he loves, to forgive as he forgives, to think as he thinks, and to act as he acts. The Lord loves righteousness and hates wickedness. As his disciples we must love his commandments and hate every form of sin.
Central to our obedience to God is the need for us to humble ourselves and acknowledge there is someone greater than us – God. Indeed, it is only when we begin to humble ourselves considering others to be greater than us will the Grace of God begin to flow in our lives and there is no way a Christian can live a happy and fulfilled life outside of the Grace of God because it is only by His Grace that we can be lifted up, exalted and given the right to become co-heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Notwithstanding the fact that humility and obedience are the twin foundation on which man’s relationship with God is rooted on there are many who are still struggling to put their human nature to die with Christ on the cross. At times, what divides the church and or community for that matter is when men become more popish than the Pope arrogating unto themselves the power and authority that can only be dispensed by God. What we should not forget is that there is a God and it is not you or me. The great American President Abraham Lincoln once said: “If you want to know the character of a person, give him power.”
This admonition is not only present in the political realm but even in the spiritual setting and I have seen people who were given the opportunity to occupy leadership positions become irrational and self-righteous and sometimes it leaves you wondering if they have really met God in their journey of faith.
Perhaps it would be good to ask ourselves who was it that we met. Was it Jesus Christ or someone else. Because if it was Jesus whom we met when we took our Encounter and the Life in the Spirit Seminar, how come we are moving on different paths with Jesus choosing the path of humility and obedience and we choosing to dwell in arrogance and pride.
In challenging the manner by which the Pharisees have tried to impose obedience on the people at that time, Jesus is telling us now that we can be great when we serve which is the giving up of ourselves to serve God and others. Service is what keeps us aware of the needs of others and it prevents us from focusing only on ourselves.
This is why we as Christian disciples, our primary preoccupation is to evangelize others so that all will become living witnesses to help in the transformation of the world in Christ. A Community that could not understand this mission to evangelize is dead and at times this is where we get stuck because of the wrong notion that mission refers to programs and projects that people can see.
Conversely, our subservience to the Divine Will must be rooted in not just listening to the Words of Jesus as reflected in the Scriptures but truly believing that Jesus was sent by God to be our Savior and Jesus Himself assures us that: “… whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.” (Jn 5:24)
Thus the primary mission and purpose of the Church and or Community is to evangelize (Evangelii Nuntiandi) and to tell the world we have a loving God who created us, the Son of Man who redeemed us from our sinfulness and left us with His Holy Spirit who sanctifies our actions that we may deserve to enter into the Kingdom of God.
1st Reading: 2 Cor 3:4-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 99:5-9 “Holy is the Lord Our God.”
GOSPEL: MATT 5:17-19
Key Verse: “I have not come to abolish the law,
but to fulfill them.” (v.17)
Laws, rules and regulations are necessary because it provides governments – whether in the national level or in the local government units – with the mechanism by which they can exercise control and governance. In the same way, even private corporations as well as organizations are also governed by rules and regulations and or policies for that matter. Even religious organizations, ministries and apostolates cannot do away with policies that define its vision and mission and its reason for existence.
In other words, such laws and or rules and regulations are part and parcel of governance and the main objective in the imposition of such laws is to put order in the way organizations operate.
In the religious setting such as in the time of Jesus these laws were instituted primarily to instill discipline as a way to help the Jewish people get closer to God as the intention of these laws was to impress upon the people that God was the source of all good and that the people are required to reciprocate in the same manner as a response to the love and generosity of God.
And Jesus said at the beginning of this Gospel passage: “Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (v.17) and this would probably leave many of us wondering what is this law that Our Lord was referring to.
Many times in the Synoptic Gospels Jesus talked of the law that has become such a burden to the people that it kept them away from God instead of bringing them closer to God. And for a better understanding of the law that Jesus mentioned it would be worth our while to look into how the Jews approach the laws that govern their relationship with God.
In the Jewish tradition, there were three types of laws, namely: the “ceremonial” law that pertains to Israel’s worship such as those specified in Lev 1:2-3. While we are not bound anymore by these sets of laws after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the principle behind this law still applies to the present day and that is to worship and love God.
The Jews also have what they called the “civil” law, e.g. Deut 24:10, 11 and as in the case of the ceremonial law many of its principles are still being observed by Israel today. And then the third type was what was called the “moral” law and it is under this category that the Ten Commandments are classified and which Jews are required to follow and obey strictly (Exo 20:13). The moral laws reveals the nature and will of God and again the principles behind this law still applies today and Jesus obeyed the moral law completely.
Many of those who were listening to Jesus were legal experts as they were teachers of the law but what they missed was the central point of these laws which was to bring the people closer to God. What happened, however, was that these laws were expanded by the Scribes into numerous other laws that it became a burden for the people to follow.
This was the reason why the people tend to view these laws negatively rather than positively. The Jews in Jesus’ time also used it as a description of the oral or scribal law but the scribes added many more things to the law than God intended. It was these scribal laws or additions made by the Scribes that Jesus often condemned and not the laws of God per se.
Jesus, however, made it very clear that the essence of God’s law – his commandments and way of life, must be fulfilled. The law of God is truth and when we live according to that truth it produces the fruits of righteousness, holiness, peace, and joy. And Jesus’ attitude towards the law of God can be summed up in the great prayer of Psa 119: “Oh, how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.”
Throughout his earthly ministry Jesus taught reverence for God’s law – reverence for God himself and, reverence or respect for parents, respect for life, for property, for another person’s good name, respect for oneself and for one’s neighbor. What Jesus actually did was that he reduced these numerous laws of the Scribes into two focal points – love of God and love of neighbor.
And what is impossible to men is possible with God and to those who have steadfast faith, God gives them the grace to love as he loves, to forgive as he forgives, to think as he thinks, and to act as he acts. The Lord loves righteousness and hates wickedness. As his disciples we must love his commandments and hate every form of sin.
Central to our obedience to God is the need for us to humble ourselves and acknowledge there is someone greater than us – God. Indeed, it is only when we begin to humble ourselves considering others to be greater than us will the Grace of God begin to flow in our lives and there is no way a Christian can live a happy and fulfilled life outside of the Grace of God because it is only by His Grace that we can be lifted up, exalted and given the right to become co-heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Notwithstanding the fact that humility and obedience are the twin foundation on which man’s relationship with God is rooted on there are many who are still struggling to put their human nature to die with Christ on the cross. At times, what divides the church and or community for that matter is when men become more popish than the Pope arrogating unto themselves the power and authority that can only be dispensed by God. What we should not forget is that there is a God and it is not you or me. The great American President Abraham Lincoln once said: “If you want to know the character of a person, give him power.”
This admonition is not only present in the political realm but even in the spiritual setting and I have seen people who were given the opportunity to occupy leadership positions become irrational and self-righteous and sometimes it leaves you wondering if they have really met God in their journey of faith.
Perhaps it would be good to ask ourselves who was it that we met. Was it Jesus Christ or someone else. Because if it was Jesus whom we met when we took our Encounter and the Life in the Spirit Seminar, how come we are moving on different paths with Jesus choosing the path of humility and obedience and we choosing to dwell in arrogance and pride.
In challenging the manner by which the Pharisees have tried to impose obedience on the people at that time, Jesus is telling us now that we can be great when we serve which is the giving up of ourselves to serve God and others. Service is what keeps us aware of the needs of others and it prevents us from focusing only on ourselves.
This is why we as Christian disciples, our primary preoccupation is to evangelize others so that all will become living witnesses to help in the transformation of the world in Christ. A Community that could not understand this mission to evangelize is dead and at times this is where we get stuck because of the wrong notion that mission refers to programs and projects that people can see.
Conversely, our subservience to the Divine Will must be rooted in not just listening to the Words of Jesus as reflected in the Scriptures but truly believing that Jesus was sent by God to be our Savior and Jesus Himself assures us that: “… whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.” (Jn 5:24)
Thus the primary mission and purpose of the Church and or Community is to evangelize (Evangelii Nuntiandi) and to tell the world we have a loving God who created us, the Son of Man who redeemed us from our sinfulness and left us with His Holy Spirit who sanctifies our actions that we may deserve to enter into the Kingdom of God.
THE CALL: TO BE THE CHRIST TO ALL
JUNE 11, 2013: TENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Ac 11:21-26; 13:1-3
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 119:129-133, 135 “Lord, let your face shine on me.”
GOSPEL: MATT 5:13-16
Key Verse: “Let your light shine before men,” (v.16)
In the days of Jesus, to be referred to as the “salt of the earth” was the greatest compliment that can be given to any man. Why? Because it speaks highly of a person’s character and value. To be called the salt of the earth in those days was to highlight a person’s usefulness and how he was perceived not only by his family and peers but by the community in general.
For a person to be equated with salt was to draw attention to his purity as salt was in those days considered as the purest of all things because it came from the purest of all sources – the sun and the sea and even to this day, Jewish sacrificial offerings are made with salt. This is why for a Christian to be the salt of the earth that person must be an example of purity.
It is not enough that we pay lip service to our commitment as a Christian. How often do we hear people professing how they love to serve in the Lord’s vineyard, how they have offered their lives to the Lord, how they love the church or community they serve in. But their actions do not mirror what comes out of their lips.
The problem that most communities or ministries have is that the words that come out of our lips are often in contradiction with our deeds and we may not even be aware of it. Why is this so? We cannot see it because our intentions are clouded with our desire to create a good impression for ourselves.
In this Gospel passage, Jesus used ordinary images, such as salt and light, to convey the truths he wanted to impart to his disciples and to the Jews. We may ask what does salt and light have to do with our mission to build God’s Kingdom on earth?
The greatest and most obvious quality of salt is that it lends flavor to things. Food without salt is insipid and this is what Christianity is to life. Christianity lends flavor to life. Hence, if a seasoning has not flavor, it has no value whatsoever. This is the same for us Christians because if we make no effort to influence the world around us, we are of little value to God.
Jesus uses the image of salt to describe how we are to live in the world. As salt purifies, preserves, and penetrates, so we too must be like salt in our society, in our church or community to purify, preserve, and penetrate our society and our church for the Kingdom of God and of his righteousness and peace.
The essence of this Gospel passage and our being equated with salt is to remind us that idleness invites disaster. If we as a Christian disciple do not fulfill our purpose as a Christian which is to “deny ourselves, pick up our cross and come follow Jesus” (Lk 9:23) and go to the ends of the earth and “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matt 28:18) then we are on our way to disaster.
Just as seasoning brings out the best flavor in food, we as the salt of the earth should not merely blend in with others but we must influence others in a more positive way. Jesus also used the image of light and a lamp to underscore his illustration. Lamps in those days served a vital function as they also do today. They enable people to see and work in the dark and to avoid stumbling. The Jews also understood “light” as an expression of the inner beauty, truth, and goodness of God. “In your light we see light” ( Psa 36:9). “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” (Psa 119:105). God’s Grace not only illumines the darkness in our lives, but it also fills us with spiritual light, joy, and peace. Jesus used the image of a lamp to describe how his disciples are to live in the light of his truth and love.
Just as natural light illumines the darkness and enables us to see visually, so the light of Christ must shine in our hearts that will enable us to see the heavenly reality of God’s Kingdom. In fact, our mission is to be the light-bearers of Christ so that others may see the truth of the Gospel and be freed from the blindness of sin and deception.
Jesus said that nothing can remain hidden or secret. Even in the church or community that we belong to, we can actually camouflage our real intention and try to hide our true intention from others, but nothing can be hidden from God who sees everything.
Unknown to us we may be inviting tragedy when we shut our eyes from the consequences of our sinful ways and bad habits, even when we know what those consequences are. As we are enveloped by our personal intentions and desires, we keep these bad habits out of sight by hiding them from others and even from God. Nonetheless, nothing can be hidden from God who sees all.
As a light, a Christian should serve as a guide who must clear the way for others to also come to know Christ. We must stand as a warning light to tell others of the danger that lies ahead especially when their faith is being put to a test. And a Christian should not only be visible within the church or community whose light stops at the church entrance. This means that the light we have as Christians must be visible in the way we treat our neighbors or the person beside us.
In other words the world has to see our good deeds. As Greek was the universal language in those days, there are two words the Greeks use in describing that which is good. One is the word “agathos” which means good in quality and the other is “kalos” which means a thing is not only good but is also beautiful and attractive.
In this passage today, Jesus used the word “kalos” which means that the good deeds of a Christian must not only be good but attractive as well. Thus, the good deeds that we do must not only bring good to others but must be able to attract others to share the faith that we have.
A true Christian is one who doesn’t think of what he has done but what God has enabled him to do. A true Christian does not draw attention to himself but he directs attention to God. A true Christian is one who doesn’t do things in response to the expectations of others, but as a response to the call of God. A Christian who lives for Christ should glow like a light and be a salt to show others the way to Christ.
1st Reading: Ac 11:21-26; 13:1-3
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 119:129-133, 135 “Lord, let your face shine on me.”
GOSPEL: MATT 5:13-16
Key Verse: “Let your light shine before men,” (v.16)
In the days of Jesus, to be referred to as the “salt of the earth” was the greatest compliment that can be given to any man. Why? Because it speaks highly of a person’s character and value. To be called the salt of the earth in those days was to highlight a person’s usefulness and how he was perceived not only by his family and peers but by the community in general.
For a person to be equated with salt was to draw attention to his purity as salt was in those days considered as the purest of all things because it came from the purest of all sources – the sun and the sea and even to this day, Jewish sacrificial offerings are made with salt. This is why for a Christian to be the salt of the earth that person must be an example of purity.
It is not enough that we pay lip service to our commitment as a Christian. How often do we hear people professing how they love to serve in the Lord’s vineyard, how they have offered their lives to the Lord, how they love the church or community they serve in. But their actions do not mirror what comes out of their lips.
The problem that most communities or ministries have is that the words that come out of our lips are often in contradiction with our deeds and we may not even be aware of it. Why is this so? We cannot see it because our intentions are clouded with our desire to create a good impression for ourselves.
In this Gospel passage, Jesus used ordinary images, such as salt and light, to convey the truths he wanted to impart to his disciples and to the Jews. We may ask what does salt and light have to do with our mission to build God’s Kingdom on earth?
The greatest and most obvious quality of salt is that it lends flavor to things. Food without salt is insipid and this is what Christianity is to life. Christianity lends flavor to life. Hence, if a seasoning has not flavor, it has no value whatsoever. This is the same for us Christians because if we make no effort to influence the world around us, we are of little value to God.
Jesus uses the image of salt to describe how we are to live in the world. As salt purifies, preserves, and penetrates, so we too must be like salt in our society, in our church or community to purify, preserve, and penetrate our society and our church for the Kingdom of God and of his righteousness and peace.
The essence of this Gospel passage and our being equated with salt is to remind us that idleness invites disaster. If we as a Christian disciple do not fulfill our purpose as a Christian which is to “deny ourselves, pick up our cross and come follow Jesus” (Lk 9:23) and go to the ends of the earth and “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matt 28:18) then we are on our way to disaster.
Just as seasoning brings out the best flavor in food, we as the salt of the earth should not merely blend in with others but we must influence others in a more positive way. Jesus also used the image of light and a lamp to underscore his illustration. Lamps in those days served a vital function as they also do today. They enable people to see and work in the dark and to avoid stumbling. The Jews also understood “light” as an expression of the inner beauty, truth, and goodness of God. “In your light we see light” ( Psa 36:9). “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” (Psa 119:105). God’s Grace not only illumines the darkness in our lives, but it also fills us with spiritual light, joy, and peace. Jesus used the image of a lamp to describe how his disciples are to live in the light of his truth and love.
Just as natural light illumines the darkness and enables us to see visually, so the light of Christ must shine in our hearts that will enable us to see the heavenly reality of God’s Kingdom. In fact, our mission is to be the light-bearers of Christ so that others may see the truth of the Gospel and be freed from the blindness of sin and deception.
Jesus said that nothing can remain hidden or secret. Even in the church or community that we belong to, we can actually camouflage our real intention and try to hide our true intention from others, but nothing can be hidden from God who sees everything.
Unknown to us we may be inviting tragedy when we shut our eyes from the consequences of our sinful ways and bad habits, even when we know what those consequences are. As we are enveloped by our personal intentions and desires, we keep these bad habits out of sight by hiding them from others and even from God. Nonetheless, nothing can be hidden from God who sees all.
As a light, a Christian should serve as a guide who must clear the way for others to also come to know Christ. We must stand as a warning light to tell others of the danger that lies ahead especially when their faith is being put to a test. And a Christian should not only be visible within the church or community whose light stops at the church entrance. This means that the light we have as Christians must be visible in the way we treat our neighbors or the person beside us.
In other words the world has to see our good deeds. As Greek was the universal language in those days, there are two words the Greeks use in describing that which is good. One is the word “agathos” which means good in quality and the other is “kalos” which means a thing is not only good but is also beautiful and attractive.
In this passage today, Jesus used the word “kalos” which means that the good deeds of a Christian must not only be good but attractive as well. Thus, the good deeds that we do must not only bring good to others but must be able to attract others to share the faith that we have.
A true Christian is one who doesn’t think of what he has done but what God has enabled him to do. A true Christian does not draw attention to himself but he directs attention to God. A true Christian is one who doesn’t do things in response to the expectations of others, but as a response to the call of God. A Christian who lives for Christ should glow like a light and be a salt to show others the way to Christ.
THE BEATITUDES: UNSURPASSED JOY
JUNE 10, 2013: TENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 2 Cor 1:1-7
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 34:2-9 “Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: MT 5:1-12
Key Verse: “Rejoice and be glad, because great
is your reward in heaven.” (v.12)
When reading through the Sermon on the Mount there is in us a tendency to look at it as just one of those sermons or teachings of Jesus.
This, however, is not the case as even the Catholic Church itself views the Beatitudes with utmost importance as it declared in CCC 1716 that: “The Beatitudes are at the heart of Jesus’ preaching. They take up the promises made to the chosen people since Abraham, the Beatitudes fulfill the promises by ordering them no longer merely to the possession of a territory, but to the Kingdom of heaven.”
The Sermon on the Mount, in fact, is seen as a summary of all the teachings of Jesus as “it reveals the goal of human existence.” (CCC 1719) since the Beatitudes is our “response to the natural desire for happiness. This desire is of divine origin. God has placed it in the human heart in order to draw man to the One who alone can fulfill it.” (CCC 1718)
Our search for happiness is innate in us all. Everybody wants to be happy which to some of us is the ultimate purpose of why we exist. And Jesus addresses this need for happiness by placing it in our hearts but this desire for happiness must lead us to the reason for our existence which is the appropriation of eternal happiness that only God can supply.
But for us to fully appreciate the relevance of the Beatitudes to our daily life we must look at these pronouncements in the here and now and not as a state of happiness into the future. As some Bible scholars put it, the Beatitudes which actually means happiness or blessedness is not something to which the Christian will enter but, it is something to which the Christian has already entered.
The Catechism also explains that those “who scrupulously keep God’s commandments are happy even on earth” and it is in this context that Jesus pronounced the Beatitudes or which has been largely accepted as the Sermon on the Mount.
The assumption that the Beatitudes is a present-day state of happiness has also been explained by these same Biblical scholars who believe that the use of the word “blessed” should not be read as a simple statement but are in fact exclamations that depict the present condition the people must find themselves to be at the time the Sermon on the Mount was made. While it may be true that a promised reward in heaven awaits those who live out the Beatitudes in their lives (v.12), such is contingent on the Beatitudes being present in our lives now.
Don Schwager of the Sword of the Spirit wrote that “Jesus' beatitudes also confront us with decisive choices concerning the life we pursue here on earth and the use we make of the goods he puts at our disposal and that God alone satisfies,” and he suggests that we must continually prod ourselves to seek the highest good, the total good which is above all else.
The Beatitudes, according to Don Schwager, may confuse some of us as these contradict the world's understanding of what happiness and joy is for how can one possibly find happiness in poverty, hunger, mourning, and persecution? And Don wrote “poverty of spirit finds ample room and joy in possessing God as the greatest treasure possible. Hunger of the spirit seeks nourishment and strength in God's word and Spirit.”
What this means is that even amidst our wealth, dignity, health, educational status, titles, honors and accomplishments, those who will experience a foretaste of eternal happiness and attain happiness now are those who will acknowledge that all of these temporal riches are valueless in God’s sight.
Blessed are those who can withstand adversity and who are not provoked to anger notwithstanding the wrong done to them. Blessed are they who do not brood over the loss of earthly things. Blessed are those who strive for justice and moral perfection. Blessed are they who help their neighbor in need. Blessed are those who do not allow worldly things to block their view of God. Blessed are they who offer sacrifices for the sake of peace. And blessed are they who suffer for the sake of their faith.
And the question we might ask is how do we attain beatitude or happiness in our present-day lives. The Catechism of the Catholic Church addresses this question in CCC 1716 which says: “We attain beatitude by virtue of the grace of Christ which makes us participants in the divine life. Christ in the Gospel points out to his followers the way that leads to eternal happiness: the beatitudes. The grace of Christ also is operative in every person who, following a correct conscience, seeks and loves the true and the good and avoids evil.”
The world definitely has its own standards and most of the time these are opposed to the banner of Christ to which we all must stand firm. But a summary of CCC 1720-1729 show us that “It is the vision of God in eternal life in which we are fully “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Pet 1:4), of the glory of Christ and of the joy of the Trinitarian life. This happiness surpasses human capabilities. It is a supernatural and gratuitous gift of God just as is the Grace that leads to it. This promised happiness confronts us with decisive moral choices concerning earthly goods and urges us to love God above all things.”
1st Reading: 2 Cor 1:1-7
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 34:2-9 “Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: MT 5:1-12
Key Verse: “Rejoice and be glad, because great
is your reward in heaven.” (v.12)
When reading through the Sermon on the Mount there is in us a tendency to look at it as just one of those sermons or teachings of Jesus.
This, however, is not the case as even the Catholic Church itself views the Beatitudes with utmost importance as it declared in CCC 1716 that: “The Beatitudes are at the heart of Jesus’ preaching. They take up the promises made to the chosen people since Abraham, the Beatitudes fulfill the promises by ordering them no longer merely to the possession of a territory, but to the Kingdom of heaven.”
The Sermon on the Mount, in fact, is seen as a summary of all the teachings of Jesus as “it reveals the goal of human existence.” (CCC 1719) since the Beatitudes is our “response to the natural desire for happiness. This desire is of divine origin. God has placed it in the human heart in order to draw man to the One who alone can fulfill it.” (CCC 1718)
Our search for happiness is innate in us all. Everybody wants to be happy which to some of us is the ultimate purpose of why we exist. And Jesus addresses this need for happiness by placing it in our hearts but this desire for happiness must lead us to the reason for our existence which is the appropriation of eternal happiness that only God can supply.
But for us to fully appreciate the relevance of the Beatitudes to our daily life we must look at these pronouncements in the here and now and not as a state of happiness into the future. As some Bible scholars put it, the Beatitudes which actually means happiness or blessedness is not something to which the Christian will enter but, it is something to which the Christian has already entered.
The Catechism also explains that those “who scrupulously keep God’s commandments are happy even on earth” and it is in this context that Jesus pronounced the Beatitudes or which has been largely accepted as the Sermon on the Mount.
The assumption that the Beatitudes is a present-day state of happiness has also been explained by these same Biblical scholars who believe that the use of the word “blessed” should not be read as a simple statement but are in fact exclamations that depict the present condition the people must find themselves to be at the time the Sermon on the Mount was made. While it may be true that a promised reward in heaven awaits those who live out the Beatitudes in their lives (v.12), such is contingent on the Beatitudes being present in our lives now.
Don Schwager of the Sword of the Spirit wrote that “Jesus' beatitudes also confront us with decisive choices concerning the life we pursue here on earth and the use we make of the goods he puts at our disposal and that God alone satisfies,” and he suggests that we must continually prod ourselves to seek the highest good, the total good which is above all else.
The Beatitudes, according to Don Schwager, may confuse some of us as these contradict the world's understanding of what happiness and joy is for how can one possibly find happiness in poverty, hunger, mourning, and persecution? And Don wrote “poverty of spirit finds ample room and joy in possessing God as the greatest treasure possible. Hunger of the spirit seeks nourishment and strength in God's word and Spirit.”
What this means is that even amidst our wealth, dignity, health, educational status, titles, honors and accomplishments, those who will experience a foretaste of eternal happiness and attain happiness now are those who will acknowledge that all of these temporal riches are valueless in God’s sight.
Blessed are those who can withstand adversity and who are not provoked to anger notwithstanding the wrong done to them. Blessed are they who do not brood over the loss of earthly things. Blessed are those who strive for justice and moral perfection. Blessed are they who help their neighbor in need. Blessed are those who do not allow worldly things to block their view of God. Blessed are they who offer sacrifices for the sake of peace. And blessed are they who suffer for the sake of their faith.
And the question we might ask is how do we attain beatitude or happiness in our present-day lives. The Catechism of the Catholic Church addresses this question in CCC 1716 which says: “We attain beatitude by virtue of the grace of Christ which makes us participants in the divine life. Christ in the Gospel points out to his followers the way that leads to eternal happiness: the beatitudes. The grace of Christ also is operative in every person who, following a correct conscience, seeks and loves the true and the good and avoids evil.”
The world definitely has its own standards and most of the time these are opposed to the banner of Christ to which we all must stand firm. But a summary of CCC 1720-1729 show us that “It is the vision of God in eternal life in which we are fully “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Pet 1:4), of the glory of Christ and of the joy of the Trinitarian life. This happiness surpasses human capabilities. It is a supernatural and gratuitous gift of God just as is the Grace that leads to it. This promised happiness confronts us with decisive moral choices concerning earthly goods and urges us to love God above all things.”
CHANGED BY TOUCH
JUNE 9, 2013: TENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 1 Kgs 17:17-24
Responsorial Psalm: 30:2-6, 11-13 “I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.”
2nd Reading: Gal 1:11-19
GOSPEL: LK 7:11-17
There was a hypothetical story about two boys who were barely into their teens who decided to skip their Sunday Bible School and they thought of taking their father’s car for a joyride. Along the way they met an accident and the two boys died.
When they stood at the gates of heaven, Peter told them they can only enter heaven if they can give him the correct answer to the question he is going to ask them. To the first boy Peter asked: “How many days of the week start with a T?” That’s easy the boy said and he replied: “Today and tomorrow!” Then Peter asked the second boy this question: “How many seconds are there in a year? And the boy said “12.” Peter couldn’t believe what he heard but he nonetheless asked the boy to explain, and the boy confidently said: “Well you know you have January 2nd, February 2nd, March 2nd and so on, so there are 12 seconds in a year.”
We don’t know if Peter let them in but this is typical of the youth who are growing up in today’s post-modern world in which almost every bit of information can be accessed in a jiffy – you name it and what you need is available at the push of a button. What these modern gadgetries have done is that life has become too dependent on technology rather than on diligence and industriousness.
And because of the ultra-speed world that we live in where making a living and living life to its fullest has become the be-all and the end-all for most career-oriented individuals and religion has practically taken a backseat or something of a go-to when everything else fails.
The Gospel passage for today is something that we can easily identify ourselves with because a deeper reflection of the account depicted in this Gospel will ultimately lead us to a conclusion that there are many among us who may be alive or look as if we are alive but whose nature are dead that needs to be brought back to life.
This passage actually brings to life what salvation is. Just as the son of the widow in this passage was dead and so is the world that has become dead to sin (Eph 2:1) “As for you, you were dead in transgressions and sins” and there are no exceptions even among the ranks of the leaders of the Church and or Community. (Eph 2:4) “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved.”
This event was actually the first time that God through Jesus raised a dead person back to life took place as Jesus left Capernaum where he healed the servant of the Roman Centurion and was entering the town of Nain when they were met by a funeral procession in which the young son of a widow was being brought to his grave.
As is was customary for Jewish funerals there were a lot of weeping and crying from the group of professional mourners but beyond the grief that permeated the air in this burial procession, Jesus saw the grief that filled the mother of the dead man who was a widow.
Mention of the widow is particularly important because unlike today when widows can either be taken cared by their relatives or can find work if they are able to, widows in the olden times have no future to look forward to unless they have other children or relatives to take care of them. But this widow had only one child – the son who was being buried and so she faced an uncertain future that is gloomy and desolate.
And Jesus who is a Jew was very much aware of this scenario and his heart “went out to her” (v.13). Other translations say “overflowed with compassion,” or “moved to the depths of his heart.” Nonetheless, what is evident is that Jesus was moved to so great a compassion that he said to the widow “don’t cry.”
As there were still no caskets during the time of Jesus the dead was usually placed in a bier that is made of wicker that could fit the mortal remains of the person to be buried. The dead was usually wrapped with burial cloth with only the head exposed and the men take turns in carrying the bier.
And as Jesus came near to the bier, He did not even ask that the bier be put down. What He did was he merely touched the bier saying (v.14) “young man, I say to you, get up” and the young man sat up, spoke and Jesus gave him back to his mother.
What happened next is important as the people said: “They were all filled with awe and praised God.” (v.16) The people did not praise Jesus but they praised God which is actually what we all should do and the people at that time knew this as they said “God has come to help his people.” (v.16) The raising of the young man shows the power of prayer in the life of the believer.
Indeed God comes to the aid of those who pray earnestly as did the widow in this Gospel and the Scriptures is replete with many accounts of people whose prayers for help were granted. This Gospel also shows that God intervenes in the normal course of life if He wills it as Jesus did in this account of Luke.
There are times, however, when our prayers are not being answered and we should not blame God as some do but times such as these give us an opportunity to examine our own lives and see if the way we live fits into the standards of God for the “prayers of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” (Jam 5:16)
God is a God of compassion as Jesus showed in this Gospel and the only thing that God cannot do is not to love and Jesus is asking us to make it a habit to call on Our Father in prayer: "In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God." (Jn 16:26-27)
And for all intents and purposes, this Gospel also speaks about us for there are many among us who walk around as if we are wrapped in burial cloth with only our head exposed. We are wrapped with our pride and arrogance, self-exaltation, insatiable appetite for fame and fortune, immorality, jealousy, selfish ambition, hatred, discord, dissension, factions, envy, unforgiveness, impurity, idolatry (Gal 5:20-21) and these are the things that put our spirits to death.
But as with the dead man in this Gospel, we should remember that we can also be saved and raised back to life but this is “not from ourselves but a gift of God (Eph 2:8) and this is also contingent on our prostrating ourselves before the throne of Grace and pray that Jesus will meet us as He passes by during our journey of faith as “He is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” (Heb 7:25)
Just as with the dead young man whose bier was touched and rose back to life, we too who have been touched by Jesus should take that leap of faith and cross over from being dead as a result of sin to a spiritual rebirth. To be touched by Jesus is to be changed and it would be incongruous for anyone who claims to have been touched by Jesus to remain glued to his old self.
And when Jesus raises us back to life, we must not forget the mission that has been entrusted to us “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Eph 2:10) That mission is to proclaim that Jesus is Lord and to make disciples of all nations.
1st Reading: 1 Kgs 17:17-24
Responsorial Psalm: 30:2-6, 11-13 “I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.”
2nd Reading: Gal 1:11-19
GOSPEL: LK 7:11-17
There was a hypothetical story about two boys who were barely into their teens who decided to skip their Sunday Bible School and they thought of taking their father’s car for a joyride. Along the way they met an accident and the two boys died.
When they stood at the gates of heaven, Peter told them they can only enter heaven if they can give him the correct answer to the question he is going to ask them. To the first boy Peter asked: “How many days of the week start with a T?” That’s easy the boy said and he replied: “Today and tomorrow!” Then Peter asked the second boy this question: “How many seconds are there in a year? And the boy said “12.” Peter couldn’t believe what he heard but he nonetheless asked the boy to explain, and the boy confidently said: “Well you know you have January 2nd, February 2nd, March 2nd and so on, so there are 12 seconds in a year.”
We don’t know if Peter let them in but this is typical of the youth who are growing up in today’s post-modern world in which almost every bit of information can be accessed in a jiffy – you name it and what you need is available at the push of a button. What these modern gadgetries have done is that life has become too dependent on technology rather than on diligence and industriousness.
And because of the ultra-speed world that we live in where making a living and living life to its fullest has become the be-all and the end-all for most career-oriented individuals and religion has practically taken a backseat or something of a go-to when everything else fails.
The Gospel passage for today is something that we can easily identify ourselves with because a deeper reflection of the account depicted in this Gospel will ultimately lead us to a conclusion that there are many among us who may be alive or look as if we are alive but whose nature are dead that needs to be brought back to life.
This passage actually brings to life what salvation is. Just as the son of the widow in this passage was dead and so is the world that has become dead to sin (Eph 2:1) “As for you, you were dead in transgressions and sins” and there are no exceptions even among the ranks of the leaders of the Church and or Community. (Eph 2:4) “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved.”
This event was actually the first time that God through Jesus raised a dead person back to life took place as Jesus left Capernaum where he healed the servant of the Roman Centurion and was entering the town of Nain when they were met by a funeral procession in which the young son of a widow was being brought to his grave.
As is was customary for Jewish funerals there were a lot of weeping and crying from the group of professional mourners but beyond the grief that permeated the air in this burial procession, Jesus saw the grief that filled the mother of the dead man who was a widow.
Mention of the widow is particularly important because unlike today when widows can either be taken cared by their relatives or can find work if they are able to, widows in the olden times have no future to look forward to unless they have other children or relatives to take care of them. But this widow had only one child – the son who was being buried and so she faced an uncertain future that is gloomy and desolate.
And Jesus who is a Jew was very much aware of this scenario and his heart “went out to her” (v.13). Other translations say “overflowed with compassion,” or “moved to the depths of his heart.” Nonetheless, what is evident is that Jesus was moved to so great a compassion that he said to the widow “don’t cry.”
As there were still no caskets during the time of Jesus the dead was usually placed in a bier that is made of wicker that could fit the mortal remains of the person to be buried. The dead was usually wrapped with burial cloth with only the head exposed and the men take turns in carrying the bier.
And as Jesus came near to the bier, He did not even ask that the bier be put down. What He did was he merely touched the bier saying (v.14) “young man, I say to you, get up” and the young man sat up, spoke and Jesus gave him back to his mother.
What happened next is important as the people said: “They were all filled with awe and praised God.” (v.16) The people did not praise Jesus but they praised God which is actually what we all should do and the people at that time knew this as they said “God has come to help his people.” (v.16) The raising of the young man shows the power of prayer in the life of the believer.
Indeed God comes to the aid of those who pray earnestly as did the widow in this Gospel and the Scriptures is replete with many accounts of people whose prayers for help were granted. This Gospel also shows that God intervenes in the normal course of life if He wills it as Jesus did in this account of Luke.
There are times, however, when our prayers are not being answered and we should not blame God as some do but times such as these give us an opportunity to examine our own lives and see if the way we live fits into the standards of God for the “prayers of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” (Jam 5:16)
God is a God of compassion as Jesus showed in this Gospel and the only thing that God cannot do is not to love and Jesus is asking us to make it a habit to call on Our Father in prayer: "In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God." (Jn 16:26-27)
And for all intents and purposes, this Gospel also speaks about us for there are many among us who walk around as if we are wrapped in burial cloth with only our head exposed. We are wrapped with our pride and arrogance, self-exaltation, insatiable appetite for fame and fortune, immorality, jealousy, selfish ambition, hatred, discord, dissension, factions, envy, unforgiveness, impurity, idolatry (Gal 5:20-21) and these are the things that put our spirits to death.
But as with the dead man in this Gospel, we should remember that we can also be saved and raised back to life but this is “not from ourselves but a gift of God (Eph 2:8) and this is also contingent on our prostrating ourselves before the throne of Grace and pray that Jesus will meet us as He passes by during our journey of faith as “He is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” (Heb 7:25)
Just as with the dead young man whose bier was touched and rose back to life, we too who have been touched by Jesus should take that leap of faith and cross over from being dead as a result of sin to a spiritual rebirth. To be touched by Jesus is to be changed and it would be incongruous for anyone who claims to have been touched by Jesus to remain glued to his old self.
And when Jesus raises us back to life, we must not forget the mission that has been entrusted to us “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Eph 2:10) That mission is to proclaim that Jesus is Lord and to make disciples of all nations.
MARY: OUR IMMACULATE MOTHER
JUNE 8, 2013: IMMACULATE HEART OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
1st Reading: Tob 12:1, 5-15, 20
Responsorial Psalm: Tob 13:2, 6-8 “Blessed be God, who lives forever.”
GOSPEL: Lk 2:41-51
Key Verse: “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” (v.49)
Has it ever crossed your minds that the Catholic practice of commemorating religious festivals, feasts including our devotions to saints and religious practices is actually biblical which contradicts accusations that the Catholic Church merely invented these rituals and traditions.
When going through the Gospel passage today as we celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, you will note at least five important points that will help increase your Christian faith especially in this Year of Faith beginning with the traditions that have been passed on to us for which we at times have been severely criticized.
The first point is right there at the beginning of the passage as we read that: “Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover.” (v.41) This only shows that even in those days, the Jews and definitely even the early Christians have been observant of certain traditional feasts that they are mandated to celebrate. It also shows that our commemoration of feasts and devotions are perfectly grounded on the faith of our ancestors.
While it was not mentioned in this passage, Joseph and Mary had no choice but to go to Jerusalem to join in the celebration of the Passover Feast as this was in obedience to the law that calls on every Jewish male adult who lived within 15 miles of Jerusalem must attend the Feast.
In those days, a Jewish boy crosses the line to adulthood when he reaches the age of 12 and since Jesus was already of that age his parents had to bring him to Jerusalem to introduce him to the Jewish Passover tradition. In fact, this tradition remains up to today as every Jew throughout the world make it a point to attend the feast even once in their life. So whatever we do in the practice of our faith are not mere whims and caprices but were part of biblical traditions that have been handed down to us from generations to generations.
The second point is the matter of the family which as we all know is the basic unit of society. This passage gives us a clear idea of the common bond that binds families together. Here we see Jesus traveling with his parents – Joseph and Mary unlike some situations that we know of today when children have become not only disobedient but disrespectful of their parents. There may be a reason for this behavior and the uncontrolled proliferation of adult media to which the youth had been exposed could be a reason for this misbehavior.
The lesson for us is that we must not lose sight of the importance of the family. For all intents and purposes, families must move as a team with each one looking at the best interest of the other. Like the Holy Family, we too must make sure that our families are guided by love, unity, peace, harmony and trust for one another.
The third important point in this passage was when Jesus for the first time made known that he already knew his heavenly heritage and we see this in his response to Mary who asked him: “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you?” And his response I believe was the big turnaround for Jesus as he said: “Why were you searching for me? Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”
This response must have shocked Joseph for when he said this Jesus actually took away the title of Joseph as his father and gave it back to God. No one can really say as to when Jesus realized he was the Son of God. We can only surmise that it was the Holy Spirit who may have moved in him such that in his first Passover he suddenly had a sense that he indeed came from God.
What Jesus experienced is also happening to those who have yielded control of their lives to the Holy Spirit who in turn will help us realize that our lives are no longer our own but Christ who lives in us and that by the Grace of God poured out on us we are transformed into sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty (2 Cor 6:18).
The fourth and fifth points, I believe, are the keys that will unlock the power that is hidden in us that will allow us to live a fruitful and fulfilled Christian life. “As Jesus went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them.” (v.51) Here Luke tells us that Jesus grew up with obedience written all over his character and while there is little we know of the events in his life as he was growing up, we know too that Jesus became obedient to death – even death on a cross (Phi 2:6).
What we know is that out of his obedience, Jesus was highly exalted and glorified such that he sits at the right hand of God to judge the living and the dead. Jesus himself also tells us: “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” (Lk 11:28)
This brings us to the fifth and final point as we read: “But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.” (v.51) Like Mary, we are to keep everything in our hearts as the plan of God is revealed to us. Indeed, there will definitely be times when we will not easily understand God’s plan for us but if we cooperate in loving obedience to his Word, God will empower us by his Holy Spirit so that he can use us for his purpose.
When God created each one of us He already has a plan for us as He will not leave us orphans and He will come to us (Jn 14:18) to equip us and empower us for the task at hand and it is in obeying and keeping His Word in our hearts that we are transformed into becoming a member of God’s family. There shouldn’t be any doubt as to our calling. The only question is how are we going to respond.
1st Reading: Tob 12:1, 5-15, 20
Responsorial Psalm: Tob 13:2, 6-8 “Blessed be God, who lives forever.”
GOSPEL: Lk 2:41-51
Key Verse: “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” (v.49)
Has it ever crossed your minds that the Catholic practice of commemorating religious festivals, feasts including our devotions to saints and religious practices is actually biblical which contradicts accusations that the Catholic Church merely invented these rituals and traditions.
When going through the Gospel passage today as we celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, you will note at least five important points that will help increase your Christian faith especially in this Year of Faith beginning with the traditions that have been passed on to us for which we at times have been severely criticized.
The first point is right there at the beginning of the passage as we read that: “Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover.” (v.41) This only shows that even in those days, the Jews and definitely even the early Christians have been observant of certain traditional feasts that they are mandated to celebrate. It also shows that our commemoration of feasts and devotions are perfectly grounded on the faith of our ancestors.
While it was not mentioned in this passage, Joseph and Mary had no choice but to go to Jerusalem to join in the celebration of the Passover Feast as this was in obedience to the law that calls on every Jewish male adult who lived within 15 miles of Jerusalem must attend the Feast.
In those days, a Jewish boy crosses the line to adulthood when he reaches the age of 12 and since Jesus was already of that age his parents had to bring him to Jerusalem to introduce him to the Jewish Passover tradition. In fact, this tradition remains up to today as every Jew throughout the world make it a point to attend the feast even once in their life. So whatever we do in the practice of our faith are not mere whims and caprices but were part of biblical traditions that have been handed down to us from generations to generations.
The second point is the matter of the family which as we all know is the basic unit of society. This passage gives us a clear idea of the common bond that binds families together. Here we see Jesus traveling with his parents – Joseph and Mary unlike some situations that we know of today when children have become not only disobedient but disrespectful of their parents. There may be a reason for this behavior and the uncontrolled proliferation of adult media to which the youth had been exposed could be a reason for this misbehavior.
The lesson for us is that we must not lose sight of the importance of the family. For all intents and purposes, families must move as a team with each one looking at the best interest of the other. Like the Holy Family, we too must make sure that our families are guided by love, unity, peace, harmony and trust for one another.
The third important point in this passage was when Jesus for the first time made known that he already knew his heavenly heritage and we see this in his response to Mary who asked him: “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you?” And his response I believe was the big turnaround for Jesus as he said: “Why were you searching for me? Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”
This response must have shocked Joseph for when he said this Jesus actually took away the title of Joseph as his father and gave it back to God. No one can really say as to when Jesus realized he was the Son of God. We can only surmise that it was the Holy Spirit who may have moved in him such that in his first Passover he suddenly had a sense that he indeed came from God.
What Jesus experienced is also happening to those who have yielded control of their lives to the Holy Spirit who in turn will help us realize that our lives are no longer our own but Christ who lives in us and that by the Grace of God poured out on us we are transformed into sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty (2 Cor 6:18).
The fourth and fifth points, I believe, are the keys that will unlock the power that is hidden in us that will allow us to live a fruitful and fulfilled Christian life. “As Jesus went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them.” (v.51) Here Luke tells us that Jesus grew up with obedience written all over his character and while there is little we know of the events in his life as he was growing up, we know too that Jesus became obedient to death – even death on a cross (Phi 2:6).
What we know is that out of his obedience, Jesus was highly exalted and glorified such that he sits at the right hand of God to judge the living and the dead. Jesus himself also tells us: “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” (Lk 11:28)
This brings us to the fifth and final point as we read: “But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.” (v.51) Like Mary, we are to keep everything in our hearts as the plan of God is revealed to us. Indeed, there will definitely be times when we will not easily understand God’s plan for us but if we cooperate in loving obedience to his Word, God will empower us by his Holy Spirit so that he can use us for his purpose.
When God created each one of us He already has a plan for us as He will not leave us orphans and He will come to us (Jn 14:18) to equip us and empower us for the task at hand and it is in obeying and keeping His Word in our hearts that we are transformed into becoming a member of God’s family. There shouldn’t be any doubt as to our calling. The only question is how are we going to respond.
LOVE IS INCLUSIVE
JUNE 7, 2013: SOLEMNITY OF THE SACRED HEART
OF JESUS
1st Reading: Ezek 34:11-16
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 23:1-6 “The Lord is my Shepherd, there is nothing I shall want.”
2nd Reading: Rom 5:5-11
GOSPEL: Lk 15:3-7
Key Verse: “… there will be more joy in heaven
over one sinner who repents.” (v.7)
Of the many parables of Jesus this is probably one of the few that is directed towards those who exercise pastoral authority such as priests, deacons, pastors, missionaries, and or servant leaders as they are referred to in communities.
Clearly this Gospel reading commands those in authority to make sure that the sheep under their pastoral care are all accounted for and that they are to look for the sheep and or lambs that may have strayed away, who are lost and who cannot find their way into the sheepfold.
The United States Marine Corps take great pride in their dictum of not leaving behind any comrade-in-arms even at the cost of their own lives and this was what Jesus did on the cross when he took the brunt of our sins and died so that we may live another day.
And of the many parables that Jesus used to illustrate his teachings this was probably the simplest because the story of a shepherd looking for a lost sheep was a familiar scene among the Jews. This is also analogous to our primary duty as Christian disciples because we too must do what shepherds do. Conversely, we are to draw people into the church or community and not remove them or force them out.
This Gospel reading, however, is part of an entire chapter of Luke that is devoted to finding that which was lost – the sheep (vv.3-7), the lost coin (vv.8-10), and the son who was lost but came back (vv.11-32) – and this provides us with a panoramic view of how important we are such that God did not only send His only begotten Son to save us from ruin but out of obedience Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ had to offer His life as a ransom for us. And to be able to fully appreciate this parable of the lost sheep, it would be ideal if you can also read Mt 18 in its entirety.
Today’s Gospel passage should help us realize that God cares for each one of us and we are mandated to also do the same to others. Even if Jesus was teaching among large crowds, there have been times when he addresses the needs of an individual in the crowd, e.g., the hemorrhaging woman, the paralytic, the blind and the deaf, and the dead boy who was being buried that Jesus passed along the way and raised back to life.
There is absolutely no one who is not important in the eyes of God and he will not allow anyone to go astray or to get lost in the world. And for us Christians who have received the gift of a new life, we should look at others as important too who, if lost, must be found. This love for others is what should motivate us to put more dynamism when we evangelize.
As Jesus also did not take sides nor did he showed his bias for one of his disciples over the other, so must we also treat the flock entrusted to us with fairness and justice that is grounded in love. This is why I am sad to learn of an elder in a charismatic community who pits one group against another instead of uniting the members in his ministry. Most of the time, bad witnessing is seen as the culprit that forces members to leave and worst no effort is made to bring these hurting members back into the sheep gate.
We must not forget that this was the primary reason why God sent his only Son into the world to save those who may have lost their bearings, those who have gone adrift into the sea of uncertainties, the lost, the disoriented, the hopeless, those who are asleep (dead in their faith) and we can find comfort in the Scriptures that assures us that God will not rest until we all find our way back to the safety and security of his Kingdom.
The parable of the lost sheep provides us with a clear idea of what a true shepherd should be and the joy of a community that is reunited with members who have stayed away for sometime.
Again, we have to understand the custom in the time of Jesus to be able to understand this parable. In those days it was customary to have at least two to three shepherds tending to their herd in what is generally known as communal flocks. This allows a shepherd to leave his flock to the other shepherds so he can look for a lost sheep. Similarly, the message for us this Advent Season is that we must start looking for the lost sheep to bring them back into the flock.
The charismatic experience should move us to bring everyone into the Church and not keep anyone out. As shepherds are faced with tremendous odds and sacrifice to protect his sheep, so we too must be prepared to go against the wolves and lions (sin and temptation in the world), surmount dangerous terrains and storms (discrimination, intimidation, prejudices, biases, judgments, selfish interests) to protect our flock.
To look for the lost sheep simply requires that shepherds must be moved by their love and care for their flock and not by rules and standards that the Pharisees and the Scribes promulgated by expanding the Ten Commandments into thousands of rules and regulations that prevented the people from worshipping God.
But the main message of this parable is that it shows us that the love of God is patient. When some of our brethren go astray or move away the most common reaction we hear is “Let them be. It’s their own accountability anyway.” But God is not like that. While some of our brothers and sisters may be like the lost sheep, God loves even those who may be lost and will not rest until all are accounted for.
God’s love can be described as a seeking love as the shepherd is not content to simply wait for the sheep to come back. The shepherd will go out to search for the lost sheep sacrificing his own safety. Jesus came to seek those who wander away no matter the cost. So must we.
God’s love is a rejoicing kind of love. There are no recriminations. No grudges. None that is superior over the one who is found. At times, we seek and find the lost but we give them a moral lecture in the guise of a pastoral issue and make him look at himself with contempt. But while we are accustomed to storing the wrongs done to us which is humanly natural, God puts our sins behind his back and when he finds us, it is all pure joy that exists.
God’s love is a protecting love, a love that seeks and saves. There can be a love that ruins, a love that manipulates, a love that controls. But God protects and saves man so he can be of service to others which is the ultimate objective of our existence and of our having been found. When God found us, he made us wiser, stronger, and freed from sin and death. It is now our duty and responsibility to bring this same light to others.
As Jesus came on a rescue mission to save us from the forces of evil, we who have been saved must also do the same and seek those whom we ourselves have driven away from our midst by our pride, indifference and, insensitivity and there will be rejoicing in heaven when they are found and restored to a relationship with God and the Church.
OF JESUS
1st Reading: Ezek 34:11-16
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 23:1-6 “The Lord is my Shepherd, there is nothing I shall want.”
2nd Reading: Rom 5:5-11
GOSPEL: Lk 15:3-7
Key Verse: “… there will be more joy in heaven
over one sinner who repents.” (v.7)
Of the many parables of Jesus this is probably one of the few that is directed towards those who exercise pastoral authority such as priests, deacons, pastors, missionaries, and or servant leaders as they are referred to in communities.
Clearly this Gospel reading commands those in authority to make sure that the sheep under their pastoral care are all accounted for and that they are to look for the sheep and or lambs that may have strayed away, who are lost and who cannot find their way into the sheepfold.
The United States Marine Corps take great pride in their dictum of not leaving behind any comrade-in-arms even at the cost of their own lives and this was what Jesus did on the cross when he took the brunt of our sins and died so that we may live another day.
And of the many parables that Jesus used to illustrate his teachings this was probably the simplest because the story of a shepherd looking for a lost sheep was a familiar scene among the Jews. This is also analogous to our primary duty as Christian disciples because we too must do what shepherds do. Conversely, we are to draw people into the church or community and not remove them or force them out.
This Gospel reading, however, is part of an entire chapter of Luke that is devoted to finding that which was lost – the sheep (vv.3-7), the lost coin (vv.8-10), and the son who was lost but came back (vv.11-32) – and this provides us with a panoramic view of how important we are such that God did not only send His only begotten Son to save us from ruin but out of obedience Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ had to offer His life as a ransom for us. And to be able to fully appreciate this parable of the lost sheep, it would be ideal if you can also read Mt 18 in its entirety.
Today’s Gospel passage should help us realize that God cares for each one of us and we are mandated to also do the same to others. Even if Jesus was teaching among large crowds, there have been times when he addresses the needs of an individual in the crowd, e.g., the hemorrhaging woman, the paralytic, the blind and the deaf, and the dead boy who was being buried that Jesus passed along the way and raised back to life.
There is absolutely no one who is not important in the eyes of God and he will not allow anyone to go astray or to get lost in the world. And for us Christians who have received the gift of a new life, we should look at others as important too who, if lost, must be found. This love for others is what should motivate us to put more dynamism when we evangelize.
As Jesus also did not take sides nor did he showed his bias for one of his disciples over the other, so must we also treat the flock entrusted to us with fairness and justice that is grounded in love. This is why I am sad to learn of an elder in a charismatic community who pits one group against another instead of uniting the members in his ministry. Most of the time, bad witnessing is seen as the culprit that forces members to leave and worst no effort is made to bring these hurting members back into the sheep gate.
We must not forget that this was the primary reason why God sent his only Son into the world to save those who may have lost their bearings, those who have gone adrift into the sea of uncertainties, the lost, the disoriented, the hopeless, those who are asleep (dead in their faith) and we can find comfort in the Scriptures that assures us that God will not rest until we all find our way back to the safety and security of his Kingdom.
The parable of the lost sheep provides us with a clear idea of what a true shepherd should be and the joy of a community that is reunited with members who have stayed away for sometime.
Again, we have to understand the custom in the time of Jesus to be able to understand this parable. In those days it was customary to have at least two to three shepherds tending to their herd in what is generally known as communal flocks. This allows a shepherd to leave his flock to the other shepherds so he can look for a lost sheep. Similarly, the message for us this Advent Season is that we must start looking for the lost sheep to bring them back into the flock.
The charismatic experience should move us to bring everyone into the Church and not keep anyone out. As shepherds are faced with tremendous odds and sacrifice to protect his sheep, so we too must be prepared to go against the wolves and lions (sin and temptation in the world), surmount dangerous terrains and storms (discrimination, intimidation, prejudices, biases, judgments, selfish interests) to protect our flock.
To look for the lost sheep simply requires that shepherds must be moved by their love and care for their flock and not by rules and standards that the Pharisees and the Scribes promulgated by expanding the Ten Commandments into thousands of rules and regulations that prevented the people from worshipping God.
But the main message of this parable is that it shows us that the love of God is patient. When some of our brethren go astray or move away the most common reaction we hear is “Let them be. It’s their own accountability anyway.” But God is not like that. While some of our brothers and sisters may be like the lost sheep, God loves even those who may be lost and will not rest until all are accounted for.
God’s love can be described as a seeking love as the shepherd is not content to simply wait for the sheep to come back. The shepherd will go out to search for the lost sheep sacrificing his own safety. Jesus came to seek those who wander away no matter the cost. So must we.
God’s love is a rejoicing kind of love. There are no recriminations. No grudges. None that is superior over the one who is found. At times, we seek and find the lost but we give them a moral lecture in the guise of a pastoral issue and make him look at himself with contempt. But while we are accustomed to storing the wrongs done to us which is humanly natural, God puts our sins behind his back and when he finds us, it is all pure joy that exists.
God’s love is a protecting love, a love that seeks and saves. There can be a love that ruins, a love that manipulates, a love that controls. But God protects and saves man so he can be of service to others which is the ultimate objective of our existence and of our having been found. When God found us, he made us wiser, stronger, and freed from sin and death. It is now our duty and responsibility to bring this same light to others.
As Jesus came on a rescue mission to save us from the forces of evil, we who have been saved must also do the same and seek those whom we ourselves have driven away from our midst by our pride, indifference and, insensitivity and there will be rejoicing in heaven when they are found and restored to a relationship with God and the Church.
LOVE DEFINES A CHRISTIAN
JUNE 6, 2013: NINTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Tob 6:10-11; 7:1, 9-17; 8:4-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 128:1-5 “Blessed are those who fear the Lord.”
GOSPEL: MK 12:28-34
Key Verse: “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” (v.34)
Gilbert Keith Chesterton who is better known as G.K. Chesterton, a world-renowned literary artist and spiritual writer once said that the really great lesson of the story of “Beauty and the Beast” is that a thing must be loved before it is loveable. A person must be loved before that person can be loveable.
In my lifetime, I have known some people who fall in the category of an unlovely person and I would learn later that they acted that way simply because they thought that nobody loved them. The truth of the matter is that unless and until we feel loved ourselves it would be difficult for us to love.
Theologians will tell you that this is not only a principle of theology but of psychology as well. If you are into social science studies you will have learned that abused children grow up also abusing their children while children who felt loved in their family similarly will grow up loving their own children. Persons who are loved are able to love and unloved persons cannot because they have never felt what love is.
The Gospel reading for today speaks of Jesus reducing and simplifying the hundreds of laws that the religious leaders have crafted over the years that serve as guides in the practice of their faith. The intent apparently was to bridge the great divide and bring the people closer to God.
But this was not meant to be as the laws written by the Scribes based on the Mosaic prescriptions became burdensome that moved the people to simply go through the motions of worship but never really getting into an intimate relationship with God.
And the great kings and prophets may have seen the difficulty of having such a large number of religious precepts which was why in the course of time David reduced the 613 laws to 11 (Psa 15). Then the prophet Isaiah trimmed it down to six (Isa 33:15). And Micah brought this down to three (Mic 6:8) and Isaiah again reduced it to just two (Isa 56:1) until the prophet Habakkuk reduced them to just one (Hab 2:4).
Actually it comes as a surprise why the religious leaders still asked Jesus the question as to which of the commandments was the most important because they knew their Old Testament Scripture which specifies love of God who is their one Lord (Deut 6:4-9, 11:13-21, Num 15:37-41) which was their creed or Shema and these three passages of the Shema are written in the phylacteries that devout Jews wore on their forehead and wrists when in prayer. As religious leaders they also knew what love of neighbor was all about because this was one of the laws of Moses (Lev 19:18).
It was probable that they asked asked Jesus the question as to which of the commandments was the most important (v.28) because they knew that he was someone who spoke with authority (Mk 1:21-28) and possibly they want him to guide them as to which of the divergent positions they were arguing was correct.
Up to that time when Jesus answered, no other prophet or teacher before him had ever spoken who put these two commandments together and made them one “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself.” (vv.30-31) His response simply meant that religion was all about loving God and loving men and that a man can only prove that he loves God if he also has love for his neighbor.
But these are easier said than done and today we see nations saddled with hunger and famine, tribal wars, internal conflicts that have caused thousands of casualties. Even the religious sector have not been spared as divisions have crept into some churches, communities ministries and apostolates and all these may be due to our superficial love for God and for our neighbor or perhaps our ignorance to what these two commandments really mean.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that these two commandments are actually a representation of the Ten Commandments with love of God encapsulated in the first four of the commandments and love of neighbor covers the remaining six commandments.
As deigned by God who gave us the Ten Commandments, the first is all about worship and fidelity; the second, respect; the third, service; and the fourth – respect for his representatives on earth. The other six commandments show out duty to our neighbor forbidding us to injure our neighbor in the fifth; honor his purity in the sixth; his property in the seventh; preserving and respecting his honor in the eighth; respecting his family in the ninth and tenth.
And the Apostle John put it in a more simpler way “Anyone who does not love remains in death.” (1 Jn 3:14) In other words, to love God is of great advantage and benefit to us because through it we are united to God here on earth with our minds enlightened, our will strengthened and, we obtain pardon for our sins and are assured of God’s presence in our lives: “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him and we will come to him and make our home with him.” (Jn 14:23) These are not just powerful words but it provides us with the inspiration to look towards the eternal reward that God has promised us.
The CCC also says that without the love of God and of our neighbor no man can be saved. St. Augustine adds that as we require two feet to walk, so must we have the love of God and of our neighbor if we want to reach heaven. As the bird cannot fly without two wings, so must we also be borne aloft upon these two pinions if we want to soar up to heaven.
As the Saints in heaven loved God and one another, so must we also do the same here on earth if we desire to be in their company in heaven. We should, however, remember that by ourselves we are incapable of loving God and our neighbor and we can only do so through the gift of sanctifying Grace that is given to us if we will allow the Holy Spirit to take possession of our souls and spirits.
And for this Grace to become operative in our lives, we need to detach from our human nature by dying on the cross with Christ so that we can be resurrected into a new life in him and with him that will be reflective of the image and likeness to which we have all been created. This means that since we have all been created from the same source, it follows that we are to love that which God has also created in his image and likeness.
Perhaps we may ask who is our neighbor. The CCC decrees that every human being is our neighbor without distinction of religion, race, age, sex or of occupation. Hence, the love of one’s neighbor is the distinctive mark of the true Christian. “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me.” (Matt 25:40)
Our love of our neighbor therefore is the best test of our love of God. “By this all men will know that you are truly my disciples, if you love one another.” (Jn 13:35) And love of our neighbor is manifested in our desiring the good for our neighbor, abstaining from hurting him and in doing him good. It means rejoicing with him in his prosperity and grieving with him in his adversity.
1st Reading: Tob 6:10-11; 7:1, 9-17; 8:4-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 128:1-5 “Blessed are those who fear the Lord.”
GOSPEL: MK 12:28-34
Key Verse: “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” (v.34)
Gilbert Keith Chesterton who is better known as G.K. Chesterton, a world-renowned literary artist and spiritual writer once said that the really great lesson of the story of “Beauty and the Beast” is that a thing must be loved before it is loveable. A person must be loved before that person can be loveable.
In my lifetime, I have known some people who fall in the category of an unlovely person and I would learn later that they acted that way simply because they thought that nobody loved them. The truth of the matter is that unless and until we feel loved ourselves it would be difficult for us to love.
Theologians will tell you that this is not only a principle of theology but of psychology as well. If you are into social science studies you will have learned that abused children grow up also abusing their children while children who felt loved in their family similarly will grow up loving their own children. Persons who are loved are able to love and unloved persons cannot because they have never felt what love is.
The Gospel reading for today speaks of Jesus reducing and simplifying the hundreds of laws that the religious leaders have crafted over the years that serve as guides in the practice of their faith. The intent apparently was to bridge the great divide and bring the people closer to God.
But this was not meant to be as the laws written by the Scribes based on the Mosaic prescriptions became burdensome that moved the people to simply go through the motions of worship but never really getting into an intimate relationship with God.
And the great kings and prophets may have seen the difficulty of having such a large number of religious precepts which was why in the course of time David reduced the 613 laws to 11 (Psa 15). Then the prophet Isaiah trimmed it down to six (Isa 33:15). And Micah brought this down to three (Mic 6:8) and Isaiah again reduced it to just two (Isa 56:1) until the prophet Habakkuk reduced them to just one (Hab 2:4).
Actually it comes as a surprise why the religious leaders still asked Jesus the question as to which of the commandments was the most important because they knew their Old Testament Scripture which specifies love of God who is their one Lord (Deut 6:4-9, 11:13-21, Num 15:37-41) which was their creed or Shema and these three passages of the Shema are written in the phylacteries that devout Jews wore on their forehead and wrists when in prayer. As religious leaders they also knew what love of neighbor was all about because this was one of the laws of Moses (Lev 19:18).
It was probable that they asked asked Jesus the question as to which of the commandments was the most important (v.28) because they knew that he was someone who spoke with authority (Mk 1:21-28) and possibly they want him to guide them as to which of the divergent positions they were arguing was correct.
Up to that time when Jesus answered, no other prophet or teacher before him had ever spoken who put these two commandments together and made them one “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself.” (vv.30-31) His response simply meant that religion was all about loving God and loving men and that a man can only prove that he loves God if he also has love for his neighbor.
But these are easier said than done and today we see nations saddled with hunger and famine, tribal wars, internal conflicts that have caused thousands of casualties. Even the religious sector have not been spared as divisions have crept into some churches, communities ministries and apostolates and all these may be due to our superficial love for God and for our neighbor or perhaps our ignorance to what these two commandments really mean.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that these two commandments are actually a representation of the Ten Commandments with love of God encapsulated in the first four of the commandments and love of neighbor covers the remaining six commandments.
As deigned by God who gave us the Ten Commandments, the first is all about worship and fidelity; the second, respect; the third, service; and the fourth – respect for his representatives on earth. The other six commandments show out duty to our neighbor forbidding us to injure our neighbor in the fifth; honor his purity in the sixth; his property in the seventh; preserving and respecting his honor in the eighth; respecting his family in the ninth and tenth.
And the Apostle John put it in a more simpler way “Anyone who does not love remains in death.” (1 Jn 3:14) In other words, to love God is of great advantage and benefit to us because through it we are united to God here on earth with our minds enlightened, our will strengthened and, we obtain pardon for our sins and are assured of God’s presence in our lives: “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him and we will come to him and make our home with him.” (Jn 14:23) These are not just powerful words but it provides us with the inspiration to look towards the eternal reward that God has promised us.
The CCC also says that without the love of God and of our neighbor no man can be saved. St. Augustine adds that as we require two feet to walk, so must we have the love of God and of our neighbor if we want to reach heaven. As the bird cannot fly without two wings, so must we also be borne aloft upon these two pinions if we want to soar up to heaven.
As the Saints in heaven loved God and one another, so must we also do the same here on earth if we desire to be in their company in heaven. We should, however, remember that by ourselves we are incapable of loving God and our neighbor and we can only do so through the gift of sanctifying Grace that is given to us if we will allow the Holy Spirit to take possession of our souls and spirits.
And for this Grace to become operative in our lives, we need to detach from our human nature by dying on the cross with Christ so that we can be resurrected into a new life in him and with him that will be reflective of the image and likeness to which we have all been created. This means that since we have all been created from the same source, it follows that we are to love that which God has also created in his image and likeness.
Perhaps we may ask who is our neighbor. The CCC decrees that every human being is our neighbor without distinction of religion, race, age, sex or of occupation. Hence, the love of one’s neighbor is the distinctive mark of the true Christian. “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me.” (Matt 25:40)
Our love of our neighbor therefore is the best test of our love of God. “By this all men will know that you are truly my disciples, if you love one another.” (Jn 13:35) And love of our neighbor is manifested in our desiring the good for our neighbor, abstaining from hurting him and in doing him good. It means rejoicing with him in his prosperity and grieving with him in his adversity.
RESURRECTION IS TO FOCUS ONLY IN JESUS
JUNE 5, 2013: NINTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Tob 3:1-11, 16-17
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 25:2-9 “I trust, to you O, Lord, I lift up my soul.”
GOSPEL: MK 12:18-27
Key Verse: “He is not the God of the dead, but of the living” (v.27)
True to their bias against the son of a carpenter from Nazareth, the Sadducees in today’s Gospel reading comes on the heels of a similar tricky question of the Sanhedrin on the legality of paying taxes to Caesar which Jesus adequately addressed. As this passage also speak of the resurrection, let us look into the religious beliefs of the religious leaders in the time of Jesus to be able to understand where the Sadducees are coming from.
The Sadducees who are mostly aristocratic are said to have emerged as followers of Zadok a high priest during the time of David and Solomon and who are known to be righteous. However, the Sadducees would later on forge an alliance with the Roman rulers and they also do not believe in the resurrection and or after-life.
The Pharisees, on the other hand, was a strictly religious group whose name was derived from perusim or separated ones and or from the Hebrew term parosim or the specifier as the Pharisees are known to strictly adhere to the Mosaic law and are known as hypocritically self-righteous. But the Pharisees believed in life after death which distinguishes them from the Sadducees.
The Pharisees who have no political ambition also believed in the coming of the Messiah and in angels and spirits. The Sadducees do not believe in such and are inclined to keep the status quo because the coming of the Messiah would alter the privileges they enjoyed. The Pharisees believed in fate and that a man’s life was planned and ordered by God. The Sadducees believed in unrestricted free-will.
But while both are poles apart in their beliefs, the Pharisees and the Sadducees hated Jesus who has succeeded in opening the hearts and minds of the people on the deviations and wrong interpretation of the Mosaic law that governed the religious life of the people at the time.
To sustain their non-belief in life after death, the Sadducees came up with this tricky question in this passage about who would be the husband of a woman who has been married to seven different men in the event the woman goes to heaven if ever there was a heaven. This query was based on the Jewish levitate law of marriage (Deut 25:5) and while this provision was no longer practiced in Jesus’ time the Sadducees still considered it as binding.
But Jesus demolished their non-belief in the resurrection when he cited Exo 3:1-6 with Moses saying: “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” With this response, Jesus simply showed that God could not have been the God of the dead which meant that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob must still be alive.
And the Scribes who gained expertise in the Mosaic law by going through years of special study of the Scriptures normally starting from the age of 14 until they reach 40 remarked: “Well said, teacher!” (v.33) And we know from other manuscripts that no one dared ask him any more question. There are some manuscripts that said the Scribe who asked Jesus this question later became his disciple.
What then is the message of this passage for us? Basically it tells us not to be concerned with where we are going because where we are going depends on where we will be coming from. It presupposes then that heaven which is our final should begin from where we are now because heaven is a continuation of our present life.
This will bring us back to the two greatest commandments that Jesus preached – love of God and neighbor (Matt 22:37-39) because “all the laws and the prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matt 22:40) This means that all of us can experience heaven in the here and now if we will only abide by these two commandments because love is the foundation of all those who now live in eternity with God.
There also shouldn’t be any doubt on our final leg as members of the pilgrim church because “the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who lives in you.” (Rom 8:11)
Again, each one of us can experience our own resurrection even from where we now stand because we who are dead to sin are being restored to life through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit that is in us but this will all depend on our belief and faith.
And John gives proof of this when he said: “I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.” (Jn 5:25)
The promise of eternal life, at time, is beyond our human capacity to understand because this is a privilege extended only by the power of God through the Holy Spirit and, what we can do to avail of our eternal inheritance is to live in the hope and joy of the age to come by believing in Jesus who tells us: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (Jn 11:25)
But somewhere along the road in our search for eternal life lies our temporal self that obscures our view of the eternal. Believing in fate and destiny, there will be among us who will subscribe to our own desires. Conscious of our homegrown talents we take to mind our being created in the image and likeness of God and we unknowingly overstep our limits as we begin to act like god following our human will rather than the Will of God.
Instead of being the catalyst for peace and unity, we could become purveyors of division and disunity when self-righteousness creeps in as it affects our relationships with others especially our decisions and judgments. This is why we must always be aware of the need for us to die to our sinful nature so that we can share in the resurrection of Christ.
This, however, is easier said than done because belief must go along with action (Jam 2:18-19) and that’s where resurrection starts.
1st Reading: Tob 3:1-11, 16-17
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 25:2-9 “I trust, to you O, Lord, I lift up my soul.”
GOSPEL: MK 12:18-27
Key Verse: “He is not the God of the dead, but of the living” (v.27)
True to their bias against the son of a carpenter from Nazareth, the Sadducees in today’s Gospel reading comes on the heels of a similar tricky question of the Sanhedrin on the legality of paying taxes to Caesar which Jesus adequately addressed. As this passage also speak of the resurrection, let us look into the religious beliefs of the religious leaders in the time of Jesus to be able to understand where the Sadducees are coming from.
The Sadducees who are mostly aristocratic are said to have emerged as followers of Zadok a high priest during the time of David and Solomon and who are known to be righteous. However, the Sadducees would later on forge an alliance with the Roman rulers and they also do not believe in the resurrection and or after-life.
The Pharisees, on the other hand, was a strictly religious group whose name was derived from perusim or separated ones and or from the Hebrew term parosim or the specifier as the Pharisees are known to strictly adhere to the Mosaic law and are known as hypocritically self-righteous. But the Pharisees believed in life after death which distinguishes them from the Sadducees.
The Pharisees who have no political ambition also believed in the coming of the Messiah and in angels and spirits. The Sadducees do not believe in such and are inclined to keep the status quo because the coming of the Messiah would alter the privileges they enjoyed. The Pharisees believed in fate and that a man’s life was planned and ordered by God. The Sadducees believed in unrestricted free-will.
But while both are poles apart in their beliefs, the Pharisees and the Sadducees hated Jesus who has succeeded in opening the hearts and minds of the people on the deviations and wrong interpretation of the Mosaic law that governed the religious life of the people at the time.
To sustain their non-belief in life after death, the Sadducees came up with this tricky question in this passage about who would be the husband of a woman who has been married to seven different men in the event the woman goes to heaven if ever there was a heaven. This query was based on the Jewish levitate law of marriage (Deut 25:5) and while this provision was no longer practiced in Jesus’ time the Sadducees still considered it as binding.
But Jesus demolished their non-belief in the resurrection when he cited Exo 3:1-6 with Moses saying: “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” With this response, Jesus simply showed that God could not have been the God of the dead which meant that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob must still be alive.
And the Scribes who gained expertise in the Mosaic law by going through years of special study of the Scriptures normally starting from the age of 14 until they reach 40 remarked: “Well said, teacher!” (v.33) And we know from other manuscripts that no one dared ask him any more question. There are some manuscripts that said the Scribe who asked Jesus this question later became his disciple.
What then is the message of this passage for us? Basically it tells us not to be concerned with where we are going because where we are going depends on where we will be coming from. It presupposes then that heaven which is our final should begin from where we are now because heaven is a continuation of our present life.
This will bring us back to the two greatest commandments that Jesus preached – love of God and neighbor (Matt 22:37-39) because “all the laws and the prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matt 22:40) This means that all of us can experience heaven in the here and now if we will only abide by these two commandments because love is the foundation of all those who now live in eternity with God.
There also shouldn’t be any doubt on our final leg as members of the pilgrim church because “the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who lives in you.” (Rom 8:11)
Again, each one of us can experience our own resurrection even from where we now stand because we who are dead to sin are being restored to life through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit that is in us but this will all depend on our belief and faith.
And John gives proof of this when he said: “I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.” (Jn 5:25)
The promise of eternal life, at time, is beyond our human capacity to understand because this is a privilege extended only by the power of God through the Holy Spirit and, what we can do to avail of our eternal inheritance is to live in the hope and joy of the age to come by believing in Jesus who tells us: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (Jn 11:25)
But somewhere along the road in our search for eternal life lies our temporal self that obscures our view of the eternal. Believing in fate and destiny, there will be among us who will subscribe to our own desires. Conscious of our homegrown talents we take to mind our being created in the image and likeness of God and we unknowingly overstep our limits as we begin to act like god following our human will rather than the Will of God.
Instead of being the catalyst for peace and unity, we could become purveyors of division and disunity when self-righteousness creeps in as it affects our relationships with others especially our decisions and judgments. This is why we must always be aware of the need for us to die to our sinful nature so that we can share in the resurrection of Christ.
This, however, is easier said than done because belief must go along with action (Jam 2:18-19) and that’s where resurrection starts.
TO BEAR THE FACE OF CHRIST IS OUR GOAL
JUNE 4, 2013: NINTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Tob 2:9-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 112:1-2, 7-9 “The heart of the just one is firm, trusting in the Lord.”
GOSPEL: MK 12:13-17
Key Verse: “to God what is God’s.” (v.17)
The Philippines is one of several countries in the world that allows its citizens to avail of dual citizenship. This provision was adopted as an incentive for Filipino migrants who have already acquired citizenship in their host countries to retain their Filipino citizenship without losing their citizenship in their adopted country.
The reason was simply to encourage Filipinos who have lived abroad for quite sometime to return to their native land and reacquire the privileges they used to enjoy as citizens of the Philippines. True enough, thousands of Filipinos who have made the United States their home did apply for and were granted dual citizenship. This restored their rights to acquire and own real estate properties, a right which they lost when they gave up their Filipino citizenship.
Similarly, everyone who confesses their allegiance to God and who believe they are created in the image and likeness of God and who in their hearts are convinced that they belong to the spiritual government established by God are also accorded a dual citizenship.
This is what Jesus pointed out in this Gospel passage today as his way of responding to the plan of the Pharisees to trap him and finally do away with him. Smarting from a series of public rebukes of their ungodly conduct, the Pharisees this time were joined by their erstwhile enemy the Herodians in their attempt to put Jesus on the spot.
This time the Pharisees and Herodians who are closely identified with Herod joined forces to trap Jesus by asking him “is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” (v.14) Indeed this was a pointed question because if Jesus says it was not right, the Herodians who are indebted to the Romans for allowing them to rule the country will report him to the Roman officials and have him arrested for being a rabble-rouser.
If, on the other hand, he will say it was right to pay taxes to the Roman government he will lose his credibility before the people who oppose the payment of taxes to a foreign government.
But Jesus, wise as he was, asked for a denarius and threw the question back to the Pharisees and the Herodians and asked them whose face was it that is stamped on the coin and they said: “Caesar’s.” And Jesus simply said “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” (v. 21) At this his inquisitors were left speechless so they left him and went away (v.22).
This Gospel may look simple to some but there is an underlying message in it that it ultimately becomes a pearl of great price as we unlock its hidden nuggets of wisdom. Jesus in this Gospel brings out the need for us to give to our civilian governments what is due them and to give to God what is God’s from the beginning.
This means that as we are required to pay our taxes which provides us with schools, medical services, infrastructure, employment and other forms of public services for our physical and temporal needs, we also need to give to God what is God’s, e.g., loving God and loving our neighbor, our devotion to the Sacraments, prayer and fasting, corporal works of mercy, developing our spiritual gifts, allowing the fruit of the Holy Spirit to be manifest in us. These are our spiritual infrastructure that we need to construct for us to establish and maintain a healthy relationship with Our God.
The message from this Gospel then is that every Christian has a dual citizenship. He is a citizen of the country of his origin but he is also a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven and we see this in Phi 3:20 “But our citizenship is in heaven.” What this means is that we have our temporal duties to comply but we also have our spiritual responsibilities that we need to fulfill.
Another message that Jesus wanted to impart was that as with the Denarius that has the image of Caesar in it, the face of every Christian can be likened to a coin on which is stamped the image of Christ. This brings us back to my favorite verse in the Scripture that is found in Gen 1:26 “let us create man in our own image and likeness.”
As such, not only do Christians have a dual citizenship but we can also claim to have a dual facial imprint. What our relatives, friends and others see is our facial features that were given to us as we were formed in our mothers’ womb.
But we also have been given our heavenly facial feature in which the image of God is stamped in us and the idea is to harmonize and conjoin these two facial imprints that what will surface ultimately as our dominant feature is the image of God in us.
As we go about our lives today, perhaps there is a need for us to stop once in a while and look at ourselves and see if the people whom we meet everyday can see the face of Jesus in the way we relate to one another, in what comes out of our lips, in the way we conduct ourselves, our attitude. Have we clothed ourselves with the humility of Christ or have we been influenced by the arrogance of the Pharisees.
Do we foster unity, peace and harmony in the workplace, in the civic organizations to which we belong, in the church or community that we serve or have we become the cause of disunity and division by our bias and prejudice towards others or by our overbearing conduct? What most people don’t know is that we need to define ourselves. If we do not, then expect that those around us will be the one to define us. We must realize that our public life must precede from our hidden life.
This is so because our lives are not our own but God’s. What the people see is what we are in a physical sense but that is not who we really are. Who we are lies deep inside us where our souls rest and it is there where we will find the real we – the image of God in us.
1st Reading: Tob 2:9-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 112:1-2, 7-9 “The heart of the just one is firm, trusting in the Lord.”
GOSPEL: MK 12:13-17
Key Verse: “to God what is God’s.” (v.17)
The Philippines is one of several countries in the world that allows its citizens to avail of dual citizenship. This provision was adopted as an incentive for Filipino migrants who have already acquired citizenship in their host countries to retain their Filipino citizenship without losing their citizenship in their adopted country.
The reason was simply to encourage Filipinos who have lived abroad for quite sometime to return to their native land and reacquire the privileges they used to enjoy as citizens of the Philippines. True enough, thousands of Filipinos who have made the United States their home did apply for and were granted dual citizenship. This restored their rights to acquire and own real estate properties, a right which they lost when they gave up their Filipino citizenship.
Similarly, everyone who confesses their allegiance to God and who believe they are created in the image and likeness of God and who in their hearts are convinced that they belong to the spiritual government established by God are also accorded a dual citizenship.
This is what Jesus pointed out in this Gospel passage today as his way of responding to the plan of the Pharisees to trap him and finally do away with him. Smarting from a series of public rebukes of their ungodly conduct, the Pharisees this time were joined by their erstwhile enemy the Herodians in their attempt to put Jesus on the spot.
This time the Pharisees and Herodians who are closely identified with Herod joined forces to trap Jesus by asking him “is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” (v.14) Indeed this was a pointed question because if Jesus says it was not right, the Herodians who are indebted to the Romans for allowing them to rule the country will report him to the Roman officials and have him arrested for being a rabble-rouser.
If, on the other hand, he will say it was right to pay taxes to the Roman government he will lose his credibility before the people who oppose the payment of taxes to a foreign government.
But Jesus, wise as he was, asked for a denarius and threw the question back to the Pharisees and the Herodians and asked them whose face was it that is stamped on the coin and they said: “Caesar’s.” And Jesus simply said “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” (v. 21) At this his inquisitors were left speechless so they left him and went away (v.22).
This Gospel may look simple to some but there is an underlying message in it that it ultimately becomes a pearl of great price as we unlock its hidden nuggets of wisdom. Jesus in this Gospel brings out the need for us to give to our civilian governments what is due them and to give to God what is God’s from the beginning.
This means that as we are required to pay our taxes which provides us with schools, medical services, infrastructure, employment and other forms of public services for our physical and temporal needs, we also need to give to God what is God’s, e.g., loving God and loving our neighbor, our devotion to the Sacraments, prayer and fasting, corporal works of mercy, developing our spiritual gifts, allowing the fruit of the Holy Spirit to be manifest in us. These are our spiritual infrastructure that we need to construct for us to establish and maintain a healthy relationship with Our God.
The message from this Gospel then is that every Christian has a dual citizenship. He is a citizen of the country of his origin but he is also a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven and we see this in Phi 3:20 “But our citizenship is in heaven.” What this means is that we have our temporal duties to comply but we also have our spiritual responsibilities that we need to fulfill.
Another message that Jesus wanted to impart was that as with the Denarius that has the image of Caesar in it, the face of every Christian can be likened to a coin on which is stamped the image of Christ. This brings us back to my favorite verse in the Scripture that is found in Gen 1:26 “let us create man in our own image and likeness.”
As such, not only do Christians have a dual citizenship but we can also claim to have a dual facial imprint. What our relatives, friends and others see is our facial features that were given to us as we were formed in our mothers’ womb.
But we also have been given our heavenly facial feature in which the image of God is stamped in us and the idea is to harmonize and conjoin these two facial imprints that what will surface ultimately as our dominant feature is the image of God in us.
As we go about our lives today, perhaps there is a need for us to stop once in a while and look at ourselves and see if the people whom we meet everyday can see the face of Jesus in the way we relate to one another, in what comes out of our lips, in the way we conduct ourselves, our attitude. Have we clothed ourselves with the humility of Christ or have we been influenced by the arrogance of the Pharisees.
Do we foster unity, peace and harmony in the workplace, in the civic organizations to which we belong, in the church or community that we serve or have we become the cause of disunity and division by our bias and prejudice towards others or by our overbearing conduct? What most people don’t know is that we need to define ourselves. If we do not, then expect that those around us will be the one to define us. We must realize that our public life must precede from our hidden life.
This is so because our lives are not our own but God’s. What the people see is what we are in a physical sense but that is not who we really are. Who we are lies deep inside us where our souls rest and it is there where we will find the real we – the image of God in us.
STAND FIRM ON THE CORNERSTONE
JUNE 3, 2013: NINTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Tob 1:3; 2:1-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 112:1-6 “Blessed the man who fears the Lord.”
GOSPEL: MK 12:1-12
Key Verse: The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone.” (v.10)
Farmers and those who work the land can easily relate to this parable since most agricultural farmers in the Philippines as with the vineyard owners depicted in this parable do not own their vineyards and the same is true for most farm tenants in the Philippines today.
I know this because I too own a rice farm in Laguna which is being tilled and worked on by my friend who receives 1/3 of the proceeds from the sale of palay that we harvest at least two times a year. This is one of three ways by which a farm or a vineyard can be operated. The other two ways is either to rent the vineyard or the farm or to get a fixed amount out of the harvest.
In my case, I pay for all the costs of the farm inputs including the grains or seeds that are to be planted and my caretaker merely watches over the farm to make sure that it is free from snails and to keep stray animals away.
The parable today speaks of the vineyard which is actually the nation of Israel and God is pictured as the vineyard owner. Here we see the generosity of God in providing for everything that vineyard workers will need to make their work easy. The tenants are the religious leaders of Israel. The messengers whom the owner sent and who were killed were the prophets sent by God to proclaim his kingdom. And the son whom the workers also killed was none other than Jesus himself.
In the same way, we can look at the world that God created for us as our vineyard. The Book of Genesis tells us that God provided everything that we need to live on this planet and this parable highlights how much God trusts us as he gave us the authority to “rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (Gen 1:28)
And while the parable speak of God’s patience who as the owner of the vineyard sent his messengers one after the other which was typical of his character in Deut 7:9 “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping is covenant of love to a thousand generations…,” it also tells us of his judgment when he took the vineyard from the tenants and gave it to others.
Similarly, we will also experience God’s judgment when he takes away from us the task that he gave us to do and there is a danger we may even suffer the consequences of “every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Matt 3:10)
Jesus in this parable may have been referring to the tenants as the religious leaders of Israel but he could also be referring to us on account of the rebellious spirit that is in us. As the religious leaders of Israel rejected Jesus and his teachings, we too stand accused of rejecting Jesus when we persist in living in sin which is a deliberate opposition to God.
As with the vineyard workers, God also gave us the freedom to live our lives the way we choose it. Some of us may have made use of our lives in the way that God wants, but as with the tenants we may also be wasting the gifts that God has given us to be productive and make something of their lives.
We could be wasting our gifts and not know it when we persist in following our own will rather than obey God’s Will. The Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ that we celebrated yesterday (June 2, 2013) should give us an idea of how we can use our gifts. When Jesus raised the five loaves and two fish, blessed these and distributed it to the 5,000 it gives us a preview of what a Church and or Community is all about.
It also means that as with Jesus we are not to leave anyone out but we are to live in communion with one another in peace, love and joy. If we are in positions of leadership it means serving as Jesus served with love, humility and obedience to the Father’s Will. There is no glory without the cross, thus we cannot possibly solve the problems we have in the community, ministry or apostolate by subscribing to division but by treating one another in love and divine justice.
In this parable, Jesus gives us a preview of his coming passion, death and resurrection when he spoke of the son of the vineyard owner being killed by the tenants. As with the religious leaders at that time and with some of us today, Jesus is still suffering rejection from those who rebel against the Will of God.
Because of the influence of the material world that we are in, we abuse the freedom that God gave us as we go about our own way unmindful of the way, the truth and the life that God wants us to live. And we remain oblivious to the fact that when we persist in our rebellion and disobedience to God we are actually declaring war on God and turning ourselves into his enemies.
What we are forgetting is that Jesus who is the stone and the rock of our faith whom the religious leaders have rejected is the same Lord who came to save us but whom we have also rejected because his ways are incompatible with the carefree lives that we want to pursue is the cornerstone of our salvation.
Jesus knew he would be rejected and killed but he also knew that the glory of resurrection and his ascension will spring from his being rejected. With his death on the cross which has conquered death and evil and, with the Holy Spirit dwelling in us following his ascension to heaven Jesus has poured out on us the many gifts that are available to us as with the tenants in the parable and he assures us that we will all bear fruit if we will only remain in him.
As he entrusts us with the tools to enable us to work in his vineyard – our Church and Community – he also enjoins us to “stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourself fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (1 Cor 15:58)
There is only one problem, however, and that is we cannot abuse the patience and generosity of the Lord. Despite the evil that the tenants showed, the Landlord sent his servants whom the tenants manhandled and some were killed until the Landlord sent his son and heir whom the tenants also put to death. And Jesus posed a question as to what will the owner of the vineyard and they answered “he will put those wretched men to a wretched death.” (vv.35-41).
Jesus ends the parable saying the Kingdom of God will be taken away from the unrepentant sinner, the stubborn, the unbeliever, those who will reject his Son and will be given to whom God’s Grace will flourish. That’s us don’t you think especially if we continue to wallow in sin.
As we go and preach the Good News, we will face trials, challenges and persecution but the victory is ours if we will stand firm on the cornerstone Himself - Jesus Christ!
1st Reading: Tob 1:3; 2:1-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 112:1-6 “Blessed the man who fears the Lord.”
GOSPEL: MK 12:1-12
Key Verse: The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone.” (v.10)
Farmers and those who work the land can easily relate to this parable since most agricultural farmers in the Philippines as with the vineyard owners depicted in this parable do not own their vineyards and the same is true for most farm tenants in the Philippines today.
I know this because I too own a rice farm in Laguna which is being tilled and worked on by my friend who receives 1/3 of the proceeds from the sale of palay that we harvest at least two times a year. This is one of three ways by which a farm or a vineyard can be operated. The other two ways is either to rent the vineyard or the farm or to get a fixed amount out of the harvest.
In my case, I pay for all the costs of the farm inputs including the grains or seeds that are to be planted and my caretaker merely watches over the farm to make sure that it is free from snails and to keep stray animals away.
The parable today speaks of the vineyard which is actually the nation of Israel and God is pictured as the vineyard owner. Here we see the generosity of God in providing for everything that vineyard workers will need to make their work easy. The tenants are the religious leaders of Israel. The messengers whom the owner sent and who were killed were the prophets sent by God to proclaim his kingdom. And the son whom the workers also killed was none other than Jesus himself.
In the same way, we can look at the world that God created for us as our vineyard. The Book of Genesis tells us that God provided everything that we need to live on this planet and this parable highlights how much God trusts us as he gave us the authority to “rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (Gen 1:28)
And while the parable speak of God’s patience who as the owner of the vineyard sent his messengers one after the other which was typical of his character in Deut 7:9 “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping is covenant of love to a thousand generations…,” it also tells us of his judgment when he took the vineyard from the tenants and gave it to others.
Similarly, we will also experience God’s judgment when he takes away from us the task that he gave us to do and there is a danger we may even suffer the consequences of “every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Matt 3:10)
Jesus in this parable may have been referring to the tenants as the religious leaders of Israel but he could also be referring to us on account of the rebellious spirit that is in us. As the religious leaders of Israel rejected Jesus and his teachings, we too stand accused of rejecting Jesus when we persist in living in sin which is a deliberate opposition to God.
As with the vineyard workers, God also gave us the freedom to live our lives the way we choose it. Some of us may have made use of our lives in the way that God wants, but as with the tenants we may also be wasting the gifts that God has given us to be productive and make something of their lives.
We could be wasting our gifts and not know it when we persist in following our own will rather than obey God’s Will. The Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ that we celebrated yesterday (June 2, 2013) should give us an idea of how we can use our gifts. When Jesus raised the five loaves and two fish, blessed these and distributed it to the 5,000 it gives us a preview of what a Church and or Community is all about.
It also means that as with Jesus we are not to leave anyone out but we are to live in communion with one another in peace, love and joy. If we are in positions of leadership it means serving as Jesus served with love, humility and obedience to the Father’s Will. There is no glory without the cross, thus we cannot possibly solve the problems we have in the community, ministry or apostolate by subscribing to division but by treating one another in love and divine justice.
In this parable, Jesus gives us a preview of his coming passion, death and resurrection when he spoke of the son of the vineyard owner being killed by the tenants. As with the religious leaders at that time and with some of us today, Jesus is still suffering rejection from those who rebel against the Will of God.
Because of the influence of the material world that we are in, we abuse the freedom that God gave us as we go about our own way unmindful of the way, the truth and the life that God wants us to live. And we remain oblivious to the fact that when we persist in our rebellion and disobedience to God we are actually declaring war on God and turning ourselves into his enemies.
What we are forgetting is that Jesus who is the stone and the rock of our faith whom the religious leaders have rejected is the same Lord who came to save us but whom we have also rejected because his ways are incompatible with the carefree lives that we want to pursue is the cornerstone of our salvation.
Jesus knew he would be rejected and killed but he also knew that the glory of resurrection and his ascension will spring from his being rejected. With his death on the cross which has conquered death and evil and, with the Holy Spirit dwelling in us following his ascension to heaven Jesus has poured out on us the many gifts that are available to us as with the tenants in the parable and he assures us that we will all bear fruit if we will only remain in him.
As he entrusts us with the tools to enable us to work in his vineyard – our Church and Community – he also enjoins us to “stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourself fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (1 Cor 15:58)
There is only one problem, however, and that is we cannot abuse the patience and generosity of the Lord. Despite the evil that the tenants showed, the Landlord sent his servants whom the tenants manhandled and some were killed until the Landlord sent his son and heir whom the tenants also put to death. And Jesus posed a question as to what will the owner of the vineyard and they answered “he will put those wretched men to a wretched death.” (vv.35-41).
Jesus ends the parable saying the Kingdom of God will be taken away from the unrepentant sinner, the stubborn, the unbeliever, those who will reject his Son and will be given to whom God’s Grace will flourish. That’s us don’t you think especially if we continue to wallow in sin.
As we go and preach the Good News, we will face trials, challenges and persecution but the victory is ours if we will stand firm on the cornerstone Himself - Jesus Christ!
SOLEMNITY OF THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST
JUNE 2, 2013: SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST
1st Reading: Gen 14:18-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 110:1-4 “You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.”
2nd Reading: 1 Cor 11:23-26
GOSPEL: Luke 9:11-17
Key Verse: “All ate and were filled.” (v.17)
This is another of the many parables that Jesus made and this is one of the miracles that is recorded in all of the four Gospels. That Jesus love to speak in parables is understandable for the people at that time were not aware that 2,500 years later the world will become a borderless environment where information flows from one end of the globe to the other with just a simple press of a button.
There is a purpose why Jesus chose to use parables as a medium for his preaching and teaching because a parable presents the truth in the form of a picture that all men can see and understand. Some of these parables are based on the existing culture and tradition in those days (e.g. Salt and Light, Parable of the Sower, etc.) while some were presented by Jesus in order that the people may be able to find the truth in them.
There are things that cannot be told to a person and for a person to know the truth he has to discover it himself and the truth that a person discovers will probably stay much more longer in his memory than if the truth was simply relayed to him.
And for us to understand the Theme for the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, we need to first understand what happened at the place where Jesus went apparently to release his grief upon learning of the death of John the Baptist.
But the crowd followed him and soon it turned into a multitude. Moved with compassion Jesus forgot about his intent to spend a few moments by himself to give vent to his grief as he instead addressed the needs of the crowd.
A very beautiful Bible translation of v.11 says: “and he welcomed them, spoke to them about the Kingdom of God, and healed those who needed to be cured.” This translation sums up not only what Jesus felt at the time but it provides us with a picture of the true nature and character of Christ. When Jesus welcomed them it clearly meant that compassion filled his entire being for the people who followed him such that there was nothing in his heart that did not translate to compassion.
Jesus wanted to spend a few moments of solace as he grieved over John’s death and he could have driven the crowd away but he did not. Instead he gave to the people what they needed. In this v.11, Jesus showed his Apostles the kind of sacrifice that awaits them when the time for them to go and make disciples of all nations. Here, Jesus showed the kind of character that every servant must have. A servant must be able and willing to sacrifice even his own time in the service of others.
Another truth in this miracle of the multiplication of the five loaves and two fish is the important role the Apostles will play and to a certain degree the role that we also are to play. To serve the needs of the more than 5,000 who have gathered to let the night pass, Jesus had to use his Apostles and other Disciples to distribute the food.
And this is the reality that we also face today. In order for the Good News to reach the ends of the world, Jesus has to use us because it is through us that the truth can be proclaimed.
What we also see in this miracle is not just the multiplication of the five loaves and two fish but the miracle of the transformation of the people from an uncaring type of people who are indifferent to the needs of their fellowmen to a multitude of Jews who have become generous to one another. But the people are not to be blamed for it was their culture to only fend for their family’s needs. To share it with a stranger would be a rarity in those times but they saw in Jesus the compassion to share with those who are hungry and without food.
More significant than the multiplication of the loaves and fish was the transformation that happened among the more than 5,000 gathered at the time. Jesus may have also used this occasion to give his Apostles and Disciples and the people who followed him a preview of the things to come.
When Jesus lifted up the five loaves and two fish and said a blessing, he would have partaken a slice of bread and maybe also a slice of the fish and handed these to his Disciples to be distributed. In effect, what this scenario represents is an advance screening of the Sacrament of the Eucharist in which we partake of the Body of Christ during the Mass.
As it was also improbable that each of the people gathered took one loaf of bread and one fish, what may have actually happened was that each only took a bite slice from the loaf of break and the fish that were being distributed but because these were blessed by Jesus, it partook of the nature of a spiritual food that was sufficient to fill the needs of the people.
More than anything else, Jesus showed that anything is possible when it is done in love. Love conquers all things and in this Gospel passage, Jesus gave the Apostles and Disciples a lesson of what love means.
When Jesus refused to drive away the people and instead responded to the cry of the people especially the sick and, when he used his power to multiply the five loaves and two fish, what Jesus showed was that love alone can change even self-centered men into becoming generous to others.
This is the same attitude that Jesus asks of anyone who will come and follow him. We are to share this same love that we received from Jesus so that others may also be blessed. In times when we may feel that what we give to Jesus may not be enough, this miracle of the five loaves and two fish assures us that whatever we give to him will be multiplied. The only thing we need to do is to share this same love to others for it is in sharing what we have received from Jesus that we align our lives to the Will and plan of God for us.
1st Reading: Gen 14:18-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 110:1-4 “You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.”
2nd Reading: 1 Cor 11:23-26
GOSPEL: Luke 9:11-17
Key Verse: “All ate and were filled.” (v.17)
This is another of the many parables that Jesus made and this is one of the miracles that is recorded in all of the four Gospels. That Jesus love to speak in parables is understandable for the people at that time were not aware that 2,500 years later the world will become a borderless environment where information flows from one end of the globe to the other with just a simple press of a button.
There is a purpose why Jesus chose to use parables as a medium for his preaching and teaching because a parable presents the truth in the form of a picture that all men can see and understand. Some of these parables are based on the existing culture and tradition in those days (e.g. Salt and Light, Parable of the Sower, etc.) while some were presented by Jesus in order that the people may be able to find the truth in them.
There are things that cannot be told to a person and for a person to know the truth he has to discover it himself and the truth that a person discovers will probably stay much more longer in his memory than if the truth was simply relayed to him.
And for us to understand the Theme for the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, we need to first understand what happened at the place where Jesus went apparently to release his grief upon learning of the death of John the Baptist.
But the crowd followed him and soon it turned into a multitude. Moved with compassion Jesus forgot about his intent to spend a few moments by himself to give vent to his grief as he instead addressed the needs of the crowd.
A very beautiful Bible translation of v.11 says: “and he welcomed them, spoke to them about the Kingdom of God, and healed those who needed to be cured.” This translation sums up not only what Jesus felt at the time but it provides us with a picture of the true nature and character of Christ. When Jesus welcomed them it clearly meant that compassion filled his entire being for the people who followed him such that there was nothing in his heart that did not translate to compassion.
Jesus wanted to spend a few moments of solace as he grieved over John’s death and he could have driven the crowd away but he did not. Instead he gave to the people what they needed. In this v.11, Jesus showed his Apostles the kind of sacrifice that awaits them when the time for them to go and make disciples of all nations. Here, Jesus showed the kind of character that every servant must have. A servant must be able and willing to sacrifice even his own time in the service of others.
Another truth in this miracle of the multiplication of the five loaves and two fish is the important role the Apostles will play and to a certain degree the role that we also are to play. To serve the needs of the more than 5,000 who have gathered to let the night pass, Jesus had to use his Apostles and other Disciples to distribute the food.
And this is the reality that we also face today. In order for the Good News to reach the ends of the world, Jesus has to use us because it is through us that the truth can be proclaimed.
What we also see in this miracle is not just the multiplication of the five loaves and two fish but the miracle of the transformation of the people from an uncaring type of people who are indifferent to the needs of their fellowmen to a multitude of Jews who have become generous to one another. But the people are not to be blamed for it was their culture to only fend for their family’s needs. To share it with a stranger would be a rarity in those times but they saw in Jesus the compassion to share with those who are hungry and without food.
More significant than the multiplication of the loaves and fish was the transformation that happened among the more than 5,000 gathered at the time. Jesus may have also used this occasion to give his Apostles and Disciples and the people who followed him a preview of the things to come.
When Jesus lifted up the five loaves and two fish and said a blessing, he would have partaken a slice of bread and maybe also a slice of the fish and handed these to his Disciples to be distributed. In effect, what this scenario represents is an advance screening of the Sacrament of the Eucharist in which we partake of the Body of Christ during the Mass.
As it was also improbable that each of the people gathered took one loaf of bread and one fish, what may have actually happened was that each only took a bite slice from the loaf of break and the fish that were being distributed but because these were blessed by Jesus, it partook of the nature of a spiritual food that was sufficient to fill the needs of the people.
More than anything else, Jesus showed that anything is possible when it is done in love. Love conquers all things and in this Gospel passage, Jesus gave the Apostles and Disciples a lesson of what love means.
When Jesus refused to drive away the people and instead responded to the cry of the people especially the sick and, when he used his power to multiply the five loaves and two fish, what Jesus showed was that love alone can change even self-centered men into becoming generous to others.
This is the same attitude that Jesus asks of anyone who will come and follow him. We are to share this same love that we received from Jesus so that others may also be blessed. In times when we may feel that what we give to Jesus may not be enough, this miracle of the five loaves and two fish assures us that whatever we give to him will be multiplied. The only thing we need to do is to share this same love to others for it is in sharing what we have received from Jesus that we align our lives to the Will and plan of God for us.
GOD IS THE AUTHORITY, NO OTHER
JUNE 1, 2013: EIGHTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Sir 51:12-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 19:8-11 "The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.”
GOSPEL: MK 11:27-33
Key Verse: “By what authority are you doing these things?” (v.28)
I have been taught in my early Catholic education and I have always believed since then that there are only two things that could keep me safely on the road to eternity, and these are: Obedience and Trust.
Obedience meaning that I will listen and obey everything that God tells me to do with no reservation whatsoever and, Trust which means that I will place my life entirely in the hands of God trusting him with all my mind and heart believing that He has a plan for me and that plan is that I may have life, life to the full.
In this Gospel reading today (June 1, 2013 – MK 11:27-33) we see the reason why the Jews missed a great opportunity to benefit from the eternal joy that Jesus promised because of their mistrust, unbelief, doubt and disobedience.
Rather than welcome Jesus and give him a chance to fulfill his divine mission, the Jews particularly the religious leaders took offense at Jesus because they could not accept the authority in the way he spoke during the times he addressed the Jews in the synagogue and elsewhere.
Where the religious leaders were coming from was understandable because if they would allow the teachings of Jesus to take root it would not only diminish but it will reverse everything that the Pharisees and Scribes have imposed on the people at the time.
We should remember that the Scribes and Pharisees have turned the Ten Commandments into thousands of laws and regulations that have become a burden to the people such that instead of making people pliant and subservient to God, most have become stiff-necked and unresponsive to the call to love God and neighbor.
This is the same with us and today we see organizations within the church and or community breaking up because of disobedience and mistrust to lawful authority not to mention the manipulation for selfish gain that usually take place.
St. Paul in his letter to the early Christian church in Rome said: “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.” (Rom 13:1-2)
In the same manner, the mission of Christ sometimes comes to a halt when those whom he has called would prefer not to listen to his call.
There have been times when those called heard but did not listen and the most common expression we hear in the church today is the phrase “beg off” which characterize the responses and attitude of those whom God has called to serve but who declined because they cannot place themselves under the authority of others.
This was what happened in the time of Jesus because the religious leaders could not imagine themselves accepting the authority of a carpenter’s son from Nazareth. In fact, the Jews at that time including Nathanael who would later also become a disciple even asked: “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” (Jn 1:46)
After Jesus cleansed the temple of the traders and money-changers the Jewish leaders question Jesus to trap him by asking him: “By what authority are you doing these things.” (v.28) This was a clever maneuver because if Jesus says his authority is divine they will charge him with blasphemy.
But Jesus seeing through this trap instead posed a question to the religious leaders and made their answer a condition for his answer and he said: “John’s baptism – was it from heaven or from men? Tell me!” (v.29) If they accepted John’s work as divine, they would be compelled to accept Jesus as the Messiah so they preferred to ignore the question because they were unwilling to face the truth.
The lesson for us here is that we must accept all the truths that Jesus has said and done because as disciples of Christ we are obliged to hold on to his teachings and it is only by keeping these teachings in our hearts that we “we will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (Jn 8:31)
And one of the things that have held back many inductees to the Christian faith is the promise of eternal life as it is the common understanding that eternal life is the reward that awaits those who will obey and trust God with their lives. Eternal life, however, is not just what we look forward to but it is something that we can live in the here and now and we can actually savor the fruits of eternal life by simply being at peace with God, with ourselves and with our neighbors as well.
This is where many Christians falter especially from among those in leadership positions especially when they begin to believe that they can usurp the authority of God in the way they exercise their functions and responsibilities.
The primary function of those in authority in a Christian setting is to promote peace and unity in the Church and not be the cause of division which usually happens when bias and prejudice take primacy over objectivity.
To be a Christian is not easy and nobody said it is. There will always be trials and challenges and at times our being disobedient is merely a ruse that provides us a cover to hide our real intent which is to avoid suffering. In other words, we have become so attached to the world around us that we are led to believe that the world can provide us the things we need in life.
Pope Benedict XVI once said that: “Being a Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty ideal, but an encounter with an event with a person who gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction.” This involves believing in the authority of Jesus and all the truths that he has proclaimed. What this means is that we allow these truths to lie at the core of our nature. Then and only then can we really say that eternal life is no longer a promise but a reality that we now live.
1st Reading: Sir 51:12-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 19:8-11 "The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.”
GOSPEL: MK 11:27-33
Key Verse: “By what authority are you doing these things?” (v.28)
I have been taught in my early Catholic education and I have always believed since then that there are only two things that could keep me safely on the road to eternity, and these are: Obedience and Trust.
Obedience meaning that I will listen and obey everything that God tells me to do with no reservation whatsoever and, Trust which means that I will place my life entirely in the hands of God trusting him with all my mind and heart believing that He has a plan for me and that plan is that I may have life, life to the full.
In this Gospel reading today (June 1, 2013 – MK 11:27-33) we see the reason why the Jews missed a great opportunity to benefit from the eternal joy that Jesus promised because of their mistrust, unbelief, doubt and disobedience.
Rather than welcome Jesus and give him a chance to fulfill his divine mission, the Jews particularly the religious leaders took offense at Jesus because they could not accept the authority in the way he spoke during the times he addressed the Jews in the synagogue and elsewhere.
Where the religious leaders were coming from was understandable because if they would allow the teachings of Jesus to take root it would not only diminish but it will reverse everything that the Pharisees and Scribes have imposed on the people at the time.
We should remember that the Scribes and Pharisees have turned the Ten Commandments into thousands of laws and regulations that have become a burden to the people such that instead of making people pliant and subservient to God, most have become stiff-necked and unresponsive to the call to love God and neighbor.
This is the same with us and today we see organizations within the church and or community breaking up because of disobedience and mistrust to lawful authority not to mention the manipulation for selfish gain that usually take place.
St. Paul in his letter to the early Christian church in Rome said: “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.” (Rom 13:1-2)
In the same manner, the mission of Christ sometimes comes to a halt when those whom he has called would prefer not to listen to his call.
There have been times when those called heard but did not listen and the most common expression we hear in the church today is the phrase “beg off” which characterize the responses and attitude of those whom God has called to serve but who declined because they cannot place themselves under the authority of others.
This was what happened in the time of Jesus because the religious leaders could not imagine themselves accepting the authority of a carpenter’s son from Nazareth. In fact, the Jews at that time including Nathanael who would later also become a disciple even asked: “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” (Jn 1:46)
After Jesus cleansed the temple of the traders and money-changers the Jewish leaders question Jesus to trap him by asking him: “By what authority are you doing these things.” (v.28) This was a clever maneuver because if Jesus says his authority is divine they will charge him with blasphemy.
But Jesus seeing through this trap instead posed a question to the religious leaders and made their answer a condition for his answer and he said: “John’s baptism – was it from heaven or from men? Tell me!” (v.29) If they accepted John’s work as divine, they would be compelled to accept Jesus as the Messiah so they preferred to ignore the question because they were unwilling to face the truth.
The lesson for us here is that we must accept all the truths that Jesus has said and done because as disciples of Christ we are obliged to hold on to his teachings and it is only by keeping these teachings in our hearts that we “we will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (Jn 8:31)
And one of the things that have held back many inductees to the Christian faith is the promise of eternal life as it is the common understanding that eternal life is the reward that awaits those who will obey and trust God with their lives. Eternal life, however, is not just what we look forward to but it is something that we can live in the here and now and we can actually savor the fruits of eternal life by simply being at peace with God, with ourselves and with our neighbors as well.
This is where many Christians falter especially from among those in leadership positions especially when they begin to believe that they can usurp the authority of God in the way they exercise their functions and responsibilities.
The primary function of those in authority in a Christian setting is to promote peace and unity in the Church and not be the cause of division which usually happens when bias and prejudice take primacy over objectivity.
To be a Christian is not easy and nobody said it is. There will always be trials and challenges and at times our being disobedient is merely a ruse that provides us a cover to hide our real intent which is to avoid suffering. In other words, we have become so attached to the world around us that we are led to believe that the world can provide us the things we need in life.
Pope Benedict XVI once said that: “Being a Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty ideal, but an encounter with an event with a person who gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction.” This involves believing in the authority of Jesus and all the truths that he has proclaimed. What this means is that we allow these truths to lie at the core of our nature. Then and only then can we really say that eternal life is no longer a promise but a reality that we now live.
THE VISITATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
MAY 31, 2013: THE VISITATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
1st Reading: Rom 12:9-16
Responsorial Psalm: Isa 12:2-6 “Among you is the great and holy one of Israel.”
GOSPEL: LK 1:39-56
Key Verse: “My soul glorifies the Lord.” (v.46)
The Gospel reading that we have today is probably one of the most moving passages in the Scriptures as it conveys at least two messages – one that spells out the blessedness of Mary the Mother of God which to some extent also influences our nature as having been blessed by God, and the other which speaks of the revolution that Mary may have initiated through her subservience to the Will of God.
That Mary was blessed can be seen in the way her cousin Elizabeth exclaimed upon seeing her: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” (v.42) and there shouldn’t be any doubt in our minds that Mary was indeed blessed from the time the angel Gabriel appeared to her and said: “Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women… Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. (Lk 1:28, 30)
What made Mary blessed was that the child that she will carry in her womb “shall be called the Son of God.” (Lk 1:35) And what sealed the glorious fate of the world was when Mary humbly and meekly responded: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.” (Lk 1:38)
Thus it follows that if Mary who is the Mother of the Church was blessed then we her children are also blessed especially for those who have responded to the call of discipleship and we can see this in St. Paul’s Letter to the church in Ephesus: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” (Eph 1:3-7)
But to be blessed by God carries certain responsibilities and for us the new Christian disciples that means responding positively to the call of Jesus to: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” (Mk 16:15) and Jesus promised that: “In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” (Mk 16:17-18)
Hence, there shouldn’t be any doubt in our minds that like Mary, we too are blessed and similarly as her blessedness became a sword that pierced her heart which came when her son Jesus was crucified, our own blessedness will invite trials and challenges because our Christian values are opposed to that of the world. This is the paradox of blessedness in that while it brings us joy we also cannot escape the sorrow that comes from the persecution we will face.
As to the second part of this Gospel reading we see Mary saying: “Magnificat anima mea Dominum” (v.46). This is the first line in the Latin language of what has been widely received as the prayer or the Canticle of Mary. This first line of the Magnificat as what Mary’s prayer is commonly called opens the heart of Mary for all men to see not just how she felt but the humility she possessed notwithstanding the blessing she received.
We must view the Magnificat in terms of the blessings that await those who will abandon themselves to divine providence like what Mary did. At the same time it should also serve as a warning to those who will persist in separating themselves from the love of God because the Magnificat speak of three types of life-changing scenarios: 1) It symbolizes a moral revolution within our souls as God “scatters the proud in their inmost thoughts” (v.51); (2) It also speaks of a social uprising when he “brings down rulers from their thrones but lifts up the humble” (v.52) and, (3) It partakes of an economic overhaul of the system when he “fills the hungry with good things and sends the rich away empty” (v.53).
In effect, the Magnificat is similar to what the Beatitudes is all about because Mary’s hymn of praise was not just about a song or a Canticle that we recite during the Liturgy of the Hours but it serves as a guide to which we pattern our lives to that which was proclaimed by God through Mary.
It actually warns us to be careful and “not to conform to this world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds” (Rom 12:2). We are to fear him and remain humble for “whoever humbles himself shall be exalted” (Matt 23:12). We are to feed those who are hungry because “blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they will be filled” (Matt 5:7).
And we end this reflection with the words of St. Ambrose who said: “Let Mary’s soul be in us to glorify the Lord; let her spirit be in us that we may rejoice in God our Savior.” There is no doubt from the foregoing that Mary deserves to be given not just an honorific title of being the blessed Mother of God but to be honored as such. And the question we need ask is not why do we honor Mary but why not? And it would be foolhardy for anyone not to honor the Mother of God without whose cooperation salvation would not have come into the world.
1st Reading: Rom 12:9-16
Responsorial Psalm: Isa 12:2-6 “Among you is the great and holy one of Israel.”
GOSPEL: LK 1:39-56
Key Verse: “My soul glorifies the Lord.” (v.46)
The Gospel reading that we have today is probably one of the most moving passages in the Scriptures as it conveys at least two messages – one that spells out the blessedness of Mary the Mother of God which to some extent also influences our nature as having been blessed by God, and the other which speaks of the revolution that Mary may have initiated through her subservience to the Will of God.
That Mary was blessed can be seen in the way her cousin Elizabeth exclaimed upon seeing her: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” (v.42) and there shouldn’t be any doubt in our minds that Mary was indeed blessed from the time the angel Gabriel appeared to her and said: “Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women… Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. (Lk 1:28, 30)
What made Mary blessed was that the child that she will carry in her womb “shall be called the Son of God.” (Lk 1:35) And what sealed the glorious fate of the world was when Mary humbly and meekly responded: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.” (Lk 1:38)
Thus it follows that if Mary who is the Mother of the Church was blessed then we her children are also blessed especially for those who have responded to the call of discipleship and we can see this in St. Paul’s Letter to the church in Ephesus: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” (Eph 1:3-7)
But to be blessed by God carries certain responsibilities and for us the new Christian disciples that means responding positively to the call of Jesus to: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” (Mk 16:15) and Jesus promised that: “In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” (Mk 16:17-18)
Hence, there shouldn’t be any doubt in our minds that like Mary, we too are blessed and similarly as her blessedness became a sword that pierced her heart which came when her son Jesus was crucified, our own blessedness will invite trials and challenges because our Christian values are opposed to that of the world. This is the paradox of blessedness in that while it brings us joy we also cannot escape the sorrow that comes from the persecution we will face.
As to the second part of this Gospel reading we see Mary saying: “Magnificat anima mea Dominum” (v.46). This is the first line in the Latin language of what has been widely received as the prayer or the Canticle of Mary. This first line of the Magnificat as what Mary’s prayer is commonly called opens the heart of Mary for all men to see not just how she felt but the humility she possessed notwithstanding the blessing she received.
We must view the Magnificat in terms of the blessings that await those who will abandon themselves to divine providence like what Mary did. At the same time it should also serve as a warning to those who will persist in separating themselves from the love of God because the Magnificat speak of three types of life-changing scenarios: 1) It symbolizes a moral revolution within our souls as God “scatters the proud in their inmost thoughts” (v.51); (2) It also speaks of a social uprising when he “brings down rulers from their thrones but lifts up the humble” (v.52) and, (3) It partakes of an economic overhaul of the system when he “fills the hungry with good things and sends the rich away empty” (v.53).
In effect, the Magnificat is similar to what the Beatitudes is all about because Mary’s hymn of praise was not just about a song or a Canticle that we recite during the Liturgy of the Hours but it serves as a guide to which we pattern our lives to that which was proclaimed by God through Mary.
It actually warns us to be careful and “not to conform to this world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds” (Rom 12:2). We are to fear him and remain humble for “whoever humbles himself shall be exalted” (Matt 23:12). We are to feed those who are hungry because “blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they will be filled” (Matt 5:7).
And we end this reflection with the words of St. Ambrose who said: “Let Mary’s soul be in us to glorify the Lord; let her spirit be in us that we may rejoice in God our Savior.” There is no doubt from the foregoing that Mary deserves to be given not just an honorific title of being the blessed Mother of God but to be honored as such. And the question we need ask is not why do we honor Mary but why not? And it would be foolhardy for anyone not to honor the Mother of God without whose cooperation salvation would not have come into the world.
SERVIAM!
MAY 30, 2013: EIGHTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Sir 42:15-25
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 33:2-9 “By the Word of the Lord the heavens were made.”
GOSPEL: MK 10:46-52
Key Verse: “What do you want me to do for you.” (v.51)
Was there a time in your life when you faced a once in a life-time opportunity that you knew you must not pass up? In today’s post-modern world there are times when we pass up opportunities because of the speed by which new opportunities are offered.
Take for instance the matter of electronic gadgets such as computers, peripherals, mobile cellular phones. Even before you can make up your mind on what to and what not to buy some new versions and models just sprout in the market turning your choice into a thing of the past.
Or was there a time when you needed to go for a medical check up and postponed it because you just could not turn your back from the profits you will rake in from a bullish market that would expand and enlarge your bank account until it was too late.
Such a moment came for a blind and destitute man, named Bartimaeus. The only difference was that he was determined to get near the one person who could meet his need and he just could not let this one-time opportunity slip by.
He knew who Jesus was and he had heard of his fame for healing, but until now he just had no means of making contact with the Son of David, a clear reference and title for the Messiah. It took a lot of "guts" and persistence for Bartimaeus to get the attention of Jesus over the din of a noisy throng who crowded around Jesus as he made his way out of town.
And we ask why was the crowd annoyed with the blind man's persistent shouts? Simply because Bartimaeus was disturbing their peace and interrupting Jesus' discourse. It was common for a rabbi to teach as he walked with others. Jesus was on his way to celebrate the Passover in Jerusalem and a band of pilgrims followed him. When the crowd tried to silence the blind man he overpowered them with his emotional outburst “Son of David, have mercy on me” (v.48) that caught the attention of Jesus.
This incident reveals something important about how God interacts with us. The blind man was determined to get Jesus' attention and he was persistent in the face of opposition. Jesus could have ignored or rebuffed him because he was disturbing his talk and his audience. Jesus showed that doing was more important than talking. This man was in desperate need and Jesus was ready, not only to empathize with his suffering, but to relieve it as well. A great speaker can command attention and respect, but people have more love for a man or woman with a helping hand and a big heart.
If you would only sit in a quiet place and reflect on the 14 statements contained in the closing message of the Synod of Bishops that was held at the Vatican last year, this scenario involving the healing of Bartimaeus is what the Church now plans to do in support of the New Evangelization program of the Church as it recognizes the growing secularism of society in the post-modern world.
The Synod of Bishops hopes that a new Church will emerge from the opportunities that are currently available that she cannot allow to pass or miss as with Jesus who did not allow the opportunity to let the grace of healing flow on Bartimaeus.
And when we digest the closing message drawn up by the Synod of Bishops what we see is an effort by the Church to cure the blindness of an highly-secularized society through The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith that is primarily rooted in a renewed encounter with the person of Jesus Christ through the Words in the Sacred Scriptures which is similar to the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well.
When Jesus heard Bartimaeus cry out “Son of David, have mercy on me.” (v.48) he turned around and he asked the blind man “What do you want me to do for you?” (v. 51) Jesus knew the man was blind but he still asked and perhaps the reason was that Jesus wanted the blind man to verbalize his faith. And this is the same with us and this is what the Church wants the lay faithful to do especially those who have drifted away from the mainstream of their faith.
What the Church is telling us now is that we all have an obligation to proclaim the Gospel of Christ to the world around us. To move from hereon, we need not invent new strategies as if the Gospel were a product to be placed in the market of religions. What the Church is saying is that we need to rediscover the ways in which Jesus approached persons and called them, in order to put them into practice in today's circumstances.
And salvation as what happened to the blind man in the Gospel today comes to those who have faith. When Jesus said: “Receive your sight, your faith has healed you.” (v.52) the blind man regained his sight and he praised God and became a disciple of Jesus. The crowd too praised God for the healing that took place. This event in essence is analogous to the kind of conversion that the Synod of Bishops said must take place in order for the Church to be renewed since the call to evangelization is a call to conversion.
There are at least three things that we need to dwell on to savor the beauty of this Gospel passage. These are: persistence, faith and gratitude. Jesus turned and responded not just because Bartimaeus recognized that Jesus was the Son of David but because he had persistence. He also had faith. And when he was healed, he expressed his gratitude by following Jesus and becoming his disciple.
Today even in the midst of the maddening crowd, there exists a one-time opportunity to encounter Christ. As with the persistent widow, the persistence of the blind man paid off and this should teach us that not only do we have to be persistent in our prayers but we should also not allow any opportunity to pass by without praying.
The other thing that stood out in this Gospel was how Jesus reacted. He stopped and turned around and ministered to the blind man. Here we see Jesus walking the talk. Jesus was simply showing that deeds are more important than words. While it was important for him to preach, it was far more important for him to put meaning into his words by ministering to the blind man.
This scenario could be likened to people on a boat shouting to someone who went overboard “we’ll throw you a line and hang on to it.” Jesus did not only threw a line but he dived into the water and rescued the blind man from the sea of darkness.
This Gospel should serve as a reminder for all of us that regardless of the situation we are in, Jesus will come to our aid whenever we call out to him with a persistent faith for this is the reason why he was sent – to serve and to save.
It would please God all the more when we follow him even if we still have to receive answers to our prayers. In other words, we should follow Jesus not because of the benefits that we can derive from him but because our obedience and loyalty are driven by our love for God and this same love is what will drive us to serve others when the need arises.
1st Reading: Sir 42:15-25
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 33:2-9 “By the Word of the Lord the heavens were made.”
GOSPEL: MK 10:46-52
Key Verse: “What do you want me to do for you.” (v.51)
Was there a time in your life when you faced a once in a life-time opportunity that you knew you must not pass up? In today’s post-modern world there are times when we pass up opportunities because of the speed by which new opportunities are offered.
Take for instance the matter of electronic gadgets such as computers, peripherals, mobile cellular phones. Even before you can make up your mind on what to and what not to buy some new versions and models just sprout in the market turning your choice into a thing of the past.
Or was there a time when you needed to go for a medical check up and postponed it because you just could not turn your back from the profits you will rake in from a bullish market that would expand and enlarge your bank account until it was too late.
Such a moment came for a blind and destitute man, named Bartimaeus. The only difference was that he was determined to get near the one person who could meet his need and he just could not let this one-time opportunity slip by.
He knew who Jesus was and he had heard of his fame for healing, but until now he just had no means of making contact with the Son of David, a clear reference and title for the Messiah. It took a lot of "guts" and persistence for Bartimaeus to get the attention of Jesus over the din of a noisy throng who crowded around Jesus as he made his way out of town.
And we ask why was the crowd annoyed with the blind man's persistent shouts? Simply because Bartimaeus was disturbing their peace and interrupting Jesus' discourse. It was common for a rabbi to teach as he walked with others. Jesus was on his way to celebrate the Passover in Jerusalem and a band of pilgrims followed him. When the crowd tried to silence the blind man he overpowered them with his emotional outburst “Son of David, have mercy on me” (v.48) that caught the attention of Jesus.
This incident reveals something important about how God interacts with us. The blind man was determined to get Jesus' attention and he was persistent in the face of opposition. Jesus could have ignored or rebuffed him because he was disturbing his talk and his audience. Jesus showed that doing was more important than talking. This man was in desperate need and Jesus was ready, not only to empathize with his suffering, but to relieve it as well. A great speaker can command attention and respect, but people have more love for a man or woman with a helping hand and a big heart.
If you would only sit in a quiet place and reflect on the 14 statements contained in the closing message of the Synod of Bishops that was held at the Vatican last year, this scenario involving the healing of Bartimaeus is what the Church now plans to do in support of the New Evangelization program of the Church as it recognizes the growing secularism of society in the post-modern world.
The Synod of Bishops hopes that a new Church will emerge from the opportunities that are currently available that she cannot allow to pass or miss as with Jesus who did not allow the opportunity to let the grace of healing flow on Bartimaeus.
And when we digest the closing message drawn up by the Synod of Bishops what we see is an effort by the Church to cure the blindness of an highly-secularized society through The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith that is primarily rooted in a renewed encounter with the person of Jesus Christ through the Words in the Sacred Scriptures which is similar to the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well.
When Jesus heard Bartimaeus cry out “Son of David, have mercy on me.” (v.48) he turned around and he asked the blind man “What do you want me to do for you?” (v. 51) Jesus knew the man was blind but he still asked and perhaps the reason was that Jesus wanted the blind man to verbalize his faith. And this is the same with us and this is what the Church wants the lay faithful to do especially those who have drifted away from the mainstream of their faith.
What the Church is telling us now is that we all have an obligation to proclaim the Gospel of Christ to the world around us. To move from hereon, we need not invent new strategies as if the Gospel were a product to be placed in the market of religions. What the Church is saying is that we need to rediscover the ways in which Jesus approached persons and called them, in order to put them into practice in today's circumstances.
And salvation as what happened to the blind man in the Gospel today comes to those who have faith. When Jesus said: “Receive your sight, your faith has healed you.” (v.52) the blind man regained his sight and he praised God and became a disciple of Jesus. The crowd too praised God for the healing that took place. This event in essence is analogous to the kind of conversion that the Synod of Bishops said must take place in order for the Church to be renewed since the call to evangelization is a call to conversion.
There are at least three things that we need to dwell on to savor the beauty of this Gospel passage. These are: persistence, faith and gratitude. Jesus turned and responded not just because Bartimaeus recognized that Jesus was the Son of David but because he had persistence. He also had faith. And when he was healed, he expressed his gratitude by following Jesus and becoming his disciple.
Today even in the midst of the maddening crowd, there exists a one-time opportunity to encounter Christ. As with the persistent widow, the persistence of the blind man paid off and this should teach us that not only do we have to be persistent in our prayers but we should also not allow any opportunity to pass by without praying.
The other thing that stood out in this Gospel was how Jesus reacted. He stopped and turned around and ministered to the blind man. Here we see Jesus walking the talk. Jesus was simply showing that deeds are more important than words. While it was important for him to preach, it was far more important for him to put meaning into his words by ministering to the blind man.
This scenario could be likened to people on a boat shouting to someone who went overboard “we’ll throw you a line and hang on to it.” Jesus did not only threw a line but he dived into the water and rescued the blind man from the sea of darkness.
This Gospel should serve as a reminder for all of us that regardless of the situation we are in, Jesus will come to our aid whenever we call out to him with a persistent faith for this is the reason why he was sent – to serve and to save.
It would please God all the more when we follow him even if we still have to receive answers to our prayers. In other words, we should follow Jesus not because of the benefits that we can derive from him but because our obedience and loyalty are driven by our love for God and this same love is what will drive us to serve others when the need arises.
AMBITION CORRUPTS THE SOUL
MAY 29, 2013: EIGHTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Sir 36:1, 4-5, 10-17
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 79:8, 9, 11, 13 “Show us, O Lord, the light of your kindness.”
GOSPEL: MK 10:32-45
Key Verse: “to give his life as a ransom for many.” (v.45)
Among other things ambition is defined as drive, motivation, determination, and desire. Ambition is something that we want to do with dogged persistence. It is that which we want to achieve, a goal that we want to reach and we expend all our energies to reach that objective.
In other words, ambition is that inner desire that directs all our efforts towards an end that we have set for ourselves. It could either be a career that we aspire for, a state in life where our material possessions symbolize success, the exercise of power and influence in both the temporal and or secular world.
And ambition was what nearly ruined the ministry that Jesus Christ has initiated when two of his disciples – James and John – were overcome by their personal ambition moved perhaps by their vision of a glorious scenario once victory was won and triumph was complete.
What was clear at this point was that James and John have completely misunderstood the mission of Jesus and were looking at Jesus as someone who was sent to save the Jews from enslavement by establishing his own kingdom. It showed how little they understood what Jesus has been telling them as they remained fixated at the idea of earthly power and glory.
The world has not exactly changed in the past 2,000 years because even up to now ambition has become a scourge to many especially if it is misdirected and aimed at achieving personal gain and not for the common good of all. We remain obsessed with wealth and fame believing that wealth is the be-all and the end-all of a comfortable life.
At times, we become engrossed with power and authority that we go to great lengths to influence mindsets to satisfy our desires and ambition to be on top, to be in control and we see this even in the secular setting. I have seen ministries and apostolates lose their fire as ambition sets in when leadership becomes proprietary and leaders try to perpetuate themselves in their positions.
Worst is when leaders themselves become the cause of division in the church and or community when they pit one group against another. Take for example a particular mission group within a community where I was invited to speak. And I was asked as to what they can do to address the disunity that has crept into their ranks. It appeared that this community organized a mission group to help the poor in their area and, for all intents and purposes, this group should operate under the stewardship of the leaders who have been anointed to lead that community.
However, the members of this mission group was apparently told by someone to ignore the leaders of that community and to report directly to him. What do you think happened to this Community? Your guess is as good as mine. What was once a united and vibrant community was reduced to almost nothing and it will take years of painstaking effort and love to bring in a revival in that community.
What happened to the members of the mission group and even to that person who was instrumental in sowing disunity in that community was that they were not aware of what following Jesus is all about. We see this in the way Jesus told his disciples: “The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” (vv.39-40)
Take for example another Charismatic Community with chapters in key cities in the Philippines some of which are now being rocked by the spirit of disunity that has crept into its ranks buoyed even by the politics of patronage practiced by some of the elders whose primary function is to sow unity and harmony rather than foist strife and division. It even came to a point when the pastoral head of this community bared that one of the leaders of that community would not have been chosen were it not for his patronage. Ambition, bias, lust for power, insatiable appetite to sit at the head table. These are some of the things that corrupt the soul and the Church as well.
It would be good that at this point in our spiritual journey that we begin to ponder on what kind of sacrifice does Jesus had in mind when he said we all must drink his cup if we expect to reign with him in his kingdom. Though his disciples were bewildered as to what Jesus meant and I’m sure that we too are as confused as the disciples, the cup that Jesus had in mind was a bitter one that involves crucifixion.
What then is the kind of cup that Jesus has in mind for us? For some disciples such a cup entails physical suffering and the painful struggle of martyrdom as Peter and the other Apostles have experienced except for John.
But for many of us, it’s all about enduring the hard discipline of the Christian life, with all its daily sacrifices, challenges, frustrations and disappointments, setbacks, struggles, and temptations. We as the new disciples of Christ must move from being armchair evangelists into being disciples who are ready to lay down his or her life in martyrdom and be ready to lay it down each and every day in the little and big sacrifices required of us.
The disciples were at a loss as to what Jesus was telling them yet in their bewilderment they followed him. Even if everything was vague to them there was one thing they had in common – they all loved Jesus and despite the doubt and apprehension they had they did not leave him. Actually, it is from the disciples that we will learn the essence of life and faith – that love can move us to accept what we could not understand.
An early Father of the Church summed up the teachings of Jesus as “to serve is to reign with Christ.” We share in God's reign by laying down our lives in humble service as Jesus did for our sake. Can we also do the same? To lay down our life to serve others as Jesus did?
1st Reading: Sir 36:1, 4-5, 10-17
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 79:8, 9, 11, 13 “Show us, O Lord, the light of your kindness.”
GOSPEL: MK 10:32-45
Key Verse: “to give his life as a ransom for many.” (v.45)
Among other things ambition is defined as drive, motivation, determination, and desire. Ambition is something that we want to do with dogged persistence. It is that which we want to achieve, a goal that we want to reach and we expend all our energies to reach that objective.
In other words, ambition is that inner desire that directs all our efforts towards an end that we have set for ourselves. It could either be a career that we aspire for, a state in life where our material possessions symbolize success, the exercise of power and influence in both the temporal and or secular world.
And ambition was what nearly ruined the ministry that Jesus Christ has initiated when two of his disciples – James and John – were overcome by their personal ambition moved perhaps by their vision of a glorious scenario once victory was won and triumph was complete.
What was clear at this point was that James and John have completely misunderstood the mission of Jesus and were looking at Jesus as someone who was sent to save the Jews from enslavement by establishing his own kingdom. It showed how little they understood what Jesus has been telling them as they remained fixated at the idea of earthly power and glory.
The world has not exactly changed in the past 2,000 years because even up to now ambition has become a scourge to many especially if it is misdirected and aimed at achieving personal gain and not for the common good of all. We remain obsessed with wealth and fame believing that wealth is the be-all and the end-all of a comfortable life.
At times, we become engrossed with power and authority that we go to great lengths to influence mindsets to satisfy our desires and ambition to be on top, to be in control and we see this even in the secular setting. I have seen ministries and apostolates lose their fire as ambition sets in when leadership becomes proprietary and leaders try to perpetuate themselves in their positions.
Worst is when leaders themselves become the cause of division in the church and or community when they pit one group against another. Take for example a particular mission group within a community where I was invited to speak. And I was asked as to what they can do to address the disunity that has crept into their ranks. It appeared that this community organized a mission group to help the poor in their area and, for all intents and purposes, this group should operate under the stewardship of the leaders who have been anointed to lead that community.
However, the members of this mission group was apparently told by someone to ignore the leaders of that community and to report directly to him. What do you think happened to this Community? Your guess is as good as mine. What was once a united and vibrant community was reduced to almost nothing and it will take years of painstaking effort and love to bring in a revival in that community.
What happened to the members of the mission group and even to that person who was instrumental in sowing disunity in that community was that they were not aware of what following Jesus is all about. We see this in the way Jesus told his disciples: “The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” (vv.39-40)
Take for example another Charismatic Community with chapters in key cities in the Philippines some of which are now being rocked by the spirit of disunity that has crept into its ranks buoyed even by the politics of patronage practiced by some of the elders whose primary function is to sow unity and harmony rather than foist strife and division. It even came to a point when the pastoral head of this community bared that one of the leaders of that community would not have been chosen were it not for his patronage. Ambition, bias, lust for power, insatiable appetite to sit at the head table. These are some of the things that corrupt the soul and the Church as well.
It would be good that at this point in our spiritual journey that we begin to ponder on what kind of sacrifice does Jesus had in mind when he said we all must drink his cup if we expect to reign with him in his kingdom. Though his disciples were bewildered as to what Jesus meant and I’m sure that we too are as confused as the disciples, the cup that Jesus had in mind was a bitter one that involves crucifixion.
What then is the kind of cup that Jesus has in mind for us? For some disciples such a cup entails physical suffering and the painful struggle of martyrdom as Peter and the other Apostles have experienced except for John.
But for many of us, it’s all about enduring the hard discipline of the Christian life, with all its daily sacrifices, challenges, frustrations and disappointments, setbacks, struggles, and temptations. We as the new disciples of Christ must move from being armchair evangelists into being disciples who are ready to lay down his or her life in martyrdom and be ready to lay it down each and every day in the little and big sacrifices required of us.
The disciples were at a loss as to what Jesus was telling them yet in their bewilderment they followed him. Even if everything was vague to them there was one thing they had in common – they all loved Jesus and despite the doubt and apprehension they had they did not leave him. Actually, it is from the disciples that we will learn the essence of life and faith – that love can move us to accept what we could not understand.
An early Father of the Church summed up the teachings of Jesus as “to serve is to reign with Christ.” We share in God's reign by laying down our lives in humble service as Jesus did for our sake. Can we also do the same? To lay down our life to serve others as Jesus did?
THE REWARD FOR OBEDIENCE
MAY 28, 2013: EIGHTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Sir 35:1-12
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 50:5-8, 14, 23 “To the upright I will show the saving power of God.”
GOSPEL: MK 10:28-31
Key Verse: “and last will be first.” (v.31)
Before anyone tries to find fault in Peter for asking what he can get out of his decision to follow Jesus Christ we must understand that this attitude is also the natural behavior that is present in many of us because we will not just give up anything without getting something in return especially if it will affect our comfort zones.
This was what Peter wanted to know in this Gospel passage today when he told Jesus “we have left everything to follow you.” (v.28) And it was just right for Peter and the other disciples to ask since they left everything behind for an objective that still wasn’t clear to them.
We could also surmise that Peter and his brother Andrew were not entirely poor for they were gainfully employed as fishermen and Peter was also a zealot – a group of Jewish men who have made it a vow to kill the Roman invaders at any given opportunity. So it was understandable that Peter wanted to be sure what they will get in exchange for what they will give up.
Aren’t we also like Peter especially in this material world that we live in? Don’t we normally adopt the quid pro quo process when we deal with others? Haven’t we become so caught up in this dog-eat-dog world that we aren’t going to part with something that we value if we aren’t going to get something of equal value? Don’t we at times subscribe to the dictum of I scratch your back, you scratch mine.
By this time Peter and the disciples have practically seen what Jesus can do and following the Transfiguration event they must have come to a conclusion that Jesus was indeed the Son of God who was prophesied to be the Messiah in the Old Testament and the disciples certainly would like to have a share of the glory when Jesus finally liberates the Jewish nation from captivity.
And what Jesus said was not only encouraging but it gave Peter and the other disciples the hope that their decision to give up everything and follow Jesus was not in vain. “I tell you the truth, no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in the present age.” (vv.29-30)
This was literally true especially in the early days of the Church when conversion to Christianity involved the loss of homes, friends and loved ones but their entry into the Christian church gave them a wider and bigger family than what they left behind, a family with whom they have a shared faith and spirituality.
What happened to Peter also happened to Paul who found the door of his own home closed and his own family disowning him. But in every city that he went to, Paul found a new home waiting for him and a family in Christ to welcome him and he testified as to how the mother of Rufus was like a mother to him (Rom 16:13) and Onesimus who became like a son to him (Phi 10).
Didn’t we experience the same thing when our family and friends found us weird especially after we have been baptized in the Holy Spirit. Gone were the inhibitions in the exercise of our faith as we began to sing and dance and raise our hands in our prayer meetings. As the veil of bias and prejudice that covered our eyes was removed we began to see more clearly and our lifestyle changed as we became more discerning.
Jesus in this Gospel passage today assures us that anyone who gives up something valuable for his sake will be repaid a hundred times over in his life, although not necessarily in the same way. And what may be turnoff was when Jesus included persecutions (v.30) as among the things we will receive if we decide to follow him.
This is so because the values of the world has dramatically changed over the years and those who seek status and importance today will have none in heaven and those who will humble themselves and see themselves as least are the ones who will be great in heaven (v.31).
The present condition of society which has been corrupted by misplaced values leads to confusion in the practice of our faith as it encourages men to pursue a dichotomous life. What we may not be aware of is that even if the final standard of judgment is with God, we may be writing our own epitaph if we persist in embracing these worldly values that are opposed to the values of Christ.
As we reflect on this Gospel reading for today, let us keep in mind the promise of Christ that those who will follow him will be amply rewarded: “and in the world to come they will have eternal life.” (v.31) The promise of an eternal life should actually move us to “deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow him.” (Lk 9:23)
We must bear in mind that we will not be judged by what we may have accomplished or achieved in our lifetime. We may have been involved in some projects that may have benefitted others especially the poor but are we motivated by our desire to really help alleviate the plight of the poor or just earn points for ourselves and look good in the eyes of the world.
This reading is actually a warning against pride and the need for us to really humble ourselves by acknowledging that we are nothing. This reminds me of some candidates who sought an elective office in the last elections and couldn’t come to grips with losing in the elections blaming their loss on electoral fraud. There may have been irregularities in the 2013 polls, some of them glaring, but the question we need ask is when did we in the Philippines have a clean and honest elections. The moment you stepped into the political arena you already knew the playing field is not as level as you would want it to be.
There is always a message behind every circumstance in our lives and losing in the elections could be a way of God speaking to your inner self and perhaps it is time to pick up the pieces and discern the message behind your electoral loss. At the end of the day, it’s not the why’s and the how’s that matter but God’s Will.
1st Reading: Sir 35:1-12
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 50:5-8, 14, 23 “To the upright I will show the saving power of God.”
GOSPEL: MK 10:28-31
Key Verse: “and last will be first.” (v.31)
Before anyone tries to find fault in Peter for asking what he can get out of his decision to follow Jesus Christ we must understand that this attitude is also the natural behavior that is present in many of us because we will not just give up anything without getting something in return especially if it will affect our comfort zones.
This was what Peter wanted to know in this Gospel passage today when he told Jesus “we have left everything to follow you.” (v.28) And it was just right for Peter and the other disciples to ask since they left everything behind for an objective that still wasn’t clear to them.
We could also surmise that Peter and his brother Andrew were not entirely poor for they were gainfully employed as fishermen and Peter was also a zealot – a group of Jewish men who have made it a vow to kill the Roman invaders at any given opportunity. So it was understandable that Peter wanted to be sure what they will get in exchange for what they will give up.
Aren’t we also like Peter especially in this material world that we live in? Don’t we normally adopt the quid pro quo process when we deal with others? Haven’t we become so caught up in this dog-eat-dog world that we aren’t going to part with something that we value if we aren’t going to get something of equal value? Don’t we at times subscribe to the dictum of I scratch your back, you scratch mine.
By this time Peter and the disciples have practically seen what Jesus can do and following the Transfiguration event they must have come to a conclusion that Jesus was indeed the Son of God who was prophesied to be the Messiah in the Old Testament and the disciples certainly would like to have a share of the glory when Jesus finally liberates the Jewish nation from captivity.
And what Jesus said was not only encouraging but it gave Peter and the other disciples the hope that their decision to give up everything and follow Jesus was not in vain. “I tell you the truth, no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in the present age.” (vv.29-30)
This was literally true especially in the early days of the Church when conversion to Christianity involved the loss of homes, friends and loved ones but their entry into the Christian church gave them a wider and bigger family than what they left behind, a family with whom they have a shared faith and spirituality.
What happened to Peter also happened to Paul who found the door of his own home closed and his own family disowning him. But in every city that he went to, Paul found a new home waiting for him and a family in Christ to welcome him and he testified as to how the mother of Rufus was like a mother to him (Rom 16:13) and Onesimus who became like a son to him (Phi 10).
Didn’t we experience the same thing when our family and friends found us weird especially after we have been baptized in the Holy Spirit. Gone were the inhibitions in the exercise of our faith as we began to sing and dance and raise our hands in our prayer meetings. As the veil of bias and prejudice that covered our eyes was removed we began to see more clearly and our lifestyle changed as we became more discerning.
Jesus in this Gospel passage today assures us that anyone who gives up something valuable for his sake will be repaid a hundred times over in his life, although not necessarily in the same way. And what may be turnoff was when Jesus included persecutions (v.30) as among the things we will receive if we decide to follow him.
This is so because the values of the world has dramatically changed over the years and those who seek status and importance today will have none in heaven and those who will humble themselves and see themselves as least are the ones who will be great in heaven (v.31).
The present condition of society which has been corrupted by misplaced values leads to confusion in the practice of our faith as it encourages men to pursue a dichotomous life. What we may not be aware of is that even if the final standard of judgment is with God, we may be writing our own epitaph if we persist in embracing these worldly values that are opposed to the values of Christ.
As we reflect on this Gospel reading for today, let us keep in mind the promise of Christ that those who will follow him will be amply rewarded: “and in the world to come they will have eternal life.” (v.31) The promise of an eternal life should actually move us to “deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow him.” (Lk 9:23)
We must bear in mind that we will not be judged by what we may have accomplished or achieved in our lifetime. We may have been involved in some projects that may have benefitted others especially the poor but are we motivated by our desire to really help alleviate the plight of the poor or just earn points for ourselves and look good in the eyes of the world.
This reading is actually a warning against pride and the need for us to really humble ourselves by acknowledging that we are nothing. This reminds me of some candidates who sought an elective office in the last elections and couldn’t come to grips with losing in the elections blaming their loss on electoral fraud. There may have been irregularities in the 2013 polls, some of them glaring, but the question we need ask is when did we in the Philippines have a clean and honest elections. The moment you stepped into the political arena you already knew the playing field is not as level as you would want it to be.
There is always a message behind every circumstance in our lives and losing in the elections could be a way of God speaking to your inner self and perhaps it is time to pick up the pieces and discern the message behind your electoral loss. At the end of the day, it’s not the why’s and the how’s that matter but God’s Will.
THE NARROW GATE TO SALVATION
MAY 27, 2013: EIGHTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Sir 17:20-24
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 32:1-2, 5-7 “Let the just exult and rejoice in the Lord.”
GOSPEL: MK 10:17-27
Key Verse: “You will have great treasure in heaven.” (v.21)
There is more to this Gospel reading than what Jesus said to the rich young man: “And Jesus looking upon him loved him, and said to him, "You lack one thing; go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” (v.21)
What Jesus said was definitely a turn off not only for the rich young man depicted in this passage but even for us in the 21st century because it is not that easy to just give up something we have worked for in our life. For many of us in the here and now, the purpose of education is to eke out a living not only for us but also for our family.
We look at having a good education as an insurance towards a flourishing career, a business perhaps and out of these will come the fruits such as a house, cars, travel, branded clothes, jewelries and all the perks of what a good life is.
And we are no different from the young man in this Gospel passage. He was apparently young, well-mannered and educated and seemingly well-off for he was portrayed as a rich young man. There was no doubt he was honest and above reproach because he told Jesus: “Teacher, I have observed all the commandments from my youth. I have not killed anyone, I have not committed adultery, I have not stolen from anyone, nor did I bear false witness against anyone. I have also honored my father and mother.” (vv.19-20)
He was a man who had everything but there was something he was looking for. There was something he hungered for. Basically this is the same with us. Don’t we often hear people say “been there, done that.”
And in this age of package tours and discounted travel opportunities, we see young people shuttling to and from tourist destinations whenever they get the chance. Spas are filled on weekends with young junior executives who just want to relax after the hustle and bustle of the week as competition had become so fierce that it puts pressure on these young people. And the question is “are they happy?”
We will most certainly draw varied responses if we dare ask that question. Some will say they are happy and some will definitely say they are not fulfilled. And somewhere down the line, there will be some who may have accomplished what they have worked and yet will remain in search of that joy that will never end just as this young man did.
Do not, however, conclude that Jesus condemns wealth because he doesn’t and will never do nor does the Scripture condemn the accumulation of wealth but Jesus on several instances told the people to be aware of the lure of wealth (Mk 4:19) and he also warned that no one can serve both God and money (Matt 6:24).
So we should view this Gospel passage as an advisory that should serve as a guide whenever we reach the point when our possessions can only bring us to a certain point. Having the means to enjoy life will give us momentary happiness but as we long for that eternal joy we will realize that even our wealth is not enough to acquire eternity and at some point in time we will also ask “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (v.17)
And Jesus’s response will still be the same – there’s nothing you can do as only God can give eternal life (v.27). There are many rich young men today and many have also acquired sizeable assets. We see homes with imported furnishings and fixtures. I have been to a home where the wash basins at the bathrooms were made out of lapis lazuli and gold-filled faucets.
As with this rich young man in the Gospel, Jesus will challenge us to detach from our possessions and make God our one true possession and treasure. As God Himself is the greatest treasure we can ever have, Jesus wants the rich young man and he is also wants us now to give up everything in our hearts and replace it with God who should be the only treasure in our hearts.
Selling all that we have could mean many different things – letting go of attachments, friendships, influences, jobs, entertainments, styles of life and even the way we deal with others especially if these are opposed to Christian values – anything that might stand in the way of our loving God first and foremost in our lives and giving him the best we can with our time, resources, gifts, and service.
“And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” (v.23) and his disciples were amazed because he reversed the common Jewish belief that prosperity was a symbol of a good man because God rewards good with prosperity. What Jesus meant was that men who are attached to their wealth and possession tend to fix their interests to this world as it makes them think of everything in terms of price and costs and not in terms of value.
Jesus clearly wanted to convert the young man’s mindset as he probably wanted to use him in his ministry but when Jesus told him to give up everything he had, the rich young man “went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.” (v.22)
It is sad that there are many in today’s day and age who are still struggling to choose the way they should go and what is worst there are those who pursue a parallel path – serving God and satisfying their own egos and pride. What these people who live a dichotomous life don’t know is that somewhere along the line these two cultures will clash and it will put them in a position where they will have to choose which culture they will embrace.
In what is yet another great paradox, Jesus is telling us in this Gospel today that we can lose what we keep and we gain what we give away. Generosity will be amply repaid, both in this life and in eternity (Prov 3:9-10, Luke 6:38) and what Jesus is offering us in today’s Gospel is an incomparable treasure in exchange for our generosity in surrendering and giving up all our possessions that do not have any value in God’s Kingdom.
What should ring clear in today’s Gospel is that the man who trusts in himself and in his possessions can never be saved as it is only the man who trusts in the saving power and redeeming love of God who can enter the Kingdom of God and enjoy the eternity that comes from putting God at the center of our lives.
1st Reading: Sir 17:20-24
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 32:1-2, 5-7 “Let the just exult and rejoice in the Lord.”
GOSPEL: MK 10:17-27
Key Verse: “You will have great treasure in heaven.” (v.21)
There is more to this Gospel reading than what Jesus said to the rich young man: “And Jesus looking upon him loved him, and said to him, "You lack one thing; go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” (v.21)
What Jesus said was definitely a turn off not only for the rich young man depicted in this passage but even for us in the 21st century because it is not that easy to just give up something we have worked for in our life. For many of us in the here and now, the purpose of education is to eke out a living not only for us but also for our family.
We look at having a good education as an insurance towards a flourishing career, a business perhaps and out of these will come the fruits such as a house, cars, travel, branded clothes, jewelries and all the perks of what a good life is.
And we are no different from the young man in this Gospel passage. He was apparently young, well-mannered and educated and seemingly well-off for he was portrayed as a rich young man. There was no doubt he was honest and above reproach because he told Jesus: “Teacher, I have observed all the commandments from my youth. I have not killed anyone, I have not committed adultery, I have not stolen from anyone, nor did I bear false witness against anyone. I have also honored my father and mother.” (vv.19-20)
He was a man who had everything but there was something he was looking for. There was something he hungered for. Basically this is the same with us. Don’t we often hear people say “been there, done that.”
And in this age of package tours and discounted travel opportunities, we see young people shuttling to and from tourist destinations whenever they get the chance. Spas are filled on weekends with young junior executives who just want to relax after the hustle and bustle of the week as competition had become so fierce that it puts pressure on these young people. And the question is “are they happy?”
We will most certainly draw varied responses if we dare ask that question. Some will say they are happy and some will definitely say they are not fulfilled. And somewhere down the line, there will be some who may have accomplished what they have worked and yet will remain in search of that joy that will never end just as this young man did.
Do not, however, conclude that Jesus condemns wealth because he doesn’t and will never do nor does the Scripture condemn the accumulation of wealth but Jesus on several instances told the people to be aware of the lure of wealth (Mk 4:19) and he also warned that no one can serve both God and money (Matt 6:24).
So we should view this Gospel passage as an advisory that should serve as a guide whenever we reach the point when our possessions can only bring us to a certain point. Having the means to enjoy life will give us momentary happiness but as we long for that eternal joy we will realize that even our wealth is not enough to acquire eternity and at some point in time we will also ask “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (v.17)
And Jesus’s response will still be the same – there’s nothing you can do as only God can give eternal life (v.27). There are many rich young men today and many have also acquired sizeable assets. We see homes with imported furnishings and fixtures. I have been to a home where the wash basins at the bathrooms were made out of lapis lazuli and gold-filled faucets.
As with this rich young man in the Gospel, Jesus will challenge us to detach from our possessions and make God our one true possession and treasure. As God Himself is the greatest treasure we can ever have, Jesus wants the rich young man and he is also wants us now to give up everything in our hearts and replace it with God who should be the only treasure in our hearts.
Selling all that we have could mean many different things – letting go of attachments, friendships, influences, jobs, entertainments, styles of life and even the way we deal with others especially if these are opposed to Christian values – anything that might stand in the way of our loving God first and foremost in our lives and giving him the best we can with our time, resources, gifts, and service.
“And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” (v.23) and his disciples were amazed because he reversed the common Jewish belief that prosperity was a symbol of a good man because God rewards good with prosperity. What Jesus meant was that men who are attached to their wealth and possession tend to fix their interests to this world as it makes them think of everything in terms of price and costs and not in terms of value.
Jesus clearly wanted to convert the young man’s mindset as he probably wanted to use him in his ministry but when Jesus told him to give up everything he had, the rich young man “went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.” (v.22)
It is sad that there are many in today’s day and age who are still struggling to choose the way they should go and what is worst there are those who pursue a parallel path – serving God and satisfying their own egos and pride. What these people who live a dichotomous life don’t know is that somewhere along the line these two cultures will clash and it will put them in a position where they will have to choose which culture they will embrace.
In what is yet another great paradox, Jesus is telling us in this Gospel today that we can lose what we keep and we gain what we give away. Generosity will be amply repaid, both in this life and in eternity (Prov 3:9-10, Luke 6:38) and what Jesus is offering us in today’s Gospel is an incomparable treasure in exchange for our generosity in surrendering and giving up all our possessions that do not have any value in God’s Kingdom.
What should ring clear in today’s Gospel is that the man who trusts in himself and in his possessions can never be saved as it is only the man who trusts in the saving power and redeeming love of God who can enter the Kingdom of God and enjoy the eternity that comes from putting God at the center of our lives.
PURVEYOR OF TRUTH
MAY 26: SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY
1st Reading: Pro 8:22-31
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 8:4-9 “O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth.”
2nd Reading: Ro 5:1-5
GOSPEL: JN 16:12-15
Key Verse: “he will declare to you the things
that are to come.” (v.13)
Truth is described in the dictionary as fact or reality and truth is something that we do not create nor is it something that came out of what we discovered. Truth is something that has been there all along and we can’t change the circumstance of what the truth is. In other words, truth is something we can’t change. It’s either we accept truth as it is or we ignore it.
Today, the people in the Philippines are in search for the truth relative to the outcome of the just concluded electoral exercise. Though the winners have already been proclaimed by the poll body including the 12 Senators, the authenticity of the results of the senatorial elections have been clouded with doubt and as the days pass the truth seems elusive as ever. On the other hand, it is also possible that the truth is already there staring us in the eye but which some people just couldn’t accept it yet.
As man was created by God to possess all the faculties that would provide him with the opportunity to live life to its fullest potential, man is also in possession with the gift to discern the truths that he needs to know for himself the purpose and meaning of life and it should not surprise us to see man expending all his energies to know the truth.
In the spiritual realm we are in, the transmission of truth is usually referred to as “revelation” and this Gospel passage today shows us how we can grasp the truths concerning our faith and the role of the Holy Spirit whom Jesus Christ pointed to not only as the harbinger of truth but someone who will move in us and give us the power to know and accept the Words of Jesus as truth.
This passage should also end all arguments about the Third Person of the Trinity because it is as clear as day that Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as a person when he said: “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” (v.13)
Many including those who call themselves Christians find themselves living a roller-coaster life and the only plausible explanation is because they may have taken the Holy Spirit for granted and we can’t fault them for that because it is difficult at times to regard the Holy Spirit who is a Spirit as a person and it would take tons of faith to look at the Holy Spirit as a person.
But if Jesus Christ defers to the Holy Spirit as a person, need we do otherwise. This is actually the first truth or revelation that we see and which we must accept from this Gospel passage – that the Holy Spirit is the one who will guide us to all the truths we need to know that we may know the purpose for why we were created and the meaning of life.
There is also something very important that we all need to come to grips in today’s Gospel and this is when Jesus said: “he will declare to you the things that are to come.” (v.13) in reference to what the Holy Spirit can do among other things. This is relatively important because if the Holy Spirit is going to reveal to us things and events that are yet to come, it means that there is no end to what God is going to reveal to us in our lifetime.
The most common mistake that people make is to equate revelation to what the Scriptures say (Sola Scriptura) but what we should not forget is that when Jesus said the Holy Spirit will declare the things that are to come it means that the truths about God will be revealed to us based on our capacity to understand and comprehend these truths.
And the reason why some people fear or would not care to listen to the truths about God is because of their apprehensions it would inhibit their freedom to think and act. But Jesus Himself said “the truth will set you free” (Jn 8:32) and so we must look at these truths objectively because these revelations do not come from the Holy Spirit but which the Spirit only takes from Jesus Christ and declare it to us (v.14).
These truths are what will free us from doubts, anxiety, unbelief and fears and when we accept these truths the more predisposed we will be to listen to His Word and our obedience is what brings us to a deeper knowledge of God and it is when we come to know Him more that we will also come to know the plan of God for us.
When Jesus told his disciples the Holy Spirit will reveal the things that are yet to come, it also means it will be the Holy Spirit who will guide them in their mission and, comfort them when they are faced with persecution as they testify in his behalf.
In like manner, it is the Holy Spirit in whom we can rely on for help as we also set out in our own mission as witnesses. It is through the gift of the Holy Spirit that is poured out in our community of faith and it is this gift that equips and empowers us to proclaim the truths about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
By the same token, it is also by the power of the Holy Spirit that enables us to speak boldly about what Christ has done for us and how we too have been crucified with Him on the cross and how we also have been resurrected and given new life (2 Cor 5:14).
Though it may also be a gift from God, faith will not grow without any effort on our part. This means that for faith to grow in us we have to work on it which means we have to truly believe the truths that have been revealed to us and are being revealed to us each day.
If at all, it will serve us well to know that not only do we have the same faith given to the Apostles but we also have the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead.
1st Reading: Pro 8:22-31
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 8:4-9 “O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth.”
2nd Reading: Ro 5:1-5
GOSPEL: JN 16:12-15
Key Verse: “he will declare to you the things
that are to come.” (v.13)
Truth is described in the dictionary as fact or reality and truth is something that we do not create nor is it something that came out of what we discovered. Truth is something that has been there all along and we can’t change the circumstance of what the truth is. In other words, truth is something we can’t change. It’s either we accept truth as it is or we ignore it.
Today, the people in the Philippines are in search for the truth relative to the outcome of the just concluded electoral exercise. Though the winners have already been proclaimed by the poll body including the 12 Senators, the authenticity of the results of the senatorial elections have been clouded with doubt and as the days pass the truth seems elusive as ever. On the other hand, it is also possible that the truth is already there staring us in the eye but which some people just couldn’t accept it yet.
As man was created by God to possess all the faculties that would provide him with the opportunity to live life to its fullest potential, man is also in possession with the gift to discern the truths that he needs to know for himself the purpose and meaning of life and it should not surprise us to see man expending all his energies to know the truth.
In the spiritual realm we are in, the transmission of truth is usually referred to as “revelation” and this Gospel passage today shows us how we can grasp the truths concerning our faith and the role of the Holy Spirit whom Jesus Christ pointed to not only as the harbinger of truth but someone who will move in us and give us the power to know and accept the Words of Jesus as truth.
This passage should also end all arguments about the Third Person of the Trinity because it is as clear as day that Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as a person when he said: “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” (v.13)
Many including those who call themselves Christians find themselves living a roller-coaster life and the only plausible explanation is because they may have taken the Holy Spirit for granted and we can’t fault them for that because it is difficult at times to regard the Holy Spirit who is a Spirit as a person and it would take tons of faith to look at the Holy Spirit as a person.
But if Jesus Christ defers to the Holy Spirit as a person, need we do otherwise. This is actually the first truth or revelation that we see and which we must accept from this Gospel passage – that the Holy Spirit is the one who will guide us to all the truths we need to know that we may know the purpose for why we were created and the meaning of life.
There is also something very important that we all need to come to grips in today’s Gospel and this is when Jesus said: “he will declare to you the things that are to come.” (v.13) in reference to what the Holy Spirit can do among other things. This is relatively important because if the Holy Spirit is going to reveal to us things and events that are yet to come, it means that there is no end to what God is going to reveal to us in our lifetime.
The most common mistake that people make is to equate revelation to what the Scriptures say (Sola Scriptura) but what we should not forget is that when Jesus said the Holy Spirit will declare the things that are to come it means that the truths about God will be revealed to us based on our capacity to understand and comprehend these truths.
And the reason why some people fear or would not care to listen to the truths about God is because of their apprehensions it would inhibit their freedom to think and act. But Jesus Himself said “the truth will set you free” (Jn 8:32) and so we must look at these truths objectively because these revelations do not come from the Holy Spirit but which the Spirit only takes from Jesus Christ and declare it to us (v.14).
These truths are what will free us from doubts, anxiety, unbelief and fears and when we accept these truths the more predisposed we will be to listen to His Word and our obedience is what brings us to a deeper knowledge of God and it is when we come to know Him more that we will also come to know the plan of God for us.
When Jesus told his disciples the Holy Spirit will reveal the things that are yet to come, it also means it will be the Holy Spirit who will guide them in their mission and, comfort them when they are faced with persecution as they testify in his behalf.
In like manner, it is the Holy Spirit in whom we can rely on for help as we also set out in our own mission as witnesses. It is through the gift of the Holy Spirit that is poured out in our community of faith and it is this gift that equips and empowers us to proclaim the truths about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
By the same token, it is also by the power of the Holy Spirit that enables us to speak boldly about what Christ has done for us and how we too have been crucified with Him on the cross and how we also have been resurrected and given new life (2 Cor 5:14).
Though it may also be a gift from God, faith will not grow without any effort on our part. This means that for faith to grow in us we have to work on it which means we have to truly believe the truths that have been revealed to us and are being revealed to us each day.
If at all, it will serve us well to know that not only do we have the same faith given to the Apostles but we also have the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead.
LET THE CHILDREN COME TO ME
MAY 25, 2013: SEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Sir 17:1-15
Responsorial Psalm: PSA 103:13-18 “The Lord’s kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.”
GOSPEL: MK 10:13-16
Key Verse: ‘Let the children come to me!” (v.14)
This to me is one of the most heartrending passage in the Scriptures because it shows the kind of compassion Jesus has for the people regardless of social standing and or to a certain extent their ages as with the little children in the Gospel.
The arrogance his disciples displayed on those who brought their children along should by no means be interpreted as their true nature for they were probably just being protective of Jesus.
Tired from their constant traveling from one town to another, the disciples definitely are most concerned with the comfort of Jesus as well as his security for there is by now a growing opposition to Jesus whose teachings do not sit well with the Pharisees.
But on this occasion, there were those who brought their children along and though they do not as yet believe in Jesus as the Son of God they nevertheless are drawn by the news of the healing miracles that he performed and this is probably the reason they wanted Jesus to touch their children.
We have also heard Jesus in Matt 18:3-4 when he cautioned his disciples to clothe themselves with the humility of a child whom Jesus called as the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
It is in this context that Jesus motioned to his disciples to bring the children to him and not hinder them “for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as they are.” And Mark wrote that he laid hands on the children and blessed them.
Again, there is a tendency we could be misled when reading passages referring to children such as this one because during the time of Jesus, even the adults who are undergoing training and or are spending time as disciples of the Rabbis are generally regarded as children. Conversely, even in this present age catechumens or those who are being indoctrinated into the Christian faith are also referred to as children.
As such, there may be some instance when we too acted like his disciples when we prevented others especially those who are new in the faith to experience what we have experienced in the renewal. There may be times when our selfish nature come into play and we keep the light we have received to ourselves refusing to either share it with others or ignoring the needs of others to also receive the light that comes from Jesus.
And this holds true especially for those in leadership positions and we can be like the disciples who wanted to form a cordon sanitaire to keep the people from coming to Jesus for this would run counter to the purpose for which we have all been called – and that is to evangelize.
This is why we have to guard and examine ourselves that we don’t fall prey to being so zealous as to keep members out of ministries and apostolates instead of encouraging them to serve believing that we alone are capable of meeting the goals and objectives of our ministry or apostolates.
I visited a Charismatic Community one time and there was an activity in which candidates to an scheduled LSS scheduled were being pastored by their more senior members and there was this one particular member who kept moving around giving the impression that he was the one in charge of the whole activity. I was told that he was the coordinator of the service ministry whose job was only to make sure they are within the time specified in their contract with the church they are renting.
What most people don’t realize is that there are times when their demeanor becomes the reason why parishioners stay away from getting actively involved in church activities. Bad witnessing as they say is also the reason why some charismatic communities are suffering from a decline in attendance even during prayer meetings, low level of commitment and spiritual growth.
The fact is that a Community only becomes a church in action when all its members are moving as one with none lording it over the other because Christians are supposed to be a people who are not only on the move but people who are motivated only by the love they have for the least of God’s creation whom they serve with utmost humility.
With regards the way the disciples acted in this Gospel passage, it would be good to bear in mind that we are not in a position to decide who should come and who should not to the Church and or to the Community to which we belong because Jesus welcomes everyone men, women and children alike and Jesus in the parable of the vineyard owner has made it clear that while judgment will come, such judgment is to be handed down only by God and not by mortals.
And Jesus has shown that his heart is closer to children because of the simplicity by which they go about their ways and the tragedy of life is that as people grow older they sometimes grow farther away from God and Jesus’ compassion for children should serve as a reminder for each one of us to remain like a little child for that is actually what we are – the pilgrim church who are still in our journey of faith.
With childlike attitude, our duty is to welcome Jesus Christ into our lives so that we will be reborn spiritually, receiving new life from God. Through faith in Jesus, this new birth changes us from the inside out – rearranging our attitudes, desires and motives which is why it becomes a puzzle when you are faced with so-called charismatics who do not show traces they have been touched by the Holy Spirit.
Being reborn in the Spirit makes a person spiritually alive and is welcomed into God’s family (Jn 1:12) and knowing that we have become God’s children should encourage us to live with the humility and obedience of Jesus setting aside our old nature and acquiring the character of Christ.
This is what life in the Spirit is all about. The LSS is not just a program that we go through as a requisite to enter into a community where we give vent to our egos and pride. The church and or community is a place where we like little children are called to render a life of service to the one True God who plucked us out from the abyss of sin. It is only then that we can feel Jesus placing his hand on us, embracing us and blessing us.
1st Reading: Sir 17:1-15
Responsorial Psalm: PSA 103:13-18 “The Lord’s kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.”
GOSPEL: MK 10:13-16
Key Verse: ‘Let the children come to me!” (v.14)
This to me is one of the most heartrending passage in the Scriptures because it shows the kind of compassion Jesus has for the people regardless of social standing and or to a certain extent their ages as with the little children in the Gospel.
The arrogance his disciples displayed on those who brought their children along should by no means be interpreted as their true nature for they were probably just being protective of Jesus.
Tired from their constant traveling from one town to another, the disciples definitely are most concerned with the comfort of Jesus as well as his security for there is by now a growing opposition to Jesus whose teachings do not sit well with the Pharisees.
But on this occasion, there were those who brought their children along and though they do not as yet believe in Jesus as the Son of God they nevertheless are drawn by the news of the healing miracles that he performed and this is probably the reason they wanted Jesus to touch their children.
We have also heard Jesus in Matt 18:3-4 when he cautioned his disciples to clothe themselves with the humility of a child whom Jesus called as the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
It is in this context that Jesus motioned to his disciples to bring the children to him and not hinder them “for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as they are.” And Mark wrote that he laid hands on the children and blessed them.
Again, there is a tendency we could be misled when reading passages referring to children such as this one because during the time of Jesus, even the adults who are undergoing training and or are spending time as disciples of the Rabbis are generally regarded as children. Conversely, even in this present age catechumens or those who are being indoctrinated into the Christian faith are also referred to as children.
As such, there may be some instance when we too acted like his disciples when we prevented others especially those who are new in the faith to experience what we have experienced in the renewal. There may be times when our selfish nature come into play and we keep the light we have received to ourselves refusing to either share it with others or ignoring the needs of others to also receive the light that comes from Jesus.
And this holds true especially for those in leadership positions and we can be like the disciples who wanted to form a cordon sanitaire to keep the people from coming to Jesus for this would run counter to the purpose for which we have all been called – and that is to evangelize.
This is why we have to guard and examine ourselves that we don’t fall prey to being so zealous as to keep members out of ministries and apostolates instead of encouraging them to serve believing that we alone are capable of meeting the goals and objectives of our ministry or apostolates.
I visited a Charismatic Community one time and there was an activity in which candidates to an scheduled LSS scheduled were being pastored by their more senior members and there was this one particular member who kept moving around giving the impression that he was the one in charge of the whole activity. I was told that he was the coordinator of the service ministry whose job was only to make sure they are within the time specified in their contract with the church they are renting.
What most people don’t realize is that there are times when their demeanor becomes the reason why parishioners stay away from getting actively involved in church activities. Bad witnessing as they say is also the reason why some charismatic communities are suffering from a decline in attendance even during prayer meetings, low level of commitment and spiritual growth.
The fact is that a Community only becomes a church in action when all its members are moving as one with none lording it over the other because Christians are supposed to be a people who are not only on the move but people who are motivated only by the love they have for the least of God’s creation whom they serve with utmost humility.
With regards the way the disciples acted in this Gospel passage, it would be good to bear in mind that we are not in a position to decide who should come and who should not to the Church and or to the Community to which we belong because Jesus welcomes everyone men, women and children alike and Jesus in the parable of the vineyard owner has made it clear that while judgment will come, such judgment is to be handed down only by God and not by mortals.
And Jesus has shown that his heart is closer to children because of the simplicity by which they go about their ways and the tragedy of life is that as people grow older they sometimes grow farther away from God and Jesus’ compassion for children should serve as a reminder for each one of us to remain like a little child for that is actually what we are – the pilgrim church who are still in our journey of faith.
With childlike attitude, our duty is to welcome Jesus Christ into our lives so that we will be reborn spiritually, receiving new life from God. Through faith in Jesus, this new birth changes us from the inside out – rearranging our attitudes, desires and motives which is why it becomes a puzzle when you are faced with so-called charismatics who do not show traces they have been touched by the Holy Spirit.
Being reborn in the Spirit makes a person spiritually alive and is welcomed into God’s family (Jn 1:12) and knowing that we have become God’s children should encourage us to live with the humility and obedience of Jesus setting aside our old nature and acquiring the character of Christ.
This is what life in the Spirit is all about. The LSS is not just a program that we go through as a requisite to enter into a community where we give vent to our egos and pride. The church and or community is a place where we like little children are called to render a life of service to the one True God who plucked us out from the abyss of sin. It is only then that we can feel Jesus placing his hand on us, embracing us and blessing us.
GOD HATES DIVORCE
MAY 24, 2013: SEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Sir 6:5-17
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 119:12, 16, 18, 27, 34-35 “Guide me Lord, in the ways of your commands.”
GOSPEL: MK 10:1-12
Key Verse: “..and they are no longer two but one.” (v.8)
We have a rather long Gospel reading for May 24, 2013 that speaks of a particular subject matter that is still the subject of raging debates up to now. This is also an opportune time to look at the consequences experienced by couples and even nations where the sanctity of the marriage bond has been transgressed.
Here in this passage, it is evident that the Pharisees are trying to involve Jesus in a controversial issue that would place him in a trap that would justify their intention to finally place him under arrest and perhaps suffer the same fate as that of his kin John the Baptist.
The trap was very simple. It was a question about divorce. “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause?” Jesus knew the motive behind the question because even if the Jews have a very strict standard when it comes to the marriage bond they remain divided as to the issue of divorce.
There were two schools of thought on this issue insofar as the Jews are concerned. One was a stricter rule that divorce was applicable only when fornication or indecency was involved. The other was a more relaxed rule that divorce can also be secured if a man no longer finds favor in his wife and it was this laxer rule that many Jews took advantage of.
This division among the Jews stemmed from what Moses decreed in Deut 24:1 but Jesus countered that what was referred to in Deuteronomy was not a law but more of a concession to the fallen human nature to address the need at the time Moses said it.
Rather than spend our time looking at the legality and getting embroiled on the issue of divorce, we should instead focus on the key message in vv.7-9 of the Gospel to be able to get into the heart of Jesus’ own view of marriage.
Since the Scriptures is also at the heart of all the teachings of the Catholic Church it is best that we look at what Matthew and Luke said about this issue. While Matthew included fornication and or indecency as basis for divorce, Mark and Luke wrote that divorce was prohibited and that whoever divorces his wife and marries another has committed adultery.
These interpretations of Mark and Luke was what Jesus had in mind when he said in v.9 “therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” This is also the principle behind the Theology of the Sacrament of Marriage in which the Church states: “The well being of the individual person and of both human and Christian society is closely bound up with the healthy state of conjugal and family life.”
The Code of Canon Law also summarizes the essence of marriage: The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a communion of the whole life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament.
We can also draw from what Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen said about marriage: “It is because they symbolize the unbreakable, eternal union of Our Lord and the Church. When the Son of God came to earth and took upon Himself a human nature, which flowered into His Mystical Body, the Church, He did not take it for three years or for 33 years, but for all eternity. So, too, when a husband takes a wife, he takes that wife as Christ took the Church. He takes that wife until death does him part! And in order to symbolize that enduring union of the espousals of Christ and His Church, they are to love one another until death separates them.”
Archbishop Sheen adds: “How beautiful marriage is in the Church! Fidelity is an engagement with the future, and when that future is eternity, when the soul knows that it cannot be saved unless it is faithful to the spouse, it remains faithful, even in the midst of trial. That God’s love is never withdrawn from His Church, so too, the love of husband and wife are never withdrawn one from another. It is made in the full consciousness that their love is a proclamation to the world of another marriage—the marriage which gives joy and happiness—the beautiful union of Christ and His Bride, the Church!”
This sanctity of the bond of marriage which even the Jews actually observe regardless of the Mosaic decree on divorce was what led God to say in Mal 2:6 “I hate divorce” and it was said even during the time of the Jews that the very altar on which marriage was solemnized wept when a man divorced the wife of his youth.
The prohibition on divorce that Jesus emphasized highlights the indissolubility of the union between man and a woman and this is what the Church teaches up to the present time.
Allow me to end with another quote from Archbishop Sheen: “Your marriage will become like a tuning fork to the song of the angels. It will be like a river that runs into the sea where the romance and the marriage fuse into one; or since God is boundless eternal love, it will take that eternal chase to sound its depths; that in one and the same moment, a limitless receptivity and a boundless gift. This is what you marry for: for love—and love leads you to God.”
This is the same with us. The Church to which we all belong is the bride that remains grafted to the bridegroom who is Jesus the Christ unto whom we remain united in a bond of sacrificial love. This is the reason why I cannot find neither rhyme nor reason as to what may have become of our legislators who are pushing for the legalization of divorce in the Philippines.
I wouldn’t want to think that these moves are for selfish reasons as some of those who authored the bill on divorce are known to have either separated from their spouses or are involved in illicit affairs. What is ironic is that these legislators who are in favor of divorce are themselves Catholics.
So the question is why are these patrons of divorce ignorant of the law of God? Haven’t they read the Scriptures? Apparently they haven’t and the Church itself should own up to its failure and neglect in its role to evangelize its members who apparently did not grow in the way they should grow as baptized Christians.
The recent May 13, 2013 polls is a classic case in point at the abject lack of proper catechetical instructions as those who were on top of the leaderboard are known advocates of the so-called “death bills” which only shows that even the people who voted them into office are themselves ignorant of God’s moral laws.
Thus it now falls on us the laity to stand and be counted because the threats to obliterate the Church is real and we know that we will not fail because if God is for us there is no power nor principalities on earth that can ever go against us. Now is the time for every Catholic to rise up and defend our faith. God bless us all!
1st Reading: Sir 6:5-17
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 119:12, 16, 18, 27, 34-35 “Guide me Lord, in the ways of your commands.”
GOSPEL: MK 10:1-12
Key Verse: “..and they are no longer two but one.” (v.8)
We have a rather long Gospel reading for May 24, 2013 that speaks of a particular subject matter that is still the subject of raging debates up to now. This is also an opportune time to look at the consequences experienced by couples and even nations where the sanctity of the marriage bond has been transgressed.
Here in this passage, it is evident that the Pharisees are trying to involve Jesus in a controversial issue that would place him in a trap that would justify their intention to finally place him under arrest and perhaps suffer the same fate as that of his kin John the Baptist.
The trap was very simple. It was a question about divorce. “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause?” Jesus knew the motive behind the question because even if the Jews have a very strict standard when it comes to the marriage bond they remain divided as to the issue of divorce.
There were two schools of thought on this issue insofar as the Jews are concerned. One was a stricter rule that divorce was applicable only when fornication or indecency was involved. The other was a more relaxed rule that divorce can also be secured if a man no longer finds favor in his wife and it was this laxer rule that many Jews took advantage of.
This division among the Jews stemmed from what Moses decreed in Deut 24:1 but Jesus countered that what was referred to in Deuteronomy was not a law but more of a concession to the fallen human nature to address the need at the time Moses said it.
Rather than spend our time looking at the legality and getting embroiled on the issue of divorce, we should instead focus on the key message in vv.7-9 of the Gospel to be able to get into the heart of Jesus’ own view of marriage.
Since the Scriptures is also at the heart of all the teachings of the Catholic Church it is best that we look at what Matthew and Luke said about this issue. While Matthew included fornication and or indecency as basis for divorce, Mark and Luke wrote that divorce was prohibited and that whoever divorces his wife and marries another has committed adultery.
These interpretations of Mark and Luke was what Jesus had in mind when he said in v.9 “therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” This is also the principle behind the Theology of the Sacrament of Marriage in which the Church states: “The well being of the individual person and of both human and Christian society is closely bound up with the healthy state of conjugal and family life.”
The Code of Canon Law also summarizes the essence of marriage: The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a communion of the whole life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament.
We can also draw from what Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen said about marriage: “It is because they symbolize the unbreakable, eternal union of Our Lord and the Church. When the Son of God came to earth and took upon Himself a human nature, which flowered into His Mystical Body, the Church, He did not take it for three years or for 33 years, but for all eternity. So, too, when a husband takes a wife, he takes that wife as Christ took the Church. He takes that wife until death does him part! And in order to symbolize that enduring union of the espousals of Christ and His Church, they are to love one another until death separates them.”
Archbishop Sheen adds: “How beautiful marriage is in the Church! Fidelity is an engagement with the future, and when that future is eternity, when the soul knows that it cannot be saved unless it is faithful to the spouse, it remains faithful, even in the midst of trial. That God’s love is never withdrawn from His Church, so too, the love of husband and wife are never withdrawn one from another. It is made in the full consciousness that their love is a proclamation to the world of another marriage—the marriage which gives joy and happiness—the beautiful union of Christ and His Bride, the Church!”
This sanctity of the bond of marriage which even the Jews actually observe regardless of the Mosaic decree on divorce was what led God to say in Mal 2:6 “I hate divorce” and it was said even during the time of the Jews that the very altar on which marriage was solemnized wept when a man divorced the wife of his youth.
The prohibition on divorce that Jesus emphasized highlights the indissolubility of the union between man and a woman and this is what the Church teaches up to the present time.
Allow me to end with another quote from Archbishop Sheen: “Your marriage will become like a tuning fork to the song of the angels. It will be like a river that runs into the sea where the romance and the marriage fuse into one; or since God is boundless eternal love, it will take that eternal chase to sound its depths; that in one and the same moment, a limitless receptivity and a boundless gift. This is what you marry for: for love—and love leads you to God.”
This is the same with us. The Church to which we all belong is the bride that remains grafted to the bridegroom who is Jesus the Christ unto whom we remain united in a bond of sacrificial love. This is the reason why I cannot find neither rhyme nor reason as to what may have become of our legislators who are pushing for the legalization of divorce in the Philippines.
I wouldn’t want to think that these moves are for selfish reasons as some of those who authored the bill on divorce are known to have either separated from their spouses or are involved in illicit affairs. What is ironic is that these legislators who are in favor of divorce are themselves Catholics.
So the question is why are these patrons of divorce ignorant of the law of God? Haven’t they read the Scriptures? Apparently they haven’t and the Church itself should own up to its failure and neglect in its role to evangelize its members who apparently did not grow in the way they should grow as baptized Christians.
The recent May 13, 2013 polls is a classic case in point at the abject lack of proper catechetical instructions as those who were on top of the leaderboard are known advocates of the so-called “death bills” which only shows that even the people who voted them into office are themselves ignorant of God’s moral laws.
Thus it now falls on us the laity to stand and be counted because the threats to obliterate the Church is real and we know that we will not fail because if God is for us there is no power nor principalities on earth that can ever go against us. Now is the time for every Catholic to rise up and defend our faith. God bless us all!
TOUGH ROAD FOR DISCIPLES
MAY 23, 2013: SEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Sir 5:1-8
Responsorial Psalm: PSA 1:1-4, 6 “Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.”
GOSPEL: MK 9:41-50
Key Verse: “Everyone must be salted with fire.” (v.49)
There is probably no one among you who would want to lose their greatest possession and then suffer the consequences of his or her negligence.
And if we are to acknowledge God to be the source of abundant Grace and eternal joy, certainly you would not even want to imagine what it would be like to be separated from your greatest possession who is none other than God Himself whom we know as
St. Paul reminds tells us that “God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.” (Rom 5:5) which means that God's love is what purifies our hearts and serves as the moving force that prompts us to be kind and charitable towards our neighbor who like us is also created in the image and likeness of God.
As we have all been born into the world out of the immeasurable love of God, it follows that our primary purpose for existence is also to love God and other as well. And to love as God has commanded us to has it corresponding reward and this we can expect from the very nature of Christ who will never hold back on his generosity towards anyone who will ask, seek and knock at the door of his heart for help.
Gregory of Nyssa (330-395 AD), an early church father once wrote: “God never asks his servants to do what is impossible. The love and goodness of his Godhead is revealed as richly available. It is poured out like water upon all. God furnishes to each person according to his will the ability to do something good. None of those seeking to be saved will be lacking in this ability, given by the one who said: ‘whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ, will by no means lose his reward.”
And we can see in today’s Gospel passage (Mk 9:41-50) how Jesus outlined the principle that each one of us must embrace if we want to live a happy life and this was very clear at the beginning of the Gospel when Jesus said: “Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.” (v.41)
Jesus also said: “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.” (Mt 10:40-42)
Conversely even the smallest acts of kindness we have shown towards others will not escape the attention of Jesus who always takes notice of how we express our love for others (Mt 25:34-40) because it is in loving others that we can actually show our love for God.
This is also the reason why I am very emphatic about the need for Christian disciples especially those who belong to a Charismatic community to go the mission field because it is there where we can truly see the face of God.
A Christian disciple is a man on the move and no one can possibly grow spiritually unless they have experienced what it is to be in mission. But just as we are being moved to go and proclaim the Gospel to the world and to others, Jesus also warns us of the consequences if by our actions we cause others especially the little ones to stumble which to Jesus is a great offense (v.42).
Thus, this Gospel for today should serve as a warning for those who are given the authority to minister to others to be very careful of their actions and their influence on the little ones because anyone of us is a role model, either for good or for evil.
We should also not look at this Gospel literally because the little ones referred to here can also be grown ups who have no knowledge or concept of who God is. Perhaps we should take to heart what John said in 1 Jn 5:2 “This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands.”
Indeed we see in this passage (vv.42-50) at least five principles of discipleship: 1) He who is not against us is on our side; 2) A cup of water in His name given; 3) Causing little ones to stumble; 4) Radical surgery to avoid hellfire; 5) Seasoning effects of fire.
These may seem unrelated to one another but these are nevertheless important helps if we are respond to the call to serve Jesus. Simply put, what we put in when we serve others is not important. The value of our helping others may not mean much but God who sees everything is pleased with even the little that we offer to help the little ones especially when we do this at the expense of our own comforts.
To acquire the generous nature of Christ entails a lot of sacrifice especially when we are not used to giving up what we value most in life simply because man is usually attached to certain things and Jesus is urging us to adopt drastic measures in order for us to avoid evil and its consequences (vv.42-47)
Today Jesus is telling us that to respond to God’s call should be our primary goal because this would lead us to lead us to everlasting peace and happiness. Just as a surgeon might remove a limb or some part of the body in order to preserve the life of the whole body, so we must also be ready to part with anything that causes us to sin that leads to a spiritual death and eternal damnation.
Jesus warns us his of the terrible responsibility that we must not put a stumbling block in the way of another and we might not know it but we are actually guilty of this offense when we become the cause of division in the church or community instead of being the purveyor of unity and peace.
1st Reading: Sir 5:1-8
Responsorial Psalm: PSA 1:1-4, 6 “Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.”
GOSPEL: MK 9:41-50
Key Verse: “Everyone must be salted with fire.” (v.49)
There is probably no one among you who would want to lose their greatest possession and then suffer the consequences of his or her negligence.
And if we are to acknowledge God to be the source of abundant Grace and eternal joy, certainly you would not even want to imagine what it would be like to be separated from your greatest possession who is none other than God Himself whom we know as
St. Paul reminds tells us that “God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.” (Rom 5:5) which means that God's love is what purifies our hearts and serves as the moving force that prompts us to be kind and charitable towards our neighbor who like us is also created in the image and likeness of God.
As we have all been born into the world out of the immeasurable love of God, it follows that our primary purpose for existence is also to love God and other as well. And to love as God has commanded us to has it corresponding reward and this we can expect from the very nature of Christ who will never hold back on his generosity towards anyone who will ask, seek and knock at the door of his heart for help.
Gregory of Nyssa (330-395 AD), an early church father once wrote: “God never asks his servants to do what is impossible. The love and goodness of his Godhead is revealed as richly available. It is poured out like water upon all. God furnishes to each person according to his will the ability to do something good. None of those seeking to be saved will be lacking in this ability, given by the one who said: ‘whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ, will by no means lose his reward.”
And we can see in today’s Gospel passage (Mk 9:41-50) how Jesus outlined the principle that each one of us must embrace if we want to live a happy life and this was very clear at the beginning of the Gospel when Jesus said: “Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.” (v.41)
Jesus also said: “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.” (Mt 10:40-42)
Conversely even the smallest acts of kindness we have shown towards others will not escape the attention of Jesus who always takes notice of how we express our love for others (Mt 25:34-40) because it is in loving others that we can actually show our love for God.
This is also the reason why I am very emphatic about the need for Christian disciples especially those who belong to a Charismatic community to go the mission field because it is there where we can truly see the face of God.
A Christian disciple is a man on the move and no one can possibly grow spiritually unless they have experienced what it is to be in mission. But just as we are being moved to go and proclaim the Gospel to the world and to others, Jesus also warns us of the consequences if by our actions we cause others especially the little ones to stumble which to Jesus is a great offense (v.42).
Thus, this Gospel for today should serve as a warning for those who are given the authority to minister to others to be very careful of their actions and their influence on the little ones because anyone of us is a role model, either for good or for evil.
We should also not look at this Gospel literally because the little ones referred to here can also be grown ups who have no knowledge or concept of who God is. Perhaps we should take to heart what John said in 1 Jn 5:2 “This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands.”
Indeed we see in this passage (vv.42-50) at least five principles of discipleship: 1) He who is not against us is on our side; 2) A cup of water in His name given; 3) Causing little ones to stumble; 4) Radical surgery to avoid hellfire; 5) Seasoning effects of fire.
These may seem unrelated to one another but these are nevertheless important helps if we are respond to the call to serve Jesus. Simply put, what we put in when we serve others is not important. The value of our helping others may not mean much but God who sees everything is pleased with even the little that we offer to help the little ones especially when we do this at the expense of our own comforts.
To acquire the generous nature of Christ entails a lot of sacrifice especially when we are not used to giving up what we value most in life simply because man is usually attached to certain things and Jesus is urging us to adopt drastic measures in order for us to avoid evil and its consequences (vv.42-47)
Today Jesus is telling us that to respond to God’s call should be our primary goal because this would lead us to lead us to everlasting peace and happiness. Just as a surgeon might remove a limb or some part of the body in order to preserve the life of the whole body, so we must also be ready to part with anything that causes us to sin that leads to a spiritual death and eternal damnation.
Jesus warns us his of the terrible responsibility that we must not put a stumbling block in the way of another and we might not know it but we are actually guilty of this offense when we become the cause of division in the church or community instead of being the purveyor of unity and peace.
A LESSON IN TOLERANCE
MAY 22, 2013: SEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Sir 4:11-19
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 119:165, 168, 171-172, 174-175 “O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.”
GOSPEL: MK 9:38-40
Key Verse: “..whoever is not against us is for us.” (v.40)
Most of the Jews during the time of Jesus believed in demons and it was the pervading sentiment at the time that both mental and physical illness are caused by the influence of evil spirits. And Jews also believed in a rather uncanny way of exorcising demons and that is to call on a more powerful spirit to command the evil demon to come out of a person. This is the kind of picture that Jesus painted in this Gospel passage because He knew how the Jews behaved at the time with respect to their beliefs.
John saw a man using the Name of Jesus to defeat the demons and he tried to stop him because he was not one of the disciples who followed Jesus. And look at how Jesus admonished John saying no man who could do a mighty work in His Name can be His enemy. And this was where Jesus laid down the great principle that “he who is not against us is for us.” (v.40)
This Gospel passage was a lesson in tolerance that Jesus wanted to impart not only to His disciples but also to the modern-day Christians who want to follow in His footsteps such that:
- Each man has a right to his own thoughts. He has a right to think of what he may want to entertain in his mind until he himself comes to a conclusion and his own belief and that is a right we should all respect. There are many instances in our lives that we are quick to condemn that which we do not understand. What we must all remember is that there is only one way to the God’s Kingdom and that is through Jesus Christ.
- It is necessary to remember that truth is always bigger than any man’s grasp of it. No man can possibly grasp all truth. The basis of tolerance is not just the acceptance of anything but tolerance means reverence for all the possibilities of truth. Opposed to this, intolerance is a sign of arrogance and ignorance, for it is a sign that a man believes that there is no truth beyond the truth he sees.
- We must not only concede to every man the right to his own thinking but also the right of man to his speech. The only limitation is when a man speaks of doctrines designed to destroy the morality of a civilized Christian society. Everyone must also remember that any doctrine or belief must finally be judged by the kind of people it produces. The question that must always be asked is not how is a church and or community governed? But what kind of people does a church or community produce?
We must also ask ourselves how could the man cast out demons if he was not filled with the Holy Spirit. It is not everyone who can cast out demons. In Matt 17:19, we read that some of the disciples of Jesus were unsuccessful in casting a demon out of a boy. In Ac 19:13-17, we read of the seven sons of a high priest named Sceva who tried to exorcise an evil spirit. They were overpowered by the evil spirit.
From this, it can be concluded that unless one live by the teachings of Jesus, not some of them, but all of them, in the Spirit of Truth, he cannot do the work of the Lord Jesus, nor be of the Body of Christ. Jesus said, “Whoever is not against us is for us.” (v.40) These Sacred Words shine in perfect unity. There is no division. All are of the same faith. When the two men prophesied, they did so for the people of God, not for the pagans in the surrounding nations. When the man casted out a demon in the Name of Jesus, he did so according to the teachings of Jesus, not the teachings of the Jewish people or of those who adored idols. These men were in perfect unity with the Divine Will of God.
When the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church says that the fullness of salvation can only be obtained through the Mother Church that enjoys the fullness of revelation, that is exactly what it meant! For how can one enter the Kingdom of God if he has not been baptized and, consequently not having received the new creation that qualifies him as a member of the invisible Body of Christ?
How can one have salvation if he has not and does not regularly receive the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, the Living Bread that gives life to the soul? How can one obtain the forgiveness of sins if he rejects Jesus' command for the priests to forgive sins as the ministers of the Church? How can one say that he belongs to the true Church where there is one Body, one Spirit, one hope of our calling, one Lord, one faith, and one baptism (Eph. 4:4-5) How can one say that he belongs to the true Church where the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church is the only Church that has been instituted by Jesus Christ. Is it not the only Church that has persisted for two thousand years in the purity of its teachings and traditions?
The Catholic Church can be compared to a cake. Many religions possess a cake but only the Catholic Church has sweet icing on the cake. Without the Sacraments, there is no life that leads to salvation in a religion or a Church.
The man who cast out the demons was filled with the Holy Spirit. In the Epistle of James, we heard that the rich people should weep and wail for the miseries that are coming to them. They spend their lives accumulating wealth.
When one becomes obsessed with money, he cuts corners. If he is a contractor, he will build with low grade material. If he is a retailer, he will pay minimum wages to his employees. If he is dishonest, he will cheat them of their wages. When he files his annual income tax, he will omit some of his revenues. Through these means, he grows in fame, luxury, human knowledge of investments and all the goodies that come with wealth. But in the end, he will have nothing!
Everyone must be reminded that a forgiving heart is innate to a disciple of Christ. This simply means that if we cannot forgive those who have sinned the Lord God will not forgive us on judgment day. It means that if we reject sinners from the Body of Christ on earth, the Lord God shall reject those souls from the eternal Body of Christ in Heaven.
Given the extent of the scandal in the Church and in Christian communities today and the negative position and or disordered priorities of many Catholics the Church needs a spark plug to reignite the fire of love that seems to have died out.
The recent My 13, 2013 mid-term polls was a case in point. The hierarchy of the Church tried to rally the lay faithful to organize a united front against threats to undermine the sacredness of life and the sanctity of the family but the effort collapsed even before it could take off as individuals and organizations within the Church itself could not wiggle out of their myopic view and desire for top billing.
Lacking the necessary experience in the field of politics, the Church also failed to discern the presence of the administration’s deep penetration agents whose mission it was to scuttle the emerging force that could deliver the Catholic vote.
As they say, the rest is history and it will probably take time before the Church wakes up and realize that the enemy is already at the gate. And unless there is a drastic change in the hearts and minds of every Catholic and appreciation of the role of the lay faithful in the transformation of the political environment, the Church may be lost forever.
1st Reading: Sir 4:11-19
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 119:165, 168, 171-172, 174-175 “O Lord, great peace have they who love your law.”
GOSPEL: MK 9:38-40
Key Verse: “..whoever is not against us is for us.” (v.40)
Most of the Jews during the time of Jesus believed in demons and it was the pervading sentiment at the time that both mental and physical illness are caused by the influence of evil spirits. And Jews also believed in a rather uncanny way of exorcising demons and that is to call on a more powerful spirit to command the evil demon to come out of a person. This is the kind of picture that Jesus painted in this Gospel passage because He knew how the Jews behaved at the time with respect to their beliefs.
John saw a man using the Name of Jesus to defeat the demons and he tried to stop him because he was not one of the disciples who followed Jesus. And look at how Jesus admonished John saying no man who could do a mighty work in His Name can be His enemy. And this was where Jesus laid down the great principle that “he who is not against us is for us.” (v.40)
This Gospel passage was a lesson in tolerance that Jesus wanted to impart not only to His disciples but also to the modern-day Christians who want to follow in His footsteps such that:
- Each man has a right to his own thoughts. He has a right to think of what he may want to entertain in his mind until he himself comes to a conclusion and his own belief and that is a right we should all respect. There are many instances in our lives that we are quick to condemn that which we do not understand. What we must all remember is that there is only one way to the God’s Kingdom and that is through Jesus Christ.
- It is necessary to remember that truth is always bigger than any man’s grasp of it. No man can possibly grasp all truth. The basis of tolerance is not just the acceptance of anything but tolerance means reverence for all the possibilities of truth. Opposed to this, intolerance is a sign of arrogance and ignorance, for it is a sign that a man believes that there is no truth beyond the truth he sees.
- We must not only concede to every man the right to his own thinking but also the right of man to his speech. The only limitation is when a man speaks of doctrines designed to destroy the morality of a civilized Christian society. Everyone must also remember that any doctrine or belief must finally be judged by the kind of people it produces. The question that must always be asked is not how is a church and or community governed? But what kind of people does a church or community produce?
We must also ask ourselves how could the man cast out demons if he was not filled with the Holy Spirit. It is not everyone who can cast out demons. In Matt 17:19, we read that some of the disciples of Jesus were unsuccessful in casting a demon out of a boy. In Ac 19:13-17, we read of the seven sons of a high priest named Sceva who tried to exorcise an evil spirit. They were overpowered by the evil spirit.
From this, it can be concluded that unless one live by the teachings of Jesus, not some of them, but all of them, in the Spirit of Truth, he cannot do the work of the Lord Jesus, nor be of the Body of Christ. Jesus said, “Whoever is not against us is for us.” (v.40) These Sacred Words shine in perfect unity. There is no division. All are of the same faith. When the two men prophesied, they did so for the people of God, not for the pagans in the surrounding nations. When the man casted out a demon in the Name of Jesus, he did so according to the teachings of Jesus, not the teachings of the Jewish people or of those who adored idols. These men were in perfect unity with the Divine Will of God.
When the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church says that the fullness of salvation can only be obtained through the Mother Church that enjoys the fullness of revelation, that is exactly what it meant! For how can one enter the Kingdom of God if he has not been baptized and, consequently not having received the new creation that qualifies him as a member of the invisible Body of Christ?
How can one have salvation if he has not and does not regularly receive the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, the Living Bread that gives life to the soul? How can one obtain the forgiveness of sins if he rejects Jesus' command for the priests to forgive sins as the ministers of the Church? How can one say that he belongs to the true Church where there is one Body, one Spirit, one hope of our calling, one Lord, one faith, and one baptism (Eph. 4:4-5) How can one say that he belongs to the true Church where the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church is the only Church that has been instituted by Jesus Christ. Is it not the only Church that has persisted for two thousand years in the purity of its teachings and traditions?
The Catholic Church can be compared to a cake. Many religions possess a cake but only the Catholic Church has sweet icing on the cake. Without the Sacraments, there is no life that leads to salvation in a religion or a Church.
The man who cast out the demons was filled with the Holy Spirit. In the Epistle of James, we heard that the rich people should weep and wail for the miseries that are coming to them. They spend their lives accumulating wealth.
When one becomes obsessed with money, he cuts corners. If he is a contractor, he will build with low grade material. If he is a retailer, he will pay minimum wages to his employees. If he is dishonest, he will cheat them of their wages. When he files his annual income tax, he will omit some of his revenues. Through these means, he grows in fame, luxury, human knowledge of investments and all the goodies that come with wealth. But in the end, he will have nothing!
Everyone must be reminded that a forgiving heart is innate to a disciple of Christ. This simply means that if we cannot forgive those who have sinned the Lord God will not forgive us on judgment day. It means that if we reject sinners from the Body of Christ on earth, the Lord God shall reject those souls from the eternal Body of Christ in Heaven.
Given the extent of the scandal in the Church and in Christian communities today and the negative position and or disordered priorities of many Catholics the Church needs a spark plug to reignite the fire of love that seems to have died out.
The recent My 13, 2013 mid-term polls was a case in point. The hierarchy of the Church tried to rally the lay faithful to organize a united front against threats to undermine the sacredness of life and the sanctity of the family but the effort collapsed even before it could take off as individuals and organizations within the Church itself could not wiggle out of their myopic view and desire for top billing.
Lacking the necessary experience in the field of politics, the Church also failed to discern the presence of the administration’s deep penetration agents whose mission it was to scuttle the emerging force that could deliver the Catholic vote.
As they say, the rest is history and it will probably take time before the Church wakes up and realize that the enemy is already at the gate. And unless there is a drastic change in the hearts and minds of every Catholic and appreciation of the role of the lay faithful in the transformation of the political environment, the Church may be lost forever.
MAN: DESTINED FOR SERVICE
MAY 21, 2013: 7TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Sir 2:1-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 37:3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40 “Commit your life to the Lord, and he will help you.”
GOSPEL: MK 9:30-37
Key Verse: “If anyone wants to be first, he must be
the very last, and the servant of all.” (v.35)
Conscious of the time he has left, Jesus spent more time with his disciples to teach them that which they still don’t understand that he will suffer and die and resurrect on the third day (v.31) but his disciples didn’t understand and did not ask, wary perhaps of the time Jesus rebuked the spirit that was in Peter (Mk 8:33).
Jesus didn’t want anyone to know where they were because he needed to spend time with his disciples to teach them (vv.30-31). With the limited time left, Jesus knew he needed to equip and empower his disciples to carry on his mission when he is no longer around.
In a way, we should look at ourselves as the disciples of Jesus. As spiritual growth cannot be acquired in an instant, learning what Jesus was teaching his disciples and what he is saying to us now takes time to learn. Unlike the disciples who were afraid to ask him, we should gather all the boldness to ask questions and the beauty of it all is the answers are also right there in the Sacred Scriptures.
At times we can be like the disciples who don’t understand what Jesus is saying because we just refuse to do so since the human mind has the capability to qualify those things our minds absorb and we reject that which we do not want to see or understand.
In other words, everything has been made easy for us. We are given the opportunity to hear the Gospel of Christ each time we go to Mass, during retreats and recollections, in Christian seminars and workshops, on radio and television and we know that there is glory for those who will listen and put the Gospel into practice as well as the risks for rejecting it. Sadly, however, men have acquired this uncanny ability to accept that which will conform to their lifestyle and will reject the message that will inconvenience them.
I was at times like the disciples and I didn’t understand why God called me and brought me to the renewal movement. Learning was a painstaking process as real-life situations became my classroom as God taught me by way of actual events and experiences.
As this Gospel narrative for today speak of the kind of humility that Jesus requires, I too was schooled by Our Lord on humility. This happened sometime in 1992 when I cut off another motorist who was about to park on the same spot I wanted to park. The driver went down and angrily approached me and I shot back: “Don’t you know who I am?” The man said no and I said: “I’m from the Office of the President.”
The man spoke again and retorted: “So what!” I could’ve gotten off my car, pull out my gun and face the man but the Holy Spirit had other plans as He moved in me like lightning and prompted me to leave the place and look for another parking slot.
This scenario remained etched in my mind as it not only became a learning experience but it changed me forever. I no longer carry a gun that used to be my security as I am now secure in God’s arms and the Bible that I now carry has replaced the high capacity 9 mm. that was always tucked on my waist whenever I leave home before.
I was glad that the Holy Spirit impressed upon me the need to humble myself from that experience for how can I regard myself as more lofty than Jesus Christ “who did not consider equality with God something to be grasped but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in the human likeness” (Phi 2:7)
Which is why in my present state, I am obliged to give to Christ my trust and confidence propelled by obedience to God in all things including obedience to authority both in government and to those who exercise pastoral authority over me “for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.” (Rom 13:1-2) This has been so for me in my life in the Church and Community. Blind obedience they might say but I have learned to follow whatever the leaders tell me to do whoever they may be.
There is a beautiful and moving story in Greece about a Spartan named Paedaretos. During his time, 300 men were to be chosen to govern Sparta and Paedaretos was a candidate. When the final list of the 300 was announced, his name was not in it. One of his friends said “I am sorry that you were not elected. The people ought to have known what a wise officer of state you would have made.” Paederetos replied “I am glad that in Sparta there are 300 men better than I am.” Paedaretos was a man who became a legend because he was prepared to give to others the first place and to bear no ill will at all.
In life every conceivable problem can be solved if men would only live for what they can do for others and not for what they could get for themselves. Every political problem can be solved if the ambition of men was to serve the state and not to enhance their own prestige. It follows that the divisions and disputes which tear down the Church should never happen if the only desire of its members is to serve it regardless of the position they occupy. When Jesus said: “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” (v.35) he laid down one of the greatest practical truths that we as disciples need to embrace.
Then Jesus took a child in his arms and told his disciples that those who welcomes a child welcomes him (v.37). A child has no influence, wealth nor power and cannot do things for us. A child is powerless and relies only on those who will care for him.
What Jesus meant was that as disciples we are to seek those whom we can serve and not those who can do things for us for “whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me.” (Matt 25:40) And we are to teach even children since they also have to be taught about Jesus and must not be regarded as less important than adults. In other words, we were made by God and one of the means by which we can serve God is by serving others.
1st Reading: Sir 2:1-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 37:3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40 “Commit your life to the Lord, and he will help you.”
GOSPEL: MK 9:30-37
Key Verse: “If anyone wants to be first, he must be
the very last, and the servant of all.” (v.35)
Conscious of the time he has left, Jesus spent more time with his disciples to teach them that which they still don’t understand that he will suffer and die and resurrect on the third day (v.31) but his disciples didn’t understand and did not ask, wary perhaps of the time Jesus rebuked the spirit that was in Peter (Mk 8:33).
Jesus didn’t want anyone to know where they were because he needed to spend time with his disciples to teach them (vv.30-31). With the limited time left, Jesus knew he needed to equip and empower his disciples to carry on his mission when he is no longer around.
In a way, we should look at ourselves as the disciples of Jesus. As spiritual growth cannot be acquired in an instant, learning what Jesus was teaching his disciples and what he is saying to us now takes time to learn. Unlike the disciples who were afraid to ask him, we should gather all the boldness to ask questions and the beauty of it all is the answers are also right there in the Sacred Scriptures.
At times we can be like the disciples who don’t understand what Jesus is saying because we just refuse to do so since the human mind has the capability to qualify those things our minds absorb and we reject that which we do not want to see or understand.
In other words, everything has been made easy for us. We are given the opportunity to hear the Gospel of Christ each time we go to Mass, during retreats and recollections, in Christian seminars and workshops, on radio and television and we know that there is glory for those who will listen and put the Gospel into practice as well as the risks for rejecting it. Sadly, however, men have acquired this uncanny ability to accept that which will conform to their lifestyle and will reject the message that will inconvenience them.
I was at times like the disciples and I didn’t understand why God called me and brought me to the renewal movement. Learning was a painstaking process as real-life situations became my classroom as God taught me by way of actual events and experiences.
As this Gospel narrative for today speak of the kind of humility that Jesus requires, I too was schooled by Our Lord on humility. This happened sometime in 1992 when I cut off another motorist who was about to park on the same spot I wanted to park. The driver went down and angrily approached me and I shot back: “Don’t you know who I am?” The man said no and I said: “I’m from the Office of the President.”
The man spoke again and retorted: “So what!” I could’ve gotten off my car, pull out my gun and face the man but the Holy Spirit had other plans as He moved in me like lightning and prompted me to leave the place and look for another parking slot.
This scenario remained etched in my mind as it not only became a learning experience but it changed me forever. I no longer carry a gun that used to be my security as I am now secure in God’s arms and the Bible that I now carry has replaced the high capacity 9 mm. that was always tucked on my waist whenever I leave home before.
I was glad that the Holy Spirit impressed upon me the need to humble myself from that experience for how can I regard myself as more lofty than Jesus Christ “who did not consider equality with God something to be grasped but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in the human likeness” (Phi 2:7)
Which is why in my present state, I am obliged to give to Christ my trust and confidence propelled by obedience to God in all things including obedience to authority both in government and to those who exercise pastoral authority over me “for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.” (Rom 13:1-2) This has been so for me in my life in the Church and Community. Blind obedience they might say but I have learned to follow whatever the leaders tell me to do whoever they may be.
There is a beautiful and moving story in Greece about a Spartan named Paedaretos. During his time, 300 men were to be chosen to govern Sparta and Paedaretos was a candidate. When the final list of the 300 was announced, his name was not in it. One of his friends said “I am sorry that you were not elected. The people ought to have known what a wise officer of state you would have made.” Paederetos replied “I am glad that in Sparta there are 300 men better than I am.” Paedaretos was a man who became a legend because he was prepared to give to others the first place and to bear no ill will at all.
In life every conceivable problem can be solved if men would only live for what they can do for others and not for what they could get for themselves. Every political problem can be solved if the ambition of men was to serve the state and not to enhance their own prestige. It follows that the divisions and disputes which tear down the Church should never happen if the only desire of its members is to serve it regardless of the position they occupy. When Jesus said: “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” (v.35) he laid down one of the greatest practical truths that we as disciples need to embrace.
Then Jesus took a child in his arms and told his disciples that those who welcomes a child welcomes him (v.37). A child has no influence, wealth nor power and cannot do things for us. A child is powerless and relies only on those who will care for him.
What Jesus meant was that as disciples we are to seek those whom we can serve and not those who can do things for us for “whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me.” (Matt 25:40) And we are to teach even children since they also have to be taught about Jesus and must not be regarded as less important than adults. In other words, we were made by God and one of the means by which we can serve God is by serving others.
PRAYER MUST COME WITH FAITH
MAY 20, 2013: SEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Sir 1:1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 93:1, 2, 5“The Lord is King, he is robed in majesty.”
GOSPEL: MK 9:14-29
Key Verse: “Everything is possible for him who believes.” (v.23)
The Easter Season ended with the Feast of Pentecost yesterday and today we begin with the Ordinary Time, a time when we put into practice all that we have learned from the Lenten and Easter Seasons. The readings in the liturgical seasons are actually meant to prepare the lay faithful on how to live their Christian faith.
And if I were to equate the readings to medication, the readings during the liturgical seasons are intended to heal us from our afflictions and the readings during the Ordinary Time are similar to maintenance drugs that we take to sustain us in our journey of faith.
In this Gospel reading today, we learn that prayer is our link to God, a means by which we communicate with God. But do we simply move our lips and utter words and expect that it would please God and, or expect immediate results just because we prayed? Do you get angry or do you question God if your prayers are not answered? Perhaps the question we need to ask if we feel our prayers aren’t being answered is did we ask or pray in faith?
This is the lesson behind this passage for today as it reminds us of the importance of prayer and the need for us to grow in faith by believing and putting all our trust and confidence in God in whom all things are possible.
As Jesus emerged from Mt. Hermon where he was transfigured, he stepped into an argument between his disciples and the teachers of the law over the failed attempt of his disciples to drive out a spirit from a boy who was brought before them (vv.17-18).
His disciples must also be asking themselves why in his particular case they could not drive out the spirit from the boy as they did when they cast out demons when they were moving through the villages (Mk 6:13). Was the authority given to his disciples only for that particular purpose?
While no one much less his disciples could explain this failed attempt to cure the boy Jesus gave them the reason why “O unbelieving generation” (v.19) The other purpose of Mark for telling this story was to show that the battle with the forces of evil will always be difficult and victory over temptation, sin, sickness and possession can only be achieved through faith in God and not through our own efforts.
And this is the problem with many of us today who have been infected with marketplace evangelism as our subconscious has been influenced by assurances of those who preach the gospel of health and wealth (If you believe, you will receive) or what we sometimes hear from those who promote positive teaching (If you can conceive it, you can achieve it.)
Compared with previous events when Jesus readily healed those who came to him for healing, here we see the spirit throwing the boy into convulsion and appeared it doesn’t want to give up possession of the boy. This brings us to the matter of faith. Since the boy’s affliction was from childhood, the boy definitely was not expected to have faith and this brings us to the level of faith of his father who brought the boy to Jesus. This should also remind us of the faith of the friends of the paralytic (Mk 2:1-12).
As the father did not as yet believed, Jesus said: “Everything is possible for him who believes.” (v.23) and the boy’s father reply was one of faith “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief” (v.24) and the spirit left and the boy was healed. Indeed, faith is what moves the heart of God but faith is also apportioned to us by the Grace of God which is largely dependent on our belief in all that Jesus Christ taught on earth as well as all what the Catholic Church teaches us by the commission she has received from Him.
In other words, faith is a gift of God since the power to believe can only be attained through the Grace of God (Eph 2:8) and God gives the knowledge of the truth and the gift of faith to those (1) who will seek it in earnest and perseverance; (2) who will live a God-fearing life, and; (3) who pray that they may find the truth. Faith is to a man like the root is to a tree for without faith as the root, man cannot possibly exist and hope for an eternal reward because faith is the first step on the way to heaven. Faith is what moves us to love God, trust him and have confidence in him that enables us to persevere as we share in his sufferings.
And when his disciples asked why they couldn’t drive out the spirit (v.28), Jesus replied “This kind can only come out in prayer” (v.29). Here, Jesus highlights the importance of prayer which is the elevation of our hearts to God. The mere thought of God is not prayer because the devils also think of God but they don’t pray to Him. St. John Chrysostom once said that “to talk with his Creator is the greatest honor and privilege mortal man can enjoy.”
Augustine of Hippo also reminds us that prayer and faith go together: “Where faith fails, prayer perishes. For who prays for that in which he does not believe? So then in order that we may pray, let us believe, and let us pray that this same faith by which we pray may not falter.”
As God is a spirit, we who pray must at the same time adore Him in spirit and in truth (Jn 4:24) and as man is body and soul, we are to yield both our bodies and our faculties and more importantly our souls to God that we may not become like the Pharisees whom the Lord chastised: “This people honored me with their lips but their heart is far from me” (Matt 15:8).
Primarily, we should be inspired by the thought that the Holy Spirit who dwells in us will provide us the trust and confidence to develop a sound prayer habit that will keep us united to God, with God and in God. Perhaps some of you may ask why your prayers are not being answered.
Again this is when the Will of God will come in because God will only answer our prayers when He wills it and when it is the opportune time for us to receive answers to our prayers.
In other words prayer is something that we should not give up on even when it seems that we are not getting answers to our prayers because prayer is not only our lifeline to God but it pleases God that we pray at all times because it reflects our complete trust and dependence on him.
1st Reading: Sir 1:1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 93:1, 2, 5“The Lord is King, he is robed in majesty.”
GOSPEL: MK 9:14-29
Key Verse: “Everything is possible for him who believes.” (v.23)
The Easter Season ended with the Feast of Pentecost yesterday and today we begin with the Ordinary Time, a time when we put into practice all that we have learned from the Lenten and Easter Seasons. The readings in the liturgical seasons are actually meant to prepare the lay faithful on how to live their Christian faith.
And if I were to equate the readings to medication, the readings during the liturgical seasons are intended to heal us from our afflictions and the readings during the Ordinary Time are similar to maintenance drugs that we take to sustain us in our journey of faith.
In this Gospel reading today, we learn that prayer is our link to God, a means by which we communicate with God. But do we simply move our lips and utter words and expect that it would please God and, or expect immediate results just because we prayed? Do you get angry or do you question God if your prayers are not answered? Perhaps the question we need to ask if we feel our prayers aren’t being answered is did we ask or pray in faith?
This is the lesson behind this passage for today as it reminds us of the importance of prayer and the need for us to grow in faith by believing and putting all our trust and confidence in God in whom all things are possible.
As Jesus emerged from Mt. Hermon where he was transfigured, he stepped into an argument between his disciples and the teachers of the law over the failed attempt of his disciples to drive out a spirit from a boy who was brought before them (vv.17-18).
His disciples must also be asking themselves why in his particular case they could not drive out the spirit from the boy as they did when they cast out demons when they were moving through the villages (Mk 6:13). Was the authority given to his disciples only for that particular purpose?
While no one much less his disciples could explain this failed attempt to cure the boy Jesus gave them the reason why “O unbelieving generation” (v.19) The other purpose of Mark for telling this story was to show that the battle with the forces of evil will always be difficult and victory over temptation, sin, sickness and possession can only be achieved through faith in God and not through our own efforts.
And this is the problem with many of us today who have been infected with marketplace evangelism as our subconscious has been influenced by assurances of those who preach the gospel of health and wealth (If you believe, you will receive) or what we sometimes hear from those who promote positive teaching (If you can conceive it, you can achieve it.)
Compared with previous events when Jesus readily healed those who came to him for healing, here we see the spirit throwing the boy into convulsion and appeared it doesn’t want to give up possession of the boy. This brings us to the matter of faith. Since the boy’s affliction was from childhood, the boy definitely was not expected to have faith and this brings us to the level of faith of his father who brought the boy to Jesus. This should also remind us of the faith of the friends of the paralytic (Mk 2:1-12).
As the father did not as yet believed, Jesus said: “Everything is possible for him who believes.” (v.23) and the boy’s father reply was one of faith “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief” (v.24) and the spirit left and the boy was healed. Indeed, faith is what moves the heart of God but faith is also apportioned to us by the Grace of God which is largely dependent on our belief in all that Jesus Christ taught on earth as well as all what the Catholic Church teaches us by the commission she has received from Him.
In other words, faith is a gift of God since the power to believe can only be attained through the Grace of God (Eph 2:8) and God gives the knowledge of the truth and the gift of faith to those (1) who will seek it in earnest and perseverance; (2) who will live a God-fearing life, and; (3) who pray that they may find the truth. Faith is to a man like the root is to a tree for without faith as the root, man cannot possibly exist and hope for an eternal reward because faith is the first step on the way to heaven. Faith is what moves us to love God, trust him and have confidence in him that enables us to persevere as we share in his sufferings.
And when his disciples asked why they couldn’t drive out the spirit (v.28), Jesus replied “This kind can only come out in prayer” (v.29). Here, Jesus highlights the importance of prayer which is the elevation of our hearts to God. The mere thought of God is not prayer because the devils also think of God but they don’t pray to Him. St. John Chrysostom once said that “to talk with his Creator is the greatest honor and privilege mortal man can enjoy.”
Augustine of Hippo also reminds us that prayer and faith go together: “Where faith fails, prayer perishes. For who prays for that in which he does not believe? So then in order that we may pray, let us believe, and let us pray that this same faith by which we pray may not falter.”
As God is a spirit, we who pray must at the same time adore Him in spirit and in truth (Jn 4:24) and as man is body and soul, we are to yield both our bodies and our faculties and more importantly our souls to God that we may not become like the Pharisees whom the Lord chastised: “This people honored me with their lips but their heart is far from me” (Matt 15:8).
Primarily, we should be inspired by the thought that the Holy Spirit who dwells in us will provide us the trust and confidence to develop a sound prayer habit that will keep us united to God, with God and in God. Perhaps some of you may ask why your prayers are not being answered.
Again this is when the Will of God will come in because God will only answer our prayers when He wills it and when it is the opportune time for us to receive answers to our prayers.
In other words prayer is something that we should not give up on even when it seems that we are not getting answers to our prayers because prayer is not only our lifeline to God but it pleases God that we pray at all times because it reflects our complete trust and dependence on him.
OUR MANDATE IS TO GO
May 19, 2013: PENTECOST SUNDAY
1st Reading: Ac 2:1-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 104:1, 24, 29-31, 34 “Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.”
2nd Reading: 1 Cor 12:3-7, 12-13
GOSPEL: JN 20:19-23
Key Verse: “Receive the Holy Spirit.” (v.22)
In order for us to fully understand the significance of the Feast of Pentecost that we are celebrating today we need to go back in time to the history and traditions that the Catholic Church have been observing through the centuries since Jesus Christ instituted the Church.
And to really appreciate what Pentecost means, it is not enough to know that the Feast of Pentecost was the beginning of the Christian Church. What is important is we should also familiarize ourselves why the Church in its Commandments of the Church made the observance of Sundays and Holy Days to be the number one commandment.
This was because the early Christians kept a great number of festivals in order to keep alive the memory of certain events or benefits received from God as these events are celebrated. These feasts were instituted that the events they commemorate might be remembered for all time.
There are seven feasts that the Church has religiously celebrated through the years. These are: 1) Christmas, (2) The Circumcision of the Lord (this has been changed since then and is now celebrated as the Feast of Mary, Mother of God), (3) The Epiphany, (4) Easter, (5) The Ascension, (6) Pentecost and, (7) Corpus Christi. The Nativity of the Lord, Resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit or the Feast of Pentecost are events of primary importance and these are celebrated with peculiar solemnity.
There were some popular views before that the Last Supper should be commemorated as the beginning of the Church because it was here when Christ instituted the Holy Eucharist to become the body of the Church and this view was also theologically correct.
The Feast of Pentecost, however, marked the beginning of the Church because it was on this day when Jesus Christ gave the Holy Spirit to the Apostles in the Upper Room. And it was also on this day when the Apostles and the other disciples received the empowerment that would embolden them to preach the Gospel of Christ throughout the world.
For us now to find a connection with what happened on the Feast of Pentecost at the Upper Room, let us look at the signs that accompanied the descent of the Holy Spirit that was symbolical of the Spirit’s action – the rush of wind can be equated with the strengthening of our will, the fire illumines our minds and gives us the capacity to understand, and the gift of tongues should not be looked as simply a gift that allows us to utter words but the gift of tongues means the power of speech that would allow us to preach the Gospel to all nations.
Soon after the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles they began to proclaim that Jesus was truly the Son of God based on the command of Christ (Mk 16:15; Matt 28:18-20) which led to the establishment of Christian communities in many places.
This too is what must happen to us as the new disciples who profess our loyalty to Christ. Jesus knew that his Apostles would need the power of the Holy Spirit to carry out his mission and the Holy Spirit knows this too and this is the reason why the Spirit of God continues to manifest its presence today among those who believe that Jesus is Lord.
Just as Jesus was anointed with the Spirit at the beginning of his ministry, so we too would need the anointing of the Holy Spirit to bring Christ to the ends of the earth. Our Catechism teaches us that the Holy Spirit is given to all who are baptized in Jesus Christ to enable us to live a new way of life – a life filled with love, peace, joy, and righteousness (Rom 14:17). The Holy Spirit fills our hearts with the love of God (Rom 5:7), and he gives us the strength and courage we need in order to live as faith-filled disciples of the Lord Jesus that we need to share with others.
The Spirit helps us in our weakness (Rom 8:26), and enables us to grow in spiritual freedom – freedom from doubt, fear, and from slavery to our unruly desires (2 Cor 3:17; Rom 8:21). The Spirit instructs us in the ways of God, and guides us in living according to God’s Will. The Spirit is the source and giver of all holiness. And Isaiah prophesied about the seven-fold gifts that the Spirit would give: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord (Isa 11:2).
Thus the gift of Pentecost – the outpouring of the spiritual gifts and blessings of God – was made possible by the death, resurrection, and ascension of the Lord Jesus. After his resurrection Jesus “breathed” on his disciples and gave them the Holy Spirit.
Today he breathes on us the same Spirit and with this impartation of a new life we who have received the Holy Spirit have become a new creation as the old is gone and the new has come (2 Cor 5:17) and through this new life God is recreating us for his glory.
As on that day in the Upper Room, Jesus Christ today is also offering each one of us the gift and power of his Holy Spirit because he wants to strengthen our faith, to give us a hope that endures, and a love that will never grow cold. The beauty of it all is that Jesus will not withhold His Spirit to anyone who believe and who will ask in faith.
Such belief, however, is premised on our subservience to his Holy Will and a life that is anchored on sacrifice and suffering. This last part is what makes people think because most often we want to reap the promise of eternal joy but without the pain and sacrifice attached to it.
As we celebrate the Feast of Pentecost today, the one thing we need to remember is that Jesus also needs the Church to keep the fire of love burning and we need Jesus because he is the main message of our evangelical work and none other.
As God sent Jesus to the cross, so Jesus is also sending us now to the ends of the earth and no one can truly understand why unless we come to realize that the relationship between God and Jesus is premised on Jesus’ obedience and love. This is also what is being asked of us and we can only do this if we have the Holy Spirit in us.
1st Reading: Ac 2:1-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 104:1, 24, 29-31, 34 “Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.”
2nd Reading: 1 Cor 12:3-7, 12-13
GOSPEL: JN 20:19-23
Key Verse: “Receive the Holy Spirit.” (v.22)
In order for us to fully understand the significance of the Feast of Pentecost that we are celebrating today we need to go back in time to the history and traditions that the Catholic Church have been observing through the centuries since Jesus Christ instituted the Church.
And to really appreciate what Pentecost means, it is not enough to know that the Feast of Pentecost was the beginning of the Christian Church. What is important is we should also familiarize ourselves why the Church in its Commandments of the Church made the observance of Sundays and Holy Days to be the number one commandment.
This was because the early Christians kept a great number of festivals in order to keep alive the memory of certain events or benefits received from God as these events are celebrated. These feasts were instituted that the events they commemorate might be remembered for all time.
There are seven feasts that the Church has religiously celebrated through the years. These are: 1) Christmas, (2) The Circumcision of the Lord (this has been changed since then and is now celebrated as the Feast of Mary, Mother of God), (3) The Epiphany, (4) Easter, (5) The Ascension, (6) Pentecost and, (7) Corpus Christi. The Nativity of the Lord, Resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit or the Feast of Pentecost are events of primary importance and these are celebrated with peculiar solemnity.
There were some popular views before that the Last Supper should be commemorated as the beginning of the Church because it was here when Christ instituted the Holy Eucharist to become the body of the Church and this view was also theologically correct.
The Feast of Pentecost, however, marked the beginning of the Church because it was on this day when Jesus Christ gave the Holy Spirit to the Apostles in the Upper Room. And it was also on this day when the Apostles and the other disciples received the empowerment that would embolden them to preach the Gospel of Christ throughout the world.
For us now to find a connection with what happened on the Feast of Pentecost at the Upper Room, let us look at the signs that accompanied the descent of the Holy Spirit that was symbolical of the Spirit’s action – the rush of wind can be equated with the strengthening of our will, the fire illumines our minds and gives us the capacity to understand, and the gift of tongues should not be looked as simply a gift that allows us to utter words but the gift of tongues means the power of speech that would allow us to preach the Gospel to all nations.
Soon after the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles they began to proclaim that Jesus was truly the Son of God based on the command of Christ (Mk 16:15; Matt 28:18-20) which led to the establishment of Christian communities in many places.
This too is what must happen to us as the new disciples who profess our loyalty to Christ. Jesus knew that his Apostles would need the power of the Holy Spirit to carry out his mission and the Holy Spirit knows this too and this is the reason why the Spirit of God continues to manifest its presence today among those who believe that Jesus is Lord.
Just as Jesus was anointed with the Spirit at the beginning of his ministry, so we too would need the anointing of the Holy Spirit to bring Christ to the ends of the earth. Our Catechism teaches us that the Holy Spirit is given to all who are baptized in Jesus Christ to enable us to live a new way of life – a life filled with love, peace, joy, and righteousness (Rom 14:17). The Holy Spirit fills our hearts with the love of God (Rom 5:7), and he gives us the strength and courage we need in order to live as faith-filled disciples of the Lord Jesus that we need to share with others.
The Spirit helps us in our weakness (Rom 8:26), and enables us to grow in spiritual freedom – freedom from doubt, fear, and from slavery to our unruly desires (2 Cor 3:17; Rom 8:21). The Spirit instructs us in the ways of God, and guides us in living according to God’s Will. The Spirit is the source and giver of all holiness. And Isaiah prophesied about the seven-fold gifts that the Spirit would give: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord (Isa 11:2).
Thus the gift of Pentecost – the outpouring of the spiritual gifts and blessings of God – was made possible by the death, resurrection, and ascension of the Lord Jesus. After his resurrection Jesus “breathed” on his disciples and gave them the Holy Spirit.
Today he breathes on us the same Spirit and with this impartation of a new life we who have received the Holy Spirit have become a new creation as the old is gone and the new has come (2 Cor 5:17) and through this new life God is recreating us for his glory.
As on that day in the Upper Room, Jesus Christ today is also offering each one of us the gift and power of his Holy Spirit because he wants to strengthen our faith, to give us a hope that endures, and a love that will never grow cold. The beauty of it all is that Jesus will not withhold His Spirit to anyone who believe and who will ask in faith.
Such belief, however, is premised on our subservience to his Holy Will and a life that is anchored on sacrifice and suffering. This last part is what makes people think because most often we want to reap the promise of eternal joy but without the pain and sacrifice attached to it.
As we celebrate the Feast of Pentecost today, the one thing we need to remember is that Jesus also needs the Church to keep the fire of love burning and we need Jesus because he is the main message of our evangelical work and none other.
As God sent Jesus to the cross, so Jesus is also sending us now to the ends of the earth and no one can truly understand why unless we come to realize that the relationship between God and Jesus is premised on Jesus’ obedience and love. This is also what is being asked of us and we can only do this if we have the Holy Spirit in us.
CARE FOR ONE ANOTHER
MAY 17, 2013: SEVENTH WEEK OF EASTER
1st Reading: Ac 25:13-21
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 103:1-2, 11-12, 19-20” The Lord has established his throne in heaven.”
GOSPEL: JN 21:15-19
Key Verse: “Follow me.” (v.19)
To grasp the drama of this exchange between Jesus and Peter in today’s Gospel reading, it would be advisable for you to go back to Jn 13:37 where we see Peter professing his utmost loyalty to Jesus saying: “I am ready to die for you.”
Of the 72 disciples who regularly traveled with Jesus and even among the 12 who comprised his inner circle there was no one who was as fiercely loyal as Peter but he was also known for being impulsive and hasty and this profession of his readiness to die for Jesus was probably borne of his impetuous nature.
And we can see this in Jn 18:17, 25, 27 when Peter denied any relations with Jesus and he probably could not figure out why he did what Jesus had predicted he would do. Because not all that happened in those days found their way in the Sacred Scriptures, we actually don’t know how Peter felt after he denied Jesus not just once but three times. We also don’t know how he found his way back to the Upper Room and how the other disciples treated him. His denial must have reached the other disciples since there was someone with Peter when he entered the courtyard where Jesus was held.
What we only know is what was depicted in this scenario when after partaking of their breakfast at the seashore, Jesus led Peter to an experience that would forever be engraved in his heart as this encounter practically erased the guilt of Peter.
Not only did Peter receive forgiveness for the number of times he denied Jesus but this encounter had spelled out what can now be viewed as the primary objective of the mission which Peter and the other disciples are to pursue.
Why did Jesus asked Peter three times? Generally, we are often told that this was because Peter had to be forgiven for the number of times that he denied Jesus. However, this encounter was not just about Peter being forgiven but what we see here was the assurance that Jesus needed that Peter can very well live up to the role that Jesus had given him to build the church that Christ has established (Matt 16:18).
Jesus wanted to see if Peter was prepared to give up everything he had which was why he asked him: "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" (v.15) Jesus was probably pointing to his lucrative fishing business and the life he had with his friends and kin and Jesus wanted to know if Peter was willing to give up everything he had.
“A second time he said to him, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" (v.16) This was intended to draw from Peter his commitment to offer his life to serve Jesus. “He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" (v.17) If Jesus was thinking of the agape type of love when he asked Peter twice if he loved him, this time Jesus meant the phileo type of love because he wanted to know if Peter has the heart to love others with the kind of brotherly love that Jesus had for men.
When he said “yes” three times Jesus knew that his mission was safe in the hands of Peter who also was warned by Jesus of the persecution he would experience and the terrible death he would face (vv.18-19).
Peter realized what the Lord meant when he told him: “but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish to go." (v.18) when he too went to the cross in Rome and asked to be nailed to it with his head downwards because he was not worthy to die as the Lord had died.
As disciples of Christ, we too must put ourselves in the position of Peter and we need to realize that our lives have a purpose and meaning and Our Lord Jesus Christ is calling each one of us not only to love God more than our possessions but to a life of total commitment to serve God by loving and caring for the marginalized, the poor especially those who have never known who God is.
Like Peter, there will come a time when we have to deal with our true feelings and motives when we are in a face-to-face situation with Jesus. We must be ready when Jesus will ask: “Do you love me?” When he was asked, Peter unequivocally said: “You know that I love you.” (v.17) and Jesus knew this was no longer a boast unlike the time when Peter once said: “I will never fall away.” (Matt 26:33)
Jesus was so particular about love because this was what he brought to the world when he was sent down from heaven. Love was what moved him to embrace the cross in order to unite us with God through this supreme sacrifice. Love is the greatest privilege in the world and we can only prove our love for Jesus by loving others.
Like Peter, we can only show our love for God through Christ when we embrace the tasks that have been entrusted to us and deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow him. To love God is an awesome privilege but it also involves responsibility and sacrifice. We may have our own mindsets on how to go about our tasks to proclaim the Good News to others but all our efforts must be directed towards unity with God and with one another.
And we should constantly review the purity of our motives by spending time in the presence of Jesus Christ because there is the danger we may already be doing the opposite such that in our zealousness to do things for God we may already be promoting disobedience to pastoral authority in the church or community under the guise of a good motive.
Church organizations as well as communities, ministries and apostolates disintegrate and members scatter because of the sinful pride that clouds their vision of the love of God. What we all must remember is this – the devil is not concerned about getting between us and the work or activity that we do, but the devil’s main concern is to get between us and the love of God.
At the end of the day, being a Christian is not about doing things for God but acknowledging that God has already done something out of love.
1st Reading: Ac 25:13-21
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 103:1-2, 11-12, 19-20” The Lord has established his throne in heaven.”
GOSPEL: JN 21:15-19
Key Verse: “Follow me.” (v.19)
To grasp the drama of this exchange between Jesus and Peter in today’s Gospel reading, it would be advisable for you to go back to Jn 13:37 where we see Peter professing his utmost loyalty to Jesus saying: “I am ready to die for you.”
Of the 72 disciples who regularly traveled with Jesus and even among the 12 who comprised his inner circle there was no one who was as fiercely loyal as Peter but he was also known for being impulsive and hasty and this profession of his readiness to die for Jesus was probably borne of his impetuous nature.
And we can see this in Jn 18:17, 25, 27 when Peter denied any relations with Jesus and he probably could not figure out why he did what Jesus had predicted he would do. Because not all that happened in those days found their way in the Sacred Scriptures, we actually don’t know how Peter felt after he denied Jesus not just once but three times. We also don’t know how he found his way back to the Upper Room and how the other disciples treated him. His denial must have reached the other disciples since there was someone with Peter when he entered the courtyard where Jesus was held.
What we only know is what was depicted in this scenario when after partaking of their breakfast at the seashore, Jesus led Peter to an experience that would forever be engraved in his heart as this encounter practically erased the guilt of Peter.
Not only did Peter receive forgiveness for the number of times he denied Jesus but this encounter had spelled out what can now be viewed as the primary objective of the mission which Peter and the other disciples are to pursue.
Why did Jesus asked Peter three times? Generally, we are often told that this was because Peter had to be forgiven for the number of times that he denied Jesus. However, this encounter was not just about Peter being forgiven but what we see here was the assurance that Jesus needed that Peter can very well live up to the role that Jesus had given him to build the church that Christ has established (Matt 16:18).
Jesus wanted to see if Peter was prepared to give up everything he had which was why he asked him: "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" (v.15) Jesus was probably pointing to his lucrative fishing business and the life he had with his friends and kin and Jesus wanted to know if Peter was willing to give up everything he had.
“A second time he said to him, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" (v.16) This was intended to draw from Peter his commitment to offer his life to serve Jesus. “He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" (v.17) If Jesus was thinking of the agape type of love when he asked Peter twice if he loved him, this time Jesus meant the phileo type of love because he wanted to know if Peter has the heart to love others with the kind of brotherly love that Jesus had for men.
When he said “yes” three times Jesus knew that his mission was safe in the hands of Peter who also was warned by Jesus of the persecution he would experience and the terrible death he would face (vv.18-19).
Peter realized what the Lord meant when he told him: “but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish to go." (v.18) when he too went to the cross in Rome and asked to be nailed to it with his head downwards because he was not worthy to die as the Lord had died.
As disciples of Christ, we too must put ourselves in the position of Peter and we need to realize that our lives have a purpose and meaning and Our Lord Jesus Christ is calling each one of us not only to love God more than our possessions but to a life of total commitment to serve God by loving and caring for the marginalized, the poor especially those who have never known who God is.
Like Peter, there will come a time when we have to deal with our true feelings and motives when we are in a face-to-face situation with Jesus. We must be ready when Jesus will ask: “Do you love me?” When he was asked, Peter unequivocally said: “You know that I love you.” (v.17) and Jesus knew this was no longer a boast unlike the time when Peter once said: “I will never fall away.” (Matt 26:33)
Jesus was so particular about love because this was what he brought to the world when he was sent down from heaven. Love was what moved him to embrace the cross in order to unite us with God through this supreme sacrifice. Love is the greatest privilege in the world and we can only prove our love for Jesus by loving others.
Like Peter, we can only show our love for God through Christ when we embrace the tasks that have been entrusted to us and deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow him. To love God is an awesome privilege but it also involves responsibility and sacrifice. We may have our own mindsets on how to go about our tasks to proclaim the Good News to others but all our efforts must be directed towards unity with God and with one another.
And we should constantly review the purity of our motives by spending time in the presence of Jesus Christ because there is the danger we may already be doing the opposite such that in our zealousness to do things for God we may already be promoting disobedience to pastoral authority in the church or community under the guise of a good motive.
Church organizations as well as communities, ministries and apostolates disintegrate and members scatter because of the sinful pride that clouds their vision of the love of God. What we all must remember is this – the devil is not concerned about getting between us and the work or activity that we do, but the devil’s main concern is to get between us and the love of God.
At the end of the day, being a Christian is not about doing things for God but acknowledging that God has already done something out of love.
JESUS WANTS US TO BE UNITED
May 16, 2013: SEVENTH WEEK OF EASTER
1st Reading: Ac 22:30; 23:6-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 16:1-2, 5, 7-11 “Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.”
GOSPEL: JN 17:20-26
Key Verse: “that they may become perfectly one” (v.23)
As we come to the end of this prayer of Jesus that appears only in the Gospel of John, it would be a good idea if you could copy and print it and keep it handy or mark it in your Bibles and you can go over it when you are meditating and or whenever you feel depressed or down and no one to turn to.
For one this prayer of Jesus shows not just the depth of his love for us and his fervent desire that we be united with the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit but what is so moving was the part when he prayed that we remain under the constant protection and care of God.
This is relatively important because in order for us to really get into a relationship with God, it would do us a lot of good to know that Jesus had nothing in his heart but compassion and his deep concern for our welfare and interest even during the time when he was just hours away from being betrayed.
At the core of this prayer of Jesus is his desire that we be united with God and such unity can only be forged if we enter into a relationship with God through Christ, a relationship that is founded on our complete submission of our human will to the Will of God.
In like manner, for us to become one with God we must become one with Christ which means that we have to restructure both our temporal and spiritual nature with the character of Christ. As disciples we must position ourselves to that of a learner who never tires of learning.
Remember what Jesus said in Jn 16:13 “and he will tell you what is yet to come.” In an apparent reference to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives Jesus is telling us that new things will be revealed to us in the days to come which means that we need to be aware of the movement and prompting of the Holy Spirit who is going to teach us these new revelations.
It only goes to show that for anyone who will embrace a life of discipleship we should not stop learning and for us to become a witness to the ends of the earth (Ac 1:8) we need to enter in, develop and nurture a genuine relationship with God through Christ for how else can we proclaim the Gospel of Christ to others if we don’t know anything about him.
To know Christ is to walk with him, listen to him through the Sacred Scriptures and from what he says which can be passed on to us through other mediums and, to obey everything that he tells us. This means that we need to put our entire trust and confidence in Him because it is only in doing so that we can find our way to eternity because Christ is the Way, the Truth and, the Life.
What stands out in this Gospel was the great desire of Jesus for his disciples to become one and this should also serve as a clarion call for the lay faithful of the Catholic Church and members of all Charismatic Communities to unite not only among themselves but with God through Christ because this is the only way we can become powerful witnesses to the reality of God’s love.
And this is the question we need to ask ourselves. Are we also praying for the unity of all Christian believers since love and unity is the distinctive mark of those who follow Jesus who is pleased when we dwell in unity. As the Psalmist says: “How good and delightful it is when brethren dwell together in unity.” (Psa 133:1)
Thus it is sad when we see disciples who cause disunity causing congregations to break up and scatter instead of keeping them as one flock. Differences of opinion in the way a community, district, ministry or apostolate should be governed should not get in the way of what is primordial which is to establish God’s Kingdom in the hearts of men.
Conflicts and arguments will always be present even in a spiritual community. Didn’t the mother of James and John almost caused disunity among the disciples when she asked Jesus to allow her sons to sit on his right and left? (Matt 20:21, Mk 10:37)
It is worst when leaders who should sow unity and harmony become the cause of disunity and we see this everywhere. Worst even is when we ignore our duty to promote unity because we are beholden to those who are involved. And this often happens when we look at the vineyard as owners and not as workers.
In the final analysis, relationships and even the flow of authority in a community break down when there is no submission to the kingship of Christ that is rooted in humility and obedience. This often happens when men especially leaders haven’t and couldn’t get their human nature to be nailed to the cross and allow Christ to resurrect in their lives. And this happens when we merely pay lip service to confessing Jesus is Lord.
This prayer of Jesus is actually a continuation of his prayer at the Last Supper which concluded with a petition for Christian unity among all who profess Jesus Christ as Lord. Jesus prays for all men and women who will come after him and follow him as his disciples. In a special way, Jesus was actually praying that we as members of his body the church would be one as he and his Father are one.
The unity of Jesus and his Father is a unity that is forged in love and perfect obedience and a unity that is engraved in personal relationship. We should not forget that Jesus loved us first and united us with him in baptism and thus we are called to live in unity with him in love. This prayer of Jesus on the eve of his sacrifice shows the great love and trust he has in his beloved disciples.
He knows that his disciples would abandon him, yet he still entrusted them with the great task of spreading his name throughout the world. The Lord entrusts us with the same mission – to make him known and loved by all. Jesus died and rose again that all might be one as he and the Father are one. This is our calling. How we will respond will depend on how much we know him and how much we love him.
1st Reading: Ac 22:30; 23:6-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 16:1-2, 5, 7-11 “Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.”
GOSPEL: JN 17:20-26
Key Verse: “that they may become perfectly one” (v.23)
As we come to the end of this prayer of Jesus that appears only in the Gospel of John, it would be a good idea if you could copy and print it and keep it handy or mark it in your Bibles and you can go over it when you are meditating and or whenever you feel depressed or down and no one to turn to.
For one this prayer of Jesus shows not just the depth of his love for us and his fervent desire that we be united with the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit but what is so moving was the part when he prayed that we remain under the constant protection and care of God.
This is relatively important because in order for us to really get into a relationship with God, it would do us a lot of good to know that Jesus had nothing in his heart but compassion and his deep concern for our welfare and interest even during the time when he was just hours away from being betrayed.
At the core of this prayer of Jesus is his desire that we be united with God and such unity can only be forged if we enter into a relationship with God through Christ, a relationship that is founded on our complete submission of our human will to the Will of God.
In like manner, for us to become one with God we must become one with Christ which means that we have to restructure both our temporal and spiritual nature with the character of Christ. As disciples we must position ourselves to that of a learner who never tires of learning.
Remember what Jesus said in Jn 16:13 “and he will tell you what is yet to come.” In an apparent reference to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives Jesus is telling us that new things will be revealed to us in the days to come which means that we need to be aware of the movement and prompting of the Holy Spirit who is going to teach us these new revelations.
It only goes to show that for anyone who will embrace a life of discipleship we should not stop learning and for us to become a witness to the ends of the earth (Ac 1:8) we need to enter in, develop and nurture a genuine relationship with God through Christ for how else can we proclaim the Gospel of Christ to others if we don’t know anything about him.
To know Christ is to walk with him, listen to him through the Sacred Scriptures and from what he says which can be passed on to us through other mediums and, to obey everything that he tells us. This means that we need to put our entire trust and confidence in Him because it is only in doing so that we can find our way to eternity because Christ is the Way, the Truth and, the Life.
What stands out in this Gospel was the great desire of Jesus for his disciples to become one and this should also serve as a clarion call for the lay faithful of the Catholic Church and members of all Charismatic Communities to unite not only among themselves but with God through Christ because this is the only way we can become powerful witnesses to the reality of God’s love.
And this is the question we need to ask ourselves. Are we also praying for the unity of all Christian believers since love and unity is the distinctive mark of those who follow Jesus who is pleased when we dwell in unity. As the Psalmist says: “How good and delightful it is when brethren dwell together in unity.” (Psa 133:1)
Thus it is sad when we see disciples who cause disunity causing congregations to break up and scatter instead of keeping them as one flock. Differences of opinion in the way a community, district, ministry or apostolate should be governed should not get in the way of what is primordial which is to establish God’s Kingdom in the hearts of men.
Conflicts and arguments will always be present even in a spiritual community. Didn’t the mother of James and John almost caused disunity among the disciples when she asked Jesus to allow her sons to sit on his right and left? (Matt 20:21, Mk 10:37)
It is worst when leaders who should sow unity and harmony become the cause of disunity and we see this everywhere. Worst even is when we ignore our duty to promote unity because we are beholden to those who are involved. And this often happens when we look at the vineyard as owners and not as workers.
In the final analysis, relationships and even the flow of authority in a community break down when there is no submission to the kingship of Christ that is rooted in humility and obedience. This often happens when men especially leaders haven’t and couldn’t get their human nature to be nailed to the cross and allow Christ to resurrect in their lives. And this happens when we merely pay lip service to confessing Jesus is Lord.
This prayer of Jesus is actually a continuation of his prayer at the Last Supper which concluded with a petition for Christian unity among all who profess Jesus Christ as Lord. Jesus prays for all men and women who will come after him and follow him as his disciples. In a special way, Jesus was actually praying that we as members of his body the church would be one as he and his Father are one.
The unity of Jesus and his Father is a unity that is forged in love and perfect obedience and a unity that is engraved in personal relationship. We should not forget that Jesus loved us first and united us with him in baptism and thus we are called to live in unity with him in love. This prayer of Jesus on the eve of his sacrifice shows the great love and trust he has in his beloved disciples.
He knows that his disciples would abandon him, yet he still entrusted them with the great task of spreading his name throughout the world. The Lord entrusts us with the same mission – to make him known and loved by all. Jesus died and rose again that all might be one as he and the Father are one. This is our calling. How we will respond will depend on how much we know him and how much we love him.
IN THE HEART OF JESUS
MAY 15, 2013: SEVENTH WEEK OF EASTER
1st Reading: Ac 20:28-38
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 68:29-30, 33-36 “Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.”
GOSPEL: JN 17:11-19
Key Verse: “they may also be consecrated in truth.” (v.19)
Even at the point when death beckons, we whom God had created in his own image and likeness remain close to the heart of Jesus. This is evident in the prayer of Jesus the second part of which (vv.11-19) is what we have for today’s Gospel reading.
This passage also gives us a complete picture of why we were created in the first place and if we are going to tie this in with the Great Commission for Christians (Matt 28:18-20) it would be easy for us to grasp what our mission in life is.
It was very clear in this Gospel reading that even if Jesus was laying the groundwork for his eventual departure by his death on the cross his heart was filled with concern for his disciples. Though he was not asking God “to take them out of the world” (v.15) which would have been the most convenient way for his disciples to escape the trials and persecution Jesus asked the Father “to keep them safe from the evil one.” (v.15)
The prayer of Jesus in very clear terms shows us the depth of the love of Jesus for us: “During my time here, I have kept them safe. I guarded them so that not one was lost, except the one headed for destruction, as the Scriptures foretold.” (v.12) This prayer indeed proves that anyone who has entered into a relationship with Christ are kept out of harm’s way and that no one will be lost.
This is what we see the Church doing through its many programs to evangelize and bring the Gospel of Christ to the people especially the unchurched. It is also by God’s Grace that numerous organizations have now stepped up in responding to the call of the Church to bring everyone back into the Christian faith.
In his Motu Proprio for the creation of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI said: “It is the duty of the Church to proclaim always and everywhere the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He, the first and supreme evangelizer, commanded the Apostles on the day of his Ascension to the Father: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Mt 28:19-20) Faithful to this mandate, the Church—a people chosen by God to declare his wonderful deeds (cf. 1 Peter 2:9)—ever since she received the gift of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost (cf. Acts 2:14), has never tired of making known to the whole world the beauty of the Gospel as she preaches Jesus Christ, true God and true man, the same “yesterday and today and for ever” (Heb 13:8), who, by his death and Resurrection, brought us salvation and fulfilled the promise made of old. Hence the mission of evangelization, is a continuation of the work desired by the Lord Jesus, is necessary for the Church: it cannot be overlooked; it is an expression of her very nature.”
The Church also exists in order to EVANGELIZE – the carrying forth of the Good News to every sector of the human race so that by its strength it may enter into the hearts of men and renew the human race. (Evangelii Nuntiandi No. 14, 18)
To evangelize and bring the Gospel of Christ to others and into the world is our mandate as disciples and this should be the fruit of what Jesus told his disciples and which is now being passed on to us through the Scriptures and Traditions of the Church. “I have told them many things while I was with them so they would be filled with my joy.” (v.13)
Truly there is joy in serving our God but we should not even for once assume that it will be a pleasurable ride because Jesus Himself warns that “the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not.” (v.14) The key to such immeasurable joy is to live in an intimate union with Christ because it is only when we do that we will experience God’s special care and protection and savor the victory that God brings even in times when we are faced with defeat.
The world will hate us because our Christian values differ from the values of the world. Christian disciples especially those who live under the banner of truth will always be subject to persecution and we are privy to these scenarios especially today when there is an absence of truth in the way people live.
As we have said many times in the past, membership in a Christian organization do not a Christian make which means that going to Mass and or Prayer Meetings will not get you to heaven especially if you live a dichotomous life. People who do are everywhere and we could be standing right next to an agent of destruction which is why it is relatively important that we immerse ourselves in the Word of God (Heb 4:12).
A daily application of God’s Word has a purifying effect not only on our minds but in our hearts as well and this is what Jesus prayed to God to: “make them pure and holy by teaching them your words of truth.” (v.17) which again means that as His Word points out the sins we have committed, we have a duty to confess these sins so we can constantly renew our relationship with Christ.
What we actually see in this prayer of Jesus Christ are three things: Jesus prayed that we may all be united with one another and with God (v.11); He prayed that we may be protected from the evil one (v.15), and; Jesus prayed that we may be purified and become holy by the Word of God in us (v.17).
Knowing that Jesus keeps us in his heart and is praying for us should give us confidence as we work to bring His Gospel to the ends of the earth. It is when we given God the glory through the work of our hands that we too are glorified in Him when Christ in our lives appear.
1st Reading: Ac 20:28-38
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 68:29-30, 33-36 “Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth.”
GOSPEL: JN 17:11-19
Key Verse: “they may also be consecrated in truth.” (v.19)
Even at the point when death beckons, we whom God had created in his own image and likeness remain close to the heart of Jesus. This is evident in the prayer of Jesus the second part of which (vv.11-19) is what we have for today’s Gospel reading.
This passage also gives us a complete picture of why we were created in the first place and if we are going to tie this in with the Great Commission for Christians (Matt 28:18-20) it would be easy for us to grasp what our mission in life is.
It was very clear in this Gospel reading that even if Jesus was laying the groundwork for his eventual departure by his death on the cross his heart was filled with concern for his disciples. Though he was not asking God “to take them out of the world” (v.15) which would have been the most convenient way for his disciples to escape the trials and persecution Jesus asked the Father “to keep them safe from the evil one.” (v.15)
The prayer of Jesus in very clear terms shows us the depth of the love of Jesus for us: “During my time here, I have kept them safe. I guarded them so that not one was lost, except the one headed for destruction, as the Scriptures foretold.” (v.12) This prayer indeed proves that anyone who has entered into a relationship with Christ are kept out of harm’s way and that no one will be lost.
This is what we see the Church doing through its many programs to evangelize and bring the Gospel of Christ to the people especially the unchurched. It is also by God’s Grace that numerous organizations have now stepped up in responding to the call of the Church to bring everyone back into the Christian faith.
In his Motu Proprio for the creation of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI said: “It is the duty of the Church to proclaim always and everywhere the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He, the first and supreme evangelizer, commanded the Apostles on the day of his Ascension to the Father: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Mt 28:19-20) Faithful to this mandate, the Church—a people chosen by God to declare his wonderful deeds (cf. 1 Peter 2:9)—ever since she received the gift of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost (cf. Acts 2:14), has never tired of making known to the whole world the beauty of the Gospel as she preaches Jesus Christ, true God and true man, the same “yesterday and today and for ever” (Heb 13:8), who, by his death and Resurrection, brought us salvation and fulfilled the promise made of old. Hence the mission of evangelization, is a continuation of the work desired by the Lord Jesus, is necessary for the Church: it cannot be overlooked; it is an expression of her very nature.”
The Church also exists in order to EVANGELIZE – the carrying forth of the Good News to every sector of the human race so that by its strength it may enter into the hearts of men and renew the human race. (Evangelii Nuntiandi No. 14, 18)
To evangelize and bring the Gospel of Christ to others and into the world is our mandate as disciples and this should be the fruit of what Jesus told his disciples and which is now being passed on to us through the Scriptures and Traditions of the Church. “I have told them many things while I was with them so they would be filled with my joy.” (v.13)
Truly there is joy in serving our God but we should not even for once assume that it will be a pleasurable ride because Jesus Himself warns that “the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not.” (v.14) The key to such immeasurable joy is to live in an intimate union with Christ because it is only when we do that we will experience God’s special care and protection and savor the victory that God brings even in times when we are faced with defeat.
The world will hate us because our Christian values differ from the values of the world. Christian disciples especially those who live under the banner of truth will always be subject to persecution and we are privy to these scenarios especially today when there is an absence of truth in the way people live.
As we have said many times in the past, membership in a Christian organization do not a Christian make which means that going to Mass and or Prayer Meetings will not get you to heaven especially if you live a dichotomous life. People who do are everywhere and we could be standing right next to an agent of destruction which is why it is relatively important that we immerse ourselves in the Word of God (Heb 4:12).
A daily application of God’s Word has a purifying effect not only on our minds but in our hearts as well and this is what Jesus prayed to God to: “make them pure and holy by teaching them your words of truth.” (v.17) which again means that as His Word points out the sins we have committed, we have a duty to confess these sins so we can constantly renew our relationship with Christ.
What we actually see in this prayer of Jesus Christ are three things: Jesus prayed that we may all be united with one another and with God (v.11); He prayed that we may be protected from the evil one (v.15), and; Jesus prayed that we may be purified and become holy by the Word of God in us (v.17).
Knowing that Jesus keeps us in his heart and is praying for us should give us confidence as we work to bring His Gospel to the ends of the earth. It is when we given God the glory through the work of our hands that we too are glorified in Him when Christ in our lives appear.
NOT SLAVES BUT FRIENDS
MAY 14, 2013: SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
1st Reading: Ac 1:15-17, 20-26
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 113:1-8 “The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.”
GOSPEL: JN 15:9-17
Key Verse: “Love each other, as I have loved you.” (v.12)
When we have the time to look into our journey of faith, we will see that many of us have always looked into our relationship with God in terms of a master-servant relationship and this is so because this is what the Church taught us from childhood that God is sovereign king and master and thus must be feared and obeyed.
In some cases, some people grew up looking at God as a punishing God such that disobedience will always merit a corresponding penalty. There is actually nothing wrong with this scenario as such may have been passed on from generations to generations since the time of the ancient Jews when God was pictured as someone to be feared.
But in today’s Gospel, Jesus presents us with two models of relationship with God. One was merely a recollection of how the Jews related to God, a relationship that was premised on God being the master and the people as slaves.
And Jesus in this Gospel gave his disciples a new paradigm in that they will no longer be regarded as his servants but as his friends: “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have all you friends, for everything that I have learned from my Father I have made known to you.” (v.15)
Wow! Isn’t that amazing that Jesus who is the Son of God but who did not deem equality with God as something to be grasped has set aside any reference to his disciples as servants and who from hereon shall be called his friends.
Hence, as disciples Jesus is also addressing this to us and what a marvelous opportunity indeed that through the Scriptures, Jesus is making known to us everything that is in his heart that he learned from the Father and which he is making known to us now.
This Gospel actually challenges us to rethink the kind of relationship we have with Christ because if we are aware of where we stand in terms of our religiosity we will come to realize that relationship with Christ go through different stages. It may start within the purview of a master-servant relationship especially when we are new to the faith, but this relationship with Christ will deepen depending on the level of our commitment and it changes into a less formal friend-friend type of relationship.
While some may prefer to remain in that master-servant stage of relationship, the Gospel passage today reminds us that Christ is giving us the opportunity to move beyond this master-servant mindset into a relationship with Him as a friend.
This particular type of relationship that is rooted on friendship should bring about a dramatic change in the way we live and pray for in this kind of friendly relations we can ask Our Lord Jesus Christ whatever we wish and it will be given to us (Jn 15:7) for as long as what we ask would bring us good.
We may at some point balk at this idea of Jesus as someone to whom we can relate to in a more familiar circumstance just as we related to our friends with whom we have become familiar. But Jesus provides us the inspiration that we have been chosen from among the people in the crowd “you did not choose me, but I chose you.” (v.16)
As such, Jesus knew what he was getting into. He knows that we are unworthy and that it would probably have been much better for us to remain as servants but He also knew the kind of potential that we have and He commands us “to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last.” (v.16).
This I believe is the key to a fruitful relationship with Christ for it is only when we bear fruit that God will give us whatever we ask in the Name of Jesus. This means that God will not give us what we pray for unless we bear fruit (Gal 5:22) – fruit that is nurtured by our love for one another because love is the key that will help us unlock the gates of heaven.
Such love which has no equal we find in mothers whom we honored last Sunday, a celebration that started in the United States since May 9, 1914 when then President Woodrow Wilson asked Congress to legislate and declare the second Sunday of May as Mother’s Day. But in England, this was already being celebrated as far back as in the 1600’s and was called “Mothering Sunday.”
Let me end with a beautiful anecdote about Dr. Anthony Campolo, a highly-respected speaker, author, sociologist, pastor, social activist, and passionate follower of Jesus who spent his time traveling the world speaking about Jesus.
One time, his wife Peggy, chose to stay home and give herself and all that she has to rear their two children, Bart and Lisa. But on those rare occasions when Peggy does travel with Dr. Capolo, she finds herself engaged in conversations with some of the most accomplished, impressive, influential, sophisticated people in the world. After one such trip, Peggy told Tony that sometimes when she visits with these powerful people… she finds herself feeling intimidated and sometimes even questioning her own self-worth. Tony said to her: "Well, honey, why don't you come up with something you could say when you meet people that will let them know that you strongly value what you do and you feel that it is dramatically, urgent and crucial and important.
Not long after that, Tony and Peggy Campolo were at a party… when a woman said to Peggy in a rather condescending tone, "Well, my dear, what do you do?" Tony Campolo heard his wife say: "I am nurturing two Homo Sapiens into the dominant values of the Judaeo-Christian tradition in order that they might become instruments for the transformation of the social order into the kind of eschatological utopia God envisioned from the beginning of time." The other woman said: “O, my, I'm just a lawyer.” This should remind us that what mothers do is as important as some of the important jobs in the world today.
And today what everyone should keep etched in their hearts are the words of Jesus in v.16 “You did not choose me, I chose you and sent you out to produce fruit, the kind of fruit that will last. Then my Father will give you whatever you ask for in my name.” This my friends is what I believe to be the key to living a fulfilled life to produce that lasting fruit in our lives which is a requisite for all the answers that we seek from God. Because to love puts us right into the presence of the One from whom love flows.
1st Reading: Ac 1:15-17, 20-26
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 113:1-8 “The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.”
GOSPEL: JN 15:9-17
Key Verse: “Love each other, as I have loved you.” (v.12)
When we have the time to look into our journey of faith, we will see that many of us have always looked into our relationship with God in terms of a master-servant relationship and this is so because this is what the Church taught us from childhood that God is sovereign king and master and thus must be feared and obeyed.
In some cases, some people grew up looking at God as a punishing God such that disobedience will always merit a corresponding penalty. There is actually nothing wrong with this scenario as such may have been passed on from generations to generations since the time of the ancient Jews when God was pictured as someone to be feared.
But in today’s Gospel, Jesus presents us with two models of relationship with God. One was merely a recollection of how the Jews related to God, a relationship that was premised on God being the master and the people as slaves.
And Jesus in this Gospel gave his disciples a new paradigm in that they will no longer be regarded as his servants but as his friends: “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have all you friends, for everything that I have learned from my Father I have made known to you.” (v.15)
Wow! Isn’t that amazing that Jesus who is the Son of God but who did not deem equality with God as something to be grasped has set aside any reference to his disciples as servants and who from hereon shall be called his friends.
Hence, as disciples Jesus is also addressing this to us and what a marvelous opportunity indeed that through the Scriptures, Jesus is making known to us everything that is in his heart that he learned from the Father and which he is making known to us now.
This Gospel actually challenges us to rethink the kind of relationship we have with Christ because if we are aware of where we stand in terms of our religiosity we will come to realize that relationship with Christ go through different stages. It may start within the purview of a master-servant relationship especially when we are new to the faith, but this relationship with Christ will deepen depending on the level of our commitment and it changes into a less formal friend-friend type of relationship.
While some may prefer to remain in that master-servant stage of relationship, the Gospel passage today reminds us that Christ is giving us the opportunity to move beyond this master-servant mindset into a relationship with Him as a friend.
This particular type of relationship that is rooted on friendship should bring about a dramatic change in the way we live and pray for in this kind of friendly relations we can ask Our Lord Jesus Christ whatever we wish and it will be given to us (Jn 15:7) for as long as what we ask would bring us good.
We may at some point balk at this idea of Jesus as someone to whom we can relate to in a more familiar circumstance just as we related to our friends with whom we have become familiar. But Jesus provides us the inspiration that we have been chosen from among the people in the crowd “you did not choose me, but I chose you.” (v.16)
As such, Jesus knew what he was getting into. He knows that we are unworthy and that it would probably have been much better for us to remain as servants but He also knew the kind of potential that we have and He commands us “to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last.” (v.16).
This I believe is the key to a fruitful relationship with Christ for it is only when we bear fruit that God will give us whatever we ask in the Name of Jesus. This means that God will not give us what we pray for unless we bear fruit (Gal 5:22) – fruit that is nurtured by our love for one another because love is the key that will help us unlock the gates of heaven.
Such love which has no equal we find in mothers whom we honored last Sunday, a celebration that started in the United States since May 9, 1914 when then President Woodrow Wilson asked Congress to legislate and declare the second Sunday of May as Mother’s Day. But in England, this was already being celebrated as far back as in the 1600’s and was called “Mothering Sunday.”
Let me end with a beautiful anecdote about Dr. Anthony Campolo, a highly-respected speaker, author, sociologist, pastor, social activist, and passionate follower of Jesus who spent his time traveling the world speaking about Jesus.
One time, his wife Peggy, chose to stay home and give herself and all that she has to rear their two children, Bart and Lisa. But on those rare occasions when Peggy does travel with Dr. Capolo, she finds herself engaged in conversations with some of the most accomplished, impressive, influential, sophisticated people in the world. After one such trip, Peggy told Tony that sometimes when she visits with these powerful people… she finds herself feeling intimidated and sometimes even questioning her own self-worth. Tony said to her: "Well, honey, why don't you come up with something you could say when you meet people that will let them know that you strongly value what you do and you feel that it is dramatically, urgent and crucial and important.
Not long after that, Tony and Peggy Campolo were at a party… when a woman said to Peggy in a rather condescending tone, "Well, my dear, what do you do?" Tony Campolo heard his wife say: "I am nurturing two Homo Sapiens into the dominant values of the Judaeo-Christian tradition in order that they might become instruments for the transformation of the social order into the kind of eschatological utopia God envisioned from the beginning of time." The other woman said: “O, my, I'm just a lawyer.” This should remind us that what mothers do is as important as some of the important jobs in the world today.
And today what everyone should keep etched in their hearts are the words of Jesus in v.16 “You did not choose me, I chose you and sent you out to produce fruit, the kind of fruit that will last. Then my Father will give you whatever you ask for in my name.” This my friends is what I believe to be the key to living a fulfilled life to produce that lasting fruit in our lives which is a requisite for all the answers that we seek from God. Because to love puts us right into the presence of the One from whom love flows.
AN HONOR TO USE HIS NAME
MAY 10, 2013: SIXTH WEEK OF EASTER
1st Reading: Ac 18:9-18
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 47:2-7 “God is King of all the earth.”
GOSPEL: JN 16:20-23
Key Verse: “no one will take your joy from you.” (v.22)
“Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.” (v.20)
In today’s Gospel reading Jesus presents a glaring contrast between what the world represents and the kind of situation the disciples will find themselves in when he leaves them albeit temporarily. And for the disciples and even for some of us including the learned, this is probably one of the greatest yet perplexing paradoxes coming from the teachings of Jesus and only those who are deep in their faith can decipher the meaning of this passage.
Sounding prophetic, Jesus in very clear terms said his disciples will weep and will be stricken with sorrow even if this will be for a little while and during this time that they will be wailing and weeping the world, on the other hand, will be rejoicing.
Jesus is actually giving his disciples a preview of what will happen when he is finally handed over to the Sanhedrin so that they will not be caught by surprise and we very well know what happened. The disciples except for John hid in the Upper Room for fear they would be next in line to be crucified. Notwithstanding the teachings and on on-the-job training they received from Jesus, to be gripped with fear was a natural consequence of the fact that it was their leader no less who would be arrested and crucified.
In contrast, the Sanhedrin, Pharisees and, Scribes who were opposed to Jesus out of envy because Jesus not only spoke with authority but more so because Jesus was able to feed 5,000 people with only five pieces of bread and two fish, raised the dead to life, gave sight to the blind and, drove demons out of those possessed by the evil one would be rejoicing because no longer will they have to fear the growing influence of Jesus.
If it was natural for the disciples to weep and wail, so too it was for the religious leaders who would rejoice when Jesus was finally removed from their midst as they no longer have to worry about the increasing number of Jews whose eyes have been to the truth about God.
Indeed, the values and priorities of the world will always be opposed to the values of Christ and we see this in the inner struggle being experienced by those who have responded to the call of Jesus. Spiritual growth differs in each person. While there are some whose transformation may be immediate, some will take a longer time before they can finally gather the courage to place their lives in the hands of Jesus.
This again is understandable because for those who have been basking in the glitter of the worldly life, giving up all the perks the world offers would not be that easy because the force of the worldly life is so great that it creates an imaginary vision of paradise.
In contrast, those who have become slaves to their consciences and who try to live exemplary lives are at times faced with tremendous financial burdens and difficulties to make ends meet but we see them live on whatever fruits their labor will bring.
Let’s use as an example the usual scene in some sensitive income-generating government agencies where we see icons and statues of Jesus, the Virgin Mary and Saints adorning the desks and or altar tables of officials whose graft and corrupt-ridden life are known to all. Ordinary office clerks own an high-end Porsche SUV while middle-level officials own houses in plush subdivisions and these own real properties they have no way of acquiring out of their low-grade salaries.
An example is a Senator who is running in the May 13, 2013 who failed to declare a property worth millions of pesos. The Filipino electorate need not conduct a lifestyle check on those who are seeking elective positions because all they need to do is wait at the parking entrance of the Senate building and check who steps out of a flashy SUV escorted by a phalanx of security aides also on board high-end SUVs.
On Monday May 13, 2013, the Filipino people will go to the polls and elect 12 Senators who will sit in the incoming 16th Congress. There are only two choices the voters will choose from – the Team Buhay who are committed to defend the sacredness of life and the sanctity of the family or the Team Patay who also are committed to pass the proposed legalization of abortion, divorce, same-sex marriage and euthanasia or what is commonly referred to by the Church as the “death bills.”
Staring the Filipino electorate in the face on election day is the question of which road would you want to take. The road that leads to eternal life or the road to perdition. This is the time we need to search deep into our hearts and bank on our conscience to guide us through. We can be likened to the people who mourn but we are in Christ go through life with the joyful expectation that God will not let us down.
Life may prove difficult for us now but we know that somewhere along the way, God will appear in our lives and there will be cause for rejoicing.
Jesus likened this contrast between the time the disciples will weep and lament and the time they will rejoice to the mother who labors for nine months and forgets the pain when the child comes. This is also the same with those who suffered death for their faith as they forget the agony of martyrdom for the glory in heaven.
This is the same with those who had to give up everything they may have acquired in the world. The cost of giving up on the world and turning your life around to Jesus will soon be forgotten when we look with hope at the joy of being with Christ through eternity.
The underlying message that can only be seen by those with an spiritual vision is that Jesus is inviting us to a new level of relationship with God that is rooted in sharing in the suffering and mourning with Jesus because it is only then that we can identify ourselves with Him and, thus be given the privilege and authority to use His Name whenever we come to ask anything of the Father in prayer (v.23).
This new relationship with God is possible only through Jesus and the fact that He allows us to use His Name means that we are united with Him and it is this unity forged by the Holy Spirit that will bring us unsurpassed joy and the knowledge that the heart of God has been made open for us but only if we can say “Thy Will be done in my life.”
1st Reading: Ac 18:9-18
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 47:2-7 “God is King of all the earth.”
GOSPEL: JN 16:20-23
Key Verse: “no one will take your joy from you.” (v.22)
“Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.” (v.20)
In today’s Gospel reading Jesus presents a glaring contrast between what the world represents and the kind of situation the disciples will find themselves in when he leaves them albeit temporarily. And for the disciples and even for some of us including the learned, this is probably one of the greatest yet perplexing paradoxes coming from the teachings of Jesus and only those who are deep in their faith can decipher the meaning of this passage.
Sounding prophetic, Jesus in very clear terms said his disciples will weep and will be stricken with sorrow even if this will be for a little while and during this time that they will be wailing and weeping the world, on the other hand, will be rejoicing.
Jesus is actually giving his disciples a preview of what will happen when he is finally handed over to the Sanhedrin so that they will not be caught by surprise and we very well know what happened. The disciples except for John hid in the Upper Room for fear they would be next in line to be crucified. Notwithstanding the teachings and on on-the-job training they received from Jesus, to be gripped with fear was a natural consequence of the fact that it was their leader no less who would be arrested and crucified.
In contrast, the Sanhedrin, Pharisees and, Scribes who were opposed to Jesus out of envy because Jesus not only spoke with authority but more so because Jesus was able to feed 5,000 people with only five pieces of bread and two fish, raised the dead to life, gave sight to the blind and, drove demons out of those possessed by the evil one would be rejoicing because no longer will they have to fear the growing influence of Jesus.
If it was natural for the disciples to weep and wail, so too it was for the religious leaders who would rejoice when Jesus was finally removed from their midst as they no longer have to worry about the increasing number of Jews whose eyes have been to the truth about God.
Indeed, the values and priorities of the world will always be opposed to the values of Christ and we see this in the inner struggle being experienced by those who have responded to the call of Jesus. Spiritual growth differs in each person. While there are some whose transformation may be immediate, some will take a longer time before they can finally gather the courage to place their lives in the hands of Jesus.
This again is understandable because for those who have been basking in the glitter of the worldly life, giving up all the perks the world offers would not be that easy because the force of the worldly life is so great that it creates an imaginary vision of paradise.
In contrast, those who have become slaves to their consciences and who try to live exemplary lives are at times faced with tremendous financial burdens and difficulties to make ends meet but we see them live on whatever fruits their labor will bring.
Let’s use as an example the usual scene in some sensitive income-generating government agencies where we see icons and statues of Jesus, the Virgin Mary and Saints adorning the desks and or altar tables of officials whose graft and corrupt-ridden life are known to all. Ordinary office clerks own an high-end Porsche SUV while middle-level officials own houses in plush subdivisions and these own real properties they have no way of acquiring out of their low-grade salaries.
An example is a Senator who is running in the May 13, 2013 who failed to declare a property worth millions of pesos. The Filipino electorate need not conduct a lifestyle check on those who are seeking elective positions because all they need to do is wait at the parking entrance of the Senate building and check who steps out of a flashy SUV escorted by a phalanx of security aides also on board high-end SUVs.
On Monday May 13, 2013, the Filipino people will go to the polls and elect 12 Senators who will sit in the incoming 16th Congress. There are only two choices the voters will choose from – the Team Buhay who are committed to defend the sacredness of life and the sanctity of the family or the Team Patay who also are committed to pass the proposed legalization of abortion, divorce, same-sex marriage and euthanasia or what is commonly referred to by the Church as the “death bills.”
Staring the Filipino electorate in the face on election day is the question of which road would you want to take. The road that leads to eternal life or the road to perdition. This is the time we need to search deep into our hearts and bank on our conscience to guide us through. We can be likened to the people who mourn but we are in Christ go through life with the joyful expectation that God will not let us down.
Life may prove difficult for us now but we know that somewhere along the way, God will appear in our lives and there will be cause for rejoicing.
Jesus likened this contrast between the time the disciples will weep and lament and the time they will rejoice to the mother who labors for nine months and forgets the pain when the child comes. This is also the same with those who suffered death for their faith as they forget the agony of martyrdom for the glory in heaven.
This is the same with those who had to give up everything they may have acquired in the world. The cost of giving up on the world and turning your life around to Jesus will soon be forgotten when we look with hope at the joy of being with Christ through eternity.
The underlying message that can only be seen by those with an spiritual vision is that Jesus is inviting us to a new level of relationship with God that is rooted in sharing in the suffering and mourning with Jesus because it is only then that we can identify ourselves with Him and, thus be given the privilege and authority to use His Name whenever we come to ask anything of the Father in prayer (v.23).
This new relationship with God is possible only through Jesus and the fact that He allows us to use His Name means that we are united with Him and it is this unity forged by the Holy Spirit that will bring us unsurpassed joy and the knowledge that the heart of God has been made open for us but only if we can say “Thy Will be done in my life.”
JESUS TURNS SORROW INTO JOY
MAY 9, 2013: SIXTH WEEK OF EASTER
1st Reading: Ac 18:1-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:1-4 “The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.”
GOSPEL: JN 16:16-20
Key Verse: “but your grief will turn to joy.” (v.20)
Today’s Gospel passage is a continuation of what appears to be the valedictory address of Jesus Christ as he takes this occasion as well as the preceding passages to give his disciples last minute instructions to prepare them for the events that are yet to unfold.
But if we are to look at the way his disciples have been reacting to his teachings it would seem that the more bewildered they have become each time Jesus spoke and today was no different as the disciples just couldn’t make out what Jesus was saying.
And who wouldn’t? Anyone who was there would probably scratch their heads upon hearing him say: “In just a little while, I will be gone, and you won’t see me anymore. Then, just a little while after that you will see me again.” (v.16)
Was Jesus trying to put his disciples to a test or was he trying to draw them to play a game of hide and seek. Perplexed they may seem, Jesus was actually looking beyond the present time towards the future and what he was saying was deeply ingrained in the traditional Jewish belief in that time was divided into two time frames, the present age and the age that is yet to come.
His disciples could not be faulted for letting this belief slip from their minds as they were gripped with worry and anxiety over the uncertainty they face if Jesus was to leave them. Jesus was well aware of this fear of his disciples which was probably the reason why he had to walk them through his death on the cross that was inevitable and his resurrection from death three days after which was the culmination of his salvific mission as the Messiah.
Jesus was familiar with this Jewish belief that there is a present time and an age that is to come and that somewhere between these two time stages was what the Jews refer to as the Day of the Lord that will bring in desolation and gloom (Isa 13:9; 2 Pet 3:10).
What Jesus was saying was that in the interregnum between his death on the cross and his resurrection three days after, his disciples will have to prepare themselves as they will go through some terrible things as their faith will not only be challenged to the hilt but they may be looking at death in the eye.
However, Jesus was also saying that anyone of his disciples who will faithfully endure and remain in him, the corresponding blessings will be unsurpassed as their grief and sorrow will turn into joy (v.20).
What the disciples experienced was no different from our own experiences as living a Christian life is never easy and will never be. We may not suffer crucifixion as what some of the Apostles suffered but we can feel the pain of the cross as nails pierce our hands and feet each time Jesus asks us to give up the idols to which we have been so attached.
As we can never live a dichotomous kind of life, we cannot bask in what the world offers especially if these are opposed to the teachings of Christ and still expect to live in eternity. We have to detach ourselves from the world that is finite and look towards the infinite joy that can only be found in heaven.
In other words, something has to give. It’s either we are with Jesus or not. It’s as simple as that and it would be best to take heed of what Jesus says: “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.” (Matt 12:30) Suffice it to say, I don’t think I am bold enough to take the risk of separating myself from the source of Grace.
And one of the areas that we as the laity are called upon to get involve is in the political realm. Sadly, however, the lay faithful are confused about their getting involved in political activities and the reason behind it is because the laity are not adequately informed of their calling much less of the realities of their faith.
In his encyclical Christi Fidelis Laici, Blessed John Paul II said: “Lay people are called, especially in their action in the political, social, and cultural realms, to overcome all assaults against human dignity, and to build God’s Kingdom here on earth: The lay faithful have an essential and irreplaceable role in this announcement and in this testimony: through them the Church of Christ is made present in the various sectors of the world as a sign and source of hope and of love.”
Today, as we prepare to elect a new set of leaders in the Senate, House of Representatives, Provincial, City and Municipal Government units, let us call to mind the words of Blessed John Paul II who said: “Near the heart of the mission of the laity is the restoration of the dignity of the human person, which has been badly abused in the world today, in many ways: the killing of unborn babies, failure for governments to provide adequate food and housing to their people, governments taking away the right to have a family, governments taking over control of peoples by military conquest, and many other forms.”
This is what the more than 40 charismatic communities and parish-based organizations are fighting for. Organizing itself into the White Vote Movement, the laity is bracing itself for an even bigger fight than the controversial RH Law that was passed at great expense for the government.
The White Vote Movement fears that the government, emboldened by the passage of the RH Law, will reactivate its “death team” (Team Patay) in both houses of Congress to push for the passage of the proposed bills that would legalize abortion, divorce, same-sex marriage and euthanasia. The Church firmly believes that by design these bills if passed into law will stop the flow of life and destroy the Filipino family.
This is the rationale behind the decision of the White Vote Movement to endorse candidates for the Senate in the May 13, 2013 elections with the hope that it can elect a group of legislators who will profess allegiance to Gospel values and promote social justice. The movement has endorsed 10 senatorial candidates: BINAY, Nancy; EJERCITO, JV; GORDON, Dick; HONASAN, Gringo; LLASOS, Marwil; MAGSAYSAY, Mitos; PIMENTEL, Koko; TRILLANES, Antonio; VILLAR, Cynthia and ZUBIRI, Migz. One of the movement’s convenors the El Shaddai Charismatic Community has also endorsed as its own AQUINO, Bam and MAGSAYSAY, Ramon Jr.
The road ahead may not be easy for the laity but what Jesus was telling his disciples in today’s Gospel is what he is telling us now that all of life’s trials and tribulations, frustrations, destitution, sicknesses, demise of love ones and, all challenges and setbacks we experience such as the passage of the RH Law are part and parcel of our lives as Christians but it is when we drink the cup that God has given us that all these sorrow becomes the crowning glory of our faith.
Today we may be at the crossroad of our faith but when the Holy Spirit comes, the old order will be gone and the new will come (2 Cor 5:14) and we all be ushered into a new lifestyle – a life that is immersed in the Spirit who pours out his gifts that we can use so we can bear fruit that will help transform the world.
This transformation will definitely be painful as what we the Catholic laity are undergoing now but the presence of Christ in our lives is what makes our joy complete.
1st Reading: Ac 18:1-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:1-4 “The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.”
GOSPEL: JN 16:16-20
Key Verse: “but your grief will turn to joy.” (v.20)
Today’s Gospel passage is a continuation of what appears to be the valedictory address of Jesus Christ as he takes this occasion as well as the preceding passages to give his disciples last minute instructions to prepare them for the events that are yet to unfold.
But if we are to look at the way his disciples have been reacting to his teachings it would seem that the more bewildered they have become each time Jesus spoke and today was no different as the disciples just couldn’t make out what Jesus was saying.
And who wouldn’t? Anyone who was there would probably scratch their heads upon hearing him say: “In just a little while, I will be gone, and you won’t see me anymore. Then, just a little while after that you will see me again.” (v.16)
Was Jesus trying to put his disciples to a test or was he trying to draw them to play a game of hide and seek. Perplexed they may seem, Jesus was actually looking beyond the present time towards the future and what he was saying was deeply ingrained in the traditional Jewish belief in that time was divided into two time frames, the present age and the age that is yet to come.
His disciples could not be faulted for letting this belief slip from their minds as they were gripped with worry and anxiety over the uncertainty they face if Jesus was to leave them. Jesus was well aware of this fear of his disciples which was probably the reason why he had to walk them through his death on the cross that was inevitable and his resurrection from death three days after which was the culmination of his salvific mission as the Messiah.
Jesus was familiar with this Jewish belief that there is a present time and an age that is to come and that somewhere between these two time stages was what the Jews refer to as the Day of the Lord that will bring in desolation and gloom (Isa 13:9; 2 Pet 3:10).
What Jesus was saying was that in the interregnum between his death on the cross and his resurrection three days after, his disciples will have to prepare themselves as they will go through some terrible things as their faith will not only be challenged to the hilt but they may be looking at death in the eye.
However, Jesus was also saying that anyone of his disciples who will faithfully endure and remain in him, the corresponding blessings will be unsurpassed as their grief and sorrow will turn into joy (v.20).
What the disciples experienced was no different from our own experiences as living a Christian life is never easy and will never be. We may not suffer crucifixion as what some of the Apostles suffered but we can feel the pain of the cross as nails pierce our hands and feet each time Jesus asks us to give up the idols to which we have been so attached.
As we can never live a dichotomous kind of life, we cannot bask in what the world offers especially if these are opposed to the teachings of Christ and still expect to live in eternity. We have to detach ourselves from the world that is finite and look towards the infinite joy that can only be found in heaven.
In other words, something has to give. It’s either we are with Jesus or not. It’s as simple as that and it would be best to take heed of what Jesus says: “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.” (Matt 12:30) Suffice it to say, I don’t think I am bold enough to take the risk of separating myself from the source of Grace.
And one of the areas that we as the laity are called upon to get involve is in the political realm. Sadly, however, the lay faithful are confused about their getting involved in political activities and the reason behind it is because the laity are not adequately informed of their calling much less of the realities of their faith.
In his encyclical Christi Fidelis Laici, Blessed John Paul II said: “Lay people are called, especially in their action in the political, social, and cultural realms, to overcome all assaults against human dignity, and to build God’s Kingdom here on earth: The lay faithful have an essential and irreplaceable role in this announcement and in this testimony: through them the Church of Christ is made present in the various sectors of the world as a sign and source of hope and of love.”
Today, as we prepare to elect a new set of leaders in the Senate, House of Representatives, Provincial, City and Municipal Government units, let us call to mind the words of Blessed John Paul II who said: “Near the heart of the mission of the laity is the restoration of the dignity of the human person, which has been badly abused in the world today, in many ways: the killing of unborn babies, failure for governments to provide adequate food and housing to their people, governments taking away the right to have a family, governments taking over control of peoples by military conquest, and many other forms.”
This is what the more than 40 charismatic communities and parish-based organizations are fighting for. Organizing itself into the White Vote Movement, the laity is bracing itself for an even bigger fight than the controversial RH Law that was passed at great expense for the government.
The White Vote Movement fears that the government, emboldened by the passage of the RH Law, will reactivate its “death team” (Team Patay) in both houses of Congress to push for the passage of the proposed bills that would legalize abortion, divorce, same-sex marriage and euthanasia. The Church firmly believes that by design these bills if passed into law will stop the flow of life and destroy the Filipino family.
This is the rationale behind the decision of the White Vote Movement to endorse candidates for the Senate in the May 13, 2013 elections with the hope that it can elect a group of legislators who will profess allegiance to Gospel values and promote social justice. The movement has endorsed 10 senatorial candidates: BINAY, Nancy; EJERCITO, JV; GORDON, Dick; HONASAN, Gringo; LLASOS, Marwil; MAGSAYSAY, Mitos; PIMENTEL, Koko; TRILLANES, Antonio; VILLAR, Cynthia and ZUBIRI, Migz. One of the movement’s convenors the El Shaddai Charismatic Community has also endorsed as its own AQUINO, Bam and MAGSAYSAY, Ramon Jr.
The road ahead may not be easy for the laity but what Jesus was telling his disciples in today’s Gospel is what he is telling us now that all of life’s trials and tribulations, frustrations, destitution, sicknesses, demise of love ones and, all challenges and setbacks we experience such as the passage of the RH Law are part and parcel of our lives as Christians but it is when we drink the cup that God has given us that all these sorrow becomes the crowning glory of our faith.
Today we may be at the crossroad of our faith but when the Holy Spirit comes, the old order will be gone and the new will come (2 Cor 5:14) and we all be ushered into a new lifestyle – a life that is immersed in the Spirit who pours out his gifts that we can use so we can bear fruit that will help transform the world.
This transformation will definitely be painful as what we the Catholic laity are undergoing now but the presence of Christ in our lives is what makes our joy complete.
JESUS THE ONLY WAY TO GOD
MAY 3, 2013: STS. PHILIP AND JAMES, Apostles
1st Reading: 1 Cor 15:1-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 19:2-5 “Their message goes out through all the earth.”
GOSPEL: JN 14:6-14
Key Verse: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.” (v.6)
The Gospel passage for today is probably one of the most important passages in the Sacred Scriptures because it points us in no uncertain terms the way to God. When Thomas told Jesus that since they didn’t know where Jesus was going, they too would not know the way (v.5).
It was a good thing that Jesus was with his disciples a captive audience as we may call it because he could have been driven away had he said what he told Thomas in front of the Jews and religious leaders. In response to Thomas, Jesus said: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also; henceforth you know him and have seen him.” (vv.6-7)
Why was it so? Because in the eyes of the Jews, Jesus was usurping the character that can only be used when referring to God and to both the Greeks and the Israelites at the time, God was an invisible God and the Jews would not dare to even think that they could see God.
But here we see Jesus telling Thomas and his disciples that he is the way, the truth and the life and that anyone who has seen him has seen the Father. There are, in fact, three realities here that make this statement relevant to the pursuit of our Christian faith.
As the Jews were so enamored by how men should walk in accordance with the ways of God (Deut 5:32-33; 31:29) which they also digested from the words of the prophet Isaiah (Isa 30:21) and from when the Psalmist said: “Teach me thy way, O Lord” (Psa 27:11) the Jews knew and were familiar with the way of God in which man should walk.
And Jesus brought in a new dimension to this understanding because now walking in the way of God was no longer limited to prophesies and prayer of the Psalmist but has become a personal one in that Jesus not only gives us advice and direction in life, but he takes us by the hand and leads us and guides us in the way we should go. In other words, Jesus does not just tell us about the way, he is the way Himself.
In our lifetime, many will come and go and they will also speak the truth but no other man has ever lived out the truth except Jesus. When Jesus said: “I am the good Shepherd. The good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (Jn 10:11) this was not just a parable to mesmerize his disciples but he spoke the truth that came to fruition when he died on the cross for us. Hence, there will be others who will say, I have taught you the truth or I have told you the truth but only Jesus could say: “I am the truth.” Moral truth cannot be spoken only in words, it must be conveyed by example and this was what Jesus did in Calvary.
Jesus also said: “I am the life.” As man is always in search for the meaning of life, such will become elusive until the man in search of life has found love because love is what brings life. This is what Jesus does as his love that is rooted in his sacrifice on the cross is what leads us to live life to the full (Jn 10:10). Jesus conquered the power of death and sin when he rose from the dead such that death no longer has power over us and those who will walk in the truth of Jesus are assured of everlasting life.
We also find a part of ourselves in Philip who said: “Lord, show us the Father and we shall be satisfied” (v.8) because this is actually the goal for many of us and that is to know who God is because deep inside we know that knowledge and presence of God in our lives is what brings joy, contentment and happiness.
And we pore on the pages of the Bible, books and prayers in our search for God. We sometimes go hopping from one religion to another to find God. One of the greatest truths of the Christian faith is that we can know the living God and we should not limit our knowledge of God to knowing something about God but we can actually know God personally.
The essence of Christianity and what makes it different from other religions is our personal knowledge of God as our Father and Jesus makes it possible for each one of us to personally know God as our Father.
We can do this by looking at Jesus and through Him we can see what God is like. In Jesus we see the perfect love of God – a God who loves us to the point of sacrificing his life upon the cross for wretched sinners like us. What this Gospel passage today is telling us is that in Jesus we can see a revelation of God – a God who loves us unconditionally, without reservation and, unselfishly for our sake and not his and, perfectly without neglecting or forgetting us even for a brief moment.
And Jesus promises us that God the Father will hear our prayers when we pray in His Name. This was why Jesus taught his followers how to pray in confidence (Matt 6:9-13). In very simple terms, what Jesus is saying in this Gospel today is “listen to me, look at me and, believe!”
To find the way, live the truth and enjoy life all that we as Christians have to do is not to argue about Jesus but to look at him as He guides us along the way, listen to Him that we may know the truth and, believe in Him for it is in believing that we will have life.
1st Reading: 1 Cor 15:1-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 19:2-5 “Their message goes out through all the earth.”
GOSPEL: JN 14:6-14
Key Verse: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.” (v.6)
The Gospel passage for today is probably one of the most important passages in the Sacred Scriptures because it points us in no uncertain terms the way to God. When Thomas told Jesus that since they didn’t know where Jesus was going, they too would not know the way (v.5).
It was a good thing that Jesus was with his disciples a captive audience as we may call it because he could have been driven away had he said what he told Thomas in front of the Jews and religious leaders. In response to Thomas, Jesus said: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also; henceforth you know him and have seen him.” (vv.6-7)
Why was it so? Because in the eyes of the Jews, Jesus was usurping the character that can only be used when referring to God and to both the Greeks and the Israelites at the time, God was an invisible God and the Jews would not dare to even think that they could see God.
But here we see Jesus telling Thomas and his disciples that he is the way, the truth and the life and that anyone who has seen him has seen the Father. There are, in fact, three realities here that make this statement relevant to the pursuit of our Christian faith.
As the Jews were so enamored by how men should walk in accordance with the ways of God (Deut 5:32-33; 31:29) which they also digested from the words of the prophet Isaiah (Isa 30:21) and from when the Psalmist said: “Teach me thy way, O Lord” (Psa 27:11) the Jews knew and were familiar with the way of God in which man should walk.
And Jesus brought in a new dimension to this understanding because now walking in the way of God was no longer limited to prophesies and prayer of the Psalmist but has become a personal one in that Jesus not only gives us advice and direction in life, but he takes us by the hand and leads us and guides us in the way we should go. In other words, Jesus does not just tell us about the way, he is the way Himself.
In our lifetime, many will come and go and they will also speak the truth but no other man has ever lived out the truth except Jesus. When Jesus said: “I am the good Shepherd. The good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (Jn 10:11) this was not just a parable to mesmerize his disciples but he spoke the truth that came to fruition when he died on the cross for us. Hence, there will be others who will say, I have taught you the truth or I have told you the truth but only Jesus could say: “I am the truth.” Moral truth cannot be spoken only in words, it must be conveyed by example and this was what Jesus did in Calvary.
Jesus also said: “I am the life.” As man is always in search for the meaning of life, such will become elusive until the man in search of life has found love because love is what brings life. This is what Jesus does as his love that is rooted in his sacrifice on the cross is what leads us to live life to the full (Jn 10:10). Jesus conquered the power of death and sin when he rose from the dead such that death no longer has power over us and those who will walk in the truth of Jesus are assured of everlasting life.
We also find a part of ourselves in Philip who said: “Lord, show us the Father and we shall be satisfied” (v.8) because this is actually the goal for many of us and that is to know who God is because deep inside we know that knowledge and presence of God in our lives is what brings joy, contentment and happiness.
And we pore on the pages of the Bible, books and prayers in our search for God. We sometimes go hopping from one religion to another to find God. One of the greatest truths of the Christian faith is that we can know the living God and we should not limit our knowledge of God to knowing something about God but we can actually know God personally.
The essence of Christianity and what makes it different from other religions is our personal knowledge of God as our Father and Jesus makes it possible for each one of us to personally know God as our Father.
We can do this by looking at Jesus and through Him we can see what God is like. In Jesus we see the perfect love of God – a God who loves us to the point of sacrificing his life upon the cross for wretched sinners like us. What this Gospel passage today is telling us is that in Jesus we can see a revelation of God – a God who loves us unconditionally, without reservation and, unselfishly for our sake and not his and, perfectly without neglecting or forgetting us even for a brief moment.
And Jesus promises us that God the Father will hear our prayers when we pray in His Name. This was why Jesus taught his followers how to pray in confidence (Matt 6:9-13). In very simple terms, what Jesus is saying in this Gospel today is “listen to me, look at me and, believe!”
To find the way, live the truth and enjoy life all that we as Christians have to do is not to argue about Jesus but to look at him as He guides us along the way, listen to Him that we may know the truth and, believe in Him for it is in believing that we will have life.
PEACE I GIVE TO YOU
April 30, 2013: 5th WEEK OF EASTER
1st Reading: Ac 14: 19-28
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 145: 10-13ab, 21 “Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom.”
GOSPEL: JN 14: 27-31
Key Verse: “Peace I leave with you.” (v.27)
There are at least two things that we can derive from this Gospel passage today. Here we see Jesus in what appears to be a continuation of his last minute instructions to his disciples before he leaves and giving them the assurance there was nothing to fear.
We also see what appears to be the premise to the roles the disciples will play when Jesus goes back to the Father and when they are finally commissioned to take over Jesus’ ministry (Matt 28:18-20).
But what I found to be the most striking of all that Jesus said was when he told his disciples he would leave with them the gift of peace for this is a kind of peace that was different from what the world gives and which would ultimately serve as a balm for their fear and troubled hearts. Indeed the kind of peace that Jesus gives is the peace of God that transcends all understanding that will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Phi 4:7).
And for us to be able to fully understand this Gospel passage today we have to go back to yesterday’s Gospel reading when Jesus said that the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in His Name will teach the disciples all things and will remind them of everything he said to them (Jn 14:26).
An understanding of what the Holy Spirit does is needed because the peace that Jesus gave to his disciples and which he is giving to us now can only find fruition when the Holy Spirit is at work in our lives.
As we often regard peace as the absence of conflict, the peace that Jesus gives is the confident assurance that in any disconcerting situation or circumstances we may find ourselves in, we need not fear nor allow our hearts to be troubled because of the presence of the Holy Spirit who helps sustain the peace that comes from Christ – the kind of peace that transcends all boundaries of fear and anxiety.
What we must also realize is that we – our bodies – have become the battlegrounds between the forces of good and evil. Sin, temptations, fear, uncertainty, anxiety, doubts, unbelief, indifference and, numerous other negative forces such as pride, envy, gluttony, sloth, lust, avarice and wrath are at war with the forces of good within us and this should explain why there are times when we find that our lives are not progressing the way it should or in the way that we planned it to be.
It is because we are not aware of the peace of God that moves into our hearts which has the power to restrain these negative forces and provide us with comfort and peace in times of trouble and conflict. But such peace is largely dependent on our acceptance of the gift. Just as he leaves us with his peace, such will be ineffective unless we receive it from him.
In the Scriptures, the word used for peace is shalom which is not the absence of conflict but which when used as a greeting means everything that leads to the highest good of the person. Contrast this with the kind of finite peace in the world today that offers us a way to escape rather than confront conflicts when it happen. What Jesus is offering is the kind of peace that can conquer all the trials and challenges that come.
What we also see in today’s Gospel reading is the highest form of obedience that Jesus wants us to emulate. As Jesus fully submitted to the Will of God the Father as well as to the physical limitations of his being human (Phi 2:6-8), he wants us to also yield to God’s Will because as God exalted Jesus as a result of his obedience (Phi 2:9) then we too will appear with him in glory when Christ who is in us appears (Col 3:4).
To remain in Him (Jn 15:5) is necessary because this puts us in a position when nothing can ever take us away from the peace and joy of Jesus Christ in which no sorrow or grief, no danger, no suffering can ever make us doubt the peace that conquers the world.
Towards the end of the Gospel reading, Jesus speaks of his destination and ultimate triumph over the powers of evil in the world. While the death of Jesus on the cross was viewed at that time it happened as a crushing defeat for Jesus and those who followed him, the Cross will eventually rise as a symbol of victory over the powers of death and sin.
This prince of the world will always be around to try and influence our lives but Jesus assures us that this prince of darkness has no hold on Him (v.30) which means that those who will accept from Jesus his gift of peace and who has the Cross stamped in their hearts are assured of the peace and security in Christ Jesus.
This simply means that in order for us to enjoy this peace and security amidst the troubles the world brings, we have to align our goals and objectives in life with the plan of God for us and this should be founded on listening and obeying the Word of God.
How then would you know that you are at peace with yourself, with others and with God? Easy. You can safely say that peace is in you when you are confident and comfortable with your actions and when the words that come out of your mouths edify God and no one else. But this is the hard part because people human as they are tend to justify their actions as being godly in order to make a point. And some people think that going to church and going through all the practices of their faith give them the privilege to be called Christians and we see this in our everyday lives.
Perhaps there is truth to the claim that of all the denominations the Catholics are the most difficult to unite and this is clearly evident in the current move of the Church for the lay faithful to come up with a united stand in the coming electoral process. Several organizations have sprouted all claiming to be vested with holiness espousing the same goal but are struggling in the diversity on the means of how to deliver a message in the coming elections with some claiming ownership of the right to represent the church.
How sad indeed especially if one will go through the spite and diatribes with which some of these groups have resorted to utterly forgetting the greater need to look beyond the elections which is to evangelize the perverted political order now currently prevailing.
And when Jesus said: “Come now; let us leave.” (v.31) what He probably was thinking was for his disciples to go and preach everything they learned from him. This, however, will only be realized when the Holy Spirit came and breathe on them and gave them the power to proclaim the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
As with his disciples, it is only by the power of the Holy Spirit that we can bring Christ to others.
1st Reading: Ac 14: 19-28
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 145: 10-13ab, 21 “Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom.”
GOSPEL: JN 14: 27-31
Key Verse: “Peace I leave with you.” (v.27)
There are at least two things that we can derive from this Gospel passage today. Here we see Jesus in what appears to be a continuation of his last minute instructions to his disciples before he leaves and giving them the assurance there was nothing to fear.
We also see what appears to be the premise to the roles the disciples will play when Jesus goes back to the Father and when they are finally commissioned to take over Jesus’ ministry (Matt 28:18-20).
But what I found to be the most striking of all that Jesus said was when he told his disciples he would leave with them the gift of peace for this is a kind of peace that was different from what the world gives and which would ultimately serve as a balm for their fear and troubled hearts. Indeed the kind of peace that Jesus gives is the peace of God that transcends all understanding that will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Phi 4:7).
And for us to be able to fully understand this Gospel passage today we have to go back to yesterday’s Gospel reading when Jesus said that the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in His Name will teach the disciples all things and will remind them of everything he said to them (Jn 14:26).
An understanding of what the Holy Spirit does is needed because the peace that Jesus gave to his disciples and which he is giving to us now can only find fruition when the Holy Spirit is at work in our lives.
As we often regard peace as the absence of conflict, the peace that Jesus gives is the confident assurance that in any disconcerting situation or circumstances we may find ourselves in, we need not fear nor allow our hearts to be troubled because of the presence of the Holy Spirit who helps sustain the peace that comes from Christ – the kind of peace that transcends all boundaries of fear and anxiety.
What we must also realize is that we – our bodies – have become the battlegrounds between the forces of good and evil. Sin, temptations, fear, uncertainty, anxiety, doubts, unbelief, indifference and, numerous other negative forces such as pride, envy, gluttony, sloth, lust, avarice and wrath are at war with the forces of good within us and this should explain why there are times when we find that our lives are not progressing the way it should or in the way that we planned it to be.
It is because we are not aware of the peace of God that moves into our hearts which has the power to restrain these negative forces and provide us with comfort and peace in times of trouble and conflict. But such peace is largely dependent on our acceptance of the gift. Just as he leaves us with his peace, such will be ineffective unless we receive it from him.
In the Scriptures, the word used for peace is shalom which is not the absence of conflict but which when used as a greeting means everything that leads to the highest good of the person. Contrast this with the kind of finite peace in the world today that offers us a way to escape rather than confront conflicts when it happen. What Jesus is offering is the kind of peace that can conquer all the trials and challenges that come.
What we also see in today’s Gospel reading is the highest form of obedience that Jesus wants us to emulate. As Jesus fully submitted to the Will of God the Father as well as to the physical limitations of his being human (Phi 2:6-8), he wants us to also yield to God’s Will because as God exalted Jesus as a result of his obedience (Phi 2:9) then we too will appear with him in glory when Christ who is in us appears (Col 3:4).
To remain in Him (Jn 15:5) is necessary because this puts us in a position when nothing can ever take us away from the peace and joy of Jesus Christ in which no sorrow or grief, no danger, no suffering can ever make us doubt the peace that conquers the world.
Towards the end of the Gospel reading, Jesus speaks of his destination and ultimate triumph over the powers of evil in the world. While the death of Jesus on the cross was viewed at that time it happened as a crushing defeat for Jesus and those who followed him, the Cross will eventually rise as a symbol of victory over the powers of death and sin.
This prince of the world will always be around to try and influence our lives but Jesus assures us that this prince of darkness has no hold on Him (v.30) which means that those who will accept from Jesus his gift of peace and who has the Cross stamped in their hearts are assured of the peace and security in Christ Jesus.
This simply means that in order for us to enjoy this peace and security amidst the troubles the world brings, we have to align our goals and objectives in life with the plan of God for us and this should be founded on listening and obeying the Word of God.
How then would you know that you are at peace with yourself, with others and with God? Easy. You can safely say that peace is in you when you are confident and comfortable with your actions and when the words that come out of your mouths edify God and no one else. But this is the hard part because people human as they are tend to justify their actions as being godly in order to make a point. And some people think that going to church and going through all the practices of their faith give them the privilege to be called Christians and we see this in our everyday lives.
Perhaps there is truth to the claim that of all the denominations the Catholics are the most difficult to unite and this is clearly evident in the current move of the Church for the lay faithful to come up with a united stand in the coming electoral process. Several organizations have sprouted all claiming to be vested with holiness espousing the same goal but are struggling in the diversity on the means of how to deliver a message in the coming elections with some claiming ownership of the right to represent the church.
How sad indeed especially if one will go through the spite and diatribes with which some of these groups have resorted to utterly forgetting the greater need to look beyond the elections which is to evangelize the perverted political order now currently prevailing.
And when Jesus said: “Come now; let us leave.” (v.31) what He probably was thinking was for his disciples to go and preach everything they learned from him. This, however, will only be realized when the Holy Spirit came and breathe on them and gave them the power to proclaim the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
As with his disciples, it is only by the power of the Holy Spirit that we can bring Christ to others.
OUR SUCCESS IS IN GOD
MAY 1, 2013: FEAST OF ST. JOSEPH THE WORKER
1st Reading: Gen. 1:26-2:3
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 90:2-4, 12-13, 14-16 “Lord, give success to the work of our hands.”
GOSPEL: MATT 13:54-58
“..so they were astonished.” (v.54)
What struck me in the Gospel passage today was what Matthew wrote about at the end of this narrative: “And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.” (v.58)
While it did not say if Jesus left when the people in his own town of Nazareth and his kinsfolks took to his teaching with unbelief and refused to believe even if they were astonished (v.54) this passage showed what awaits those who will refuse to listen to Him.
It also means that as taking the Words of Jesus to our hearts has its rewards of an eternal inheritance, and so too do unbelief and rejection has its corresponding pitfall. For if we are to translate what the last verse really meant, it simply says that Jesus will not come or reveal Himself to anyone who does not believe.
What happened following his discourse at the synagogue at Nazareth was that the people already stood condemned for rejecting Jesus because only those “whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” (Jn 3:16)
What Jesus faced in Nazareth was part of the natural human process because no person could be more critical of us than our own kin and neighbors who have known us from our childhood days. In fact, if we will only take stock of our present situation, we will realize that we too have at times been critical of the person beside us especially in the Church to which we go to or the Community to which we belong.
Jesus faced a severe test when he returned to his hometown and the people at the synagogue though astonished and marveled at his wisdom could not admit that the son of someone they knew as a carpenter could speak with such authority.
In those who were at the synagogue we see part of ourselves because this is also what is happening when we sneer and or reject the homily of the priest-celebrant at Mass because he was not a good speaker or simply because we refused to hear and listen to the homily of the priest because it hit us right on the head.
The same is true with someone who was invited to give the reflection before a Community and our listening ears are influenced by our bias against the invited speaker. I still remember that about a month before Holy Week I was invited by one of the leaders of a Manila-based charismatic community to give the Seventh Last Word at the National Bilibid Prisons. The leader who invited me, however, delegated the task of organizing the pool of speaker/ sharers to someone whom I know has a certain bias against me and the unexpected happened. I was dropped from the rolls of sharers and worst was I was not even told about it until I received a text from another leader of this community enjoining their members to join the mission at the NBP and my name was not among the sharers and that was the last I heard of it. No apologies, no nothing.
This is why the Scriptures is such a beautiful book because what happened some 2,500 years ago is still happening today and in the way that sin entered the world through Adam, the spirit of rejection also entered the world when Jesus was rejected by his kinsfolk. And today we still see and experience this same rejection in our midst and circumstance.
The Scriptures for all intents and purposes should serve as a manual for daily living in the present time and the beauty of it all is that the Scriptures allows us to stay away from situations that will cause us to veer away from the path leading to the Kingdom of God. But if we do, then we are no different from the people of Nazareth who rejected Jesus and if we find the door to heaven is shut we only have ourselves to blame.
Many times too we sidle up to Jesus not for what he is saying but for what he can do for us. While relationship is a two-way process, we at times look at relationships in terms of what we can get out of it. The people of Nazareth have heard of the miracles Jesus had performed in other towns and they also want the same.
But instead of performing a miracle to feed their curiosity, Jesus startled them with a seeming rebuke that no prophet or servant of God can receive honor among his own people. (v.57) The people of Nazareth took offense and retaliated by refusing to listen to him not knowing that their action will forever keep them out of the sheepfold.
Isn’t this the same with us as we look down on the workingman, carpenters, farmers, fishermen and we dismiss whatever they say because they could not possibly be more wise than we are. We look at our lowly neighbors with contempt and indifference.
But what we don’t know is that when we do this we have effectively blocked the flow of Grace into our own lives because Jesus will not work in the hearts of those who are filled with unbelief and discrimination.
This is also what happens when people in a Church or a Community come together and talk negatively about another person because when they do this they also effectively block any other view regardless of how positive these may be and believe only in themselves.
The word “Gospel” means the “Good News” and the prophet Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would come in the power of the Holy Spirit to bring freedom to those oppressed by sin and evil (Isa 61:1-2). Jesus came to set us free from the worst tyranny of all -- the tyranny of slavery to sin and the fear of death, and to reject Him leads to the destruction of our bodies and souls.
We must always keep in mind that man cannot save himself as it is God's power alone that can save us from emptiness and poverty of spirit, from confusion and error, and from the fear of death and hopelessness. And we cannot preach the Gospel of Christ to the ends of the earth unless we too have heard the Good News and have taken it to heart.
It is thru obedience to His Word that we can become the “Good News.” In other words, we preach what Jesus has done to our lives and we do not preach ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake (2 Cor 4:5).
Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker who in his time also suffered rejection when they were turned away from the inn as Mary was about to give birth. The first day of May has long been dedicated to labor and the working man. It falls on the first day of the month that is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Pope Pius XII expressed the hope that this feast would accentuate the dignity of labor and would bring a spiritual dimension to labor unions. It is eminently fitting that St. Joseph, a working man who became the foster-father of Christ and patron of the universal Church, should be honored on this day.
1st Reading: Gen. 1:26-2:3
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 90:2-4, 12-13, 14-16 “Lord, give success to the work of our hands.”
GOSPEL: MATT 13:54-58
“..so they were astonished.” (v.54)
What struck me in the Gospel passage today was what Matthew wrote about at the end of this narrative: “And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.” (v.58)
While it did not say if Jesus left when the people in his own town of Nazareth and his kinsfolks took to his teaching with unbelief and refused to believe even if they were astonished (v.54) this passage showed what awaits those who will refuse to listen to Him.
It also means that as taking the Words of Jesus to our hearts has its rewards of an eternal inheritance, and so too do unbelief and rejection has its corresponding pitfall. For if we are to translate what the last verse really meant, it simply says that Jesus will not come or reveal Himself to anyone who does not believe.
What happened following his discourse at the synagogue at Nazareth was that the people already stood condemned for rejecting Jesus because only those “whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” (Jn 3:16)
What Jesus faced in Nazareth was part of the natural human process because no person could be more critical of us than our own kin and neighbors who have known us from our childhood days. In fact, if we will only take stock of our present situation, we will realize that we too have at times been critical of the person beside us especially in the Church to which we go to or the Community to which we belong.
Jesus faced a severe test when he returned to his hometown and the people at the synagogue though astonished and marveled at his wisdom could not admit that the son of someone they knew as a carpenter could speak with such authority.
In those who were at the synagogue we see part of ourselves because this is also what is happening when we sneer and or reject the homily of the priest-celebrant at Mass because he was not a good speaker or simply because we refused to hear and listen to the homily of the priest because it hit us right on the head.
The same is true with someone who was invited to give the reflection before a Community and our listening ears are influenced by our bias against the invited speaker. I still remember that about a month before Holy Week I was invited by one of the leaders of a Manila-based charismatic community to give the Seventh Last Word at the National Bilibid Prisons. The leader who invited me, however, delegated the task of organizing the pool of speaker/ sharers to someone whom I know has a certain bias against me and the unexpected happened. I was dropped from the rolls of sharers and worst was I was not even told about it until I received a text from another leader of this community enjoining their members to join the mission at the NBP and my name was not among the sharers and that was the last I heard of it. No apologies, no nothing.
This is why the Scriptures is such a beautiful book because what happened some 2,500 years ago is still happening today and in the way that sin entered the world through Adam, the spirit of rejection also entered the world when Jesus was rejected by his kinsfolk. And today we still see and experience this same rejection in our midst and circumstance.
The Scriptures for all intents and purposes should serve as a manual for daily living in the present time and the beauty of it all is that the Scriptures allows us to stay away from situations that will cause us to veer away from the path leading to the Kingdom of God. But if we do, then we are no different from the people of Nazareth who rejected Jesus and if we find the door to heaven is shut we only have ourselves to blame.
Many times too we sidle up to Jesus not for what he is saying but for what he can do for us. While relationship is a two-way process, we at times look at relationships in terms of what we can get out of it. The people of Nazareth have heard of the miracles Jesus had performed in other towns and they also want the same.
But instead of performing a miracle to feed their curiosity, Jesus startled them with a seeming rebuke that no prophet or servant of God can receive honor among his own people. (v.57) The people of Nazareth took offense and retaliated by refusing to listen to him not knowing that their action will forever keep them out of the sheepfold.
Isn’t this the same with us as we look down on the workingman, carpenters, farmers, fishermen and we dismiss whatever they say because they could not possibly be more wise than we are. We look at our lowly neighbors with contempt and indifference.
But what we don’t know is that when we do this we have effectively blocked the flow of Grace into our own lives because Jesus will not work in the hearts of those who are filled with unbelief and discrimination.
This is also what happens when people in a Church or a Community come together and talk negatively about another person because when they do this they also effectively block any other view regardless of how positive these may be and believe only in themselves.
The word “Gospel” means the “Good News” and the prophet Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would come in the power of the Holy Spirit to bring freedom to those oppressed by sin and evil (Isa 61:1-2). Jesus came to set us free from the worst tyranny of all -- the tyranny of slavery to sin and the fear of death, and to reject Him leads to the destruction of our bodies and souls.
We must always keep in mind that man cannot save himself as it is God's power alone that can save us from emptiness and poverty of spirit, from confusion and error, and from the fear of death and hopelessness. And we cannot preach the Gospel of Christ to the ends of the earth unless we too have heard the Good News and have taken it to heart.
It is thru obedience to His Word that we can become the “Good News.” In other words, we preach what Jesus has done to our lives and we do not preach ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake (2 Cor 4:5).
Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker who in his time also suffered rejection when they were turned away from the inn as Mary was about to give birth. The first day of May has long been dedicated to labor and the working man. It falls on the first day of the month that is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Pope Pius XII expressed the hope that this feast would accentuate the dignity of labor and would bring a spiritual dimension to labor unions. It is eminently fitting that St. Joseph, a working man who became the foster-father of Christ and patron of the universal Church, should be honored on this day.
OBEDIENCE BEGETS GLORY
APRIL 29, 2013: FEAST OF ST. CATHERINE OF SIENNA
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 115: 1-4, 15-16 “Not to us, O Lord, but to your name give the glory.”
GOSPEL: Jn 14: 21-26
Key Verse: “My Father will love him, and we will come
to him and make our home with him.” (v.23)
St. Paul in his letter to the Christian community in Rome said that those whom Christ has “predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.” (Rom 8:30)
And today, our Gospel speaks of the glory that await the disciples of Christ and which also awaits us when we die to ourselves and our lives are hidden with Christ in God and when Christ who is your life appears, then we will also appear with him in glory (Col 3:3-4).
As the words of the Sacred Scriptures will never lie as these were written with the prompting and guidance of the Holy Spirit the Gospel passage that we have today presents another truth that of something we can look forward to in this our journey of faith – that the Father and the Son will definitely come and dwell in each one of us who has faith.
But as faith is a verb which means it is an action word and that we have to work on it if we want our faith to produce results because faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead (Jam 2:17).
This is the lesson behind this Gospel passage we have for today and Jesus was not only emphatic but his words were carefully spoken so that his disciples would understand the depth and meaning of what he was saying.
The beauty of the Scripture is that this was not only intended for the benefit of the early Christian Church but also for our own benefit for it is in the Scriptures that we will come to know God and the purpose for which we have been created.
And what was the glory that Jesus was telling his disciples and which he is telling us now? This glory is the time when the Father and the Son will dwell and inhabit the deepest recesses of our being such that our lives are transformed by the renewing of our minds.
However, as this Gospel passage today suggests this glorious habitation is largely dependent on one primary consideration – love – which is the one important thing that ushers in a compendium of all the others virtues particularly that of obedience which is what unites us with the Father and the Son.
This is what is clear in today’s Gospel in that there shouldn’t be any doubt that God, Jesus and man are all bound together by the bond of love and the only proof of love is obedience and we can see this from Jesus whose love for the Father moved him to be obedient to death, even death on the cross and Jesus appeared when he rose from the dead not to the Scribes and the arrogant teachers of the law but to those who loved him.
This is what Jesus is impressing upon us today that our obedience would provide us security and a fuller revelation of God. In reciprocity to our love and obedience, Jesus assures us that if we love and obey him that we too will be loved by the Father and that Jesus too will love us and show Himself to us (v.21).
We are secure because the presence of the God in our lives will spare us from the ruinous flow of the material world around us. The revelation of God, however, will be costly for us because it means we will have to turn away from many of the things that make us happy but it is when we deny ourselves and reach out to God that God also reaches down to have fellowship with us but this revelation of God is dependent on obedience and love.
For many this mutually-beneficial exchange between God and man will be hard to comprehend as the revelation of God in itself is a mystery. It is in situations like these when the Holy Spirit will come and teach us everything we need to know.
As we have said many times before, a Christian is a man on the move which means we should not remain immobile or fixed wherever we may be. A Christian especially a disciple must be a learner by being open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit who will lead us to a deeper truth of God. This simply means that we will have to jettison our all-knowing nature in favor of the wisdom and knowledge of the Holy Spirit which means that we don’t move or make decisions unless we are pretty sure that such come from the counsel of the Holy Spirit.
When Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit that the Father will send in His Name (v.26), it meant that there are at least two things the Holy Spirit will do in our lives and also to those who will love and obey Jesus. In terms of faith, the Holy Spirit will teach us that we may know the deeper meaning of the truth of the teachings of Jesus. In terms of human behavior, the Holy Spirit is the one who will make us aright in our conduct.
This is especially true for the realities that the Church currently finds itself. With the passage of the RH Law, there is now move in both houses of Congress to push the Catholics to the edge of their faith practice by parading a package of proposed pieces of legislation that makes a mockery of our country being a Christian nation.
These proposed pieces of legislation include the legalization of abortion, divorce, same-sex marriage and euthanasia and the plan to impose taxes on the Church regardless of whether these are Catholic, Protestant, Baptist and Evangelicals for as long as they exist as a church. Another proposal is to prohibit the holding of Eucharistic Celebrations or Masses in government offices. Indeed there is no time in history that the Church is faced with imminent danger and collateral damage to the Christian faith.
This is the reason why the Church has been galvanized into action with the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) initiating its pastoral instruction for the laity to get actively involved in politics. This became the foundation for the Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas to convene the different Catholic charismatic communities and parish-based organizations to form the Lay Solidarity for the Preservation of Life and Family which gave birth to the WHITE VOTE MOVEMENT.
In recent days, the Gospel readings tell us of the need to hear and listen to the Word of God, to share it with others and to live it that God’s Word may be embedded in every fiber of our being. And God actually assures us in Jn 15:7 “If you remain in me and my Words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” The Catholic faith is so rich in tradition that God used Apostles and Saints who can serve as our pattern on how to live a rich and fruitful Christian life. And today we are celebrating the Feast of St. Catherine of Sienna and it would do us a lot of good to emulate how this great Saint and Doctor of the Church live her life.
This is how much God loves us and this love is as real and tangible as the love of a mother for her child and the love of a lover who gives all for his beloved. God made us for love – to know him personally and to grow in the knowledge of his great love for us. And the Holy Spirit not only helps us grow in the knowledge of God’s love but the Spirit assures us of God’s abiding presence in us and with us and we know that Our Lord Jesus Christ who is our banner of love will carry us to victory.
PRAISE BE TO YOU LORD JESUS CHRIST!
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 115: 1-4, 15-16 “Not to us, O Lord, but to your name give the glory.”
GOSPEL: Jn 14: 21-26
Key Verse: “My Father will love him, and we will come
to him and make our home with him.” (v.23)
St. Paul in his letter to the Christian community in Rome said that those whom Christ has “predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.” (Rom 8:30)
And today, our Gospel speaks of the glory that await the disciples of Christ and which also awaits us when we die to ourselves and our lives are hidden with Christ in God and when Christ who is your life appears, then we will also appear with him in glory (Col 3:3-4).
As the words of the Sacred Scriptures will never lie as these were written with the prompting and guidance of the Holy Spirit the Gospel passage that we have today presents another truth that of something we can look forward to in this our journey of faith – that the Father and the Son will definitely come and dwell in each one of us who has faith.
But as faith is a verb which means it is an action word and that we have to work on it if we want our faith to produce results because faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead (Jam 2:17).
This is the lesson behind this Gospel passage we have for today and Jesus was not only emphatic but his words were carefully spoken so that his disciples would understand the depth and meaning of what he was saying.
The beauty of the Scripture is that this was not only intended for the benefit of the early Christian Church but also for our own benefit for it is in the Scriptures that we will come to know God and the purpose for which we have been created.
And what was the glory that Jesus was telling his disciples and which he is telling us now? This glory is the time when the Father and the Son will dwell and inhabit the deepest recesses of our being such that our lives are transformed by the renewing of our minds.
However, as this Gospel passage today suggests this glorious habitation is largely dependent on one primary consideration – love – which is the one important thing that ushers in a compendium of all the others virtues particularly that of obedience which is what unites us with the Father and the Son.
This is what is clear in today’s Gospel in that there shouldn’t be any doubt that God, Jesus and man are all bound together by the bond of love and the only proof of love is obedience and we can see this from Jesus whose love for the Father moved him to be obedient to death, even death on the cross and Jesus appeared when he rose from the dead not to the Scribes and the arrogant teachers of the law but to those who loved him.
This is what Jesus is impressing upon us today that our obedience would provide us security and a fuller revelation of God. In reciprocity to our love and obedience, Jesus assures us that if we love and obey him that we too will be loved by the Father and that Jesus too will love us and show Himself to us (v.21).
We are secure because the presence of the God in our lives will spare us from the ruinous flow of the material world around us. The revelation of God, however, will be costly for us because it means we will have to turn away from many of the things that make us happy but it is when we deny ourselves and reach out to God that God also reaches down to have fellowship with us but this revelation of God is dependent on obedience and love.
For many this mutually-beneficial exchange between God and man will be hard to comprehend as the revelation of God in itself is a mystery. It is in situations like these when the Holy Spirit will come and teach us everything we need to know.
As we have said many times before, a Christian is a man on the move which means we should not remain immobile or fixed wherever we may be. A Christian especially a disciple must be a learner by being open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit who will lead us to a deeper truth of God. This simply means that we will have to jettison our all-knowing nature in favor of the wisdom and knowledge of the Holy Spirit which means that we don’t move or make decisions unless we are pretty sure that such come from the counsel of the Holy Spirit.
When Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit that the Father will send in His Name (v.26), it meant that there are at least two things the Holy Spirit will do in our lives and also to those who will love and obey Jesus. In terms of faith, the Holy Spirit will teach us that we may know the deeper meaning of the truth of the teachings of Jesus. In terms of human behavior, the Holy Spirit is the one who will make us aright in our conduct.
This is especially true for the realities that the Church currently finds itself. With the passage of the RH Law, there is now move in both houses of Congress to push the Catholics to the edge of their faith practice by parading a package of proposed pieces of legislation that makes a mockery of our country being a Christian nation.
These proposed pieces of legislation include the legalization of abortion, divorce, same-sex marriage and euthanasia and the plan to impose taxes on the Church regardless of whether these are Catholic, Protestant, Baptist and Evangelicals for as long as they exist as a church. Another proposal is to prohibit the holding of Eucharistic Celebrations or Masses in government offices. Indeed there is no time in history that the Church is faced with imminent danger and collateral damage to the Christian faith.
This is the reason why the Church has been galvanized into action with the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) initiating its pastoral instruction for the laity to get actively involved in politics. This became the foundation for the Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas to convene the different Catholic charismatic communities and parish-based organizations to form the Lay Solidarity for the Preservation of Life and Family which gave birth to the WHITE VOTE MOVEMENT.
In recent days, the Gospel readings tell us of the need to hear and listen to the Word of God, to share it with others and to live it that God’s Word may be embedded in every fiber of our being. And God actually assures us in Jn 15:7 “If you remain in me and my Words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” The Catholic faith is so rich in tradition that God used Apostles and Saints who can serve as our pattern on how to live a rich and fruitful Christian life. And today we are celebrating the Feast of St. Catherine of Sienna and it would do us a lot of good to emulate how this great Saint and Doctor of the Church live her life.
This is how much God loves us and this love is as real and tangible as the love of a mother for her child and the love of a lover who gives all for his beloved. God made us for love – to know him personally and to grow in the knowledge of his great love for us. And the Holy Spirit not only helps us grow in the knowledge of God’s love but the Spirit assures us of God’s abiding presence in us and with us and we know that Our Lord Jesus Christ who is our banner of love will carry us to victory.
PRAISE BE TO YOU LORD JESUS CHRIST!
KNOW JESUS AND SEE GOD
APRIL 27, 2013: FOURTH WEEK OF EASTER
1st Reading: Ac 13:44-52
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:1-4 “All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.”
GOSPEL: JN 14:7-14
Key Verse: “And I will do whatever you ask in my Name.” (v.13)
I’m pretty sure that people from all walks of life have one goal in common and that is to enjoy life to its fullness and many would go to great lengths to reach this goal. And a joyful life is almost always equated with how much a person possesses and has achieved in life.
But there comes a time when enough is not just enough and either we start looking for more or we end up depressed as our riches can no longer satisfy our inner desire for peace, security and joy that has no end and we begin to realize that all our possessions, titles, achievements are temporal and will not merit our salvation.
Then and only then will we realize that God has been present in our lives all along but we not only took him for granted but we simply ignore him as we gave way to our pursuit of our human desires.
There may have been instances when we did feel the presence of God in the encounter programs and or Life in the Spirit Seminars that we were invited to. We went through some of the formation programs of the Church and or Community that we joined and yet there was duality in the kind of life we lived. One was with God and the other was with the world.
This is because we at times have created our own image of God in our minds that to some God is an invisible God and people sometimes find it hard to relate much more establish a relationship with someone they can’t see.
This was the predicament of the Jews and even of the disciples of Jesus because to them God was invisible and that no one had ever seen God and this was not something the Jews made up because God Himself told Moses “you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.” (Exo 33:23)
But Jesus stood before his disciples and boldly proclaimed: “If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” (v.7) Simply put, to see Jesus is to see what God is like and God was such a good God that in order for men to appreciate his person, He sent His only begotten Son to sanctify human birth and to sanctify the humble home of Joseph and Mary. What God did was He showed how the work of the ordinary man – carpenter and fishermen – was clothed with glory because they have been touched by the hand of God through Jesus.
What this Gospel passage actually represents was that Jesus was the Messiah who had been prophesied by the prophet Isaiah. He allowed Himself to be baptized even if he had no need for one just so He could identify Himself with humanity. He preached and taught, healed the sick, drove demons out of those possessed by evil and towards the end of His earthly ministry He declared: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except by me.” (Jn 14:6)
This indeed was not just a bold proclamation because no other prophet or teacher who came before Jesus ever claimed the character that the Jews have reserved only for God. As the way, Jesus is our path to the Father. As the truth, he is the reality of all of God’s promises. And as the life, he joins his divine life to ours both now and through eternity.
In Jesus, God was no longer the invisible God that the Jews never even dared to have seen because Jesus was the visible and tangible image of the invisible God as He represents the complete revelation of what God was like.
What Jesus was telling Philip is what Jesus is also telling us now. If you want to see God, listen to me and look at me and believe. The way to authentic Christian belief is not to argue about Jesus but to listen to Him and to look at Him. And Jesus assures those who will believe in Him that they, like his disciples, “will do greater works than these.” (v.12)
We may be led to imagine that we too can do greater things, Jesus simply meant that while his disciples can also heal the sick and cast out demons it does not necessarily mean that they did greater things compared to what Jesus did and we definitely cannot outdo the One who sends us.
The greater things that the disciples did was to go beyond the limits of what Jesus did whose evangelization campaign only took him around the Palestine region whereas the Apostles, empowered by the Holy Spirit, went to the ends of the earth to proclaim the Good News. And this is what Jesus also expects from us – that is to take the Gospel of Christ to those who will listen and believe.
What we should also keep engraved in our minds is the promise that Jesus made at the end of this Gospel passage: “You can ask for anything in my Name, and I will do it, because the work of the Son brings glory to the Father. Yes, ask anything in my Name, and I will do it.” (vv.13-14)
This means that not all our prayers would be granted but only prayers made in his Name will be granted. The question is can we really invoke the Name of Jesus when we pray. What we’re trying to point out is that we must be careful when praying because we have to ask ourselves if we can really make our prayers in the Name of Jesus.
This means that when we ask, our prayers must always be in accordance with the character and will of God because to use the Name of Jesus is a great privilege and we should not assume that we can use the Name of Jesus as a magic formula to get answers to our prayers.
When Jesus allows us to use His Name when we pray, He is actually giving us the authority to use His Name and we should give honor and reciprocate this trust that He has given us and not use His Name in vain.
We must know that using the Name of Jesus also carries with it tremendous responsibility because we must be aware that we are not only using the name of just another person but we are using the name of the one who not only created us but someone in whose hands our lives rest.
This knowledge of God must not just be a head knowledge but one that is founded on a relationship that is borne out of believing in him and sharing in his passion, death and resurrection. Thus to know him is to die to our own sinful nature, accept him as our personal Lord and Savior so that we may also be resurrected with him and in him for it is only in knowing Jesus that we can see God.
1st Reading: Ac 13:44-52
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:1-4 “All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.”
GOSPEL: JN 14:7-14
Key Verse: “And I will do whatever you ask in my Name.” (v.13)
I’m pretty sure that people from all walks of life have one goal in common and that is to enjoy life to its fullness and many would go to great lengths to reach this goal. And a joyful life is almost always equated with how much a person possesses and has achieved in life.
But there comes a time when enough is not just enough and either we start looking for more or we end up depressed as our riches can no longer satisfy our inner desire for peace, security and joy that has no end and we begin to realize that all our possessions, titles, achievements are temporal and will not merit our salvation.
Then and only then will we realize that God has been present in our lives all along but we not only took him for granted but we simply ignore him as we gave way to our pursuit of our human desires.
There may have been instances when we did feel the presence of God in the encounter programs and or Life in the Spirit Seminars that we were invited to. We went through some of the formation programs of the Church and or Community that we joined and yet there was duality in the kind of life we lived. One was with God and the other was with the world.
This is because we at times have created our own image of God in our minds that to some God is an invisible God and people sometimes find it hard to relate much more establish a relationship with someone they can’t see.
This was the predicament of the Jews and even of the disciples of Jesus because to them God was invisible and that no one had ever seen God and this was not something the Jews made up because God Himself told Moses “you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.” (Exo 33:23)
But Jesus stood before his disciples and boldly proclaimed: “If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” (v.7) Simply put, to see Jesus is to see what God is like and God was such a good God that in order for men to appreciate his person, He sent His only begotten Son to sanctify human birth and to sanctify the humble home of Joseph and Mary. What God did was He showed how the work of the ordinary man – carpenter and fishermen – was clothed with glory because they have been touched by the hand of God through Jesus.
What this Gospel passage actually represents was that Jesus was the Messiah who had been prophesied by the prophet Isaiah. He allowed Himself to be baptized even if he had no need for one just so He could identify Himself with humanity. He preached and taught, healed the sick, drove demons out of those possessed by evil and towards the end of His earthly ministry He declared: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except by me.” (Jn 14:6)
This indeed was not just a bold proclamation because no other prophet or teacher who came before Jesus ever claimed the character that the Jews have reserved only for God. As the way, Jesus is our path to the Father. As the truth, he is the reality of all of God’s promises. And as the life, he joins his divine life to ours both now and through eternity.
In Jesus, God was no longer the invisible God that the Jews never even dared to have seen because Jesus was the visible and tangible image of the invisible God as He represents the complete revelation of what God was like.
What Jesus was telling Philip is what Jesus is also telling us now. If you want to see God, listen to me and look at me and believe. The way to authentic Christian belief is not to argue about Jesus but to listen to Him and to look at Him. And Jesus assures those who will believe in Him that they, like his disciples, “will do greater works than these.” (v.12)
We may be led to imagine that we too can do greater things, Jesus simply meant that while his disciples can also heal the sick and cast out demons it does not necessarily mean that they did greater things compared to what Jesus did and we definitely cannot outdo the One who sends us.
The greater things that the disciples did was to go beyond the limits of what Jesus did whose evangelization campaign only took him around the Palestine region whereas the Apostles, empowered by the Holy Spirit, went to the ends of the earth to proclaim the Good News. And this is what Jesus also expects from us – that is to take the Gospel of Christ to those who will listen and believe.
What we should also keep engraved in our minds is the promise that Jesus made at the end of this Gospel passage: “You can ask for anything in my Name, and I will do it, because the work of the Son brings glory to the Father. Yes, ask anything in my Name, and I will do it.” (vv.13-14)
This means that not all our prayers would be granted but only prayers made in his Name will be granted. The question is can we really invoke the Name of Jesus when we pray. What we’re trying to point out is that we must be careful when praying because we have to ask ourselves if we can really make our prayers in the Name of Jesus.
This means that when we ask, our prayers must always be in accordance with the character and will of God because to use the Name of Jesus is a great privilege and we should not assume that we can use the Name of Jesus as a magic formula to get answers to our prayers.
When Jesus allows us to use His Name when we pray, He is actually giving us the authority to use His Name and we should give honor and reciprocate this trust that He has given us and not use His Name in vain.
We must know that using the Name of Jesus also carries with it tremendous responsibility because we must be aware that we are not only using the name of just another person but we are using the name of the one who not only created us but someone in whose hands our lives rest.
This knowledge of God must not just be a head knowledge but one that is founded on a relationship that is borne out of believing in him and sharing in his passion, death and resurrection. Thus to know him is to die to our own sinful nature, accept him as our personal Lord and Savior so that we may also be resurrected with him and in him for it is only in knowing Jesus that we can see God.
SECURE IN GOD'S LOVE
APRIL 21, 2013: GOOD SHEPHERD SUNDAY
1st Reading: Ac 13:14, 43-52
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 100:1-3, 5 “We are his people, the sheep of his flock.”
2nd Reading: Rev. 7-9, 14-17
GOSPEL: JN 10:27-30
Key Verse: “My sheep hear my voice… and they follow me.” (v.27)
It has always been said that the Sacred Scriptures can be defined in just one word – love. It is so indeed for there is nothing in the Scriptures that do not speak of love from the Old Covenant to the time Jesus laid down his life for the world. It is as if the Sacred Scriptures was written to assure us of his presence and of his undying love for us.
And today we are being reminded once again of the Good Shepherd who remains watchful of the sheep that he calls his own: “I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me, as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.” (vv.14-15) Understandably, those whom Christ was referring to in this particular passage are those who believe and abide in him.
That is not to say that Our Lord has no compassion for those who may have lost their way and whose vision of their heavenly destination may have been clouded by the lures of this world because Christ also made room for those who at the moment are lost: “And I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd.” (v.16)
Love is what this Gospel passage today is all about as it is does not only speak of Christ being the Good Shepherd who watches over those whom he considers his own but this gospel lays bare the kind of love that God has for his people.
The Old Testament spoke of God as the Shepherd of Israel: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want (Psa 23:1). Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock! (Psa 80:1). We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture (Psa 100:3).
And Jesus as the Good Shepherd has also been prophesied in the Old Testament: “He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arms.” (Isa 40:11)
As the Scriptures unfold we will see that the Bible speaks of the love story between God and his people, a kind of love that has no parallel and whose depth cannot be measured as it tells of a love that was engraved in sacrificial offering of Himself to seek out and save the sheep of his pasture (Matt 18:12, Lk 15:4) with Jesus as the Shepherd and Guardian of our souls (1 Pet 2:25).
As we read in the New Covenant, Jesus made three promises to those who will deny themselves, take up their cross daily and follow him (Lk 9:23) and he promised those who will abide by his terms that they will enjoy everlasting life which means that those who will follow him will be ushered into the very life of God Himself.
And what is most amazing about this Gospel passage that we have for today (Jn 10:27-30) is the promise of Jesus that for those who will obey and follow him God assures a life that has no end: “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.” (vv.27-28) As he explained then and which he is also telling us now that death is not the end but only the beginning of a glorious and indestructible life.
Christ also promised his disciples and is making the same promise to us now that our lives are secure in him. Jesus said that nothing could ever take us away from his hand, not even sorrow and death, since he is everlasting life itself. Thus, our lives are secure in his hands.
But why is it that many still are thrown into the bowls of the earth where there is gnashing and grinding of teeth. Was it because they did not hear the Gospel of Christ preached to them? Or was it because they chose not to listen to it much more take heed of what the Gospel says – to love God and neighbor as well.
It was all because the presence of Jesus especially his teachings were rejected by the Jews because they could not accept that a carpenter’s son from Nazareth was the Son of God whom the Old Testament spoke of. Even his kin thought he was insane. He cured the sick, gave sight to the blind, made the lame walk and, cast out demons from those possessed by it but the Jews remained indifferent.
But for those who heard, listened and obeyed, Jesus offered them peace and joy of life that has no end. Cyril of Alexander, one of the earliest Fathers of the Church said: “He shows in what manner a shepherd may be proved good; and He teaches that he must be prepared to give up his life fighting in defense of his sheep, which was fulfilled in Christ. For man has departed from the love of God, and fallen into sin…, but after Christ was announced as the True Shepherd of all men, He laid down his life for us (1 Jn 3:16), fighting for us against that pack of inhuman beasts. He bore the Cross for us, that by His own death he might destroy death. He was condemned for us, that He might deliver all of us from the sentence of punishment: the tyranny of sin being overthrown by our faith: fastening to the Cross the decree that stood against us, as it is written (Col 2:14)….
What St. Cyril was saying is what the Gospel today also said – that there are two kinds of shepherds in this life, the world which is the bad shepherd who flees and deserts us when the going gets tough and Christ the Good Shepherd who is prepared to lay down his life for us.
What this Gospel passage is actually telling us is that we must take time to listen attentively to the voice of the Good Shepherd and obey his Word for there is much to gain from listening to him and abiding by his commands and precepts.
While others may say they are the master of their fate and the captain of their souls it doesn’t mean we are to put our lives at great risk. It doesn’t mean we can live our lives in wild abandon because at the end of the day we have to think of life’s end. Will we end in life’s bitter pool or are we going to come to a glorious end in heaven?
In a way this is what the WHITE VOTE MOVEMENT is all about. Acting on the direction of its pastoral authorities, the Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas convened the different lay organizations that were espousing the same objectives – to create a Catholic vote for the May 13, 2013 polls. The big charismatic organizations and the parish-mandated organizations under the Laiko responded positively. However, other groups especially those with a primus inter pares mindsets stayed on the sidelines.
It was agreed upon that the objective of the coalition would not only be towards an active participation in the May 13, 2013 elections but for the coalition to become a continuing advocacy group that will fight to oppose any attempt to legitimize the so-called death bills – abortion, divorce, same-sex marriage and euthanasia.
Thus was born the Lay Solidarity for the Preservation of Life and Family. And for purposes of the May 13, 2013 electoral exercise, the coalition is to be known as the WHITE VOTE MOVEMENT and which has now spread like wildfire and the different Diocesan and parish-based organizations nationwide have been organized and have adopted their own name. In Cebu it is known as the Lay Initiate For Election (LIFE).
What the WHITE VOTE MOVEMENT hopes to accomplish is to gather Filipino Catholics into a unified and homogenous objective which is to protect and preserve LIFE and FAMILY because a divided vote changes nothing – but a UNITED VOTE CHANGES EVERYTHING.
Let us not play with our lives and listen we must to the Words of Jesus because it is in them that we will find the plan of God for us. If we say NO to God’s invitation to follow him, we readily condemn ourselves and deprive ourselves of the joy of an eternal life. If we say MAYBE, tomorrow may never come. But if we say YES, we have God’s assurance that we will have a share of his endless glory in heaven. Joining the WHITE VOTE MOVEMENT is a step in this direction because it unites your hearts with the aspirations of the Church to defend the faith.
1st Reading: Ac 13:14, 43-52
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 100:1-3, 5 “We are his people, the sheep of his flock.”
2nd Reading: Rev. 7-9, 14-17
GOSPEL: JN 10:27-30
Key Verse: “My sheep hear my voice… and they follow me.” (v.27)
It has always been said that the Sacred Scriptures can be defined in just one word – love. It is so indeed for there is nothing in the Scriptures that do not speak of love from the Old Covenant to the time Jesus laid down his life for the world. It is as if the Sacred Scriptures was written to assure us of his presence and of his undying love for us.
And today we are being reminded once again of the Good Shepherd who remains watchful of the sheep that he calls his own: “I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me, as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.” (vv.14-15) Understandably, those whom Christ was referring to in this particular passage are those who believe and abide in him.
That is not to say that Our Lord has no compassion for those who may have lost their way and whose vision of their heavenly destination may have been clouded by the lures of this world because Christ also made room for those who at the moment are lost: “And I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd.” (v.16)
Love is what this Gospel passage today is all about as it is does not only speak of Christ being the Good Shepherd who watches over those whom he considers his own but this gospel lays bare the kind of love that God has for his people.
The Old Testament spoke of God as the Shepherd of Israel: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want (Psa 23:1). Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock! (Psa 80:1). We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture (Psa 100:3).
And Jesus as the Good Shepherd has also been prophesied in the Old Testament: “He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arms.” (Isa 40:11)
As the Scriptures unfold we will see that the Bible speaks of the love story between God and his people, a kind of love that has no parallel and whose depth cannot be measured as it tells of a love that was engraved in sacrificial offering of Himself to seek out and save the sheep of his pasture (Matt 18:12, Lk 15:4) with Jesus as the Shepherd and Guardian of our souls (1 Pet 2:25).
As we read in the New Covenant, Jesus made three promises to those who will deny themselves, take up their cross daily and follow him (Lk 9:23) and he promised those who will abide by his terms that they will enjoy everlasting life which means that those who will follow him will be ushered into the very life of God Himself.
And what is most amazing about this Gospel passage that we have for today (Jn 10:27-30) is the promise of Jesus that for those who will obey and follow him God assures a life that has no end: “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.” (vv.27-28) As he explained then and which he is also telling us now that death is not the end but only the beginning of a glorious and indestructible life.
Christ also promised his disciples and is making the same promise to us now that our lives are secure in him. Jesus said that nothing could ever take us away from his hand, not even sorrow and death, since he is everlasting life itself. Thus, our lives are secure in his hands.
But why is it that many still are thrown into the bowls of the earth where there is gnashing and grinding of teeth. Was it because they did not hear the Gospel of Christ preached to them? Or was it because they chose not to listen to it much more take heed of what the Gospel says – to love God and neighbor as well.
It was all because the presence of Jesus especially his teachings were rejected by the Jews because they could not accept that a carpenter’s son from Nazareth was the Son of God whom the Old Testament spoke of. Even his kin thought he was insane. He cured the sick, gave sight to the blind, made the lame walk and, cast out demons from those possessed by it but the Jews remained indifferent.
But for those who heard, listened and obeyed, Jesus offered them peace and joy of life that has no end. Cyril of Alexander, one of the earliest Fathers of the Church said: “He shows in what manner a shepherd may be proved good; and He teaches that he must be prepared to give up his life fighting in defense of his sheep, which was fulfilled in Christ. For man has departed from the love of God, and fallen into sin…, but after Christ was announced as the True Shepherd of all men, He laid down his life for us (1 Jn 3:16), fighting for us against that pack of inhuman beasts. He bore the Cross for us, that by His own death he might destroy death. He was condemned for us, that He might deliver all of us from the sentence of punishment: the tyranny of sin being overthrown by our faith: fastening to the Cross the decree that stood against us, as it is written (Col 2:14)….
What St. Cyril was saying is what the Gospel today also said – that there are two kinds of shepherds in this life, the world which is the bad shepherd who flees and deserts us when the going gets tough and Christ the Good Shepherd who is prepared to lay down his life for us.
What this Gospel passage is actually telling us is that we must take time to listen attentively to the voice of the Good Shepherd and obey his Word for there is much to gain from listening to him and abiding by his commands and precepts.
While others may say they are the master of their fate and the captain of their souls it doesn’t mean we are to put our lives at great risk. It doesn’t mean we can live our lives in wild abandon because at the end of the day we have to think of life’s end. Will we end in life’s bitter pool or are we going to come to a glorious end in heaven?
In a way this is what the WHITE VOTE MOVEMENT is all about. Acting on the direction of its pastoral authorities, the Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas convened the different lay organizations that were espousing the same objectives – to create a Catholic vote for the May 13, 2013 polls. The big charismatic organizations and the parish-mandated organizations under the Laiko responded positively. However, other groups especially those with a primus inter pares mindsets stayed on the sidelines.
It was agreed upon that the objective of the coalition would not only be towards an active participation in the May 13, 2013 elections but for the coalition to become a continuing advocacy group that will fight to oppose any attempt to legitimize the so-called death bills – abortion, divorce, same-sex marriage and euthanasia.
Thus was born the Lay Solidarity for the Preservation of Life and Family. And for purposes of the May 13, 2013 electoral exercise, the coalition is to be known as the WHITE VOTE MOVEMENT and which has now spread like wildfire and the different Diocesan and parish-based organizations nationwide have been organized and have adopted their own name. In Cebu it is known as the Lay Initiate For Election (LIFE).
What the WHITE VOTE MOVEMENT hopes to accomplish is to gather Filipino Catholics into a unified and homogenous objective which is to protect and preserve LIFE and FAMILY because a divided vote changes nothing – but a UNITED VOTE CHANGES EVERYTHING.
Let us not play with our lives and listen we must to the Words of Jesus because it is in them that we will find the plan of God for us. If we say NO to God’s invitation to follow him, we readily condemn ourselves and deprive ourselves of the joy of an eternal life. If we say MAYBE, tomorrow may never come. But if we say YES, we have God’s assurance that we will have a share of his endless glory in heaven. Joining the WHITE VOTE MOVEMENT is a step in this direction because it unites your hearts with the aspirations of the Church to defend the faith.
FAITH IN THE LIFE-GIVING SPIRIT
APRIL 20, 2013: THIRD WEEK OF EASTER
1st Reading: Ac 9:31-42
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 116:12-17 “How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me?”
GOSPEL: JN 6:60-69
Key Verse: “It is the Spirit that gives life.” (v.63)
Despite the many technological advances that make life more bearable and comfortable these days, life is not as easy as it may seem to be. We see all forms of poverty around us and it’s not because people chose to be poor but because there aren’t enough opportunities that the poor can avail of for them to find life.
And what I believe to be the worst kind of poverty is the poverty of spirit to which many people have succumbed into including those who are blessed materially. With this kind of poverty it is because they were not provided with the opportunities to experience that it is the Spirit that gives life (v.63) and not the material possessions that perishes.
We will realize that as we wade through the myriad of trials and challenges we face in life there will be times when we will wilt from the pressures we face each day.
When these times come our natural tendency is to draw on our own strength, talent and skill or, on our own resources. And our world comes crashing down on us when all our efforts prove futile or are not enough to deliver us from our problems. Why? Because our human abilities are merely palliatives and have no power on its own.
Again, this was what Jesus was trying to tell the Jews but they had difficulty accepting and believing what he was saying. There was a dichotomy in the way the Jews were relating to Jesus as they were drawn to him for what he offered in visible terms meaning the healing and the miracles he had performed but that was as far as they went.
They witnessed how the lame walked. The blind were able to see. Those stricken with evil spirits were delivered from demonic possession. Some 5,000 men, women and children were fed with Jesus multiplying five pieces of barley loaves and two pieces of small fish.
But when Jesus started talking of discipleship that was anchored on a deep and intimate relationship with him, most of the Jews balked and faltered. In fact, even some of his disciples left his company when Jesus started talking of the need for them to eat his flesh and drink his blood (Jn 6:51-59).
Jesus claimed to be the bread of heaven, the very life of God he was prepared to give to the Jews and to us as spiritual food to help sustain us in our journey to the promised land of heaven but the Jews either could not grasp what Jesus was saying or they simply did not want to bother to understand because it will create a paradigm shift in the practice of their faith.
This is also not new to us as there were times in our lives when we also refused to believe in what Jesus was saying. As Catholics we go to Church on Sundays and we go through the entire process in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist without really understanding the depth and meaning of the Mass.
We all saw how our churches were filled to the rafters during the Lenten Season especially last Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. The lay faithful took a break on Black Saturday and took a festive air again on Easter Sunday. The same is true with the so-called charismatic communities where the Baptism in the Spirit is the cornerstone of their encounter with the Lord and yet we hear of divisions and splits. What is worst is when these differences are being fanned by the leaders themselves who have become subjective and who took sides rather than take the middle road and restore harmony and unity in their ranks.
Pardon me but this has become a big farce for me. I could understand the disciples who ran and hid after Jesus was arrested except for John who was with Mary, the mother of Jesus, at the foot of the cross. I could feel the fear of the disciples who probably thought they were next in line to be arrested following the death of Jesus. But they were clothed with power and authority when Jesus rose from his grave to become the banner of Christians all over the world.
What I could not understand was how today’s Christians were there when Jesus went through his passion and death but were seemingly nowhere to be found when he resurrected and this was supposed to be the defining moment for us Christians. And this was very evident when our churches looked deserted on the Monday right after the resurrection of Our Lord.
Let it be known that there is no compromise when it comes to the practice of our faith. It’s either we are with Jesus by believing everything that he says or we are not. We must either accept his word as divine or reject it as the claim of an impostor.
It may have been hard for the Jews and his disciples to accept and abide by what Jesus was saying in those days because what he said was something new and was a radical departure from what they have believed in for the longest time. But we should not find it hard to believe the Gospel because of the advent of information that makes it easy for us to understand.
The reality is that it was not hard for the Jews then to accept what Jesus was saying but what proved difficult was in admitting what he was saying to be true. Jesus promised his disciples nothing less than the full blessing of eternal life and union with God and he is also telling us now that only in him can we find eternal life and this is available to everyone who has faith.
This is where lies the difference and communities, organizations, ministries and apostolates fall victim to divisions and splits because of the superficiality in the practice of their faith. What we see is not what they seem to be which means that attendance in prayer meetings, Eucharistic celebrations, ministry work, leadership roles do not a disciple make.
People may have been introduced to the Lord in an encounter program like the Marriage Encounter, Singles Encounter, Solo Parents Encounter and have encountered him in a more personal way in an Life in the Spirit Seminar yet that is not where it ends for unless the self gives way to the personhood of Jesus Christ (Jn 3:30) that encounter amounts to nothing and this lack of faith and yieldedness becomes evident in our actions and practice of our faith.
True faith is not blind nor ignorant but an authentic faith is a disposition of the heart that seeks to understand and yield to the life-giving Spirit. For those who find it difficult to understand the whys and the wherefores of true discipleship we can always rely on the Holy Spirit to not only open our hearts to his truth and wisdom (Eph 1:17-18) but the power to believe in faith.
Faith is our response to God’s revelation of himself to us. It is the key that unlocks our minds that we may understand and experience God’s plan for us. At the end of the day, we will find out we have no other choice but to abide in him for he is what life is all about.
1st Reading: Ac 9:31-42
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 116:12-17 “How shall I make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for me?”
GOSPEL: JN 6:60-69
Key Verse: “It is the Spirit that gives life.” (v.63)
Despite the many technological advances that make life more bearable and comfortable these days, life is not as easy as it may seem to be. We see all forms of poverty around us and it’s not because people chose to be poor but because there aren’t enough opportunities that the poor can avail of for them to find life.
And what I believe to be the worst kind of poverty is the poverty of spirit to which many people have succumbed into including those who are blessed materially. With this kind of poverty it is because they were not provided with the opportunities to experience that it is the Spirit that gives life (v.63) and not the material possessions that perishes.
We will realize that as we wade through the myriad of trials and challenges we face in life there will be times when we will wilt from the pressures we face each day.
When these times come our natural tendency is to draw on our own strength, talent and skill or, on our own resources. And our world comes crashing down on us when all our efforts prove futile or are not enough to deliver us from our problems. Why? Because our human abilities are merely palliatives and have no power on its own.
Again, this was what Jesus was trying to tell the Jews but they had difficulty accepting and believing what he was saying. There was a dichotomy in the way the Jews were relating to Jesus as they were drawn to him for what he offered in visible terms meaning the healing and the miracles he had performed but that was as far as they went.
They witnessed how the lame walked. The blind were able to see. Those stricken with evil spirits were delivered from demonic possession. Some 5,000 men, women and children were fed with Jesus multiplying five pieces of barley loaves and two pieces of small fish.
But when Jesus started talking of discipleship that was anchored on a deep and intimate relationship with him, most of the Jews balked and faltered. In fact, even some of his disciples left his company when Jesus started talking of the need for them to eat his flesh and drink his blood (Jn 6:51-59).
Jesus claimed to be the bread of heaven, the very life of God he was prepared to give to the Jews and to us as spiritual food to help sustain us in our journey to the promised land of heaven but the Jews either could not grasp what Jesus was saying or they simply did not want to bother to understand because it will create a paradigm shift in the practice of their faith.
This is also not new to us as there were times in our lives when we also refused to believe in what Jesus was saying. As Catholics we go to Church on Sundays and we go through the entire process in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist without really understanding the depth and meaning of the Mass.
We all saw how our churches were filled to the rafters during the Lenten Season especially last Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. The lay faithful took a break on Black Saturday and took a festive air again on Easter Sunday. The same is true with the so-called charismatic communities where the Baptism in the Spirit is the cornerstone of their encounter with the Lord and yet we hear of divisions and splits. What is worst is when these differences are being fanned by the leaders themselves who have become subjective and who took sides rather than take the middle road and restore harmony and unity in their ranks.
Pardon me but this has become a big farce for me. I could understand the disciples who ran and hid after Jesus was arrested except for John who was with Mary, the mother of Jesus, at the foot of the cross. I could feel the fear of the disciples who probably thought they were next in line to be arrested following the death of Jesus. But they were clothed with power and authority when Jesus rose from his grave to become the banner of Christians all over the world.
What I could not understand was how today’s Christians were there when Jesus went through his passion and death but were seemingly nowhere to be found when he resurrected and this was supposed to be the defining moment for us Christians. And this was very evident when our churches looked deserted on the Monday right after the resurrection of Our Lord.
Let it be known that there is no compromise when it comes to the practice of our faith. It’s either we are with Jesus by believing everything that he says or we are not. We must either accept his word as divine or reject it as the claim of an impostor.
It may have been hard for the Jews and his disciples to accept and abide by what Jesus was saying in those days because what he said was something new and was a radical departure from what they have believed in for the longest time. But we should not find it hard to believe the Gospel because of the advent of information that makes it easy for us to understand.
The reality is that it was not hard for the Jews then to accept what Jesus was saying but what proved difficult was in admitting what he was saying to be true. Jesus promised his disciples nothing less than the full blessing of eternal life and union with God and he is also telling us now that only in him can we find eternal life and this is available to everyone who has faith.
This is where lies the difference and communities, organizations, ministries and apostolates fall victim to divisions and splits because of the superficiality in the practice of their faith. What we see is not what they seem to be which means that attendance in prayer meetings, Eucharistic celebrations, ministry work, leadership roles do not a disciple make.
People may have been introduced to the Lord in an encounter program like the Marriage Encounter, Singles Encounter, Solo Parents Encounter and have encountered him in a more personal way in an Life in the Spirit Seminar yet that is not where it ends for unless the self gives way to the personhood of Jesus Christ (Jn 3:30) that encounter amounts to nothing and this lack of faith and yieldedness becomes evident in our actions and practice of our faith.
True faith is not blind nor ignorant but an authentic faith is a disposition of the heart that seeks to understand and yield to the life-giving Spirit. For those who find it difficult to understand the whys and the wherefores of true discipleship we can always rely on the Holy Spirit to not only open our hearts to his truth and wisdom (Eph 1:17-18) but the power to believe in faith.
Faith is our response to God’s revelation of himself to us. It is the key that unlocks our minds that we may understand and experience God’s plan for us. At the end of the day, we will find out we have no other choice but to abide in him for he is what life is all about.
FOOD THAT LASTS FOREVER
APRIL 19, 2013: THIRD WEEK OF EASTER
1st Reading: Ac 9:1-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 117:1bc, 2 “Go out to all the world and tell the good news.”
GOSPEL: Jn 6:52-59
“Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life.” (v.54)
What struck me about this Gospel for this Friday of the Third Week of Easter can be read right at the very beginning of the passage “the Jews quarreled among themselves” (v.52) which gives us an idea that quarreling and disagreements are part and parcel of life in the church, a Christian community and, in a movement or organization for that matter.
The point of argument among the Jews was their inability to digest and comprehend what Jesus meant when he said in the preceding passage: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” (v.51)
The problem with the Jews in those days was that the official interpreter of prophetic messages – the Pharisees and the Scribes – also could not or have intentionally do not want to understand the words and the teachings of Jesus whom they rejected and branded as a blasphemer. Thus it was only natural that the words spoken by Jesus would be open to different interpretations due not only to ignorance but because of their bias against the Son of God.
Today this same problem exists even within the Church, charismatic communities that are supposed to be steeped in faith, lay organizations and movements where the natural character of man overshadows the image and likeness of God.
I was in a Bible-sharing circle a few days ago and the Gospel passage used for reflection was from Jn 21:1-19 and most of the sharing zeroed in on Jn 21:6 “Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something.” And the Disciples did just that and they caught some 153 fish that the net was at the point of breaking.
The word that came out from the Bible-sharing circle was the need to listen to Jesus and that listening to him will provide us the direction in life and in what we do.
Those in the circle could not have been more right for listening is a virtue that only the Godly possess and the refusal and or failure to listen inwardly to what Jesus is telling us is what leads to arguments and disagreements in both the religious and temporal worlds. That cannot be avoided especially when we arrogate unto ourselves the power and authority that belongs to God by disguising our views and opinions as coming from God. In my 23 years in the renewal I have practically come across persons of different persuasions and while I believe that the renewal or the charismatic movement have helped transform a marginal church into a militant church, I also view with sadness the reality that even those who have been in the renewal for years remain stuck in their worldly nature.
Leaders are subjective and guided by what is beneficial to them and have lost sense of objectivity in the performance of their functions. What is worst is the fact that divisive situations are being rationalized by the leaders themselves instead of the more important objective of forging unity through the pastoral process.
This brings us to the Gospel passage for today and we may probably ask ourselves why Jesus offered himself as “food and drink.” For the Jews what Jesus said: “unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you have no life in you.” (v.53) was a hard saying and this was borne out of their bias and seeming lack of objectivity thereby forgetting the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves (Jn 6:3-13). In the Old Testament bread and wine were offered as a thanksgiving sacrifice as a sign of gratitude to God the giver and sustainer of life.
When Jesus said these words he was actually pointing to the sacrifice he was about to make on the cross, when he would shed his blood for us – thus pouring himself out and giving himself to us – as an atoning sacrifice for our sins and the sins of the world. His death on the cross fulfilled the sacrifice of the Passover lamb whose blood spared the Israelites from death in Egypt.
St. Paul whose conversion we read in Ac 9:1-20 says that: “Christ, our paschal lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Cor 5:7). Paul in fact was echoing the words of John the Baptist who called Jesus the “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” (Jn 1:29). And in today’s Gospel Jesus made himself an offering and sacrifice, a gift that was truly pleasing to the Father. He “offered himself without blemish to God” (Heb 9:14) and “gave himself as a sacrifice to God” (Eph 5:2).
When Jesus commanded his disciples to eat his flesh and drink his blood, he is actually inviting us to take his life into the very center of our being. That life which he offers is the very life of God himself. This commingling of His Body and Blood with our own body and blood unites us with Jesus such that our original nature of being created in the image and likeness of God is restored.
What then is the correlation between this unity that Jesus forged with us who eats of his flesh and drinks his blood with the realities of the present time. It simply means that when we have been united and grafted to Christ all our actions must be governed by what is good and beneficial to the body of Christ which is the Church, community, movement or organization for that matter.
As we are also half-way into the election season let us use as an example the endorsement being sought from movements and organizations by candidates to elective positions. Such endorsement is the right and privilege of the endorser and endorsees should not even for a moment think that they have a right to an endorsement regardless of whether they share the same faith or not.
This brings us to the Gospel of Mt 20:1-16 which tells us of the owner of the vineyard who paid his workers the same amount of wages. “Am I not free to do as I wish with my own money?” (Mt 20:15) The question we should ask ourselves is not what is it that I want but what is it that God wants. What is it that you hunger for? Those in the church or community, do you want to lord it over rather than allow the Lord to be the Lord of all? Do you hunger for the bread of life? Do you hunger for food that lasts forever? What is it that you really want? Do your actions correspond to what the Lord wants? And that is for us to be united in his love through His Body and Blood. To pursue a divisive course of action only shows that men have not listened well.
1st Reading: Ac 9:1-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 117:1bc, 2 “Go out to all the world and tell the good news.”
GOSPEL: Jn 6:52-59
“Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life.” (v.54)
What struck me about this Gospel for this Friday of the Third Week of Easter can be read right at the very beginning of the passage “the Jews quarreled among themselves” (v.52) which gives us an idea that quarreling and disagreements are part and parcel of life in the church, a Christian community and, in a movement or organization for that matter.
The point of argument among the Jews was their inability to digest and comprehend what Jesus meant when he said in the preceding passage: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” (v.51)
The problem with the Jews in those days was that the official interpreter of prophetic messages – the Pharisees and the Scribes – also could not or have intentionally do not want to understand the words and the teachings of Jesus whom they rejected and branded as a blasphemer. Thus it was only natural that the words spoken by Jesus would be open to different interpretations due not only to ignorance but because of their bias against the Son of God.
Today this same problem exists even within the Church, charismatic communities that are supposed to be steeped in faith, lay organizations and movements where the natural character of man overshadows the image and likeness of God.
I was in a Bible-sharing circle a few days ago and the Gospel passage used for reflection was from Jn 21:1-19 and most of the sharing zeroed in on Jn 21:6 “Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something.” And the Disciples did just that and they caught some 153 fish that the net was at the point of breaking.
The word that came out from the Bible-sharing circle was the need to listen to Jesus and that listening to him will provide us the direction in life and in what we do.
Those in the circle could not have been more right for listening is a virtue that only the Godly possess and the refusal and or failure to listen inwardly to what Jesus is telling us is what leads to arguments and disagreements in both the religious and temporal worlds. That cannot be avoided especially when we arrogate unto ourselves the power and authority that belongs to God by disguising our views and opinions as coming from God. In my 23 years in the renewal I have practically come across persons of different persuasions and while I believe that the renewal or the charismatic movement have helped transform a marginal church into a militant church, I also view with sadness the reality that even those who have been in the renewal for years remain stuck in their worldly nature.
Leaders are subjective and guided by what is beneficial to them and have lost sense of objectivity in the performance of their functions. What is worst is the fact that divisive situations are being rationalized by the leaders themselves instead of the more important objective of forging unity through the pastoral process.
This brings us to the Gospel passage for today and we may probably ask ourselves why Jesus offered himself as “food and drink.” For the Jews what Jesus said: “unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you have no life in you.” (v.53) was a hard saying and this was borne out of their bias and seeming lack of objectivity thereby forgetting the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves (Jn 6:3-13). In the Old Testament bread and wine were offered as a thanksgiving sacrifice as a sign of gratitude to God the giver and sustainer of life.
When Jesus said these words he was actually pointing to the sacrifice he was about to make on the cross, when he would shed his blood for us – thus pouring himself out and giving himself to us – as an atoning sacrifice for our sins and the sins of the world. His death on the cross fulfilled the sacrifice of the Passover lamb whose blood spared the Israelites from death in Egypt.
St. Paul whose conversion we read in Ac 9:1-20 says that: “Christ, our paschal lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Cor 5:7). Paul in fact was echoing the words of John the Baptist who called Jesus the “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” (Jn 1:29). And in today’s Gospel Jesus made himself an offering and sacrifice, a gift that was truly pleasing to the Father. He “offered himself without blemish to God” (Heb 9:14) and “gave himself as a sacrifice to God” (Eph 5:2).
When Jesus commanded his disciples to eat his flesh and drink his blood, he is actually inviting us to take his life into the very center of our being. That life which he offers is the very life of God himself. This commingling of His Body and Blood with our own body and blood unites us with Jesus such that our original nature of being created in the image and likeness of God is restored.
What then is the correlation between this unity that Jesus forged with us who eats of his flesh and drinks his blood with the realities of the present time. It simply means that when we have been united and grafted to Christ all our actions must be governed by what is good and beneficial to the body of Christ which is the Church, community, movement or organization for that matter.
As we are also half-way into the election season let us use as an example the endorsement being sought from movements and organizations by candidates to elective positions. Such endorsement is the right and privilege of the endorser and endorsees should not even for a moment think that they have a right to an endorsement regardless of whether they share the same faith or not.
This brings us to the Gospel of Mt 20:1-16 which tells us of the owner of the vineyard who paid his workers the same amount of wages. “Am I not free to do as I wish with my own money?” (Mt 20:15) The question we should ask ourselves is not what is it that I want but what is it that God wants. What is it that you hunger for? Those in the church or community, do you want to lord it over rather than allow the Lord to be the Lord of all? Do you hunger for the bread of life? Do you hunger for food that lasts forever? What is it that you really want? Do your actions correspond to what the Lord wants? And that is for us to be united in his love through His Body and Blood. To pursue a divisive course of action only shows that men have not listened well.
ETERNITY FOR THOSE WHO WILL BELIEVE
APRIL 18, 2013: THIRD WEEK OF EASTER
1st Reading: Ac 8:26-40
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 66:8-9, 16-17, 20 “Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.”
GOSPEL: JN 6:44-51
Key Verse: “I am the bread of life.” (v.48)
This was the second time that Jesus told the Jews “I am the bread of life.” (v.48) as the people kept arguing among themselves as they could not figure out how someone they knew who came from humble beginnings could come forward to say he was the one whom God has sent to redeem Israel.
What was apparent in the story of Jesus as depicted in the four Gospels was that Jesus and the Jews were coming from two different planes. Jesus knew whereof he comes from but the Jews were consumed by their passion to judge things by human values and by external standards.
This was evident in this Gospel passage today and we see that the Jews have already judged Jesus for what he was. To them, Jesus was the son of a carpenter. They saw him grow up in Nazareth. It doesn’t matter if he was the best yoke maker in Judea. What consumes them was their judgment that a tradesman who came from a poor home could not possibly be a messenger of God.
And this was their undoing because what they didn’t know at this point was that when they rejected Jesus their actions kept them away from the eternal life that he was offering them. What was also clear at this point was that the Jews did not learn anything from what Jesus was saying.
There are actually different levels of listening to someone. We listen to find fault and to criticize. We sometimes listen but we resent what we hear. At times we listen only to make a judgment that our views are superior to what the other person says. We also listen but remain indifferent to what we heard and there are times we listen simply because we are not given the opportunity to speak.
And the Jews missed the point of what Jesus was saying because for all the religiosity that they have this was one instance when they failed to ask God to guide them in qualifying the words they heard from Jesus. What they failed to realize was that salvation was an initiative of God and not from men.
The Jews or at least those to whom Jesus was talking to in this passage failed to grasp what he was saying because they failed to draw on the power of God and this remains true to this day. God initiates and we are given the choice to believe or not such that no one can believe in Jesus without the help of God and this was what he meant when he said: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him” (v.44)
In this Gospel passage, Jesus makes a claim that only God can make that He was and is the true bread of heaven that can satisfy the deepest hunger we experience. When Jesus told the Jews and he is telling us now “I am the bread of life” he is saying something that is essential for life and to refuse or reject what he says is to miss out on that life he is offering us and this could mean death.
Conversely, as with Jesus in this Gospel today we sometimes experience a heavy load when we can’t seem to get our friends converted to share the faith we have but this shouldn’t preoccupy us because we can only go as far as tell them about the eternal life that they can have by believing in Jesus.
And the eternal life Jesus offers is largely dependent on how well we listen and this was what Jesus emphasized when he said: “he who believes has everlasting life.” (v.47) because to believe in Jesus is a continuing process and not just a one-time happening. To believe in Jesus is to keep on believing and trusting Jesus with our life.
Jesus drew on the Old Testament Scripture to remind the Jews that their forefathers died in the in the wilderness because they refused to listen to God who urged them to go to the promise land. What Jesus was also telling the Jews when he claimed to be the “bread of life” was a prefigurement of the abundance of the supernatural life of God that sustains us for all eternity that we can find in the Holy Eucharist.
When we receive Jesus who is present in the Eucharist, we not only unite ourselves with Christ but it also makes us sharers in his body and blood and partakers of his divine nature. St. Ignatius of Antioch describes the Eucharist as the “one bread that provides the medicine of immortality, the antidote for death, and the food that makes us live for ever in Jesus Christ.”
To reject Jesus as what the Jews did in this Gospel today is to refuse eternal life and an unending life in the bosom of the Heavenly Father. To accept Jesus as the bread of heaven is not only life and spiritual nourishment for this world but glory in the world to come.
Jesus is offering us much much more than what we can ask for and we cannot imagine the width and breadth of the life he offers. There are two ways we can be united with Christ and these are by believing in his death and his resurrection that we can relive each time we partake of his body and blood present in the Holy Eucharist and, by living our lives as Jesus had commanded us – a life spent in believing and trusting in his Word with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
And today as we step into the heat of the electoral process the political battleground has been reduced to a fight between those who stand for the preservation of life and the family and those who are pushing for the so-called “death bills” that are a threat to the sacredness of life and the sanctity of the family.
With the passage of the RH Law, some political leaders in both houses of Congress tweaked the Church saying “there is no such thing as a Catholic vote and that the Bishops are irrelevant.” Instead of retreating into a defeatist attitude, some 42 national Catholic charismatic communities and parish-mandated organizations under the Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas (Council of the Laity of the Philippines) sprung into action and formed the Lay Solidarity for the Preservation of Life and Family.
It was then agreed upon that a campaign arm be organized and this gave birth to the White Vote Movement. The movement eventually endorsed the senatorial bids of six candidates – Rep. JV Ejercito, Sen. Gringo Honasan, Rep. Mitos Magsaysay, Sen. Koko Pimentel, Sen. Sonny Trillanes and former Rep. Cynthia Villar.
They were chosen for their unwavering commitment and support they showed during the debates related to the RH Bill and their firm commitment not to endorse nor support any of the “death bills” if and when these are presented for legislation.
And to the Catholic laity we humbly seek your support to vote for these six candidates of the White Vote Movement. A vote for them is a vote for Life and a vote for Family.
1st Reading: Ac 8:26-40
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 66:8-9, 16-17, 20 “Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.”
GOSPEL: JN 6:44-51
Key Verse: “I am the bread of life.” (v.48)
This was the second time that Jesus told the Jews “I am the bread of life.” (v.48) as the people kept arguing among themselves as they could not figure out how someone they knew who came from humble beginnings could come forward to say he was the one whom God has sent to redeem Israel.
What was apparent in the story of Jesus as depicted in the four Gospels was that Jesus and the Jews were coming from two different planes. Jesus knew whereof he comes from but the Jews were consumed by their passion to judge things by human values and by external standards.
This was evident in this Gospel passage today and we see that the Jews have already judged Jesus for what he was. To them, Jesus was the son of a carpenter. They saw him grow up in Nazareth. It doesn’t matter if he was the best yoke maker in Judea. What consumes them was their judgment that a tradesman who came from a poor home could not possibly be a messenger of God.
And this was their undoing because what they didn’t know at this point was that when they rejected Jesus their actions kept them away from the eternal life that he was offering them. What was also clear at this point was that the Jews did not learn anything from what Jesus was saying.
There are actually different levels of listening to someone. We listen to find fault and to criticize. We sometimes listen but we resent what we hear. At times we listen only to make a judgment that our views are superior to what the other person says. We also listen but remain indifferent to what we heard and there are times we listen simply because we are not given the opportunity to speak.
And the Jews missed the point of what Jesus was saying because for all the religiosity that they have this was one instance when they failed to ask God to guide them in qualifying the words they heard from Jesus. What they failed to realize was that salvation was an initiative of God and not from men.
The Jews or at least those to whom Jesus was talking to in this passage failed to grasp what he was saying because they failed to draw on the power of God and this remains true to this day. God initiates and we are given the choice to believe or not such that no one can believe in Jesus without the help of God and this was what he meant when he said: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him” (v.44)
In this Gospel passage, Jesus makes a claim that only God can make that He was and is the true bread of heaven that can satisfy the deepest hunger we experience. When Jesus told the Jews and he is telling us now “I am the bread of life” he is saying something that is essential for life and to refuse or reject what he says is to miss out on that life he is offering us and this could mean death.
Conversely, as with Jesus in this Gospel today we sometimes experience a heavy load when we can’t seem to get our friends converted to share the faith we have but this shouldn’t preoccupy us because we can only go as far as tell them about the eternal life that they can have by believing in Jesus.
And the eternal life Jesus offers is largely dependent on how well we listen and this was what Jesus emphasized when he said: “he who believes has everlasting life.” (v.47) because to believe in Jesus is a continuing process and not just a one-time happening. To believe in Jesus is to keep on believing and trusting Jesus with our life.
Jesus drew on the Old Testament Scripture to remind the Jews that their forefathers died in the in the wilderness because they refused to listen to God who urged them to go to the promise land. What Jesus was also telling the Jews when he claimed to be the “bread of life” was a prefigurement of the abundance of the supernatural life of God that sustains us for all eternity that we can find in the Holy Eucharist.
When we receive Jesus who is present in the Eucharist, we not only unite ourselves with Christ but it also makes us sharers in his body and blood and partakers of his divine nature. St. Ignatius of Antioch describes the Eucharist as the “one bread that provides the medicine of immortality, the antidote for death, and the food that makes us live for ever in Jesus Christ.”
To reject Jesus as what the Jews did in this Gospel today is to refuse eternal life and an unending life in the bosom of the Heavenly Father. To accept Jesus as the bread of heaven is not only life and spiritual nourishment for this world but glory in the world to come.
Jesus is offering us much much more than what we can ask for and we cannot imagine the width and breadth of the life he offers. There are two ways we can be united with Christ and these are by believing in his death and his resurrection that we can relive each time we partake of his body and blood present in the Holy Eucharist and, by living our lives as Jesus had commanded us – a life spent in believing and trusting in his Word with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
And today as we step into the heat of the electoral process the political battleground has been reduced to a fight between those who stand for the preservation of life and the family and those who are pushing for the so-called “death bills” that are a threat to the sacredness of life and the sanctity of the family.
With the passage of the RH Law, some political leaders in both houses of Congress tweaked the Church saying “there is no such thing as a Catholic vote and that the Bishops are irrelevant.” Instead of retreating into a defeatist attitude, some 42 national Catholic charismatic communities and parish-mandated organizations under the Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas (Council of the Laity of the Philippines) sprung into action and formed the Lay Solidarity for the Preservation of Life and Family.
It was then agreed upon that a campaign arm be organized and this gave birth to the White Vote Movement. The movement eventually endorsed the senatorial bids of six candidates – Rep. JV Ejercito, Sen. Gringo Honasan, Rep. Mitos Magsaysay, Sen. Koko Pimentel, Sen. Sonny Trillanes and former Rep. Cynthia Villar.
They were chosen for their unwavering commitment and support they showed during the debates related to the RH Bill and their firm commitment not to endorse nor support any of the “death bills” if and when these are presented for legislation.
And to the Catholic laity we humbly seek your support to vote for these six candidates of the White Vote Movement. A vote for them is a vote for Life and a vote for Family.
REAL LIFE IN JESUS
APRIL 16, 2013: THIRD WEEK OF EASTER
1st Reading: Ac 7:51-8:1a
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 31:3cd-4, 6-7b, 8a, 17, 21ab “Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.”
GOSPEL: JN 6:30-35
Key Verse: “I am the bread of life…” (v.35)
The attitude of the Jews as depicted in this Gospel passage for today is typical of those who believe in the righteousness of their actions and who could not gather the courage to accept there is someone wiser and more religious than them.
While it would be easy to conclude that humility was not among the virtues the Jews practiced in the time of Jesus we should also keep in mind that they were coming from their understanding they were the chosen race and that they hold the first option when it comes to relationship with God primarily because of the Mosaic law which the Jews have kept close to their hearts.
It was thus natural for the people to ask Jesus for a sign even if they have just witnessed a great miracle in the multiplication of the five barley loaves and two small fish. But to them, feeding 5,000 people in a one-day event cannot be compared to the time when God provided the Israelites with food to eat for 40 years when he led them out of Egypt (Exo 16:10-15).
This miracle that provided the Israelites with manna from heaven was a sign of God’s faithfulness that cemented the bond between God and the Israelites and nothing else can compare with it. However, if you would look closely at these two events – the manna that the Israelites fed on for 40 years and the feeding of the 5,000 – we will see that in both instances the Jews could not make out what these happenings were.
In fact, the Jews also asked each one the question ‘What is it?’ when God gave them ‘manna’ for food and this is actually the Hebrew meaning of manna because they simply didn’t understand where it came from. Since it was a miraculous event that brought blessings to the Israelites, the word ‘manna’ has been terribly abused that it is now referred to as an unexpected blessing or an opportunity that suddenly arose where one can derive a profit.
This was why to the Israelites nothing can come close to their having survived for 40 years with food that God provided them much less a one-time event even if some 5,000 people were fed. On the other hand, it was also probable that even the religious leaders who witnessed the multiplication of the loaves and fish could be thinking of at least considering this as a miracle and they just wanted to be sure which was why they asked Jesus for a sign in the same way that their forefathers asked ‘what is it?’ when God gave them food from heaven.
And for us to clearly understand the beauty of this passage today which is considered as one of the great passages in John’s Gospel we must try to savor the meaning of each word that came out of the lips of Jesus when he said: “I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.” (v.35)
The Jews who were asking for a sign definitely did not understand what Jesus said at this time and they wouldn’t until his death and resurrection. Jesus was speaking of a future event that the Jews couldn’t grasp. Even if he spoke of bread which to the Jews meant life-giving because it sustains life they still could not or would not understand.
But Jesus in this passage was talking of life to mean the relationship between God and man, a relationship that is rooted in trust in God, obedience to God and love of God of which such relationship can only be made possible through Jesus Christ. This means that people may exist and survive even if they do not know and accept Jesus but they will not have life.
And here Jesus made a claim that only God can make because the bread that Our Lord is offering is none other than the life and presence of God in the soul of man. While we certainly may not be aware of it, God is present and continues to work in each and everyone of us until we come to that realization of who he is. In other words, God is actually present in the human process as we go through life and life itself becomes more meaningful if we can cultivate a closer relationship with Our Creator.
The manna that the people ate in ancient times may have sustained the Israelites but it did give them eternal life and what Jesus was telling the Jews and is telling us now that: “the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world." (v.33) And if only the Jews opened their hearts and minds to that event in the River Jordan when the heavens opened and God spoke “this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased” they would have understood as we do now that Jesus was truly the Son of God.
The bread that Jesus offered to his disciples and which he is offering to us now is what will allow us to live supernatural lives that will sustain us in our journey towards the Heavenly Kingdom. The beauty of our faith is that we are given the opportunity to really feel the presence of God’s encompassing love when we unite ourselves with Christ at the Table of Grace when we become partakers of his Divine Life in the Holy Eucharist.
St. Ignatius of Antioch describes the Holy Eucharist as the “one bread that provides the medicine of immortality, the antidote for death, and the food that makes us live for ever in Jesus Christ.” This supernatural food is what brings healing for our body and soul and perseverance for our journey of faith.
This is why our hearts must be filled with gratitude to God for sending His Son to become our bread of life. In the same way, we must thank Our Lord Jesus Christ for offering Himself to be our source of life who alone satisfies the hunger in our hearts. And this life is available to all but which is premised on our believing in him and to believe in him is to put all our trust in Him, obey Him and, love Him.
This process of complete submission is what actually gives us life because our yielding to Christ paves the way for us to have a relationship with God who not only leads us towards our heavenly goal but he also removes from our hearts the rebellion and pride that stifles our desire to submit to him. To submit to Jesus Christ is to unite our hearts and minds with the Church which is his body. And as we receive him through our reception of the Holy Eucharist this unity is firmed up with the commingling of our body with His own body and blood and with the rest of the believers.This unity of being one is what the White Vote Movement is all about. For while a divided vote changes nothing, a united vote changes everything.
We actually deprive ourselves of the glory of an eternal life if we will refuse the bread that he offers that will unite us with Jesus who alone can give us life in the real sense.
1st Reading: Ac 7:51-8:1a
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 31:3cd-4, 6-7b, 8a, 17, 21ab “Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.”
GOSPEL: JN 6:30-35
Key Verse: “I am the bread of life…” (v.35)
The attitude of the Jews as depicted in this Gospel passage for today is typical of those who believe in the righteousness of their actions and who could not gather the courage to accept there is someone wiser and more religious than them.
While it would be easy to conclude that humility was not among the virtues the Jews practiced in the time of Jesus we should also keep in mind that they were coming from their understanding they were the chosen race and that they hold the first option when it comes to relationship with God primarily because of the Mosaic law which the Jews have kept close to their hearts.
It was thus natural for the people to ask Jesus for a sign even if they have just witnessed a great miracle in the multiplication of the five barley loaves and two small fish. But to them, feeding 5,000 people in a one-day event cannot be compared to the time when God provided the Israelites with food to eat for 40 years when he led them out of Egypt (Exo 16:10-15).
This miracle that provided the Israelites with manna from heaven was a sign of God’s faithfulness that cemented the bond between God and the Israelites and nothing else can compare with it. However, if you would look closely at these two events – the manna that the Israelites fed on for 40 years and the feeding of the 5,000 – we will see that in both instances the Jews could not make out what these happenings were.
In fact, the Jews also asked each one the question ‘What is it?’ when God gave them ‘manna’ for food and this is actually the Hebrew meaning of manna because they simply didn’t understand where it came from. Since it was a miraculous event that brought blessings to the Israelites, the word ‘manna’ has been terribly abused that it is now referred to as an unexpected blessing or an opportunity that suddenly arose where one can derive a profit.
This was why to the Israelites nothing can come close to their having survived for 40 years with food that God provided them much less a one-time event even if some 5,000 people were fed. On the other hand, it was also probable that even the religious leaders who witnessed the multiplication of the loaves and fish could be thinking of at least considering this as a miracle and they just wanted to be sure which was why they asked Jesus for a sign in the same way that their forefathers asked ‘what is it?’ when God gave them food from heaven.
And for us to clearly understand the beauty of this passage today which is considered as one of the great passages in John’s Gospel we must try to savor the meaning of each word that came out of the lips of Jesus when he said: “I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.” (v.35)
The Jews who were asking for a sign definitely did not understand what Jesus said at this time and they wouldn’t until his death and resurrection. Jesus was speaking of a future event that the Jews couldn’t grasp. Even if he spoke of bread which to the Jews meant life-giving because it sustains life they still could not or would not understand.
But Jesus in this passage was talking of life to mean the relationship between God and man, a relationship that is rooted in trust in God, obedience to God and love of God of which such relationship can only be made possible through Jesus Christ. This means that people may exist and survive even if they do not know and accept Jesus but they will not have life.
And here Jesus made a claim that only God can make because the bread that Our Lord is offering is none other than the life and presence of God in the soul of man. While we certainly may not be aware of it, God is present and continues to work in each and everyone of us until we come to that realization of who he is. In other words, God is actually present in the human process as we go through life and life itself becomes more meaningful if we can cultivate a closer relationship with Our Creator.
The manna that the people ate in ancient times may have sustained the Israelites but it did give them eternal life and what Jesus was telling the Jews and is telling us now that: “the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world." (v.33) And if only the Jews opened their hearts and minds to that event in the River Jordan when the heavens opened and God spoke “this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased” they would have understood as we do now that Jesus was truly the Son of God.
The bread that Jesus offered to his disciples and which he is offering to us now is what will allow us to live supernatural lives that will sustain us in our journey towards the Heavenly Kingdom. The beauty of our faith is that we are given the opportunity to really feel the presence of God’s encompassing love when we unite ourselves with Christ at the Table of Grace when we become partakers of his Divine Life in the Holy Eucharist.
St. Ignatius of Antioch describes the Holy Eucharist as the “one bread that provides the medicine of immortality, the antidote for death, and the food that makes us live for ever in Jesus Christ.” This supernatural food is what brings healing for our body and soul and perseverance for our journey of faith.
This is why our hearts must be filled with gratitude to God for sending His Son to become our bread of life. In the same way, we must thank Our Lord Jesus Christ for offering Himself to be our source of life who alone satisfies the hunger in our hearts. And this life is available to all but which is premised on our believing in him and to believe in him is to put all our trust in Him, obey Him and, love Him.
This process of complete submission is what actually gives us life because our yielding to Christ paves the way for us to have a relationship with God who not only leads us towards our heavenly goal but he also removes from our hearts the rebellion and pride that stifles our desire to submit to him. To submit to Jesus Christ is to unite our hearts and minds with the Church which is his body. And as we receive him through our reception of the Holy Eucharist this unity is firmed up with the commingling of our body with His own body and blood and with the rest of the believers.This unity of being one is what the White Vote Movement is all about. For while a divided vote changes nothing, a united vote changes everything.
We actually deprive ourselves of the glory of an eternal life if we will refuse the bread that he offers that will unite us with Jesus who alone can give us life in the real sense.
MOVED BY WRONG MOTIVES
APRIL 15, 2013: THIRD WEEK OF EASTER
1st Reading: Ac 6:8-15
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 119:23-24, 26-27, 29-30 “Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!”
GOSPEL: JN 6:22-29
Key Verse: “…believe in Him who was sent.” (v.29)
As we have said many times, choice is something we have to live with from the time we stepped into the age of reason to the time we are finally called to our dwelling place.
In many a tombstone we see the date when the dead lying in the grave was born and the date of his death and this is separated by a dash. And it is said that the dash was the most important element in the tombstone because it brings to mind the kind of life a person lived between his birth and death. What the person has become at the time he meets his Creator was determined by the kind of choices that he made.
Choice stares us in the face the moment we wake up and we could either pray our morning prayers and pray for God’s Divine intervention for the concerns we may face during the day or we can forego with that and simply rely on our own strength and abilities.
We go through life for a purpose and many times frustrations set in when we could not find any meaning in life. We apply what we learn from school and rely on our wealth of experience in search for material possessions, peace, health, love, and all the perks of what a good life represents.
In others words, hunger is something that people feel and it doesn’t just refer to feeling hungry for food but being hungry for something that will make our lives better and there are times when we think of God only terms of what He can give us. After all, we know God to be generous, kind and compassionate.
Didn’t Christ Himself said ask and you will receive, seek and you shall find and knock and the door will be opened to you? (Matt 7:7). And didn’t He also say he will give us anything we ask the Father in His Name? (Jn 14:13).
And that’s precisely the point of this Gospel passage today when the people who were among the 5,000 who were fed kept following Jesus up to Capernaum. In fact, Jesus arrived in that city ahead of the large crowd who wondered and asked him: "Rabbi, when did you come here?" (v.25)
Jesus answered them saying: "Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.” (v.26) The point that John the Evangelist was trying to point out in this Gospel was that the feeding of the 5,000 that everyone believed to be a miracle has been engraved in the minds of the people that they looked and followed Jesus not for what He was but for the miracles that He could perform.
This is what makes the Bible a truly amazing book because what happened some 2,500 years ago is still happening now as some people are drawn to Jesus not because they worship Him but because of what He can do and what they can get from Him.
In this Gospel today, Jesus tells us in very clear terms: “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you; for on him has God the Father set his seal." (v.27)
And this is the mystery of life as we sometimes spend our money and the blessings we have received from God for things that will make us good in the eyes of men but probably not in the eyes of God. Sometimes this is caused by our lack of a clearer vision of the purpose and meaning of life. There are two kinds of hunger – physical which food can satisfy and a spiritual hunger that no food can ever satisfy except the break that comes from heaven.
The 5,000 who were fed are just like some of us. We have been blessed and yet we look for more and the insatiable appetite for that good life has become a life-long quest for some. Hunger is inevitable for as long as life exists but there is a kind of hunger that can only be satisfied by God – hunger for the abundant life that He promised (Jn 10:10).
And this hunger of the human heart and soul for food that do not perish can only be satisfied by God. This food is the truth that God brings. This means that by way of the Sacred Scriptures we are to believe everything that Jesus said for these are the truths that bear the seal of God.
In ancient times, it is not only the signature of a person that makes an agreement binding but the seal that will attest to the truthfulness of the agreement and or the signature of the person. The Jewish Rabbis often say “the seal of God is truth.”
Thus, our preoccupation as Christians should not be to spend our lives searching for the physical food that will whet up our appetites for the good life but to fix our gaze upon Jesus, believe what He says because Jesus carries the seal of God. Jesus was the Word incarnated and He was with God from the beginning and the Word was God (Jn 1:1).
As with the people who followed Him, we too in this present life will probably also ask: "What must we do, to be doing the works of God?" (v.28) What Jesus said to them He is still saying to us now: "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." (V.29)
To believe in Jesus is to follow Him all the days of our lives and Jesus by His death on the cross offers us a new kind of relationship with God that springs from the new life we now have. And this life must be spent to know God (Jn 17:3) through the Scriptures, to love Him (Matt 22:37) by accepting Him in the Holy Eucharist, to serve Him (Jn 12:26) as shepherds, sharers or teachers in the Church or Community, that we may be happy in eternity (Jn 16:22).
To believe in Him also means a life lived in constant forgiveness of others that compares with God's mercy and kindness, a life lived in holiness that approximates the holiness of God and, a life filled with wisdom that should lead us to total submission to God.
At the end of the day, it is Jesus alone who can satisfy the deepest longing and hunger in our hearts. Our life-long prayer thus is to satisfy ourselves with the imperishable bread that comes from heaven – Jesus the True Bread of Heaven.
1st Reading: Ac 6:8-15
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 119:23-24, 26-27, 29-30 “Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!”
GOSPEL: JN 6:22-29
Key Verse: “…believe in Him who was sent.” (v.29)
As we have said many times, choice is something we have to live with from the time we stepped into the age of reason to the time we are finally called to our dwelling place.
In many a tombstone we see the date when the dead lying in the grave was born and the date of his death and this is separated by a dash. And it is said that the dash was the most important element in the tombstone because it brings to mind the kind of life a person lived between his birth and death. What the person has become at the time he meets his Creator was determined by the kind of choices that he made.
Choice stares us in the face the moment we wake up and we could either pray our morning prayers and pray for God’s Divine intervention for the concerns we may face during the day or we can forego with that and simply rely on our own strength and abilities.
We go through life for a purpose and many times frustrations set in when we could not find any meaning in life. We apply what we learn from school and rely on our wealth of experience in search for material possessions, peace, health, love, and all the perks of what a good life represents.
In others words, hunger is something that people feel and it doesn’t just refer to feeling hungry for food but being hungry for something that will make our lives better and there are times when we think of God only terms of what He can give us. After all, we know God to be generous, kind and compassionate.
Didn’t Christ Himself said ask and you will receive, seek and you shall find and knock and the door will be opened to you? (Matt 7:7). And didn’t He also say he will give us anything we ask the Father in His Name? (Jn 14:13).
And that’s precisely the point of this Gospel passage today when the people who were among the 5,000 who were fed kept following Jesus up to Capernaum. In fact, Jesus arrived in that city ahead of the large crowd who wondered and asked him: "Rabbi, when did you come here?" (v.25)
Jesus answered them saying: "Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.” (v.26) The point that John the Evangelist was trying to point out in this Gospel was that the feeding of the 5,000 that everyone believed to be a miracle has been engraved in the minds of the people that they looked and followed Jesus not for what He was but for the miracles that He could perform.
This is what makes the Bible a truly amazing book because what happened some 2,500 years ago is still happening now as some people are drawn to Jesus not because they worship Him but because of what He can do and what they can get from Him.
In this Gospel today, Jesus tells us in very clear terms: “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you; for on him has God the Father set his seal." (v.27)
And this is the mystery of life as we sometimes spend our money and the blessings we have received from God for things that will make us good in the eyes of men but probably not in the eyes of God. Sometimes this is caused by our lack of a clearer vision of the purpose and meaning of life. There are two kinds of hunger – physical which food can satisfy and a spiritual hunger that no food can ever satisfy except the break that comes from heaven.
The 5,000 who were fed are just like some of us. We have been blessed and yet we look for more and the insatiable appetite for that good life has become a life-long quest for some. Hunger is inevitable for as long as life exists but there is a kind of hunger that can only be satisfied by God – hunger for the abundant life that He promised (Jn 10:10).
And this hunger of the human heart and soul for food that do not perish can only be satisfied by God. This food is the truth that God brings. This means that by way of the Sacred Scriptures we are to believe everything that Jesus said for these are the truths that bear the seal of God.
In ancient times, it is not only the signature of a person that makes an agreement binding but the seal that will attest to the truthfulness of the agreement and or the signature of the person. The Jewish Rabbis often say “the seal of God is truth.”
Thus, our preoccupation as Christians should not be to spend our lives searching for the physical food that will whet up our appetites for the good life but to fix our gaze upon Jesus, believe what He says because Jesus carries the seal of God. Jesus was the Word incarnated and He was with God from the beginning and the Word was God (Jn 1:1).
As with the people who followed Him, we too in this present life will probably also ask: "What must we do, to be doing the works of God?" (v.28) What Jesus said to them He is still saying to us now: "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." (V.29)
To believe in Jesus is to follow Him all the days of our lives and Jesus by His death on the cross offers us a new kind of relationship with God that springs from the new life we now have. And this life must be spent to know God (Jn 17:3) through the Scriptures, to love Him (Matt 22:37) by accepting Him in the Holy Eucharist, to serve Him (Jn 12:26) as shepherds, sharers or teachers in the Church or Community, that we may be happy in eternity (Jn 16:22).
To believe in Him also means a life lived in constant forgiveness of others that compares with God's mercy and kindness, a life lived in holiness that approximates the holiness of God and, a life filled with wisdom that should lead us to total submission to God.
At the end of the day, it is Jesus alone who can satisfy the deepest longing and hunger in our hearts. Our life-long prayer thus is to satisfy ourselves with the imperishable bread that comes from heaven – Jesus the True Bread of Heaven.
OUR TASK IS TO LISTEN
APRIL 14, 2013: THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER
1st Reading: Ac 4:1-12
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 118: 1-2, 4, 22-24, 25-27a “The stone rejected
2nd Reading: Rev 5:11-14
GOSPEL: JN 21:1-19
Key Verse: “It is the Lord.” (v.7)
This Gospel narrative is special to me and to us as a couple for the simple reason that me and my spouse Malou were probably among the catch that the disciples had while they were fishing in the Sea of Tiberias. I actually could also see myself in the person of Peter when Jesus asked: “Do you love me?” (v.15) because this was the same question that I was asked when I attended the Life in the Spirit Seminar of the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community (Open in Spirit to God) way back in 1989.
Just before the Baptism in the Spirit I had to respond to this question being asked of me and any which way I will respond I knew I needed to make a decision. Life was good to me then in terms of material benefits. I was engaged in financial transactions and money came by easily but I had to bribe bank officers to consummate such transactions. Given my Catholic education I knew it was wrong but the collateral benefits were just so enticing that I set aside all morals along the way.
But when I was put into a situation when I had to choose between a life that I thought was good and a life that requires me to give up such comforts and material benefits in life in exchange for eternal salvation, I chose to accept the invitation of Jesus to remain in him and I in him. The rest is history. That was in 1989 and I have been serving the Lord since then in mission fields that I cannot imagine myself going if I were still living in the past.
In this Gospel narrative we see Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, the sons of Zebedee and two other disciples have been fishing all night and have caught nothing (v.2). When morning came, Jesus whom they didn’t recognize stood on the shore and finding they caught nothing told the disciples to cast their nets on the right side of the boat and they did and they were unable to haul the net because of the large number of fish (vv.4-6).
The net was full of large fish, 153 to be exact and this is why this Gospel is very special to us because we belong to Marriage Encounter Weekend Class No. 153 that was held at the La Sallette Retreat Center in Silang, Cavite on Sept. 29 – Oct. 1, 1989 and it was in those three days that I in particular was caught by the net the disciples cast into the sea.
Just like the fish in the net I also struggled to free myself from the net looking for an untended portion where I could squeeze myself out for life was much better if I were to remain free to wallow in the sea and it was not important if it were a sea of sin since life was to me much better in terms of material returns.
But the Lord had other plans for me, plans to prosper me and not to harm me, plans to give me hope and a future (Jer 29:11) and I could only thank the Lord that He chose me to be one of the 153 that was caught in the net because now I have become prosperous although not materially but spiritually that is.
This Gospel is also filled with many lessons as with all the other Gospel narratives. In fact, the whole of the Sacred Scriptures should be viewed and appreciated as an encapsulation of all the lessons that we need to learn to live a fulfilled life.
The lesson to be learned here is that this Gospel point to the reality of the Resurrection. Many skeptics in those days believed that the appearances of Christ were mere visions of the disciples and this particular passage reinforces the reality that Jesus was alive because a vision could not possibly cook a meal and break bread with the disciples.
Thus the focus of this Gospel is to emphasize once and for all that the Resurrected Christ was not a vision nor a figment of the imagination and Jesus chose to appear on the shore to be seen not only by the disciples but by others who make a living by the sea who come to the shore to buy the catch from fishermen coming in from the sea.
The other lesson has something to do with listening to the voice of God. The disciples caught nothing but when Jesus told them to cast their nets to the right side of the boat, they listened and did what Jesus said and the catch was unbelievable that they had a hard time pulling the net. This simply means that we can never go wrong when we listen to Our Lord and Savior and this is what we should do in life. Jesus promised us an abundant life and we can only enjoy such abundance if we will remain in him and listen to him.
The number of fish caught – 153 in all – and St. Jerome has an explanation for why John in this Gospel attached a number to the catch because as St. Jerome said there are some 153 different kinds of fishes and the catch depicted in this passage includes each of these 153 kinds of fish and that number symbolizes a future event in which there will come a time when men from all nations will be gathered together under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
If we again will reflect deeply on this passage, we will see that the large catch of fish was caught in the net that did not break. The net stands for the Church as it stands today where there is room for all men of all nations. St. John is actually giving a prophetic view of the Church at the time he wrote this Gospel in that the Church will be universal and devoid of any exclusivity. As with the love of the Father expressed in Jesus Christ, this Church that Jesus established through Peter is not and should not be selective.
This is the message that lies hidden in this Gospel for today which should remind us in the way that we pursue our task to bring others to Christ we should remember that it is not us who are evangelizing but it is the Holy Spirit who is acting in us.
And last night at the mammoth candlelight prayer vigil of the El Shaddai Prayer Partners at Paranaque City we became witness to the work of the Holy Spirit who aids us in our task to evangelize the political environment as the White Vote Movement formally endorsed the initial batch of senatorial candidates that it will support in the May 13 elections.
Endorsed were: REP. JV EJERCITO, SEN. GRINGO HONASAN, REP. MITOS MAGSAYSAY, SEN. KOKO PIMENTEL, SEN. SONNY TRILLANES and former REP. CYNTHIA VILLAR. Subsequent endorsements to fill up the 12 senatorial slots will be made in the next few days.
With regard to the issue concerning the separation of the Church and State, Bishop Teodoro Bacani in his homily at the El Shaddai prayer vigil said that the involvement of the Filipino laity in politics is expressly stated in Art. No. 8, No. 1 of the Plenary Council of the Philippines II that says: “The mission of the laity is the same as that of the entire church which is to renew the political order according to gospel principles and values.”
The PCP-II in fact also provided specific guidelines for the political involvement of the laity and these are that: The basic standard is the pursuit of the common good; It must be characterized by a defense and promotion of justice; Inspired and guided by the spirit of service; Imbued with a love or preference for the poor; And to empower people as a process and as the goal of political activity.
And more recently, even the Synod of Bishops that was held last year at the Vatican saw the need for the laity to participate in politics and this was contained in Paragraph No. 10 of the Closing Message of the Synod of Bishops: “A field in which the light of the Gospel can and must shine in order to illuminate humanity's footsteps is politics. Politics requires a commitment of selfless and sincere care for the common good by fully respecting the dignity of the human person from conception to natural end, honoring the family founded by the marriage of a man and a woman and protecting academic freedom; by removing the causes of injustice, inequality, discrimination, violence, racism, hunger and war. Christians are asked to give a clear witness to the precept of charity in the exercise of politics.”
It would also be wise to listen to what the Psalmist said that we need is to trust in God and not in men (Psa 118:8; 146:3) such that we must all learn to yield to God’s counsel and not cloud our vision of biases towards men. In fact, our bias when it becomes selective is actually an aftermath of pride. And we know that in faith, Our God will lead us to victory to show to the world that the Filipino Catholic is still a force for change.
1st Reading: Ac 4:1-12
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 118: 1-2, 4, 22-24, 25-27a “The stone rejected
2nd Reading: Rev 5:11-14
GOSPEL: JN 21:1-19
Key Verse: “It is the Lord.” (v.7)
This Gospel narrative is special to me and to us as a couple for the simple reason that me and my spouse Malou were probably among the catch that the disciples had while they were fishing in the Sea of Tiberias. I actually could also see myself in the person of Peter when Jesus asked: “Do you love me?” (v.15) because this was the same question that I was asked when I attended the Life in the Spirit Seminar of the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community (Open in Spirit to God) way back in 1989.
Just before the Baptism in the Spirit I had to respond to this question being asked of me and any which way I will respond I knew I needed to make a decision. Life was good to me then in terms of material benefits. I was engaged in financial transactions and money came by easily but I had to bribe bank officers to consummate such transactions. Given my Catholic education I knew it was wrong but the collateral benefits were just so enticing that I set aside all morals along the way.
But when I was put into a situation when I had to choose between a life that I thought was good and a life that requires me to give up such comforts and material benefits in life in exchange for eternal salvation, I chose to accept the invitation of Jesus to remain in him and I in him. The rest is history. That was in 1989 and I have been serving the Lord since then in mission fields that I cannot imagine myself going if I were still living in the past.
In this Gospel narrative we see Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, the sons of Zebedee and two other disciples have been fishing all night and have caught nothing (v.2). When morning came, Jesus whom they didn’t recognize stood on the shore and finding they caught nothing told the disciples to cast their nets on the right side of the boat and they did and they were unable to haul the net because of the large number of fish (vv.4-6).
The net was full of large fish, 153 to be exact and this is why this Gospel is very special to us because we belong to Marriage Encounter Weekend Class No. 153 that was held at the La Sallette Retreat Center in Silang, Cavite on Sept. 29 – Oct. 1, 1989 and it was in those three days that I in particular was caught by the net the disciples cast into the sea.
Just like the fish in the net I also struggled to free myself from the net looking for an untended portion where I could squeeze myself out for life was much better if I were to remain free to wallow in the sea and it was not important if it were a sea of sin since life was to me much better in terms of material returns.
But the Lord had other plans for me, plans to prosper me and not to harm me, plans to give me hope and a future (Jer 29:11) and I could only thank the Lord that He chose me to be one of the 153 that was caught in the net because now I have become prosperous although not materially but spiritually that is.
This Gospel is also filled with many lessons as with all the other Gospel narratives. In fact, the whole of the Sacred Scriptures should be viewed and appreciated as an encapsulation of all the lessons that we need to learn to live a fulfilled life.
The lesson to be learned here is that this Gospel point to the reality of the Resurrection. Many skeptics in those days believed that the appearances of Christ were mere visions of the disciples and this particular passage reinforces the reality that Jesus was alive because a vision could not possibly cook a meal and break bread with the disciples.
Thus the focus of this Gospel is to emphasize once and for all that the Resurrected Christ was not a vision nor a figment of the imagination and Jesus chose to appear on the shore to be seen not only by the disciples but by others who make a living by the sea who come to the shore to buy the catch from fishermen coming in from the sea.
The other lesson has something to do with listening to the voice of God. The disciples caught nothing but when Jesus told them to cast their nets to the right side of the boat, they listened and did what Jesus said and the catch was unbelievable that they had a hard time pulling the net. This simply means that we can never go wrong when we listen to Our Lord and Savior and this is what we should do in life. Jesus promised us an abundant life and we can only enjoy such abundance if we will remain in him and listen to him.
The number of fish caught – 153 in all – and St. Jerome has an explanation for why John in this Gospel attached a number to the catch because as St. Jerome said there are some 153 different kinds of fishes and the catch depicted in this passage includes each of these 153 kinds of fish and that number symbolizes a future event in which there will come a time when men from all nations will be gathered together under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
If we again will reflect deeply on this passage, we will see that the large catch of fish was caught in the net that did not break. The net stands for the Church as it stands today where there is room for all men of all nations. St. John is actually giving a prophetic view of the Church at the time he wrote this Gospel in that the Church will be universal and devoid of any exclusivity. As with the love of the Father expressed in Jesus Christ, this Church that Jesus established through Peter is not and should not be selective.
This is the message that lies hidden in this Gospel for today which should remind us in the way that we pursue our task to bring others to Christ we should remember that it is not us who are evangelizing but it is the Holy Spirit who is acting in us.
And last night at the mammoth candlelight prayer vigil of the El Shaddai Prayer Partners at Paranaque City we became witness to the work of the Holy Spirit who aids us in our task to evangelize the political environment as the White Vote Movement formally endorsed the initial batch of senatorial candidates that it will support in the May 13 elections.
Endorsed were: REP. JV EJERCITO, SEN. GRINGO HONASAN, REP. MITOS MAGSAYSAY, SEN. KOKO PIMENTEL, SEN. SONNY TRILLANES and former REP. CYNTHIA VILLAR. Subsequent endorsements to fill up the 12 senatorial slots will be made in the next few days.
With regard to the issue concerning the separation of the Church and State, Bishop Teodoro Bacani in his homily at the El Shaddai prayer vigil said that the involvement of the Filipino laity in politics is expressly stated in Art. No. 8, No. 1 of the Plenary Council of the Philippines II that says: “The mission of the laity is the same as that of the entire church which is to renew the political order according to gospel principles and values.”
The PCP-II in fact also provided specific guidelines for the political involvement of the laity and these are that: The basic standard is the pursuit of the common good; It must be characterized by a defense and promotion of justice; Inspired and guided by the spirit of service; Imbued with a love or preference for the poor; And to empower people as a process and as the goal of political activity.
And more recently, even the Synod of Bishops that was held last year at the Vatican saw the need for the laity to participate in politics and this was contained in Paragraph No. 10 of the Closing Message of the Synod of Bishops: “A field in which the light of the Gospel can and must shine in order to illuminate humanity's footsteps is politics. Politics requires a commitment of selfless and sincere care for the common good by fully respecting the dignity of the human person from conception to natural end, honoring the family founded by the marriage of a man and a woman and protecting academic freedom; by removing the causes of injustice, inequality, discrimination, violence, racism, hunger and war. Christians are asked to give a clear witness to the precept of charity in the exercise of politics.”
It would also be wise to listen to what the Psalmist said that we need is to trust in God and not in men (Psa 118:8; 146:3) such that we must all learn to yield to God’s counsel and not cloud our vision of biases towards men. In fact, our bias when it becomes selective is actually an aftermath of pride. And we know that in faith, Our God will lead us to victory to show to the world that the Filipino Catholic is still a force for change.
JESUS: OUR YAHWEH-NISSI
APRIL 13, 2013: SECOND WEEK OF EASTER
1st Reading: Ac 6:1-7
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19 “Lord, let your mercy be on us as we place our trust in you.”
GOSPEL: JN 6:16-21
Key Verse: “It is I; do not be afraid.” (v.20)
This scenario of Jesus walking on the water that some regard as a miracle appears not only in Jn 6:16-21 which is the Gospel reading for today but also in Matt 14:22-23 and in Mk 6:45-52. Only Luke did not bother to write about this event and he must have a reason for it and we will reflect on why Luke omitted this in his gospel some other time.
And in all the three Gospel (Matthew, Mark and John) that we mentioned there was one particular verse that was present in all three accounts as all three gospel writers recorded and wrote what Jesus said: “It is I; do not be afraid.” (v.20)
We have heard this passage many times over in the Liturgy of the Word during the Celebration of the Holy Eucharist but many do not realize that this was one of the most amazing stories in the New Testament such that if we can only find the time to really dig deeper into this event we will come to know not only its significance but what Jesus was like.
This event happened right after the feeding of the 5,000 at Bethsaida Julias and the question many would probably ask is why was Jesus not on the boat with his disciples on their way back to Capernaum since they were together when they came to Bethsaida.
Remember that Jesus went up higher into the hills when some of the 5,000 that were fed wanted to seize him and make him king (Jn 6:15) and John only wrote that the disciples got into the boat and left for Capernaum (vv.16-17) and we will see why they left without Jesus in Mark’s account where Jesus sent the disciples ahead (Mk 6:45) while Jesus tried to convince the crowd to go home.
As the disciples rowed their way across the Sea of Galilee, Jesus must have walked along the shore on his way back to Capernaum where he intends to link up with his disciples. Though it was not mentioned in the three gospel accounts, it was probable that there was a small group of disciples who walked with Jesus.
Understandably so because the boat could not possibly carry all his disciples unless they brought two or more boats and the other reason was that Rabbis often travel with their disciples in tow and it was also customary in those days that Rabbis would normally teach their disciples while they are on the road.
As for the storm, any fisherman who fish in the Sea of Galilee knows that strong gusts of wind often whip up into a storm-like condition because the Sea of Galilee is 650 feet below sea level and is 150 feet deep. It’s actually more like a large lake that has a width of four miles and is surrounded by hills. With this kind of topography, high waves form as a result of the windstorms and the fear that raced through the disciples on the boat was to be expected.
What makes this event wonderful was the three realities that highlight the true character of Jesus and this was what John and the other disciples saw and which we now see as we reflect on the three gospel accounts related to this passage.
One was that Jesus was watching his disciples even if he was not on the boat. From the shore he could see what was happening to his disciples and this is the same with us in the here and now. Jesus is also watching over us as our lives are buffeted by the strong winds of despair, frustration, sin, temptation and, discouragement. Regardless of the kind of situation we are in Jesus keeps us under his watchful eye even during the times we are fighting our own battles in life.
The other reality is that Jesus will definitely come when the going gets tough as he did when the disciples on the boat were gripped with fear. Jesus does not watch over us and leaves us alone as we go through the storms in our lives. What he does is he comes to give us strength when he sees we are about to raise the white flag.
More importantly, Jesus not only watches over us and comes to us when we are about to give up but he helps us get back on our feet when we fall. Mark wrote the wind stopped when Jesus got into the boat (Mk 6:51) and in Jn 20:19 Jesus greeted his frightened disciples at the Upper Room by saying: “Peace be with you” and peace filled them.
What Jesus did to his disciples he is doing to us now as he alone can bring peace to our troubled hearts and minds. Like the disciples of Jesus on the boat and when they hid in fear following the crucifixion and death of Jesus we too will experience fear, trials, challenges in our lives but in whatever circumstance we may be in, we will arrive at our destination if we will just allow Jesus to come into our lives (v.21).
Life is not always easy as there will be more battles to fight and while Jesus will leave us to fight our own battles, we can be sure that he is watching over us and will not leave us as orphans as he assures us that he will come to us when we are in need of his help (Jn 14:18).
In this Gospel passage, Jesus assures us that there is no need for us to fear but we need to put our complete trust in him and not doubt his great love for us. The beauty of the Sacred Scriptures is that we can learn from it because it is in the Scriptures that we will come to know who Jesus was, who is and who is to come. After all, Jesus is our Yahweh-Nissi, our banner who will carry us to victory.
1st Reading: Ac 6:1-7
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19 “Lord, let your mercy be on us as we place our trust in you.”
GOSPEL: JN 6:16-21
Key Verse: “It is I; do not be afraid.” (v.20)
This scenario of Jesus walking on the water that some regard as a miracle appears not only in Jn 6:16-21 which is the Gospel reading for today but also in Matt 14:22-23 and in Mk 6:45-52. Only Luke did not bother to write about this event and he must have a reason for it and we will reflect on why Luke omitted this in his gospel some other time.
And in all the three Gospel (Matthew, Mark and John) that we mentioned there was one particular verse that was present in all three accounts as all three gospel writers recorded and wrote what Jesus said: “It is I; do not be afraid.” (v.20)
We have heard this passage many times over in the Liturgy of the Word during the Celebration of the Holy Eucharist but many do not realize that this was one of the most amazing stories in the New Testament such that if we can only find the time to really dig deeper into this event we will come to know not only its significance but what Jesus was like.
This event happened right after the feeding of the 5,000 at Bethsaida Julias and the question many would probably ask is why was Jesus not on the boat with his disciples on their way back to Capernaum since they were together when they came to Bethsaida.
Remember that Jesus went up higher into the hills when some of the 5,000 that were fed wanted to seize him and make him king (Jn 6:15) and John only wrote that the disciples got into the boat and left for Capernaum (vv.16-17) and we will see why they left without Jesus in Mark’s account where Jesus sent the disciples ahead (Mk 6:45) while Jesus tried to convince the crowd to go home.
As the disciples rowed their way across the Sea of Galilee, Jesus must have walked along the shore on his way back to Capernaum where he intends to link up with his disciples. Though it was not mentioned in the three gospel accounts, it was probable that there was a small group of disciples who walked with Jesus.
Understandably so because the boat could not possibly carry all his disciples unless they brought two or more boats and the other reason was that Rabbis often travel with their disciples in tow and it was also customary in those days that Rabbis would normally teach their disciples while they are on the road.
As for the storm, any fisherman who fish in the Sea of Galilee knows that strong gusts of wind often whip up into a storm-like condition because the Sea of Galilee is 650 feet below sea level and is 150 feet deep. It’s actually more like a large lake that has a width of four miles and is surrounded by hills. With this kind of topography, high waves form as a result of the windstorms and the fear that raced through the disciples on the boat was to be expected.
What makes this event wonderful was the three realities that highlight the true character of Jesus and this was what John and the other disciples saw and which we now see as we reflect on the three gospel accounts related to this passage.
One was that Jesus was watching his disciples even if he was not on the boat. From the shore he could see what was happening to his disciples and this is the same with us in the here and now. Jesus is also watching over us as our lives are buffeted by the strong winds of despair, frustration, sin, temptation and, discouragement. Regardless of the kind of situation we are in Jesus keeps us under his watchful eye even during the times we are fighting our own battles in life.
The other reality is that Jesus will definitely come when the going gets tough as he did when the disciples on the boat were gripped with fear. Jesus does not watch over us and leaves us alone as we go through the storms in our lives. What he does is he comes to give us strength when he sees we are about to raise the white flag.
More importantly, Jesus not only watches over us and comes to us when we are about to give up but he helps us get back on our feet when we fall. Mark wrote the wind stopped when Jesus got into the boat (Mk 6:51) and in Jn 20:19 Jesus greeted his frightened disciples at the Upper Room by saying: “Peace be with you” and peace filled them.
What Jesus did to his disciples he is doing to us now as he alone can bring peace to our troubled hearts and minds. Like the disciples of Jesus on the boat and when they hid in fear following the crucifixion and death of Jesus we too will experience fear, trials, challenges in our lives but in whatever circumstance we may be in, we will arrive at our destination if we will just allow Jesus to come into our lives (v.21).
Life is not always easy as there will be more battles to fight and while Jesus will leave us to fight our own battles, we can be sure that he is watching over us and will not leave us as orphans as he assures us that he will come to us when we are in need of his help (Jn 14:18).
In this Gospel passage, Jesus assures us that there is no need for us to fear but we need to put our complete trust in him and not doubt his great love for us. The beauty of the Sacred Scriptures is that we can learn from it because it is in the Scriptures that we will come to know who Jesus was, who is and who is to come. After all, Jesus is our Yahweh-Nissi, our banner who will carry us to victory.
FORETASTE OF ABUNDANCE
APRIL 12, 2013: SECOND WEEK OF EASTER
1st Reading: Ac 5:34-42
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 27:1, 4, 13-14 “One thing I seek, to dwell in the house of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: JN 6:1-15
Key Verse: “that nothing may be lost.” (v.12)
This Gospel passage today has been referred to as one of the most memorable of the many miracles that Jesus had performed but there was certainly more to the feeding of the 5,000 than meets the eye. In fact, there are several realities in this event that will give us a clearer picture of who Jesus was and what defines him and what we are to him.
For us to grasp the significance of this event we must first try to understand what a miracle is. A miracle is an extraordinary event that is beyond the power or scope of any created being and thus, a miracle is something that could only come or created by God Himself as no natural forces could account for it.
Such was this event at Bethsaida Julias where Jesus and his disciples went apparently to rest and probably to gather his disciples and teach them that they may have a deeper understanding of who he was. Jesus probably also needed time and space for prayer and this place was ideal for R & P (rest and prayer) as it was located some four miles across Capernaum on the other side of the Sea of Galilee.
And for us to be able to picture how this miracle progressed at that particular time and place we need to switch on our time capsule and try to transport ourselves to where Jesus and his disciples were gathered as they went up the hill as the large crowd who have been following them from Capernaum began to assemble at the grassy plain at the foot of the hill.
As the Passover Feast was near it was also possible that the crowd were on their way to their annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem and the sight of such a large crowd moved Jesus to compassion knowing that the people were hungry and tired and thus must be fed.
This event also reveals the character of Jesus who identifies himself with the poor and this was evident in the type of bread that Andrew found from a boy among the crowd: "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what are they among so many?" (v.9)
In those days, bread that was made from barley flour was the cheapest of all types of bread and was held in contempt. In the Jewish Mishnah (a Jewish book of regulations based on the Torah) it was specified that barley flour was to be used as an offering by a woman who committed adultery because barley was considered as the food of the beasts and the woman’s sin of adultery was the sin of a beast. Hence, the Jews regarded bread made from barley flour as the bread of the very poor.
What makes this event a great a miracle was the two fish that the boy had because the two pieces of pickled fish could not have been bigger than sardines. It could not have been otherwise because there was no way fish could be kept fresh and in eatable condition at that time which was why sardine types of fish were usually pickled and this was what many of the people travelling long distances normally bring.
And here Jesus for the first time revealed what could be considered as a prefigurement of the Last Supper as he took the five barley loaves and the two fish, blessed them and gave them to his disciples who also gave them to the people and all who were there ate and were filled. It also shows us that he came so that we may have life, life in its fullness (Jn 10:10). While we may look at the fullness of life in terms of material blessings, the coming of Jesus actually is tied in to the gifts of the Holy Spirit such that when these gifts are used wisely will lead us to live our lives to its fullest potential.
It is also in this Gospel passage that we can see the plan of God for us when Jesus said: "Gather up the fragments left over, that nothing may be lost." (v.12) Just as in the parable of the lost sheep (Matt 18:10-13; Lk 15:4-7) we can look at ourselves as one of the fragments of bread that Jesus told his disciples to gather which could mean that Jesus came to gather those of us who are lost.
But more than anything else, this miracle prefigures the superabundance of the unique bread of the Holy Eucharist that we partake each time we celebrate the Mass. And when we receive His Body from the Lord’s table we unite ourselves to Jesus Christ, who makes us sharers in his body and blood.
St. Ignatius of Antioch (35-107 A.D.) calls it the "one bread that provides the medicine of immortality, the antidote for death, and the food that makes us live for ever in Jesus Christ." This supernatural food brings healing for both body and soul and strength for our journey heavenward.
When we come to the Table of the Lord, we must reflect on what we expect to receive? Do we come and receive Him that we may be healed, forgiven or, comforted? But these are not the only things that Jesus Christ has prepared for us because what he is prepared to give us is more than we can ever ask or imagine – eternal life.
We must also remember that the principal end to our receiving His Body and Blood at the celebration of the Holy Eucharist is the intimate union with Christ. His Body and Blood that we receive restores our strength that we may keep the fire of our faith going to walk where he walked, to do what he did and, to love as he loved.
But we can only do these things if we are to going to bring to Jesus Christ what he needs. The boy had nothing much to offer but Jesus found what he needed in the five barley loaves and two pieces of fish for the miracle that would still be talked about 2,500 years later.
What we bring to Jesus may not be much. We may look at our finite selves with contempt as how Jesus treated the barley bread but Jesus can still use us and turn our lives into a miraculous conversion experience that others may be drawn to him. When we surrender ourselves to him we do not know what he will do with us and through us.
We may have second thoughts of going to Jesus because we don’t have much to bring as others have but that is not enough reason for us not to go and bring what we have even our sinful selves because Jesus can use even the little that we have and multiply it for the good of others.
1st Reading: Ac 5:34-42
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 27:1, 4, 13-14 “One thing I seek, to dwell in the house of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: JN 6:1-15
Key Verse: “that nothing may be lost.” (v.12)
This Gospel passage today has been referred to as one of the most memorable of the many miracles that Jesus had performed but there was certainly more to the feeding of the 5,000 than meets the eye. In fact, there are several realities in this event that will give us a clearer picture of who Jesus was and what defines him and what we are to him.
For us to grasp the significance of this event we must first try to understand what a miracle is. A miracle is an extraordinary event that is beyond the power or scope of any created being and thus, a miracle is something that could only come or created by God Himself as no natural forces could account for it.
Such was this event at Bethsaida Julias where Jesus and his disciples went apparently to rest and probably to gather his disciples and teach them that they may have a deeper understanding of who he was. Jesus probably also needed time and space for prayer and this place was ideal for R & P (rest and prayer) as it was located some four miles across Capernaum on the other side of the Sea of Galilee.
And for us to be able to picture how this miracle progressed at that particular time and place we need to switch on our time capsule and try to transport ourselves to where Jesus and his disciples were gathered as they went up the hill as the large crowd who have been following them from Capernaum began to assemble at the grassy plain at the foot of the hill.
As the Passover Feast was near it was also possible that the crowd were on their way to their annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem and the sight of such a large crowd moved Jesus to compassion knowing that the people were hungry and tired and thus must be fed.
This event also reveals the character of Jesus who identifies himself with the poor and this was evident in the type of bread that Andrew found from a boy among the crowd: "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what are they among so many?" (v.9)
In those days, bread that was made from barley flour was the cheapest of all types of bread and was held in contempt. In the Jewish Mishnah (a Jewish book of regulations based on the Torah) it was specified that barley flour was to be used as an offering by a woman who committed adultery because barley was considered as the food of the beasts and the woman’s sin of adultery was the sin of a beast. Hence, the Jews regarded bread made from barley flour as the bread of the very poor.
What makes this event a great a miracle was the two fish that the boy had because the two pieces of pickled fish could not have been bigger than sardines. It could not have been otherwise because there was no way fish could be kept fresh and in eatable condition at that time which was why sardine types of fish were usually pickled and this was what many of the people travelling long distances normally bring.
And here Jesus for the first time revealed what could be considered as a prefigurement of the Last Supper as he took the five barley loaves and the two fish, blessed them and gave them to his disciples who also gave them to the people and all who were there ate and were filled. It also shows us that he came so that we may have life, life in its fullness (Jn 10:10). While we may look at the fullness of life in terms of material blessings, the coming of Jesus actually is tied in to the gifts of the Holy Spirit such that when these gifts are used wisely will lead us to live our lives to its fullest potential.
It is also in this Gospel passage that we can see the plan of God for us when Jesus said: "Gather up the fragments left over, that nothing may be lost." (v.12) Just as in the parable of the lost sheep (Matt 18:10-13; Lk 15:4-7) we can look at ourselves as one of the fragments of bread that Jesus told his disciples to gather which could mean that Jesus came to gather those of us who are lost.
But more than anything else, this miracle prefigures the superabundance of the unique bread of the Holy Eucharist that we partake each time we celebrate the Mass. And when we receive His Body from the Lord’s table we unite ourselves to Jesus Christ, who makes us sharers in his body and blood.
St. Ignatius of Antioch (35-107 A.D.) calls it the "one bread that provides the medicine of immortality, the antidote for death, and the food that makes us live for ever in Jesus Christ." This supernatural food brings healing for both body and soul and strength for our journey heavenward.
When we come to the Table of the Lord, we must reflect on what we expect to receive? Do we come and receive Him that we may be healed, forgiven or, comforted? But these are not the only things that Jesus Christ has prepared for us because what he is prepared to give us is more than we can ever ask or imagine – eternal life.
We must also remember that the principal end to our receiving His Body and Blood at the celebration of the Holy Eucharist is the intimate union with Christ. His Body and Blood that we receive restores our strength that we may keep the fire of our faith going to walk where he walked, to do what he did and, to love as he loved.
But we can only do these things if we are to going to bring to Jesus Christ what he needs. The boy had nothing much to offer but Jesus found what he needed in the five barley loaves and two pieces of fish for the miracle that would still be talked about 2,500 years later.
What we bring to Jesus may not be much. We may look at our finite selves with contempt as how Jesus treated the barley bread but Jesus can still use us and turn our lives into a miraculous conversion experience that others may be drawn to him. When we surrender ourselves to him we do not know what he will do with us and through us.
We may have second thoughts of going to Jesus because we don’t have much to bring as others have but that is not enough reason for us not to go and bring what we have even our sinful selves because Jesus can use even the little that we have and multiply it for the good of others.
A CHOICE BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH
APRIL 11, 2013: SECOND WEEK OF EASTER
1st Reading: Ac 5:27-33
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 34:2-9, 17-20 “The Lord hears the cry of the poor.”
GOSPEL: JN 3:31-36
Key Verse: “He who believes in the Son has eternal life.” (v.36)
If by chance you are confronted with a situation in which you are to make a choice that has eternal consequences such as life or death, what would you do? Will you remain passive and ignore it? Are you going to vacillate and perhaps the situation will disappear? Or will you gather all the courage at your disposal and face the issue head-on?
This is the choice Jesus is asking us to make today for in our hands lie our future and this is what I have been trying to impress upon those who attend the teachings and or talks that I facilitate – that our future is now.
Most people tend to look at the future as an event or something that is yet to happen. This may be true but the future is shaped by the things that we do today. Today was yesterday’s future and today will become the yesterday when we wake up tomorrow which is the future of today. What if we chose not to make a choice and we don’t wake up tomorrow or today’s future?
And if today many are confused with their current state in life and the future before them it is because of the choices they made. The health profession is a case in point. Take for example many of our Filipino doctors who labored through a 10-year medicine course in college and whose medical practice leave much to be desired and have opted to take another two-year nursing course just so they could work abroad not as a physician but as a nurse.
The question is was this the future that they prepared for? Did not these Filipino doctors prepare for the medical profession? While they may be reaping the benefits of working as a nurse in foreign shores, the question is are they happy at the way their future turned out? After all, life is not all about dollars and cents. There is a higher stake in every decision that we make and in the case of overseas workers it is the family bond that is being sacrificed.
Conversely, this is the same kind of choice that we are to make with respect to the future of our souls. The choice that Jesus is presenting us in today’s Gospel passage is as clear as the noon-day sky in that those “who believes in the Son have eternal life; he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God rests upon him.” (v.36)
And Jesus doesn’t mince his words when he said that the wrath of God will be upon those who will not obey. In yesterday’s Gospel which is regarded as the most favored text of the Sacred Scriptures, Jesus said: “For whomever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (Jn 3:16) Not only does Jesus speak with authority but there is consistency in what comes out of his lips. What Jesus is impressing upon us is that we actually shouldn’t find difficulty in obeying God because obedience is the fruit of believing.
Hence it presupposes that anyone who refuses to walk where Jesus walked is guilty of disobedience and what pains me is when I see people going through the motions of Christian service. And you see them everywhere as they are all over the place doing this, doing that in the Church or Community but they disappear as fast as they came when the going gets tough.
The beauty of today’s Gospel message is that Jesus has actually laid down all the necessary information that we will need to come up with the right decision relative to our eternal future and there shouldn’t be any room for doubting what Jesus says because “he who comes from heaven is above all. He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony; he who receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for it is not by measure that he gives the Spirit; the Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand. (vv.31-35)
This simply means that if we need to know our eternal future then all we have to do is go to the person who is in possession of that information and he is no other than Jesus. In the same way, information about a place can be sourced from someone who comes from that place.
Such that if we want to know about God and His plan for our heavenly future, then we can get it from the Son of God because Jesus alone knows God and he alone can give us the facts about God and these facts are in the Sacred Scriptures. And God is so good that he has infused in us the Holy Spirit who comes to our aid whenever there are things that we want to understand about God.
All throughout the history of Israel this choice between life and death has been set before the Jews. Moses in Deut 30:15-20 spoke of putting before the Israelites a choice between life and death, blessing and curse as Moses implored the Jews to choose life so that their descendants may live.
Joshua also reiterated this challenge: “Choose this day whom you will serve.” (Jos 24:15) and this is the choice that we are being asked to make today. We have been given another opportunity to serve the BLD Global Community as Servant Leaders and the moment that I said “yes” to BLD Global Spiritual Director Archbishop Angel Lagdameo who advised me of his decision to reemerge us will remain as the basis of how we will go through the responsibilities of our office because when I said yes it carries with it my commitment to place my life at the disposal of Christ and the Church that I serve.
In other words, true Christians must have the predisposition to lose all traces of who they used to be and who they are now. This is the new birth that Jesus was telling Nicodemus for anyone who lives in the Spirit will be enabled and empowered to recognize and understand God’s truth.
Being selective in the kind of service that we give to the Lord is equal to being indifferent and hostile to God that will bring death. A true Christian is a person who is always at the crossroads and today we are always confronted with the decision to make a choice but what really matters is how we react to Christ’s invitation for us to yield our lives to him. And that means listening to what he tells us to do and obeying to go where he send us.
1st Reading: Ac 5:27-33
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 34:2-9, 17-20 “The Lord hears the cry of the poor.”
GOSPEL: JN 3:31-36
Key Verse: “He who believes in the Son has eternal life.” (v.36)
If by chance you are confronted with a situation in which you are to make a choice that has eternal consequences such as life or death, what would you do? Will you remain passive and ignore it? Are you going to vacillate and perhaps the situation will disappear? Or will you gather all the courage at your disposal and face the issue head-on?
This is the choice Jesus is asking us to make today for in our hands lie our future and this is what I have been trying to impress upon those who attend the teachings and or talks that I facilitate – that our future is now.
Most people tend to look at the future as an event or something that is yet to happen. This may be true but the future is shaped by the things that we do today. Today was yesterday’s future and today will become the yesterday when we wake up tomorrow which is the future of today. What if we chose not to make a choice and we don’t wake up tomorrow or today’s future?
And if today many are confused with their current state in life and the future before them it is because of the choices they made. The health profession is a case in point. Take for example many of our Filipino doctors who labored through a 10-year medicine course in college and whose medical practice leave much to be desired and have opted to take another two-year nursing course just so they could work abroad not as a physician but as a nurse.
The question is was this the future that they prepared for? Did not these Filipino doctors prepare for the medical profession? While they may be reaping the benefits of working as a nurse in foreign shores, the question is are they happy at the way their future turned out? After all, life is not all about dollars and cents. There is a higher stake in every decision that we make and in the case of overseas workers it is the family bond that is being sacrificed.
Conversely, this is the same kind of choice that we are to make with respect to the future of our souls. The choice that Jesus is presenting us in today’s Gospel passage is as clear as the noon-day sky in that those “who believes in the Son have eternal life; he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God rests upon him.” (v.36)
And Jesus doesn’t mince his words when he said that the wrath of God will be upon those who will not obey. In yesterday’s Gospel which is regarded as the most favored text of the Sacred Scriptures, Jesus said: “For whomever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (Jn 3:16) Not only does Jesus speak with authority but there is consistency in what comes out of his lips. What Jesus is impressing upon us is that we actually shouldn’t find difficulty in obeying God because obedience is the fruit of believing.
Hence it presupposes that anyone who refuses to walk where Jesus walked is guilty of disobedience and what pains me is when I see people going through the motions of Christian service. And you see them everywhere as they are all over the place doing this, doing that in the Church or Community but they disappear as fast as they came when the going gets tough.
The beauty of today’s Gospel message is that Jesus has actually laid down all the necessary information that we will need to come up with the right decision relative to our eternal future and there shouldn’t be any room for doubting what Jesus says because “he who comes from heaven is above all. He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony; he who receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for it is not by measure that he gives the Spirit; the Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand. (vv.31-35)
This simply means that if we need to know our eternal future then all we have to do is go to the person who is in possession of that information and he is no other than Jesus. In the same way, information about a place can be sourced from someone who comes from that place.
Such that if we want to know about God and His plan for our heavenly future, then we can get it from the Son of God because Jesus alone knows God and he alone can give us the facts about God and these facts are in the Sacred Scriptures. And God is so good that he has infused in us the Holy Spirit who comes to our aid whenever there are things that we want to understand about God.
All throughout the history of Israel this choice between life and death has been set before the Jews. Moses in Deut 30:15-20 spoke of putting before the Israelites a choice between life and death, blessing and curse as Moses implored the Jews to choose life so that their descendants may live.
Joshua also reiterated this challenge: “Choose this day whom you will serve.” (Jos 24:15) and this is the choice that we are being asked to make today. We have been given another opportunity to serve the BLD Global Community as Servant Leaders and the moment that I said “yes” to BLD Global Spiritual Director Archbishop Angel Lagdameo who advised me of his decision to reemerge us will remain as the basis of how we will go through the responsibilities of our office because when I said yes it carries with it my commitment to place my life at the disposal of Christ and the Church that I serve.
In other words, true Christians must have the predisposition to lose all traces of who they used to be and who they are now. This is the new birth that Jesus was telling Nicodemus for anyone who lives in the Spirit will be enabled and empowered to recognize and understand God’s truth.
Being selective in the kind of service that we give to the Lord is equal to being indifferent and hostile to God that will bring death. A true Christian is a person who is always at the crossroads and today we are always confronted with the decision to make a choice but what really matters is how we react to Christ’s invitation for us to yield our lives to him. And that means listening to what he tells us to do and obeying to go where he send us.
A GOD WHO REACHES OUT
APRIL 10, 2013: SECOND WEEK OF EASTER
1st Reading: Ac 5:17-26
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 34:2-9 “The Lord hears the cry of the poor.”
GOSPEL: JN 3:16-21
Key Verse: “Light has come into the world…” (v.19)
In this Gospel passage for today lies one of the great texts in the Sacred Scriptures as it reminds us once again of the special kind of love that God has for us. To begin with, there shouldn’t be any doubt as to where we all began – not from an atom nor from an ape.
While science tells us otherwise, man was created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26) and it is for this reason that God has bestowed on us our senses and the gift of speech among the many other gifts that He has conferred upon our souls. God gave us understanding, free will and memory and He has given us everything that we need for our sustenance. Such is the love of God for the creatures He created.
And it is because of this realization that we also respond in love but our love for God can never be as great as the love of God for each one of us that “He gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (v.16)
Great also is the love of Christ for us “Greater love no man has than this, that a may lay down his life for his friends” (Jn 15:13) as he embraced his sacred passion and death in order to prove the excess of his love for us. With this manifestation of love from a God who loves us beyond our capacity to understand it would seem natural for man to include in his daily preoccupation his search for God.
This, however, is far from present realities as many still feel that God is missing from their lives if not from the world we live in. Amidst the vast technological advances of this wired world around us the search of for God appears irrelevant and meaningless to many as unbelief and doubt has become the norm today rather than the exception.
Notwithstanding this reality of God’s sacrificial love for us, there are times we fail to see God in a more tangible way for the simple reason that we find difficulty detaching ourselves from our pursuit of gods that would bring us comfort and luxury such as material wealth, social standing, worldly happiness, power and influence and, for as long as we are in search of these we will never find God.
And we find ourselves searching for the one true and living God when the world we have created for ourselves collapses and crumbles. This is the reality of life that we sometimes have to go through times of trials and rejection that we may arrive at a more mature faith that would lead us back to God.
It is out of his great love for us that God actually respects our freedom and our person but what is unknown to us is that God is calling each of us by our own name and as He enters into that intimate relationship with us, He enables us to develop into our maximum potential as a person.
What we actually have is a God who is reaching out to us even in times when we bask in the freedom that we have. But because God is omniscient and omnipresent, He is involved in all aspects of our lives such that He actually suffers and rejoices with us as He experience what we experience including our hopes, fears, joys and sorrows. God need not go through these but because He loves us so much that He becomes so involved in our lives even if we are not entirely aware of it.
And in today’s Gospel passage, Jesus also shows us the paradox of love and judgment. As God is a respecter of our free will, we are given the choice to love the darkness of sin and unbelief or we can love the light of God's truth, beauty, and goodness. If our love is guided by what is true, and good, and beautiful then we will choose God and love Him more than anything else.
The object of our attention or the manner by which we pursue life belies our nature and this is a fact of life. What we love and do shows who we are. If we love God then it follows that He should take first place in our lives, our thoughts and, our actions. If we love God less, then it explains why there are some who go through life with wild abandon and setting aside even their morality in search of what they believe will make them happy.
Today, Jesus impresses upon Nicodemus and he is telling us also that only those who will believe in him will not perish but are assured of eternal life for “God did not send His Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.” (v.17) Again, we have to go back to the reality that God doesn’t condemn us and will never do because He created us. If our lives do not turn out the way we expected then we must realize that it is us who brought condemnation to ourselves as we gave in to our own will rather than follow the Will of God.
To believe in God is not just an intellectual agreement between us and God but to believe in the words of Jesus is to place all our trust and confidence in God and accept that we cannot work out our own salvation but it is only through God that we can be saved.
There are many who “stay away from the light” (v.20) because they are afraid that the light will expose their unrighteousness and are unwilling to avail of the new birth that Christ offers through His Holy Spirit.
Many avoid the light simply because they don’t want to change their behavior, attitude or way of life. There is a duality in the lives of many Christians even to those who are already in the Church or Community as they project two different sets of persona – one that caters to their social network and one that projects an image of holiness in the Church and such can only be determined by the level of commitment that one has in terms of service to God.
In other words, what comes out of our lips are opposed to what we do. We confess and we shout that we glorify and magnify the Lord but don’t we choose the time and place where we serve and don’t we also run away from our responsibilities as Christians because the standards in the places we are told to go do not measure up to our own standards?
In closing, when Jesus talks of unbelievers (v.18) he was referring to those who ignore and reject him and there is a tendency, albeit unknown to us, that we may be veering towards unbelief by our refusal to change our ways. What we may not realize is that it is much better to live in the light than in darkness.
1st Reading: Ac 5:17-26
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 34:2-9 “The Lord hears the cry of the poor.”
GOSPEL: JN 3:16-21
Key Verse: “Light has come into the world…” (v.19)
In this Gospel passage for today lies one of the great texts in the Sacred Scriptures as it reminds us once again of the special kind of love that God has for us. To begin with, there shouldn’t be any doubt as to where we all began – not from an atom nor from an ape.
While science tells us otherwise, man was created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26) and it is for this reason that God has bestowed on us our senses and the gift of speech among the many other gifts that He has conferred upon our souls. God gave us understanding, free will and memory and He has given us everything that we need for our sustenance. Such is the love of God for the creatures He created.
And it is because of this realization that we also respond in love but our love for God can never be as great as the love of God for each one of us that “He gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (v.16)
Great also is the love of Christ for us “Greater love no man has than this, that a may lay down his life for his friends” (Jn 15:13) as he embraced his sacred passion and death in order to prove the excess of his love for us. With this manifestation of love from a God who loves us beyond our capacity to understand it would seem natural for man to include in his daily preoccupation his search for God.
This, however, is far from present realities as many still feel that God is missing from their lives if not from the world we live in. Amidst the vast technological advances of this wired world around us the search of for God appears irrelevant and meaningless to many as unbelief and doubt has become the norm today rather than the exception.
Notwithstanding this reality of God’s sacrificial love for us, there are times we fail to see God in a more tangible way for the simple reason that we find difficulty detaching ourselves from our pursuit of gods that would bring us comfort and luxury such as material wealth, social standing, worldly happiness, power and influence and, for as long as we are in search of these we will never find God.
And we find ourselves searching for the one true and living God when the world we have created for ourselves collapses and crumbles. This is the reality of life that we sometimes have to go through times of trials and rejection that we may arrive at a more mature faith that would lead us back to God.
It is out of his great love for us that God actually respects our freedom and our person but what is unknown to us is that God is calling each of us by our own name and as He enters into that intimate relationship with us, He enables us to develop into our maximum potential as a person.
What we actually have is a God who is reaching out to us even in times when we bask in the freedom that we have. But because God is omniscient and omnipresent, He is involved in all aspects of our lives such that He actually suffers and rejoices with us as He experience what we experience including our hopes, fears, joys and sorrows. God need not go through these but because He loves us so much that He becomes so involved in our lives even if we are not entirely aware of it.
And in today’s Gospel passage, Jesus also shows us the paradox of love and judgment. As God is a respecter of our free will, we are given the choice to love the darkness of sin and unbelief or we can love the light of God's truth, beauty, and goodness. If our love is guided by what is true, and good, and beautiful then we will choose God and love Him more than anything else.
The object of our attention or the manner by which we pursue life belies our nature and this is a fact of life. What we love and do shows who we are. If we love God then it follows that He should take first place in our lives, our thoughts and, our actions. If we love God less, then it explains why there are some who go through life with wild abandon and setting aside even their morality in search of what they believe will make them happy.
Today, Jesus impresses upon Nicodemus and he is telling us also that only those who will believe in him will not perish but are assured of eternal life for “God did not send His Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.” (v.17) Again, we have to go back to the reality that God doesn’t condemn us and will never do because He created us. If our lives do not turn out the way we expected then we must realize that it is us who brought condemnation to ourselves as we gave in to our own will rather than follow the Will of God.
To believe in God is not just an intellectual agreement between us and God but to believe in the words of Jesus is to place all our trust and confidence in God and accept that we cannot work out our own salvation but it is only through God that we can be saved.
There are many who “stay away from the light” (v.20) because they are afraid that the light will expose their unrighteousness and are unwilling to avail of the new birth that Christ offers through His Holy Spirit.
Many avoid the light simply because they don’t want to change their behavior, attitude or way of life. There is a duality in the lives of many Christians even to those who are already in the Church or Community as they project two different sets of persona – one that caters to their social network and one that projects an image of holiness in the Church and such can only be determined by the level of commitment that one has in terms of service to God.
In other words, what comes out of our lips are opposed to what we do. We confess and we shout that we glorify and magnify the Lord but don’t we choose the time and place where we serve and don’t we also run away from our responsibilities as Christians because the standards in the places we are told to go do not measure up to our own standards?
In closing, when Jesus talks of unbelievers (v.18) he was referring to those who ignore and reject him and there is a tendency, albeit unknown to us, that we may be veering towards unbelief by our refusal to change our ways. What we may not realize is that it is much better to live in the light than in darkness.
WE MUST BE BORN AGAIN
APRIL 9, 2013: 2nd WEEK OF EASTER
1st Reading: Ac 4:32-37
Responsorial Psalm: Psa Psa 93:1ab, 1cd-2, 5 “The Lord is King, he is robed in majesty.”
GOSPEL: JN 3:7b-15
Key Verse: “You must be born again.” (v.7)
This Gospel today reminds me of the time when three members of the Executive Council of Servant Leaders of the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community – Eliong and Leah Sison (Evangelization), Jojo and Koi Jalandoni (Mission), Lisa Pantillano of the Solo Parents Ministry, me and my spouse Malou (Formation) flew to Dumaguete City at the invitation of the local leaders of the BLD District in that city to give a series of teachings to help empower the members of BLD Dumaguete and keep the fire of the Spirit burning in their hearts.
This came about after the F.I.R.E. Revival Conference was brought to Dumaguete City by the ECSL under the direction of the BLD Global Spiritual Director Archbishop Angel Lagdameo. The objective of the F.I.R.E. Revival Conference which stands for living lives that are Fruitful, Inspired, Renewed and Empowered is to reignite the fire of faith of the Community and keep the embers burning.
The Jalandonis set the tone and mood of the weekend when he gave a refresher course on Friday evening on Excellence in Worship to current Worship Leaders and would-be prayer leaders. The Sisons gave an orientation on the Witness Development Program for potential Witnesses or Sharers in the LSS and Marriage Encounter and they also started processing the selected Sharers beginning Friday evening working with them up to Sunday evening.
Malou and I arrived on Saturday morning and we gave a teaching on the Teachers Development Program for aspiring teachers who were also given assigned topics for the mock teaching and the whole day of Sunday that lasted up to early evening was spent processing some 35 aspiring teachers who went through the demo teachings with aplomb.
The reason I included this activity in BLD Dumaguete this last weekend was because I felt a compelling need to tie in the Gospel passage of today which speaks of the need to be born anew with some of the topics discussed during the demo teaching on praise and worship.
As my role was to critique and offer suggestions to each of the presentations made by the 35 teacher-candidates who were divided into four groups, I commented that Worship in essence is “worthship” because the objective of our worship is someone who is worth worshipping.
It presupposes that if the object of worship is someone worthy of praise and worship then the source of worship or the one who is engaged in the act of worship should also be a worthy vessel if we are to worship God in Spirit and in truth.
And to be a worthy vessel of worship that will rise like incense to the altar of Grace, we must be born anew (v.7) and this state of being was at the heart of the dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus a respected teacher of the law in those days who told Jesus: "How can this be?" (v.9)
And Jesus laid down the principle that would be at the heart of Christianity beginning at the Upper Room up to today where Christian revival is present through the different Charismatic movements throughout the world when he said: "Do not marvel that I said to you, `You must be born anew.' The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with every one who is born of the Spirit.” (vv.7-8)
What Jesus told Nicodemus was indeed true for we cannot control how the Holy Spirit works as he works in ways we cannot predict and understand. Just as we were not in control of our physical birth, so it is also with our spiritual birth (v.8) which is a gift from God who acts through his Holy Spirit and this spiritual action is what makes us children of God (Rom 8:16). It is also this Spirit of God that gives us the power to understand those things that come from God (1 Cor 2:12) and it is by this same Spirit that we have received that empowers us to accept our spiritual rebirth in spite of the sufferings we face as imitators of Jesus Christ (1 Thes 1:6).
Jesus in this Gospel passage emphasizes that spiritual rebirth or being born again is a prerequisite to admission to the heavenly Kingdom because knowledge alone like what the teachers of the law such as Nicodemus had will not lead to salvation. While it is important for us to know what the Bible says, it is equally imperative that we must understand and know in a very personal way the God who offered his life for us that we may also have life.
Just as when he spoke in parables before, Jesus also compared his crucifixion as an atonement for sins with the bronze serpent that Moses lifted up in the desert that brought healing and deliverance to the Jews who looked up at the serpent. What he was telling Nicodemus at that time and what Jesus is telling us now is that anyone who will believe in his death and resurrection will bring upon himself the new birth in the Spirit that will fill us with his own divine life by the power of His Spirit.
And let us not make any mistake about it. It is only by the power of the Holy Spirit working in us that provides us the courage, confidence and the boldness to share the Good News and to defend our faith by our words and action and never to be ashamed of the Cross of Christ.
As with the Israelites who looked up at the bronze serpent with the belief that God will heal them if they did, so must we also look up to the Cross of Jesus to remind us of our salvation and by believing we are healed of the deadly bite of sin.
Nicodemus knew from experience that anyone who wants to be changed, can't change himself and this was what Jesus explained to him that this change could only come about through the work and action of the Holy Spirit. And we who have experienced this rebirth in the Spirit know this is not only experiential but very real like the wind that we can feel and hear yet we cannot see.
This new life in the Holy Spirit prequalifies us into admission in God's kingdom which is a society of men and women who acknowledge God as their Lord and who live according to his will on earth as it is in heaven (Matt 6:10). To be reborn is to enter that society where God is honored and obeyed and where we live as His sons and daughters.
To be born again is to gain possession of that life which comes from God himself, a life of never-ending love, peace, joy, and freedom from sin and the fear of death.
1st Reading: Ac 4:32-37
Responsorial Psalm: Psa Psa 93:1ab, 1cd-2, 5 “The Lord is King, he is robed in majesty.”
GOSPEL: JN 3:7b-15
Key Verse: “You must be born again.” (v.7)
This Gospel today reminds me of the time when three members of the Executive Council of Servant Leaders of the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community – Eliong and Leah Sison (Evangelization), Jojo and Koi Jalandoni (Mission), Lisa Pantillano of the Solo Parents Ministry, me and my spouse Malou (Formation) flew to Dumaguete City at the invitation of the local leaders of the BLD District in that city to give a series of teachings to help empower the members of BLD Dumaguete and keep the fire of the Spirit burning in their hearts.
This came about after the F.I.R.E. Revival Conference was brought to Dumaguete City by the ECSL under the direction of the BLD Global Spiritual Director Archbishop Angel Lagdameo. The objective of the F.I.R.E. Revival Conference which stands for living lives that are Fruitful, Inspired, Renewed and Empowered is to reignite the fire of faith of the Community and keep the embers burning.
The Jalandonis set the tone and mood of the weekend when he gave a refresher course on Friday evening on Excellence in Worship to current Worship Leaders and would-be prayer leaders. The Sisons gave an orientation on the Witness Development Program for potential Witnesses or Sharers in the LSS and Marriage Encounter and they also started processing the selected Sharers beginning Friday evening working with them up to Sunday evening.
Malou and I arrived on Saturday morning and we gave a teaching on the Teachers Development Program for aspiring teachers who were also given assigned topics for the mock teaching and the whole day of Sunday that lasted up to early evening was spent processing some 35 aspiring teachers who went through the demo teachings with aplomb.
The reason I included this activity in BLD Dumaguete this last weekend was because I felt a compelling need to tie in the Gospel passage of today which speaks of the need to be born anew with some of the topics discussed during the demo teaching on praise and worship.
As my role was to critique and offer suggestions to each of the presentations made by the 35 teacher-candidates who were divided into four groups, I commented that Worship in essence is “worthship” because the objective of our worship is someone who is worth worshipping.
It presupposes that if the object of worship is someone worthy of praise and worship then the source of worship or the one who is engaged in the act of worship should also be a worthy vessel if we are to worship God in Spirit and in truth.
And to be a worthy vessel of worship that will rise like incense to the altar of Grace, we must be born anew (v.7) and this state of being was at the heart of the dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus a respected teacher of the law in those days who told Jesus: "How can this be?" (v.9)
And Jesus laid down the principle that would be at the heart of Christianity beginning at the Upper Room up to today where Christian revival is present through the different Charismatic movements throughout the world when he said: "Do not marvel that I said to you, `You must be born anew.' The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with every one who is born of the Spirit.” (vv.7-8)
What Jesus told Nicodemus was indeed true for we cannot control how the Holy Spirit works as he works in ways we cannot predict and understand. Just as we were not in control of our physical birth, so it is also with our spiritual birth (v.8) which is a gift from God who acts through his Holy Spirit and this spiritual action is what makes us children of God (Rom 8:16). It is also this Spirit of God that gives us the power to understand those things that come from God (1 Cor 2:12) and it is by this same Spirit that we have received that empowers us to accept our spiritual rebirth in spite of the sufferings we face as imitators of Jesus Christ (1 Thes 1:6).
Jesus in this Gospel passage emphasizes that spiritual rebirth or being born again is a prerequisite to admission to the heavenly Kingdom because knowledge alone like what the teachers of the law such as Nicodemus had will not lead to salvation. While it is important for us to know what the Bible says, it is equally imperative that we must understand and know in a very personal way the God who offered his life for us that we may also have life.
Just as when he spoke in parables before, Jesus also compared his crucifixion as an atonement for sins with the bronze serpent that Moses lifted up in the desert that brought healing and deliverance to the Jews who looked up at the serpent. What he was telling Nicodemus at that time and what Jesus is telling us now is that anyone who will believe in his death and resurrection will bring upon himself the new birth in the Spirit that will fill us with his own divine life by the power of His Spirit.
And let us not make any mistake about it. It is only by the power of the Holy Spirit working in us that provides us the courage, confidence and the boldness to share the Good News and to defend our faith by our words and action and never to be ashamed of the Cross of Christ.
As with the Israelites who looked up at the bronze serpent with the belief that God will heal them if they did, so must we also look up to the Cross of Jesus to remind us of our salvation and by believing we are healed of the deadly bite of sin.
Nicodemus knew from experience that anyone who wants to be changed, can't change himself and this was what Jesus explained to him that this change could only come about through the work and action of the Holy Spirit. And we who have experienced this rebirth in the Spirit know this is not only experiential but very real like the wind that we can feel and hear yet we cannot see.
This new life in the Holy Spirit prequalifies us into admission in God's kingdom which is a society of men and women who acknowledge God as their Lord and who live according to his will on earth as it is in heaven (Matt 6:10). To be reborn is to enter that society where God is honored and obeyed and where we live as His sons and daughters.
To be born again is to gain possession of that life which comes from God himself, a life of never-ending love, peace, joy, and freedom from sin and the fear of death.
THE COMING OF THE KING
APRIL 8, 2013: ANUNCIATION OF THE LORD
1st Reading: Isa 7:10-14, 8-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 40: 7-11 “Here I am Lord; I come to do your Will.”
2nd Reading: Heb 10:4-10
GOSPEL: Luke 1:2-38
Key Verse: “His Kingdom will never end.” (v.33)
The Gospel today speaks of Mary who was the main character in this passage and we can only grasp the meaning of this story of the Annunciation if we go back in time and try to appreciate the situation that Mary found herself in when this event happened.
If there was one thing that stood out relative to this story, it was the perfect obedience of Mary to God who spoke through the angel Gabriel for without such subservience Jesus could not have been incarnated and we probably would have remained in our sinful nature.
Mary was a young maiden who was betrothed to Joseph. A betrothal normally lasts for a year and was generally regarded as binding as if they are already married. Such betrothal can only be recalled or cancelled either by divorce or death of either one of the contracting parties. And in the event that a man to whom a woman was betrothed dies, the woman would be regarded as a widow.
A young and an unmarried maiden who gets pregnant outside of marriage will invite disaster. And for Mary to tell her story of becoming pregnant by the Holy Spirit also risked being considered crazy. This was the predicament to which Mary was in when the angel Gabriel told her: “You will be child and give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus” (v.31). Disbelief and wonderment must have filled Mary at that very moment but the angel assured her “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (v.35).
Despite the risks of being ridiculed and the possibility of divorce, Mary’s response stood out and would be hailed from that time on till now as a primary model of obedience. Her docility to the Will of God was not only unparalleled but it became the avenue through which Salvation came into the world. The only thing she knew was that she was being asked by God to serve him and she willingly obeyed.
The hope and future of mankind rested on that simple phrase that Mary uttered: “I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as you have said” (v.38). In that short response, Mary became the vessel through which Our Lord Jesus Christ will come into the world but we should not also forget the sacrifice and humility of Joseph who took Mary as his spouse and who stood as guardian of the Savior of all humanity.
While Eve was regarded as the mother of humanity who was doomed to sin, Mary was considered as the mother of the new Adam who by his Grace will save man from sin. (Rom 5:19) As the angel Gabriel instructed Mary and Joseph, the child to be born was to named Jesus which was a Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua meaning “the Lord saves.” This was also a fulfillment of God’s promise to David that his kingdom will last forever (2 Sam 7:16). And rightly so, for Jesus who came from the house of David (Matt 1) has reigned since then and continues to rule today in the hearts of men.
Although the Virgin birth has largely remained a mystery that many people find hard to believe, we should remember that Luke was a medical doctor and while it was hard for him to believe how a baby can be conceived in the case of Mary, he wrote about it based on the facts or interviews he made with witnesses and his own conversation with Mary.
But the most important facet of this Virgin birth was that there shouldn’t be any doubt in our minds that God has the power to create a child even in the womb of a virgin.
What then is the message for us in this Gospel reading as well as the inference in the 1st Reading (Isa 7:12) when Ahaz refused to seek God’s favor which was the exact opposite of Mary’s response. The readings invite us not only to seek God’s favor but for us to put all our trust in Our Lord.
We should remember, however, that God’s favor doesn’t mean success or fame overnight because as with Mary being favored at times would lead to pain and ridicule. At times, being favored by God will bring hardships and difficulties but it is in these trying times when our faith is tested that God is present.
And like Mary whose obedience was the embodiment of the world’s greatest prayer: “Thy Will be done” (Matt 6:10), God will also pour out on us his manifold Graces that will allow us not only to endure suffering but we will experience joy amidst the pain and tribulations in life because the Grace of God will be upon anyone who will completely trust God like Mary.
What we all must remember was that Mary withstood the predicament she was in because God favored her and blessed all the circumstances in her life. This simply means that God will also provide us the strength, endurance and perseverance to go through with life but this is anchored on our saying “yes, Thy Will be done.”
In our profession of faith when we recite the Apostles’ Creed during the Eucharistic Celebration, we must not only understand what the Creed is but we must comprehend the depth of what it is. In so doing, we must understand and believe when we say: “I believe in God the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, Our Lord; who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit; born of the Virgin Mary…”
The Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed in the New Roman Missal will mean much more if we will truly understand and believe what it says. And ask God for faith if anyone of you lack wisdom (Jam 1:5).
1st Reading: Isa 7:10-14, 8-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 40: 7-11 “Here I am Lord; I come to do your Will.”
2nd Reading: Heb 10:4-10
GOSPEL: Luke 1:2-38
Key Verse: “His Kingdom will never end.” (v.33)
The Gospel today speaks of Mary who was the main character in this passage and we can only grasp the meaning of this story of the Annunciation if we go back in time and try to appreciate the situation that Mary found herself in when this event happened.
If there was one thing that stood out relative to this story, it was the perfect obedience of Mary to God who spoke through the angel Gabriel for without such subservience Jesus could not have been incarnated and we probably would have remained in our sinful nature.
Mary was a young maiden who was betrothed to Joseph. A betrothal normally lasts for a year and was generally regarded as binding as if they are already married. Such betrothal can only be recalled or cancelled either by divorce or death of either one of the contracting parties. And in the event that a man to whom a woman was betrothed dies, the woman would be regarded as a widow.
A young and an unmarried maiden who gets pregnant outside of marriage will invite disaster. And for Mary to tell her story of becoming pregnant by the Holy Spirit also risked being considered crazy. This was the predicament to which Mary was in when the angel Gabriel told her: “You will be child and give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus” (v.31). Disbelief and wonderment must have filled Mary at that very moment but the angel assured her “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (v.35).
Despite the risks of being ridiculed and the possibility of divorce, Mary’s response stood out and would be hailed from that time on till now as a primary model of obedience. Her docility to the Will of God was not only unparalleled but it became the avenue through which Salvation came into the world. The only thing she knew was that she was being asked by God to serve him and she willingly obeyed.
The hope and future of mankind rested on that simple phrase that Mary uttered: “I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as you have said” (v.38). In that short response, Mary became the vessel through which Our Lord Jesus Christ will come into the world but we should not also forget the sacrifice and humility of Joseph who took Mary as his spouse and who stood as guardian of the Savior of all humanity.
While Eve was regarded as the mother of humanity who was doomed to sin, Mary was considered as the mother of the new Adam who by his Grace will save man from sin. (Rom 5:19) As the angel Gabriel instructed Mary and Joseph, the child to be born was to named Jesus which was a Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua meaning “the Lord saves.” This was also a fulfillment of God’s promise to David that his kingdom will last forever (2 Sam 7:16). And rightly so, for Jesus who came from the house of David (Matt 1) has reigned since then and continues to rule today in the hearts of men.
Although the Virgin birth has largely remained a mystery that many people find hard to believe, we should remember that Luke was a medical doctor and while it was hard for him to believe how a baby can be conceived in the case of Mary, he wrote about it based on the facts or interviews he made with witnesses and his own conversation with Mary.
But the most important facet of this Virgin birth was that there shouldn’t be any doubt in our minds that God has the power to create a child even in the womb of a virgin.
What then is the message for us in this Gospel reading as well as the inference in the 1st Reading (Isa 7:12) when Ahaz refused to seek God’s favor which was the exact opposite of Mary’s response. The readings invite us not only to seek God’s favor but for us to put all our trust in Our Lord.
We should remember, however, that God’s favor doesn’t mean success or fame overnight because as with Mary being favored at times would lead to pain and ridicule. At times, being favored by God will bring hardships and difficulties but it is in these trying times when our faith is tested that God is present.
And like Mary whose obedience was the embodiment of the world’s greatest prayer: “Thy Will be done” (Matt 6:10), God will also pour out on us his manifold Graces that will allow us not only to endure suffering but we will experience joy amidst the pain and tribulations in life because the Grace of God will be upon anyone who will completely trust God like Mary.
What we all must remember was that Mary withstood the predicament she was in because God favored her and blessed all the circumstances in her life. This simply means that God will also provide us the strength, endurance and perseverance to go through with life but this is anchored on our saying “yes, Thy Will be done.”
In our profession of faith when we recite the Apostles’ Creed during the Eucharistic Celebration, we must not only understand what the Creed is but we must comprehend the depth of what it is. In so doing, we must understand and believe when we say: “I believe in God the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, Our Lord; who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit; born of the Virgin Mary…”
The Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed in the New Roman Missal will mean much more if we will truly understand and believe what it says. And ask God for faith if anyone of you lack wisdom (Jam 1:5).
TO SEE IS TO BELIEVE
APRIL 7, 2013: DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY
1st Reading: 4:32-35
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24 “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting.”
2nd Reading: 1 Jn 5:1-6
GOSPEL: JN 20:19-31
Key Verse: “Peace be with you.” (v.19)
It is natural for people especially nowadays when there are tons of information that are available in the market of ideas to doubt something that they only heard about and something they don't see or haven’t seen. This was the predicament of many of the Jews even after news of the resurrection of Jesus had spread like wildfire in Jerusalem.
And today more than 2,000 years later, we are still caught up in our own doubts and or indifference that prevent us from establishing a more concrete relationship with God that is rooted in humility and obedience. Why? Because the world we are in actually is preventing us from doing so as it offers us a comparative view of both dimensions.
On one hand is the material world where we live in, the fast-paced search for comfort and luxury, anything that would bring us fame, prestige and wealth have kept us glued in this mundane world.
On the other is the eternal life that was promised to those who will believe in him. Such belief, however, is premised on our subservience to his Holy Will and a life that is anchored on sacrifice and suffering. This last part is what makes people think because most often we want to reap the promise of eternal joy but without the pain and sacrifice attached to it.
The world has become too fast that anything you need is available at the press of a button. Everything can be procured and acquired and transactions are consummated within minutes. Every bit of information is available in this wired world we are in. Even Bible verses and inspirational message are now being disseminated through e-Mail and SMS or text.
But has this connectivity contributed to forming Christians to become a replica of Jesus in all aspects of his life? From the time we received Jesus in our baptism – whether sacramental or para-liturgical – have we allowed the Holy Spirit to take control of our entire persona?
Have we become forgiving of one another especially now that we are celebrating the Feast of the Divine Mercy. Or do we persist in our unbelief, doubt and meaningless pursuit of what we perceive to be a joyful life.
And how many of us demand a physical evidence before they will believe. “Unless I see I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe." (V.25)
It is not that the people now do not really believe that Jesus Christ is Lord but the circumstances of our present lives move people to dwell in their unbelief. The economic difficulties that people experience nowadays are also a factor that contribute to the estranged relationship between God and the people He has created.
When Jesus appeared to his disciples he offered proofs of his resurrection by showing them the wounds of his passion, his pierced hands and side. He calmed their fears and brought them peace, the peace which reconciles sinners and makes one a friend of God.
Today this has not changed as Jesus still is offering the same proof at the table of the Paschal sacrifice each time Mass is celebrated and this should serve as a memorial for us that God already took our sins and sufferings to the cross and the peace that He offered to his disciples in the Upper Room is the same kind of peace he is offering to us now and this is what the Feast of Divine Mercy is all about.
But in us there will always be a Thomas who will doubt not because we love the Lord less but because we simply lack the courage to stand with Jesus and share his passion and crucifixion. Like Thomas we also run away from the Church not only because we lack the motivation to do so but we just want to earn the glory of heaven without the sacrifice needed to get there.
Jesus came back and appeared to his disciples not only to prove he had resurrected from death but he came back because he needed his disciples to establish his Church. In the same way, his disciples and we who now comprise the Church also need Jesus. As we are being sent to make disciples of all nations, we need someone to send us and without Jesus we have no message to bring to all the nations. This means that as Jesus is dependent on us to keep his message alive, we also need Jesus to equip us and empower us by His Holy Spirit.
There may be times we will allow doubt to cloud our faith but there is something in Thomas that we also need to emulate. Thomas believed and became one of the most faithful messengers of God’s love and forgiveness who is credited for bringing Christianity to India.
There are times when differences and disputes arise within the Church that move us to leave and there will be times we will experience some low points in our life and we find ourselves going back to God. But why wait for the light to run out of our lives before we will believe and realize that all we need is the light that comes from God.
When Thomas recognized his Master, he believed and exclaimed that Jesus was truly Lord and truly God! The gift of faith infused in us at our baptism should move us to also proclaim Jesus as our personal Lord and our God. He died and rose that we, too, might have new life in him.
And today, the same Jesus who appeared to Thomas is offering each one of us a new life in his Holy Spirit that we may know him personally and walk in this new way of life through the power of his Resurrection.
We don’t actually have to put our fingers in his wounds to believe Jesus is real as we only need faith to believe that Jesus had indeed resurrected from the dead and w have the Scriptures and the Church as it stands today as permanent proofs of his passion, death and resurrection.
The one thing to remember is that Jesus needs the Church to keep the fire burning and we need Jesus because he is the message that we only need to know and bring to others. As God sent Jesus to the cross, so Jesus is also sending us now and no one can truly understand why unless we come to realize that the relationship between God and Jesus is premised on Jesus’ obedience and love.
And so it must be with us. For us to develop a truly meaningful relationship with Jesus we need to humble ourselves and go down from our pedestal and obey whatever He tells us to do but this subservience to His will must be anchored on love for God and neighbor.
1st Reading: 4:32-35
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24 “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting.”
2nd Reading: 1 Jn 5:1-6
GOSPEL: JN 20:19-31
Key Verse: “Peace be with you.” (v.19)
It is natural for people especially nowadays when there are tons of information that are available in the market of ideas to doubt something that they only heard about and something they don't see or haven’t seen. This was the predicament of many of the Jews even after news of the resurrection of Jesus had spread like wildfire in Jerusalem.
And today more than 2,000 years later, we are still caught up in our own doubts and or indifference that prevent us from establishing a more concrete relationship with God that is rooted in humility and obedience. Why? Because the world we are in actually is preventing us from doing so as it offers us a comparative view of both dimensions.
On one hand is the material world where we live in, the fast-paced search for comfort and luxury, anything that would bring us fame, prestige and wealth have kept us glued in this mundane world.
On the other is the eternal life that was promised to those who will believe in him. Such belief, however, is premised on our subservience to his Holy Will and a life that is anchored on sacrifice and suffering. This last part is what makes people think because most often we want to reap the promise of eternal joy but without the pain and sacrifice attached to it.
The world has become too fast that anything you need is available at the press of a button. Everything can be procured and acquired and transactions are consummated within minutes. Every bit of information is available in this wired world we are in. Even Bible verses and inspirational message are now being disseminated through e-Mail and SMS or text.
But has this connectivity contributed to forming Christians to become a replica of Jesus in all aspects of his life? From the time we received Jesus in our baptism – whether sacramental or para-liturgical – have we allowed the Holy Spirit to take control of our entire persona?
Have we become forgiving of one another especially now that we are celebrating the Feast of the Divine Mercy. Or do we persist in our unbelief, doubt and meaningless pursuit of what we perceive to be a joyful life.
And how many of us demand a physical evidence before they will believe. “Unless I see I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe." (V.25)
It is not that the people now do not really believe that Jesus Christ is Lord but the circumstances of our present lives move people to dwell in their unbelief. The economic difficulties that people experience nowadays are also a factor that contribute to the estranged relationship between God and the people He has created.
When Jesus appeared to his disciples he offered proofs of his resurrection by showing them the wounds of his passion, his pierced hands and side. He calmed their fears and brought them peace, the peace which reconciles sinners and makes one a friend of God.
Today this has not changed as Jesus still is offering the same proof at the table of the Paschal sacrifice each time Mass is celebrated and this should serve as a memorial for us that God already took our sins and sufferings to the cross and the peace that He offered to his disciples in the Upper Room is the same kind of peace he is offering to us now and this is what the Feast of Divine Mercy is all about.
But in us there will always be a Thomas who will doubt not because we love the Lord less but because we simply lack the courage to stand with Jesus and share his passion and crucifixion. Like Thomas we also run away from the Church not only because we lack the motivation to do so but we just want to earn the glory of heaven without the sacrifice needed to get there.
Jesus came back and appeared to his disciples not only to prove he had resurrected from death but he came back because he needed his disciples to establish his Church. In the same way, his disciples and we who now comprise the Church also need Jesus. As we are being sent to make disciples of all nations, we need someone to send us and without Jesus we have no message to bring to all the nations. This means that as Jesus is dependent on us to keep his message alive, we also need Jesus to equip us and empower us by His Holy Spirit.
There may be times we will allow doubt to cloud our faith but there is something in Thomas that we also need to emulate. Thomas believed and became one of the most faithful messengers of God’s love and forgiveness who is credited for bringing Christianity to India.
There are times when differences and disputes arise within the Church that move us to leave and there will be times we will experience some low points in our life and we find ourselves going back to God. But why wait for the light to run out of our lives before we will believe and realize that all we need is the light that comes from God.
When Thomas recognized his Master, he believed and exclaimed that Jesus was truly Lord and truly God! The gift of faith infused in us at our baptism should move us to also proclaim Jesus as our personal Lord and our God. He died and rose that we, too, might have new life in him.
And today, the same Jesus who appeared to Thomas is offering each one of us a new life in his Holy Spirit that we may know him personally and walk in this new way of life through the power of his Resurrection.
We don’t actually have to put our fingers in his wounds to believe Jesus is real as we only need faith to believe that Jesus had indeed resurrected from the dead and w have the Scriptures and the Church as it stands today as permanent proofs of his passion, death and resurrection.
The one thing to remember is that Jesus needs the Church to keep the fire burning and we need Jesus because he is the message that we only need to know and bring to others. As God sent Jesus to the cross, so Jesus is also sending us now and no one can truly understand why unless we come to realize that the relationship between God and Jesus is premised on Jesus’ obedience and love.
And so it must be with us. For us to develop a truly meaningful relationship with Jesus we need to humble ourselves and go down from our pedestal and obey whatever He tells us to do but this subservience to His will must be anchored on love for God and neighbor.
EVERYONE MUST EVANGELIZE
APRIL 5, 2013: FRIDAY OF THE EASTER OCTAVE
1st Reading: Ac 4:1-12
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 118: 1-2, 4, 22-24, 25-27a “The stone rejected
GOSPEL: JN 21:1-14
Key Verse: “It is the Lord.” (v.7)
This Gospel narrative is special to us as a couple for the simple reason that me and my spouse Malou were probably among the catch that the disciples had while they were fishing in the Sea of Tiberias.
It happened that Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, the sons of Zebedee and two other disciples have been fishing all night and have caught nothing (v.2). When morning came, Jesus whom the didn’t recognize stood on the shore and finding they caught nothing told the disciples to cast their nets on the right side of the boat and they did and they were unable to haul the net because of the large number of fish (vv.4-6).
The net was full of large fish, 153 to be exact and this is why this Gospel is very special to us because we belong to Marriage Encounter Weekend Class No. 153 that was held at the La Sallette Retreat Center in Silang, Cavite on Sept. 29 – Oct. 1, 1989 and it was in those three days that I in particular was caught by the net the disciples cast into the sea.
Of course I struggled to free myself from the net looking for an untended portion of the net where I could squeeze myself out for life was much better if I were to remain free to wallow in the sea and it was not important if it were a sea of sin since life was to me much better in terms of material returns.
But the Lord had other plans for me, plans to prosper me and not to harm me, plans to give me hope and a future (Jer 29:11) and I could only thank the Lord that He chose me to be one of the 153 that was caught in the net because now I have become prosperous although not materially but spiritually that is.
This Gospel is also filled with many lessons as with all the other Gospel narratives. In fact, the whole of the Sacred Scriptures should be viewed and appreciated as an encapsulation of all the lessons that we need to learn to live a fulfilled life.
The first lesson to be learned here is that this Gospel point to the reality of the Resurrection. Many skeptics in those days believed that the appearances of Christ were mere visions of the disciples and this particular passage reinforces the reality that Jesus was alive because a vision could not possibly cook a meal and break bread with the disciples.
The focus of this Gospel is to emphasize once and for all that the Resurrected Christ was not a vision nor a figment of the imagination and Jesus chose to appear on the shore to be seen not only by the disciples but by others who make a living by the sea who come to the shore to buy the catch from fishermen coming in from the sea.
The second lesson has something to do with respect for authority. Notwithstanding the fact that Peter denied the Lord Jesus Christ three times (Jn 18:17, 25-27) the disciples still recognized him to be the leader of the group. This was evident in v.7 when John the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter: “It is the Lord!” and John could have waded ashore since he was the one who recognized Jesus. Instead he told Peter it was the Lord on the shore and this denotes respect for their leader.
Another lesson comes from the number of fish caught – 153 in all – and St. Jerome has an explanation for why John in this Gospel attached a number to the catch because for all intents and purposes the Apostle that Jesus loved could have just written a large number of fish.
St. Jerome said that in the sea there are some 153 different kinds of fishes and the catch depicted in this passage includes each of these 153 kinds of fish and that number symbolizes a future event in which there will come a time when men from all nations will be gathered together under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
If we again will reflect deeply on this passage, we will see that the large catch of fish was caught in the net that did not break. The net stands for the Church as it stands today where there is room for all men of all nations.
John is actually giving a prophetic view of the Church at the time he wrote this Gospel in that the Church will be universal and devoid of any exclusivity. As with the love of the Father expressed in Jesus Christ, this Church that Jesus established through Peter is not and should not be selective.
This is the message that lies hidden in this Gospel for today which should remind us in the way that we pursue our task to bring others to Christ which means that evangelization is the work of the entire Church and not just by a favored group or organization. In terms of Community life, evangelization should be the thrust of the entire Community moving as one and not by just one ministry, apostolate, chapter or district for that matter.
More importantly, we should also realize that it is not us who are evangelizing but it is the Holy Spirit who is acting in us. This is why we should not even venture to think that we, them or they are better positioned in the building up of the Church but we, on the other hand, should rely on the power of the Holy Spirit who as St. Ambrose says is above all things.
Thus, it presupposes that the Lord will equip those whom he chooses to bring the Gospel of Christ to the ends of the earth which means that regardless of how unassuming a person might be he will be equipped and empowered if God shall so choose. This was what Jesus Christ did to his disciples who were ordinary men yet they stood tall when they received power from on high. A man may not come from a polished background but he can become a pillar of faith when he is empowered by God which is why it pains me to see in some church organizations when leadership positions are given to men in striped suits rather than to those in denims overall.
This should be the same with us especially those who are in positions of leadership in the Church and that is for us to remain steadfast in our faith in God through Jesus Christ and not just pay lip service to being guided by the Holy Spirit which has become the most abused word in the Church today especially in decision-making.
It would also be wise to listen to what the Psalmist said that we need to trust in God and not in men (Psa 118:8; 146:3) such that we must all learn to yield to God’s counsel and not cloud our vision of biases towards men. In fact, our bias when it becomes selective is actually an aftermath of pride.
1st Reading: Ac 4:1-12
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 118: 1-2, 4, 22-24, 25-27a “The stone rejected
GOSPEL: JN 21:1-14
Key Verse: “It is the Lord.” (v.7)
This Gospel narrative is special to us as a couple for the simple reason that me and my spouse Malou were probably among the catch that the disciples had while they were fishing in the Sea of Tiberias.
It happened that Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, the sons of Zebedee and two other disciples have been fishing all night and have caught nothing (v.2). When morning came, Jesus whom the didn’t recognize stood on the shore and finding they caught nothing told the disciples to cast their nets on the right side of the boat and they did and they were unable to haul the net because of the large number of fish (vv.4-6).
The net was full of large fish, 153 to be exact and this is why this Gospel is very special to us because we belong to Marriage Encounter Weekend Class No. 153 that was held at the La Sallette Retreat Center in Silang, Cavite on Sept. 29 – Oct. 1, 1989 and it was in those three days that I in particular was caught by the net the disciples cast into the sea.
Of course I struggled to free myself from the net looking for an untended portion of the net where I could squeeze myself out for life was much better if I were to remain free to wallow in the sea and it was not important if it were a sea of sin since life was to me much better in terms of material returns.
But the Lord had other plans for me, plans to prosper me and not to harm me, plans to give me hope and a future (Jer 29:11) and I could only thank the Lord that He chose me to be one of the 153 that was caught in the net because now I have become prosperous although not materially but spiritually that is.
This Gospel is also filled with many lessons as with all the other Gospel narratives. In fact, the whole of the Sacred Scriptures should be viewed and appreciated as an encapsulation of all the lessons that we need to learn to live a fulfilled life.
The first lesson to be learned here is that this Gospel point to the reality of the Resurrection. Many skeptics in those days believed that the appearances of Christ were mere visions of the disciples and this particular passage reinforces the reality that Jesus was alive because a vision could not possibly cook a meal and break bread with the disciples.
The focus of this Gospel is to emphasize once and for all that the Resurrected Christ was not a vision nor a figment of the imagination and Jesus chose to appear on the shore to be seen not only by the disciples but by others who make a living by the sea who come to the shore to buy the catch from fishermen coming in from the sea.
The second lesson has something to do with respect for authority. Notwithstanding the fact that Peter denied the Lord Jesus Christ three times (Jn 18:17, 25-27) the disciples still recognized him to be the leader of the group. This was evident in v.7 when John the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter: “It is the Lord!” and John could have waded ashore since he was the one who recognized Jesus. Instead he told Peter it was the Lord on the shore and this denotes respect for their leader.
Another lesson comes from the number of fish caught – 153 in all – and St. Jerome has an explanation for why John in this Gospel attached a number to the catch because for all intents and purposes the Apostle that Jesus loved could have just written a large number of fish.
St. Jerome said that in the sea there are some 153 different kinds of fishes and the catch depicted in this passage includes each of these 153 kinds of fish and that number symbolizes a future event in which there will come a time when men from all nations will be gathered together under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
If we again will reflect deeply on this passage, we will see that the large catch of fish was caught in the net that did not break. The net stands for the Church as it stands today where there is room for all men of all nations.
John is actually giving a prophetic view of the Church at the time he wrote this Gospel in that the Church will be universal and devoid of any exclusivity. As with the love of the Father expressed in Jesus Christ, this Church that Jesus established through Peter is not and should not be selective.
This is the message that lies hidden in this Gospel for today which should remind us in the way that we pursue our task to bring others to Christ which means that evangelization is the work of the entire Church and not just by a favored group or organization. In terms of Community life, evangelization should be the thrust of the entire Community moving as one and not by just one ministry, apostolate, chapter or district for that matter.
More importantly, we should also realize that it is not us who are evangelizing but it is the Holy Spirit who is acting in us. This is why we should not even venture to think that we, them or they are better positioned in the building up of the Church but we, on the other hand, should rely on the power of the Holy Spirit who as St. Ambrose says is above all things.
Thus, it presupposes that the Lord will equip those whom he chooses to bring the Gospel of Christ to the ends of the earth which means that regardless of how unassuming a person might be he will be equipped and empowered if God shall so choose. This was what Jesus Christ did to his disciples who were ordinary men yet they stood tall when they received power from on high. A man may not come from a polished background but he can become a pillar of faith when he is empowered by God which is why it pains me to see in some church organizations when leadership positions are given to men in striped suits rather than to those in denims overall.
This should be the same with us especially those who are in positions of leadership in the Church and that is for us to remain steadfast in our faith in God through Jesus Christ and not just pay lip service to being guided by the Holy Spirit which has become the most abused word in the Church today especially in decision-making.
It would also be wise to listen to what the Psalmist said that we need to trust in God and not in men (Psa 118:8; 146:3) such that we must all learn to yield to God’s counsel and not cloud our vision of biases towards men. In fact, our bias when it becomes selective is actually an aftermath of pride.
BRINGING CHRIST TO OTHERS
APRIL 4, 2013: THURSDAY OF THE OCTAVE OF EASTER
1st Reading: Ac 3:11-26
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 8:2ab, 5-9 “O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth.”
GOSPEL: LK 24:35-48
Key Verse: “Peace be with you.” (v.36)
To see is to believe is an expression we often hear from people who would not believe anything unless they can see them with their eyes, touch and feel them or for that matter speak to them.
Too often we also have this same tendency of wanting to see some hard evidence before we will believe and this is predominantly so in legal disputes or in cases in which concrete evidence is necessary.
Notwithstanding the fact that the body wasn’t there when Mary Magdalene, Peter and John rushed to the tomb on Easter Sunday should have been enough for the disciples of Jesus to accept and believe that he has resurrected.
But his death on the cross so depressed his disciples that they not only felt defeated but they forgot altogether all about what the Scriptures said and what Jesus preached and now the bigger problem was that they are in danger of being rounded up and suffer the same fate as Jesus.
Cleopas and another disciple went home to Emmaus in exasperation and amidst their dwindling faith Jesus appeared to them whom they recognized as he broke the bread and gave it to them and this reignited their faith that they rushed back to Jerusalem to share with the other disciples their experience.
But the disciples still feared for their lives despite what had been told of his appearance to Mary Magdalene (Jn 20:16-17), to the two disciples in Emmaus (Lk 24:13-35) and to Peter (1 Cor 15:5) which by the way was not written in any of the four Gospels.
As we read through this beautiful Gospel narrative let us ask ourselves why the disciples are having difficulty believing that Jesus has fulfilled his promise to resurrect on the third day? Wasn’t there enough evidence or not enough faith?
Imagine yourself to be in that Upper Room in the middle of all the ifs and buts and the confusion that reigned among the disciples and Jesus appears saying: “Peace be with you.” (v.36) a salutary greeting that was said in a most assuring way. Wouldn’t that erase whatever fears you may have at that moment when everything else seemed hopeless?
This is what Jesus Christ does even today as his presence brings peace amidst the troubled circumstances of our life. The reality of his resurrection provides us not only with the inspiration to restructure our lives and make it compatible with the standards of the Heavenly Kingdom but also the assurance that we too will be resurrected with him in glory (1 Cor 15:42-50).
His resurrection also reinforces our belief that the cross was not a spur of the moment decision by Jesus nor by God but the crucifixion was part of the plan of God for it is the cross that gives concrete evidence of the eternal love of God for us.
In other words, Jesus Christ the Living God brings peace and joy into our troubled lives in contrast to the strife, confusion, crass materialism, the senseless and disordered priorities of the world around us. As Jesus opened the minds of his disciples that they may understand the Scriptures (v.45) we too must make it a daily habit to dwell into the Sacred Texts because it is in them that we will find the reason and the purpose why we were created.
This is what the Holy Spirit does whenever we apportion a regular time to read the Scriptures. There will be times when you meet difficulty understanding a Bible passage. Besides sharing the Word with others and learning from their own experiences, you must pray that the Holy Spirit open your mind to understand the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit will respond by giving you the insight to put God’s Word into action in your life.
There shouldn’t be any doubt that the Scriptures from the Old Testament to the New Testament bear witness to Jesus Christ as the Messiah. The writings of Moses, the other prophets and the Psalms in the Old Testament points to the Messiah (vv.45-46) which has been fulfilled in the New Testament.
And his appearance before his disciples gives us an insight into what his disciples then and now us the modern-day disciples are to do now that we know Jesus Christ has risen. The experience of the disciples are not meant to remain in the Upper Room but was to be shared with the world. Beginning in Jerusalem and to where we are now the repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be preached in His Name to all nations (v.47).
Our faith experiences culled from our encounter and meeting Jesus makes us witnesses of these things and Jesus gives us the privilege and the responsibility to tell the Good News about his forgiveness and eternal life to all who will listen.
Our relatives and friends must know what Christ has done for them and what he continues to do in their lives and in us the new breed if disciples and it would be a terrible act of omission if we will deprive them of hearing the Gospel of Love.
The cross is the centerpiece of the Gospel because it is on the cross from where love flows to the world. It is through the cross that we pass from death to life in glory and we need to tell others about it. To ignore the cross and or to run away from it would be the height of ingratitude towards a person who laid down his life for our sakes.
In closing let me bring you to an excerpt from the homily of Pope Francis during the first mass that he celebrated at the Sistine Chapel following his election as Pope during the Concave and this is what the Holy Father said: “When we walk without the Cross, when we build without the Cross, and when we confess a Christ without a Cross, we are no longer disciples of the Lord. We are mundane. We are bishops, priests, cardinals, Popes, everyone, but we are no longer disciples of the Lord.”
How true indeed because the cross is the mark of every Christian. The cross is the seal that unites us with Christ because our lives have been grafted to the cross for it is also on the cross where our old selves died and a new life was infused into us.
1st Reading: Ac 3:11-26
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 8:2ab, 5-9 “O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth.”
GOSPEL: LK 24:35-48
Key Verse: “Peace be with you.” (v.36)
To see is to believe is an expression we often hear from people who would not believe anything unless they can see them with their eyes, touch and feel them or for that matter speak to them.
Too often we also have this same tendency of wanting to see some hard evidence before we will believe and this is predominantly so in legal disputes or in cases in which concrete evidence is necessary.
Notwithstanding the fact that the body wasn’t there when Mary Magdalene, Peter and John rushed to the tomb on Easter Sunday should have been enough for the disciples of Jesus to accept and believe that he has resurrected.
But his death on the cross so depressed his disciples that they not only felt defeated but they forgot altogether all about what the Scriptures said and what Jesus preached and now the bigger problem was that they are in danger of being rounded up and suffer the same fate as Jesus.
Cleopas and another disciple went home to Emmaus in exasperation and amidst their dwindling faith Jesus appeared to them whom they recognized as he broke the bread and gave it to them and this reignited their faith that they rushed back to Jerusalem to share with the other disciples their experience.
But the disciples still feared for their lives despite what had been told of his appearance to Mary Magdalene (Jn 20:16-17), to the two disciples in Emmaus (Lk 24:13-35) and to Peter (1 Cor 15:5) which by the way was not written in any of the four Gospels.
As we read through this beautiful Gospel narrative let us ask ourselves why the disciples are having difficulty believing that Jesus has fulfilled his promise to resurrect on the third day? Wasn’t there enough evidence or not enough faith?
Imagine yourself to be in that Upper Room in the middle of all the ifs and buts and the confusion that reigned among the disciples and Jesus appears saying: “Peace be with you.” (v.36) a salutary greeting that was said in a most assuring way. Wouldn’t that erase whatever fears you may have at that moment when everything else seemed hopeless?
This is what Jesus Christ does even today as his presence brings peace amidst the troubled circumstances of our life. The reality of his resurrection provides us not only with the inspiration to restructure our lives and make it compatible with the standards of the Heavenly Kingdom but also the assurance that we too will be resurrected with him in glory (1 Cor 15:42-50).
His resurrection also reinforces our belief that the cross was not a spur of the moment decision by Jesus nor by God but the crucifixion was part of the plan of God for it is the cross that gives concrete evidence of the eternal love of God for us.
In other words, Jesus Christ the Living God brings peace and joy into our troubled lives in contrast to the strife, confusion, crass materialism, the senseless and disordered priorities of the world around us. As Jesus opened the minds of his disciples that they may understand the Scriptures (v.45) we too must make it a daily habit to dwell into the Sacred Texts because it is in them that we will find the reason and the purpose why we were created.
This is what the Holy Spirit does whenever we apportion a regular time to read the Scriptures. There will be times when you meet difficulty understanding a Bible passage. Besides sharing the Word with others and learning from their own experiences, you must pray that the Holy Spirit open your mind to understand the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit will respond by giving you the insight to put God’s Word into action in your life.
There shouldn’t be any doubt that the Scriptures from the Old Testament to the New Testament bear witness to Jesus Christ as the Messiah. The writings of Moses, the other prophets and the Psalms in the Old Testament points to the Messiah (vv.45-46) which has been fulfilled in the New Testament.
And his appearance before his disciples gives us an insight into what his disciples then and now us the modern-day disciples are to do now that we know Jesus Christ has risen. The experience of the disciples are not meant to remain in the Upper Room but was to be shared with the world. Beginning in Jerusalem and to where we are now the repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be preached in His Name to all nations (v.47).
Our faith experiences culled from our encounter and meeting Jesus makes us witnesses of these things and Jesus gives us the privilege and the responsibility to tell the Good News about his forgiveness and eternal life to all who will listen.
Our relatives and friends must know what Christ has done for them and what he continues to do in their lives and in us the new breed if disciples and it would be a terrible act of omission if we will deprive them of hearing the Gospel of Love.
The cross is the centerpiece of the Gospel because it is on the cross from where love flows to the world. It is through the cross that we pass from death to life in glory and we need to tell others about it. To ignore the cross and or to run away from it would be the height of ingratitude towards a person who laid down his life for our sakes.
In closing let me bring you to an excerpt from the homily of Pope Francis during the first mass that he celebrated at the Sistine Chapel following his election as Pope during the Concave and this is what the Holy Father said: “When we walk without the Cross, when we build without the Cross, and when we confess a Christ without a Cross, we are no longer disciples of the Lord. We are mundane. We are bishops, priests, cardinals, Popes, everyone, but we are no longer disciples of the Lord.”
How true indeed because the cross is the mark of every Christian. The cross is the seal that unites us with Christ because our lives have been grafted to the cross for it is also on the cross where our old selves died and a new life was infused into us.
WALKING WITH JESUS
APRIL 3, 2013: WEDNESDAY OF THE OCTAVE OF EASTER
1st Reading: Ac 3:1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 105:1-9 “Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord”
GOSPEL: LK 24:13-35
Key Verse: “Were not our hearts burning within us…?” (v.32)
How far would you go to share with others a beautiful experience you just had? Passing a board exam, getting wed to your childhood sweetheart, birth of a first-born child, moving in to a new home and, promotion perhaps?
Let’s go straight to the point since this is the message of the Gospel today. What if you had an encounter with Jesus Christ? Let’s say you were seated in a park pondering your future and Jesus sat beside you. You didn’t recognize him at first but it seemed odd that he was dressed in that seamless flowing robe not to mention that he was bearded with his hair reaching to his shoulders. And what you couldn’t forget that will remain etched in your memory were those piercing eyes and the love that you could feel from the way he looked at you.
Sensing your frustration and despondency at the way your life had turned out Jesus spoke calmly and said to you: “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jer 29:11) And after he had said this he vanished from your sight. Then and only then did you realize that it was Jesus who sat beside you and spoke to you and gave you hope at a time when you couldn’t make anything out of your life.
Won’t your heart burn from the excitement that your first reaction was to jump and run to share the news with your family and peers? Such is natural because every piece of good news that we have received or joyous events we have experienced in our life are not kept to ourselves but are shared with others.
This was what the two disciples experienced who on their way home to Emmaus was joined by Jesus along the way and although they didn’t recognize him at first they probably had this eerie feeling there was something different with this person who was walking with them because he seemed to know the reason why Christ suffered and died (vv.25-27).
Jesus came at the right time because these two disciples – one was identified as Cleopas – have lost hope “but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel” (v.21) and their dreams of being liberated was shattered when Jesus was crucified and died on the cross.
These two disciples actually must have felt a double whammy had hit them because not only was Jesus put to death by crucifixion but even his body was nowhere to be found. Jesus actually could have changed the mindsets of these two disciples right there but this was typical of Jesus who does not force himself on anyone. As they neared their destination, Jesus acted as if he were going farther (v.28) but they insisted that he stays with them for the night (v.29).
Cleopas and the other disciples actually could have recognized Jesus early on especially when he chided them on the road to Emmaus for their slowness of heart to believe what the scriptures had said concerning the Messiah (v.25). Surely they must have recognized his voice but couldn’t because they felt defeated and downcast. Some of us may have experienced the same thing when we can’t think straight when things don’t turn out right and frustration and depression set in.
St. Augustine of Hippo explained why these two disciples acted this way: "They were so disturbed when they saw him hanging on the cross that they forgot his teaching, did not look for his resurrection, and failed to keep his promises in mind" (Sermon 235.1). And from the Harmony of the Gospels 3.25.72 it says: “It was not that the truth himself was misleading them, but rather that they were themselves unable to perceive the truth."
As they sat down at the table, Jesus explained the Scriptures to them and as he took the bread, gave thanks, broke it and gave it to them, their eyes were opened and they recognized him and he disappeared from their sight (vv.31-32). It was only then that they recognized who he was since they may have also been present at the feeding of the 5,000 and or at the last Passover meal of Jesus at the Upper Room.
There are at least two points that make this narrative remarkable. First is that Emmaus is to the West of Jerusalem. Hence, the two disciples were walking towards the sunset as it was already dusk. This is the exact opposite of what a Christian should be. It has been said that a Christian must set his sights towards the sunrise and not towards the sunset which means that we as Christians must not allow whatever frustrations or problems that come our way to hinder us from seeking that which is good.
They were also walking in the wrong direction because they headed for Emmaus when the rest of the disciples remained in Jerusalem. In other words, these two disciples were walking away from the fellowship of other believers in Jerusalem. We too will probably fail to recognize Jesus as with these two disciples if we separate ourselves from the Church and or Community. The beauty of this Gospel was that Jesus will not leave us wandering in our dashed hopes and frustrations as he will bring us back to the fold if we are willing.
The second point was that the joy the two disciples experienced moved them to rise and head back to Jerusalem. This was a seven-mile journey on foot and it we go by what this Gospel passage says the two disciples did not have time to rest as they stood up the moment Jesus vanished.
All that they thought of was to share their experience with the other disciples and this is what the question at the beginning meant – how far would you go to share a beautiful experience you had or to be more straightforward about it, how far would you go to bring Christ to others?
When they reached Jerusalem, they found their fellow disciples sharing their own experiences of their encounters with Jesus. They told of Jesus appearing to Peter (1 Cor 15:5) and the two disciples shared their own experiences with Jesus who broke bread with them (v.35).
This should be the same with us. As with the two disciples who trekked back to Jerusalem because they could not contain the joy of encountering Jesus, we too should not keep the Gospel to ourselves because the gift we have received we must give as a gift to others.
1st Reading: Ac 3:1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 105:1-9 “Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord”
GOSPEL: LK 24:13-35
Key Verse: “Were not our hearts burning within us…?” (v.32)
How far would you go to share with others a beautiful experience you just had? Passing a board exam, getting wed to your childhood sweetheart, birth of a first-born child, moving in to a new home and, promotion perhaps?
Let’s go straight to the point since this is the message of the Gospel today. What if you had an encounter with Jesus Christ? Let’s say you were seated in a park pondering your future and Jesus sat beside you. You didn’t recognize him at first but it seemed odd that he was dressed in that seamless flowing robe not to mention that he was bearded with his hair reaching to his shoulders. And what you couldn’t forget that will remain etched in your memory were those piercing eyes and the love that you could feel from the way he looked at you.
Sensing your frustration and despondency at the way your life had turned out Jesus spoke calmly and said to you: “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jer 29:11) And after he had said this he vanished from your sight. Then and only then did you realize that it was Jesus who sat beside you and spoke to you and gave you hope at a time when you couldn’t make anything out of your life.
Won’t your heart burn from the excitement that your first reaction was to jump and run to share the news with your family and peers? Such is natural because every piece of good news that we have received or joyous events we have experienced in our life are not kept to ourselves but are shared with others.
This was what the two disciples experienced who on their way home to Emmaus was joined by Jesus along the way and although they didn’t recognize him at first they probably had this eerie feeling there was something different with this person who was walking with them because he seemed to know the reason why Christ suffered and died (vv.25-27).
Jesus came at the right time because these two disciples – one was identified as Cleopas – have lost hope “but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel” (v.21) and their dreams of being liberated was shattered when Jesus was crucified and died on the cross.
These two disciples actually must have felt a double whammy had hit them because not only was Jesus put to death by crucifixion but even his body was nowhere to be found. Jesus actually could have changed the mindsets of these two disciples right there but this was typical of Jesus who does not force himself on anyone. As they neared their destination, Jesus acted as if he were going farther (v.28) but they insisted that he stays with them for the night (v.29).
Cleopas and the other disciples actually could have recognized Jesus early on especially when he chided them on the road to Emmaus for their slowness of heart to believe what the scriptures had said concerning the Messiah (v.25). Surely they must have recognized his voice but couldn’t because they felt defeated and downcast. Some of us may have experienced the same thing when we can’t think straight when things don’t turn out right and frustration and depression set in.
St. Augustine of Hippo explained why these two disciples acted this way: "They were so disturbed when they saw him hanging on the cross that they forgot his teaching, did not look for his resurrection, and failed to keep his promises in mind" (Sermon 235.1). And from the Harmony of the Gospels 3.25.72 it says: “It was not that the truth himself was misleading them, but rather that they were themselves unable to perceive the truth."
As they sat down at the table, Jesus explained the Scriptures to them and as he took the bread, gave thanks, broke it and gave it to them, their eyes were opened and they recognized him and he disappeared from their sight (vv.31-32). It was only then that they recognized who he was since they may have also been present at the feeding of the 5,000 and or at the last Passover meal of Jesus at the Upper Room.
There are at least two points that make this narrative remarkable. First is that Emmaus is to the West of Jerusalem. Hence, the two disciples were walking towards the sunset as it was already dusk. This is the exact opposite of what a Christian should be. It has been said that a Christian must set his sights towards the sunrise and not towards the sunset which means that we as Christians must not allow whatever frustrations or problems that come our way to hinder us from seeking that which is good.
They were also walking in the wrong direction because they headed for Emmaus when the rest of the disciples remained in Jerusalem. In other words, these two disciples were walking away from the fellowship of other believers in Jerusalem. We too will probably fail to recognize Jesus as with these two disciples if we separate ourselves from the Church and or Community. The beauty of this Gospel was that Jesus will not leave us wandering in our dashed hopes and frustrations as he will bring us back to the fold if we are willing.
The second point was that the joy the two disciples experienced moved them to rise and head back to Jerusalem. This was a seven-mile journey on foot and it we go by what this Gospel passage says the two disciples did not have time to rest as they stood up the moment Jesus vanished.
All that they thought of was to share their experience with the other disciples and this is what the question at the beginning meant – how far would you go to share a beautiful experience you had or to be more straightforward about it, how far would you go to bring Christ to others?
When they reached Jerusalem, they found their fellow disciples sharing their own experiences of their encounters with Jesus. They told of Jesus appearing to Peter (1 Cor 15:5) and the two disciples shared their own experiences with Jesus who broke bread with them (v.35).
This should be the same with us. As with the two disciples who trekked back to Jerusalem because they could not contain the joy of encountering Jesus, we too should not keep the Gospel to ourselves because the gift we have received we must give as a gift to others.
THE GREAT DISCOVERY
APRIL 2, 2013: TUESDAY OF THE OCTAVE OF EASTER
1st Reading: Ac 2:36-41
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 33:4-5, 18-20, 22 “The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: JN 20:11-18
Key Verse: “I have seen the Lord!” (v.18)
Regardless of the different versions of the stories we have read and heard that weren’t exactly kind to Mary Magdalene, she will go down in history as the first person to see the Risen Christ.
As it was customary for Jews to visit the tomb of their loved one for three days after the body had been buried, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early morning of the third day and finding the tomb open she ran back to the city where the disciples were hiding to report what she had seen.
She raced back to the tomb with Peter and John and finding the tomb to be empty the two Apostles left (v.10) and Mary who just stood outside the tomb weeping decided to look “into the tomb, and saw two angels in white seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.” (vv.11-12)
How about you? When was the last time you visited the tomb of your loved one? And how did you feel? We read Mary wept but what was it that she felt after Jesus died and now his body was nowhere to be found? Did she felt deserted by Jesus who saved her from being stoned to death? Was she angry that somebody had taken the body away? (v.13) Or was she in shock and couldn’t comprehend what had happened? But definitely she felt depressed because everyone had high expectations of Jesus.
Don’t we also find a part of Mary in us? Don’t we also feel grief and sense of loss at the death of a loved one especially someone with whom we spent a great deal of our lives. At times, we feel angry and felt abandoned by God.
And then Mary turned around and saw Jesus standing but she did not realize it was Jesus. This was an interesting angle because for someone like Mary who was one of the disciples who were close to Jesus it was unlikely she will not recognize him. The only explanation was that Mary was weeping and her sight was blurred and or she did not expect that Jesus would really rise again.
It was probable that Jesus stood as the sun brought in the light of day and Mary was having difficulty looking against the light and she did not recognize it was Jesus. This is the same for some of us who couldn’t see Jesus in our midst. It may be that we also don’t want to see Jesus because we are afraid he might ask of us something we are not prepared to give at this time – our time, talent and treasure perhaps. Worst, we can’t see Jesus simply because we are so full of ourselves such that our pride and arrogance block our view of Jesus.
As Mary heard a voice: “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” As she thought it was the gardener and Mary implored him to tell her where she could find the body of Jesus (v.15). And Jesus said to her: “Mary.” Mary must have heard this greeting many times in the past. Her recollection of the fondness in the way she was addressed by Jesus before must have come to life and she immediately recognized Him.
Jesus is near each one of us and He is calling our name. Close your eyes for the moment and draw a picture of Jesus standing near you and calling your name in a most loving way. Will you do what Mary did as she turned toward Him and cried out: “Rabboni!” which means Teacher (v.16).
Mary did not meet the Risen Christ until she saw the empty tomb and she reacted with joy as she ran to tell the other disciples. Conversely, we too cannot meet Christ until we discover that He is alive and, until we find that our tomb (hearts) has been emptied of sin, bitterness, anger, resentment, envy, arrogance and pride. When we empty our tomb of all these infirmities, then and only then can we be filled with the joy of the Good News and the impetus to share it with others.
Thus, Mary went back to where the disciples were assembled and gave them the news: “I have seen the Lord!” (v.18) In this one particular verse lies the very essence of Christianity because a Christian is someone who can say “I have seen the Lord” which means that there is in us a personal conviction that we have met him which means that we encountered him and have come to know him.
With an enlightened heart (Eph 1:18) we are able to see the truth of his resurrection and victory over sin and death. His death and resurrection was the great turning point in human history because it is through his death that an old world had ended and a whole new life entered the world through his resurrection.
More importantly, the death and resurrection of Jesus gives us the privilege of reaching God because Christ had become our perfect mediator and he has united us to Himself so that now we could share not only in what he did but we can now reach God through Him.
The resurrection of Jesus gives us the opportunity to see God face to face and share in his everlasting glory and joy especially in the Celebration of the Holy Eucharist such that each time we receive him in the breaking of the bread we can say readily say: “I have seen the Lord!”
1st Reading: Ac 2:36-41
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 33:4-5, 18-20, 22 “The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: JN 20:11-18
Key Verse: “I have seen the Lord!” (v.18)
Regardless of the different versions of the stories we have read and heard that weren’t exactly kind to Mary Magdalene, she will go down in history as the first person to see the Risen Christ.
As it was customary for Jews to visit the tomb of their loved one for three days after the body had been buried, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early morning of the third day and finding the tomb open she ran back to the city where the disciples were hiding to report what she had seen.
She raced back to the tomb with Peter and John and finding the tomb to be empty the two Apostles left (v.10) and Mary who just stood outside the tomb weeping decided to look “into the tomb, and saw two angels in white seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.” (vv.11-12)
How about you? When was the last time you visited the tomb of your loved one? And how did you feel? We read Mary wept but what was it that she felt after Jesus died and now his body was nowhere to be found? Did she felt deserted by Jesus who saved her from being stoned to death? Was she angry that somebody had taken the body away? (v.13) Or was she in shock and couldn’t comprehend what had happened? But definitely she felt depressed because everyone had high expectations of Jesus.
Don’t we also find a part of Mary in us? Don’t we also feel grief and sense of loss at the death of a loved one especially someone with whom we spent a great deal of our lives. At times, we feel angry and felt abandoned by God.
And then Mary turned around and saw Jesus standing but she did not realize it was Jesus. This was an interesting angle because for someone like Mary who was one of the disciples who were close to Jesus it was unlikely she will not recognize him. The only explanation was that Mary was weeping and her sight was blurred and or she did not expect that Jesus would really rise again.
It was probable that Jesus stood as the sun brought in the light of day and Mary was having difficulty looking against the light and she did not recognize it was Jesus. This is the same for some of us who couldn’t see Jesus in our midst. It may be that we also don’t want to see Jesus because we are afraid he might ask of us something we are not prepared to give at this time – our time, talent and treasure perhaps. Worst, we can’t see Jesus simply because we are so full of ourselves such that our pride and arrogance block our view of Jesus.
As Mary heard a voice: “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” As she thought it was the gardener and Mary implored him to tell her where she could find the body of Jesus (v.15). And Jesus said to her: “Mary.” Mary must have heard this greeting many times in the past. Her recollection of the fondness in the way she was addressed by Jesus before must have come to life and she immediately recognized Him.
Jesus is near each one of us and He is calling our name. Close your eyes for the moment and draw a picture of Jesus standing near you and calling your name in a most loving way. Will you do what Mary did as she turned toward Him and cried out: “Rabboni!” which means Teacher (v.16).
Mary did not meet the Risen Christ until she saw the empty tomb and she reacted with joy as she ran to tell the other disciples. Conversely, we too cannot meet Christ until we discover that He is alive and, until we find that our tomb (hearts) has been emptied of sin, bitterness, anger, resentment, envy, arrogance and pride. When we empty our tomb of all these infirmities, then and only then can we be filled with the joy of the Good News and the impetus to share it with others.
Thus, Mary went back to where the disciples were assembled and gave them the news: “I have seen the Lord!” (v.18) In this one particular verse lies the very essence of Christianity because a Christian is someone who can say “I have seen the Lord” which means that there is in us a personal conviction that we have met him which means that we encountered him and have come to know him.
With an enlightened heart (Eph 1:18) we are able to see the truth of his resurrection and victory over sin and death. His death and resurrection was the great turning point in human history because it is through his death that an old world had ended and a whole new life entered the world through his resurrection.
More importantly, the death and resurrection of Jesus gives us the privilege of reaching God because Christ had become our perfect mediator and he has united us to Himself so that now we could share not only in what he did but we can now reach God through Him.
The resurrection of Jesus gives us the opportunity to see God face to face and share in his everlasting glory and joy especially in the Celebration of the Holy Eucharist such that each time we receive him in the breaking of the bread we can say readily say: “I have seen the Lord!”
JESUS IS ALIVE!
APRIL 1, 2013: MONDAY OF THE OCTAVE OF EASTER
1st Reading: Ac 2:14, 22-33
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 16:1-2a, 5, 7-11 “Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.”
GOSPEL: MATT 28:8-15
Key Verse: “fearful yet overjoyed.” (v.8)
When you read this Gospel passage, try closing your eyes and imagine that you were one of those who went to the tomb of Jesus and found it to be empty. How would you feel if you found the stone rolled back and an angel sitting on it?
You would probably feel the same way that the two Mary’s felt - one was Mary Magdalene and the other Mary was either the wife of Clopas (Jn 19:25) or the mother of James and John (Matt 27:56) – after an angel sitting on the stone leading to the tomb told them to tell the other disciples that Jesus has risen from the dead and where they could find him. They “hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy.” (v.8)
How would you feel if you were there? Shocked? Scared to death? Wondering who took the body? Would you be overcome with grief telling yourself this is too much for me to take? Or would you feel joyful that Jesus kept his promise and rose from the dead on the third day as he had promised?
However way you may have felt had you been there, you will probably feel the same way – afraid yet filled with joy – especially if you’d happen to meet Jesus Christ in an alley today and he tells you “believe in me and I will give you eternal life.”
Joyful because meeting him would erase all doubts you may have been harboring relative to his resurrection. Did he really rise from the dead? How was it possible? Afraid because you also know that the eternal life Jesus is offering does not come free. This eternal life is conditional and it is given only to those who will believe in Him and to believe in Him means to yield and subordinate our own will to His Will.
But this is getting ahead of this Gospel passage for today that speaks of the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ which was the fulfillment of his promise to rise again on the third day (Lk 18:33) and this event is an undoubted fact.
The Jews claim that his disciples have stolen his body (v.13) but this was not possible because the stone could not have been moved without waking up the guards. If the guards were sleeping, how could they have known that it was the disciples who stole the body of Jesus. The truth was the guards were even bribed to say his body was stolen (vv.14-15).
Today more than 2,500 years later, the Resurrection of Jesus is still being debated but there is just no point discussing this matter any further as there are actually only two choices we can make – to either believe that Jesus indeed rose from the dead, or ignore this truth.
And Christians shouldn’t find it difficult to believe in the Resurrection because of the gift of faith that has been infused in us at the time of our Baptism. This faith that we have is the firm conviction, arrived at with the Grace of God, that moves us to believe all that Jesus Christ taught on earth is true as well as all that the Catholic Church teaches by the commission she has received from Him.
While we do need faith to believe in the Resurrection, it would help us to believe if we will consider that there are at least four major pieces of evidence that would show that Jesus indeed rose from the dead.
First and foremost was that Jesus had died (Jn 19:33). The second point was that Jesus was buried in a new tomb (Jn 19:41) but his body wasn’t there when Mary Magdalene, Peter and John went to tomb on the morning of the third day (Jn 20:1-9).
The third point was that there were at least 12 instances when Jesus appeared or was seen by his disciples and the number of witnesses who attested to these appearances more than satisfies the Jewish tradition to have at least two or three witnesses when presenting a case (Deut 17:6).
The fourth and last point was that many people have encountered Jesus and were changed by Him and this turns the Resurrection into a personal experience rather than a theological discussion.
Indeed, from that time on until today there have been countless number of people including many known atheists who have been converted and transformed from their unbelief to belief in God. What might or could have changed them? Well, they met the living Jesus.
This is the same with us. Many of us were skeptics. We lived in a world that was devoid of His presence in the true sense of the word. We go through our obligations like attendance in Sunday masses but we remained non-committal to further involvement in church activities.
And many of us felt we have everything we need in life until such time we find that even the world can no longer satisfy the emptiness inside us. I was like many others who lived in my own world. During my time as a media practitioner I would go to great lengths even stepping on other people’s toes just so I could have the story I want – not just to be the first to break the news but to become popular. I also wanted to get rich and maintainers of gambling dens went their way without fear of being raided by law enforcers because of my patronage.
But God loves us so much that He will not allow us to wallow in misery and sin and he will reveal Himself to us at the time when we need him most. When everything in our life seems to be going wrong that is when we will meet Him and he did reveal himself to me when I found myself on the pit of desperation when the throne I thought I had crumbled.
And when we do meet him, there are at least three things required of us as with His disciples following his Resurrection. (1) We have to believe every Word that Jesus said and we will be saved (Ac 16:31); (2) We are to share what we know of the Risen Christ. We are to go and preach the Good News (Mk 16:15). The Good News is our personal experience of our own resurrection that was made possible by the love of Christ, and; (3) Rejoice in the Lord always (Phi 4:4). The man who has met the Risen Lord must live life to the full (Jn 10:10) making known His presence in our life.
While there are some even today who claim that the resurrection of Jesus was a great hoax, such claims are not only ludicrous but totally devoid of reason. Why? Because the Resurrection of Jesus was not only the greatest event in history but its authenticity was witnessed not just by two or three but countless witnesses who gave empirical testimonies attesting to its truthfulness.
The question now is what would you do with what has been revealed to you? Like the Apostles and his other disciples, will you testify that Jesus is risen?
1st Reading: Ac 2:14, 22-33
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 16:1-2a, 5, 7-11 “Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope.”
GOSPEL: MATT 28:8-15
Key Verse: “fearful yet overjoyed.” (v.8)
When you read this Gospel passage, try closing your eyes and imagine that you were one of those who went to the tomb of Jesus and found it to be empty. How would you feel if you found the stone rolled back and an angel sitting on it?
You would probably feel the same way that the two Mary’s felt - one was Mary Magdalene and the other Mary was either the wife of Clopas (Jn 19:25) or the mother of James and John (Matt 27:56) – after an angel sitting on the stone leading to the tomb told them to tell the other disciples that Jesus has risen from the dead and where they could find him. They “hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy.” (v.8)
How would you feel if you were there? Shocked? Scared to death? Wondering who took the body? Would you be overcome with grief telling yourself this is too much for me to take? Or would you feel joyful that Jesus kept his promise and rose from the dead on the third day as he had promised?
However way you may have felt had you been there, you will probably feel the same way – afraid yet filled with joy – especially if you’d happen to meet Jesus Christ in an alley today and he tells you “believe in me and I will give you eternal life.”
Joyful because meeting him would erase all doubts you may have been harboring relative to his resurrection. Did he really rise from the dead? How was it possible? Afraid because you also know that the eternal life Jesus is offering does not come free. This eternal life is conditional and it is given only to those who will believe in Him and to believe in Him means to yield and subordinate our own will to His Will.
But this is getting ahead of this Gospel passage for today that speaks of the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ which was the fulfillment of his promise to rise again on the third day (Lk 18:33) and this event is an undoubted fact.
The Jews claim that his disciples have stolen his body (v.13) but this was not possible because the stone could not have been moved without waking up the guards. If the guards were sleeping, how could they have known that it was the disciples who stole the body of Jesus. The truth was the guards were even bribed to say his body was stolen (vv.14-15).
Today more than 2,500 years later, the Resurrection of Jesus is still being debated but there is just no point discussing this matter any further as there are actually only two choices we can make – to either believe that Jesus indeed rose from the dead, or ignore this truth.
And Christians shouldn’t find it difficult to believe in the Resurrection because of the gift of faith that has been infused in us at the time of our Baptism. This faith that we have is the firm conviction, arrived at with the Grace of God, that moves us to believe all that Jesus Christ taught on earth is true as well as all that the Catholic Church teaches by the commission she has received from Him.
While we do need faith to believe in the Resurrection, it would help us to believe if we will consider that there are at least four major pieces of evidence that would show that Jesus indeed rose from the dead.
First and foremost was that Jesus had died (Jn 19:33). The second point was that Jesus was buried in a new tomb (Jn 19:41) but his body wasn’t there when Mary Magdalene, Peter and John went to tomb on the morning of the third day (Jn 20:1-9).
The third point was that there were at least 12 instances when Jesus appeared or was seen by his disciples and the number of witnesses who attested to these appearances more than satisfies the Jewish tradition to have at least two or three witnesses when presenting a case (Deut 17:6).
The fourth and last point was that many people have encountered Jesus and were changed by Him and this turns the Resurrection into a personal experience rather than a theological discussion.
Indeed, from that time on until today there have been countless number of people including many known atheists who have been converted and transformed from their unbelief to belief in God. What might or could have changed them? Well, they met the living Jesus.
This is the same with us. Many of us were skeptics. We lived in a world that was devoid of His presence in the true sense of the word. We go through our obligations like attendance in Sunday masses but we remained non-committal to further involvement in church activities.
And many of us felt we have everything we need in life until such time we find that even the world can no longer satisfy the emptiness inside us. I was like many others who lived in my own world. During my time as a media practitioner I would go to great lengths even stepping on other people’s toes just so I could have the story I want – not just to be the first to break the news but to become popular. I also wanted to get rich and maintainers of gambling dens went their way without fear of being raided by law enforcers because of my patronage.
But God loves us so much that He will not allow us to wallow in misery and sin and he will reveal Himself to us at the time when we need him most. When everything in our life seems to be going wrong that is when we will meet Him and he did reveal himself to me when I found myself on the pit of desperation when the throne I thought I had crumbled.
And when we do meet him, there are at least three things required of us as with His disciples following his Resurrection. (1) We have to believe every Word that Jesus said and we will be saved (Ac 16:31); (2) We are to share what we know of the Risen Christ. We are to go and preach the Good News (Mk 16:15). The Good News is our personal experience of our own resurrection that was made possible by the love of Christ, and; (3) Rejoice in the Lord always (Phi 4:4). The man who has met the Risen Lord must live life to the full (Jn 10:10) making known His presence in our life.
While there are some even today who claim that the resurrection of Jesus was a great hoax, such claims are not only ludicrous but totally devoid of reason. Why? Because the Resurrection of Jesus was not only the greatest event in history but its authenticity was witnessed not just by two or three but countless witnesses who gave empirical testimonies attesting to its truthfulness.
The question now is what would you do with what has been revealed to you? Like the Apostles and his other disciples, will you testify that Jesus is risen?
PROMISE FULFILLED
MAR. 31, 2013: EASTER SUNDAY
1st Reading: Ac 10:34a, 37-43
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 118: 1-2, 16-17, 22-23 “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.”
2nd Reading: 1 Cor 5:6b-8
GOSPEL: JN 20: 1-9
Key Verse: “He saw and believed.” (v.8)
The Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ without any doubt is the greatest story the world has ever come to know. And for those who have faith even the size of a mustard seed, believing may not prove difficult but for those who will hear of the Resurrection for the first time may need time before they can fully comprehend and grasp this amazing story.
When Mary Magdalene, Peter and John saw that the body of Jesus was no longer in the tomb it only meant one thing – that he did what he said he would do and that he will rise from the dead on the third day. And if Jesus rose from the dead on that first Easter morning, walked the earth for the next 40 days and ascended into heaven on the 40th day after his Resurrection – it means that Jesus was indeed the Son of God and is very much alive today.
There are three characters in this story and we actually have a piece of each of these three personages. As it was the belief of the Jews that the spirit of the dead hovered around the tomb for at least three days and would only depart when the body had become unrecognizable due to decay, it became customary for the Jews to visit the tomb of a loved one for three days.
But because it was Sabbath the next day after Jesus died and was buried the disciples of Jesus could not come to the tomb and this was the reason why Mary Magdalene went right when the Sabbath ended when the night ended at the break of dawn.
Mary ran back to tell the other disciples when she found the body of Jesus was no longer in the tomb. Peter and John tried to outrun each other into the tomb (v.4) but John looked inside and only saw the burial cloth lying at the tomb. Peter rushed in and saw the napkin that covered the face of Jesus to be neatly folded and placed separately from the burial cloth. Both Mary and Peter, however, remained bewildered by what they were seeing and couldn’t make anything out of what was before them.
But what was clearly evident in this scenario was the bond of love that all three, Mary, Peter and John, had for Jesus. It was Mary who loved Jesus so much that she anointed the feet of Jesus with an expensive perfume (Jn 12:3) who was the first to come to the tomb. Regardless of the three times he denied Jesus (Jn 18:17, 25-27),
Peter out of love was the first to go inside the tomb. And John the disciple whom Jesus loved and who loved Jesus finally went in and “he saw and he believed.” (v.8). It was not what John may have read in the Scriptures that convinced him that Jesus would resurrect but what he saw in his own eyes.
Today we as Christians believe not only in the Resurrection of Jesus as an historical event in the history of the Church but that Jesus had truly risen from the dead and who is alive today, now and forever. Such belief is necessary because this is the key to our Christian faith – to believe in the fulfillment of His promise.
To help us understand and believe, let me just run through at least four major pieces of evidence that Jesus had indeed risen from the dead: (1) Jesus died and this could not be denied (Jn 19:33). (2) There was no way anyone could have gone past the guards at the entrance to the tomb. And Jesus could not have rolled the stone from the inside. The linen used to wrap his body appeared as if Jesus passed through them (vv.5-9). (3) Jesus had appeared to many witnesses after his death. Mary Magdalene saw him (vv.11-18). He appeared before his disciples (vv. 19-20). Jesus appeared to Thomas (Mk 16:14). He appeared to seven disciples in the Sea of Galilee (Jn 21: 1-25). (4) The countless number of people who have encountered him who have been transformed from their unbelief, skepticism, doubt, indifference to Christianity. What could have changed them including atheists? They met the living Jesus.
Jesus is alive now as he was on that first Easter morning and he still invites people today to know Him (Jn 17:33), love Him (Matt 22:37), serve Him (Jn 12:26) and be happy with Him (Jn 16:22) in eternity. Many of us who were brought into the Church and the Community especially those who have been baptized in the Spirit have been transformed because we have encountered Jesus the living God.
And Jesus revealed Himself to us out of his great love for those whom God has created in “His own image and likeness” (Gen 1:26). In the same way, it is out of love flowing from our hearts that we allow the Holy Spirit to keep touching us with His life and power.
This is the great law of life in that there can never be a union among us unless there is a bond of love and sympathy that exists in us. A music concert conductor for example cannot interpret the composition of a composer unless he is filled with love for the music he is to conduct.
Love is the greatest purveyor of truth because we can easily grasp the truth when there is love even if our finite minds grope and struggle with the truth. There was once a story about the great French artist Paul Gustave Dore’ (Jan. 6, 1832 - Jan. 23, 1883) when a young artist brought a picture of Jesus to him for his review and evaluation. It took Dore’ some time and when he finally spoke, he said: “You don’t love him, or you would paint him better.”
This is the same with us. Like the young artist, we will only come to know Him, love Him, serve Him and be happy with Him if we will step out of our unbelief and believe and have faith in Him who said he will rise from the dead and he did.
For us to truly believe we must roll out the stone in our lives. Over the years since childhood, we have picked up some or even many negative vibes that have clouded the original image of God in us such that we have become a person that God would not even recognize.
We have clothed ourselves with arrogance and pride, filled our lives with lies, indulged in self-exaltation and thinking highly of ourselves. But one thing is certain. If Jesus had not risen from the dead, we would not have heard of him and we would not have had the chance to be transformed into the image and likeness to which we have been created. But we need to roll out the stone – the negative influences that have stained our souls – so we can share in the glory of Easter and be resurrected to a new life.
A promise fulfilled and no other god or prophet has risen from the dead except Jesus the one true God. Surely this man was the Son of God! (Mk 15:39). Today, we continue to draw on the power of the Holy Spirit who gives us the eyes of faith and the joy to personally know Jesus our Savior and King!
1st Reading: Ac 10:34a, 37-43
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 118: 1-2, 16-17, 22-23 “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.”
2nd Reading: 1 Cor 5:6b-8
GOSPEL: JN 20: 1-9
Key Verse: “He saw and believed.” (v.8)
The Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ without any doubt is the greatest story the world has ever come to know. And for those who have faith even the size of a mustard seed, believing may not prove difficult but for those who will hear of the Resurrection for the first time may need time before they can fully comprehend and grasp this amazing story.
When Mary Magdalene, Peter and John saw that the body of Jesus was no longer in the tomb it only meant one thing – that he did what he said he would do and that he will rise from the dead on the third day. And if Jesus rose from the dead on that first Easter morning, walked the earth for the next 40 days and ascended into heaven on the 40th day after his Resurrection – it means that Jesus was indeed the Son of God and is very much alive today.
There are three characters in this story and we actually have a piece of each of these three personages. As it was the belief of the Jews that the spirit of the dead hovered around the tomb for at least three days and would only depart when the body had become unrecognizable due to decay, it became customary for the Jews to visit the tomb of a loved one for three days.
But because it was Sabbath the next day after Jesus died and was buried the disciples of Jesus could not come to the tomb and this was the reason why Mary Magdalene went right when the Sabbath ended when the night ended at the break of dawn.
Mary ran back to tell the other disciples when she found the body of Jesus was no longer in the tomb. Peter and John tried to outrun each other into the tomb (v.4) but John looked inside and only saw the burial cloth lying at the tomb. Peter rushed in and saw the napkin that covered the face of Jesus to be neatly folded and placed separately from the burial cloth. Both Mary and Peter, however, remained bewildered by what they were seeing and couldn’t make anything out of what was before them.
But what was clearly evident in this scenario was the bond of love that all three, Mary, Peter and John, had for Jesus. It was Mary who loved Jesus so much that she anointed the feet of Jesus with an expensive perfume (Jn 12:3) who was the first to come to the tomb. Regardless of the three times he denied Jesus (Jn 18:17, 25-27),
Peter out of love was the first to go inside the tomb. And John the disciple whom Jesus loved and who loved Jesus finally went in and “he saw and he believed.” (v.8). It was not what John may have read in the Scriptures that convinced him that Jesus would resurrect but what he saw in his own eyes.
Today we as Christians believe not only in the Resurrection of Jesus as an historical event in the history of the Church but that Jesus had truly risen from the dead and who is alive today, now and forever. Such belief is necessary because this is the key to our Christian faith – to believe in the fulfillment of His promise.
To help us understand and believe, let me just run through at least four major pieces of evidence that Jesus had indeed risen from the dead: (1) Jesus died and this could not be denied (Jn 19:33). (2) There was no way anyone could have gone past the guards at the entrance to the tomb. And Jesus could not have rolled the stone from the inside. The linen used to wrap his body appeared as if Jesus passed through them (vv.5-9). (3) Jesus had appeared to many witnesses after his death. Mary Magdalene saw him (vv.11-18). He appeared before his disciples (vv. 19-20). Jesus appeared to Thomas (Mk 16:14). He appeared to seven disciples in the Sea of Galilee (Jn 21: 1-25). (4) The countless number of people who have encountered him who have been transformed from their unbelief, skepticism, doubt, indifference to Christianity. What could have changed them including atheists? They met the living Jesus.
Jesus is alive now as he was on that first Easter morning and he still invites people today to know Him (Jn 17:33), love Him (Matt 22:37), serve Him (Jn 12:26) and be happy with Him (Jn 16:22) in eternity. Many of us who were brought into the Church and the Community especially those who have been baptized in the Spirit have been transformed because we have encountered Jesus the living God.
And Jesus revealed Himself to us out of his great love for those whom God has created in “His own image and likeness” (Gen 1:26). In the same way, it is out of love flowing from our hearts that we allow the Holy Spirit to keep touching us with His life and power.
This is the great law of life in that there can never be a union among us unless there is a bond of love and sympathy that exists in us. A music concert conductor for example cannot interpret the composition of a composer unless he is filled with love for the music he is to conduct.
Love is the greatest purveyor of truth because we can easily grasp the truth when there is love even if our finite minds grope and struggle with the truth. There was once a story about the great French artist Paul Gustave Dore’ (Jan. 6, 1832 - Jan. 23, 1883) when a young artist brought a picture of Jesus to him for his review and evaluation. It took Dore’ some time and when he finally spoke, he said: “You don’t love him, or you would paint him better.”
This is the same with us. Like the young artist, we will only come to know Him, love Him, serve Him and be happy with Him if we will step out of our unbelief and believe and have faith in Him who said he will rise from the dead and he did.
For us to truly believe we must roll out the stone in our lives. Over the years since childhood, we have picked up some or even many negative vibes that have clouded the original image of God in us such that we have become a person that God would not even recognize.
We have clothed ourselves with arrogance and pride, filled our lives with lies, indulged in self-exaltation and thinking highly of ourselves. But one thing is certain. If Jesus had not risen from the dead, we would not have heard of him and we would not have had the chance to be transformed into the image and likeness to which we have been created. But we need to roll out the stone – the negative influences that have stained our souls – so we can share in the glory of Easter and be resurrected to a new life.
A promise fulfilled and no other god or prophet has risen from the dead except Jesus the one true God. Surely this man was the Son of God! (Mk 15:39). Today, we continue to draw on the power of the Holy Spirit who gives us the eyes of faith and the joy to personally know Jesus our Savior and King!
HE IS RISEN AS HE PROMISED
MAR. 30, 2013: BLACK SATURDAY - EASTER VIGIL
1st Reading: Gen 1:1-2:2
Responsorial Psalm: Psa Psa 118:1-23 “Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!”
2nd Reading: Gen 22:1-18
Epistle: Rom 6:3-11
GOSPEL: Lk 24:1-12
Key Verse: “He has risen!” (v.6)
As we await the glorious resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ as he had promised, let us just establish the predicate so that we may have a greater appreciation of the redemptive work of Jesus the Christ. This is also important to clear some of the wrong impressions we may have about Jesus descending into hell although this is what we pray in the Apostles’ Creed.
The Church refers to this day as Holy Saturday and or Black Saturday which means that the Church is in mourning. In Roman Catholic churches, the sanctuary remains stripped completely bare (following the Mass of Holy Thursday) while the administration of the sacraments is severely limited.
Holy Communion after the Good Friday service is given only as Viaticum to the dying. Baptism, Penance, and Anointing of the Sick may be administered because they, like Viaticum, are helpful to ensuring salvation for the dying. Masses are severely limited and no Mass at all is celebrated in the normal liturgy for this day, although Mass can be said on Good Friday and on Holy Saturday for an extremely grave or solemn situation with a dispensation from the Vatican or the local bishop.
Many of the churches of the Anglican Communion as well as Lutheran, Methodist, and some other Churches observe most of the same; however, their altars may be covered in black instead of being stripped.
In some churches, provision is made for a simple Liturgy of the Word on this day, with readings commemorating the burial of Christ while the Daily Offices are still observed.
Liturgically speaking, Holy Saturday lasts until 6:00 p.m. of Saturday, after which the Easter Vigil is celebrated, marking the official start of the Easter season. The service may start with a fire and the lighting of the new Paschal candle. In the Roman Catholic tradition, the "Gloria" of the Mass is recited once again and the church statues and icons that were covered with purple veils during Passiontide, are dramatically unveiled.
Now let us qualify what the reference that Jesus descended into hell means. While the ancient writings that found their way into the Apostles’ Creed said that: “He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell…” It is probably the intention of the Church to clarify this particular understanding of Holy Saturday that the Church has deigned it necessary to bring back the Nicene Creed where this scenario is simply stated as: “He suffered, died, and was buried.”
While the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC633) says that Christ went down into hell, the situation of the souls that were there were not identical which means that Jesus did not descend into hell to deliver the damned, nor to destroy the hell of damnation, but to free the just who had gone before him.
The place that Christ went into was called “limbo” and this is quite distinct from purgatory although both share one thing in common that the souls who are there have no vision of God. The difference is that while there may be pain being suffered in purgatory there is none in the place called limbo and limbo is also different from hell where the pain is eternal. Limbo is what is called in the Scripture as the “bosom of Abraham” (Lk 16:22).
When Christ died, he went down into limbo to announce to the souls detained there the news of the redemption and to set them free. St. Ephiphanius affirmed this to be true and so did St. Irenaeus and St. Ignatius of Antioch saying that Christ returned with a large company of souls.
As he did this, Christ also revealed himself even to the souls in hell, and they were compelled to bow their knee to him (Phi 2:10). CCC634 says: “The gospel was preached even to the dead." (1 Pet 4:6) The descent into hell brings the Gospel message of salvation to complete fulfillment. This is the last phase of Jesus' messianic mission, a phase which is condensed in time but vast in its real significance: the spread of Christ's redemptive work to all men of all times and all places, for all who are saved have been made sharers in the redemption.
And CCC635 states that: Christ went down into the depths of death so that "the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live." (Jn 5:25; Matt 12:40; Rom 10:7; Eph 4:9) Jesus, "the Author of life", by dying destroyed "him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and [delivered] all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage." (Heb 2:14-15; Acts 3:15) Henceforth the risen Christ holds "the keys of Death and Hades", so that "at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth." (Rev 1:18; Phi 2:10)
So tonight, we gather together to celebrate the Resurrection of Our Lord as he had promised. As revealed in Luke’s gospel and those of Matthew, Mark, and John, Jesus Christ rose from the dead to prove to one and all that He is God and that we too, are to rise again.
There was no way for his disciples to have rolled away the stone without waking up the guards and if indeed his body was stolen the guards could have been punished. To further prove that he indeed has risen from the dead, Jesus appeared to many of His disciples and it is this realization of his deity that his disciples would later become witnesses of the resurrection.
The nature of their witness does not allow an option to deceive others because they confessed to empirical evidence, claiming to have eaten and drank with Him, touched Him, and walked with Him and if Jesus was not raised from the dead, there could only be one alternative – that the witnesses who testified to His death and Resurrection were liars and deceivers and it is just not possible that men would be willing to suffer and die to propagate a lie.
When we carefully examine the lives and testimony of the witnesses of the resurrection, the only reasonable conclusion to draw was that they really saw what they claimed concerning Jesus regarding Jesus – that "He is risen!"
And in the words of St. Ambrose, if we are to rise from the grave of the flesh, we must rise from the grave of our sins. Let his resurrection then provide us with the realization that His death on the cross has given us the power to rise from our sinful nature and live again.
1st Reading: Gen 1:1-2:2
Responsorial Psalm: Psa Psa 118:1-23 “Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!”
2nd Reading: Gen 22:1-18
Epistle: Rom 6:3-11
GOSPEL: Lk 24:1-12
Key Verse: “He has risen!” (v.6)
As we await the glorious resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ as he had promised, let us just establish the predicate so that we may have a greater appreciation of the redemptive work of Jesus the Christ. This is also important to clear some of the wrong impressions we may have about Jesus descending into hell although this is what we pray in the Apostles’ Creed.
The Church refers to this day as Holy Saturday and or Black Saturday which means that the Church is in mourning. In Roman Catholic churches, the sanctuary remains stripped completely bare (following the Mass of Holy Thursday) while the administration of the sacraments is severely limited.
Holy Communion after the Good Friday service is given only as Viaticum to the dying. Baptism, Penance, and Anointing of the Sick may be administered because they, like Viaticum, are helpful to ensuring salvation for the dying. Masses are severely limited and no Mass at all is celebrated in the normal liturgy for this day, although Mass can be said on Good Friday and on Holy Saturday for an extremely grave or solemn situation with a dispensation from the Vatican or the local bishop.
Many of the churches of the Anglican Communion as well as Lutheran, Methodist, and some other Churches observe most of the same; however, their altars may be covered in black instead of being stripped.
In some churches, provision is made for a simple Liturgy of the Word on this day, with readings commemorating the burial of Christ while the Daily Offices are still observed.
Liturgically speaking, Holy Saturday lasts until 6:00 p.m. of Saturday, after which the Easter Vigil is celebrated, marking the official start of the Easter season. The service may start with a fire and the lighting of the new Paschal candle. In the Roman Catholic tradition, the "Gloria" of the Mass is recited once again and the church statues and icons that were covered with purple veils during Passiontide, are dramatically unveiled.
Now let us qualify what the reference that Jesus descended into hell means. While the ancient writings that found their way into the Apostles’ Creed said that: “He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell…” It is probably the intention of the Church to clarify this particular understanding of Holy Saturday that the Church has deigned it necessary to bring back the Nicene Creed where this scenario is simply stated as: “He suffered, died, and was buried.”
While the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC633) says that Christ went down into hell, the situation of the souls that were there were not identical which means that Jesus did not descend into hell to deliver the damned, nor to destroy the hell of damnation, but to free the just who had gone before him.
The place that Christ went into was called “limbo” and this is quite distinct from purgatory although both share one thing in common that the souls who are there have no vision of God. The difference is that while there may be pain being suffered in purgatory there is none in the place called limbo and limbo is also different from hell where the pain is eternal. Limbo is what is called in the Scripture as the “bosom of Abraham” (Lk 16:22).
When Christ died, he went down into limbo to announce to the souls detained there the news of the redemption and to set them free. St. Ephiphanius affirmed this to be true and so did St. Irenaeus and St. Ignatius of Antioch saying that Christ returned with a large company of souls.
As he did this, Christ also revealed himself even to the souls in hell, and they were compelled to bow their knee to him (Phi 2:10). CCC634 says: “The gospel was preached even to the dead." (1 Pet 4:6) The descent into hell brings the Gospel message of salvation to complete fulfillment. This is the last phase of Jesus' messianic mission, a phase which is condensed in time but vast in its real significance: the spread of Christ's redemptive work to all men of all times and all places, for all who are saved have been made sharers in the redemption.
And CCC635 states that: Christ went down into the depths of death so that "the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live." (Jn 5:25; Matt 12:40; Rom 10:7; Eph 4:9) Jesus, "the Author of life", by dying destroyed "him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and [delivered] all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage." (Heb 2:14-15; Acts 3:15) Henceforth the risen Christ holds "the keys of Death and Hades", so that "at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth." (Rev 1:18; Phi 2:10)
So tonight, we gather together to celebrate the Resurrection of Our Lord as he had promised. As revealed in Luke’s gospel and those of Matthew, Mark, and John, Jesus Christ rose from the dead to prove to one and all that He is God and that we too, are to rise again.
There was no way for his disciples to have rolled away the stone without waking up the guards and if indeed his body was stolen the guards could have been punished. To further prove that he indeed has risen from the dead, Jesus appeared to many of His disciples and it is this realization of his deity that his disciples would later become witnesses of the resurrection.
The nature of their witness does not allow an option to deceive others because they confessed to empirical evidence, claiming to have eaten and drank with Him, touched Him, and walked with Him and if Jesus was not raised from the dead, there could only be one alternative – that the witnesses who testified to His death and Resurrection were liars and deceivers and it is just not possible that men would be willing to suffer and die to propagate a lie.
When we carefully examine the lives and testimony of the witnesses of the resurrection, the only reasonable conclusion to draw was that they really saw what they claimed concerning Jesus regarding Jesus – that "He is risen!"
And in the words of St. Ambrose, if we are to rise from the grave of the flesh, we must rise from the grave of our sins. Let his resurrection then provide us with the realization that His death on the cross has given us the power to rise from our sinful nature and live again.
IN DEATH THERE IS LIFE
MAR. 29, 2013: GOOD FRIDAY – Celebration of the Lord’s Passion
1st Reading: Isa 52:13 – 53:12
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 31: 2, 6, 12-13, 15-16, 17-25 “Father, into Your hands I commend my Spirit.”
2nd Reading: Heb 4:14-16; 5:7-9
GOSPEL: JN 18:1-19, 42
Key Verse: “It is finished.” (v.30)
Whenever I hear the Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper (Holy Thursday) I always feel a deep sense of joy not at the remembrance of the final act of humility of Jesus (Washing of the Feet) before his betrayal and arrest that was about to take place but of my being blessed with the realization that I belong to the Catholic Church that is steeped in tradition.
As the events of the final hours of the life of Jesus was being relived before my eyes, I felt a profound sense of gratitude for the immense wealth of tradition that has been made available for us the lay faithful that helps strengthen my Catholic faith.
This year’s observance of what is to me the most important Catholic tradition was particularly special because of God’s presence as I went through the 40-day Lenten preparation for the Holy Week. I really felt anxious on several occasions that I would not be able to complete what I call the 40-day Novena because of the Pastoral Visits that we as Servant Leaders of the Community had to make but God always made a way that I was able to hear Mass in the places I went to.
As Jesus goes through with his mocked trial before Pilate, it would help us feel the humiliating and sacrificial character of this event in the life of Jesus by looking back and recall how we have lived our lives and we will find that there is in each of us a personification of the disciples of Jesus.
Personally, I was like Judas who betrayed Jesus when I wallowed in sin in the past. I sold Jesus each time I accepted bribes when I was still in the media to make right what from the beginning was already wrong. I was like his disciples who deserted him following his arrest when I turned my back on those who ask me for help. I deserted Jesus when I turned a blind eye at the corruption I was exposed to and not doing my part to stop it even when I could.
Like Peter, I too denied him when I turned down invitations for us to attend the Marriage Encounter Weekend and the Life in the Spirit Seminar and when I failed to defend my Catholic faith from those who make a mockery of our Catholic tradition and practices.
And today as we are reminded of the suffering that Jesus had to endure we must appreciate the fact that we can find no greater proof of God's love for us than the willing sacrifice of his Son on the cross. As Jesus breathed his last and said: “It is finished!” (v.30) this was actually an expression of victory rather than defeat for when Jesus bowed his head and gave up his spirit he knew that the battle was over and had been won.
Even on the cross Jesus knew the joy of victory. What the Father sent him into the world to do has now been accomplished. Christ offered himself without blemish to God and he put away sin by the sacrifice of himself “…but now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” (Heb 9:26)
In the words of St. Augustine, he said that those who stood at the cross of Jesus: "As they were looking on, so we too gaze on his wounds as he hangs. We see his blood as he dies. We see the price offered by the Redeemer, touch the scars of his resurrection. He bows his head, as if to kiss you. His heart is made bare open, as it were, in love to you. His arms are extended that he may embrace you. His whole body is displayed for your redemption. Ponder how great these things are. Let all this be rightly weighed in your mind: as he was once fixed to the cross in every part of his body for you, so he may now be fixed in every part of your soul."
It would also help increase our faith if we can seen in the cross the triumph of Jesus over his enemies – sin, Satan, and death. "But far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Gas 6:14). Gregory of Naziansus, a 6th century father of the Church, also said: "Many indeed are the wondrous happenings of that time: God hanging from a cross, the sun made dark and again flaming out; for it was fitting that creation should mourn with its creator. The temple veil rent, blood and water flowing from his side: the one as from a man, the other as from what was above man; the earth shaken, the rocks shattered because of the rock; the dead risen to bear witness to the final and universal resurrection of the dead. The happenings at the sepulcher and after the sepulcher, who can fittingly recount them? Yet no one of them can be compared to the miracle of my salvation. A few drops of blood renew the whole world, and do for all men what the rennet does for the milk: joining us and binding us together.” (Holy Pasch, Oration 45.1)
Abbot Rupert of Deutz, also wrote in the early 12th century: "The cross of Christ is the door to heaven, the key to paradise, the downfall of the devil, the uplifting of mankind, the consolation of our imprisonment, the prize for our freedom."
Indeed, these testimonies will help us acknowledge that the Cross of Christ is the safeguard of our faith, the assurance of our hope, and the throne of love. It is also the sign of God's mercy and the proof of forgiveness. By his cross Jesus Christ has pardoned us and set us free from the tyranny of sin. He paid a glorious price for us when he atoned for our sins and we are now assured that the Cross is the way to peace, joy, and righteousness in the kingdom of God and the way to victory over sin and corruption, fear and defeat, despair and death.
This is why we should not, for all intents and purposes, run away from the cross for it is the link that will connect us to heaven. It is the bridge that will allow us to cross over from the world marked in sin and to our glorious redemption.
On this Good Friday, let us remember that it is paradoxical that we can be drawn to do things that do not really matter in life but we turn our backs on things that are of supreme importance such as the salvation of our souls. We can from hereon make a Good Friday resolution to nail our sinful nature on the Cross of Christ on Calvary so that we may also be with him when he is resurrected and enters His heavenly Kingdom.
Let the Lenten Season and the Holy Week be a journey of faith with the glory of Easter as the goal which is Christ’s victory over death but this victory can only be ours if we will all believe and put all our trust in Him. This again is paradoxical because it is in dying that we can experience life.
1st Reading: Isa 52:13 – 53:12
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 31: 2, 6, 12-13, 15-16, 17-25 “Father, into Your hands I commend my Spirit.”
2nd Reading: Heb 4:14-16; 5:7-9
GOSPEL: JN 18:1-19, 42
Key Verse: “It is finished.” (v.30)
Whenever I hear the Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper (Holy Thursday) I always feel a deep sense of joy not at the remembrance of the final act of humility of Jesus (Washing of the Feet) before his betrayal and arrest that was about to take place but of my being blessed with the realization that I belong to the Catholic Church that is steeped in tradition.
As the events of the final hours of the life of Jesus was being relived before my eyes, I felt a profound sense of gratitude for the immense wealth of tradition that has been made available for us the lay faithful that helps strengthen my Catholic faith.
This year’s observance of what is to me the most important Catholic tradition was particularly special because of God’s presence as I went through the 40-day Lenten preparation for the Holy Week. I really felt anxious on several occasions that I would not be able to complete what I call the 40-day Novena because of the Pastoral Visits that we as Servant Leaders of the Community had to make but God always made a way that I was able to hear Mass in the places I went to.
As Jesus goes through with his mocked trial before Pilate, it would help us feel the humiliating and sacrificial character of this event in the life of Jesus by looking back and recall how we have lived our lives and we will find that there is in each of us a personification of the disciples of Jesus.
Personally, I was like Judas who betrayed Jesus when I wallowed in sin in the past. I sold Jesus each time I accepted bribes when I was still in the media to make right what from the beginning was already wrong. I was like his disciples who deserted him following his arrest when I turned my back on those who ask me for help. I deserted Jesus when I turned a blind eye at the corruption I was exposed to and not doing my part to stop it even when I could.
Like Peter, I too denied him when I turned down invitations for us to attend the Marriage Encounter Weekend and the Life in the Spirit Seminar and when I failed to defend my Catholic faith from those who make a mockery of our Catholic tradition and practices.
And today as we are reminded of the suffering that Jesus had to endure we must appreciate the fact that we can find no greater proof of God's love for us than the willing sacrifice of his Son on the cross. As Jesus breathed his last and said: “It is finished!” (v.30) this was actually an expression of victory rather than defeat for when Jesus bowed his head and gave up his spirit he knew that the battle was over and had been won.
Even on the cross Jesus knew the joy of victory. What the Father sent him into the world to do has now been accomplished. Christ offered himself without blemish to God and he put away sin by the sacrifice of himself “…but now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” (Heb 9:26)
In the words of St. Augustine, he said that those who stood at the cross of Jesus: "As they were looking on, so we too gaze on his wounds as he hangs. We see his blood as he dies. We see the price offered by the Redeemer, touch the scars of his resurrection. He bows his head, as if to kiss you. His heart is made bare open, as it were, in love to you. His arms are extended that he may embrace you. His whole body is displayed for your redemption. Ponder how great these things are. Let all this be rightly weighed in your mind: as he was once fixed to the cross in every part of his body for you, so he may now be fixed in every part of your soul."
It would also help increase our faith if we can seen in the cross the triumph of Jesus over his enemies – sin, Satan, and death. "But far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Gas 6:14). Gregory of Naziansus, a 6th century father of the Church, also said: "Many indeed are the wondrous happenings of that time: God hanging from a cross, the sun made dark and again flaming out; for it was fitting that creation should mourn with its creator. The temple veil rent, blood and water flowing from his side: the one as from a man, the other as from what was above man; the earth shaken, the rocks shattered because of the rock; the dead risen to bear witness to the final and universal resurrection of the dead. The happenings at the sepulcher and after the sepulcher, who can fittingly recount them? Yet no one of them can be compared to the miracle of my salvation. A few drops of blood renew the whole world, and do for all men what the rennet does for the milk: joining us and binding us together.” (Holy Pasch, Oration 45.1)
Abbot Rupert of Deutz, also wrote in the early 12th century: "The cross of Christ is the door to heaven, the key to paradise, the downfall of the devil, the uplifting of mankind, the consolation of our imprisonment, the prize for our freedom."
Indeed, these testimonies will help us acknowledge that the Cross of Christ is the safeguard of our faith, the assurance of our hope, and the throne of love. It is also the sign of God's mercy and the proof of forgiveness. By his cross Jesus Christ has pardoned us and set us free from the tyranny of sin. He paid a glorious price for us when he atoned for our sins and we are now assured that the Cross is the way to peace, joy, and righteousness in the kingdom of God and the way to victory over sin and corruption, fear and defeat, despair and death.
This is why we should not, for all intents and purposes, run away from the cross for it is the link that will connect us to heaven. It is the bridge that will allow us to cross over from the world marked in sin and to our glorious redemption.
On this Good Friday, let us remember that it is paradoxical that we can be drawn to do things that do not really matter in life but we turn our backs on things that are of supreme importance such as the salvation of our souls. We can from hereon make a Good Friday resolution to nail our sinful nature on the Cross of Christ on Calvary so that we may also be with him when he is resurrected and enters His heavenly Kingdom.
Let the Lenten Season and the Holy Week be a journey of faith with the glory of Easter as the goal which is Christ’s victory over death but this victory can only be ours if we will all believe and put all our trust in Him. This again is paradoxical because it is in dying that we can experience life.
A CALL TO SERVANT LEADERSHIP
MAR. 28, 2013: HOLY THURSDAY
1st Reading: Exo 12:1-8, 11-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 116, 12-13, 15-16bc, 17-18 “Our blessing-cup is a communion with the blood of Christ.”
2nd Reading: 1 Cor 11:23-26
GOSPEL: JN 13:1-15
Key Verse: “as I have done for you, you should also do.” (v.15)
People normally are on panic mode when they find themselves with lots of things to do with so little time left. This can happen when you are preparing for your birthday party, a surprise graduation party perhaps, the golden wedding anniversary of your parents and or, when you are tasked to handle any festive arrangements for a love one.
But what if it was your own funeral that you are preparing for. This was the scenario that Jesus found himself in. And as we look back to the last days of Jesus, we could say that the Passover Feast was the point of no return.
There was no turning back from this moment on and Jesus knew that he was stepping not into an unknown but to become the sacrificial lamb that would reverse the tide of sin that swept the world from Adam and he knew that this offering was the hour of glory that would reconcile men to God.
This consciousness of the enormity and significance of what he was about to suffer would have filled Jesus with pride and yet even with this knowledge that his death will bring victory Jesus was the picture of utter humility and this is reflective of what true love is.
Some of you may have experienced what you can do for love but there are times we look at our standing and balked at doing menial tasks. But this was not so for Jesus. He knew that he came from God and within a few days would be going back to God. He could have felt contempt for those who rejected him but there was just one thing that he needed to do and that was to show his disciples how to be a servant in order to lead.
Leadership enamors a lot of people and today there are numerous publications that offer ideas of how to become a good leader in a corporate setup, social and civic organizations and even in the church or religious and spiritual communities there are modules to follow on how leaders are to conduct themselves.
But this was not so for Jesus who gave his disciples a different picture of leadership that is founded on the towel and this brand of leadership is what we must keep in mind especially today when sitting at the head table appears to have replaced the apron.
As he was about to wrap up his earthly ministry, Jesus dined on the Feast of the Passover with those closest to him – the 12 Apostles whom he chose from among the disciples who formed his evangelical ministry that went to every village, town and city to bring the Good News to the people Jews and Gentiles alike.
As they were eating and to everyone’s surprise, Jesus stood up from the head table where he was seated and took a basin of water and a towel that he wrapped around his waist. He then proceeded to wash the feet of every person gathered around the table including that of Judas who would betray him in a few moments.
Foot-washing was usually performed by household servants as an act of hospitality to guests whose feet gathered dust from the roads of Jerusalem. Masters of the household would not stoop to do such a menial task but Jesus did.
After washing everyone’s feet Jesus returned to his seat and gave his disciples the parameters of what servant leadership is: “Do you understand what I have done for you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” (vv.12-15)
What Jesus did gives us an idea of the correlation between greatness and service because too often the world is full of people who out of their self-esteem would prefer to stand instead of kneeling down at the feet of their brethren. In other words, when we are tempted to defer to our dignity, prestige, the reputation we have built up, let us see again the picture of the Son of God with a towel wrapped on his waist and kneeling at his disciples’ feet.
When Jesus washed the feet of his disciples (vv.3-5) he was demonstrating the fundamental principle that he has been drumming up to his disciples that to lead others, one must serve others. This is as true in public life, in the business world and more so in the Church as no amount of memoranda, speeches, exhortation or circulars can move workers and or Church members to commit themselves to an organization or to a cause.
What would impact men to rise to their feet and act is a picture of a leader before them who has the attitude of a servant, placing the needs of others before his own and, committing himself to do concrete things to meet those needs and, looking neither for favors nor reciprocity from the people that he serves.
Jesus knew he would be betrayed by one of them and that the rest would abandon him yet as the hour of humiliation drew near Jesus showed his disciples the supreme humility that shaped the love he had for them. The knowledge he would be betrayed by someone he loves could have easily led to bitterness or hatred but Jesus met the specter of betrayal and disloyalty with the greatest humility and supreme love. Jesus loved his disciples to the very end even when they failed him and forsook him.
This is the same kind of love that Jesus has for us – unconditional love, a love that rises above our unfaithfulness, a love that does not seek favors and it is this kind of love that has the power to set us free to serve others with Christ-like compassion and humility.
There is also no doubting the fact that the Philippines is in its sorry state right now because of the wrong choices that we made. Corruption and immorality have become norms but we too are partly responsible for this because we allowed these things to happen when we put the wrong people in positions of authority that allows them to dip their hands into the treasury as Judas did.
On May 13, 2013 we are obliged to cast our vote but this time let us make sure that we elect leaders who will lay down their lives in defense of our Christian values. The need to elect leaders who will defend our people from the onslaught of the so-called “death bills” such as abortion, divorce and same-sex marriage have become primordial if we want to save the Philippines from the imminent corruption of its soul.
Saint Augustine in his sermon for this day, wrote: “He had the power of laying down his life; we by contrast cannot choose the length of our lives, and we die even if it is against our will. He, by dying, destroyed death in himself; we are freed from death only in his death…. He needed no help from us in saving us; without him we can do nothing. He gave himself to us as the vine to the branches; apart from him we cannot have life. Finally, even if brothers die for brothers, yet no martyr by shedding his blood brings forgiveness for the sins of his brothers, as Christ brought forgiveness to us. In this he gave us, not an example to imitate but a reason for rejoicing. Inasmuch, then, as they shed their blood for their brothers, the martyrs provided “the same kind of meal” as they had received at the Lord’s table. Let us then love one another as Christ also loved us and gave himself up for us.”
1st Reading: Exo 12:1-8, 11-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 116, 12-13, 15-16bc, 17-18 “Our blessing-cup is a communion with the blood of Christ.”
2nd Reading: 1 Cor 11:23-26
GOSPEL: JN 13:1-15
Key Verse: “as I have done for you, you should also do.” (v.15)
People normally are on panic mode when they find themselves with lots of things to do with so little time left. This can happen when you are preparing for your birthday party, a surprise graduation party perhaps, the golden wedding anniversary of your parents and or, when you are tasked to handle any festive arrangements for a love one.
But what if it was your own funeral that you are preparing for. This was the scenario that Jesus found himself in. And as we look back to the last days of Jesus, we could say that the Passover Feast was the point of no return.
There was no turning back from this moment on and Jesus knew that he was stepping not into an unknown but to become the sacrificial lamb that would reverse the tide of sin that swept the world from Adam and he knew that this offering was the hour of glory that would reconcile men to God.
This consciousness of the enormity and significance of what he was about to suffer would have filled Jesus with pride and yet even with this knowledge that his death will bring victory Jesus was the picture of utter humility and this is reflective of what true love is.
Some of you may have experienced what you can do for love but there are times we look at our standing and balked at doing menial tasks. But this was not so for Jesus. He knew that he came from God and within a few days would be going back to God. He could have felt contempt for those who rejected him but there was just one thing that he needed to do and that was to show his disciples how to be a servant in order to lead.
Leadership enamors a lot of people and today there are numerous publications that offer ideas of how to become a good leader in a corporate setup, social and civic organizations and even in the church or religious and spiritual communities there are modules to follow on how leaders are to conduct themselves.
But this was not so for Jesus who gave his disciples a different picture of leadership that is founded on the towel and this brand of leadership is what we must keep in mind especially today when sitting at the head table appears to have replaced the apron.
As he was about to wrap up his earthly ministry, Jesus dined on the Feast of the Passover with those closest to him – the 12 Apostles whom he chose from among the disciples who formed his evangelical ministry that went to every village, town and city to bring the Good News to the people Jews and Gentiles alike.
As they were eating and to everyone’s surprise, Jesus stood up from the head table where he was seated and took a basin of water and a towel that he wrapped around his waist. He then proceeded to wash the feet of every person gathered around the table including that of Judas who would betray him in a few moments.
Foot-washing was usually performed by household servants as an act of hospitality to guests whose feet gathered dust from the roads of Jerusalem. Masters of the household would not stoop to do such a menial task but Jesus did.
After washing everyone’s feet Jesus returned to his seat and gave his disciples the parameters of what servant leadership is: “Do you understand what I have done for you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” (vv.12-15)
What Jesus did gives us an idea of the correlation between greatness and service because too often the world is full of people who out of their self-esteem would prefer to stand instead of kneeling down at the feet of their brethren. In other words, when we are tempted to defer to our dignity, prestige, the reputation we have built up, let us see again the picture of the Son of God with a towel wrapped on his waist and kneeling at his disciples’ feet.
When Jesus washed the feet of his disciples (vv.3-5) he was demonstrating the fundamental principle that he has been drumming up to his disciples that to lead others, one must serve others. This is as true in public life, in the business world and more so in the Church as no amount of memoranda, speeches, exhortation or circulars can move workers and or Church members to commit themselves to an organization or to a cause.
What would impact men to rise to their feet and act is a picture of a leader before them who has the attitude of a servant, placing the needs of others before his own and, committing himself to do concrete things to meet those needs and, looking neither for favors nor reciprocity from the people that he serves.
Jesus knew he would be betrayed by one of them and that the rest would abandon him yet as the hour of humiliation drew near Jesus showed his disciples the supreme humility that shaped the love he had for them. The knowledge he would be betrayed by someone he loves could have easily led to bitterness or hatred but Jesus met the specter of betrayal and disloyalty with the greatest humility and supreme love. Jesus loved his disciples to the very end even when they failed him and forsook him.
This is the same kind of love that Jesus has for us – unconditional love, a love that rises above our unfaithfulness, a love that does not seek favors and it is this kind of love that has the power to set us free to serve others with Christ-like compassion and humility.
There is also no doubting the fact that the Philippines is in its sorry state right now because of the wrong choices that we made. Corruption and immorality have become norms but we too are partly responsible for this because we allowed these things to happen when we put the wrong people in positions of authority that allows them to dip their hands into the treasury as Judas did.
On May 13, 2013 we are obliged to cast our vote but this time let us make sure that we elect leaders who will lay down their lives in defense of our Christian values. The need to elect leaders who will defend our people from the onslaught of the so-called “death bills” such as abortion, divorce and same-sex marriage have become primordial if we want to save the Philippines from the imminent corruption of its soul.
Saint Augustine in his sermon for this day, wrote: “He had the power of laying down his life; we by contrast cannot choose the length of our lives, and we die even if it is against our will. He, by dying, destroyed death in himself; we are freed from death only in his death…. He needed no help from us in saving us; without him we can do nothing. He gave himself to us as the vine to the branches; apart from him we cannot have life. Finally, even if brothers die for brothers, yet no martyr by shedding his blood brings forgiveness for the sins of his brothers, as Christ brought forgiveness to us. In this he gave us, not an example to imitate but a reason for rejoicing. Inasmuch, then, as they shed their blood for their brothers, the martyrs provided “the same kind of meal” as they had received at the Lord’s table. Let us then love one another as Christ also loved us and gave himself up for us.”
SIN IS A FORM OF BETRAYAL
MAR. 27, 2013: WEDNESDAY OF HOLY WEEK
1st Reading: Isa 50: 4-9a
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 69: 8-10, 21-22, 31, 33-34 “Lord, in your great love, answer me.”
GOSPEL: MATT 26:14-25
Key Verse: “…one of you will betray me.” (v.21)
The betrayal of Jesus by one of his trusted disciples – Judas Iscariot – has become the subject of many debates and numerous assumptions have been made as to why Judas did it. And to this day, no one can exactly say why Judas betrayed Jesus and it would probably remain as the world’s greatest secret.
For one, this act of betrayal can only be explained by Judas himself but whatever the reason was he carried it with him to his grave. Another reason why it will remain thus is because no one among the 11 remaining Apostles talked about it. Even Jesus upon his Resurrection never raised the issue with his disciples.
While the betrayal was recorded by all four Gospel writers (Matt 26:14-25; Mk 14:17-21; Lk 22:3-6; Jn 13:21-30) the aftermath was only recorded by Matthew who wrote: “When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and elders. I have sinned, he said, for I have betrayed innocent blood.” (Matt 27:3-4)
Perhaps the Apostles thought it was no longer necessary to even discuss it among them. It was also possible they were embarrassed that Jesus was betrayed by one of the 12 Apostles who comprise his inner core of disciples.
From among the numerous assumptions related to the act of betrayal the most plausible that could be nearer to the truth was the view that it was not the intention of Judas to see Jesus die on the cross. The fact that he was seized with remorse (Matt 27:3) adds weight to this perception.
Some scholars also hold the view that if Judas really intended to see Jesus die he could have sold him for a much higher price. As it was, the thirty pieces was not much even in those days and the fact that he returned it to the chief priests only shows that his motive was not money.
The general sentiment to which we tend to agree was that Judas must have felt that Jesus was proceeding too slowly and not acting aggressively enough in setting up his messianic kingdom. Judas may have thought that his arrest would compel Jesus to act in accordance with the prophecy of the coming of the Messiah that God promised and who would save the people of Israel from bondage. The undoing of Judas was that he became impatient and refused to accept Jesus as he was.
Origen, a 3rd century bible scholar and one of the Early Church Fathers said: “Let us consider what Judas said to the Jewish priests: What will you give me if I hand him over to you? He was willing to take money in exchange for handing over the Word of God. They do the same thing who accept sensual or worldly goods in exchange for handing over and casting out from their souls the Savior and Word of truth who came to dwell with them. Indeed, it would be fitting to apply Judas’s example to all who show contempt for the Word of God and betray him, as it were, by committing sin for the sake of money or for any selfish motive.” [Commentary of Origen on Matt 78.]
And in order for us to appreciate the beauty of this event when Jesus ate the Passover meal with his 12 Apostles we need to harness our creative minds and look beneath the Gospel reading itself. Jesus knew what would befall him and as he ate the Passover meal with his Apostles he told them: “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.” (v.21)
Imagine the surprise of the Apostles who reacted in unison: “Surely not I, Lord?” (v.22) and Jesus gave a clue as to who will betray him when he said: “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me.” (v.23)
But John’s account, I believe, captures the mood and atmosphere at that very moment when Jesus said: “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it into the dish.” (Jn 13:26) Then dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, son of Simon. As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him (Jn 13:27).
Since not everything that Jesus did was written (Jn 21:25) let us try to explore this moving event. As Jesus knew that his earthly ministry was coming to an end, it was probable that Jesus and Judas were in a time capsule by themselves with the other Apostles unaware of what was with Jesus and Judas.
Being the God that he is, Jesus could have stopped this act of betrayal if he wanted to but he did not. What Jesus did was he tried to reach out to Judas not just by giving him the piece of bread but also by saying that he knew there was one among the 12 who will betray him. This would have been enough to stop Judas from his plan.
And for the Master to break bread and give it to Judas was an expression of his great love for Judas. This act was actually a last-minute appeal of Jesus for Judas to abort his plan but this was how far God will go as he also respects the free will of man. The rest is history as they say and we all know that Judas went to the Sanhedrin and betrayed Jesus.
What this Gospel passage is telling us is that the circumstances that moved Judas to betray Jesus are still present today. And Paul saw its influence on the people of Galatia – sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery, idolatry and witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy, drunkenness, and orgies (Gal 5:22).
Today, we can add the reproductive health law that was passed by the two houses of the Philippine Congress in exchange for 30 pieces of silver. And now the same Judases are now floating proposals that they will be filing bills aimed at legalizing abortion, divorce and same-sex marriage. Add to these avarice, greed, disobedience and the insatiable appetite to accumulate wealth by any other means that permeate in our society today.
When we refuse to accept Jesus, it is when we are at our weakest and like Judas this is when Satan will influence our will that will lead us to commit these sins that St. Paul wrote in his letter to the Galatians.
As we journey with Jesus through this Holy Week, let us be aware that we also are guilty of betraying God whenever we sin. The Good News is that God’s compassion and forgiveness are readily available to those who will repent of their sins.
1st Reading: Isa 50: 4-9a
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 69: 8-10, 21-22, 31, 33-34 “Lord, in your great love, answer me.”
GOSPEL: MATT 26:14-25
Key Verse: “…one of you will betray me.” (v.21)
The betrayal of Jesus by one of his trusted disciples – Judas Iscariot – has become the subject of many debates and numerous assumptions have been made as to why Judas did it. And to this day, no one can exactly say why Judas betrayed Jesus and it would probably remain as the world’s greatest secret.
For one, this act of betrayal can only be explained by Judas himself but whatever the reason was he carried it with him to his grave. Another reason why it will remain thus is because no one among the 11 remaining Apostles talked about it. Even Jesus upon his Resurrection never raised the issue with his disciples.
While the betrayal was recorded by all four Gospel writers (Matt 26:14-25; Mk 14:17-21; Lk 22:3-6; Jn 13:21-30) the aftermath was only recorded by Matthew who wrote: “When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and elders. I have sinned, he said, for I have betrayed innocent blood.” (Matt 27:3-4)
Perhaps the Apostles thought it was no longer necessary to even discuss it among them. It was also possible they were embarrassed that Jesus was betrayed by one of the 12 Apostles who comprise his inner core of disciples.
From among the numerous assumptions related to the act of betrayal the most plausible that could be nearer to the truth was the view that it was not the intention of Judas to see Jesus die on the cross. The fact that he was seized with remorse (Matt 27:3) adds weight to this perception.
Some scholars also hold the view that if Judas really intended to see Jesus die he could have sold him for a much higher price. As it was, the thirty pieces was not much even in those days and the fact that he returned it to the chief priests only shows that his motive was not money.
The general sentiment to which we tend to agree was that Judas must have felt that Jesus was proceeding too slowly and not acting aggressively enough in setting up his messianic kingdom. Judas may have thought that his arrest would compel Jesus to act in accordance with the prophecy of the coming of the Messiah that God promised and who would save the people of Israel from bondage. The undoing of Judas was that he became impatient and refused to accept Jesus as he was.
Origen, a 3rd century bible scholar and one of the Early Church Fathers said: “Let us consider what Judas said to the Jewish priests: What will you give me if I hand him over to you? He was willing to take money in exchange for handing over the Word of God. They do the same thing who accept sensual or worldly goods in exchange for handing over and casting out from their souls the Savior and Word of truth who came to dwell with them. Indeed, it would be fitting to apply Judas’s example to all who show contempt for the Word of God and betray him, as it were, by committing sin for the sake of money or for any selfish motive.” [Commentary of Origen on Matt 78.]
And in order for us to appreciate the beauty of this event when Jesus ate the Passover meal with his 12 Apostles we need to harness our creative minds and look beneath the Gospel reading itself. Jesus knew what would befall him and as he ate the Passover meal with his Apostles he told them: “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.” (v.21)
Imagine the surprise of the Apostles who reacted in unison: “Surely not I, Lord?” (v.22) and Jesus gave a clue as to who will betray him when he said: “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me.” (v.23)
But John’s account, I believe, captures the mood and atmosphere at that very moment when Jesus said: “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it into the dish.” (Jn 13:26) Then dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, son of Simon. As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him (Jn 13:27).
Since not everything that Jesus did was written (Jn 21:25) let us try to explore this moving event. As Jesus knew that his earthly ministry was coming to an end, it was probable that Jesus and Judas were in a time capsule by themselves with the other Apostles unaware of what was with Jesus and Judas.
Being the God that he is, Jesus could have stopped this act of betrayal if he wanted to but he did not. What Jesus did was he tried to reach out to Judas not just by giving him the piece of bread but also by saying that he knew there was one among the 12 who will betray him. This would have been enough to stop Judas from his plan.
And for the Master to break bread and give it to Judas was an expression of his great love for Judas. This act was actually a last-minute appeal of Jesus for Judas to abort his plan but this was how far God will go as he also respects the free will of man. The rest is history as they say and we all know that Judas went to the Sanhedrin and betrayed Jesus.
What this Gospel passage is telling us is that the circumstances that moved Judas to betray Jesus are still present today. And Paul saw its influence on the people of Galatia – sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery, idolatry and witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy, drunkenness, and orgies (Gal 5:22).
Today, we can add the reproductive health law that was passed by the two houses of the Philippine Congress in exchange for 30 pieces of silver. And now the same Judases are now floating proposals that they will be filing bills aimed at legalizing abortion, divorce and same-sex marriage. Add to these avarice, greed, disobedience and the insatiable appetite to accumulate wealth by any other means that permeate in our society today.
When we refuse to accept Jesus, it is when we are at our weakest and like Judas this is when Satan will influence our will that will lead us to commit these sins that St. Paul wrote in his letter to the Galatians.
As we journey with Jesus through this Holy Week, let us be aware that we also are guilty of betraying God whenever we sin. The Good News is that God’s compassion and forgiveness are readily available to those who will repent of their sins.
KEEP SIN OUT THROUGH JESUS
MAR. 26, 2013: TUESDAY OF HOLY WEEK
1st Reading: Isa 49:1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 71:1-4, 5ab-6ab, 15, 17 “I will sing of your salvation.”
GOSPEL: JN 13:21-33, 36-38
Key Verse: “…he went out. And it was night.” (v.30)
There are at least three points that we can digest from the Gospel reading on this Tuesday of Holy Week. The first point is that sin is always associated with the dark. As sin springs from the influence of the evil one, a person who sins would usually finds himself in a worthless pursuit of life.
Why? Because sin robs man of the supernatural beauty of the soul and it makes him resemble the devil and it brings misery in life until he finds his way again to the path of righteousness. To be able to resist occasions of sin, we must be aware that our hearts are inhabited by two characters who are diametrically opposed to one another.
Where one praises, the other blames. One is concupiscence, the other conscience. Thus, when an evil thought comes to mind, a struggle between these two characters arises with conscience holding us back while concupiscence incites our senses and moves us to sin.
This was what may have happened to Judas on that fateful night with his conscience urging him to remain faithful to Jesus but his concupiscence was inciting him to go ahead and give Jesus to the Sanhedrin as he probably calculated that Jesus will resist arrest and would rise and be the Messiah that he claimed to be.
“As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.” (v.30) At that very moment, concupiscence triumphed and this was the point when the devil entered into Judas and he went out into the night. This reference to the time is significant because a person steps into the darkness that fills the night when he turns away from Christ to follow his own desires.
Night fills a person who listens to his concupiscence rather than to his conscience. A person experiences the night when he turns his back on Jesus. This was the undoing of Judas because even at that point he had a choice to remain in the light of Christ. While God gives us wisdom to choose what is right, we can get lost as with Judas when we move away from the light and into the dark.
The second point that we see in this passage was Jesus never lost sense of his divinity and remained in full control of the situation. As it was only a matter of time before the greatest event in history unfolds, we see Jesus knowing exactly what was going to happen. He knew Judas would betray him because it was to Judas that he handed the piece of bread dipped in the dish (v.26). This gesture, however, could have been a last-minute appeal by Jesus for Judas to change his mind. For the master to offer to his disciple a piece of bread was a sign of affection
But as it became evident that Judas has made up his mind to go out into the night, Jesus himself gave Judas his imprimatur when he said: “What you are about to do, do quickly.” (v.27) This will show that Jesus was in complete control of the situation. His arrest, suffering, his death were in his hands and not in the hands of his enemies. (Jn 10:17-18)
The third point involves Peter who, in a moment of weakness, denied him with an oath and a curse. While the decision of Judas to betray Jesus was a calculated move, Peter never meant to do what he did. But Peter was known to act on impulse and it was out of weakness and self-preservation that he denied Jesus.
In our lifetime, there is in us the person of Judas and Peter and this Holy Week should provide us with the opportunity to look back into how we have lived our lives. Can we count the times we stepped into the darkness of sin when we disobeyed and was discourteous towards our parents? Or when we refused help to those in need? How about the times we allowed pride and arrogance to manifest in the way we dealt with our marginalized brethren? Or lied or spoken ill of others or was unfaithful.
Aren’t we guilty of betraying Our Lord Jesus Christ when we desecrated the temple of his Holy Spirit in us by indulging in vices, envy, gluttony, laziness in the exercise of our gifts, lust and infidelity, insatiable appetite to accumulate material possessions and, our refusal to give back to God what came from him in the first place.
Weren’t we like Peter when we also speak from the heart without considering the effect of our words and actions? Take for example the times we said yes to serve in the outreach missions but we reneged on our commitment. Just as Satan entered into Judas when he betrayed Christ, we too can fall victim to the deception of the evil one who has the power to turn love into hate, holiness into pride,
While it is always good to remain vigilant against the influence of the evil one, we should bear in mind that God will also give us the Grace and endurance whenever we are pt to a test. But the greatest glory in life is the glory that comes from sacrifice and when we are able to overcome the testing that comes our way.
What we can also derive from this Gospel is that we must always be on guard because the evil one is always on the prowl looking for someone to devour (1 Pet 5:8) and that we must not try to avoid the cross because it is through the cross that we can find the glory that awaits those who will listen and obey his Word.
We must remember that our life is a battleground between these two forces that influence our lives but in spiritual warfare the supreme glory belongs to those who lay down their lives for others. Jesus has conquered the world and sin by his death on the cross and upon his Ascension has left us with His Holy Spirit who gives us Grace and strength that will carry us through in times when we are faced with a decision to make.
This brings us to what probably would be an important decision we will make when we go to the polls on May 13, 2013. With the battle line drawn between those who co-authored and supported the contentious RH Bill that has since been signed into law and those who continue to challenge it, the senatorial elections has become interesting if not colorful as parishioners from the Diocese of Bacolod fired the opening salvo by defining these two groups into Team Buhay (those who voted against the RH Bill) and Team Patay (those who up to now are still salivating over the passage of the RH Bill).
What the proponents of the RH Bill do not know is that life is sacred because it belongs to God from its beginning to its end and no one under any circumstance can claim the personal right directly to destroy an innocent human being as well as life itself and the family. Thus if you value life then you know whom to vote for because voting for candidates who oppose life would be tantamount to a betrayal of Jesus.
A sure ways to keep sin out of our lives is to submit to Jesus and walk in the light of his truth and love by listening and obeying the Word of God and by our regular reception of the Sacraments (Confession and Holy Eucharist). This Holy Week is an opportune time to ask: Are we ready to follow Jesus in his way to the cross?
1st Reading: Isa 49:1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 71:1-4, 5ab-6ab, 15, 17 “I will sing of your salvation.”
GOSPEL: JN 13:21-33, 36-38
Key Verse: “…he went out. And it was night.” (v.30)
There are at least three points that we can digest from the Gospel reading on this Tuesday of Holy Week. The first point is that sin is always associated with the dark. As sin springs from the influence of the evil one, a person who sins would usually finds himself in a worthless pursuit of life.
Why? Because sin robs man of the supernatural beauty of the soul and it makes him resemble the devil and it brings misery in life until he finds his way again to the path of righteousness. To be able to resist occasions of sin, we must be aware that our hearts are inhabited by two characters who are diametrically opposed to one another.
Where one praises, the other blames. One is concupiscence, the other conscience. Thus, when an evil thought comes to mind, a struggle between these two characters arises with conscience holding us back while concupiscence incites our senses and moves us to sin.
This was what may have happened to Judas on that fateful night with his conscience urging him to remain faithful to Jesus but his concupiscence was inciting him to go ahead and give Jesus to the Sanhedrin as he probably calculated that Jesus will resist arrest and would rise and be the Messiah that he claimed to be.
“As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.” (v.30) At that very moment, concupiscence triumphed and this was the point when the devil entered into Judas and he went out into the night. This reference to the time is significant because a person steps into the darkness that fills the night when he turns away from Christ to follow his own desires.
Night fills a person who listens to his concupiscence rather than to his conscience. A person experiences the night when he turns his back on Jesus. This was the undoing of Judas because even at that point he had a choice to remain in the light of Christ. While God gives us wisdom to choose what is right, we can get lost as with Judas when we move away from the light and into the dark.
The second point that we see in this passage was Jesus never lost sense of his divinity and remained in full control of the situation. As it was only a matter of time before the greatest event in history unfolds, we see Jesus knowing exactly what was going to happen. He knew Judas would betray him because it was to Judas that he handed the piece of bread dipped in the dish (v.26). This gesture, however, could have been a last-minute appeal by Jesus for Judas to change his mind. For the master to offer to his disciple a piece of bread was a sign of affection
But as it became evident that Judas has made up his mind to go out into the night, Jesus himself gave Judas his imprimatur when he said: “What you are about to do, do quickly.” (v.27) This will show that Jesus was in complete control of the situation. His arrest, suffering, his death were in his hands and not in the hands of his enemies. (Jn 10:17-18)
The third point involves Peter who, in a moment of weakness, denied him with an oath and a curse. While the decision of Judas to betray Jesus was a calculated move, Peter never meant to do what he did. But Peter was known to act on impulse and it was out of weakness and self-preservation that he denied Jesus.
In our lifetime, there is in us the person of Judas and Peter and this Holy Week should provide us with the opportunity to look back into how we have lived our lives. Can we count the times we stepped into the darkness of sin when we disobeyed and was discourteous towards our parents? Or when we refused help to those in need? How about the times we allowed pride and arrogance to manifest in the way we dealt with our marginalized brethren? Or lied or spoken ill of others or was unfaithful.
Aren’t we guilty of betraying Our Lord Jesus Christ when we desecrated the temple of his Holy Spirit in us by indulging in vices, envy, gluttony, laziness in the exercise of our gifts, lust and infidelity, insatiable appetite to accumulate material possessions and, our refusal to give back to God what came from him in the first place.
Weren’t we like Peter when we also speak from the heart without considering the effect of our words and actions? Take for example the times we said yes to serve in the outreach missions but we reneged on our commitment. Just as Satan entered into Judas when he betrayed Christ, we too can fall victim to the deception of the evil one who has the power to turn love into hate, holiness into pride,
While it is always good to remain vigilant against the influence of the evil one, we should bear in mind that God will also give us the Grace and endurance whenever we are pt to a test. But the greatest glory in life is the glory that comes from sacrifice and when we are able to overcome the testing that comes our way.
What we can also derive from this Gospel is that we must always be on guard because the evil one is always on the prowl looking for someone to devour (1 Pet 5:8) and that we must not try to avoid the cross because it is through the cross that we can find the glory that awaits those who will listen and obey his Word.
We must remember that our life is a battleground between these two forces that influence our lives but in spiritual warfare the supreme glory belongs to those who lay down their lives for others. Jesus has conquered the world and sin by his death on the cross and upon his Ascension has left us with His Holy Spirit who gives us Grace and strength that will carry us through in times when we are faced with a decision to make.
This brings us to what probably would be an important decision we will make when we go to the polls on May 13, 2013. With the battle line drawn between those who co-authored and supported the contentious RH Bill that has since been signed into law and those who continue to challenge it, the senatorial elections has become interesting if not colorful as parishioners from the Diocese of Bacolod fired the opening salvo by defining these two groups into Team Buhay (those who voted against the RH Bill) and Team Patay (those who up to now are still salivating over the passage of the RH Bill).
What the proponents of the RH Bill do not know is that life is sacred because it belongs to God from its beginning to its end and no one under any circumstance can claim the personal right directly to destroy an innocent human being as well as life itself and the family. Thus if you value life then you know whom to vote for because voting for candidates who oppose life would be tantamount to a betrayal of Jesus.
A sure ways to keep sin out of our lives is to submit to Jesus and walk in the light of his truth and love by listening and obeying the Word of God and by our regular reception of the Sacraments (Confession and Holy Eucharist). This Holy Week is an opportune time to ask: Are we ready to follow Jesus in his way to the cross?
LOVE BEYOND COMPARE
MAR. 25, 2013: MONDAY OF HOLY WEEK
1st Reading: Isa 42:1-7
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 27:1-3, 13-14 “The Lord if my light and salvation.”
GOSPEL: JN 12:1-11
Key Verse: “..many Jews were going over to Jesus..” (v.11)
Would you be willing to put in an extra effort when you’re doing something for someone you love and care for? Are you willing to go the extra mile for the one you love like your spouse, children, siblings, relatives or friends? Don’t parents stay up late just to wait for their children to come home? Don’t spouses do the same for one another? Don’t wives keep the soup warm for their husbands when they come home?
William Sydney Porter who is more commonly known as O. Henry to those who took up literature in high school wrote a beautiful short story about the love a couple had for each other. In the short story titled “The Gift of the Magi,” O. Henry wrote about Della and Jim who though poor were very much in love and each have a prized possession.
Della was proud of her hair that could practically cover her body when she lets her hair down while Jim was the proud owner of a vintage gold watch that was handed down to him by his father who inherited it from his grandfather.
Christmas was just around the corner and though Della and Jim were struggling to keep themselves afloat on a day-to-day basis both are desirous to give each one a gift on Christmas. While Jim was out to work, Della went to a salon and sold her hair for $20.00 and used the money to buy an fob chain for Jim’s watch.
When Jim came home from work he was stupefied to find Della’s hair had been trimmed. As Della explained what had happened, he also gave her his gift – a set of combs with jeweled rims for her hair. As it turned out, Jim had sold his vintage watch to buy the expensive set of combs that Della saw in a store window that she longed to have.
Both Della and Jim gave their most precious possession to make the other happy. This was the kind of love that Mary had for Jesus as she took out her expensive perfume to anoint the feet of Jesus, a move criticized by Judas who said the perfume could have been sold and the proceeds given to the poor.
It was not that Judas loved the poor but as the treasurer of the group Judas would often dip into the coffers and Jesus knew this (v.6) but he did nothing to stop it. This is the same way with how Jesus relates to us. When we choose the way to sin, God will not stop us but it doesn’t mean He is tolerating our actions. As was in the case of Judas, what we deserve on account of our sinfulness will come and it will come.
When Mary brought out her prized possession, Jesus gave what was to be a premonition of his impending death when he said: “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.” (vv.7-8).
It seems that it was Mary rather than the Apostles who understood what it was to do that one last thing before Jesus was taken away from her midst and the uncalculated love she showed when she wiped the feed of Jesus with her hair instead of a towel.
This was the height of unparalleled love because no respectable woman in those days would let their hair down in public. It was immoral for any woman to do so but Mary never gave it a thought as she loved Jesus so much that she didn’t care what others thought.
Genuine love is when you can swim against the current of public opinion to do what you think is right. Real love as what Mary showed is when you set aside your own interests for that of others such that you regard others as more important than you do.
Many of us procrastinate as we tend to put off what we can do today. We don’t seize the moment when an opportunity comes. In fact, we have become seasonal even in the practice of our Christian faith. We choose when and where to serve and we become selective even in the matter of giving.
Mary went the extra mile when she used a very expensive perfume to anoint the feet of Jesus and wiped it with her hair and so is Jesus who on Good Friday will show us the extravagance and uncalculated love that he has for all of us when he gives the best that he can give by pouring out his own blood for our sake and anointing us with his Holy Spirit.
“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (Jn 15:13) Such unbridled love Jesus has for us that he will sacrifice his life and die on the cross as a ransom for us. In fact the whole life of Jesus was one of sacrifice beginning with his incarnation when he chose to divest himself of his divinity and too the form of a servant (Phi 2:7).
He gave up his free will and became obedient to his heavenly Father unto death, even death on the cross (Phi 2:8). In the course of his ministry, he even refused to eat as when he met with the Samaritan woman and his disciples told him to eat saying: “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me, that I may perfect his work.” (Jn 4:34)
The life that he lived should serve as an example for us in the way we are to live. We can probably hold back in helping the poor because this is something that we could do anytime. But we cannot defer our worship of Jesus as this is something we cannot put off.
To worship Jesus by knowing him, loving him, serving him is something we have to do right now for the chance may never come again and our failure to do so especially our failure to express our love for him would bring disastrous results.
Judas and the other disciples saw the use of an expensive perfume to anoint the feet of Jesus as waste but Jesus saw in it as an act of pure worship. Our Lord gave us time, talent and treasure for us to use these to worship him. In fact, this is what God expects from us that we all must bear fruit and we can only do by remaining in him. If we are to really dwell deeply on the Word of God, we will come to the conclusion that we don’t have much choice because it was God himself who chose us and appointed us to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last (Jn 15:16).
It would be a waste if we do not. Carpe Diem! Seize the moment. It might be too late if we will put it off for tomorrow for tomorrow may never come. And when we have made a choice to follow and worship Jesus, let us go the extra mile like Mary for the reward of an eternal life is something that we cannot pass up. We can put more meaning to our observance of Holy Week by making a commitment to also die on the cross with Jesus for it is only in dying that we are brought back to life.
1st Reading: Isa 42:1-7
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 27:1-3, 13-14 “The Lord if my light and salvation.”
GOSPEL: JN 12:1-11
Key Verse: “..many Jews were going over to Jesus..” (v.11)
Would you be willing to put in an extra effort when you’re doing something for someone you love and care for? Are you willing to go the extra mile for the one you love like your spouse, children, siblings, relatives or friends? Don’t parents stay up late just to wait for their children to come home? Don’t spouses do the same for one another? Don’t wives keep the soup warm for their husbands when they come home?
William Sydney Porter who is more commonly known as O. Henry to those who took up literature in high school wrote a beautiful short story about the love a couple had for each other. In the short story titled “The Gift of the Magi,” O. Henry wrote about Della and Jim who though poor were very much in love and each have a prized possession.
Della was proud of her hair that could practically cover her body when she lets her hair down while Jim was the proud owner of a vintage gold watch that was handed down to him by his father who inherited it from his grandfather.
Christmas was just around the corner and though Della and Jim were struggling to keep themselves afloat on a day-to-day basis both are desirous to give each one a gift on Christmas. While Jim was out to work, Della went to a salon and sold her hair for $20.00 and used the money to buy an fob chain for Jim’s watch.
When Jim came home from work he was stupefied to find Della’s hair had been trimmed. As Della explained what had happened, he also gave her his gift – a set of combs with jeweled rims for her hair. As it turned out, Jim had sold his vintage watch to buy the expensive set of combs that Della saw in a store window that she longed to have.
Both Della and Jim gave their most precious possession to make the other happy. This was the kind of love that Mary had for Jesus as she took out her expensive perfume to anoint the feet of Jesus, a move criticized by Judas who said the perfume could have been sold and the proceeds given to the poor.
It was not that Judas loved the poor but as the treasurer of the group Judas would often dip into the coffers and Jesus knew this (v.6) but he did nothing to stop it. This is the same way with how Jesus relates to us. When we choose the way to sin, God will not stop us but it doesn’t mean He is tolerating our actions. As was in the case of Judas, what we deserve on account of our sinfulness will come and it will come.
When Mary brought out her prized possession, Jesus gave what was to be a premonition of his impending death when he said: “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.” (vv.7-8).
It seems that it was Mary rather than the Apostles who understood what it was to do that one last thing before Jesus was taken away from her midst and the uncalculated love she showed when she wiped the feed of Jesus with her hair instead of a towel.
This was the height of unparalleled love because no respectable woman in those days would let their hair down in public. It was immoral for any woman to do so but Mary never gave it a thought as she loved Jesus so much that she didn’t care what others thought.
Genuine love is when you can swim against the current of public opinion to do what you think is right. Real love as what Mary showed is when you set aside your own interests for that of others such that you regard others as more important than you do.
Many of us procrastinate as we tend to put off what we can do today. We don’t seize the moment when an opportunity comes. In fact, we have become seasonal even in the practice of our Christian faith. We choose when and where to serve and we become selective even in the matter of giving.
Mary went the extra mile when she used a very expensive perfume to anoint the feet of Jesus and wiped it with her hair and so is Jesus who on Good Friday will show us the extravagance and uncalculated love that he has for all of us when he gives the best that he can give by pouring out his own blood for our sake and anointing us with his Holy Spirit.
“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (Jn 15:13) Such unbridled love Jesus has for us that he will sacrifice his life and die on the cross as a ransom for us. In fact the whole life of Jesus was one of sacrifice beginning with his incarnation when he chose to divest himself of his divinity and too the form of a servant (Phi 2:7).
He gave up his free will and became obedient to his heavenly Father unto death, even death on the cross (Phi 2:8). In the course of his ministry, he even refused to eat as when he met with the Samaritan woman and his disciples told him to eat saying: “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me, that I may perfect his work.” (Jn 4:34)
The life that he lived should serve as an example for us in the way we are to live. We can probably hold back in helping the poor because this is something that we could do anytime. But we cannot defer our worship of Jesus as this is something we cannot put off.
To worship Jesus by knowing him, loving him, serving him is something we have to do right now for the chance may never come again and our failure to do so especially our failure to express our love for him would bring disastrous results.
Judas and the other disciples saw the use of an expensive perfume to anoint the feet of Jesus as waste but Jesus saw in it as an act of pure worship. Our Lord gave us time, talent and treasure for us to use these to worship him. In fact, this is what God expects from us that we all must bear fruit and we can only do by remaining in him. If we are to really dwell deeply on the Word of God, we will come to the conclusion that we don’t have much choice because it was God himself who chose us and appointed us to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last (Jn 15:16).
It would be a waste if we do not. Carpe Diem! Seize the moment. It might be too late if we will put it off for tomorrow for tomorrow may never come. And when we have made a choice to follow and worship Jesus, let us go the extra mile like Mary for the reward of an eternal life is something that we cannot pass up. We can put more meaning to our observance of Holy Week by making a commitment to also die on the cross with Jesus for it is only in dying that we are brought back to life.
LOVE AND BETRAYAL
MAR. 24, 2013: PALM SUNDAY OF THE LORD’S PASSION
1st Reading: Isa 50:4-7
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 22: 8-9, 17-20, 23-24 “My God, My God, why have You abandoned Me?”
2nd Reading: Phi 2:6-11
GOSPEL: Lk 23:1-49 or 22:14-23:56
Today is Palm Sunday and in the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church it ushers in the Holy Week. However, if we go by the Scriptures, we will see that Jesus’s triumphal entry to Jerusalem (Matt 21:1-11; Mk 11:1-11; Lk 19:28-44) happened way ahead of his actual passion and death.
There are also two Gospel readings that you can all reflect upon for this Sunday – Lk 23:1-49 or Lk 22:14-23:56 which speak of the trial of Jesus and his crucifixion and death on the cross. There is another Gospel passage that is somewhat relevant to this passage from Luke and this is from Mk 14:1-15, 47 which was about the love expressed by Mary who anointed the feet of Jesus with expensive oil that contrasts with the betrayal of Jesus by one of his Apostles Judas Iscariot.
The contrasting scenarios of love and betrayal is what we also go through in our present life. But first let me just provide you with something to reflect upon on the relevance of Palm Sunday to the Holy Week that we are about to observe.
The Church celebrates this solemn entry by the blessing of palm fronds and in the course of the Mass the history of the Passion as related by St. Matthew is read and at times sung by the choir. During the blessing of the palms, the priest prays that God may preserve from sin and danger those who receive these palms and keep them in their homes. This is the reason why we keep and tie the blessed palms at the door of our homes.
The palm fronds being waved by the Jews when Jesus entered Jerusalem symbolize victory – the victory that Christ was to gain by His death over the devil. The procession on Palm Sunday signifies the Christian’s triumphal entry into heaven. And when the priest knocks three times at the door of the church with the processional cross, then it is opened, to show that only through trials and tribulations can we enter the gate of heaven, and be admitted to the realms of heavenly joy.
Some have found fault in our traditions that they claim are against what Jesus preached but the reality is that these traditions are what make our Catholic faith unique because these traditions unites us with what Our Lord Jesus Christ went through and our salvation is dependent on the unanimity of our persona with that of Christ and this was the prayer of Jesus at Gethsemane “so that they may be one as we are one.” (Jn 17:11)
The scenario depicted in Mk 14:1-15 shows us the glaring comparison between our love for God (as exemplified by Mary) and our own betrayal as mentioned in Lk 22:47-48 (as exhibited by Judas) that separates us from God. On one hand, we see Mary bringing out the flask with the expensive oil (a year’s wages of an ordinary working man in those days) to anoint the feet of Jesus.
The Apostles even reprimanded Mary because the oil was truly expensive and they could have sold it to either finance their travel or given to the poor. The relevance to our own situation is seen in the way Jesus reacted: “She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you and you can help them anytime you want. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial.” (vv.6-8)
The reality is that anything we do for the least of our brethren is a beautiful thing for God. Like Mary, we are anointing Jesus when we give not just our best but everything that we have. The Apostles said it was a waste but not to the One who was honored by Mary. Today, Jesus is no longer present but we are. This Holy Week, we can probably ask ourselves what act of worship can we give while we still have the opportunity to do so?
This brings us to the question of how do we honor Our Lord. Do we faithfully give tithes and love offerings? Do we make use of our time, talent and treasure to serve him even when it is inconvenient for us? Jesus Himself gives us a clue when he credited Mary for “doing a beautiful thing to me” (v.6). In other words, genuine humble service is what pleases the Lord and which also makes us holy in his sight.
This calls for the total surrender of ourselves to Christ and let this yielding of our sinful nature to Christ be the palm fronds in our hands that symbolize our victory over the world that signifies our triumphal entry into heaven especially in the light of the passion and death of Christ (Lk 22:14-23:56) for our sakes.
The Gospel today also presents to us a contrasting view of the treacherous act of Judas. There have been many assumptions as to why Judas betrayed his own Master? It may have been motivated by greed, bitter disappointment with Jesus or hatred because of disillusionment? It may be that Judas never intended for his Master to die. Maybe he thought Jesus was not being aggressive enough in setting up his messianic kingdom. Perhaps Judas wanted to force Jesus' hand by compelling him to act.
Nonetheless, his tragedy was his refusal to accept Jesus as he was. In the same way, there are times when we too are tempted to use God for our own purposes. Many times we pray to God and fit Him into our situation. We pray and expect God to agree to what we want. There is in us a tendency to change God’s way of thinking, utterly forgetting that it is us who must be changed by Him.
We may not be aware of it but there is a Judas in us whenever we allow iniquity and transgression into our hearts. Every sin we commit is an act of betrayal to Our Lord. In as much as we can do a beautiful thing for Christ when we are able to help the poor, we can also be as cunning like Judas and plant the kiss of death on Jesus whenever we sin.
As the anointing of Jesus by Mary gives us the right perspective of what is pleasing to God, we must also view the treacherous act of Judas as a favor because it leads us to rethink and reassess our commitment to God and his presence in our lives through the Holy Spirit. This Holy Week is an opportune time to ask whether we have become true disciples or uncommitted pretenders?
This week, let us dwell on the life of Christ and this Gospel reading should help us decide. We can choose despair and death or we can choose repentance, forgiveness, hope and eternal life. The betrayal of Judas sent Jesus to the cross but his death on the cross also gave us an opportunity to avail of his gift of salvation. In truth, sharing in the suffering of Christ is an opportunity for us to reform our lives that we may be pleasing and acceptable in his sight.
Will we accept this gift that was paid for by his life? Or are we going to persist in betraying him like Judas? This Holy Week presents us with the opportunity to pass over from death (sinfulness) to life (salvation). Are we going to going to accept it or reject it? The choice is yours.
1st Reading: Isa 50:4-7
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 22: 8-9, 17-20, 23-24 “My God, My God, why have You abandoned Me?”
2nd Reading: Phi 2:6-11
GOSPEL: Lk 23:1-49 or 22:14-23:56
Today is Palm Sunday and in the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church it ushers in the Holy Week. However, if we go by the Scriptures, we will see that Jesus’s triumphal entry to Jerusalem (Matt 21:1-11; Mk 11:1-11; Lk 19:28-44) happened way ahead of his actual passion and death.
There are also two Gospel readings that you can all reflect upon for this Sunday – Lk 23:1-49 or Lk 22:14-23:56 which speak of the trial of Jesus and his crucifixion and death on the cross. There is another Gospel passage that is somewhat relevant to this passage from Luke and this is from Mk 14:1-15, 47 which was about the love expressed by Mary who anointed the feet of Jesus with expensive oil that contrasts with the betrayal of Jesus by one of his Apostles Judas Iscariot.
The contrasting scenarios of love and betrayal is what we also go through in our present life. But first let me just provide you with something to reflect upon on the relevance of Palm Sunday to the Holy Week that we are about to observe.
The Church celebrates this solemn entry by the blessing of palm fronds and in the course of the Mass the history of the Passion as related by St. Matthew is read and at times sung by the choir. During the blessing of the palms, the priest prays that God may preserve from sin and danger those who receive these palms and keep them in their homes. This is the reason why we keep and tie the blessed palms at the door of our homes.
The palm fronds being waved by the Jews when Jesus entered Jerusalem symbolize victory – the victory that Christ was to gain by His death over the devil. The procession on Palm Sunday signifies the Christian’s triumphal entry into heaven. And when the priest knocks three times at the door of the church with the processional cross, then it is opened, to show that only through trials and tribulations can we enter the gate of heaven, and be admitted to the realms of heavenly joy.
Some have found fault in our traditions that they claim are against what Jesus preached but the reality is that these traditions are what make our Catholic faith unique because these traditions unites us with what Our Lord Jesus Christ went through and our salvation is dependent on the unanimity of our persona with that of Christ and this was the prayer of Jesus at Gethsemane “so that they may be one as we are one.” (Jn 17:11)
The scenario depicted in Mk 14:1-15 shows us the glaring comparison between our love for God (as exemplified by Mary) and our own betrayal as mentioned in Lk 22:47-48 (as exhibited by Judas) that separates us from God. On one hand, we see Mary bringing out the flask with the expensive oil (a year’s wages of an ordinary working man in those days) to anoint the feet of Jesus.
The Apostles even reprimanded Mary because the oil was truly expensive and they could have sold it to either finance their travel or given to the poor. The relevance to our own situation is seen in the way Jesus reacted: “She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you and you can help them anytime you want. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial.” (vv.6-8)
The reality is that anything we do for the least of our brethren is a beautiful thing for God. Like Mary, we are anointing Jesus when we give not just our best but everything that we have. The Apostles said it was a waste but not to the One who was honored by Mary. Today, Jesus is no longer present but we are. This Holy Week, we can probably ask ourselves what act of worship can we give while we still have the opportunity to do so?
This brings us to the question of how do we honor Our Lord. Do we faithfully give tithes and love offerings? Do we make use of our time, talent and treasure to serve him even when it is inconvenient for us? Jesus Himself gives us a clue when he credited Mary for “doing a beautiful thing to me” (v.6). In other words, genuine humble service is what pleases the Lord and which also makes us holy in his sight.
This calls for the total surrender of ourselves to Christ and let this yielding of our sinful nature to Christ be the palm fronds in our hands that symbolize our victory over the world that signifies our triumphal entry into heaven especially in the light of the passion and death of Christ (Lk 22:14-23:56) for our sakes.
The Gospel today also presents to us a contrasting view of the treacherous act of Judas. There have been many assumptions as to why Judas betrayed his own Master? It may have been motivated by greed, bitter disappointment with Jesus or hatred because of disillusionment? It may be that Judas never intended for his Master to die. Maybe he thought Jesus was not being aggressive enough in setting up his messianic kingdom. Perhaps Judas wanted to force Jesus' hand by compelling him to act.
Nonetheless, his tragedy was his refusal to accept Jesus as he was. In the same way, there are times when we too are tempted to use God for our own purposes. Many times we pray to God and fit Him into our situation. We pray and expect God to agree to what we want. There is in us a tendency to change God’s way of thinking, utterly forgetting that it is us who must be changed by Him.
We may not be aware of it but there is a Judas in us whenever we allow iniquity and transgression into our hearts. Every sin we commit is an act of betrayal to Our Lord. In as much as we can do a beautiful thing for Christ when we are able to help the poor, we can also be as cunning like Judas and plant the kiss of death on Jesus whenever we sin.
As the anointing of Jesus by Mary gives us the right perspective of what is pleasing to God, we must also view the treacherous act of Judas as a favor because it leads us to rethink and reassess our commitment to God and his presence in our lives through the Holy Spirit. This Holy Week is an opportune time to ask whether we have become true disciples or uncommitted pretenders?
This week, let us dwell on the life of Christ and this Gospel reading should help us decide. We can choose despair and death or we can choose repentance, forgiveness, hope and eternal life. The betrayal of Judas sent Jesus to the cross but his death on the cross also gave us an opportunity to avail of his gift of salvation. In truth, sharing in the suffering of Christ is an opportunity for us to reform our lives that we may be pleasing and acceptable in his sight.
Will we accept this gift that was paid for by his life? Or are we going to persist in betraying him like Judas? This Holy Week presents us with the opportunity to pass over from death (sinfulness) to life (salvation). Are we going to going to accept it or reject it? The choice is yours.
OUR LIVES ARE HIDDEN IN JESUS
MAR. 23, 2013: FIFTH WEEK OF LENT
1st Reading: Eze 37:21-28
Responsorial Psalm: Jer 31:10-12abcd, 13 “The Lord will guard us, as a shepherd guards his flock.”
GOSPEL: JN 11:45-56
Key Verse: “Jesus would die for the Jewish nation.” (v.51)
After the 7:00 p.m. mass in our parish last night I stayed and listened to a recollection by Dr. Jake Yap, a lay theologian, and he turned the life of Jesus in a very simple and easy to understand progression of events that every layman could relate to.
And in his talk, Dr. Yap revealed that our lives are closely hewn to the life of Jesus such that what Jesus experienced in his passion, death and resurrection is the same thing that we are experiencing and that we shouldn’t run away from it but accept it because it is part of the plan of God for us.
The Gospel today also gives us an idea of what it is to be persecuted as many of us have been. In this Gospel reading we see that Jesus was to die than for the whole nation to perish (v.50). This was what the council of religious leaders led by Caiaphas the high priest decided on in an apparent attempt to offset the growing popularity of Jesus in whom the people were beginning to have faith.
Similarly, we also need to die to that part of our lives that separate us from God. These may be our pride, arrogance, unforgiveness, bitterness and resentments we have been harboring in our lives, idolatry and we have to put these away lest it corrupts our entire nature.
What raised concern among the Pharisees was when Jesus brought Lazarus back to life in Bethany that led many people to believe in Jesus and for the Chief Priests and the Pharisees this was the last straw as they convened the Sanhedrin to discuss what to do with Jesus.
The Sanhedrin was the governing council that brings together the Pharisees and the Sadducees. This was an unusual gathering because the Pharisees and the Sadducees are poles apart as the Pharisees was apolitical and its only interest was simply to live in accordance with the Mosaic law.
The Sadducees, on the other hand, were political and its members were wealthy and influential and they will collaborate and cooperate with anyone such as they did with the Roman conquerors for as long as they will be allowed to retain their wealth and positions of authority. All the priests were Sadducees and it was Caiaphas who was the Chief Priest at the time when the Sanhedrin was convened to decide what to do with Jesus.
And it was clear that the religious leaders did not know what to make out of Jesus whom they regarded as a threat to their positions of influence – “What are we going to do?” (v.47) and it was evident that the miracles and countless instances of healing that Jesus did were drawing people to Jesus.
“If we leave him alone, the whole nation will follow him, and then the Roman army will come and destroy both our temple and our nation.” (v.48) At this point in time, the Sanhedrin didn’t even care whether Jesus was right or was he really the Son of God whom he claimed he was because their only concern was its effect on their positions of authority and influence.
It was clear that the Sanhedrin have lost all sense of scruples as they judged the situation in terms of their fear of Jesus whom they could not accept as the Messiah and this scenario presents a parallelism in what is also happening today when men prioritize their position before the Will of God and such is present not just in the political sphere but even in the religious setting when leaders of the church or community create their own cliques to hold on to their authority and influence.
The decision meted out by Caiaphas “let this one man die for the people” (v.50) was not debatable because by tradition the Jews regard the Chief Priest as speaking for God (Num 27:18-21) and while it was true that Jesus has been willed to die to save the people, his death was not in the way that Caiaphas meant. What Caiaphas also did not know at the time was that he was also being used by God to proclaim that Jesus must die although he was not yet aware of its implications.
And what was so glaring was the stubbornness and hard-heartedness of the Sanhedrin who persisted in rejecting Jesus instead of humbling themselves and admit they were wrong in not accepting Jesus as the Son of God.
In other words, pride became the order of the day when the Sanhedrin decided that Jesus must die. Similarly, we too must be aware that in each one there is pride that lies hidden in our hearts. We are proud of our achievements, our positions, our influence and what we have become in our careers, in our social and civic circle and or in the church organization where we belong. But such pride can lead us into enormous sin if we allow it to manifest and take on our nature as well as circumstances in our lives.
Pride is what leads us to lie and camouflage our intentions such that the Word of God can actually come out of our lips to hide our intentions and project the holiness that we want people to see just so we can manipulate situations in our favor. And we can do all these because we have placed our own preferences over and above the Will of God and our steadfast desire to keep the degree of our influence and authority that prevents us from being objective in the way we deal with things.
In our Lenten journey, it would help if we will reflect on the remaining days of Jesus who did not deem equality with God as something to be grasped but he looked at the impending scenario on Calvary with objectivity. He knew the kind of suffering that awaits him and yet he went through it because this was what needed to be done.
The prophet Ezekiel announced that God would establish one people, one land, one prince, and one sanctuary forever. And Luke adds to the prophecy of Caiaphas that Jesus would gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. Jesus indeed came to lay down his life for the many, but not in a foolish reckless manner so as to throw it away before his work was done. He retired to Ephraim (v.55) until the time had come when nothing would stop his coming to Jerusalem to fulfill his Father's mission (Lk 9:51; Isa 50:7).
Indeed, his death brought all peoples and nations together to establish a one, holy, Catholic and universal church that has remained the same from the foot of the cross to Rome and to all the nations throughout the world. Make no mistake about it – that there is only one Catholic Church regardless of where it has been established. The question is: Are you ready to die for Jesus?
1st Reading: Eze 37:21-28
Responsorial Psalm: Jer 31:10-12abcd, 13 “The Lord will guard us, as a shepherd guards his flock.”
GOSPEL: JN 11:45-56
Key Verse: “Jesus would die for the Jewish nation.” (v.51)
After the 7:00 p.m. mass in our parish last night I stayed and listened to a recollection by Dr. Jake Yap, a lay theologian, and he turned the life of Jesus in a very simple and easy to understand progression of events that every layman could relate to.
And in his talk, Dr. Yap revealed that our lives are closely hewn to the life of Jesus such that what Jesus experienced in his passion, death and resurrection is the same thing that we are experiencing and that we shouldn’t run away from it but accept it because it is part of the plan of God for us.
The Gospel today also gives us an idea of what it is to be persecuted as many of us have been. In this Gospel reading we see that Jesus was to die than for the whole nation to perish (v.50). This was what the council of religious leaders led by Caiaphas the high priest decided on in an apparent attempt to offset the growing popularity of Jesus in whom the people were beginning to have faith.
Similarly, we also need to die to that part of our lives that separate us from God. These may be our pride, arrogance, unforgiveness, bitterness and resentments we have been harboring in our lives, idolatry and we have to put these away lest it corrupts our entire nature.
What raised concern among the Pharisees was when Jesus brought Lazarus back to life in Bethany that led many people to believe in Jesus and for the Chief Priests and the Pharisees this was the last straw as they convened the Sanhedrin to discuss what to do with Jesus.
The Sanhedrin was the governing council that brings together the Pharisees and the Sadducees. This was an unusual gathering because the Pharisees and the Sadducees are poles apart as the Pharisees was apolitical and its only interest was simply to live in accordance with the Mosaic law.
The Sadducees, on the other hand, were political and its members were wealthy and influential and they will collaborate and cooperate with anyone such as they did with the Roman conquerors for as long as they will be allowed to retain their wealth and positions of authority. All the priests were Sadducees and it was Caiaphas who was the Chief Priest at the time when the Sanhedrin was convened to decide what to do with Jesus.
And it was clear that the religious leaders did not know what to make out of Jesus whom they regarded as a threat to their positions of influence – “What are we going to do?” (v.47) and it was evident that the miracles and countless instances of healing that Jesus did were drawing people to Jesus.
“If we leave him alone, the whole nation will follow him, and then the Roman army will come and destroy both our temple and our nation.” (v.48) At this point in time, the Sanhedrin didn’t even care whether Jesus was right or was he really the Son of God whom he claimed he was because their only concern was its effect on their positions of authority and influence.
It was clear that the Sanhedrin have lost all sense of scruples as they judged the situation in terms of their fear of Jesus whom they could not accept as the Messiah and this scenario presents a parallelism in what is also happening today when men prioritize their position before the Will of God and such is present not just in the political sphere but even in the religious setting when leaders of the church or community create their own cliques to hold on to their authority and influence.
The decision meted out by Caiaphas “let this one man die for the people” (v.50) was not debatable because by tradition the Jews regard the Chief Priest as speaking for God (Num 27:18-21) and while it was true that Jesus has been willed to die to save the people, his death was not in the way that Caiaphas meant. What Caiaphas also did not know at the time was that he was also being used by God to proclaim that Jesus must die although he was not yet aware of its implications.
And what was so glaring was the stubbornness and hard-heartedness of the Sanhedrin who persisted in rejecting Jesus instead of humbling themselves and admit they were wrong in not accepting Jesus as the Son of God.
In other words, pride became the order of the day when the Sanhedrin decided that Jesus must die. Similarly, we too must be aware that in each one there is pride that lies hidden in our hearts. We are proud of our achievements, our positions, our influence and what we have become in our careers, in our social and civic circle and or in the church organization where we belong. But such pride can lead us into enormous sin if we allow it to manifest and take on our nature as well as circumstances in our lives.
Pride is what leads us to lie and camouflage our intentions such that the Word of God can actually come out of our lips to hide our intentions and project the holiness that we want people to see just so we can manipulate situations in our favor. And we can do all these because we have placed our own preferences over and above the Will of God and our steadfast desire to keep the degree of our influence and authority that prevents us from being objective in the way we deal with things.
In our Lenten journey, it would help if we will reflect on the remaining days of Jesus who did not deem equality with God as something to be grasped but he looked at the impending scenario on Calvary with objectivity. He knew the kind of suffering that awaits him and yet he went through it because this was what needed to be done.
The prophet Ezekiel announced that God would establish one people, one land, one prince, and one sanctuary forever. And Luke adds to the prophecy of Caiaphas that Jesus would gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. Jesus indeed came to lay down his life for the many, but not in a foolish reckless manner so as to throw it away before his work was done. He retired to Ephraim (v.55) until the time had come when nothing would stop his coming to Jerusalem to fulfill his Father's mission (Lk 9:51; Isa 50:7).
Indeed, his death brought all peoples and nations together to establish a one, holy, Catholic and universal church that has remained the same from the foot of the cross to Rome and to all the nations throughout the world. Make no mistake about it – that there is only one Catholic Church regardless of where it has been established. The question is: Are you ready to die for Jesus?
THERE IS A GOD AND IT'S NOT ME
THE PHARISEES REFUSED TO RECOGNIZE HIM AS GOD AND TRIED TO STONE HIM.
MAR. 22, 2013: FIFTH WEEK OF LENT
1st Reading: Jer 20: 10-13
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 18: 2-7 “In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.”
GOSPEL: JN 10:31-42
Key Verse: “I am God’s Son.” (v.36)
Was it right to accuse Jesus of blasphemy for claiming he was the Son of God? Or were the Scribes and Pharisees the ones guilty of that which they accuse Jesus of? Weren’t the Jews guilty of irreverence, impiety, profanity and sacrilege for ascribing the power of Jesus to heal to Beelzebul? Aren’t we also guilty when we reject and disobey God?
It was probable that the religious leaders of his time has some reservation when Jesus claimed he was the one sent by God and that they knew that his claim was true but they could not accept him not only because he did not fit into the image of a messianic king they were expecting but mainly out of selfishness and vainglory.
The Scribes and the Pharisees could lose everything they enjoyed if they were to proclaim the truth of the claim of Jesus. Besides the honor and the prestige attached to their positions as religious leaders and teachers of the law, they are also regarded as “gods” (Psa 82:6) and this what Jesus pointed out to Jews.
In ancient Israel, tradition has it that Jewish rulers and judges are also called “gods” (Exo 4:16; 7:1) because the people at that time believed that they were agent’s of God’s revelations and this was the why Jesus asked how could it have been blasphemous for him to claim he was the Son of God since he knew the truthfulness of his claim.
But the Jewish leaders would have none of it and they wanted to carry out the sentence right there and there as blasphemy was considered as a heinous crime because it was an offense committed against God for which the instant penalty was stoning.
Their hatred and desire to put Jesus away by whatever means because of the humiliation and embarrassment they were confronted with each time Jesus preached was evident when they tried to seize him and stone him.
Stoning was an ancient practice of capital punishment that is levied for the most serious crimes against the Mosaic law and this includes crimes involving child sacrifice (Lev 20:2), consulting with mediums and those engaged in the occult (Lev 20;27), blasphemy (Lev 24:16), breaking of the law of the Sabbath (Num 15:32-36), worship of false gods (Deut 13:10), rebellion against parents (Deut 21:21), adultery (Ezek 16:40), direct disobedience to God’s commands (Josh 7:25).
This form of punishment is usually carried out by the men in a community but only after the testimony of at least two witnesses shall have been heard (Deut 17:5-7) and the execution normally was carried out outside the city (Lev 24:14, 23).
Jesus knew what they were planning when the Jews surrounded him but he slipped away from them (v.39). In a way, this Gospel passage also has some connection with the way we live especially for those who are wallowing in their sinful desires and tendencies.
There is in us the desire to be the boss – to be in command. Some of us find ourselves in such a situation because our families probably owned the company we are working for. Some will go to great lengths to climb up the corporate ladder to be on top. There are those whose sights are aimed at amassing wealth by whatever means because with wealth comes power. In other words, we want to be god and when we are in this state we tend to forget that there is a God who is the source of everything we have and possess.
Time was when I credited myself for the talent I had as a News Reporter for a big TV Network and later on for a major daily Newspaper. Banner headlines with my by-line became daily fare that readers would think there was no other reporter besides me.
I basked in my success and became arrogant in the process. I was on top of my world. I could easily get the stories that other reporters could not get access to until one fateful day when I was called to the office of the News Director. I have become so brazen that I treated even my superiors with contempt and my employers will have none of it.
I was suspended without pay and if I will not agree to such a suspension the TV network was prepared to fire me. It was then that I realized that I was not god after all. Humbly, I accepted and came out of the suspension period of 30 days a much better man.
This Lenten Season, Holy Week and the Octave of Easter would be a good opportunity for us to look back into our lives for when we do we will realize that Jesus made himself as a sin-offering for us, to ransom us from condemnation and slavery to sin. That even in the darkest moments of our lives Jesus was there and he still is through his Holy Spirit in us.
He spoke of his Father consecrating him for this mission of salvation but the religious leaders charged him with blasphemy because he claimed to be the Son of God.
Jesus challenged his opponents to accept his works if they could not accept his words (vv.37-38). Anyone can always argue with words, but deeds are non-debatable. Jesus is the perfect teacher because he does not base his claims on what he says but on what he does.
Let us bear in mind that the Word of God gives life and power to those who will believe in it and it is only through Jesus in whom we can see the path of truth and holiness. The challenge for us which we should deal with during this Lenten Season is to surrender that god that is in us.
The Scriptures cannot be altered (v.35) and we have to accept the letter of the Scriptures that testifies to him who was sent to save us and to accept and believe that Jesus is indeed the Son of God. We must clothe ourselves with the humility to accept that there is a God and it’s not you or me.
1st Reading: Jer 20: 10-13
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 18: 2-7 “In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.”
GOSPEL: JN 10:31-42
Key Verse: “I am God’s Son.” (v.36)
Was it right to accuse Jesus of blasphemy for claiming he was the Son of God? Or were the Scribes and Pharisees the ones guilty of that which they accuse Jesus of? Weren’t the Jews guilty of irreverence, impiety, profanity and sacrilege for ascribing the power of Jesus to heal to Beelzebul? Aren’t we also guilty when we reject and disobey God?
It was probable that the religious leaders of his time has some reservation when Jesus claimed he was the one sent by God and that they knew that his claim was true but they could not accept him not only because he did not fit into the image of a messianic king they were expecting but mainly out of selfishness and vainglory.
The Scribes and the Pharisees could lose everything they enjoyed if they were to proclaim the truth of the claim of Jesus. Besides the honor and the prestige attached to their positions as religious leaders and teachers of the law, they are also regarded as “gods” (Psa 82:6) and this what Jesus pointed out to Jews.
In ancient Israel, tradition has it that Jewish rulers and judges are also called “gods” (Exo 4:16; 7:1) because the people at that time believed that they were agent’s of God’s revelations and this was the why Jesus asked how could it have been blasphemous for him to claim he was the Son of God since he knew the truthfulness of his claim.
But the Jewish leaders would have none of it and they wanted to carry out the sentence right there and there as blasphemy was considered as a heinous crime because it was an offense committed against God for which the instant penalty was stoning.
Their hatred and desire to put Jesus away by whatever means because of the humiliation and embarrassment they were confronted with each time Jesus preached was evident when they tried to seize him and stone him.
Stoning was an ancient practice of capital punishment that is levied for the most serious crimes against the Mosaic law and this includes crimes involving child sacrifice (Lev 20:2), consulting with mediums and those engaged in the occult (Lev 20;27), blasphemy (Lev 24:16), breaking of the law of the Sabbath (Num 15:32-36), worship of false gods (Deut 13:10), rebellion against parents (Deut 21:21), adultery (Ezek 16:40), direct disobedience to God’s commands (Josh 7:25).
This form of punishment is usually carried out by the men in a community but only after the testimony of at least two witnesses shall have been heard (Deut 17:5-7) and the execution normally was carried out outside the city (Lev 24:14, 23).
Jesus knew what they were planning when the Jews surrounded him but he slipped away from them (v.39). In a way, this Gospel passage also has some connection with the way we live especially for those who are wallowing in their sinful desires and tendencies.
There is in us the desire to be the boss – to be in command. Some of us find ourselves in such a situation because our families probably owned the company we are working for. Some will go to great lengths to climb up the corporate ladder to be on top. There are those whose sights are aimed at amassing wealth by whatever means because with wealth comes power. In other words, we want to be god and when we are in this state we tend to forget that there is a God who is the source of everything we have and possess.
Time was when I credited myself for the talent I had as a News Reporter for a big TV Network and later on for a major daily Newspaper. Banner headlines with my by-line became daily fare that readers would think there was no other reporter besides me.
I basked in my success and became arrogant in the process. I was on top of my world. I could easily get the stories that other reporters could not get access to until one fateful day when I was called to the office of the News Director. I have become so brazen that I treated even my superiors with contempt and my employers will have none of it.
I was suspended without pay and if I will not agree to such a suspension the TV network was prepared to fire me. It was then that I realized that I was not god after all. Humbly, I accepted and came out of the suspension period of 30 days a much better man.
This Lenten Season, Holy Week and the Octave of Easter would be a good opportunity for us to look back into our lives for when we do we will realize that Jesus made himself as a sin-offering for us, to ransom us from condemnation and slavery to sin. That even in the darkest moments of our lives Jesus was there and he still is through his Holy Spirit in us.
He spoke of his Father consecrating him for this mission of salvation but the religious leaders charged him with blasphemy because he claimed to be the Son of God.
Jesus challenged his opponents to accept his works if they could not accept his words (vv.37-38). Anyone can always argue with words, but deeds are non-debatable. Jesus is the perfect teacher because he does not base his claims on what he says but on what he does.
Let us bear in mind that the Word of God gives life and power to those who will believe in it and it is only through Jesus in whom we can see the path of truth and holiness. The challenge for us which we should deal with during this Lenten Season is to surrender that god that is in us.
The Scriptures cannot be altered (v.35) and we have to accept the letter of the Scriptures that testifies to him who was sent to save us and to accept and believe that Jesus is indeed the Son of God. We must clothe ourselves with the humility to accept that there is a God and it’s not you or me.
JESUS: I AM
MAR. 21, 2013: FIFTH WEEK OF LENT
1st Reading: Gen 17:3-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 105:4-9 “The Lord remembers his covenant forever.”
GOSPEL: Jn 8:51-59
Key Verse: “If anyone keeps my word,
he will never see death.” (v.51)
If someone were to stand before you and say: “I assure you, anyone who obeys my teaching will never die!” (v.51) how would you react. Are you going to react with amazement and disbelief just as the Jews did when Jesus said these words?
Not only were the Jews astonished at the claim of Jesus but they were angered when Jesus brought himself to the level of Abraham whom we of course know was regarded as the father of ancient Israel. What was equally amazing in this Gospel passage was the progression in the claims made by Jesus that came in staccato fashion with each of his claim becoming stranger than the preceding.
In Bible study we know of several approaches in trying to understand the Scriptures and we know of at least two that are taught in the Basic Bible Seminar – the Contextual Approach and the Thematic Approach. There is, however, a third type and this is the Literal Approach which is to understand each word or phrase in the way it is said. This means that in the Literal Approach there is no room for interpretation and or evaluation.
This was how the Jews understood the teachings of Jesus which was why he needed to speak in parables most of the time in order to provide an illustration to what his teachings wanted to convey. And in this particular scenario, this was how the Jews understood his teaching but Jesus wasn’t talking of physical death but spiritual death.
And it is this literal-mindedness of the Jews that hindered them from fully understanding what Jesus meant which simply put was that death has no claim on any man who will fully accept him and obey his Words.
What the Jews also could not or refused to understand was the fact that Jesus knew whereof he speak such that when he said he existed even before Abraham was born, he was proclaiming his divinity. Not only did Jesus claim to be divine but he also claimed the holy name of God when he said: “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was born, I am!” (v.58)
This must have brought the Jews to the edge of their limited understanding because the next thing they did was they picked up stones to kill him but Jesus slipped away from the temple grounds.
If we are to reread and reflect upon this Gospel today, we will note that there are two claims that Jesus made that has became the foundation of his life. One was that he claims to have personal knowledge of God saying: “I know him.” and the other was that he claims obedience to God: “I know him and obey him.” (v.55)
The Jews were at a disadvantage and their stubbornness was understandable because it was difficult for them to go beyond the literal meaning of what Jesus was saying or has said in his teachings because what he was saying was incompatible with the religious training and study the Jews have received.
It is different with us because we have at our disposal the many tools of communications that provides us with the information we need. There is also no shortage of preachers and teachers who amplify the Scriptures for us which is why there is no way we will ever miss what Jesus wants to convey to us unless, of course, if we will become as stubborn as the Jews.
What Jesus said in this Gospel need not take a bright mind to understand – that the only way to know the heart and mind of God is through him. Our finite minds are capable of receiving bits and pieces of knowledge of God but only in Jesus can we see what God is like.
Jesus claims obedience to God and that was what we saw when he went through his passion and death on the cross. What Our Lord was also trying to impress upon us was that “this was how I lived, in perfect obedience to the Father. This is also how I want you to live – to obey and serve God through me.”
The Jews accused Jesus of blasphemy for claiming to be God. The incongruity of it all was that the Jews were the ones who blasphemed God because they not only opposed God but they were bent to kill Jesus in whom God was personified.
Perhaps this Holy Week would be an appropriate time for us to look into our lives and see if we too are also guilty of blaspheming God. And we might ask, when did we blaspheme God?
When? In the times we refused to heed the call to serve God in the church or ministry. When we held back on our tithes and love offerings or when we give but with strings attached. When we make claims that the church where we worship, community or ministry or apostolate will not survive without us. When we placed idols above God. When we failed to give God the credit for the talent we have acquired and the material possessions we may have amassed. In other words, it is blasphemy when we remove God from our life’s equation.
“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world and all who live in it.” (Psa 24:1) If take this in the context of how the Psalmist said it, there is nothing on earth that do not belong to the Lord. To think otherwise is to blaspheme God.
But the Pharisees accused Jesus of blasphemy because of his use of the word “I Am” which the Jewish people use when they define the character of God. What the religious leaders didn’t know at the time was that Jesus took a big leap when he revealed his divinity when he said he existed even before Abraham was born.
And when God’s divinity is made known it actually demands a response. How then will we respond to God if ever he will reveal himself to us? Are we going to accept him or are we going to reject him as the Pharisees did? What many of us aren’t aware of is that we are in fact guilty of blaspheming God whenever we commit a sin because sin is a rejection of God not only of his lordship over us but also a rejection of his divine nature.
1st Reading: Gen 17:3-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 105:4-9 “The Lord remembers his covenant forever.”
GOSPEL: Jn 8:51-59
Key Verse: “If anyone keeps my word,
he will never see death.” (v.51)
If someone were to stand before you and say: “I assure you, anyone who obeys my teaching will never die!” (v.51) how would you react. Are you going to react with amazement and disbelief just as the Jews did when Jesus said these words?
Not only were the Jews astonished at the claim of Jesus but they were angered when Jesus brought himself to the level of Abraham whom we of course know was regarded as the father of ancient Israel. What was equally amazing in this Gospel passage was the progression in the claims made by Jesus that came in staccato fashion with each of his claim becoming stranger than the preceding.
In Bible study we know of several approaches in trying to understand the Scriptures and we know of at least two that are taught in the Basic Bible Seminar – the Contextual Approach and the Thematic Approach. There is, however, a third type and this is the Literal Approach which is to understand each word or phrase in the way it is said. This means that in the Literal Approach there is no room for interpretation and or evaluation.
This was how the Jews understood the teachings of Jesus which was why he needed to speak in parables most of the time in order to provide an illustration to what his teachings wanted to convey. And in this particular scenario, this was how the Jews understood his teaching but Jesus wasn’t talking of physical death but spiritual death.
And it is this literal-mindedness of the Jews that hindered them from fully understanding what Jesus meant which simply put was that death has no claim on any man who will fully accept him and obey his Words.
What the Jews also could not or refused to understand was the fact that Jesus knew whereof he speak such that when he said he existed even before Abraham was born, he was proclaiming his divinity. Not only did Jesus claim to be divine but he also claimed the holy name of God when he said: “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was born, I am!” (v.58)
This must have brought the Jews to the edge of their limited understanding because the next thing they did was they picked up stones to kill him but Jesus slipped away from the temple grounds.
If we are to reread and reflect upon this Gospel today, we will note that there are two claims that Jesus made that has became the foundation of his life. One was that he claims to have personal knowledge of God saying: “I know him.” and the other was that he claims obedience to God: “I know him and obey him.” (v.55)
The Jews were at a disadvantage and their stubbornness was understandable because it was difficult for them to go beyond the literal meaning of what Jesus was saying or has said in his teachings because what he was saying was incompatible with the religious training and study the Jews have received.
It is different with us because we have at our disposal the many tools of communications that provides us with the information we need. There is also no shortage of preachers and teachers who amplify the Scriptures for us which is why there is no way we will ever miss what Jesus wants to convey to us unless, of course, if we will become as stubborn as the Jews.
What Jesus said in this Gospel need not take a bright mind to understand – that the only way to know the heart and mind of God is through him. Our finite minds are capable of receiving bits and pieces of knowledge of God but only in Jesus can we see what God is like.
Jesus claims obedience to God and that was what we saw when he went through his passion and death on the cross. What Our Lord was also trying to impress upon us was that “this was how I lived, in perfect obedience to the Father. This is also how I want you to live – to obey and serve God through me.”
The Jews accused Jesus of blasphemy for claiming to be God. The incongruity of it all was that the Jews were the ones who blasphemed God because they not only opposed God but they were bent to kill Jesus in whom God was personified.
Perhaps this Holy Week would be an appropriate time for us to look into our lives and see if we too are also guilty of blaspheming God. And we might ask, when did we blaspheme God?
When? In the times we refused to heed the call to serve God in the church or ministry. When we held back on our tithes and love offerings or when we give but with strings attached. When we make claims that the church where we worship, community or ministry or apostolate will not survive without us. When we placed idols above God. When we failed to give God the credit for the talent we have acquired and the material possessions we may have amassed. In other words, it is blasphemy when we remove God from our life’s equation.
“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world and all who live in it.” (Psa 24:1) If take this in the context of how the Psalmist said it, there is nothing on earth that do not belong to the Lord. To think otherwise is to blaspheme God.
But the Pharisees accused Jesus of blasphemy because of his use of the word “I Am” which the Jewish people use when they define the character of God. What the religious leaders didn’t know at the time was that Jesus took a big leap when he revealed his divinity when he said he existed even before Abraham was born.
And when God’s divinity is made known it actually demands a response. How then will we respond to God if ever he will reveal himself to us? Are we going to accept him or are we going to reject him as the Pharisees did? What many of us aren’t aware of is that we are in fact guilty of blaspheming God whenever we commit a sin because sin is a rejection of God not only of his lordship over us but also a rejection of his divine nature.
OBEDIENCE: KEY TO DISCIPLESHIP
MAR. 20, 2013: FIFTH WEEK OF LENT
1st Reading: Dan 3:14-20, 24-25, 28
Responsorial Psalm: Dan 3:52-56 “Glory and praise forever!”
GOSPEL: JN 8:31-42
Key Verse: “…and the truth will make you free.” (v.32)
If there is anything that will strike you while you are digesting the meaning of the liturgical readings of today, it would be that obedience to the Word of God can cave you from certain death and or from the eternal flame that awaits those who will reject God’s offer of salvation.
The salvific benefits of obedience became evident in the lives of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego when they walked out of the fiery furnace that was heated seven times hotter than the usual (vv.19-25). And in this scenario in the first reading we are given a vivid picture of what confronts us as we go through our paces each day.
As life is a matter of choice, God gives us free will to choose the way we want to go. We can either listen and be subservient to His Word or we can ignore it altogether and go about our lives in reckless abandon. What we are saying is that God has made available his Word for all of us and He gives us a choice to take it or leave it.
But we should not even for once surmise that God doesn’t care because he does and this is the reason why he sent his only begotten Son to become one of us that we may come to know Him (Jn 17:33), to love Him (Matt 22:37), to serve Him (Jn 12:26) and to be happy with Him forever (Jn 16:22).
In fact, God cared for us so much that he accepted without any reservation the Will of God that he should die on the cross. As Christ was obedient till death, God also requires the same level of obedience from us. At the end of the day, obedience is what will save us from the fiery furnace of hell.
As in the first reading, it was the obedience of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to God’s Will that saved them from death that they were willing to suffer rather than disobey their God. And God Himself rewarded them for their obedience and faithfulness that they were led out of the furnace.
And we see perfect obedience in Jesus who came to do the Will of his Father in heaven. He knew what was before him. Jesus knew he will be betrayed (Jn 13:21) but he did not run away from the cross that he was only more than willing to embrace for our sake.
As we step into the observance of the Holy Week, let us ponder on the obedience of Christ because this was what reversed the curse of Adam’s disobedience that brought sin into the world and which through the death of Jesus on the cross has restored us into the image and likeness of God who created us. And it was also when he was lifted up on the cross that the Father crowned him with victory over sin, death, and Satan.
As Jesus goes through his Passion, Death and Resurrection, he is actually showing us that the way to true freedom and victory is by freely submitting our hearts, minds, and Will to an all-merciful, all-loving, and all-wise God.
In essence, the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus provides us with a perfect view of the kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy that is being offered to us by God through the Holy Spirit (Rom14:17) and the Gospel passage today gives us an almost complete lesson in discipleship right at the beginning – “If you remain in my Word, you are truly my disciples. You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” (vv.31-32)
Indeed, discipleship begins with believing and accepting that Jesus taught about the love of God, the destructive effects of sin and the true purpose and meaning of life are true. It also means that are to constantly remain in the Word of God and this involves listening, learning, immersion and obeying what Jesus says.
To learn from Jesus is to also learn the truth and while many of us might venture to ask what the truth is, the truth that Jesus brings is the real and true value of life and this should bring us to the question of what we are to do with our life. Are we going to join the frenetic pace that we may succeed in our chosen careers? Do we set aside what is moral in order to amass material possessions? Do we exist to have a leisurely and pleasurable life? Or did God bring us into the world to know him, love him, serve him and be happy with him in eternity. As we go through life, we will know the truth if we remain in Jesus because it is in him that we will see what is important in life and what is not.
Christian discipleship leads us to freedom and in Jesus we can experience freedom from fear as we will never be alone when we seek the company of Jesus. Discipleship also liberates from us from the sinful tendencies that has enslaved us. True discipleship also delivers us from fear of what other people think and say about us. A disciple is one who is no longer concerned what people say because he thinks only of what God says.
This Gospel shows us that while the Jews never thought of themselves as having been enslaved, Jesus confronts them with a different concept of slavery – that of being slaves to sin and here Jesus makes a veiled threat as he equates a Jewish household with the Kingdom of God in which the Son remains in the household but the slave can be ejected anytime.
What Jesus meant was that those among us who have become slaves to sin will be ejected and or evicted from the Kingdom of God while those who abides in the Son of God will remain.
Disciples of Jesus are assured of true freedom and deliverance from slavery to pride, arrogance and false humility, disbelief and ignorance, selfishness and greed, hatred and revenge, fear and anxiety, despair and depression, and habits and addictions that cripple our lives.
This is what the Good News is all about as it sets us free from sin that disfigures our image. Through the gift and power of the Holy Spirit we can choose to turn away from sin and yield instead to God's Grace that empowers us to walk constantly in and with Christ.
A disciple follows and listens. If we want to follow Christ and live as his disciples, then we must listen and put the Word of God on our minds, hearts and our lips. As we listen to Jesus in faith, we must clothe ourselves with a humble and teachable spirit and obey God with complete trust which means we simply have to forget who we once were.
1st Reading: Dan 3:14-20, 24-25, 28
Responsorial Psalm: Dan 3:52-56 “Glory and praise forever!”
GOSPEL: JN 8:31-42
Key Verse: “…and the truth will make you free.” (v.32)
If there is anything that will strike you while you are digesting the meaning of the liturgical readings of today, it would be that obedience to the Word of God can cave you from certain death and or from the eternal flame that awaits those who will reject God’s offer of salvation.
The salvific benefits of obedience became evident in the lives of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego when they walked out of the fiery furnace that was heated seven times hotter than the usual (vv.19-25). And in this scenario in the first reading we are given a vivid picture of what confronts us as we go through our paces each day.
As life is a matter of choice, God gives us free will to choose the way we want to go. We can either listen and be subservient to His Word or we can ignore it altogether and go about our lives in reckless abandon. What we are saying is that God has made available his Word for all of us and He gives us a choice to take it or leave it.
But we should not even for once surmise that God doesn’t care because he does and this is the reason why he sent his only begotten Son to become one of us that we may come to know Him (Jn 17:33), to love Him (Matt 22:37), to serve Him (Jn 12:26) and to be happy with Him forever (Jn 16:22).
In fact, God cared for us so much that he accepted without any reservation the Will of God that he should die on the cross. As Christ was obedient till death, God also requires the same level of obedience from us. At the end of the day, obedience is what will save us from the fiery furnace of hell.
As in the first reading, it was the obedience of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to God’s Will that saved them from death that they were willing to suffer rather than disobey their God. And God Himself rewarded them for their obedience and faithfulness that they were led out of the furnace.
And we see perfect obedience in Jesus who came to do the Will of his Father in heaven. He knew what was before him. Jesus knew he will be betrayed (Jn 13:21) but he did not run away from the cross that he was only more than willing to embrace for our sake.
As we step into the observance of the Holy Week, let us ponder on the obedience of Christ because this was what reversed the curse of Adam’s disobedience that brought sin into the world and which through the death of Jesus on the cross has restored us into the image and likeness of God who created us. And it was also when he was lifted up on the cross that the Father crowned him with victory over sin, death, and Satan.
As Jesus goes through his Passion, Death and Resurrection, he is actually showing us that the way to true freedom and victory is by freely submitting our hearts, minds, and Will to an all-merciful, all-loving, and all-wise God.
In essence, the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus provides us with a perfect view of the kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy that is being offered to us by God through the Holy Spirit (Rom14:17) and the Gospel passage today gives us an almost complete lesson in discipleship right at the beginning – “If you remain in my Word, you are truly my disciples. You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” (vv.31-32)
Indeed, discipleship begins with believing and accepting that Jesus taught about the love of God, the destructive effects of sin and the true purpose and meaning of life are true. It also means that are to constantly remain in the Word of God and this involves listening, learning, immersion and obeying what Jesus says.
To learn from Jesus is to also learn the truth and while many of us might venture to ask what the truth is, the truth that Jesus brings is the real and true value of life and this should bring us to the question of what we are to do with our life. Are we going to join the frenetic pace that we may succeed in our chosen careers? Do we set aside what is moral in order to amass material possessions? Do we exist to have a leisurely and pleasurable life? Or did God bring us into the world to know him, love him, serve him and be happy with him in eternity. As we go through life, we will know the truth if we remain in Jesus because it is in him that we will see what is important in life and what is not.
Christian discipleship leads us to freedom and in Jesus we can experience freedom from fear as we will never be alone when we seek the company of Jesus. Discipleship also liberates from us from the sinful tendencies that has enslaved us. True discipleship also delivers us from fear of what other people think and say about us. A disciple is one who is no longer concerned what people say because he thinks only of what God says.
This Gospel shows us that while the Jews never thought of themselves as having been enslaved, Jesus confronts them with a different concept of slavery – that of being slaves to sin and here Jesus makes a veiled threat as he equates a Jewish household with the Kingdom of God in which the Son remains in the household but the slave can be ejected anytime.
What Jesus meant was that those among us who have become slaves to sin will be ejected and or evicted from the Kingdom of God while those who abides in the Son of God will remain.
Disciples of Jesus are assured of true freedom and deliverance from slavery to pride, arrogance and false humility, disbelief and ignorance, selfishness and greed, hatred and revenge, fear and anxiety, despair and depression, and habits and addictions that cripple our lives.
This is what the Good News is all about as it sets us free from sin that disfigures our image. Through the gift and power of the Holy Spirit we can choose to turn away from sin and yield instead to God's Grace that empowers us to walk constantly in and with Christ.
A disciple follows and listens. If we want to follow Christ and live as his disciples, then we must listen and put the Word of God on our minds, hearts and our lips. As we listen to Jesus in faith, we must clothe ourselves with a humble and teachable spirit and obey God with complete trust which means we simply have to forget who we once were.
OBEDIENCE LEADS TO HOLINESS
MAR. 19, 2012: FEAST OF ST. JOSEPH
1st Reading: 2 Sam 7:4-5, 12-14, 16
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 89:2-5, 27, 29 “The son of David will live for ever.”
2nd Reading: Rom 4:13, 16-18, 22
GOSPEL: MATT 1:16, 18-21, 24
Key Verse: “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name
Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (v.21)
Many times in our life we change and or completely abort a plan that we took pains in preparing because we don’t want to be criticized if the plan goes awry. There were instances when we either put off making a decision or avoid doing what is right because of what others might think even if we know that it was the right thing to do.
In other words, some of us think more of what others will say about us, of how others perceive us and we go to great lengths to keep our reputations from being soiled by rumors and we rue the times people talk about us behind our backs.
But what if the woman you are to marry suddenly told you she was pregnant and you knew it wasn’t possible because you treated her with respect and honor and didn’t have sex with her. Like St. Joseph, your first impulse would be to cancel the wedding and terminate the engagement. And under Jewish law such an engagement could be broken through a divorce and Joseph had every right to resort to what the law says. But since the reason for the divorce was Mary’s apparent unfaithfulness, it follows that the Jewish authorities will have her stoned to death (Deut 22:23-24).
Joseph did what a rational man should do under the circumstances. He pondered his move and as he fell asleep an angel appeared to him in a dream and told him not to be afraid to proceed with his marriage to Mary because the child in her womb has been conceived by the Holy Spirit (v.20).
As the Jews generally believed that God speaks to them in their dreams, Joseph woke up and did what the angel said and brought Mary home to be his spouse (v.24). His relatives, friends and neighbors may not have agreed with his decision but Joseph obeyed what he was told also because it was the right thing to do.
What could have possibly changed the mind of Joseph? It was the mention of the Holy Spirit that moved Joseph to accept that what was happening to Mary was a supernatural event. The Jews in those days generally believed that the Holy Spirit was the person who brought God’s truth to men which means that it was the Holy Spirit who taught the prophets what to say and do. In particular, the Jews connected the Holy Spirit to the work of creation and re-creation as well.
We too have experienced what Joseph experienced when we were faced with difficult choices to make. And like Joseph, there were times when we found ourselves with only two options from which to choose from. Joseph’s option was (1) to divorce Mary and, (2) have her stoned. But God gave Joseph a third option – marry her.
What God is telling us in this Gospel passage is that there are more options available to us than we think. Under Jewish law it was right for Joseph to divorce Mary but God’s guidance that came through a dream helped him make the best decision. This is the same with us. When we are faced with decisions to make that affect the lives of others, we must always go to God and rely on God’s wisdom for guidance.
Many times we are too preoccupied by what others will say such that our decisions have not only become too generic but were made to please others. Joseph certainly gave his reputation some amount of thought because he knew how his relatives, friends and neighbors would perceive him but he took Mary as his spouse because he had character.
This Gospel passage reminds us that Joseph was definitely a godly man of character who has a genuine light that shines for the world to see. When right-thinking men see this light they glorify God (Matt 5:16).
The reputation seeker has no real light, but he or she works very hard at giving the impression that he/ she has the light and we see them in our parishes and or community for that matter. Their artificial light changes color as it radiates in different directions. It is adjusted so that men who see it will glorify him instead of God being glorified.
What we can see in the character of Joseph is the need for us to work to become a man or woman of character. To do this, we must start on the inside and the outside will follow. Those who love truth and right, though they may be few, will love you and God will love and reward you. We must not forget that the applause of men is fleeting and cannot match the authentic approval of heaven or that of your own conscience. At the end of the day, character is what God sees and not our reputation.
The main message of this Gospel story today is that the birth of Jesus would not have been possible had not Joseph obeyed God. It also showed the movement and power of the Holy Spirit in the lives of men for it is the Holy Spirit who was God’s agent in the creation of the world and who alone can re-create the human soul when it has lost its life. Joseph obeyed and this was the reason God rewarded him with holiness that we continue to recognize and remember till the fullness of time.
In gratitude, we all should thank God for entrusting this silent, humble man with the unique privilege of raising, protecting, teaching, and training Jesus as a growing child. Joseph accepted his role of fatherly care with faith, trust, and obedience to the will of God. We should look at Joseph as a model especially for those of us who are entrusted with the care, instruction, and protection of the young.
Joseph was a faithful witness and servant of God's unfolding plan of redemption. During this Lenten Season we too must learn to put our trust in the Lord and come to him to help and guide us in fulfilling our responsibilities as Christian disciples. Out of the abundance of his heart, God will give us strength and guidance when we seek his help especially in times of trials, doubts, fears, perplexing circumstances, and what we think are insurmountable problems and challenges in our personal lives.
God our heavenly Father has not left us alone, but has given us his only begotten Son Jesus as our savior, teacher, and healer. During this Lenten observance, let us ask ourselves what areas in our lives do we need God's help and guidance? Let us ask Him to increase our faith and trust in his promises and in his guiding hand in our life.
1st Reading: 2 Sam 7:4-5, 12-14, 16
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 89:2-5, 27, 29 “The son of David will live for ever.”
2nd Reading: Rom 4:13, 16-18, 22
GOSPEL: MATT 1:16, 18-21, 24
Key Verse: “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name
Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (v.21)
Many times in our life we change and or completely abort a plan that we took pains in preparing because we don’t want to be criticized if the plan goes awry. There were instances when we either put off making a decision or avoid doing what is right because of what others might think even if we know that it was the right thing to do.
In other words, some of us think more of what others will say about us, of how others perceive us and we go to great lengths to keep our reputations from being soiled by rumors and we rue the times people talk about us behind our backs.
But what if the woman you are to marry suddenly told you she was pregnant and you knew it wasn’t possible because you treated her with respect and honor and didn’t have sex with her. Like St. Joseph, your first impulse would be to cancel the wedding and terminate the engagement. And under Jewish law such an engagement could be broken through a divorce and Joseph had every right to resort to what the law says. But since the reason for the divorce was Mary’s apparent unfaithfulness, it follows that the Jewish authorities will have her stoned to death (Deut 22:23-24).
Joseph did what a rational man should do under the circumstances. He pondered his move and as he fell asleep an angel appeared to him in a dream and told him not to be afraid to proceed with his marriage to Mary because the child in her womb has been conceived by the Holy Spirit (v.20).
As the Jews generally believed that God speaks to them in their dreams, Joseph woke up and did what the angel said and brought Mary home to be his spouse (v.24). His relatives, friends and neighbors may not have agreed with his decision but Joseph obeyed what he was told also because it was the right thing to do.
What could have possibly changed the mind of Joseph? It was the mention of the Holy Spirit that moved Joseph to accept that what was happening to Mary was a supernatural event. The Jews in those days generally believed that the Holy Spirit was the person who brought God’s truth to men which means that it was the Holy Spirit who taught the prophets what to say and do. In particular, the Jews connected the Holy Spirit to the work of creation and re-creation as well.
We too have experienced what Joseph experienced when we were faced with difficult choices to make. And like Joseph, there were times when we found ourselves with only two options from which to choose from. Joseph’s option was (1) to divorce Mary and, (2) have her stoned. But God gave Joseph a third option – marry her.
What God is telling us in this Gospel passage is that there are more options available to us than we think. Under Jewish law it was right for Joseph to divorce Mary but God’s guidance that came through a dream helped him make the best decision. This is the same with us. When we are faced with decisions to make that affect the lives of others, we must always go to God and rely on God’s wisdom for guidance.
Many times we are too preoccupied by what others will say such that our decisions have not only become too generic but were made to please others. Joseph certainly gave his reputation some amount of thought because he knew how his relatives, friends and neighbors would perceive him but he took Mary as his spouse because he had character.
This Gospel passage reminds us that Joseph was definitely a godly man of character who has a genuine light that shines for the world to see. When right-thinking men see this light they glorify God (Matt 5:16).
The reputation seeker has no real light, but he or she works very hard at giving the impression that he/ she has the light and we see them in our parishes and or community for that matter. Their artificial light changes color as it radiates in different directions. It is adjusted so that men who see it will glorify him instead of God being glorified.
What we can see in the character of Joseph is the need for us to work to become a man or woman of character. To do this, we must start on the inside and the outside will follow. Those who love truth and right, though they may be few, will love you and God will love and reward you. We must not forget that the applause of men is fleeting and cannot match the authentic approval of heaven or that of your own conscience. At the end of the day, character is what God sees and not our reputation.
The main message of this Gospel story today is that the birth of Jesus would not have been possible had not Joseph obeyed God. It also showed the movement and power of the Holy Spirit in the lives of men for it is the Holy Spirit who was God’s agent in the creation of the world and who alone can re-create the human soul when it has lost its life. Joseph obeyed and this was the reason God rewarded him with holiness that we continue to recognize and remember till the fullness of time.
In gratitude, we all should thank God for entrusting this silent, humble man with the unique privilege of raising, protecting, teaching, and training Jesus as a growing child. Joseph accepted his role of fatherly care with faith, trust, and obedience to the will of God. We should look at Joseph as a model especially for those of us who are entrusted with the care, instruction, and protection of the young.
Joseph was a faithful witness and servant of God's unfolding plan of redemption. During this Lenten Season we too must learn to put our trust in the Lord and come to him to help and guide us in fulfilling our responsibilities as Christian disciples. Out of the abundance of his heart, God will give us strength and guidance when we seek his help especially in times of trials, doubts, fears, perplexing circumstances, and what we think are insurmountable problems and challenges in our personal lives.
God our heavenly Father has not left us alone, but has given us his only begotten Son Jesus as our savior, teacher, and healer. During this Lenten observance, let us ask ourselves what areas in our lives do we need God's help and guidance? Let us ask Him to increase our faith and trust in his promises and in his guiding hand in our life.
THE LIGHT THAT NEVER DIES
MAR. 18, 2013: FIFTH WEEK OF LENT
1st Reading: Dan 13:1-62
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 23:1-6 “Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for You are at my side.”
GOSPEL: Jn 8:12-20
Key Verse: “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness.” (v.12)
When Jesus spoke claiming to be the Light of the World the Pharisees were quick to challenge him (v.12) because to them he was already claiming not only to be the Messiah but he was claiming something that the Jews associate only to God.
Understandably so because the Jews have always associated light with God: “The Lord is m light” (Psa 27:1), “The Lord will be your everlasting light” (Isa 60:19), “By his light I walked through darkness” (Job 29:3), “When I sit in darkness the Lord will be a light to me” (Mic 7:8).
What Jesus said next is what I believe to be as important as recognizing him as the light because it doesn’t only mean taking a leap of faith from the dark-caressed world that we are in into the light of our salvation but it means a whole lot more. When Jesus said that anyone who follows him “will never walk in darkness” he actually was giving the Pharisees and the Jews who were listening to him and he is telling us now that it is only in him that we can find the light to help find our way.
In fact, Jesus does not only provide us the light but he actually accompanies us in our journey since we are bound to stumble and fall into sin and we grope to keep our balance when we walk alone as many of the problems that we face in life are beyond our human capacity to solve. Many times we take the wrong turn and persist on the wrong way because we cannot see our spiritual road map.
There is no doubt that some of us will succeed through our own efforts but only those who will put his complete trust and confidence in Jesus is assured of finishing the race and reaching his goal.
However, to follow him means that by the Grace of God we have finally found our home because to follow Jesus Christ is more than just tagging along. To follow him means a life lived in complete subservience to the Will of God. It means placing ourselves – body, soul and spirit – in the palm of His hand.
Conversely, there are three things that we must bear in mind with regards to the light who is Christ and we becoming the light that others may see.
1. The light can also represent our relationship with Jesus Christ and again this simply means that for anyone who has made a commitment to follow him must also become a light (Mt 5:15-16). And it begins with the fact that by following him, we have him as the light and if we live for Christ we certainly will glow like a light drawing others to the source of light.
2) The light may represent the effect of our life on others. Translated into our present reality, it would be pointless if we will not let others see the light that is in us. This means that we cannot hide the light (Mk 4:21) because if we are to look at ourselves as a lamp then we have to let our lives shine and be useful. As Christian disciples who have made a decision to follow Christ, our lives must become the means through which other people can find God and how to live for him. We must refrain from dwelling in complacency, stubbornness of heart and disobedience because these negative tendencies will keep God’s light from shining through us.
3) The light also represent the level in the growth of our knowledge of God. As the light of the truth of Jesus is revealed to us, we are obliged to put into practice the teachings of Christ as we are able to understand and grasp its meaning and significance as we see it. While the truth of Christ is clear and unchangeable, our human capacity to understand is imperfect and it is only by having an obedient heart that we will see with a clearer vision and understanding (Jam 1:22-25).
The crux of this Gospel passage can be seen when Jesus said: “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (v. 12) And many of us will ask what is the relationship between light and life. Jesus himself provides us the answer in Jn 1:4 when he said: “In him was life, and the life was the light of men.”
In the course of this life that God has so generously allowed us to live, we must not forget that this light that illumines our lives has Jesus as the source from whom comes the light. This is what happens to those who have strayed away from the light and have remained blind to the light but whom God found and drawn to receive their second baptism for it is only when the Spirit of God is imparted to us that we regain our sight and our ability to see the light.
In my past life I thought that I was good enough and that whatever success I had was on account of my own ability and though I know that there is a God little did I know that I do not have the power to keep the light that I thought I had from remaining lit. I went about my life my own way and the only connection I had with God was during Sunday Mass.
But success acquired outside of the sphere of God’s influence brings with it manifold problems and this was precisely what happened as the ivory tower that I built started crumbling down to the ground. And God who is gracious and kind picked me up from the abyss I was in and brought me back to his light and in his light I saw myself as I am – a sinner who was in need of a Savior.
When we follow Jesus who is the true light, we can avoid walking in darkness and falling into sin. In Jesus our paths are lighted so we can see the abundance of life that he promised us. In becoming a reflection of the light of Jesus we must not forget that we are not the source of light but merely a reflection of the light of Christ.
This Lenten Season is an opportune time for us to ask ourselves if we are ready to become a reflection of Christ’s light. If we do, what are the things that we are prepared to give up so that the light of Christ can shine through us.
1st Reading: Dan 13:1-62
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 23:1-6 “Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for You are at my side.”
GOSPEL: Jn 8:12-20
Key Verse: “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness.” (v.12)
When Jesus spoke claiming to be the Light of the World the Pharisees were quick to challenge him (v.12) because to them he was already claiming not only to be the Messiah but he was claiming something that the Jews associate only to God.
Understandably so because the Jews have always associated light with God: “The Lord is m light” (Psa 27:1), “The Lord will be your everlasting light” (Isa 60:19), “By his light I walked through darkness” (Job 29:3), “When I sit in darkness the Lord will be a light to me” (Mic 7:8).
What Jesus said next is what I believe to be as important as recognizing him as the light because it doesn’t only mean taking a leap of faith from the dark-caressed world that we are in into the light of our salvation but it means a whole lot more. When Jesus said that anyone who follows him “will never walk in darkness” he actually was giving the Pharisees and the Jews who were listening to him and he is telling us now that it is only in him that we can find the light to help find our way.
In fact, Jesus does not only provide us the light but he actually accompanies us in our journey since we are bound to stumble and fall into sin and we grope to keep our balance when we walk alone as many of the problems that we face in life are beyond our human capacity to solve. Many times we take the wrong turn and persist on the wrong way because we cannot see our spiritual road map.
There is no doubt that some of us will succeed through our own efforts but only those who will put his complete trust and confidence in Jesus is assured of finishing the race and reaching his goal.
However, to follow him means that by the Grace of God we have finally found our home because to follow Jesus Christ is more than just tagging along. To follow him means a life lived in complete subservience to the Will of God. It means placing ourselves – body, soul and spirit – in the palm of His hand.
Conversely, there are three things that we must bear in mind with regards to the light who is Christ and we becoming the light that others may see.
1. The light can also represent our relationship with Jesus Christ and again this simply means that for anyone who has made a commitment to follow him must also become a light (Mt 5:15-16). And it begins with the fact that by following him, we have him as the light and if we live for Christ we certainly will glow like a light drawing others to the source of light.
2) The light may represent the effect of our life on others. Translated into our present reality, it would be pointless if we will not let others see the light that is in us. This means that we cannot hide the light (Mk 4:21) because if we are to look at ourselves as a lamp then we have to let our lives shine and be useful. As Christian disciples who have made a decision to follow Christ, our lives must become the means through which other people can find God and how to live for him. We must refrain from dwelling in complacency, stubbornness of heart and disobedience because these negative tendencies will keep God’s light from shining through us.
3) The light also represent the level in the growth of our knowledge of God. As the light of the truth of Jesus is revealed to us, we are obliged to put into practice the teachings of Christ as we are able to understand and grasp its meaning and significance as we see it. While the truth of Christ is clear and unchangeable, our human capacity to understand is imperfect and it is only by having an obedient heart that we will see with a clearer vision and understanding (Jam 1:22-25).
The crux of this Gospel passage can be seen when Jesus said: “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (v. 12) And many of us will ask what is the relationship between light and life. Jesus himself provides us the answer in Jn 1:4 when he said: “In him was life, and the life was the light of men.”
In the course of this life that God has so generously allowed us to live, we must not forget that this light that illumines our lives has Jesus as the source from whom comes the light. This is what happens to those who have strayed away from the light and have remained blind to the light but whom God found and drawn to receive their second baptism for it is only when the Spirit of God is imparted to us that we regain our sight and our ability to see the light.
In my past life I thought that I was good enough and that whatever success I had was on account of my own ability and though I know that there is a God little did I know that I do not have the power to keep the light that I thought I had from remaining lit. I went about my life my own way and the only connection I had with God was during Sunday Mass.
But success acquired outside of the sphere of God’s influence brings with it manifold problems and this was precisely what happened as the ivory tower that I built started crumbling down to the ground. And God who is gracious and kind picked me up from the abyss I was in and brought me back to his light and in his light I saw myself as I am – a sinner who was in need of a Savior.
When we follow Jesus who is the true light, we can avoid walking in darkness and falling into sin. In Jesus our paths are lighted so we can see the abundance of life that he promised us. In becoming a reflection of the light of Jesus we must not forget that we are not the source of light but merely a reflection of the light of Christ.
This Lenten Season is an opportune time for us to ask ourselves if we are ready to become a reflection of Christ’s light. If we do, what are the things that we are prepared to give up so that the light of Christ can shine through us.
FORGIVENESS LEADS TO A NEW LIFE
MAR. 17, 2013: FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT
1st Reading: Isa 43:16-21
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 126:1-6 “The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.”
2nd Reading: Phi 3:8-14
GOSPEL: Jn 8:1-11
Key Verse: “Go now and leave your life of sin.” (v.11)
Adultery is often defined as fornication, concubinage, sexual immorality, unfaithfulness and or betrayal and this is a tag that I’m sure no one would want for himself unless you would want the wagging tongues of the entire neighborhood to feast on you.
And for us to be able to fully grasp the gravity of such an immoral act we must go back in time and see how the Jews in the time of Jesus treat anyone who accused of adultery. The Jews regard adultery as a serious crime especially when one was caught in the act as with the woman in this Gospel (v.4) and the punishment was death by stoning.
What may come as a surprise when you read through this passage was why the man with whom the woman was caught in the act was not even mentioned. Surely you will think that if the woman was guilty the man should be equally guilty and this is expressly mentioned in the laws of Moses: Exo 20:14 “You shall not commit adultery.” Deu 22:22 “If a man is found sleeping with another man's wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die.” Lev 20:10 “If a man commits adultery with another man's wife – with the wife of his neighbor – both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death.”
Let us not go to great lengths to find out what happened to the man and let’s just zero in on the beautiful repartee that followed when the woman caught in the act was brought before Jesus who of course knew that the Pharisees were simply trying to trap him in order to accuse him before the Sanhedrin (v.6).
Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground but there was no reference in the Scriptures as to what he wrote about. The Exegetes, however, believed that what Jesus wrote was the list of sins that the oldest leader of the Pharisees who was there had committed in his life and this was the reason why the Pharisees and the crowd left when Jesus said: “If anyone of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” (v.7)
Today’s Gospel reading is not only a lesson in forgiveness when Jesus told the woman: “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” to which the woman said “No one, sir.” “Then neither do I condemn you.” (v.11) but it also provides us with the opportunity to know that being forgiven of our sins opens the way towards a new life altogether and again we see this when Jesus said: “Go now and leave your life of sin.” (v.11) We must look at forgiveness not only in terms of our relationship with God being restored but we must regard forgiveness as a blessing that allows us to bask in the fullness of Grace.
As with the woman in this passage, anyone of us who sins and are forgiven must make a decision to use the opportunity to live a new life because forgiveness is the process by which we are brought back into the path of righteousness. And we can draw on this scenario as Jesus didn’t condemn the woman but neither did he ignore or condone her sin.
Jesus stands ready to forgive any sin our lives but confession and repentance should lead us to a change of heart and with God’s help we can accept Christ’s forgiveness and bring us to a new life especially as we step deeper into the Lenten Season.
More too often also, we look at adultery as the sin of the flesh but there is also such a thing as spiritual adultery. Spiritual unfaithfulness is as serious as adultery and we may not be aware of it but we can be guilty of spiritual adultery if we turn to other gods besides Our One True God.
With Gomer being unfaithful to Hosea (Hos 1:1-11), Israel also had been unfaithful to God and the idolatry to which they fell into was like an adulterous relations with idols as the people at that time sought political relationships with other nations and they mixed Baal worship with the worship of God.
Like Gomer, man in this modern time and age could fall into these idols such as power, pleasure, money, fame and positions and the temptations in the world we now live in can be very seductive especially when it comes with a P10-billion tag as with the contentious RH Bill that has since become a law.
There is a chance, however, that the 133 Representatives in Congress and the 13 Senators who voted in favor of the RH Bill may not know that they have committed spiritual adultery by their actions but how else can we all put it when the end-result of the RH Bill is to stop the flow of precious life.
As we go to our parishes and churches to join the celebration of the Holy Eucharist on this Fifth Sunday of Lent let us remind ourselves that our spiritual journey is one of forgiveness and repentance so that we may ourselves being restored to the fullness of Grace.
Let the forgiveness that we will receive from God propel us towards a new life that is lived in the love of God Our Father and who by the power of the Holy Spirit will transform us into the image and likeness of Christ.
Like the woman in the Gospel, let the forgiveness we receive move us to take part in the building up of the Mystical Body and Kingdom of God on earth. With the gift of the Holy Spirit that we received through the Sacrament of Baptism, let us remember that we have the power and authority to choose not to sin for if we choose to sin we will find ourselves to be without excuse.
This Gospel narrative is a fitting preparation for Holy Week when we see Jesus making the ultimate sacrifice to grant us forgiveness. As we prepare for Holy Week, let us all express our gratitude to Jesus for his mercy and love and let us make a solemn vow that we shall commit ourselves to doing what he is telling us: “Go now and leave your life of sin.” (v.11)
1st Reading: Isa 43:16-21
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 126:1-6 “The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.”
2nd Reading: Phi 3:8-14
GOSPEL: Jn 8:1-11
Key Verse: “Go now and leave your life of sin.” (v.11)
Adultery is often defined as fornication, concubinage, sexual immorality, unfaithfulness and or betrayal and this is a tag that I’m sure no one would want for himself unless you would want the wagging tongues of the entire neighborhood to feast on you.
And for us to be able to fully grasp the gravity of such an immoral act we must go back in time and see how the Jews in the time of Jesus treat anyone who accused of adultery. The Jews regard adultery as a serious crime especially when one was caught in the act as with the woman in this Gospel (v.4) and the punishment was death by stoning.
What may come as a surprise when you read through this passage was why the man with whom the woman was caught in the act was not even mentioned. Surely you will think that if the woman was guilty the man should be equally guilty and this is expressly mentioned in the laws of Moses: Exo 20:14 “You shall not commit adultery.” Deu 22:22 “If a man is found sleeping with another man's wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die.” Lev 20:10 “If a man commits adultery with another man's wife – with the wife of his neighbor – both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death.”
Let us not go to great lengths to find out what happened to the man and let’s just zero in on the beautiful repartee that followed when the woman caught in the act was brought before Jesus who of course knew that the Pharisees were simply trying to trap him in order to accuse him before the Sanhedrin (v.6).
Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground but there was no reference in the Scriptures as to what he wrote about. The Exegetes, however, believed that what Jesus wrote was the list of sins that the oldest leader of the Pharisees who was there had committed in his life and this was the reason why the Pharisees and the crowd left when Jesus said: “If anyone of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” (v.7)
Today’s Gospel reading is not only a lesson in forgiveness when Jesus told the woman: “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” to which the woman said “No one, sir.” “Then neither do I condemn you.” (v.11) but it also provides us with the opportunity to know that being forgiven of our sins opens the way towards a new life altogether and again we see this when Jesus said: “Go now and leave your life of sin.” (v.11) We must look at forgiveness not only in terms of our relationship with God being restored but we must regard forgiveness as a blessing that allows us to bask in the fullness of Grace.
As with the woman in this passage, anyone of us who sins and are forgiven must make a decision to use the opportunity to live a new life because forgiveness is the process by which we are brought back into the path of righteousness. And we can draw on this scenario as Jesus didn’t condemn the woman but neither did he ignore or condone her sin.
Jesus stands ready to forgive any sin our lives but confession and repentance should lead us to a change of heart and with God’s help we can accept Christ’s forgiveness and bring us to a new life especially as we step deeper into the Lenten Season.
More too often also, we look at adultery as the sin of the flesh but there is also such a thing as spiritual adultery. Spiritual unfaithfulness is as serious as adultery and we may not be aware of it but we can be guilty of spiritual adultery if we turn to other gods besides Our One True God.
With Gomer being unfaithful to Hosea (Hos 1:1-11), Israel also had been unfaithful to God and the idolatry to which they fell into was like an adulterous relations with idols as the people at that time sought political relationships with other nations and they mixed Baal worship with the worship of God.
Like Gomer, man in this modern time and age could fall into these idols such as power, pleasure, money, fame and positions and the temptations in the world we now live in can be very seductive especially when it comes with a P10-billion tag as with the contentious RH Bill that has since become a law.
There is a chance, however, that the 133 Representatives in Congress and the 13 Senators who voted in favor of the RH Bill may not know that they have committed spiritual adultery by their actions but how else can we all put it when the end-result of the RH Bill is to stop the flow of precious life.
As we go to our parishes and churches to join the celebration of the Holy Eucharist on this Fifth Sunday of Lent let us remind ourselves that our spiritual journey is one of forgiveness and repentance so that we may ourselves being restored to the fullness of Grace.
Let the forgiveness that we will receive from God propel us towards a new life that is lived in the love of God Our Father and who by the power of the Holy Spirit will transform us into the image and likeness of Christ.
Like the woman in the Gospel, let the forgiveness we receive move us to take part in the building up of the Mystical Body and Kingdom of God on earth. With the gift of the Holy Spirit that we received through the Sacrament of Baptism, let us remember that we have the power and authority to choose not to sin for if we choose to sin we will find ourselves to be without excuse.
This Gospel narrative is a fitting preparation for Holy Week when we see Jesus making the ultimate sacrifice to grant us forgiveness. As we prepare for Holy Week, let us all express our gratitude to Jesus for his mercy and love and let us make a solemn vow that we shall commit ourselves to doing what he is telling us: “Go now and leave your life of sin.” (v.11)
STANDING UP FOR JESUS
MAR. 16, 2013: FOURTH WEEK OF LENT
1st Reading: Jer 11:18-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 7:2-3, 9-12 “O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge.”
GOSPEL: JN 7:40-53
Key Verse: “He is the Christ.” (v.41)
There is probably no one in this planet who is not looking for God or a god for that matter. Those who have been through thick and thin maybe looking for the One True God who could bring them out of the darkness they are in and into the marvelous light.
But there are some who will follow their own will and search for god that comes in different forms and shapes. This god could be in the way of a career, wealth, fame, position and possessions and they have become so driven to achieve success and bring in the rewards of their labor and they put in all their trust in this god that has become their messiah.
And this Messianic search has been going on for ages and what was ironic was that the religious leaders in the olden days not only tried to kill Jesus who identified himself as the Messiah that the Jews have been waiting for but they actually succeeded in putting him to death on the cross.
It is sad that this search for a god has spilled over even to the political arena because today we are no better than the Pharisees, Scribes and the Sadducees by our rejection of the person of Jesus Christ and we are actually crucifying him once again by our patronage of the RH Law.
It may also sound alien to President Benigno Simeon Aquino III, his advisers and the legislators who approved and signed the RH Bill into law but they actually are reenacting the passion and death of Jesus Christ and this time there were not only three nails that were driven in the hands and feet of Christ but 151 nails representing the 133 representatives and 13 senators who approved and signed the RH Bill, Budget Secretary Butch Abad, DILG Secretary Mar Roxas, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda, communications director Ricky Carandang whose presence during the deliberations in Congress was very evident and President Aquino himself who signed the RH Bill into law.
As if the RH Law is not enough, the same set of legislators who pushed or the RH Bill are now also pushing for the enactment of the so-called “death bills” such as abortion, divorce and same-sex marriage. Like the Pharisees we seem oblivious to the presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ in our midst that we are now also trying to kill the very source of Grace and our salvation.
In today’s Gospel reading we see the religious leaders saying: “Surely this man is the Prophet.” (v.40) and others said, “He is the Christ.” (v.41) But the Scribes, Pharisees and the religious leaders do not know what to make out of Jesus. Having gotten used to the stringent laws they have imposed on the people, many of the Jews were amazed at the way Jesus taught at the synagogues. In fact, they were mesmerized by the kind of authority that Jesus exuded that introduced a new dimension to the Old Testament traditions that the Jews grew up with.
But this was as far as they would go and they will continue to reject Jesus simply because he did not fit into the image they have created of the Messiah. In fact, these religious leaders and many of the Jews have become selective listeners. They perhaps agreed with what Jesus said but only if this will not compromise their position as teachers of the law.
While this was the pervading mood at the time, this culture of unbelief is still in vogue these days as there remains a certain degree of resistance to the Word of God and it is not unusual to see that there are around us who still could not subordinate their human nature to God’s Will.
This is because the battle between good and evil is still raging and although Christ has already conquered the world, the evil one remains active and on the prowl like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Pet 5:8) which is why we need to be alert all the time to resist the devil and stand firm in the faith (1 Pet 5:9).
In the first reading, the prophet Jeremiah was also opposed by his own people because the words he spoke was not accepted by the people and they plotted to silence him and to “cut him off from the land of the living.” (Jer 11:19).
We may not be aware of it but we are also rejecting Jesus by shunting aside the beneficial value of his Gospel because his teachings do not sit well with us. The thing is we cannot remain indifferent when we come across the message of Christ.
Notwithstanding the abject refusal of the Jews to accept him as the Messiah his presence caused a division for many in Israel. There are those who believed he was a prophet, some said the Messiah and, some believed he was neither. The reaction of the temple guards who were sent to arrest Jesus was one of bewildered amazement.
They went to arrest him and they returned empty-handed because “no one ever spoke the way Jesus did.” (v.46) but the reaction of the chief priests and the Pharisees was one of contempt. Contrary to this misdemeanor, the reaction of Nicodemus was at most timid. His heart moved him to defend Jesus, but his head told him not to take the risk.
This brings us to the question in the present form – “Who is Jesus for you?” Having known him as the one who created us, who gave up his life and died on the cross to ransom us and who purchased us with his own blood, why is it that we cannot bring ourselves to submit to his Will and defend him from those who ignore him.
Because to stand up for Jesus will invite mockery into our lives. We can even become unpopular in the way we live our lives. To follow Jesus as a disciple would entail hardship, sacrifice, and suffering. And in our lifetime, we will be confronted with choices from which we must choose from: 1) To have our lives fueled by God’s selfless love for others or by our own self-centered love and selfish desires; 2) To be loyal to God’s wise rule and kingdom laws or to the standards of a worldly kingdom opposed to God; 3) To be servants of Jesus our King or to be slaves to sin and Satan.
There will be times when we will find ourselves wanting to defend Jesus when we hear him being mocked and ridiculed but we can’t gather the boldness to do so because our lives do not mirror the authority that is needed for us to preach the Word of God in spirit and in truth.
In other words, we are incapable of defending Jesus because we do not want to risk the specter of being rejected ourselves. What we may be forgetting is what Jesus has said that he would confess before God the Father those who would confess him here on earth. Worst still is the probability that Jesus would deny before the Father in heaven those who would deny him on earth.
In this Lenten Season, it would be of immense benefit to us if we could spend some quiet time to ask ourselves if we are prepared to stand up for Jesus not only to defend him but to bring the Gospel of love to others. Are we prepared to give him honor and be loyal to him regardless of the cost to us?
When we hold back on our subservience to Jesus because we still could not dissociate ourselves from the world we must remember that if we persist in doing this, we are losing our rights to earn a piece of the Kingdom of God that has been reserved for us.
The paradox of life is that it is through the cross of sacrifice and suffering that will earn for us an abundant life that is filled with eternal joy. This is why the cross is something we should not avoid but which we should embrace for our salvation depends on the cross.
Let me end with this quote from Pope Francis who said in his homily: “My wish is that all of us, after these days of grace, will have the courage to walk in the presence of the Lord, with the Lord's Cross; to build the Church on the Lord's blood which was poured out on the Cross; and to profess the one glory: Christ crucified. And in this way, the Church will go forward.”
1st Reading: Jer 11:18-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 7:2-3, 9-12 “O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge.”
GOSPEL: JN 7:40-53
Key Verse: “He is the Christ.” (v.41)
There is probably no one in this planet who is not looking for God or a god for that matter. Those who have been through thick and thin maybe looking for the One True God who could bring them out of the darkness they are in and into the marvelous light.
But there are some who will follow their own will and search for god that comes in different forms and shapes. This god could be in the way of a career, wealth, fame, position and possessions and they have become so driven to achieve success and bring in the rewards of their labor and they put in all their trust in this god that has become their messiah.
And this Messianic search has been going on for ages and what was ironic was that the religious leaders in the olden days not only tried to kill Jesus who identified himself as the Messiah that the Jews have been waiting for but they actually succeeded in putting him to death on the cross.
It is sad that this search for a god has spilled over even to the political arena because today we are no better than the Pharisees, Scribes and the Sadducees by our rejection of the person of Jesus Christ and we are actually crucifying him once again by our patronage of the RH Law.
It may also sound alien to President Benigno Simeon Aquino III, his advisers and the legislators who approved and signed the RH Bill into law but they actually are reenacting the passion and death of Jesus Christ and this time there were not only three nails that were driven in the hands and feet of Christ but 151 nails representing the 133 representatives and 13 senators who approved and signed the RH Bill, Budget Secretary Butch Abad, DILG Secretary Mar Roxas, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda, communications director Ricky Carandang whose presence during the deliberations in Congress was very evident and President Aquino himself who signed the RH Bill into law.
As if the RH Law is not enough, the same set of legislators who pushed or the RH Bill are now also pushing for the enactment of the so-called “death bills” such as abortion, divorce and same-sex marriage. Like the Pharisees we seem oblivious to the presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ in our midst that we are now also trying to kill the very source of Grace and our salvation.
In today’s Gospel reading we see the religious leaders saying: “Surely this man is the Prophet.” (v.40) and others said, “He is the Christ.” (v.41) But the Scribes, Pharisees and the religious leaders do not know what to make out of Jesus. Having gotten used to the stringent laws they have imposed on the people, many of the Jews were amazed at the way Jesus taught at the synagogues. In fact, they were mesmerized by the kind of authority that Jesus exuded that introduced a new dimension to the Old Testament traditions that the Jews grew up with.
But this was as far as they would go and they will continue to reject Jesus simply because he did not fit into the image they have created of the Messiah. In fact, these religious leaders and many of the Jews have become selective listeners. They perhaps agreed with what Jesus said but only if this will not compromise their position as teachers of the law.
While this was the pervading mood at the time, this culture of unbelief is still in vogue these days as there remains a certain degree of resistance to the Word of God and it is not unusual to see that there are around us who still could not subordinate their human nature to God’s Will.
This is because the battle between good and evil is still raging and although Christ has already conquered the world, the evil one remains active and on the prowl like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Pet 5:8) which is why we need to be alert all the time to resist the devil and stand firm in the faith (1 Pet 5:9).
In the first reading, the prophet Jeremiah was also opposed by his own people because the words he spoke was not accepted by the people and they plotted to silence him and to “cut him off from the land of the living.” (Jer 11:19).
We may not be aware of it but we are also rejecting Jesus by shunting aside the beneficial value of his Gospel because his teachings do not sit well with us. The thing is we cannot remain indifferent when we come across the message of Christ.
Notwithstanding the abject refusal of the Jews to accept him as the Messiah his presence caused a division for many in Israel. There are those who believed he was a prophet, some said the Messiah and, some believed he was neither. The reaction of the temple guards who were sent to arrest Jesus was one of bewildered amazement.
They went to arrest him and they returned empty-handed because “no one ever spoke the way Jesus did.” (v.46) but the reaction of the chief priests and the Pharisees was one of contempt. Contrary to this misdemeanor, the reaction of Nicodemus was at most timid. His heart moved him to defend Jesus, but his head told him not to take the risk.
This brings us to the question in the present form – “Who is Jesus for you?” Having known him as the one who created us, who gave up his life and died on the cross to ransom us and who purchased us with his own blood, why is it that we cannot bring ourselves to submit to his Will and defend him from those who ignore him.
Because to stand up for Jesus will invite mockery into our lives. We can even become unpopular in the way we live our lives. To follow Jesus as a disciple would entail hardship, sacrifice, and suffering. And in our lifetime, we will be confronted with choices from which we must choose from: 1) To have our lives fueled by God’s selfless love for others or by our own self-centered love and selfish desires; 2) To be loyal to God’s wise rule and kingdom laws or to the standards of a worldly kingdom opposed to God; 3) To be servants of Jesus our King or to be slaves to sin and Satan.
There will be times when we will find ourselves wanting to defend Jesus when we hear him being mocked and ridiculed but we can’t gather the boldness to do so because our lives do not mirror the authority that is needed for us to preach the Word of God in spirit and in truth.
In other words, we are incapable of defending Jesus because we do not want to risk the specter of being rejected ourselves. What we may be forgetting is what Jesus has said that he would confess before God the Father those who would confess him here on earth. Worst still is the probability that Jesus would deny before the Father in heaven those who would deny him on earth.
In this Lenten Season, it would be of immense benefit to us if we could spend some quiet time to ask ourselves if we are prepared to stand up for Jesus not only to defend him but to bring the Gospel of love to others. Are we prepared to give him honor and be loyal to him regardless of the cost to us?
When we hold back on our subservience to Jesus because we still could not dissociate ourselves from the world we must remember that if we persist in doing this, we are losing our rights to earn a piece of the Kingdom of God that has been reserved for us.
The paradox of life is that it is through the cross of sacrifice and suffering that will earn for us an abundant life that is filled with eternal joy. This is why the cross is something we should not avoid but which we should embrace for our salvation depends on the cross.
Let me end with this quote from Pope Francis who said in his homily: “My wish is that all of us, after these days of grace, will have the courage to walk in the presence of the Lord, with the Lord's Cross; to build the Church on the Lord's blood which was poured out on the Cross; and to profess the one glory: Christ crucified. And in this way, the Church will go forward.”
MAKING SURE OF YOUR CHOICE
MAR. 15, 2013: FOURTH WEEK OF LENT
1st Reading: Wis 2:1a, 12-22
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 34:17-21, 23 “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.”
GOSPEL: JN 7: 1-2, 10, 25-30
Key Verse: “I am from him who sent me.” (v.29)
As with the religious leaders in the time of Jesus there are also many of us today who cannot accept Jesus as Lord and Savior of all and this is borne out by the battle for possession that is ongoing in our lives.
If God has a plan and that is for us to live an abundant life, the devil also has a plan and that is to separate us from the love of God. On one side is our God who desires to possess us but he requires of us a life surrendered to his Will. And on the other hand is Satan who is present in the material world that the devil uses to deceive us and lure us into thinking that the world is where we can find happiness.
There is a tendency we may feel helpless to put a stop to this battle between good and evil that still rages today but we shouldn’t because we have the power to put a stop to it and this we can do by simply making a choice, by coming to a decision as to which side we are on and arriving at such a decision should not pose any difficulty at all. If we choose good we are assured of the eternal salvation that God had promised. If we choose evil, then be prepared for the eternal damnation that awaits us. That’s all there is to it.
In today’s Gospel reading we see at least two reasons why the religious leaders of his time could not accept Jesus as the Messiah whom God has sent to liberate Israel from bondage. One was that they expected the Messiah to ride into Israel as a conquering king and not as a son of a carpenter from Nazareth.
The other reason was because many of the religious leaders never had it so good. They have expanded the Ten Commandments and the Mosaic Law into hundreds of minute laws such that the people became subservient to them rather than to God who was supposed to be object of their worship. In addition, the religious leaders were treated like royalty seating at the head table and being honored when they walk on the streets or in market places with large tassels adorning the edge of their robes.
The situation must have become worse that Jesus on second thought decided to go and attend the Festival of Tabernacles even after he told his kin that he was not going because “the right time for me has not yet come” (v.6) but he went in secret (v.10) because the people were watching out for him – some to listen to him preach while some wanted to harm him.
The reaction of the crowd at the Temple was mixed – some were amazed at the kind of authority with which he taught while others accused him of imagining the threats to his life even ascribing his works to the demon (v.20).
This reaction was not surprising because Jesus came with a new version of Theology. While he proclaimed he came not to abolish the law, he reformatted the teachings of the Scribes and the Pharisees and gave it a new dimension. The law on forgiveness for example limits the Jews to forgiving someone who have wronged them at least three times but Jesus said God prefers that we must forgive at least 70 times 7 which actually meant a never-ending process of forgiveness.
The Jews also rejected him because they knew where he came from and his coming did not conform to popular belief that the Messiah would burst upon the world in a mysterious way and Jesus did not fit into the standard by which the Jews measured the coming of the Messiah.
It was not because the Jews were less religious except that they worshipped God as the magnificent God in whom all things were made but they could see God in ordinary things much less see God as a son of an ordinary carpenter. To them the coming of the Messiah has to be an extraordinary event such as the parting of the Red Sea. There was no doubt either that they worshipped God except that their worship was governed by the expanded Mosaic law.
The kind of religion that Christ brought was a radical departure from the way the Jews worshipped and with the objections of the Jews in mind, Jesus shocked the people at the Temple with two shocking statements. He said that while it was true the Jews knew where he came from, it cannot be disputed that he came direct from God. Jesus also said that the people did not know God but he did (vv.28-29).
This was probably the biggest insult that anyone can levy on the Jews – to say they did not know God. Up to this time, the religious leaders treated him as a rabble rouser but after he had spoken these words Jesus now was to be accused of blasphemy.
There was an underlying reality from all these and it was possible that the Jews just could not accept Jesus even if they knew he spoke with authority but because they could no longer change their ways. In fact, it was probable the Jews were struck with fear of the unknown if they were to listen and believe in Jesus.
This is the same choice that is being placed on the table before us. On one side is the world to which we grew up in and all the allurements that have been made available to us to make our lives comfortable. The advent of technology has provided us with ease in the way we go through life.
On the other side is Jesus through whom eternal salvation is available but without any assurance that life would be easy. In fact, it was Jesus Himself who said that anyone who wants to become his disciple will have to deny himself, take up his cross and follow him (Lk 9:23).
A deeper understanding of this passage means we need to die to ourselves by detaching ourselves from the world and also to accept and endure all the trials that will come our way as part of God’s plan. There is no doubt that it is difficult to live as a Christian. The reality, however, is we have no choice because we cannot possibly live in eternity apart from Christ.
Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) put it this way: “Our Lord had the power to lay down his life and to take it up again. But we cannot choose how long we shall live, and death comes to us even against our will. Christ, by dying, has already overcome death. Our freedom from death comes only through his death. To save us Christ had no need of us. Yet without him we can do nothing. He gave himself to us as the vine to the branches; apart from him we cannot live.”
Jesus claimed to have a unique relationship with God something the Jews failed to comprehend. To identity himself as being one with God was blasphemous as far as the Jews are concerned. But we cannot be indifferent to this proclamation of Jesus because we are blessed with all the necessary information relative to our Christian faith.
Which is why today there are only two choices we can make – it’s either we are for him or against him. There is no middle ground. We can either remain in the world and try to fit Jesus in the way we live, in the way we pursue our business, and in the way we relate to others.
Or we can allow Jesus to take control of our life and allow him to deliver us from own ignorance and pride. It would help perhaps if we will ask ourselves if we recognize all that Jesus has done for us with faith and reverence or do we shun Jesus with disbelief and contempt?
Making a choice as to which side we are with is the same as the choices we will make in the coming May 13, 2013 elections. On one side are a group of senatorial candidates who by their actions have expressed their conviction to preserve life and the Filipino family.
On the other side are another group of senatorial aspirants who believe in destroying the moral fiber of society by their bias in favor of the so-called “death bills” that are disguised as abortion, divorce, and same-sex marriage. The consequences of our choices are tremendous, both in this life and in eternity.
We cannot play with our lives. If we say no then we have already condemned ourselves. If we say maybe, tomorrow may never come. But if we say yes, then we are assured of the eternal life Jesus has promised.
1st Reading: Wis 2:1a, 12-22
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 34:17-21, 23 “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.”
GOSPEL: JN 7: 1-2, 10, 25-30
Key Verse: “I am from him who sent me.” (v.29)
As with the religious leaders in the time of Jesus there are also many of us today who cannot accept Jesus as Lord and Savior of all and this is borne out by the battle for possession that is ongoing in our lives.
If God has a plan and that is for us to live an abundant life, the devil also has a plan and that is to separate us from the love of God. On one side is our God who desires to possess us but he requires of us a life surrendered to his Will. And on the other hand is Satan who is present in the material world that the devil uses to deceive us and lure us into thinking that the world is where we can find happiness.
There is a tendency we may feel helpless to put a stop to this battle between good and evil that still rages today but we shouldn’t because we have the power to put a stop to it and this we can do by simply making a choice, by coming to a decision as to which side we are on and arriving at such a decision should not pose any difficulty at all. If we choose good we are assured of the eternal salvation that God had promised. If we choose evil, then be prepared for the eternal damnation that awaits us. That’s all there is to it.
In today’s Gospel reading we see at least two reasons why the religious leaders of his time could not accept Jesus as the Messiah whom God has sent to liberate Israel from bondage. One was that they expected the Messiah to ride into Israel as a conquering king and not as a son of a carpenter from Nazareth.
The other reason was because many of the religious leaders never had it so good. They have expanded the Ten Commandments and the Mosaic Law into hundreds of minute laws such that the people became subservient to them rather than to God who was supposed to be object of their worship. In addition, the religious leaders were treated like royalty seating at the head table and being honored when they walk on the streets or in market places with large tassels adorning the edge of their robes.
The situation must have become worse that Jesus on second thought decided to go and attend the Festival of Tabernacles even after he told his kin that he was not going because “the right time for me has not yet come” (v.6) but he went in secret (v.10) because the people were watching out for him – some to listen to him preach while some wanted to harm him.
The reaction of the crowd at the Temple was mixed – some were amazed at the kind of authority with which he taught while others accused him of imagining the threats to his life even ascribing his works to the demon (v.20).
This reaction was not surprising because Jesus came with a new version of Theology. While he proclaimed he came not to abolish the law, he reformatted the teachings of the Scribes and the Pharisees and gave it a new dimension. The law on forgiveness for example limits the Jews to forgiving someone who have wronged them at least three times but Jesus said God prefers that we must forgive at least 70 times 7 which actually meant a never-ending process of forgiveness.
The Jews also rejected him because they knew where he came from and his coming did not conform to popular belief that the Messiah would burst upon the world in a mysterious way and Jesus did not fit into the standard by which the Jews measured the coming of the Messiah.
It was not because the Jews were less religious except that they worshipped God as the magnificent God in whom all things were made but they could see God in ordinary things much less see God as a son of an ordinary carpenter. To them the coming of the Messiah has to be an extraordinary event such as the parting of the Red Sea. There was no doubt either that they worshipped God except that their worship was governed by the expanded Mosaic law.
The kind of religion that Christ brought was a radical departure from the way the Jews worshipped and with the objections of the Jews in mind, Jesus shocked the people at the Temple with two shocking statements. He said that while it was true the Jews knew where he came from, it cannot be disputed that he came direct from God. Jesus also said that the people did not know God but he did (vv.28-29).
This was probably the biggest insult that anyone can levy on the Jews – to say they did not know God. Up to this time, the religious leaders treated him as a rabble rouser but after he had spoken these words Jesus now was to be accused of blasphemy.
There was an underlying reality from all these and it was possible that the Jews just could not accept Jesus even if they knew he spoke with authority but because they could no longer change their ways. In fact, it was probable the Jews were struck with fear of the unknown if they were to listen and believe in Jesus.
This is the same choice that is being placed on the table before us. On one side is the world to which we grew up in and all the allurements that have been made available to us to make our lives comfortable. The advent of technology has provided us with ease in the way we go through life.
On the other side is Jesus through whom eternal salvation is available but without any assurance that life would be easy. In fact, it was Jesus Himself who said that anyone who wants to become his disciple will have to deny himself, take up his cross and follow him (Lk 9:23).
A deeper understanding of this passage means we need to die to ourselves by detaching ourselves from the world and also to accept and endure all the trials that will come our way as part of God’s plan. There is no doubt that it is difficult to live as a Christian. The reality, however, is we have no choice because we cannot possibly live in eternity apart from Christ.
Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) put it this way: “Our Lord had the power to lay down his life and to take it up again. But we cannot choose how long we shall live, and death comes to us even against our will. Christ, by dying, has already overcome death. Our freedom from death comes only through his death. To save us Christ had no need of us. Yet without him we can do nothing. He gave himself to us as the vine to the branches; apart from him we cannot live.”
Jesus claimed to have a unique relationship with God something the Jews failed to comprehend. To identity himself as being one with God was blasphemous as far as the Jews are concerned. But we cannot be indifferent to this proclamation of Jesus because we are blessed with all the necessary information relative to our Christian faith.
Which is why today there are only two choices we can make – it’s either we are for him or against him. There is no middle ground. We can either remain in the world and try to fit Jesus in the way we live, in the way we pursue our business, and in the way we relate to others.
Or we can allow Jesus to take control of our life and allow him to deliver us from own ignorance and pride. It would help perhaps if we will ask ourselves if we recognize all that Jesus has done for us with faith and reverence or do we shun Jesus with disbelief and contempt?
Making a choice as to which side we are with is the same as the choices we will make in the coming May 13, 2013 elections. On one side are a group of senatorial candidates who by their actions have expressed their conviction to preserve life and the Filipino family.
On the other side are another group of senatorial aspirants who believe in destroying the moral fiber of society by their bias in favor of the so-called “death bills” that are disguised as abortion, divorce, and same-sex marriage. The consequences of our choices are tremendous, both in this life and in eternity.
We cannot play with our lives. If we say no then we have already condemned ourselves. If we say maybe, tomorrow may never come. But if we say yes, then we are assured of the eternal life Jesus has promised.
SALVATION IN THE ONE TRUE GOD
NO AMOUNT OF WORDS CAN CONVINCE THE PHARISEES THAT HE IS THE MESSIAH.
MAR. 14, 2013: FOURTH WEEK OF LENT
1st Reading: Exo 32:7-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 106:19-23 “Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.”
GOSPEL: Jn 5:31-47
Key Verse: “I have come in my Father’s Name.” (v.43)
Was there a time in your life when you felt like you were an outsider even when you were with friends? This usually happens when you have been away for quite sometime and you find it hard getting back into the groove especially when you find you have missed a lot of things during your absence.
And do you also remember the time when you left your hometown to move into the big city in search of the proverbial green pastures and was away for quite sometime and upon going back home you find the scenery was not as it used to be and almost everything has changed.
We have been told many times that our life is like a journey that takes you from one place to another depending on where you want to go. Or you can choose to remain stationary or stagnant that clips your potential for growth.
But life is more than just a journey. Life is also like a classroom and Saint Augustine of Hippo once wrote: “As Christians, our task is to make daily progress toward God. Our pilgrimage on earth is a school in which God is the only teacher, and it demands good students, not ones who play truant. In this school we learn something every day. We learn something from commandments, something from examples, and something from sacraments. These things are remedies for our wounds and materials for study.”
From Ash Wednesday up to today and all the way towards our observance of the Holy Week and the Easter Season, we should look at the Liturgical Readings at the Eucharistic Celebrations as lessons and instructions that come in the form of teachings, narratives, testimonies and parables culled from the Sacred Scriptures.
And the whole objective of this Life’s Lessons in this Season of Lent is to turn us from being an ordinary person who is struggling to survive and whose goal is just to keep his head above the water into an extraordinary person who is capable of swimming against the current of life’s challenges.
From the rising to the setting of the sun, we are faced with trials and problems that put to a test not only our patience but also our own nature. How we deal with life’s challenges will define who we are. We should therefore look at life as one big classroom and we shouldn’t miss or run away from any of these trials and challenges that come our way because God is using these as opportunities that we may ultimately find our way back to the original image and likeness to which we have all been created. To do this, we must search the Scriptures, ponder upon the Word of God, believe in them and obey them for it is only through Christ in whom we can find our salvation.
This was what Jesus kept telling the Scribes and Pharisees but they failed to recognize the Messiah to whom the Scriptures pointed. Not only did they looked for signs but they demanded evidence of his divinity. Their attitude towards Jesus was probably due to their expectation of a conquering king rather than a Messiah dressed as a carpenter’s son.
What comes as a surprise was how the Scribes and the Pharisees could have closed their eyes to the reality that there have been witnesses pointing to Christ beginning from Moses (Gen 3:15; Num 21:9; Num 24:17; Deut 18:15). God also sent John the Baptist to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah (Jn 1:19, 20, 26) and two times God the Father Himself testified to the divine nature of Christ, once at the Jordan River (Matt 3:17) and at the Transfiguration (Mk 9:7) that was also witnessed by Peter, James and John.
These testimonies would have sufficed but the religious leaders still rejected Christ thus moving him to deliver what appears to be the coup de’ grace when he said: “Yet it is not I who will accuse you of this before the Father. Moses will accuse you! Yes Moses on whom you set your hopes.” (v.45). This was not only a stinging rebuke against the Jews who not only obeyed the Mosaic law but even expanded them into some 613 different rules.
What Jesus was saying here was that the Scribes and Pharisees cannot presume they are saved because they believed in Moses and they missed that which was important in that Moses himself spoke of Jesus.
There are times when we also find ourselves in the same situation. We bask in the approval of our superiors and peers, of the social circle to which we belong, or to some extent even from our ministry heads, elders and servant leaders.
Like the Pharisees, we too desired the praise of fellow humans and we have become so focused on our reputation that we have become oblivious to God’s presence. In the busyness of life, we have become preoccupied with the mundane concerns that fill our lives that there are times our hearts and hearing become hardened and unable to understand the word of God. Worst, we pay lip service when we dwell on the Word of God and our pride made us deaf to what God is telling us.
The Sacred Scripture shows us that God reveals himself to the lowly, to those who trust not in themselves, but those who trust God and listen to God's word with an eagerness to learn and to obey. Let us therefore spend this Fourth Week of Lent to search the Sacred Scriptures to enter into the inner sanctum of the mind and heart of God.
Let us invite the Holy Spirit to open our minds, our ears and our hearts that we may hear only his voice and let us pray for the Grace to listen and obey the Word of God for in them we can find our salvation and the power to stand up for God.
As Christ stood as a representation of God, we too who have been created in his own image and likeness (Gen 1:26), was made new by the power of the Holy Spirit (2 Cor 5:17), and in whom Christ now lives (Gal 2:19-20) and having been predestined in conformity with the purpose and his will for us (Eph 1:11), we too are expected to stand up as ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor 5:20) because it is through us that Christ is now making his appeal to the world.
But the question that remains is do we really know Jesus? I was in a meeting one time where one of those present was Bro. Mike Velarde, founding servant leader of the El Shaddai Prayer Partners Foundation, and he said the problem with the world that we live in today is that many of us don’t recognize the voice of God.
Bro. Mike went on to say that even the strong winds calmed down when it heard the voice of Jesus. So did the waves that buffeted their boat as he and the other Apostles were crossing Lake of Galilee and the fig tree as well. On the other hand, peace will elude those who continue to ignore the voice of God who speaks to us through the Scriptures and through the ordinary events in our lives.
Let this Lenten Season be a time of becoming still so that we can hear the voice of God.
1st Reading: Exo 32:7-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 106:19-23 “Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.”
GOSPEL: Jn 5:31-47
Key Verse: “I have come in my Father’s Name.” (v.43)
Was there a time in your life when you felt like you were an outsider even when you were with friends? This usually happens when you have been away for quite sometime and you find it hard getting back into the groove especially when you find you have missed a lot of things during your absence.
And do you also remember the time when you left your hometown to move into the big city in search of the proverbial green pastures and was away for quite sometime and upon going back home you find the scenery was not as it used to be and almost everything has changed.
We have been told many times that our life is like a journey that takes you from one place to another depending on where you want to go. Or you can choose to remain stationary or stagnant that clips your potential for growth.
But life is more than just a journey. Life is also like a classroom and Saint Augustine of Hippo once wrote: “As Christians, our task is to make daily progress toward God. Our pilgrimage on earth is a school in which God is the only teacher, and it demands good students, not ones who play truant. In this school we learn something every day. We learn something from commandments, something from examples, and something from sacraments. These things are remedies for our wounds and materials for study.”
From Ash Wednesday up to today and all the way towards our observance of the Holy Week and the Easter Season, we should look at the Liturgical Readings at the Eucharistic Celebrations as lessons and instructions that come in the form of teachings, narratives, testimonies and parables culled from the Sacred Scriptures.
And the whole objective of this Life’s Lessons in this Season of Lent is to turn us from being an ordinary person who is struggling to survive and whose goal is just to keep his head above the water into an extraordinary person who is capable of swimming against the current of life’s challenges.
From the rising to the setting of the sun, we are faced with trials and problems that put to a test not only our patience but also our own nature. How we deal with life’s challenges will define who we are. We should therefore look at life as one big classroom and we shouldn’t miss or run away from any of these trials and challenges that come our way because God is using these as opportunities that we may ultimately find our way back to the original image and likeness to which we have all been created. To do this, we must search the Scriptures, ponder upon the Word of God, believe in them and obey them for it is only through Christ in whom we can find our salvation.
This was what Jesus kept telling the Scribes and Pharisees but they failed to recognize the Messiah to whom the Scriptures pointed. Not only did they looked for signs but they demanded evidence of his divinity. Their attitude towards Jesus was probably due to their expectation of a conquering king rather than a Messiah dressed as a carpenter’s son.
What comes as a surprise was how the Scribes and the Pharisees could have closed their eyes to the reality that there have been witnesses pointing to Christ beginning from Moses (Gen 3:15; Num 21:9; Num 24:17; Deut 18:15). God also sent John the Baptist to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah (Jn 1:19, 20, 26) and two times God the Father Himself testified to the divine nature of Christ, once at the Jordan River (Matt 3:17) and at the Transfiguration (Mk 9:7) that was also witnessed by Peter, James and John.
These testimonies would have sufficed but the religious leaders still rejected Christ thus moving him to deliver what appears to be the coup de’ grace when he said: “Yet it is not I who will accuse you of this before the Father. Moses will accuse you! Yes Moses on whom you set your hopes.” (v.45). This was not only a stinging rebuke against the Jews who not only obeyed the Mosaic law but even expanded them into some 613 different rules.
What Jesus was saying here was that the Scribes and Pharisees cannot presume they are saved because they believed in Moses and they missed that which was important in that Moses himself spoke of Jesus.
There are times when we also find ourselves in the same situation. We bask in the approval of our superiors and peers, of the social circle to which we belong, or to some extent even from our ministry heads, elders and servant leaders.
Like the Pharisees, we too desired the praise of fellow humans and we have become so focused on our reputation that we have become oblivious to God’s presence. In the busyness of life, we have become preoccupied with the mundane concerns that fill our lives that there are times our hearts and hearing become hardened and unable to understand the word of God. Worst, we pay lip service when we dwell on the Word of God and our pride made us deaf to what God is telling us.
The Sacred Scripture shows us that God reveals himself to the lowly, to those who trust not in themselves, but those who trust God and listen to God's word with an eagerness to learn and to obey. Let us therefore spend this Fourth Week of Lent to search the Sacred Scriptures to enter into the inner sanctum of the mind and heart of God.
Let us invite the Holy Spirit to open our minds, our ears and our hearts that we may hear only his voice and let us pray for the Grace to listen and obey the Word of God for in them we can find our salvation and the power to stand up for God.
As Christ stood as a representation of God, we too who have been created in his own image and likeness (Gen 1:26), was made new by the power of the Holy Spirit (2 Cor 5:17), and in whom Christ now lives (Gal 2:19-20) and having been predestined in conformity with the purpose and his will for us (Eph 1:11), we too are expected to stand up as ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor 5:20) because it is through us that Christ is now making his appeal to the world.
But the question that remains is do we really know Jesus? I was in a meeting one time where one of those present was Bro. Mike Velarde, founding servant leader of the El Shaddai Prayer Partners Foundation, and he said the problem with the world that we live in today is that many of us don’t recognize the voice of God.
Bro. Mike went on to say that even the strong winds calmed down when it heard the voice of Jesus. So did the waves that buffeted their boat as he and the other Apostles were crossing Lake of Galilee and the fig tree as well. On the other hand, peace will elude those who continue to ignore the voice of God who speaks to us through the Scriptures and through the ordinary events in our lives.
Let this Lenten Season be a time of becoming still so that we can hear the voice of God.
DOING GOOD IS A 24/7 MINISTRY
MAR. 13, 2012: FOURTH WEEK OF LENT
1st Reading: Isa 49:8-15
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 145:8-9, 13-14, 17-18 “The Lord is gracious and merciful.”
GOSPEL: Jn 5:17-30
Key Verse: “My Father is still working, and I am working.” (v.17)
“By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” (Gen 2:1-3)
If God rested and blessed the seventh day which in time became the Sabbath, it follows that man who was created by God will have to keep this day holy and do nothing except think of God in worship. This was how the Jewish religious leaders interpreted the Scriptures and you cannot blame them.
The problem was that the Scribes and Pharisees have expanded the coverage of the Ten Commandments and the teachings of Moses contained in the Torah into hundreds and thousands of laws and imposed these on the people to follow.
One such law was that it was forbidden to do anything on the Sabbath. If someone was sick and in pain, the law of the Sabbath will only allow a doctor or a healer to alleviate the pain of the sick person but it would be against the law of the Sabbath to go beyond relieving the pain and make the person well. In other words, it was alright to apply ointment or herbs to reduce the pain of a sick person but not to make him totally well.
This was why the Pharisees took issue with the man who lifted up his mat and walked because this took the nature of work. And they vented their ire on Jesus because he healed the man who was an invalid for 38 years and made him walk and this was a big no-no.
So the question is: 1) Was the interpretation of Gen 2:1-3 by the Jews correct? (2) Would you defer, postpone or ignore the opportunity to do good just because it fell on a Sabbath or Sunday for that matter? (3) While we may believe that God is our Father in heaven, why can’t we believe then that Jesus the incarnated Son of God co-exists with God?
These are the issues in this Gospel passage today that we need to confront and resolve especially during this Season of Lent and as we step into the Holy Week our appreciation of the nature of Christ in relation to our own identities will determine our salvation.
To be able to digest the substance of this Gospel today, let us look at the nature of the three moving characters in this passage. First we have God the Father who was the Creator of the universe and everything in it and God continues to move in each and everyone one of us and using the skills, talents and gifts he has given us we continue to create that which are good – roads, buildings, schools, hospitals, places of worship, etc.
We also see Jesus in this passage who presented himself as being one with God and this was what infuriated the Jews because they could not accept the mystery of the incarnation. And we see Jesus meeting their objections head-on (Lk 6:11) and Jesus was not only challenging their view of holiness but he established Himself as the Lord of the Sabbath and the Lord of all creation (Lk 6:5; Col 1:15-18).
What Jesus was impressing upon the Jews was that as the Son of Man whose origin was from God the Father, he derives from God His divine nature and by being born of Mary derives from her his human nature. While he claimed to have both divine and human attributes, Jesus acknowledges that “the Father is greater than I” (Jn 14:28) even if “the Father and I are one” (Jn 10:30).
In Christ there are two natures – human and divine – which presupposes that Jesus has a two-fold knowledge – human and divine. As God he knew all things even the thoughts of man on account of the hypostatic union. He also has a two-fold will – human and divine – although his human will is subject to the divine Will (Lk 22:42). And he also has a two-fold activity – a divine activity such as miracles and prophecies and a human activity such as preaching, teaching, praying, eating, sleeping and suffering.
And because of his unity with God, Jesus lived as God wanted him to live and because of our identification with Jesus having been chosen by God (Jn 15:16) and predestined (Eph 1:3-10) which means that God already held us in the palm of His hands even before we were born, we are thus mandated to honor him and live as he wants us to live.
The Pharisees also called God their Father, but they could not grasp the enormity of Jesus who claimed a unique relationship with God and under the circumstances they were in, the Pharisees were confronted with two choices to make: to believe in Jesus or to reject and accuse him of blasphemy. They chose the second (v.17).
This Gospel passage therefore has a two-fold message: One is that God works even on the Sabbath because when the opportunity to do good presents itself it should not be ignored because that which is good is not bound by time nor rules. The other message is that we shouldn’t do what the Pharisees did because Jesus was specifically sent and that those who will listen to him and believe in him will have eternal life (v.24).
Here Jesus was also saying that even the dead (spiritually dead) who have ears to hear, minds to understand, and who will accept him are also assured of eternity. And those who will reject him will also be resurrected (vv.28-29) but they will be subject to God’s final judgment.
Indeed, there are those who live in today’s world in wild abandon crediting themselves for their good fortune claiming that the fruits of their labor were as a result of their talent, wealth, education, connections, and industriousness and they totally ignored the role of God in their human development.
As we step deeper into our Lenten observance, let us dwell on the promise of Christ that those who will accept him will have life in them – a life of abundant peace and joy (Jn 10:10). But if we will reject him then we will have to prepare for an eternal separation from an all-loving God who makes Himself available even on a Sabbath.
1st Reading: Isa 49:8-15
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 145:8-9, 13-14, 17-18 “The Lord is gracious and merciful.”
GOSPEL: Jn 5:17-30
Key Verse: “My Father is still working, and I am working.” (v.17)
“By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” (Gen 2:1-3)
If God rested and blessed the seventh day which in time became the Sabbath, it follows that man who was created by God will have to keep this day holy and do nothing except think of God in worship. This was how the Jewish religious leaders interpreted the Scriptures and you cannot blame them.
The problem was that the Scribes and Pharisees have expanded the coverage of the Ten Commandments and the teachings of Moses contained in the Torah into hundreds and thousands of laws and imposed these on the people to follow.
One such law was that it was forbidden to do anything on the Sabbath. If someone was sick and in pain, the law of the Sabbath will only allow a doctor or a healer to alleviate the pain of the sick person but it would be against the law of the Sabbath to go beyond relieving the pain and make the person well. In other words, it was alright to apply ointment or herbs to reduce the pain of a sick person but not to make him totally well.
This was why the Pharisees took issue with the man who lifted up his mat and walked because this took the nature of work. And they vented their ire on Jesus because he healed the man who was an invalid for 38 years and made him walk and this was a big no-no.
So the question is: 1) Was the interpretation of Gen 2:1-3 by the Jews correct? (2) Would you defer, postpone or ignore the opportunity to do good just because it fell on a Sabbath or Sunday for that matter? (3) While we may believe that God is our Father in heaven, why can’t we believe then that Jesus the incarnated Son of God co-exists with God?
These are the issues in this Gospel passage today that we need to confront and resolve especially during this Season of Lent and as we step into the Holy Week our appreciation of the nature of Christ in relation to our own identities will determine our salvation.
To be able to digest the substance of this Gospel today, let us look at the nature of the three moving characters in this passage. First we have God the Father who was the Creator of the universe and everything in it and God continues to move in each and everyone one of us and using the skills, talents and gifts he has given us we continue to create that which are good – roads, buildings, schools, hospitals, places of worship, etc.
We also see Jesus in this passage who presented himself as being one with God and this was what infuriated the Jews because they could not accept the mystery of the incarnation. And we see Jesus meeting their objections head-on (Lk 6:11) and Jesus was not only challenging their view of holiness but he established Himself as the Lord of the Sabbath and the Lord of all creation (Lk 6:5; Col 1:15-18).
What Jesus was impressing upon the Jews was that as the Son of Man whose origin was from God the Father, he derives from God His divine nature and by being born of Mary derives from her his human nature. While he claimed to have both divine and human attributes, Jesus acknowledges that “the Father is greater than I” (Jn 14:28) even if “the Father and I are one” (Jn 10:30).
In Christ there are two natures – human and divine – which presupposes that Jesus has a two-fold knowledge – human and divine. As God he knew all things even the thoughts of man on account of the hypostatic union. He also has a two-fold will – human and divine – although his human will is subject to the divine Will (Lk 22:42). And he also has a two-fold activity – a divine activity such as miracles and prophecies and a human activity such as preaching, teaching, praying, eating, sleeping and suffering.
And because of his unity with God, Jesus lived as God wanted him to live and because of our identification with Jesus having been chosen by God (Jn 15:16) and predestined (Eph 1:3-10) which means that God already held us in the palm of His hands even before we were born, we are thus mandated to honor him and live as he wants us to live.
The Pharisees also called God their Father, but they could not grasp the enormity of Jesus who claimed a unique relationship with God and under the circumstances they were in, the Pharisees were confronted with two choices to make: to believe in Jesus or to reject and accuse him of blasphemy. They chose the second (v.17).
This Gospel passage therefore has a two-fold message: One is that God works even on the Sabbath because when the opportunity to do good presents itself it should not be ignored because that which is good is not bound by time nor rules. The other message is that we shouldn’t do what the Pharisees did because Jesus was specifically sent and that those who will listen to him and believe in him will have eternal life (v.24).
Here Jesus was also saying that even the dead (spiritually dead) who have ears to hear, minds to understand, and who will accept him are also assured of eternity. And those who will reject him will also be resurrected (vv.28-29) but they will be subject to God’s final judgment.
Indeed, there are those who live in today’s world in wild abandon crediting themselves for their good fortune claiming that the fruits of their labor were as a result of their talent, wealth, education, connections, and industriousness and they totally ignored the role of God in their human development.
As we step deeper into our Lenten observance, let us dwell on the promise of Christ that those who will accept him will have life in them – a life of abundant peace and joy (Jn 10:10). But if we will reject him then we will have to prepare for an eternal separation from an all-loving God who makes Himself available even on a Sabbath.
JESUS WANTS US TO BE WELL
MAR. 20, 2012: FOURTH WEEK OF LENT
1st Reading: Eze 47:1-9, 12
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 46: 2-3, 5-6, 8-9 “The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob.”
GOSPEL: JN 5:1-16
Key Verse: “Would you like to get well?” (v.6)
Today’s Gospel reading reveals in no uncertain terms the plan of God for each one of us beginning from the man who had been sick for 38 years to whom Jesus posed this question: “Would you like to get well?” (v.6)
In this very simple question we find the totality of God’s plan for all whom he has created who are only a notch below the angels in heaven. And that plan is for all of us to be well which simply means that God wants us all to be sound in body, mind and spirit. An abundant life that he cited as the reason for why he came (Jn 10:10) is what God wants us to have. Again, an abundant life meaning we are at peace with everyone including ourselves and with everything that is around us.
And who wouldn’t want to live in abundance? Anyone who has been sick for that long would definitely jump to his feet if such an opportunity presents itself. I may not have experienced what this man underwent for 38 years and I could only imagine the torment, the struggle, the humiliation and the self-pity at being immobile not to mention the feeling of unworthiness.
His illness and pitiable state has become a way of life for this man. Notwithstanding the fact that there was no one to help him to bring him to the pool of Bethesda (some manuscripts says Bethsaida while some said Bethzatha), this man lay at the portico leading to the pool hoping against hope for a miracle.
The Jews at that time believed that the pool was endowed with healing properties and this was the reason why the gate to the pool was crowded with sick people – blind, lame, or paralyzed (v.2) and it was this scene that Jesus saw upon his return to Jerusalem following his journey to Cana where he turned the water into wine, in Galilee where he healed the dying son of a government official.
But historians claim that beneath the pool was a subterranean stream that releases bubbles that creates a stir at the water’s surface and the Jews in those days believed that this stirring of the pool was caused by an angel and the belief then was that the first person to get into the pool after the water had been stirred would be healed from any illness.
And for 38 years this man waited for his chance to get near the pool but since there was no one to help him into the pool when the water is stirred, someone else manages to get before he could (v.7). Then and now, we see invalids who have not only lost hope of being cured but have even used their afflictions to an advantage.
But this man was different and Jesus probably saw through his desire to get well if only there was someone who will help him get into the pool. His desire to get well was what moved Jesus to say: “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk” (v.8).
In effect, what this Gospel passage is showing us is that like the man in this narrative we need to have the desire to be healed before we could be healed. What we can learn from this passage is that Jesus is compassionate to those who recognize their own helplessness and their dependency on God and miracles do happen when we are able to subordinate our human will to God’s Will and power.
What this passage also shows is that regardless of the kind of afflictions that we are experiencing at the moment or no matter how big our problems may be, God can meet our deepest needs for his Grace is more than sufficient for our needs.
Let us not dwell anymore on the actuations of the religious leaders who accused Jesus of violating the law of the Sabbath but let us look closely and reflect on the last few verses towards the end of this Gospel passage.
When Jesus met the man again at the Temple, he told the man: “See you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you” (v.14). As we draw near towards the Holy Week, it is important that we are reminded of the connectedness between sin and sickness. As the Jews generally believed then that when a man suffers or becomes ill the assumption was that he has sinned and the Rabbis claim: “The sick arises not from sickness, until his sins are forgiven.”
This Gospel passage also shows us the life-giving properties of water. In the First Reading we see water flowing out in trickles until it became a torrent and into a river where trees at its banks grew and bore much fruit. In the Gospel of John, we read of the water in the pool that anyone who dips in it when the water was stirred would be healed.
Such is also the Grace of God that is given to all. It starts as a trickle until such time that we can comprehend the beauty and vastness of God’s Grace and it is by this Grace that we are able to love God more and our neighbor as well.
In this Lenten Season, let us spend some time to look at how we have lived our lives and see the parts where we have become like the invalid man in this Gospel passage. It would probably be a good idea if we will score ourselves in relation to the following six situations in the next paragraph which actually puts in motion our calling as Christian disciples (Matt 25:35-36).
1) Was there a time when you just threw away left-over food yet you were stingy in sharing food with the hungry? (2) Did you refuse to give a drink to someone who was thirsty? (3) Did you ignore a stranger who knocked at your doors? (4) Do you have clothes in your closet that you have not worn for over a year, knowing there are hundreds if not thousands who do not have any clothes on their backs? (5) When was the last time you visited a relative, friends or neighbor who was sick? and, (6) Was there a time you ignored an invitation for you to visit the prison because you felt it was not your idea of ministry?
You may not be aware of it but if you came up short in at least four of these six situations and if you scored anything below 4 you may be experiencing the symptoms of becoming an invalid. Being an invalid does not necessarily mean a physical disability but also spiritual disability.
This happens when we become oblivious to the situation around us and we tend to look at the poverty that pervades in our society as being part of the landscape. It is when we close our fists and withhold our help to those in need that we suffer from becoming an invalid spiritually.
And we can be cured of this sickness by simply having the desire to seek the power of Christ to fill our lives for it is only through Jesus that we can emerge victorious in this life.
1st Reading: Eze 47:1-9, 12
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 46: 2-3, 5-6, 8-9 “The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob.”
GOSPEL: JN 5:1-16
Key Verse: “Would you like to get well?” (v.6)
Today’s Gospel reading reveals in no uncertain terms the plan of God for each one of us beginning from the man who had been sick for 38 years to whom Jesus posed this question: “Would you like to get well?” (v.6)
In this very simple question we find the totality of God’s plan for all whom he has created who are only a notch below the angels in heaven. And that plan is for all of us to be well which simply means that God wants us all to be sound in body, mind and spirit. An abundant life that he cited as the reason for why he came (Jn 10:10) is what God wants us to have. Again, an abundant life meaning we are at peace with everyone including ourselves and with everything that is around us.
And who wouldn’t want to live in abundance? Anyone who has been sick for that long would definitely jump to his feet if such an opportunity presents itself. I may not have experienced what this man underwent for 38 years and I could only imagine the torment, the struggle, the humiliation and the self-pity at being immobile not to mention the feeling of unworthiness.
His illness and pitiable state has become a way of life for this man. Notwithstanding the fact that there was no one to help him to bring him to the pool of Bethesda (some manuscripts says Bethsaida while some said Bethzatha), this man lay at the portico leading to the pool hoping against hope for a miracle.
The Jews at that time believed that the pool was endowed with healing properties and this was the reason why the gate to the pool was crowded with sick people – blind, lame, or paralyzed (v.2) and it was this scene that Jesus saw upon his return to Jerusalem following his journey to Cana where he turned the water into wine, in Galilee where he healed the dying son of a government official.
But historians claim that beneath the pool was a subterranean stream that releases bubbles that creates a stir at the water’s surface and the Jews in those days believed that this stirring of the pool was caused by an angel and the belief then was that the first person to get into the pool after the water had been stirred would be healed from any illness.
And for 38 years this man waited for his chance to get near the pool but since there was no one to help him into the pool when the water is stirred, someone else manages to get before he could (v.7). Then and now, we see invalids who have not only lost hope of being cured but have even used their afflictions to an advantage.
But this man was different and Jesus probably saw through his desire to get well if only there was someone who will help him get into the pool. His desire to get well was what moved Jesus to say: “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk” (v.8).
In effect, what this Gospel passage is showing us is that like the man in this narrative we need to have the desire to be healed before we could be healed. What we can learn from this passage is that Jesus is compassionate to those who recognize their own helplessness and their dependency on God and miracles do happen when we are able to subordinate our human will to God’s Will and power.
What this passage also shows is that regardless of the kind of afflictions that we are experiencing at the moment or no matter how big our problems may be, God can meet our deepest needs for his Grace is more than sufficient for our needs.
Let us not dwell anymore on the actuations of the religious leaders who accused Jesus of violating the law of the Sabbath but let us look closely and reflect on the last few verses towards the end of this Gospel passage.
When Jesus met the man again at the Temple, he told the man: “See you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you” (v.14). As we draw near towards the Holy Week, it is important that we are reminded of the connectedness between sin and sickness. As the Jews generally believed then that when a man suffers or becomes ill the assumption was that he has sinned and the Rabbis claim: “The sick arises not from sickness, until his sins are forgiven.”
This Gospel passage also shows us the life-giving properties of water. In the First Reading we see water flowing out in trickles until it became a torrent and into a river where trees at its banks grew and bore much fruit. In the Gospel of John, we read of the water in the pool that anyone who dips in it when the water was stirred would be healed.
Such is also the Grace of God that is given to all. It starts as a trickle until such time that we can comprehend the beauty and vastness of God’s Grace and it is by this Grace that we are able to love God more and our neighbor as well.
In this Lenten Season, let us spend some time to look at how we have lived our lives and see the parts where we have become like the invalid man in this Gospel passage. It would probably be a good idea if we will score ourselves in relation to the following six situations in the next paragraph which actually puts in motion our calling as Christian disciples (Matt 25:35-36).
1) Was there a time when you just threw away left-over food yet you were stingy in sharing food with the hungry? (2) Did you refuse to give a drink to someone who was thirsty? (3) Did you ignore a stranger who knocked at your doors? (4) Do you have clothes in your closet that you have not worn for over a year, knowing there are hundreds if not thousands who do not have any clothes on their backs? (5) When was the last time you visited a relative, friends or neighbor who was sick? and, (6) Was there a time you ignored an invitation for you to visit the prison because you felt it was not your idea of ministry?
You may not be aware of it but if you came up short in at least four of these six situations and if you scored anything below 4 you may be experiencing the symptoms of becoming an invalid. Being an invalid does not necessarily mean a physical disability but also spiritual disability.
This happens when we become oblivious to the situation around us and we tend to look at the poverty that pervades in our society as being part of the landscape. It is when we close our fists and withhold our help to those in need that we suffer from becoming an invalid spiritually.
And we can be cured of this sickness by simply having the desire to seek the power of Christ to fill our lives for it is only through Jesus that we can emerge victorious in this life.
FAITH MOVES GOD
MAR. 11, 2013: FOURTH WEEK OF LENT
1st Reading: Isa 65:17-21
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 30:2, 4-6, 11-13 “I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.”
GOSPEL: Jn 4:43-54
Key Verse: “So he and all his household believed.” (v.53)
Healing in whatever form be it physical, emotional or spiritual is contingent on two factors. These are the Will of God and the faith of the person who is asking to be healed. From the accounts of the writers of the Synoptic Gospels, we are given the privilege to witness the different instances of healing that took place throughout the ministry of Jesus.
That healing is contingent on the Will of God can be read in Lk 5:13 when a man stricken with leprosy came rushing and knelt before Jesus saying: “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” And here we see Jesus’ response: “I am willing,” he said, “be clean!”
If we are to examine the healing of the servant of the Roman Centurion and compare it with preceding events that were recorded by Luke in his Gospel, we will see that the first instance of healing that Jesus did was when He drove out the evil spirit from a man possessed by the demon (Lk 4:33) at the synagogue in Capernaum where Jesus was preaching.
From the synagogue, Jesus proceeded to the home of Simon where He probably wanted to relax and be among His disciples but He had to heal the mother-in-law of Simon who was suffering from high fever and Jesus rebuked the fever and it left her (Lk 4:39) and she began to wait on them.
But the people in the area learned of the presence of Jesus and there were many who were stricken with various forms of illnesses came and Jesus laid hands on each one of them and he healed them as “demons came out of many people shouting, “You are the Son of God.” (Lk 4:41)
And we see Jesus again in Lk 5:24 telling a paralyzed man “I tell you, get up, take up your mat and go home.” But not after Jesus told the paralyzed man “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”
The reason why I am citing these healing events is because of the probability that the Royal Official may have already heard by word of mouth and the testimony of others of the teachings, discourses and instances of healing that Jesus made particularly when he turned water into wine at the wedding at Cana.
Nothing much was said of the official but being such we can only deduce that he must have been a highly respected man who enjoyed certain privileges in Capernaum where he lived and where he left his ailing son to make the four-hour trek to see and ask Jesus to come with him to heal his son. Such faith of a father for his son is something that Jesus will just ignore because the 20-mile distance over rugged terrain between Capernaum and Cana is no easy task.
And if you’re going to spend some time digesting this Gospel reading you will note that Jesus actually rebuked the Royal Official when he said: “Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders, you will not beliebed.” (v.48) It was clear in this verse that Jesus did not only rebuke the Royal Official but also those within hearing distance.
What was striking was the fact that the Royal Official could have left and abandoned is plan to seek the help of Jesus but he did not mind being rebuked as he stood his ground and implored Jesus to come with him “before my child dies.” (v.49)
Again, here we will see the compassion of Jesus for those who despite the pride and honor attached to their position will humble themselves as what the Royal Official did and such humility has its rewards when Jesus said: “You may go, your son will live.” (v.50)
This Gospel passage ends with the Royal Official and all his household taking that big leap of faith to become believers of Jesus and this is what normally happens to anyone who have lost all possible options and who in their time of need turn to God for help.
I have no problem recognizing who God is because religion has become our daily fare during my primary and elementary years at the Paco Catholic School in Manila. But the Catechism classes that we had only provided me with the head knowledge of prayer and the different aspects of my Catholic faith particularly the Sacraments. But God remained up there and I’m down here.
And I was never told that this wide divide between heaven and earth can actually be bridged with us being able to enter into a personal relationship with a loving God. To enter into and have an intimate relationship with God is in fact part of God’s four-fold plan that we were all created – to know Him (Jn 17:3); to love Him (Mt 22:37); to serve Him (Jn 12:26) and to be happy (Jn 16:22).
Out of God’s overflowing goodness, he found me and brought me to the renewal and out of the desert I was in and healed me of all my iniquities. Like the court official who believed in Jesus took his word without doubt or hesitation that his son will live and was ready to return home and face ridicule and laughter because he trusted in Jesus' word, I too was prepared to be ridiculed by my friends who tagged me as a fanatic when they learned I joined a charismatic community. All that is now water under the bridge as I am not only comfortable where I am now but I know I have a God who is healing me of all my imperfections.
And the healing that we received is what should impel us to also proclaim that healing can take place if only we will have the faith of the Royal Official who placed his trust in Jesus and believed in His Word. Belief is what will also move us to proclaim the truth of God’s salvation and as St. Paul tells us in Rom 10:14-17 "How can they call to God for help if they have not believed? And how can they believe if they have not heard the message? And how can they hear if the message is not proclaimed? And how can the message be proclaimed if the messengers are not sent out? Faith, then, comes from hearing the message, and the message comes through preaching Christ."
This then is our primary duty as disciples – to proclaim the Good News that brings not only healing but will also take us to the path that leads to the Kingdom of Heaven because it is in the Good News that we can find the Way, the Truth and the Life (Jn 14:6).
1st Reading: Isa 65:17-21
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 30:2, 4-6, 11-13 “I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.”
GOSPEL: Jn 4:43-54
Key Verse: “So he and all his household believed.” (v.53)
Healing in whatever form be it physical, emotional or spiritual is contingent on two factors. These are the Will of God and the faith of the person who is asking to be healed. From the accounts of the writers of the Synoptic Gospels, we are given the privilege to witness the different instances of healing that took place throughout the ministry of Jesus.
That healing is contingent on the Will of God can be read in Lk 5:13 when a man stricken with leprosy came rushing and knelt before Jesus saying: “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” And here we see Jesus’ response: “I am willing,” he said, “be clean!”
If we are to examine the healing of the servant of the Roman Centurion and compare it with preceding events that were recorded by Luke in his Gospel, we will see that the first instance of healing that Jesus did was when He drove out the evil spirit from a man possessed by the demon (Lk 4:33) at the synagogue in Capernaum where Jesus was preaching.
From the synagogue, Jesus proceeded to the home of Simon where He probably wanted to relax and be among His disciples but He had to heal the mother-in-law of Simon who was suffering from high fever and Jesus rebuked the fever and it left her (Lk 4:39) and she began to wait on them.
But the people in the area learned of the presence of Jesus and there were many who were stricken with various forms of illnesses came and Jesus laid hands on each one of them and he healed them as “demons came out of many people shouting, “You are the Son of God.” (Lk 4:41)
And we see Jesus again in Lk 5:24 telling a paralyzed man “I tell you, get up, take up your mat and go home.” But not after Jesus told the paralyzed man “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”
The reason why I am citing these healing events is because of the probability that the Royal Official may have already heard by word of mouth and the testimony of others of the teachings, discourses and instances of healing that Jesus made particularly when he turned water into wine at the wedding at Cana.
Nothing much was said of the official but being such we can only deduce that he must have been a highly respected man who enjoyed certain privileges in Capernaum where he lived and where he left his ailing son to make the four-hour trek to see and ask Jesus to come with him to heal his son. Such faith of a father for his son is something that Jesus will just ignore because the 20-mile distance over rugged terrain between Capernaum and Cana is no easy task.
And if you’re going to spend some time digesting this Gospel reading you will note that Jesus actually rebuked the Royal Official when he said: “Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders, you will not beliebed.” (v.48) It was clear in this verse that Jesus did not only rebuke the Royal Official but also those within hearing distance.
What was striking was the fact that the Royal Official could have left and abandoned is plan to seek the help of Jesus but he did not mind being rebuked as he stood his ground and implored Jesus to come with him “before my child dies.” (v.49)
Again, here we will see the compassion of Jesus for those who despite the pride and honor attached to their position will humble themselves as what the Royal Official did and such humility has its rewards when Jesus said: “You may go, your son will live.” (v.50)
This Gospel passage ends with the Royal Official and all his household taking that big leap of faith to become believers of Jesus and this is what normally happens to anyone who have lost all possible options and who in their time of need turn to God for help.
I have no problem recognizing who God is because religion has become our daily fare during my primary and elementary years at the Paco Catholic School in Manila. But the Catechism classes that we had only provided me with the head knowledge of prayer and the different aspects of my Catholic faith particularly the Sacraments. But God remained up there and I’m down here.
And I was never told that this wide divide between heaven and earth can actually be bridged with us being able to enter into a personal relationship with a loving God. To enter into and have an intimate relationship with God is in fact part of God’s four-fold plan that we were all created – to know Him (Jn 17:3); to love Him (Mt 22:37); to serve Him (Jn 12:26) and to be happy (Jn 16:22).
Out of God’s overflowing goodness, he found me and brought me to the renewal and out of the desert I was in and healed me of all my iniquities. Like the court official who believed in Jesus took his word without doubt or hesitation that his son will live and was ready to return home and face ridicule and laughter because he trusted in Jesus' word, I too was prepared to be ridiculed by my friends who tagged me as a fanatic when they learned I joined a charismatic community. All that is now water under the bridge as I am not only comfortable where I am now but I know I have a God who is healing me of all my imperfections.
And the healing that we received is what should impel us to also proclaim that healing can take place if only we will have the faith of the Royal Official who placed his trust in Jesus and believed in His Word. Belief is what will also move us to proclaim the truth of God’s salvation and as St. Paul tells us in Rom 10:14-17 "How can they call to God for help if they have not believed? And how can they believe if they have not heard the message? And how can they hear if the message is not proclaimed? And how can the message be proclaimed if the messengers are not sent out? Faith, then, comes from hearing the message, and the message comes through preaching Christ."
This then is our primary duty as disciples – to proclaim the Good News that brings not only healing but will also take us to the path that leads to the Kingdom of Heaven because it is in the Good News that we can find the Way, the Truth and the Life (Jn 14:6).
LOVE WITHOUT MEASURE
MAR. 10, 2013: FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT
1st Reading: Jos 5:9, 10-12
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 34:2-7 “Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.”
2nd Reading: 2 Cor 5:17-21
GOSPEL: Lk 15:1-3, 11-12
Key Verse: “…he was lost and is found.” (v.32)
This is a beautiful Gospel passage that demonstrates the unparalleled love of a father for his son and this is also one passage that we can relate to in one way or the other. When I sat down to reflect on this Gospel reading, my past flashed before me like I was watching a documentary of my life on a big screen.
Suddenly, I found myself in the very person of the son who ran away from home to live the kind of life that he thought would translate to happiness and Jesus went on to say that the son “squandered his wealth in wild living.” (v.13) While I did not have the kind of wealth the son had I also went on with my life then with wild abandon as I lived only for what the present will bring and thinking not of the tomorrows that are to come.
This Gospel also reminds me of the untold story of the civil war that tore the United States apart and I am sure that it was doubly hard for acquaintances who found themselves facing one another not as friends but as enemies. And when it was finally over and the southerners who rebelled against the emancipation of the slaves were defeated and had rejoined the Union, then President Abraham Lincoln was asked how we was going to treat the rebels.
Many thought that Lincoln would be unforgiving for the rebellion cost so much in terms of lives lost and resources and many were surprised when the American President said: “I will treat them as if they had never been away.”
I also personally remember how the late Ilocos Sur Rep. Floro Crisologo in the mid-60s had confronted the suspect who lobbed a grenade at him as he was delivering a political speech. Crisologo survived that attempt in his life and when the suspect was traced and arrested, Crisologo not only forgave but he even hired the suspect to become one of his household hand who served him until a bullet fired by an assassin felled him while he was hearing Mass at Sto. Domingo Church in Quezon City.
Today’s Gospel passage is a beautiful story about forgiveness and many times you will ask how you can still love someone who turns their back on you and still forgive them from the heart? The prophets remind us in the first reading that God does not abandon us, even if we turn our backs on him (Mic 7:18). He will call us back to himself – over and over and over again.
Jesus' parable of a father and his two sons and which is commonly referred to as the parable of the prodigal son is the longest parable in the Gospels. Everyone is familiar with the story but for those who haven’t read it yet or heard it the focal point of the parable was the younger of the two sons who took out his inheritance from his father and squandered it.
Finding himself impoverished he was forced to work feeding the pigs feeding the pigs which was a most despicable job because Jews are forbidden to do this task as it runs counter to the law that says: “Cursed is he who feeds swine.” Then Jesus said: “When he came to his senses” (v.17) the young son was reduced to repentance and was led to a decision to return to his home.
This verse was not only the turning point in the life of the young son but Jesus said this because Our Lord believes that a man or anyone who turns away from God was not in himself or was not in his right sense or frame of mind and Jesus believes that man is in his right sense when he finds his way back to God.
Just like in the story of the Transfiguration we noted that it was not actually the Lord who was transfigured because Jesus never lost his original nature as God. The reverse was what happened as it were Peter, James and John who were transfigured when the Holy Spirit removed the veil from their eyes and they were able to see the light that was in Jesus.
Similarly, this parable was not about the prodigal son because he was not the hero in this story. The Father who out of his great love and compassion for his son was the real hero in this parable because it reveals the kind of forgiveness the Father had, the kind of forgiveness that was without recrimination.
And what we see in the attitude of the elder brother is what we see happening around us such that it will be much easier for us to appreciate that God is more merciful in his judgments than many of us. In this parable we see that the love of God is broader than the love of man and that God can forgive when men refuse to forgive as in the case of the elder brother.
Those of us who have been conferred a second baptism can easily relate to the robe, the ring, and the festive banquet that the Father gave to welcome his son because these symbolize the pure, worthy, and joyful life that is given to anyone who returns to God.
Here in this parable, Jesus gives us a very clear picture of the attributes of God, a God whose loving kindness is bigger than we could ever imagine and definitely deeper than the kindness we could ever give to others.
Many of us easily lose hope when things don’t turn out the way we expected and we sink into the pit of depression and despair. But in this parable we see a God who does not lose hope or give up when we go astray and He rejoices when the Holy Spirit finds us and brings us back to our senses and leads us home.
This was what happened to me when Our Lord Jesus Christ found me in September 1989 and brought me to the renewal where he impressed upon me that the life I was living was not the kind of life that he planned for me. And when the Lord revealed himself to me in the Life in the Spirit Seminar that I attended and as I asked for and received his forgiveness I knew that I was home.
“We don’t leave anyone behind” is what the US Marines usually say when they are faced with tremendous pressure on the battlefield and are forced to withdraw. Jesus is like that. He doesn’t leave anyone behind and he will go to great lengths even death on the cross to look for us and bring us back to God.
Jesus never tires of reaching out to us. The only reason why we don’t feel his presence is because we actually don’t want to meet him because we are not prepared to give up those things that he will ask us to detach from in exchange for our salvation. And if I am going to live my life all over again, I will still give the same response when Jesus first stretched our his hand to me because only in Jesus did I ever found the true meaning of what life is.
1st Reading: Jos 5:9, 10-12
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 34:2-7 “Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.”
2nd Reading: 2 Cor 5:17-21
GOSPEL: Lk 15:1-3, 11-12
Key Verse: “…he was lost and is found.” (v.32)
This is a beautiful Gospel passage that demonstrates the unparalleled love of a father for his son and this is also one passage that we can relate to in one way or the other. When I sat down to reflect on this Gospel reading, my past flashed before me like I was watching a documentary of my life on a big screen.
Suddenly, I found myself in the very person of the son who ran away from home to live the kind of life that he thought would translate to happiness and Jesus went on to say that the son “squandered his wealth in wild living.” (v.13) While I did not have the kind of wealth the son had I also went on with my life then with wild abandon as I lived only for what the present will bring and thinking not of the tomorrows that are to come.
This Gospel also reminds me of the untold story of the civil war that tore the United States apart and I am sure that it was doubly hard for acquaintances who found themselves facing one another not as friends but as enemies. And when it was finally over and the southerners who rebelled against the emancipation of the slaves were defeated and had rejoined the Union, then President Abraham Lincoln was asked how we was going to treat the rebels.
Many thought that Lincoln would be unforgiving for the rebellion cost so much in terms of lives lost and resources and many were surprised when the American President said: “I will treat them as if they had never been away.”
I also personally remember how the late Ilocos Sur Rep. Floro Crisologo in the mid-60s had confronted the suspect who lobbed a grenade at him as he was delivering a political speech. Crisologo survived that attempt in his life and when the suspect was traced and arrested, Crisologo not only forgave but he even hired the suspect to become one of his household hand who served him until a bullet fired by an assassin felled him while he was hearing Mass at Sto. Domingo Church in Quezon City.
Today’s Gospel passage is a beautiful story about forgiveness and many times you will ask how you can still love someone who turns their back on you and still forgive them from the heart? The prophets remind us in the first reading that God does not abandon us, even if we turn our backs on him (Mic 7:18). He will call us back to himself – over and over and over again.
Jesus' parable of a father and his two sons and which is commonly referred to as the parable of the prodigal son is the longest parable in the Gospels. Everyone is familiar with the story but for those who haven’t read it yet or heard it the focal point of the parable was the younger of the two sons who took out his inheritance from his father and squandered it.
Finding himself impoverished he was forced to work feeding the pigs feeding the pigs which was a most despicable job because Jews are forbidden to do this task as it runs counter to the law that says: “Cursed is he who feeds swine.” Then Jesus said: “When he came to his senses” (v.17) the young son was reduced to repentance and was led to a decision to return to his home.
This verse was not only the turning point in the life of the young son but Jesus said this because Our Lord believes that a man or anyone who turns away from God was not in himself or was not in his right sense or frame of mind and Jesus believes that man is in his right sense when he finds his way back to God.
Just like in the story of the Transfiguration we noted that it was not actually the Lord who was transfigured because Jesus never lost his original nature as God. The reverse was what happened as it were Peter, James and John who were transfigured when the Holy Spirit removed the veil from their eyes and they were able to see the light that was in Jesus.
Similarly, this parable was not about the prodigal son because he was not the hero in this story. The Father who out of his great love and compassion for his son was the real hero in this parable because it reveals the kind of forgiveness the Father had, the kind of forgiveness that was without recrimination.
And what we see in the attitude of the elder brother is what we see happening around us such that it will be much easier for us to appreciate that God is more merciful in his judgments than many of us. In this parable we see that the love of God is broader than the love of man and that God can forgive when men refuse to forgive as in the case of the elder brother.
Those of us who have been conferred a second baptism can easily relate to the robe, the ring, and the festive banquet that the Father gave to welcome his son because these symbolize the pure, worthy, and joyful life that is given to anyone who returns to God.
Here in this parable, Jesus gives us a very clear picture of the attributes of God, a God whose loving kindness is bigger than we could ever imagine and definitely deeper than the kindness we could ever give to others.
Many of us easily lose hope when things don’t turn out the way we expected and we sink into the pit of depression and despair. But in this parable we see a God who does not lose hope or give up when we go astray and He rejoices when the Holy Spirit finds us and brings us back to our senses and leads us home.
This was what happened to me when Our Lord Jesus Christ found me in September 1989 and brought me to the renewal where he impressed upon me that the life I was living was not the kind of life that he planned for me. And when the Lord revealed himself to me in the Life in the Spirit Seminar that I attended and as I asked for and received his forgiveness I knew that I was home.
“We don’t leave anyone behind” is what the US Marines usually say when they are faced with tremendous pressure on the battlefield and are forced to withdraw. Jesus is like that. He doesn’t leave anyone behind and he will go to great lengths even death on the cross to look for us and bring us back to God.
Jesus never tires of reaching out to us. The only reason why we don’t feel his presence is because we actually don’t want to meet him because we are not prepared to give up those things that he will ask us to detach from in exchange for our salvation. And if I am going to live my life all over again, I will still give the same response when Jesus first stretched our his hand to me because only in Jesus did I ever found the true meaning of what life is.
HONESTY IS WHAT GOD REQUIRES
MAR. 9, 2013: THIRD WEEK OF LENT
1st Reading: Hos 6:1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 51:3-4, 18-21 “It is mercy I desire, and not sacrifice.”
GOSPEL: LK 18:9-14
Key Verse: “and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (v.14)
No two persons are alike. Even for twins there are still a thing or two that makes one different from the other. And today’s Gospel passage is a beautiful lesson not only on the manner with which we are to pray but also in the way that we get on with our lives.
Yesterday, we dwelt on loving our neighbor as the best test of our love for God because we cannot possibly love God without loving those that he also created (Mk 12:30-31).
And today, as we step deeper into the Lenten Season Jesus gives us a timely lesson that will help us establish our identities as Christian disciples. While all created beings were created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26) each one of us is unique and God made us one-of-a-kind. One very remarkable proof of our uniqueness is that no two persons have the same fingerprints or ears for that matter.
But what really makes us different from the person beside us is something that we cannot see but which God sees – our souls. This is what makes us unique and different. God gave us different gifts and we are to make use of these gifts for the upbuilding of the body of Christ to which we are grafted.
Sadly, however, it is also our being distinct to one another that sometimes move us to compare ourselves with others and we may not be aware that comparisonitis has already afflicted us especially if this attitude turns into a habit.
To think that we are better, smarter and more talented than others should not be regarded as just a feeling or an opinion because this attitude is most certainly rooted in envy which in itself is a sin. Perhaps we are envious of our neighbor over a new car, his job that fetches a higher salary than yours, a new designer dress, a branded bag, or it could even be an inheritance.
What we may not be aware of is that if we persist in doing this, comparisonitis will only lead us to a loveless and heartless pursuit of life. In other words, we will turn into a “Christ-less” person instead of being Christ-like which is supposed to be our original nature and identity. We must confront this attitude if ever this is happening to us and the worst that could happen is to turn away and be in denial because if we do that we are teetering on the edge of living a loveless life.
Those afflicted with this disease are those who are fueled by vanity and their incessant desire to seek admiration for themselves and belittling others in the process. But comparisonitis is not a new disease. It is actually an ancient disease and can be traced all the way to the time of Jesus as we read in this parable.
This was the reason why St. Paul recognized how deadly this disease and has given us an antidote when he said: “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith of faith has given you.” (Rom 12:3) What Paul is saying is that we should not see ourselves as how others see us but how God sees us.
In effect, what is important is how God will define us and God is not particular about our gender, ethnicity, family heritage, possessions, achievements, titles because these are not important to God. And it’s all about how willing are we to allow the Grace of God to be at work in us (1 Cor 15:10).
Jesus is thus using this parable to teach us the real value of prayer as he pointed to the Pharisee who went to the church in this parable “who stood up and prayed about himself: God I thank you that I am not like other men – robbers, evildoers, adulterers – or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.” (v.11-12)
The Pharisee that Jesus cited in this parable did not actually go to God to pray as he not only prayed with himself but he went to the Temple to inform God of what he does while at the same time comparing himself with those around him whom he believes were irreligious.
What this Pharisee forgot was the most basic premise of prayer which is to pray with humility acknowledging our own weakness and unworthiness. “The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds; it does not rest till it reaches its goal; Nor will it withdraw till the Most High responds.” (Sir 35:21) Prayer is in itself an act of humility, for by it we testify a sense of our dependence upon the Lord who rules the heaven above and earth below.
In other words, we should actually assume the position of a beggar knocking at the door of the Almighty God our Father just as the Tax Collector did standing at a distance who did not even look up to heaven “but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” (v.13)
The difference between these two characters in this parable was that the Tax Collector knew how despised he was and how others looked at him and he looked to God so that he could see himself properly and his admission of his sin brought God’s forgiveness and restoration upon him. Self-righteousness as what the Pharisee did is a dangerous preoccupation because it not only leads to pride but it makes us despise others that prevents us from hearing what God is telling us.
The Tax Collector is actually showing us the path we need to take to discover our real identity for it is only in being honest with ourselves that we can become more like Christ.
This Season of Lent is a great opportunity for all of us to be content in our being unique. We must come to terms of who we are and the purpose for which God made us for “blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding” (Prov 3:13).
God didn’t make us to become a carbon copy of the person beside us. God’s desire if for us to become the best of what we can be with the gifts that he has entrusted to us. And one of the ways to become what God intended us to be is to develop the character traits of Jesus – his love and compassion, honesty, integrity, credibility, and above all his humility and obedience. And we must keep in mind that our calling is to serve others and not to impress others.
1st Reading: Hos 6:1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 51:3-4, 18-21 “It is mercy I desire, and not sacrifice.”
GOSPEL: LK 18:9-14
Key Verse: “and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (v.14)
No two persons are alike. Even for twins there are still a thing or two that makes one different from the other. And today’s Gospel passage is a beautiful lesson not only on the manner with which we are to pray but also in the way that we get on with our lives.
Yesterday, we dwelt on loving our neighbor as the best test of our love for God because we cannot possibly love God without loving those that he also created (Mk 12:30-31).
And today, as we step deeper into the Lenten Season Jesus gives us a timely lesson that will help us establish our identities as Christian disciples. While all created beings were created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26) each one of us is unique and God made us one-of-a-kind. One very remarkable proof of our uniqueness is that no two persons have the same fingerprints or ears for that matter.
But what really makes us different from the person beside us is something that we cannot see but which God sees – our souls. This is what makes us unique and different. God gave us different gifts and we are to make use of these gifts for the upbuilding of the body of Christ to which we are grafted.
Sadly, however, it is also our being distinct to one another that sometimes move us to compare ourselves with others and we may not be aware that comparisonitis has already afflicted us especially if this attitude turns into a habit.
To think that we are better, smarter and more talented than others should not be regarded as just a feeling or an opinion because this attitude is most certainly rooted in envy which in itself is a sin. Perhaps we are envious of our neighbor over a new car, his job that fetches a higher salary than yours, a new designer dress, a branded bag, or it could even be an inheritance.
What we may not be aware of is that if we persist in doing this, comparisonitis will only lead us to a loveless and heartless pursuit of life. In other words, we will turn into a “Christ-less” person instead of being Christ-like which is supposed to be our original nature and identity. We must confront this attitude if ever this is happening to us and the worst that could happen is to turn away and be in denial because if we do that we are teetering on the edge of living a loveless life.
Those afflicted with this disease are those who are fueled by vanity and their incessant desire to seek admiration for themselves and belittling others in the process. But comparisonitis is not a new disease. It is actually an ancient disease and can be traced all the way to the time of Jesus as we read in this parable.
This was the reason why St. Paul recognized how deadly this disease and has given us an antidote when he said: “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith of faith has given you.” (Rom 12:3) What Paul is saying is that we should not see ourselves as how others see us but how God sees us.
In effect, what is important is how God will define us and God is not particular about our gender, ethnicity, family heritage, possessions, achievements, titles because these are not important to God. And it’s all about how willing are we to allow the Grace of God to be at work in us (1 Cor 15:10).
Jesus is thus using this parable to teach us the real value of prayer as he pointed to the Pharisee who went to the church in this parable “who stood up and prayed about himself: God I thank you that I am not like other men – robbers, evildoers, adulterers – or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.” (v.11-12)
The Pharisee that Jesus cited in this parable did not actually go to God to pray as he not only prayed with himself but he went to the Temple to inform God of what he does while at the same time comparing himself with those around him whom he believes were irreligious.
What this Pharisee forgot was the most basic premise of prayer which is to pray with humility acknowledging our own weakness and unworthiness. “The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds; it does not rest till it reaches its goal; Nor will it withdraw till the Most High responds.” (Sir 35:21) Prayer is in itself an act of humility, for by it we testify a sense of our dependence upon the Lord who rules the heaven above and earth below.
In other words, we should actually assume the position of a beggar knocking at the door of the Almighty God our Father just as the Tax Collector did standing at a distance who did not even look up to heaven “but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” (v.13)
The difference between these two characters in this parable was that the Tax Collector knew how despised he was and how others looked at him and he looked to God so that he could see himself properly and his admission of his sin brought God’s forgiveness and restoration upon him. Self-righteousness as what the Pharisee did is a dangerous preoccupation because it not only leads to pride but it makes us despise others that prevents us from hearing what God is telling us.
The Tax Collector is actually showing us the path we need to take to discover our real identity for it is only in being honest with ourselves that we can become more like Christ.
This Season of Lent is a great opportunity for all of us to be content in our being unique. We must come to terms of who we are and the purpose for which God made us for “blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding” (Prov 3:13).
God didn’t make us to become a carbon copy of the person beside us. God’s desire if for us to become the best of what we can be with the gifts that he has entrusted to us. And one of the ways to become what God intended us to be is to develop the character traits of Jesus – his love and compassion, honesty, integrity, credibility, and above all his humility and obedience. And we must keep in mind that our calling is to serve others and not to impress others.
IT'S NOT THAT SIMPLE
MAR. 8, 2013: THIRD WEEK OF LENT
1st Reading: Hos 14:2-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 81:6-11, 14-17 “I am the Lord your God; hear my voice.”
GOSPEL: Mk 12:28-34
Key Verse: “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” (v.34)
Any one who understands and observes what the Gospel passage today prescribes already has his left foot planted on the gates to the Kingdom of God because faith alone will not bring us anywhere near the Kingdom of God. Faith that is accompanied by action is what will qualify us to enter into God’s presence.
The journey to heaven has two important components – one is faith that is anchored on what we believe in and the other is the action that should spring forth from that faith that we have. And this is presented very clearly in our Gospel passage for today where we see Jesus quoting from the Shema (Dt 6:4-9; 11:13-21) but he said this was not enough as he added Lev 19:18 “but love your neighbor as yourself” stressing that there is no greater commandment than these two.
Many people find the first prescription to be simple because loving God whom we know to be a forgiving God is probably easy. The hard part is to make this love manifest in the way that we relate to our neighbors. Let’s face it not everyone is lovable that we are easily drawn to loving them but this is just what Jesus said in our Gospel today and we don’t have a choice.
Weakened by sin we are like someone who is nursing a broken leg and unable to stand up straight that we need to use crutches in order for us to move around. We can liken these crutches to what Jesus was saying in today’s Gospel that we are to love God and our neighbor as well and in order to get to heaven we need both.
What Jesus did in our Gospel today was that he merely simplified the 613 precepts related to the practice of the Jewish faith. Surprising as it may be, this was what the Jews were required to observe. The fact that these set of laws were given to Moses – 365 based on the days of the year and 248 according to the generations of men – make it all the more mandatory for the Jews to follow.
In time, even the religious leaders tried to put a distinction as to which of these were to be categorized as major laws and which were to be classified as minor laws. Some actually believed that all the 613 precepts were binding and this was what must have prompted one of the religious leaders to ask Jesus the question in this Gospel passage today.
The great kings and prophets may have seen the difficulty of having such number of religious precepts which was why in the course of time David reduced this to 11 (Psa 15). Then the prophet Isaiah trimmed it down to six (Isa 33:15). Again, Micah brought this down to three (Mic 6:8) and Isaiah again reduced it to just two (Isa 56:1) until the prophet Habakkuk reduced them to just one (Hab 2:4).
Actually it comes as a surprise why the religious leaders still asked Jesus the question as to which of the commandments was the most important because they knew their Old Testament Scripture to love God who is their one Lord (Deut 6:4-9, 11:13-21, Num 15:37-41) was their creed or Shema and these three passages of the Shema are written in the phylacteries that devout Jews wore on their forehead and wrists when in prayer. As religious leaders they also knew what love of neighbor was all about because this was one of the laws of Moses (Lev 19:18).
It was probable that they asked asked Jesus the question as to which of the commandments was the most important (v.28) because they knew that he was someone who spoke with authority (Mk 1:21-28) and possibly to guide them as to which of the divergent positions they were arguing was correct.
Up to that time when Jesus answered, no other prophet or teacher before him had ever spoken who put these two commandments together and made them one “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself.” (vv.30-31) His response simply meant that religion was all about loving God and loving men and that a man can only prove that he loves God if he also has love for his neighbor.
But these are easier said than done and today we see nations saddled with hunger and famine, tribal wars, internal conflicts that have caused thousands of casualties. Even the religious sector have not been spared as divisions have crept into some churches and communities and all these may be due to our lack of love for God and for our neighbor or perhaps our ignorance to what these two commandments represent.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that these two commandments are actually a representation of the Ten Commandments with love of God encapsulated in the first four of the commandments and love of neighbor covers the remaining six commandments.
As deigned by God who gave us the Ten Commandments, the first is all about worship and fidelity; the second, respect; the third, service; and the fourth – respect for his representatives on earth. The other six commandments show out duty to our neighbor forbidding us to injure our neighbor in the fifth; honor his purity in the sixth; his property in the seventh; preserving and respecting his honor in the eighth; respecting his family in the ninth and tenth.
And the Apostle John put it in a more simpler way “Anyone who does not love remains in death.” (1 Jn 3:14) In other words, to love God is of great advantage and benefit to us because through it we are united to God here on earth with our minds enlightened, our will is strengthened and, we obtain pardon for our sins and we are assured of God’s presence in our lives: “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him and we will come to him and make our home with him.” (Jn 14:23) These are not just powerful words but it provides us with the inspiration to look towards the eternal reward that God has promised us.
The CCC also says that without the love of God and of our neighbor no man can be saved. St. Augustine said that as we require two feet to walk, so must we have the love of God and of our neighbor if we want to reach heaven. As the bird cannot fly without two wings, so must we also be borne aloft upon these two pinions if we want to soar up to heaven.
As the Saints in heaven love God and one another, so must we also do the same here on earth if we desire to be in their company in heaven. We should, however, remember that by ourselves we are incapable of loving God and our neighbor and we can only do so through the gift of sanctifying Grace which is given to us if we will allow the Holy Spirit to take possession of our souls and spirits.
And for this Grace to become operative in our lives, we need to dispossess ourselves of our human nature by dying on the cross with Christ so that we can be resurrected into a new life in him and with him that will be reflective of the image and likeness to which we have all been created. This means that since we have all been created from the same source, it follows that we are to love that which God has also created in his image and likeness.
Perhaps we will ask who is our neighbor. The CCC decrees that every human being is our neighbor without distinction of religion, race, age, sex or of occupation. Hence, the love of one’s neighbor is the distinctive mark of the true Christian. “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me.” (Matt 25:40)
Our love of our neighbor therefore is the best test of our love of God. “By this all men will know that you are truly my disciples, if you love one another.” (Jn 13:35) And love of our neighbor is manifested in our desiring the good for our neighbor, abstaining from hurting him and in doing him good. It means rejoicing with him in his prosperity and grieving with him in his adversity.
1st Reading: Hos 14:2-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 81:6-11, 14-17 “I am the Lord your God; hear my voice.”
GOSPEL: Mk 12:28-34
Key Verse: “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” (v.34)
Any one who understands and observes what the Gospel passage today prescribes already has his left foot planted on the gates to the Kingdom of God because faith alone will not bring us anywhere near the Kingdom of God. Faith that is accompanied by action is what will qualify us to enter into God’s presence.
The journey to heaven has two important components – one is faith that is anchored on what we believe in and the other is the action that should spring forth from that faith that we have. And this is presented very clearly in our Gospel passage for today where we see Jesus quoting from the Shema (Dt 6:4-9; 11:13-21) but he said this was not enough as he added Lev 19:18 “but love your neighbor as yourself” stressing that there is no greater commandment than these two.
Many people find the first prescription to be simple because loving God whom we know to be a forgiving God is probably easy. The hard part is to make this love manifest in the way that we relate to our neighbors. Let’s face it not everyone is lovable that we are easily drawn to loving them but this is just what Jesus said in our Gospel today and we don’t have a choice.
Weakened by sin we are like someone who is nursing a broken leg and unable to stand up straight that we need to use crutches in order for us to move around. We can liken these crutches to what Jesus was saying in today’s Gospel that we are to love God and our neighbor as well and in order to get to heaven we need both.
What Jesus did in our Gospel today was that he merely simplified the 613 precepts related to the practice of the Jewish faith. Surprising as it may be, this was what the Jews were required to observe. The fact that these set of laws were given to Moses – 365 based on the days of the year and 248 according to the generations of men – make it all the more mandatory for the Jews to follow.
In time, even the religious leaders tried to put a distinction as to which of these were to be categorized as major laws and which were to be classified as minor laws. Some actually believed that all the 613 precepts were binding and this was what must have prompted one of the religious leaders to ask Jesus the question in this Gospel passage today.
The great kings and prophets may have seen the difficulty of having such number of religious precepts which was why in the course of time David reduced this to 11 (Psa 15). Then the prophet Isaiah trimmed it down to six (Isa 33:15). Again, Micah brought this down to three (Mic 6:8) and Isaiah again reduced it to just two (Isa 56:1) until the prophet Habakkuk reduced them to just one (Hab 2:4).
Actually it comes as a surprise why the religious leaders still asked Jesus the question as to which of the commandments was the most important because they knew their Old Testament Scripture to love God who is their one Lord (Deut 6:4-9, 11:13-21, Num 15:37-41) was their creed or Shema and these three passages of the Shema are written in the phylacteries that devout Jews wore on their forehead and wrists when in prayer. As religious leaders they also knew what love of neighbor was all about because this was one of the laws of Moses (Lev 19:18).
It was probable that they asked asked Jesus the question as to which of the commandments was the most important (v.28) because they knew that he was someone who spoke with authority (Mk 1:21-28) and possibly to guide them as to which of the divergent positions they were arguing was correct.
Up to that time when Jesus answered, no other prophet or teacher before him had ever spoken who put these two commandments together and made them one “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself.” (vv.30-31) His response simply meant that religion was all about loving God and loving men and that a man can only prove that he loves God if he also has love for his neighbor.
But these are easier said than done and today we see nations saddled with hunger and famine, tribal wars, internal conflicts that have caused thousands of casualties. Even the religious sector have not been spared as divisions have crept into some churches and communities and all these may be due to our lack of love for God and for our neighbor or perhaps our ignorance to what these two commandments represent.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that these two commandments are actually a representation of the Ten Commandments with love of God encapsulated in the first four of the commandments and love of neighbor covers the remaining six commandments.
As deigned by God who gave us the Ten Commandments, the first is all about worship and fidelity; the second, respect; the third, service; and the fourth – respect for his representatives on earth. The other six commandments show out duty to our neighbor forbidding us to injure our neighbor in the fifth; honor his purity in the sixth; his property in the seventh; preserving and respecting his honor in the eighth; respecting his family in the ninth and tenth.
And the Apostle John put it in a more simpler way “Anyone who does not love remains in death.” (1 Jn 3:14) In other words, to love God is of great advantage and benefit to us because through it we are united to God here on earth with our minds enlightened, our will is strengthened and, we obtain pardon for our sins and we are assured of God’s presence in our lives: “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him and we will come to him and make our home with him.” (Jn 14:23) These are not just powerful words but it provides us with the inspiration to look towards the eternal reward that God has promised us.
The CCC also says that without the love of God and of our neighbor no man can be saved. St. Augustine said that as we require two feet to walk, so must we have the love of God and of our neighbor if we want to reach heaven. As the bird cannot fly without two wings, so must we also be borne aloft upon these two pinions if we want to soar up to heaven.
As the Saints in heaven love God and one another, so must we also do the same here on earth if we desire to be in their company in heaven. We should, however, remember that by ourselves we are incapable of loving God and our neighbor and we can only do so through the gift of sanctifying Grace which is given to us if we will allow the Holy Spirit to take possession of our souls and spirits.
And for this Grace to become operative in our lives, we need to dispossess ourselves of our human nature by dying on the cross with Christ so that we can be resurrected into a new life in him and with him that will be reflective of the image and likeness to which we have all been created. This means that since we have all been created from the same source, it follows that we are to love that which God has also created in his image and likeness.
Perhaps we will ask who is our neighbor. The CCC decrees that every human being is our neighbor without distinction of religion, race, age, sex or of occupation. Hence, the love of one’s neighbor is the distinctive mark of the true Christian. “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me.” (Matt 25:40)
Our love of our neighbor therefore is the best test of our love of God. “By this all men will know that you are truly my disciples, if you love one another.” (Jn 13:35) And love of our neighbor is manifested in our desiring the good for our neighbor, abstaining from hurting him and in doing him good. It means rejoicing with him in his prosperity and grieving with him in his adversity.
UNFORGIVEABLE SIN
MAR. 7, 2013: THIRD WEEK OF LENT
1st Reading: Jer 7:23-28
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 95:1-2, 6-9 “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.”
GOSPEL: Lk 11:14-23
Key Verse: “He who is not with me is against me.” (v.23)
You probably have heard of the unforgiveable sin and you must have asked what sin is such that God whom we know to be a forgiving God cannot forgive this kind of sin. In fact, the reason why man has the tendency to commit the same sin over and over again is because of his confidence that God’s preoccupation is to forgive. But how sure are we?
The Gospel today speaks of an unforgiveable sin. And the question we might ask is if God is a forgiving God, how come there would be an unforgiveable sin? What sin would be so grave that it would be unforgiveable? We may perhaps even ask is there such a thing as an unforgiveable sin?
Yes there is and the Pharisees may have committed it without their knowing it especially when they attributed the healing miracles of Jesus to Beelzebul, the prince of demons (v.15-16). A similar event reported by Mark quoted Jesus describing this claim of the Pharisees as blaspheming the Holy Spirit (Mk 3:29).
To blaspheme is “to speak reproachfully, revile, calumniate, cuss, and or use foul language.” Thus, to speak ill of the Holy Spirit who empowers Jesus to heal the mute (v.14) was a grievous sin because it was tantamount to calling the Holy Spirit a demon. Hence, when the Pharisees ascribed the miracles of Jesus to the prince of demon, they denied that Jesus was truly from God thus divesting themselves of any hope of forgiveness that comes only through Jesus.
The question now is whether we who have been baptized as Christians are still capable of committing this unforgiveable sin? Yes and we might not be aware of it. We are guilty of committing an unforgiveable sin “if those who have tasted the goodness of the Word of God will fall away and crucify the Son of God all over again and subject him to public disgrace.” (Heb 6:4-6).
We also may be committing an unforgiveable sin “if we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and raging fire that will consumer the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treat as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of Grace? (Heb 10:26-29)
In other words, we will be guilty of committing an unforgiveable sin if we persist in sinning and if we desecrate the sanctity of the Body and Blood of Christ that is present in the Eucharist and if we insult the Holy Spirit. This was why Jesus used such strong words when he said that “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters.” (v.23)
This could only mean that in this life we cannot be neutral or remain in the sidelines. In one way orthe other we will have to take sides and its either we are on the side of Jesus or we are not, it’s as simple as that and these are the only two choices we have. Do we want to enter the kingdom of God or do we want to remain in darkness. There are no ifs and buts when it comes to our salvation.
If we want to live in true freedom from the power of sin and Satan, then Jesus must reign in the temple of our hearts and minds. This Gospel passage is actually a warning for us to avoid this unforgiveable sin but with it comes his assurance that the Holy Spirit himself will empower us by making the Grace of God active when we are faced with adversities in life.
God’s mercy and compassion may be infinite but those who refuse to acknowledge and confess their sins and ask God for forgiveness has already condemned themselves as they have closed the door to God's offer of mercy, pardon, grace, and healing.
Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Lord empowers us to live our lives in absolute freedom from slavery to sin and the Scriptures will tell us that Jesus is our refuge and strength because our lives are hidden in him who created us.
In this Lenten Season, let us make it a habit to spend a few moments reading the Sacred Scriptures and God Himself assures us that it will be a time well spent. We should look at the Bible as our personal manual of operations that teaches us how to remain on the road leading to the Kingdom of God. To disobey these sacred instructions from God, we open ourselves to the influence of the evil one whose main objective is to separate us from the Grace of God. This is why Jesus must fill our souls and he will provide us the strength to resist the evil one.
What then is the best protection that brings lasting security to our lives? Scripture tells us that true peace and security come to those who trust in God and obey his Word. “Obey my voice and walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.” (Jer 7:23). The struggle between choosing to do good or evil, yielding to our will or God's will, God's way or our way, cannot be won by human strength or will-power alone.
Our enemy conspires with the world and our flesh to lead us into sinful desires. Peter the Apostle tells us that the devil prowls the earth seeking the ruin of souls (1 Peter 5:8-9). In this light, God Himself offers us Grace and protection if we are willing to obey his Word and resist the devil. “Because you have made the Lord your refuge, the Most High your habitation, no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent. For he will give his angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways.” (Psalm 91:9-11)
1st Reading: Jer 7:23-28
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 95:1-2, 6-9 “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.”
GOSPEL: Lk 11:14-23
Key Verse: “He who is not with me is against me.” (v.23)
You probably have heard of the unforgiveable sin and you must have asked what sin is such that God whom we know to be a forgiving God cannot forgive this kind of sin. In fact, the reason why man has the tendency to commit the same sin over and over again is because of his confidence that God’s preoccupation is to forgive. But how sure are we?
The Gospel today speaks of an unforgiveable sin. And the question we might ask is if God is a forgiving God, how come there would be an unforgiveable sin? What sin would be so grave that it would be unforgiveable? We may perhaps even ask is there such a thing as an unforgiveable sin?
Yes there is and the Pharisees may have committed it without their knowing it especially when they attributed the healing miracles of Jesus to Beelzebul, the prince of demons (v.15-16). A similar event reported by Mark quoted Jesus describing this claim of the Pharisees as blaspheming the Holy Spirit (Mk 3:29).
To blaspheme is “to speak reproachfully, revile, calumniate, cuss, and or use foul language.” Thus, to speak ill of the Holy Spirit who empowers Jesus to heal the mute (v.14) was a grievous sin because it was tantamount to calling the Holy Spirit a demon. Hence, when the Pharisees ascribed the miracles of Jesus to the prince of demon, they denied that Jesus was truly from God thus divesting themselves of any hope of forgiveness that comes only through Jesus.
The question now is whether we who have been baptized as Christians are still capable of committing this unforgiveable sin? Yes and we might not be aware of it. We are guilty of committing an unforgiveable sin “if those who have tasted the goodness of the Word of God will fall away and crucify the Son of God all over again and subject him to public disgrace.” (Heb 6:4-6).
We also may be committing an unforgiveable sin “if we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and raging fire that will consumer the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treat as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of Grace? (Heb 10:26-29)
In other words, we will be guilty of committing an unforgiveable sin if we persist in sinning and if we desecrate the sanctity of the Body and Blood of Christ that is present in the Eucharist and if we insult the Holy Spirit. This was why Jesus used such strong words when he said that “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters.” (v.23)
This could only mean that in this life we cannot be neutral or remain in the sidelines. In one way orthe other we will have to take sides and its either we are on the side of Jesus or we are not, it’s as simple as that and these are the only two choices we have. Do we want to enter the kingdom of God or do we want to remain in darkness. There are no ifs and buts when it comes to our salvation.
If we want to live in true freedom from the power of sin and Satan, then Jesus must reign in the temple of our hearts and minds. This Gospel passage is actually a warning for us to avoid this unforgiveable sin but with it comes his assurance that the Holy Spirit himself will empower us by making the Grace of God active when we are faced with adversities in life.
God’s mercy and compassion may be infinite but those who refuse to acknowledge and confess their sins and ask God for forgiveness has already condemned themselves as they have closed the door to God's offer of mercy, pardon, grace, and healing.
Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Lord empowers us to live our lives in absolute freedom from slavery to sin and the Scriptures will tell us that Jesus is our refuge and strength because our lives are hidden in him who created us.
In this Lenten Season, let us make it a habit to spend a few moments reading the Sacred Scriptures and God Himself assures us that it will be a time well spent. We should look at the Bible as our personal manual of operations that teaches us how to remain on the road leading to the Kingdom of God. To disobey these sacred instructions from God, we open ourselves to the influence of the evil one whose main objective is to separate us from the Grace of God. This is why Jesus must fill our souls and he will provide us the strength to resist the evil one.
What then is the best protection that brings lasting security to our lives? Scripture tells us that true peace and security come to those who trust in God and obey his Word. “Obey my voice and walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.” (Jer 7:23). The struggle between choosing to do good or evil, yielding to our will or God's will, God's way or our way, cannot be won by human strength or will-power alone.
Our enemy conspires with the world and our flesh to lead us into sinful desires. Peter the Apostle tells us that the devil prowls the earth seeking the ruin of souls (1 Peter 5:8-9). In this light, God Himself offers us Grace and protection if we are willing to obey his Word and resist the devil. “Because you have made the Lord your refuge, the Most High your habitation, no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent. For he will give his angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways.” (Psalm 91:9-11)
MAKING THE LAW MORE MEANINGFUL
MAR. 6, 2013: THIRD WEEK OF LENT
1st Reading: Deut 4:1, 5-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 147:12-13, 15-16, 19-20 “Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.”
GOSPEL: MATT 5:17-19
Key Verse: “I have not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill them.” (v.17)
Laws are necessary because they put order in what otherwise may be an unruly society, church or community perhaps. In fact, there are rules that are observed even in the most basic unit of society which is the family. What do you think would happen if there are no traffic rules to regulate the flow of traffic in the city that we live in. Won’t there be chaos and anarchy on the streets?
I am sure many of you have heard this saying before – “if you want to know the character of a person, give him power.” Indeed, power corrupts and for many of the religious leaders in the time of Jesus, they power they possessed as it gave them the authority to expand the Mosaic law into hundreds of laws that became a burden for the people.
By just glancing at the Scriptures without getting inside it we may be drawn to think that there is a contradiction in the way Jesus pursued his ministry in that while he was emphatic when he said in this Gospel passage that he did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill them (v.17), we also know that Jesus had broken some of the Laws that were in place in his time.
But before we go further, we need to have a clear understanding of what the Law was all about in the life of the ancient Jews since this passage speak of its abolition and fulfillment at the same time.
We must understand that Jesus came at a time when the life of the Jews were governed by “The Law” which refers not just to the Ten Commandments but also to the first five books of the Bible known as the Pentateuch, the entire Scripture and, the Scribal Law.
The Law as the Jews have accepted it was also divided into three categories and these are the ceremonial law that pertains to how Israel should worship (Lev 1:2-3), the civil law that applies to how Jews should live (Deuteronomy) and, the moral law which includes the Ten Commandments that the Jews acknowledge as a direct command of God and thus requires strict obedience. The moral law bares the nature and will of God and Jesus obeyed this law to its fullest.
Of these, it was the Scribal Law that Jesus condemned. In the course of time prior to the coming of Jesus, the Scribes have expanded The Law into numerous rules and regulations that the Pharisees kept and which they passed on to the people. And the rigidity of these expanded Laws was what kept the Jews from a true worship of God that is rooted in having a relationship with God and this was what Jesus was against.
An example of this was the law that says to heal someone during the Sabbath constitutes work and this was prohibited. But the Scribes inserted in the law that healing was allowed if there was danger to life such as afflictions that affect the ear, nose and throat. However, the Scribal Law directs that such healing was limited only to prevent the person afflicted from getting worse but it is against the Scribal Law if the healing will make the person better.
Jesus came at this time when the Jewish topography was dotted with laws that the Scribes believed were in compliance to the Will of God. What Jesus actually did was that he brought a paradigm shift in the way The Law was to be observed. Jesus was not against The Law but he condemned the expanded rules because it kept the people from getting a clearer view of God. What Jesus did was that he wanted the people to refresh their memories as to the original purpose of The Law which was to unite the people with God.
Jesus also did not come to abolish The Law because that same law contains prophecies about the coming of the Messiah and Jesus was right in saying that he came not to abolish The Law because it spoke of his coming as the Messiah and that this can only be fulfilled by his death on the cross (v.18).
We also need to go beyond what is before us in this Gospel passage because what lies hidden from our eyes was the underlying prescription for every Christian to supplant the righteousness of the Scribes and the Pharisees with love that will propel us to an authentic reverence for God.
What the Scribes failed to grasp in those days is what Jesus is telling us to do today. What Jesus is actually saying is that it is only through love that we can obey God’s laws and teach them to others and he assures us that those who do so will be great in the Kingdom of Heaven (v.19).
What Jesus was pointing out in this Gospel passage was that this new law will never pass away and even the smallest detail of this new law will remain until its purpose is achieved (v.18) and its fulfillment comes when we heed and obey the Law of God that includes our complete reverence for God that will cascade down into our reverence for the Lord’s Day, respect for parents, life, property, upholding the reputation of the other person, respect for oneself and for our neighbor.
If the ancient Jews tried to follow even the burdensome Scribal Laws because they believe these set of laws was the Will of God, I was the exact opposite not that I still wasn’t in the renewal at the time but I then thought that the power I had as a media practitioner gave me the right to disobey and go against the law especially traffic rules and regulations. I have been driving since I was 17 and I only applied for a driver’s license when my second child was born and I was 34 at the time. It meant that I was driving without a driver’s license in all of those 17 years. I only came to realize that this was wrong as well as the other stupid things I did when Our Lord Jesus Christ found me and brought me to the renewal. The rest is history. That was then. The now is a life that is predisposed to serving God.
In this Season of Lent, let us take this opportunity to look into our relationship with God and our neighbor as well. And we can all begin by developing a deeper relationship with God because it is this reverence for God that will move us to love our neighbor as well.
We may find ourselves struggling especially for those who find it hard to lay to rest their pride and worldly attachments. But what maybe impossible to men is possible to God especially for those of us who will put our faith and trust in God.
We can find strength in the fact that God gives us the grace to love as he loves, to forgive as he forgives, to think as he thinks, and to act as he acts. During this season of purgation, Jesus is giving us the opportunity to renounce sin and to turn away from what is harmful and destructive to our minds and hearts, and our very lives. As Christians we must love and respect his commandments and hate every form of sin.
1st Reading: Deut 4:1, 5-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 147:12-13, 15-16, 19-20 “Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.”
GOSPEL: MATT 5:17-19
Key Verse: “I have not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill them.” (v.17)
Laws are necessary because they put order in what otherwise may be an unruly society, church or community perhaps. In fact, there are rules that are observed even in the most basic unit of society which is the family. What do you think would happen if there are no traffic rules to regulate the flow of traffic in the city that we live in. Won’t there be chaos and anarchy on the streets?
I am sure many of you have heard this saying before – “if you want to know the character of a person, give him power.” Indeed, power corrupts and for many of the religious leaders in the time of Jesus, they power they possessed as it gave them the authority to expand the Mosaic law into hundreds of laws that became a burden for the people.
By just glancing at the Scriptures without getting inside it we may be drawn to think that there is a contradiction in the way Jesus pursued his ministry in that while he was emphatic when he said in this Gospel passage that he did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill them (v.17), we also know that Jesus had broken some of the Laws that were in place in his time.
But before we go further, we need to have a clear understanding of what the Law was all about in the life of the ancient Jews since this passage speak of its abolition and fulfillment at the same time.
We must understand that Jesus came at a time when the life of the Jews were governed by “The Law” which refers not just to the Ten Commandments but also to the first five books of the Bible known as the Pentateuch, the entire Scripture and, the Scribal Law.
The Law as the Jews have accepted it was also divided into three categories and these are the ceremonial law that pertains to how Israel should worship (Lev 1:2-3), the civil law that applies to how Jews should live (Deuteronomy) and, the moral law which includes the Ten Commandments that the Jews acknowledge as a direct command of God and thus requires strict obedience. The moral law bares the nature and will of God and Jesus obeyed this law to its fullest.
Of these, it was the Scribal Law that Jesus condemned. In the course of time prior to the coming of Jesus, the Scribes have expanded The Law into numerous rules and regulations that the Pharisees kept and which they passed on to the people. And the rigidity of these expanded Laws was what kept the Jews from a true worship of God that is rooted in having a relationship with God and this was what Jesus was against.
An example of this was the law that says to heal someone during the Sabbath constitutes work and this was prohibited. But the Scribes inserted in the law that healing was allowed if there was danger to life such as afflictions that affect the ear, nose and throat. However, the Scribal Law directs that such healing was limited only to prevent the person afflicted from getting worse but it is against the Scribal Law if the healing will make the person better.
Jesus came at this time when the Jewish topography was dotted with laws that the Scribes believed were in compliance to the Will of God. What Jesus actually did was that he brought a paradigm shift in the way The Law was to be observed. Jesus was not against The Law but he condemned the expanded rules because it kept the people from getting a clearer view of God. What Jesus did was that he wanted the people to refresh their memories as to the original purpose of The Law which was to unite the people with God.
Jesus also did not come to abolish The Law because that same law contains prophecies about the coming of the Messiah and Jesus was right in saying that he came not to abolish The Law because it spoke of his coming as the Messiah and that this can only be fulfilled by his death on the cross (v.18).
We also need to go beyond what is before us in this Gospel passage because what lies hidden from our eyes was the underlying prescription for every Christian to supplant the righteousness of the Scribes and the Pharisees with love that will propel us to an authentic reverence for God.
What the Scribes failed to grasp in those days is what Jesus is telling us to do today. What Jesus is actually saying is that it is only through love that we can obey God’s laws and teach them to others and he assures us that those who do so will be great in the Kingdom of Heaven (v.19).
What Jesus was pointing out in this Gospel passage was that this new law will never pass away and even the smallest detail of this new law will remain until its purpose is achieved (v.18) and its fulfillment comes when we heed and obey the Law of God that includes our complete reverence for God that will cascade down into our reverence for the Lord’s Day, respect for parents, life, property, upholding the reputation of the other person, respect for oneself and for our neighbor.
If the ancient Jews tried to follow even the burdensome Scribal Laws because they believe these set of laws was the Will of God, I was the exact opposite not that I still wasn’t in the renewal at the time but I then thought that the power I had as a media practitioner gave me the right to disobey and go against the law especially traffic rules and regulations. I have been driving since I was 17 and I only applied for a driver’s license when my second child was born and I was 34 at the time. It meant that I was driving without a driver’s license in all of those 17 years. I only came to realize that this was wrong as well as the other stupid things I did when Our Lord Jesus Christ found me and brought me to the renewal. The rest is history. That was then. The now is a life that is predisposed to serving God.
In this Season of Lent, let us take this opportunity to look into our relationship with God and our neighbor as well. And we can all begin by developing a deeper relationship with God because it is this reverence for God that will move us to love our neighbor as well.
We may find ourselves struggling especially for those who find it hard to lay to rest their pride and worldly attachments. But what maybe impossible to men is possible to God especially for those of us who will put our faith and trust in God.
We can find strength in the fact that God gives us the grace to love as he loves, to forgive as he forgives, to think as he thinks, and to act as he acts. During this season of purgation, Jesus is giving us the opportunity to renounce sin and to turn away from what is harmful and destructive to our minds and hearts, and our very lives. As Christians we must love and respect his commandments and hate every form of sin.
FORGIVING IS NOT EITHER OR
MAR. 5, 2013: THIRD WEEK OF LENT
1st Reading: Dan 3:25, 34-43
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 25:4-9 “Remember your mercies, O Lord.”
GOSPEL: Mt 18:21-35
Key Verse: “No, Jesus replied, seventy times seven!” (v.22)
Do you still remember the saying we all grew up with? To err is human. To forgive is divine! I’m sure you are all familiar with that and it may not have been taken out of the Scriptures but it certainly has some Biblical foundation for while man indeed is sinful, the reality is that God’s forgiveness is greater than all our iniquities and transgressions.
But while God is so generous with his forgiveness, there are some of us who will stick to our own set of beliefs saying: “I am not God and so I cannot forgive.” I too held on to this bondage of unforgiveness that I withheld towards two of my former business associates who swindled me of a large amount of money.
There wasn’t a moment when I wasn’t thinking of how to get back at them and it really made my life miserable. But God works in mysterious ways and God led me to forgive my two former business partners and all those vengeful thoughts just vanished and was erased from my mind. Now I still talk to my former partners as if nothing happened. The only thing that changed was that we never went into business again.
But who on earth doesn’t have a debt? Being in debt is not just about money we owe but even favors we may have asked of others. And those who are in the world look at favors as a debt that need to be repaid and many times relationships go sour when favors are not reciprocated.
Spousal and family relationships, friendships, ministries, congregations, offices within the church or community, and even civilian governments and organizations have been ruined and shattered by divisions. The culprit? Hurts, ill-feelings and recriminations that we harbor toward one another that lead to unforgiveness, bitterness and resentments.
The tragedy of life is that many among us miss living the kind of a fulfilled and abundant life that God has reserved for us (Jn 10:10) because we allowed the spirit of unforgiveness to take root in our lives. And it becomes a sin when we withhold our forgiveness to those who may have hurt us because unforgiveness stems from pride which is a sin that disfigures the godly nature that is in us.
When God forgives, so should man. This is the law that Jesus brought to the attention of his disciples as a response to a question from Peter who asked how often should we forgive a brother who has sinned against us. In this passage we see Jesus going against the existing traditional currents of his time to reorient their concept of forgiveness.
We also see here the familiarity in the way Peter related to Jesus. Known for being hasty and impulsive, Peter asked Jesus a question but with his misdemeanor he also impishly provided the answer that he knew was beyond what the Jewish law on forgiveness provides. It was the existing law at the time that a man can forgive another only up to three times and the fourth infraction committed by a man against another will be left for God to decide.
And Peter thought he was already being generous when he suggested seven times and he and the other disciples must have dropped on their seats when Jesus surprised them by saying v.22 “ I tell you not up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”
In saying this, Jesus laid down the parameters of right Christian conduct in which we are to forgive one another as God has forgiven us which Paul would later write in his letter to the Eph 4:32 “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
To illustrate his principle of never-ending forgiveness, Jesus narrated this parable which was about a servant who could not pay his master the sum of 10,000 talents representing his debts but for which he was forgiven. But then this servant also lent a hundred denarii to another servant whom he sent to jail for his failure to pay him.
Biblical scholars placed the equivalent of 1 talent in current value to around $1,000 while the 100 denarii will not be worth more than $18 at an exchange rate of 1 denarii:$0.18. So if we are to use this computation, the first servant owed his master at least $10-Million while the debt he tried to collect from the other servant was a mere $18.00.
With this illustrated contrast in the enormity of the debt of the first servant as against the minuscule amount of the other debt, the disciples understood the message that was being driven by Jesus – that God will not tire in dispensing his forgiveness to everyone and so we too must forgive one another tirelessly.
Because God has forgiven us of all our sins, so we too are being commanded not to withhold our forgiveness for those who may have wronged us. This may be easier said than done because this is what divides a Community, Ministry and or the Church for that matter.
The negative impact of unforgiveness is actually now being recognized even in the medical profession which has found some evidence that recognize the relationship between stress on the soul and its impact on the back, the link between worry and ulcers and, on distress and migraines.
Some medical practitioners claim that our souls are weakened by negative emotions and they even suggest that unless we turn over these negative emotions to God these will be absorbed by our bodies. And Paul warns us to dispossess ourselves of all kinds of sin and negative emotions that can destroy our relationships with others and even our physical well-being. In his letter to the Col 3:5, Paul says: “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed...anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language.”
And Jesus himself may have given a hint as to the relationship between sin and sickness when he told the paralyzed man who was able to walk in Jn 5:14 “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.”
In this Season of Lent, it would do us a lot of good if we will reflect on this Gospel narrative and examine the areas of our lives we need to contend with. We can begin by asking ourselves if we have forgiven all who may have hurt us? Are we so consumed by our pride that we continue to withhold our forgiveness to those who wronged us?
To forgive means to wish those who offended us well and not harm. It doesn’t mean that we will no longer hold them responsible for what they did. What it means is that we will turn them over to a just and loving God rather than attempting to get even with them ourselves. Thus, to exact vengeance is not in our job description as Christians.
What Jesus is clearly telling us in the Gospel is that both the divine and human forgiveness go together. It cannot be either or. This is also why we need to seek and remain in the light of Christ for it is through his light that we can learn to forgive which is the food for the soul.
The Apostle Paul tells us that "the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom6:23). There is no way we could repay God the debt we owed him because of our sins and offenses. Only his mercy and pardon could free us from such a debt. Hence, there is no offense our neighbor can do to us that can compare with our debt to God. If God has forgiven each of us our debt, we too must forgive others whatever debt they may owe us. To forgive is to make peace with your neighbor as God has made peace with you.
1st Reading: Dan 3:25, 34-43
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 25:4-9 “Remember your mercies, O Lord.”
GOSPEL: Mt 18:21-35
Key Verse: “No, Jesus replied, seventy times seven!” (v.22)
Do you still remember the saying we all grew up with? To err is human. To forgive is divine! I’m sure you are all familiar with that and it may not have been taken out of the Scriptures but it certainly has some Biblical foundation for while man indeed is sinful, the reality is that God’s forgiveness is greater than all our iniquities and transgressions.
But while God is so generous with his forgiveness, there are some of us who will stick to our own set of beliefs saying: “I am not God and so I cannot forgive.” I too held on to this bondage of unforgiveness that I withheld towards two of my former business associates who swindled me of a large amount of money.
There wasn’t a moment when I wasn’t thinking of how to get back at them and it really made my life miserable. But God works in mysterious ways and God led me to forgive my two former business partners and all those vengeful thoughts just vanished and was erased from my mind. Now I still talk to my former partners as if nothing happened. The only thing that changed was that we never went into business again.
But who on earth doesn’t have a debt? Being in debt is not just about money we owe but even favors we may have asked of others. And those who are in the world look at favors as a debt that need to be repaid and many times relationships go sour when favors are not reciprocated.
Spousal and family relationships, friendships, ministries, congregations, offices within the church or community, and even civilian governments and organizations have been ruined and shattered by divisions. The culprit? Hurts, ill-feelings and recriminations that we harbor toward one another that lead to unforgiveness, bitterness and resentments.
The tragedy of life is that many among us miss living the kind of a fulfilled and abundant life that God has reserved for us (Jn 10:10) because we allowed the spirit of unforgiveness to take root in our lives. And it becomes a sin when we withhold our forgiveness to those who may have hurt us because unforgiveness stems from pride which is a sin that disfigures the godly nature that is in us.
When God forgives, so should man. This is the law that Jesus brought to the attention of his disciples as a response to a question from Peter who asked how often should we forgive a brother who has sinned against us. In this passage we see Jesus going against the existing traditional currents of his time to reorient their concept of forgiveness.
We also see here the familiarity in the way Peter related to Jesus. Known for being hasty and impulsive, Peter asked Jesus a question but with his misdemeanor he also impishly provided the answer that he knew was beyond what the Jewish law on forgiveness provides. It was the existing law at the time that a man can forgive another only up to three times and the fourth infraction committed by a man against another will be left for God to decide.
And Peter thought he was already being generous when he suggested seven times and he and the other disciples must have dropped on their seats when Jesus surprised them by saying v.22 “ I tell you not up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”
In saying this, Jesus laid down the parameters of right Christian conduct in which we are to forgive one another as God has forgiven us which Paul would later write in his letter to the Eph 4:32 “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
To illustrate his principle of never-ending forgiveness, Jesus narrated this parable which was about a servant who could not pay his master the sum of 10,000 talents representing his debts but for which he was forgiven. But then this servant also lent a hundred denarii to another servant whom he sent to jail for his failure to pay him.
Biblical scholars placed the equivalent of 1 talent in current value to around $1,000 while the 100 denarii will not be worth more than $18 at an exchange rate of 1 denarii:$0.18. So if we are to use this computation, the first servant owed his master at least $10-Million while the debt he tried to collect from the other servant was a mere $18.00.
With this illustrated contrast in the enormity of the debt of the first servant as against the minuscule amount of the other debt, the disciples understood the message that was being driven by Jesus – that God will not tire in dispensing his forgiveness to everyone and so we too must forgive one another tirelessly.
Because God has forgiven us of all our sins, so we too are being commanded not to withhold our forgiveness for those who may have wronged us. This may be easier said than done because this is what divides a Community, Ministry and or the Church for that matter.
The negative impact of unforgiveness is actually now being recognized even in the medical profession which has found some evidence that recognize the relationship between stress on the soul and its impact on the back, the link between worry and ulcers and, on distress and migraines.
Some medical practitioners claim that our souls are weakened by negative emotions and they even suggest that unless we turn over these negative emotions to God these will be absorbed by our bodies. And Paul warns us to dispossess ourselves of all kinds of sin and negative emotions that can destroy our relationships with others and even our physical well-being. In his letter to the Col 3:5, Paul says: “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed...anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language.”
And Jesus himself may have given a hint as to the relationship between sin and sickness when he told the paralyzed man who was able to walk in Jn 5:14 “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.”
In this Season of Lent, it would do us a lot of good if we will reflect on this Gospel narrative and examine the areas of our lives we need to contend with. We can begin by asking ourselves if we have forgiven all who may have hurt us? Are we so consumed by our pride that we continue to withhold our forgiveness to those who wronged us?
To forgive means to wish those who offended us well and not harm. It doesn’t mean that we will no longer hold them responsible for what they did. What it means is that we will turn them over to a just and loving God rather than attempting to get even with them ourselves. Thus, to exact vengeance is not in our job description as Christians.
What Jesus is clearly telling us in the Gospel is that both the divine and human forgiveness go together. It cannot be either or. This is also why we need to seek and remain in the light of Christ for it is through his light that we can learn to forgive which is the food for the soul.
The Apostle Paul tells us that "the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom6:23). There is no way we could repay God the debt we owed him because of our sins and offenses. Only his mercy and pardon could free us from such a debt. Hence, there is no offense our neighbor can do to us that can compare with our debt to God. If God has forgiven each of us our debt, we too must forgive others whatever debt they may owe us. To forgive is to make peace with your neighbor as God has made peace with you.
UNWAVERING CONVICTION
MAR. 4, 2013: THIRD WEEK OF LENT
1st Reading: 2 Kgs 5:1-15ab
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 42:2-3; 43:3-4 “Athirst is my soul for the living God, when shall I go and behold the face of God?”
GOSPEL: Lk 4:24-30
Key Verse: “..no prophet is accepted in his own hometown.” (v.24)
“No prophet is accepted in his own hometown.” This was what Jesus said as he spoke before the Jews who were present at the synagogue of Nazareth in observance of the Sabbath. Being the God that he is, he perfectly knew the kind of reaction he would elicit at his teachings.
But what was remarkable not only in this Gospel passage but even in the other times that he was confronted with disbelief by the religious leaders and teachers of the law was that Jesus never wavered in his conviction that the Word of God must be proclaimed even at the risk of losing his own life.
The message rings clear in that the Gospel must be proclaimed not only to one class of people but to everyone without fear or favor. What happened to Jesus may have happened to us at some point and could still be happening now.
Those of us who are asked to teach or give a talk sometimes find ourselves being contradicted and sneered at even in our own Parishes or Community and that’s perfectly normal. The important thing that we all must keep in mind is that we should never compromise on what we believe in as Jesus himself stood his ground in the face of tremendous pressure from the religious leaders and even from his own kinsmen.
To some extent there was much more honesty on the part of the Pharisees who confronted and debated with Jesus on his face as against what is happening these days when present-day teachers and speakers are criticized behind their backs and this stems from the sinful pride, indifference and unbelief that blocks the flow of Grace in a person for it is this Grace that opens the hearts and minds of a person to believe the Gospel when it is preached.
Even men of the cloth suffer from similar state when their homilies and or reflection do not sit well with their audiences and this brings to light the human tendency of selective listening. Most often we open our ears and our hearts to what we want to hear especially if it will subscribe to our own set of beliefs but which we reject as fast as we hear especially if these will expose our negative attributes.
This was the sin of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law as well as the people who may have been influenced by their ways as they did not only believe in what Jesus said and taught but their failure to seek healing and pardon was what became an abomination to God.
In this present age the advent of modern communications has made it more convenient and accessible for all to hear and listen to the Word of God and this should make us understand and be aware of the undeniable truth that God's grace flows through us and in us that leads us to understand the purpose and meaning of life.
We read from Scriptures that “the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning.” (Lam 3:22-23). This is an assurance that God readily gives Grace to those who will seek him with sincerity, expectant faith and a repentant heart who desire to be made whole and clean again.
This was what happened to Naaman who was instructed by the prophet Elisha to bathe seven times in the Jordan river to cleanse him of his leprosy. Though he was a king, Naaman humbly followed the prophet's instructions and was immediately restored in body and spirit.
When Jesus proclaimed the Gospel to his own people in Nazareth, he minced no words to confront them of their sin of indifference and unbelief and he went to rebuke them saying that no prophet or servant of God can receive honor among his own people.
The Jews believed that they were truly the chosen ones and they were angered when Jesus said “there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed – only Naaman the Syrian.” (v.27) What Jesus was trying to impart was the God’s Grace also flows to both Jews and Gentiles alike and that God was not selective in whom He will apportion his gift of salvation.
Today, this blindness and indifference of the Pharisees to the new message that Jesus brought has assumed different forms and shapes and is no longer limited to the reception of the Word of God. Many of those in the Church and or Community for that matter have become Pharisaical in their ways especially those who exercise governance functions.
Love of God and neighbor through the proclamation of the Word has either been relegated to the backseat in favor of rules, programs and projects such that the primary mission of the church and or community which is to proclaim the Word of God has been set aside. Worst is when churches and communities don’t thrive and when the lack of commitment by members is blamed on organizational flaws as if conversion and transformation is the fruit of the organizational structure and not of the heart and an encounter with God.
There is nothing wrong with having policies and rules to put a structure and or order in the church and or community for that matter but such policies and rules should not be looked upon as the be-all and the end-all of church and community life.
The goal of bringing others to reconcile with God should be premised on the love we have received that we also have to share in love. This means that we cannot convert an unbeliever, a marginalized Catholic, the unchurched and or bring light to those who live in darkness by reading to him a list of policies and rules. Rather, authentic evangelization is founded on the Gospel of salvation that Jesus Christ himself preached and which we are also commanded to do.
Conversion comes when people hear the Word of God being proclaimed to them. Thus, to proclaim the Gospel to the ends of the earth is the be-all and end-all of the purpose for which we have been created. When I introduce to the renewal movement in 1989 through a charismatic community the first thing that caught my attention was that members have their Bibles in their hands not only during the prayer meetings but in every activity of that community.
But as politics and quest for power reared its ugly head attendance and the level of commitment dramatically dipped and the usual blame-game followed and different assumptions were professed. The whys and the wherefores filled the air and the ‘midnight’ experts in community building looked everywhere to determine what seems to be ailing the community but they left the one important thing that made the community into what it is now. They forgot that more than anything else, it was the Word of God upon which the community used to be anchored in.
In this Gospel passage, Jesus shows that God gives healing and pardon to all who will humbly ask for his mercy and help and he will set us free from every sinful habit that makes us indifferent to our neighbor and God alone can restore our disfigured nature if we will allow him to cleanse us and heal us. To be free is to grow in love and holiness fueled by the Grace of God.
1st Reading: 2 Kgs 5:1-15ab
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 42:2-3; 43:3-4 “Athirst is my soul for the living God, when shall I go and behold the face of God?”
GOSPEL: Lk 4:24-30
Key Verse: “..no prophet is accepted in his own hometown.” (v.24)
“No prophet is accepted in his own hometown.” This was what Jesus said as he spoke before the Jews who were present at the synagogue of Nazareth in observance of the Sabbath. Being the God that he is, he perfectly knew the kind of reaction he would elicit at his teachings.
But what was remarkable not only in this Gospel passage but even in the other times that he was confronted with disbelief by the religious leaders and teachers of the law was that Jesus never wavered in his conviction that the Word of God must be proclaimed even at the risk of losing his own life.
The message rings clear in that the Gospel must be proclaimed not only to one class of people but to everyone without fear or favor. What happened to Jesus may have happened to us at some point and could still be happening now.
Those of us who are asked to teach or give a talk sometimes find ourselves being contradicted and sneered at even in our own Parishes or Community and that’s perfectly normal. The important thing that we all must keep in mind is that we should never compromise on what we believe in as Jesus himself stood his ground in the face of tremendous pressure from the religious leaders and even from his own kinsmen.
To some extent there was much more honesty on the part of the Pharisees who confronted and debated with Jesus on his face as against what is happening these days when present-day teachers and speakers are criticized behind their backs and this stems from the sinful pride, indifference and unbelief that blocks the flow of Grace in a person for it is this Grace that opens the hearts and minds of a person to believe the Gospel when it is preached.
Even men of the cloth suffer from similar state when their homilies and or reflection do not sit well with their audiences and this brings to light the human tendency of selective listening. Most often we open our ears and our hearts to what we want to hear especially if it will subscribe to our own set of beliefs but which we reject as fast as we hear especially if these will expose our negative attributes.
This was the sin of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law as well as the people who may have been influenced by their ways as they did not only believe in what Jesus said and taught but their failure to seek healing and pardon was what became an abomination to God.
In this present age the advent of modern communications has made it more convenient and accessible for all to hear and listen to the Word of God and this should make us understand and be aware of the undeniable truth that God's grace flows through us and in us that leads us to understand the purpose and meaning of life.
We read from Scriptures that “the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning.” (Lam 3:22-23). This is an assurance that God readily gives Grace to those who will seek him with sincerity, expectant faith and a repentant heart who desire to be made whole and clean again.
This was what happened to Naaman who was instructed by the prophet Elisha to bathe seven times in the Jordan river to cleanse him of his leprosy. Though he was a king, Naaman humbly followed the prophet's instructions and was immediately restored in body and spirit.
When Jesus proclaimed the Gospel to his own people in Nazareth, he minced no words to confront them of their sin of indifference and unbelief and he went to rebuke them saying that no prophet or servant of God can receive honor among his own people.
The Jews believed that they were truly the chosen ones and they were angered when Jesus said “there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed – only Naaman the Syrian.” (v.27) What Jesus was trying to impart was the God’s Grace also flows to both Jews and Gentiles alike and that God was not selective in whom He will apportion his gift of salvation.
Today, this blindness and indifference of the Pharisees to the new message that Jesus brought has assumed different forms and shapes and is no longer limited to the reception of the Word of God. Many of those in the Church and or Community for that matter have become Pharisaical in their ways especially those who exercise governance functions.
Love of God and neighbor through the proclamation of the Word has either been relegated to the backseat in favor of rules, programs and projects such that the primary mission of the church and or community which is to proclaim the Word of God has been set aside. Worst is when churches and communities don’t thrive and when the lack of commitment by members is blamed on organizational flaws as if conversion and transformation is the fruit of the organizational structure and not of the heart and an encounter with God.
There is nothing wrong with having policies and rules to put a structure and or order in the church and or community for that matter but such policies and rules should not be looked upon as the be-all and the end-all of church and community life.
The goal of bringing others to reconcile with God should be premised on the love we have received that we also have to share in love. This means that we cannot convert an unbeliever, a marginalized Catholic, the unchurched and or bring light to those who live in darkness by reading to him a list of policies and rules. Rather, authentic evangelization is founded on the Gospel of salvation that Jesus Christ himself preached and which we are also commanded to do.
Conversion comes when people hear the Word of God being proclaimed to them. Thus, to proclaim the Gospel to the ends of the earth is the be-all and end-all of the purpose for which we have been created. When I introduce to the renewal movement in 1989 through a charismatic community the first thing that caught my attention was that members have their Bibles in their hands not only during the prayer meetings but in every activity of that community.
But as politics and quest for power reared its ugly head attendance and the level of commitment dramatically dipped and the usual blame-game followed and different assumptions were professed. The whys and the wherefores filled the air and the ‘midnight’ experts in community building looked everywhere to determine what seems to be ailing the community but they left the one important thing that made the community into what it is now. They forgot that more than anything else, it was the Word of God upon which the community used to be anchored in.
In this Gospel passage, Jesus shows that God gives healing and pardon to all who will humbly ask for his mercy and help and he will set us free from every sinful habit that makes us indifferent to our neighbor and God alone can restore our disfigured nature if we will allow him to cleanse us and heal us. To be free is to grow in love and holiness fueled by the Grace of God.
UNFATHOMABLE LOVE AND MERCY
REMBRANDT'S RENDITION OF THE PARABLE OF THE PRODIGAL SON.
MAR. 2, 2013: SECOND WEEK OF LENT
1st Reading: Mic7:14-15, 18-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 103:1-4, 9-12 “The Lord is kind and merciful.”
GOSPEL: Lk 15:1-3, 11-12
Key Verse: “…he was lost and is found.” (v.32)
This is a beautiful Gospel passage that demonstrates the unparalleled love of a father for his son and this is also one passage that we can relate to in one way or the other. When I sat down to reflect on this Gospel reading, my past flashed before me like I was watching a documentary of my life on a big screen.
Suddenly, I found myself in the very person of the son who ran away from home to live the kind of life that he thought would translate to happiness and Jesus went on to say that the son “squandered his wealth in wild living.” (v.13) While I did not have the kind of wealth the son had I also went on with my life then with wild abandon as I lived only for what the present will bring and thinking not of the tomorrows that are to come.
This Gospel also reminds me of the untold story of the civil war that tore the United States apart and I am sure that it was doubly hard for acquaintances who found themselves facing one another not as friends but as enemies. And when it was finally over and the southerners who rebelled against the emancipation of the slaves were defeated and had rejoined the Union, then President Abraham Lincoln was asked how we was going to treat the rebels.
Many thought that Lincoln would be unforgiving for the rebellion cost so much in terms of lives lost and resources and many were surprised when the American President said: “I will treat them as if they had never been away.”
I also remember the former Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos who attracted a lot of criticisms when as the then Defense Secretary during the time of the late President Cory Aquino he merely ordered soldiers who were lured into joining the series of military uprisings against the government to do just 100 push ups for their penalty.
I also am privy of how the late Ilocos Sur Rep. Floro Crisologo in the mid-60s had confronted the suspect who lobbed a grenade at him as he was delivering a political speech. Crisologo survived that attempt in his life and when the suspect was traced and arrested, Crisologo not only forgave but he even hired the suspect to become one of his household hand who served him until a bullet fired by an assassin felled him while he was hearing Mass at Sto. Domingo Church in Quezon City.
Today’s Gospel passage is a beautiful story about forgiveness and many times you will ask how you can still love someone who turns their back on you and still forgive them from the heart? The prophets remind us in the first reading that God does not abandon us, even if we turn our backs on him (Mic 7:18). He will call us back to himself – over and over and over again.
Jesus' parable of a father and his two sons and which is commonly referred to as the parable of the prodigal son is the longest parable in the Gospels. Everyone is familiar with the story but for those who haven’t read it yet or heard it the focal point of the parable was the younger of the two sons who took out his inheritance from his father and squandered it.
Finding himself impoverished he was forced to work feeding the pigs feeding the pigs which was a most despicable job because Jews are forbidden to do this task as it runs counter to the law that says: “Cursed is he who feeds swine.” Then Jesus said: “When he came to his senses” (v.17) the young son was reduced to repentance and was led to a decision to return to his home.
This verse was not only the turning point in the life of the young son but Jesus said this because Our Lord believes that a man or anyone who turns away from God was not in himself or was not in his right sense or frame of mind and Jesus believes that man is in his right sense when he finds his way back to God.
Just like in the story of the Transfiguration we noted that it was not actually the Lord who was transfigured because Jesus never lost his original nature as God. The reverse was what happened as it were Peter, James and John who were transfigured when the Holy Spirit removed the veil from their eyes and they were able to see the light that was in Jesus.
Similarly, this parable was not about the prodigal son because he was not the hero in this story. The Father who out of his great love and compassion for his son was the real hero in this parable because it reveals the kind of forgiveness the Father had, the kind of forgiveness that was without recrimination.
And what we see in the attitude of the elder brother is what we see happening around us such that it will be much easier for us to appreciate that God is more merciful in his judgments than many of us. In this parable we see that the love of God is broader than the love of man and that God can forgive when men refuse to forgive as in the case of the elder brother.
Those of us who have been conferred a second baptism can easily relate to the robe, the ring, and the festive banquet that the Father gave to welcome his son because these symbolize the pure, worthy, and joyful life that is given to anyone who returns to God.
Here in this parable, Jesus gives us a very clear picture of the attributes of God, a God whose loving kindness is bigger than we could ever imagine and definitely deeper than the kindness we could ever give to others.
Many of us easily lose hope when things don’t turn out the way we expected and we sink into the pit of depression and despair. But in this parable we see a God who does not lose hope or give up when we go astray and He rejoices when the Holy Spirit finds us and brings us back to our senses and leads us home.
This was what happened to me when Our Lord Jesus Christ found me in September 1989 and brought me to the renewal where he impressed upon me that the life I was living was not the kind of life that he planned for me. And when the Lord revealed himself to me in the Life in the Spirit Seminar that I attended and as I asked for and received his forgiveness I knew that I was home.
“We don’t leave anyone behind” is what the US Marines usually say when they are faced with tremendous pressure on the battlefield and are forced to withdraw. Jesus is like that. He doesn’t leave anyone behind and he will go to great lengths even death on the cross to look for us and bring us back to God.
1st Reading: Mic7:14-15, 18-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 103:1-4, 9-12 “The Lord is kind and merciful.”
GOSPEL: Lk 15:1-3, 11-12
Key Verse: “…he was lost and is found.” (v.32)
This is a beautiful Gospel passage that demonstrates the unparalleled love of a father for his son and this is also one passage that we can relate to in one way or the other. When I sat down to reflect on this Gospel reading, my past flashed before me like I was watching a documentary of my life on a big screen.
Suddenly, I found myself in the very person of the son who ran away from home to live the kind of life that he thought would translate to happiness and Jesus went on to say that the son “squandered his wealth in wild living.” (v.13) While I did not have the kind of wealth the son had I also went on with my life then with wild abandon as I lived only for what the present will bring and thinking not of the tomorrows that are to come.
This Gospel also reminds me of the untold story of the civil war that tore the United States apart and I am sure that it was doubly hard for acquaintances who found themselves facing one another not as friends but as enemies. And when it was finally over and the southerners who rebelled against the emancipation of the slaves were defeated and had rejoined the Union, then President Abraham Lincoln was asked how we was going to treat the rebels.
Many thought that Lincoln would be unforgiving for the rebellion cost so much in terms of lives lost and resources and many were surprised when the American President said: “I will treat them as if they had never been away.”
I also remember the former Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos who attracted a lot of criticisms when as the then Defense Secretary during the time of the late President Cory Aquino he merely ordered soldiers who were lured into joining the series of military uprisings against the government to do just 100 push ups for their penalty.
I also am privy of how the late Ilocos Sur Rep. Floro Crisologo in the mid-60s had confronted the suspect who lobbed a grenade at him as he was delivering a political speech. Crisologo survived that attempt in his life and when the suspect was traced and arrested, Crisologo not only forgave but he even hired the suspect to become one of his household hand who served him until a bullet fired by an assassin felled him while he was hearing Mass at Sto. Domingo Church in Quezon City.
Today’s Gospel passage is a beautiful story about forgiveness and many times you will ask how you can still love someone who turns their back on you and still forgive them from the heart? The prophets remind us in the first reading that God does not abandon us, even if we turn our backs on him (Mic 7:18). He will call us back to himself – over and over and over again.
Jesus' parable of a father and his two sons and which is commonly referred to as the parable of the prodigal son is the longest parable in the Gospels. Everyone is familiar with the story but for those who haven’t read it yet or heard it the focal point of the parable was the younger of the two sons who took out his inheritance from his father and squandered it.
Finding himself impoverished he was forced to work feeding the pigs feeding the pigs which was a most despicable job because Jews are forbidden to do this task as it runs counter to the law that says: “Cursed is he who feeds swine.” Then Jesus said: “When he came to his senses” (v.17) the young son was reduced to repentance and was led to a decision to return to his home.
This verse was not only the turning point in the life of the young son but Jesus said this because Our Lord believes that a man or anyone who turns away from God was not in himself or was not in his right sense or frame of mind and Jesus believes that man is in his right sense when he finds his way back to God.
Just like in the story of the Transfiguration we noted that it was not actually the Lord who was transfigured because Jesus never lost his original nature as God. The reverse was what happened as it were Peter, James and John who were transfigured when the Holy Spirit removed the veil from their eyes and they were able to see the light that was in Jesus.
Similarly, this parable was not about the prodigal son because he was not the hero in this story. The Father who out of his great love and compassion for his son was the real hero in this parable because it reveals the kind of forgiveness the Father had, the kind of forgiveness that was without recrimination.
And what we see in the attitude of the elder brother is what we see happening around us such that it will be much easier for us to appreciate that God is more merciful in his judgments than many of us. In this parable we see that the love of God is broader than the love of man and that God can forgive when men refuse to forgive as in the case of the elder brother.
Those of us who have been conferred a second baptism can easily relate to the robe, the ring, and the festive banquet that the Father gave to welcome his son because these symbolize the pure, worthy, and joyful life that is given to anyone who returns to God.
Here in this parable, Jesus gives us a very clear picture of the attributes of God, a God whose loving kindness is bigger than we could ever imagine and definitely deeper than the kindness we could ever give to others.
Many of us easily lose hope when things don’t turn out the way we expected and we sink into the pit of depression and despair. But in this parable we see a God who does not lose hope or give up when we go astray and He rejoices when the Holy Spirit finds us and brings us back to our senses and leads us home.
This was what happened to me when Our Lord Jesus Christ found me in September 1989 and brought me to the renewal where he impressed upon me that the life I was living was not the kind of life that he planned for me. And when the Lord revealed himself to me in the Life in the Spirit Seminar that I attended and as I asked for and received his forgiveness I knew that I was home.
“We don’t leave anyone behind” is what the US Marines usually say when they are faced with tremendous pressure on the battlefield and are forced to withdraw. Jesus is like that. He doesn’t leave anyone behind and he will go to great lengths even death on the cross to look for us and bring us back to God.
CONSEQUENCES OF REBELLION
MAR. 1, 2013: SECOND WEEK OF LENT
1st Reading: Gen 37:3-4, 12-13a, 17b-28a
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 105: 16-21 “Remember the marvels the Lord has done.”
GOSPEL: MATT 21:33-43, 45-46
Key Verse: The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone”
There was a time in my life as a farm lessor when the tenant to whom I entrusted the care of my rice land abandoned my farm and never even bothered to hand over my share from the income of the farm which in the first place was not even an astronomical amount.
But these things are ordinary fare among farmland owners and tenants and those who are familiar with farming can easily relate to this parable. Vineyard owners in this parable do not actually manage their vineyards and the same goes true for some farm owners in the Philippines today.
In my case my property was being tilled by a tenant who gets a third out of the income from the harvest which was at least two times a year. This is one of three ways by which a farm or a vineyard can be operated. The other two ways is either to rent the vineyard or the farm or to get a fixed amount out of the harvest.
As a lessor, I pay for all the costs of the farm inputs including the grains or seeds that are to be planted and my caretaker merely watches over the farm to make sure that it is free from snails and to keep stray animals away.
The parable today speak of the vineyard which is actually the nation of Israel and God is pictured as the vineyard owner. Here we see the generosity of God in providing for everything that vineyard workers will need to make their work easy. The tenants are the religious leaders of Israel. The messengers whom the owner sent and who were killed were the prophets sent by God to proclaim his kingdom. And the son who the workers also killed was none other than Jesus himself.
In the same way, we can look at the world that God created for us as our vineyard. The Book of Genesis tells us that God provided everything that we need to live on this planet and this parable highlights how much God trusts us as he gave us the authority to “rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (Gen 1:28)
And while the parable speak of God’s patience as the owner sent his messengers one after the other which was typical of his character in Deut 7:9 “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping is covenant of love to a thousand generations…,” it also tells us of his judgment when he took the vineyard from the tenants and gave it to others.
Similarly, we will also experience God’s judgment when he takes away from us the task that he gave us to do and there is a danger we may even suffer the consequences of “every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Matt 3:10)
Jesus in this parable may have been referring to the tenants as the religious leaders of Israel but he could also be referring to us on account of the rebellious spirit that is present in us. As the religious leaders of Israel rejected Jesus and his teachings, we too stand accused of rejecting Jesus when we persist in living in sin which is a deliberate opposition to God.
As with the vineyard workers, God also gave us the freedom to run our lives the way we choose it. Some of us may have spent our lives in the way that God wants, but as with the tenants we may also be wasting the gifts that God has given us to be productive and make something of their lives.
And again in this parable, Jesus gives a preview of his coming passion, death and resurrection when he spoke of the son of the vineyard owner being killed by the tenants. As with the religious leaders at that time and with some of us today, Jesus is still suffering this kind of rejection from those who rebel against the Will of God.
Because of the influence of the material world that we are in, we abuse the freedom that God gave us as we go about our own way unmindful of the way, the truth and the life that God wants us to live. And we remain oblivious to the fact that when we persist in our rebellion and disobedience to God we are actually declaring war on God and turning ourselves into his enemies.
What we are forgetting is that Jesus who is the stone and the rock of our faith whom the religious leaders have rejected and whom we are rebelling against today because his ways are incompatible with the carefree lives that we want to pursue has become the cornerstone who is the source of our salvation.
Jesus knew he would be rejected and killed but he also knew that the glory of resurrection and his ascension will spring from his being rejected. With his death on the cross which has conquered death and evil and, with the Holy Spirit dwelling in us following his ascension to heaven Jesus has poured out on us the many gifts as with the tenants in this parable and he assures us that we will all bear fruit if we will only remain in him.
As he entrusts us with the tools to enable us to work in his vineyard – our Church and Community – he also enjoins us to “stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourself fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor n the Lord is not in vain.” (1 Cor 15:58)
There is only one problem, however, and that is we cannot abuse the patience and generosity of the Lord. Despite the evil that the tenants showed, the Landlord sent his servants whom the tenants manhandled and some were killed until the Landlord sent his son and heir whom the tenants also put to death. And Jesus posed a question as to what will the owner of the vineyard and they answered “he will put those wretched men to a wretched death.” (vv.35-41).
This parable should remind our legislators in both the Senate and the House of Representatives in the Philippines that to espouse and support the so-called “death bills” is a form of rebellion against God because these pieces of legislation will eventually stamp out not just the flow of life but it will ultimately destroy the family. What they are forgetting is that when God chose to become a human person by incarnation then it presupposes that there must be something good and beautiful in the human body such that what these death bills including the RH law will destroy is the human body which is the personification of the image and likeness of God.
Jesus ends the parable saying the Kingdom of God will be taken away from the unrepentant sinner, the stubborn, the unbeliever, those who will reject his Son and will be given to whom God’s Grace will flourish. In our work, we will face trials, challenges and persecution but the victory is ours if we stand firm on the cornerstone – Jesus Himself!
1st Reading: Gen 37:3-4, 12-13a, 17b-28a
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 105: 16-21 “Remember the marvels the Lord has done.”
GOSPEL: MATT 21:33-43, 45-46
Key Verse: The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone”
There was a time in my life as a farm lessor when the tenant to whom I entrusted the care of my rice land abandoned my farm and never even bothered to hand over my share from the income of the farm which in the first place was not even an astronomical amount.
But these things are ordinary fare among farmland owners and tenants and those who are familiar with farming can easily relate to this parable. Vineyard owners in this parable do not actually manage their vineyards and the same goes true for some farm owners in the Philippines today.
In my case my property was being tilled by a tenant who gets a third out of the income from the harvest which was at least two times a year. This is one of three ways by which a farm or a vineyard can be operated. The other two ways is either to rent the vineyard or the farm or to get a fixed amount out of the harvest.
As a lessor, I pay for all the costs of the farm inputs including the grains or seeds that are to be planted and my caretaker merely watches over the farm to make sure that it is free from snails and to keep stray animals away.
The parable today speak of the vineyard which is actually the nation of Israel and God is pictured as the vineyard owner. Here we see the generosity of God in providing for everything that vineyard workers will need to make their work easy. The tenants are the religious leaders of Israel. The messengers whom the owner sent and who were killed were the prophets sent by God to proclaim his kingdom. And the son who the workers also killed was none other than Jesus himself.
In the same way, we can look at the world that God created for us as our vineyard. The Book of Genesis tells us that God provided everything that we need to live on this planet and this parable highlights how much God trusts us as he gave us the authority to “rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (Gen 1:28)
And while the parable speak of God’s patience as the owner sent his messengers one after the other which was typical of his character in Deut 7:9 “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping is covenant of love to a thousand generations…,” it also tells us of his judgment when he took the vineyard from the tenants and gave it to others.
Similarly, we will also experience God’s judgment when he takes away from us the task that he gave us to do and there is a danger we may even suffer the consequences of “every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Matt 3:10)
Jesus in this parable may have been referring to the tenants as the religious leaders of Israel but he could also be referring to us on account of the rebellious spirit that is present in us. As the religious leaders of Israel rejected Jesus and his teachings, we too stand accused of rejecting Jesus when we persist in living in sin which is a deliberate opposition to God.
As with the vineyard workers, God also gave us the freedom to run our lives the way we choose it. Some of us may have spent our lives in the way that God wants, but as with the tenants we may also be wasting the gifts that God has given us to be productive and make something of their lives.
And again in this parable, Jesus gives a preview of his coming passion, death and resurrection when he spoke of the son of the vineyard owner being killed by the tenants. As with the religious leaders at that time and with some of us today, Jesus is still suffering this kind of rejection from those who rebel against the Will of God.
Because of the influence of the material world that we are in, we abuse the freedom that God gave us as we go about our own way unmindful of the way, the truth and the life that God wants us to live. And we remain oblivious to the fact that when we persist in our rebellion and disobedience to God we are actually declaring war on God and turning ourselves into his enemies.
What we are forgetting is that Jesus who is the stone and the rock of our faith whom the religious leaders have rejected and whom we are rebelling against today because his ways are incompatible with the carefree lives that we want to pursue has become the cornerstone who is the source of our salvation.
Jesus knew he would be rejected and killed but he also knew that the glory of resurrection and his ascension will spring from his being rejected. With his death on the cross which has conquered death and evil and, with the Holy Spirit dwelling in us following his ascension to heaven Jesus has poured out on us the many gifts as with the tenants in this parable and he assures us that we will all bear fruit if we will only remain in him.
As he entrusts us with the tools to enable us to work in his vineyard – our Church and Community – he also enjoins us to “stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourself fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor n the Lord is not in vain.” (1 Cor 15:58)
There is only one problem, however, and that is we cannot abuse the patience and generosity of the Lord. Despite the evil that the tenants showed, the Landlord sent his servants whom the tenants manhandled and some were killed until the Landlord sent his son and heir whom the tenants also put to death. And Jesus posed a question as to what will the owner of the vineyard and they answered “he will put those wretched men to a wretched death.” (vv.35-41).
This parable should remind our legislators in both the Senate and the House of Representatives in the Philippines that to espouse and support the so-called “death bills” is a form of rebellion against God because these pieces of legislation will eventually stamp out not just the flow of life but it will ultimately destroy the family. What they are forgetting is that when God chose to become a human person by incarnation then it presupposes that there must be something good and beautiful in the human body such that what these death bills including the RH law will destroy is the human body which is the personification of the image and likeness of God.
Jesus ends the parable saying the Kingdom of God will be taken away from the unrepentant sinner, the stubborn, the unbeliever, those who will reject his Son and will be given to whom God’s Grace will flourish. In our work, we will face trials, challenges and persecution but the victory is ours if we stand firm on the cornerstone – Jesus Himself!
THE ONLY TWO CHOICES WE HAVE
DO WE SEE OURSELVES IN THE RICH MAN OR LAZARUS?
FEB. 28, 2013: SECOND WEEK OF LENT
1st Reading: Jer 17:5:10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 1:1-6 “Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.”
GOSPEL: LK 16:19-31DO WE
Key Verse: “..they will not be convinced even
if someone rises from the dead.” (v.31)
What is very clear in this Gospel passage today is that there are only two choices we have in life. One of these leads to our salvation and the eternal joy that God promised and, the other leads to purgatory and or even hell depending on the gravity of our offenses against God.
The two characters in this passage actually represent the choices before us. The rich man whom Biblical scholars named Dives was the picture of the obnoxious and ostentatious behavior of one who was oblivious to the plight of the poor around him. Lazarus the poor man was the personification of humility, patience and suffering, someone whose only hope was in God.
This brings us to the question of can wealth and fame, title and position be regarded as a sign of righteousness? Not that the rich are unrighteous but this situation was brought to the fore in this Gospel passage because this was how the Pharisees felt as it was the general belief among the religious leaders during the time of Jesus that wealth was a proof of a person’s righteousness.
As we step deeper into the Lenten Season, this Gospel passage gives us another lesson in life as it paints a picture of a very dramatic contrast of wealth and poverty, of heaven and hell, compassion and indifference, as well as inclusion and exclusion.
On this occasion, Jesus once again startled the Pharisees who were present when he narrated a story about a beggar who was named Lazarus who was rewarded and a rich man who was punished. Lazarus was not only poor, he was also sick and unable to even lift himself. He lay at the gate of the rich man’s house and the story tells of dogs licking at his sores.
It follows that Lazarus was competing with the dogs for the crumbs that fall from the table of the rich man. The crumbs were all that Lazarus was waiting for and this was probably the way he survived. To grasp the drama of this scenario, we must understand that in those days even the wealthy do not use knives, forks, spoons or napkins.
They ate with their hands and in very lavish surroundings such as the house of this rich man, the traces of food on their hands were wiped with the use of bread that they throw away after wiping their hands and this was what Lazarus was waiting for.
On the other hand, dogs in those days were not regarded with fondness as they are now because in the time of Jesus dogs symbolized contempt. To endure the torment of dogs licking at the sores of Lazarus must have added to his pain and suffering. His misery was compounded even more by the way he was treated by the rich man who simply ignored him.
And Jesus seized this opportunity to hammer down the message behind the story and the Pharisees was probably flabbergasted when Jesus went on to say that when both the rich man and the beggar died at almost the same time the situation was dramatically reversed with the rich man’s soul going to the place of the dead while he saw Lazarus farther away in the company of Abraham.
As abrupt and dramatic this reversal of fortune was, the underlying message was that the rich man did not go to hell just because he was wealthy but because of his selfishness highlighted by his abject refusal to feed Lazarus and or even care for him. Notwithstanding the tremendous blessings that he enjoyed, the rich man was hard-hearted and treated the beggar with indifference and contempt.
The name Lazarus means “God is my help” and to a certain degree, we should see ourselves in the person of the beggar. In his pitiful condition Lazarus did not lose hope in God. And in this Lenten Season, this Gospel passage should remind us that whatever material possessions and wealth we may be enjoying now should not cloud our vision of God. In other words, the amount of money or wealth that we have is not as important as how we use them.
The sin of the rich man in this passage that earned him his place in hell was that he never took notice of the beggar treating him with such contempt as if he was not there at all. The rich man did not remove the beggar from his gate. He did not kick as he would a dog and he was not cruel to the beggar but the rich man merely looked at the beggar to be non-existent and it was not what he did that got him to hell but what he did not do.
In this Season of Lent, God is asking us to look at ourselves especially our attitude towards money and possessions. Do we hoard these or do we use them to help others? And to be more clear about it, wealth should not be confined to material possessions but should include gifts, talents and skills that we have for these are also blessings that could not have come from any other source but from God.
As such, we are to use such blessings not just for our own satisfaction but that through these gifts we may be a blessing to others. The sin of the rich man was that he was indifferent to the grief and pain of the beggar who lay at his gate and whom he never even noticed. He was thrown to hell because he never noticed that he had a neighbor who needed help. This is what this Gospel passage is all about.
As the story went, Jesus said the rich man became the beggar as he begged Abraham to send the poor man to remind his brothers of his misfortune but which Abraham rejected saying “if they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t listen even if someone rises from the dead” (v.31).
Today, we should ask ourselves what we consider as the true and lasting treasure. Do we put all our fortunes and our security on our possessions? This Gospel passage is a terrible warning for all of us that we may be aware that it is not enough that we refrain from doing wrong but we must at every opportunity do something for someone beside us who is in need.
Jeremiah tells us in the First Reading that whoever looks to God in hope will not be disappointed or be in want when everything around them dries up or disappears. When we put our trust and confidence in God, He will not only be our consolation, but He will be the inexhaustible source of our joy as well.
This Gospel passage should remind us that in the economy of God those who cling to what they have will lose it all in the end while those who make use of their gifts to bless others by sharing generously of what they have and possess will be rewarded even more. Such is the Grace that comes from God which is endless. In the end, Lazarus did not just get the crumbs but God gave him the complete course – eternal life in the company of Abraham and all the great prophets of his time.
1st Reading: Jer 17:5:10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 1:1-6 “Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.”
GOSPEL: LK 16:19-31DO WE
Key Verse: “..they will not be convinced even
if someone rises from the dead.” (v.31)
What is very clear in this Gospel passage today is that there are only two choices we have in life. One of these leads to our salvation and the eternal joy that God promised and, the other leads to purgatory and or even hell depending on the gravity of our offenses against God.
The two characters in this passage actually represent the choices before us. The rich man whom Biblical scholars named Dives was the picture of the obnoxious and ostentatious behavior of one who was oblivious to the plight of the poor around him. Lazarus the poor man was the personification of humility, patience and suffering, someone whose only hope was in God.
This brings us to the question of can wealth and fame, title and position be regarded as a sign of righteousness? Not that the rich are unrighteous but this situation was brought to the fore in this Gospel passage because this was how the Pharisees felt as it was the general belief among the religious leaders during the time of Jesus that wealth was a proof of a person’s righteousness.
As we step deeper into the Lenten Season, this Gospel passage gives us another lesson in life as it paints a picture of a very dramatic contrast of wealth and poverty, of heaven and hell, compassion and indifference, as well as inclusion and exclusion.
On this occasion, Jesus once again startled the Pharisees who were present when he narrated a story about a beggar who was named Lazarus who was rewarded and a rich man who was punished. Lazarus was not only poor, he was also sick and unable to even lift himself. He lay at the gate of the rich man’s house and the story tells of dogs licking at his sores.
It follows that Lazarus was competing with the dogs for the crumbs that fall from the table of the rich man. The crumbs were all that Lazarus was waiting for and this was probably the way he survived. To grasp the drama of this scenario, we must understand that in those days even the wealthy do not use knives, forks, spoons or napkins.
They ate with their hands and in very lavish surroundings such as the house of this rich man, the traces of food on their hands were wiped with the use of bread that they throw away after wiping their hands and this was what Lazarus was waiting for.
On the other hand, dogs in those days were not regarded with fondness as they are now because in the time of Jesus dogs symbolized contempt. To endure the torment of dogs licking at the sores of Lazarus must have added to his pain and suffering. His misery was compounded even more by the way he was treated by the rich man who simply ignored him.
And Jesus seized this opportunity to hammer down the message behind the story and the Pharisees was probably flabbergasted when Jesus went on to say that when both the rich man and the beggar died at almost the same time the situation was dramatically reversed with the rich man’s soul going to the place of the dead while he saw Lazarus farther away in the company of Abraham.
As abrupt and dramatic this reversal of fortune was, the underlying message was that the rich man did not go to hell just because he was wealthy but because of his selfishness highlighted by his abject refusal to feed Lazarus and or even care for him. Notwithstanding the tremendous blessings that he enjoyed, the rich man was hard-hearted and treated the beggar with indifference and contempt.
The name Lazarus means “God is my help” and to a certain degree, we should see ourselves in the person of the beggar. In his pitiful condition Lazarus did not lose hope in God. And in this Lenten Season, this Gospel passage should remind us that whatever material possessions and wealth we may be enjoying now should not cloud our vision of God. In other words, the amount of money or wealth that we have is not as important as how we use them.
The sin of the rich man in this passage that earned him his place in hell was that he never took notice of the beggar treating him with such contempt as if he was not there at all. The rich man did not remove the beggar from his gate. He did not kick as he would a dog and he was not cruel to the beggar but the rich man merely looked at the beggar to be non-existent and it was not what he did that got him to hell but what he did not do.
In this Season of Lent, God is asking us to look at ourselves especially our attitude towards money and possessions. Do we hoard these or do we use them to help others? And to be more clear about it, wealth should not be confined to material possessions but should include gifts, talents and skills that we have for these are also blessings that could not have come from any other source but from God.
As such, we are to use such blessings not just for our own satisfaction but that through these gifts we may be a blessing to others. The sin of the rich man was that he was indifferent to the grief and pain of the beggar who lay at his gate and whom he never even noticed. He was thrown to hell because he never noticed that he had a neighbor who needed help. This is what this Gospel passage is all about.
As the story went, Jesus said the rich man became the beggar as he begged Abraham to send the poor man to remind his brothers of his misfortune but which Abraham rejected saying “if they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t listen even if someone rises from the dead” (v.31).
Today, we should ask ourselves what we consider as the true and lasting treasure. Do we put all our fortunes and our security on our possessions? This Gospel passage is a terrible warning for all of us that we may be aware that it is not enough that we refrain from doing wrong but we must at every opportunity do something for someone beside us who is in need.
Jeremiah tells us in the First Reading that whoever looks to God in hope will not be disappointed or be in want when everything around them dries up or disappears. When we put our trust and confidence in God, He will not only be our consolation, but He will be the inexhaustible source of our joy as well.
This Gospel passage should remind us that in the economy of God those who cling to what they have will lose it all in the end while those who make use of their gifts to bless others by sharing generously of what they have and possess will be rewarded even more. Such is the Grace that comes from God which is endless. In the end, Lazarus did not just get the crumbs but God gave him the complete course – eternal life in the company of Abraham and all the great prophets of his time.
A CHRISTIAN IS A SERVANT FIRST
FEB. 27, 2013: SECOND WEEK OF LENT
1st Reading: Jer 18:18-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 31:5-6, 14-16 “Save me, O Lord, in your kindness.”
GOSPEL: MATT 20:17-28
Key Verse: “You don’t know what you are asking.” (v.22)
What happened in this Gospel passage is actually what is happening to most of us today and here we find some parallelism with the attitude of members in many Christian congregations or even in civic and social organizations.
There are those who would go to great lengths just to sit in places of honor. They would do everything, even pretend to be a person they are not to become heads of their organizations to satisfy their lifelong quest and desire for honor. There are those who would hang on to positions of leadership forgetting that the true value of leadership is when a leader can reproduce other leaders from among those that he serves.
In this world where everything seems to have become relative which was what Pope Benedict XVI feared, the common question that is asked is: “What’s in it for me? Or what is the least I can do?” On the other hand, there are some who feel they have done so much that they have become owners of the ministry, apostolate and or advocacy they are engaged in.
This is true even in the political arena and as the election season in the Philippines heats up there are some groups and movements who have forgotten that politics is addition and in order to win you need to keep and make sure that you have the numbers to stake a claim on what you are fighting for and claim the position you are fighting for.
To be able to understand this Gospel passage particularly the request made by the mother of James and John that almost divided the unity thus far enjoyed by the disciples of Jesus, let us first establish the predicate or that may have led to this scenario.
This was the third time that Jesus had predicted his passion, death and resurrection (the other two times are in Matt 16:21 and Matt 17:22-23). But the disciples either could not, did not or just refused to understand what Jesus was saying because to them the idea of a Messiah was one who would come as a conquering king and they must have argued about this.
But there was someone who probably understood – the mother of James and John – although she also understood wrongly. And these discourses on his impending death and resurrection must have driven his disciples to anxiety over the thought that the organization that Jesus has established will be left orphaned if his words will become a reality and this may have moved the mother of James and John to talk to Jesus to propose that her sons be made to sit on his right and to his left.
And we shouldn’t be angry with James and John since they were not the ones who went to Jesus but it was their mother whom Mark the Evangelist identified as Salome, a sister of Mary the mother of Jesus, and this gives us a picture of the concern of mothers for the welfare of their children. And her relations to Jesus also must have emboldened her to ask what she taught was just right that Jesus should pass on the mantle of leadership to James and John who are his close relatives.
And the response of Jesus sets the tone for the paradigm that his ministry will pursue. This is a paradigm that is set on the daily struggle, heart-breaks, disappointments, frustrations, life-long obedience and faithfulness, sacrificial and humble service that everyone must embrace if we want to follow Christ wherever he may lead us and to be like him in any life situation that we may find ourselves to be in.
And this passage shows us how we too must address the situations in our lives when confronted with incidents and or even persons who may be irritating, irrational, and or impertinent. Jesus is telling us not to lose our composure and patience and that we must respond with sincerity and honesty.
To be great in the eyes of God is to be humble in the eyes of men and this is the kind of revolution that Jesus launched but which the people and the Pharisees at that time found difficult to grasp. This attitude of serving others without counting the cost is what will lead us to the Kingdom of God.
Matthew ends this passage with a summation of what it is to lead. As with Jesus who provides us with a new perspective of leadership, he showed us by example that a leader must be prepared to give his life away. Instead of using people, we are to serve them.
This should remind us of the martyrdom of St. James the Apostle who was the first among the Apostles to have been martyred in the service of God and men. Toyohiko Kagawa, a Japanese who served the poor in the Tokyo slums by living with them. In one of his books he wrote: “God dwells among the lowliest of men. He sits on the dust heap among the prison convicts. He stands with the juvenile delinquents, He is there with the beggars. He is among the sick, he stands with the unemployed. Therefore let him who would meet God visit the prison cell before going to the temple. Before he goes to Church let him visit the hospital. Before he reads the Bible let him help the beggar.”
This is the kind of greatness that God seeks. The world may have its own standard of greatness – intellectual standing, academic prominence, the number of committees and or ministries where one is a member, the number of outreaches, NGOs or advocacy groups that you may have organized in well-appointed communities and or homes. You may possess bank balances and material possessions – but these things are irrelevant because in assessing a person Jesus simply asks: “How many people have you helped?”
What we need to keep in mind is what Jesus said when he summed up his whole life in just one phrase (v.28) “The Son of Man came to give his life a ransom for many.”
Jesus came not as a conqueror who will occupy a throne, but he came to occupy a cross. The Jews looked for a king who will smash their enemies to pieces but Jesus came as a broken King who hung on the cross. But his death that ransomed us from the slavery of sin is the epitome of the sacrificial love that Jesus also wants us to possess.
Jesus gave everything to lead sinners like us back to God and this is the kind of life that he wants us to live. We must walk in his steps and be prepared to give up our lives to love and serve our neighbors. Because it is only by loving and dying for our neighbors that we can find the way to God.
1st Reading: Jer 18:18-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 31:5-6, 14-16 “Save me, O Lord, in your kindness.”
GOSPEL: MATT 20:17-28
Key Verse: “You don’t know what you are asking.” (v.22)
What happened in this Gospel passage is actually what is happening to most of us today and here we find some parallelism with the attitude of members in many Christian congregations or even in civic and social organizations.
There are those who would go to great lengths just to sit in places of honor. They would do everything, even pretend to be a person they are not to become heads of their organizations to satisfy their lifelong quest and desire for honor. There are those who would hang on to positions of leadership forgetting that the true value of leadership is when a leader can reproduce other leaders from among those that he serves.
In this world where everything seems to have become relative which was what Pope Benedict XVI feared, the common question that is asked is: “What’s in it for me? Or what is the least I can do?” On the other hand, there are some who feel they have done so much that they have become owners of the ministry, apostolate and or advocacy they are engaged in.
This is true even in the political arena and as the election season in the Philippines heats up there are some groups and movements who have forgotten that politics is addition and in order to win you need to keep and make sure that you have the numbers to stake a claim on what you are fighting for and claim the position you are fighting for.
To be able to understand this Gospel passage particularly the request made by the mother of James and John that almost divided the unity thus far enjoyed by the disciples of Jesus, let us first establish the predicate or that may have led to this scenario.
This was the third time that Jesus had predicted his passion, death and resurrection (the other two times are in Matt 16:21 and Matt 17:22-23). But the disciples either could not, did not or just refused to understand what Jesus was saying because to them the idea of a Messiah was one who would come as a conquering king and they must have argued about this.
But there was someone who probably understood – the mother of James and John – although she also understood wrongly. And these discourses on his impending death and resurrection must have driven his disciples to anxiety over the thought that the organization that Jesus has established will be left orphaned if his words will become a reality and this may have moved the mother of James and John to talk to Jesus to propose that her sons be made to sit on his right and to his left.
And we shouldn’t be angry with James and John since they were not the ones who went to Jesus but it was their mother whom Mark the Evangelist identified as Salome, a sister of Mary the mother of Jesus, and this gives us a picture of the concern of mothers for the welfare of their children. And her relations to Jesus also must have emboldened her to ask what she taught was just right that Jesus should pass on the mantle of leadership to James and John who are his close relatives.
And the response of Jesus sets the tone for the paradigm that his ministry will pursue. This is a paradigm that is set on the daily struggle, heart-breaks, disappointments, frustrations, life-long obedience and faithfulness, sacrificial and humble service that everyone must embrace if we want to follow Christ wherever he may lead us and to be like him in any life situation that we may find ourselves to be in.
And this passage shows us how we too must address the situations in our lives when confronted with incidents and or even persons who may be irritating, irrational, and or impertinent. Jesus is telling us not to lose our composure and patience and that we must respond with sincerity and honesty.
To be great in the eyes of God is to be humble in the eyes of men and this is the kind of revolution that Jesus launched but which the people and the Pharisees at that time found difficult to grasp. This attitude of serving others without counting the cost is what will lead us to the Kingdom of God.
Matthew ends this passage with a summation of what it is to lead. As with Jesus who provides us with a new perspective of leadership, he showed us by example that a leader must be prepared to give his life away. Instead of using people, we are to serve them.
This should remind us of the martyrdom of St. James the Apostle who was the first among the Apostles to have been martyred in the service of God and men. Toyohiko Kagawa, a Japanese who served the poor in the Tokyo slums by living with them. In one of his books he wrote: “God dwells among the lowliest of men. He sits on the dust heap among the prison convicts. He stands with the juvenile delinquents, He is there with the beggars. He is among the sick, he stands with the unemployed. Therefore let him who would meet God visit the prison cell before going to the temple. Before he goes to Church let him visit the hospital. Before he reads the Bible let him help the beggar.”
This is the kind of greatness that God seeks. The world may have its own standard of greatness – intellectual standing, academic prominence, the number of committees and or ministries where one is a member, the number of outreaches, NGOs or advocacy groups that you may have organized in well-appointed communities and or homes. You may possess bank balances and material possessions – but these things are irrelevant because in assessing a person Jesus simply asks: “How many people have you helped?”
What we need to keep in mind is what Jesus said when he summed up his whole life in just one phrase (v.28) “The Son of Man came to give his life a ransom for many.”
Jesus came not as a conqueror who will occupy a throne, but he came to occupy a cross. The Jews looked for a king who will smash their enemies to pieces but Jesus came as a broken King who hung on the cross. But his death that ransomed us from the slavery of sin is the epitome of the sacrificial love that Jesus also wants us to possess.
Jesus gave everything to lead sinners like us back to God and this is the kind of life that he wants us to live. We must walk in his steps and be prepared to give up our lives to love and serve our neighbors. Because it is only by loving and dying for our neighbors that we can find the way to God.
HUMILITY + OBEDIENCE = SANCTITY
FEB. 26, 2013: SECOND WEEK OF LENT
1st Reading: Isa 1:10, 16-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 50:8-9, 16bc-17, 21-23 “To the upright I will show the saving power of God.”
GOSPEL: MATT 23:1-12
Key Verse: “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled
and, whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” (v.12)
Today we live in a world that is so different than the one that we were born into. It has not only become so diverse but today we have a society that rewards accomplishments and achievements.
And though we often see this in the corporate sector where new graduates from exclusive institutions with honors tucked under their belt have more chances of landing a job with a lucrative starting pay than the average applicant armed with a so-so transcript of records, this culture has crept even into the spiritual realm where programs and projects have been prioritized over and above the primary mission of the church which is to evangelize.
These days people love to be recognized, appreciated, honored and praised and it’s perfectly normal especially for people who are propelled by success that drives them to aim for more honors. Accomplished athletes are like that and they don’t normally rest until they have broken all the records in their field.
An episode in my life that I could not forget was when I worked for a very large TV News Network that has a policy that offered monetary rewards for exclusive stories or what was commonly referred to as a “scoop.” It didn’t take long before I started submitting scoop after scoop that left the competition behind. But success got into my head and I became arrogant and indifferent. I became discourteous even to my superiors.
I could still recall the day when the general manager of the network called me to his office and let me listen to a recording of a radio communication I had with one of our News Editors and it was my voice on the tape uttering expletives an act that is forbidden by the network management. I knew it was wrong but arrogance got the better of me and instead of apologizing I stood up and said I will resign and move to another network.
As I headed for the door, the general manager said: “Ed if you step out of that door there will be 10 others who will be scrambling to get your job. You can go on leave for 15 days without pay and come back.” I was taken aback and it put me back into my senses and I said: “Yes Sir, I’ll take the leave. I’m sorry Sir.” I emerged from that encounter a better person and I didn’t even looked at it as a humiliation but a jolt that I needed to remind me that I wasn’t indispensable no matter how good I was then.
In today’s Gospel passage we see Jesus directing the attention of the crowd who were listening to him on the hypocrisy of the religious leaders who were making it hard for the people to know God as a loving God.
While Jesus was telling the people to respect the Scribes and Pharisees who sit on Moses’s seat he was also telling the people to refrain from doing what the Pharisees are doing. In effect, what Jesus was saying was that many of the Pharisees only have a head knowledge of the Scriptures but they do not do what they teach. Knowledge is not enough and at times pure knowledge can be disastrous as we may be drawing too much on our human wisdom instead of God’s wisdom.
Knowledge must be accompanied by obedience which is one of the two pillars of a fruitful and fulfilled Christian life – the other being humility which Christ also teaches at the end of this passage.
And here Jesus outlined the things that the Pharisees do which contradict their teachings. Beginning in v.3, Jesus accused the Pharisees of “not practicing what they preach.” Walk the talk is what we often hear not only in the Church and even in the secular world. What this simply means is to do what we proclaim with our lips.
Jesus never taught what he had not done or experienced. Let’s say for example that you took up law or engineering, it follows that you can teach law or engineering but not chemistry or English. In the Church, we cannot teach about obedience if we ourselves are not. We must have a first-hand knowledge of how it is to be obedient.
He also criticized the Pharisees for their vainglory saying: “Everything they do is done for men to see.” (v.5) The Pharisees loved to sit at the head table, in front of the congregation and at times pray aloud on street corners for people to see. This is the same with us at times. Don’t our ears flap at each flattery that comes our way? It is not at all bad to ask others what they think of your teaching or your talk for as long as you will use these to further improve your skills. In my life in the Church I have seen many who have fallen into this error. Desire for positions of leadership in business and in the church is common. But it becomes a dangerous proposition when love for position becomes stronger than love for God.
In this Season of Lent let us reflect on what Jesus has been saying in all his teachings that holiness is basically internal and not an external disposition. And the only connection between the two is the fact that this internal holiness is the one that drives us to love our neighbors.
As Jesus gives us a teaching on humility in this Gospel narrative he warns us not to be carried away by titles and honors that come our way because titles and honors have no value in the kingdom of God and at the end of the day we will be judged by how well we obeyed his Word.
We are clothed with authentic and true humility when we can place ourselves in the service of the church and others without any expectation whatsoever. Jesus is challenging us now to give of ourselves to God and to others because greatness comes from serving God and our neighbor.
St. Bonaventure describes humility as a voluntary self-abasement resulting from our understanding and knowledge of our own frailty. In other words, humility should move us to trust wholly in God and not fear men and or attach our hearts to things that are transitory regardless of how good these may be.
Humility is the surest way to sanctity for as St. Peter says in 1 Pet 5:5 “God opposes the proud but gives Grace to the humble.” Indeed, humility is the most powerful weapon to defeat the evil one because humility is the virtue that the devil fears most because this is a virtue that the devil is unable to imitate.
1st Reading: Isa 1:10, 16-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 50:8-9, 16bc-17, 21-23 “To the upright I will show the saving power of God.”
GOSPEL: MATT 23:1-12
Key Verse: “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled
and, whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” (v.12)
Today we live in a world that is so different than the one that we were born into. It has not only become so diverse but today we have a society that rewards accomplishments and achievements.
And though we often see this in the corporate sector where new graduates from exclusive institutions with honors tucked under their belt have more chances of landing a job with a lucrative starting pay than the average applicant armed with a so-so transcript of records, this culture has crept even into the spiritual realm where programs and projects have been prioritized over and above the primary mission of the church which is to evangelize.
These days people love to be recognized, appreciated, honored and praised and it’s perfectly normal especially for people who are propelled by success that drives them to aim for more honors. Accomplished athletes are like that and they don’t normally rest until they have broken all the records in their field.
An episode in my life that I could not forget was when I worked for a very large TV News Network that has a policy that offered monetary rewards for exclusive stories or what was commonly referred to as a “scoop.” It didn’t take long before I started submitting scoop after scoop that left the competition behind. But success got into my head and I became arrogant and indifferent. I became discourteous even to my superiors.
I could still recall the day when the general manager of the network called me to his office and let me listen to a recording of a radio communication I had with one of our News Editors and it was my voice on the tape uttering expletives an act that is forbidden by the network management. I knew it was wrong but arrogance got the better of me and instead of apologizing I stood up and said I will resign and move to another network.
As I headed for the door, the general manager said: “Ed if you step out of that door there will be 10 others who will be scrambling to get your job. You can go on leave for 15 days without pay and come back.” I was taken aback and it put me back into my senses and I said: “Yes Sir, I’ll take the leave. I’m sorry Sir.” I emerged from that encounter a better person and I didn’t even looked at it as a humiliation but a jolt that I needed to remind me that I wasn’t indispensable no matter how good I was then.
In today’s Gospel passage we see Jesus directing the attention of the crowd who were listening to him on the hypocrisy of the religious leaders who were making it hard for the people to know God as a loving God.
While Jesus was telling the people to respect the Scribes and Pharisees who sit on Moses’s seat he was also telling the people to refrain from doing what the Pharisees are doing. In effect, what Jesus was saying was that many of the Pharisees only have a head knowledge of the Scriptures but they do not do what they teach. Knowledge is not enough and at times pure knowledge can be disastrous as we may be drawing too much on our human wisdom instead of God’s wisdom.
Knowledge must be accompanied by obedience which is one of the two pillars of a fruitful and fulfilled Christian life – the other being humility which Christ also teaches at the end of this passage.
And here Jesus outlined the things that the Pharisees do which contradict their teachings. Beginning in v.3, Jesus accused the Pharisees of “not practicing what they preach.” Walk the talk is what we often hear not only in the Church and even in the secular world. What this simply means is to do what we proclaim with our lips.
Jesus never taught what he had not done or experienced. Let’s say for example that you took up law or engineering, it follows that you can teach law or engineering but not chemistry or English. In the Church, we cannot teach about obedience if we ourselves are not. We must have a first-hand knowledge of how it is to be obedient.
He also criticized the Pharisees for their vainglory saying: “Everything they do is done for men to see.” (v.5) The Pharisees loved to sit at the head table, in front of the congregation and at times pray aloud on street corners for people to see. This is the same with us at times. Don’t our ears flap at each flattery that comes our way? It is not at all bad to ask others what they think of your teaching or your talk for as long as you will use these to further improve your skills. In my life in the Church I have seen many who have fallen into this error. Desire for positions of leadership in business and in the church is common. But it becomes a dangerous proposition when love for position becomes stronger than love for God.
In this Season of Lent let us reflect on what Jesus has been saying in all his teachings that holiness is basically internal and not an external disposition. And the only connection between the two is the fact that this internal holiness is the one that drives us to love our neighbors.
As Jesus gives us a teaching on humility in this Gospel narrative he warns us not to be carried away by titles and honors that come our way because titles and honors have no value in the kingdom of God and at the end of the day we will be judged by how well we obeyed his Word.
We are clothed with authentic and true humility when we can place ourselves in the service of the church and others without any expectation whatsoever. Jesus is challenging us now to give of ourselves to God and to others because greatness comes from serving God and our neighbor.
St. Bonaventure describes humility as a voluntary self-abasement resulting from our understanding and knowledge of our own frailty. In other words, humility should move us to trust wholly in God and not fear men and or attach our hearts to things that are transitory regardless of how good these may be.
Humility is the surest way to sanctity for as St. Peter says in 1 Pet 5:5 “God opposes the proud but gives Grace to the humble.” Indeed, humility is the most powerful weapon to defeat the evil one because humility is the virtue that the devil fears most because this is a virtue that the devil is unable to imitate.
COURSE ON CHRISTIAN BEHAVIOR
FORGIVENESS OPENS THE DOOR TO HEAVEN
FEB. 25, 2013: SECOND WEEK OF LENT
1st Reading: Dn 9:4b-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 79:8,9,11-13 “Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.”
GOSPEL: LK 6:36-38
Key Verse: “Give and it will be given to you.” (v.37)
Are you aware that the Lenten Season starting from Ash Wednesday up to Easter Sunday can be compared to a 47-day crash course on how to live life as an authentic Christian and anyone who will devoutly contemplate on the Liturgical Readings throughout this season and listen to what God is saying through the Scriptures that are amplified by the homily of the Priests at Mass will emerge from it as a new person inside out.
The Readings are so organized that it serves as a guide for everyone who wants to step out of the darkness to which they are mired in and onto the marvelous light of God. The focal point of the season of repentance and forgiveness is all about metanoia or the complete transformation of the person (Rom 12:2) through our immersion in the Word of God which should transfigure us into the image of God that will make it easy for us to understand and abide by the Will of God for us.
This is what the Lenten Season is all about. It is about God recreating us by the example he has set and it begins with our turning away from sin and being faithful to the Gospel (Mk 1:15; Acts 3:19), for us to be humble as Jesus Christ himself did (Phil 2:6), and he came to serve and to offer his life as a ransom for us all (Mk 10:45).
Lent is about God reshaping us by impressing upon us the need to die to our own self by denying ourselves and through humility learn to seek forgiveness and in the same way extend forgiveness to those who may have wronged us. Through his Holy Spirit he comes into our lives to give us the inspiration, strength and perseverance to take up our cross daily and, the spirit of obedience to follow him wherever he takes us (Lk 9:23).
Humility, obedience, forgiveness and love are the core of the Lenten Season and these are the Christian ethics that God wants us to possess because these are the standards that will help transform us through prayer into becoming not only children of God but being God-like which is the nature to which we have all been created.
This outpouring of God’s incomparable and unparalleled love is what we call Grace and it is this Grace that that allow us to treat others as God wishes them to be treated with loving-kindness and mercy. God is good that he sends rain on the just and the unjust as well as to the evil and the good (Matt 5:43-48).
His love encompasses both the saints and sinners alike and God doesn’t distinguish as to whom he will apportion his love because God seeks man’s highest good. In the same, what he is telling us is that we must also seek the greatest good of others including those who may hate and abuse us.
We all should emerge out of the Lenten Season without the negativity that have ruled our lives in the past. God’s instructions that are in the Liturgical Readings during the season are designed to transform us into better persons because the standards that God wants is for us to do good instead of just avoiding sin.
From school we often read a sign on top the blackboard that reads “Don’t do unto others what you don’t want others do unto you.” But this is the negative connotation of the Golden Rule and God’s ethics is not just for us not to do what is bad but primarily to “do unto others what you want others do unto you.” This is the very essence of Christian conduct which should move us to actively do good and not simply refrain from doing what is bad.
To be a Christian is not at all easy and at some point in time we all have to carry our crosses and be nailed to it. I have been in the Media Business all my life. I started as a Radio Announcer then progressed to Television until I was moved to the Print Sector where I established a reputation as a fearless journalist.
I became arrogant in the process as I moved with the thought that the power of the pen was mightier than the sword. I carried a gun on my waist and did not hesitate to pull it out when I felt threatened. The insatiable appetite for material possessions drove me to set aside all ethical standards of my profession. I had it all. That’s what I thought. But I wasn’t happy. Inside me was the longing for true joy and not just fleeting happiness. My heart wanted peace, the kind of serenity that has no room for fear and anxiety.
God found me in this state and he brought me to the renewal where he revealed himself to me. He led me to my second baptism where God changed the dichotomous life that I lived. As God poured out his kindness and mercy on me he also gave me the courage to take that leap of faith from the dark world I was in and into his marvelous light.
As I grew in my spirituality, I learned to seek forgiveness of those I have wronged including government officials who became the constant target of my reportage some of whom I met as they too were brought by God to the renewal movement. As I felt the joy of being forgiven, I too forgave those who have wronged me including my two business partners who gypped me of my share in the business and the architect whom I harbored a grudge after he botched the renovation of my house.
What then is the reason why God wants us to adapt to his standards of humility, obedience, forgiveness and love. The reason is that when we are able to do these, it will make us look like God for that is the way he acts. Jesus says in Matthew “be perfect as my Heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matt 5:48) and we rationalize that God is perfect because he is God and we ignore that which will make us perfect because of our resistance to disrobe ourselves of our pride.
God’s perfection lies in our being able to love everyone including those whom we perceive to be our enemies. This is what Lent is all about. This season has been so designed to give us the opportunity to turn away from sin through fasting and prayer and to turn to God who is the source of the true joy and eternal life that can only be found in Him and to also give to others what we have received.
1st Reading: Dn 9:4b-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 79:8,9,11-13 “Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.”
GOSPEL: LK 6:36-38
Key Verse: “Give and it will be given to you.” (v.37)
Are you aware that the Lenten Season starting from Ash Wednesday up to Easter Sunday can be compared to a 47-day crash course on how to live life as an authentic Christian and anyone who will devoutly contemplate on the Liturgical Readings throughout this season and listen to what God is saying through the Scriptures that are amplified by the homily of the Priests at Mass will emerge from it as a new person inside out.
The Readings are so organized that it serves as a guide for everyone who wants to step out of the darkness to which they are mired in and onto the marvelous light of God. The focal point of the season of repentance and forgiveness is all about metanoia or the complete transformation of the person (Rom 12:2) through our immersion in the Word of God which should transfigure us into the image of God that will make it easy for us to understand and abide by the Will of God for us.
This is what the Lenten Season is all about. It is about God recreating us by the example he has set and it begins with our turning away from sin and being faithful to the Gospel (Mk 1:15; Acts 3:19), for us to be humble as Jesus Christ himself did (Phil 2:6), and he came to serve and to offer his life as a ransom for us all (Mk 10:45).
Lent is about God reshaping us by impressing upon us the need to die to our own self by denying ourselves and through humility learn to seek forgiveness and in the same way extend forgiveness to those who may have wronged us. Through his Holy Spirit he comes into our lives to give us the inspiration, strength and perseverance to take up our cross daily and, the spirit of obedience to follow him wherever he takes us (Lk 9:23).
Humility, obedience, forgiveness and love are the core of the Lenten Season and these are the Christian ethics that God wants us to possess because these are the standards that will help transform us through prayer into becoming not only children of God but being God-like which is the nature to which we have all been created.
This outpouring of God’s incomparable and unparalleled love is what we call Grace and it is this Grace that that allow us to treat others as God wishes them to be treated with loving-kindness and mercy. God is good that he sends rain on the just and the unjust as well as to the evil and the good (Matt 5:43-48).
His love encompasses both the saints and sinners alike and God doesn’t distinguish as to whom he will apportion his love because God seeks man’s highest good. In the same, what he is telling us is that we must also seek the greatest good of others including those who may hate and abuse us.
We all should emerge out of the Lenten Season without the negativity that have ruled our lives in the past. God’s instructions that are in the Liturgical Readings during the season are designed to transform us into better persons because the standards that God wants is for us to do good instead of just avoiding sin.
From school we often read a sign on top the blackboard that reads “Don’t do unto others what you don’t want others do unto you.” But this is the negative connotation of the Golden Rule and God’s ethics is not just for us not to do what is bad but primarily to “do unto others what you want others do unto you.” This is the very essence of Christian conduct which should move us to actively do good and not simply refrain from doing what is bad.
To be a Christian is not at all easy and at some point in time we all have to carry our crosses and be nailed to it. I have been in the Media Business all my life. I started as a Radio Announcer then progressed to Television until I was moved to the Print Sector where I established a reputation as a fearless journalist.
I became arrogant in the process as I moved with the thought that the power of the pen was mightier than the sword. I carried a gun on my waist and did not hesitate to pull it out when I felt threatened. The insatiable appetite for material possessions drove me to set aside all ethical standards of my profession. I had it all. That’s what I thought. But I wasn’t happy. Inside me was the longing for true joy and not just fleeting happiness. My heart wanted peace, the kind of serenity that has no room for fear and anxiety.
God found me in this state and he brought me to the renewal where he revealed himself to me. He led me to my second baptism where God changed the dichotomous life that I lived. As God poured out his kindness and mercy on me he also gave me the courage to take that leap of faith from the dark world I was in and into his marvelous light.
As I grew in my spirituality, I learned to seek forgiveness of those I have wronged including government officials who became the constant target of my reportage some of whom I met as they too were brought by God to the renewal movement. As I felt the joy of being forgiven, I too forgave those who have wronged me including my two business partners who gypped me of my share in the business and the architect whom I harbored a grudge after he botched the renovation of my house.
What then is the reason why God wants us to adapt to his standards of humility, obedience, forgiveness and love. The reason is that when we are able to do these, it will make us look like God for that is the way he acts. Jesus says in Matthew “be perfect as my Heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matt 5:48) and we rationalize that God is perfect because he is God and we ignore that which will make us perfect because of our resistance to disrobe ourselves of our pride.
God’s perfection lies in our being able to love everyone including those whom we perceive to be our enemies. This is what Lent is all about. This season has been so designed to give us the opportunity to turn away from sin through fasting and prayer and to turn to God who is the source of the true joy and eternal life that can only be found in Him and to also give to others what we have received.
TRANSFIGURED POLITICS
FEB. 24, 2013: SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT
1st Reading: Gen 15:5-12, 17-18
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 27:1, 7-9, 13-14 “The Lord is my light and my salvation.”
2nd Reading: Phi 3:20-4:1
GOSPEL: Lk 9:28-36
Key Verse: “This is my Son, whom I have chosen;
listen to him.” (v.35)
Let me begin with these words - metamorphosis, conversion and, transformation because these are some of the words that are used to define transfiguration. And it is necessary for us to know what transfiguration means so that we will at least have an idea of what took place at Mt. Hermon that the Church describes as the Transfiguration of Our Lord.
The fact that this event is depicted in all the Synoptic Gospels (Mt 17:1-6; Mk 9:2-10 and Lk 9:28-36) makes the Transfiguration one of the most significant events in the life of Jesus.
Mark’s account says that Jesus was transfigured while he was with Peter, James and John on high mountain as his clothes turned into dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them (Mk 9:2-3) and before them appeared Elijah and Moses who talked to Jesus (Mk 9:4). Luke, on the other hand, wrote that “his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.” (Lk 9:29)
There was also something peculiar and common to all of the three major characters in this event (Jesus, Elijah and Moses) and that is the mountain. We see in the Scriptures that Jesus always goes to a mountain or something higher especially to pray at night.
The same was true for Moses who was given the Ten Commandments written on tablets of stone on Mt. Sinai and Elijah encountered God in Mt. Horeb. There was no clear explanation for their choice of a mountain to pray and the only plausible explanation could be that it brings them closer to heaven where God is supposed to be, and it could also be the stillness of the place that makes it conducive to prayer.
The Transfiguration of Our Lord is deemed significant because as his Baptism in the River Jordan by John the Baptist was the starting point of his public life and his Ascension to Heaven the end of his earthly mission, the Transfiguration was the culminating event of his ministry.
This event was also important to Jesus because it confirmed the Will of God for him to proceed with his salvific journey to finally bind the powers of Satan and the world to reconcile all men through his death on the cross.
And the appearance of Eljah and Moses was not a coincidence but part of God’s design so that the Apostles – at least the three of them Peter, James and John – can testify to the truth that Jesus indeed was the Son of God. The presence of the three Apostles made them witnesses of the Glory of Jesus Christ and this is important because as witnesses, they must first see and then show to the world what they have seen. This is the same with us. In order for us to witness for Christ, we must first encounter him and be transfigured into his image and then go out into the world and make disciples of all nations (Matt 28:18).
What the Transfiguration showed was that in everything that he does, Jesus always asks the Father to direct his works and this decision to go to Jerusalem was no different. Jesus placed his life in the hands of the Father in heaven and this was what Jesus was actually telling his disciples that they are to put all their trust in God.
What makes this narrative significant was the transfiguration of the personhood of Jesus Christ from being a Teacher or Rabbi into the sacrificial lamb who will be offered as an expiation for our sins. When God spoke in v.35, Jesus knew that it was the Will of the One who sent him that he should go to Jerusalem and suffer for all of mankind.
In this Gospel narrative, Jesus is actually inviting each one of us to take a leap of faith and step out of our comfort zones and into the unknown. When Jesus went up to Mt. Hermon, he was stepping into the unknown and he needed to pray and ask God for an affirmation that going to Jerusalem to suffer and die was the right thing to do.
This is also what we are being asked now as we as a Church step into the unknowns of the political arena but this is something that we all need to do if we are to save not only our country from being decapitated by the so-called death bills but to save our Catholic Christian values.
Serving God is filled with “unknowns” and only those among us who are bold enough to go up to our own Mt. Hermon and seek God in prayer will be equipped with the strength to enable us to also carry our crosses and experience our own transfiguration so that we may also know that we do not belong to this generation.
What is happening to us as the concerned Church in the Philippines is that we are now metamorphosing from a passive and non-participatory church into a more pro-active church that is being drawn into a powerful force to protect and preserve life and the Filipino family. While many Catholics are stifled by the decree on the separation of the church and the state, it would most assuredly help if we take a look at an excerpt from Par. 10 of the Closing Message of the Synod of Bishops which says: “A field in which the light of the Gospel can and must shine in order to illuminate humanity's footsteps is politics. Politics requires a commitment of selfless and sincere care for the common good by fully respecting the dignity of the human person from conception to natural end, honoring the family founded by the marriage of a man and a woman and protecting academic freedom; by removing the causes of injustice, inequality, discrimination, violence, racism, hunger and war. Christians are asked to give a clear witness to the precept of charity in the exercise of politics.”
There is nothing that God wants than to share his glory with us and the transfiguration that gave Peter, James and John the unique opportunity to have witnessed the glory of God in its fullness as Jesus appeared in glory with Moses and Elijah can also happen to us if we will only abide by his Word.
We as disciples of Christ are called to be witnesses of his glory and we have to make it a habit to listen to Jesus as what Paul the Apostle said to the people of Corinth: “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Cor 3:18)
Thus we must ask in faith what God wants from us today. The transfiguration shows us that God simply wants us to obey his Son. When God spoke from the clouds and said “listen to him” it means we are not to just read the Scriptures, enroll in seminars and workshops, go to prayer meetings and attend Bible-sharing sessions but what he wants is for us to move and act on what we hear and casting our vote for the right candidates following a prayerful discernment process is one of the ways we can contribute to the conversion and or transfiguration of the political environment.
This Transfiguration event is actually a message for everyone who wishes to follow Our Lord especially those who regard themselves as disciples. The Lenten Season is the time for us to take stock of our relationship with Jesus Christ because our spirituality rests in our being transfigured into the personhood of Christ. As we step deeper into the season, we must gather all our energies to fuse together our inner and public life which means that who we are when no one is looking is the same as what people see. This is what we call integrity and this is our spirituality.
To listen is to obey. That’s the bottom line. This means that we are to die to our human nature and be transfigured into the nature of Christ. It also means we are to serve God by serving men without counting the cost even in the political field.
And if we as disciples want to give honor and glory to Jesus and look forward to joining him in heaven where we can behold His majesty and power, then all we need to do is to heed what the Apostle Paul told the people of Corinth: “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” (1 Cor 11:1)
1st Reading: Gen 15:5-12, 17-18
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 27:1, 7-9, 13-14 “The Lord is my light and my salvation.”
2nd Reading: Phi 3:20-4:1
GOSPEL: Lk 9:28-36
Key Verse: “This is my Son, whom I have chosen;
listen to him.” (v.35)
Let me begin with these words - metamorphosis, conversion and, transformation because these are some of the words that are used to define transfiguration. And it is necessary for us to know what transfiguration means so that we will at least have an idea of what took place at Mt. Hermon that the Church describes as the Transfiguration of Our Lord.
The fact that this event is depicted in all the Synoptic Gospels (Mt 17:1-6; Mk 9:2-10 and Lk 9:28-36) makes the Transfiguration one of the most significant events in the life of Jesus.
Mark’s account says that Jesus was transfigured while he was with Peter, James and John on high mountain as his clothes turned into dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them (Mk 9:2-3) and before them appeared Elijah and Moses who talked to Jesus (Mk 9:4). Luke, on the other hand, wrote that “his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.” (Lk 9:29)
There was also something peculiar and common to all of the three major characters in this event (Jesus, Elijah and Moses) and that is the mountain. We see in the Scriptures that Jesus always goes to a mountain or something higher especially to pray at night.
The same was true for Moses who was given the Ten Commandments written on tablets of stone on Mt. Sinai and Elijah encountered God in Mt. Horeb. There was no clear explanation for their choice of a mountain to pray and the only plausible explanation could be that it brings them closer to heaven where God is supposed to be, and it could also be the stillness of the place that makes it conducive to prayer.
The Transfiguration of Our Lord is deemed significant because as his Baptism in the River Jordan by John the Baptist was the starting point of his public life and his Ascension to Heaven the end of his earthly mission, the Transfiguration was the culminating event of his ministry.
This event was also important to Jesus because it confirmed the Will of God for him to proceed with his salvific journey to finally bind the powers of Satan and the world to reconcile all men through his death on the cross.
And the appearance of Eljah and Moses was not a coincidence but part of God’s design so that the Apostles – at least the three of them Peter, James and John – can testify to the truth that Jesus indeed was the Son of God. The presence of the three Apostles made them witnesses of the Glory of Jesus Christ and this is important because as witnesses, they must first see and then show to the world what they have seen. This is the same with us. In order for us to witness for Christ, we must first encounter him and be transfigured into his image and then go out into the world and make disciples of all nations (Matt 28:18).
What the Transfiguration showed was that in everything that he does, Jesus always asks the Father to direct his works and this decision to go to Jerusalem was no different. Jesus placed his life in the hands of the Father in heaven and this was what Jesus was actually telling his disciples that they are to put all their trust in God.
What makes this narrative significant was the transfiguration of the personhood of Jesus Christ from being a Teacher or Rabbi into the sacrificial lamb who will be offered as an expiation for our sins. When God spoke in v.35, Jesus knew that it was the Will of the One who sent him that he should go to Jerusalem and suffer for all of mankind.
In this Gospel narrative, Jesus is actually inviting each one of us to take a leap of faith and step out of our comfort zones and into the unknown. When Jesus went up to Mt. Hermon, he was stepping into the unknown and he needed to pray and ask God for an affirmation that going to Jerusalem to suffer and die was the right thing to do.
This is also what we are being asked now as we as a Church step into the unknowns of the political arena but this is something that we all need to do if we are to save not only our country from being decapitated by the so-called death bills but to save our Catholic Christian values.
Serving God is filled with “unknowns” and only those among us who are bold enough to go up to our own Mt. Hermon and seek God in prayer will be equipped with the strength to enable us to also carry our crosses and experience our own transfiguration so that we may also know that we do not belong to this generation.
What is happening to us as the concerned Church in the Philippines is that we are now metamorphosing from a passive and non-participatory church into a more pro-active church that is being drawn into a powerful force to protect and preserve life and the Filipino family. While many Catholics are stifled by the decree on the separation of the church and the state, it would most assuredly help if we take a look at an excerpt from Par. 10 of the Closing Message of the Synod of Bishops which says: “A field in which the light of the Gospel can and must shine in order to illuminate humanity's footsteps is politics. Politics requires a commitment of selfless and sincere care for the common good by fully respecting the dignity of the human person from conception to natural end, honoring the family founded by the marriage of a man and a woman and protecting academic freedom; by removing the causes of injustice, inequality, discrimination, violence, racism, hunger and war. Christians are asked to give a clear witness to the precept of charity in the exercise of politics.”
There is nothing that God wants than to share his glory with us and the transfiguration that gave Peter, James and John the unique opportunity to have witnessed the glory of God in its fullness as Jesus appeared in glory with Moses and Elijah can also happen to us if we will only abide by his Word.
We as disciples of Christ are called to be witnesses of his glory and we have to make it a habit to listen to Jesus as what Paul the Apostle said to the people of Corinth: “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Cor 3:18)
Thus we must ask in faith what God wants from us today. The transfiguration shows us that God simply wants us to obey his Son. When God spoke from the clouds and said “listen to him” it means we are not to just read the Scriptures, enroll in seminars and workshops, go to prayer meetings and attend Bible-sharing sessions but what he wants is for us to move and act on what we hear and casting our vote for the right candidates following a prayerful discernment process is one of the ways we can contribute to the conversion and or transfiguration of the political environment.
This Transfiguration event is actually a message for everyone who wishes to follow Our Lord especially those who regard themselves as disciples. The Lenten Season is the time for us to take stock of our relationship with Jesus Christ because our spirituality rests in our being transfigured into the personhood of Christ. As we step deeper into the season, we must gather all our energies to fuse together our inner and public life which means that who we are when no one is looking is the same as what people see. This is what we call integrity and this is our spirituality.
To listen is to obey. That’s the bottom line. This means that we are to die to our human nature and be transfigured into the nature of Christ. It also means we are to serve God by serving men without counting the cost even in the political field.
And if we as disciples want to give honor and glory to Jesus and look forward to joining him in heaven where we can behold His majesty and power, then all we need to do is to heed what the Apostle Paul told the people of Corinth: “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” (1 Cor 11:1)
DO WE REALLY KNOW JESUS?
FEB. 22, 2013: FEAST OF THE CHAIR OF ST. PETER, Apostle
1st Reading: 1 Pet 5:1-4
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 23:1-6 “The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want.”
GOSPEL: Mt 16:13-19
Key Verse: “and on this rock I will build my church.” (v.18)
The question that Jesus asked of his disciples is the same question that he is asking most of us in this day and age. “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” (v.13) How would you respond?
If Jesus were to stand before you now and asks the same question he asked of Peter: “What about you, who do you say I am?” (v.15) What would your response be? How about the so-called covenanted disciples of covenanted communities? What about those who turn a deaf ear to God’s call for them to serve? How about those who hold positions of leadership in church organizations? Or how about those who continue to call of the Church to revive its mission which is to proclaim the Gospel that is new in ardor, language and expression.
While we all can draw from the availability of new media tools to provide us with the means to know who God is, it may actually be a disadvantage because there is also the probability that we can get stuck and get mired in just acquiring a head knowledge of God rather than knowing God in a more personal way and his great plan for us. In fact, this is what has been happening to many organizations who focus on structural reorganization instead of going back to the mission of the Church – the same mission that has remain unchanged since Jesus walked on the face of the earth.
This is a very interesting Gospel passage because here we see Jesus beginning to get worried that his teachings have not taken root among his disciples amidst the very little time left in his earthly ministry and so he decides to make a headcount who among his disciples know him.
That Jesus chose to go to Caesarea Philippi is also packed with reason. To be able to determine what his disciples know of him, their subconscious must be at peace and this region is outside the jurisdiction of Herod Antipas.
Caesarea Philippi is also a non-Jewish region where there are numerous temples or places of worship that do not exactly conform to the religious standards that Jesus was trying to establish among the Jews but which are of historical value. It is against this temporal backdrop that Jesus wanted to know from his disciples if they really know him and the setting he chose should provide his disciples with a comparative view of the world and its religions and the divinity of Jesus himself.
But when Jesus first posed the question: “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” (v.13) Jesus received divergent points of views as some said he was John the Baptist, others say Elijah and others Jeremiah. Again, there was a reason for these differences of opinion borne out of the refusal of the Jews to acknowledge him as coming from God. While many Jews were amazed at his teachings, Jesus was not received as the Messiah but placed him in the category of prophets who merely herald the coming of the Messiah.
After listening to the different interpretations as to how he was perceived to be by the people, Jesus now turns to his disciples probably to make sure that his disciples have absorbed everything that he has said and seen what he has done because if they have not at least understood, then it will reduce to waste everything that he has done so far.
As in the feeding of the 5,000 which Jesus could not have done so by himself, he needs his disciples to continue his mission of spreading the Good News to the world. Today, he also needs us to keep the Church alive. Which is why Jesus had to ask Peter and he is also asking us now: “And how about you? Who do you say that I am?” (v.15)
From wanting to know what others know about him, Jesus now turns to his own flock to make sure they “know” him. In both the Hebrew and Greek language, to “know” a person is not just to know about his persona, his family lineage, his ethnicity or his profession. To “know” is to get into the person himself, to empathize with him, to get to know his feelings.
In other words, to “know” is to be one with the person. This is the rationale behind the question that Jesus asked of his disciples. And this is the same question that Jesus is asking all of us. Do we really “know” him? Do we “know” what is in his heart? Do we “know” his thoughts, his emotions, his goals and mission, the Words he spoke and which were handed down to us from generations to generations?
This is important because it would be pointless for us to join in this crusade of spreading the Good News if we do not know the person we are trying to introduce to the world. Like Peter who, blessed by the Father in heaven, made the great discovery that Jesus “is the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (v.16) we, too, must on our own accord discover what Peter discovered.
This should now become the foundation of our faith because Christianity is not just about knowing about Jesus but it is rooted in being one with Jesus because this is the only way that we can let others get into the heart of Jesus. God’s revelation moved Jesus to designate Peter as the rock who will help build the Church that Christ will establish but there shouldn’t be any debate at all that Jesus is the rock himself.
What I deem to be important in this passage is the matter of binding and loosing. These phrases are parabolic in a sense because it describes the custom of the Jews in deciding which need to be bound or prohibited and which can be loosed or allowed. But when Jesus addressed Peter saying: “I will give you the keys of heaven” (v.19) Jesus actually gave Peter the responsibility to make decisions for the Church.
This same responsibility is what has also been passed on to us today. Leaders and members of church organizations are always being asked to make responsible decisions that impact the Church as a whole.
One of these is to make sure that we all live in peace with one another, not insisting on the righteousness of one’s actions against the other but communal living in which we all recognize the strengths and weaknesses of one another.
Life in the Church is not about imposing our ideas, thoughts, perceptions, feelings and our will on the other be it in an apostolate or ministry, but in living as one thoroughly accepting the fact that while one is different from the other we have all been predestined to be God’s adopted sons through Jesus Christ. This is the reason why we need to constantly examine our motivation for we may be veering away from what God wants and giving in to what we want.
As members of the Church we all share in the same glory of God in union with the Rock who is the foundation of our faith – Jesus Christ Our Lord. The New Testament describes the church, the people of God, as a spiritual house or temple with each member joined together as living stones (1 Pet 2:5). Thus, faith in Jesus Christ turns us into rocks and spiritual stones and Our Lord Jesus will definitely test each one of us with the same question: “Who do you say that I am?”
1st Reading: 1 Pet 5:1-4
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 23:1-6 “The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want.”
GOSPEL: Mt 16:13-19
Key Verse: “and on this rock I will build my church.” (v.18)
The question that Jesus asked of his disciples is the same question that he is asking most of us in this day and age. “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” (v.13) How would you respond?
If Jesus were to stand before you now and asks the same question he asked of Peter: “What about you, who do you say I am?” (v.15) What would your response be? How about the so-called covenanted disciples of covenanted communities? What about those who turn a deaf ear to God’s call for them to serve? How about those who hold positions of leadership in church organizations? Or how about those who continue to call of the Church to revive its mission which is to proclaim the Gospel that is new in ardor, language and expression.
While we all can draw from the availability of new media tools to provide us with the means to know who God is, it may actually be a disadvantage because there is also the probability that we can get stuck and get mired in just acquiring a head knowledge of God rather than knowing God in a more personal way and his great plan for us. In fact, this is what has been happening to many organizations who focus on structural reorganization instead of going back to the mission of the Church – the same mission that has remain unchanged since Jesus walked on the face of the earth.
This is a very interesting Gospel passage because here we see Jesus beginning to get worried that his teachings have not taken root among his disciples amidst the very little time left in his earthly ministry and so he decides to make a headcount who among his disciples know him.
That Jesus chose to go to Caesarea Philippi is also packed with reason. To be able to determine what his disciples know of him, their subconscious must be at peace and this region is outside the jurisdiction of Herod Antipas.
Caesarea Philippi is also a non-Jewish region where there are numerous temples or places of worship that do not exactly conform to the religious standards that Jesus was trying to establish among the Jews but which are of historical value. It is against this temporal backdrop that Jesus wanted to know from his disciples if they really know him and the setting he chose should provide his disciples with a comparative view of the world and its religions and the divinity of Jesus himself.
But when Jesus first posed the question: “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” (v.13) Jesus received divergent points of views as some said he was John the Baptist, others say Elijah and others Jeremiah. Again, there was a reason for these differences of opinion borne out of the refusal of the Jews to acknowledge him as coming from God. While many Jews were amazed at his teachings, Jesus was not received as the Messiah but placed him in the category of prophets who merely herald the coming of the Messiah.
After listening to the different interpretations as to how he was perceived to be by the people, Jesus now turns to his disciples probably to make sure that his disciples have absorbed everything that he has said and seen what he has done because if they have not at least understood, then it will reduce to waste everything that he has done so far.
As in the feeding of the 5,000 which Jesus could not have done so by himself, he needs his disciples to continue his mission of spreading the Good News to the world. Today, he also needs us to keep the Church alive. Which is why Jesus had to ask Peter and he is also asking us now: “And how about you? Who do you say that I am?” (v.15)
From wanting to know what others know about him, Jesus now turns to his own flock to make sure they “know” him. In both the Hebrew and Greek language, to “know” a person is not just to know about his persona, his family lineage, his ethnicity or his profession. To “know” is to get into the person himself, to empathize with him, to get to know his feelings.
In other words, to “know” is to be one with the person. This is the rationale behind the question that Jesus asked of his disciples. And this is the same question that Jesus is asking all of us. Do we really “know” him? Do we “know” what is in his heart? Do we “know” his thoughts, his emotions, his goals and mission, the Words he spoke and which were handed down to us from generations to generations?
This is important because it would be pointless for us to join in this crusade of spreading the Good News if we do not know the person we are trying to introduce to the world. Like Peter who, blessed by the Father in heaven, made the great discovery that Jesus “is the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (v.16) we, too, must on our own accord discover what Peter discovered.
This should now become the foundation of our faith because Christianity is not just about knowing about Jesus but it is rooted in being one with Jesus because this is the only way that we can let others get into the heart of Jesus. God’s revelation moved Jesus to designate Peter as the rock who will help build the Church that Christ will establish but there shouldn’t be any debate at all that Jesus is the rock himself.
What I deem to be important in this passage is the matter of binding and loosing. These phrases are parabolic in a sense because it describes the custom of the Jews in deciding which need to be bound or prohibited and which can be loosed or allowed. But when Jesus addressed Peter saying: “I will give you the keys of heaven” (v.19) Jesus actually gave Peter the responsibility to make decisions for the Church.
This same responsibility is what has also been passed on to us today. Leaders and members of church organizations are always being asked to make responsible decisions that impact the Church as a whole.
One of these is to make sure that we all live in peace with one another, not insisting on the righteousness of one’s actions against the other but communal living in which we all recognize the strengths and weaknesses of one another.
Life in the Church is not about imposing our ideas, thoughts, perceptions, feelings and our will on the other be it in an apostolate or ministry, but in living as one thoroughly accepting the fact that while one is different from the other we have all been predestined to be God’s adopted sons through Jesus Christ. This is the reason why we need to constantly examine our motivation for we may be veering away from what God wants and giving in to what we want.
As members of the Church we all share in the same glory of God in union with the Rock who is the foundation of our faith – Jesus Christ Our Lord. The New Testament describes the church, the people of God, as a spiritual house or temple with each member joined together as living stones (1 Pet 2:5). Thus, faith in Jesus Christ turns us into rocks and spiritual stones and Our Lord Jesus will definitely test each one of us with the same question: “Who do you say that I am?”
POWER OF PRAYER
FEB. 21, 2013: FIRST WEEK OF LENT
1st Reading: Es 12, 14-16, 23-25
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 138:1-3, 7-8 “Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.”
GOSPEL: Matt 7:7-12
Key Verse: “how much more will your Father in heaven give
good gifts to those who ask him!” (v.11)
The topic of prayer is a boring proposition and you can only get the attention of the people in a room if you invite a powerful speaker who can introduce new disciplines in prayer that will not compromise the busyness of the people’s everyday life.
Perhaps the reason why our current social environment has been infected not just by secularism but by relativism which has practically destroyed the moral fibers of society is because the people are no longer praying as they should.
I grew up in a purely Catholic home, studied in a Catholic school and my mother kept badgering me about the importance of prayer and I’m perfectly comfortable with prayer and praying. But those who may not be predisposed to prayer should know that it is our lifeline to God, that it is a platform through we can come to God for our needs.
And as we are on the subject of prayer, let me quote from what St. John Chrysostom said: “Prayer is an all-efficient panoply, a treasure undiminished, a mine never exhausted, a sky unobstructed by clouds, a haven unruffled by storm. It is the root, the fountain, and the mother of a thousand blessings. It exceeds a monarch’s power. I speak not of the prayer which is cold and feeble and devoid of zeal. I speak of that which proceeds from a mind outstretched, the child of a contrite spirit, the offspring of a soul converted – this is the prayer which mounts to heaven. The power of prayer has subdued the strength of fire, bridled the rage of lions, silenced anarchy, extinguished wars, appeased the elements, expelled demons, burst the chains of death, enlarged the gates of heaven, relieved diseases, averted frauds, rescued cities from destruction, stayed the sun in its course, and arrested the progress of the thunderbolt. In sum prayer has power to destroy whatever is at enmity with the good.”
That God will never refuse our prayers is seen in the Gospel passage today that speaks of the kind of persistence that we need to put in our prayers. Roget’s Thesaurus defines persistence as perseverance, constancy, staying power, pertinacity, tenacity, tenaciousness, doggedness, indefatigability, boldness and relentless. There are other words related to persistence but what are enumerated here more or less provides us an idea of what persistence means.
Of these words, I particularly like tenaciousness, doggedness, boldness and relentless since these words aptly describe the action of the man in this parable who went to his friend and neighbor to ask for bread in the middle of the night because a friend of his who was on a journey stopped over his house and he was caught unprepared.
We need to gloss on the culture of the people at the time so that we can at least grasp the scenario in this parable. Many travelers in those days travel at night to avoid the day’s hot temperature and this particular traveler went to the man’s house because the man was his friend and he knew perfectly well that he would not be refused.
The man was embarrassed because he had ran out of bread and so he, in turn, mustered all the tenacity that he could to knock and wake up his neighbor to ask for bread. Tradition has it that bread which is the primary staple of the Jews in those days was baked at home but households would normally bake just enough for the needs of the family for the day.
The family of the neighbor was already asleep and he didn’t want to open his door lest the commotion wake up his family but there were two compelling reasons why he did open his door and give the man the bread he was asking for.
One is because of the “shameless persistence” (v.8) of the man. The other reason is that hospitality was a sacred duty at that time and to refuse to give bread to a neighbor in need would bring shame because it was a sign of inhospitality and the neighbor couldn’t risk being labeled as inhospitable especially to a friend who had a valid reason for waking him up even in the dead of the night.
Which is why this parable is not just about persistent prayer which is our common understanding of this parable but this Gospel is also about us particularly in the way we relate to our neighbor and we might again ask “who is my neighbor?” Well, anyone who is in need is our neighbor and in this parable the man who was traveling and who dropped in unannounced definitely fell into the category of what a neighbor was.
I am sure that there are some of you who was like the neighbor who at first refused to get up and open his door. There were times before in my life when I also acted in the same way when I refused to help even a friend who would pop out from nowhere and especially if they would come when I am in a bad mood.
What this parable is telling us is that generosity knows no bounds and, similar to the tradition of the Jews we are obliged to be hospitable and help our friends and neighbors when they come to us for help even if they come at a most inopportune time which means we are not to refuse anyone who will ask us for help. In other words, we are to be ready to help 24/7.
Such generosity on our part finds a model in the magnanimity of Our Lord Jesus Christ who said: “if we believe you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” (Matt 21:22) And in this parable, Jesus provides us with three types of cause and effect when he said: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (v.9)
Ask, seek and knock are the causes which means these are the three things that we need to do to find answers to our prayers. And Jesus assures us he will grant whatever we ask in faith and in this parable he shows us the effect or the result when he said: it will be given us if we ask, we will find if we will only seek, and the door will be opened and all we have to do is knock.
This parable shows that if the boldness of the man could propel his neighbor “to get up and give him as much as he needs,” (v.8) how much more hospitable can God be who is sure to give us what we need.
But such generosity on the part of God is conditioned on the level of trust and confidence that we have in God. And in this parable, God raised the bar even higher because what he is prepared to give us is none other than the Holy Spirit who will not only shower us with his many different gifts but will “…help us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will" Romans 8:26-27 (NIV); CCC 741
The Spirit is the Father's very best gift. It is the gift of Himself to dwell with us and within us forever. The Catechism of the Catholic Church also states in CCC 2652 that: “The Holy Spirit is the living water welling up to eternal life in the heart that prays. It is he who teaches us to accept it at its source: Christ. Indeed in the Christian life there are several wellsprings where Christ awaits us to enable us to drink of the Holy Spirit.”
And “because we are dead or at least wounded through sin, the first effect of the gift of love is the forgiveness of our sins. The communion of the Holy Spirit in the Church restores to the baptized the divine likeness lost through sin.”
1st Reading: Es 12, 14-16, 23-25
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 138:1-3, 7-8 “Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.”
GOSPEL: Matt 7:7-12
Key Verse: “how much more will your Father in heaven give
good gifts to those who ask him!” (v.11)
The topic of prayer is a boring proposition and you can only get the attention of the people in a room if you invite a powerful speaker who can introduce new disciplines in prayer that will not compromise the busyness of the people’s everyday life.
Perhaps the reason why our current social environment has been infected not just by secularism but by relativism which has practically destroyed the moral fibers of society is because the people are no longer praying as they should.
I grew up in a purely Catholic home, studied in a Catholic school and my mother kept badgering me about the importance of prayer and I’m perfectly comfortable with prayer and praying. But those who may not be predisposed to prayer should know that it is our lifeline to God, that it is a platform through we can come to God for our needs.
And as we are on the subject of prayer, let me quote from what St. John Chrysostom said: “Prayer is an all-efficient panoply, a treasure undiminished, a mine never exhausted, a sky unobstructed by clouds, a haven unruffled by storm. It is the root, the fountain, and the mother of a thousand blessings. It exceeds a monarch’s power. I speak not of the prayer which is cold and feeble and devoid of zeal. I speak of that which proceeds from a mind outstretched, the child of a contrite spirit, the offspring of a soul converted – this is the prayer which mounts to heaven. The power of prayer has subdued the strength of fire, bridled the rage of lions, silenced anarchy, extinguished wars, appeased the elements, expelled demons, burst the chains of death, enlarged the gates of heaven, relieved diseases, averted frauds, rescued cities from destruction, stayed the sun in its course, and arrested the progress of the thunderbolt. In sum prayer has power to destroy whatever is at enmity with the good.”
That God will never refuse our prayers is seen in the Gospel passage today that speaks of the kind of persistence that we need to put in our prayers. Roget’s Thesaurus defines persistence as perseverance, constancy, staying power, pertinacity, tenacity, tenaciousness, doggedness, indefatigability, boldness and relentless. There are other words related to persistence but what are enumerated here more or less provides us an idea of what persistence means.
Of these words, I particularly like tenaciousness, doggedness, boldness and relentless since these words aptly describe the action of the man in this parable who went to his friend and neighbor to ask for bread in the middle of the night because a friend of his who was on a journey stopped over his house and he was caught unprepared.
We need to gloss on the culture of the people at the time so that we can at least grasp the scenario in this parable. Many travelers in those days travel at night to avoid the day’s hot temperature and this particular traveler went to the man’s house because the man was his friend and he knew perfectly well that he would not be refused.
The man was embarrassed because he had ran out of bread and so he, in turn, mustered all the tenacity that he could to knock and wake up his neighbor to ask for bread. Tradition has it that bread which is the primary staple of the Jews in those days was baked at home but households would normally bake just enough for the needs of the family for the day.
The family of the neighbor was already asleep and he didn’t want to open his door lest the commotion wake up his family but there were two compelling reasons why he did open his door and give the man the bread he was asking for.
One is because of the “shameless persistence” (v.8) of the man. The other reason is that hospitality was a sacred duty at that time and to refuse to give bread to a neighbor in need would bring shame because it was a sign of inhospitality and the neighbor couldn’t risk being labeled as inhospitable especially to a friend who had a valid reason for waking him up even in the dead of the night.
Which is why this parable is not just about persistent prayer which is our common understanding of this parable but this Gospel is also about us particularly in the way we relate to our neighbor and we might again ask “who is my neighbor?” Well, anyone who is in need is our neighbor and in this parable the man who was traveling and who dropped in unannounced definitely fell into the category of what a neighbor was.
I am sure that there are some of you who was like the neighbor who at first refused to get up and open his door. There were times before in my life when I also acted in the same way when I refused to help even a friend who would pop out from nowhere and especially if they would come when I am in a bad mood.
What this parable is telling us is that generosity knows no bounds and, similar to the tradition of the Jews we are obliged to be hospitable and help our friends and neighbors when they come to us for help even if they come at a most inopportune time which means we are not to refuse anyone who will ask us for help. In other words, we are to be ready to help 24/7.
Such generosity on our part finds a model in the magnanimity of Our Lord Jesus Christ who said: “if we believe you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” (Matt 21:22) And in this parable, Jesus provides us with three types of cause and effect when he said: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (v.9)
Ask, seek and knock are the causes which means these are the three things that we need to do to find answers to our prayers. And Jesus assures us he will grant whatever we ask in faith and in this parable he shows us the effect or the result when he said: it will be given us if we ask, we will find if we will only seek, and the door will be opened and all we have to do is knock.
This parable shows that if the boldness of the man could propel his neighbor “to get up and give him as much as he needs,” (v.8) how much more hospitable can God be who is sure to give us what we need.
But such generosity on the part of God is conditioned on the level of trust and confidence that we have in God. And in this parable, God raised the bar even higher because what he is prepared to give us is none other than the Holy Spirit who will not only shower us with his many different gifts but will “…help us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will" Romans 8:26-27 (NIV); CCC 741
The Spirit is the Father's very best gift. It is the gift of Himself to dwell with us and within us forever. The Catechism of the Catholic Church also states in CCC 2652 that: “The Holy Spirit is the living water welling up to eternal life in the heart that prays. It is he who teaches us to accept it at its source: Christ. Indeed in the Christian life there are several wellsprings where Christ awaits us to enable us to drink of the Holy Spirit.”
And “because we are dead or at least wounded through sin, the first effect of the gift of love is the forgiveness of our sins. The communion of the Holy Spirit in the Church restores to the baptized the divine likeness lost through sin.”
NO OTHER SIGN BUT THE CROSS
FEB. 20, 2013: FIRST WEEK OF LENT
1st Reading: Jon 3:1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 51:3-4, 12-13, 18-19 “A heart contrite and humbled O God, you will not spurn.”
GOSPEL: Lk 11:29-32
Key Verse: “This is a wicked generation, it asks for a sign…” (v.29)
“Prove it to me!” is what we often hear in this perverse world that we live in and even what was before immoral has now become a pervading culture. This is what people who commit wrong say when they are corrected and as the growing culture of relativism sweeps through our society what may be wrong in our eyes may be right for others.
With the Chinese New Year that we just celebrated a couple of weeks back, many people especially those with Chinese ancestry looked to feng shui for signs and some even relied on the position of the sun and planets and the weather as determining factors to guide their business and personal decisions. Doors, windows and even the kind of furniture that you bring into your homes must conform to what feng shui principles say in order to harness positive energies that bring luck and fortune.
Today, many motorists, travellers, hikers, trekkers, mountaineers, or those who step out of the safe confines of their homes to go to an appointment, meeting, or workplace have also made it a habit to look for signs such as road signs to guide them to where they are headed. When we go on out-of-town jaunts I normally look for signs so that I won’t get lost on the way.
Specifically, we need to pay careful attention especially to warning signs because fatal accidents could be avoided if people will only pay attention to such signs especially in Metro Manila where an average of three fatal accidents involving motorcyclists are recorded in the metropolis almost everyday.
Signs are important in the life of the Jew and we see it in this Gospel passage today when the religious leaders demanded a sign from Jesus who in turn gave them a serious warning to avert spiritual disaster. It has been the culture of the Jews to ask for a sign as a way of verifying the authenticity of those claiming to be messengers from God and when the religious leaders asked Jesus for signs he simply responded by saying that he was God's sign and that they need no further evidence from heaven than his own person.
Notwithstanding the many instances of healings, of the dead rising again and, of people freed from demon-possession the religious leaders and some of the Jews in the early days kept pressing on Jesus to give them a sign to support his claim that he is indeed the Son of God.
And this unbelief was what moved Jesus to say what a wicked generation it was that the Jews kept asking for a sign that hides their real intent which was they just couldn’t accept that Jesus to be the Son of God because the Jews were expecting someone more than just a carpenter’s son to save and liberate them.
But instead of providing them with a sign which was yet to come and which was going to be biggest sign the world will ever see, Jesus brought those listening to him to the events of the past when the people of Nineveh repented after they heard Jonah preached to them (v.30) even if Jonah resented it for he was biased against the Ninevites.
Jesus also refreshed their memories to the events surrounding the Queen of Sheba who praised God whom she recognized after she heard Solomon speaking words of wisdom despite the fact that Solomon had many faults of his own.
What Jesus was trying to emphasize to the Jews was the irony behind these two events in the Old Testament in that God can use even those who are imperfect to bring the message of salvation to the people and that he whom the Jews do not recognize was greater than Jonah or Solomon for that matter.
What Jesus was also pointing out was that the healings, the miracles and deliverance from demon-possession were enough signs of someone greater than Jonah or the wisdom of Solomon that the religious leaders refuse to acknowledge.
In effect what Jesus was saying in this Gospel is that “I have given you everything. You have seen what I can do. What sign do you still need for you to believe that I am the Messiah?” What he was trying to stress was that the Jews stand to be condemned because they had more privileges than the people of Nineveh or the Queen of Sheba who both repented after they heard the Word of God spoken to them.
And this is what Jesus is telling our present generation that He has practically given us all the privileges to live our lives as comfortably as we can so that we can find the time to abide by his statutes and yet there are still many in today’s generation who appear to be waiting for a sign before they turn away from their sinfulness.
Compared to the people of Nineveh, to the Queen of Sheba and even to the Jews in the olden times, we all have seen the signs that should make us accept Jesus as the Son of God. The more than 2,000 years following his passion, death and resurrection were filled with accounts of those who were witness to his ministry, to the greatest sign on Calvary, the Pentecost event. All these have been captured in the Scriptures. There also are the messages of Fatima, apparitions in Naju, Akita and Medjugorje that call on the world to be faithful to God.
What more signs do we need to make us believe and live the kind of life that God wants us to live – a life that is disposed to serving Him by serving our neighbor.
Today, the Holy Scriptures is available to anyone who would devote time to know God – who He is and what He did and what He continues to do for us. No other book in history has survived the test of time, translated into practically all the languages of the world and, used as reference for millions of books that has been printed ever since.
Accounts of healing and even incidents of those who have been pronounced as clinically dead but who miraculously rose and lived, of the many prayers that have been answered, these are signs that have been available to us for which we are to believe that Jesus is Lord. Our faith is even sustained with the help of new technologies as the Word of God is also now on cyberspace.
With these privileges to know God more and what he has given us including the material comforts that we now enjoy – jobs, homes, clothes, cars, jewelries and, food on our table – we are now called upon to be responsible for what God has provided for us and we can begin by acknowledging him as the source of all we have (1 Cor 10:26) “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything on it.”
Out of what Our Lord has made available to us, we as Christians especially disciples must respond to the Lord with complete devotion and setting aside whatever doubt or unbelief we have because “to all who received him, to those who believed in his name he gave the right to become children of God” (Jn 1:12)
And those who will continue and persist in their refusal to accept him as Lord and Savior will be condemned. Let us not miss the opportunity to meet, know and be faithful to someone greater than Jonah or Solomon for there are only two choices in life – it’s either we are for Him or against him. So don’t play with your lives, it’s the only life we’ve got.
1st Reading: Jon 3:1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 51:3-4, 12-13, 18-19 “A heart contrite and humbled O God, you will not spurn.”
GOSPEL: Lk 11:29-32
Key Verse: “This is a wicked generation, it asks for a sign…” (v.29)
“Prove it to me!” is what we often hear in this perverse world that we live in and even what was before immoral has now become a pervading culture. This is what people who commit wrong say when they are corrected and as the growing culture of relativism sweeps through our society what may be wrong in our eyes may be right for others.
With the Chinese New Year that we just celebrated a couple of weeks back, many people especially those with Chinese ancestry looked to feng shui for signs and some even relied on the position of the sun and planets and the weather as determining factors to guide their business and personal decisions. Doors, windows and even the kind of furniture that you bring into your homes must conform to what feng shui principles say in order to harness positive energies that bring luck and fortune.
Today, many motorists, travellers, hikers, trekkers, mountaineers, or those who step out of the safe confines of their homes to go to an appointment, meeting, or workplace have also made it a habit to look for signs such as road signs to guide them to where they are headed. When we go on out-of-town jaunts I normally look for signs so that I won’t get lost on the way.
Specifically, we need to pay careful attention especially to warning signs because fatal accidents could be avoided if people will only pay attention to such signs especially in Metro Manila where an average of three fatal accidents involving motorcyclists are recorded in the metropolis almost everyday.
Signs are important in the life of the Jew and we see it in this Gospel passage today when the religious leaders demanded a sign from Jesus who in turn gave them a serious warning to avert spiritual disaster. It has been the culture of the Jews to ask for a sign as a way of verifying the authenticity of those claiming to be messengers from God and when the religious leaders asked Jesus for signs he simply responded by saying that he was God's sign and that they need no further evidence from heaven than his own person.
Notwithstanding the many instances of healings, of the dead rising again and, of people freed from demon-possession the religious leaders and some of the Jews in the early days kept pressing on Jesus to give them a sign to support his claim that he is indeed the Son of God.
And this unbelief was what moved Jesus to say what a wicked generation it was that the Jews kept asking for a sign that hides their real intent which was they just couldn’t accept that Jesus to be the Son of God because the Jews were expecting someone more than just a carpenter’s son to save and liberate them.
But instead of providing them with a sign which was yet to come and which was going to be biggest sign the world will ever see, Jesus brought those listening to him to the events of the past when the people of Nineveh repented after they heard Jonah preached to them (v.30) even if Jonah resented it for he was biased against the Ninevites.
Jesus also refreshed their memories to the events surrounding the Queen of Sheba who praised God whom she recognized after she heard Solomon speaking words of wisdom despite the fact that Solomon had many faults of his own.
What Jesus was trying to emphasize to the Jews was the irony behind these two events in the Old Testament in that God can use even those who are imperfect to bring the message of salvation to the people and that he whom the Jews do not recognize was greater than Jonah or Solomon for that matter.
What Jesus was also pointing out was that the healings, the miracles and deliverance from demon-possession were enough signs of someone greater than Jonah or the wisdom of Solomon that the religious leaders refuse to acknowledge.
In effect what Jesus was saying in this Gospel is that “I have given you everything. You have seen what I can do. What sign do you still need for you to believe that I am the Messiah?” What he was trying to stress was that the Jews stand to be condemned because they had more privileges than the people of Nineveh or the Queen of Sheba who both repented after they heard the Word of God spoken to them.
And this is what Jesus is telling our present generation that He has practically given us all the privileges to live our lives as comfortably as we can so that we can find the time to abide by his statutes and yet there are still many in today’s generation who appear to be waiting for a sign before they turn away from their sinfulness.
Compared to the people of Nineveh, to the Queen of Sheba and even to the Jews in the olden times, we all have seen the signs that should make us accept Jesus as the Son of God. The more than 2,000 years following his passion, death and resurrection were filled with accounts of those who were witness to his ministry, to the greatest sign on Calvary, the Pentecost event. All these have been captured in the Scriptures. There also are the messages of Fatima, apparitions in Naju, Akita and Medjugorje that call on the world to be faithful to God.
What more signs do we need to make us believe and live the kind of life that God wants us to live – a life that is disposed to serving Him by serving our neighbor.
Today, the Holy Scriptures is available to anyone who would devote time to know God – who He is and what He did and what He continues to do for us. No other book in history has survived the test of time, translated into practically all the languages of the world and, used as reference for millions of books that has been printed ever since.
Accounts of healing and even incidents of those who have been pronounced as clinically dead but who miraculously rose and lived, of the many prayers that have been answered, these are signs that have been available to us for which we are to believe that Jesus is Lord. Our faith is even sustained with the help of new technologies as the Word of God is also now on cyberspace.
With these privileges to know God more and what he has given us including the material comforts that we now enjoy – jobs, homes, clothes, cars, jewelries and, food on our table – we are now called upon to be responsible for what God has provided for us and we can begin by acknowledging him as the source of all we have (1 Cor 10:26) “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything on it.”
Out of what Our Lord has made available to us, we as Christians especially disciples must respond to the Lord with complete devotion and setting aside whatever doubt or unbelief we have because “to all who received him, to those who believed in his name he gave the right to become children of God” (Jn 1:12)
And those who will continue and persist in their refusal to accept him as Lord and Savior will be condemned. Let us not miss the opportunity to meet, know and be faithful to someone greater than Jonah or Solomon for there are only two choices in life – it’s either we are for Him or against him. So don’t play with your lives, it’s the only life we’ve got.
RADICAL FAITH NEEDED
FEB. 19, 2013: FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Isa 55:10-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 34:4-7, 16-19 “From all their distress God rescues the just.”
GOSPEL: Mt 6:7-15
Key Verse: “for your Father knows what you need..” (v.8)
In one of his exhortation during his pastoral meeting with the servant leaders of the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community (Open in Spirit to God), His Grace Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, Global Spiritual Director of the BLD, sounded a call for the leaders of the BLD Community to approach the trials and challenges of the present time with a radical kind of faith.
The call is considered timely as the Catholic Church is currently celebrating the Year of Faith which is a period that the Church has prescribed for the lay faithful to go back to their roots in the practice of the Catholic faith. And in November last year thousands of Filipinos trooped to the Vatican for the canonization of Blessed Pedro Calungsod, the second Saint to be canonized in the history of Catholicism in the Philippines.
To be radical in the practice of our faith is to be able to gather the boldness to espouse the truth of God’s Word even in an unconventional or unorthodox manner. It means that there will be times when we can look like a square peg in a round hole. To put it simply, a Christian who professes allegiance to Jesus Christ should be born anew (2 Cor 5:17), to be like a grain of wheat (Jn 12:24) and, to be the salt of the earth without losing flavor (Matt 5:13).
To be radical is to develop a change of heart, a change of mindset and a change of attitude. This means taking risks in the proclamation of the Gospel which at times will make us unpopular as Jesus was but this is the kind of radicalization that we will have to pursue if we are to help in building the Kingdom of God here on earth.
To be radical is to dispossess ourselves of our human wisdom and allow the wisdom of God to dominate our entire person such that our words, actions and decisions are all in accord with the Will of God which is to transfigure all his created beings into the image and likeness to which they have been created.
To be radical is to think of ways on how to proclaim the Gospel amidst the changing societies and cultures that call us to live our communitarian experience of faith in a renewed way and to proclaim it through an evangelization that is “new in its ardor, in its methods, in its expressions.” (John Paul II)
For his part, Pope Benedict XVI also recalled that it is an evangelization that is directed “principally at those who, though baptized, have drifted away from the Church and live without reference to the Christian life... to help these people encounter the Lord, who alone fills our existence with deep meaning and peace; and to favor the rediscovery of the faith, that source of grace which brings joy and hope to personal, family and social life.”
Someone will ask how to do all this. We need not invent new strategies as if the Gospel were a product to be placed in the market of religions. We only need to rediscover the ways in which Jesus approached persons and called them, in order to put them into practice in today's circumstances. Sadly, however, there are many including Christian leaders who have opted to follow their human wisdom rather than listen to what God is saying through the Church.
The call of Archbishop Lagdameo can be regarded as a clarion call not only for us in the BLD Community but for all Christian disciples because the world that Jesus was born into more than 2,000 years ago has remained basically the same today.
As Jesus had to pursue a radical process of evangelization in his time, so we too are now being called to also adopt a radical way of proclaiming the Gospel of Christ and Archbishop Lagdameo strongly suggests that those who wish to follow Christ must disengage themselves from human intimacies (Lk 9:57-58).
In other words, every Christian especially those who wish to follow Christ must be aware of the cost of discipleship and to follow Christ is to be radical in our mindsets, attitude and relationships. When a Scribe said: “I will follow you wherever you go,” Jesus simply replied “foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” (Lk 9:58). It means that we are to understand that this world is not our home. That when we go and make disciples of all nations we are to keep moving and not remain stationary and complacent and comfortable and rest on our laurels.
A Christian is someone who is always on the move and to follow Christ is to do what he did and to be radical as he was radical which means making a commitment to follow Our Lord Jesus after we have counted the cost. A person who responds to Jesus because of an emotional appeal will not last in times of hardship. But a person, having seriously considered the cost of following Christ that is premised on detachment from the world and makes a commitment to follow Jesus to the ends of the earth is the one who will endure till he breathes his last.
This is the message of Jesus in today’s Gospel reading in which he warned his disciples against what he describes as formalism in prayer which most oftentimes turns prayer into a mechanical process but devoid of substance and meaning as the intent is to impress others rather than the pursuit of an intimate relationship with God.
When Jesus taught his disciples to pray he gave them a pattern on how they are to pray and he begins by giving the disciples then and we in today’s generation the privilege to also call God as “Our Father.” This was a radical departure from the way the Jews prayed in those days because Jesus has introduced a new form of prayer in which we can all approach God as Our Father with confidence and boldness because Jesus Christ has opened the way to heaven for us through his death and resurrection.
There may be times, however, when we will ask God for help and he will not give us what we pray for. But God will respond with Grace, favor and mercy as it is his nature to love generously and to forgive mercifully. When God gives he gives more than we need so we will have something to share with others in their need as well.
As radical as he could be, Jesus stressed that unless we forgive others, we also will not be forgiven. God is kind and forgiving towards us. In fact, he even offered his very life for the forgiveness of our sins so that we may be able to stand erect in the presence of God and Christ expects us to also treat our neighbor in the same way that he treated us.
To forgive others even if we don’t feel like forgiving them is one of the radical ways by which we can express our faith. Whenever we ask God to forgive us of our sins, we should also ask ourselves: Have I forgiven others who have wronged me? To be radical requires humility and obedience. Are you ready to be a radical Christian?
1st Reading: Isa 55:10-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 34:4-7, 16-19 “From all their distress God rescues the just.”
GOSPEL: Mt 6:7-15
Key Verse: “for your Father knows what you need..” (v.8)
In one of his exhortation during his pastoral meeting with the servant leaders of the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community (Open in Spirit to God), His Grace Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, Global Spiritual Director of the BLD, sounded a call for the leaders of the BLD Community to approach the trials and challenges of the present time with a radical kind of faith.
The call is considered timely as the Catholic Church is currently celebrating the Year of Faith which is a period that the Church has prescribed for the lay faithful to go back to their roots in the practice of the Catholic faith. And in November last year thousands of Filipinos trooped to the Vatican for the canonization of Blessed Pedro Calungsod, the second Saint to be canonized in the history of Catholicism in the Philippines.
To be radical in the practice of our faith is to be able to gather the boldness to espouse the truth of God’s Word even in an unconventional or unorthodox manner. It means that there will be times when we can look like a square peg in a round hole. To put it simply, a Christian who professes allegiance to Jesus Christ should be born anew (2 Cor 5:17), to be like a grain of wheat (Jn 12:24) and, to be the salt of the earth without losing flavor (Matt 5:13).
To be radical is to develop a change of heart, a change of mindset and a change of attitude. This means taking risks in the proclamation of the Gospel which at times will make us unpopular as Jesus was but this is the kind of radicalization that we will have to pursue if we are to help in building the Kingdom of God here on earth.
To be radical is to dispossess ourselves of our human wisdom and allow the wisdom of God to dominate our entire person such that our words, actions and decisions are all in accord with the Will of God which is to transfigure all his created beings into the image and likeness to which they have been created.
To be radical is to think of ways on how to proclaim the Gospel amidst the changing societies and cultures that call us to live our communitarian experience of faith in a renewed way and to proclaim it through an evangelization that is “new in its ardor, in its methods, in its expressions.” (John Paul II)
For his part, Pope Benedict XVI also recalled that it is an evangelization that is directed “principally at those who, though baptized, have drifted away from the Church and live without reference to the Christian life... to help these people encounter the Lord, who alone fills our existence with deep meaning and peace; and to favor the rediscovery of the faith, that source of grace which brings joy and hope to personal, family and social life.”
Someone will ask how to do all this. We need not invent new strategies as if the Gospel were a product to be placed in the market of religions. We only need to rediscover the ways in which Jesus approached persons and called them, in order to put them into practice in today's circumstances. Sadly, however, there are many including Christian leaders who have opted to follow their human wisdom rather than listen to what God is saying through the Church.
The call of Archbishop Lagdameo can be regarded as a clarion call not only for us in the BLD Community but for all Christian disciples because the world that Jesus was born into more than 2,000 years ago has remained basically the same today.
As Jesus had to pursue a radical process of evangelization in his time, so we too are now being called to also adopt a radical way of proclaiming the Gospel of Christ and Archbishop Lagdameo strongly suggests that those who wish to follow Christ must disengage themselves from human intimacies (Lk 9:57-58).
In other words, every Christian especially those who wish to follow Christ must be aware of the cost of discipleship and to follow Christ is to be radical in our mindsets, attitude and relationships. When a Scribe said: “I will follow you wherever you go,” Jesus simply replied “foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” (Lk 9:58). It means that we are to understand that this world is not our home. That when we go and make disciples of all nations we are to keep moving and not remain stationary and complacent and comfortable and rest on our laurels.
A Christian is someone who is always on the move and to follow Christ is to do what he did and to be radical as he was radical which means making a commitment to follow Our Lord Jesus after we have counted the cost. A person who responds to Jesus because of an emotional appeal will not last in times of hardship. But a person, having seriously considered the cost of following Christ that is premised on detachment from the world and makes a commitment to follow Jesus to the ends of the earth is the one who will endure till he breathes his last.
This is the message of Jesus in today’s Gospel reading in which he warned his disciples against what he describes as formalism in prayer which most oftentimes turns prayer into a mechanical process but devoid of substance and meaning as the intent is to impress others rather than the pursuit of an intimate relationship with God.
When Jesus taught his disciples to pray he gave them a pattern on how they are to pray and he begins by giving the disciples then and we in today’s generation the privilege to also call God as “Our Father.” This was a radical departure from the way the Jews prayed in those days because Jesus has introduced a new form of prayer in which we can all approach God as Our Father with confidence and boldness because Jesus Christ has opened the way to heaven for us through his death and resurrection.
There may be times, however, when we will ask God for help and he will not give us what we pray for. But God will respond with Grace, favor and mercy as it is his nature to love generously and to forgive mercifully. When God gives he gives more than we need so we will have something to share with others in their need as well.
As radical as he could be, Jesus stressed that unless we forgive others, we also will not be forgiven. God is kind and forgiving towards us. In fact, he even offered his very life for the forgiveness of our sins so that we may be able to stand erect in the presence of God and Christ expects us to also treat our neighbor in the same way that he treated us.
To forgive others even if we don’t feel like forgiving them is one of the radical ways by which we can express our faith. Whenever we ask God to forgive us of our sins, we should also ask ourselves: Have I forgiven others who have wronged me? To be radical requires humility and obedience. Are you ready to be a radical Christian?
WE NEED TO DEFINE US
FEB. 18, 2013: FIRST WEEK OF LENT
1st Reading: Lev 19:1-2, 11-18
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 19:8-10, 15 “Your words Lord are spirit and life.”
GOSPEL: Mt 25:31-46
Key Verse: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these
brothers of mine, you did it for me.” (v.40)
I once heard a prominent Catholic lay evangelist say: “You need to define yourself. Otherwise, others will.” What he meant was that how we define ourselves and be known largely depend on our words and actions and if we are to put ourselves into the Gospel passage today, there are two choices we can make in our search for our identity – we could either be like goats o we could be like sheep.
To differentiate, goats are curious by nature and pretty much independent. Sheep, on the other hand, would prefer to stay put together with other sheep in one flock. If we are to give these two description of the goat and sheep a human dimension, goats would refer to people who get into trouble because of their independent nature while the sheep are people who prefer to remain in the protection of their sanctuary.
Conversely, those who allow their human wisdom to dominate their spiritual nature can probably be lined up among the goats while the sheep are those who follow only the voice of the shepherd of the flock.
If we go through this Gospel passage by just reading it, we may miss its significance as this is probably one of those times when Jesus spoke with so much clarity that while it is clear that the Day of Judgment will definitely come, it also speak of the parameters that God has laid down that will become the basis of how we will be judged.
What makes this passage meaningful is the fact that Jesus in this parable also shows us what we need to do so that we will not incur the wrath of God when our time for judgment comes. And the all-too familiar anecdotes in the lives of Saints Francis of Assisi and Martin of Tours should serve as our guide on how we are to live our lives in a way that is pleasing to God.
St. Francis of Assisi was born to a wealthy family and as such he has everything that could make his life as comfortable as can be imagined. Despite all the things at his beck and call, Francis felt incomplete and was looking for something far beyond the happiness that he had. When he went out riding one time, Francis met a leper along the road whose face has been disfigured by the disease. No one in his right senses would come near such a person. But Francis felt something for the man. He dismounted from his horse, went to the man, placed his arms around the man’s shoulders and as he did this the face of the leper changed to the face of Christ. Francis became a changed man after that.
The other story was that of St. Martin of Tours. He started off as a Roman soldier but he was also a Christian. In one cold winter day as Martin was entering a city, a beggar came to him to ask for alms. Martin had no money at the time but he noticed that the beggar was already blue and was shivering in the cold of winter. All that Martin had was his cloak that was almost worn out but he took it off, cut it in half and gave half to the beggar. As he slept that night, Martin had a dream and he saw angels in heaven with Jesus in their company and Jesus was wearing half of the coat that he gave to the beggar. One of the angels asked: “Master, why are you wearing that battered old cloak? Who gave it to you?” And Martin vividly heard Jesus say: “My servant Martin gave it to me.”
What Francis and Martin did definitely touched the soft spot in the heart of God and these two examples of what these two saints did should give us an idea of what we can do to curry the favor of God when our day of judgment comes. As this parable shows, God will judge us based on what we did to those whom we meet particularly those who do not fit into our standards.
Our skills, talents, knowledge, prestige, social standing, fame and fortune we may have amassed will be of no use as God will not judge us on the basis of our possessions and achievements but on the help that we have given especially to the very least around us.
In fact, if we look closely at the parable we will see that what Jesus requires are very simple. These are things that won’t take so much effort yet we are not doing it. Take the following for example – giving food to the hungry, drink to those who are thirsty, welcoming a stranger, giving hope and cheer to the sick and, visiting those in prison. Before us are opportunities to do these things and it wouldn’t even cause a dent into our possessions. These are simple things that we can do every day but which matter in the eyes of God.
It is human nature to expect something in return for what we give but this is not the standard of God and many times there are those who will give only if they are given praise and publicly acknowledged. Such kindness is superficial and which actually is selfishness disguised as generosity. The help that will merit God’s approval is that which is given without expecting a return or a reward.
And in this parable, Jesus provides us with the truth that all the help given to the very least of our brethren are gifts that we give to him especially when we don’t withhold anything as the gift that we have freely received we must also freely give.
In this Lenten Season we are being invited by Our Lord to look back into our lives and see how near or far are we from him. This season is actually an opportunity given to us by God to make amends for the things that we may have missed or omitted as we went through life’s journey.
God has given us the freedom to make our own choices notwithstanding the fact that his image and likeness has been engraved in our souls when he created us, we at times choose a path that is diametrically opposed to God’s Will. The only problem is that the kind of life we choose to live now and the moral choices we make will have far reaching consequences that will determine our future.
Jesus wants us to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world, a leaven to a world that is need of healing and forgiveness, a sheep who will only obey the voice of the shepherd. When we heed God’s call to let our lights shine when we feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome strangers, visit the prisoners and those who are sick, we become channels through which the poor can see and experience the love and compassion of God.
So the question now is how will you define yourself – are you a goat or a sheep?
1st Reading: Lev 19:1-2, 11-18
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 19:8-10, 15 “Your words Lord are spirit and life.”
GOSPEL: Mt 25:31-46
Key Verse: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these
brothers of mine, you did it for me.” (v.40)
I once heard a prominent Catholic lay evangelist say: “You need to define yourself. Otherwise, others will.” What he meant was that how we define ourselves and be known largely depend on our words and actions and if we are to put ourselves into the Gospel passage today, there are two choices we can make in our search for our identity – we could either be like goats o we could be like sheep.
To differentiate, goats are curious by nature and pretty much independent. Sheep, on the other hand, would prefer to stay put together with other sheep in one flock. If we are to give these two description of the goat and sheep a human dimension, goats would refer to people who get into trouble because of their independent nature while the sheep are people who prefer to remain in the protection of their sanctuary.
Conversely, those who allow their human wisdom to dominate their spiritual nature can probably be lined up among the goats while the sheep are those who follow only the voice of the shepherd of the flock.
If we go through this Gospel passage by just reading it, we may miss its significance as this is probably one of those times when Jesus spoke with so much clarity that while it is clear that the Day of Judgment will definitely come, it also speak of the parameters that God has laid down that will become the basis of how we will be judged.
What makes this passage meaningful is the fact that Jesus in this parable also shows us what we need to do so that we will not incur the wrath of God when our time for judgment comes. And the all-too familiar anecdotes in the lives of Saints Francis of Assisi and Martin of Tours should serve as our guide on how we are to live our lives in a way that is pleasing to God.
St. Francis of Assisi was born to a wealthy family and as such he has everything that could make his life as comfortable as can be imagined. Despite all the things at his beck and call, Francis felt incomplete and was looking for something far beyond the happiness that he had. When he went out riding one time, Francis met a leper along the road whose face has been disfigured by the disease. No one in his right senses would come near such a person. But Francis felt something for the man. He dismounted from his horse, went to the man, placed his arms around the man’s shoulders and as he did this the face of the leper changed to the face of Christ. Francis became a changed man after that.
The other story was that of St. Martin of Tours. He started off as a Roman soldier but he was also a Christian. In one cold winter day as Martin was entering a city, a beggar came to him to ask for alms. Martin had no money at the time but he noticed that the beggar was already blue and was shivering in the cold of winter. All that Martin had was his cloak that was almost worn out but he took it off, cut it in half and gave half to the beggar. As he slept that night, Martin had a dream and he saw angels in heaven with Jesus in their company and Jesus was wearing half of the coat that he gave to the beggar. One of the angels asked: “Master, why are you wearing that battered old cloak? Who gave it to you?” And Martin vividly heard Jesus say: “My servant Martin gave it to me.”
What Francis and Martin did definitely touched the soft spot in the heart of God and these two examples of what these two saints did should give us an idea of what we can do to curry the favor of God when our day of judgment comes. As this parable shows, God will judge us based on what we did to those whom we meet particularly those who do not fit into our standards.
Our skills, talents, knowledge, prestige, social standing, fame and fortune we may have amassed will be of no use as God will not judge us on the basis of our possessions and achievements but on the help that we have given especially to the very least around us.
In fact, if we look closely at the parable we will see that what Jesus requires are very simple. These are things that won’t take so much effort yet we are not doing it. Take the following for example – giving food to the hungry, drink to those who are thirsty, welcoming a stranger, giving hope and cheer to the sick and, visiting those in prison. Before us are opportunities to do these things and it wouldn’t even cause a dent into our possessions. These are simple things that we can do every day but which matter in the eyes of God.
It is human nature to expect something in return for what we give but this is not the standard of God and many times there are those who will give only if they are given praise and publicly acknowledged. Such kindness is superficial and which actually is selfishness disguised as generosity. The help that will merit God’s approval is that which is given without expecting a return or a reward.
And in this parable, Jesus provides us with the truth that all the help given to the very least of our brethren are gifts that we give to him especially when we don’t withhold anything as the gift that we have freely received we must also freely give.
In this Lenten Season we are being invited by Our Lord to look back into our lives and see how near or far are we from him. This season is actually an opportunity given to us by God to make amends for the things that we may have missed or omitted as we went through life’s journey.
God has given us the freedom to make our own choices notwithstanding the fact that his image and likeness has been engraved in our souls when he created us, we at times choose a path that is diametrically opposed to God’s Will. The only problem is that the kind of life we choose to live now and the moral choices we make will have far reaching consequences that will determine our future.
Jesus wants us to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world, a leaven to a world that is need of healing and forgiveness, a sheep who will only obey the voice of the shepherd. When we heed God’s call to let our lights shine when we feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome strangers, visit the prisoners and those who are sick, we become channels through which the poor can see and experience the love and compassion of God.
So the question now is how will you define yourself – are you a goat or a sheep?
LENT IS OUR OWN 40 DAYS
FEB. 17, 2013: FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT
1St Reading: Deut 26:4-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 91:1-2, 10-15 “Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.”
2nd Reading: Rom 10:8-13
GOSPEL: Lk 4:1-13
Key Verse: “Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.” (v.8)
Test and temptation are part and parcel of life and whether we like it or not these are two things in life that we cannot run away from. We will always be tested and temptation is something that we have to live with. But how we manage and conduct ourselves when we are tested and when we face temptation will define who we are.
Our Lord Jesus himself was put to the test at the beginning of his public ministry. What comes as a surprise was that it was the Holy Spirit who actually led him to the desert where he spent 40 days dealing with Satan.
In English the word tempt is defined “to entice to sin.” As used in this Gospel passage Jesus was tempted by the devil meaning that he was put “to a test.” When applied to present-day realities, being put to a test is a way of proving if someone is ready for a particular task at hand. To be tempted, on the other hand, describes a situation when someone is being moved to commit a sin.
Pilots pass through a rigorous discipline and testing to see if they are fit to fly. This is the same with driving a motor vehicle. We have to undergo training and have to pass testing to get our driver’s license. And God tests his servants to see if they are fit to be used by him. God tested Abraham to prove his faith.
Just so we will have a sense of what testing and temptation is, Jesus himself was subjected to it and you will see in this Gospel passage that Satan will try his best to induce us to choose our will over God's will. If he cannot induce us to apostasize or to sin mortally, he will then try to get us to make choices that will lead us away from what God wants for us.
Jesus was tempted like us and he overcame it not by his own human strength but by the Grace he received from his dependence on God the Father. He succeeded in warding off the temptation of Satan simply because he trusted that his Father would give him the strength to overcome the obstacles that stood in his way.
Similarly, Our Lord Jesus gives us his Holy Spirit to be our strength and guide in times when we are tempted and tested especially when such are beyond our own strength. And this capacity to rise above our own testing and temptation is given by God Our Father who gives us all that we need to remain righteous in our ways but only when we are totally dependent on him.
What we all must remember is the fact that Satan will do all he can to sever our relationship with God and we all have our weak points and our default setting is to sin because this is the nature of man. But we can rise above any form of testing and temptation by remaining connected to the source of Grace and strength.
For all intents and purposes, the devil could have tempted Jesus before he was baptized by John the Baptist but God did not plan it that way. Jesus had to be baptized first to give the Holy Spirit the chance to dwell in him, empower him and give him the strength for the spiritual battles ahead of him.
And with the Holy Spirit having filled every bone and marrow of Jesus the time for testing has now come. Left alone in the desert, Jesus was tempted by the devil but after having been empowered and equipped by the Holy Spirit, Jesus resisted the devil’s temptation and this gave him the strength he needed to withstand the kind of opposition he will face as he sets out to proclaim “the Kingdom of God is near” (Mk 1:15).
What was interesting in this passage was the fact that Jesus was all alone in the desert at the time the devil tempted him. It is the same with us when we are left alone to fend for ourselves because it is when we think we are strong enough to stand on our own that we are in our weakest moment.
Nonetheless, we can look at Jesus as our model in the way that he confronted temptation because in our lives it is next to impossible to avoid being tempted and we should disabuse our minds that temptations only refer to sexual pleasures. Temptation comes in many different ways and we need a discerning spirit to qualify the kind of temptation that is before us. There is the urge to buy a new pair of shoe when we have dozens of pairs that we rarely use. The same is true for expensive bags that could run into hundreds of thousands of dollars or pesos and you are tempted to buy because the Joneses have it.
In a public, corporate or even religious setting there is that temptation to try and acquire more power and authority than what has been prescribed and it is when we don’t deal with this temptation in the way of God’s Grace that human wisdom sets in and we begin to subscribe to what Satan has intended and that is to become channels of disunity instead of harmony.
But temptations are not supposed to make us fall as these periods of testing that happen in our lives are designed to strengthen and fortify the defenses of our minds, hearts and souls. Temptations are not intended to ruin our lives but to make us better spiritual warriors.
Hence, Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness not only to test him but to prove and purify him to make sure that he was ready for the task that he was to pursue. As Satan tried his best to entice Jesus to sin and despite his lack of food for 40 days Jesus remained steadfast in rejecting Satan's temptations.
In the three times that he was tempted Jesus responded by using the Word of God and remaining faithful to God’s Will. What is Jesus telling us? He is simply saying that the devil will try its best to tempt us as we embark in our journey of faith. He will deceive us into believing that discipleship stand in the way of our lives.
Satan will deceive us into thinking that we are better than others. The devil will try to draw us away from God and will present before us situations and conditions that will lead us to make us compromise in our decision to follow God’s Will. Through all these, we will emerge victorious by our reliance on the Word of God.
And in proclaiming the Kingdom of God, Jesus outlined at least two great truths that has become the foundation of the Christian faith. Jesus wants us to believe in the Good News that he came to bring for the world to hear. The Good News that is founded on truth that would bring hope, peace and salvation (Eph 1:13). Our Lord also wants us to believe that God loves us so much that he gave his only begotten Son to ransom us from our sins and restore our wretched nature unto himself.
What we should know is that Jesus himself will give us the Grace and power of the Holy Spirit to allow us to resist all occasions of sin, lead us to repentance, inspire us to believe in the Gospel and allow us to live a new life as citizens of the Heavenly Kingdom. It is all there written for us to be our compass and it is sad when Christians especially leaders do not listen to what the Word of God says. Worst is when the Word of God is removed as the core in the conduct of our lives.
We should remember that God love us so let this Lenten Season be our own 40 days to give us the chance to repent of our sins, to place our lives in the palm of his hand and, to believe and have faith in the Good News that assures all those who believe in him that they will not perish but will have eternal life.
1St Reading: Deut 26:4-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 91:1-2, 10-15 “Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.”
2nd Reading: Rom 10:8-13
GOSPEL: Lk 4:1-13
Key Verse: “Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.” (v.8)
Test and temptation are part and parcel of life and whether we like it or not these are two things in life that we cannot run away from. We will always be tested and temptation is something that we have to live with. But how we manage and conduct ourselves when we are tested and when we face temptation will define who we are.
Our Lord Jesus himself was put to the test at the beginning of his public ministry. What comes as a surprise was that it was the Holy Spirit who actually led him to the desert where he spent 40 days dealing with Satan.
In English the word tempt is defined “to entice to sin.” As used in this Gospel passage Jesus was tempted by the devil meaning that he was put “to a test.” When applied to present-day realities, being put to a test is a way of proving if someone is ready for a particular task at hand. To be tempted, on the other hand, describes a situation when someone is being moved to commit a sin.
Pilots pass through a rigorous discipline and testing to see if they are fit to fly. This is the same with driving a motor vehicle. We have to undergo training and have to pass testing to get our driver’s license. And God tests his servants to see if they are fit to be used by him. God tested Abraham to prove his faith.
Just so we will have a sense of what testing and temptation is, Jesus himself was subjected to it and you will see in this Gospel passage that Satan will try his best to induce us to choose our will over God's will. If he cannot induce us to apostasize or to sin mortally, he will then try to get us to make choices that will lead us away from what God wants for us.
Jesus was tempted like us and he overcame it not by his own human strength but by the Grace he received from his dependence on God the Father. He succeeded in warding off the temptation of Satan simply because he trusted that his Father would give him the strength to overcome the obstacles that stood in his way.
Similarly, Our Lord Jesus gives us his Holy Spirit to be our strength and guide in times when we are tempted and tested especially when such are beyond our own strength. And this capacity to rise above our own testing and temptation is given by God Our Father who gives us all that we need to remain righteous in our ways but only when we are totally dependent on him.
What we all must remember is the fact that Satan will do all he can to sever our relationship with God and we all have our weak points and our default setting is to sin because this is the nature of man. But we can rise above any form of testing and temptation by remaining connected to the source of Grace and strength.
For all intents and purposes, the devil could have tempted Jesus before he was baptized by John the Baptist but God did not plan it that way. Jesus had to be baptized first to give the Holy Spirit the chance to dwell in him, empower him and give him the strength for the spiritual battles ahead of him.
And with the Holy Spirit having filled every bone and marrow of Jesus the time for testing has now come. Left alone in the desert, Jesus was tempted by the devil but after having been empowered and equipped by the Holy Spirit, Jesus resisted the devil’s temptation and this gave him the strength he needed to withstand the kind of opposition he will face as he sets out to proclaim “the Kingdom of God is near” (Mk 1:15).
What was interesting in this passage was the fact that Jesus was all alone in the desert at the time the devil tempted him. It is the same with us when we are left alone to fend for ourselves because it is when we think we are strong enough to stand on our own that we are in our weakest moment.
Nonetheless, we can look at Jesus as our model in the way that he confronted temptation because in our lives it is next to impossible to avoid being tempted and we should disabuse our minds that temptations only refer to sexual pleasures. Temptation comes in many different ways and we need a discerning spirit to qualify the kind of temptation that is before us. There is the urge to buy a new pair of shoe when we have dozens of pairs that we rarely use. The same is true for expensive bags that could run into hundreds of thousands of dollars or pesos and you are tempted to buy because the Joneses have it.
In a public, corporate or even religious setting there is that temptation to try and acquire more power and authority than what has been prescribed and it is when we don’t deal with this temptation in the way of God’s Grace that human wisdom sets in and we begin to subscribe to what Satan has intended and that is to become channels of disunity instead of harmony.
But temptations are not supposed to make us fall as these periods of testing that happen in our lives are designed to strengthen and fortify the defenses of our minds, hearts and souls. Temptations are not intended to ruin our lives but to make us better spiritual warriors.
Hence, Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness not only to test him but to prove and purify him to make sure that he was ready for the task that he was to pursue. As Satan tried his best to entice Jesus to sin and despite his lack of food for 40 days Jesus remained steadfast in rejecting Satan's temptations.
In the three times that he was tempted Jesus responded by using the Word of God and remaining faithful to God’s Will. What is Jesus telling us? He is simply saying that the devil will try its best to tempt us as we embark in our journey of faith. He will deceive us into believing that discipleship stand in the way of our lives.
Satan will deceive us into thinking that we are better than others. The devil will try to draw us away from God and will present before us situations and conditions that will lead us to make us compromise in our decision to follow God’s Will. Through all these, we will emerge victorious by our reliance on the Word of God.
And in proclaiming the Kingdom of God, Jesus outlined at least two great truths that has become the foundation of the Christian faith. Jesus wants us to believe in the Good News that he came to bring for the world to hear. The Good News that is founded on truth that would bring hope, peace and salvation (Eph 1:13). Our Lord also wants us to believe that God loves us so much that he gave his only begotten Son to ransom us from our sins and restore our wretched nature unto himself.
What we should know is that Jesus himself will give us the Grace and power of the Holy Spirit to allow us to resist all occasions of sin, lead us to repentance, inspire us to believe in the Gospel and allow us to live a new life as citizens of the Heavenly Kingdom. It is all there written for us to be our compass and it is sad when Christians especially leaders do not listen to what the Word of God says. Worst is when the Word of God is removed as the core in the conduct of our lives.
We should remember that God love us so let this Lenten Season be our own 40 days to give us the chance to repent of our sins, to place our lives in the palm of his hand and, to believe and have faith in the Good News that assures all those who believe in him that they will not perish but will have eternal life.
REPENT: EASY WAY TO HEAVEN
FEB. 16, 2013: SATURDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY
1st Reading: Isa 58: 9-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 86:1-6 “Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.”
GOSPEL: LK 5:27-32
Key Verse: “I have not come to call the righteous,
but sinners to repentance.” (v.32)
Supposing it came to your knowledge that one of your dear friends in the spiritual community to which you both belong had committed a sin against his family and or his friends perhaps and it is beginning to scandalize your community, how would you react?
Would you point a finger to criticize your friend or would you lend him a helping hand to lift him up? The prophet Isaiah tells us that God repays in kind. When we bless others, especially those who need spiritual as well and physical help, God in turn blesses us.
Try to imagine yourself as someone with a flourishing career in the corporate world, a successful business and or, a profitable practice. You are someone who has everything in life. You are never in want and what you desire you can easily get hold of.
In other words, there is nothing you could still want. You are on top of the world. You throw parties for no occasion at all but just to show off that your labor has borne fruit. You move with a certain gait projecting an image of being somebody. And you can’t be faulted for that because this is the way to belong in today’s world.
And in one of those bright and sunny days you went out to play a round of golf and while you were on the fairway exchanging banters with those in your flight and out of nowhere Jesus appears and walks beside you and he tells you: “Follow me” (v.27).
How would you respond? Will you say yes? Or will you put it off to some other time? As a Sunday parishioner or whenever you go to Mass, you often hear from priests during the homily about the eternal life that awaits those who will opt to follow Jesus. How did you take it then? How did you react? Did you give it some serious thought or did you dismiss it as a marketing campaign by the priest to raise more funds for the Church?
There have been times that God worked through your friends and family and was calling you to the renewal but you didn’t pay heed because you were afraid to commit your life to Jesus as this will compromise your life and you just couldn’t turn away from the comforts and luxury that you basked in.
Levi who would later be known as Matthew was just like many of us. He lived a lucrative life even if he was not exactly honest in the way he collected taxes from the people. The tax collection system in those days opened itself to abuse.
The Roman government that ruled Judea at the time outsourced the tax collection system to bidders who were given the right to collect taxes for as long as they remit to the Romans a certain percentage of their collection. Levi was one of those contracted to collect taxes.
While there was a scale to determine the amount of taxes to be collected, Levi and the other tax-collectors are also empowered to dictate the amount of levy they would want to collect. This was the reason why Levi was regarded as the most hated man in Capernaum. As such, Levi was barred from entering the synagogue and was regarded as unclean.
But despite all these Jesus saw there was something in Levi that could be put to good use. Jesus saw what Levi could eventually become when given the chance to change his life and when he told Levi to “come, follow me” he gave the despised tax collector the chance of a lifetime. Levi stood up, left a profitable career. He turned away from his kind of life and followed Jesus.
With joy in his heart, Levi threw a feast and he invited all the other tax-collectors and when Jesus was criticized by the Pharisees for dining with sinners he justified his action by saying: “It’s not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick” (v.31) Translated into present-day reality, Jesus is commanding us now to go where there is a need to bring healing and, where the Gospel must be proclaimed.
But the underlying message here is that Jesus is not inviting people who believe that they are already good enough and are not in need of help. Jesus has no need for those who think highly of themselves because the first step in following Jesus is to acknowledge our need for a savior and admit that we don’t have all the answers.
“I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (v.32) serves as a reminder for us that our main preoccupation is to help bring others to repentance which is the key that will unlock the gates of heaven. To follow Christ is difficult and at times we will have to make painful decisions like Matthew who had to leave everything behind.
And what holds us back is the thought that “God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable” (Rom 11:29) and if we are to follow Jesus, we just have to put aside all fears and anxiety and hold on to his hand and go where he leads us even to unfamiliar, uncomfortable, and inconvenient territory.
When Levi stood up and left, he did not bring with him nor offered anything to Jesus. In the same way, Jesus is not interested in our sacrifices because God has said many times that he doesn’t want our gifts and sacrifices when we give them for others to see. Mic 6:6-8 “God is not satisfied with offerings; he wants us to do what is right, love mercy, and walk humbly with him.”
The true and authentic Christian life is not a popularity contest because like Matthew, to follow Christ is to turn our backs from the world that we bask in. At some point I too was like Matthew. I had a good life but the way I conducted my business was not exactly above board. But Jesus revealed himself to me and said “Follow me” when I attended a Life in the Spirit Seminar of the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community and my life was never the same again.
When I gave up everything including my job in the media, I found myself poorer in terms of material possessions. But through it all, following Christ brought me joy and peace and I could only marvel at the privilege God had given me to become co-heir in the Kingdom of Heaven.
This is what it means to follow Christ. And Our Lord Jesus will bestow on us the gift of an invisible Grace so that we will be able to follow him. Like Levi, Jesus is calling us now because he knows there is something in us that he can use. How you will respond is up to you.
1st Reading: Isa 58: 9-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 86:1-6 “Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.”
GOSPEL: LK 5:27-32
Key Verse: “I have not come to call the righteous,
but sinners to repentance.” (v.32)
Supposing it came to your knowledge that one of your dear friends in the spiritual community to which you both belong had committed a sin against his family and or his friends perhaps and it is beginning to scandalize your community, how would you react?
Would you point a finger to criticize your friend or would you lend him a helping hand to lift him up? The prophet Isaiah tells us that God repays in kind. When we bless others, especially those who need spiritual as well and physical help, God in turn blesses us.
Try to imagine yourself as someone with a flourishing career in the corporate world, a successful business and or, a profitable practice. You are someone who has everything in life. You are never in want and what you desire you can easily get hold of.
In other words, there is nothing you could still want. You are on top of the world. You throw parties for no occasion at all but just to show off that your labor has borne fruit. You move with a certain gait projecting an image of being somebody. And you can’t be faulted for that because this is the way to belong in today’s world.
And in one of those bright and sunny days you went out to play a round of golf and while you were on the fairway exchanging banters with those in your flight and out of nowhere Jesus appears and walks beside you and he tells you: “Follow me” (v.27).
How would you respond? Will you say yes? Or will you put it off to some other time? As a Sunday parishioner or whenever you go to Mass, you often hear from priests during the homily about the eternal life that awaits those who will opt to follow Jesus. How did you take it then? How did you react? Did you give it some serious thought or did you dismiss it as a marketing campaign by the priest to raise more funds for the Church?
There have been times that God worked through your friends and family and was calling you to the renewal but you didn’t pay heed because you were afraid to commit your life to Jesus as this will compromise your life and you just couldn’t turn away from the comforts and luxury that you basked in.
Levi who would later be known as Matthew was just like many of us. He lived a lucrative life even if he was not exactly honest in the way he collected taxes from the people. The tax collection system in those days opened itself to abuse.
The Roman government that ruled Judea at the time outsourced the tax collection system to bidders who were given the right to collect taxes for as long as they remit to the Romans a certain percentage of their collection. Levi was one of those contracted to collect taxes.
While there was a scale to determine the amount of taxes to be collected, Levi and the other tax-collectors are also empowered to dictate the amount of levy they would want to collect. This was the reason why Levi was regarded as the most hated man in Capernaum. As such, Levi was barred from entering the synagogue and was regarded as unclean.
But despite all these Jesus saw there was something in Levi that could be put to good use. Jesus saw what Levi could eventually become when given the chance to change his life and when he told Levi to “come, follow me” he gave the despised tax collector the chance of a lifetime. Levi stood up, left a profitable career. He turned away from his kind of life and followed Jesus.
With joy in his heart, Levi threw a feast and he invited all the other tax-collectors and when Jesus was criticized by the Pharisees for dining with sinners he justified his action by saying: “It’s not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick” (v.31) Translated into present-day reality, Jesus is commanding us now to go where there is a need to bring healing and, where the Gospel must be proclaimed.
But the underlying message here is that Jesus is not inviting people who believe that they are already good enough and are not in need of help. Jesus has no need for those who think highly of themselves because the first step in following Jesus is to acknowledge our need for a savior and admit that we don’t have all the answers.
“I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (v.32) serves as a reminder for us that our main preoccupation is to help bring others to repentance which is the key that will unlock the gates of heaven. To follow Christ is difficult and at times we will have to make painful decisions like Matthew who had to leave everything behind.
And what holds us back is the thought that “God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable” (Rom 11:29) and if we are to follow Jesus, we just have to put aside all fears and anxiety and hold on to his hand and go where he leads us even to unfamiliar, uncomfortable, and inconvenient territory.
When Levi stood up and left, he did not bring with him nor offered anything to Jesus. In the same way, Jesus is not interested in our sacrifices because God has said many times that he doesn’t want our gifts and sacrifices when we give them for others to see. Mic 6:6-8 “God is not satisfied with offerings; he wants us to do what is right, love mercy, and walk humbly with him.”
The true and authentic Christian life is not a popularity contest because like Matthew, to follow Christ is to turn our backs from the world that we bask in. At some point I too was like Matthew. I had a good life but the way I conducted my business was not exactly above board. But Jesus revealed himself to me and said “Follow me” when I attended a Life in the Spirit Seminar of the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community and my life was never the same again.
When I gave up everything including my job in the media, I found myself poorer in terms of material possessions. But through it all, following Christ brought me joy and peace and I could only marvel at the privilege God had given me to become co-heir in the Kingdom of Heaven.
This is what it means to follow Christ. And Our Lord Jesus will bestow on us the gift of an invisible Grace so that we will be able to follow him. Like Levi, Jesus is calling us now because he knows there is something in us that he can use. How you will respond is up to you.
GIVE UP ALL FOR LOVE
FEB. 14, 2012: THURSDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY
1st Reading: Deut 30:15-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 1:1-4, 6 “Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.”
GOSPEL: Lk 9:22-25
Key Verse: “What profit is there for one to gain
the whole world, yet lose his soul.” (v.25)
Some may find it ironic that we are stepping into Thursday after Ash Wednesday which is the second day of our journey to the Lenten Season and at the same time celebrating Valentine’s Day. While Christendom may be fasting in accord with the spirit of the liturgical season that calls to repentance and self-denial, couples be they married or not would most probably be agog looking for restaurants and places to go to celebrate this occasion.
But if you look at it more closely we can actually find some connection between the Lenten Season and Valentine’s Day as both are anchored on relationships – one is with God and the other with one another. Both also require a certain level of commitment, again in terms of our commitment to establish a closer relationship with God and the other a stronger commitment to one another.
And it is part of human nature for people to set their minds on a goal no matter how intricate it may be and they will go to great lengths just so they can reach their objective in life. It could be a successful career in the corporate world, in business and or setting their sights on that which they long to have and possess – cars, jewelries, artwork, antique collections, houses, branded clothes and bags. You name it, the rich and famous have it and are salivating for more.
And people are willing to pay even a high price to reach their goals or for something that they value. Jesus was no different except that the goal for which he was sent down from heaven was not to conquer the world and vanquish the enemy through a military conquest but through a ministry of love and reconciliation.
In his mission to bring the people to acknowledge their sinful nature and bring them to repentance which are the prerequisites for admission to the Kingdom of God, Jesus knew the price he had to pay. Here in today’s Gospel we see Jesus giving his disciples the specifics of what will happen to him the moment he enters Jerusalem.
“The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” (v.22) This was a radical departure from the times Jesus taught his disciples using parables and actual-life scenarios so the disciples could easily understand. This time, Jesus spoke with clarity of intention to impress upon his disciples that they too will have to suffer if they were to follow him.
His message to his disciples then and to us now was as clear as day and Jesus did not mince any words when he said: “If you want to be my follower, you must deny yourself, carry your cross daily, and follow me.” (v.23)
To apply this to our present-day situation, it means we are to embrace the Gospel of Christ as our own and this includes setting aside all our selfish desires especially in the way we use and expend our resources – time, talent and treasure – and to pursue our goals even if these are opposed to the values of Christ’s Gospel.
And here Luke records that Jesus required at least three conditions
that we need to comply with if we are to follow him. We need to deny ourselves which means that we will have to remove all our masks, our pretensions and even our own nature especially that which do not conform to the image and likeness of God.
We are to carry our crosses in life – sickness and diseases, failed relationships, failed business, financial burdens, loss of job and income opportunities – as well as all the negative attitudes that we have (pride, envy, gluttony, sloth, lust, avarice and wrath) and bring our cross to our own Calvary to nail our ungodly nature on the cross and die as Jesus died on the cross. Anything less than this is superficial.
Jesus assures us that when we die with him and put our old self to death, we will also rise with him in glory and he assures us that the Holy Spirit will empower us to put on Christ because anyone who will follow him will have to imitate him as we take over the mission to help others reconcile with God.
And here Jesus gives us the great paradox of life that summarizes the cost of being his disciple: “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for man to gain the whole world, yet lose or forfeit his very soul?” (v.24) What Jesus was pointing out here was that we lose what we gain, and we gain what we lose. In our life we strive to secure what may be important to us our safety, health, comfort, careers, prestige, wealth and fame.
In contrast, to follow Jesus will most often bring us inconvenience, ridicule and persecution, and we may find ourselves in unsafe, unhealthy and uncomfortable places and there are times death will stare us in the face but we leave behind our fears because we know that Jesus will raise us up to eternal life for there is nothing in this world that can compensate for the loss of eternal life.
At the end of our day, Jesus will ask for an accounting of how we lived our life and he will ask did we deny ourselves the pleasure of our social and professional standing and went to serve the Lord in the mission Did we take up our cross daily? What did we give in exchange for an eternal life?
We should remember that everything we have is an outright gift from God. We owe him everything, including our very own lives. We can give God our money but unless we surrender ourselves to him, everything we do is lip service.
A true disciple is one who will gladly give up all that he has including his life and soul in exchange for an eternal life in heaven for in the end it is only the cross of Christ that will lead us to victory and freedom from sin and death. After all “there is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved.” (Acts 4:12). In this Lenten Season, we may have to ask ourselves and reflect on this question – Are you ready to lose all for Christ in order to gain all with Christ?
1st Reading: Deut 30:15-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 1:1-4, 6 “Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.”
GOSPEL: Lk 9:22-25
Key Verse: “What profit is there for one to gain
the whole world, yet lose his soul.” (v.25)
Some may find it ironic that we are stepping into Thursday after Ash Wednesday which is the second day of our journey to the Lenten Season and at the same time celebrating Valentine’s Day. While Christendom may be fasting in accord with the spirit of the liturgical season that calls to repentance and self-denial, couples be they married or not would most probably be agog looking for restaurants and places to go to celebrate this occasion.
But if you look at it more closely we can actually find some connection between the Lenten Season and Valentine’s Day as both are anchored on relationships – one is with God and the other with one another. Both also require a certain level of commitment, again in terms of our commitment to establish a closer relationship with God and the other a stronger commitment to one another.
And it is part of human nature for people to set their minds on a goal no matter how intricate it may be and they will go to great lengths just so they can reach their objective in life. It could be a successful career in the corporate world, in business and or setting their sights on that which they long to have and possess – cars, jewelries, artwork, antique collections, houses, branded clothes and bags. You name it, the rich and famous have it and are salivating for more.
And people are willing to pay even a high price to reach their goals or for something that they value. Jesus was no different except that the goal for which he was sent down from heaven was not to conquer the world and vanquish the enemy through a military conquest but through a ministry of love and reconciliation.
In his mission to bring the people to acknowledge their sinful nature and bring them to repentance which are the prerequisites for admission to the Kingdom of God, Jesus knew the price he had to pay. Here in today’s Gospel we see Jesus giving his disciples the specifics of what will happen to him the moment he enters Jerusalem.
“The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” (v.22) This was a radical departure from the times Jesus taught his disciples using parables and actual-life scenarios so the disciples could easily understand. This time, Jesus spoke with clarity of intention to impress upon his disciples that they too will have to suffer if they were to follow him.
His message to his disciples then and to us now was as clear as day and Jesus did not mince any words when he said: “If you want to be my follower, you must deny yourself, carry your cross daily, and follow me.” (v.23)
To apply this to our present-day situation, it means we are to embrace the Gospel of Christ as our own and this includes setting aside all our selfish desires especially in the way we use and expend our resources – time, talent and treasure – and to pursue our goals even if these are opposed to the values of Christ’s Gospel.
And here Luke records that Jesus required at least three conditions
that we need to comply with if we are to follow him. We need to deny ourselves which means that we will have to remove all our masks, our pretensions and even our own nature especially that which do not conform to the image and likeness of God.
We are to carry our crosses in life – sickness and diseases, failed relationships, failed business, financial burdens, loss of job and income opportunities – as well as all the negative attitudes that we have (pride, envy, gluttony, sloth, lust, avarice and wrath) and bring our cross to our own Calvary to nail our ungodly nature on the cross and die as Jesus died on the cross. Anything less than this is superficial.
Jesus assures us that when we die with him and put our old self to death, we will also rise with him in glory and he assures us that the Holy Spirit will empower us to put on Christ because anyone who will follow him will have to imitate him as we take over the mission to help others reconcile with God.
And here Jesus gives us the great paradox of life that summarizes the cost of being his disciple: “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for man to gain the whole world, yet lose or forfeit his very soul?” (v.24) What Jesus was pointing out here was that we lose what we gain, and we gain what we lose. In our life we strive to secure what may be important to us our safety, health, comfort, careers, prestige, wealth and fame.
In contrast, to follow Jesus will most often bring us inconvenience, ridicule and persecution, and we may find ourselves in unsafe, unhealthy and uncomfortable places and there are times death will stare us in the face but we leave behind our fears because we know that Jesus will raise us up to eternal life for there is nothing in this world that can compensate for the loss of eternal life.
At the end of our day, Jesus will ask for an accounting of how we lived our life and he will ask did we deny ourselves the pleasure of our social and professional standing and went to serve the Lord in the mission Did we take up our cross daily? What did we give in exchange for an eternal life?
We should remember that everything we have is an outright gift from God. We owe him everything, including our very own lives. We can give God our money but unless we surrender ourselves to him, everything we do is lip service.
A true disciple is one who will gladly give up all that he has including his life and soul in exchange for an eternal life in heaven for in the end it is only the cross of Christ that will lead us to victory and freedom from sin and death. After all “there is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved.” (Acts 4:12). In this Lenten Season, we may have to ask ourselves and reflect on this question – Are you ready to lose all for Christ in order to gain all with Christ?
DON'T BE STIFLED BY RULES
FEB. 12, 2013: FIFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Gen 1:20-24
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 8:4-9 “How great is your name, O Lord our God, through all the earth!”
GOSPEL: Mk 7:1-13
Key Verse: “but their hearts are far from me.” (v.6)
There is no doubt that rules are needed to maintain order in a secular organization and or even in a religious congregation but rules do not a worship of God make. This means that while it is necessary for us to have rules, true worship is not bounded by rules but should spring forth from the heart that is in communion with God.
This divergence in the way the ancient religious traditions are to be observed became the subject of a heated debate between Jesus and the Scribes and Pharisees in this Gospel passage. You will recall that the religious leaders have already questioned Jesus for allowing his disciples to pluck the ears of the corn during the Sabbath (Mk 2:23) and now in this passage his disciples ate without going through the ritual of washing their hands (v.2).
For us to be able to understand what Jesus and the Pharisees are arguing about, we should go into what these rituals are. Initially, the Law refers to the Ten Commandments and the Pentateuch or the first five books of Moses in the Old Testament. The ancient Jews refer to these as the set of moral principles that they have to interpret and apply to how they live their lives.
But in the 4th and 5th B.C., the Scribes came into the picture and there and then decided to expand, amplify and modified the Law into thousands of rules and regulations to guide the Jews in practically all the aspects of their lives. In fact, these rules and regulations persisted even after the Crucifixion of Jesus and were summarized into a set of principles which is now known as the Mishnah.
Part of these set of rules was the manner in which the hands are to be washed before eating and to fail to observe this decree was not bad manners but a person was deemed unclean in the sight of God and hence an unclean person was subject to the attack of the evil one. To the Scribes, such rules and regulations are the essence of religion and to observe them was to please God and, to break them was to sin.
So when the Scribes criticized Jesus for allowing his disciples to eat with unclean hands, he responded by quoting from Isa 29:13 “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”
It was not that Jesus was against traditions but what he was against was the legalism that the Scribes kept on imposing on the people which were opposed to the commands of God. In effect what Jesus was saying was that we must learn how to discern if traditions, rules and regulations come from the inspiration of the Holy Spirit or from uninspired men.
There is nothing wrong with Traditions because our Catholic Faith is guided by it and Pope Benedict XVI gave a beautiful catechesis on Catholic Tradition when he said: “We miss the profound meaning of Catholic Tradition if we see it only as the handing on of a static Revelation. More than that, it is the active, continuous work of the Holy Spirit in our particular time: it makes real and tangible ‘the active presence of the Lord Jesus in his people, realized by the Holy Spirit.’
This reality of the divine action of the Holy Spirit within the Church is essential to understanding Catholic Tradition. It is what makes Sacred Tradition something far different than mere human traditions. Through that same action of the Spirit, Catholic Tradition incorporates us into the Communion of the Saints. It ensures the connection “between the experience of the apostolic faith, lived in the original community of the disciples, and the present experience of Christ in his Church.”
And Pope Benedict XVI concludes: ‘Tradition is the living river that unites us to the origins, the living river in which the origins are always present, the great river that leads us to the port of eternity. In this living river, the word of the Lord...: "And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age", is fulfilled again (Matt 28:20). Through Catholic Tradition, the Holy Spirit works to bring the grace and truth of Christ into our own lives.
Indeed, traditions are not bad but we must know how to qualify traditions or rules. What we must guard against is when rules tend to replace the fruit of our hearts when worshiping God (v.6). We could also be lulled into vain worship if we commit the mistake of putting the rules on the same level as God’s commands (v.7). Such worship may appear to be impressive, but it is actually empty and worthless for the simple reason that these do not lead us to a communion with God (Col 2:22-23).
To stress the importance of heeding God’s commands over rules, Jesus gave the example of honoring one's parents (vv.10-12) as he criticized the tradition of the Scribes that releases a person from his obligation to help his parents by giving to the Temple treasury. What Jesus was saying and which he is still telling us is that Traditions must be subordinate to the Word of God.
Hence, as Catholics we are enjoined to observe the Traditions of our Church such as our reception of the Sacraments particularly the Holy Eucharist because it gives Jesus an opportunity by which he can continue his salvific mission through us.
1st Reading: Gen 1:20-24
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 8:4-9 “How great is your name, O Lord our God, through all the earth!”
GOSPEL: Mk 7:1-13
Key Verse: “but their hearts are far from me.” (v.6)
There is no doubt that rules are needed to maintain order in a secular organization and or even in a religious congregation but rules do not a worship of God make. This means that while it is necessary for us to have rules, true worship is not bounded by rules but should spring forth from the heart that is in communion with God.
This divergence in the way the ancient religious traditions are to be observed became the subject of a heated debate between Jesus and the Scribes and Pharisees in this Gospel passage. You will recall that the religious leaders have already questioned Jesus for allowing his disciples to pluck the ears of the corn during the Sabbath (Mk 2:23) and now in this passage his disciples ate without going through the ritual of washing their hands (v.2).
For us to be able to understand what Jesus and the Pharisees are arguing about, we should go into what these rituals are. Initially, the Law refers to the Ten Commandments and the Pentateuch or the first five books of Moses in the Old Testament. The ancient Jews refer to these as the set of moral principles that they have to interpret and apply to how they live their lives.
But in the 4th and 5th B.C., the Scribes came into the picture and there and then decided to expand, amplify and modified the Law into thousands of rules and regulations to guide the Jews in practically all the aspects of their lives. In fact, these rules and regulations persisted even after the Crucifixion of Jesus and were summarized into a set of principles which is now known as the Mishnah.
Part of these set of rules was the manner in which the hands are to be washed before eating and to fail to observe this decree was not bad manners but a person was deemed unclean in the sight of God and hence an unclean person was subject to the attack of the evil one. To the Scribes, such rules and regulations are the essence of religion and to observe them was to please God and, to break them was to sin.
So when the Scribes criticized Jesus for allowing his disciples to eat with unclean hands, he responded by quoting from Isa 29:13 “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”
It was not that Jesus was against traditions but what he was against was the legalism that the Scribes kept on imposing on the people which were opposed to the commands of God. In effect what Jesus was saying was that we must learn how to discern if traditions, rules and regulations come from the inspiration of the Holy Spirit or from uninspired men.
There is nothing wrong with Traditions because our Catholic Faith is guided by it and Pope Benedict XVI gave a beautiful catechesis on Catholic Tradition when he said: “We miss the profound meaning of Catholic Tradition if we see it only as the handing on of a static Revelation. More than that, it is the active, continuous work of the Holy Spirit in our particular time: it makes real and tangible ‘the active presence of the Lord Jesus in his people, realized by the Holy Spirit.’
This reality of the divine action of the Holy Spirit within the Church is essential to understanding Catholic Tradition. It is what makes Sacred Tradition something far different than mere human traditions. Through that same action of the Spirit, Catholic Tradition incorporates us into the Communion of the Saints. It ensures the connection “between the experience of the apostolic faith, lived in the original community of the disciples, and the present experience of Christ in his Church.”
And Pope Benedict XVI concludes: ‘Tradition is the living river that unites us to the origins, the living river in which the origins are always present, the great river that leads us to the port of eternity. In this living river, the word of the Lord...: "And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age", is fulfilled again (Matt 28:20). Through Catholic Tradition, the Holy Spirit works to bring the grace and truth of Christ into our own lives.
Indeed, traditions are not bad but we must know how to qualify traditions or rules. What we must guard against is when rules tend to replace the fruit of our hearts when worshiping God (v.6). We could also be lulled into vain worship if we commit the mistake of putting the rules on the same level as God’s commands (v.7). Such worship may appear to be impressive, but it is actually empty and worthless for the simple reason that these do not lead us to a communion with God (Col 2:22-23).
To stress the importance of heeding God’s commands over rules, Jesus gave the example of honoring one's parents (vv.10-12) as he criticized the tradition of the Scribes that releases a person from his obligation to help his parents by giving to the Temple treasury. What Jesus was saying and which he is still telling us is that Traditions must be subordinate to the Word of God.
Hence, as Catholics we are enjoined to observe the Traditions of our Church such as our reception of the Sacraments particularly the Holy Eucharist because it gives Jesus an opportunity by which he can continue his salvific mission through us.
JESUS GIVES, OTHERS TAKE
FEB. 11, 2013: OUR LADY OF LOURDES
1st Reading: Gen 1:1-19
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 104:1-2, 5-6, 10-12, 24, 35 “May the Lord be glad in His works.”
GOSPEL: MK 6:53-56
Key Verse: “and all who touched him were healed.” (v.56)
Even in this day and age there are still many who have earned the reputation of being to heal the sick and people from all walks of life go to them with the hope they will get healed and some of them do get healed. Some claim their gift of healing was passed on to them by their forefathers and they normally chant Latin incantations before they conduct their healing sessions.
Faith healers as they are called normally hold their healing sessions on a Friday but because of the number of people whose hope lie in them many of them now hold daily healing sessions. Regardless of whether they are gifted or not we cannot discount the probability that God can also use them to bring healing in accordance with his Will and pleasure.
This gospel passage could very well be a story about faith as the people only needed to touch Jesus, his garment and or even the tassels of his robe and all who touched him were healed (v.56).
However, there was something conspicuous in this passage that reveals the people’s behavior especially those who are desperate and have lost whatever options may be available to them and this was evident right at the beginning of the passage when Mark wrote that when Jesus and his disciples disembarked at Gennesaret and when the people recognized Jesus, “they ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he went – into villages, towns or countryside – they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak” (vv.55-56).
If we are to get inside this gospel scenario itself, Mark’s description will tell us there was pandemonium and chaos that the disciples of Jesus must have had a difficult time putting order amidst the multitude who wanted to be healed. Certainly, people were pressing against one another as they jostled at each other just to get near Jesus to touch him and or the edge of his garment.
Hence, this passage tells us of the different levels of faith the people had and since the people in Gennesaret may have already heard what Jesus did in the other regions of Galilee and in Capernaum they ran and brought the sick to be healed as soon as “they recognized Jesus.”
What then is faith? Faith is one of the three virtues that God infuses in those who are sacramentally baptized. It is a free gift that God gives to us through the power of the Holy Spirit. This faith that has been infused in us and which is sustained by the presence of the Holy Spirit is what propels a person to believe and trust in God.
It is the Holy Spirit that energizes our minds that helps us to understand, accept, and believe the Word of God and the truths contained in the doctrines and dogmas of our Catholic faith. But since this virtue is a gift of God it means that faith can either grow depending on the docility of the person and or a person can also lose it by his rejection of the Word of God and the teachings of the Church.
Thus, we can all grow in faith by making it a habit to spend time to not only read the Sacred Scriptures but by internalizing what it says, by listening to God's Word with absolute trust and confidence and yielding to what the Scriptures prescribe especially in this Year of Faith. Faith also grows through the different trials that we encounter in our lives and on the degree of perseverance that we have.
Such perseverance was evident in the way the people rushed to wherever Jesus went and what was significant was that “all who touched him were healed” (v.56) which could only mean that there was no discrimination on the part of Jesus and he healed them all even if it lasted through the night.
There are two things that make this passage significant. One was that those who recognized Jesus were healed which means that while healing largely depends on the Will of God, it would greatly help if the person seeking healing will recognize the lordship of Christ. The other was that these signs, wonders and various healing miracles were made as God’s own testimony of the power of his Word made manifest by the gifts of the Holy Spirit. (Heb 2:4)
There was, however, a downside to these events depicted in this passage which was very evident. While the large number of people may have been drawn to seek healing from Jesus as a last resort, it was also apparent that many of those came to get something out of him.
This is a natural tendency even today when people patronize those from whom they can get something. And today, many still come to Jesus to get something out of him and we can see this in our prayers of petition and supplication. People even pray that they may win the jackpot prize in the lotto draw and it simply is natural that people come to Jesus because they recognize him as an all-powerful God who can do wonders for them even if is unconscionable to just use him and get something out of him and give nothing back.
Today, there are self-proclaimed faith healers who claim God is working through them and large crowds go to them hoping to be healed. Before I was Baptized in the Holy Spirit, I also patronized a medical practitioner who claimed God was working through him and he gave me drugs he claims he formulated but which later turned out to be steroids.
This medical doctor has since lost his license and was even haled to court by some of those who were dismayed their condition worsened instead of getting healed. There are, however, whom God uses to bring healing to the destitute and the purpose is to confirm that healings will take place when God wills it.
But supposing we reverse this scenario that instead of coming to Jesus to get something out of him, we rather go to him to offer him our love, devotion and service. Don’t you think Jesus would be more pleased if we are to come to him by just offering him all that we are and have?
1st Reading: Gen 1:1-19
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 104:1-2, 5-6, 10-12, 24, 35 “May the Lord be glad in His works.”
GOSPEL: MK 6:53-56
Key Verse: “and all who touched him were healed.” (v.56)
Even in this day and age there are still many who have earned the reputation of being to heal the sick and people from all walks of life go to them with the hope they will get healed and some of them do get healed. Some claim their gift of healing was passed on to them by their forefathers and they normally chant Latin incantations before they conduct their healing sessions.
Faith healers as they are called normally hold their healing sessions on a Friday but because of the number of people whose hope lie in them many of them now hold daily healing sessions. Regardless of whether they are gifted or not we cannot discount the probability that God can also use them to bring healing in accordance with his Will and pleasure.
This gospel passage could very well be a story about faith as the people only needed to touch Jesus, his garment and or even the tassels of his robe and all who touched him were healed (v.56).
However, there was something conspicuous in this passage that reveals the people’s behavior especially those who are desperate and have lost whatever options may be available to them and this was evident right at the beginning of the passage when Mark wrote that when Jesus and his disciples disembarked at Gennesaret and when the people recognized Jesus, “they ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he went – into villages, towns or countryside – they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak” (vv.55-56).
If we are to get inside this gospel scenario itself, Mark’s description will tell us there was pandemonium and chaos that the disciples of Jesus must have had a difficult time putting order amidst the multitude who wanted to be healed. Certainly, people were pressing against one another as they jostled at each other just to get near Jesus to touch him and or the edge of his garment.
Hence, this passage tells us of the different levels of faith the people had and since the people in Gennesaret may have already heard what Jesus did in the other regions of Galilee and in Capernaum they ran and brought the sick to be healed as soon as “they recognized Jesus.”
What then is faith? Faith is one of the three virtues that God infuses in those who are sacramentally baptized. It is a free gift that God gives to us through the power of the Holy Spirit. This faith that has been infused in us and which is sustained by the presence of the Holy Spirit is what propels a person to believe and trust in God.
It is the Holy Spirit that energizes our minds that helps us to understand, accept, and believe the Word of God and the truths contained in the doctrines and dogmas of our Catholic faith. But since this virtue is a gift of God it means that faith can either grow depending on the docility of the person and or a person can also lose it by his rejection of the Word of God and the teachings of the Church.
Thus, we can all grow in faith by making it a habit to spend time to not only read the Sacred Scriptures but by internalizing what it says, by listening to God's Word with absolute trust and confidence and yielding to what the Scriptures prescribe especially in this Year of Faith. Faith also grows through the different trials that we encounter in our lives and on the degree of perseverance that we have.
Such perseverance was evident in the way the people rushed to wherever Jesus went and what was significant was that “all who touched him were healed” (v.56) which could only mean that there was no discrimination on the part of Jesus and he healed them all even if it lasted through the night.
There are two things that make this passage significant. One was that those who recognized Jesus were healed which means that while healing largely depends on the Will of God, it would greatly help if the person seeking healing will recognize the lordship of Christ. The other was that these signs, wonders and various healing miracles were made as God’s own testimony of the power of his Word made manifest by the gifts of the Holy Spirit. (Heb 2:4)
There was, however, a downside to these events depicted in this passage which was very evident. While the large number of people may have been drawn to seek healing from Jesus as a last resort, it was also apparent that many of those came to get something out of him.
This is a natural tendency even today when people patronize those from whom they can get something. And today, many still come to Jesus to get something out of him and we can see this in our prayers of petition and supplication. People even pray that they may win the jackpot prize in the lotto draw and it simply is natural that people come to Jesus because they recognize him as an all-powerful God who can do wonders for them even if is unconscionable to just use him and get something out of him and give nothing back.
Today, there are self-proclaimed faith healers who claim God is working through them and large crowds go to them hoping to be healed. Before I was Baptized in the Holy Spirit, I also patronized a medical practitioner who claimed God was working through him and he gave me drugs he claims he formulated but which later turned out to be steroids.
This medical doctor has since lost his license and was even haled to court by some of those who were dismayed their condition worsened instead of getting healed. There are, however, whom God uses to bring healing to the destitute and the purpose is to confirm that healings will take place when God wills it.
But supposing we reverse this scenario that instead of coming to Jesus to get something out of him, we rather go to him to offer him our love, devotion and service. Don’t you think Jesus would be more pleased if we are to come to him by just offering him all that we are and have?
CHRIST SAID GO, NOT COME
FEB. 10, 2013: FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Isa 6:1-3, 8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 138:1-5, 7-8 “In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.”
2nd Reading: 1 Cor 15:3-8, 11
GOSPEL: Lk 5:1-11
Key Verse: “from now on you will be catching men.” (v.10)
It is not normal for people to remain stationary in one place unless you have lost all the will to live. From the moment you wake up in the morning you will have moved from your bed to do whatever your habit is upon waking up.
We all are a people on the move. In school we move from one grade to another until we have acquired the necessary learning to go through life. At work, we move from one company to another as we search for our place in the sun.
I began my career in the media as a radio announcer and I moved from there to anchoring a news program until I shifted gears and ended up as a newspaper reporter. Understandably, I moved from one entity to another in the course of the more than 40 years that I spent as a media practitioner. Because the media business in those days was not as crowded as it is today I took our act to whomever could offer me bigger pay, better airtime slots, and or more newspaper space in terms of column inches.
But for the three main characters in today’s Gospel passage – Peter, James and John – their second encounter with Jesus became the turning point in their lives as we see them pulling their boats to the shore and deciding then and there to leave everything including their catch to follow Jesus.
If we are to equate this in today’s standards, this was a major career change for the three would-be Apostles and at that point in time no one among them knew what the future lies for them. This was a great move for neither one of them knew where they were headed. All they knew was they have found someone in whom they can see light.
Beneath this Gospel passage is an important message for all of us – that we too are being called to take a leap of faith towards a major makeover in life. In other words if life is a career, the Lord is inviting us to leave behind everything that belongs to our past life that has separated us from the source of Grace and to plunge into a new life to which Jesus is calling us.
And we can draw inspiration from Peter who felt not only embarrassed but humbled at the miracle that he personally witnessed when they drew their nets that filled their boats with fish that they nearly sunk. It wasn’t like Peter and the rest weren’t good fishermen. It was their livelihood and they probably were familiar with the Sea of Galilee as they grew up in that place.
But what they couldn’t see, Jesus could see far beyond than what the human eye can see. He saw in Peter, James and John the qualities that he was looking for to be his disciples. And Peter sets an example for all of us as he realized his nothingness at the mighty power who stood in front of him, Peter fell down on his knees and in utter humility acknowledged his sinfulness. As Christians we too, like Peter, should put our pride in our pocket and acknowledge our sinfulness before the Lord.
This is what besets many of us as we prefer to rationalize our actions instead of learning from them. We justify even that which we already know to be a sinful act rather than make amends to repair broken relationships.
Acknowledging our sinfulness is actually one of at least two things that we need to do when we come before the Lord. The other which I learned when I was already growing in the renewal movement through the Bukas Loob sa Diyos (Open in Spirit to God) Covenant Community is that I cannot do it alone.
I cannot change myself. I cannot become what Jesus want me to become. I cannot be a Christian by myself. I cannot possibly be the disciple I want to be. I cannot forgive. I cannot love God in the way that God wants to be loved. I cannot just love anyone, I cannot love my neighbor as God has commanded us to do. I cannot save myself. I need someone who is more powerful than I am in order for me to do these things. In other words, I need God who will help me change and be restored into the image and likeness of Him who created me.
Before calling Peter and his brother Andrew, James and John, Jesus has already been preaching in the synagogues and his popularity was growing and Peter, Andrew, James and John must have heard about him but are not yet convinced at who Jesus was.
The miracle they saw when Jesus asked them to lower their nets filling their boats in the process was the key that unlocked their doubt and especially when Jesus said to Peter: “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men. So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.” (v.10-11)
What happened to Peter, Andrew, James and John also happens to us and many times things happen for a reason. To Peter and the others, it opened their eyes and they followed Jesus. Remember too that they have been up all night but haven’t caught anything.
This is the same with us especially in the confines of the Church and or the Community. Some of us may be in a situation that may seem hopeless and the natural tendency is we wait for an opportune time before we take action. This is where we differ from Peter because if we wait for the proper time, that time may never come and we may never be able to start at all.
Peter dropped all his years of hands-on experience as a fisherman and he did what Jesus told him to do “put out into the deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” (v.4) The result was a miracle. This is the same with us. If we are able to gather the courage and the humility and rid ourselves of our baggage, arrogance and most of all pride and when we have emptied ourselves of our sinful nature, that is the time when God will fill us with his Grace that will give us the power to put out into the deep without fear and reservation.
We may be at the crossroad of our lives now and Jesus is telling us to go out into the deep and uncharted territory and to lower our nets. It means doing what we think we can’t do. If it means we need to humble ourselves, that is to lower our nets, to put our guards down, set aside our pride, turn around from our self-centeredness, then expect a miracle like what Jesus did to Peter but it will all depend when we are ready for a career change.
If we fail as some churches or communities do, it is because we didn’t quite understand the command in Matt 28:19 “Go and make disciples of all nations.” What Jesus said was “go” and churches and communities fail because they want people to “come” to them instead. These two words are poles apart and evangelization means going to bring the Gospel of Christ to others. To follow Christ is to give up our comfort zones like Simon, Andrew and John.
Remember too that there were no conditions when Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James and John and the rest of the Apostles. He simply said: Matt 4:18-22 “come follow me,” and they did. Aren’t we supposed to do the same?
1st Reading: Isa 6:1-3, 8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 138:1-5, 7-8 “In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.”
2nd Reading: 1 Cor 15:3-8, 11
GOSPEL: Lk 5:1-11
Key Verse: “from now on you will be catching men.” (v.10)
It is not normal for people to remain stationary in one place unless you have lost all the will to live. From the moment you wake up in the morning you will have moved from your bed to do whatever your habit is upon waking up.
We all are a people on the move. In school we move from one grade to another until we have acquired the necessary learning to go through life. At work, we move from one company to another as we search for our place in the sun.
I began my career in the media as a radio announcer and I moved from there to anchoring a news program until I shifted gears and ended up as a newspaper reporter. Understandably, I moved from one entity to another in the course of the more than 40 years that I spent as a media practitioner. Because the media business in those days was not as crowded as it is today I took our act to whomever could offer me bigger pay, better airtime slots, and or more newspaper space in terms of column inches.
But for the three main characters in today’s Gospel passage – Peter, James and John – their second encounter with Jesus became the turning point in their lives as we see them pulling their boats to the shore and deciding then and there to leave everything including their catch to follow Jesus.
If we are to equate this in today’s standards, this was a major career change for the three would-be Apostles and at that point in time no one among them knew what the future lies for them. This was a great move for neither one of them knew where they were headed. All they knew was they have found someone in whom they can see light.
Beneath this Gospel passage is an important message for all of us – that we too are being called to take a leap of faith towards a major makeover in life. In other words if life is a career, the Lord is inviting us to leave behind everything that belongs to our past life that has separated us from the source of Grace and to plunge into a new life to which Jesus is calling us.
And we can draw inspiration from Peter who felt not only embarrassed but humbled at the miracle that he personally witnessed when they drew their nets that filled their boats with fish that they nearly sunk. It wasn’t like Peter and the rest weren’t good fishermen. It was their livelihood and they probably were familiar with the Sea of Galilee as they grew up in that place.
But what they couldn’t see, Jesus could see far beyond than what the human eye can see. He saw in Peter, James and John the qualities that he was looking for to be his disciples. And Peter sets an example for all of us as he realized his nothingness at the mighty power who stood in front of him, Peter fell down on his knees and in utter humility acknowledged his sinfulness. As Christians we too, like Peter, should put our pride in our pocket and acknowledge our sinfulness before the Lord.
This is what besets many of us as we prefer to rationalize our actions instead of learning from them. We justify even that which we already know to be a sinful act rather than make amends to repair broken relationships.
Acknowledging our sinfulness is actually one of at least two things that we need to do when we come before the Lord. The other which I learned when I was already growing in the renewal movement through the Bukas Loob sa Diyos (Open in Spirit to God) Covenant Community is that I cannot do it alone.
I cannot change myself. I cannot become what Jesus want me to become. I cannot be a Christian by myself. I cannot possibly be the disciple I want to be. I cannot forgive. I cannot love God in the way that God wants to be loved. I cannot just love anyone, I cannot love my neighbor as God has commanded us to do. I cannot save myself. I need someone who is more powerful than I am in order for me to do these things. In other words, I need God who will help me change and be restored into the image and likeness of Him who created me.
Before calling Peter and his brother Andrew, James and John, Jesus has already been preaching in the synagogues and his popularity was growing and Peter, Andrew, James and John must have heard about him but are not yet convinced at who Jesus was.
The miracle they saw when Jesus asked them to lower their nets filling their boats in the process was the key that unlocked their doubt and especially when Jesus said to Peter: “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men. So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.” (v.10-11)
What happened to Peter, Andrew, James and John also happens to us and many times things happen for a reason. To Peter and the others, it opened their eyes and they followed Jesus. Remember too that they have been up all night but haven’t caught anything.
This is the same with us especially in the confines of the Church and or the Community. Some of us may be in a situation that may seem hopeless and the natural tendency is we wait for an opportune time before we take action. This is where we differ from Peter because if we wait for the proper time, that time may never come and we may never be able to start at all.
Peter dropped all his years of hands-on experience as a fisherman and he did what Jesus told him to do “put out into the deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” (v.4) The result was a miracle. This is the same with us. If we are able to gather the courage and the humility and rid ourselves of our baggage, arrogance and most of all pride and when we have emptied ourselves of our sinful nature, that is the time when God will fill us with his Grace that will give us the power to put out into the deep without fear and reservation.
We may be at the crossroad of our lives now and Jesus is telling us to go out into the deep and uncharted territory and to lower our nets. It means doing what we think we can’t do. If it means we need to humble ourselves, that is to lower our nets, to put our guards down, set aside our pride, turn around from our self-centeredness, then expect a miracle like what Jesus did to Peter but it will all depend when we are ready for a career change.
If we fail as some churches or communities do, it is because we didn’t quite understand the command in Matt 28:19 “Go and make disciples of all nations.” What Jesus said was “go” and churches and communities fail because they want people to “come” to them instead. These two words are poles apart and evangelization means going to bring the Gospel of Christ to others. To follow Christ is to give up our comfort zones like Simon, Andrew and John.
Remember too that there were no conditions when Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James and John and the rest of the Apostles. He simply said: Matt 4:18-22 “come follow me,” and they did. Aren’t we supposed to do the same?
IN JESUS WE ARE SAFE
FEB. 9, 2013: FOURTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Heb 13:15-17, 20-21
Responsorial Psalm: Psa Psa 23:1-6 “The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want.”
GOSPEL: Mk 6:30-34
Key Verse: “..for they were like sheep
without a shepherd.” (v.34)
We must remember that Jesus, though he was God, was sent down from heaven and took up a human form such that Our Lord is divine by nature and human at the same time. Hence, everything that we mortals can feel Jesus can also feel and much more.
And people get tired after a hard day’s work. What more with Jesus whose hectic schedule would have floored ordinary men and rest was something that Jesus looked forward to but the people kept following him. Even when he got into a boat to go to look for a place to rest, he found the people waiting for him on the shore as he disembarked.
The scenario in this Gospel passage may seem uneventful at first and there are two ways by which we can approach and appreciate this particular gospel passage. One is by drawing on its meaning literally and, two by creating an imagery of what it was like then by putting ourselves in the shoes of those who were present at the time.
Besides Jesus, there are at least two groups of people who were there at the time. They were the Apostles and the disciples (v.30) who normally travel with Jesus wherever he went and of course the people who were coming and going in great numbers (v.31).
It would appear that Jesus was tired following a series of teachings in different cities around and across Galilee. He went home to Nazareth where he suffered rejection from his own kin and town mates who could not accept that the son of an ordinary carpenter could speak with authority and command the evil spirits to get out of those possessed by demons.
This was probably the reason why he told his disciples to “come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” (v.31). Understandably because if the ministry of Jesus were to be likened to a political campaign, this can be likened to what we call a campaign blitz which is a strategy to achieve the best possible result over a limited period of time.
This was what Jesus did as he moved from town to town with neither the luxury of taking a leave of absence or a breather as we normally do when we feel pressure in the corporate world. The only break Jesus had that we know of was when he goes to a quiet place to pray.
And prayer was the one thing that Jesus never removed from his routine because it is during this time of prayer that he gets connected to God the Father and we could only surmise that it is during this moment of communion when Jesus either seeks the affirmation of the Father and or God’s counsel on how to proceed with his ministry.
Thus, it follows that if Jesus our Lord was a prayerful person who derives his strength and inspiration from the Father through prayer then we too must develop the habit of getting connected with God through prayer because this is the lifeline that could spell the difference between our salvation and or eternal damnation.
The fact that Jesus told his Apostles to “come with me by yourselves” (v.31) could only mean that he was as concerned with the human limitations of his disciples as well as the need to spend some time with them.
Israelites are known to value the Sabbath as their time of rest. In fact, the Jews celebrate several feasts in which rest was mandatory such as the Feast of the Unleavened Bread, Feast of Harvest, Feast of Tabernacles and the Day of Atonement and several other feasts in addition to the weekly Sabbath.
Prescribing a rest period for ourselves is necessary because we cannot work without rest and we cannot live an authentic Christian life unless we spend some time to be in the presence of God. In essence, these quiet moments with God especially in the solitude of the Adoration Chapel are what provide us strength and motivation for the work ahead.
But Jesus forgot all about the rest he wanted when he saw a multitude waiting for him as he got off the boat. Etched on the faces of the people was the desperation and hopelessness of a nation that had been waiting for a Messiah.
And Jesus felt pity for them for they were “like sheep without a shepherd, so he began teaching them many things” (v.34). Jesus knew whereof he speaks because this was precisely the reason why he was sent to become the incarnate Son of God. He knew that his primary responsibility was to be the shepherd of both the Jews and the Gentiles alike so that no one would be lost.
As Christ’s under-shepherds therefore, our calling is to evangelize and bring the Good News to others by becoming the good news and one of the ways by which we can be the good news is be a shepherd to our brothers and sisters whose only hope is in Christ. But more than this Jesus is reminding us today to be compassionate towards others. In fact, to love one another is a command and that disciples of Jesus are known for the love they have for one another. In my old life, I was less forgiving especially of those who have done me wrong. There were times when I actually went looking for those who duped me of a big amount of money. But everything changed when Jesus revealed himself to me and my life was never the same again. I forgave everyone and I also sought those whom I hurt and asked for their forgiveness.
There are three things that we are called upon to do as under-shepherds. We are to guide others by “gathering them in our arms and carry them close to our hearts” (Isa 40:11). We are to lead others to graze by “becoming shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers, not because you must but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve” (1 Pet 5:2). And we are to guard the flock especially when they are exposed to danger and harm (1 Sam 17:34-35).
We need to know that a sheep without a shepherd cannot find their way in this world filled with deceit and misrepresentations and they are incapable of defending themselves from the temptations and trials that are before them and only in Jesus can we find the hope of glory we are looking for he is the Shepherd and Guardian of our souls (1 Pet 2:25). And when the Chief Shepherd appears, we will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away (1 Pet 5:4).
1st Reading: Heb 13:15-17, 20-21
Responsorial Psalm: Psa Psa 23:1-6 “The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want.”
GOSPEL: Mk 6:30-34
Key Verse: “..for they were like sheep
without a shepherd.” (v.34)
We must remember that Jesus, though he was God, was sent down from heaven and took up a human form such that Our Lord is divine by nature and human at the same time. Hence, everything that we mortals can feel Jesus can also feel and much more.
And people get tired after a hard day’s work. What more with Jesus whose hectic schedule would have floored ordinary men and rest was something that Jesus looked forward to but the people kept following him. Even when he got into a boat to go to look for a place to rest, he found the people waiting for him on the shore as he disembarked.
The scenario in this Gospel passage may seem uneventful at first and there are two ways by which we can approach and appreciate this particular gospel passage. One is by drawing on its meaning literally and, two by creating an imagery of what it was like then by putting ourselves in the shoes of those who were present at the time.
Besides Jesus, there are at least two groups of people who were there at the time. They were the Apostles and the disciples (v.30) who normally travel with Jesus wherever he went and of course the people who were coming and going in great numbers (v.31).
It would appear that Jesus was tired following a series of teachings in different cities around and across Galilee. He went home to Nazareth where he suffered rejection from his own kin and town mates who could not accept that the son of an ordinary carpenter could speak with authority and command the evil spirits to get out of those possessed by demons.
This was probably the reason why he told his disciples to “come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” (v.31). Understandably because if the ministry of Jesus were to be likened to a political campaign, this can be likened to what we call a campaign blitz which is a strategy to achieve the best possible result over a limited period of time.
This was what Jesus did as he moved from town to town with neither the luxury of taking a leave of absence or a breather as we normally do when we feel pressure in the corporate world. The only break Jesus had that we know of was when he goes to a quiet place to pray.
And prayer was the one thing that Jesus never removed from his routine because it is during this time of prayer that he gets connected to God the Father and we could only surmise that it is during this moment of communion when Jesus either seeks the affirmation of the Father and or God’s counsel on how to proceed with his ministry.
Thus, it follows that if Jesus our Lord was a prayerful person who derives his strength and inspiration from the Father through prayer then we too must develop the habit of getting connected with God through prayer because this is the lifeline that could spell the difference between our salvation and or eternal damnation.
The fact that Jesus told his Apostles to “come with me by yourselves” (v.31) could only mean that he was as concerned with the human limitations of his disciples as well as the need to spend some time with them.
Israelites are known to value the Sabbath as their time of rest. In fact, the Jews celebrate several feasts in which rest was mandatory such as the Feast of the Unleavened Bread, Feast of Harvest, Feast of Tabernacles and the Day of Atonement and several other feasts in addition to the weekly Sabbath.
Prescribing a rest period for ourselves is necessary because we cannot work without rest and we cannot live an authentic Christian life unless we spend some time to be in the presence of God. In essence, these quiet moments with God especially in the solitude of the Adoration Chapel are what provide us strength and motivation for the work ahead.
But Jesus forgot all about the rest he wanted when he saw a multitude waiting for him as he got off the boat. Etched on the faces of the people was the desperation and hopelessness of a nation that had been waiting for a Messiah.
And Jesus felt pity for them for they were “like sheep without a shepherd, so he began teaching them many things” (v.34). Jesus knew whereof he speaks because this was precisely the reason why he was sent to become the incarnate Son of God. He knew that his primary responsibility was to be the shepherd of both the Jews and the Gentiles alike so that no one would be lost.
As Christ’s under-shepherds therefore, our calling is to evangelize and bring the Good News to others by becoming the good news and one of the ways by which we can be the good news is be a shepherd to our brothers and sisters whose only hope is in Christ. But more than this Jesus is reminding us today to be compassionate towards others. In fact, to love one another is a command and that disciples of Jesus are known for the love they have for one another. In my old life, I was less forgiving especially of those who have done me wrong. There were times when I actually went looking for those who duped me of a big amount of money. But everything changed when Jesus revealed himself to me and my life was never the same again. I forgave everyone and I also sought those whom I hurt and asked for their forgiveness.
There are three things that we are called upon to do as under-shepherds. We are to guide others by “gathering them in our arms and carry them close to our hearts” (Isa 40:11). We are to lead others to graze by “becoming shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers, not because you must but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve” (1 Pet 5:2). And we are to guard the flock especially when they are exposed to danger and harm (1 Sam 17:34-35).
We need to know that a sheep without a shepherd cannot find their way in this world filled with deceit and misrepresentations and they are incapable of defending themselves from the temptations and trials that are before them and only in Jesus can we find the hope of glory we are looking for he is the Shepherd and Guardian of our souls (1 Pet 2:25). And when the Chief Shepherd appears, we will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away (1 Pet 5:4).
DO WE REALLY KNOW JESUS
FEB. 8, 2013: FOURTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Heb 13:1-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 27:1, 3, 5, 8-9 “The Lord is my light and my salvation.”
GOSPEL: MK 6:14-29
This is a question that most evangelists that you meet on the streets would normally ask. Supposing you were asked this same question, how quick would your response be? Can you honestly say you know him? Is there a chance you might not really know him but you know about him.
These are two different things because knowing about him from what others may have told you, or from what you can piece together from the homilies of priests who preside in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist doesn’t give you the comfort of claiming you know him because to know Jesus as you would a friend is the fruit of an encounter with him.
In fact, I would even dare say that only those who have a genuine relationship with God and who profess faith in the Trinitarian God would know who Jesus is. But definitely not the average man on the street much more a person who has never been to a church but this also does not preclude the possibility that Jesus can also make himself known to them if he wants to and when he wants to. In other words, knowing who Our Lord is an initiative that comes from Jesus himself.
This was the case of Herod who just couldn’t make out who Jesus was and this was not without reason. Herod lived in Tiberias which was part of Galilee which at that time was populated by Gentiles and there was no account that Jesus went to Tiberias.
Because Herod didn’t know who Jesus was the first thing that came to his mind was the name of John the Baptist: “John, the man I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!” (v.16) To refer to Jesus as John was probably out of guilt that Herod felt for the murder of the prophet who is remembered for paving the way for the coming of Jesus.
Others said Jesus was Elijah (v.15). Again, this was based on the conduct of the Jews who were awaiting the return of the great prophet who also was expected to announce the coming of the Lord. And others simply dismissed Jesus as “a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago.” (v.15)
This scenario is no different from what we see in the ordinary course of everyday life today. The “unchurched” who wasn’t provided with catechetical instruction in their growing up years will not be able to give us even an abstract view of who Jesus is and this is the reason why there is now a revival of the faith that is sweeping the country to bring the unchurch into the Christian faith.
What this passage today is telling us is that past sins especially that which was as grievous as the murder perpetrated by Herod will not go away especially if it remains buried in the memory of an unrepentant sinner because the natural tendency is it will keep coming back as the sin continues to haunt an offender like Herod.
The irony of it all was that Herod loved to listen to the prophetic words spoken by John the Baptist and the only thing that he couldn’t accept was when the prophet started speaking against his illicit relationship with Herodias who was previously married to his brother Philip.
And Herod Antipas feared John the Baptist because he spoke the truth about his adulterous relationship with Herodias. But he also respected John because he knew that he was a man of unquestionable integrity and that many people believed in the evangelist. This is where we draw a parallelism because this oddity in the character of Herod can also be found in many of us who unknowingly are treading on two parallel courses in our spiritual and temporal journey.
Some of us may be faithful in our attendance in the Eucharistic Celebrations or the Mass and also in Prayer Meetings if we belong to a community or prayer group and we lift up our hands and say “yes Lord,” “Amen, Lord” but our temporal lives do not reflect any of the spirituality that we have in the spiritual setting.
The sin of Herod was that he gave in to his impulsive nature when he failed to discern the request of Salome, the daughter of Herodias, for the head of John to be delivered on a plate. Such impulsiveness is not new as there are times when some of us also lose our sense of right judgment and we do things that we regret afterwards.
There was someone who once said there are quick decisions and there are good decisions but it is very seldom that a man will arrive at a good quick decision. There was no doubt that Herod made a bad quick decision but have we asked ourselves how many times have we also made a quick decision that turned awry or bad.
Herod was drunk at the time and he failed to rein in his impulsive nature and this was what Paul warned in his letter to the church in Ephesusthe: “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery (riotous living). Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit.” (Eph 5:18)
What this gospel written by Mark shows is that we who would like to be a disciple of Jesus Christ and take over the mission he left behind must have the courage and the boldness to speak the truth. John had the courage to rebuke Herod for his adulterous relationship with Herodias and he put his life on the line for telling the truth.
Jesus is actually telling us to pattern our lives to that of John the Baptist who never minced any words who spoke the truth to the point of death. As evangelists or catechists whose primary duty is to bring the unbelievers and the doubters to Jesus Christ, this example of John is the model that Jesus is asking us to follow. Historical accounts claim that Herod Antipas had talked to John to soften his critique of the former’s relationship with Herodias but John stood his ground and risked is life rather than compromise.
We who are now tasked to bring the Gospel of Christ to others and take the same path that John the Baptist took when he placed his life in the hands of God should find inspiration in the Catechism of the Catholic Church which says in Para 2471:“Before Pilate, Christ proclaims that he "has come into the world, to bear witness to the truth." The Christian is not to "be ashamed then of testifying to our Lord." In situations that require witness to the faith, the Christian must profess it without equivocation, after the example of St. Paul before his judges. We must keep "a clear conscience toward God and toward men."
Like John the Baptist, we are to bear witness to the truth and as Christians we must not be ashamed of testifying to what the Lord has done in our lives. We are actually the Gospel that we preach and teach such that it is imperative that others must see Jesus present in our lives. This is what John the Baptist did. He spoke the truth. He was the conscience of God and he gave his life for the truth.
1st Reading: Heb 13:1-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 27:1, 3, 5, 8-9 “The Lord is my light and my salvation.”
GOSPEL: MK 6:14-29
This is a question that most evangelists that you meet on the streets would normally ask. Supposing you were asked this same question, how quick would your response be? Can you honestly say you know him? Is there a chance you might not really know him but you know about him.
These are two different things because knowing about him from what others may have told you, or from what you can piece together from the homilies of priests who preside in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist doesn’t give you the comfort of claiming you know him because to know Jesus as you would a friend is the fruit of an encounter with him.
In fact, I would even dare say that only those who have a genuine relationship with God and who profess faith in the Trinitarian God would know who Jesus is. But definitely not the average man on the street much more a person who has never been to a church but this also does not preclude the possibility that Jesus can also make himself known to them if he wants to and when he wants to. In other words, knowing who Our Lord is an initiative that comes from Jesus himself.
This was the case of Herod who just couldn’t make out who Jesus was and this was not without reason. Herod lived in Tiberias which was part of Galilee which at that time was populated by Gentiles and there was no account that Jesus went to Tiberias.
Because Herod didn’t know who Jesus was the first thing that came to his mind was the name of John the Baptist: “John, the man I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!” (v.16) To refer to Jesus as John was probably out of guilt that Herod felt for the murder of the prophet who is remembered for paving the way for the coming of Jesus.
Others said Jesus was Elijah (v.15). Again, this was based on the conduct of the Jews who were awaiting the return of the great prophet who also was expected to announce the coming of the Lord. And others simply dismissed Jesus as “a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago.” (v.15)
This scenario is no different from what we see in the ordinary course of everyday life today. The “unchurched” who wasn’t provided with catechetical instruction in their growing up years will not be able to give us even an abstract view of who Jesus is and this is the reason why there is now a revival of the faith that is sweeping the country to bring the unchurch into the Christian faith.
What this passage today is telling us is that past sins especially that which was as grievous as the murder perpetrated by Herod will not go away especially if it remains buried in the memory of an unrepentant sinner because the natural tendency is it will keep coming back as the sin continues to haunt an offender like Herod.
The irony of it all was that Herod loved to listen to the prophetic words spoken by John the Baptist and the only thing that he couldn’t accept was when the prophet started speaking against his illicit relationship with Herodias who was previously married to his brother Philip.
And Herod Antipas feared John the Baptist because he spoke the truth about his adulterous relationship with Herodias. But he also respected John because he knew that he was a man of unquestionable integrity and that many people believed in the evangelist. This is where we draw a parallelism because this oddity in the character of Herod can also be found in many of us who unknowingly are treading on two parallel courses in our spiritual and temporal journey.
Some of us may be faithful in our attendance in the Eucharistic Celebrations or the Mass and also in Prayer Meetings if we belong to a community or prayer group and we lift up our hands and say “yes Lord,” “Amen, Lord” but our temporal lives do not reflect any of the spirituality that we have in the spiritual setting.
The sin of Herod was that he gave in to his impulsive nature when he failed to discern the request of Salome, the daughter of Herodias, for the head of John to be delivered on a plate. Such impulsiveness is not new as there are times when some of us also lose our sense of right judgment and we do things that we regret afterwards.
There was someone who once said there are quick decisions and there are good decisions but it is very seldom that a man will arrive at a good quick decision. There was no doubt that Herod made a bad quick decision but have we asked ourselves how many times have we also made a quick decision that turned awry or bad.
Herod was drunk at the time and he failed to rein in his impulsive nature and this was what Paul warned in his letter to the church in Ephesusthe: “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery (riotous living). Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit.” (Eph 5:18)
What this gospel written by Mark shows is that we who would like to be a disciple of Jesus Christ and take over the mission he left behind must have the courage and the boldness to speak the truth. John had the courage to rebuke Herod for his adulterous relationship with Herodias and he put his life on the line for telling the truth.
Jesus is actually telling us to pattern our lives to that of John the Baptist who never minced any words who spoke the truth to the point of death. As evangelists or catechists whose primary duty is to bring the unbelievers and the doubters to Jesus Christ, this example of John is the model that Jesus is asking us to follow. Historical accounts claim that Herod Antipas had talked to John to soften his critique of the former’s relationship with Herodias but John stood his ground and risked is life rather than compromise.
We who are now tasked to bring the Gospel of Christ to others and take the same path that John the Baptist took when he placed his life in the hands of God should find inspiration in the Catechism of the Catholic Church which says in Para 2471:“Before Pilate, Christ proclaims that he "has come into the world, to bear witness to the truth." The Christian is not to "be ashamed then of testifying to our Lord." In situations that require witness to the faith, the Christian must profess it without equivocation, after the example of St. Paul before his judges. We must keep "a clear conscience toward God and toward men."
Like John the Baptist, we are to bear witness to the truth and as Christians we must not be ashamed of testifying to what the Lord has done in our lives. We are actually the Gospel that we preach and teach such that it is imperative that others must see Jesus present in our lives. This is what John the Baptist did. He spoke the truth. He was the conscience of God and he gave his life for the truth.
OUR MISSION ORDERS
FEB. 7, 2013: FOURTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Heb 12:18-19, 21-24
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 48:2-4, 9-11 “O God, we ponder your mercy within your temple.”
GOSPEL: Mk 6:7-13
Key Verse: “…repent.” (v.12)
A few chapters before this Gospel reading, in Mk 3:13-19 we see Jesus choosing 12 from among his disciples whom he elevated to become the Apostles to whom he passed on his authority to do what he was doing. More than this Jesus will entrust to them the building of the church which will be officially founded on Pentecost when the Holy Spirit takes his place as the paraclete who will equip and empower the Church as we see it now.
We also heard Jesus on the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time when he delivered what amounted to be his inaugural address to kick off his ministry when he declared: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Lk 4:18-19)
And in today’s Gospel reading, Jesus issues what appears to be the mission orders for his Apostles and those who will come after them and these tasks include: (1) Heal the sick, (2) Raise the dead, (3) Cleanse the lepers, and (4) Cast out demons. Over and above these is the need to proclaim the Kingdom of God to all who will hear and listen.
Here we see Jesus sending out his disciples in pairs and gave them the power and the authority to speak and to act in his name. He gave specific instructions for them to do the same works that he did – to heal, to free people from the power of the evil one, and to speak the word of God – the good news of the gospel that they received from Jesus.
As Jesus gave his disciples the power and authority to guide them as they evangelize, he also meshed this power and authority with love and humility that they are to be clothed with. While the “world” and the “flesh” seek power for selfish gain, Jesus is teaching us to use it for the good of our neighbor.
Our Lord Jesus is actually appointing us also who comprise the members of his body today to be his ambassadors and missionaries – to bring the good news of the gospel to all peoples, lands, and nations as He freely pours out his Holy Spirit upon each one of us so that we may have the confidence and boldness to speak and act in his name wherever he places and sends us.
As he did with his Apostles and disciples, Jesus is also telling us the new breed of evangelists to “travel light” with as little provision or none at all and depend on what we will find in the mission field we go to. What Jesus was teaching is for us to be familiar with such poverty of spirit that will free us from greed and concern for possessions instead of God's provision.
What the Lord wants is for us to be dependent on him and not on ourselves. What these directives of Jesus represent is the pursuit of a radical kind of faith which simply means doing things that we are not used to. This also means getting out of our comfort zones and into the mission fields even if such will inconvenience us. It means our days are filled with the desire for mission to evangelize from the rising of the sun to its setting and not reduce this to an annual event.
I am particularly saddened when I am confronted with Christians who claim to have been renewed but who serve only where it is comfortable and conformable to their life’s standards. While Jesus and his disciples make do with whatever is given them in the homes they go to, there are a new breed of disciples who expect that they be treated like royalty and we see them in every corner of our church. These are faces who raise a lot of noise but whom you don’t see on the streets.
To talk of radicalism in the way we practice our faith is also to look at the way we conduct ourselves as disciples. There is an ocean of difference between talking about discipleship and actually doing it. Preaching the Gospel and living it is what the call of Jesus is all about.
All these translate to metanoia which means that in Christ’s schema, we lose our identity. We forget who we are as we go to proclaim the Gospel in every situation we are in, to toil and serve and not to issue orders because only Christ gives the order. While a leadership structure puts order even in a Christian setting, leaders are expected to become encouragers and not controllers who impose their will on others.
We should take to heart that the mission orders that Jesus gave to the Apostles are the same as what He has been doing during his earthly ministry and it presupposes that since we have already seen what he has done Jesus also expects is that we can replicate this in our own evangelical mission.
As with the Apostles, we are to do this in conjunction with the more important task of proclaiming the Kingdom of God. The Jews longed to have their own Kingdom and be freed from the oppression but they had a different mindset of the Messiah. And what Jesus was saying was that His coming into the world heralds the coming of the Kingdom of God.
The Church recently took steps to revive the Christian faith that is becoming lukewarm as a result of the relativism especially in the West (United States) and this moved Peter’s successor Pope Benedict XVI to issue the New Evangelization in the Transmission of Faith principally to reinvigorate the evangelical mission of the church through the proclamation of the Gospel.
It also realized that there was actually no need to reinvent the wheel or restructure the organization that has existed for more than 2,000 years but that what is needed is the transmission of the Gospel of Christ using the new media and communication tools that the post-modern world can relate to.
This brings me back to the early history of the Bukas Loob sa Diyos which was founded in 1985 and grew by leaps and bounds that the community could actually fill up the 1,500-seat plenary hall of the Philippine International Convention Center. The BLD at that time did not have a Covenant of Communion or the BLD Statutes. What we had were mere operating manuals that were culled from actual experiences and copied from materials made available by other communities and these were what guided each of the ministries and apostolates in those days.
What could have fueled this tremendous growth? It was in the simplicity with which the Gospel of Christ was imparted and proclaimed. Equipped with nothing but their passion and love for the Word of God, BLD members brought Christ to others without counting the cost. Today, the Church urges us “not to invent new strategies as if the Gospel were a product to be placed in the market of religions. We need to rediscover the ways in which Jesus approached persons and called them, in order to put them into practice in today's circumstances.” (Para 4, Closing Message of the Synodal Assembly)
In other words, the reason why churches and or communities like the BLD are now confronted with problems related to the practice of their baptismal faith is because it has prioritized plans and projects to supplant that which is more important – the encounter with the personhood of Jesus Christ through the proclamation of the Kingdom of God.
Remember that Jesus Himself actually began His Kingdom in the hearts of His Apostles and disciples including we who comprise the modern-day disciples whom he gathered from the dark valleys where we dwelt before Jesus found us. Hence, our mandate is to do the same and that is to establish his Kingdom in the hearts of men.
We must keep in mind what the prophet Hosea said: “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.” (Hos 4:6) Knowledge as used in the Scriptures does not refer to anything else but knowledge of God which means our calling is to know him that we may love him, to love him that we may serve him, to serve him that we may share in his suffering which is the way to a glorious life.
1st Reading: Heb 12:18-19, 21-24
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 48:2-4, 9-11 “O God, we ponder your mercy within your temple.”
GOSPEL: Mk 6:7-13
Key Verse: “…repent.” (v.12)
A few chapters before this Gospel reading, in Mk 3:13-19 we see Jesus choosing 12 from among his disciples whom he elevated to become the Apostles to whom he passed on his authority to do what he was doing. More than this Jesus will entrust to them the building of the church which will be officially founded on Pentecost when the Holy Spirit takes his place as the paraclete who will equip and empower the Church as we see it now.
We also heard Jesus on the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time when he delivered what amounted to be his inaugural address to kick off his ministry when he declared: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Lk 4:18-19)
And in today’s Gospel reading, Jesus issues what appears to be the mission orders for his Apostles and those who will come after them and these tasks include: (1) Heal the sick, (2) Raise the dead, (3) Cleanse the lepers, and (4) Cast out demons. Over and above these is the need to proclaim the Kingdom of God to all who will hear and listen.
Here we see Jesus sending out his disciples in pairs and gave them the power and the authority to speak and to act in his name. He gave specific instructions for them to do the same works that he did – to heal, to free people from the power of the evil one, and to speak the word of God – the good news of the gospel that they received from Jesus.
As Jesus gave his disciples the power and authority to guide them as they evangelize, he also meshed this power and authority with love and humility that they are to be clothed with. While the “world” and the “flesh” seek power for selfish gain, Jesus is teaching us to use it for the good of our neighbor.
Our Lord Jesus is actually appointing us also who comprise the members of his body today to be his ambassadors and missionaries – to bring the good news of the gospel to all peoples, lands, and nations as He freely pours out his Holy Spirit upon each one of us so that we may have the confidence and boldness to speak and act in his name wherever he places and sends us.
As he did with his Apostles and disciples, Jesus is also telling us the new breed of evangelists to “travel light” with as little provision or none at all and depend on what we will find in the mission field we go to. What Jesus was teaching is for us to be familiar with such poverty of spirit that will free us from greed and concern for possessions instead of God's provision.
What the Lord wants is for us to be dependent on him and not on ourselves. What these directives of Jesus represent is the pursuit of a radical kind of faith which simply means doing things that we are not used to. This also means getting out of our comfort zones and into the mission fields even if such will inconvenience us. It means our days are filled with the desire for mission to evangelize from the rising of the sun to its setting and not reduce this to an annual event.
I am particularly saddened when I am confronted with Christians who claim to have been renewed but who serve only where it is comfortable and conformable to their life’s standards. While Jesus and his disciples make do with whatever is given them in the homes they go to, there are a new breed of disciples who expect that they be treated like royalty and we see them in every corner of our church. These are faces who raise a lot of noise but whom you don’t see on the streets.
To talk of radicalism in the way we practice our faith is also to look at the way we conduct ourselves as disciples. There is an ocean of difference between talking about discipleship and actually doing it. Preaching the Gospel and living it is what the call of Jesus is all about.
All these translate to metanoia which means that in Christ’s schema, we lose our identity. We forget who we are as we go to proclaim the Gospel in every situation we are in, to toil and serve and not to issue orders because only Christ gives the order. While a leadership structure puts order even in a Christian setting, leaders are expected to become encouragers and not controllers who impose their will on others.
We should take to heart that the mission orders that Jesus gave to the Apostles are the same as what He has been doing during his earthly ministry and it presupposes that since we have already seen what he has done Jesus also expects is that we can replicate this in our own evangelical mission.
As with the Apostles, we are to do this in conjunction with the more important task of proclaiming the Kingdom of God. The Jews longed to have their own Kingdom and be freed from the oppression but they had a different mindset of the Messiah. And what Jesus was saying was that His coming into the world heralds the coming of the Kingdom of God.
The Church recently took steps to revive the Christian faith that is becoming lukewarm as a result of the relativism especially in the West (United States) and this moved Peter’s successor Pope Benedict XVI to issue the New Evangelization in the Transmission of Faith principally to reinvigorate the evangelical mission of the church through the proclamation of the Gospel.
It also realized that there was actually no need to reinvent the wheel or restructure the organization that has existed for more than 2,000 years but that what is needed is the transmission of the Gospel of Christ using the new media and communication tools that the post-modern world can relate to.
This brings me back to the early history of the Bukas Loob sa Diyos which was founded in 1985 and grew by leaps and bounds that the community could actually fill up the 1,500-seat plenary hall of the Philippine International Convention Center. The BLD at that time did not have a Covenant of Communion or the BLD Statutes. What we had were mere operating manuals that were culled from actual experiences and copied from materials made available by other communities and these were what guided each of the ministries and apostolates in those days.
What could have fueled this tremendous growth? It was in the simplicity with which the Gospel of Christ was imparted and proclaimed. Equipped with nothing but their passion and love for the Word of God, BLD members brought Christ to others without counting the cost. Today, the Church urges us “not to invent new strategies as if the Gospel were a product to be placed in the market of religions. We need to rediscover the ways in which Jesus approached persons and called them, in order to put them into practice in today's circumstances.” (Para 4, Closing Message of the Synodal Assembly)
In other words, the reason why churches and or communities like the BLD are now confronted with problems related to the practice of their baptismal faith is because it has prioritized plans and projects to supplant that which is more important – the encounter with the personhood of Jesus Christ through the proclamation of the Kingdom of God.
Remember that Jesus Himself actually began His Kingdom in the hearts of His Apostles and disciples including we who comprise the modern-day disciples whom he gathered from the dark valleys where we dwelt before Jesus found us. Hence, our mandate is to do the same and that is to establish his Kingdom in the hearts of men.
We must keep in mind what the prophet Hosea said: “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.” (Hos 4:6) Knowledge as used in the Scriptures does not refer to anything else but knowledge of God which means our calling is to know him that we may love him, to love him that we may serve him, to serve him that we may share in his suffering which is the way to a glorious life.
NO HONOR IN HIS OWN TOWN
FEB. 6, 2013: STS. PEDRO BAUTISTA AND COMPANIONS
1st Reading: Heb 12:4-7, 11-15
Responsorial Psalm: Psa Psa 103:1-2, 13-14, 17-18 “The Lord’s kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.”
GOSPEL: Mk 6:1-6
Key Verse: “…and in his own house
is a prophet without honor.” (v.4)
Have you ever experienced rejection by people with whom you are intimate with like relatives or close friends? If you have, how did you feel? At times, it may not be a rejection but I’m sure that in the course of your growing up there were instances when you were insulted and or scorned perhaps. You probably felt alienated at some point in time.
There are many factors why people reject people but the most common is envy and insecurity. We just don’t want others to succeed and we sneer at those who may have progressed ahead of us. In other words, to reject others has not only become a human tendency for self-preservation but it also became a mechanism to defend yourself – reject them first before they reject you.
For all intents and purposes, rejection exists even in the church or a community for that matter. I know for a fact that Bro. Mike Velarde had experienced rejection when the El Shaddai Charismatic Movement that he established was still in its infant stage in the 70s not only from other Evangelists who felt threatened by his presence but even from among the mainstream Church itself which doubted his spirituality.
The rest is history and the El Shaddai is not only found in even the remotest parts of the archipelago but has stretched out its reach overseas even in many Middle Eastern countries. Its size and staying power notwithstanding, there are still some which reject the El Shaddai not because it is less spiritual but because of the “masa” character of its members.
The irony of it all is that Jesus “though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” (2 Cor 8:9) The obedience and faith commitment of El Shaddai members are too well known and while many will venture to offer a guess the fact is it was here that God revealed Himself and they believed and it is here that Brother Mike had played an important role because of the simplicity in the way that he proclaims the Gospel.
In today’s Gospel passage there are two things that stood out as I reflected on it. One was the humiliating experience that Jesus suffered at the hands of his own countrymen (vv.3-4) and, the other was his seeming amazement at the “lack of faith” of the people in his hometown (v.6).
There is an old idiomatic expression of which many of us are familiar with that goes like this – familiarity breeds contempt – and this could very well apply to the situation that Jesus found himself in when his own town mates severely questioned his credentials even if they were amazed at the way he taught at the synagogue in Nazareth.
I know of some instances when people who have achieved success have become the butt of envy and scorn especially in their own hometown. But don’t you think that we should rather share in the joy at the good fortune of a relative or a friend perhaps?
At least this was how I felt when former Supreme Court Justice Artemio Panganiban during his 75th birthday celebration had proclaimed that he treasured the moments when he served as a covenanted member of the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community (Open in Spirit to God) in the 1990s and that only his heavy workload at the Supreme Court prevented him from remaining active in the community. It was also while Justice Panganiban was serving at the Supreme Court when he wrote a book entitled “Serving God by Serving Men.”
But while many of us who knew Justice Panganiban are proud of what he has achieved, this was not so in the case of Jesus as the people of Nazareth went as far as to question not only his trade as a carpenter but even his family heritage: “Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us? And they took offense at him.” (v.4)
This reaction of his town mates probably stemmed from their familiarity with Jesus who stayed with Joseph and Mary and only left Nazareth when he was already thirty years old. In all those years, there was probably nothing spectacular that he said or did that could have generated the admiration of his town mates.
His town mates were amazed at the wisdom of his teaching but what they could not accept was how a very ordinary carpenter’s son could teach with authority, performed miracles, healed the sick and cast out the demons from those possessed by evil spirits. And this was probably what Brother Mike also experienced as we tend to look at appearances rather than the message that one brings.
Jews normally receive religious instructions at an early age such that by the time they reach the age of puberty they are already well-versed in the so-called Law of God which was why Jesus was amazed at the lack of faith of his town mates.
Thus it would be illogical for Jesus to preach where his presence was unwelcome but what his town mates didn’t realize then was that they would be missing a lot from the teachings of Jesus and the things that he could do for them. This contemptuous display of arrogance deprived them of learning what God’s Will was for them.
Today, we could also be committing what the Nazoreans did which is why we need to always check the level of our faith in God. Knowing that our Lord is a forgiving God might push us to abuse God’s kindness and mercy and find the gates closed when the bridegroom arrives if we continue to wallow in sin.
As he moved out of Nazareth to go to where he was welcome, we might also find Jesus moving out of our presence if we don’t take heed of his teachings and if we don’t reform our ways and stay clear of sin. We cannot afford to be contemptuous because our salvation is largely dependent on our obedience to God’s Will for us.
Jesus himself tells us: “Remain in me, and I will remain in you.” (Jn 15:4) “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.” (Jn 15:9) Familiarity can work both ways. It can either breed contempt as what happened to the Nazoreans or our being familiar with Jesus can strengthen the ties that bind us to him.
God is giving us a choice. We can either help proclaim the Good News to others or reject it altogether. There are no gray areas nor a thin line when it comes to our salvation and we cannot assume that God will forgive us if we will repay his kindness and generosity with a contemptible attitude.
On the other hand, by paying close attention to his Word we can be assured of the promise of Jesus in Jn 14:23 “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” And in this life, there are only two choices that we can make. It’s either we “are for him or against him?”
1st Reading: Heb 12:4-7, 11-15
Responsorial Psalm: Psa Psa 103:1-2, 13-14, 17-18 “The Lord’s kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.”
GOSPEL: Mk 6:1-6
Key Verse: “…and in his own house
is a prophet without honor.” (v.4)
Have you ever experienced rejection by people with whom you are intimate with like relatives or close friends? If you have, how did you feel? At times, it may not be a rejection but I’m sure that in the course of your growing up there were instances when you were insulted and or scorned perhaps. You probably felt alienated at some point in time.
There are many factors why people reject people but the most common is envy and insecurity. We just don’t want others to succeed and we sneer at those who may have progressed ahead of us. In other words, to reject others has not only become a human tendency for self-preservation but it also became a mechanism to defend yourself – reject them first before they reject you.
For all intents and purposes, rejection exists even in the church or a community for that matter. I know for a fact that Bro. Mike Velarde had experienced rejection when the El Shaddai Charismatic Movement that he established was still in its infant stage in the 70s not only from other Evangelists who felt threatened by his presence but even from among the mainstream Church itself which doubted his spirituality.
The rest is history and the El Shaddai is not only found in even the remotest parts of the archipelago but has stretched out its reach overseas even in many Middle Eastern countries. Its size and staying power notwithstanding, there are still some which reject the El Shaddai not because it is less spiritual but because of the “masa” character of its members.
The irony of it all is that Jesus “though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” (2 Cor 8:9) The obedience and faith commitment of El Shaddai members are too well known and while many will venture to offer a guess the fact is it was here that God revealed Himself and they believed and it is here that Brother Mike had played an important role because of the simplicity in the way that he proclaims the Gospel.
In today’s Gospel passage there are two things that stood out as I reflected on it. One was the humiliating experience that Jesus suffered at the hands of his own countrymen (vv.3-4) and, the other was his seeming amazement at the “lack of faith” of the people in his hometown (v.6).
There is an old idiomatic expression of which many of us are familiar with that goes like this – familiarity breeds contempt – and this could very well apply to the situation that Jesus found himself in when his own town mates severely questioned his credentials even if they were amazed at the way he taught at the synagogue in Nazareth.
I know of some instances when people who have achieved success have become the butt of envy and scorn especially in their own hometown. But don’t you think that we should rather share in the joy at the good fortune of a relative or a friend perhaps?
At least this was how I felt when former Supreme Court Justice Artemio Panganiban during his 75th birthday celebration had proclaimed that he treasured the moments when he served as a covenanted member of the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community (Open in Spirit to God) in the 1990s and that only his heavy workload at the Supreme Court prevented him from remaining active in the community. It was also while Justice Panganiban was serving at the Supreme Court when he wrote a book entitled “Serving God by Serving Men.”
But while many of us who knew Justice Panganiban are proud of what he has achieved, this was not so in the case of Jesus as the people of Nazareth went as far as to question not only his trade as a carpenter but even his family heritage: “Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us? And they took offense at him.” (v.4)
This reaction of his town mates probably stemmed from their familiarity with Jesus who stayed with Joseph and Mary and only left Nazareth when he was already thirty years old. In all those years, there was probably nothing spectacular that he said or did that could have generated the admiration of his town mates.
His town mates were amazed at the wisdom of his teaching but what they could not accept was how a very ordinary carpenter’s son could teach with authority, performed miracles, healed the sick and cast out the demons from those possessed by evil spirits. And this was probably what Brother Mike also experienced as we tend to look at appearances rather than the message that one brings.
Jews normally receive religious instructions at an early age such that by the time they reach the age of puberty they are already well-versed in the so-called Law of God which was why Jesus was amazed at the lack of faith of his town mates.
Thus it would be illogical for Jesus to preach where his presence was unwelcome but what his town mates didn’t realize then was that they would be missing a lot from the teachings of Jesus and the things that he could do for them. This contemptuous display of arrogance deprived them of learning what God’s Will was for them.
Today, we could also be committing what the Nazoreans did which is why we need to always check the level of our faith in God. Knowing that our Lord is a forgiving God might push us to abuse God’s kindness and mercy and find the gates closed when the bridegroom arrives if we continue to wallow in sin.
As he moved out of Nazareth to go to where he was welcome, we might also find Jesus moving out of our presence if we don’t take heed of his teachings and if we don’t reform our ways and stay clear of sin. We cannot afford to be contemptuous because our salvation is largely dependent on our obedience to God’s Will for us.
Jesus himself tells us: “Remain in me, and I will remain in you.” (Jn 15:4) “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.” (Jn 15:9) Familiarity can work both ways. It can either breed contempt as what happened to the Nazoreans or our being familiar with Jesus can strengthen the ties that bind us to him.
God is giving us a choice. We can either help proclaim the Good News to others or reject it altogether. There are no gray areas nor a thin line when it comes to our salvation and we cannot assume that God will forgive us if we will repay his kindness and generosity with a contemptible attitude.
On the other hand, by paying close attention to his Word we can be assured of the promise of Jesus in Jn 14:23 “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” And in this life, there are only two choices that we can make. It’s either we “are for him or against him?”
THE TOUCH THAT HEALS
FEB. 5, 2013: ST. AGATHA, virgin and martyr
1st Reading: Heb 12:1-4
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 22:26-28, 30-32 “They will praise you, Lord, who long for you.”
GOSPEL: Mk 5:21-43
Key Verse: “…just believe.” (v.36)
At the Sunday Media Forum last Sunday where I was invited as one of the panelists, the discussion zeroed in on what appears to be a crime wave with the rising number of crime incidents in recent days and whether these are tied to the scheduled mid-term elections in May 2013.
Though it has not reached an alarming proportion, the peace and order situation is actually not normal as criminals now strut their wares in malls and in broad daylight.
Perhaps the question that many would ask is why? Aren’t we supposed to be the only Catholic country in Asia? Indeed the situation is no longer normal as we see children sniffing rugby in street corners. A drug-crazed man opening fire in a populated neighborhood in Cavite. A lady Mayor being gunned down as she stepped out of her car. A family was massacred over a land dispute. What is happening to our country?
I believe that the situation today has something to do with the dramatic shift in the philosophical beliefs of the people that is influenced by the principle of relativism and highlighted by the increasing individualism of the people, hedonism which places a premium on doing what is good even if it is immoral and, minimalism which is slowly destroying the church today.
The reason why there are many who find themselves locked in these negative philosophical beliefs is because they do not know God well enough as to place their lives in the palm of God’s hands. Further, it is also possible that they don’t know they have the power to rise above mediocrity.
“What’s in it for me?” is what the individualist in us will ask and we turn away from the opportunity to serve because it will inconvenience us and there is nothing in it for me. The hedonistic attitude moves the person to do what he wants to do especially if it feels good albeit immoral. At others times you will hear the minimalist ask “what is the least I can do?”
All three combined will ultimately produce a cancerous growth that will cut into the foundation of any church/ community because these are self-destructive philosophies. Thus, it is best that we regularly conduct a lifestyle check just to make sure that we remain on track towards our eternal salvation.
And if we find ourselves to be embracing any or all of these three negative philosophies, then we just have to go back to the basics of our faith by synchronizing our lives with the philosophies of Jesus who shunned the individualistic principle and embraced a spirit of service and love for the world.
Jesus ignored the hedonistic comforts of the world and lived a life of self-denial (Matt 16:24) and he didn't ask what is the least he can do? Instead, he asked what is the most that I can do? In fact, Jesus chose to give more of himself as he did not deem equality with God as something to be grasped but he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death in a cross (Phi 2:6-10)
In this Gospel we see in Jesus the infinite love of God extending to each and every individual as he gives himself freely and wholly to each person he meets. Jesus indeed is a loving God who brings forgiveness, joy and healing to those who come to him but his response to our cry for help is predicated on the way we come to him. There shouldn’t be any doubt in our minds that Jesus will save us and bring us out of the darkness of our lives into his marvelous light.
But to benefit from his kindness and generosity, we must come to Jesus with expectant faith and not with skepticism or doubt because Jesus will give hope when we have lost all hope as he did with the woman: “your faith has healed you.” (v.34)
The number of years the woman suffered and the years the child lived her life, however, are inconsequential because the main point of this passage was how the desperation of the woman with an incurable condition and the tragedy that befell the family of the dead child was replaced by incomparable joy.
This passage also reveals not just the awesome power of Jesus over diseases and death but also the natural tendency of men to seek what to them was the only option available when all hope was lost. The problem of the woman actually was her affliction had made her unclean and unfit to worship God at the temple and or association with her friends.
This was the reason “she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, ‘If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.’ Immediately the bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.” (vv.27-29)
What followed was a beautiful scenario as Jesus stopped, turned around and asked: “Who touched my clothes?” (v.30) Mark’s account did not explain why Jesus asked. But we can see this in Luke where Jesus asked the same question but followed it up with: “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.” (Lk 8:46)
And when the woman prostrated herself before Jesus and told the Lord the reason why she touched him, Jesus assured her by saying: “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” (v34).
The message for us is that the woman was healed because she was willing to touch Jesus. Today God gives us the opportunity to touch Jesus and be saved by gathering all the faith that we can muster and obey his Word through the Sacred Scriptures which should not pose any difficulty at all. Why? Because Jesus has been present in our lives all along when “the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” (Jn 1:14) and indwelt in us when he ascended to heaven and left the Holy Spirit to be our comforter, teacher, healer and light.
On the same day, Jairus the synagogue official drew on the only option left for him to find remedy for his daughter. Jairus held a lofty position in the synagogue and for Jairus to bow down before Jesus was a daring move which could put him against the Pharisees who are opposed to Jesus. But Jairus, confused and bewildered had no choice. And Jesus simply said: “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” (v.36).
Our lives are hewn closely to every detail in this passage. Many of us will find that our talents and skills are limited and there are many things we are incapable of doing and, when we have lost all sense of hope just like the woman and Jairus, that is when we look for God who is only too willing to accommodate us.
And like the daughter of Jairus, those of us who believe and whose lives have been touched by Jesus will have experienced a spiritual resurrection in the here and now (Col 2:13) and will experience a resurrection into eternal life in the future (Jn 11:25).
There is thus no affliction, pain or suffering that we may be going through now that cannot be healed by the simple touch of Jesus. The question we need to ask is: “Are we willing to touch Jesus and be touched by him?” Because to touch and be touched by Jesus is not only an awesome opportunity to be with God but a leap of faith from death to life, from darkness to light, from a life of want to a life of abundant blessings.
In this passage we see that we can turn our despair into joy just like the joy of the woman and the parents of the dead child raised back to life but to touch Jesus means a life of obedience to his Will and to his Word. Jesus is always ready to heal and restore life. Are we ready to touch him and be touched by Jesus?
1st Reading: Heb 12:1-4
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 22:26-28, 30-32 “They will praise you, Lord, who long for you.”
GOSPEL: Mk 5:21-43
Key Verse: “…just believe.” (v.36)
At the Sunday Media Forum last Sunday where I was invited as one of the panelists, the discussion zeroed in on what appears to be a crime wave with the rising number of crime incidents in recent days and whether these are tied to the scheduled mid-term elections in May 2013.
Though it has not reached an alarming proportion, the peace and order situation is actually not normal as criminals now strut their wares in malls and in broad daylight.
Perhaps the question that many would ask is why? Aren’t we supposed to be the only Catholic country in Asia? Indeed the situation is no longer normal as we see children sniffing rugby in street corners. A drug-crazed man opening fire in a populated neighborhood in Cavite. A lady Mayor being gunned down as she stepped out of her car. A family was massacred over a land dispute. What is happening to our country?
I believe that the situation today has something to do with the dramatic shift in the philosophical beliefs of the people that is influenced by the principle of relativism and highlighted by the increasing individualism of the people, hedonism which places a premium on doing what is good even if it is immoral and, minimalism which is slowly destroying the church today.
The reason why there are many who find themselves locked in these negative philosophical beliefs is because they do not know God well enough as to place their lives in the palm of God’s hands. Further, it is also possible that they don’t know they have the power to rise above mediocrity.
“What’s in it for me?” is what the individualist in us will ask and we turn away from the opportunity to serve because it will inconvenience us and there is nothing in it for me. The hedonistic attitude moves the person to do what he wants to do especially if it feels good albeit immoral. At others times you will hear the minimalist ask “what is the least I can do?”
All three combined will ultimately produce a cancerous growth that will cut into the foundation of any church/ community because these are self-destructive philosophies. Thus, it is best that we regularly conduct a lifestyle check just to make sure that we remain on track towards our eternal salvation.
And if we find ourselves to be embracing any or all of these three negative philosophies, then we just have to go back to the basics of our faith by synchronizing our lives with the philosophies of Jesus who shunned the individualistic principle and embraced a spirit of service and love for the world.
Jesus ignored the hedonistic comforts of the world and lived a life of self-denial (Matt 16:24) and he didn't ask what is the least he can do? Instead, he asked what is the most that I can do? In fact, Jesus chose to give more of himself as he did not deem equality with God as something to be grasped but he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death in a cross (Phi 2:6-10)
In this Gospel we see in Jesus the infinite love of God extending to each and every individual as he gives himself freely and wholly to each person he meets. Jesus indeed is a loving God who brings forgiveness, joy and healing to those who come to him but his response to our cry for help is predicated on the way we come to him. There shouldn’t be any doubt in our minds that Jesus will save us and bring us out of the darkness of our lives into his marvelous light.
But to benefit from his kindness and generosity, we must come to Jesus with expectant faith and not with skepticism or doubt because Jesus will give hope when we have lost all hope as he did with the woman: “your faith has healed you.” (v.34)
The number of years the woman suffered and the years the child lived her life, however, are inconsequential because the main point of this passage was how the desperation of the woman with an incurable condition and the tragedy that befell the family of the dead child was replaced by incomparable joy.
This passage also reveals not just the awesome power of Jesus over diseases and death but also the natural tendency of men to seek what to them was the only option available when all hope was lost. The problem of the woman actually was her affliction had made her unclean and unfit to worship God at the temple and or association with her friends.
This was the reason “she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, ‘If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.’ Immediately the bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.” (vv.27-29)
What followed was a beautiful scenario as Jesus stopped, turned around and asked: “Who touched my clothes?” (v.30) Mark’s account did not explain why Jesus asked. But we can see this in Luke where Jesus asked the same question but followed it up with: “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.” (Lk 8:46)
And when the woman prostrated herself before Jesus and told the Lord the reason why she touched him, Jesus assured her by saying: “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” (v34).
The message for us is that the woman was healed because she was willing to touch Jesus. Today God gives us the opportunity to touch Jesus and be saved by gathering all the faith that we can muster and obey his Word through the Sacred Scriptures which should not pose any difficulty at all. Why? Because Jesus has been present in our lives all along when “the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” (Jn 1:14) and indwelt in us when he ascended to heaven and left the Holy Spirit to be our comforter, teacher, healer and light.
On the same day, Jairus the synagogue official drew on the only option left for him to find remedy for his daughter. Jairus held a lofty position in the synagogue and for Jairus to bow down before Jesus was a daring move which could put him against the Pharisees who are opposed to Jesus. But Jairus, confused and bewildered had no choice. And Jesus simply said: “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” (v.36).
Our lives are hewn closely to every detail in this passage. Many of us will find that our talents and skills are limited and there are many things we are incapable of doing and, when we have lost all sense of hope just like the woman and Jairus, that is when we look for God who is only too willing to accommodate us.
And like the daughter of Jairus, those of us who believe and whose lives have been touched by Jesus will have experienced a spiritual resurrection in the here and now (Col 2:13) and will experience a resurrection into eternal life in the future (Jn 11:25).
There is thus no affliction, pain or suffering that we may be going through now that cannot be healed by the simple touch of Jesus. The question we need to ask is: “Are we willing to touch Jesus and be touched by him?” Because to touch and be touched by Jesus is not only an awesome opportunity to be with God but a leap of faith from death to life, from darkness to light, from a life of want to a life of abundant blessings.
In this passage we see that we can turn our despair into joy just like the joy of the woman and the parents of the dead child raised back to life but to touch Jesus means a life of obedience to his Will and to his Word. Jesus is always ready to heal and restore life. Are we ready to touch him and be touched by Jesus?
DON'T TELL ME, SHOW ME!
FEB. 4, 2013: FOURTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Heb 11:32-40
Responsorial Psalm: Psa Psa 31:20-24 “Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.”
GOSPEL: Mk 5:1-20
Key Verse: “Come out of this man, you evil spirit.” (v.8)
As we step deeper our preparation for the coming of Lent more messages will come our way that will maybe mystifying at first but which will put us in a crossroad and galvanize us into taking action. The Gospel passage today is one those that opens up to different assumptions and interpretations.
Understandably so because the only ones who could offer us an accurate explanation as to why the people were gripped with fear of Jesus despite the miraculous healing of the demoniac are long gone. Confounding the problem was the seeming discrepancy as to where this miracle actually took place. Both Mark and Luke wrote that it took place in Gerasenes but Matthew’s account said it was at Gadarenes.
There was actually no discrepancy because the Gadarenes region which took its name from its largest city Gadara was an expansive country that includes other states and one of these was the state of Gergesenes of which the capital was Gerasa and many travelers referred to it as the Gerasenes region which was in the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Today it is called Jerash in modern Jordan but which is no longer inhabited and only the deserted ruins remain.
And Jesus with his disciples who just came from a successful evangelization campaign in Capernaum crossed the lake to the Gerasenes region and immediately after setting foot on its shores was met by a man possessed by evil spirits who lived in the tombs as there was no force in that city that could bind him or restrain him (vv.2-5).
Confronted by the demon-possessed man, Jesus simply said: “Come out of the man, you evil spirit!” (v.9) and the next scenario would definitely send chills to the faint-hearted as the man said “my name is Legion, for we are many.”
For all intents and purposes, Legion was the name or title given to a regiment of Roman soldiers that would total 6,000 men. Hence, if the evil spirit that came to possess the man said his name was Legion and that they were many it would explain why no one in the city of Gerasa could restrain him or control him.
Because the evil spirits inside the man knew they were no match against Jesus and this was evident because they recognized him as “Jesus, Son of the Most High God” (v.7) the evil spirits themselves suggested that they be sent to the herd of pigs that were nearby and this was what Jesus did.
And it was here when this event turned into a baffling narrative because instead of thanking Jesus for healing the demoniac they pleaded with him to leave the place. The people in this region probably have not met Jesus yet but they must have heard of how he taught with authority and the multitude that were healed by him and yet the people of Gerasenes do not want Jesus to be a part of their life. But why?
I will hazard a guess. As Jesus travels with a large band of disciples, perhaps the people in the region wouldn’t want their daily routine to be disturbed. It was also probable that they wouldn’t want to be identified with Jesus for fear of retaliation by the Roman Legion who are known for its atrocities.
It was possible they were so comfortable with their religious beliefs that they were not prepared to embrace a new paradigm. But these are hypothetical assumptions and as the gospel passage did not provide any explanation, we will have to assume the Gerasenes were filled with fear of something that they didn’t even try to explore and this deprived them of the blessings that Jesus could have given them.
The demoniac who was healed was the exact opposite because he even pleaded to join Jesus in his ministry but Jesus sent him to his family and friends to proclaim the Good News (vv.18-19). Contrast this with the Gerasenes who feared any association with Jesus, many were amazed at the man who fearlessly confessed what Jesus did for him (v.20).
This gospel passage should be an eye-opener for us such that this should move us into making a choice. And this in a nutshell is what is wrong with our Church and or Community today. We have become so comfortable in the technologically wired world where everything is just a click away that we fear Jesus will take away our freedom.
Discipleship has become a thing of the past because of the steep price we need to pay in exchange for our redemption. Our own ascension to the room that has been reserved for us in the heavenly mansion which should be our preoccupation has been supplanted with grandiose plans to prioritize mission in the literal sense over and above the more urgent need to establish a deeper relationship with God.
Our preference tilts in favor of remaining in the world and thus deprive ourselves of the salvation that Jesus is offering us. We need to ask what is it that we fear? Why are we afraid of Jesus?
We actually shouldn’t fear Jesus because in him we can find rest (Mat 11:28) and through him we have been blessed by the Father in the heavenly realm (Eph 1:3) and that through his death we have been reconciled with God and having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life (Rom 5:1-10).
It would probably help if we are going to plunge right into the heart of this gospel passage and ask ourselves who of the two characters in this story are we. Are we the citizens of Gerasenes who were afraid of Jesus that they wouldn’t even want Jesus to evangelize in their region? Or are we like the demoniac who after being healed committed his life to Jesus and began proclaiming the Gospel to tell everyone throughout the Decapolis that people were amazed (v.20).
Over the years I have come across so many books, references, words and phrases and one that I particularly like was the story about Mahatma Gandhi who when he was practicing law in South Africa and had read and studied the Bible and the teachings of Jesus and considered becoming a Christian. But when he tried to enter a Christian Church he was barred from entering and was insulted for being a Hindu.
From that moment on Gandhi adopted what good he found in Christianity but never again considered becoming a Christian if it meant being part of the church. And when he was asked one day why in his speeches he often quoted from the Sermon on the Mount and but appeared to have rejected Christ, Gandhi said: “Oh, I don't reject your Christ. I love your Christ. It's just that so many of you Christians are so unlike your Christ.”
In other words, we can do more in proclaiming the Gospel of Christ by showing others who Christ is in us rather than merely telling others about Christ. “Don’t tell me, show me.” This my Friends is the bottom line because actions mean more than words.
Belief in Jesus grew especially in the Greek-influenced Decapolis and it all began from the example presented by a demoniac who was healed by Jesus. Are you ready to do the same and show people who Jesus is in your life? Or are you afraid Jesus will demand something you aren’t prepared to surrender to him?
1st Reading: Heb 11:32-40
Responsorial Psalm: Psa Psa 31:20-24 “Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.”
GOSPEL: Mk 5:1-20
Key Verse: “Come out of this man, you evil spirit.” (v.8)
As we step deeper our preparation for the coming of Lent more messages will come our way that will maybe mystifying at first but which will put us in a crossroad and galvanize us into taking action. The Gospel passage today is one those that opens up to different assumptions and interpretations.
Understandably so because the only ones who could offer us an accurate explanation as to why the people were gripped with fear of Jesus despite the miraculous healing of the demoniac are long gone. Confounding the problem was the seeming discrepancy as to where this miracle actually took place. Both Mark and Luke wrote that it took place in Gerasenes but Matthew’s account said it was at Gadarenes.
There was actually no discrepancy because the Gadarenes region which took its name from its largest city Gadara was an expansive country that includes other states and one of these was the state of Gergesenes of which the capital was Gerasa and many travelers referred to it as the Gerasenes region which was in the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Today it is called Jerash in modern Jordan but which is no longer inhabited and only the deserted ruins remain.
And Jesus with his disciples who just came from a successful evangelization campaign in Capernaum crossed the lake to the Gerasenes region and immediately after setting foot on its shores was met by a man possessed by evil spirits who lived in the tombs as there was no force in that city that could bind him or restrain him (vv.2-5).
Confronted by the demon-possessed man, Jesus simply said: “Come out of the man, you evil spirit!” (v.9) and the next scenario would definitely send chills to the faint-hearted as the man said “my name is Legion, for we are many.”
For all intents and purposes, Legion was the name or title given to a regiment of Roman soldiers that would total 6,000 men. Hence, if the evil spirit that came to possess the man said his name was Legion and that they were many it would explain why no one in the city of Gerasa could restrain him or control him.
Because the evil spirits inside the man knew they were no match against Jesus and this was evident because they recognized him as “Jesus, Son of the Most High God” (v.7) the evil spirits themselves suggested that they be sent to the herd of pigs that were nearby and this was what Jesus did.
And it was here when this event turned into a baffling narrative because instead of thanking Jesus for healing the demoniac they pleaded with him to leave the place. The people in this region probably have not met Jesus yet but they must have heard of how he taught with authority and the multitude that were healed by him and yet the people of Gerasenes do not want Jesus to be a part of their life. But why?
I will hazard a guess. As Jesus travels with a large band of disciples, perhaps the people in the region wouldn’t want their daily routine to be disturbed. It was also probable that they wouldn’t want to be identified with Jesus for fear of retaliation by the Roman Legion who are known for its atrocities.
It was possible they were so comfortable with their religious beliefs that they were not prepared to embrace a new paradigm. But these are hypothetical assumptions and as the gospel passage did not provide any explanation, we will have to assume the Gerasenes were filled with fear of something that they didn’t even try to explore and this deprived them of the blessings that Jesus could have given them.
The demoniac who was healed was the exact opposite because he even pleaded to join Jesus in his ministry but Jesus sent him to his family and friends to proclaim the Good News (vv.18-19). Contrast this with the Gerasenes who feared any association with Jesus, many were amazed at the man who fearlessly confessed what Jesus did for him (v.20).
This gospel passage should be an eye-opener for us such that this should move us into making a choice. And this in a nutshell is what is wrong with our Church and or Community today. We have become so comfortable in the technologically wired world where everything is just a click away that we fear Jesus will take away our freedom.
Discipleship has become a thing of the past because of the steep price we need to pay in exchange for our redemption. Our own ascension to the room that has been reserved for us in the heavenly mansion which should be our preoccupation has been supplanted with grandiose plans to prioritize mission in the literal sense over and above the more urgent need to establish a deeper relationship with God.
Our preference tilts in favor of remaining in the world and thus deprive ourselves of the salvation that Jesus is offering us. We need to ask what is it that we fear? Why are we afraid of Jesus?
We actually shouldn’t fear Jesus because in him we can find rest (Mat 11:28) and through him we have been blessed by the Father in the heavenly realm (Eph 1:3) and that through his death we have been reconciled with God and having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life (Rom 5:1-10).
It would probably help if we are going to plunge right into the heart of this gospel passage and ask ourselves who of the two characters in this story are we. Are we the citizens of Gerasenes who were afraid of Jesus that they wouldn’t even want Jesus to evangelize in their region? Or are we like the demoniac who after being healed committed his life to Jesus and began proclaiming the Gospel to tell everyone throughout the Decapolis that people were amazed (v.20).
Over the years I have come across so many books, references, words and phrases and one that I particularly like was the story about Mahatma Gandhi who when he was practicing law in South Africa and had read and studied the Bible and the teachings of Jesus and considered becoming a Christian. But when he tried to enter a Christian Church he was barred from entering and was insulted for being a Hindu.
From that moment on Gandhi adopted what good he found in Christianity but never again considered becoming a Christian if it meant being part of the church. And when he was asked one day why in his speeches he often quoted from the Sermon on the Mount and but appeared to have rejected Christ, Gandhi said: “Oh, I don't reject your Christ. I love your Christ. It's just that so many of you Christians are so unlike your Christ.”
In other words, we can do more in proclaiming the Gospel of Christ by showing others who Christ is in us rather than merely telling others about Christ. “Don’t tell me, show me.” This my Friends is the bottom line because actions mean more than words.
Belief in Jesus grew especially in the Greek-influenced Decapolis and it all began from the example presented by a demoniac who was healed by Jesus. Are you ready to do the same and show people who Jesus is in your life? Or are you afraid Jesus will demand something you aren’t prepared to surrender to him?
TURN FAMILIARITY INTO AN ADVANTAGE
FEB. 3, 2013: FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Jer 1:4-5, 17-19
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 71:1-6, 15-17 “I will sing of your salvation.”
2nd Reading: 1 Cor 13:4-13
GOSPEL: Lk 4:21-30
Key Verse: “…no prophet is accepted in his own native place.” (v.24)
There are two things that stood out as I went through this particular passage. One was the humiliating experience that Jesus suffered at the hands of his own countrymen (v.24) and, the other was his seeming amazement at the “lack of faith” of the people in his hometown (vv.25-30).
There is an old idiomatic expression of which many of us are familiar with that goes like this – familiarity breeds contempt – and this could very well apply to the situation that Jesus found himself in when his own town mates severely questioned his credentials even if they were amazed at the way he taught at the synagogue in Nazareth.
I know of some instances when people who have achieved success have become the butt of envy and scorn especially in their own hometown. But don’t you think that we should rather share in the joy at the good fortune of a relative or a friend perhaps?
At least this was how I feel each time a video presentation is shown at wedding receptions we go to because most of the time the couple who just got wed would always express their gratitude to God for their union.
But this was not so in the case of the people of Nazareth who instead of expressing their joy at the healing that took place in their midst even went as far as to question not only his persona by inquiring as to his family heritage: “Isn't this the son of Joseph?” (v.22)
This reaction of his town mates probably stemmed from their familiarity with Jesus who stayed with Joseph and Mary and only left Nazareth when he was already thirty years old. In all those years, there was probably nothing spectacular that he said or did that could have generated the admiration of his town mates.
His town mates were amazed at the wisdom of his teaching but what they could not accept was how a very ordinary carpenter’s son could teach with authority, performed miracles, healed the sick and cast out the demons from those possessed by evil spirits.
Jews normally receive religious instructions at an early age such that by the time they reach the age of puberty they are already well-versed in the so-called Law of God which was why Jesus was amazed at the lack of faith of his town mates.
Thus it would be illogical for Jesus to preach where he was unwelcome but what his town mates didn’t realize then was that they would be missing a lot from the teachings of Jesus and the things that he could do for them. This contemptuous display of arrogance deprived them of learning what God’s Will was for them.
Today, we could also be committing what the Nazoreans did which is why we need to always check the level of our faith in God. Knowing that our Lord is a forgiving God might push us to abuse God’s kindness and mercy and find the gates closed when the bridegroom arrives if we continue to wallow in sin.
As he moved out of Nazareth to go to where he was welcome, we might also find Jesus moving out of our presence if we don’t take heed of his teachings and if we don’t reform our ways and stay clear of sin. We cannot afford to be contemptuous because our salvation is largely dependent on our obedience to God’s Will for us.
Jesus himself tells us: “Remain in me, and I will remain in you.” (Jn 15:4). “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.” (Jn 15:9) Familiarity can work both ways. It can either breed contempt as what happened to the Nazoreans or our being familiar with Jesus can strengthen the ties that bind us to him.
God is actually giving us a choice. We can either help proclaim the Good News to others as we are obliged to do especially in this Year of Faith or reject it altogether. There are no gray areas nor a thin line when it comes to our salvation and we cannot assume that God will forgive us if we will repay his kindness and generosity with a contemptible attitude.
When the people of Nazareth treated Jesus with contempt, what happened was that they missed their opportunity to be on the caravan to salvation. In fact, they did not only miss the benefit of being saved from eternal damnation but Jesus took his message and his blessings to places where the people will receive them (Mk 6.6).
We will experience the same tragedy if we persist in turning a deaf ear to the Word of God. Familiarity is not at all bad because it is also the key to salvation and our familiarity with Jesus should motivate us to listen, study, live and share the Word of God. Then and only then can we expect blessings upon blessings from the source of life and light.
By paying close attention to his Word we can be assured of the promise of Jesus in Jn 14:23 “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” And in this life, there are only two choices that we can make. It’s either we “are for him or against him?”
1st Reading: Jer 1:4-5, 17-19
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 71:1-6, 15-17 “I will sing of your salvation.”
2nd Reading: 1 Cor 13:4-13
GOSPEL: Lk 4:21-30
Key Verse: “…no prophet is accepted in his own native place.” (v.24)
There are two things that stood out as I went through this particular passage. One was the humiliating experience that Jesus suffered at the hands of his own countrymen (v.24) and, the other was his seeming amazement at the “lack of faith” of the people in his hometown (vv.25-30).
There is an old idiomatic expression of which many of us are familiar with that goes like this – familiarity breeds contempt – and this could very well apply to the situation that Jesus found himself in when his own town mates severely questioned his credentials even if they were amazed at the way he taught at the synagogue in Nazareth.
I know of some instances when people who have achieved success have become the butt of envy and scorn especially in their own hometown. But don’t you think that we should rather share in the joy at the good fortune of a relative or a friend perhaps?
At least this was how I feel each time a video presentation is shown at wedding receptions we go to because most of the time the couple who just got wed would always express their gratitude to God for their union.
But this was not so in the case of the people of Nazareth who instead of expressing their joy at the healing that took place in their midst even went as far as to question not only his persona by inquiring as to his family heritage: “Isn't this the son of Joseph?” (v.22)
This reaction of his town mates probably stemmed from their familiarity with Jesus who stayed with Joseph and Mary and only left Nazareth when he was already thirty years old. In all those years, there was probably nothing spectacular that he said or did that could have generated the admiration of his town mates.
His town mates were amazed at the wisdom of his teaching but what they could not accept was how a very ordinary carpenter’s son could teach with authority, performed miracles, healed the sick and cast out the demons from those possessed by evil spirits.
Jews normally receive religious instructions at an early age such that by the time they reach the age of puberty they are already well-versed in the so-called Law of God which was why Jesus was amazed at the lack of faith of his town mates.
Thus it would be illogical for Jesus to preach where he was unwelcome but what his town mates didn’t realize then was that they would be missing a lot from the teachings of Jesus and the things that he could do for them. This contemptuous display of arrogance deprived them of learning what God’s Will was for them.
Today, we could also be committing what the Nazoreans did which is why we need to always check the level of our faith in God. Knowing that our Lord is a forgiving God might push us to abuse God’s kindness and mercy and find the gates closed when the bridegroom arrives if we continue to wallow in sin.
As he moved out of Nazareth to go to where he was welcome, we might also find Jesus moving out of our presence if we don’t take heed of his teachings and if we don’t reform our ways and stay clear of sin. We cannot afford to be contemptuous because our salvation is largely dependent on our obedience to God’s Will for us.
Jesus himself tells us: “Remain in me, and I will remain in you.” (Jn 15:4). “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.” (Jn 15:9) Familiarity can work both ways. It can either breed contempt as what happened to the Nazoreans or our being familiar with Jesus can strengthen the ties that bind us to him.
God is actually giving us a choice. We can either help proclaim the Good News to others as we are obliged to do especially in this Year of Faith or reject it altogether. There are no gray areas nor a thin line when it comes to our salvation and we cannot assume that God will forgive us if we will repay his kindness and generosity with a contemptible attitude.
When the people of Nazareth treated Jesus with contempt, what happened was that they missed their opportunity to be on the caravan to salvation. In fact, they did not only miss the benefit of being saved from eternal damnation but Jesus took his message and his blessings to places where the people will receive them (Mk 6.6).
We will experience the same tragedy if we persist in turning a deaf ear to the Word of God. Familiarity is not at all bad because it is also the key to salvation and our familiarity with Jesus should motivate us to listen, study, live and share the Word of God. Then and only then can we expect blessings upon blessings from the source of life and light.
By paying close attention to his Word we can be assured of the promise of Jesus in Jn 14:23 “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” And in this life, there are only two choices that we can make. It’s either we “are for him or against him?”
PRESENTATION OF THE CHILD JESUS
FEB. 2, 2013: PRESENTATION OF THE LORD AT THE TEMPLE
1st Reading: Mal 3:1-4
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 24:7-10 “Who is this King of Glory? It is the Lord.”
2nd Reading: Heb 2:14-18
GOSPEL: LK 2:22-40
Key Verse: “This child is destined to cause the falling
and rising of many in Israel.” (v.34)
There are at least three points we need to understand when reading this Gospel passage on the Presentation of the Child Jesus at the Temple. The first is the humanness and ordinariness of the kind of life to which Jesus was born into and this can be seen in the offering that Joseph and Mary brought to the Temple as part of the Jewish tradition.
In those times, when a woman gave birth to a child, she is regarded as unclean for the next 40 days if the child was a boy and 80 days if it was a girl and during this time the woman was forbidden to enter the Temple.
What happened at the Temple on that day was part of this purification process related to childbirth at which Mary has to make an offering as part of the ritual and also to present and consecrate the baby Jesus to the Lord. The offering Mary brought consisting of two pigeons was generally regarded as the offering of the poor. Those who are relatively well-off bring a lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon for a sin offering. It is only when the offeror cannot afford a lamb that she is required to bring another pigeon and this was what Mary did and this will show that the household to which Jesus was born was at best very ordinary.
The second point was when Simeon and Anna saw Jesus as he was being presented at the Temple. We might probably ask what was significant in this scenario? Well, Simeon and Anna differed from probably the mainstream of the Jewish population who have been waiting for a King and Savior who was going to lead them to a military victory.
Simeon and Anna spent their time at the Temple joining in the public prayer but also devoted themselves to praying in private. And both were given a vision by the Holy Spirit that they will not see the end of their days until they have laid eyes on the one who is going redeem the people of Israel.
And Simeon took Jesus in his arms and praised God saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation… a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” (v.29)
The third point which we believe was the most significant of all the three scenarios at the Temple was when Simeon blessed the Holy Family said to Mary: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be assign that will be spoken against.” (v.34) While Joseph and Mary did not understand it then, the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple was significant in that this was the first time that a prophecy was made into the kind of life that Jesus will live. And we see this prophecy fulfilled in the life of Jesus, the kind of opposition he faced from the Scribes and Pharisees that will culminate in his passion and death on the cross.
From that time on to today, those who rejected the Word of God incarnate and who will continue to shun it will definitely fall by the wayside and those who will abide by it will rise and be lifted up to share in the eternal inheritance. This event shows that we cannot remain neutral in this world. It’s either we are in, with and for Jesus or against him.
The Jews looked for a Messiah who will spearhead a military victory and they rejected the law of love that Jesus introduced and to this day many of us still could not grasp this great paradox of life when surrendering or yielding to Jesus is what will actually bring us to a victorious life.
As there are those who took over from where the Apostles and disciples left off, there are also those who imbibed the spirit of the Scribes and the Pharisees who continue to oppose the teachings of Jesus in the world today.
In the Philippines the legislature approved using the power of the purse the controversial Reproductive Health Bill that the Aquino Administration signed into law. While the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) has yet to be drafted, some legislators are now talking of filing bills that seek to legalize abortion, divorce and same-sex marriage in a predominantly Catholic country.
In the United States, President Barack Obama has just given the go-signal for the Department of Health and Human Services to require virtually all private health plans to include coverage for all FDA-approved prescription contraceptives, female sterilization procedures, and related “patient education and counseling for all women with reproductive capacity.” This HHS rule requires that sterilization and contraception – including controversial abortifacients – be included among “preventive services” coverage in almost every healthcare plan available to Americans.
In reaction, US Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York and president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops said: “To force American citizens to choose between violating their consciences and foregoing their healthcare is literally unconscionable. It is as much an attack on access to health care as on religious freedom. Historically this represents a challenge and a compromise of our religious liberty. The government should not force Americans to act as if pregnancy is a disease to be prevented at all costs.”
This controversial directive of the HHS which has been approved by Obama is generally regarded by Catholics in the United States to be an affront to the religious freedom that is enshrined in the First Amendment of the US Constitution is indicative of the fulfillment of the prophecy of Simeon that Jesus will be opposed (v.34) in which such opposition to the teachings of the Church on the preservation of life continues to this day and age.
For his part, Pope Benedict XVI has this to say: “No one who looks at these issues realistically can ignore the genuine difficulties which the Church encounters at the present moment. Yet in faith we can take heart from the growing awareness of the need to preserve a civil order clearly rooted in the Judeo-Christian tradition, as well as from the promise offered by a new generation of Catholics whose experience and convictions will have a decisive role in renewing the Church’s presence and witness in American society. The hope which these “signs of the times” give us is itself a reason to renew our efforts to mobilize the intellectual and moral resources of the entire Catholic community in the service of the evangelization of American culture and the building of the civilization of love.”
While this pastoral message was intended for the Catholic Bishops in the US, this could very well be a message for Catholics throughout the world. The message is that as Jesus was consecrated at the Temple, we now have the moral obligation to consecrate ourselves to Jesus who is the new Temple which means that we are obligated to rise up to defend life when and where it is needed.
This affront to Christian ethics is also the motivating factor that is now moving the Church in the Philippines to gather the resources at its command to bring together the differing political ideologies within the Church to forge a united front to reclaim and restore the Christian faith from the culture of death that came with the RH Bill.
1st Reading: Mal 3:1-4
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 24:7-10 “Who is this King of Glory? It is the Lord.”
2nd Reading: Heb 2:14-18
GOSPEL: LK 2:22-40
Key Verse: “This child is destined to cause the falling
and rising of many in Israel.” (v.34)
There are at least three points we need to understand when reading this Gospel passage on the Presentation of the Child Jesus at the Temple. The first is the humanness and ordinariness of the kind of life to which Jesus was born into and this can be seen in the offering that Joseph and Mary brought to the Temple as part of the Jewish tradition.
In those times, when a woman gave birth to a child, she is regarded as unclean for the next 40 days if the child was a boy and 80 days if it was a girl and during this time the woman was forbidden to enter the Temple.
What happened at the Temple on that day was part of this purification process related to childbirth at which Mary has to make an offering as part of the ritual and also to present and consecrate the baby Jesus to the Lord. The offering Mary brought consisting of two pigeons was generally regarded as the offering of the poor. Those who are relatively well-off bring a lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon for a sin offering. It is only when the offeror cannot afford a lamb that she is required to bring another pigeon and this was what Mary did and this will show that the household to which Jesus was born was at best very ordinary.
The second point was when Simeon and Anna saw Jesus as he was being presented at the Temple. We might probably ask what was significant in this scenario? Well, Simeon and Anna differed from probably the mainstream of the Jewish population who have been waiting for a King and Savior who was going to lead them to a military victory.
Simeon and Anna spent their time at the Temple joining in the public prayer but also devoted themselves to praying in private. And both were given a vision by the Holy Spirit that they will not see the end of their days until they have laid eyes on the one who is going redeem the people of Israel.
And Simeon took Jesus in his arms and praised God saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation… a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” (v.29)
The third point which we believe was the most significant of all the three scenarios at the Temple was when Simeon blessed the Holy Family said to Mary: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be assign that will be spoken against.” (v.34) While Joseph and Mary did not understand it then, the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple was significant in that this was the first time that a prophecy was made into the kind of life that Jesus will live. And we see this prophecy fulfilled in the life of Jesus, the kind of opposition he faced from the Scribes and Pharisees that will culminate in his passion and death on the cross.
From that time on to today, those who rejected the Word of God incarnate and who will continue to shun it will definitely fall by the wayside and those who will abide by it will rise and be lifted up to share in the eternal inheritance. This event shows that we cannot remain neutral in this world. It’s either we are in, with and for Jesus or against him.
The Jews looked for a Messiah who will spearhead a military victory and they rejected the law of love that Jesus introduced and to this day many of us still could not grasp this great paradox of life when surrendering or yielding to Jesus is what will actually bring us to a victorious life.
As there are those who took over from where the Apostles and disciples left off, there are also those who imbibed the spirit of the Scribes and the Pharisees who continue to oppose the teachings of Jesus in the world today.
In the Philippines the legislature approved using the power of the purse the controversial Reproductive Health Bill that the Aquino Administration signed into law. While the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) has yet to be drafted, some legislators are now talking of filing bills that seek to legalize abortion, divorce and same-sex marriage in a predominantly Catholic country.
In the United States, President Barack Obama has just given the go-signal for the Department of Health and Human Services to require virtually all private health plans to include coverage for all FDA-approved prescription contraceptives, female sterilization procedures, and related “patient education and counseling for all women with reproductive capacity.” This HHS rule requires that sterilization and contraception – including controversial abortifacients – be included among “preventive services” coverage in almost every healthcare plan available to Americans.
In reaction, US Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York and president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops said: “To force American citizens to choose between violating their consciences and foregoing their healthcare is literally unconscionable. It is as much an attack on access to health care as on religious freedom. Historically this represents a challenge and a compromise of our religious liberty. The government should not force Americans to act as if pregnancy is a disease to be prevented at all costs.”
This controversial directive of the HHS which has been approved by Obama is generally regarded by Catholics in the United States to be an affront to the religious freedom that is enshrined in the First Amendment of the US Constitution is indicative of the fulfillment of the prophecy of Simeon that Jesus will be opposed (v.34) in which such opposition to the teachings of the Church on the preservation of life continues to this day and age.
For his part, Pope Benedict XVI has this to say: “No one who looks at these issues realistically can ignore the genuine difficulties which the Church encounters at the present moment. Yet in faith we can take heart from the growing awareness of the need to preserve a civil order clearly rooted in the Judeo-Christian tradition, as well as from the promise offered by a new generation of Catholics whose experience and convictions will have a decisive role in renewing the Church’s presence and witness in American society. The hope which these “signs of the times” give us is itself a reason to renew our efforts to mobilize the intellectual and moral resources of the entire Catholic community in the service of the evangelization of American culture and the building of the civilization of love.”
While this pastoral message was intended for the Catholic Bishops in the US, this could very well be a message for Catholics throughout the world. The message is that as Jesus was consecrated at the Temple, we now have the moral obligation to consecrate ourselves to Jesus who is the new Temple which means that we are obligated to rise up to defend life when and where it is needed.
This affront to Christian ethics is also the motivating factor that is now moving the Church in the Philippines to gather the resources at its command to bring together the differing political ideologies within the Church to forge a united front to reclaim and restore the Christian faith from the culture of death that came with the RH Bill.
JESUS SAYS: GROW IN THE WORD
FEB. 1, 2013: THIRD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Heb 10:32-39
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 37:3-6, 23-24, 39-40 “The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.”
GOSPEL: Mk 4:26-34
Key Verse: “He explained everything.” (v.34)
To begin this Reflection for Today, let me quote from the opening statement of the closing message of the Synod of Bishops that was held late last year at the Vatican and it quoted from the words of the Bishop of Rome Pope Benedict XVI who urged the Church throughout the world to reflect on “the new evangelization for the transmission of the Christian faith,” in order to sustain and direct the preaching and teaching of the Gospel in the diverse contexts in which the Church finds herself today to give witness.
In the second statement of the closing message the Bishops were in agreement that “it is not about starting again, but entering into the long path of proclaiming the Gospel with the apostolic courage of Paul who would go so far as to say “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!” (1 Cor 9:16). The Church took note of the fact that throughout history, from the first centuries of the Christian era to the present, the Gospel has edified communities of believers in all parts of the world. Whether small or great, these are the fruit of the dedication of generations of witnesses to Jesus – missionaries and martyrs – whom we remember with gratitude.
And today, Jesus used two parables to illustrate his teaching in this Gospel passage one of which can only be found in Mark’s Gospel. And the beauty of Mark’s gospel was that while he may not have the writing proficiency of Luke or the expansive style of Matthew, Mark writes using short but crisp verses that leaves room for the reader to either draw his own conclusion or rely on his imagination to connect the dots.
As this parable follows that of the four types of soils (vv.1-20) and precedes the parable of the mustard seed (vv.30-32) it was clear that Jesus was referring to the seed as the Word of God that man sows and will see it sprout and grow but how it grows is a mystery (vv.26-28) but what was inevitable was that there would be a harvest (v.29).
This shows that man has no participation on how to make a seed grow. In fact he does not even understand how it grows and what Jesus was saying here was that the seed has a life of its own and that while man may be able to discover things by himself, he has no power to create them much less create the Kingdom of God on earth.
Jesus refers to the Kingdom of God to mean the reign of God and equating it with a seed that grows by itself points to the day when the Will of God will be done on earth as it is in heaven which is in fact the ultimate aim attached to the incarnation of God and perfected by his death on the cross.
To understand this parable of the growing seed (vv.26-29) we have to first read through, reflect and understand the parable of the sower (Mk 4:1-20) because it was here that Jesus compared the seed to the Word of God.
For the seed which is the Word of God to grow it must fall on good soil which meant that the Word of God can only produce the desired fruit when it is planted in a man with a good and noble heart who hears the word, retains it and by persevering produce a crop (Lk 8:15).
And what Jesus was emphasizing was that the seed grows by virtue of the divine power that allows it to grow and that the Word will grow by itself when it is sown on good soil which is like the man with a good and noble heart.
What this parable tells us is that the Word of God will grow in us if we will only place our complete trust in the power of the Word of God by receiving it into our own hearts, heeding and retaining it and through perseverance the reign of God will be manifest in our lives. More importantly, the Word of God will grow like a seed when we proclaim it to others and this also turns us into a lampstand that will serve as a light for others.
Jesus used the parable of the mustard seed to illustrate how the Word of God grows from a small beginning until it takes root and grows into a tree that is rigid which serves as a shelter for birds in those days. And this was how the church grew from its humble beginnings when more than 3,000 were added to the 120 disciples who followed Jesus (Ac 2:41-42) until they numbered 5,000 (Ac 4:4) and they continued to multiply throughout Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria.
Today the Catholic Church is firmly established in all the world’s continents and the Word of God is spoken among different tribes and nations and all because of the good and noble hearts on which the seed was planted.
And this small seed will continue to grow if we will only persevere. To illustrate, say for example that you have 10 members in your Community who will succeed in converting one person a year and those who have been converted would do the same, the growth pattern would look like this: Year 1 = 20; Year 5 = 320; Year 10 – 10,240; Year 15 = 327,680 and, on the 20th Year your Community would have 10,485,760 members altogether and all it took was just for one of 10 members to go out and proclaim the Kingdom of God is at hand to one person a year. This is what the adage “big things come in small packages” mean.
For this to happen, we should all internalize what it was like for the disciples who were alone with Jesus who explained to them the true meaning of the parables (vv.33-34) which was similar to the experience of the two disciples on their way to Emmaus (Lk 24:13-35).
To be with Jesus is to dwell in the Word of God regularly that is premised on our willingness to shun the cares of the world that only choke our spiritual growth and to transform ourselves into a good and noble heart to be able to grasp the fuller meaning of the Word of God.
As such, we must assimilate the vision of Christ for the Reign of God to be established in the world beginning with us by listening intently to the Word of God that is amplified in the homilies during the Mass, reflecting on the Word of God regularly if not daily, joining a Bible Study in the Church or Community or start one in your home, keeping watch with Jesus at the Adoration Chapel and, by receiving the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist as often as possible.
Our role is to sow the seed, become the good and noble heart by trusting God and wait for God to complete it in us (Phi 1:6). This is possible when we abandon our lives to Jesus Christ and be transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. Paul confirms this when he said: “we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” (2 Cor 4:7)
1st Reading: Heb 10:32-39
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 37:3-6, 23-24, 39-40 “The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.”
GOSPEL: Mk 4:26-34
Key Verse: “He explained everything.” (v.34)
To begin this Reflection for Today, let me quote from the opening statement of the closing message of the Synod of Bishops that was held late last year at the Vatican and it quoted from the words of the Bishop of Rome Pope Benedict XVI who urged the Church throughout the world to reflect on “the new evangelization for the transmission of the Christian faith,” in order to sustain and direct the preaching and teaching of the Gospel in the diverse contexts in which the Church finds herself today to give witness.
In the second statement of the closing message the Bishops were in agreement that “it is not about starting again, but entering into the long path of proclaiming the Gospel with the apostolic courage of Paul who would go so far as to say “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!” (1 Cor 9:16). The Church took note of the fact that throughout history, from the first centuries of the Christian era to the present, the Gospel has edified communities of believers in all parts of the world. Whether small or great, these are the fruit of the dedication of generations of witnesses to Jesus – missionaries and martyrs – whom we remember with gratitude.
And today, Jesus used two parables to illustrate his teaching in this Gospel passage one of which can only be found in Mark’s Gospel. And the beauty of Mark’s gospel was that while he may not have the writing proficiency of Luke or the expansive style of Matthew, Mark writes using short but crisp verses that leaves room for the reader to either draw his own conclusion or rely on his imagination to connect the dots.
As this parable follows that of the four types of soils (vv.1-20) and precedes the parable of the mustard seed (vv.30-32) it was clear that Jesus was referring to the seed as the Word of God that man sows and will see it sprout and grow but how it grows is a mystery (vv.26-28) but what was inevitable was that there would be a harvest (v.29).
This shows that man has no participation on how to make a seed grow. In fact he does not even understand how it grows and what Jesus was saying here was that the seed has a life of its own and that while man may be able to discover things by himself, he has no power to create them much less create the Kingdom of God on earth.
Jesus refers to the Kingdom of God to mean the reign of God and equating it with a seed that grows by itself points to the day when the Will of God will be done on earth as it is in heaven which is in fact the ultimate aim attached to the incarnation of God and perfected by his death on the cross.
To understand this parable of the growing seed (vv.26-29) we have to first read through, reflect and understand the parable of the sower (Mk 4:1-20) because it was here that Jesus compared the seed to the Word of God.
For the seed which is the Word of God to grow it must fall on good soil which meant that the Word of God can only produce the desired fruit when it is planted in a man with a good and noble heart who hears the word, retains it and by persevering produce a crop (Lk 8:15).
And what Jesus was emphasizing was that the seed grows by virtue of the divine power that allows it to grow and that the Word will grow by itself when it is sown on good soil which is like the man with a good and noble heart.
What this parable tells us is that the Word of God will grow in us if we will only place our complete trust in the power of the Word of God by receiving it into our own hearts, heeding and retaining it and through perseverance the reign of God will be manifest in our lives. More importantly, the Word of God will grow like a seed when we proclaim it to others and this also turns us into a lampstand that will serve as a light for others.
Jesus used the parable of the mustard seed to illustrate how the Word of God grows from a small beginning until it takes root and grows into a tree that is rigid which serves as a shelter for birds in those days. And this was how the church grew from its humble beginnings when more than 3,000 were added to the 120 disciples who followed Jesus (Ac 2:41-42) until they numbered 5,000 (Ac 4:4) and they continued to multiply throughout Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria.
Today the Catholic Church is firmly established in all the world’s continents and the Word of God is spoken among different tribes and nations and all because of the good and noble hearts on which the seed was planted.
And this small seed will continue to grow if we will only persevere. To illustrate, say for example that you have 10 members in your Community who will succeed in converting one person a year and those who have been converted would do the same, the growth pattern would look like this: Year 1 = 20; Year 5 = 320; Year 10 – 10,240; Year 15 = 327,680 and, on the 20th Year your Community would have 10,485,760 members altogether and all it took was just for one of 10 members to go out and proclaim the Kingdom of God is at hand to one person a year. This is what the adage “big things come in small packages” mean.
For this to happen, we should all internalize what it was like for the disciples who were alone with Jesus who explained to them the true meaning of the parables (vv.33-34) which was similar to the experience of the two disciples on their way to Emmaus (Lk 24:13-35).
To be with Jesus is to dwell in the Word of God regularly that is premised on our willingness to shun the cares of the world that only choke our spiritual growth and to transform ourselves into a good and noble heart to be able to grasp the fuller meaning of the Word of God.
As such, we must assimilate the vision of Christ for the Reign of God to be established in the world beginning with us by listening intently to the Word of God that is amplified in the homilies during the Mass, reflecting on the Word of God regularly if not daily, joining a Bible Study in the Church or Community or start one in your home, keeping watch with Jesus at the Adoration Chapel and, by receiving the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist as often as possible.
Our role is to sow the seed, become the good and noble heart by trusting God and wait for God to complete it in us (Phi 1:6). This is possible when we abandon our lives to Jesus Christ and be transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. Paul confirms this when he said: “we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” (2 Cor 4:7)
TO SHINE IS TO LISTEN AND PROCLAIM
JAN 31, 2013: FEAST OF ST. JOHN BOSCO
1st Reading: Heb 10:19-25
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 24:1-6 “Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.”
GOSPEL: Mk 4:21-25
Key Verse: “Anyone who has ears ought to hear.” (v.23)
These are probably one of the most significant verses in the Scriptures that have something to do with who we are and what it means for us.
Simply put this Gospel tells us to show to the world who and what we are. And again, we need to go back to the foundation of our nature that we are all created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26) and this is the nature that the world must see in us.
Last year we were in Cebu for the formal launching f the National Laity Week and the call of His Excellency Archbishop Jose Palma of the Archdiocese of Cebu still rings clear in my ears as he enjoined the lay faithful to thank God for the faith that they have received and most importantly to practice their Catholic Christian faith as a response to the challenges of the New Evangelization.
The launching of the National Laity Week last year was tied in to the preparations for the canonization of the Blessed Pedro Calungsod on October 21, 2012 which was held in Rome. Significantly, both San Lorenzo Ruiz and Blessed Pedro Calungsod come from the ranks of the laity and Archbishop Palma said this brings to light the important role and the great contributions of the Filipino laity in the propagation of the Catholic faith.
The Gospel today should serve as an inspiration for the lay faithful to follow in the footsteps of San Lorenzo Ruiz and Blessed Pedro Calungsod who stood by their Catholic faith even with death staring them in the eye. Soon to be Saint Pedro Calungsod died on April 2, 1672 from spears hurled at him by a Guamanian native who turned away from the Catholic faith. Historical accounts showed that he could have easily ran and escape death but he instead stood his ground and died in defense of his faith.
Jesus in today’s Gospel speak of the necessity for Christians to be proud of their faith. Difficult it may be, Jesus is calling on us all to not be ashamed to show who we are and the God whom we serve. In fact, if only every Christian and Catholics for that matter would be able to grasp the enormity of the faith that we have received, everyone will not look at the command for us to love God and our neighbor as well as a duty but an awesome privilege.
A Christian regardless of the state in life that he is in must never be ashamed to display his color. Unknown to man, there are at least three personages to whom we try to hide certain things including the practice of our faith foremost of which is our own self when we are on denial and keep our faith hidden even from our own selves.
We also have a tendency to keep our faith out of sight of our fellow men but what we will soon realize is that a man who keeps secrets is an unhappy person. The happy man is one who has nothing to hide. Worst, we even keep our faith hidden from the eyes of our very own God.
This brings me back to June 12, 1998 when the Philippines celebrated its Centennial and then President Fidel V. Ramos, through an Executive Order, enjoined the entire nation to display the Philippine flag in their homes, business establishments, vehicles, buildings, etc. Again after the 9-11 tragedy, we see American homes displaying the American flag in their porches, in their lawns and, wherever they can display it to express their solidarity as a nation.
In both instances, Filipinos and Americans took pride in their identities with the use of their respective national banners because those colors project our image of who we are. Our national banners speak of who we are as a nation and as a people and in fact we are taught in school to take pride in our flag because it carries with it the very history of our nation.
This is what today’s Gospel is all about as it simply means that our lives must take the form of a lamp that has been lighted up by the nature of Jesus contained in the Scriptures and empowered by the Holy Spirit such that we are to consider ourselves as a lampstand that will illumine not only our surroundings but more importantly those around us.
The Word of God who is Jesus personified must be operative in our lives which means that we who have seen the light must now become the lamps that should proclaim the message of the Kingdom of God “so that those who come in can see the light” (v.16) and again we are reminded of our great commission (Matt 28:18) and that we are not to “grieve the Holy Spirit with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Eph 4:30).
To be sealed in the Holy Spirit means that we who have received the Word of God are mandated to act on it, to proclaim it because this is our primary responsibility as a Christian and we are not to stifle its proclamation lest we grieve the Holy Spirit who can take away even the little that we have which could even mean this life that we now live.
What Jesus was emphasizing in this Gospel was that if we consider our lives as a lamp that has been lighted up by the Word of God then we must understand that we are not to hide and keep the light to ourselves but we must show to the world the light that is in us. Our being Christians must become the banner that we must be proud of. Our transformed lives must be like a banner that flutters proudly so that everyone can see not just the Christian in us but the Jesus in us who is in reality the True Light.
Today we are being reminded that the Word of God does not only light up our lives but it will help us grow as Christians. And it is our duty to shine so that others may also see the light. As we are commanded by Christ in Matt 28:18, we need to become credible witnesses and bring this light that we have received to others as what Blessed Pedro Calungsod did and not keep it to ourselves.
And those who will read this Gospel should be careful how they listen (v.23) because there are many deceptive messages in the world today that there is a danger that these deceptions is what we may hear and pass on to others. This should serve as a motivation for us to keep on learning, to keep on seeking the truth because what Jesus is saying in in this passage is that if we stop learning, if we don’t proclaim the Word of God, if we stop searching for the Kingdom of Heaven and, if we keep the light hidden from others even the little knowledge that we have will be taken away from us.
In closing, we should all ask ourselves are we proud of our Christian heritage? Are we proud of our faith that we have in Jesus that it impels us to proclaim the Word to others? Have our lives been transformed that we have become the light on a lampstand that others can come in and see the light? Like Blessed Pedro Calungsod, do we also take pride in displaying the Christian banner that reflects the presence of Christ in our lives?
1st Reading: Heb 10:19-25
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 24:1-6 “Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.”
GOSPEL: Mk 4:21-25
Key Verse: “Anyone who has ears ought to hear.” (v.23)
These are probably one of the most significant verses in the Scriptures that have something to do with who we are and what it means for us.
Simply put this Gospel tells us to show to the world who and what we are. And again, we need to go back to the foundation of our nature that we are all created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26) and this is the nature that the world must see in us.
Last year we were in Cebu for the formal launching f the National Laity Week and the call of His Excellency Archbishop Jose Palma of the Archdiocese of Cebu still rings clear in my ears as he enjoined the lay faithful to thank God for the faith that they have received and most importantly to practice their Catholic Christian faith as a response to the challenges of the New Evangelization.
The launching of the National Laity Week last year was tied in to the preparations for the canonization of the Blessed Pedro Calungsod on October 21, 2012 which was held in Rome. Significantly, both San Lorenzo Ruiz and Blessed Pedro Calungsod come from the ranks of the laity and Archbishop Palma said this brings to light the important role and the great contributions of the Filipino laity in the propagation of the Catholic faith.
The Gospel today should serve as an inspiration for the lay faithful to follow in the footsteps of San Lorenzo Ruiz and Blessed Pedro Calungsod who stood by their Catholic faith even with death staring them in the eye. Soon to be Saint Pedro Calungsod died on April 2, 1672 from spears hurled at him by a Guamanian native who turned away from the Catholic faith. Historical accounts showed that he could have easily ran and escape death but he instead stood his ground and died in defense of his faith.
Jesus in today’s Gospel speak of the necessity for Christians to be proud of their faith. Difficult it may be, Jesus is calling on us all to not be ashamed to show who we are and the God whom we serve. In fact, if only every Christian and Catholics for that matter would be able to grasp the enormity of the faith that we have received, everyone will not look at the command for us to love God and our neighbor as well as a duty but an awesome privilege.
A Christian regardless of the state in life that he is in must never be ashamed to display his color. Unknown to man, there are at least three personages to whom we try to hide certain things including the practice of our faith foremost of which is our own self when we are on denial and keep our faith hidden even from our own selves.
We also have a tendency to keep our faith out of sight of our fellow men but what we will soon realize is that a man who keeps secrets is an unhappy person. The happy man is one who has nothing to hide. Worst, we even keep our faith hidden from the eyes of our very own God.
This brings me back to June 12, 1998 when the Philippines celebrated its Centennial and then President Fidel V. Ramos, through an Executive Order, enjoined the entire nation to display the Philippine flag in their homes, business establishments, vehicles, buildings, etc. Again after the 9-11 tragedy, we see American homes displaying the American flag in their porches, in their lawns and, wherever they can display it to express their solidarity as a nation.
In both instances, Filipinos and Americans took pride in their identities with the use of their respective national banners because those colors project our image of who we are. Our national banners speak of who we are as a nation and as a people and in fact we are taught in school to take pride in our flag because it carries with it the very history of our nation.
This is what today’s Gospel is all about as it simply means that our lives must take the form of a lamp that has been lighted up by the nature of Jesus contained in the Scriptures and empowered by the Holy Spirit such that we are to consider ourselves as a lampstand that will illumine not only our surroundings but more importantly those around us.
The Word of God who is Jesus personified must be operative in our lives which means that we who have seen the light must now become the lamps that should proclaim the message of the Kingdom of God “so that those who come in can see the light” (v.16) and again we are reminded of our great commission (Matt 28:18) and that we are not to “grieve the Holy Spirit with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Eph 4:30).
To be sealed in the Holy Spirit means that we who have received the Word of God are mandated to act on it, to proclaim it because this is our primary responsibility as a Christian and we are not to stifle its proclamation lest we grieve the Holy Spirit who can take away even the little that we have which could even mean this life that we now live.
What Jesus was emphasizing in this Gospel was that if we consider our lives as a lamp that has been lighted up by the Word of God then we must understand that we are not to hide and keep the light to ourselves but we must show to the world the light that is in us. Our being Christians must become the banner that we must be proud of. Our transformed lives must be like a banner that flutters proudly so that everyone can see not just the Christian in us but the Jesus in us who is in reality the True Light.
Today we are being reminded that the Word of God does not only light up our lives but it will help us grow as Christians. And it is our duty to shine so that others may also see the light. As we are commanded by Christ in Matt 28:18, we need to become credible witnesses and bring this light that we have received to others as what Blessed Pedro Calungsod did and not keep it to ourselves.
And those who will read this Gospel should be careful how they listen (v.23) because there are many deceptive messages in the world today that there is a danger that these deceptions is what we may hear and pass on to others. This should serve as a motivation for us to keep on learning, to keep on seeking the truth because what Jesus is saying in in this passage is that if we stop learning, if we don’t proclaim the Word of God, if we stop searching for the Kingdom of Heaven and, if we keep the light hidden from others even the little knowledge that we have will be taken away from us.
In closing, we should all ask ourselves are we proud of our Christian heritage? Are we proud of our faith that we have in Jesus that it impels us to proclaim the Word to others? Have our lives been transformed that we have become the light on a lampstand that others can come in and see the light? Like Blessed Pedro Calungsod, do we also take pride in displaying the Christian banner that reflects the presence of Christ in our lives?
WHAT TYPE OF SOIL ARE WE?
JAN. 30, 2013: THIRD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Heb 10:11-18
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 110:1-4 “You're a priest forever, in the line of Melchizedek.”
GOSPEL: Mk 4:1-20
Key Word: “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.” (v.9)
As we step into the halfway mark of the National Bible Week in the Philippines let us ponder for a moment what every believer who reads the Scriptures regularly will do at some point in time. Most likely he will choose a favorite verse that may have struck him or had an impact on his spiritual growth.
For those who have committed their lives to discipleship it is only natural that they too must carry with them their favorite Bible verses that they can share with anyone to whom they are led to bring the Word of God especially in this Year of Faith when we are being called to a New Evangelization in the Transmission of Faith is founded on the Word of God.
I still have vivid memories of my spiritual growth in the community where Our Lord Jesus Christ revealed himself to me in a personal way. I went through the intensive formation program offered by the community but I struggled in my faith walk with the Scriptures even when I was already facilitating the Basic Bible Seminar.
My eyes were opened to the beauty of the Sacred Scriptures when I attended the Joy of Discovery and it brought me to a new dimension in my attachment to the Bible. From a mere reader, I became a discoverer and the Bible became not just a book but a vessel through which we come to enter into the very heart of God (Jn 5:39).
To many of us Jn 3:16 has become the most favored passage in the Scriptures since this is probably the most often quoted passage in the Bible. The Gospel of today, however, is one of my favorite not only because it spells out the kind of soil that we need to be but it also reinforces my belief on the divinity of man especially if we are to turn ourselves into the fertile soil on which the Word of God will take a root.
This passage also marks a change in the ministry of Christ. Where before He used to speak in the synagogues, now we find Him teaching on the seashore. There was a reason for it because of the opposition of the religious rulers at the time to the teachings of Christ and Jesus knew that there will come a time when He will no longer be welcome in the synagogues.
In this chapter, Jesus has also started to fully utilize his own method which was to teach using parables. Again, there was a reason why Jesus chose to evangelize using this method. By using parables, Jesus is giving his listeners the prerogative to discover the truth for himself.
This shows the character of Jesus as He does not impose His Will nor his teachings on anyone but his teaching style was what moved his listeners to search for the veracity and authenticity of the words that come out of the mouth of Jesus.
We all are familiar with this Parable of the Sower but Jesus told this parable on the different kinds of soil because the Jews are familiar with it so Jesus knew that His listeners will understand what he was saying even if he spoke in parables.
During his time, sowing a field was normally done by scattering the seeds and when the strong winds blow it was only natural that some of the seeds will be blown away and land on either the footpath, shallow soil and on the soil where there are thorns and thistles.
The Jews knew what Jesus was referring to because the fields at that time were long narrow strips of soil and in between are the footpaths that are as hard as the pavement. The stony ground is actually a patch of land where underneath lies rows upon rows of limestone rock. The thorny ground refers to the soil that was tilled and which may look clean but which only hide the thorny bushes that thrive on the field after harvest.
Certainly no seed of any kind will thrive in these types of soil and Jesus used this metaphor to provide his listeners a platform through which they can easily understand what He is saying. His emphasis naturally was on the good ground that was soft where the seed can take root and germinate and where it will grow without being choked.
But what this Gospel also shows us is the manner by which we are to respond to the Word of God when it is spoken to us and there shouldn’t be any doubt nor question about the need for the Word to take root in us.
Should a believer face difficulty keeping and obeying what he hears, all he has to do is reflect on what John’s Gospel says about the Word making its dwelling in us (Jn 1:14). The same Word which was described in John as “the Word was God.” (Jn 1:1).
Thus if we are to use these verses to establish a connection, the same Word that was with God and, the Word was God and the Word that became flesh and made his dwelling among us establishes our own divine nature. That we were all created in the “image and likeness of God” (Gen 1:26) should propel us to an understanding that we have no choice but to become the good soil that God has created us to be.
What to me are the key verses in this Gospel passage are vv.9, 13-20 because it is in these verses that Jesus really laid down the condition in the way we are to receive His Word. What He said was that we all must remain open to His Word because His Kingdom can only be understood by those who have experienced a personal encounter with Him.
Take for example our lives in the church and or community. How often do we hear discussions on matters pertaining to disinterest among members, diminishing levels of commitment to serve, dwindling attendance, uninspiring worship, lack of leadership skills, deficient spirituality and, lack of integrity. Most of the time, leaders will tend to look at structural defects and to some extent even the effectiveness of the formation programs.
The Church hierarchy recognizes what ails the post-modern church but the Synodal Assembly also said it is not about starting again, but entering into the long path of proclaiming the Gospel with the apostolic courage of Paul who would go so far as to say “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!” (1 Cor 9:16). Throughout history, from the first centuries of the Christian era to the present, the Gospel has edified communities of believers in all parts of the world. Whether small or great, these are the fruit of the dedication of generations of witnesses to Jesus – missionaries and martyrs – whom we remember with gratitude.
It also said that “changing societies and cultures call us to something new: to live our communitarian experience of faith in a renewed way and to proclaim it through an evangelization that is “new in its ardor, in its methods, in its expressions.” (John Paul II) At the Synod, it was agreed that: “We need not invent new strategies as if the Gospel were a product to be placed in the market of religions. We need to rediscover the ways in which Jesus approached persons and called them, in order to put them into practice in today's circumstances.”
And during the Synod, missionary issues took center stage rather than structural Church reforms and Archbishop Pierre-Marie Carre of the Southern French city of Montpellier, who was the synod’s special secretary, insisted that: “Structural changes were not needed. Believers can bring about change through their faith, a well-structured faith.”
As we go through life, we sometimes gain and we also lose what we have and possess. What Jesus wants us to understand in today’s Gospel reading is that we can only gain the joy and beauty of His Kingdom if we will remain in Him because the eternal salvation that He promised is available only to those who will deny himself, take up his cross and, follow Him.
This is what becoming a good and fertile ground means. To become a good ground is to become a community of disciples inspired by the Holy Spirit to become living witnesses for transformation in Christ to bring about a world of justice, human development and true peace.
1st Reading: Heb 10:11-18
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 110:1-4 “You're a priest forever, in the line of Melchizedek.”
GOSPEL: Mk 4:1-20
Key Word: “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.” (v.9)
As we step into the halfway mark of the National Bible Week in the Philippines let us ponder for a moment what every believer who reads the Scriptures regularly will do at some point in time. Most likely he will choose a favorite verse that may have struck him or had an impact on his spiritual growth.
For those who have committed their lives to discipleship it is only natural that they too must carry with them their favorite Bible verses that they can share with anyone to whom they are led to bring the Word of God especially in this Year of Faith when we are being called to a New Evangelization in the Transmission of Faith is founded on the Word of God.
I still have vivid memories of my spiritual growth in the community where Our Lord Jesus Christ revealed himself to me in a personal way. I went through the intensive formation program offered by the community but I struggled in my faith walk with the Scriptures even when I was already facilitating the Basic Bible Seminar.
My eyes were opened to the beauty of the Sacred Scriptures when I attended the Joy of Discovery and it brought me to a new dimension in my attachment to the Bible. From a mere reader, I became a discoverer and the Bible became not just a book but a vessel through which we come to enter into the very heart of God (Jn 5:39).
To many of us Jn 3:16 has become the most favored passage in the Scriptures since this is probably the most often quoted passage in the Bible. The Gospel of today, however, is one of my favorite not only because it spells out the kind of soil that we need to be but it also reinforces my belief on the divinity of man especially if we are to turn ourselves into the fertile soil on which the Word of God will take a root.
This passage also marks a change in the ministry of Christ. Where before He used to speak in the synagogues, now we find Him teaching on the seashore. There was a reason for it because of the opposition of the religious rulers at the time to the teachings of Christ and Jesus knew that there will come a time when He will no longer be welcome in the synagogues.
In this chapter, Jesus has also started to fully utilize his own method which was to teach using parables. Again, there was a reason why Jesus chose to evangelize using this method. By using parables, Jesus is giving his listeners the prerogative to discover the truth for himself.
This shows the character of Jesus as He does not impose His Will nor his teachings on anyone but his teaching style was what moved his listeners to search for the veracity and authenticity of the words that come out of the mouth of Jesus.
We all are familiar with this Parable of the Sower but Jesus told this parable on the different kinds of soil because the Jews are familiar with it so Jesus knew that His listeners will understand what he was saying even if he spoke in parables.
During his time, sowing a field was normally done by scattering the seeds and when the strong winds blow it was only natural that some of the seeds will be blown away and land on either the footpath, shallow soil and on the soil where there are thorns and thistles.
The Jews knew what Jesus was referring to because the fields at that time were long narrow strips of soil and in between are the footpaths that are as hard as the pavement. The stony ground is actually a patch of land where underneath lies rows upon rows of limestone rock. The thorny ground refers to the soil that was tilled and which may look clean but which only hide the thorny bushes that thrive on the field after harvest.
Certainly no seed of any kind will thrive in these types of soil and Jesus used this metaphor to provide his listeners a platform through which they can easily understand what He is saying. His emphasis naturally was on the good ground that was soft where the seed can take root and germinate and where it will grow without being choked.
But what this Gospel also shows us is the manner by which we are to respond to the Word of God when it is spoken to us and there shouldn’t be any doubt nor question about the need for the Word to take root in us.
Should a believer face difficulty keeping and obeying what he hears, all he has to do is reflect on what John’s Gospel says about the Word making its dwelling in us (Jn 1:14). The same Word which was described in John as “the Word was God.” (Jn 1:1).
Thus if we are to use these verses to establish a connection, the same Word that was with God and, the Word was God and the Word that became flesh and made his dwelling among us establishes our own divine nature. That we were all created in the “image and likeness of God” (Gen 1:26) should propel us to an understanding that we have no choice but to become the good soil that God has created us to be.
What to me are the key verses in this Gospel passage are vv.9, 13-20 because it is in these verses that Jesus really laid down the condition in the way we are to receive His Word. What He said was that we all must remain open to His Word because His Kingdom can only be understood by those who have experienced a personal encounter with Him.
Take for example our lives in the church and or community. How often do we hear discussions on matters pertaining to disinterest among members, diminishing levels of commitment to serve, dwindling attendance, uninspiring worship, lack of leadership skills, deficient spirituality and, lack of integrity. Most of the time, leaders will tend to look at structural defects and to some extent even the effectiveness of the formation programs.
The Church hierarchy recognizes what ails the post-modern church but the Synodal Assembly also said it is not about starting again, but entering into the long path of proclaiming the Gospel with the apostolic courage of Paul who would go so far as to say “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!” (1 Cor 9:16). Throughout history, from the first centuries of the Christian era to the present, the Gospel has edified communities of believers in all parts of the world. Whether small or great, these are the fruit of the dedication of generations of witnesses to Jesus – missionaries and martyrs – whom we remember with gratitude.
It also said that “changing societies and cultures call us to something new: to live our communitarian experience of faith in a renewed way and to proclaim it through an evangelization that is “new in its ardor, in its methods, in its expressions.” (John Paul II) At the Synod, it was agreed that: “We need not invent new strategies as if the Gospel were a product to be placed in the market of religions. We need to rediscover the ways in which Jesus approached persons and called them, in order to put them into practice in today's circumstances.”
And during the Synod, missionary issues took center stage rather than structural Church reforms and Archbishop Pierre-Marie Carre of the Southern French city of Montpellier, who was the synod’s special secretary, insisted that: “Structural changes were not needed. Believers can bring about change through their faith, a well-structured faith.”
As we go through life, we sometimes gain and we also lose what we have and possess. What Jesus wants us to understand in today’s Gospel reading is that we can only gain the joy and beauty of His Kingdom if we will remain in Him because the eternal salvation that He promised is available only to those who will deny himself, take up his cross and, follow Him.
This is what becoming a good and fertile ground means. To become a good ground is to become a community of disciples inspired by the Holy Spirit to become living witnesses for transformation in Christ to bring about a world of justice, human development and true peace.
OBEDIENCE MAKES US KINSMEN OF JESUS
JAN. 29, 2013: THIRD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Heb 10:1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 40:2, 4, 7-8, 10-11 “Here I am Lord; I come to do your will.”
GOSPEL: Mk 3:31-35
Key Verse: “Whoever does God’s Will is my brother
and sister and mother.” (v.35)
Conflicts will never depart from any family even for the seemingly well-knit families who are appear oblivious to family feuds that drive a wedge in family relationships. In my previous profession as a media practitioner, I have witnessed not only families and friends whose relationships are torn apart by what may look like irreconcilable differences. What made it worst was that neither side would give in and make the first move towards reconciliation.
Differences and misunderstandings are inevitable and there will be times when families and friends will find themselves disagreeing on the lot of things and this could range from personal preferences, politics, possessions and even inconsequential matters such as choice of clothes, color, places to go, you name it people will always find something to disagree about.
I grew up in a family where the favorite topic after dinner was politics and what made it amusing was the fact that two of my uncles belong to different political parties when there was still a two-party system that governed the Philippine political system. And when they start to argue we always expect a lot of cajoling that would always end with voices raised and sometimes even fisticuffs as they defended the respective platforms of their parties.
Even in the environment that we are currently in I’m sure that there are many among us who will always find ourselves disagreeing with others even on trivial matters and in today’s Gospel passage it would seem that there was a conflict between Jesus and Mary his mother and his brothers.
Again you will need to read and go through your trusted Bible commentary and or other references or consult with your Parish Priest to fully understand its meaning because to just read through it without getting hold of the intent of the message might lead those reading this Gospel passage to conclude that Jesus was disrespectful of his mother and his brothers.
This Gospel narrative must have taken place in a town near Nazareth because Mary his mother and his brothers came to see him but could not get near him because of the crowd who came to listen to his teaching and for the most part to seek healing from Jesus for their sickness and afflictions.
And when he was told that his mother and brothers came to see him, Jesus pointed to his disciples and said: “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s Will is my brother and sister and mother.” (vv.34-35)
If we turn to Matt 12:48-50, Jesus was more descriptive as he said: “Who is my mother and who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the Will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
There have been so many variations in the way this Gospel has been interpreted in the past and it remains to be the subject of discussion today among Bible scholars and even confusion at times owing to the question as to who really are the brothers of Jesus referred to in this narrative.
A closer scrutiny of this Gospel passage, however, will show that Jesus wasn’t disrespectful of his mother and what was clear in this Gospel was the fact that there was no conflict with his family and Jesus did not actually deny his mother nor did he deny his brothers who came to see him.
Jesus merely said “whoever does God’s Will is my brother and sister and mother.” (v.35) There was also a distinct possibility that Jesus may have been surprised when his mother went to see him together with his brothers as it reminded him of the time when his brothers “went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.” (Mk 3:21)
And what Jesus did is similar to the relationship that some of us have with our friends with whom we have become closer even if they are not related to us but with whom we share many things in common. This is especially true for some of us who may be the only child of our parents and have no siblings we can relate to.
There are also those who by force of circumstance do not have relatives they can turn to and so they relate to and have become closer to their friends especially those with whom they grew up together.
Here Jesus points out that his mother and brothers are those “who does God’s Will” (v.35) This simply means that we need to subordinate our will to the Will of God for us to be considered as relatives of Jesus. We need to align our priorities with the priorities of God and this must take precedence to what our human mind wills.
In this Gospel passage, Jesus was actually laying down at least four parameters of family relationships that we need to observe even before we can be considered as his mother, sister or brother. As a relative of Jesus we must be bound by a common experience which means we are to share with the pains and sufferings that Jesus went through. Our interests must also be synonymous with the interest of Christ which is to bring salvation to the world. We also must commit to a life of complete obedience to Christ by dying to our sinful self and clothing ourselves with the nature of Christ. And fourth, our goal must be in common with that of Christ which is to restore all men to the source of grace.
And for us to be considered as the brothers and sisters of Jesus we must give God full control of our lives and allow the Holy Spirit to fill us with its “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law." (Gal 5:22-23)
When these nine virtues which are also the attributes of Christ Himself become operative in our lives, we too will bear the image of Christ in us and this is when we become the mother, brothers and sisters of Christ.
To allow these fruits of the Holy Spirit to grow in us, we need to take to heart the command of Jesus to “love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matt 22:39) because “by this all will know you are my disciples, if you have love for another.” (Jn 13:35)
It is when love fills our hearts that we can begin to look at one another as relatives of Christ and we can hear Jesus say “my mother and brothers are those who does God’s Will.” (v.35) especially if we are able to stand side by side with Jesus and linked by a common experience, interest, obedience and goal.
1st Reading: Heb 10:1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 40:2, 4, 7-8, 10-11 “Here I am Lord; I come to do your will.”
GOSPEL: Mk 3:31-35
Key Verse: “Whoever does God’s Will is my brother
and sister and mother.” (v.35)
Conflicts will never depart from any family even for the seemingly well-knit families who are appear oblivious to family feuds that drive a wedge in family relationships. In my previous profession as a media practitioner, I have witnessed not only families and friends whose relationships are torn apart by what may look like irreconcilable differences. What made it worst was that neither side would give in and make the first move towards reconciliation.
Differences and misunderstandings are inevitable and there will be times when families and friends will find themselves disagreeing on the lot of things and this could range from personal preferences, politics, possessions and even inconsequential matters such as choice of clothes, color, places to go, you name it people will always find something to disagree about.
I grew up in a family where the favorite topic after dinner was politics and what made it amusing was the fact that two of my uncles belong to different political parties when there was still a two-party system that governed the Philippine political system. And when they start to argue we always expect a lot of cajoling that would always end with voices raised and sometimes even fisticuffs as they defended the respective platforms of their parties.
Even in the environment that we are currently in I’m sure that there are many among us who will always find ourselves disagreeing with others even on trivial matters and in today’s Gospel passage it would seem that there was a conflict between Jesus and Mary his mother and his brothers.
Again you will need to read and go through your trusted Bible commentary and or other references or consult with your Parish Priest to fully understand its meaning because to just read through it without getting hold of the intent of the message might lead those reading this Gospel passage to conclude that Jesus was disrespectful of his mother and his brothers.
This Gospel narrative must have taken place in a town near Nazareth because Mary his mother and his brothers came to see him but could not get near him because of the crowd who came to listen to his teaching and for the most part to seek healing from Jesus for their sickness and afflictions.
And when he was told that his mother and brothers came to see him, Jesus pointed to his disciples and said: “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s Will is my brother and sister and mother.” (vv.34-35)
If we turn to Matt 12:48-50, Jesus was more descriptive as he said: “Who is my mother and who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the Will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
There have been so many variations in the way this Gospel has been interpreted in the past and it remains to be the subject of discussion today among Bible scholars and even confusion at times owing to the question as to who really are the brothers of Jesus referred to in this narrative.
A closer scrutiny of this Gospel passage, however, will show that Jesus wasn’t disrespectful of his mother and what was clear in this Gospel was the fact that there was no conflict with his family and Jesus did not actually deny his mother nor did he deny his brothers who came to see him.
Jesus merely said “whoever does God’s Will is my brother and sister and mother.” (v.35) There was also a distinct possibility that Jesus may have been surprised when his mother went to see him together with his brothers as it reminded him of the time when his brothers “went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.” (Mk 3:21)
And what Jesus did is similar to the relationship that some of us have with our friends with whom we have become closer even if they are not related to us but with whom we share many things in common. This is especially true for some of us who may be the only child of our parents and have no siblings we can relate to.
There are also those who by force of circumstance do not have relatives they can turn to and so they relate to and have become closer to their friends especially those with whom they grew up together.
Here Jesus points out that his mother and brothers are those “who does God’s Will” (v.35) This simply means that we need to subordinate our will to the Will of God for us to be considered as relatives of Jesus. We need to align our priorities with the priorities of God and this must take precedence to what our human mind wills.
In this Gospel passage, Jesus was actually laying down at least four parameters of family relationships that we need to observe even before we can be considered as his mother, sister or brother. As a relative of Jesus we must be bound by a common experience which means we are to share with the pains and sufferings that Jesus went through. Our interests must also be synonymous with the interest of Christ which is to bring salvation to the world. We also must commit to a life of complete obedience to Christ by dying to our sinful self and clothing ourselves with the nature of Christ. And fourth, our goal must be in common with that of Christ which is to restore all men to the source of grace.
And for us to be considered as the brothers and sisters of Jesus we must give God full control of our lives and allow the Holy Spirit to fill us with its “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law." (Gal 5:22-23)
When these nine virtues which are also the attributes of Christ Himself become operative in our lives, we too will bear the image of Christ in us and this is when we become the mother, brothers and sisters of Christ.
To allow these fruits of the Holy Spirit to grow in us, we need to take to heart the command of Jesus to “love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matt 22:39) because “by this all will know you are my disciples, if you have love for another.” (Jn 13:35)
It is when love fills our hearts that we can begin to look at one another as relatives of Christ and we can hear Jesus say “my mother and brothers are those who does God’s Will.” (v.35) especially if we are able to stand side by side with Jesus and linked by a common experience, interest, obedience and goal.
UNPARDONABLE SIN
JAN. 28, 2013: ST. THOMAS AQUINAS, Priest and Doctor
1st Reading: Heb 9:15, 24-28
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:1-6 “Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.”
GOSPEL: Mk 3:22-30
Key Verse: “Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit
will never be forgiven.” (v.29)
If we are to go give meaning to this Gospel passage in the literal sense it will lead us to conclude that baptized Christians who have drifted from the practice of their faith and who have been wallowing in sin could be committing what is known as the unpardonable sin without their knowing it.
This is largely due to the undeniable fact that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit our main preoccupation is to keep this temple sacred and we know this from St. Paul who said: “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”
As man is a tripartite being composed of body, soul and spirit, a radical interpretation of what sin does to the soul could actually mean a desecration of the temple of God in us because sin is not only a rejection of God but a form of blaspheming the Holy Spirit who is present in us.
And to better understand this Gospel passage we should know that the religious leaders in the time of Jesus was not against the practice of exorcising evil spirits from people who are possessed by spirits because exorcism was widely practiced then and continues to this day.
The bone of contention in this passage was when the Scribes or the teachers of the law ascribed the power and authority of Jesus to cast out the evil spirits from the demon-possessed to an evil power and they went on to accuse him as being “possessed by Beelzebul, and by the prince of demons he casts out the demons." (v.22)
But the Gospel today did not describe how Jesus reacted to such accusation. Mark the Gospel writer merely quoted Jesus as throwing the issue back at the teachers of the law by asking "How can Satan cast out Satan?” (v.23) But we will venture a guess as we believe that the scenario was filled with tension and that Jesus was angry if not mad and we will see the reason why towards the end of this passage.
To put things in their proper perspective Jesus told his accusers that if “a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man; then indeed he may plunder his house.” (vv.25-27)
What Jesus was saying here was that it would have been impossible for him to invoke the power of another power beyond the power of God because the evil one cannot be expected to go against another evil force. The reason that he was able to cast out demons from the people who have come to him for healing was because he was before all else the same God who came down from his heavenly throne to redeem the people from sin.
In other words, what Jesus was saying was that Satan cannot go against himself and Jesus assertion of his authority to cast out demons was a clear demonstration of the reign of God and that God's power which was clearly at work in the exorcisms that Jesus performed gives evidence that God's kingdom has indeed come.
Jesus used the illustration of a strong man whose house and possessions were kept secure but who is no match to someone who is stronger than himself? What Jesus was pointing out was that Satan, who is our foe and the arch-enemy of God, is stronger than us and unless we are clothed in God's strength, we do not have the power to stand up to Satan with our own human strength.
Our catechism teaches us that Satan exists and could infect our lives if we are not aware of its presence because what the evil one does is it shakes the foundation of our faith and confidence in God and our commitment to follow God's law. Satan rebelled against God and he can separate us from the love of God through lies and deception.
And in the whole of Scriptures, Jesus makes it clear that we cannot be neutral in this world. It’s either we are for Jesus or against him, for the kingdom of God or against it. The evil one moves when we disobey God's word as we open the doors of our hearts to the power of sin and Satan's influence in our lives.
If we want to live in true freedom from the power of sin and Satan, then Jesus must reign in our “temple” which is our heart, mind and soul. And towards the end of this Gospel passage, we see that Jesus was indeed angry at his accusers because he did not hold back when he said that their accusation will find no recompense in heaven: "Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin.” (vv.28-30)
That was then and we need to ask this same question now to know whether this unforgiveable sin remains operative today and what is this unforgiveable sin? Yes we can still be committing this unforgiveable sin and now know it because this is one area that is rarely talked about in the church or community.
This passage is actually a warning for us to avoid this unforgiveable sin and with it comes his assurance that the Holy Spirit himself will give us the Grace that we need in times of adversity. Jesus, however, was very particular about blaspheming the Holy Spirit which will never merit any form of forgiveness.
Why? Because blasphemy is an utterance against God Himself regardless of whether this is expressed in an inward or outward manner and this may include words of hatred, reproach, or defiance to the authority of God. A sin can be unforgivable if repentance is impossible and we can be guilty of this if we repeatedly close our eyes and ears to the Word of God that is before us which brings us to a point when we can no longer recognize God.
God’s mercy and compassion may be infinite but those who refuse to acknowledge and confess their sins and ask God for forgiveness has already condemned themselves as they have closed the door to God's offer of mercy, pardon, grace, and healing.
Today is the beginning the National Bible Week and if you will just start to read and reflect on the Word of God you will find that you have an affinity to it. We know this in John 1:14 which says: “and the Word made its dwelling in us.” This simply means that God who is present in His Word has become part of our lives and that he is present even from the time we were created.
To read the Scriptures regularly will transport us right into the heart of God and by knowing him and acknowledging him as our God will help us realize that we have the power to share in Christ’s victory over sin and death and have received adoption as God's sons and daughters.
Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Lord empowers us to live our lives in absolute freedom from slavery to sin. The Bible will tell us that Jesus is our refuge and strength because our lives are hidden in him who created us. Make it habit to spend a few moments reading the Holy Bible and God Himself assures us that it will be a time well spent especially in this Year of Faith.
1st Reading: Heb 9:15, 24-28
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:1-6 “Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.”
GOSPEL: Mk 3:22-30
Key Verse: “Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit
will never be forgiven.” (v.29)
If we are to go give meaning to this Gospel passage in the literal sense it will lead us to conclude that baptized Christians who have drifted from the practice of their faith and who have been wallowing in sin could be committing what is known as the unpardonable sin without their knowing it.
This is largely due to the undeniable fact that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit our main preoccupation is to keep this temple sacred and we know this from St. Paul who said: “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”
As man is a tripartite being composed of body, soul and spirit, a radical interpretation of what sin does to the soul could actually mean a desecration of the temple of God in us because sin is not only a rejection of God but a form of blaspheming the Holy Spirit who is present in us.
And to better understand this Gospel passage we should know that the religious leaders in the time of Jesus was not against the practice of exorcising evil spirits from people who are possessed by spirits because exorcism was widely practiced then and continues to this day.
The bone of contention in this passage was when the Scribes or the teachers of the law ascribed the power and authority of Jesus to cast out the evil spirits from the demon-possessed to an evil power and they went on to accuse him as being “possessed by Beelzebul, and by the prince of demons he casts out the demons." (v.22)
But the Gospel today did not describe how Jesus reacted to such accusation. Mark the Gospel writer merely quoted Jesus as throwing the issue back at the teachers of the law by asking "How can Satan cast out Satan?” (v.23) But we will venture a guess as we believe that the scenario was filled with tension and that Jesus was angry if not mad and we will see the reason why towards the end of this passage.
To put things in their proper perspective Jesus told his accusers that if “a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man; then indeed he may plunder his house.” (vv.25-27)
What Jesus was saying here was that it would have been impossible for him to invoke the power of another power beyond the power of God because the evil one cannot be expected to go against another evil force. The reason that he was able to cast out demons from the people who have come to him for healing was because he was before all else the same God who came down from his heavenly throne to redeem the people from sin.
In other words, what Jesus was saying was that Satan cannot go against himself and Jesus assertion of his authority to cast out demons was a clear demonstration of the reign of God and that God's power which was clearly at work in the exorcisms that Jesus performed gives evidence that God's kingdom has indeed come.
Jesus used the illustration of a strong man whose house and possessions were kept secure but who is no match to someone who is stronger than himself? What Jesus was pointing out was that Satan, who is our foe and the arch-enemy of God, is stronger than us and unless we are clothed in God's strength, we do not have the power to stand up to Satan with our own human strength.
Our catechism teaches us that Satan exists and could infect our lives if we are not aware of its presence because what the evil one does is it shakes the foundation of our faith and confidence in God and our commitment to follow God's law. Satan rebelled against God and he can separate us from the love of God through lies and deception.
And in the whole of Scriptures, Jesus makes it clear that we cannot be neutral in this world. It’s either we are for Jesus or against him, for the kingdom of God or against it. The evil one moves when we disobey God's word as we open the doors of our hearts to the power of sin and Satan's influence in our lives.
If we want to live in true freedom from the power of sin and Satan, then Jesus must reign in our “temple” which is our heart, mind and soul. And towards the end of this Gospel passage, we see that Jesus was indeed angry at his accusers because he did not hold back when he said that their accusation will find no recompense in heaven: "Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin.” (vv.28-30)
That was then and we need to ask this same question now to know whether this unforgiveable sin remains operative today and what is this unforgiveable sin? Yes we can still be committing this unforgiveable sin and now know it because this is one area that is rarely talked about in the church or community.
This passage is actually a warning for us to avoid this unforgiveable sin and with it comes his assurance that the Holy Spirit himself will give us the Grace that we need in times of adversity. Jesus, however, was very particular about blaspheming the Holy Spirit which will never merit any form of forgiveness.
Why? Because blasphemy is an utterance against God Himself regardless of whether this is expressed in an inward or outward manner and this may include words of hatred, reproach, or defiance to the authority of God. A sin can be unforgivable if repentance is impossible and we can be guilty of this if we repeatedly close our eyes and ears to the Word of God that is before us which brings us to a point when we can no longer recognize God.
God’s mercy and compassion may be infinite but those who refuse to acknowledge and confess their sins and ask God for forgiveness has already condemned themselves as they have closed the door to God's offer of mercy, pardon, grace, and healing.
Today is the beginning the National Bible Week and if you will just start to read and reflect on the Word of God you will find that you have an affinity to it. We know this in John 1:14 which says: “and the Word made its dwelling in us.” This simply means that God who is present in His Word has become part of our lives and that he is present even from the time we were created.
To read the Scriptures regularly will transport us right into the heart of God and by knowing him and acknowledging him as our God will help us realize that we have the power to share in Christ’s victory over sin and death and have received adoption as God's sons and daughters.
Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Lord empowers us to live our lives in absolute freedom from slavery to sin. The Bible will tell us that Jesus is our refuge and strength because our lives are hidden in him who created us. Make it habit to spend a few moments reading the Holy Bible and God Himself assures us that it will be a time well spent especially in this Year of Faith.
JESUS ISSUES GUIDELINES TO EVANGELIZATION
JAN. 27, 2013: THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Neh 8:2-6, 8-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 19:8-10, 15 “Your words, Lord, are spirit and life.”
2nd Reading: 1 Cor 12:12-14, 27
GOSPEL: Lk 1:1-4; 4:14-21
Key Verse: “…to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (v.19)
It may come as a surprise to some why the Gospel written by Luke (Lk 1:1-4) starts with an introductory letter addressed to Theophilus whose name is translated into “beloved of God” and the reason was because Luke was the only one among the four Gospel writers who was not among the original disciples of Jesus twelve of whom were anointed as Apostles.
By writing a prologue Luke clearly wants to impress upon Theophilus that what he was writing comes from very reliable witnesses who knew Jesus personally, who was with him throughout his ministry and heard him teach, witnessed the miracles and healings and who were present during the time he suffered, died and rose from the dead.
In the same way, we who have responded to the call for New Evangelization for the Transmission of Faith will have to commit ourselves to abide by this age-less tradition in the transmission of our faith to others by testifying to our experiences arising out of our personal encounter with Christ.
And Jesus Christ in this Gospel reading today provides us with the parameters that should guide us as we set out to proclaim the Word of God and we see these in vv. 18-19 that says: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
In fact we can actually consider this Gospel passage today as the inaugural address of Jesus Christ that can be considered as the directive that we are now obliged to follow. In simple terms, what Jesus did which was encapsulated in these two verses is what we in today’s post-modern world are called to pursue.
In his motu proprio Pope Benedict XVI says: “There is an urgent need for the new evangelization of countries and environments already evangelized in the past, but now in great measure secularized, presents particular demands, necessarily connected to the Church’s permanent salvific mission. At the same time, the complex reality in which we live requires new pastoral and apostolic initiatives, adequate to the challenges presented by modernity and post-modernity.”
Let me just explain in brief that we may better understand our liturgy that the Gospel readings are divided into three cycles and we know this as Year A for the gospel of Matthew, Year B for the gospel of Mark and Year C for the gospel of Luke while the gospel of John is interspersed or spread out throughout the three-year cycle.
Descriptively, Matthew’s tells of the wisdom and healing miracles of Jesus as a way of telling the Jews that Jesus was indeed the Son of God. Mark’s gospel affirms the character of Christ as the Messiah whom God sent while Luke provides us with a clear picture of Jesus who came not only for the Jews but for all principally the poor, the outcasts and gentiles alike. The gospel of John, on the other hand, focuses on the mystery of God that was revealed by pointing to Christ as the vessel of truth and life.
It is only fitting that the Church begins the Year “C” cycle with this letter of Luke to Theophilus which is also Luke’s letter to us and he gives us in very simple terms a list of what we are to do as we respond to the call towards New Evangelization and we are: (1) To bring the Good News to the poor; (2) We are sent to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind; (3) To let the oppressed go free, and; (4) To proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. (vv.18-19)
In the pursuit of these objectives, what we must keep in mind is that we can only do all these through the Spirit of the Lord who is upon us all. In other words, we should not even for a moment assume that we are doing these on our own but we, like the early disciples of Jesus, can only do all these on the basis of the equipping, empowerment and anointing of the Holy Spirit.
Because of the secularism and growing relativism in society many have become blind to the truths of the Gospel of Christ preferring to compromise the principles of their faith in exchange for material benefits. And the decline in the spirituality of even the traditional bastions of Christianity could be traced to the apparent shift in the priorities of even those who are in the Church and or spiritual communities primary of which is the habit of leaders to camouflage their failure to pursue their evangelizing mission by blaming the way their organizations are structured.
The Synodal Assembly was clear on this point in that there is no need for a change in structures but that the changing societies and cultures call us to something new: To live our communitarian experience of faith in a renewed way and to proclaim it through an evangelization that is “new in its ardor, in its methods, in its expressions” (John Paul II, Discourse to the XIX Assembly of CELAM, Port-au-Prince)
Pope Benedict XVI recalled that it is an evangelization that is directed “principally at those who, though baptized, have drifted away from the Church and live without reference to the Christian life... to help these people encounter the Lord, who alone fills our existence with deep meaning and peace; and to favor the rediscovery of the faith, that source of grace which brings joy and hope to personal, family and social life” (Benedict XVI, Homily for the Eucharistic celebration for the solemn inauguration of the XIII Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, Rome, 7 October 2012).
And in the pursuit of the New Evangelization for the Transmission of Faith, we are called upon to introduce new means or methods towards the proclamation of the Word of God and this includes the so-called “new media” which explains why Pope Benedict XVI has created a Twitter.com account “pontifex” that all can follow.
What Our Lord Jesus Christ expects from us now is that in the exercise of evangelization we are to assist the Church in sanctifying secular reality, the temporal order, the world, ad intra, in an immediate and direct way” (St. Josemaría Escrivá, Conversations, no. 9).
Thus, we all must exercise our prophetic function which means that with Christ as the Revelation of God whom we have encountered, we are to carry out our evangelizing mission by standing as a witness of our own lives and with through our own words we are to testify to what God has done for us in the measure of our conversion.
What should remain primordial when we evangelize is that we must be able to impress upon others that Jesus came for our own sake to grant us salvation and that this can only be possible by accepting him as our personal Lord and Savior as our way of “proclaiming the year of the Lord’s favor.” (v.19) The year of the Lord's favor comes upon anyone who will accept Christ as their savior and redeemer.
With personal conviction and with the Holy Spirit in us, we must also convince others that Jesus came to set us free from the slavery to sin and the fear of death, and the eternal destruction of both body and soul and that God's power alone can save us from hopelessness, fear, spiritual emptiness, and despair.
1st Reading: Neh 8:2-6, 8-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 19:8-10, 15 “Your words, Lord, are spirit and life.”
2nd Reading: 1 Cor 12:12-14, 27
GOSPEL: Lk 1:1-4; 4:14-21
Key Verse: “…to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (v.19)
It may come as a surprise to some why the Gospel written by Luke (Lk 1:1-4) starts with an introductory letter addressed to Theophilus whose name is translated into “beloved of God” and the reason was because Luke was the only one among the four Gospel writers who was not among the original disciples of Jesus twelve of whom were anointed as Apostles.
By writing a prologue Luke clearly wants to impress upon Theophilus that what he was writing comes from very reliable witnesses who knew Jesus personally, who was with him throughout his ministry and heard him teach, witnessed the miracles and healings and who were present during the time he suffered, died and rose from the dead.
In the same way, we who have responded to the call for New Evangelization for the Transmission of Faith will have to commit ourselves to abide by this age-less tradition in the transmission of our faith to others by testifying to our experiences arising out of our personal encounter with Christ.
And Jesus Christ in this Gospel reading today provides us with the parameters that should guide us as we set out to proclaim the Word of God and we see these in vv. 18-19 that says: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
In fact we can actually consider this Gospel passage today as the inaugural address of Jesus Christ that can be considered as the directive that we are now obliged to follow. In simple terms, what Jesus did which was encapsulated in these two verses is what we in today’s post-modern world are called to pursue.
In his motu proprio Pope Benedict XVI says: “There is an urgent need for the new evangelization of countries and environments already evangelized in the past, but now in great measure secularized, presents particular demands, necessarily connected to the Church’s permanent salvific mission. At the same time, the complex reality in which we live requires new pastoral and apostolic initiatives, adequate to the challenges presented by modernity and post-modernity.”
Let me just explain in brief that we may better understand our liturgy that the Gospel readings are divided into three cycles and we know this as Year A for the gospel of Matthew, Year B for the gospel of Mark and Year C for the gospel of Luke while the gospel of John is interspersed or spread out throughout the three-year cycle.
Descriptively, Matthew’s tells of the wisdom and healing miracles of Jesus as a way of telling the Jews that Jesus was indeed the Son of God. Mark’s gospel affirms the character of Christ as the Messiah whom God sent while Luke provides us with a clear picture of Jesus who came not only for the Jews but for all principally the poor, the outcasts and gentiles alike. The gospel of John, on the other hand, focuses on the mystery of God that was revealed by pointing to Christ as the vessel of truth and life.
It is only fitting that the Church begins the Year “C” cycle with this letter of Luke to Theophilus which is also Luke’s letter to us and he gives us in very simple terms a list of what we are to do as we respond to the call towards New Evangelization and we are: (1) To bring the Good News to the poor; (2) We are sent to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind; (3) To let the oppressed go free, and; (4) To proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. (vv.18-19)
In the pursuit of these objectives, what we must keep in mind is that we can only do all these through the Spirit of the Lord who is upon us all. In other words, we should not even for a moment assume that we are doing these on our own but we, like the early disciples of Jesus, can only do all these on the basis of the equipping, empowerment and anointing of the Holy Spirit.
Because of the secularism and growing relativism in society many have become blind to the truths of the Gospel of Christ preferring to compromise the principles of their faith in exchange for material benefits. And the decline in the spirituality of even the traditional bastions of Christianity could be traced to the apparent shift in the priorities of even those who are in the Church and or spiritual communities primary of which is the habit of leaders to camouflage their failure to pursue their evangelizing mission by blaming the way their organizations are structured.
The Synodal Assembly was clear on this point in that there is no need for a change in structures but that the changing societies and cultures call us to something new: To live our communitarian experience of faith in a renewed way and to proclaim it through an evangelization that is “new in its ardor, in its methods, in its expressions” (John Paul II, Discourse to the XIX Assembly of CELAM, Port-au-Prince)
Pope Benedict XVI recalled that it is an evangelization that is directed “principally at those who, though baptized, have drifted away from the Church and live without reference to the Christian life... to help these people encounter the Lord, who alone fills our existence with deep meaning and peace; and to favor the rediscovery of the faith, that source of grace which brings joy and hope to personal, family and social life” (Benedict XVI, Homily for the Eucharistic celebration for the solemn inauguration of the XIII Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, Rome, 7 October 2012).
And in the pursuit of the New Evangelization for the Transmission of Faith, we are called upon to introduce new means or methods towards the proclamation of the Word of God and this includes the so-called “new media” which explains why Pope Benedict XVI has created a Twitter.com account “pontifex” that all can follow.
What Our Lord Jesus Christ expects from us now is that in the exercise of evangelization we are to assist the Church in sanctifying secular reality, the temporal order, the world, ad intra, in an immediate and direct way” (St. Josemaría Escrivá, Conversations, no. 9).
Thus, we all must exercise our prophetic function which means that with Christ as the Revelation of God whom we have encountered, we are to carry out our evangelizing mission by standing as a witness of our own lives and with through our own words we are to testify to what God has done for us in the measure of our conversion.
What should remain primordial when we evangelize is that we must be able to impress upon others that Jesus came for our own sake to grant us salvation and that this can only be possible by accepting him as our personal Lord and Savior as our way of “proclaiming the year of the Lord’s favor.” (v.19) The year of the Lord's favor comes upon anyone who will accept Christ as their savior and redeemer.
With personal conviction and with the Holy Spirit in us, we must also convince others that Jesus came to set us free from the slavery to sin and the fear of death, and the eternal destruction of both body and soul and that God's power alone can save us from hopelessness, fear, spiritual emptiness, and despair.
REJECTION IS PART OF EVANGELIZATION
JAN. 26, 2013: FEAST OF STS. TIMOTHY AND TITUS, Bishops
1st Reading: 2 Tim 1:1-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 96:1-3, 7-8, 10 “Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.”
GOSPEL: Mk 3:20-21
Key Verse: “He is out of his mind.” (v.21)
Have you experienced rejection? By your peers and friends? In the workplace? In the Church or Community? How does it feel? What if it was your own family who rejected you? Would it be more painful than when you are disproved by your friends?
There are many forms of rejection. It could either be your actions which may go against ethical standards. It may also be because of an infraction you may have committed in school, workplace, or in the social or church organization in which you are a member.
Conversely, you may also experience rejection as a result of your ideas that do not fit into the norms of the environment that you are in. In the same vein, isn’t it also true that we readily reject those whose ideas do not conform to our own position or judgment especially if it will not contribute to our ego?
But how would you really feel if members of your own family would say you are out of your mind. And how do you think Jesus felt when his family tried to seize him because they felt he has lost control of his senses (v.22).
At first glance, some of us might think that the family of Jesus had turned against him or were ashamed of him to such an extent that they wanted to take charge of him and keep him at home (v.21).
This is when our creativity, imagery and role-playing can come in handy because to be able to understand what was going on in this Gospel passage, we need to put ourselves in the midst and circumstances of the family of Jesus.
First, we have to take into consideration that the Jews in those days were living in uncertain times. Fear was written on the faces of most Jews because of the persistent rumors of an impending rebellion to be led by a Messiah sent by God against the Roman invaders and rebellion was an offense that was punishable by death.
The family of Jesus must have been inconvenienced by the intrusion into their own privacy because the crowd kept following him wherever he went not to mention his disciples which must have grown into a large group that travelled with him and to feed such a large group of people was not an easy task.
Perhaps, his own family was also fearful for the safety of Jesus because of the growing opposition by the Scribes and Pharisees who have begun plotting to accuse him and kill him. Plans such as these can easily be picked up from the grapevine and there was no doubting as far as his family was concerned that Jesus was in danger.
The inconvenience, the fear they may be suspected of plotting against the Romans and apprehension on what may befall Jesus were enough to send chills to his family and even the initial unbelief of his family was understandable because the revelation that Jesus was the incarnated Son of God was only made to Joseph and Mary.
The conversion and or transformation of his family came gradually helped by reports of the healing miracles that Jesus performed and later from his own resurrection from the dead.
As official accounts would later appear, his own brothers also became missionaries and testified on his behalf. It is also no longer necessary to try and find out whether his brothers who were all mentioned by name in Mk 6:3 and Matt 13:55 were truly his own blood brothers as there are some accounts they were actually his step-siblings. But if Mary remained a virgin all her life until her glorious assumption, then they could be cousins who are normally referred to as brothers in the Jewish tradition.
That Jesus did not feel slighted at the unbelief of his family was evident when he appeared to James (1 Co 15:8) who would later on be known as the “brother of the Lord” (Gal 1:19) who became one of the elders of the early church.
His resurrection from the dead indeed was the primary factor why not only his family but even the Jews started to believe and went on to serve Jesus in the church that grew when the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles and disciples on the day of Pentecost.
I am sure that we too may have been filled with doubt and unbelief at one point in time and it was only through the gift of faith that was infused in us in our sacramental baptism which was reignited during the Baptism in the Spirit for those of whom Jesus brought to the renewal that moved us to once again believe in Jesus as the Son of God.
We should not forget, however, that such conversion and transformation would not have been possible without the initiative of the Holy Spirit for we “will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you” (Ac 1:8) and it also by this indwelling Holy Spirit that we can live a life of peace because “the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace” (Rom 8:6).
What may serve as an inspiration for us is the resolve of Jesus to abide by the Will of God as when he threw away the security and safety of a life lived with his family and relatives and step into a world fraught with danger.
And Jesus confronted these opposition including those from his own family with absolute grace and boldness to fulfill what has been prophesied. He also warned that “our enemies will be the members of his own household” (Matt 10:36).
To this day, those of us who follow Jesus faithfully still elicit mixed reactions from our family and friends. There are times when unbelievers sneer at us. Fanatics as some would call us. At times, we feel like we may want to give up and when we are just about ready to throw in the towel, Jesus comes in our midst to remind us that “his grace is sufficient for us, for his power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9).
Like Paul we all must learn to say “I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor 12:10).
Praise be to you Lord Jesus Christ!
1st Reading: 2 Tim 1:1-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 96:1-3, 7-8, 10 “Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.”
GOSPEL: Mk 3:20-21
Key Verse: “He is out of his mind.” (v.21)
Have you experienced rejection? By your peers and friends? In the workplace? In the Church or Community? How does it feel? What if it was your own family who rejected you? Would it be more painful than when you are disproved by your friends?
There are many forms of rejection. It could either be your actions which may go against ethical standards. It may also be because of an infraction you may have committed in school, workplace, or in the social or church organization in which you are a member.
Conversely, you may also experience rejection as a result of your ideas that do not fit into the norms of the environment that you are in. In the same vein, isn’t it also true that we readily reject those whose ideas do not conform to our own position or judgment especially if it will not contribute to our ego?
But how would you really feel if members of your own family would say you are out of your mind. And how do you think Jesus felt when his family tried to seize him because they felt he has lost control of his senses (v.22).
At first glance, some of us might think that the family of Jesus had turned against him or were ashamed of him to such an extent that they wanted to take charge of him and keep him at home (v.21).
This is when our creativity, imagery and role-playing can come in handy because to be able to understand what was going on in this Gospel passage, we need to put ourselves in the midst and circumstances of the family of Jesus.
First, we have to take into consideration that the Jews in those days were living in uncertain times. Fear was written on the faces of most Jews because of the persistent rumors of an impending rebellion to be led by a Messiah sent by God against the Roman invaders and rebellion was an offense that was punishable by death.
The family of Jesus must have been inconvenienced by the intrusion into their own privacy because the crowd kept following him wherever he went not to mention his disciples which must have grown into a large group that travelled with him and to feed such a large group of people was not an easy task.
Perhaps, his own family was also fearful for the safety of Jesus because of the growing opposition by the Scribes and Pharisees who have begun plotting to accuse him and kill him. Plans such as these can easily be picked up from the grapevine and there was no doubting as far as his family was concerned that Jesus was in danger.
The inconvenience, the fear they may be suspected of plotting against the Romans and apprehension on what may befall Jesus were enough to send chills to his family and even the initial unbelief of his family was understandable because the revelation that Jesus was the incarnated Son of God was only made to Joseph and Mary.
The conversion and or transformation of his family came gradually helped by reports of the healing miracles that Jesus performed and later from his own resurrection from the dead.
As official accounts would later appear, his own brothers also became missionaries and testified on his behalf. It is also no longer necessary to try and find out whether his brothers who were all mentioned by name in Mk 6:3 and Matt 13:55 were truly his own blood brothers as there are some accounts they were actually his step-siblings. But if Mary remained a virgin all her life until her glorious assumption, then they could be cousins who are normally referred to as brothers in the Jewish tradition.
That Jesus did not feel slighted at the unbelief of his family was evident when he appeared to James (1 Co 15:8) who would later on be known as the “brother of the Lord” (Gal 1:19) who became one of the elders of the early church.
His resurrection from the dead indeed was the primary factor why not only his family but even the Jews started to believe and went on to serve Jesus in the church that grew when the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles and disciples on the day of Pentecost.
I am sure that we too may have been filled with doubt and unbelief at one point in time and it was only through the gift of faith that was infused in us in our sacramental baptism which was reignited during the Baptism in the Spirit for those of whom Jesus brought to the renewal that moved us to once again believe in Jesus as the Son of God.
We should not forget, however, that such conversion and transformation would not have been possible without the initiative of the Holy Spirit for we “will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you” (Ac 1:8) and it also by this indwelling Holy Spirit that we can live a life of peace because “the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace” (Rom 8:6).
What may serve as an inspiration for us is the resolve of Jesus to abide by the Will of God as when he threw away the security and safety of a life lived with his family and relatives and step into a world fraught with danger.
And Jesus confronted these opposition including those from his own family with absolute grace and boldness to fulfill what has been prophesied. He also warned that “our enemies will be the members of his own household” (Matt 10:36).
To this day, those of us who follow Jesus faithfully still elicit mixed reactions from our family and friends. There are times when unbelievers sneer at us. Fanatics as some would call us. At times, we feel like we may want to give up and when we are just about ready to throw in the towel, Jesus comes in our midst to remind us that “his grace is sufficient for us, for his power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9).
Like Paul we all must learn to say “I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor 12:10).
Praise be to you Lord Jesus Christ!
JESUS IS THE ONLY SIGN
JAN. 25, 2013: CONVERSION OF ST. PAUL
1st Reading: Ac 22:3-16
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 117:1bc, 2 “Go out to all the world and tell the good news.”
GOSPEL: Mk 16:15-18
Key Verse: “And these signs will accompany
those who believe.” (v.17)
Signs have become part and parcel of our lives. We depend on signs to go from one place to another especially if we are not familiar with where we are going. When stepping out of our homes we sometimes look up to the sky and look for signs to guide us if we are going to bring an umbrella or not.
Signs can also be defined as portents, prophecies, premonitions and or forecasts and there are many in this world whose lives are perfunctorily guided by signs. People in the orient generally believe in superstition and the Chinese for one are known subscribers to feng shui or geomancy and they ascribe their good fortune and or bad luck to bad feng shui.
Many political leaders also believe in signs and one of them was the late Philippine Pres. Ferdinand Marcos who has an affinity to the number “7” and was known to align his major political decisions to the movement of stars and planets including the weather forecasts.
But the signs mentioned in this Gospel passage differ with the way signs are referred to by those who believe in superstition and the influence in their lives of the stars and the environment they live in because the signs that Mark wrote about are occurrences that tend to confirm the presence of God in these events especially when the Gospel of Christ is being preached (Mk 16:20).
Jesus said so himself that his presence will be in the signs that will accompany not only his disciples but anyone for that matter and they who will follow in his footsteps will be able “to drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues” (v.17); “they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not harm them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” (v.18)
It was apparent that the purpose of these signs was to provide concrete evidence that Jesus Christ was working with his disciples and even to this day the Lord continues to manifest his presence through signs that he continues to work with the Church, in the Church and through the Church.
This was evident in the work of Paul and Barnabas who “spent considerable time in Iconium, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders.” (Ac 14:3)
And God himself “testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his Will.” (Heb 2:4) What this means is that we can be assured of God’s presence whenever these signs are present including the Gifts of the Holy Spirit that Our Lord pours out on us in our Baptism in the Holy Spirit which gives credence to his promise that he will be with us to the end of age.
The conversion of Saul who would later be called Paul was also brought about by a sign when on his way to Damascus came upon a light from heaven and as he fell to the ground he heard a voice: “Saul, Saul, why do you prosecute me?” (Ac 9:4) The sign that led to his conversion came in the form of his being blind for three days not eating or drinking anything during this time until the Lord gave him another sign when Ananias laid his hands on Saul and he began to see and was baptized.
These signs therefore can be viewed as the credentials that proved the authority of the Apostles to establish the Church and our own authority as well who have been tapped to keep the Church alive and on fire.
What should encourage and motivate us all is the fact that the Lord did not leave a world in grief but he filled us with joy when he sent the Holy Spirit to clothed us with his gifts that equip us to “go to all the world and preach the Good News to all creation.” (v.15)
As we commemorate the Year of Faith, we are being commanded by the Church to lead everyone especially the baptized Christians who have drifted from the practice of their faith to an encounter with Jesus Christ through the proclamation of the Gospel to all because the Word of God is the never-ending sign of his power, joy, forgiveness, healing, deliverance from the influence of evil spirits and it is only through the Gospel that we can find our way back into the path of righteousness.
We who believe and who have committed our lives to the service of His Kingdom have become partakers of this divine task. “We are therefore are Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.” (2 Cor 5:20)
Our Church today is also celebrating the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul whose encounter with Christ radically changed his life and opened his eyes to the truth of the Gospel. Pope Benedict XVI’s reflection on this event cited the significance of Paul's conversion for the whole Christian people: “Paul's conversion matured in his encounter with the Risen Christ; it was this encounter that radically changed his life. What happened to him on the road to Damascus is what Jesus asks in today's Gospel: Saul is converted because, thanks to the divine light, “he has believed in the Gospel.” In this consists his and our conversion: in believing in Jesus dead and risen and in opening to the illumination of his divine grace. In that moment Saul understood that his salvation did not depend on good works fulfilled according to the law, but on the fact that Jesus died also for him the persecutor and has risen. This truth by which every Christian life is enlightened thanks to Baptism completely overturns our way of life. To be converted means, also for each one of us, to believe that Jesus “has given himself for me,” dying on the Cross and, risen, lives with me and in me. Entrusting myself to the power of his forgiveness, letting myself be taken by his hand, I can come out of the quicksands of pride and sin, of deceit and sadness, of selfishness and of every false security, to know and live the richness of his love.” (2009)
Man’s conversion is the ultimate goal of the New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Faith and the same thing is being asked of us. Our personal encounter with Jesus Christ should lead us to a radical change in our nature, a change that will empower us to hold on to the Word of God as our foundation and which must produce the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23; Rom 8:5-6) which are important because these are what will empower us to love God and neighbor.
1st Reading: Ac 22:3-16
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 117:1bc, 2 “Go out to all the world and tell the good news.”
GOSPEL: Mk 16:15-18
Key Verse: “And these signs will accompany
those who believe.” (v.17)
Signs have become part and parcel of our lives. We depend on signs to go from one place to another especially if we are not familiar with where we are going. When stepping out of our homes we sometimes look up to the sky and look for signs to guide us if we are going to bring an umbrella or not.
Signs can also be defined as portents, prophecies, premonitions and or forecasts and there are many in this world whose lives are perfunctorily guided by signs. People in the orient generally believe in superstition and the Chinese for one are known subscribers to feng shui or geomancy and they ascribe their good fortune and or bad luck to bad feng shui.
Many political leaders also believe in signs and one of them was the late Philippine Pres. Ferdinand Marcos who has an affinity to the number “7” and was known to align his major political decisions to the movement of stars and planets including the weather forecasts.
But the signs mentioned in this Gospel passage differ with the way signs are referred to by those who believe in superstition and the influence in their lives of the stars and the environment they live in because the signs that Mark wrote about are occurrences that tend to confirm the presence of God in these events especially when the Gospel of Christ is being preached (Mk 16:20).
Jesus said so himself that his presence will be in the signs that will accompany not only his disciples but anyone for that matter and they who will follow in his footsteps will be able “to drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues” (v.17); “they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not harm them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” (v.18)
It was apparent that the purpose of these signs was to provide concrete evidence that Jesus Christ was working with his disciples and even to this day the Lord continues to manifest his presence through signs that he continues to work with the Church, in the Church and through the Church.
This was evident in the work of Paul and Barnabas who “spent considerable time in Iconium, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders.” (Ac 14:3)
And God himself “testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his Will.” (Heb 2:4) What this means is that we can be assured of God’s presence whenever these signs are present including the Gifts of the Holy Spirit that Our Lord pours out on us in our Baptism in the Holy Spirit which gives credence to his promise that he will be with us to the end of age.
The conversion of Saul who would later be called Paul was also brought about by a sign when on his way to Damascus came upon a light from heaven and as he fell to the ground he heard a voice: “Saul, Saul, why do you prosecute me?” (Ac 9:4) The sign that led to his conversion came in the form of his being blind for three days not eating or drinking anything during this time until the Lord gave him another sign when Ananias laid his hands on Saul and he began to see and was baptized.
These signs therefore can be viewed as the credentials that proved the authority of the Apostles to establish the Church and our own authority as well who have been tapped to keep the Church alive and on fire.
What should encourage and motivate us all is the fact that the Lord did not leave a world in grief but he filled us with joy when he sent the Holy Spirit to clothed us with his gifts that equip us to “go to all the world and preach the Good News to all creation.” (v.15)
As we commemorate the Year of Faith, we are being commanded by the Church to lead everyone especially the baptized Christians who have drifted from the practice of their faith to an encounter with Jesus Christ through the proclamation of the Gospel to all because the Word of God is the never-ending sign of his power, joy, forgiveness, healing, deliverance from the influence of evil spirits and it is only through the Gospel that we can find our way back into the path of righteousness.
We who believe and who have committed our lives to the service of His Kingdom have become partakers of this divine task. “We are therefore are Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.” (2 Cor 5:20)
Our Church today is also celebrating the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul whose encounter with Christ radically changed his life and opened his eyes to the truth of the Gospel. Pope Benedict XVI’s reflection on this event cited the significance of Paul's conversion for the whole Christian people: “Paul's conversion matured in his encounter with the Risen Christ; it was this encounter that radically changed his life. What happened to him on the road to Damascus is what Jesus asks in today's Gospel: Saul is converted because, thanks to the divine light, “he has believed in the Gospel.” In this consists his and our conversion: in believing in Jesus dead and risen and in opening to the illumination of his divine grace. In that moment Saul understood that his salvation did not depend on good works fulfilled according to the law, but on the fact that Jesus died also for him the persecutor and has risen. This truth by which every Christian life is enlightened thanks to Baptism completely overturns our way of life. To be converted means, also for each one of us, to believe that Jesus “has given himself for me,” dying on the Cross and, risen, lives with me and in me. Entrusting myself to the power of his forgiveness, letting myself be taken by his hand, I can come out of the quicksands of pride and sin, of deceit and sadness, of selfishness and of every false security, to know and live the richness of his love.” (2009)
Man’s conversion is the ultimate goal of the New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Faith and the same thing is being asked of us. Our personal encounter with Jesus Christ should lead us to a radical change in our nature, a change that will empower us to hold on to the Word of God as our foundation and which must produce the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23; Rom 8:5-6) which are important because these are what will empower us to love God and neighbor.
HOW WELL DO WE KNOW JESUS?
JAN. 24, 2013: SECOND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Heb 7:25 – 8:6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 40:7-10, 17 “Here I am Lord, I come to do your Will.”
GOSPEL: Mk 3:7-12
Key Verse: “You are the Son of God.” (v.11)
In his reflection at the Corporate Worship of the Manila District of the Bukas Loob sa Diyos (Open in Spirit to God) Covenant Community last night (Jan. 23, 2013), Fr. Manny Flores reiterated the call of the Church to the pursuit of the New Evangelization in the Transmission of the Faith.
Fr. Manny stressed what was emphasized in Par. 3 of the Closing Message of the Synodal Assembly of Bishops which says: “The work of the new evangelization consists in presenting once more the beauty and perennial newness of the encounter with Christ to the often distracted and confused heart and mind of the men and women of our time, above all to ourselves. The Church invites us all to contemplate the face of the Lord Jesus Christ, to enter the mystery of his existence given for us on the cross, reconfirmed in his resurrection from the dead as the Father's gift and imparted to us through the Spirit. In the person of Jesus, the mystery of God the Father's love for the entire human family is revealed.”
In other words, the New Evangelization in the Transmission of the Faith is not a new program but a principle that encourages everyone to a personal encounter with Our Lord Jesus Christ through the Sacred Scriptures, the Sacrament of Reconciliation and reception of the Holy Eucharist.
To add meaning to the commemoration of the Year of Faith, Pope Benedict XVI also urged all believers to rediscover the journey of faith so as to shed ever clearer light on the joy and renewed enthusiasm of the encounter with Christ. The Holy Father wants us to rediscover a taste for feeding ourselves on the Word of God, faithfully handed down by the Church, and on the bread of life, offered as sustenance for his disciples (Jn 6:51).
As Catholics we are urged to take the opportunity to read the documents of Vatican II correctly, help them become widely known and take them to heart as important and normative texts of the Magisterium and to approach the Year of Faith as a time of purification for the Church and for individuals, a summons to an authentic and renewed conversion to the Lord.
The Holy Father also asks that we profess our faith in the Risen Lord in our churches in our homes and among our families, so that everyone may feel a strong need to know better and to transmit to future generations the faith of all times.
To know Jesus in a personal way is actually the message in today’s Gospel passage who withdrew to the lakeside with his disciples (v.7) apparently to rest and collect himself from the previous encounter he had at the synagogue with the Pharisees who questioned why he healed the man with a withered hand on a Sabbath.
But for a Rabbi who has become popular by his preaching with the kind of authority the people have never seen and the many instances of miracles and healings that he did, a multitude followed him (v.8) that he needed to board a boat on the shore lest he be crushed by the onrushing crowd who wanted to have a piece of him (v.9).
Uneventful this may seem as Jesus did not speak a word or a parable in this passage, what this Gospel for today is telling us is the class of people who were there at the lakeside and there are at least three groups of people who were with Jesus in this passage.
To be able to fully grasp the sweetness of the message that lie hidden in the Scriptures, a good technique you can use is to dissect the words and phrases of the Gospel passage you are reflecting on and apply the process of imagineering by putting yourself right at the heart of the stories in the Scriptures.
For this Gospel passage of today, there are several groups of people who were present and it would be to our advantage if we will try to see as to which group we belong so we can at least plot where we are now in terms of our spiritual growth and decide which way to go.
The first group consists of the disciples of Jesus (v.7). As Rabbis who have become a celebrity like Jesus, they normally travel with their large entourage of disciples. We can easily conclude that this was a committed group for many of them, like Andrew and Peter, James and John, have left their families and careers to follow Jesus.
The second group was composed of the crowd who came from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, regions across the Jordan and those from around Tyre and Sidon (vv.8-9) and as such it would be difficult to identify who among them actually believe in Jesus, who among them were there for the benefit they can get, those who wanted to be healed while others just wanted to see a miracle. Many of them are curiosity seekers.
Then there are those who have unclean spirits or the demon-possessed who fell down upon seeing Jesus crying out “You are the Son of God” (v.11) which meant that the devil himself knew who he was and recognized Jesus as the Son of God. How about us? How well do we know Jesus? Do we know him enough as to say "you are the Son of God."
The question now is to which of these three groups of people do we belong. Are we like the curiosity-seekers who go to church regularly or join a community but never committing ourselves to serve? Or are we like the son who said yes to his father but never did what the father told him? Do we hear the Gospel being proclaimed but not listening to it? There is a chance of course that there will be some who will eventually take up the challenge in Lk 9:23; 14:25-27 and praise God for them.
And are we like those possessed by unclean spirits who may be going to church regularly and or like in the preceding also join a community or a parish organization but who is like a square peg in a round hole. We know who Jesus was and is but we doubt his nature as God or we just don’t believe in him. Or we can be like those who don’t regard sin as an offense against God. There will, however, come a time when even the hard-hearted will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Phi 2:11). But why wait until some tragic event change your spiritual perspective? Why not come before the Lord and commit our lives to him while there is still time?
Why not be like Andrew, Simon, James and John in Mk 1:16-20 and Levi in Mk 2:14. They may have heard of what Jesus preached and what he did but they have never met him yet when he passed by them and said “follow me” they all left what they were doing and followed him.
This Gospel passage today sends out a message for all of us to now make a choice as to what we want to do with our lives. We can be in church or community but remaining in the sidelines. We are happy with the thought that we are saved because we believe, forgetting that believing goes beyond than just what we believe in our minds. To believe is to walk where Jesus walked.
Why not make a decision now and secure your insurance towards the salvation of your souls and an eternal life with Jesus in heaven by listening to the Gospel and abandoning everything that you have for his sake.
Let us not dwell anymore on how long the world has existed but the Scriptures tells us that Christ died more than 2,000 years ago and if we range this with the average age of man nowadays which is in the neighborhood of 70 years old we can conclude that life is short. So the question is what are we going to do to make our lives meaningful?
The choice is yours to make but the time to make a choice is now.
1st Reading: Heb 7:25 – 8:6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 40:7-10, 17 “Here I am Lord, I come to do your Will.”
GOSPEL: Mk 3:7-12
Key Verse: “You are the Son of God.” (v.11)
In his reflection at the Corporate Worship of the Manila District of the Bukas Loob sa Diyos (Open in Spirit to God) Covenant Community last night (Jan. 23, 2013), Fr. Manny Flores reiterated the call of the Church to the pursuit of the New Evangelization in the Transmission of the Faith.
Fr. Manny stressed what was emphasized in Par. 3 of the Closing Message of the Synodal Assembly of Bishops which says: “The work of the new evangelization consists in presenting once more the beauty and perennial newness of the encounter with Christ to the often distracted and confused heart and mind of the men and women of our time, above all to ourselves. The Church invites us all to contemplate the face of the Lord Jesus Christ, to enter the mystery of his existence given for us on the cross, reconfirmed in his resurrection from the dead as the Father's gift and imparted to us through the Spirit. In the person of Jesus, the mystery of God the Father's love for the entire human family is revealed.”
In other words, the New Evangelization in the Transmission of the Faith is not a new program but a principle that encourages everyone to a personal encounter with Our Lord Jesus Christ through the Sacred Scriptures, the Sacrament of Reconciliation and reception of the Holy Eucharist.
To add meaning to the commemoration of the Year of Faith, Pope Benedict XVI also urged all believers to rediscover the journey of faith so as to shed ever clearer light on the joy and renewed enthusiasm of the encounter with Christ. The Holy Father wants us to rediscover a taste for feeding ourselves on the Word of God, faithfully handed down by the Church, and on the bread of life, offered as sustenance for his disciples (Jn 6:51).
As Catholics we are urged to take the opportunity to read the documents of Vatican II correctly, help them become widely known and take them to heart as important and normative texts of the Magisterium and to approach the Year of Faith as a time of purification for the Church and for individuals, a summons to an authentic and renewed conversion to the Lord.
The Holy Father also asks that we profess our faith in the Risen Lord in our churches in our homes and among our families, so that everyone may feel a strong need to know better and to transmit to future generations the faith of all times.
To know Jesus in a personal way is actually the message in today’s Gospel passage who withdrew to the lakeside with his disciples (v.7) apparently to rest and collect himself from the previous encounter he had at the synagogue with the Pharisees who questioned why he healed the man with a withered hand on a Sabbath.
But for a Rabbi who has become popular by his preaching with the kind of authority the people have never seen and the many instances of miracles and healings that he did, a multitude followed him (v.8) that he needed to board a boat on the shore lest he be crushed by the onrushing crowd who wanted to have a piece of him (v.9).
Uneventful this may seem as Jesus did not speak a word or a parable in this passage, what this Gospel for today is telling us is the class of people who were there at the lakeside and there are at least three groups of people who were with Jesus in this passage.
To be able to fully grasp the sweetness of the message that lie hidden in the Scriptures, a good technique you can use is to dissect the words and phrases of the Gospel passage you are reflecting on and apply the process of imagineering by putting yourself right at the heart of the stories in the Scriptures.
For this Gospel passage of today, there are several groups of people who were present and it would be to our advantage if we will try to see as to which group we belong so we can at least plot where we are now in terms of our spiritual growth and decide which way to go.
The first group consists of the disciples of Jesus (v.7). As Rabbis who have become a celebrity like Jesus, they normally travel with their large entourage of disciples. We can easily conclude that this was a committed group for many of them, like Andrew and Peter, James and John, have left their families and careers to follow Jesus.
The second group was composed of the crowd who came from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, regions across the Jordan and those from around Tyre and Sidon (vv.8-9) and as such it would be difficult to identify who among them actually believe in Jesus, who among them were there for the benefit they can get, those who wanted to be healed while others just wanted to see a miracle. Many of them are curiosity seekers.
Then there are those who have unclean spirits or the demon-possessed who fell down upon seeing Jesus crying out “You are the Son of God” (v.11) which meant that the devil himself knew who he was and recognized Jesus as the Son of God. How about us? How well do we know Jesus? Do we know him enough as to say "you are the Son of God."
The question now is to which of these three groups of people do we belong. Are we like the curiosity-seekers who go to church regularly or join a community but never committing ourselves to serve? Or are we like the son who said yes to his father but never did what the father told him? Do we hear the Gospel being proclaimed but not listening to it? There is a chance of course that there will be some who will eventually take up the challenge in Lk 9:23; 14:25-27 and praise God for them.
And are we like those possessed by unclean spirits who may be going to church regularly and or like in the preceding also join a community or a parish organization but who is like a square peg in a round hole. We know who Jesus was and is but we doubt his nature as God or we just don’t believe in him. Or we can be like those who don’t regard sin as an offense against God. There will, however, come a time when even the hard-hearted will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Phi 2:11). But why wait until some tragic event change your spiritual perspective? Why not come before the Lord and commit our lives to him while there is still time?
Why not be like Andrew, Simon, James and John in Mk 1:16-20 and Levi in Mk 2:14. They may have heard of what Jesus preached and what he did but they have never met him yet when he passed by them and said “follow me” they all left what they were doing and followed him.
This Gospel passage today sends out a message for all of us to now make a choice as to what we want to do with our lives. We can be in church or community but remaining in the sidelines. We are happy with the thought that we are saved because we believe, forgetting that believing goes beyond than just what we believe in our minds. To believe is to walk where Jesus walked.
Why not make a decision now and secure your insurance towards the salvation of your souls and an eternal life with Jesus in heaven by listening to the Gospel and abandoning everything that you have for his sake.
Let us not dwell anymore on how long the world has existed but the Scriptures tells us that Christ died more than 2,000 years ago and if we range this with the average age of man nowadays which is in the neighborhood of 70 years old we can conclude that life is short. So the question is what are we going to do to make our lives meaningful?
The choice is yours to make but the time to make a choice is now.
GOOD DEEDS TRANSCENDS TIME
JAN. 23, 2013: SECOND WEEK I ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Heb 7:1-3, 15-17
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 110:1-4 “You are a priest forever, in the line of Melchizedek.”
GOSPEL: Mk 3:1-6
Key Verse: “Stretch our your hand.” (v.5)
This particular Gospel passage brings to a close the series of five stories depicting a succession of controversies that highlighted the gap in the interpretation of the laws of Moses between Jesus Christ and the Pharisees.
And today we see a continuation of the law of the Sabbath that was part of the Mosaic law but which in the course of time the Scribes or the teachers of the law have expanded into a never-ending trail of rules and regulations the observance of which has become more important to the Pharisees than the original intent of the Sabbath.
Just to let you in on the kind of controversy that have caused division between Jesus and the Pharisees, the devout Jews will not lift their hands much more defend themselves even from attacks by their enemies if it falls on the Sabbath.
In fact, there was a story about Pompey the Roman general who built a mound during the Sabbath day from where he can view the Temple in Jerusalem where the Jews took refuge. Pompey knew that on the Sabbath the Jews would not lift even one hand to defend themselves even if they knew that by their inaction they were facing imminent death.
Having grown up in a Jewish household Jesus knew the rigidity in the way the Pharisees observe the rules of the Sabbath and it was probably his desire to awaken this kind of insensitivity to the needs of the people that led him to return to the synagogue.
Brushing off the protests and threats raised by the Pharisees who were jealous of the growing popularity of Jesus who not only spoke with authority during his preaching but who also brought healing and performed miracles that no eye has ever seen until he came.
Jesus uncompromisingly exposed the inconsistency in the way the Pharisees were practicing their faith and this brought him into a collision course with the Pharisees who started looking for ways to eliminate him.
Just like on this day in the synagogue, a man with a withered hand was there and the Pharisees were watching Jesus if he would heal the man on the Sabbath. If he did they will add this to the issues they have raised against him but Jesus knew what they were thinking which was why he asked the question: “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” (v.4)
When the Pharisees couldn’t answer, Jesus “looked at them with anger and deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts,” and he said to the man: “Stretch out your hand.” (v.5) and the man was healed. This is the same with us. Whenever we come to Jesus all we need to do is to stretch out our hand to allow his Grace to flow through us.
What this Gospel passage is telling us is that we also need to spend some time and go before the Lord and reflect if there is a trace of a Pharisee in us especially at this time when we are supposed to incarnate the wisdom behind the coming of Our Lord because without our knowing it there could be a chance we may have become Pharisaical in the way we have been practicing our faith especially for those who are in positions of leadership in the church or in lay organizations such as a charismatic community.
As with the Pharisees some of us could be suffering from a hardening of our hearts and we will know this if we are experiencing spiritual dullness compounded by our refusal to see the truths that Jesus teaches and it would be calamitous for us if we will not deal with this situation. (Pro 28:14)
Hard hearts result in hard thoughts and in our present situation this could be likened to our inability to see any good in those who maybe opposed to our ideas or positions. Such hard hearts and thoughts at times provoke us into engaging in a politics of personal destruction. And in our effort to stand firm on our position we begin to think ill of our neighbors, colleagues in the workplace and, even our brethren in the church or community and this becomes evident in the way we treat others at times ignoring, maligning and or abusing those whom we don’t like.
Just like lies that become truth when repeated overtime, hard thoughts emanating from a hardened heart are likely to progress into deeds which means that our actions albeit irreligious are a consequence of our thoughts.
In our quiet times, we can detach from the Pharisaical nature that may be in us by reigniting our relationship with our God by remembering that we are weak and we need to seek God’s forgiveness and also be forgiving of others (Col 3:13). We can make that big leap of faith from our hardened hearts into someone with a compassionate heart by our conscious effort to turn ourselves into a good soil and by aligning our attitude with that of Christ (Phi 2:3-5).
This passage warns us not to fall into the trap to which the Pharisees and Herodians have fallen because we too could be plotting against Jesus by simply keeping him out of our lives. As he had purchased us at a great price, we all belong to him and as such we are mandated to pursue his mission and bring the Gospel to others.
As opposed to the Pharisees and Herodians whose mindsets were opposed to Jesus, we are being enjoined by Peter (1 Pet 3:8-12) to live in harmony with one another. The choice before us then is the eternal joy that awaits those who will choose to believe in Christ (Jn3:16). On the other hand, we stand condemned if we will persist in our unbelief in him who is the truth (Jn 3:18).
The Sabbath is thus not just a day of rest but it should be spent to express our gratitude for all that God has done for us. We should use the Sabbath as a means of purifying ourselves of the Pharisee in us by doing good to others. To keep the Sabbath holy is to serve God by serving man.
1st Reading: Heb 7:1-3, 15-17
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 110:1-4 “You are a priest forever, in the line of Melchizedek.”
GOSPEL: Mk 3:1-6
Key Verse: “Stretch our your hand.” (v.5)
This particular Gospel passage brings to a close the series of five stories depicting a succession of controversies that highlighted the gap in the interpretation of the laws of Moses between Jesus Christ and the Pharisees.
And today we see a continuation of the law of the Sabbath that was part of the Mosaic law but which in the course of time the Scribes or the teachers of the law have expanded into a never-ending trail of rules and regulations the observance of which has become more important to the Pharisees than the original intent of the Sabbath.
Just to let you in on the kind of controversy that have caused division between Jesus and the Pharisees, the devout Jews will not lift their hands much more defend themselves even from attacks by their enemies if it falls on the Sabbath.
In fact, there was a story about Pompey the Roman general who built a mound during the Sabbath day from where he can view the Temple in Jerusalem where the Jews took refuge. Pompey knew that on the Sabbath the Jews would not lift even one hand to defend themselves even if they knew that by their inaction they were facing imminent death.
Having grown up in a Jewish household Jesus knew the rigidity in the way the Pharisees observe the rules of the Sabbath and it was probably his desire to awaken this kind of insensitivity to the needs of the people that led him to return to the synagogue.
Brushing off the protests and threats raised by the Pharisees who were jealous of the growing popularity of Jesus who not only spoke with authority during his preaching but who also brought healing and performed miracles that no eye has ever seen until he came.
Jesus uncompromisingly exposed the inconsistency in the way the Pharisees were practicing their faith and this brought him into a collision course with the Pharisees who started looking for ways to eliminate him.
Just like on this day in the synagogue, a man with a withered hand was there and the Pharisees were watching Jesus if he would heal the man on the Sabbath. If he did they will add this to the issues they have raised against him but Jesus knew what they were thinking which was why he asked the question: “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” (v.4)
When the Pharisees couldn’t answer, Jesus “looked at them with anger and deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts,” and he said to the man: “Stretch out your hand.” (v.5) and the man was healed. This is the same with us. Whenever we come to Jesus all we need to do is to stretch out our hand to allow his Grace to flow through us.
What this Gospel passage is telling us is that we also need to spend some time and go before the Lord and reflect if there is a trace of a Pharisee in us especially at this time when we are supposed to incarnate the wisdom behind the coming of Our Lord because without our knowing it there could be a chance we may have become Pharisaical in the way we have been practicing our faith especially for those who are in positions of leadership in the church or in lay organizations such as a charismatic community.
As with the Pharisees some of us could be suffering from a hardening of our hearts and we will know this if we are experiencing spiritual dullness compounded by our refusal to see the truths that Jesus teaches and it would be calamitous for us if we will not deal with this situation. (Pro 28:14)
Hard hearts result in hard thoughts and in our present situation this could be likened to our inability to see any good in those who maybe opposed to our ideas or positions. Such hard hearts and thoughts at times provoke us into engaging in a politics of personal destruction. And in our effort to stand firm on our position we begin to think ill of our neighbors, colleagues in the workplace and, even our brethren in the church or community and this becomes evident in the way we treat others at times ignoring, maligning and or abusing those whom we don’t like.
Just like lies that become truth when repeated overtime, hard thoughts emanating from a hardened heart are likely to progress into deeds which means that our actions albeit irreligious are a consequence of our thoughts.
In our quiet times, we can detach from the Pharisaical nature that may be in us by reigniting our relationship with our God by remembering that we are weak and we need to seek God’s forgiveness and also be forgiving of others (Col 3:13). We can make that big leap of faith from our hardened hearts into someone with a compassionate heart by our conscious effort to turn ourselves into a good soil and by aligning our attitude with that of Christ (Phi 2:3-5).
This passage warns us not to fall into the trap to which the Pharisees and Herodians have fallen because we too could be plotting against Jesus by simply keeping him out of our lives. As he had purchased us at a great price, we all belong to him and as such we are mandated to pursue his mission and bring the Gospel to others.
As opposed to the Pharisees and Herodians whose mindsets were opposed to Jesus, we are being enjoined by Peter (1 Pet 3:8-12) to live in harmony with one another. The choice before us then is the eternal joy that awaits those who will choose to believe in Christ (Jn3:16). On the other hand, we stand condemned if we will persist in our unbelief in him who is the truth (Jn 3:18).
The Sabbath is thus not just a day of rest but it should be spent to express our gratitude for all that God has done for us. We should use the Sabbath as a means of purifying ourselves of the Pharisee in us by doing good to others. To keep the Sabbath holy is to serve God by serving man.
LOVE MAKES RULES OBSOLETE
JAN. 22, 2013: SECOND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Heb 6:10-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 111:1-2, 4-5, 9-10 “The Lord will remember his covenant forever.”
GOSPEL: Mk 2:23-28
Key Verse: “the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” (v.28)
Laws, rules and regulation are necessary in putting order in the public system anywhere in the world and even in the religious setting and there’s nothing wrong with that. But such decrees must not get in the way of the greater good and this principle is enshrined in the charter of nations and organizations as well.
Countries have their constitutions to speak of. I am not privy to how other denominations are governed but the Catholic Church has its Canon Laws which is the system of laws and legal principles that are made and enforced by the hierarchical authorities of the Church that regulate its external organization and government and to order and direct the activities of Catholics toward the mission of the Church.
In the Old Testament times, the Jewish nation defer to the Torah which was the law of God that was revealed to Moses and was written and recorded in the first five books of the Scriptures known as the Pentateuch. The Torah includes the Ten Commandments and 613 other decrees known as Mitzvot that Jews are obligated to obey.
The faithful observance by the Jews of the mitzvot was left to the care and supervision of the Scribes and Pharisees particularly the law of the Sabbath and the Gospel passage today present at least two images of piety that was associated with the Sabbath. And in the time of Jesus, the teachers of the law and the Pharisees were generally referred to by the people as pious and devout in the practice of their faith.
It came to a point that these Scribes and Pharisees not only laid exclusive claim to the interpretation of the Mosaic law but they themselves expanded the religious edicts handed down by Moses into thousands of rules and regulations which became a burden for the people. Even worse was the fact that they lost sense of what was good and right.
Such was the case in the observance of the Sabbath which was the issue in this Gospel passage. While Deut 23:25 allows anyone passing by a field to pick kernels with their hands but what was being disputed was that the disciples picked corn kernels on a Sabbath that prohibits any form of physical exertion during the Sabbath.
And Jesus countered by citing the story of David (1 Sam 21:1-6) who took the sacred bread used as an offering at the Temple and which was lawful only for the priests to eat. But David took the consecrated bread so that he and his men could eat as they were on the run to escape from Saul.
Jesus placed a cap to the discussion by saying: “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath” (v.28). The point that Jesus wanted to make was that man was created even before the law on the Sabbath was written and this meant that man should not be enslaved by the rules and regulations governing the Sabbath.
The Lord was right in saying “the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath” because Jesus knew where he was coming from but the Scribes he was talking to could not comprehend what he was saying or they were just too proud to accept that the Son of Man in their midst was indeed the Messiah that the Jews have been waiting for.
What Jesus was trying to make the Pharisees understand was that as the incarnated Son of God, he was for all intents and purposes the Lord of the Sabbath thus giving him the authority and the right to decide what maybe permissible or forbidden.
In other words, Jesus as the Lord of the Sabbath had the sovereign authority to interpret how the Sabbath was to be used and by that same authority can altogether rescind the law on the Sabbath since “Jesus and the Father are one” (Jn 10:30).
And Jesus is telling us by way of this Gospel today was that the Sabbath or the day of rest was given for our own benefit such that we are expected to use this particular day of rest to refresh and renew us physically and spiritually.
Hence, the Sabbath is intended to bring out the good in every person and withholding mercy and kindness in relation to human need was not part of the objectives of the Sabbath. In fact, Jesus himself said in Mk 3:4 “which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?”
While belonging to a Church and or Community requires that we observe certain statutes or policies there is more to it because even our adherence to these rules and regulations do not a Christian make. The attendance in churches and communities has declined not only because of the principle of relativism that has endangered the moral order but because of the shift from the faith-building orientation of the church to program-centered activities.
Programs and projects may work well in business and other temporal endeavors but the proclamation of the Gospel should not be treated as a program or a project because the Gospel is the manifestation of God’s love and love does not emanate from programs and projects. Love simply evolves out of sacrifice, endurance, and the unbridled giving of self and this cannot be quantified nor measured. More importantly, love is not governed by laws, rules and regulations.
It simply means that love, mercy, kindness, forgiveness, faithful and humble service to men are at the heart of religion and cannot be replaced by mere observance of rules and regulations. This will show that authentic Christianity lies in doing things rather than in not doing what is necessary because our hands are held bound by the Sabbath.
The point of this Gospel is that the Sabbath which is a sacred observance and whatever may be found in it must be used to help our neighbors and such sacred things can only become sacred when they are used to benefit men. This was the case of Abiathar, the high priest at the Temple who gave David and his men the consecrated bread which became even more sacred because it was used to feed men who were in need.
At the end of the day, it is love that should govern the observance of the Sabbath because not to help anyone who maybe in need because you are barred by rules and regulations concerning the Sabbath is plain ignorance of what religion represents.
True and authentic religion rests in looking at people as more important than the rules and regulations that govern the Church and or Community to which we belong because the best way to worship God is to help our neighbors in need.
We can actually say that Jesus has already rescinded the law by his death on the cross (Eph 2:15). Jesus “cancelled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross” (Col 2:14). And “by calling this covenant new, he has made the first one obsolete” (Heb. 8:13).
1st Reading: Heb 6:10-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 111:1-2, 4-5, 9-10 “The Lord will remember his covenant forever.”
GOSPEL: Mk 2:23-28
Key Verse: “the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” (v.28)
Laws, rules and regulation are necessary in putting order in the public system anywhere in the world and even in the religious setting and there’s nothing wrong with that. But such decrees must not get in the way of the greater good and this principle is enshrined in the charter of nations and organizations as well.
Countries have their constitutions to speak of. I am not privy to how other denominations are governed but the Catholic Church has its Canon Laws which is the system of laws and legal principles that are made and enforced by the hierarchical authorities of the Church that regulate its external organization and government and to order and direct the activities of Catholics toward the mission of the Church.
In the Old Testament times, the Jewish nation defer to the Torah which was the law of God that was revealed to Moses and was written and recorded in the first five books of the Scriptures known as the Pentateuch. The Torah includes the Ten Commandments and 613 other decrees known as Mitzvot that Jews are obligated to obey.
The faithful observance by the Jews of the mitzvot was left to the care and supervision of the Scribes and Pharisees particularly the law of the Sabbath and the Gospel passage today present at least two images of piety that was associated with the Sabbath. And in the time of Jesus, the teachers of the law and the Pharisees were generally referred to by the people as pious and devout in the practice of their faith.
It came to a point that these Scribes and Pharisees not only laid exclusive claim to the interpretation of the Mosaic law but they themselves expanded the religious edicts handed down by Moses into thousands of rules and regulations which became a burden for the people. Even worse was the fact that they lost sense of what was good and right.
Such was the case in the observance of the Sabbath which was the issue in this Gospel passage. While Deut 23:25 allows anyone passing by a field to pick kernels with their hands but what was being disputed was that the disciples picked corn kernels on a Sabbath that prohibits any form of physical exertion during the Sabbath.
And Jesus countered by citing the story of David (1 Sam 21:1-6) who took the sacred bread used as an offering at the Temple and which was lawful only for the priests to eat. But David took the consecrated bread so that he and his men could eat as they were on the run to escape from Saul.
Jesus placed a cap to the discussion by saying: “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath” (v.28). The point that Jesus wanted to make was that man was created even before the law on the Sabbath was written and this meant that man should not be enslaved by the rules and regulations governing the Sabbath.
The Lord was right in saying “the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath” because Jesus knew where he was coming from but the Scribes he was talking to could not comprehend what he was saying or they were just too proud to accept that the Son of Man in their midst was indeed the Messiah that the Jews have been waiting for.
What Jesus was trying to make the Pharisees understand was that as the incarnated Son of God, he was for all intents and purposes the Lord of the Sabbath thus giving him the authority and the right to decide what maybe permissible or forbidden.
In other words, Jesus as the Lord of the Sabbath had the sovereign authority to interpret how the Sabbath was to be used and by that same authority can altogether rescind the law on the Sabbath since “Jesus and the Father are one” (Jn 10:30).
And Jesus is telling us by way of this Gospel today was that the Sabbath or the day of rest was given for our own benefit such that we are expected to use this particular day of rest to refresh and renew us physically and spiritually.
Hence, the Sabbath is intended to bring out the good in every person and withholding mercy and kindness in relation to human need was not part of the objectives of the Sabbath. In fact, Jesus himself said in Mk 3:4 “which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?”
While belonging to a Church and or Community requires that we observe certain statutes or policies there is more to it because even our adherence to these rules and regulations do not a Christian make. The attendance in churches and communities has declined not only because of the principle of relativism that has endangered the moral order but because of the shift from the faith-building orientation of the church to program-centered activities.
Programs and projects may work well in business and other temporal endeavors but the proclamation of the Gospel should not be treated as a program or a project because the Gospel is the manifestation of God’s love and love does not emanate from programs and projects. Love simply evolves out of sacrifice, endurance, and the unbridled giving of self and this cannot be quantified nor measured. More importantly, love is not governed by laws, rules and regulations.
It simply means that love, mercy, kindness, forgiveness, faithful and humble service to men are at the heart of religion and cannot be replaced by mere observance of rules and regulations. This will show that authentic Christianity lies in doing things rather than in not doing what is necessary because our hands are held bound by the Sabbath.
The point of this Gospel is that the Sabbath which is a sacred observance and whatever may be found in it must be used to help our neighbors and such sacred things can only become sacred when they are used to benefit men. This was the case of Abiathar, the high priest at the Temple who gave David and his men the consecrated bread which became even more sacred because it was used to feed men who were in need.
At the end of the day, it is love that should govern the observance of the Sabbath because not to help anyone who maybe in need because you are barred by rules and regulations concerning the Sabbath is plain ignorance of what religion represents.
True and authentic religion rests in looking at people as more important than the rules and regulations that govern the Church and or Community to which we belong because the best way to worship God is to help our neighbors in need.
We can actually say that Jesus has already rescinded the law by his death on the cross (Eph 2:15). Jesus “cancelled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross” (Col 2:14). And “by calling this covenant new, he has made the first one obsolete” (Heb. 8:13).
CALLED TO EUCHARISTIC CONSISTENCY
JAN. 21, 2013: SECOND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Heb 5:1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 110:1-4 “You are a priest forever, in the line of Melchizedek.”
GOSPEL: Mk 2:18-22
Key Verse: “He pours new wine into new wineskins.” (v.22)
Because there were no media tools or communications medium during the time of Jesus through which announcements, teachings and preaching are to be proclaimed the rabbis and or teachers of the law speak in synagogues to deliver religious instructions.
In the case of Jesus he uses parables to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson. The use of parables was resorted to in those days to give the teaching a deeper meaning using common events and culture as was depicted in today’s Gospel passage.
This Gospel passage is somewhat related also to Newton’s third law on motion in which the great philosopher determined that “to every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction” as Mark’s Gospel speak about the action of emptying oneself and the opposite reaction of filling in what has been emptied.
The presence of such equal and opposite reaction in today’s passage is discernible in the two parts that make up the Gospel passage in which Mark wrote about the action of emptying ourselves which is what fasting is all about and, the opposite reaction of the filling in of ourselves with the life-changing truths of Christ.
Fasting or the act of emptying ourselves of the impurities that are displeasing to the eyes of God and the need for us to turn our lives into becoming new wineskins to accept the truths of Christ are what this Gospel is all about.
The opening scenario in this passage was founded on the practice of John the Baptist and his disciples to fast as a sign of repentance as fasting was viewed in both the Old and New Testament times as an external symbol of humility and repentance for sin. Fasting was also viewed as an inner discipline that clears the minds while at the same time keeping the spirits active and alert.
The ancient Jews and those in the time of Jesus and even now among the religious and Christians steeped in the traditions of the faith find some very good reasons why a man should fast. In most cases, fasting was accompanied with prayer because the Jews fasted whenever they are seeking divine intervention.
And lest it creates confusion in the minds of the ordinary hearer of the Word of God, Jesus was not against fasting as when the Pharisees asked why John’s disciples fast and his disciples did not (v.18) since Jesus himself fasted for 40 days. With his response, Jesus simply defined the boundaries that separate fasting and feasting and what he meant was that people need not fast when there was a celebration in which the bridegroom was still present as it was the culture in those days that guests at wedding feasts are exempt from the rule on fasting.
This response must have evoked protests from the Pharisees as Jesus compared himself to being a groom which represents the image of God in relation to God’s chosen people who are symbolized to in the Scriptures as the bride (Isa 62:5 and Matt 25:1-13).
What followed was a stinging rebuke over the habit of the Pharisees who fast to display their piety but who because of their rigidity in the practice of their faith have been unable to digest the new revelations coming from God as personified by Jesus.
And Jesus went on to preach to his disciples and he is also telling us now about the problem of the heart and mind that remains closed to accept new things. To illustrate, Jesus used an image that the Jews were familiar with – that of new and old wineskins.
In the time of Jesus, wine was usually stored in wineskins as there were no bottles in those days. Hence, new wine poured into wineskins was still fermenting and the expanded gases creates pressure on the wineskins and new wineskins were elastic enough to take the pressure, but old wineskins that have already hardened would easily burst.
The lesson for us is that we all must turn ourselves into new wineskins which means that we should get rid of the kind of rigidity that the Pharisees had because this will prevent us from accepting the new life that Christ offers.
As the world keeps moving, we as Christians who have been baptized in Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit must always be on the move and must not remain stationary in relation to the practice of our faith because to become fixated with our biases prevent us from accepting the truths of Christ and this will eventually lead us to a spiritual death.
To become new wineskins is to become pliant which means that while we to remain open to new ideas we also must accept the truths of Christ because a closed mind would only result in spiritual lethargy and dryness in the practice of our Christian faith.
In conclusion, we have to go back to the laws on motion in which our actions as a Christian must consist of an equal and opposite reaction which is done when we fast and empty ourselves of the impurities that we have acquired especially those iniquities that we may have acquired without fear and or reservation and which can be purified through repentance.
For such action to become transformative in terms of our spiritual growth, we need to go through the corresponding opposite reaction which is to turn ourselves into new wineskins to be able accept the new and life-changing truths of Christ without choking our senses and emotions.
This Gospel passage today should therefore lead us to understand the necessity of fasting and becoming new wineskins as part of spiritual discipline as it would be a shame to have such a spiritual tool at our disposal and yet not make use of it as a disciple.
1st Reading: Heb 5:1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 110:1-4 “You are a priest forever, in the line of Melchizedek.”
GOSPEL: Mk 2:18-22
Key Verse: “He pours new wine into new wineskins.” (v.22)
Because there were no media tools or communications medium during the time of Jesus through which announcements, teachings and preaching are to be proclaimed the rabbis and or teachers of the law speak in synagogues to deliver religious instructions.
In the case of Jesus he uses parables to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson. The use of parables was resorted to in those days to give the teaching a deeper meaning using common events and culture as was depicted in today’s Gospel passage.
This Gospel passage is somewhat related also to Newton’s third law on motion in which the great philosopher determined that “to every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction” as Mark’s Gospel speak about the action of emptying oneself and the opposite reaction of filling in what has been emptied.
The presence of such equal and opposite reaction in today’s passage is discernible in the two parts that make up the Gospel passage in which Mark wrote about the action of emptying ourselves which is what fasting is all about and, the opposite reaction of the filling in of ourselves with the life-changing truths of Christ.
Fasting or the act of emptying ourselves of the impurities that are displeasing to the eyes of God and the need for us to turn our lives into becoming new wineskins to accept the truths of Christ are what this Gospel is all about.
The opening scenario in this passage was founded on the practice of John the Baptist and his disciples to fast as a sign of repentance as fasting was viewed in both the Old and New Testament times as an external symbol of humility and repentance for sin. Fasting was also viewed as an inner discipline that clears the minds while at the same time keeping the spirits active and alert.
The ancient Jews and those in the time of Jesus and even now among the religious and Christians steeped in the traditions of the faith find some very good reasons why a man should fast. In most cases, fasting was accompanied with prayer because the Jews fasted whenever they are seeking divine intervention.
And lest it creates confusion in the minds of the ordinary hearer of the Word of God, Jesus was not against fasting as when the Pharisees asked why John’s disciples fast and his disciples did not (v.18) since Jesus himself fasted for 40 days. With his response, Jesus simply defined the boundaries that separate fasting and feasting and what he meant was that people need not fast when there was a celebration in which the bridegroom was still present as it was the culture in those days that guests at wedding feasts are exempt from the rule on fasting.
This response must have evoked protests from the Pharisees as Jesus compared himself to being a groom which represents the image of God in relation to God’s chosen people who are symbolized to in the Scriptures as the bride (Isa 62:5 and Matt 25:1-13).
What followed was a stinging rebuke over the habit of the Pharisees who fast to display their piety but who because of their rigidity in the practice of their faith have been unable to digest the new revelations coming from God as personified by Jesus.
And Jesus went on to preach to his disciples and he is also telling us now about the problem of the heart and mind that remains closed to accept new things. To illustrate, Jesus used an image that the Jews were familiar with – that of new and old wineskins.
In the time of Jesus, wine was usually stored in wineskins as there were no bottles in those days. Hence, new wine poured into wineskins was still fermenting and the expanded gases creates pressure on the wineskins and new wineskins were elastic enough to take the pressure, but old wineskins that have already hardened would easily burst.
The lesson for us is that we all must turn ourselves into new wineskins which means that we should get rid of the kind of rigidity that the Pharisees had because this will prevent us from accepting the new life that Christ offers.
As the world keeps moving, we as Christians who have been baptized in Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit must always be on the move and must not remain stationary in relation to the practice of our faith because to become fixated with our biases prevent us from accepting the truths of Christ and this will eventually lead us to a spiritual death.
To become new wineskins is to become pliant which means that while we to remain open to new ideas we also must accept the truths of Christ because a closed mind would only result in spiritual lethargy and dryness in the practice of our Christian faith.
In conclusion, we have to go back to the laws on motion in which our actions as a Christian must consist of an equal and opposite reaction which is done when we fast and empty ourselves of the impurities that we have acquired especially those iniquities that we may have acquired without fear and or reservation and which can be purified through repentance.
For such action to become transformative in terms of our spiritual growth, we need to go through the corresponding opposite reaction which is to turn ourselves into new wineskins to be able accept the new and life-changing truths of Christ without choking our senses and emotions.
This Gospel passage today should therefore lead us to understand the necessity of fasting and becoming new wineskins as part of spiritual discipline as it would be a shame to have such a spiritual tool at our disposal and yet not make use of it as a disciple.
FEAST OF THE STO. NINO (Philippines)
JAN. 20, 2013: FEAST OF THE STO. NINO (Philippines)
1st Reading: Isa 9:1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:1-4 “All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.”
2nd Reading: Eph 1:3-6, 15-18
GOSPEL: Lk 2:41-52
Key Verse: “Didn’t you know I had to be
in my Father’s house?” (v.49)
Has it ever crossed your minds that the Catholic practice of commemorating religious festivals, feasts including our devotions to saints and religious practices is actually biblical which contradicts accusations that the Catholic Church merely invented these rituals and traditions.
When going through the Gospel passage today as we celebrate the Feast of the Sto. Nino in the Philippines, you will note at least five important points that will help increase your Christian faith especially in this Year of Faith beginning with the traditions that have been passed on to us for which we at times have been severely criticized.
The first point was right there at the beginning of the passage as we read that: “Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover.” (v.41) This only shows that even in those days, the Jews and definitely even the early Christians have been observant of certain traditional feasts that they are mandated to celebrate. It also shows that our commemoration of feasts and devotions are perfectly grounded on the faith of our ancestors.
While it was not mentioned in this passage, Joseph and Mary had no choice but to go to Jerusalem to join in the celebration of the Passover Feast as this in obedience to the law that calls on every Jewish male adult who lived within 15 miles of Jerusalem must attend the Feast.
In those days, a Jewish boy crosses the line to adulthood when he reaches the age of 12 and since Jesus was already of that age his parents had to bring him to Jerusalem to introduce him to the Jewish Passover tradition. In fact, this tradition remains up to today in that every Jew throughout the world make it a point to attend the feast even once in their life. So whatever we do in the practice of our faith are not mere whims and caprices but were part of biblical traditions that have been handed down to us from generations to generations.
The second point was the matter of the family which as we all know is the basic unit of society. This passage gives us a clear idea of the common bond that binds families together. Here we see Jesus traveling with his parents – Joseph and Mary unlike some situations that we know of today when children have become not only disobedient but disrespectful of their parents. There may be a reason for this behavior and the uncontrolled proliferation of adult media to which the youth had been exposed could be one reason.
The lesson for us is that we must not lose sight of the importance of the family. For all intents and purposes, families must move as a team with each one looking at the best interest of the other. Like the Holy Family, we too must make sure that our families are guided by love, unity, peace, harmony and trust for one another.
The third important point in this passage was when Jesus for the first time made known that he already knew his heavenly heritage and we see this in his response to Mary who asked him: “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you?” And his response I believe was the big turnaround for Jesus as he said: “Why were you searching for me? Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”
This response must have shocked Joseph for when he said this Jesus actually took away the title of Joseph as his father and gave it back to God. No one can really say as to when Jesus realized he was the Son of God. We can only surmise that it was the Holy Spirit who may have moved in him such that in his first Passover he suddenly had a sense that he indeed came from God.
What Jesus experienced has also happened to those who have yielded control of their lives to the Holy Spirit who in turn will help us realize that our lives are no longer our own but Christ who lives in us and that by the Grace of God poured out on us we are transformed into sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty (2 Cor 6:18).
The fourth and fifth points, I believe, are the keys that will unlock the power that is hidden in us that will allow us to live a fruitful and fulfilled Christian life. “As Jesus went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them.” (v.51) Here Luke tells us that Jesus grew up with obedience written all over his character and while there is little we know of the events in his life as he was growing up, we know too that Jesus became obedient to death – even death on a cross (Phi 2:6).
What we know is that out of his obedience, Jesus was highly exalted and glorified such that he sits at the right hand of God to judge the living and the dead. Jesus himself also tells us: “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” (Lk 11:28)
This brings us to the fifth and final point as we read: “But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.” (v.51) Like Mary, we are to keep everything in our hearts as the plan of God is revealed to us. Indeed, there will definitely be times when we will not easily understand God’s plan for us but if we cooperate in loving obedience to his Word, God will empower by his Holy Spirit so that he can use for his purpose.
When God created each one of us he already has a plan for us as he will not leave us orphans and he will come to us (Jn 14:18) to equip us and empower us for the task at hand and it is in obeying and keeping his Word in our hearts that we are transformed into becoming a member of God’s family. There shouldn’t be any doubt as to our calling. The only question is how are we going to respond.
1st Reading: Isa 9:1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:1-4 “All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.”
2nd Reading: Eph 1:3-6, 15-18
GOSPEL: Lk 2:41-52
Key Verse: “Didn’t you know I had to be
in my Father’s house?” (v.49)
Has it ever crossed your minds that the Catholic practice of commemorating religious festivals, feasts including our devotions to saints and religious practices is actually biblical which contradicts accusations that the Catholic Church merely invented these rituals and traditions.
When going through the Gospel passage today as we celebrate the Feast of the Sto. Nino in the Philippines, you will note at least five important points that will help increase your Christian faith especially in this Year of Faith beginning with the traditions that have been passed on to us for which we at times have been severely criticized.
The first point was right there at the beginning of the passage as we read that: “Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover.” (v.41) This only shows that even in those days, the Jews and definitely even the early Christians have been observant of certain traditional feasts that they are mandated to celebrate. It also shows that our commemoration of feasts and devotions are perfectly grounded on the faith of our ancestors.
While it was not mentioned in this passage, Joseph and Mary had no choice but to go to Jerusalem to join in the celebration of the Passover Feast as this in obedience to the law that calls on every Jewish male adult who lived within 15 miles of Jerusalem must attend the Feast.
In those days, a Jewish boy crosses the line to adulthood when he reaches the age of 12 and since Jesus was already of that age his parents had to bring him to Jerusalem to introduce him to the Jewish Passover tradition. In fact, this tradition remains up to today in that every Jew throughout the world make it a point to attend the feast even once in their life. So whatever we do in the practice of our faith are not mere whims and caprices but were part of biblical traditions that have been handed down to us from generations to generations.
The second point was the matter of the family which as we all know is the basic unit of society. This passage gives us a clear idea of the common bond that binds families together. Here we see Jesus traveling with his parents – Joseph and Mary unlike some situations that we know of today when children have become not only disobedient but disrespectful of their parents. There may be a reason for this behavior and the uncontrolled proliferation of adult media to which the youth had been exposed could be one reason.
The lesson for us is that we must not lose sight of the importance of the family. For all intents and purposes, families must move as a team with each one looking at the best interest of the other. Like the Holy Family, we too must make sure that our families are guided by love, unity, peace, harmony and trust for one another.
The third important point in this passage was when Jesus for the first time made known that he already knew his heavenly heritage and we see this in his response to Mary who asked him: “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you?” And his response I believe was the big turnaround for Jesus as he said: “Why were you searching for me? Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”
This response must have shocked Joseph for when he said this Jesus actually took away the title of Joseph as his father and gave it back to God. No one can really say as to when Jesus realized he was the Son of God. We can only surmise that it was the Holy Spirit who may have moved in him such that in his first Passover he suddenly had a sense that he indeed came from God.
What Jesus experienced has also happened to those who have yielded control of their lives to the Holy Spirit who in turn will help us realize that our lives are no longer our own but Christ who lives in us and that by the Grace of God poured out on us we are transformed into sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty (2 Cor 6:18).
The fourth and fifth points, I believe, are the keys that will unlock the power that is hidden in us that will allow us to live a fruitful and fulfilled Christian life. “As Jesus went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them.” (v.51) Here Luke tells us that Jesus grew up with obedience written all over his character and while there is little we know of the events in his life as he was growing up, we know too that Jesus became obedient to death – even death on a cross (Phi 2:6).
What we know is that out of his obedience, Jesus was highly exalted and glorified such that he sits at the right hand of God to judge the living and the dead. Jesus himself also tells us: “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” (Lk 11:28)
This brings us to the fifth and final point as we read: “But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.” (v.51) Like Mary, we are to keep everything in our hearts as the plan of God is revealed to us. Indeed, there will definitely be times when we will not easily understand God’s plan for us but if we cooperate in loving obedience to his Word, God will empower by his Holy Spirit so that he can use for his purpose.
When God created each one of us he already has a plan for us as he will not leave us orphans and he will come to us (Jn 14:18) to equip us and empower us for the task at hand and it is in obeying and keeping his Word in our hearts that we are transformed into becoming a member of God’s family. There shouldn’t be any doubt as to our calling. The only question is how are we going to respond.
TRANSFORMED IN JESUS
JAN. 20, 2013: SECOND SUNDAY IN THE ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Isa 62:1-5
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 96:1-3, 7-10 “Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.”
2nd Reading: 1 Cor 12:4-11
GOSPEL: Jn 2:1-11
Key Verse: “…but you have saved the best till now.” (v.10)
There was a time I heard someone say “I am not getting anything from the Mass.” And this is not uncommon these days for as progress overtook the culture and tradition of many nations, religion and spirituality became the first casualty. Pressed to eke out a living there are many who had to make a choice between keeping their religiosity and work.
Due to the rapid decline in the number of churchgoers, many churches in Europe especially in France have closed down and sold and some have been converted to not only tourist spots but even as bars and nightclubs. This was true also in some parts of Canada and the United States. In Detroit I saw a church covered with boards. A beautiful church I went to in New Jersey was in the process of winding down.
In this world where quid pro quo has become the dictum, many of our brethren go to Church couldn’t feel benefit from the blessings that flow from the altar of worship because of this mindset of doing to get something. This scenario could have only arose from the lack of understanding that people have of the meaning and significance of the components or parts of the mass that make up the whole Eucharistic Celebration.
And one such part is the Liturgy of the Word. As the Fathers of the Church speak of the Word of God as food for the soul, our Catechism states that the Word of God “is the sun of the soul, without which the spiritual life will droop and fail, as nature would if deprived of the vivifying warmth and radiance of the sun.”
Our Lord Jesus Christ himself urges us to listen to the Word of God: “He that is of God, hear the Words of God.” (Jn 8:47) “Blessed are they who hear the Word of God, and keep it.” (Lk 11:28) Another important fact in the Liturgy of the Word is that the assistance of the Holy Spirit is invoked before the Gospel is read. Thus, the Readings are specifically arranged to help the lay faithful grasp the message that God wants to impart to us the help of the Holy Spirit.
Such is the case in today’s readings in which there is a distinct correlation between the First Reading and the Gospel today. With the First Reading telling us of the bridegroom who rejoices in his bride as God rejoices in us the Gospel, on the other hand, shows us how we rejoice in the transforming power of the one true God.
And to be able to prepare our minds into digesting this beautiful scenario at the Wedding at Cana, let us go into what may look like as minute details but when taken into its proper context will reveal to us that this wedding event was a continuation of the encounter between Jesus and Nathanael.
John began this passage saying “on the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee” (v.1) which means that this was on the third day after Jesus told Nathanael “…I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that” (Jn 1:50) What Jesus may have meant when he said this to Nathanael became a reality when Jesus turned the water into wine which must have left his disciples especially Nathanael awed and mesmerized.
But why did Jesus choose a wedding celebration as his platform to show his glory? Because a wedding such as this is where there was a convergence of all classes of people and to perform a miracle would definitely spread to all of Galilee. And did Jesus have any choice but to change the water into wine? No he didn’t but he probably had to because they may also be the reason why the wine ran out as Jesus came with his group of disciples.
And for the people of Israel a wedding feast symbolizes the covenant between God and his people and Jesus chose this wedding at Cana to reveal himself as the new bridegroom of the new people of Israel whom he will invite to share in his heavenly banquet at the end of time (Lk13:29).
For us in this modern age, the miracle at the wedding at Cana represents how Jesus can transform us, worthless we may seem to be, into a blessing if we will only place ourselves in his hand. The point of this story is that God will always be there to pick us up whenever we fall. He will heal us whenever we are bruised by sin. And he will transform our nature no matter how wretched we have become.
At the wedding, Jesus didn’t just turn the water into an ordinary wine or grape juice. He turned water into the best wine there ever was and he came up with 120 gallons of the best wine. This is what Jesus will do to us when we have run out of luck or good fortune. He gives us an abundant life (Jn 10:10). This miracle at Cana shows that he has power to improve not only the quality of our lives but to change and transform us into the image to which we have all been created (Gen 1:26).
What this Gospel is teaching us is that only Jesus can transform us as we struggle through life filled with anxiety and despair but we need to let go of our unbelief, doubt, fears and most of all pride. As when the wine ran out and the hosts do not know what to do, we may also find ourselves losing control of the circumstances in our lives.
What we can do is be like Nathanael and choose to follow Jesus not only to the wedding feast but wherever he will lead us and then we will see even greater things – our transformation into the best that we can be.
1st Reading: Isa 62:1-5
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 96:1-3, 7-10 “Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.”
2nd Reading: 1 Cor 12:4-11
GOSPEL: Jn 2:1-11
Key Verse: “…but you have saved the best till now.” (v.10)
There was a time I heard someone say “I am not getting anything from the Mass.” And this is not uncommon these days for as progress overtook the culture and tradition of many nations, religion and spirituality became the first casualty. Pressed to eke out a living there are many who had to make a choice between keeping their religiosity and work.
Due to the rapid decline in the number of churchgoers, many churches in Europe especially in France have closed down and sold and some have been converted to not only tourist spots but even as bars and nightclubs. This was true also in some parts of Canada and the United States. In Detroit I saw a church covered with boards. A beautiful church I went to in New Jersey was in the process of winding down.
In this world where quid pro quo has become the dictum, many of our brethren go to Church couldn’t feel benefit from the blessings that flow from the altar of worship because of this mindset of doing to get something. This scenario could have only arose from the lack of understanding that people have of the meaning and significance of the components or parts of the mass that make up the whole Eucharistic Celebration.
And one such part is the Liturgy of the Word. As the Fathers of the Church speak of the Word of God as food for the soul, our Catechism states that the Word of God “is the sun of the soul, without which the spiritual life will droop and fail, as nature would if deprived of the vivifying warmth and radiance of the sun.”
Our Lord Jesus Christ himself urges us to listen to the Word of God: “He that is of God, hear the Words of God.” (Jn 8:47) “Blessed are they who hear the Word of God, and keep it.” (Lk 11:28) Another important fact in the Liturgy of the Word is that the assistance of the Holy Spirit is invoked before the Gospel is read. Thus, the Readings are specifically arranged to help the lay faithful grasp the message that God wants to impart to us the help of the Holy Spirit.
Such is the case in today’s readings in which there is a distinct correlation between the First Reading and the Gospel today. With the First Reading telling us of the bridegroom who rejoices in his bride as God rejoices in us the Gospel, on the other hand, shows us how we rejoice in the transforming power of the one true God.
And to be able to prepare our minds into digesting this beautiful scenario at the Wedding at Cana, let us go into what may look like as minute details but when taken into its proper context will reveal to us that this wedding event was a continuation of the encounter between Jesus and Nathanael.
John began this passage saying “on the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee” (v.1) which means that this was on the third day after Jesus told Nathanael “…I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that” (Jn 1:50) What Jesus may have meant when he said this to Nathanael became a reality when Jesus turned the water into wine which must have left his disciples especially Nathanael awed and mesmerized.
But why did Jesus choose a wedding celebration as his platform to show his glory? Because a wedding such as this is where there was a convergence of all classes of people and to perform a miracle would definitely spread to all of Galilee. And did Jesus have any choice but to change the water into wine? No he didn’t but he probably had to because they may also be the reason why the wine ran out as Jesus came with his group of disciples.
And for the people of Israel a wedding feast symbolizes the covenant between God and his people and Jesus chose this wedding at Cana to reveal himself as the new bridegroom of the new people of Israel whom he will invite to share in his heavenly banquet at the end of time (Lk13:29).
For us in this modern age, the miracle at the wedding at Cana represents how Jesus can transform us, worthless we may seem to be, into a blessing if we will only place ourselves in his hand. The point of this story is that God will always be there to pick us up whenever we fall. He will heal us whenever we are bruised by sin. And he will transform our nature no matter how wretched we have become.
At the wedding, Jesus didn’t just turn the water into an ordinary wine or grape juice. He turned water into the best wine there ever was and he came up with 120 gallons of the best wine. This is what Jesus will do to us when we have run out of luck or good fortune. He gives us an abundant life (Jn 10:10). This miracle at Cana shows that he has power to improve not only the quality of our lives but to change and transform us into the image to which we have all been created (Gen 1:26).
What this Gospel is teaching us is that only Jesus can transform us as we struggle through life filled with anxiety and despair but we need to let go of our unbelief, doubt, fears and most of all pride. As when the wine ran out and the hosts do not know what to do, we may also find ourselves losing control of the circumstances in our lives.
What we can do is be like Nathanael and choose to follow Jesus not only to the wedding feast but wherever he will lead us and then we will see even greater things – our transformation into the best that we can be.
GOD'S KINGDOM IS INCLUSIVE
JAN. 19, 2013: FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Heb 4:12-16
Responsorial Psa: 19:8-10, 15 “Your words, Lord, are spirit and life.”
GOSPEL: Mk 2:13-17
Key Verse: “I did not come to call the righteous
but sinners.” (v.17)
When going through the Gospel especially on the narratives when Jesus started building up his evangelization team, there probably are among you who may be wondering what was running in the mind of Jesus at the time he called on Simon and his brother Andrew, brothers James and John and now an outcast from society like Levi.
That this account on the calling of Levi would be arranged in such a way that it comes on the heels of the healing of the leper and the paralytic only shows that Jesus was indeed sent not just for a particular set of people but for all of creation.
With the growing opposition from the Scribes and Pharisees, Jesus was gradually finding it hard to teach in the synagogues which was why in this scenario we see Jesus walking by the lakeside and a crowd of people followed him and he taught them as they were walking (v.13). This style of preaching was customary in those days when Rabbis preached to those following them while they moved from one town to another.
Upon seeing Levi at the tax collector’s booth, Jesus said: “Follow me” (v.14) and Levi got up and followed him. In the next few moments, try to imagine that you were one of those in the crowd. As an adult Jew you have received faith formation and religious studies since your childhood days from visiting Rabbis, Scribes and Pharisees.
And certainly you were as surprised as the crowd were when Jesus called on Levi, who as a tax collector was most hated by the Jews. Because their profession was to collect taxes and fees for the Roman government, tax collectors were considered as traitors. They are also viewed as extortionists because they normally get a slice of the taxes that they collect.
As such, tax collectors are lumped together with sinners and harlots (Lk 15:1-2) and no Jew who was in a proper frame of mind would associate themselves with tax collectors. Except for Jesus no one in the crowd at that time knew what was in the mind of Levi.
He must have already heard of Jesus and it was possible that Levi was already overcome by guilt at his sinful ways and was planning to turn a new leaf and was just waiting for an opportune time. This was the only plausible explanation why Levi stood up, left everything and followed Jesus (Lk 5:28).
If the Scribes were perplexed at the calling of Levi, they were scandalized when Levi hosted a feast for Jesus in his house that was attended by other tax collectors and sinners as well and the teachers of the law asked his disciples why Jesus eats with sinners (v.16). Luke’s account of this same event says the Scribes complained of the behavior of Jesus.
What follows in v.17 was the response of Jesus which reveals his mission on earth: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Jesus chose a sinner like Levi who would later be called Matthew because he knew that Levi (Matthew) was repentant and has what it takes to become a disciple as the former tax collector left everything and staked whatever he has left on Christ. What Jesus requires of his disciples is the willingness to give up everything “deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Lk 9:23)
This encounter with Jesus was probably the new life that Levi was looking for, a leap of faith from being despised to being accepted as he will now be walking with the Son of God. As tax collectors are known to keep a record of their transaction, Jesus gave Matthew who had an eye for detail the opportunity to record their ministry and this resulted in the Gospel with the most number of chapters in the New Testament.
The underlying message in this Gospel is that Jesus is not inviting people who believe that they are already good enough and have no need of help. What Jesus is pointing out here is that the first step in discipleship is to acknowledge our need for a savior and admit that we don’t have all the answers.
The true and authentic Christian life is to follow Christ by turning our backs from the world we are in. We will experience hardships, comfort, deprivation and, we will find ourselves poorer in terms of material possessions. Worldly ambitions are thrown out of the window but through it all, following Christ will bring joy and peace and the privilege to become co-heir to the Kingdom of Heaven.
To follow Christ as Matthew did, we are commanded to share the Gospel with the poor, immoral, the deprived and depraved, the outcasts of society and, not just the rich, moral, popular and powerful. Heaven, after all, is also for sinners. “God doesn’t want burnt offerings; he wants our lifelong service” (Psa 40:6-8).
Thus if Jesus will pass us by at this very moment and will tell us: “Follow me.” How are we going to respond? Are we going to do what Matthew did who left everything behind to follow Jesus? How we will respond will define who we truly are.
1st Reading: Heb 4:12-16
Responsorial Psa: 19:8-10, 15 “Your words, Lord, are spirit and life.”
GOSPEL: Mk 2:13-17
Key Verse: “I did not come to call the righteous
but sinners.” (v.17)
When going through the Gospel especially on the narratives when Jesus started building up his evangelization team, there probably are among you who may be wondering what was running in the mind of Jesus at the time he called on Simon and his brother Andrew, brothers James and John and now an outcast from society like Levi.
That this account on the calling of Levi would be arranged in such a way that it comes on the heels of the healing of the leper and the paralytic only shows that Jesus was indeed sent not just for a particular set of people but for all of creation.
With the growing opposition from the Scribes and Pharisees, Jesus was gradually finding it hard to teach in the synagogues which was why in this scenario we see Jesus walking by the lakeside and a crowd of people followed him and he taught them as they were walking (v.13). This style of preaching was customary in those days when Rabbis preached to those following them while they moved from one town to another.
Upon seeing Levi at the tax collector’s booth, Jesus said: “Follow me” (v.14) and Levi got up and followed him. In the next few moments, try to imagine that you were one of those in the crowd. As an adult Jew you have received faith formation and religious studies since your childhood days from visiting Rabbis, Scribes and Pharisees.
And certainly you were as surprised as the crowd were when Jesus called on Levi, who as a tax collector was most hated by the Jews. Because their profession was to collect taxes and fees for the Roman government, tax collectors were considered as traitors. They are also viewed as extortionists because they normally get a slice of the taxes that they collect.
As such, tax collectors are lumped together with sinners and harlots (Lk 15:1-2) and no Jew who was in a proper frame of mind would associate themselves with tax collectors. Except for Jesus no one in the crowd at that time knew what was in the mind of Levi.
He must have already heard of Jesus and it was possible that Levi was already overcome by guilt at his sinful ways and was planning to turn a new leaf and was just waiting for an opportune time. This was the only plausible explanation why Levi stood up, left everything and followed Jesus (Lk 5:28).
If the Scribes were perplexed at the calling of Levi, they were scandalized when Levi hosted a feast for Jesus in his house that was attended by other tax collectors and sinners as well and the teachers of the law asked his disciples why Jesus eats with sinners (v.16). Luke’s account of this same event says the Scribes complained of the behavior of Jesus.
What follows in v.17 was the response of Jesus which reveals his mission on earth: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Jesus chose a sinner like Levi who would later be called Matthew because he knew that Levi (Matthew) was repentant and has what it takes to become a disciple as the former tax collector left everything and staked whatever he has left on Christ. What Jesus requires of his disciples is the willingness to give up everything “deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Lk 9:23)
This encounter with Jesus was probably the new life that Levi was looking for, a leap of faith from being despised to being accepted as he will now be walking with the Son of God. As tax collectors are known to keep a record of their transaction, Jesus gave Matthew who had an eye for detail the opportunity to record their ministry and this resulted in the Gospel with the most number of chapters in the New Testament.
The underlying message in this Gospel is that Jesus is not inviting people who believe that they are already good enough and have no need of help. What Jesus is pointing out here is that the first step in discipleship is to acknowledge our need for a savior and admit that we don’t have all the answers.
The true and authentic Christian life is to follow Christ by turning our backs from the world we are in. We will experience hardships, comfort, deprivation and, we will find ourselves poorer in terms of material possessions. Worldly ambitions are thrown out of the window but through it all, following Christ will bring joy and peace and the privilege to become co-heir to the Kingdom of Heaven.
To follow Christ as Matthew did, we are commanded to share the Gospel with the poor, immoral, the deprived and depraved, the outcasts of society and, not just the rich, moral, popular and powerful. Heaven, after all, is also for sinners. “God doesn’t want burnt offerings; he wants our lifelong service” (Psa 40:6-8).
Thus if Jesus will pass us by at this very moment and will tell us: “Follow me.” How are we going to respond? Are we going to do what Matthew did who left everything behind to follow Jesus? How we will respond will define who we truly are.
FORGIVENESS HEALS
JAN. 18, 2013: FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Heb 4:1-5, 11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 78:3-4, 6-8 “Do not forget the works of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: Mk 2:1-12
Key Verse: “Son, your sins are forgiven.” (v.5)
In his time and even up to today, Jesus has performed so many miracles from the time he turned water into wine and the healing of the paralytic as the one depicted in our Gospel today is one of the most popular.
And the beauty of the Gospel narratives is that even the events in the life of Christ happened more than 2,000 years the message remains relevant in today’s post-modern setting. The healing of the paralytic is a perfect example of the continuity of the Gospel as it touches on our own paralysis and needs that can only find fulfillment in Jesus.
What also makes this passage inspiring is the relationship between healing and forgiveness and again this scenario has something to do with the way we go through our lives. While we know God to be forgiving, unforgiveness seems to have become an accepted norm in our society today and we are exposed to it almost everyday among our political leaders fighting for media and public attention. And we also see this even in the religious setting as unforgiveness has become the cause of many splits and separations within ministries and communities for that matter.
Upon seeing the paralytic, Jesus said: “Son, your sins are forgiven.” (v.5) This scenario in Capernaum may seem to be a peculiar way of healing a man. Jesus, however, knew better and it was probable that he saw this as an opportunity to deliver at least two important messages. One was that he was the Son of Man who has an authority to forgive sins (v.10) and the other was that forgiveness brings healing.
To heal the paralytic by forgiving his sins was well within the existing religious beliefs in those days because the Jews believed that pain and suffering, sickness and diseases are caused by sin believing that if a man was suffering then he must have sinned.
But what the teachers of the law who were present when the healing of the paralytic took place were objecting to was that forgiveness could only come from God and that it was blasphemous for Jesus to have forgiven the sins of the paralytic (v.7).
This Gospel narrative is actually a moving story that involved not only Jesus and the paralytic but also the friends of the paralytic and what Jesus saw must have moved him into doing what he did because right there in front of him was an unfolding story of friendship, love and faith.
It was customary in those days to leave open the doors of houses except when the owner do not want to be disturbed. As the paralytic carried by his friends could not find a way as the door was probably blocked by people who were listening to the teaching of Jesus, they found a way through the thatched roof made of brushwood packed with clay.
The paralytic was blessed with friends with faith and it was this faith that Jesus saw (v.5). The paralytic and his friends may have been friends since childhood. Like the friendship that we keep with our friends in our workplace, neighborhood, school, church or community, in the ministries and apostolates where we serve, the paralytic and his friends may have shared many happy moments together.
The presence of Jesus in Capernaum was probably the moment they were waiting for and here we see an example of what true friendship means. The paralytic was blessed to have friends such as these whose compassion for their paralyzed friend was beyond the ordinary. Without these friends, the paralytic could not have come to see Jesus and this story should move us to also appreciate the friends that we have.
Perhaps we should start reaching out to friends we haven’t seen for a long time. How about members of our church or community who have drifted away? Have we shared our faith with them in our attempt to bring them back? Have we paid them a visit or called them to at least check on them, how they are doing? What this story is telling us is that we must nurture our relationships with our friends for they are the ones who can help us in time of our deepest need.
The other point in this Gospel of today was the power and authority of Jesus to forgive sins. While the teachers of the law were right that only God can forgive sins, what they didn’t realize then was that Jesus was the incarnated Son of God. But Jesus knew who he was and he was aware of his authority and he proved this by healing the paralytic (vv.9-12).
This was the first time in Mark’s Gospel that the name “Son of Man” was used. This title came from Dan 7:13 where the Son of Man was described as a heavenly figure who in the end times has authority and power. Because Jesus is God but fully human, he could relate to our sufferings and help us overcome sin.
What this Gospel passage shows us was that we are also like the paralytic with needs that only Jesus can fill. We may not know it but there are instances when we too are suffering from paralysis of which there are several types.
One such type is motor paralysis which occurs when we refuse to exercise our gifts and go to the mission fields. We suffer from this type of paralysis when we remain unmoved by the need to bring the Gospel of Christ to the ends of the earth. Another type of paralysis is sensory paralysis which happens when we remain oblivious to the needs of our brothers and sisters. This also happens when we withhold our tithes and love offering to the Lord.
Like the paralyzed man, we too can rise up, walk out and turn away from whatever type of paralysis we are suffering from which may be caused by our sinful tendencies by seeking the forgiveness that only Jesus has the power to give and, when we find we are unable to do it by ourselves, we can turn to our friends equipped with the faith and willingness to help us.
When we do muster the courage to go before Christ and be forgiven of our sins, the world around us would definitely stand amazed and say “we have never seen anything like this!” (v.12) and we can all praise him the Son of God who alone has the power to heal us of the paralysis of our minds, hearts and souls.
1st Reading: Heb 4:1-5, 11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 78:3-4, 6-8 “Do not forget the works of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: Mk 2:1-12
Key Verse: “Son, your sins are forgiven.” (v.5)
In his time and even up to today, Jesus has performed so many miracles from the time he turned water into wine and the healing of the paralytic as the one depicted in our Gospel today is one of the most popular.
And the beauty of the Gospel narratives is that even the events in the life of Christ happened more than 2,000 years the message remains relevant in today’s post-modern setting. The healing of the paralytic is a perfect example of the continuity of the Gospel as it touches on our own paralysis and needs that can only find fulfillment in Jesus.
What also makes this passage inspiring is the relationship between healing and forgiveness and again this scenario has something to do with the way we go through our lives. While we know God to be forgiving, unforgiveness seems to have become an accepted norm in our society today and we are exposed to it almost everyday among our political leaders fighting for media and public attention. And we also see this even in the religious setting as unforgiveness has become the cause of many splits and separations within ministries and communities for that matter.
Upon seeing the paralytic, Jesus said: “Son, your sins are forgiven.” (v.5) This scenario in Capernaum may seem to be a peculiar way of healing a man. Jesus, however, knew better and it was probable that he saw this as an opportunity to deliver at least two important messages. One was that he was the Son of Man who has an authority to forgive sins (v.10) and the other was that forgiveness brings healing.
To heal the paralytic by forgiving his sins was well within the existing religious beliefs in those days because the Jews believed that pain and suffering, sickness and diseases are caused by sin believing that if a man was suffering then he must have sinned.
But what the teachers of the law who were present when the healing of the paralytic took place were objecting to was that forgiveness could only come from God and that it was blasphemous for Jesus to have forgiven the sins of the paralytic (v.7).
This Gospel narrative is actually a moving story that involved not only Jesus and the paralytic but also the friends of the paralytic and what Jesus saw must have moved him into doing what he did because right there in front of him was an unfolding story of friendship, love and faith.
It was customary in those days to leave open the doors of houses except when the owner do not want to be disturbed. As the paralytic carried by his friends could not find a way as the door was probably blocked by people who were listening to the teaching of Jesus, they found a way through the thatched roof made of brushwood packed with clay.
The paralytic was blessed with friends with faith and it was this faith that Jesus saw (v.5). The paralytic and his friends may have been friends since childhood. Like the friendship that we keep with our friends in our workplace, neighborhood, school, church or community, in the ministries and apostolates where we serve, the paralytic and his friends may have shared many happy moments together.
The presence of Jesus in Capernaum was probably the moment they were waiting for and here we see an example of what true friendship means. The paralytic was blessed to have friends such as these whose compassion for their paralyzed friend was beyond the ordinary. Without these friends, the paralytic could not have come to see Jesus and this story should move us to also appreciate the friends that we have.
Perhaps we should start reaching out to friends we haven’t seen for a long time. How about members of our church or community who have drifted away? Have we shared our faith with them in our attempt to bring them back? Have we paid them a visit or called them to at least check on them, how they are doing? What this story is telling us is that we must nurture our relationships with our friends for they are the ones who can help us in time of our deepest need.
The other point in this Gospel of today was the power and authority of Jesus to forgive sins. While the teachers of the law were right that only God can forgive sins, what they didn’t realize then was that Jesus was the incarnated Son of God. But Jesus knew who he was and he was aware of his authority and he proved this by healing the paralytic (vv.9-12).
This was the first time in Mark’s Gospel that the name “Son of Man” was used. This title came from Dan 7:13 where the Son of Man was described as a heavenly figure who in the end times has authority and power. Because Jesus is God but fully human, he could relate to our sufferings and help us overcome sin.
What this Gospel passage shows us was that we are also like the paralytic with needs that only Jesus can fill. We may not know it but there are instances when we too are suffering from paralysis of which there are several types.
One such type is motor paralysis which occurs when we refuse to exercise our gifts and go to the mission fields. We suffer from this type of paralysis when we remain unmoved by the need to bring the Gospel of Christ to the ends of the earth. Another type of paralysis is sensory paralysis which happens when we remain oblivious to the needs of our brothers and sisters. This also happens when we withhold our tithes and love offering to the Lord.
Like the paralyzed man, we too can rise up, walk out and turn away from whatever type of paralysis we are suffering from which may be caused by our sinful tendencies by seeking the forgiveness that only Jesus has the power to give and, when we find we are unable to do it by ourselves, we can turn to our friends equipped with the faith and willingness to help us.
When we do muster the courage to go before Christ and be forgiven of our sins, the world around us would definitely stand amazed and say “we have never seen anything like this!” (v.12) and we can all praise him the Son of God who alone has the power to heal us of the paralysis of our minds, hearts and souls.
GOD WON'T GIVE UP ON US
JAN. 17, 2013: FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Heb 3:7-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 95:6-11 “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.”
GOSPEL: Mk 1:40-45
Key Verse: “I am willing, be clean!” (v.41)
What differentiates Jesus Christ from even the most committed modern-day disciples was in the way Our Lord reacted when a man afflicted with leprosy knelt before him and begged him saying: “If your are willing, you can make me clean.” (v.40)
The way Jesus reacted reveals not only just his true identity but it provides us with an incisive imagery of what his heart was made of – his was a heart that was filled with nothing but compassion and the willingness to serve – and here he shows his disciples, the people who were present at the time and he is showing us now that we who want to come after him should not, under any circumstance, turn away anyone who is need of help.
For better appreciation today’s Gospel reading (Mk 1:40-45), we can actually create two scenarios out of this passage. One is we can think of ourselves as the leper who gathered whatever courage left in him to prostrate himself before Jesus. Lepers in the time of Jesus are deemed unclean and they are not supposed to get near anyone. They were supposed to stay a safe distance from the people on the street. But this leper was different. He knew who Jesus was. He also knew that this was his last chance to be liberated from his misery.
In the same way a person who is wallowing in sin is similar in many respects to a leper. Leprosy causes skin sores, nerve damage, and muscle weakness which if left untreated will get worse over time that may even cause death.
Lepers in biblical times were treated as outcasts of society and they were not only shunned but regarded as “already dead” even by their relatives. The Jewish law forbade anyone from touching or approaching a leper and those who do will have to go through a ritual to cleanse them of their having been defiled.
As medical attention was not available at that time, people with leprosy will find themselves disfigured by the disease and there were instances when the entire appearance of the face will change until the leper loses his human appearance.
This is what also happens to a person who is mired in sin because sin disfigures the godly nature of a person. In one of his reflections made in 2007, Pope Benedict XVI said: “The illness that truly disfigures the person and society is sin, and that only God can heal this infirmity.”
The Holy Father recalls that in the time of Christ, leprosy was considered a “contagious impurity, which required a rite of purification. In reality, the leprosy that truly disfigures the person and society is sin; pride and egotism give birth in the spirit to indifference, hate and violence. Only God, who is Love, can cure this leprosy of the spirit, which disfigures the face of humanity. Upon opening the heart to God, the converted person is healed interiorly of evil.”
This Gospel passage should remind us that as with the leper who knelt before Jesus, we too who have fallen short of the glory of God because of our sin must set aside our fears, doubts and most of all our pride to go and kneel before Jesus especially when our lives are not turning the way we expect or as they say when the chips are down because Jesus is the one person who will not turn his back on those who are in need.
This was what this Gospel was all about and this brings us to the other scenario. As the people in the time of Jesus turned their backs on those they regarded as outcasts such as those afflicted with leprosy, Jesus showed what compassion was when he touched the leper who came to him and asked to be made clean.
What was remarkable in this passage was that the leper came to Jesus and with humility and confidence asked the Lord to heal him and make him whole again. Normally a leper would be stoned or at least driven away if he tried to come near a rabbi but Jesus not only grants the man his request, but he also demonstrated the personal love, compassion, and tenderness of God in his physical touch.
This is also how Jesus looks at us. Our Lord Jesus is more than ready to heal us and deliver us from fear, prejudice, and anxiety that may be keeping us from approaching others with selfless love and concern for their welfare. St. Paul also tells us that: "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us" (Rom 5:5). The Holy Spirit sets us free from our pride that allows us to love as God loves – with mercy, kindness, goodness, and compassionate care.
This passage should actually lead us to look into our lives and see how we treat our neighbors especially those whom society has rejected, mistreated, and or left to their own miseries. Do we approach them with the same love and compassion that Christ did in this passage? How have we been living our lives? Do we persist in sinning emboldened by the idea that God is a forgiving God? And not to help those in need is a sin.
What leprosy does to the body, sin does to the soul because sin disfigures the image of God in us. Without the forgiveness of God, sin will sink us deeper into slavery until “nothing good lives in us” (Rom 7:18). Worst, our sin “have separated us from our God” (Isa 59:2). And this separation from the source of joy and peace will eventually lead us to death “for the wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23).
What we can do is we should all draw inspiration from what the leper did as he went to Jesus in humble reverence, kneeling and saying “if you are willing, you can make me clean” (v.40) and Jesus filled with compassion touched the leper saying “I am willing, be clean” (v.41).
Though we may not be suffering from leprosy in the physical sense, we will find ourselves in the same situation as the leper as we bear the pain of spiritual disfigurement and our separation from God and the Church because sin blocks the flow of grace into our lives.
But the real value of a person is not what people see but what God sees. In other words, God will not give up on us regardless of the sin that we have committed because even if sin may have disfigured, distorted and or have deformed the image of God in us (Gen 1:26), God will restore us into the fullness of his love “as we are baptized into his death” (Rom 6:3). “Just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” (Rom 6:4).
Regardless of what sin may have done to our nature, God who is compassionate will forgive us as only he can but this is contingent on our desire to be touched by Jesus This assurance is in this Gospel itself as we see Jesus who was “filled with compassion” (v.41) reaching out to the man and touched him.
What this Gospel shows us was that Jesus will not turn away anyone regardless of how sinful they may be for as long as the element of humility and reverence are present. This Gospel passage should serve as a reminder for all of us that without Christ we will remain in the same wretched state we were in before Christ came and touched us as he did with the leper.
1st Reading: Heb 3:7-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 95:6-11 “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.”
GOSPEL: Mk 1:40-45
Key Verse: “I am willing, be clean!” (v.41)
What differentiates Jesus Christ from even the most committed modern-day disciples was in the way Our Lord reacted when a man afflicted with leprosy knelt before him and begged him saying: “If your are willing, you can make me clean.” (v.40)
The way Jesus reacted reveals not only just his true identity but it provides us with an incisive imagery of what his heart was made of – his was a heart that was filled with nothing but compassion and the willingness to serve – and here he shows his disciples, the people who were present at the time and he is showing us now that we who want to come after him should not, under any circumstance, turn away anyone who is need of help.
For better appreciation today’s Gospel reading (Mk 1:40-45), we can actually create two scenarios out of this passage. One is we can think of ourselves as the leper who gathered whatever courage left in him to prostrate himself before Jesus. Lepers in the time of Jesus are deemed unclean and they are not supposed to get near anyone. They were supposed to stay a safe distance from the people on the street. But this leper was different. He knew who Jesus was. He also knew that this was his last chance to be liberated from his misery.
In the same way a person who is wallowing in sin is similar in many respects to a leper. Leprosy causes skin sores, nerve damage, and muscle weakness which if left untreated will get worse over time that may even cause death.
Lepers in biblical times were treated as outcasts of society and they were not only shunned but regarded as “already dead” even by their relatives. The Jewish law forbade anyone from touching or approaching a leper and those who do will have to go through a ritual to cleanse them of their having been defiled.
As medical attention was not available at that time, people with leprosy will find themselves disfigured by the disease and there were instances when the entire appearance of the face will change until the leper loses his human appearance.
This is what also happens to a person who is mired in sin because sin disfigures the godly nature of a person. In one of his reflections made in 2007, Pope Benedict XVI said: “The illness that truly disfigures the person and society is sin, and that only God can heal this infirmity.”
The Holy Father recalls that in the time of Christ, leprosy was considered a “contagious impurity, which required a rite of purification. In reality, the leprosy that truly disfigures the person and society is sin; pride and egotism give birth in the spirit to indifference, hate and violence. Only God, who is Love, can cure this leprosy of the spirit, which disfigures the face of humanity. Upon opening the heart to God, the converted person is healed interiorly of evil.”
This Gospel passage should remind us that as with the leper who knelt before Jesus, we too who have fallen short of the glory of God because of our sin must set aside our fears, doubts and most of all our pride to go and kneel before Jesus especially when our lives are not turning the way we expect or as they say when the chips are down because Jesus is the one person who will not turn his back on those who are in need.
This was what this Gospel was all about and this brings us to the other scenario. As the people in the time of Jesus turned their backs on those they regarded as outcasts such as those afflicted with leprosy, Jesus showed what compassion was when he touched the leper who came to him and asked to be made clean.
What was remarkable in this passage was that the leper came to Jesus and with humility and confidence asked the Lord to heal him and make him whole again. Normally a leper would be stoned or at least driven away if he tried to come near a rabbi but Jesus not only grants the man his request, but he also demonstrated the personal love, compassion, and tenderness of God in his physical touch.
This is also how Jesus looks at us. Our Lord Jesus is more than ready to heal us and deliver us from fear, prejudice, and anxiety that may be keeping us from approaching others with selfless love and concern for their welfare. St. Paul also tells us that: "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us" (Rom 5:5). The Holy Spirit sets us free from our pride that allows us to love as God loves – with mercy, kindness, goodness, and compassionate care.
This passage should actually lead us to look into our lives and see how we treat our neighbors especially those whom society has rejected, mistreated, and or left to their own miseries. Do we approach them with the same love and compassion that Christ did in this passage? How have we been living our lives? Do we persist in sinning emboldened by the idea that God is a forgiving God? And not to help those in need is a sin.
What leprosy does to the body, sin does to the soul because sin disfigures the image of God in us. Without the forgiveness of God, sin will sink us deeper into slavery until “nothing good lives in us” (Rom 7:18). Worst, our sin “have separated us from our God” (Isa 59:2). And this separation from the source of joy and peace will eventually lead us to death “for the wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23).
What we can do is we should all draw inspiration from what the leper did as he went to Jesus in humble reverence, kneeling and saying “if you are willing, you can make me clean” (v.40) and Jesus filled with compassion touched the leper saying “I am willing, be clean” (v.41).
Though we may not be suffering from leprosy in the physical sense, we will find ourselves in the same situation as the leper as we bear the pain of spiritual disfigurement and our separation from God and the Church because sin blocks the flow of grace into our lives.
But the real value of a person is not what people see but what God sees. In other words, God will not give up on us regardless of the sin that we have committed because even if sin may have disfigured, distorted and or have deformed the image of God in us (Gen 1:26), God will restore us into the fullness of his love “as we are baptized into his death” (Rom 6:3). “Just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” (Rom 6:4).
Regardless of what sin may have done to our nature, God who is compassionate will forgive us as only he can but this is contingent on our desire to be touched by Jesus This assurance is in this Gospel itself as we see Jesus who was “filled with compassion” (v.41) reaching out to the man and touched him.
What this Gospel shows us was that Jesus will not turn away anyone regardless of how sinful they may be for as long as the element of humility and reverence are present. This Gospel passage should serve as a reminder for all of us that without Christ we will remain in the same wretched state we were in before Christ came and touched us as he did with the leper.
FOLLOWING JESUS 24/7
JAN. 16, 2013: FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Heb 2:14-18
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 105:1-9 “The Lord remembers his covenant forever.”
Gospel: Mk 1:29-39
Key Verse: “For this purpose have I come.” (v.38)
Today there is clear evidence of a renewed interest even among Catholics to read and understand the message that lie hidden in the pages of the Sacred Scriptures and there is nothing wrong with that. The danger, however, is that we could be missing a lot if we will just read the Bible as if it were just another book.
That it may be regarded as just a book is not without reason as the Bible is normally one of the things that is given to couples who get married in the church but no one would even care explain to the newlyweds how such a book could benefit their relationship with God and with one another for that matter and it normally ends up being stacked in the book shelf.
But the Bible is more than just a book. While it was written by men, the inspiration came from God Himself who through the Holy Spirit guided those whom God chose to turn the Word of God into written form that we now find in both the Old and New Testament. Because it was written through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit those who would like to really grasp its meaning and relevance have to ask for guidance from the Holy Spirit through prayer.
This Gospel narrative for today (Mk 1:29-39) is an example because it is so pregnant with meaning that it shows us three characteristics of Jesus that we can look at as learning curves for us to emulate and we’ll have to get right into the narrative to be able to fully grasp its relevance to our own setting.
Here we see Jesus giving evidence of his being the Messiah when he healed Peter’s mother-n-law whose health was restored that she immediately moved about to serve Jesus and his disciples and as the day of the Sabbath ends, Jesus healed everyone by laying hands on each of those who came with various forms of illnesses and sickness.
Not only do we see Jesus demonstrating with conclusive proof his divine power as he healed all forms (vv.33-34) of sickness and diseases but it also brought to light His compassion for those who are in need. This was evident in v.32 which says that the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed after sunset.
After sunset could mean the time for people to rest and Jesus was no exception and he needed to rest after a tiring day of preaching and healing the sick. Yet he remained awake and healed many who had various diseases (v.34). This scenario should define our roles as disciples in terms of how we relate to those who are not as fortunate or blessed as we are regardless of the hour.
Like Jesus, we should be open to helping those in need even if we are being inconvenienced especially when we are on our way to work, to a vacation, to attend a party or on our way to the mall. Or do we forego these opportunities to be a Christian by withholding our help to those who come to us.
At the house of Peter, Jesus demonstrated his heart that is predisposed to serving others as he did not have a chance to even grasp a deep breath as he went on to heal Peter’s mother-in-law and countless others who came after news of his healing power spread throughout the region like wildfire.
This only shows us that as disciples we no longer own our time. That if we are to follow Jesus we are to deny ourselves (Lk 9:23) and, we are to deny certain pleasures to come to the aid of others. We are to forego the luxuries that we enjoy in favor of the need of others. In other words, we all must have the heart of Jesus that is bent towards serving others.
There was a movie I once saw and one of the lines struck me and it goes like this: “When you are in love, you lose yourself as the love that you have for one another fills you and that love controls you.” This is what should happen to us. The love of Jesus for us is so great that He gave his life to ransom us and this same love should move us to help the sick, the beggar on the streets, the homeless, out-of-school youths and, the spiritually impoverished.
At His voice and command, Jesus demonstrated the second reality in this Gospel as the demons came out of the people who were at the house of Peter. As it was customary in those days to equate certain forms of illness to being possessed by evil spirits, Jesus healed everyone by laying hands on each one of them.
As we read this Gospel let us also ask ourselves what could be the demons in our lives that we should bring to Jesus. Could these be our vanities, judgments, criticality, prejudices, arrogance and pride, self-exaltation, wealth? Do our priorities stand in the way of our relationship with God? As we stand face-to-face with Jesus at the Eucharistic Celebration and at our Prayer Meetings, Jesus must take the place of the demons in our lives. This is the abundant life (Jn 10:10) that He promised us.
At the end of the Gospel, it tells us that Jesus probably just had enough time to rest as he went out at daybreak to pray. This should be the same for us because evangelization which is our primary duty as Christians doesn’t start with programs or projects but with prayer.
For many of us, life continues to be a blur because we don’t spend enough time in prayer which is our only link to God. Prayer brings clarity and purpose to the busyness of our lives and the confusion in our world. Often we prioritize ministry work ahead of prayer but Jesus shows us that communion with God through prayer must precede everything else.
And finally Jesus stopped those who were looking for him by telling them: “that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” (v.38) This resolve came after Jesus prayed and this gives credence to what He said in Jn 5:19 “the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does." And He went on to preach throughout Galilee because this was the reason why He was sent.
This is the reason why we have to give up the demons in our lives and allow Jesus to enter and take His seat in our hearts because if we are to become the Good News we have to have the humility to allow the Holy Spirit to move in us, take control of our lives and change us. If not, we become the bad news and we can’t preach that.
We, in fact, can experience the joy of being the gospel that we preach by allowing the Holy Spirit to reside in our hearts and we can begin by allotting time for prayer as Jesus did, thence ministering to our marginalized brethren and, by denying ourselves, take up His cross and follow Him (Lk 9:23-25). That’s when we become the Good News to others – the bearers of the Light of Jesus!
1st Reading: Heb 2:14-18
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 105:1-9 “The Lord remembers his covenant forever.”
Gospel: Mk 1:29-39
Key Verse: “For this purpose have I come.” (v.38)
Today there is clear evidence of a renewed interest even among Catholics to read and understand the message that lie hidden in the pages of the Sacred Scriptures and there is nothing wrong with that. The danger, however, is that we could be missing a lot if we will just read the Bible as if it were just another book.
That it may be regarded as just a book is not without reason as the Bible is normally one of the things that is given to couples who get married in the church but no one would even care explain to the newlyweds how such a book could benefit their relationship with God and with one another for that matter and it normally ends up being stacked in the book shelf.
But the Bible is more than just a book. While it was written by men, the inspiration came from God Himself who through the Holy Spirit guided those whom God chose to turn the Word of God into written form that we now find in both the Old and New Testament. Because it was written through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit those who would like to really grasp its meaning and relevance have to ask for guidance from the Holy Spirit through prayer.
This Gospel narrative for today (Mk 1:29-39) is an example because it is so pregnant with meaning that it shows us three characteristics of Jesus that we can look at as learning curves for us to emulate and we’ll have to get right into the narrative to be able to fully grasp its relevance to our own setting.
Here we see Jesus giving evidence of his being the Messiah when he healed Peter’s mother-n-law whose health was restored that she immediately moved about to serve Jesus and his disciples and as the day of the Sabbath ends, Jesus healed everyone by laying hands on each of those who came with various forms of illnesses and sickness.
Not only do we see Jesus demonstrating with conclusive proof his divine power as he healed all forms (vv.33-34) of sickness and diseases but it also brought to light His compassion for those who are in need. This was evident in v.32 which says that the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed after sunset.
After sunset could mean the time for people to rest and Jesus was no exception and he needed to rest after a tiring day of preaching and healing the sick. Yet he remained awake and healed many who had various diseases (v.34). This scenario should define our roles as disciples in terms of how we relate to those who are not as fortunate or blessed as we are regardless of the hour.
Like Jesus, we should be open to helping those in need even if we are being inconvenienced especially when we are on our way to work, to a vacation, to attend a party or on our way to the mall. Or do we forego these opportunities to be a Christian by withholding our help to those who come to us.
At the house of Peter, Jesus demonstrated his heart that is predisposed to serving others as he did not have a chance to even grasp a deep breath as he went on to heal Peter’s mother-in-law and countless others who came after news of his healing power spread throughout the region like wildfire.
This only shows us that as disciples we no longer own our time. That if we are to follow Jesus we are to deny ourselves (Lk 9:23) and, we are to deny certain pleasures to come to the aid of others. We are to forego the luxuries that we enjoy in favor of the need of others. In other words, we all must have the heart of Jesus that is bent towards serving others.
There was a movie I once saw and one of the lines struck me and it goes like this: “When you are in love, you lose yourself as the love that you have for one another fills you and that love controls you.” This is what should happen to us. The love of Jesus for us is so great that He gave his life to ransom us and this same love should move us to help the sick, the beggar on the streets, the homeless, out-of-school youths and, the spiritually impoverished.
At His voice and command, Jesus demonstrated the second reality in this Gospel as the demons came out of the people who were at the house of Peter. As it was customary in those days to equate certain forms of illness to being possessed by evil spirits, Jesus healed everyone by laying hands on each one of them.
As we read this Gospel let us also ask ourselves what could be the demons in our lives that we should bring to Jesus. Could these be our vanities, judgments, criticality, prejudices, arrogance and pride, self-exaltation, wealth? Do our priorities stand in the way of our relationship with God? As we stand face-to-face with Jesus at the Eucharistic Celebration and at our Prayer Meetings, Jesus must take the place of the demons in our lives. This is the abundant life (Jn 10:10) that He promised us.
At the end of the Gospel, it tells us that Jesus probably just had enough time to rest as he went out at daybreak to pray. This should be the same for us because evangelization which is our primary duty as Christians doesn’t start with programs or projects but with prayer.
For many of us, life continues to be a blur because we don’t spend enough time in prayer which is our only link to God. Prayer brings clarity and purpose to the busyness of our lives and the confusion in our world. Often we prioritize ministry work ahead of prayer but Jesus shows us that communion with God through prayer must precede everything else.
And finally Jesus stopped those who were looking for him by telling them: “that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” (v.38) This resolve came after Jesus prayed and this gives credence to what He said in Jn 5:19 “the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does." And He went on to preach throughout Galilee because this was the reason why He was sent.
This is the reason why we have to give up the demons in our lives and allow Jesus to enter and take His seat in our hearts because if we are to become the Good News we have to have the humility to allow the Holy Spirit to move in us, take control of our lives and change us. If not, we become the bad news and we can’t preach that.
We, in fact, can experience the joy of being the gospel that we preach by allowing the Holy Spirit to reside in our hearts and we can begin by allotting time for prayer as Jesus did, thence ministering to our marginalized brethren and, by denying ourselves, take up His cross and follow Him (Lk 9:23-25). That’s when we become the Good News to others – the bearers of the Light of Jesus!
JESUS IS AUTHORITY HIMSELF
THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS IS SUCH THAT EVEN AN EVIL SPIRIT KNOW HIM
JAN. 15, 2013: 1ST WEEK OF ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Heb 2:5-12
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 8:2, 5-9 “You have given your son rule over the works of your hands.”
GOSPEL: Mk 1:21-28
Key Verse: “Come out of him.” (v.25)
Today is a meaningful day in the history of the Christian church and we might even overlook its importance but today actually marks the beginning of the fulfillment of God’s Will in the life of Jesus Christ and the launching of his ministry of salvation that gives meaning and substance to the reason why Jesus was sent down from heaven.
There are also two points of fact that are encapsulated in Mark’s Gospel of today that ushers in what is referred to as Ordinary Time in the Liturgical Calendar of the Church. These two realities are that Jesus needed no authority to back up his teaching for in him we find authority itself. The other was that he showed he has power and authority even against unclean spirits.
This passage in Mark’s Gospel which chronicles the beginning of Jesus’s campaign to liberate the people from their sinfulness must have been preceded by a lot of planning more so if it was to be an important campaign such as the redemption of souls.
And Jesus chose no other finer setting to launch his salvation campaign than in a synagogue. The synagogue was not only an ideal place to begin his ministry but it was a place where he could deliver an opening salvo that would create an impact throughout the Jewish nation.
A synagogue in those days was not just a venue for prayer but it was primarily an institution for teaching and if ever there was a new message that needed to be heard, the synagogue was the place to go to. As synagogues also do not have a permanent preacher or teacher, Rabbis who are travelling to and fro are normally invited and or are allowed to preach to the people.
Jesus was well aware of this and he was right and he introduced not just a new method in preaching from what the Jews were familiar with but his listeners were amazed at his power and authority “because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.” (v.22)
Normally, the Scribes begin their teaching by saying “there is a teaching that says…” and they would normally quote from the Torah or what Moses may have said. Contrast this with the way Jesus taught saying “I tell you the truth…” (Mt 5:26) and or “But I tell you…” (Mt 5:28). Jesus spoke this way because he knew that he was clothed with the authority of God even to forgive sins (Mk 2:10).
If the people were amazed at his teaching, they were awestruck when he commanded an evil spirit to come out of a man in the synagogue (v.25). Mark probably included this event to establish the credentials of Jesus as “the Holy One of God” (v.24) by showing that even the spiritual underworld recognized him as the Son of God. And Jesus, in Mt 12:28, would later expound on his power and authority to cast out demons as proof of the coming of the Kingdom of God.
As what he expected, this event became the talk of the town throughout Galilee (v.28) because Jesus did not only spoke with authority in introducing a new doctrine of faith but he acted with authority when he cast out the demon from the man.
The question now is what is in it for us? That was then. We are in the here and now. Well for one this authority of Jesus is still very much alive today and this flows from the time when Christ created his Church to be the vehicle of his continuing mission in the world and promising to remain present in his Church for all time (Mt 28:20) as he lovingly guides it through the presence of the Holy Spirit.
To ensure the success of this mission, Christ gave all of us who belong the Church the ability to teach, govern and sanctify with Christ's own authority. Jesus chose his Apostles and they in turn appointed successors to ensure that the Gospel would continue to be handed on faithfully as “the lasting source of all life for the Church” (Lumen Gentium 20, CCCC860).
The purpose of this authority is to give the Church the ability to teach without error about the essentials of salvation: “On this rock, I will build My Church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it.” (Mt 16:18).
The scope of this authority covers the official teachings of the Church on matters of faith, morals, and worship (Liturgy and Sacraments) and it is on the basis of his continuing presence that the Church cannot lead people astray with its official teachings despite what may seem to be as the individual errors in judgment that have caused scandals within the Church.
In his Apostolic Letter “Motu Proprio Data” known as Porta Fidei that established the Year of Faith, Pope Benedict XVI said: “We cannot accept that salt should become tasteless or the light be kept hidden (cf. Mt 5:13-16). The people of today can still experience the need to go to the well, like the Samaritan woman, in order to hear Jesus, who invites us to believe in him and to draw upon the source of living water welling up within him (cf. Jn 4:14). We must rediscover a taste for feeding ourselves on the word of God, faithfully handed down by the Church, and on the bread of life, offered as sustenance for his disciples (cf. Jn 6:51). Indeed, the teaching of Jesus still resounds in our day with the same power: “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life” (Jn 6:27). The question posed by his listeners is the same that we ask today: “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” (Jn 6:28). We know Jesus’ reply: “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent” (Jn 6:29). Belief in Jesus Christ, then, is the way to arrive definitively at salvation.
This is the reason why we the pilgrim Church must draw on the gift of faith and the free assent of our will to the whole truth that God has revealed and nourished by the Word of God so that we can assume our rightful place in his Kingdom since “he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight” (Eph 1:4).
As time is relatively short and as we are all living on borrowed time, we must maximize our time spent so that we may all grow as disciples of Christ. Out of his love Our Lord gave us his Holy Spirit to enlighten our minds that we may grow in his truth and in the knowledge of his great love for each of us. This we can do by heeding his Word for us to love God above all else and love our neighbor as well.
1st Reading: Heb 2:5-12
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 8:2, 5-9 “You have given your son rule over the works of your hands.”
GOSPEL: Mk 1:21-28
Key Verse: “Come out of him.” (v.25)
Today is a meaningful day in the history of the Christian church and we might even overlook its importance but today actually marks the beginning of the fulfillment of God’s Will in the life of Jesus Christ and the launching of his ministry of salvation that gives meaning and substance to the reason why Jesus was sent down from heaven.
There are also two points of fact that are encapsulated in Mark’s Gospel of today that ushers in what is referred to as Ordinary Time in the Liturgical Calendar of the Church. These two realities are that Jesus needed no authority to back up his teaching for in him we find authority itself. The other was that he showed he has power and authority even against unclean spirits.
This passage in Mark’s Gospel which chronicles the beginning of Jesus’s campaign to liberate the people from their sinfulness must have been preceded by a lot of planning more so if it was to be an important campaign such as the redemption of souls.
And Jesus chose no other finer setting to launch his salvation campaign than in a synagogue. The synagogue was not only an ideal place to begin his ministry but it was a place where he could deliver an opening salvo that would create an impact throughout the Jewish nation.
A synagogue in those days was not just a venue for prayer but it was primarily an institution for teaching and if ever there was a new message that needed to be heard, the synagogue was the place to go to. As synagogues also do not have a permanent preacher or teacher, Rabbis who are travelling to and fro are normally invited and or are allowed to preach to the people.
Jesus was well aware of this and he was right and he introduced not just a new method in preaching from what the Jews were familiar with but his listeners were amazed at his power and authority “because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.” (v.22)
Normally, the Scribes begin their teaching by saying “there is a teaching that says…” and they would normally quote from the Torah or what Moses may have said. Contrast this with the way Jesus taught saying “I tell you the truth…” (Mt 5:26) and or “But I tell you…” (Mt 5:28). Jesus spoke this way because he knew that he was clothed with the authority of God even to forgive sins (Mk 2:10).
If the people were amazed at his teaching, they were awestruck when he commanded an evil spirit to come out of a man in the synagogue (v.25). Mark probably included this event to establish the credentials of Jesus as “the Holy One of God” (v.24) by showing that even the spiritual underworld recognized him as the Son of God. And Jesus, in Mt 12:28, would later expound on his power and authority to cast out demons as proof of the coming of the Kingdom of God.
As what he expected, this event became the talk of the town throughout Galilee (v.28) because Jesus did not only spoke with authority in introducing a new doctrine of faith but he acted with authority when he cast out the demon from the man.
The question now is what is in it for us? That was then. We are in the here and now. Well for one this authority of Jesus is still very much alive today and this flows from the time when Christ created his Church to be the vehicle of his continuing mission in the world and promising to remain present in his Church for all time (Mt 28:20) as he lovingly guides it through the presence of the Holy Spirit.
To ensure the success of this mission, Christ gave all of us who belong the Church the ability to teach, govern and sanctify with Christ's own authority. Jesus chose his Apostles and they in turn appointed successors to ensure that the Gospel would continue to be handed on faithfully as “the lasting source of all life for the Church” (Lumen Gentium 20, CCCC860).
The purpose of this authority is to give the Church the ability to teach without error about the essentials of salvation: “On this rock, I will build My Church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it.” (Mt 16:18).
The scope of this authority covers the official teachings of the Church on matters of faith, morals, and worship (Liturgy and Sacraments) and it is on the basis of his continuing presence that the Church cannot lead people astray with its official teachings despite what may seem to be as the individual errors in judgment that have caused scandals within the Church.
In his Apostolic Letter “Motu Proprio Data” known as Porta Fidei that established the Year of Faith, Pope Benedict XVI said: “We cannot accept that salt should become tasteless or the light be kept hidden (cf. Mt 5:13-16). The people of today can still experience the need to go to the well, like the Samaritan woman, in order to hear Jesus, who invites us to believe in him and to draw upon the source of living water welling up within him (cf. Jn 4:14). We must rediscover a taste for feeding ourselves on the word of God, faithfully handed down by the Church, and on the bread of life, offered as sustenance for his disciples (cf. Jn 6:51). Indeed, the teaching of Jesus still resounds in our day with the same power: “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life” (Jn 6:27). The question posed by his listeners is the same that we ask today: “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” (Jn 6:28). We know Jesus’ reply: “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent” (Jn 6:29). Belief in Jesus Christ, then, is the way to arrive definitively at salvation.
This is the reason why we the pilgrim Church must draw on the gift of faith and the free assent of our will to the whole truth that God has revealed and nourished by the Word of God so that we can assume our rightful place in his Kingdom since “he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight” (Eph 1:4).
As time is relatively short and as we are all living on borrowed time, we must maximize our time spent so that we may all grow as disciples of Christ. Out of his love Our Lord gave us his Holy Spirit to enlighten our minds that we may grow in his truth and in the knowledge of his great love for each of us. This we can do by heeding his Word for us to love God above all else and love our neighbor as well.
THE GOOD NEWS IS HERE
AS HE PASSED BY, JESUS TELLS SIMON AND ANDREW "COME FOLLOW ME."
JAN. 14, 2013: FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Heb 1:1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 97: 1-2, 6-7, 9 “Let all his angels worship him.”
GOSPEL: Mk 1:14-20
“The Kingdom of God is at hand.” (v.15)
It is not unusual to hear different interpretations of what the good news is although the most common explanation that we hear from clerics, preachers and teachers is that Jesus Christ and what he did for us is the Good News or what we know as the Gospel.
In other words, Jesus Christ is the Good News and no one would dispute that. And the Catechism of the Catholic Church 422 explains: ‘But when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. This is “the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” God has visited his people. He has fulfilled the promise he made to Abraham and his descendants. He acted far beyond all expectation - he has sent his own beloved Son.’
In truth and in fact, Jesus Christ in very clear terms brings us right into the heart of the good news and this we can see right at the beginning of the Gospel passage for today (v.15) when Jesus himself revealed for the first time what was at the core of his teaching: “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news.”
There was reason for Jesus to begin his ministry with these words because the people at the time were poor who have practically lost all hope after years and years of waiting for the long-awaited Messiah. What Jesus said must have been received as the good news that the people were waiting for and as we will see in the course of his ministry that the good news actually revolved around the person of Jesus Christ, his teachings and the miracles that he performed that can only come from God.
At the core of the truth of the Christian faith lies the fact that Jesus the only begotten Son of God was sent to ransom us all from the clutches of sin through his passion and death on the cross and we were given new life when the Holy Spirit was infused in us at the time of our baptism.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church 426 has decreed that: “At the heart of catechesis we find, in essence, a Person, the Person of Jesus of Nazareth, the only Son from the Father. . .who suffered and died for us and who now, after rising, is living with us forever.” To catechize is “to reveal in the Person of Christ the whole of God's eternal design reaching fulfillment in that Person. It is to seek to understand the meaning of Christ's actions and words and of the signs worked by him.” Catechesis aims at putting “ people . . . in communion . . . with Jesus Christ: only he can lead us to the love of the Father in the Spirit and make us share in the life of the Holy Trinity.”
Also today we refer to the Holy Scriptures or the Bible as the good news and for good reason because it is in the Sacred Scriptures that come to know the good news in the person of Jesus Christ. The message that the Gospel of Christ proclaims is what makes it distinct from any other publications especially during these times when there is an economic disequilibrium in Europe and the United States, the Gospel or the good news can be likened to a cool breeze that refreshes you.
And in this short Gospel passage, Mark was able to inject at least four very important messages and the evangelist began by quoting Jesus as saying: “The Kingdom of God is near.” (v.15) But his proclamation of the coming of the Kingdom of God and his claim of being the Son of God was what got Jesus into trouble with the religious leaders of his time.
What brought Jesus and the Jews into a collision course was the difference in the way the kingdom was perceived. The Scribes and Pharisees thought Jesus was going to establish a kingdom that would remove the privileges they enjoyed. But Jesus was not thinking of a physical kingdom (Jn 18:36) but a kingdom that was spiritual (Rom 14:17).
The kingdom that Jesus preached was a sovereignty that was without physical boundaries that was to be built in the hearts of men and this was the primary reason why this kingdom still stands today, the church that is populated by men in whose hearts Jesus continues to reign. And in order for this kingdom to last, we who are in it must likewise go into the world and “proclaim the Kingdom of God.” (Lk 9:60)
Jesus is also telling us in this Gospel to repent which is a prerequisite to entering the Kingdom of God. Why? Because no one can be admitted to the Kingdom of God unless we have turned away from sin and have turned back to God, a process that is preceded by “Godly sorrow that brings repentance that leads to salvation” (2 Cor 7:10) and, a transformed life in Christ (2 Cor 5:17). Thus, repentance which literally means living a changed life is an integral part in the proclamation of the Gospel because any preaching that does not include an invitation to repent cannot be considered an authentic Gospel as Paul emphasizes in Acts 20:21, 25.
Following the gospel of repentance, Jesus urges us also to believe the good news (v.15). We need to believe because only then will our faith grow and because it is only in believing that we can be assured of the eternal life that God promised (Jn 3:16).
God made the supreme sacrifice of sending his Son to die on the cross to bring us back to a relationship of peace and friendship with Him and we need to believe that. He is our Father and he wants us to live as his sons and daughters and we need to believe that too. God loved us first and he invites us in love to surrender our lives to him. Why? Because it is only when we empty ourselves of sin that he can fill us with his graces.
And finally, the underlying message in today’s gospel story is that we all need to step up especially in this Year of Faith to take over from where Andrew, Simon, James and John and the rest of the Apostles left off so that there will be a continuing and endless proclamation of the Gospel.
The Gospel of Christ would have no value at all if it is not proclaimed and Jesus is calling on us now to bring the gospel to everyone by being the good news ourselves. He is inviting us to share in the privilege previously enjoyed by the Apostles because God sees something in us that he could use.
But to become a disciple entails a lot of sacrifice as with Andrew, Simon, James and John who left their families to follow Christ. What would propel us to accept Christ’s invitation would be the thought that Jesus found us when we too were lost, and we are now obliged to also seek those who are lost for this is why Jesus came (Lk 19:10).
We must not keep the light of Christ for ourselves because others must also see this light through us “for we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing” (2 Cor 2:15).
1st Reading: Heb 1:1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 97: 1-2, 6-7, 9 “Let all his angels worship him.”
GOSPEL: Mk 1:14-20
“The Kingdom of God is at hand.” (v.15)
It is not unusual to hear different interpretations of what the good news is although the most common explanation that we hear from clerics, preachers and teachers is that Jesus Christ and what he did for us is the Good News or what we know as the Gospel.
In other words, Jesus Christ is the Good News and no one would dispute that. And the Catechism of the Catholic Church 422 explains: ‘But when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. This is “the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” God has visited his people. He has fulfilled the promise he made to Abraham and his descendants. He acted far beyond all expectation - he has sent his own beloved Son.’
In truth and in fact, Jesus Christ in very clear terms brings us right into the heart of the good news and this we can see right at the beginning of the Gospel passage for today (v.15) when Jesus himself revealed for the first time what was at the core of his teaching: “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news.”
There was reason for Jesus to begin his ministry with these words because the people at the time were poor who have practically lost all hope after years and years of waiting for the long-awaited Messiah. What Jesus said must have been received as the good news that the people were waiting for and as we will see in the course of his ministry that the good news actually revolved around the person of Jesus Christ, his teachings and the miracles that he performed that can only come from God.
At the core of the truth of the Christian faith lies the fact that Jesus the only begotten Son of God was sent to ransom us all from the clutches of sin through his passion and death on the cross and we were given new life when the Holy Spirit was infused in us at the time of our baptism.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church 426 has decreed that: “At the heart of catechesis we find, in essence, a Person, the Person of Jesus of Nazareth, the only Son from the Father. . .who suffered and died for us and who now, after rising, is living with us forever.” To catechize is “to reveal in the Person of Christ the whole of God's eternal design reaching fulfillment in that Person. It is to seek to understand the meaning of Christ's actions and words and of the signs worked by him.” Catechesis aims at putting “ people . . . in communion . . . with Jesus Christ: only he can lead us to the love of the Father in the Spirit and make us share in the life of the Holy Trinity.”
Also today we refer to the Holy Scriptures or the Bible as the good news and for good reason because it is in the Sacred Scriptures that come to know the good news in the person of Jesus Christ. The message that the Gospel of Christ proclaims is what makes it distinct from any other publications especially during these times when there is an economic disequilibrium in Europe and the United States, the Gospel or the good news can be likened to a cool breeze that refreshes you.
And in this short Gospel passage, Mark was able to inject at least four very important messages and the evangelist began by quoting Jesus as saying: “The Kingdom of God is near.” (v.15) But his proclamation of the coming of the Kingdom of God and his claim of being the Son of God was what got Jesus into trouble with the religious leaders of his time.
What brought Jesus and the Jews into a collision course was the difference in the way the kingdom was perceived. The Scribes and Pharisees thought Jesus was going to establish a kingdom that would remove the privileges they enjoyed. But Jesus was not thinking of a physical kingdom (Jn 18:36) but a kingdom that was spiritual (Rom 14:17).
The kingdom that Jesus preached was a sovereignty that was without physical boundaries that was to be built in the hearts of men and this was the primary reason why this kingdom still stands today, the church that is populated by men in whose hearts Jesus continues to reign. And in order for this kingdom to last, we who are in it must likewise go into the world and “proclaim the Kingdom of God.” (Lk 9:60)
Jesus is also telling us in this Gospel to repent which is a prerequisite to entering the Kingdom of God. Why? Because no one can be admitted to the Kingdom of God unless we have turned away from sin and have turned back to God, a process that is preceded by “Godly sorrow that brings repentance that leads to salvation” (2 Cor 7:10) and, a transformed life in Christ (2 Cor 5:17). Thus, repentance which literally means living a changed life is an integral part in the proclamation of the Gospel because any preaching that does not include an invitation to repent cannot be considered an authentic Gospel as Paul emphasizes in Acts 20:21, 25.
Following the gospel of repentance, Jesus urges us also to believe the good news (v.15). We need to believe because only then will our faith grow and because it is only in believing that we can be assured of the eternal life that God promised (Jn 3:16).
God made the supreme sacrifice of sending his Son to die on the cross to bring us back to a relationship of peace and friendship with Him and we need to believe that. He is our Father and he wants us to live as his sons and daughters and we need to believe that too. God loved us first and he invites us in love to surrender our lives to him. Why? Because it is only when we empty ourselves of sin that he can fill us with his graces.
And finally, the underlying message in today’s gospel story is that we all need to step up especially in this Year of Faith to take over from where Andrew, Simon, James and John and the rest of the Apostles left off so that there will be a continuing and endless proclamation of the Gospel.
The Gospel of Christ would have no value at all if it is not proclaimed and Jesus is calling on us now to bring the gospel to everyone by being the good news ourselves. He is inviting us to share in the privilege previously enjoyed by the Apostles because God sees something in us that he could use.
But to become a disciple entails a lot of sacrifice as with Andrew, Simon, James and John who left their families to follow Christ. What would propel us to accept Christ’s invitation would be the thought that Jesus found us when we too were lost, and we are now obliged to also seek those who are lost for this is why Jesus came (Lk 19:10).
We must not keep the light of Christ for ourselves because others must also see this light through us “for we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing” (2 Cor 2:15).
BAPTISM OF THE LORD
JAN. 13, 2013: BAPTISM OF THE LORD
1st Reading: Isa 42:1-4, 6-7
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 29:1-4, 3, 9-10 “The Lord will bless his people with peace.”
2nd Reading: Ac 10:34-38
GOSPEL: Lk 3:15-16, 21-22
Key Verse: “You are my son, whom I love” (v.22)
The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord that we are celebrating today officially puts a cap to the Christmas Season but at the same time it also marks the beginning of the public ministry of Jesus to draw all men to God by reconciling “to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” (Col.1:20)
Christ’s baptism is actually his second birth because it gives birth to his earthly ministry, a mission that would end on the cross. In fact, Jesus did not need to be baptized by John the Baptist who called on the people to repent but he asked to be baptized because in doing so Christ had identified himself with humanity.
As we are on the subject of baptism, kindly allow me to guide you to what the Catechism of the Catholic Church says about baptism which incidentally is one of the seven sacraments which the Church refer to as signs of inward grace that was instituted by Christ himself for the sanctification of the believer.
CCC1272 states: “Incorporated into Christ by Baptism, the person baptized is configured to Christ. Baptism seals the Christian with the indelible spiritual mark (character) of his belonging to Christ. No sin can erase this mark, even if sin prevents Baptism from bearing the fruits of salvation.”
And if there is anything in the preceding statement that will give us an idea of our identity as baptized Catholics it can be found in the phrase “configured to Christ” which to me is not only so profound but it provides us with a reference point if we are to unlock the mystery of our nature.
To be configured is to be conformed to the image of Christ which means that as we have all been created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26), God already knew us from the beginning of time and “for those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son” (Rom 8:29).
Our being baptized seals not just our membership in the Catholic Church but it puts an imprint into our souls that we have become “living stones” built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood (1 Pet 2:5). By our Baptism we are given the privilege to share in the priesthood of Christ, in his prophetic and royal mission.
Through Baptism we are initiated to become part of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, that we may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light. Baptism gives us a share in the common priesthood of all believers. (CCC1268)
This particular definition of a baptized Christian was given emphasis by Blessed John Paul II who once told the youth of America “the world needs you because it needs Christ and you belong to Christ.” Which is why there shouldn’t be any doubt in our minds as to our true identity since having become a member of the Church, we have no more ownership of our own selves, but we now belong to him who purchased us with his own blood. (Ac 20:28)
In the same way, the baptism of Jesus not only made him one with us but it was an opportunity for God to formally unveil his plan for the whole of creation. Jesus’s baptism was in fulfillment of the Will of God because at his baptism the heavens were opened and the waters were sanctified by the descent of the Holy Spirit, signifying the beginning of a new creation.
The beauty of the Baptism of Jesus at the Jordan River and to some extent even our own baptism was in the action of the Holy Spirit who empowers Jesus as he begins his earthly ministry. This is the same with us because it is through the Holy Spirit who indwelt in us in our baptism who provides us with the power to plunge into the mission field.
Though we may not be aware of it at the time we were baptized, our parents and godfathers who stood to represent us during our baptism were given candles that reflect our identity as a light to the nations. As ordained by God, we as baptized Christians are to become the light who shines and who will give justice to a world marked by perversity and sin.
With our incorporation into the Body of Christ, our mission should move us outward and not inward as we are called and commanded by Christ to be the salt and light to those around us. Christ wants his love and truth to shine through us so that others may see the goodness and truth of God’s message of salvation.
As the heavens opened as Jesus was being baptized and God said: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased” (v.22) we will also find that heaven will open for us if we will just allow the Holy Spirit to move in us that we may become effective witnesses to bring Christ to the world.
With the Baptism of the Lord putting an end to the Christmas Season, it’s also a symbolism that being baptized means putting an end to our old way of life and it should usher in the beginning of a new way of life. As he began his ministry, Jesus had to leave a comfortable life living in peace in the confines of Joseph’s carpentry shop and stepping into a life marked with rejection and resistance. This is the same with us as it is not always easy to go and evangelize in a relativist society.
We should not, however, lose sight of the fact that in baptism we are not only renewed as the Holy Spirit empowers us and equips us with the grace to continue the mission of Christ and CCC1274 points out that: “the Holy Spirit has marked us with the seal of the Lord (Dominicus character) for the day of redemption.” (Eph 4:30) Baptism indeed is the seal of eternal life.
Our Church assures us that the faithful Christian who has “kept the seal” until the end, remaining faithful to the demands of his Baptism, will be able to depart this life “marked with the sign of faith,” (Roman Missal EP1) with his baptismal faith, in expectation of the blessed vision of God - the consummation of faith - and in the hope of resurrection.
1st Reading: Isa 42:1-4, 6-7
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 29:1-4, 3, 9-10 “The Lord will bless his people with peace.”
2nd Reading: Ac 10:34-38
GOSPEL: Lk 3:15-16, 21-22
Key Verse: “You are my son, whom I love” (v.22)
The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord that we are celebrating today officially puts a cap to the Christmas Season but at the same time it also marks the beginning of the public ministry of Jesus to draw all men to God by reconciling “to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” (Col.1:20)
Christ’s baptism is actually his second birth because it gives birth to his earthly ministry, a mission that would end on the cross. In fact, Jesus did not need to be baptized by John the Baptist who called on the people to repent but he asked to be baptized because in doing so Christ had identified himself with humanity.
As we are on the subject of baptism, kindly allow me to guide you to what the Catechism of the Catholic Church says about baptism which incidentally is one of the seven sacraments which the Church refer to as signs of inward grace that was instituted by Christ himself for the sanctification of the believer.
CCC1272 states: “Incorporated into Christ by Baptism, the person baptized is configured to Christ. Baptism seals the Christian with the indelible spiritual mark (character) of his belonging to Christ. No sin can erase this mark, even if sin prevents Baptism from bearing the fruits of salvation.”
And if there is anything in the preceding statement that will give us an idea of our identity as baptized Catholics it can be found in the phrase “configured to Christ” which to me is not only so profound but it provides us with a reference point if we are to unlock the mystery of our nature.
To be configured is to be conformed to the image of Christ which means that as we have all been created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26), God already knew us from the beginning of time and “for those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son” (Rom 8:29).
Our being baptized seals not just our membership in the Catholic Church but it puts an imprint into our souls that we have become “living stones” built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood (1 Pet 2:5). By our Baptism we are given the privilege to share in the priesthood of Christ, in his prophetic and royal mission.
Through Baptism we are initiated to become part of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, that we may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light. Baptism gives us a share in the common priesthood of all believers. (CCC1268)
This particular definition of a baptized Christian was given emphasis by Blessed John Paul II who once told the youth of America “the world needs you because it needs Christ and you belong to Christ.” Which is why there shouldn’t be any doubt in our minds as to our true identity since having become a member of the Church, we have no more ownership of our own selves, but we now belong to him who purchased us with his own blood. (Ac 20:28)
In the same way, the baptism of Jesus not only made him one with us but it was an opportunity for God to formally unveil his plan for the whole of creation. Jesus’s baptism was in fulfillment of the Will of God because at his baptism the heavens were opened and the waters were sanctified by the descent of the Holy Spirit, signifying the beginning of a new creation.
The beauty of the Baptism of Jesus at the Jordan River and to some extent even our own baptism was in the action of the Holy Spirit who empowers Jesus as he begins his earthly ministry. This is the same with us because it is through the Holy Spirit who indwelt in us in our baptism who provides us with the power to plunge into the mission field.
Though we may not be aware of it at the time we were baptized, our parents and godfathers who stood to represent us during our baptism were given candles that reflect our identity as a light to the nations. As ordained by God, we as baptized Christians are to become the light who shines and who will give justice to a world marked by perversity and sin.
With our incorporation into the Body of Christ, our mission should move us outward and not inward as we are called and commanded by Christ to be the salt and light to those around us. Christ wants his love and truth to shine through us so that others may see the goodness and truth of God’s message of salvation.
As the heavens opened as Jesus was being baptized and God said: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased” (v.22) we will also find that heaven will open for us if we will just allow the Holy Spirit to move in us that we may become effective witnesses to bring Christ to the world.
With the Baptism of the Lord putting an end to the Christmas Season, it’s also a symbolism that being baptized means putting an end to our old way of life and it should usher in the beginning of a new way of life. As he began his ministry, Jesus had to leave a comfortable life living in peace in the confines of Joseph’s carpentry shop and stepping into a life marked with rejection and resistance. This is the same with us as it is not always easy to go and evangelize in a relativist society.
We should not, however, lose sight of the fact that in baptism we are not only renewed as the Holy Spirit empowers us and equips us with the grace to continue the mission of Christ and CCC1274 points out that: “the Holy Spirit has marked us with the seal of the Lord (Dominicus character) for the day of redemption.” (Eph 4:30) Baptism indeed is the seal of eternal life.
Our Church assures us that the faithful Christian who has “kept the seal” until the end, remaining faithful to the demands of his Baptism, will be able to depart this life “marked with the sign of faith,” (Roman Missal EP1) with his baptismal faith, in expectation of the blessed vision of God - the consummation of faith - and in the hope of resurrection.
CHRIST IS THE TRUE JOY
JAN. 12, 2013: SATURDAY AFTER EPIPHANY
1st Reading: 1 Jn 5:14-21
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 149:1-6, 9 “The Lord takes delight in his people.”
Gospel: Jn 3:22-30
Key Verse: “He must increase, I must become less.” (v.30)
“You are not here by accident. You are here because God has a plan for you.” Aren’t these phrases familiar? Didn’t we come across this message before in the homily of the priest in one of the masses we attended or from a speaker or preacher in the recollection, retreat or spiritual seminar that we went to?
Indeed, no one is born into this world without a purpose and people expend their energies trying to find their relevance and many are driven to believe that to succeed is the be all and the end all in life, that their personal comfort is inextricably tied to the accumulation of wealth.
In today’s post-modern world, personal success has become the goal of almost everyone and this includes having a wife, to have children and, to have a happy home life. That to them is what joy is all about. For some, it could be social success they are after – to have as many friends in high places. In other words, the feeling of belongingness fills many of the people today especially among the youth who think that being popular can bring them success and happiness.
The question is if financial and social success are what bring joy to those who seek them why is it that we still hear of couples falling out of love, of kids getting hooked on illegal substances, of broken homes, extra-marital affairs. We also hear of businessmen losing almost everything on failed investments or getting victimized by pyramiding scams, ponzi schemes and it leads us to wonder what drives them to want more when they already have everything in life.
And the only plausible explanation is that they may have discovered that whatever they possess and have achieved was not the kind that would bring them true joy, the kind of joy that will never last. So the question we will probably ask ourselves is what then is true joy?
This brings us to our Gospel passage today (Jn 3:22-30) and we see in Jesus Christ and John the Baptist the picture of what true joy represents. Both came from humble beginnings with John retreating to the wilderness where he clothed himself with animal skin and would feed on locusts and honey while Jesus though he was a King would be born in a manger.
Neither had financial or social success. John only had a few disciples who was with him as he baptized the people and pointed to Jesus as the Messiah. Jesus also had very few friends and even those who followed him and were known to be his friends have abandoned him in the time of his greatest need in Calvary. But what then was it that gave them true joy?
For John the Baptist it was the acceptance of who he was and throughout his ministry John never even for once arrogated unto himself the title of the Messiah or even Elijah for that matter. John was perfectly comfortable being the herald whose task was merely to point the people to Christ. He was happy just being the friend of the bridegroom and in putting Jesus ahead of him.
And for Jesus, his joy was anchored on his relationship with God the Father – a relationship that was founded on humility and obedience and on the knowledge that God rejoices over his complete subservience to the Father’s Will: “As the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you (Isa 62:5).”
This kind of humility that we find in John the Baptist is now rarely seen in the community and ministries and his sterling character is what many spiritual organizations need. How many of us do you think can bravely say: “He must become greater, I must become less.” (v.30) Wouldn’t this be an unorthodox thing to do nowadays when everyone is stepping on everyone’s toes to go higher in the ladder of success?
If only our parishioners, members of mandated organizations, charismatic communities will clothe themselves with the humility of John the Baptist who was content in doing what he was deigned to do, then our world will be rid of egotistical personalities, credit-grabbers, and those who do things to be seen and be popular. Our parishes and communities will see less of those who seek positions of leadership instead of letting the position seek them.
The problem with us is that our search for the true joy that never lasts is clouded by the ephemeral happiness and at times we have become bigger than the God that we seek. An African preacher once said: “You can’t place a load on a running donkey.” How true indeed and in our search for the true joy, we need to stop and spend some time with Jesus Christ just like what John the Baptist did in the wilderness and what Jesus did in the desert for 40 days.
In the middle of next month (February 13) will be Ash Wednesday that will again usher in the Lenten Season. It would be a good idea to spend this weekend in retrospect and discern where we are now in terms of our relationship with Our Lord.
Instead of rushing to your favorite malls and savoring your favorite gelato flavor, it would help in your search for that true joy by spending this weekend going through the Four Gospels and by using imagery try to get into the pages of the Sacred Scriptures itself and reflect on what it was like in those days.
Try walking with Jesus along the shores of Galilee with his other Disciples. Feel what it was like sitting at the foot of Mt. Eresmus listening to the Sermon on the Mount. Imagine yourself to be one of the 5,000 at Bethsaida Galilee when Jesus multiplied the five loaves and two fish. Put yourself at the Upper Room when the first Eucharist was celebrated. And how would you feel if you were there at the foot of the cross when Jesus who was sent to redeem you was crucified?
Such is necessary because it is only in knowing what Our Lord did and the sacrifices he went through and endured to ransom us from our sinful nature that true joy fills us especially when we humble ourselves and accept that we are just friends of the bridegroom who waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice (v.29)
When that happens, that will be the time when we can say “He must increase, I must decrease.” (v.30) because nothing else can make up for the joy that we will have in Christ. Like John the Baptist, our purpose in life is to fix our gaze on Christ and find ourselves being transformed from glory to glory in Christ Jesus. That is what true joy is.
1st Reading: 1 Jn 5:14-21
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 149:1-6, 9 “The Lord takes delight in his people.”
Gospel: Jn 3:22-30
Key Verse: “He must increase, I must become less.” (v.30)
“You are not here by accident. You are here because God has a plan for you.” Aren’t these phrases familiar? Didn’t we come across this message before in the homily of the priest in one of the masses we attended or from a speaker or preacher in the recollection, retreat or spiritual seminar that we went to?
Indeed, no one is born into this world without a purpose and people expend their energies trying to find their relevance and many are driven to believe that to succeed is the be all and the end all in life, that their personal comfort is inextricably tied to the accumulation of wealth.
In today’s post-modern world, personal success has become the goal of almost everyone and this includes having a wife, to have children and, to have a happy home life. That to them is what joy is all about. For some, it could be social success they are after – to have as many friends in high places. In other words, the feeling of belongingness fills many of the people today especially among the youth who think that being popular can bring them success and happiness.
The question is if financial and social success are what bring joy to those who seek them why is it that we still hear of couples falling out of love, of kids getting hooked on illegal substances, of broken homes, extra-marital affairs. We also hear of businessmen losing almost everything on failed investments or getting victimized by pyramiding scams, ponzi schemes and it leads us to wonder what drives them to want more when they already have everything in life.
And the only plausible explanation is that they may have discovered that whatever they possess and have achieved was not the kind that would bring them true joy, the kind of joy that will never last. So the question we will probably ask ourselves is what then is true joy?
This brings us to our Gospel passage today (Jn 3:22-30) and we see in Jesus Christ and John the Baptist the picture of what true joy represents. Both came from humble beginnings with John retreating to the wilderness where he clothed himself with animal skin and would feed on locusts and honey while Jesus though he was a King would be born in a manger.
Neither had financial or social success. John only had a few disciples who was with him as he baptized the people and pointed to Jesus as the Messiah. Jesus also had very few friends and even those who followed him and were known to be his friends have abandoned him in the time of his greatest need in Calvary. But what then was it that gave them true joy?
For John the Baptist it was the acceptance of who he was and throughout his ministry John never even for once arrogated unto himself the title of the Messiah or even Elijah for that matter. John was perfectly comfortable being the herald whose task was merely to point the people to Christ. He was happy just being the friend of the bridegroom and in putting Jesus ahead of him.
And for Jesus, his joy was anchored on his relationship with God the Father – a relationship that was founded on humility and obedience and on the knowledge that God rejoices over his complete subservience to the Father’s Will: “As the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you (Isa 62:5).”
This kind of humility that we find in John the Baptist is now rarely seen in the community and ministries and his sterling character is what many spiritual organizations need. How many of us do you think can bravely say: “He must become greater, I must become less.” (v.30) Wouldn’t this be an unorthodox thing to do nowadays when everyone is stepping on everyone’s toes to go higher in the ladder of success?
If only our parishioners, members of mandated organizations, charismatic communities will clothe themselves with the humility of John the Baptist who was content in doing what he was deigned to do, then our world will be rid of egotistical personalities, credit-grabbers, and those who do things to be seen and be popular. Our parishes and communities will see less of those who seek positions of leadership instead of letting the position seek them.
The problem with us is that our search for the true joy that never lasts is clouded by the ephemeral happiness and at times we have become bigger than the God that we seek. An African preacher once said: “You can’t place a load on a running donkey.” How true indeed and in our search for the true joy, we need to stop and spend some time with Jesus Christ just like what John the Baptist did in the wilderness and what Jesus did in the desert for 40 days.
In the middle of next month (February 13) will be Ash Wednesday that will again usher in the Lenten Season. It would be a good idea to spend this weekend in retrospect and discern where we are now in terms of our relationship with Our Lord.
Instead of rushing to your favorite malls and savoring your favorite gelato flavor, it would help in your search for that true joy by spending this weekend going through the Four Gospels and by using imagery try to get into the pages of the Sacred Scriptures itself and reflect on what it was like in those days.
Try walking with Jesus along the shores of Galilee with his other Disciples. Feel what it was like sitting at the foot of Mt. Eresmus listening to the Sermon on the Mount. Imagine yourself to be one of the 5,000 at Bethsaida Galilee when Jesus multiplied the five loaves and two fish. Put yourself at the Upper Room when the first Eucharist was celebrated. And how would you feel if you were there at the foot of the cross when Jesus who was sent to redeem you was crucified?
Such is necessary because it is only in knowing what Our Lord did and the sacrifices he went through and endured to ransom us from our sinful nature that true joy fills us especially when we humble ourselves and accept that we are just friends of the bridegroom who waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice (v.29)
When that happens, that will be the time when we can say “He must increase, I must decrease.” (v.30) because nothing else can make up for the joy that we will have in Christ. Like John the Baptist, our purpose in life is to fix our gaze on Christ and find ourselves being transformed from glory to glory in Christ Jesus. That is what true joy is.
TOUCHING THE UNTOUCHABLE
JAN. 11, 2013: FRIDAY AFTER EPIPHANY
1st Reading: 1 Jn 5:5-13
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 147:12-15, 19-20 “Praise the Lord Jerusalem.”
GOSPEL: Lk 5:12-16
Key Verse: “I am willing, be clean!” (v.13)
One of the reasons why the Scribes, Pharisees and the other religious leaders of Israel ostracized and rejected Jesus was because of the many times that he went against established practices and tradition in the pursuit of his ministry such as when his disciples did not wash their hands before they ate (Mt 15:2) and again when his disciples plucked the ear of the corn on the Sabbath (Mk2:23).
And today we see Jesus going against the religious beliefs that bars Jews from even getting near a person afflicted with leprosy much more touch a leper-stricken person who at that time was considered an unclean person and anyone who associates with a leper is also deemed unclean and will to go through an elaborate cleansing process in order for them to be declared clean again.
At that time, leprosy was described as a chronic, highly infectious and incurable skin disease and those suffering from it are cast out from society. Today this dreaded disease has already been controlled if not eliminated. Unfortunately, however, this skin disease has been replaced with an even more deadlier kind of disease – the Acute Immune Deficiency Syndrome – and like the lepers in the time of Jesus, those who have been tested positive for AIDS today are not only rejected but they are avoided like a plague.
Because they are declared as unclean, no one in the time of Jesus was supposed to touch them but Jesus would not let the religious practices to stand in the way of what was more important which was the healing of the leper. Because it was incurable, people afflicted with leprosy then could only hope for divine intervention.
And Jesus knew this so that when the leper prostrated before him saying: “Lord if you are willing you can make me clean.” (v.12) Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man saying: “I am willing, be clean!” (v.13) This Gospel scenario was not only a dramatic picture of the compassion of Jesus towards the outcasts of society but it provides us with a lesson that we too as disciples should not, in any circumstances, turn away anyone who comes to us for help.
As with the leper who gathered all the courage to go to Jesus, this passage also reminds us to set aside our fears, doubts and most of all our pride to come to Jesus when our lives do not turn the way we expect or as they say when the chips are down because Jesus is one person who will not turn his back on those who are in need. We may not be afflicted with leprosy or AIDS but just like these diseases, sin also disfigures our nature and character. Arrogance, pride, self-aggrandizement, graft and corruption are like dreaded diseases that blocks the flow of Grace and which can only be healed by God.
This was what this Gospel was all about. As the people then turned their backs on those they regarded as outcasts such as those afflicted with leprosy, Jesus showed what compassion was all about when he touched and healed the leper who came to him.
Lepers in those days were not only shunned but regarded as “already dead” even by their relatives and the Jewish law forbade anyone from touching or approaching a leper and those who do will have to go through a ritual to cleanse them of their having been defiled.
What was remarkable in this passage was that the leper came to Jesus and with humility and confidence asked the Lord to heal him and make him whole again. Normally a leper would be stoned or at least driven away if he tried to come near a rabbi but Jesus not only grants the man his request, but he also demonstrated the personal love, compassion, and tenderness of God in his physical touch.
This is also how Jesus looks at us. Our Lord Jesus is more than ready to heal us and deliver us from fear, prejudice, and anxiety that may be keeping us from approaching others with selfless love and concern for their welfare. Paul tells us that: “God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us.” (Rom 5:5). Indeed, it is the Holy Spirit that actually sets us free to love as God loves – with mercy, kindness, goodness, and compassionate care.
For all intents and purposes, this passage should lead us to look into our lives and see how we treat our neighbors especially those whom society has rejected, mistreated, and or left to their own miseries. Do we approach them with the same love and compassion that Christ did in this passage? How have we been living our lives? Do we persist in sinning, emboldened by the idea that God is a forgiving God? And not to help those in need is a sin.
What leprosy does to the body, sin does to the soul because sin disfigures the image of God in us. Without the forgiveness of God, sin will sink us deeper into slavery until “nothing good lives in us” (Rom 7:18). Worst, our sin “have separated us from our God” (Isa 59:2). And this separation from the source of joy and peace will eventually lead us to death “for the wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23).
Thus we can draw inspiration from what the leper did as he went to Jesus in humble reverence, kneeling and saying “if you are willing, you can make me clean” (v.12) and Jesus filled with compassion touched the leper saying “I am willing, be clean” (v.13).
Though we may not be suffering from leprosy in the physical sense, we will find ourselves in the same situation as the leper as we bear the pain of spiritual disfigurement and our separation from God and the Church because sin blocks the flow of grace into our lives.
But the real value of a person is not what people see but what God sees. In other words, God will not give up on us regardless of the sin that we have committed because even if sin may have disfigured, distorted and or have deformed the image of God in us (Gen 1:26), God will restore us into the fullness of his love “as we are baptized into his death. Just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” (Rom 6:3-4).
Regardless of what sin may have done to our nature, God who is compassionate will forgive us as only he can. Like the leper, all that Jesus will do is he will touch us and deliver us from all the things that make us unclean. This assurance is in this Gospel itself as we see Jesus defying tradition to reach out to the man and touched him.
What this Gospel shows us was that Jesus will not turn away anyone regardless of how sinful they may be for as long as the element of humility and reverence is present as was in the case of the leper in this story. This Gospel passage serves as a fitting reminder for all of us that without Christ we will remain in the same wretched state we were in before Christ came and touched us as he did to the leper.
1st Reading: 1 Jn 5:5-13
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 147:12-15, 19-20 “Praise the Lord Jerusalem.”
GOSPEL: Lk 5:12-16
Key Verse: “I am willing, be clean!” (v.13)
One of the reasons why the Scribes, Pharisees and the other religious leaders of Israel ostracized and rejected Jesus was because of the many times that he went against established practices and tradition in the pursuit of his ministry such as when his disciples did not wash their hands before they ate (Mt 15:2) and again when his disciples plucked the ear of the corn on the Sabbath (Mk2:23).
And today we see Jesus going against the religious beliefs that bars Jews from even getting near a person afflicted with leprosy much more touch a leper-stricken person who at that time was considered an unclean person and anyone who associates with a leper is also deemed unclean and will to go through an elaborate cleansing process in order for them to be declared clean again.
At that time, leprosy was described as a chronic, highly infectious and incurable skin disease and those suffering from it are cast out from society. Today this dreaded disease has already been controlled if not eliminated. Unfortunately, however, this skin disease has been replaced with an even more deadlier kind of disease – the Acute Immune Deficiency Syndrome – and like the lepers in the time of Jesus, those who have been tested positive for AIDS today are not only rejected but they are avoided like a plague.
Because they are declared as unclean, no one in the time of Jesus was supposed to touch them but Jesus would not let the religious practices to stand in the way of what was more important which was the healing of the leper. Because it was incurable, people afflicted with leprosy then could only hope for divine intervention.
And Jesus knew this so that when the leper prostrated before him saying: “Lord if you are willing you can make me clean.” (v.12) Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man saying: “I am willing, be clean!” (v.13) This Gospel scenario was not only a dramatic picture of the compassion of Jesus towards the outcasts of society but it provides us with a lesson that we too as disciples should not, in any circumstances, turn away anyone who comes to us for help.
As with the leper who gathered all the courage to go to Jesus, this passage also reminds us to set aside our fears, doubts and most of all our pride to come to Jesus when our lives do not turn the way we expect or as they say when the chips are down because Jesus is one person who will not turn his back on those who are in need. We may not be afflicted with leprosy or AIDS but just like these diseases, sin also disfigures our nature and character. Arrogance, pride, self-aggrandizement, graft and corruption are like dreaded diseases that blocks the flow of Grace and which can only be healed by God.
This was what this Gospel was all about. As the people then turned their backs on those they regarded as outcasts such as those afflicted with leprosy, Jesus showed what compassion was all about when he touched and healed the leper who came to him.
Lepers in those days were not only shunned but regarded as “already dead” even by their relatives and the Jewish law forbade anyone from touching or approaching a leper and those who do will have to go through a ritual to cleanse them of their having been defiled.
What was remarkable in this passage was that the leper came to Jesus and with humility and confidence asked the Lord to heal him and make him whole again. Normally a leper would be stoned or at least driven away if he tried to come near a rabbi but Jesus not only grants the man his request, but he also demonstrated the personal love, compassion, and tenderness of God in his physical touch.
This is also how Jesus looks at us. Our Lord Jesus is more than ready to heal us and deliver us from fear, prejudice, and anxiety that may be keeping us from approaching others with selfless love and concern for their welfare. Paul tells us that: “God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us.” (Rom 5:5). Indeed, it is the Holy Spirit that actually sets us free to love as God loves – with mercy, kindness, goodness, and compassionate care.
For all intents and purposes, this passage should lead us to look into our lives and see how we treat our neighbors especially those whom society has rejected, mistreated, and or left to their own miseries. Do we approach them with the same love and compassion that Christ did in this passage? How have we been living our lives? Do we persist in sinning, emboldened by the idea that God is a forgiving God? And not to help those in need is a sin.
What leprosy does to the body, sin does to the soul because sin disfigures the image of God in us. Without the forgiveness of God, sin will sink us deeper into slavery until “nothing good lives in us” (Rom 7:18). Worst, our sin “have separated us from our God” (Isa 59:2). And this separation from the source of joy and peace will eventually lead us to death “for the wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23).
Thus we can draw inspiration from what the leper did as he went to Jesus in humble reverence, kneeling and saying “if you are willing, you can make me clean” (v.12) and Jesus filled with compassion touched the leper saying “I am willing, be clean” (v.13).
Though we may not be suffering from leprosy in the physical sense, we will find ourselves in the same situation as the leper as we bear the pain of spiritual disfigurement and our separation from God and the Church because sin blocks the flow of grace into our lives.
But the real value of a person is not what people see but what God sees. In other words, God will not give up on us regardless of the sin that we have committed because even if sin may have disfigured, distorted and or have deformed the image of God in us (Gen 1:26), God will restore us into the fullness of his love “as we are baptized into his death. Just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” (Rom 6:3-4).
Regardless of what sin may have done to our nature, God who is compassionate will forgive us as only he can. Like the leper, all that Jesus will do is he will touch us and deliver us from all the things that make us unclean. This assurance is in this Gospel itself as we see Jesus defying tradition to reach out to the man and touched him.
What this Gospel shows us was that Jesus will not turn away anyone regardless of how sinful they may be for as long as the element of humility and reverence is present as was in the case of the leper in this story. This Gospel passage serves as a fitting reminder for all of us that without Christ we will remain in the same wretched state we were in before Christ came and touched us as he did to the leper.
HIS MISSION IS OUR MISSION TOO
JAN. 10, 2013: THURSDAY AFTER EPIPHANY
1st Reading: 1 Jn 4:19-5:4
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 72:1-2, 14-15, 17 "Lord, every nation on earth will adore you."
GOSPEL: Lk 4:14-22
Key Verse: “..to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (v.19)
It would be much easier to understand the message in today’s Gospel reading if we are to look at the minute details that are sometimes ignored when we go through a narrative as those who gather for a regular Bible Reflection (Bi-Ref), Living Word Group (LWG) or Word Sharing Circle (WSC) as most if not all will normally search for words and verses they refer to as their “struck” which will become the point of their reflection and sharing.
In our continuing formation we have been told that the New Testament was the fulfillment of the Old Testament and we take as an example the words of Jesus when he said: “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (v.21) What Jesus meant was that the prophecy he read from the scroll on which the prophecy of Isaiah was written (Isa 61:1-2) like the other main prophecies in the Old Testament, actually refers to Him and finds its fulfillment in Him (Lk 24:44).
This is why the Old Testament can only be rightly understood in the light of the New Testament as when Christ opened the minds of his disciples that may be able to understand the Scriptures (Lk 24:45), and their capacity to fully understand what Jesus taught them was perfected when the Holy Spirit filled them on the day of Pentecost.
Again this is getting ahead of the story so let me first guide you through the predicate because this is such a beautiful Gospel passage that it will actually provide us with a clearer understanding of the mission of Jesus and its relevance to the purpose for which we have been created.
What you will also see from this passage was not only the relationship of Jesus with God but the beginning of the Gospel itself clearly establishes the nature and character of Jesus as the incarnate Son of God who “returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit” (v.14) and who was sent to set us free from the slavery to sin and the fear of death and, the eternal destruction of both our body and soul.
This passage in fact ushers in the first foray of Jesus into his earthly ministry and coming out of the temptation in the desert his choice of where to start was crucial. That he began in Galilee was relevant and even more significant was when he went to his native town in Nazareth because it was here in the surrounding areas that the history of Israel was etched.
Normally the head of the synagogue would ask someone well versed in the Scriptures to speak at the synagogue but traveling Rabbis as was in the case of Jesus could also volunteer and ask for the honor to speak and as Jesus finished reading from Isa 61:1-2 he handed back the scroll and sat down (v.20) and we may think he was finished but the truth was that he was just about to begin with his teaching as Rabbis normally teach in the synagogue sitting down.
When Jesus said: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor.” (v.18) he merely gave his listeners a panoramic view of the mission entrusted to him by God the Father. This also forms part of the blessings that God had promised to send to the Israelites through the Messiah who has been prophesied but whom the Jews did not readily recognize.
And this mission of Jesus to bring the good news to the poor which he has passed on to us is anchored on what John said in the 1st reading: “If anyone says, ‘I love God’ but hates is brother he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.” (1 Jn 4:19) This becomes relevant because it would utterly be difficult for anyone following Christ to bring the good news to the poor if has no love for others.
Conversely, as Christ came to deliver us from our own spiritual blindness that hinders our view of the eternal kingdom we too are now mandated to share what we have seen and experienced with others primary of which is the need to lead others to a deliverance from sin by leading them to accept Jesus Christ as their savior and redeemer.
This is necessary because sin creates the evil that takes control of our lives and blinds those who wallow in sin and this hampers a person from enjoying true peace which is not just the absence of conflict but true peace is a state in which a person enjoys the benefits of a restored relationship with God.
What Jesus read from the scroll was a reflection of the objective of his mission and that was to ransom us from our sinful nature and we who now comprise the Church are to embrace this same objective to make it own as we pursue this mission that precedes from Christ: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and I am with you always, to the close of the age.” (Mt 28:19-20)
This final instruction of Jesus provides us with our objective as we put meaning into the thrust of the Church towards a New Evangelization especially in this Year of Faith which is to preach the truths of faith stressing the need for a sacramental life and, the promise of Christ's blessings to His Church in the context of Lk 4:18-19.
We cannot be faithful to our Lord if we neglect our duty to receive instructions in Christian faith and morality and share these teachings with others as well as our frequent reception of the Sacraments. And we can only help in carrying out the mandate of the Church to bring back those who have been baptized but have not been practicing their Christian faith if we ourselves remain faithful to Christ and his teachings.
And in our pursuit of our mission, let us depart from any secular theories that tries to unify the original mandate of the Church with those of earthly institutions such as those existing in a corporate setup thus distorting its meaning and substance into something similar to that of a temporal society.
Let us therefore cooperate with the Holy Spirit who moves in us and inspires us to follow after Jesus who quoting from Isaiah said his mission was “to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (v.19) by helping lead others to a turn back to God and yield their lives to him. The year of the Lord’s favor happens when we turn away from our sinful nature and accept God as our personal Lord and Savior.
When that happens either in our own faith experience or with others to whom we shared the good news then that is the time when we can rightly say: “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (v.21)
1st Reading: 1 Jn 4:19-5:4
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 72:1-2, 14-15, 17 "Lord, every nation on earth will adore you."
GOSPEL: Lk 4:14-22
Key Verse: “..to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (v.19)
It would be much easier to understand the message in today’s Gospel reading if we are to look at the minute details that are sometimes ignored when we go through a narrative as those who gather for a regular Bible Reflection (Bi-Ref), Living Word Group (LWG) or Word Sharing Circle (WSC) as most if not all will normally search for words and verses they refer to as their “struck” which will become the point of their reflection and sharing.
In our continuing formation we have been told that the New Testament was the fulfillment of the Old Testament and we take as an example the words of Jesus when he said: “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (v.21) What Jesus meant was that the prophecy he read from the scroll on which the prophecy of Isaiah was written (Isa 61:1-2) like the other main prophecies in the Old Testament, actually refers to Him and finds its fulfillment in Him (Lk 24:44).
This is why the Old Testament can only be rightly understood in the light of the New Testament as when Christ opened the minds of his disciples that may be able to understand the Scriptures (Lk 24:45), and their capacity to fully understand what Jesus taught them was perfected when the Holy Spirit filled them on the day of Pentecost.
Again this is getting ahead of the story so let me first guide you through the predicate because this is such a beautiful Gospel passage that it will actually provide us with a clearer understanding of the mission of Jesus and its relevance to the purpose for which we have been created.
What you will also see from this passage was not only the relationship of Jesus with God but the beginning of the Gospel itself clearly establishes the nature and character of Jesus as the incarnate Son of God who “returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit” (v.14) and who was sent to set us free from the slavery to sin and the fear of death and, the eternal destruction of both our body and soul.
This passage in fact ushers in the first foray of Jesus into his earthly ministry and coming out of the temptation in the desert his choice of where to start was crucial. That he began in Galilee was relevant and even more significant was when he went to his native town in Nazareth because it was here in the surrounding areas that the history of Israel was etched.
Normally the head of the synagogue would ask someone well versed in the Scriptures to speak at the synagogue but traveling Rabbis as was in the case of Jesus could also volunteer and ask for the honor to speak and as Jesus finished reading from Isa 61:1-2 he handed back the scroll and sat down (v.20) and we may think he was finished but the truth was that he was just about to begin with his teaching as Rabbis normally teach in the synagogue sitting down.
When Jesus said: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor.” (v.18) he merely gave his listeners a panoramic view of the mission entrusted to him by God the Father. This also forms part of the blessings that God had promised to send to the Israelites through the Messiah who has been prophesied but whom the Jews did not readily recognize.
And this mission of Jesus to bring the good news to the poor which he has passed on to us is anchored on what John said in the 1st reading: “If anyone says, ‘I love God’ but hates is brother he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.” (1 Jn 4:19) This becomes relevant because it would utterly be difficult for anyone following Christ to bring the good news to the poor if has no love for others.
Conversely, as Christ came to deliver us from our own spiritual blindness that hinders our view of the eternal kingdom we too are now mandated to share what we have seen and experienced with others primary of which is the need to lead others to a deliverance from sin by leading them to accept Jesus Christ as their savior and redeemer.
This is necessary because sin creates the evil that takes control of our lives and blinds those who wallow in sin and this hampers a person from enjoying true peace which is not just the absence of conflict but true peace is a state in which a person enjoys the benefits of a restored relationship with God.
What Jesus read from the scroll was a reflection of the objective of his mission and that was to ransom us from our sinful nature and we who now comprise the Church are to embrace this same objective to make it own as we pursue this mission that precedes from Christ: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and I am with you always, to the close of the age.” (Mt 28:19-20)
This final instruction of Jesus provides us with our objective as we put meaning into the thrust of the Church towards a New Evangelization especially in this Year of Faith which is to preach the truths of faith stressing the need for a sacramental life and, the promise of Christ's blessings to His Church in the context of Lk 4:18-19.
We cannot be faithful to our Lord if we neglect our duty to receive instructions in Christian faith and morality and share these teachings with others as well as our frequent reception of the Sacraments. And we can only help in carrying out the mandate of the Church to bring back those who have been baptized but have not been practicing their Christian faith if we ourselves remain faithful to Christ and his teachings.
And in our pursuit of our mission, let us depart from any secular theories that tries to unify the original mandate of the Church with those of earthly institutions such as those existing in a corporate setup thus distorting its meaning and substance into something similar to that of a temporal society.
Let us therefore cooperate with the Holy Spirit who moves in us and inspires us to follow after Jesus who quoting from Isaiah said his mission was “to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (v.19) by helping lead others to a turn back to God and yield their lives to him. The year of the Lord’s favor happens when we turn away from our sinful nature and accept God as our personal Lord and Savior.
When that happens either in our own faith experience or with others to whom we shared the good news then that is the time when we can rightly say: “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (v.21)
JESUS OUR CALMING BALM
JAN. 9, 2013: WEDNESDAY AFTER EPIPHANY
1st Reading: 1 Jn 4:11-18
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 72:1-2, 10, 12-13 “Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.”
GOSPEL: Mk 6:45-52
Key Verse: “It is I, don’t be afraid.” (v.50)
In Pro 9:10 it says: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Those who have taken up psychology will tell you that their study of fear shows that it is a reaction to uncertainty, a response to physical and emotional situations and that it is also a natural response that moves both humans and animals into action to protect themselves from legitimate threats.
What Solomon wrote in Proverbs that wisdom was the effect generated by man’s fear of the Lord is actually a message for all of us that we too must have to feel that same kind of fear in order for the gift of wisdom to become operable in our lives.
Unfortunately, there are many things that people fear. They fear about losing their jobs amidst the fiscal cliff that may throw the economy into a recession. Some have a fear of death and of getting sick. Still some fear about not having food on their table and, there are those who fear just about anything in today’s post-modern world.
Fear also gripped the Apostles of Jesus who were terrified when the strong winds they encountered tossed their boat from side to side until Jesus caught sight of them and when he got into the boat the wind sank, meaning the wind for one reason or another stopped blowing.
There is a distinct parallelism in this passage and the strong wind that buffeted the boat with the Apostles with our own lives for there are many times when we too have to face fear as we confront these storms of life that pass us by.
And in order for us to weather these storms, there is a need for us to identify these strong winds. What are these? How are these winds affecting our lives and our relationship with God. Our failure to identify these storms of life will not only put us at a disadvantage in terms of our relationship with God but it may also prove difficult for anyone helping us to weather these storms especially if we cannot qualify the storms in our lives. In the same way, it will also be next to impossible for us to remove our fear if we don’t know where it is coming from.
Could these strong winds be - failed relationships? failed business transactions? addiction, alcoholism and drug addition? unemployment? debt burdens? excessive smoking? different forms of temptations? gambling? loss of a love one? disappointments and sorrows that we experience? swindled? turmoil in the family? terminal disease? There are many more that cause an imbalance in our day-to-day living and we give in to fear when we don’t know how to confront them.
When faced with such enormous problems in life, the only alternative is to call on Our God who made heaven and earth. The same God who will find himself being welcomed like a royalty as he enters Jerusalem, his popularity and credentials preceding him and yet 24 hours later, the same Jesus who was welcomed like a hero stood like a criminal before the Sanhedrin, Sadducees, and the Pharisees.
It is important that we qualify which of the storms of life tend to overwhelm us so that when Jesus comes into our lives and provides us the balance that we need, he will do so in accord with our need.
In our life the winds that we experience normally blow against our faces and many times we experience difficulty moving on. There are struggles we need to overcome and it is during these times that we can invite Jesus to come into our lives because when he does, the winds that we face will sink as with the storm the Apostles faced.
And to call on Jesus we need to bring to him the so-called specifics meaning we have to tell Jesus the type of wind we are encountering and what causes fear in us because Jesus is not a generic God whom we can ask for just about anything that we want. But the one definite message behind this passage was that Jesus will come when we ask for his help and he will as much calm the storms of life that we face.
And we can draw the picture of the character of Jesus who will never let any believer down in the way that he kept Peter from sinking into the water. And this is basically what we should all do when faced with the same situation as that of Peter (Mt 14:31).
In times when we imagine ourselves standing on the ledge of a 30-storey building, on a cliff without anything to hold on to, or when we feel like we are being swept by a strong undercurrent and we are possessed by fear, all we have to do is to cling to Jesus because he is the only one who could put stability into our lives.
But when we call on Jesus to save us from sinking, remember too that we are also being called to take stock of our own lives for these winds or storms that we face may also be of our own making as these storms may have been caused by the untruthful life that we live.
The words of Jesus in Matt 7:21 “No everyone who calls me Lord, Lord will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only he who does the Will of my Father who is in heaven.”
In other words, there may also be no need for us to call on Jesus to help us face the winds that we face in our lives if we will only heed his words that the Kingdom of Heaven is reserved only for those who will respond positively to the Will of the Father in heaven.
And this was what Jesus liked with Peter who never let go of the hand of Jesus each time he fell and in all likelihood, it could be these failures of Peter and his undying loyalty to Jesus that brought him closer to Christ. As it was said, a saint is a man who rises up and moves on each time he fails. And this is what the Lord expects from us – a heart like that of the Apostles who feared the storm but who remain anchored on their faith in Jesus.
When we keep our faith in Jesus and when we hold on to Him and not let go of his hand during these storms of life that we face, we are assured of one thing – Jesus can work in us in such a way that we can all become a Community of disciples inspired by the Holy Spirit, to be living witnesses for transformation in Christ to bring about a world of justice, human development and true peace.
1st Reading: 1 Jn 4:11-18
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 72:1-2, 10, 12-13 “Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.”
GOSPEL: Mk 6:45-52
Key Verse: “It is I, don’t be afraid.” (v.50)
In Pro 9:10 it says: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Those who have taken up psychology will tell you that their study of fear shows that it is a reaction to uncertainty, a response to physical and emotional situations and that it is also a natural response that moves both humans and animals into action to protect themselves from legitimate threats.
What Solomon wrote in Proverbs that wisdom was the effect generated by man’s fear of the Lord is actually a message for all of us that we too must have to feel that same kind of fear in order for the gift of wisdom to become operable in our lives.
Unfortunately, there are many things that people fear. They fear about losing their jobs amidst the fiscal cliff that may throw the economy into a recession. Some have a fear of death and of getting sick. Still some fear about not having food on their table and, there are those who fear just about anything in today’s post-modern world.
Fear also gripped the Apostles of Jesus who were terrified when the strong winds they encountered tossed their boat from side to side until Jesus caught sight of them and when he got into the boat the wind sank, meaning the wind for one reason or another stopped blowing.
There is a distinct parallelism in this passage and the strong wind that buffeted the boat with the Apostles with our own lives for there are many times when we too have to face fear as we confront these storms of life that pass us by.
And in order for us to weather these storms, there is a need for us to identify these strong winds. What are these? How are these winds affecting our lives and our relationship with God. Our failure to identify these storms of life will not only put us at a disadvantage in terms of our relationship with God but it may also prove difficult for anyone helping us to weather these storms especially if we cannot qualify the storms in our lives. In the same way, it will also be next to impossible for us to remove our fear if we don’t know where it is coming from.
Could these strong winds be - failed relationships? failed business transactions? addiction, alcoholism and drug addition? unemployment? debt burdens? excessive smoking? different forms of temptations? gambling? loss of a love one? disappointments and sorrows that we experience? swindled? turmoil in the family? terminal disease? There are many more that cause an imbalance in our day-to-day living and we give in to fear when we don’t know how to confront them.
When faced with such enormous problems in life, the only alternative is to call on Our God who made heaven and earth. The same God who will find himself being welcomed like a royalty as he enters Jerusalem, his popularity and credentials preceding him and yet 24 hours later, the same Jesus who was welcomed like a hero stood like a criminal before the Sanhedrin, Sadducees, and the Pharisees.
It is important that we qualify which of the storms of life tend to overwhelm us so that when Jesus comes into our lives and provides us the balance that we need, he will do so in accord with our need.
In our life the winds that we experience normally blow against our faces and many times we experience difficulty moving on. There are struggles we need to overcome and it is during these times that we can invite Jesus to come into our lives because when he does, the winds that we face will sink as with the storm the Apostles faced.
And to call on Jesus we need to bring to him the so-called specifics meaning we have to tell Jesus the type of wind we are encountering and what causes fear in us because Jesus is not a generic God whom we can ask for just about anything that we want. But the one definite message behind this passage was that Jesus will come when we ask for his help and he will as much calm the storms of life that we face.
And we can draw the picture of the character of Jesus who will never let any believer down in the way that he kept Peter from sinking into the water. And this is basically what we should all do when faced with the same situation as that of Peter (Mt 14:31).
In times when we imagine ourselves standing on the ledge of a 30-storey building, on a cliff without anything to hold on to, or when we feel like we are being swept by a strong undercurrent and we are possessed by fear, all we have to do is to cling to Jesus because he is the only one who could put stability into our lives.
But when we call on Jesus to save us from sinking, remember too that we are also being called to take stock of our own lives for these winds or storms that we face may also be of our own making as these storms may have been caused by the untruthful life that we live.
The words of Jesus in Matt 7:21 “No everyone who calls me Lord, Lord will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only he who does the Will of my Father who is in heaven.”
In other words, there may also be no need for us to call on Jesus to help us face the winds that we face in our lives if we will only heed his words that the Kingdom of Heaven is reserved only for those who will respond positively to the Will of the Father in heaven.
And this was what Jesus liked with Peter who never let go of the hand of Jesus each time he fell and in all likelihood, it could be these failures of Peter and his undying loyalty to Jesus that brought him closer to Christ. As it was said, a saint is a man who rises up and moves on each time he fails. And this is what the Lord expects from us – a heart like that of the Apostles who feared the storm but who remain anchored on their faith in Jesus.
When we keep our faith in Jesus and when we hold on to Him and not let go of his hand during these storms of life that we face, we are assured of one thing – Jesus can work in us in such a way that we can all become a Community of disciples inspired by the Holy Spirit, to be living witnesses for transformation in Christ to bring about a world of justice, human development and true peace.
A HEART FILLED WITH COMPASSION
JESUS SHOWS NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WHEN YOU HAVE LOVE
JAN. 8, 2013: TUESDAY AFTER EPIPHANY
1st Reading: 1Jn 4:7-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 72:1-4, 7-8 “Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.”
GOSPEL: Mk 6:34-44
Key Verse: “You give them something to eat.” (v.37)
To fully appreciate the relevance of the Sacred Scriptures to our present day realities we must make it a habit to tie in the events in the life of Jesus as depicted in the four Gospels to our own faith experiences. Such is necessary for us to be able to establish a connection between the message of the Bible and the purpose of our existence.
Take for example the scene when Jesus went to a solitary place upon learning of the death of John the Baptist he saw a large crowd and he had compassion on them (Mk 6:34; Mt 14:14). Still, upon being told the people had nothing to eat, Jesus told his disciples: “You give them something to eat.” (Mk 6:34; Mt 14:16)
This scenario is so replete with meaning that we can readily equate the large crowd that Jesus saw (in some versions the word used was “multitude”) our Church today, the same Church that grew from the 12 Apostles and a handful of disciples who followed Jesus and the 3,000 who were added when Peter spoke after the Holy Spirit dwelt on the people who were gathered on the Day of Pentecost.
And today we have the Church to which we belong and in the same breadth the parable of the multiplication of the five loaves and two fish is not only being reenacted and replicated as we gather to celebrate the Holy Eucharist but we in fact can still hear Jesus say: “Give them something to eat.” (v.34) and this is what we commemorate as we eat from the same bread offered at the altar that multiplies for everyone to eat.
This miracle event also showed who Jesus was. That he was sent down from heaven to be with the chosen people of God can no longer be denied nor doubted. And here Jesus gave the people a glimpse of what God is like. From the rigorous life that was so steeped in religious laws being demanded by the Pharisees, Jesus showed what it is to have compassion for one another.
A very beautiful Bible translation of this event was recorded by Mark the Evangelist in v.14: “he was moved with compassion for them to the depths of his being, and healed their sick.” This translation sums up not only what Jesus felt at the time but it provides us with a picture of the true nature and character of Christ. “To the depths of his being” meant that compassion filled his entire being that there was nothing in his heart that did not translate to compassion.
In fact, Jesus could have driven away the crowd but he did not. Instead he gave the people what they needed. He healed all those who were sick and when nighttime came, he ministered to the people by feeding them from what his Apostles can gather – five loaves of bread and two fish.
What Jesus did was to introduce his Apostles to the role they will play and to a certain degree the role that we too will play. To serve the needs of the more than 5,000 who have gathered, Jesus had to use his Apostles and other Disciples to distribute the food. And this is the reality that we also face today. In order for the Good News to reach the ends of the world, Jesus has to use us especially those who have signed a Covenant with the Lord because it is through the Apostles and through us that the truth can be proclaimed.
What we also see in this miracle was not just the multiplication of the five loaves and two fish but the miracle of the transformation of the people from an uncaring type of people who were indifferent to the needs of their fellowmen to a multitude of Jews who have become generous to one another.
But the people are not to be blamed for it was their culture to only fend for their family’s needs. To share it with a stranger was a rarity in those times but they saw in Jesus the compassion to share with those who are hungry and without food. And Jesus used this occasion to give his Apostles and Disciples and the people who followed him a preview of the things that are yet to come.
When Jesus lifted up the five loaves and two fish and said a blessing, he must also have partaken a slice of bread and maybe also a slice of the fish and handed these to his Disciples to be distributed. In effect, what Jesus did was he gave the Apostles an advance screening of the Sacrament of the Eucharist.
As it was also improbable that each of the people gathered took one loaf of bread and one fish, what may have actually happened was that each only took a bite size from the loaf of bread and the fish that were being distributed but because these were blessed by Jesus, it partook of the nature of the Sacrament of the Eucharist that was sufficient to fill the needs of the people.
More than anything else, Jesus showed that anything is possible when it is done in love. Love conquers all things and in this Gospel passage, Jesus gave the Apostles and his Disciples a lesson on what love means. When Jesus refused to drive away the people and instead responded to the cry of the people especially the sick and, when he used his power to multiply the five loaves and two fish, Jesus only showed that love can change even self-centered men into becoming generous to others.
This is the same attitude that Jesus is asking of anyone who will follow him. We are to share this same love that we received from Jesus so that others may also be blessed. In times when we may feel that what we give to Jesus may not be enough, this miracle of the five loaves and two fish assures us that whatever we give to him will be multiplied.
The only thing we need to do is to share this same love to others for it is in sharing what we have received from Jesus in the first place that we submit to the Will of the Father.
To sum it up, the other reality that those reading this particular Gospel passage may miss was that Jesus could make use of the little that we have. The five loaves of bread and two pieces of fish was enough to feed a crowd of more than 5,000 and the leftovers filled 12 wicker baskets that could still be used to feed other people who may be in need.
What this miracle showed was that Jesus can always put to good use even the little that we have. What Jesus was actually saying here was that anyone can come to him with what they have as he will welcome not just the learned, the rich and the famous, the skilled and talented but he will welcome with open arms even the simplest, the poorest, unskilled, uneducated among us because Jesus can make use of even the least of us.
In v.14 Jesus showed his Apostles the kind of sacrifice that awaits them when it will be time for them to go and make disciples of all nations. Here, Jesus showed the kind of character that every servant must have.
A servant must be able and willing to sacrifice even his own time in the service of others. A servant must go out of his way to serve others. A servant must be able to sacrifice his own time in serving God. And this is the kind of response that Jesus expects from his disciples especially in this Year of Faith.
1st Reading: 1Jn 4:7-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 72:1-4, 7-8 “Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.”
GOSPEL: Mk 6:34-44
Key Verse: “You give them something to eat.” (v.37)
To fully appreciate the relevance of the Sacred Scriptures to our present day realities we must make it a habit to tie in the events in the life of Jesus as depicted in the four Gospels to our own faith experiences. Such is necessary for us to be able to establish a connection between the message of the Bible and the purpose of our existence.
Take for example the scene when Jesus went to a solitary place upon learning of the death of John the Baptist he saw a large crowd and he had compassion on them (Mk 6:34; Mt 14:14). Still, upon being told the people had nothing to eat, Jesus told his disciples: “You give them something to eat.” (Mk 6:34; Mt 14:16)
This scenario is so replete with meaning that we can readily equate the large crowd that Jesus saw (in some versions the word used was “multitude”) our Church today, the same Church that grew from the 12 Apostles and a handful of disciples who followed Jesus and the 3,000 who were added when Peter spoke after the Holy Spirit dwelt on the people who were gathered on the Day of Pentecost.
And today we have the Church to which we belong and in the same breadth the parable of the multiplication of the five loaves and two fish is not only being reenacted and replicated as we gather to celebrate the Holy Eucharist but we in fact can still hear Jesus say: “Give them something to eat.” (v.34) and this is what we commemorate as we eat from the same bread offered at the altar that multiplies for everyone to eat.
This miracle event also showed who Jesus was. That he was sent down from heaven to be with the chosen people of God can no longer be denied nor doubted. And here Jesus gave the people a glimpse of what God is like. From the rigorous life that was so steeped in religious laws being demanded by the Pharisees, Jesus showed what it is to have compassion for one another.
A very beautiful Bible translation of this event was recorded by Mark the Evangelist in v.14: “he was moved with compassion for them to the depths of his being, and healed their sick.” This translation sums up not only what Jesus felt at the time but it provides us with a picture of the true nature and character of Christ. “To the depths of his being” meant that compassion filled his entire being that there was nothing in his heart that did not translate to compassion.
In fact, Jesus could have driven away the crowd but he did not. Instead he gave the people what they needed. He healed all those who were sick and when nighttime came, he ministered to the people by feeding them from what his Apostles can gather – five loaves of bread and two fish.
What Jesus did was to introduce his Apostles to the role they will play and to a certain degree the role that we too will play. To serve the needs of the more than 5,000 who have gathered, Jesus had to use his Apostles and other Disciples to distribute the food. And this is the reality that we also face today. In order for the Good News to reach the ends of the world, Jesus has to use us especially those who have signed a Covenant with the Lord because it is through the Apostles and through us that the truth can be proclaimed.
What we also see in this miracle was not just the multiplication of the five loaves and two fish but the miracle of the transformation of the people from an uncaring type of people who were indifferent to the needs of their fellowmen to a multitude of Jews who have become generous to one another.
But the people are not to be blamed for it was their culture to only fend for their family’s needs. To share it with a stranger was a rarity in those times but they saw in Jesus the compassion to share with those who are hungry and without food. And Jesus used this occasion to give his Apostles and Disciples and the people who followed him a preview of the things that are yet to come.
When Jesus lifted up the five loaves and two fish and said a blessing, he must also have partaken a slice of bread and maybe also a slice of the fish and handed these to his Disciples to be distributed. In effect, what Jesus did was he gave the Apostles an advance screening of the Sacrament of the Eucharist.
As it was also improbable that each of the people gathered took one loaf of bread and one fish, what may have actually happened was that each only took a bite size from the loaf of bread and the fish that were being distributed but because these were blessed by Jesus, it partook of the nature of the Sacrament of the Eucharist that was sufficient to fill the needs of the people.
More than anything else, Jesus showed that anything is possible when it is done in love. Love conquers all things and in this Gospel passage, Jesus gave the Apostles and his Disciples a lesson on what love means. When Jesus refused to drive away the people and instead responded to the cry of the people especially the sick and, when he used his power to multiply the five loaves and two fish, Jesus only showed that love can change even self-centered men into becoming generous to others.
This is the same attitude that Jesus is asking of anyone who will follow him. We are to share this same love that we received from Jesus so that others may also be blessed. In times when we may feel that what we give to Jesus may not be enough, this miracle of the five loaves and two fish assures us that whatever we give to him will be multiplied.
The only thing we need to do is to share this same love to others for it is in sharing what we have received from Jesus in the first place that we submit to the Will of the Father.
To sum it up, the other reality that those reading this particular Gospel passage may miss was that Jesus could make use of the little that we have. The five loaves of bread and two pieces of fish was enough to feed a crowd of more than 5,000 and the leftovers filled 12 wicker baskets that could still be used to feed other people who may be in need.
What this miracle showed was that Jesus can always put to good use even the little that we have. What Jesus was actually saying here was that anyone can come to him with what they have as he will welcome not just the learned, the rich and the famous, the skilled and talented but he will welcome with open arms even the simplest, the poorest, unskilled, uneducated among us because Jesus can make use of even the least of us.
In v.14 Jesus showed his Apostles the kind of sacrifice that awaits them when it will be time for them to go and make disciples of all nations. Here, Jesus showed the kind of character that every servant must have.
A servant must be able and willing to sacrifice even his own time in the service of others. A servant must go out of his way to serve others. A servant must be able to sacrifice his own time in serving God. And this is the kind of response that Jesus expects from his disciples especially in this Year of Faith.
TIME TO TURN BACK TO GOD
JAN. 7, 2013: MONDAY AFTER EPIPHANY
1st Reading: 1 Jn 3:22-4:6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 2:7-8, 10-12 “I will give you all the nations for an inheritance
GOSPEL: Mt 4:12-17, 23-25
Key Verse: “The Kingdom of Heaven is near.” (v.17)
Besides Jesus who from the beginning was the Word of God who took a human form to save the world from its attachment to sin, none of his disciples probably ever thought or expected that the Gospel of Christ they preached would survive the test of time and which is still being preached today more than 2,500 years after Jesus began his ministry.
The Holy Scriptures or the Bible, the Gospels in particular, have been translated over and over again into many different languages and millions of copies have been sold over time and either its entirety or parts of it have been used as the basis of an equal number of inspirational books, magazines, pamphlets and, teaching tracts that have been published.
What then makes the Gospel to be the most interesting reader of all time, a book that has attracted, influenced and transformed countless individuals throughout the world whose lives were touched as they leafed through its pages.
The message that the Gospel of Christ proclaims is what makes it distinct from any other publications because the gospel means good news and amidst the depressing banner headlines that we see in the newspapers today such as the recent shooting rampage in Cavite, the death of a 7-year old who was felled by a stray bullet on New Year’s Eve, the political uncertainties in many countries especially in the Middle East that supplies more than half of the world’s oil consumption and, the economic disequilibrium in Europe and the United States, the Gospel or the good news can be likened to a cool breeze that caresses your face that is parched by the noonday sun.
And in this short Gospel passage, Matthew was able to inject at least three very important points and we need to digest these points in order for us to really appreciate the beauty of the Gospel and why it has remained relevant today.
The first point was that upon hearing that John the Baptist was arrested, Jesus left Nazareth and lived in the region of Zubulum and Naphtali. What was significant here was that this was a Gentile region and this was where Jesus decided to begin his preaching ministry which only shows that the Gospel was not meant only for the Jews but also for the Gentiles especially for the people who are living in darkness and have seen a great light when the Gospel was preached to them.
Indeed, the Gospel should be viewed as a life-changer in that anyone who hears it should not take it for granted or just sit in the pews during the Liturgy of the Word and listen because you have no choice as the reading of the Word is part of the Mass. The truth is everyone has a choice and the right choice is to really listen and obey what Christ is saying who is speaking to us through the Gospel.
This brings us to the second point which is something that is very much real and we see this in v.17 when Jesus said: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” This was what got Jesus into trouble with the religious leaders of his time because the Scribes and Pharisees thought Jesus was going to establish a kingdom that would remove the privileges they enjoyed. What they didn’t know was that Jesus was not thinking of a physical kingdom (Jn 18:36) but a kingdom that is spiritual (Rom 14:17).
The kingdom that Jesus preached was a sovereignty that was without physical boundaries and was built in the hearts of men and this was the primary reason why this kingdom still stands today, the church that is populated by men in whose hearts Jesus continues to reign. When you can live in peace which means the restoration of your relationship with God then you are already in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Jesus was also telling us in this Gospel to repent which is a prerequisite to entering the Kingdom of God. Why? Because no one can be admitted to the Kingdom of God unless we have turned away from sin and have turned to God, a process that is preceded by “Godly sorrow that brings repentance that leads to salvation” (2 Cor 7:10) and, a transformed life in Christ (2 Cor 5:17). Thus, repentance which literally means living a changed life is an integral part in the proclamation of the Gospel because any preaching that does not include an invitation to repent cannot be considered an authentic Gospel as Paul emphasizes in Acts 20:21, 25.
Following the gospel of repentance, Jesus urges us to also believe the good news (Mk 1:15) which is the third point that I want to raise to give more light to our Gospel today. We need to believe because only then will our faith grow and because it is only in believing that we can be assured of the eternal life that God promised (Jn 3:16).
In this Year of Faith, we must have the faith to believe that God made the supreme sacrifice of sending his Son to die on the cross to bring us back to a relationship of peace and friendship with Him and we need to believe that. He is our Father and he wants us to live as his sons and daughters. God loved us first and he invites us in love to surrender our lives to him. Why? Because it is only when we empty ourselves of sin that he can fill us with his graces.
To be a disciple and become the good news to others is not easy. It is probably the most difficult choice you have to make because the lure of the world is such that it deceives us into believing that we can live and be happy even without God. Today as I look back at my life in retrospect, instead of feeling compunction for the things I gave up when I gave my life to Christ, I grieve at the precious times I wasted when I was still caught up in the world. As I can no longer bring back time, I now make use of whatever time is left in the service of God who came to bring us into the light of the Kingdom of Heaven.
And in order for this kingdom to last, we who are in it must likewise go into the world and “proclaim the Kingdom of God.” (Lk 9:60) because the Gospel of Christ would have no value at all if it is not proclaimed and Jesus is calling on us now to bring the gospel to everyone by being the good news ourselves. He is inviting us to share in this privilege previously enjoyed by the Apostles because God sees something in us that he could use.
But to become a disciple entails a lot of sacrifices as with Andrew, Simon, James and John who left their families to follow Christ. What will propel us to accept Christ’s invitation would be the thought that Jesus found us when we too were lost, and we are now obliged to also seek those who are lost for this is why Jesus came (Lk 19:10).
We must not keep the light of Christ for ourselves because others must also see this light through us “for we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing” (2 Cor 2:15).
1st Reading: 1 Jn 3:22-4:6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 2:7-8, 10-12 “I will give you all the nations for an inheritance
GOSPEL: Mt 4:12-17, 23-25
Key Verse: “The Kingdom of Heaven is near.” (v.17)
Besides Jesus who from the beginning was the Word of God who took a human form to save the world from its attachment to sin, none of his disciples probably ever thought or expected that the Gospel of Christ they preached would survive the test of time and which is still being preached today more than 2,500 years after Jesus began his ministry.
The Holy Scriptures or the Bible, the Gospels in particular, have been translated over and over again into many different languages and millions of copies have been sold over time and either its entirety or parts of it have been used as the basis of an equal number of inspirational books, magazines, pamphlets and, teaching tracts that have been published.
What then makes the Gospel to be the most interesting reader of all time, a book that has attracted, influenced and transformed countless individuals throughout the world whose lives were touched as they leafed through its pages.
The message that the Gospel of Christ proclaims is what makes it distinct from any other publications because the gospel means good news and amidst the depressing banner headlines that we see in the newspapers today such as the recent shooting rampage in Cavite, the death of a 7-year old who was felled by a stray bullet on New Year’s Eve, the political uncertainties in many countries especially in the Middle East that supplies more than half of the world’s oil consumption and, the economic disequilibrium in Europe and the United States, the Gospel or the good news can be likened to a cool breeze that caresses your face that is parched by the noonday sun.
And in this short Gospel passage, Matthew was able to inject at least three very important points and we need to digest these points in order for us to really appreciate the beauty of the Gospel and why it has remained relevant today.
The first point was that upon hearing that John the Baptist was arrested, Jesus left Nazareth and lived in the region of Zubulum and Naphtali. What was significant here was that this was a Gentile region and this was where Jesus decided to begin his preaching ministry which only shows that the Gospel was not meant only for the Jews but also for the Gentiles especially for the people who are living in darkness and have seen a great light when the Gospel was preached to them.
Indeed, the Gospel should be viewed as a life-changer in that anyone who hears it should not take it for granted or just sit in the pews during the Liturgy of the Word and listen because you have no choice as the reading of the Word is part of the Mass. The truth is everyone has a choice and the right choice is to really listen and obey what Christ is saying who is speaking to us through the Gospel.
This brings us to the second point which is something that is very much real and we see this in v.17 when Jesus said: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” This was what got Jesus into trouble with the religious leaders of his time because the Scribes and Pharisees thought Jesus was going to establish a kingdom that would remove the privileges they enjoyed. What they didn’t know was that Jesus was not thinking of a physical kingdom (Jn 18:36) but a kingdom that is spiritual (Rom 14:17).
The kingdom that Jesus preached was a sovereignty that was without physical boundaries and was built in the hearts of men and this was the primary reason why this kingdom still stands today, the church that is populated by men in whose hearts Jesus continues to reign. When you can live in peace which means the restoration of your relationship with God then you are already in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Jesus was also telling us in this Gospel to repent which is a prerequisite to entering the Kingdom of God. Why? Because no one can be admitted to the Kingdom of God unless we have turned away from sin and have turned to God, a process that is preceded by “Godly sorrow that brings repentance that leads to salvation” (2 Cor 7:10) and, a transformed life in Christ (2 Cor 5:17). Thus, repentance which literally means living a changed life is an integral part in the proclamation of the Gospel because any preaching that does not include an invitation to repent cannot be considered an authentic Gospel as Paul emphasizes in Acts 20:21, 25.
Following the gospel of repentance, Jesus urges us to also believe the good news (Mk 1:15) which is the third point that I want to raise to give more light to our Gospel today. We need to believe because only then will our faith grow and because it is only in believing that we can be assured of the eternal life that God promised (Jn 3:16).
In this Year of Faith, we must have the faith to believe that God made the supreme sacrifice of sending his Son to die on the cross to bring us back to a relationship of peace and friendship with Him and we need to believe that. He is our Father and he wants us to live as his sons and daughters. God loved us first and he invites us in love to surrender our lives to him. Why? Because it is only when we empty ourselves of sin that he can fill us with his graces.
To be a disciple and become the good news to others is not easy. It is probably the most difficult choice you have to make because the lure of the world is such that it deceives us into believing that we can live and be happy even without God. Today as I look back at my life in retrospect, instead of feeling compunction for the things I gave up when I gave my life to Christ, I grieve at the precious times I wasted when I was still caught up in the world. As I can no longer bring back time, I now make use of whatever time is left in the service of God who came to bring us into the light of the Kingdom of Heaven.
And in order for this kingdom to last, we who are in it must likewise go into the world and “proclaim the Kingdom of God.” (Lk 9:60) because the Gospel of Christ would have no value at all if it is not proclaimed and Jesus is calling on us now to bring the gospel to everyone by being the good news ourselves. He is inviting us to share in this privilege previously enjoyed by the Apostles because God sees something in us that he could use.
But to become a disciple entails a lot of sacrifices as with Andrew, Simon, James and John who left their families to follow Christ. What will propel us to accept Christ’s invitation would be the thought that Jesus found us when we too were lost, and we are now obliged to also seek those who are lost for this is why Jesus came (Lk 19:10).
We must not keep the light of Christ for ourselves because others must also see this light through us “for we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing” (2 Cor 2:15).
THE EPIPHANY TO BRING OTHERS TO CHRIST
JAN. 6, 2013: SOLEMNITY OF THE EPIPHANY
1st Reading: Isa 60:1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-13 “Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.”
2nd Reading: Eph 3:2-3, 5-6
GOSPEL: Matt 2:1-12
Key Verse: “and they bowed down and worshipped him.” (v.11)
A favorite story that I always use when I am invited to speak as a commencement speaker during graduation rites was about an old rich man who was on his death bed waiting to breathe his last. He called three of his sons one by one and told each one of them that he is giving them P20,000.00 each to buy anything they could think of that will be enough to fill the vacant room in their house from floor to the ceiling. And the one who could satisfy what he wanted will inherit most of his properties and the management of his enterprise.
So the eldest left and came back with sacks of rice that he thought was enough to fill the room but he could not. The middle son also did the same and tried to fill the room with P20,000.00 worth of corn but only to find out that there was just no way he could fill the room from floor to ceiling with corn.
And when the youngest son came the two older sons laughed because he only had in is hand a small paper bag and they jeered at him as they thought what could he have bought that could fill the room. The youngest son simply smiled and as he stepped into the vacant room, he pulled out what was in the small paper bag. It was a candle that he placed in the middle of the room. He took out a box of matches and lit the candle and light filled the entire room. So the story goes that the youngest son was entrusted with everything that his father willed.
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany which will officially close the Christmas Octave and many of you will probably think what is the connection of our story with Epiphany. The Thesaurus that I use defines epiphany to mean a manifestation or a revelation. Equated with the birth of Christ, his coming has been translated and referred to as not only a revelation of God’s love (Jn 3:16) and a manifestation of his love: “This is how God manifested his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.” (1 Jn 4:9)
In a more dramatic form, the epiphany can be likened to a lightning that forms a streak of light that sends a bright ray of light across the dark sky and the power that goes with it generates our full attention. At times, lightning evokes fear among children and anxiety and awe for us.
This was what the coming of Jesus can be likened to as he came not with the pomp and pageantry of a king even if he was the King who had been prophesied as the Messiah but his coming came like a streak of lightning that stirred the hearts of men and created a new faith paradigm.
My first recollection of what the Epiphany meant was some years back when we were driving home from our provincial home in Laguna and it came to me that God used a star to direct the way of the three Wise Men into finding their way towards the spot where the Salvation of the world lay. Though Jesus may have been born in obscurity, the three Wise Men who were moved by both the prophecy and God’s promptings tried to find their way to Bethlehem to pay homage to the newborn King.
Let me also quote from St. John Chrysostom who, in his homily on this passage from Mt 2:1-12 said: "Note how fitting was the order of events: the wise men saw the star, were received by the Jews and their king; they heard prophecy to explain what had appeared; the angel instructed them; and then they journeyed from Jerusalem to Bethlehem by the guidance of the star. From all this we learn that this was not an ordinary star, for no other star has this capacity to guide, not merely to move but to beckon, to “go before them,” drawing and guiding them along their way. The star remained after bringing them to the place, in order that the child might also be seen. For there is nothing conspicuous about the place. The inn was ordinary. The mother was not celebrated or notable. The star was needed to manifest and illumine the lowly place, until they had reached their destination at the manger."
While I was still on the road, thoughts filled my mind regarding the star of Bethlehem that guided the three wise men into finding Jesus Christ. Because today, Jesus has become the Star who guides us into finding our way to the path of eternal joy and peace. As the Star for the Church, we must take it to heart that there is only one Star and that is Jesus Christ. He is the Star who will illumine the areas of our lives that remain in darkness.
If for some reason, the streak of light from the Star cannot filter into our lives, it is because we chose to remain in darkness. To benefit from the light that the Star brings, we must humble ourselves and admit that by ourselves we are nothing and when that light pierces our minds and hearts an epiphany is taking place as we are born anew into new life.
Divine revelation moved the three Wise Men to recognize Jesus as divine – borne of flesh but sent down from heaven. They left everything to search for the source of true knowledge and wisdom. They brought him gifts fitting for a king. The analogy is that in our lifetime, human knowledge will reach its limits and at times such cannot even offset the difficulties we may encounter in life and we begin to look for that joy and peace that will last. We may not have gifts to bring when we find Jesus our Salvation but what pleases him is the gift of ourselves.
The three Wise Men returned to their homes by another route and St. Gregory the Great says that: “if we wish to reach our true home in paradise we must forsake the path in which we walked, and tread in the way of penance, obedience and self-denial.”
What to me is significant in this passage was that God revealed the Star of Bethlehem to the three Wise Men who are not Jews which means that Salvation is for the Jews and Gentiles alike. As the star rose, its light was seen throughout which also means that the Light of Christ shines throughout the world.
Now we go back to the connection between my story and Epiphany. To each one of us is given the same light of the epiphany to recognize and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior and to do this we have to rely on our faith which is a gift from God. With the help of the Holy Spirit, our hearts will be filled with Grace and our eyes opened as we begin to understand, accept, and believe the truth that God has revealed to us through his Son, Jesus Christ.
Faith thus moves our will and intellect to cooperate with Grace. "Believing is an act of the intellect assenting to the divine truth by command of the will moved by God through grace" (Thomas Aquinas).
Our calling is to know God in a personal way and the Feast of the Epiphany should serve as a reminder for us to accept Jesus as our King such that Christ is reflected in everything we do and say.
Our mandate thus is to also become a star and the light that will guide others to Christ. And with Christ in us, we can become the new epiphany of God’s love.
1st Reading: Isa 60:1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-13 “Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.”
2nd Reading: Eph 3:2-3, 5-6
GOSPEL: Matt 2:1-12
Key Verse: “and they bowed down and worshipped him.” (v.11)
A favorite story that I always use when I am invited to speak as a commencement speaker during graduation rites was about an old rich man who was on his death bed waiting to breathe his last. He called three of his sons one by one and told each one of them that he is giving them P20,000.00 each to buy anything they could think of that will be enough to fill the vacant room in their house from floor to the ceiling. And the one who could satisfy what he wanted will inherit most of his properties and the management of his enterprise.
So the eldest left and came back with sacks of rice that he thought was enough to fill the room but he could not. The middle son also did the same and tried to fill the room with P20,000.00 worth of corn but only to find out that there was just no way he could fill the room from floor to ceiling with corn.
And when the youngest son came the two older sons laughed because he only had in is hand a small paper bag and they jeered at him as they thought what could he have bought that could fill the room. The youngest son simply smiled and as he stepped into the vacant room, he pulled out what was in the small paper bag. It was a candle that he placed in the middle of the room. He took out a box of matches and lit the candle and light filled the entire room. So the story goes that the youngest son was entrusted with everything that his father willed.
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany which will officially close the Christmas Octave and many of you will probably think what is the connection of our story with Epiphany. The Thesaurus that I use defines epiphany to mean a manifestation or a revelation. Equated with the birth of Christ, his coming has been translated and referred to as not only a revelation of God’s love (Jn 3:16) and a manifestation of his love: “This is how God manifested his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.” (1 Jn 4:9)
In a more dramatic form, the epiphany can be likened to a lightning that forms a streak of light that sends a bright ray of light across the dark sky and the power that goes with it generates our full attention. At times, lightning evokes fear among children and anxiety and awe for us.
This was what the coming of Jesus can be likened to as he came not with the pomp and pageantry of a king even if he was the King who had been prophesied as the Messiah but his coming came like a streak of lightning that stirred the hearts of men and created a new faith paradigm.
My first recollection of what the Epiphany meant was some years back when we were driving home from our provincial home in Laguna and it came to me that God used a star to direct the way of the three Wise Men into finding their way towards the spot where the Salvation of the world lay. Though Jesus may have been born in obscurity, the three Wise Men who were moved by both the prophecy and God’s promptings tried to find their way to Bethlehem to pay homage to the newborn King.
Let me also quote from St. John Chrysostom who, in his homily on this passage from Mt 2:1-12 said: "Note how fitting was the order of events: the wise men saw the star, were received by the Jews and their king; they heard prophecy to explain what had appeared; the angel instructed them; and then they journeyed from Jerusalem to Bethlehem by the guidance of the star. From all this we learn that this was not an ordinary star, for no other star has this capacity to guide, not merely to move but to beckon, to “go before them,” drawing and guiding them along their way. The star remained after bringing them to the place, in order that the child might also be seen. For there is nothing conspicuous about the place. The inn was ordinary. The mother was not celebrated or notable. The star was needed to manifest and illumine the lowly place, until they had reached their destination at the manger."
While I was still on the road, thoughts filled my mind regarding the star of Bethlehem that guided the three wise men into finding Jesus Christ. Because today, Jesus has become the Star who guides us into finding our way to the path of eternal joy and peace. As the Star for the Church, we must take it to heart that there is only one Star and that is Jesus Christ. He is the Star who will illumine the areas of our lives that remain in darkness.
If for some reason, the streak of light from the Star cannot filter into our lives, it is because we chose to remain in darkness. To benefit from the light that the Star brings, we must humble ourselves and admit that by ourselves we are nothing and when that light pierces our minds and hearts an epiphany is taking place as we are born anew into new life.
Divine revelation moved the three Wise Men to recognize Jesus as divine – borne of flesh but sent down from heaven. They left everything to search for the source of true knowledge and wisdom. They brought him gifts fitting for a king. The analogy is that in our lifetime, human knowledge will reach its limits and at times such cannot even offset the difficulties we may encounter in life and we begin to look for that joy and peace that will last. We may not have gifts to bring when we find Jesus our Salvation but what pleases him is the gift of ourselves.
The three Wise Men returned to their homes by another route and St. Gregory the Great says that: “if we wish to reach our true home in paradise we must forsake the path in which we walked, and tread in the way of penance, obedience and self-denial.”
What to me is significant in this passage was that God revealed the Star of Bethlehem to the three Wise Men who are not Jews which means that Salvation is for the Jews and Gentiles alike. As the star rose, its light was seen throughout which also means that the Light of Christ shines throughout the world.
Now we go back to the connection between my story and Epiphany. To each one of us is given the same light of the epiphany to recognize and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior and to do this we have to rely on our faith which is a gift from God. With the help of the Holy Spirit, our hearts will be filled with Grace and our eyes opened as we begin to understand, accept, and believe the truth that God has revealed to us through his Son, Jesus Christ.
Faith thus moves our will and intellect to cooperate with Grace. "Believing is an act of the intellect assenting to the divine truth by command of the will moved by God through grace" (Thomas Aquinas).
Our calling is to know God in a personal way and the Feast of the Epiphany should serve as a reminder for us to accept Jesus as our King such that Christ is reflected in everything we do and say.
Our mandate thus is to also become a star and the light that will guide others to Christ. And with Christ in us, we can become the new epiphany of God’s love.
SEE GOD THROUGH JESUS
"COME AND SEE," PHILIP TOLD NATHANAEL
JAN. 5, 2013: SATURDAY BEFORE EPIPHANY
1st Reading: 1 Jn 3:11-21
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 100:1-5 “Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.”
GOSPEL: Jn 1:42-51
Key Verse: “...in whom there is nothing false.” (v.47)
What I find to be a very interesting verse as we come to the end of the first chapter of John’s Gospel was when Jesus said as he saw Nathanael: “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.” (v.47)
This was an amazing description of someone whom Jesus had only seen for a few moments gone by. In fact Nathanael was only introduced to Jesus by Philip but what may have caught the attention of Jesus was the honesty that Nathanael had especially when he told Philip: “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?”
In other words, Nathanael may have spewed out an insulting word to the people of Nazareth but at least he was honest with his feelings and he did not hide it from Philip or from Jesus. Indeed, it may have been inappropriate for Nathanael to say what he said but Jesus praised him for there was no hypocrisy in him.
As the in thing nowadays is to belong to a particular crowd, many times people have become condescending in the way they relate to others as they go with the flow not wanting to hurt anyone lest they sacrifice their belongingness to the group they are with.
In so doing our society today has become more patronizing and less honest even when we need to stand our ground on matters of faith and morals. The recent passage of the RH Bill that has been signed into a law was a case in point. Of the 104 Congressmen who voted “no” on 2nd reading on Dec. 12, 2012, some 25 of them skipped the 3rd reading held on Dec. 17, 2012 thereby reducing the “no” tally to the final figure of 79 votes. On the other hand, some 20 Congressmen who were absent in the 2nd reading answered the roll call during the 3rd reading and voted “yes” to up the total in favor of the RH Bill to 133 votes.
It no longer matters whether those voted “yes” really believed that the RH Bill is the answer to the country’s social ills nor do we need to know the reason why the 25 solons were absent on the very important 3rd reading but what this exercise showed was that hypocrisy has become ingrained even among those in the hallowed grounds of the legislature.
And as we come to the end of the first chapter of John’s Gospel on the eve of the Epiphany, we are confronted with an eye-opener that comes in the form of a question. It begins with Philip who having met Jesus went about looking for his friend Nathanael and finding him said: “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote – Jesus of Nazareth, son of Joseph.” (v.44)
And Nathanael’s response at that time continues to ring in our ears more than 2,000 years after it was asked: “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” (v.46) This question has not only become a byword for skeptics but it would make us think that Nathanael probably had a reason why he said it in the first place.
This same question has been paraphrased many times over such that it can refer to present-day realities. Some of us would in fact ask can anything good come from your Parish? Community? Ministry? Social and Civic Club? Organization? Class? Or to put it more bluntly: Can anything good come from the Philippine House of Representatives at least from among the 133 who voted for the RH Bill.” This question can be asked of just about anything for as long as there will be skeptics and hypocrites in our midst.
People by nature are governed by their own views and perceptions that are influenced by their family orientation, education and or social status and there is always that element that men of strong persuasions want to lead but would not want to be led. Still there are some who go to great lengths to become a dominant force in an public or private organization and or ministry for that matter unaware of the Napoleonic complex that have enveloped their person.
But even for the government hierarchy, society and or the Church and religious organizations we should know that there are those who are called to lead and there are those who are called to follow.
This was the story of Nathanael and this could very well be our own story too. “NAZARETH!,” Nathanael blurted out. Try to put some imagery in the way Nathanael said this such as when you received news of something that was so shocking that you nearly fell off your chair.
To understand why, Nathanael did not directly say Jesus wasn’t good but what he did was he associated Jesus with the place that most Jews despise. There was a reason for this bias because a Roman military garrison was based in Nazareth and the immoral behavior of some of the Roman soldiers have also influenced the religious nature of the Israelites.
There is a Nathanael in many of us who reject others out of envy, rivalry and or prejudice. There are times when we dislike others just because we don’t like the way they move, talk, act or dress. At times we dislike those who are better than us and as some people move with a certain gait and mannerism, our critical disposition leads us to dislike them. In some instances we sneer at others whom we haven’t even had talked to or relate to. In other words, people are susceptible to creating their own biases and this affects their appreciation of the things around them.
In the years that I was active as a media practitioner, I harbored a negative view of government officials whom I perceive to be corrupt. But this negative bias faded when upon talking to these officials I began to appreciate their true nature and character. And when the Lord found me and brought me to the charismatic renewal I became more open, understanding and more forgiving of the peculiarities in the character of other people.
Philip must have known Nathanael quite well such that instead of arguing with him, Philip took the high ground by simply inviting Nathanael: “Come and see” (v.46). Philip must have known that in life men are likely to forget easily what is said but what you find and discover for yourself remains etched in your memory forever.
But the question is come and see what? Philip left it for Nathanael to find out and Nathanael believed when Jesus spoke to him and revealed to him even his innermost desires. For one, Nathanael may have been resting under the fig-tree, which to the Jews was a symbol of peace, because he was searching for a deeper meaning in his life and when Jesus spoke to him, it set his restless heart on fire.
This reminds us of what Saint Augustine who probably was a skeptic like Nathanael but when he found God said: “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.” Nathaniel accepted Jesus as the Messiah because Jesus spoke not just to his ears but also of the assurance that he “will see greater things than that” (v.50) and the glorious promise that Nathanael “shall see the heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man” (v.51).
This promise, however, is not only for Nathanael but also for all of us who believe in the incarnate Word of God because Jesus Christ will allow us to see heaven open in the daily circumstances of our lives. Christ is present in those who seek him and who will do his Will which is why we have to mean when we pray: “Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done on earth as it is in heaven?”
Nathanael became a follower because he saw in Jesus the peace and joy he was searching for while meditating under the fig-tree. And God’s Will is in the first reading of today: “We should love one another…Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth.” (1 Jn 3:11, 18)
1st Reading: 1 Jn 3:11-21
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 100:1-5 “Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.”
GOSPEL: Jn 1:42-51
Key Verse: “...in whom there is nothing false.” (v.47)
What I find to be a very interesting verse as we come to the end of the first chapter of John’s Gospel was when Jesus said as he saw Nathanael: “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.” (v.47)
This was an amazing description of someone whom Jesus had only seen for a few moments gone by. In fact Nathanael was only introduced to Jesus by Philip but what may have caught the attention of Jesus was the honesty that Nathanael had especially when he told Philip: “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?”
In other words, Nathanael may have spewed out an insulting word to the people of Nazareth but at least he was honest with his feelings and he did not hide it from Philip or from Jesus. Indeed, it may have been inappropriate for Nathanael to say what he said but Jesus praised him for there was no hypocrisy in him.
As the in thing nowadays is to belong to a particular crowd, many times people have become condescending in the way they relate to others as they go with the flow not wanting to hurt anyone lest they sacrifice their belongingness to the group they are with.
In so doing our society today has become more patronizing and less honest even when we need to stand our ground on matters of faith and morals. The recent passage of the RH Bill that has been signed into a law was a case in point. Of the 104 Congressmen who voted “no” on 2nd reading on Dec. 12, 2012, some 25 of them skipped the 3rd reading held on Dec. 17, 2012 thereby reducing the “no” tally to the final figure of 79 votes. On the other hand, some 20 Congressmen who were absent in the 2nd reading answered the roll call during the 3rd reading and voted “yes” to up the total in favor of the RH Bill to 133 votes.
It no longer matters whether those voted “yes” really believed that the RH Bill is the answer to the country’s social ills nor do we need to know the reason why the 25 solons were absent on the very important 3rd reading but what this exercise showed was that hypocrisy has become ingrained even among those in the hallowed grounds of the legislature.
And as we come to the end of the first chapter of John’s Gospel on the eve of the Epiphany, we are confronted with an eye-opener that comes in the form of a question. It begins with Philip who having met Jesus went about looking for his friend Nathanael and finding him said: “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote – Jesus of Nazareth, son of Joseph.” (v.44)
And Nathanael’s response at that time continues to ring in our ears more than 2,000 years after it was asked: “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” (v.46) This question has not only become a byword for skeptics but it would make us think that Nathanael probably had a reason why he said it in the first place.
This same question has been paraphrased many times over such that it can refer to present-day realities. Some of us would in fact ask can anything good come from your Parish? Community? Ministry? Social and Civic Club? Organization? Class? Or to put it more bluntly: Can anything good come from the Philippine House of Representatives at least from among the 133 who voted for the RH Bill.” This question can be asked of just about anything for as long as there will be skeptics and hypocrites in our midst.
People by nature are governed by their own views and perceptions that are influenced by their family orientation, education and or social status and there is always that element that men of strong persuasions want to lead but would not want to be led. Still there are some who go to great lengths to become a dominant force in an public or private organization and or ministry for that matter unaware of the Napoleonic complex that have enveloped their person.
But even for the government hierarchy, society and or the Church and religious organizations we should know that there are those who are called to lead and there are those who are called to follow.
This was the story of Nathanael and this could very well be our own story too. “NAZARETH!,” Nathanael blurted out. Try to put some imagery in the way Nathanael said this such as when you received news of something that was so shocking that you nearly fell off your chair.
To understand why, Nathanael did not directly say Jesus wasn’t good but what he did was he associated Jesus with the place that most Jews despise. There was a reason for this bias because a Roman military garrison was based in Nazareth and the immoral behavior of some of the Roman soldiers have also influenced the religious nature of the Israelites.
There is a Nathanael in many of us who reject others out of envy, rivalry and or prejudice. There are times when we dislike others just because we don’t like the way they move, talk, act or dress. At times we dislike those who are better than us and as some people move with a certain gait and mannerism, our critical disposition leads us to dislike them. In some instances we sneer at others whom we haven’t even had talked to or relate to. In other words, people are susceptible to creating their own biases and this affects their appreciation of the things around them.
In the years that I was active as a media practitioner, I harbored a negative view of government officials whom I perceive to be corrupt. But this negative bias faded when upon talking to these officials I began to appreciate their true nature and character. And when the Lord found me and brought me to the charismatic renewal I became more open, understanding and more forgiving of the peculiarities in the character of other people.
Philip must have known Nathanael quite well such that instead of arguing with him, Philip took the high ground by simply inviting Nathanael: “Come and see” (v.46). Philip must have known that in life men are likely to forget easily what is said but what you find and discover for yourself remains etched in your memory forever.
But the question is come and see what? Philip left it for Nathanael to find out and Nathanael believed when Jesus spoke to him and revealed to him even his innermost desires. For one, Nathanael may have been resting under the fig-tree, which to the Jews was a symbol of peace, because he was searching for a deeper meaning in his life and when Jesus spoke to him, it set his restless heart on fire.
This reminds us of what Saint Augustine who probably was a skeptic like Nathanael but when he found God said: “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.” Nathaniel accepted Jesus as the Messiah because Jesus spoke not just to his ears but also of the assurance that he “will see greater things than that” (v.50) and the glorious promise that Nathanael “shall see the heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man” (v.51).
This promise, however, is not only for Nathanael but also for all of us who believe in the incarnate Word of God because Jesus Christ will allow us to see heaven open in the daily circumstances of our lives. Christ is present in those who seek him and who will do his Will which is why we have to mean when we pray: “Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done on earth as it is in heaven?”
Nathanael became a follower because he saw in Jesus the peace and joy he was searching for while meditating under the fig-tree. And God’s Will is in the first reading of today: “We should love one another…Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth.” (1 Jn 3:11, 18)
SHARE JESUS TO OTHERS
JAN. 4, 2013: FRIDAY BEFORE EPIPHANY
1ST Reading: 1 Jn 3:7-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:1, 7-9 “All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.”
GOSPEL: Jn 1:35-42
Key Verse: “We have found the Messiah” (v.41)
What is it that you do when you have something that you may have found or bought which you treasure and hold dear. For some they would probably keep it and would satisfy themselves by just looking at it. These possessions could be jewelries, paintings, antique pieces, heirlooms, shoes, bags and signature clothes probably and for some it may either be antique cars or the latest sports car as the case may be.
I remember when a few days before the recent holiday season as I passed by a car showroom in Fort Bonifacio where on display were Lamborghini sports cars which have a tag price of between P15-million to P20-million and the salesman was gracious enough to show me the features of the car and why it costs so much.
These cars are really a work of art but the question is not only why anyone would shell out that kind of money for a car that you can’t drive in the streets of the metropolis but would this be something that you can readily share with anyone such that your happiness can also be theirs or will it be your happiness alone.
Conversely, the natural tendency of anyone who finds something important and valuable is to be filled with joy and share it with others? If it wasn’t, Luke wouldn’t have devoted an entire chapter writing about the three Parables of Jesus. In Lk 15:3-32 we see this kind of joy being shared by the shepherd who found the lost sheep, of the woman who lost one of the ten coins she kept and found it after a diligent search or, the father whose heart was pounding with joy upon the return of his prodigal son.
In reading through this Gospel passage for today (Jn 1:35-42), kindly allow me to invite everyone to just spend a few moments to read and reflect on this passage for today because it provides us with an idea of the manner in which Jesus would pursue his ministry.
And going back to Andrew, we could actually feel the kind of adrenalin rush that he had when having found his brother Simon, he exclaimed: “We have found the Messiah” (v.41). It was natural for Andrew being a Jew to get excited over his discovery because the Jews have been waiting for hundreds of years for a Messiah to deliver them from captivity by the Romans.
Though this passage did not fully explain the circumstances that led Andrew to conclude that Jesus was the Messiah they were looking for, it could very well be that Andrew was one of the two disciples of John the Baptist who heard Jesus speak and followed him. The other must have been John the Evangelist because he was able to determine the exact hour (4:00 p.m.) when they encountered Jesus (v.39).
As we shall also see, the encounter between Jesus and the two disciples (v.38) spelled out in very clear terms the character of Jesus in dealing with those who have expressed their interest to follow him and know more about him and the message that he brings.
In this verse, Jesus turned around and for the first time he gave the two disciples an idea of what will become the landmark of his earthly ministry and this was by asking a question: “What do you want?” (v.38) On many occasions in his ministry we will see Jesus asking the same question of those who come to him for healing.
And in this encounter with the two disciples, Jesus gave Andrew and John a glimpse of his divine initiative when he took the first step by turning around as he asked them a question. And Jesus could also be posing this same question to us now: “What are you looking for? What do you want in life? What is your aim and goal in life? For what purpose are you living your life?
Some of us maybe looking for security that money can bring. We work tirelessly so we can live in luxury and comfort. But we maybe forgetting that we’re supposed to work to live and not live to work because there are other more important things than material comfort.
Others may be working for a successful career but as you will also find out that this is not enough because a career no matter how successful you can be is bounded by time and as the saying goes, even good things come to an end.
Still some are searching for peace and joy, a search that would provide them with the opportunity to live in peace with themselves, with God and with the world. This is the search for God which can only be found in Jesus. This was what Andrew and John found when they asked: “where are you staying?” (v.38) and when Jesus invited them to “Come and you will see.” (v.39) they readily said “yes” and followed him.
Today, Jesus is still extending to us this same invitation for us to “come and see” and by saying yes we not only enter into a communion with him but we will also see for ourselves what Andrew and John found if we are going to say yes to his invitation and follow him.
This Gospel passage also highlights the character of John the Baptist and Andrew for that matter as both contented themselves with just leading others to Christ. In all humility, John prepared the way for Jesus and Andrew led his brother Simon to Jesus. Though Andrew met Jesus first, he accepted the fact that it was Simon whom Jesus named as “Cephas” or the rock on which the Church would later be established.
And like John the Baptist who pointed to Jesus as the One whose sandal straps he was not worthy to untie, Andrew too was happy leading others to Christ like the boy with five loaves of bread and two fish in Jn 6:8-9 and, when he brought several Greeks to meet Jesus in Jn 12:20-22. The complete story of Andrew will show that he spent his life bringing others to Christ.
This is also our calling as disciples as we are now being asked to also come and see what God has in store for us. As with Simon Peter who through faith recognized who Jesus was, our own faith in Jesus will also turn us into spiritual rocks of the Church.
And since it is God who initiates our encounter with him as when he turned to ask Andrew and John “what are you looking for?” God himself will also give us the Spirit of Faith that we may know Jesus in a personal way, that we may be able to proclaim the Gospel to the world and, the courage to stand as a witness to help bring others to Christ.
1ST Reading: 1 Jn 3:7-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:1, 7-9 “All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.”
GOSPEL: Jn 1:35-42
Key Verse: “We have found the Messiah” (v.41)
What is it that you do when you have something that you may have found or bought which you treasure and hold dear. For some they would probably keep it and would satisfy themselves by just looking at it. These possessions could be jewelries, paintings, antique pieces, heirlooms, shoes, bags and signature clothes probably and for some it may either be antique cars or the latest sports car as the case may be.
I remember when a few days before the recent holiday season as I passed by a car showroom in Fort Bonifacio where on display were Lamborghini sports cars which have a tag price of between P15-million to P20-million and the salesman was gracious enough to show me the features of the car and why it costs so much.
These cars are really a work of art but the question is not only why anyone would shell out that kind of money for a car that you can’t drive in the streets of the metropolis but would this be something that you can readily share with anyone such that your happiness can also be theirs or will it be your happiness alone.
Conversely, the natural tendency of anyone who finds something important and valuable is to be filled with joy and share it with others? If it wasn’t, Luke wouldn’t have devoted an entire chapter writing about the three Parables of Jesus. In Lk 15:3-32 we see this kind of joy being shared by the shepherd who found the lost sheep, of the woman who lost one of the ten coins she kept and found it after a diligent search or, the father whose heart was pounding with joy upon the return of his prodigal son.
In reading through this Gospel passage for today (Jn 1:35-42), kindly allow me to invite everyone to just spend a few moments to read and reflect on this passage for today because it provides us with an idea of the manner in which Jesus would pursue his ministry.
And going back to Andrew, we could actually feel the kind of adrenalin rush that he had when having found his brother Simon, he exclaimed: “We have found the Messiah” (v.41). It was natural for Andrew being a Jew to get excited over his discovery because the Jews have been waiting for hundreds of years for a Messiah to deliver them from captivity by the Romans.
Though this passage did not fully explain the circumstances that led Andrew to conclude that Jesus was the Messiah they were looking for, it could very well be that Andrew was one of the two disciples of John the Baptist who heard Jesus speak and followed him. The other must have been John the Evangelist because he was able to determine the exact hour (4:00 p.m.) when they encountered Jesus (v.39).
As we shall also see, the encounter between Jesus and the two disciples (v.38) spelled out in very clear terms the character of Jesus in dealing with those who have expressed their interest to follow him and know more about him and the message that he brings.
In this verse, Jesus turned around and for the first time he gave the two disciples an idea of what will become the landmark of his earthly ministry and this was by asking a question: “What do you want?” (v.38) On many occasions in his ministry we will see Jesus asking the same question of those who come to him for healing.
And in this encounter with the two disciples, Jesus gave Andrew and John a glimpse of his divine initiative when he took the first step by turning around as he asked them a question. And Jesus could also be posing this same question to us now: “What are you looking for? What do you want in life? What is your aim and goal in life? For what purpose are you living your life?
Some of us maybe looking for security that money can bring. We work tirelessly so we can live in luxury and comfort. But we maybe forgetting that we’re supposed to work to live and not live to work because there are other more important things than material comfort.
Others may be working for a successful career but as you will also find out that this is not enough because a career no matter how successful you can be is bounded by time and as the saying goes, even good things come to an end.
Still some are searching for peace and joy, a search that would provide them with the opportunity to live in peace with themselves, with God and with the world. This is the search for God which can only be found in Jesus. This was what Andrew and John found when they asked: “where are you staying?” (v.38) and when Jesus invited them to “Come and you will see.” (v.39) they readily said “yes” and followed him.
Today, Jesus is still extending to us this same invitation for us to “come and see” and by saying yes we not only enter into a communion with him but we will also see for ourselves what Andrew and John found if we are going to say yes to his invitation and follow him.
This Gospel passage also highlights the character of John the Baptist and Andrew for that matter as both contented themselves with just leading others to Christ. In all humility, John prepared the way for Jesus and Andrew led his brother Simon to Jesus. Though Andrew met Jesus first, he accepted the fact that it was Simon whom Jesus named as “Cephas” or the rock on which the Church would later be established.
And like John the Baptist who pointed to Jesus as the One whose sandal straps he was not worthy to untie, Andrew too was happy leading others to Christ like the boy with five loaves of bread and two fish in Jn 6:8-9 and, when he brought several Greeks to meet Jesus in Jn 12:20-22. The complete story of Andrew will show that he spent his life bringing others to Christ.
This is also our calling as disciples as we are now being asked to also come and see what God has in store for us. As with Simon Peter who through faith recognized who Jesus was, our own faith in Jesus will also turn us into spiritual rocks of the Church.
And since it is God who initiates our encounter with him as when he turned to ask Andrew and John “what are you looking for?” God himself will also give us the Spirit of Faith that we may know Jesus in a personal way, that we may be able to proclaim the Gospel to the world and, the courage to stand as a witness to help bring others to Christ.
CALLED TO DEFEND THE NAME OF JESUS
HE IS THE SON OF GOD (v.34)
JAN. 3, 2013: FEAST OF THE MOST HOLY NAME OF JESUS
1ST Reading: 1 JN 2:29-3:6
Responsorial Psalm: PSA 98:1, 3-6 “All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.”
GOSPEL: JN 1:29-34
Key Verse: “Look, the Lamb of God,
who takes away the sin of the world.” (v.29)
As we commemorate today the Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, let me present to you at least three significant points in this Gospel passage for today which brings to the fore who Jesus was at the time of his baptism by John the Baptist, his true identity and what he will be from then on.
To know the background of Jesus is fairly important in our understanding of our faith since it is only in knowing who Jesus was and is that we can truly believe and love him and appreciate our nature as “children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” (1 Jn 3:1)
The first point we’d like to make is when Jesus appeared before John the Baptist at the Jordan River and John cried out: “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (v.29). Here we see a progression that links all the three points in this passage. Acknowledged as the last of the great prophets, the title used by John in calling Jesus as the Lamb of God was prophetic in a sense because it defines the role of Jesus in the redemption of the world.
The question that some may raise is how come John called Jesus to be the Lamb of God if he himself “did not know him” (v.31). Was John thinking of the practice in those days when a lamb was sacrificed each morning and every evening at the Temple for the sins of the people?
Or was John thinking of Jesus as the Passover Lamb the blood of which delivered the Israelites in Egypt from death and perhaps this was the same thought that ran through the mind of Paul who wrote: “for Christ, our Passover Lamb has been sacrificed” (1 Cor 5:7). To be called the Lamb of God was indeed a tremendous title because of the way the Jews associate the lamb with the practice of their faith.
It would also have been impossible for John not to know Jesus (v.31) because they were blood relations. What John meant, however, was not that he didn’t know who Jesus was but he didn’t know what Jesus was and it was only at that moment when John saw and realized who Jesus really was.
And this brings us to the second point of this passage. Indeed John didn’t know who Jesus was but at that moment when he saw Jesus appear at the River Jordan the Holy Spirit had provided him with the thought as to the real identity of Jesus. And here we see for the first time the appearance of the Holy Spirit in the life of John and Jesus in the form of a dove.
The Jews refer to the Holy Spirit as the ruah which means wind and to the Jews the Spirit of God means power and life which is beyond human comprehension and even the Jews believed then that the coming of the Spirit was the coming of God. Even the great prophets defer to the Spirit as coming from God: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to bring good tidings” (Isa 61:1).
Many of us may have gone through what is called spasmodic experiences which come with dazzling illumination in the Life in the Spirit Seminar but these moments come and go. When John said in (v.32) that he saw the Spirit remain on him it meant that the Spirit took up residence in Jesus which also means that the power of God was and has always been in and with Jesus from the beginning of time.
The third point in this Gospel passage was the use of the word baptize in v.33 when John said Jesus will baptize men with the Holy Spirit. Again, what John meant was that Jesus alone can bring the Spirit of God to us that when we are baptized in the Holy Spirit, our lives are immersed and filled with the Spirit who takes possession of our nature.
Hence, this indwelling of the Holy Spirit should illumine, strengthen and purify our lives for it is only by the power of the Spirit that we can do things beyond our human comprehension: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Ac 1:8)
As with John, our primary task is to testify not for our own self but to stand as witness for Jesus Christ. We are not to draw attention to our own person but we are to point others to Christ.
With the uncertainties and upheavals in the environment we are in, the people in the world today as with the Jews in the time of John are looking for someone to provide them security in an Insecure world. Our role as Christian disciples is to point them to Christ and to show that he is the only one who can give us peace and security.
And we can only do this by the power of the Holy Spirit who makes Christ known to us through the gift of faith because it would be difficult to lead others to know Christ if we have not known him first.
God fills us with his Spirit so that we may comprehend the great mystery and plan of God to unite all things in his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ (Eph 1:10). As the mission of John was to be the herald of Christ, we too are being mobilized to follow after John and point others to Christ.
In this Year of Faith, let us not forget that we are being called to proclaim the Gospel of Christ to the ends of the earth in pursuit of the New Evangelization program which has been developed to renew the faith of baptized Christians who have strayed away from the practice of their Catholic faith.
The Catholic Church today is under attack from all sides not only from its traditional foes – the agnostics, atheists, skeptics and cults – but even from within as what the Church faced recently with the passage of the RH Law when legislators who are baptized Catholics voted for the passage of the bill.
And today as the dust of the RH Bill hasn’t even settled yet and as if it wasn’t bad enough that a supposed Catholic University was reported to have backed up the RH Bill, the same group of legislators who pushed for the passage of the RH Bill are now suggesting that they will soon file a bill that would allow divorce, abortion and same-sex marriage in the Philippines.
Indeed, there never was a time in the history of the only Christian nation in Asia when the Holy Name of Jesus has been desecrated as today and it now rests upon our shoulders as disciples of Christ to come to the defense of not only our Christian Catholic faith but of Christ himself.
1ST Reading: 1 JN 2:29-3:6
Responsorial Psalm: PSA 98:1, 3-6 “All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.”
GOSPEL: JN 1:29-34
Key Verse: “Look, the Lamb of God,
who takes away the sin of the world.” (v.29)
As we commemorate today the Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, let me present to you at least three significant points in this Gospel passage for today which brings to the fore who Jesus was at the time of his baptism by John the Baptist, his true identity and what he will be from then on.
To know the background of Jesus is fairly important in our understanding of our faith since it is only in knowing who Jesus was and is that we can truly believe and love him and appreciate our nature as “children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” (1 Jn 3:1)
The first point we’d like to make is when Jesus appeared before John the Baptist at the Jordan River and John cried out: “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (v.29). Here we see a progression that links all the three points in this passage. Acknowledged as the last of the great prophets, the title used by John in calling Jesus as the Lamb of God was prophetic in a sense because it defines the role of Jesus in the redemption of the world.
The question that some may raise is how come John called Jesus to be the Lamb of God if he himself “did not know him” (v.31). Was John thinking of the practice in those days when a lamb was sacrificed each morning and every evening at the Temple for the sins of the people?
Or was John thinking of Jesus as the Passover Lamb the blood of which delivered the Israelites in Egypt from death and perhaps this was the same thought that ran through the mind of Paul who wrote: “for Christ, our Passover Lamb has been sacrificed” (1 Cor 5:7). To be called the Lamb of God was indeed a tremendous title because of the way the Jews associate the lamb with the practice of their faith.
It would also have been impossible for John not to know Jesus (v.31) because they were blood relations. What John meant, however, was not that he didn’t know who Jesus was but he didn’t know what Jesus was and it was only at that moment when John saw and realized who Jesus really was.
And this brings us to the second point of this passage. Indeed John didn’t know who Jesus was but at that moment when he saw Jesus appear at the River Jordan the Holy Spirit had provided him with the thought as to the real identity of Jesus. And here we see for the first time the appearance of the Holy Spirit in the life of John and Jesus in the form of a dove.
The Jews refer to the Holy Spirit as the ruah which means wind and to the Jews the Spirit of God means power and life which is beyond human comprehension and even the Jews believed then that the coming of the Spirit was the coming of God. Even the great prophets defer to the Spirit as coming from God: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to bring good tidings” (Isa 61:1).
Many of us may have gone through what is called spasmodic experiences which come with dazzling illumination in the Life in the Spirit Seminar but these moments come and go. When John said in (v.32) that he saw the Spirit remain on him it meant that the Spirit took up residence in Jesus which also means that the power of God was and has always been in and with Jesus from the beginning of time.
The third point in this Gospel passage was the use of the word baptize in v.33 when John said Jesus will baptize men with the Holy Spirit. Again, what John meant was that Jesus alone can bring the Spirit of God to us that when we are baptized in the Holy Spirit, our lives are immersed and filled with the Spirit who takes possession of our nature.
Hence, this indwelling of the Holy Spirit should illumine, strengthen and purify our lives for it is only by the power of the Spirit that we can do things beyond our human comprehension: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Ac 1:8)
As with John, our primary task is to testify not for our own self but to stand as witness for Jesus Christ. We are not to draw attention to our own person but we are to point others to Christ.
With the uncertainties and upheavals in the environment we are in, the people in the world today as with the Jews in the time of John are looking for someone to provide them security in an Insecure world. Our role as Christian disciples is to point them to Christ and to show that he is the only one who can give us peace and security.
And we can only do this by the power of the Holy Spirit who makes Christ known to us through the gift of faith because it would be difficult to lead others to know Christ if we have not known him first.
God fills us with his Spirit so that we may comprehend the great mystery and plan of God to unite all things in his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ (Eph 1:10). As the mission of John was to be the herald of Christ, we too are being mobilized to follow after John and point others to Christ.
In this Year of Faith, let us not forget that we are being called to proclaim the Gospel of Christ to the ends of the earth in pursuit of the New Evangelization program which has been developed to renew the faith of baptized Christians who have strayed away from the practice of their Catholic faith.
The Catholic Church today is under attack from all sides not only from its traditional foes – the agnostics, atheists, skeptics and cults – but even from within as what the Church faced recently with the passage of the RH Law when legislators who are baptized Catholics voted for the passage of the bill.
And today as the dust of the RH Bill hasn’t even settled yet and as if it wasn’t bad enough that a supposed Catholic University was reported to have backed up the RH Bill, the same group of legislators who pushed for the passage of the RH Bill are now suggesting that they will soon file a bill that would allow divorce, abortion and same-sex marriage in the Philippines.
Indeed, there never was a time in the history of the only Christian nation in Asia when the Holy Name of Jesus has been desecrated as today and it now rests upon our shoulders as disciples of Christ to come to the defense of not only our Christian Catholic faith but of Christ himself.
MAKING WAY FOR CHRIST
LIKE JOHN, WE SIMPLY MAKE WAY FOR CHRIST
JAN. 2, 2013: WEDNESDAY BEFORE EPIPHANY
1ST Reading: 1 Jn 2:22-28
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:1-4 “All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.”
GOSPEL: Jn 1:19-28
Key Verse: “…Make straight the way for the Lord.” (v.23)
The world has changed considerably in centuries past. Whereas in ancient times, the people benefit from the proclamation of the prophets and other messengers of God for their spiritual guidance and Jesus who was sent to also proclaim the Good News of Salvation.
Following the establishment of the first Christian Church after the Apostles and the disciples of Jesus received the anointing and empowerment of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, the Church has mushroomed into hundreds if not thousands of denominations over the years. And persons with access to the Scriptures, since then, have been proclaiming the Word of God to the world either as Pastors, Ministers, or as Evangelists who make use of the media in pursuit of their mission.
What followed was widespread confusion even on matters of faith such that the Church on Dec. 8, 1869 – Oct. 20, 1870 held the First Vatican Council and promulgated that the Magisterium of the Catholic Church was to be the sole depository and interpreter of “all those things that are to be believed with divine and Catholic faith which are contained in the Word of God, written or handed down, and which the Church, either by a solemn judgment or by her ordinary and universal teaching [magisterium], proposes for belief as having been divinely revealed.”
Even so today, there are many divergent voices that we hear and it has become a problem as to which of these voices have a tinge of truth in them. The advent of modern communications has added to the confusion such that even young children in their formative years have access to radio, television, cellular phones, podcast, etc., and parents may no longer be aware of the kind of information that are being processed by the young and immature minds of their children.
This free-flow of information, however, is not exclusive to the youth as even adults are bombarded with tons of information that they get from the media especially the internet and the social media where the proclamation of the Word of God compete for every available air space with what the world promotes.
This is still the reality in today’s post-modern world and what this shows is that the battle between good and evil is still being fought today and has spilled over to the media which has become the new battlefield and there is now a call to arms for all Christian disciples to defend our faith.
Take the case of the controversial RH Bill which was recently signed into law without fanfare by President Benigno Simeon Aquino III. Despite protestations of its immoral features that run against the grain of the Christian faith, the RH Bill was passed for the simple reason that the Filipino people who will be affected by the population control measure was not provided enough information as to the features of the RH Bill.
In other words, the RH Bill became the subject of a media war between the contending forces which the pro-choice proponents won for the simple reason that there was not enough opportunities for the pro-life movements with which to espouse their cause. At some point even the pro-life organizations were disorganized and lacked the leverage needed to mount a successful campaign against the RH Bill.
This is also true with the proclamation of the Word of God and those engaged in such activity must ask themselves as to whom they are leading the people to. Is it to God or to their persona as many organizations today have been turned into a cult-like organization that draw people to their leaders who use the name of God as a bait to lure people into their cult.
Today we are still at war against these hypocrites in robes and as we go into battle and put on the armor of God (Eph 6:11-18), we should get our inspiration from John the Baptist who went before the Lord to prepare his way but who never lost sight of his role that he was merely a forerunner and that his primary mission was to point the people to Christ.
Even if his coming was foretold by Isaiah (Jn 1:23), John did not even for once claim to be Elijah (Jn 1:21) whose return was also being awaited by the people at the time or, the Messiah as some mistook him to be. In all humility, John said he was just a voice of one calling from the desert to make straight the way for the Lord.
He could have easily arrogated unto himself the title of Messiah but he did not as he confessed he was not the Christ (Jn 1:20) and in all humility he declared that Christ is “the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” (Jn 1:27).
John was able to say this not just out of humility but he was very much aware of who he was and who Jesus Christ as he testified that “he who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.” (Jn 1:15) What this verse shows was that John was aware of the preexistence of Christ who was the Word of God made flesh.
What then can we learn from the example of John? For one, what he did and showed was a powerful testimony for all Christians especially those who call themselves disciples of Christ because as followers of Christ, our preoccupation is similar to that of John.
We merely announce the coming of Christ and what he did for us and we must not forget that regardless of how honored we are in life, the titles to our name, position and achievements or our social status, we are not the Christ. Our mission is to bring Christ to others by deflecting attention from ourselves and to point people to Christ.
At some point in his ministry, John confessed: “He must become greater, I must become less.” (Jn 3:30) This is what we must also confess and say to ourselves that notwithstanding who we are, we must decrease simply by acknowledging that there is someone greater than us, someone who can do more than what we can do, someone who is better than us, someone who is more talented than us. For it is only when we confess with our lips that we are nothing will Christ come and fill all the areas of our hearts.
Amidst the many voices that we hear some of which can be deceiving, what we need to do is to hear and heed what the Word of God says because when the Word is incarnated in our hearts we not only unite our finite selves to the Son and the Father but with the Holy Spirit that is in us we are brought to life and God in his goodness allows us to partake of his divine nature.
1ST Reading: 1 Jn 2:22-28
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:1-4 “All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.”
GOSPEL: Jn 1:19-28
Key Verse: “…Make straight the way for the Lord.” (v.23)
The world has changed considerably in centuries past. Whereas in ancient times, the people benefit from the proclamation of the prophets and other messengers of God for their spiritual guidance and Jesus who was sent to also proclaim the Good News of Salvation.
Following the establishment of the first Christian Church after the Apostles and the disciples of Jesus received the anointing and empowerment of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, the Church has mushroomed into hundreds if not thousands of denominations over the years. And persons with access to the Scriptures, since then, have been proclaiming the Word of God to the world either as Pastors, Ministers, or as Evangelists who make use of the media in pursuit of their mission.
What followed was widespread confusion even on matters of faith such that the Church on Dec. 8, 1869 – Oct. 20, 1870 held the First Vatican Council and promulgated that the Magisterium of the Catholic Church was to be the sole depository and interpreter of “all those things that are to be believed with divine and Catholic faith which are contained in the Word of God, written or handed down, and which the Church, either by a solemn judgment or by her ordinary and universal teaching [magisterium], proposes for belief as having been divinely revealed.”
Even so today, there are many divergent voices that we hear and it has become a problem as to which of these voices have a tinge of truth in them. The advent of modern communications has added to the confusion such that even young children in their formative years have access to radio, television, cellular phones, podcast, etc., and parents may no longer be aware of the kind of information that are being processed by the young and immature minds of their children.
This free-flow of information, however, is not exclusive to the youth as even adults are bombarded with tons of information that they get from the media especially the internet and the social media where the proclamation of the Word of God compete for every available air space with what the world promotes.
This is still the reality in today’s post-modern world and what this shows is that the battle between good and evil is still being fought today and has spilled over to the media which has become the new battlefield and there is now a call to arms for all Christian disciples to defend our faith.
Take the case of the controversial RH Bill which was recently signed into law without fanfare by President Benigno Simeon Aquino III. Despite protestations of its immoral features that run against the grain of the Christian faith, the RH Bill was passed for the simple reason that the Filipino people who will be affected by the population control measure was not provided enough information as to the features of the RH Bill.
In other words, the RH Bill became the subject of a media war between the contending forces which the pro-choice proponents won for the simple reason that there was not enough opportunities for the pro-life movements with which to espouse their cause. At some point even the pro-life organizations were disorganized and lacked the leverage needed to mount a successful campaign against the RH Bill.
This is also true with the proclamation of the Word of God and those engaged in such activity must ask themselves as to whom they are leading the people to. Is it to God or to their persona as many organizations today have been turned into a cult-like organization that draw people to their leaders who use the name of God as a bait to lure people into their cult.
Today we are still at war against these hypocrites in robes and as we go into battle and put on the armor of God (Eph 6:11-18), we should get our inspiration from John the Baptist who went before the Lord to prepare his way but who never lost sight of his role that he was merely a forerunner and that his primary mission was to point the people to Christ.
Even if his coming was foretold by Isaiah (Jn 1:23), John did not even for once claim to be Elijah (Jn 1:21) whose return was also being awaited by the people at the time or, the Messiah as some mistook him to be. In all humility, John said he was just a voice of one calling from the desert to make straight the way for the Lord.
He could have easily arrogated unto himself the title of Messiah but he did not as he confessed he was not the Christ (Jn 1:20) and in all humility he declared that Christ is “the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” (Jn 1:27).
John was able to say this not just out of humility but he was very much aware of who he was and who Jesus Christ as he testified that “he who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.” (Jn 1:15) What this verse shows was that John was aware of the preexistence of Christ who was the Word of God made flesh.
What then can we learn from the example of John? For one, what he did and showed was a powerful testimony for all Christians especially those who call themselves disciples of Christ because as followers of Christ, our preoccupation is similar to that of John.
We merely announce the coming of Christ and what he did for us and we must not forget that regardless of how honored we are in life, the titles to our name, position and achievements or our social status, we are not the Christ. Our mission is to bring Christ to others by deflecting attention from ourselves and to point people to Christ.
At some point in his ministry, John confessed: “He must become greater, I must become less.” (Jn 3:30) This is what we must also confess and say to ourselves that notwithstanding who we are, we must decrease simply by acknowledging that there is someone greater than us, someone who can do more than what we can do, someone who is better than us, someone who is more talented than us. For it is only when we confess with our lips that we are nothing will Christ come and fill all the areas of our hearts.
Amidst the many voices that we hear some of which can be deceiving, what we need to do is to hear and heed what the Word of God says because when the Word is incarnated in our hearts we not only unite our finite selves to the Son and the Father but with the Holy Spirit that is in us we are brought to life and God in his goodness allows us to partake of his divine nature.
MARY IS DEI GENITRIX
JAN. 1, 2013: MARY IS DEI GENITRIX
1st Reading: Num 6:22-27
Responsorial Psalm: PSA 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8 “May God bless us in his mercy.”
2nd Reading: Gal4:4-7
GOSPEL: Lk 2:16-21
Key Verse: “Mary kept all these things in her heart.” (v.19)
As Christian Catholics our veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, has become a contentious issue and it actually comes as a surprise as to why this matter should even be the subject of much debate. It shouldn’t be because the respect and honor that we give to the Mother of God is the same as kind of respect that we give to our own mothers.
In fact, besides the Apostles and the other disciples of Jesus who have followed him from the time he began his earthly ministry up to the time of his resurrection, there was no other person who could claim he or she was as close to Jesus than his very own mother.
As I have written many times before, I can recall at least six times when Mary was with Jesus and these were very important events in the life of Christ. To begin with, Mary carried Jesus in her womb for nine months and her fiat actually turned her into becoming the first disciple of Our Lord (Lk 1:26-38).
Mary and Joseph presented Jesus at the Temple as part of the Jewish tradition (Lk 2:21-39). They brought Jesus to Jerusalem to attend the Feast of the Passover and Jesus stayed behind to talk with the teachers of the law (Lk 2:41-52). And since Jesus was followed by a large group of disciples and although it was not recorded Mary was probably with Jesus and the other disciples during the feeding of the 5,000 (Mt 14:13-21), in one of the most important teachings of Jesus at the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5:1-12).
Again while it was not recorded, Mary was most assuredly with Jesus and the other disciples at the Last Supper (Mt 26:30). Mary must have followed Jesus during the Way of the Cross (Lk 23:26-34) and she was there at the foot of the cross in Calvary (Lk 23:46), and she must have been there when Jesus rose on the third day (Lk 24:1-12) and definitely Mary was with the rest of the Apostles on Pentecost (Ac 1:8) when the Holy Spirit descended as Jesus ascended into heaven to take his place at the right hand of God the Father.
What we’re actually saying is the question that need be asked is not why are we venerating Mary but what we should ask ourselves is why not?
The Feast of the Solemnity of Mary reminds us also of the naming ceremony or the time when parents spend time thinking of a name to give their newborn child is always a revered occasion. At times, the rest of the family members also jump in to offer their thoughts because the name is something that is not only permanent but it somehow reflects what the infant would be in the future.
This was the same scenario in the time of Joseph and Mary because the giving of a name was an important occasion for the Jews. And most often the name given by the Jews to an infant was taken from their long line of ancestors and this ritual has to be completed within eight days.
Each one of us is known by our name which should be the same as the one that is on our birth certificate that is also on file with the Civil Registrar. To not use our official name would present problems in the future especially when attending school or when securing certifications, licenses, passports, etc.
Besides our names in full, we are generally called by our nicknames or a shortened version of our name. Traditionally, our Church had instituted that infants to be baptized must carry a Christian name that parents normally get from the names of the Saints of the Day in their calendars. This tradition, however, is no longer in vogue as we now see infants being baptized with names such as Corolla, Lancer, Galant and so on. Every conceivable term or phrase can now be used to name an infant.
But what if as parents this privilege of naming your child is taken away from you as was in the case of Joseph and Mary because the name Jesus was a name given to them by an angel sent by God (Lk 1:31).
For our greater appreciation of the name given to our Savior and Redeemer, let me guide you through the Catechism of the Catholic Church particularly Paragraphs 430 - 452 that have been devoted to a description of the name given to Jesus Christ.
CCC430 describes the Hebrew meaning of the name of Jesus to mean: “God saves.” This was the name given by the angel Gabriel as his proper name that expresses both his identity and his mission. The name “Jesus” in CCC432 also signifies that the very name of God is present in the person of his Son, made man for the universal and definitive redemption from sins. It is the divine name that alone brings salvation, and henceforth all can invoke his name, for Jesus united himself to all men through his Incarnation, so that “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
As we are celebrating today the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God, it would be an opportune time to also speak of her because Mary also has an important part in our salvation because it was through her that salvation came into the world and into our lives.
Mary is known and referred to as the Mother of God, a name that was given her when she visited her cousin Elizabeth and in 431 A.D. the Council of Ephesus confirmed this title and her the name Dei Genitrix or Mother of God because she gave birth to Him who is God and man in one person.
St. Cyril, in fact, once said: “If our Lord Jesus Christ is God, how can it be that the holy Virgin who bore Him is not Mother of God?” And our Church deigns that whoever truly loves God must also honor the Mother of God and honor her too far above all the saints.
What probably is the most important name ascribed to Mary is that of being the “Theotokos” or the bearer of God in reference to the Incarnation in which the second person of the Trinity assumed a human form without diminishing his preexistent divine nature but which was made possible through the cooperation of Mary.
As Christian disciples who have been led out of the darkness that permeated our lives and transposed into the marvelous light, we too are being called to be God-bearers. Such is not difficult to grasp especially if we understand the Scriptures as John the Evangelist declares that the Word of God made its dwelling among men (Jn 1:14) and it was on account of this manifestation that Peter said that we have become partakers of the divine nature (2 Pet 1:4).
Today with our faith being constantly challenged by the utter disregard for the divinity of man there is an alarming decline in Christianity in the world. What was before taboo such as legalized abortion, same-sex marriage, pro-choice has now become acceptable.
Primarily, it is because we are not aware of our own nature and or we simply have forgotten that there is a piece of Jesus in all of us. Thus, the challenge for us today is to step up in faith and show our true nature that as we have been born anew, we are called to possess the life that comes from God himself such that we effectively become bearers of the nature of God.
Like Mary, God also expects that we as Christian disciples must become a Theotokos to bring light into the disordered world we are in. We must have the name of Jesus written all over our persona because we too, as with Mary, also have a role to play in the redemption of man.
1st Reading: Num 6:22-27
Responsorial Psalm: PSA 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8 “May God bless us in his mercy.”
2nd Reading: Gal4:4-7
GOSPEL: Lk 2:16-21
Key Verse: “Mary kept all these things in her heart.” (v.19)
As Christian Catholics our veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, has become a contentious issue and it actually comes as a surprise as to why this matter should even be the subject of much debate. It shouldn’t be because the respect and honor that we give to the Mother of God is the same as kind of respect that we give to our own mothers.
In fact, besides the Apostles and the other disciples of Jesus who have followed him from the time he began his earthly ministry up to the time of his resurrection, there was no other person who could claim he or she was as close to Jesus than his very own mother.
As I have written many times before, I can recall at least six times when Mary was with Jesus and these were very important events in the life of Christ. To begin with, Mary carried Jesus in her womb for nine months and her fiat actually turned her into becoming the first disciple of Our Lord (Lk 1:26-38).
Mary and Joseph presented Jesus at the Temple as part of the Jewish tradition (Lk 2:21-39). They brought Jesus to Jerusalem to attend the Feast of the Passover and Jesus stayed behind to talk with the teachers of the law (Lk 2:41-52). And since Jesus was followed by a large group of disciples and although it was not recorded Mary was probably with Jesus and the other disciples during the feeding of the 5,000 (Mt 14:13-21), in one of the most important teachings of Jesus at the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5:1-12).
Again while it was not recorded, Mary was most assuredly with Jesus and the other disciples at the Last Supper (Mt 26:30). Mary must have followed Jesus during the Way of the Cross (Lk 23:26-34) and she was there at the foot of the cross in Calvary (Lk 23:46), and she must have been there when Jesus rose on the third day (Lk 24:1-12) and definitely Mary was with the rest of the Apostles on Pentecost (Ac 1:8) when the Holy Spirit descended as Jesus ascended into heaven to take his place at the right hand of God the Father.
What we’re actually saying is the question that need be asked is not why are we venerating Mary but what we should ask ourselves is why not?
The Feast of the Solemnity of Mary reminds us also of the naming ceremony or the time when parents spend time thinking of a name to give their newborn child is always a revered occasion. At times, the rest of the family members also jump in to offer their thoughts because the name is something that is not only permanent but it somehow reflects what the infant would be in the future.
This was the same scenario in the time of Joseph and Mary because the giving of a name was an important occasion for the Jews. And most often the name given by the Jews to an infant was taken from their long line of ancestors and this ritual has to be completed within eight days.
Each one of us is known by our name which should be the same as the one that is on our birth certificate that is also on file with the Civil Registrar. To not use our official name would present problems in the future especially when attending school or when securing certifications, licenses, passports, etc.
Besides our names in full, we are generally called by our nicknames or a shortened version of our name. Traditionally, our Church had instituted that infants to be baptized must carry a Christian name that parents normally get from the names of the Saints of the Day in their calendars. This tradition, however, is no longer in vogue as we now see infants being baptized with names such as Corolla, Lancer, Galant and so on. Every conceivable term or phrase can now be used to name an infant.
But what if as parents this privilege of naming your child is taken away from you as was in the case of Joseph and Mary because the name Jesus was a name given to them by an angel sent by God (Lk 1:31).
For our greater appreciation of the name given to our Savior and Redeemer, let me guide you through the Catechism of the Catholic Church particularly Paragraphs 430 - 452 that have been devoted to a description of the name given to Jesus Christ.
CCC430 describes the Hebrew meaning of the name of Jesus to mean: “God saves.” This was the name given by the angel Gabriel as his proper name that expresses both his identity and his mission. The name “Jesus” in CCC432 also signifies that the very name of God is present in the person of his Son, made man for the universal and definitive redemption from sins. It is the divine name that alone brings salvation, and henceforth all can invoke his name, for Jesus united himself to all men through his Incarnation, so that “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
As we are celebrating today the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God, it would be an opportune time to also speak of her because Mary also has an important part in our salvation because it was through her that salvation came into the world and into our lives.
Mary is known and referred to as the Mother of God, a name that was given her when she visited her cousin Elizabeth and in 431 A.D. the Council of Ephesus confirmed this title and her the name Dei Genitrix or Mother of God because she gave birth to Him who is God and man in one person.
St. Cyril, in fact, once said: “If our Lord Jesus Christ is God, how can it be that the holy Virgin who bore Him is not Mother of God?” And our Church deigns that whoever truly loves God must also honor the Mother of God and honor her too far above all the saints.
What probably is the most important name ascribed to Mary is that of being the “Theotokos” or the bearer of God in reference to the Incarnation in which the second person of the Trinity assumed a human form without diminishing his preexistent divine nature but which was made possible through the cooperation of Mary.
As Christian disciples who have been led out of the darkness that permeated our lives and transposed into the marvelous light, we too are being called to be God-bearers. Such is not difficult to grasp especially if we understand the Scriptures as John the Evangelist declares that the Word of God made its dwelling among men (Jn 1:14) and it was on account of this manifestation that Peter said that we have become partakers of the divine nature (2 Pet 1:4).
Today with our faith being constantly challenged by the utter disregard for the divinity of man there is an alarming decline in Christianity in the world. What was before taboo such as legalized abortion, same-sex marriage, pro-choice has now become acceptable.
Primarily, it is because we are not aware of our own nature and or we simply have forgotten that there is a piece of Jesus in all of us. Thus, the challenge for us today is to step up in faith and show our true nature that as we have been born anew, we are called to possess the life that comes from God himself such that we effectively become bearers of the nature of God.
Like Mary, God also expects that we as Christian disciples must become a Theotokos to bring light into the disordered world we are in. We must have the name of Jesus written all over our persona because we too, as with Mary, also have a role to play in the redemption of man.
THE DIVINITY OF MAN
DEC. 31, 2012: 7th DAY IN THE OCTAVE OF CHRISTMAS
1st Reading: 1 Jn 2:18-21
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 96:1-2, 11-13 “Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice.”
GOSPEL: Jn 1:1-18
Key Verse: “And the Word became flesh,
and made His dwelling among us.” (v.14)
I attended an Advent Recollection in our Parish and the speaker began by saying that the reason many people are experiencing problems or have gone to the extent of committing infractions ranging from minor offenses to serious crimes was because they are suffering from an identity crisis. He elaborated by stressing that those who find themselves in that kind of a situation don’t know who they are and their purpose in life.
He said people sin because they don’t know who they are and are unaware of their true identity and this identity crisis is what creates a problem that affects the integrity of a person. Indeed, integrity becomes the central character of a person when there is unanimity in the hidden life and the public of a person. In others words, what other people see must be the same as what we are when others aren’t looking.
The Gospel passage on this the 7th Day in the Octave of Christmas gives us an idea of our true identity, who we are and what our purpose in life is. The Catechism of the Catholic Church 831 also provides us with a clear picture of our calling as it says: “All men are called to belong to the new People of God. This People, therefore, while remaining one and only one, is to be spread throughout the whole world and to all ages in order that the design of God's will may be fulfilled: he made human nature one in the beginning and has decreed that all his children who were scattered should be finally gathered together as one. . . . The character of universality which adorns the People of God is a gift from the Lord himself whereby the Catholic Church ceaselessly and efficaciously seeks for the return of all humanity and all its goods, under Christ the Head in the unity of his Spirit.”
And many would probably wonder why John the Evangelist began his Gospel with a brief introduction of the Word of God as the precursor of all things that have been created in the universe. The main reason for this was to stress the fact that the use of the Word of God as an expression was common among the Jews at that time and because the Jews also regard the spoken word as a reflection of the character and integrity of a person.
John also wanted to prove that the Word was not one of the created things but that the Word was already there even before the creation began which means that the Word was already there before the world was created. What John was trying to do was he was laying the groundwork that would open the eyes of the world to what was to become the principle on the pre-existence of Christ.
What John was saying by: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning” (vv.1-2) was that Jesus whom God sent to save the world from eternal damnation (Jn 3:16) was identical and similar to God in mind, heart, and in being that in Jesus we can perfectly see what God is like.
As this passage contains several sections, we will dwell only on what I believe to be the two important verses in this Gospel of John. These are v.4 “In him was life, and the life was the light of men.” The other is found in v.14 when John wrote: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” Let me suggest, however, that you try to find time to read this Gospel of Jn 1:1-18 in its entirety and dwell on it and you will find in it a treasure trove that will help sustain your faith.
Throughout the whole Gospel of John you will find that the word life appears more than 35 times while the phrase to live or to have for more than 15 times. John made use of these words extensively to create in the minds of those who will be reading the fourth Gospel that life is the opposite of death.
God had sent his Son so that anyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life (Jn 3:16). And those to whom Jesus gives life will never perish (Jn 10:28). In the fourth Gospel written by John, it is easy to deduce that what Jesus is offering is life in the present world in the way life is to be understood – I came that they may have life, an abundant life (Jn 10:10) – and in the life to come (Jn 5:24).
The point of John was that we can all live even without Christ but we will never know or enjoy what life really is because for John, Jesus is the only person who can make our lives worth living and it is only in believing in him that will assure us of a life in eternity.
It is also in Jesus that we can find the light that brings us out of the darkness that we may be in. To grasp the meaning of the light that Jesus brings we must understand that darkness doesn’t just connote the absence of light in our environment but the absence of wisdom meaning that ignorance also is a form of darkness.
Jesus says in Jn 12:46 that he came with his light that men who believes in him will not stay in darkness. The purpose of John was to emphasize that Jesus is the light who shows us the path we need to take every step of the way towards the Kingdom of God.
The second most important passage in this Gospel could be found in v.14 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” This to me is a most beautiful phrase that expresses the love of God for us. Here we can savor the love of God in its fullness that out of his love he fills us with his divinity such that man who is human has become part of the divine nature (2 Pet 1:4).
What John was saying in this verse was that we, though created by God, do not deserve the eternity in which God dwells but that we were made worthy because of his deep abiding love for all of us for “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (Jn 3:16).
Thus, we can only bask in the glory of God by believing and accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. In faith, we have to appreciate that God's purpose for us, even from the beginning of his creation, was that we would be fully united with Him both here and in heaven.
In the first reading in 1 Jn 2:18, the Evangelist also spoke of the “last hour.” What John meant was that there is always a last hour for everything and anything in this world. There is a last hour when the end of the world comes. Even in death, there is a last hour. And when Jesus comes a second time, there will also be a final hour.
The last hour means something is about to end that will give way to something new. We should thus bear in mind that everything including our lives will have a final end. We will have our last hour and today we will be celebrating the last day of the year.
In these remaining hours of 2012, we will appreciate who God is and what he has done for us and, what he is yet to do to for us if we will put everything behind us, all the sorrows, resentments, unforgiveness, sadness, worries and problems and look forward to a new beginning with hope and joy of knowing that we have an eternal God who has reserved for us a place in his eternal kingdom.
Now is the time for us to thank God our Father for sending his only begotten Son to redeem us and give us the opportunity to share in his glory. Now is also the time for us to thank God for all the answered prayers but most importantly for what God has given us even when we did not ask.
1st Reading: 1 Jn 2:18-21
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 96:1-2, 11-13 “Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice.”
GOSPEL: Jn 1:1-18
Key Verse: “And the Word became flesh,
and made His dwelling among us.” (v.14)
I attended an Advent Recollection in our Parish and the speaker began by saying that the reason many people are experiencing problems or have gone to the extent of committing infractions ranging from minor offenses to serious crimes was because they are suffering from an identity crisis. He elaborated by stressing that those who find themselves in that kind of a situation don’t know who they are and their purpose in life.
He said people sin because they don’t know who they are and are unaware of their true identity and this identity crisis is what creates a problem that affects the integrity of a person. Indeed, integrity becomes the central character of a person when there is unanimity in the hidden life and the public of a person. In others words, what other people see must be the same as what we are when others aren’t looking.
The Gospel passage on this the 7th Day in the Octave of Christmas gives us an idea of our true identity, who we are and what our purpose in life is. The Catechism of the Catholic Church 831 also provides us with a clear picture of our calling as it says: “All men are called to belong to the new People of God. This People, therefore, while remaining one and only one, is to be spread throughout the whole world and to all ages in order that the design of God's will may be fulfilled: he made human nature one in the beginning and has decreed that all his children who were scattered should be finally gathered together as one. . . . The character of universality which adorns the People of God is a gift from the Lord himself whereby the Catholic Church ceaselessly and efficaciously seeks for the return of all humanity and all its goods, under Christ the Head in the unity of his Spirit.”
And many would probably wonder why John the Evangelist began his Gospel with a brief introduction of the Word of God as the precursor of all things that have been created in the universe. The main reason for this was to stress the fact that the use of the Word of God as an expression was common among the Jews at that time and because the Jews also regard the spoken word as a reflection of the character and integrity of a person.
John also wanted to prove that the Word was not one of the created things but that the Word was already there even before the creation began which means that the Word was already there before the world was created. What John was trying to do was he was laying the groundwork that would open the eyes of the world to what was to become the principle on the pre-existence of Christ.
What John was saying by: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning” (vv.1-2) was that Jesus whom God sent to save the world from eternal damnation (Jn 3:16) was identical and similar to God in mind, heart, and in being that in Jesus we can perfectly see what God is like.
As this passage contains several sections, we will dwell only on what I believe to be the two important verses in this Gospel of John. These are v.4 “In him was life, and the life was the light of men.” The other is found in v.14 when John wrote: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” Let me suggest, however, that you try to find time to read this Gospel of Jn 1:1-18 in its entirety and dwell on it and you will find in it a treasure trove that will help sustain your faith.
Throughout the whole Gospel of John you will find that the word life appears more than 35 times while the phrase to live or to have for more than 15 times. John made use of these words extensively to create in the minds of those who will be reading the fourth Gospel that life is the opposite of death.
God had sent his Son so that anyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life (Jn 3:16). And those to whom Jesus gives life will never perish (Jn 10:28). In the fourth Gospel written by John, it is easy to deduce that what Jesus is offering is life in the present world in the way life is to be understood – I came that they may have life, an abundant life (Jn 10:10) – and in the life to come (Jn 5:24).
The point of John was that we can all live even without Christ but we will never know or enjoy what life really is because for John, Jesus is the only person who can make our lives worth living and it is only in believing in him that will assure us of a life in eternity.
It is also in Jesus that we can find the light that brings us out of the darkness that we may be in. To grasp the meaning of the light that Jesus brings we must understand that darkness doesn’t just connote the absence of light in our environment but the absence of wisdom meaning that ignorance also is a form of darkness.
Jesus says in Jn 12:46 that he came with his light that men who believes in him will not stay in darkness. The purpose of John was to emphasize that Jesus is the light who shows us the path we need to take every step of the way towards the Kingdom of God.
The second most important passage in this Gospel could be found in v.14 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” This to me is a most beautiful phrase that expresses the love of God for us. Here we can savor the love of God in its fullness that out of his love he fills us with his divinity such that man who is human has become part of the divine nature (2 Pet 1:4).
What John was saying in this verse was that we, though created by God, do not deserve the eternity in which God dwells but that we were made worthy because of his deep abiding love for all of us for “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (Jn 3:16).
Thus, we can only bask in the glory of God by believing and accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. In faith, we have to appreciate that God's purpose for us, even from the beginning of his creation, was that we would be fully united with Him both here and in heaven.
In the first reading in 1 Jn 2:18, the Evangelist also spoke of the “last hour.” What John meant was that there is always a last hour for everything and anything in this world. There is a last hour when the end of the world comes. Even in death, there is a last hour. And when Jesus comes a second time, there will also be a final hour.
The last hour means something is about to end that will give way to something new. We should thus bear in mind that everything including our lives will have a final end. We will have our last hour and today we will be celebrating the last day of the year.
In these remaining hours of 2012, we will appreciate who God is and what he has done for us and, what he is yet to do to for us if we will put everything behind us, all the sorrows, resentments, unforgiveness, sadness, worries and problems and look forward to a new beginning with hope and joy of knowing that we have an eternal God who has reserved for us a place in his eternal kingdom.
Now is the time for us to thank God our Father for sending his only begotten Son to redeem us and give us the opportunity to share in his glory. Now is also the time for us to thank God for all the answered prayers but most importantly for what God has given us even when we did not ask.
FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY
DEC. 30, 2012: FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY
1st Reading: 1 Sam 1:20-22, 24-28
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 84:2-6, 9-10 “Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord.”
2nd Reading: 1 Jn 3:1-2, 21-24
GOSPEL: Lk 2:41-52
Key Verse: “Didn’t you know I had to be
in my Father’s house?” (v.49)
Has it ever crossed your minds that the Catholic practice of commemorating religious festivals, feasts including our devotions to saints and religious practices is actually biblical which contradicts accusations that the Catholic Church merely invented these rituals and traditions.
When going through the Gospel passage today as we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family, you will note at least five important points that will help increase your Christian faith especially in this Year of Faith beginning with the traditions that have been passed on to us for which we at times have been severely criticized.
The first point is right there at the beginning of the passage as we read that: “Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover.” (v.41) This only shows that even in those days, the Jews and definitely even the early Christians have been observant of certain traditional feasts that they are mandated to celebrate. It also shows that our commemoration of feasts and devotions are perfectly grounded on the faith of our ancestors.
While it was not mentioned in this passage, Joseph and Mary had no choice but to go to Jerusalem to join in the celebration of the Passover Feast as this in obedience to the law that calls on every Jewish male adult who lived within 15 miles of Jerusalem must attend the Feast.
In those days, a Jewish boy crosses the line to adulthood when he reaches the age of 12 and since Jesus was already of that age his parents had to bring him to Jerusalem to introduce him to the Jewish Passover tradition. In fact, this tradition remains up to today in that every Jew throughout the world make it a point to attend the feast even once in their life. So whatever we do in the practice of our faith are not mere whims and caprices but were part of biblical traditions that have been handed down to us from generations to generations.
The second point is the matter of the family which as we all know is the basic unit of society. This passage gives us a clear idea of the common bond that binds families together. Here we see Jesus traveling with his parents – Joseph and Mary unlike some situations that we know of today when children have become not only disobedient but disrespectful of their parents. There may be a reason for this behavior and the uncontrolled proliferation of adult media to which the youth had been exposed could be one reason.
The lesson for us is that we must not lose sight of the importance of the family. For all intents and purposes, families must move as a team with each one looking at the best interest of the other. Like the Holy Family, we too must make sure that our families are guided by love, unity, peace, harmony and trust for one another.
The third important point in this passage was when Jesus for the first time made known that he already knew his heavenly heritage and we see this in his response to Mary who asked him: “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you?” And his response I believe was the big turnaround for Jesus as he said: “Why were you searching for me? Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”
This response must have shocked Joseph for when he said this Jesus actually took away the title of Joseph as his father and gave it back to God. No one can really say as to when Jesus realized he was the Son of God. We can only surmise that it was the Holy Spirit who may have moved in him such that in his first Passover he suddenly had a sense that he indeed came from God.
What Jesus experienced has also happened to those who have yielded control of their lives to the Holy Spirit who in turn will help us realize that our lives are no longer our own but Christ who lives in us and that by the Grace of God poured out on us we are transformed into sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty (2 Cor 6:18).
The fourth and fifth points, I believe, are the keys that will unlock the power that is hidden in us that will allow us to live a fruitful and fulfilled Christian life. “As Jesus went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them.” (v.51) Here Luke tells us that Jesus grew up with obedience written all over his character and while there is little we know of the events in his life as he was growing up, we know too that Jesus became obedient to death – even death on a cross (Phi 2:6).
What we know is that out of his obedience, Jesus was highly exalted and glorified such that he sits at the right hand of God to judge the living and the dead. Jesus himself also tells us: “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” (Lk 11:28)
This brings us to the fifth and final point as we read: “But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.” (v.51) Like Mary, we are to keep everything in our hearts as the plan of God is revealed to us. Indeed, there will definitely be times when we will not easily understand God’s plan for us but if we cooperate in loving obedience to his Word, God will empower by his Holy Spirit so that he can use for his purpose.
When God created each one of us he already has a plan for us as he will not leave us orphans and he will come to us (Jn 14:18) to equip us and empower us for the task at hand and it is in obeying and keeping his Word in our hearts that we are transformed into becoming a member of God’s family. There shouldn’t be any doubt as to our calling. The only question is how are we going to respond.
1st Reading: 1 Sam 1:20-22, 24-28
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 84:2-6, 9-10 “Blessed are they who dwell in your house, O Lord.”
2nd Reading: 1 Jn 3:1-2, 21-24
GOSPEL: Lk 2:41-52
Key Verse: “Didn’t you know I had to be
in my Father’s house?” (v.49)
Has it ever crossed your minds that the Catholic practice of commemorating religious festivals, feasts including our devotions to saints and religious practices is actually biblical which contradicts accusations that the Catholic Church merely invented these rituals and traditions.
When going through the Gospel passage today as we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family, you will note at least five important points that will help increase your Christian faith especially in this Year of Faith beginning with the traditions that have been passed on to us for which we at times have been severely criticized.
The first point is right there at the beginning of the passage as we read that: “Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover.” (v.41) This only shows that even in those days, the Jews and definitely even the early Christians have been observant of certain traditional feasts that they are mandated to celebrate. It also shows that our commemoration of feasts and devotions are perfectly grounded on the faith of our ancestors.
While it was not mentioned in this passage, Joseph and Mary had no choice but to go to Jerusalem to join in the celebration of the Passover Feast as this in obedience to the law that calls on every Jewish male adult who lived within 15 miles of Jerusalem must attend the Feast.
In those days, a Jewish boy crosses the line to adulthood when he reaches the age of 12 and since Jesus was already of that age his parents had to bring him to Jerusalem to introduce him to the Jewish Passover tradition. In fact, this tradition remains up to today in that every Jew throughout the world make it a point to attend the feast even once in their life. So whatever we do in the practice of our faith are not mere whims and caprices but were part of biblical traditions that have been handed down to us from generations to generations.
The second point is the matter of the family which as we all know is the basic unit of society. This passage gives us a clear idea of the common bond that binds families together. Here we see Jesus traveling with his parents – Joseph and Mary unlike some situations that we know of today when children have become not only disobedient but disrespectful of their parents. There may be a reason for this behavior and the uncontrolled proliferation of adult media to which the youth had been exposed could be one reason.
The lesson for us is that we must not lose sight of the importance of the family. For all intents and purposes, families must move as a team with each one looking at the best interest of the other. Like the Holy Family, we too must make sure that our families are guided by love, unity, peace, harmony and trust for one another.
The third important point in this passage was when Jesus for the first time made known that he already knew his heavenly heritage and we see this in his response to Mary who asked him: “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you?” And his response I believe was the big turnaround for Jesus as he said: “Why were you searching for me? Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”
This response must have shocked Joseph for when he said this Jesus actually took away the title of Joseph as his father and gave it back to God. No one can really say as to when Jesus realized he was the Son of God. We can only surmise that it was the Holy Spirit who may have moved in him such that in his first Passover he suddenly had a sense that he indeed came from God.
What Jesus experienced has also happened to those who have yielded control of their lives to the Holy Spirit who in turn will help us realize that our lives are no longer our own but Christ who lives in us and that by the Grace of God poured out on us we are transformed into sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty (2 Cor 6:18).
The fourth and fifth points, I believe, are the keys that will unlock the power that is hidden in us that will allow us to live a fruitful and fulfilled Christian life. “As Jesus went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them.” (v.51) Here Luke tells us that Jesus grew up with obedience written all over his character and while there is little we know of the events in his life as he was growing up, we know too that Jesus became obedient to death – even death on a cross (Phi 2:6).
What we know is that out of his obedience, Jesus was highly exalted and glorified such that he sits at the right hand of God to judge the living and the dead. Jesus himself also tells us: “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” (Lk 11:28)
This brings us to the fifth and final point as we read: “But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.” (v.51) Like Mary, we are to keep everything in our hearts as the plan of God is revealed to us. Indeed, there will definitely be times when we will not easily understand God’s plan for us but if we cooperate in loving obedience to his Word, God will empower by his Holy Spirit so that he can use for his purpose.
When God created each one of us he already has a plan for us as he will not leave us orphans and he will come to us (Jn 14:18) to equip us and empower us for the task at hand and it is in obeying and keeping his Word in our hearts that we are transformed into becoming a member of God’s family. There shouldn’t be any doubt as to our calling. The only question is how are we going to respond.
CALLED TO BE LIKE CHRIST
DEC. 29, 2011: 5TH DAY IN THE CHRISTMAS OCTAVE
1st Reading: 1 Jn 2:3-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 96:1-3, 5-6 “Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice.”
GOSPEL: Lk 2:22-35
Key Verse: “For my eyes have seen your salvation.” (v.30)
The readings today present at least three very significant points leading to our understanding of what it is to be a Christian and John the Evangelist in his epistle in the first reading introduces the first point which partake of a guideline on how Christians must live.
John’s epistle reminds us of our growing up days when in our report cards during our elementary grades and in our secondary or high school years, there is a box separate from the grades that refer to our conduct which corresponds to how we as pupils and students behaved then. As adults, our conduct reflects the way we live or our lifestyle.
The evangelist whom Jesus loved made it clear that Christians “who claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did” (1 Jn 2:6). A tall order indeed but we will be gauged by how we conduct ourselves amidst the pressures of a technologically advanced environment that has pushed into the background every trace of good manners and right conduct that we learned in school.
Today, we live in a world in which we desire to have what others have. All you have to do is go to the cyber market in malls or in any commercial center and you will see that the most active section is that where trading in communication gadgets such as mobile cellular phones are prevalent. The young are drowning in a sea of want at an early age – wanting this and that.
The way we conduct ourselves especially towards the poor will demonstrate whether or not we are authentic Christian disciples of Christ. And the presentation of Jesus at the Temple should serve as a constant reminder that Jesus was born of poor human parents. The Gospel shows that Mary brought a pair of young pigeons instead of a lamb. The offering of two pigeons instead of a lamb was referred to in those days as “the offering of the poor.”
It was this offering of the poor that Mary and Joseph brought and this should remind us that Jesus was born into an ordinary home where there were no luxuries and into a family who knew of the difficulties of making ends meet. It is in this context that our Church requires Christians to be one with the poor not only to shell out a fraction of what are in our wallets but to also empathize with the poor. To give is not at all bad. But how we feel towards the poor is what makes the difference.
The second point was the attitude of Simeon when he saw Jesus being presented at the Temple. What Simeon said in Lk 2:29-32 was referred to as the last of three great Canticles of the New Testament (the other two were the Magnificat known as the Canticle of Mary and the Benedictus known as the Canticle of Zechariah).
In his Canticle, Simeon simply declared that God can take his life now that he has seen and recognized the Messiah. And in Lk 2:34 Simeon lays down the paradox related to the coming of Jesus – that many will rise which means that those who will accept him will be liberated from their old selves and be born into a new life and be assured of an eternal life in heaven. To live a new life is to walk as Jesus did (I Jn 2:6).
In the same way, many will fall which refers to those who will reject his offer of salvation. We must understand, however, that God did not come to condemn or to judge us but to save us (Jn 12:47). If we stand condemned, it is because we have condemned ourselves by not listening and keeping his words. We cannot be neutral when it comes to our faith. It’s either we are with Jesus or we are with the world.
The third point is what we pray as the fourth Joyful Mystery – the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple which was in fulfillment of the Jewish tradition. What was unknown at that time was that the coming of Jesus has moved the place of worship from the Temple into the hearts of men.
Through the coming of Jesus as the incarnated Son of God and through his saving death, resurrection, and ascension we have been turned into living temples of his Holy Spirit: “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.” (1 Cor. 3:16-17)
In this fifth day of the Christmas Octave, we must recognize that we have become God’s temple and that his Holy Spirit dwells within us. It is the commingling of our spirits with the Spirit of God that gives us the strength to do all things that Christ tells us to do because it is only in the doing that we will be known if we are with him or against him.
At the end of the Gospel passage, Simeon blessed Mary and Joseph and he prophesied about the destiny of Jesus and the pain she would experience. Again, Simeon’s prophecy introduces another paradox – the blessedness of Mary being the Mother of the Son of God but which will also become a sword that will pierce her heart with the death of Jesus on the cross.
This is the same with us. There will be great joy in following Jesus, a joy that will give us the boldness to endure whatever sorrow and pain we experience in life. And like Mary, let us clothe ourselves with the joy of a life that is fully abandoned to His divine providence in faith.
This is the lesson of the Gospel and we must draw on our faith to help us understand that God sent Jesus so that his divinity will flow to all of humanity and that through Christ we are given the opportunity to share in His own divinity. In other words, our calling as disciples is not just to obey and follow Christ but to become like Christ.
1st Reading: 1 Jn 2:3-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 96:1-3, 5-6 “Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice.”
GOSPEL: Lk 2:22-35
Key Verse: “For my eyes have seen your salvation.” (v.30)
The readings today present at least three very significant points leading to our understanding of what it is to be a Christian and John the Evangelist in his epistle in the first reading introduces the first point which partake of a guideline on how Christians must live.
John’s epistle reminds us of our growing up days when in our report cards during our elementary grades and in our secondary or high school years, there is a box separate from the grades that refer to our conduct which corresponds to how we as pupils and students behaved then. As adults, our conduct reflects the way we live or our lifestyle.
The evangelist whom Jesus loved made it clear that Christians “who claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did” (1 Jn 2:6). A tall order indeed but we will be gauged by how we conduct ourselves amidst the pressures of a technologically advanced environment that has pushed into the background every trace of good manners and right conduct that we learned in school.
Today, we live in a world in which we desire to have what others have. All you have to do is go to the cyber market in malls or in any commercial center and you will see that the most active section is that where trading in communication gadgets such as mobile cellular phones are prevalent. The young are drowning in a sea of want at an early age – wanting this and that.
The way we conduct ourselves especially towards the poor will demonstrate whether or not we are authentic Christian disciples of Christ. And the presentation of Jesus at the Temple should serve as a constant reminder that Jesus was born of poor human parents. The Gospel shows that Mary brought a pair of young pigeons instead of a lamb. The offering of two pigeons instead of a lamb was referred to in those days as “the offering of the poor.”
It was this offering of the poor that Mary and Joseph brought and this should remind us that Jesus was born into an ordinary home where there were no luxuries and into a family who knew of the difficulties of making ends meet. It is in this context that our Church requires Christians to be one with the poor not only to shell out a fraction of what are in our wallets but to also empathize with the poor. To give is not at all bad. But how we feel towards the poor is what makes the difference.
The second point was the attitude of Simeon when he saw Jesus being presented at the Temple. What Simeon said in Lk 2:29-32 was referred to as the last of three great Canticles of the New Testament (the other two were the Magnificat known as the Canticle of Mary and the Benedictus known as the Canticle of Zechariah).
In his Canticle, Simeon simply declared that God can take his life now that he has seen and recognized the Messiah. And in Lk 2:34 Simeon lays down the paradox related to the coming of Jesus – that many will rise which means that those who will accept him will be liberated from their old selves and be born into a new life and be assured of an eternal life in heaven. To live a new life is to walk as Jesus did (I Jn 2:6).
In the same way, many will fall which refers to those who will reject his offer of salvation. We must understand, however, that God did not come to condemn or to judge us but to save us (Jn 12:47). If we stand condemned, it is because we have condemned ourselves by not listening and keeping his words. We cannot be neutral when it comes to our faith. It’s either we are with Jesus or we are with the world.
The third point is what we pray as the fourth Joyful Mystery – the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple which was in fulfillment of the Jewish tradition. What was unknown at that time was that the coming of Jesus has moved the place of worship from the Temple into the hearts of men.
Through the coming of Jesus as the incarnated Son of God and through his saving death, resurrection, and ascension we have been turned into living temples of his Holy Spirit: “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.” (1 Cor. 3:16-17)
In this fifth day of the Christmas Octave, we must recognize that we have become God’s temple and that his Holy Spirit dwells within us. It is the commingling of our spirits with the Spirit of God that gives us the strength to do all things that Christ tells us to do because it is only in the doing that we will be known if we are with him or against him.
At the end of the Gospel passage, Simeon blessed Mary and Joseph and he prophesied about the destiny of Jesus and the pain she would experience. Again, Simeon’s prophecy introduces another paradox – the blessedness of Mary being the Mother of the Son of God but which will also become a sword that will pierce her heart with the death of Jesus on the cross.
This is the same with us. There will be great joy in following Jesus, a joy that will give us the boldness to endure whatever sorrow and pain we experience in life. And like Mary, let us clothe ourselves with the joy of a life that is fully abandoned to His divine providence in faith.
This is the lesson of the Gospel and we must draw on our faith to help us understand that God sent Jesus so that his divinity will flow to all of humanity and that through Christ we are given the opportunity to share in His own divinity. In other words, our calling as disciples is not just to obey and follow Christ but to become like Christ.
WE OWE IT TO THEM, THE HOLY INNOCENTS
DEC. 28, 2012: FEAST OF THE HOLY INNOCENTS
1st Reading: 1 Jn 1:5-2:2
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 124:2-5, 7-8 “Our soul has escaped like a bird from the fowler’s snare.”
GOSPEL: MATT 2:13-18
Key Verse: “Rachel weeping for her children…” (v.18)
This is probably the second most gruesome scenario in the New Testament besides the passion and death on the cross of Jesus Christ and except for his fear of being unseated from his throne by a new-born King, the massacre of innocent children on orders of Herod will go down in history as an infamy.
But we’re getting ahead of the plots in this passage and there are actually two of them. One was the escape of the Holy Family to Egypt and the other of course is the massacre of innocent children which can only be overshadowed in terms of sorrow and agony with what happened 1,900 years later during the holocaust.
The first scenario began with Joseph having a dream of God telling him to flee to Egypt to escape Herod’s murderous rage. The Jews at that time believed that God sends messages in the form of dreams and for Joseph this was the second time he had a dream, the first was when an angel told him in a dream that Mary’s child would be the Messiah long awaited by the Jews (Matt 1:20-21).
We can easily relate to the flight of the Holy Family because in our lifetime many of us have also taken flight to escape persecution whether the oppression we face is real or imagined. To turn our back and or take flight is the easiest way to end an argument. In a worst-case scenario, taking flight or leaving your home is a convenient way to run away from one’s responsibility as a father and or head of the family. And in extreme cases, there are instances when in their confusion some people take their own lives to escape from what they think was a hopeless situation.
But in the case of Joseph, Mary and Jesus, they needed to leave and escape in order to live. And to ensure their safety and security, God told Joseph to bring his family to Egypt which at that time was the natural sanctuary of the Jews because of the large Jewish population in neighboring Egypt.
In so doing, Jesus became a refugee and or migrant in a foreign country. And many of our countrymen especially the OFWs could easily identify themselves with Jesus who knew the pain and the difficulties of living as a refugee and or as a migrant since Jesus himself was uprooted and displaced from his homeland through forced migration.
This is the reason why those who are similarly situated can easily find a champion in Jesus and this should serve as a good news and hope for those who have been displaced by natural calamities, drought, El Nino, lack of jobs and impaired income opportunities. Amidst all these, the victims of the tragedy that befell the residents of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan cities in Northern Mindanao and only recently in Compostela Valley also in Mindanao can find solace, comfort and true peace in Jesus Christ.
It would be difficult to find answers to tragedies such as those caused by Typhoon Ondoy in Metro Manila, Typhoon Frank in Iloilo, Typhoon Sendong in Iligan and Cagayan de Oro and Typhoon Pablo. And we would be hard-pressed to find an explanation to the suffering of innocent children.
Herod's massacre of children seemed so useless and unjust and the question we might ask ourselves is why couldn't God prevent this slaughter? And this leads us to surmise that suffering is also a mystery and there is no explanation that would satisfy our need to understand.
What we can do, however, is to simply be satisfied with the thought that these innocent children and their parents suffered for Christ because suffering, persecution, and martyrdom are the conditions to which those who will follow Jesus Christ will find themselves in.
There can be no crown without the cross for it was the suffering, humiliation, and death of Jesus on the cross that won for us our salvation. It was through his blood that obtained for us pardon and reconciliation with our heavenly Father and consequently an eternal life in heaven.
Many of us are familiar with suffering and it comes through different circumstances. These could be in the form of illnesses, diseases, being handicapped, physical pain and emotional trauma, slander, abuse, poverty, persecution for our beliefs, loss of a loved one, loss of jobs and income opportunities, failed relationships and, injustice. But it is also in suffering that we can relate to the sufferings of Our Lord as well as with the suffering of the Saints, Martyrs and the Holy Innocents.
But as there are those who cannot accept there is someone who is greater than them, this Gospel passage shows us how far men will go to get rid of Jesus Christ. Herod saw the coming of the Messiah as a stumbling block to his reign as king and some of us may be driven with ambition to succeed regardless of the cost and may see the principles of Christ to be in the way. The immediate reaction is to eliminate Christ by turning our backs on him that allows us to do terrible things without fear of the Lord.
Mary was blessed to be the mother of the Son of God. That blessedness also became a sword that pierced her heart as her Son died on the cross. It was a crown of joy and sorrow she received. But her joy overshadowed her sorrow because it was fueled by her faith, hope, and trust in God and his promises.
Jesus himself promised his disciples that "no one will take your joy from you" (John 16:22). We too can experience the true joy that Our Lord offers that will enable us to bear our sorrows and pain which neither life nor death can take way. Herod feared that Jesus would take away his throne. But this was not the intention of Jesus. His objective was not to take over the throne but to be the king of Herod’s life in exchange for eternal life.
Today, there are some who are afraid that Christ will take away whatever it is that they enjoy. In truth, what Christ wants is to give us true peace and joy. As we remember the Holy Innocents, let us remove the fear in us and let us gather the courage to give Christ the throne of our lives. Let us escape from this world as the Holy Family did in order to live an abundant life in Christ.
1st Reading: 1 Jn 1:5-2:2
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 124:2-5, 7-8 “Our soul has escaped like a bird from the fowler’s snare.”
GOSPEL: MATT 2:13-18
Key Verse: “Rachel weeping for her children…” (v.18)
This is probably the second most gruesome scenario in the New Testament besides the passion and death on the cross of Jesus Christ and except for his fear of being unseated from his throne by a new-born King, the massacre of innocent children on orders of Herod will go down in history as an infamy.
But we’re getting ahead of the plots in this passage and there are actually two of them. One was the escape of the Holy Family to Egypt and the other of course is the massacre of innocent children which can only be overshadowed in terms of sorrow and agony with what happened 1,900 years later during the holocaust.
The first scenario began with Joseph having a dream of God telling him to flee to Egypt to escape Herod’s murderous rage. The Jews at that time believed that God sends messages in the form of dreams and for Joseph this was the second time he had a dream, the first was when an angel told him in a dream that Mary’s child would be the Messiah long awaited by the Jews (Matt 1:20-21).
We can easily relate to the flight of the Holy Family because in our lifetime many of us have also taken flight to escape persecution whether the oppression we face is real or imagined. To turn our back and or take flight is the easiest way to end an argument. In a worst-case scenario, taking flight or leaving your home is a convenient way to run away from one’s responsibility as a father and or head of the family. And in extreme cases, there are instances when in their confusion some people take their own lives to escape from what they think was a hopeless situation.
But in the case of Joseph, Mary and Jesus, they needed to leave and escape in order to live. And to ensure their safety and security, God told Joseph to bring his family to Egypt which at that time was the natural sanctuary of the Jews because of the large Jewish population in neighboring Egypt.
In so doing, Jesus became a refugee and or migrant in a foreign country. And many of our countrymen especially the OFWs could easily identify themselves with Jesus who knew the pain and the difficulties of living as a refugee and or as a migrant since Jesus himself was uprooted and displaced from his homeland through forced migration.
This is the reason why those who are similarly situated can easily find a champion in Jesus and this should serve as a good news and hope for those who have been displaced by natural calamities, drought, El Nino, lack of jobs and impaired income opportunities. Amidst all these, the victims of the tragedy that befell the residents of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan cities in Northern Mindanao and only recently in Compostela Valley also in Mindanao can find solace, comfort and true peace in Jesus Christ.
It would be difficult to find answers to tragedies such as those caused by Typhoon Ondoy in Metro Manila, Typhoon Frank in Iloilo, Typhoon Sendong in Iligan and Cagayan de Oro and Typhoon Pablo. And we would be hard-pressed to find an explanation to the suffering of innocent children.
Herod's massacre of children seemed so useless and unjust and the question we might ask ourselves is why couldn't God prevent this slaughter? And this leads us to surmise that suffering is also a mystery and there is no explanation that would satisfy our need to understand.
What we can do, however, is to simply be satisfied with the thought that these innocent children and their parents suffered for Christ because suffering, persecution, and martyrdom are the conditions to which those who will follow Jesus Christ will find themselves in.
There can be no crown without the cross for it was the suffering, humiliation, and death of Jesus on the cross that won for us our salvation. It was through his blood that obtained for us pardon and reconciliation with our heavenly Father and consequently an eternal life in heaven.
Many of us are familiar with suffering and it comes through different circumstances. These could be in the form of illnesses, diseases, being handicapped, physical pain and emotional trauma, slander, abuse, poverty, persecution for our beliefs, loss of a loved one, loss of jobs and income opportunities, failed relationships and, injustice. But it is also in suffering that we can relate to the sufferings of Our Lord as well as with the suffering of the Saints, Martyrs and the Holy Innocents.
But as there are those who cannot accept there is someone who is greater than them, this Gospel passage shows us how far men will go to get rid of Jesus Christ. Herod saw the coming of the Messiah as a stumbling block to his reign as king and some of us may be driven with ambition to succeed regardless of the cost and may see the principles of Christ to be in the way. The immediate reaction is to eliminate Christ by turning our backs on him that allows us to do terrible things without fear of the Lord.
Mary was blessed to be the mother of the Son of God. That blessedness also became a sword that pierced her heart as her Son died on the cross. It was a crown of joy and sorrow she received. But her joy overshadowed her sorrow because it was fueled by her faith, hope, and trust in God and his promises.
Jesus himself promised his disciples that "no one will take your joy from you" (John 16:22). We too can experience the true joy that Our Lord offers that will enable us to bear our sorrows and pain which neither life nor death can take way. Herod feared that Jesus would take away his throne. But this was not the intention of Jesus. His objective was not to take over the throne but to be the king of Herod’s life in exchange for eternal life.
Today, there are some who are afraid that Christ will take away whatever it is that they enjoy. In truth, what Christ wants is to give us true peace and joy. As we remember the Holy Innocents, let us remove the fear in us and let us gather the courage to give Christ the throne of our lives. Let us escape from this world as the Holy Family did in order to live an abundant life in Christ.
LOVES MAKES US SEE AND BELIEVE
ST. JOHN, THE APOSTLE WHOM JESUS LOVED.
DEC. 27, 2012: FEAST OF ST. JOHN, Apostle and Evangelist
1st Reading: 1 Jn 1:1-4
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 97:1-2,5-6, 11-12 “Rejoice in the Lord, you just.”
GOSPEL: Jn 20:1a, 2-8
Key Verse: “… he saw and believed.” (v.8)
As we step into the Octave of Christmas let us not forget to tie in the lessons of Christmas with the transmission of the Gospel of Christ in this Year of Faith. The Church in fact is calling on us to help in reevangelizing the baptized Catholics who have drifted away from the faith but this is easier said than done.
For one, we cannot become an evangel to others if we ourselves are weak in faith especially on matters of what we believe in. The account of the resurrection of Jesus is an example as was his birth of a most pure Blessed Virgin Mary (Lk 1:34) and these two events are a test of faith for us and others too.
Today there are those who still do not believe these two events and it was not because the Scriptures are in error but it is because of their lack of faith and most of all the absence of love that causes a cloud of disbelief to linger in the minds of skeptics.
Such unbelief was to be expected because at the time the Resurrection of Jesus happened, the tradition was for family members or close friends and associates to visit the tomb of a loved one for at least three days after the body had been buried as it was the traditional belief that the spirit of a dead person hovers within the tomb until it leaves when the body can no longer be recognized due to decomposition.
And during the time of Jesus there were differing beliefs when it comes to the after-life. While some of the Pharisees may have rejected Jesus they believed in the Resurrection of the dead but the Sadducees do not.
We must bear in mind that there are at least two significant points relating to the resurrection event. One was that Mary Magdalene, upon finding the tomb empty, returned to the place where the Apostles were staying and informed Peter what she saw. Of the Apostles who were there, it was to Peter that Mary reported what she found.
This also goes to show that notwithstanding Peter’s denial of Jesus, the disciples of Jesus including Mary still considered Peter as the leader of their group. Peter did what was natural and he ran towards the tomb followed by John whom Jesus loved and who would outrun Peter to the tomb and both Peter and John found the grave-clothes lying on the spot where the body of Jesus lay and were not messed up or disarranged with the napkin neatly folded and placed where the head of Jesus lay.
The second point that has a bearing on our own faith was that John saw and realized what was before him and he believed (v.8). For John it was the fulfillment of the prophesy as the resurrection of Jesus had been foretold hundreds of years before and John was a Jew and a disciple who was familiar with the Scriptures and the prophecy concerning the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus.
But it was not what he read from the Scriptures that led him to believe that Jesus has resurrected. It was what he saw. John, the disciple whom Jesus loved and who loved Jesus, was the first believe in the Resurrection and it was love that gave him eyes to interpret and believe what was before his very eyes.
What happened to John was integral to how life evolves as it is sometimes difficult to believe and or even accept the realities before us especially with regards to relationships unless there is a bond of sympathy that exists among persons. And this was what John had, his love for Jesus was what really led him to believe that Jesus has risen from the dead.
The message for us was in John’s first epistle that says what we have seen, heard, and touched concerns the Word of life which has existed "from the beginning” (1 Jn 1:1-4). John bore witness to what has existed from all eternity. He saw and was witness to the great events in our faith history but what is more important is for us to help ensure the continuance of the incarnation of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the body of Christ which is the Church today.
When people around us hear the Word by proclamation and or by reading it and they listen and do what the Word says, they themselves have incarnated it. The same is true when we help those who are in need, the hungry and thirsty, the naked, the stranger, the sick, those in prison and or, reaching our to the victims of Typhoon Pablo - these events relive the incarnation story in our lives.
When we reach out to the least of our brethren we must do so out of love to comfort them, sympathize with them, listen to the cries of their hearts. In this way, we are making the Word of Life visible again. As we become incarnate ourselves, we also participate in the work of redemption by making sure that the Word of Life is incarnated in the lives of others thus making us partakers of the divine nature (2 Pet 1:4).
This Word of Life is Jesus the Word incarnate, and one thing is certain, if Jesus had not risen from the dead and appeared to his disciples, we would never have heard of him. While his birth was a joyous occasion, it was his Resurrection that turned his disciples and the people from dejection with his death into a people radiant with joy and courage.
The reality of the Resurrection is the foundation of the Christian faith. And through the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Lord gives us “eyes of faith” to know him and the power of his Resurrection. Thus, the greatest joy that we can possess is to encounter the living Christ and to know him personally as our Savior and Lord and it takes love to do this.
Once there was a story of a young artist who brought a picture of Jesus to Paul Gustave Dore, a famous French artist in the 18th century, and when Dore gave his critique he said: “You don’t love Jesus, or you could have painted him better.”
This also goes for all of us because we cannot understand Jesus or know him fully unless our hearts are configured to Our Lord in love. Love is what puts fire into our becoming bearers of the Good News because love has nothing to do with what we expect to get, it’s what we give which is the be-all and the end-all of our calling as disciples because love is the condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to our own. As with John, love is what will make us see and believe.
1st Reading: 1 Jn 1:1-4
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 97:1-2,5-6, 11-12 “Rejoice in the Lord, you just.”
GOSPEL: Jn 20:1a, 2-8
Key Verse: “… he saw and believed.” (v.8)
As we step into the Octave of Christmas let us not forget to tie in the lessons of Christmas with the transmission of the Gospel of Christ in this Year of Faith. The Church in fact is calling on us to help in reevangelizing the baptized Catholics who have drifted away from the faith but this is easier said than done.
For one, we cannot become an evangel to others if we ourselves are weak in faith especially on matters of what we believe in. The account of the resurrection of Jesus is an example as was his birth of a most pure Blessed Virgin Mary (Lk 1:34) and these two events are a test of faith for us and others too.
Today there are those who still do not believe these two events and it was not because the Scriptures are in error but it is because of their lack of faith and most of all the absence of love that causes a cloud of disbelief to linger in the minds of skeptics.
Such unbelief was to be expected because at the time the Resurrection of Jesus happened, the tradition was for family members or close friends and associates to visit the tomb of a loved one for at least three days after the body had been buried as it was the traditional belief that the spirit of a dead person hovers within the tomb until it leaves when the body can no longer be recognized due to decomposition.
And during the time of Jesus there were differing beliefs when it comes to the after-life. While some of the Pharisees may have rejected Jesus they believed in the Resurrection of the dead but the Sadducees do not.
We must bear in mind that there are at least two significant points relating to the resurrection event. One was that Mary Magdalene, upon finding the tomb empty, returned to the place where the Apostles were staying and informed Peter what she saw. Of the Apostles who were there, it was to Peter that Mary reported what she found.
This also goes to show that notwithstanding Peter’s denial of Jesus, the disciples of Jesus including Mary still considered Peter as the leader of their group. Peter did what was natural and he ran towards the tomb followed by John whom Jesus loved and who would outrun Peter to the tomb and both Peter and John found the grave-clothes lying on the spot where the body of Jesus lay and were not messed up or disarranged with the napkin neatly folded and placed where the head of Jesus lay.
The second point that has a bearing on our own faith was that John saw and realized what was before him and he believed (v.8). For John it was the fulfillment of the prophesy as the resurrection of Jesus had been foretold hundreds of years before and John was a Jew and a disciple who was familiar with the Scriptures and the prophecy concerning the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus.
But it was not what he read from the Scriptures that led him to believe that Jesus has resurrected. It was what he saw. John, the disciple whom Jesus loved and who loved Jesus, was the first believe in the Resurrection and it was love that gave him eyes to interpret and believe what was before his very eyes.
What happened to John was integral to how life evolves as it is sometimes difficult to believe and or even accept the realities before us especially with regards to relationships unless there is a bond of sympathy that exists among persons. And this was what John had, his love for Jesus was what really led him to believe that Jesus has risen from the dead.
The message for us was in John’s first epistle that says what we have seen, heard, and touched concerns the Word of life which has existed "from the beginning” (1 Jn 1:1-4). John bore witness to what has existed from all eternity. He saw and was witness to the great events in our faith history but what is more important is for us to help ensure the continuance of the incarnation of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the body of Christ which is the Church today.
When people around us hear the Word by proclamation and or by reading it and they listen and do what the Word says, they themselves have incarnated it. The same is true when we help those who are in need, the hungry and thirsty, the naked, the stranger, the sick, those in prison and or, reaching our to the victims of Typhoon Pablo - these events relive the incarnation story in our lives.
When we reach out to the least of our brethren we must do so out of love to comfort them, sympathize with them, listen to the cries of their hearts. In this way, we are making the Word of Life visible again. As we become incarnate ourselves, we also participate in the work of redemption by making sure that the Word of Life is incarnated in the lives of others thus making us partakers of the divine nature (2 Pet 1:4).
This Word of Life is Jesus the Word incarnate, and one thing is certain, if Jesus had not risen from the dead and appeared to his disciples, we would never have heard of him. While his birth was a joyous occasion, it was his Resurrection that turned his disciples and the people from dejection with his death into a people radiant with joy and courage.
The reality of the Resurrection is the foundation of the Christian faith. And through the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Lord gives us “eyes of faith” to know him and the power of his Resurrection. Thus, the greatest joy that we can possess is to encounter the living Christ and to know him personally as our Savior and Lord and it takes love to do this.
Once there was a story of a young artist who brought a picture of Jesus to Paul Gustave Dore, a famous French artist in the 18th century, and when Dore gave his critique he said: “You don’t love Jesus, or you could have painted him better.”
This also goes for all of us because we cannot understand Jesus or know him fully unless our hearts are configured to Our Lord in love. Love is what puts fire into our becoming bearers of the Good News because love has nothing to do with what we expect to get, it’s what we give which is the be-all and the end-all of our calling as disciples because love is the condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to our own. As with John, love is what will make us see and believe.
NOT EASY TO FOLLOW CHRIST
DEC. 26, 2012: FEAST OF ST. STEPHEN, First Martyr
1st Reading: Ac 6:8-10; 7:54-59
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 31:3-4, 6-8, 17, 21 “Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.”
GOSPEL: MATT 10:17-22
Key Verse: “..but he who stands firm to the end
will be saved.” (v.22)
What is this? We’re not over the spirit of Christmas yet and now we’re talking of martyrdom. Aren’t we supposed to go through Lent first even before we begin talking of sacrifice, pain and suffering? It may really seem odd to some that after the joy of the Christmas celebration, we now come face-to-face with the first recorded martyrdom of one who decided to follow Jesus Christ. And it may strike us with a chord of fear and anxiety that we too might suffer the same fate as that which befell the followers of Christ.
Who said it would be easy? St. Paul tells the people of Thessalonica “If you don’t work, you don’t eat.” (2 Thes 3:10) and this has become a matter of principle as even the rich have to work their butt off to keep their status. The middle-incomers also have to work out a sweat to make ends meet. And the marginalized, the downtrodden, the gilligers or those who leave on the other side of the perimeter wall of the gated subdivisions will have to expend all their energies just to survive. So you see nothing in life is really easy.
But it’s not just about the rigors of daily living that make life difficult. Those who have chosen to follow Jesus Christ face even more enormous challenges and unbearable at times just like what happened to St. Stephen who was acknowledged as the first Christian martyr after the death and resurrection of Christ.
Even the first batch of Christ’s disciples and or the twelve whom he named as Apostles never thought they would be in the same predicament as Jesus. They looked at him as a conquering Messiah who will deliver them from captivity by the Gentiles.
In fact, it was on the basis of the thought of a glorious kingdom that one of his kin asked Jesus to allow her two sons to sit on his left and the other on his right (Matt 20:21). Had they known they would live a persecuted life, would they have followed him?
But they did follow him from what they saw in those three years that he was with them. In that brief span of time, he showed them the meaning of victory and the eternal reward that await those who will remain faithful to his Word.
This was the assurance he made as he capped the Sermon on the Mount with these words: “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matt 5:11-12)
This was the life that St. Stephen lived. He brought to life the words of Jesus in Matt 16:24 “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Stephen faithfully followed Jesus and he suffered for it though not in the same degree as Jesus.
Stephen was called the first martyr which in Greek meant witness. He lived a life patterned after that of Jesus and the suffering and death Stephen experienced have been described by Luke in Ac 6:8-10 as something that was quite similar to what Jesus underwent.
The similarity didn’t end there. Just as Jesus saw the sky open as John baptized him with water, Stephen saw the sky open as he was being baptized in blood while he was being stoned to death. As Jesus commended his spirit to God on the cross, Stephen forgave his tormentors on his last and dying breath.
In what way can we then relate to the martyrdom of Stephen? For one, the death of Stephen establishes the connection between Bethlehem and Calvary – the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ and his passion and death on a cross? Amidst the pomp and pageantry of the Christmas celebration, we should not forget the fact that the Son of God took on a human form to redeem us from our slavery to sin and death and to give us new life as the adopted children of God.
The Scriptures will show us that the ultimate way to glory in the kingdom of God is through the cross. And Jesus didn’t quibble when he said to his disciples and he is telling us now that if we want to share in His glory, then we too must take up our cross each day and follow in his footsteps. Jesus never hesitated to tell his disciples what they might expect if they followed him.
As disciples of Christ, we will definitely experience difficulties from without such as what we are now experiencing in the public sector when our faith is being tested by immoral legislation such as the RH Bill and, from within as there are times when even members of our own families cannot comprehend our faithfulness to the Word (v.21).
In this age we live in, we are still being called by God to pursue a life of faithfulness to his Word and to stand as witness to the transformation that brought us out of darkness and into the marvelous light.
Our calling may not necessarily lead us to martyrdom as with Stephen but the message remains the same – to leave the imprint of the life of Jesus into the fiber of our own lives and we can do this by either proclaiming orally or writing about the Good News to others, by our actions such as accepting shepherding assignments, going on mission and, in our decision to turn our lifestyles into a reflection of the life of Jesus.
In Jn 8:31 Jesus said: “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.” To hold on to his teachings is to listen to him and to follow him. To be persecuted is not exactly the message that we prefer to hear coming as it does after the merriment of Christmas. But lest we forget, the message of Christmas is anchored on the eternal joy that Christ brings but which we can only enjoy if we will follow in his footsteps by also laying down our lives for others.
We may not be up to it but Our Lord gives us sufficient grace to follow him and to bear our cross with courage and hope. Living for God often brings persecution but it also provides us with the opportunity to proclaim the Good News of salvation to the world around us and those who will endure to the end will be saved (v.22). This is the true joy and victory that Jesus promised and which Stephen found.
And so the question is: “Are we prepared to commit our lives to follow Christ as St. Stephen did?”
1st Reading: Ac 6:8-10; 7:54-59
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 31:3-4, 6-8, 17, 21 “Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.”
GOSPEL: MATT 10:17-22
Key Verse: “..but he who stands firm to the end
will be saved.” (v.22)
What is this? We’re not over the spirit of Christmas yet and now we’re talking of martyrdom. Aren’t we supposed to go through Lent first even before we begin talking of sacrifice, pain and suffering? It may really seem odd to some that after the joy of the Christmas celebration, we now come face-to-face with the first recorded martyrdom of one who decided to follow Jesus Christ. And it may strike us with a chord of fear and anxiety that we too might suffer the same fate as that which befell the followers of Christ.
Who said it would be easy? St. Paul tells the people of Thessalonica “If you don’t work, you don’t eat.” (2 Thes 3:10) and this has become a matter of principle as even the rich have to work their butt off to keep their status. The middle-incomers also have to work out a sweat to make ends meet. And the marginalized, the downtrodden, the gilligers or those who leave on the other side of the perimeter wall of the gated subdivisions will have to expend all their energies just to survive. So you see nothing in life is really easy.
But it’s not just about the rigors of daily living that make life difficult. Those who have chosen to follow Jesus Christ face even more enormous challenges and unbearable at times just like what happened to St. Stephen who was acknowledged as the first Christian martyr after the death and resurrection of Christ.
Even the first batch of Christ’s disciples and or the twelve whom he named as Apostles never thought they would be in the same predicament as Jesus. They looked at him as a conquering Messiah who will deliver them from captivity by the Gentiles.
In fact, it was on the basis of the thought of a glorious kingdom that one of his kin asked Jesus to allow her two sons to sit on his left and the other on his right (Matt 20:21). Had they known they would live a persecuted life, would they have followed him?
But they did follow him from what they saw in those three years that he was with them. In that brief span of time, he showed them the meaning of victory and the eternal reward that await those who will remain faithful to his Word.
This was the assurance he made as he capped the Sermon on the Mount with these words: “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matt 5:11-12)
This was the life that St. Stephen lived. He brought to life the words of Jesus in Matt 16:24 “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Stephen faithfully followed Jesus and he suffered for it though not in the same degree as Jesus.
Stephen was called the first martyr which in Greek meant witness. He lived a life patterned after that of Jesus and the suffering and death Stephen experienced have been described by Luke in Ac 6:8-10 as something that was quite similar to what Jesus underwent.
The similarity didn’t end there. Just as Jesus saw the sky open as John baptized him with water, Stephen saw the sky open as he was being baptized in blood while he was being stoned to death. As Jesus commended his spirit to God on the cross, Stephen forgave his tormentors on his last and dying breath.
In what way can we then relate to the martyrdom of Stephen? For one, the death of Stephen establishes the connection between Bethlehem and Calvary – the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ and his passion and death on a cross? Amidst the pomp and pageantry of the Christmas celebration, we should not forget the fact that the Son of God took on a human form to redeem us from our slavery to sin and death and to give us new life as the adopted children of God.
The Scriptures will show us that the ultimate way to glory in the kingdom of God is through the cross. And Jesus didn’t quibble when he said to his disciples and he is telling us now that if we want to share in His glory, then we too must take up our cross each day and follow in his footsteps. Jesus never hesitated to tell his disciples what they might expect if they followed him.
As disciples of Christ, we will definitely experience difficulties from without such as what we are now experiencing in the public sector when our faith is being tested by immoral legislation such as the RH Bill and, from within as there are times when even members of our own families cannot comprehend our faithfulness to the Word (v.21).
In this age we live in, we are still being called by God to pursue a life of faithfulness to his Word and to stand as witness to the transformation that brought us out of darkness and into the marvelous light.
Our calling may not necessarily lead us to martyrdom as with Stephen but the message remains the same – to leave the imprint of the life of Jesus into the fiber of our own lives and we can do this by either proclaiming orally or writing about the Good News to others, by our actions such as accepting shepherding assignments, going on mission and, in our decision to turn our lifestyles into a reflection of the life of Jesus.
In Jn 8:31 Jesus said: “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.” To hold on to his teachings is to listen to him and to follow him. To be persecuted is not exactly the message that we prefer to hear coming as it does after the merriment of Christmas. But lest we forget, the message of Christmas is anchored on the eternal joy that Christ brings but which we can only enjoy if we will follow in his footsteps by also laying down our lives for others.
We may not be up to it but Our Lord gives us sufficient grace to follow him and to bear our cross with courage and hope. Living for God often brings persecution but it also provides us with the opportunity to proclaim the Good News of salvation to the world around us and those who will endure to the end will be saved (v.22). This is the true joy and victory that Jesus promised and which Stephen found.
And so the question is: “Are we prepared to commit our lives to follow Christ as St. Stephen did?”
THE KING IS BORN
DEC. 25, 2012: THE KING IS BORN
1st Reading: Isa 52:7-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:1-6 “All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.”
2nd Reading: Heb 1:1-6
GOSPEL: JN 1:1-5, 9-14
Key Verse: “The Word became flesh and made
His dwelling among us.” (JN 1:14)
John the Evangelist began his Gospel with the Word of God as the beginning or the reference point for everything that is in the world. For us to be able to grasp and appreciate the true meaning of the incarnation of Our Lord Jesus Christ, we must begin from the origin of God coming in the flesh.
John lays down the foundation of our faith by pointing out that there are three things about the Word of God. One is that the Word was already present even from the beginning of time (v.1) when God created the world. What John was saying was that the Word was not one of the created things as it was already there even before the creation began.
The Evangelist also says that the Word was with God (v.2) which means that the Word which was God establishes the connection between God and Jesus and for all intents and purposes there is no one person who can reveal to all of humankind who God is except Jesus.
The final point that John wanted to point out at the beginning of his Gospel was that the Word was God (v.1). What John wanted to emphasize with this point was that Jesus was not just identical with God but he was perfectly the same as God in both mind and heart that through Jesus we can see what God is like.
Thus, John describes Jesus as the life-giving and light-giving Word that came down from heaven to assume a human form out of God’s unparalleled love for men “for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, for whosoever believe in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (Jn 3:16) but what was of paramount importance in the coming of the Messiah was that he did not come for the kings and princes but he came to save the world from its sinful tendencies.
In v.4 John wrote: “In him was life, and that life was the light of men.” And in v.9, he writes: “The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.” This I believe was the focal point of this passage in that Jesus the incarnated God was sent principally to bring both life and light to humanity.
Jesus himself claims in Jn 10:10 that he came so that men might have life and that they might have it abundantly and to those to whom Jesus will give life will never perish (Jn 10:28). This then is the key to enjoying the true meaning of the coming of Our Savior for while it may be possible that men can live without Christ, he will never know what life is because Jesus is the only person who can make life worth living.
The key then to living a life that carries with it an assurance of a fuller and eternal life is to enter into the very life of God and we can only do this by believing in Jesus Christ because “he who believes in the Son has eternal life.” (Jn 3:36) and “he who believes has eternal life.” (Jn 6:47).
The second point that John wanted to stress out was that Jesus did not only bring life but he also brought the light “that shines in the darkness.” (v.5). By ourselves, men succumb to fears and human emotions that are influenced by the perverted environment we live in. The light that Jesus brings is a guiding light because “no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” (Jn 12:46)
With his coming as the incarnated Son of God, Jesus also brought with him the glory of the Heavenly Kingdom that was rooted in God’s encompassing love for the world. His coming provided men with the opportunity to comprehend that the glory of God and the love of God are one and the same. While Jesus was clothed with the splendor of God in everything that he did on earth, that splendor was founded on love.
Jesus came with a mission and this has been prophesied by Isaiah in the First Reading when the prophet said: “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” (Isa 52:7)
Besides the coming of Christ as an expiation for the sins of the world, the prophecy of Isaiah is one of the primary reasons why Jesus came and this is the message of Christmas. There is indeed a reason to celebrate Christmas but we must rejoice with the thought that we have been entrusted with the mission to bring the good news to others, to proclaim peace, to bring good tidings and to proclaim salvation.
What makes our mission significant is that it is Jesus who equips and empowers us such that we should never cease proclaiming anew the wonder of the Incarnation. “The Son of God assumed a human nature in order to accomplish our salvation in it. The Son of God ...worked with human hands; he thought with a human mind. He acted with a human will, and with a human heart he loved. Born of the Virgin Mary, he has truly been made one of us, like to us in all things except sin.” (Gaudium et Spes)
As the Word became human, we can find in Christ the perfect model of what a teacher should be. Jesus became the model of what we are to become as he shows us how to live and he gives us the power to live that way (1 Pet 2:21). Thus our celebration of Christmas should be centered on his becoming one of us that we may eventually be like him.
In simpler terms, Christmas should be viewed not only in terms of merriment and gift-giving but we must all rejoice and celebrate Christmas with reverence because this is the time of the season that we are brought to a realization of our own divinity as the Word became flesh and made its dwelling among us.
1st Reading: Isa 52:7-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:1-6 “All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.”
2nd Reading: Heb 1:1-6
GOSPEL: JN 1:1-5, 9-14
Key Verse: “The Word became flesh and made
His dwelling among us.” (JN 1:14)
John the Evangelist began his Gospel with the Word of God as the beginning or the reference point for everything that is in the world. For us to be able to grasp and appreciate the true meaning of the incarnation of Our Lord Jesus Christ, we must begin from the origin of God coming in the flesh.
John lays down the foundation of our faith by pointing out that there are three things about the Word of God. One is that the Word was already present even from the beginning of time (v.1) when God created the world. What John was saying was that the Word was not one of the created things as it was already there even before the creation began.
The Evangelist also says that the Word was with God (v.2) which means that the Word which was God establishes the connection between God and Jesus and for all intents and purposes there is no one person who can reveal to all of humankind who God is except Jesus.
The final point that John wanted to point out at the beginning of his Gospel was that the Word was God (v.1). What John wanted to emphasize with this point was that Jesus was not just identical with God but he was perfectly the same as God in both mind and heart that through Jesus we can see what God is like.
Thus, John describes Jesus as the life-giving and light-giving Word that came down from heaven to assume a human form out of God’s unparalleled love for men “for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, for whosoever believe in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (Jn 3:16) but what was of paramount importance in the coming of the Messiah was that he did not come for the kings and princes but he came to save the world from its sinful tendencies.
In v.4 John wrote: “In him was life, and that life was the light of men.” And in v.9, he writes: “The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.” This I believe was the focal point of this passage in that Jesus the incarnated God was sent principally to bring both life and light to humanity.
Jesus himself claims in Jn 10:10 that he came so that men might have life and that they might have it abundantly and to those to whom Jesus will give life will never perish (Jn 10:28). This then is the key to enjoying the true meaning of the coming of Our Savior for while it may be possible that men can live without Christ, he will never know what life is because Jesus is the only person who can make life worth living.
The key then to living a life that carries with it an assurance of a fuller and eternal life is to enter into the very life of God and we can only do this by believing in Jesus Christ because “he who believes in the Son has eternal life.” (Jn 3:36) and “he who believes has eternal life.” (Jn 6:47).
The second point that John wanted to stress out was that Jesus did not only bring life but he also brought the light “that shines in the darkness.” (v.5). By ourselves, men succumb to fears and human emotions that are influenced by the perverted environment we live in. The light that Jesus brings is a guiding light because “no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” (Jn 12:46)
With his coming as the incarnated Son of God, Jesus also brought with him the glory of the Heavenly Kingdom that was rooted in God’s encompassing love for the world. His coming provided men with the opportunity to comprehend that the glory of God and the love of God are one and the same. While Jesus was clothed with the splendor of God in everything that he did on earth, that splendor was founded on love.
Jesus came with a mission and this has been prophesied by Isaiah in the First Reading when the prophet said: “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” (Isa 52:7)
Besides the coming of Christ as an expiation for the sins of the world, the prophecy of Isaiah is one of the primary reasons why Jesus came and this is the message of Christmas. There is indeed a reason to celebrate Christmas but we must rejoice with the thought that we have been entrusted with the mission to bring the good news to others, to proclaim peace, to bring good tidings and to proclaim salvation.
What makes our mission significant is that it is Jesus who equips and empowers us such that we should never cease proclaiming anew the wonder of the Incarnation. “The Son of God assumed a human nature in order to accomplish our salvation in it. The Son of God ...worked with human hands; he thought with a human mind. He acted with a human will, and with a human heart he loved. Born of the Virgin Mary, he has truly been made one of us, like to us in all things except sin.” (Gaudium et Spes)
As the Word became human, we can find in Christ the perfect model of what a teacher should be. Jesus became the model of what we are to become as he shows us how to live and he gives us the power to live that way (1 Pet 2:21). Thus our celebration of Christmas should be centered on his becoming one of us that we may eventually be like him.
In simpler terms, Christmas should be viewed not only in terms of merriment and gift-giving but we must all rejoice and celebrate Christmas with reverence because this is the time of the season that we are brought to a realization of our own divinity as the Word became flesh and made its dwelling among us.
SALVATION IS HERE
JOSEPH AND MARY COULD NOT FIND A PLACE AT THE INN
DEC. 24, 2012: VIGIL MASS OF CHRISTMAS EVE
1st Reading: Isa 9:1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 96:-1-3, 11-13 “Today is born our savior, Christ the Lord.”
2nd Reading: Ti 2:11-14
GOSPEL: Lk 2:1-14
Key Verse: “Today…a Savior has been born to you” (v.11)
We have now come to the penultimate stage of all our preparation during the Season of Advent and as we usher in the Christmas Season it would be good to know that Christmas is the only day in the Liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church in which there are four sets of scripture passages for the Eucharistic Celebrations beginning with the Vigil Mass today (Dec. 24, 2011), the Midnight Mass tonight, the Mass at Dawn on Dec. 25 and the Mass during the day of Dec. 25, 2011.
For our reflection today, I will be using the liturgical readings for the Midnight Mass which is taken from the Gospel of Luke that contains the narrative about the incarnation of the Son of God whom God had sent to redeem the world from its sinful nature.
This was the primary mission for which Jesus Christ was sent down from heaven so that through his incarnation, man will be provided an opportunity to rediscover himself as one who has been created in the image and likeness of God.
We have also emphasized many times past that life is a journey in time and space. As time passes, we move from one place to another and in so doing man especially those who have lost their connectedness with the supreme being are moving towards the Lord or away from the Lord.
And the birth of Jesus in a manger as there was no room in the inn was symbolic of the kind of life that he will live. At times I am drawn to ponder how it was with Joseph and Mary who was heavy with her child but were turned away as there were no place in the inn for them.
Rejection is a great depressant and many people feel dejected when the events in their lives don’t turn out the way they wanted it. But in all humility Joseph and Mary comforted themselves with the only available space they could find to settle in for the night – a manger which symbolizes the fact that the King who is to be born is the King of not just a select group of people but a King for the whole world especially the lowly and the oppressed.
But Jesus as we all know will not be received in the way a Messiah was to be welcomed as he would experience rejection especially from the religious leaders of his time. And if we look deeper into the circumstances of his coming, Jesus suffered his first rejection when Joseph and Mary were turned away by the innkeeper.
And to find meaning behind the circumstances to which Jesus was born, it would probably help if we refer to some commentaries on his birth such as this one made by Saint Ambrose, the 4th century Bishop of Milan who said:
“He was a baby and a child, so that you may be a perfect human. He was wrapped in swaddling clothes, so that you may be freed from the snares of death. He was in a manger, so that you may be in the altar. He was on earth that you may be in the stars. He had no other place in the inn, so that you may have many mansions in the heavens. “He, being rich, became poor for your sakes, that through his poverty you might be rich.” Therefore his poverty is our inheritance, and the Lord’s weakness is our virtue. He chose to lack for himself that he may abound for all.”
Even his coming which was announced by the angels to the shepherds and not to the leaders of Israel or to the people in general was meant to show his loving kindness as well as his power to those who were humble of heart as the shepherds who are ready to receive him. In his sermon on Christmas, Gregory the Great has this to say: “Before the Redeemer was born in the flesh, there was discord between us and the angels, from whose brightness and holy perfection we were separated, in punishment first of original sin and then because of our daily offenses. Because through sin we had become strangers to God, the angels as God’s subjects cut us off from their fellowship. But since we have now acknowledged our King, the angels receive us as fellow citizens. Because the King of heaven has taken unto himself the flesh of our earth, the angels from their heavenly heights no longer look down upon our infirmity. Now they are at peace with us, putting away the remembrance of the ancient discord. Now they honor us as friends, whom before they considered to be weak and despised.”
In our amazement and joy at the coming of Our Savior, there may be times we will ask ourselves why God's only begotten Son, the Word of God, chose to become flesh (Jn 1:1-2). The Church teaches us that the Word became flesh for us in order to save us by reconciling us with God our Father.
God loved us so much that He sent his Son as an atonement for our sins (1 Jn 4:10) and to be the Savior of the world (1 Jn 4:14). The Word appeared so that he might take away our sins (1 Jn 3:5) and for us to know and experience the love of God.
And this is how God showed his love among us: “God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him” (1 Jn 4:9). “For God so loved the world that he gave us his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (Jn 3:16).
The mystery of his Incarnation was that “his divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life. He has called us to receive his own glory and goodness! And by that same mighty power, he has given us all of his rich and wonderful promises. He has promised that you will escape the decadence all around you caused by evil desires and that you will share in his divine nature.” (2 Pet 1:3-4)
His coming also establishes the fact that we have a God who knows the life we live because he too will live it as he will claim no special favor among men and this is the great mystery of our Christian faith that God is indeed in us, with us and, for us.
Today, the expectant joy that have filled our lives during the Advent Season is about to turn into a complete joy – the joy of knowing that we are no longer alone to fight our daily battles against the perverse world that we live in because we have a God who will not only ransom us from our sinful and wretched state but we have a God from whom all blessings come and who would grant those who believe in him the Grace of an eternal life.
More importantly, his coming establishes man as a supernatural being as Jesus who is divine became human so than man who is in all things human will become divine. His birth actually bridged the gap between heaven and earth so that with his coming heaven has become possible as the final end of man.
1st Reading: Isa 9:1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 96:-1-3, 11-13 “Today is born our savior, Christ the Lord.”
2nd Reading: Ti 2:11-14
GOSPEL: Lk 2:1-14
Key Verse: “Today…a Savior has been born to you” (v.11)
We have now come to the penultimate stage of all our preparation during the Season of Advent and as we usher in the Christmas Season it would be good to know that Christmas is the only day in the Liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church in which there are four sets of scripture passages for the Eucharistic Celebrations beginning with the Vigil Mass today (Dec. 24, 2011), the Midnight Mass tonight, the Mass at Dawn on Dec. 25 and the Mass during the day of Dec. 25, 2011.
For our reflection today, I will be using the liturgical readings for the Midnight Mass which is taken from the Gospel of Luke that contains the narrative about the incarnation of the Son of God whom God had sent to redeem the world from its sinful nature.
This was the primary mission for which Jesus Christ was sent down from heaven so that through his incarnation, man will be provided an opportunity to rediscover himself as one who has been created in the image and likeness of God.
We have also emphasized many times past that life is a journey in time and space. As time passes, we move from one place to another and in so doing man especially those who have lost their connectedness with the supreme being are moving towards the Lord or away from the Lord.
And the birth of Jesus in a manger as there was no room in the inn was symbolic of the kind of life that he will live. At times I am drawn to ponder how it was with Joseph and Mary who was heavy with her child but were turned away as there were no place in the inn for them.
Rejection is a great depressant and many people feel dejected when the events in their lives don’t turn out the way they wanted it. But in all humility Joseph and Mary comforted themselves with the only available space they could find to settle in for the night – a manger which symbolizes the fact that the King who is to be born is the King of not just a select group of people but a King for the whole world especially the lowly and the oppressed.
But Jesus as we all know will not be received in the way a Messiah was to be welcomed as he would experience rejection especially from the religious leaders of his time. And if we look deeper into the circumstances of his coming, Jesus suffered his first rejection when Joseph and Mary were turned away by the innkeeper.
And to find meaning behind the circumstances to which Jesus was born, it would probably help if we refer to some commentaries on his birth such as this one made by Saint Ambrose, the 4th century Bishop of Milan who said:
“He was a baby and a child, so that you may be a perfect human. He was wrapped in swaddling clothes, so that you may be freed from the snares of death. He was in a manger, so that you may be in the altar. He was on earth that you may be in the stars. He had no other place in the inn, so that you may have many mansions in the heavens. “He, being rich, became poor for your sakes, that through his poverty you might be rich.” Therefore his poverty is our inheritance, and the Lord’s weakness is our virtue. He chose to lack for himself that he may abound for all.”
Even his coming which was announced by the angels to the shepherds and not to the leaders of Israel or to the people in general was meant to show his loving kindness as well as his power to those who were humble of heart as the shepherds who are ready to receive him. In his sermon on Christmas, Gregory the Great has this to say: “Before the Redeemer was born in the flesh, there was discord between us and the angels, from whose brightness and holy perfection we were separated, in punishment first of original sin and then because of our daily offenses. Because through sin we had become strangers to God, the angels as God’s subjects cut us off from their fellowship. But since we have now acknowledged our King, the angels receive us as fellow citizens. Because the King of heaven has taken unto himself the flesh of our earth, the angels from their heavenly heights no longer look down upon our infirmity. Now they are at peace with us, putting away the remembrance of the ancient discord. Now they honor us as friends, whom before they considered to be weak and despised.”
In our amazement and joy at the coming of Our Savior, there may be times we will ask ourselves why God's only begotten Son, the Word of God, chose to become flesh (Jn 1:1-2). The Church teaches us that the Word became flesh for us in order to save us by reconciling us with God our Father.
God loved us so much that He sent his Son as an atonement for our sins (1 Jn 4:10) and to be the Savior of the world (1 Jn 4:14). The Word appeared so that he might take away our sins (1 Jn 3:5) and for us to know and experience the love of God.
And this is how God showed his love among us: “God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him” (1 Jn 4:9). “For God so loved the world that he gave us his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (Jn 3:16).
The mystery of his Incarnation was that “his divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life. He has called us to receive his own glory and goodness! And by that same mighty power, he has given us all of his rich and wonderful promises. He has promised that you will escape the decadence all around you caused by evil desires and that you will share in his divine nature.” (2 Pet 1:3-4)
His coming also establishes the fact that we have a God who knows the life we live because he too will live it as he will claim no special favor among men and this is the great mystery of our Christian faith that God is indeed in us, with us and, for us.
Today, the expectant joy that have filled our lives during the Advent Season is about to turn into a complete joy – the joy of knowing that we are no longer alone to fight our daily battles against the perverse world that we live in because we have a God who will not only ransom us from our sinful and wretched state but we have a God from whom all blessings come and who would grant those who believe in him the Grace of an eternal life.
More importantly, his coming establishes man as a supernatural being as Jesus who is divine became human so than man who is in all things human will become divine. His birth actually bridged the gap between heaven and earth so that with his coming heaven has become possible as the final end of man.
FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT
DEC. 23, 2013: 4TH WEEK OF ADVENT
1st Reading: Mic 5:1-4
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19 “Lord, make us turn to you, let us see your face and we shall be saved.”
2nd Reading: Heb 10:5-10
GOSPEL: LK 1:39-45
Key Verse: “Blessed are you among women” (v.42)
If you are going to be asked to define what is joy, how would you describe it in terms of your personal experience. It is all too common to also hear people equate the happiness they feel with joy not knowing that happiness and joy are dissimilar in many respects.
For one, happiness refers to circumstances in your person and environment. When you are able to acquire that which you have been craving to have and possess for quite sometime you are happy. In this time of the year, happiness also comes when you receive gifts or when you exchange gifts. But happiness wanes when you have gotten over the initial thrill of that which makes you happy. In other words, happiness at most is fleeting. It comes and it passes.
But joy is something that is beyond mere human emotion. Joy is something deeper than an outward expression of an exultant attitude. Joy is something that is constant. It is something that you have within you, something that doesn’t leave you regardless of the circumstances. Joy is something Scriptural because joy is a manifestation of the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our life (Gal.5:22) as St. Paul also says: “for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Rom 14:17)
Joy was what Elizabeth felt when Mary suddenly appeared at her doorsteps to visit her. That visit became more significant given the fact that it probably took Mary a week to walk to Ein Karen where Elizabeth lived which was some 90 kilometers from Nazareth.
There was of course joy in Mary upon knowing that Elizabeth who was barren was pregnant with child. And there was joy in the heart of Elizabeth upon seeing Mary as she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear.” (v.42) and Elizabeth added: As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leapt for joy.” (v.44)
Both women were equally joyful because of the favor they have received from God and Mary did not lose any time to share in the joy of Elizabeth who was having a child for the first time and in sharing with her cousin her joy not just because of her being the favored one but the joy she felt because salvation was finally was finally coming into the world.
To be chosen or to be favored by God was an awesome privilege because such favor as that bestowed by God on Elizabeth and on Mary set them apart from the rest and this can be compared to a crown of pure joy. But this privilege comes with a responsibility to also bear the cross of sorrow that goes with it.
As Mary learned from the angel that being favored by God was a great privilege because it was through her that Salvation would come into the world. But the blessedness she received also became a sword that would pierce her heart as her Son will hung on the cross 33 years later.
We will reflect on this great event when we come to the Season of Lent a few months from now but in the meantime, let us look at what this Gospel is telling us. Here we see Elizabeth, as soon as he heard Mary’s greeting, was filled with the Holy Spirit as “the baby leapt in her womb” (v.41) It may also be that it was through the power of the same Holy Spirit that Elizabeth was able to exclaim: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!” (v.42)
There are many in the world who do not give the honor that Mary deserves. There are two possibilities why this is so. One is that recognizing Mary’s contributions to the salvific plan of God would alter their religious beliefs and even faith for that matter. The other is that there is actually little information about Mary in the Scriptures.
But for what has been made available to us, there is no denying the fact that Mary was the window of heaven through which the True Light came into the world. In one of his homilies, St. Anselm, a great teacher, philosopher, theologian and Archbishop of Canterbury, said that: “Without God’s Son nothing could exist; Without Mary’s son, nothing could be redeemed.”
This was the reason why Mary was not only favored by God (Lk 1:30) but her intercessions have become so powerful that even the Saints have recognized her as the dispenser of graces. It will be recalled that in 1683 when the Turks laid a siege on Vienna, the people in the beleaguered city and throughout Christendom recited the Rosary to implore the aid of the Mother of God and this resulted in victory for the Christian nation.
In this Gospel passage, Elizabeth was blessed when Mary visited her. But it’s not just Elizabeth who was blessed but all women who will bear a child are also being blessed by God because of their tremendous contributions as bearers of life.
As Mary blessed Elizabeth with her visit, we too are being blessed by God if we participate in the plan of God to protect and preserve life. And many times we look at blessings in the material point of view and often we count what we don’t have. In other words, we waste so much time brooding over things that we lack and we forget to nurture what we already have.
We have forgotten how to count our blessings and one of the factors that lead to frustration and despair is our inability to see that God has made available everything that we will ever need to survive in this world. Even the life we now live, the family that we have – our spouse, children, relatives and friends – are blessings and we need to ask ourselves if we have thanked God for these blessings.
Translated into our everyday life, we at times have the habit of looking into the negatives as we expend our energies feasting on the negative traits of people instead of their positive attributes. We cannot be a blessing to others until we have become the Good News.
And as we count our blessings, we too can be like Mary and be a blessing by sharing our blessings to others. John grew to become the herald who announced the coming of Jesus Christ. We too must point others to Christ and not to ourselves.
This is our mandate as we were brought into the world for a purpose. Mary was chosen and favored by God. We who believe and have faith in God are being asked to turn our lives into a blessing that we can share with the world.
1st Reading: Mic 5:1-4
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19 “Lord, make us turn to you, let us see your face and we shall be saved.”
2nd Reading: Heb 10:5-10
GOSPEL: LK 1:39-45
Key Verse: “Blessed are you among women” (v.42)
If you are going to be asked to define what is joy, how would you describe it in terms of your personal experience. It is all too common to also hear people equate the happiness they feel with joy not knowing that happiness and joy are dissimilar in many respects.
For one, happiness refers to circumstances in your person and environment. When you are able to acquire that which you have been craving to have and possess for quite sometime you are happy. In this time of the year, happiness also comes when you receive gifts or when you exchange gifts. But happiness wanes when you have gotten over the initial thrill of that which makes you happy. In other words, happiness at most is fleeting. It comes and it passes.
But joy is something that is beyond mere human emotion. Joy is something deeper than an outward expression of an exultant attitude. Joy is something that is constant. It is something that you have within you, something that doesn’t leave you regardless of the circumstances. Joy is something Scriptural because joy is a manifestation of the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our life (Gal.5:22) as St. Paul also says: “for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Rom 14:17)
Joy was what Elizabeth felt when Mary suddenly appeared at her doorsteps to visit her. That visit became more significant given the fact that it probably took Mary a week to walk to Ein Karen where Elizabeth lived which was some 90 kilometers from Nazareth.
There was of course joy in Mary upon knowing that Elizabeth who was barren was pregnant with child. And there was joy in the heart of Elizabeth upon seeing Mary as she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear.” (v.42) and Elizabeth added: As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leapt for joy.” (v.44)
Both women were equally joyful because of the favor they have received from God and Mary did not lose any time to share in the joy of Elizabeth who was having a child for the first time and in sharing with her cousin her joy not just because of her being the favored one but the joy she felt because salvation was finally was finally coming into the world.
To be chosen or to be favored by God was an awesome privilege because such favor as that bestowed by God on Elizabeth and on Mary set them apart from the rest and this can be compared to a crown of pure joy. But this privilege comes with a responsibility to also bear the cross of sorrow that goes with it.
As Mary learned from the angel that being favored by God was a great privilege because it was through her that Salvation would come into the world. But the blessedness she received also became a sword that would pierce her heart as her Son will hung on the cross 33 years later.
We will reflect on this great event when we come to the Season of Lent a few months from now but in the meantime, let us look at what this Gospel is telling us. Here we see Elizabeth, as soon as he heard Mary’s greeting, was filled with the Holy Spirit as “the baby leapt in her womb” (v.41) It may also be that it was through the power of the same Holy Spirit that Elizabeth was able to exclaim: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!” (v.42)
There are many in the world who do not give the honor that Mary deserves. There are two possibilities why this is so. One is that recognizing Mary’s contributions to the salvific plan of God would alter their religious beliefs and even faith for that matter. The other is that there is actually little information about Mary in the Scriptures.
But for what has been made available to us, there is no denying the fact that Mary was the window of heaven through which the True Light came into the world. In one of his homilies, St. Anselm, a great teacher, philosopher, theologian and Archbishop of Canterbury, said that: “Without God’s Son nothing could exist; Without Mary’s son, nothing could be redeemed.”
This was the reason why Mary was not only favored by God (Lk 1:30) but her intercessions have become so powerful that even the Saints have recognized her as the dispenser of graces. It will be recalled that in 1683 when the Turks laid a siege on Vienna, the people in the beleaguered city and throughout Christendom recited the Rosary to implore the aid of the Mother of God and this resulted in victory for the Christian nation.
In this Gospel passage, Elizabeth was blessed when Mary visited her. But it’s not just Elizabeth who was blessed but all women who will bear a child are also being blessed by God because of their tremendous contributions as bearers of life.
As Mary blessed Elizabeth with her visit, we too are being blessed by God if we participate in the plan of God to protect and preserve life. And many times we look at blessings in the material point of view and often we count what we don’t have. In other words, we waste so much time brooding over things that we lack and we forget to nurture what we already have.
We have forgotten how to count our blessings and one of the factors that lead to frustration and despair is our inability to see that God has made available everything that we will ever need to survive in this world. Even the life we now live, the family that we have – our spouse, children, relatives and friends – are blessings and we need to ask ourselves if we have thanked God for these blessings.
Translated into our everyday life, we at times have the habit of looking into the negatives as we expend our energies feasting on the negative traits of people instead of their positive attributes. We cannot be a blessing to others until we have become the Good News.
And as we count our blessings, we too can be like Mary and be a blessing by sharing our blessings to others. John grew to become the herald who announced the coming of Jesus Christ. We too must point others to Christ and not to ourselves.
This is our mandate as we were brought into the world for a purpose. Mary was chosen and favored by God. We who believe and have faith in God are being asked to turn our lives into a blessing that we can share with the world.
CALLED TO MAGNIFY THE LORD
DEC. 22, 2012: THIRD WEEK OF ADVENT
1st Reading: 1 Sam 1:24-28
Responsorial Psalm: 1 Sam 2:1, 4-8 “My heart exults in the Lord my Savior.”
GOSPEL: Lk 1:46-56
Key Verse: “Holy is his Name.” (v.49)
“Magnificat anima mea Dominum” (v.46). This is the first line in the Latin language of what has been widely received as the prayer or the Canticle of Mary. This first line of the Magnificat as what Mary’s prayer is commonly called opens the heart of Mary for all men to see not just how she felt but the humility she possessed notwithstanding the blessing and favor the Lord has reposed in her.
But as with any other Jew who has received religious instruction as a child, Mary can be described as familiar with the Scriptures because this great hymn of praise also echoes the song of Hannah in 1 Sam 2:1-10.
Although the song of praise was similar, the situation in which their prayers were uttered was different. Hannah who has been rendered childless praised God for answering her prayers and offered her son Samuel to the Lord and he became a prophet throughout Israel.
Mary, on the other hand, was not praying for a child since she was within the period of betrothal but when God’s favor rested in her she praised God in what was to become a great song of praise in the Magnificat. Herein lies the similarity between these two situations. Hannah dedicated her son Samuel to the service of the Lord while Mary offered her son Jesus to become the Savior of the world.
Again, to fully understand the nature and beauty of the Magnificat and tie it in to our own situation, we need to capture the character of Mary herself at the time she magnified the Lord through this hymn of praise. In vv.46-47 Mary makes it known that she was aware of the fact that her body consists of both soul and spirit which is a theological truth and these two verses show that her entire being created by God, soul and spirit, was made to give glory to God for what he has done and for the benefits the world will receive for what God was about to do.
Mary was aware of her lowly state in vv.48-49 and it was her humility that found favor in God. Even if she pronounced that all generations will call her blessed, this was not out of pride for bearing the Son of God in her womb but was merely a repetition of what the angel Gabriel had told her (Lk 1:28). What was remarkable in these two verses was that she attributes her being blessed to the holiness of God. What Mary was pointing out was that God gets all the credit.
In fact, Blessed John Paul II in one of the general audiences in 1996 gave a reflection on the significance of the Magnificat. The Holy Father said that in the presence of the powerful and merciful Lord, Mary had expressed her own sense of lowliness: “My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden.” (Lk 1:47-48). With a similar expression, Mary makes known her situation of poverty and her awareness of being little before God, who by a free decision looked upon her, a humble girl from Nazareth and called her to become the Mother of the Messiah.
The Magnificat, said Blessed John Paul II, was a truly theological song because it reveals the experience Mary had of God's looking upon her, God is not only the Almighty to whom nothing is impossible, as Gabriel had declared (Lk 1:37), but also the Merciful, capable of tenderness and fidelity towards every human being.
Blessed John Paul II went on to say that while these words of the song show us Mary as a concrete and sublime model, they make us understand that it is the humility of the heart which attracts God's kindness and God fulfills his promises in Mary with abundant generosity.
Viewed in another way, it is also possible that the Lord through his Holy Spirit was speaking through Mary in the form of this hymn of praise because vv.50-55 looked more like a prophecy of what Jesus was to do when he comes into the world. In other words, as God is a God in whom nothing is impossible, it was possible that God was using Mary to proclaim what the coming of Jesus would bring.
Take note of how Jesus will help the lowly and the humble including Mary (vv.48-49, 52), of mercy upon those who fear him (v.50), of how he fills those who are hungry (v.53) and, how he helped his servant Israel (v.54).
Contrast this with what he will do to those who will refuse the love that he brings. He will scatter the proud (v.51), he will bring down rulers from their thrones (v.52) and, he will send the rich away empty (v.53). Following this proclamation of what Jesus was to do, Mary ends with the assurance that God will fulfill his promises to Abraham and his descendants through the baby in her womb who comes from the tree of Abraham.
The Magnificat thus should be viewed in terms of the blessings that await those who will abandon themselves to divine providence. On the other hand, it should also serve as a warning to those who will persist in separating themselves from the love of God.
As the Magnificat speak of three types of life-changing scenarios: 1) A moral revolution within our souls as God “scatters the proud in their inmost thoughts” (v.51); (2) A social uprising when he “brings down rulers from their thrones but lifts up the humble” (v.52) and, (3) An economic overhaul of the system when he “fills the hungry with good things and sends the rich away empty” (v.53).
In effect, the Magnificat is similar to what the Beatitudes is all about because Mary’s hymn of praise was not just about a song or a Canticle that we recite during the Liturgy of the Hours but it serves as a guide to pattern our lives to that which was proclaimed by God through Mary.
We are to be careful “not to conform to this world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds” (Rom 12:2). We are to fear him and remain humble for “whoever humbles himself shall be exalted” (Matt 23:12). We are to feed those who are hungry because “blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they will be filled” (Matt 5:7).
As we await the coming of Mary’s Son, let us be reminded of what Bishop Fulton J. Sheen once said referring to Mary as “a magnifying glass that intensifies our love of her Son.” And St. Ambrose also said: “Let Mary’s soul be in us to glorify the Lord; let her spirit be in us that we may rejoice in God our Savior.”
To rejoice in God is to magnify him in the way we live our lives. Indeed, this is our calling as Christian disciples in that every fiber of our being should mirror not only the eternal joy that awaits those who will believe in the One True God but also in the way we share in the pain, sorrow and suffering of Jesus Christ whom our lives seek to magnify.
1st Reading: 1 Sam 1:24-28
Responsorial Psalm: 1 Sam 2:1, 4-8 “My heart exults in the Lord my Savior.”
GOSPEL: Lk 1:46-56
Key Verse: “Holy is his Name.” (v.49)
“Magnificat anima mea Dominum” (v.46). This is the first line in the Latin language of what has been widely received as the prayer or the Canticle of Mary. This first line of the Magnificat as what Mary’s prayer is commonly called opens the heart of Mary for all men to see not just how she felt but the humility she possessed notwithstanding the blessing and favor the Lord has reposed in her.
But as with any other Jew who has received religious instruction as a child, Mary can be described as familiar with the Scriptures because this great hymn of praise also echoes the song of Hannah in 1 Sam 2:1-10.
Although the song of praise was similar, the situation in which their prayers were uttered was different. Hannah who has been rendered childless praised God for answering her prayers and offered her son Samuel to the Lord and he became a prophet throughout Israel.
Mary, on the other hand, was not praying for a child since she was within the period of betrothal but when God’s favor rested in her she praised God in what was to become a great song of praise in the Magnificat. Herein lies the similarity between these two situations. Hannah dedicated her son Samuel to the service of the Lord while Mary offered her son Jesus to become the Savior of the world.
Again, to fully understand the nature and beauty of the Magnificat and tie it in to our own situation, we need to capture the character of Mary herself at the time she magnified the Lord through this hymn of praise. In vv.46-47 Mary makes it known that she was aware of the fact that her body consists of both soul and spirit which is a theological truth and these two verses show that her entire being created by God, soul and spirit, was made to give glory to God for what he has done and for the benefits the world will receive for what God was about to do.
Mary was aware of her lowly state in vv.48-49 and it was her humility that found favor in God. Even if she pronounced that all generations will call her blessed, this was not out of pride for bearing the Son of God in her womb but was merely a repetition of what the angel Gabriel had told her (Lk 1:28). What was remarkable in these two verses was that she attributes her being blessed to the holiness of God. What Mary was pointing out was that God gets all the credit.
In fact, Blessed John Paul II in one of the general audiences in 1996 gave a reflection on the significance of the Magnificat. The Holy Father said that in the presence of the powerful and merciful Lord, Mary had expressed her own sense of lowliness: “My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden.” (Lk 1:47-48). With a similar expression, Mary makes known her situation of poverty and her awareness of being little before God, who by a free decision looked upon her, a humble girl from Nazareth and called her to become the Mother of the Messiah.
The Magnificat, said Blessed John Paul II, was a truly theological song because it reveals the experience Mary had of God's looking upon her, God is not only the Almighty to whom nothing is impossible, as Gabriel had declared (Lk 1:37), but also the Merciful, capable of tenderness and fidelity towards every human being.
Blessed John Paul II went on to say that while these words of the song show us Mary as a concrete and sublime model, they make us understand that it is the humility of the heart which attracts God's kindness and God fulfills his promises in Mary with abundant generosity.
Viewed in another way, it is also possible that the Lord through his Holy Spirit was speaking through Mary in the form of this hymn of praise because vv.50-55 looked more like a prophecy of what Jesus was to do when he comes into the world. In other words, as God is a God in whom nothing is impossible, it was possible that God was using Mary to proclaim what the coming of Jesus would bring.
Take note of how Jesus will help the lowly and the humble including Mary (vv.48-49, 52), of mercy upon those who fear him (v.50), of how he fills those who are hungry (v.53) and, how he helped his servant Israel (v.54).
Contrast this with what he will do to those who will refuse the love that he brings. He will scatter the proud (v.51), he will bring down rulers from their thrones (v.52) and, he will send the rich away empty (v.53). Following this proclamation of what Jesus was to do, Mary ends with the assurance that God will fulfill his promises to Abraham and his descendants through the baby in her womb who comes from the tree of Abraham.
The Magnificat thus should be viewed in terms of the blessings that await those who will abandon themselves to divine providence. On the other hand, it should also serve as a warning to those who will persist in separating themselves from the love of God.
As the Magnificat speak of three types of life-changing scenarios: 1) A moral revolution within our souls as God “scatters the proud in their inmost thoughts” (v.51); (2) A social uprising when he “brings down rulers from their thrones but lifts up the humble” (v.52) and, (3) An economic overhaul of the system when he “fills the hungry with good things and sends the rich away empty” (v.53).
In effect, the Magnificat is similar to what the Beatitudes is all about because Mary’s hymn of praise was not just about a song or a Canticle that we recite during the Liturgy of the Hours but it serves as a guide to pattern our lives to that which was proclaimed by God through Mary.
We are to be careful “not to conform to this world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds” (Rom 12:2). We are to fear him and remain humble for “whoever humbles himself shall be exalted” (Matt 23:12). We are to feed those who are hungry because “blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they will be filled” (Matt 5:7).
As we await the coming of Mary’s Son, let us be reminded of what Bishop Fulton J. Sheen once said referring to Mary as “a magnifying glass that intensifies our love of her Son.” And St. Ambrose also said: “Let Mary’s soul be in us to glorify the Lord; let her spirit be in us that we may rejoice in God our Savior.”
To rejoice in God is to magnify him in the way we live our lives. Indeed, this is our calling as Christian disciples in that every fiber of our being should mirror not only the eternal joy that awaits those who will believe in the One True God but also in the way we share in the pain, sorrow and suffering of Jesus Christ whom our lives seek to magnify.
BE A BLESSING
DEC. 21, 2012: 3RD WEEK OF ADVENT
1st Reading: Sgs 2:8-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 33:2-3, 11-12, 20-21 “Exult you just, in the Lord! Sing to him a new song.”
GOSPEL: LK 1:39-45
Key Verse: “Blessed are you among women” (v.42)
How would you feel when in the quiet of your day you were jolted to find a relative or a close friend whom you have not seen for quite sometime was standing right there at your doorsteps? To top it all, you knew that the one visiting had travelled a long distance to visit you. Wouldn’t you feel ecstatic about it?
Supposing we turn this scenario around. Say for example that you have a relative or a friend with whom you have been separated from for years and now you were given the opportunity to come and visit that relative or friend. Won’t your heart beat with the same excitement as the one whom you are visiting?
Elizabeth must have felt the same upon seeing Mary who took pains and endured the discomfort of travelling through unpaved roads and probably through some mountain passes just to share with her the joy of being favored by God.
To be chosen or to be favored by God is an awesome privilege because such favor as that bestowed by God on Elizabeth and on Mary set them apart from the rest and this can be compared to a crown of pure joy. But this privilege comes with a responsibility to also bear the cross of sorrow that goes with it.
As Mary would probably learn later, being favored by God was a great privilege because it was through her that Salvation would come into the world. But the blessedness she received also became a sword that would pierce her heart as her Son will hung on the cross 33 years later.
We will reflect on this great event when we observe Lent a few months from now but in the meantime, let us look at what this Gospel is telling us. Here we see Elizabeth, as soon as he heard Mary’s greeting, was filled with the Holy Spirit as “the baby leapt in her womb” (v.41)
It may also be that by the power of the same Holy Spirit that Elizabeth was able to exclaim: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!” (v.42)
There are many in the world who up to this present age do not give the honor that Mary deserves. There are two possibilities why this is so. One is that recognizing Mary’s contributions to the salvific plan of God would alter their religious beliefs and even faith for that matter. The other is that there is actually little information about Mary in the Scriptures.
But for what has been made available to us, there is no denying the fact that Mary was the window of heaven through which the True Light came into the world. In one of his homilies, St. Anselm, a great teacher, philosopher, theologian and Archbishop of Canterbury, said that: “Without God’s Son nothing could exist; Without Mary’s son, nothing could be redeemed.”
Simply put, Jesus was able to accomplish his mission to spread God’s Word and redeem the world because Mary risked everything she had, all the honor and reputation she had as a young maiden betrothed to Joseph when she said: “May it be to me as you have said.” (Lk 1:38)
St. Peter Damian once said that: “God would not become man until Mary had given her consent in order that we might see that the salvation of mankind rested in her hands.”
This is the reason why Mary was not only favored by God (Lk 1:30) but her intercessions have become so powerful that even the Saints have recognized her as the dispenser of graces. It will be recalled that in 1683 when the Turks laid a siege on Vienna, the people in the beleaguered city and throughout Christendom recited the Rosary to implore the aid of the Mother of God and this resulted in victory for the Christian nation.
In this Gospel passage, Elizabeth was blessed when Mary visited her. But it’s not just Elizabeth who was blessed but all women who will bear a child are also being blessed by God because of their tremendous contributions as bearers of life.
As Mary blessed Elizabeth with her visit, we too are being blessed by God if we participate in the plan of God to protect and preserve life. And many times we look at blessings in the material point of view and often we count what we don’t have. In other words, we waste so much time brooding over things that we lack and we forget to nurture what we already have.
We have forgotten how to count our blessings and one of the factors that lead to frustration and despair is our inability to see that God has made available everything that we will ever need to survive in this world. Even the life we now live, the family that we have – our spouse, children, relatives and friends – are blessings and we need to ask ourselves if we have thanked God for these blessings.
Translated into our everyday life, we at times have the habit of looking into the negatives as we expend our energies feasting on the negative traits of people instead of their positive attributes. We cannot be a blessing to others until we have become the Good News. And as we count our blessings, we too can be like Mary and be a blessing by sharing our blessings to others. John grew to become the herald who announced the coming of Jesus Christ. We too must point others to Christ and not to ourselves.
This is our mandate as we were brought into the world for a purpose. Mary was chosen and favored by God. We who believe and have faith in God are being asked to turn our lives into a blessing that we can share with the world.
The tragedy that recently struck Compostela Valley in Mindanao especially the town of New Bataan provides us the opportunity to be a blessing to the families of those who perished and, the families who lost their homes.
As more information, pictures and footages are made available, the destruction to both life and property was so overwhelming that even the best that we can give may not be enough. But we can start by praying for the more than 900 souls who died and for God to grant strength to those who survived. And let us be like Mary and bless those in need with the blessings that we have received.
We also see in this visitation of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth a prefigurement of the more important visitation that is about to happen in the next few days when Christ will come and visit the people whom God had created. Both the visit of Mary to Elizabeth and that of Jesus whose coming can be likened to a visit are strikingly similar in that the visitation event and the coming of Jesus brought joy to the heart of Elizabeth and to us who await his coming with joyful expectation.
Visits are temporary in nature and just as Mary had to leave Elizabeth to also await the birth of her son, Jesus also has to leave after he will have fulfilled his mission. Since we are still in this period of preparation for the coming of Our Lord and Savior, let us remind ourselves that such preparation does not end on Christmas day but should be a continuing exercise until such time when we become witness to the day of the Lord in our lives.
1st Reading: Sgs 2:8-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 33:2-3, 11-12, 20-21 “Exult you just, in the Lord! Sing to him a new song.”
GOSPEL: LK 1:39-45
Key Verse: “Blessed are you among women” (v.42)
How would you feel when in the quiet of your day you were jolted to find a relative or a close friend whom you have not seen for quite sometime was standing right there at your doorsteps? To top it all, you knew that the one visiting had travelled a long distance to visit you. Wouldn’t you feel ecstatic about it?
Supposing we turn this scenario around. Say for example that you have a relative or a friend with whom you have been separated from for years and now you were given the opportunity to come and visit that relative or friend. Won’t your heart beat with the same excitement as the one whom you are visiting?
Elizabeth must have felt the same upon seeing Mary who took pains and endured the discomfort of travelling through unpaved roads and probably through some mountain passes just to share with her the joy of being favored by God.
To be chosen or to be favored by God is an awesome privilege because such favor as that bestowed by God on Elizabeth and on Mary set them apart from the rest and this can be compared to a crown of pure joy. But this privilege comes with a responsibility to also bear the cross of sorrow that goes with it.
As Mary would probably learn later, being favored by God was a great privilege because it was through her that Salvation would come into the world. But the blessedness she received also became a sword that would pierce her heart as her Son will hung on the cross 33 years later.
We will reflect on this great event when we observe Lent a few months from now but in the meantime, let us look at what this Gospel is telling us. Here we see Elizabeth, as soon as he heard Mary’s greeting, was filled with the Holy Spirit as “the baby leapt in her womb” (v.41)
It may also be that by the power of the same Holy Spirit that Elizabeth was able to exclaim: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!” (v.42)
There are many in the world who up to this present age do not give the honor that Mary deserves. There are two possibilities why this is so. One is that recognizing Mary’s contributions to the salvific plan of God would alter their religious beliefs and even faith for that matter. The other is that there is actually little information about Mary in the Scriptures.
But for what has been made available to us, there is no denying the fact that Mary was the window of heaven through which the True Light came into the world. In one of his homilies, St. Anselm, a great teacher, philosopher, theologian and Archbishop of Canterbury, said that: “Without God’s Son nothing could exist; Without Mary’s son, nothing could be redeemed.”
Simply put, Jesus was able to accomplish his mission to spread God’s Word and redeem the world because Mary risked everything she had, all the honor and reputation she had as a young maiden betrothed to Joseph when she said: “May it be to me as you have said.” (Lk 1:38)
St. Peter Damian once said that: “God would not become man until Mary had given her consent in order that we might see that the salvation of mankind rested in her hands.”
This is the reason why Mary was not only favored by God (Lk 1:30) but her intercessions have become so powerful that even the Saints have recognized her as the dispenser of graces. It will be recalled that in 1683 when the Turks laid a siege on Vienna, the people in the beleaguered city and throughout Christendom recited the Rosary to implore the aid of the Mother of God and this resulted in victory for the Christian nation.
In this Gospel passage, Elizabeth was blessed when Mary visited her. But it’s not just Elizabeth who was blessed but all women who will bear a child are also being blessed by God because of their tremendous contributions as bearers of life.
As Mary blessed Elizabeth with her visit, we too are being blessed by God if we participate in the plan of God to protect and preserve life. And many times we look at blessings in the material point of view and often we count what we don’t have. In other words, we waste so much time brooding over things that we lack and we forget to nurture what we already have.
We have forgotten how to count our blessings and one of the factors that lead to frustration and despair is our inability to see that God has made available everything that we will ever need to survive in this world. Even the life we now live, the family that we have – our spouse, children, relatives and friends – are blessings and we need to ask ourselves if we have thanked God for these blessings.
Translated into our everyday life, we at times have the habit of looking into the negatives as we expend our energies feasting on the negative traits of people instead of their positive attributes. We cannot be a blessing to others until we have become the Good News. And as we count our blessings, we too can be like Mary and be a blessing by sharing our blessings to others. John grew to become the herald who announced the coming of Jesus Christ. We too must point others to Christ and not to ourselves.
This is our mandate as we were brought into the world for a purpose. Mary was chosen and favored by God. We who believe and have faith in God are being asked to turn our lives into a blessing that we can share with the world.
The tragedy that recently struck Compostela Valley in Mindanao especially the town of New Bataan provides us the opportunity to be a blessing to the families of those who perished and, the families who lost their homes.
As more information, pictures and footages are made available, the destruction to both life and property was so overwhelming that even the best that we can give may not be enough. But we can start by praying for the more than 900 souls who died and for God to grant strength to those who survived. And let us be like Mary and bless those in need with the blessings that we have received.
We also see in this visitation of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth a prefigurement of the more important visitation that is about to happen in the next few days when Christ will come and visit the people whom God had created. Both the visit of Mary to Elizabeth and that of Jesus whose coming can be likened to a visit are strikingly similar in that the visitation event and the coming of Jesus brought joy to the heart of Elizabeth and to us who await his coming with joyful expectation.
Visits are temporary in nature and just as Mary had to leave Elizabeth to also await the birth of her son, Jesus also has to leave after he will have fulfilled his mission. Since we are still in this period of preparation for the coming of Our Lord and Savior, let us remind ourselves that such preparation does not end on Christmas day but should be a continuing exercise until such time when we become witness to the day of the Lord in our lives.
GOD FAVORS OBEDIENCE AND FAITHFULNESS
DEC. 20, 2012: 3RD WEEK OF ADVENT
1st Reading: Isa 7:10-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 24:1-6 “Let the Lord enter; he is the King
of Glory.”
GOSPEL: Lk 1:26-38
Key Verse: “May it be to me as you have said.” (v.38)
Supposing you find yourself in a situation when you are not thinking straight, when you are confused or dazed, when everything in your life is not turning the way you envisioned it, would you believe someone who would appear before you from out of nowhere and says God has handpicked you for an important and delicate mission.
And to be more specific, your visitor who happens to be an angel tells you that you are to bear and give birth to a child but not from the man to whom you have been betrothed. Will you readily agree or will you ask for some time to gather your thoughts and to ask the angel to come when you have weighed the pros and cons of such a proposal.
Some years back there was a featured documentary that was shown in one of the TV channels in the Philippines that exposed the operations of a syndicate that literally produce babies for adoption by foreign surrogate parents. The documentary showed young women who were being paid to have sex with foreigners who would later adopt the baby that will be born out of the arrangement.
But Mary was not an ordinary woman for she was full of Grace and she was blessed among the women of her time. As a Jewish maiden she was familiar with the Scriptures and the Jews then also believed in angels to be the messengers of God. But we’re getting ahead of this reflection.
And for us to fully grasp the impact of this story of the Annunciation we need to go back in history and know the situation Mary was in when this event happened for it is only in doing that we can truly appreciate the sterling character of our Blessed Mother.
Mary was a young maiden who was betrothed to Joseph. A betrothal normally lasts for a year and was generally regarded as binding as if they are already married. Such betrothal can only be recalled or cancelled either by divorce or death of either one of the contracting parties. And in the event that a man to whom a woman was betrothed dies, the woman is regarded as a widow.
A young and an unmarried maiden who gets pregnant outside of marriage will invite disaster. And for Mary to tell her story of becoming pregnant by the Holy Spirit also risked being considered crazy. This was the predicament to which Mary was in when the angel Gabriel told her: “You will bear a child and give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus” (v.31). Disbelief and wonderment must have filled Mary at that very moment but the angel assured her “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (v.35).
Despite the risks of being ridiculed and the possibility of divorce, Mary’s response stood out and would be hailed from that time on till now as a primary model of obedience. Her subservience to the Will of God was not only unparalleled but it became the avenue through which Salvation came into the world. The only thing she knew was that she was being asked by God to serve him and she willingly obeyed.
The hope and future of mankind rested on that simple phrase that Mary uttered: “I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as you have said” (v.38). In other versions Mary was quoted as saying “be it done unto me according to Thy Word.” What version you are reading is not important because what matters was the manner by which Mary responded and her response leads us into the very heart of Mary which was predisposed to complete obedience to God.
In that short response, Mary became the vessel through which Our Lord Jesus Christ will come into the world but we should not also forget the sacrifice and humility of Joseph who took Mary as his spouse and who stood as guardian of the Savior of all humanity.
As Eve was referred to as the mother of humanity that was doomed to sin, Mary was regarded as the mother of the new Adam who will reverse the sinful nature of man by his Grace (Rom 5:19). As the angel Gabriel instructed Mary and Joseph the child to be born was to named Jesus which is a Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua meaning “the Lord saves.” This was also a fulfillment of God’s promise to David that his kingdom will last forever (2 Sam 7:16). And rightly so, for Jesus who came from the house of David (Matt 1) has reigned since then and continues to rule today in the hearts of men.
Although the Virgin Birth has largely remained a mystery that many people find hard to believe, we should remember that Luke was a medical doctor and while it was hard for him to believe how a baby can be conceived in the case of Mary, he wrote about it based on the facts or interviews he made with witnesses and his own conversation with Mary.
But the most important facet of this Virgin Birth is that there shouldn’t be any doubt in our minds that God has the power to create a child even in the womb of a virgin.
What then is the message for us in this Gospel reading as well as the inference in the 1st Reading (Isa 7:12) when Ahaz refused to seek God’s favor which was the exact opposite of Mary’s response. The readings invite us not only to seek God’s favor but for us to put all our trust in Our Lord.
We should remember, however, that God’s favor doesn’t mean success or fame overnight because as with Mary being favored at times would lead to pain and ridicule. At times, being favored by God will bring hardships and difficulties but it is in these trying times when our faith is tested that God is present.
And like Mary whose submission was an embodiment of the world’s greatest prayer: “Thy Will be done” (Matt 6:10), it is when we can say the same that God will pour out on us his manifold Graces that will allow us not only to endure our suffering but to experience joy amidst the pain and tribulations in our lives because anyone who will trust God like Mary will certainly be filled with Grace.
What we also must remember was that Mary withstood the predicament she was in because God favored her and blessed all the circumstances in her life. This simply means that God will also provide us the strength, endurance and perseverance to go through with our lives but this is anchored on our saying “yes, Thy Will be done.”
In our profession of faith when we recite the Apostles’ Creed during the Eucharistic Celebration, we must not only understand what the Creed is but we must comprehend the depth of what it is. In so doing, we must understand and believe when we say: “I believe in God the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, Our Lord; who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit; born of the Virgin Mary…”
The Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed in the New Roman Missal will mean much more if we truly understand and believe what it says. And ask God for faith if anyone of you lacks wisdom (Jam 1:5). Mary has already given us a platform that we can emulate whenever we are weighed down by sorrow and pain and when the trials and challenges we face dim our hope we should think of nothing else but Mary and place all our trust in God.
1st Reading: Isa 7:10-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 24:1-6 “Let the Lord enter; he is the King
of Glory.”
GOSPEL: Lk 1:26-38
Key Verse: “May it be to me as you have said.” (v.38)
Supposing you find yourself in a situation when you are not thinking straight, when you are confused or dazed, when everything in your life is not turning the way you envisioned it, would you believe someone who would appear before you from out of nowhere and says God has handpicked you for an important and delicate mission.
And to be more specific, your visitor who happens to be an angel tells you that you are to bear and give birth to a child but not from the man to whom you have been betrothed. Will you readily agree or will you ask for some time to gather your thoughts and to ask the angel to come when you have weighed the pros and cons of such a proposal.
Some years back there was a featured documentary that was shown in one of the TV channels in the Philippines that exposed the operations of a syndicate that literally produce babies for adoption by foreign surrogate parents. The documentary showed young women who were being paid to have sex with foreigners who would later adopt the baby that will be born out of the arrangement.
But Mary was not an ordinary woman for she was full of Grace and she was blessed among the women of her time. As a Jewish maiden she was familiar with the Scriptures and the Jews then also believed in angels to be the messengers of God. But we’re getting ahead of this reflection.
And for us to fully grasp the impact of this story of the Annunciation we need to go back in history and know the situation Mary was in when this event happened for it is only in doing that we can truly appreciate the sterling character of our Blessed Mother.
Mary was a young maiden who was betrothed to Joseph. A betrothal normally lasts for a year and was generally regarded as binding as if they are already married. Such betrothal can only be recalled or cancelled either by divorce or death of either one of the contracting parties. And in the event that a man to whom a woman was betrothed dies, the woman is regarded as a widow.
A young and an unmarried maiden who gets pregnant outside of marriage will invite disaster. And for Mary to tell her story of becoming pregnant by the Holy Spirit also risked being considered crazy. This was the predicament to which Mary was in when the angel Gabriel told her: “You will bear a child and give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus” (v.31). Disbelief and wonderment must have filled Mary at that very moment but the angel assured her “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (v.35).
Despite the risks of being ridiculed and the possibility of divorce, Mary’s response stood out and would be hailed from that time on till now as a primary model of obedience. Her subservience to the Will of God was not only unparalleled but it became the avenue through which Salvation came into the world. The only thing she knew was that she was being asked by God to serve him and she willingly obeyed.
The hope and future of mankind rested on that simple phrase that Mary uttered: “I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as you have said” (v.38). In other versions Mary was quoted as saying “be it done unto me according to Thy Word.” What version you are reading is not important because what matters was the manner by which Mary responded and her response leads us into the very heart of Mary which was predisposed to complete obedience to God.
In that short response, Mary became the vessel through which Our Lord Jesus Christ will come into the world but we should not also forget the sacrifice and humility of Joseph who took Mary as his spouse and who stood as guardian of the Savior of all humanity.
As Eve was referred to as the mother of humanity that was doomed to sin, Mary was regarded as the mother of the new Adam who will reverse the sinful nature of man by his Grace (Rom 5:19). As the angel Gabriel instructed Mary and Joseph the child to be born was to named Jesus which is a Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua meaning “the Lord saves.” This was also a fulfillment of God’s promise to David that his kingdom will last forever (2 Sam 7:16). And rightly so, for Jesus who came from the house of David (Matt 1) has reigned since then and continues to rule today in the hearts of men.
Although the Virgin Birth has largely remained a mystery that many people find hard to believe, we should remember that Luke was a medical doctor and while it was hard for him to believe how a baby can be conceived in the case of Mary, he wrote about it based on the facts or interviews he made with witnesses and his own conversation with Mary.
But the most important facet of this Virgin Birth is that there shouldn’t be any doubt in our minds that God has the power to create a child even in the womb of a virgin.
What then is the message for us in this Gospel reading as well as the inference in the 1st Reading (Isa 7:12) when Ahaz refused to seek God’s favor which was the exact opposite of Mary’s response. The readings invite us not only to seek God’s favor but for us to put all our trust in Our Lord.
We should remember, however, that God’s favor doesn’t mean success or fame overnight because as with Mary being favored at times would lead to pain and ridicule. At times, being favored by God will bring hardships and difficulties but it is in these trying times when our faith is tested that God is present.
And like Mary whose submission was an embodiment of the world’s greatest prayer: “Thy Will be done” (Matt 6:10), it is when we can say the same that God will pour out on us his manifold Graces that will allow us not only to endure our suffering but to experience joy amidst the pain and tribulations in our lives because anyone who will trust God like Mary will certainly be filled with Grace.
What we also must remember was that Mary withstood the predicament she was in because God favored her and blessed all the circumstances in her life. This simply means that God will also provide us the strength, endurance and perseverance to go through with our lives but this is anchored on our saying “yes, Thy Will be done.”
In our profession of faith when we recite the Apostles’ Creed during the Eucharistic Celebration, we must not only understand what the Creed is but we must comprehend the depth of what it is. In so doing, we must understand and believe when we say: “I believe in God the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, Our Lord; who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit; born of the Virgin Mary…”
The Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed in the New Roman Missal will mean much more if we truly understand and believe what it says. And ask God for faith if anyone of you lacks wisdom (Jam 1:5). Mary has already given us a platform that we can emulate whenever we are weighed down by sorrow and pain and when the trials and challenges we face dim our hope we should think of nothing else but Mary and place all our trust in God.
GOD ALWAYS FULFILLS HIS PROMISES
YOUR WIFE ELIZABETH WILL BEAR YOU A SON.
DEC. 19, 2012: 3RD WEEK OF ADVENT
1st Reading: Judg 13:2-7, 24-25
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 71:3-6, 16-17 “My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!”
GOSPEL: LK 1:5-25
Key Verse: “For he will be great in the sight of the Lord.” (v.15)
As we step into the final week of preparation for the coming of the Messiah those of you who may be inspired to read through the Gospel readings instead of just listening to it during the Novena Masses will find that the circumstances surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ was similar in some respects to that of John the Baptist.
What you will also find interesting was the role the angels played in relaying the plan of God to Mary (Lk 1:26-38) and then to Joseph who was comforted in his grief upon learning that Mary was pregnant (Mt 1:18-25) and now we again find an angel revealing to Zechariah that his prayers had been answered and that his wife Elizabeth who has been barren for many years will bear a child (v.13).
And in the First Reading we read about Manoah whose wife was barren but gave birth to a son who was named Samson and, in the Gospel passage we are struck with the case of Elizabeth, who was also barren but whom God favored as she bore a son who grew up to be the forerunner of the Messiah.
These two exactly similar biblical scenarios should once and for all demolish all arguments on whether God indeed answers prayers as these two situations establish the fact that God fulfills all his promises no matter how long the wait and will rain down favors on those who will remain in Him. To remain in him is to not just hear his Word spoken but to really listen to his Word. To listen is to abide by his Word which means we need to be loyal and faithful to him if we want to be favored by him from whom all Graces flow.
What God did to Manoah’s wife and to Elizabeth also proves that “nothing is impossible with God” (Lk 1:37). These two biblical events were to show the people that faithfulness has its corresponding rewards and that God can make possible what is impossible with men if we will only remain faithful to him.
Let me also encourage everyone to read Judges 13 in its entirety to grasp the beautiful exchange between Manoah and his wife and the angel whom the Lord sent to instruct Manoah on how to raise up the child who was to be born but this was not after Manoah prayed for guidance from the Lord.
In the same way, Zechariah the husband of Elizabeth also prayed at the inner court of the Temple and it was there that God gave him the assurance that Elizabeth will bear a child. It was important for Zechariah to have a child because every Jew in those days was expected to bear a child and childlessness could be a ground for divorce.
These two situations also show us that God talked to Manoah and Zechariah when they prayed and this should give us a concrete idea that prayer is an avenue through which God can talk to us and vice versa.
The similarity with these two situations doesn’t end with the birth of Samson and John the Baptist. Even in the way they were to be raised was similar as God instructed Manoah and Zechariah that their children “are not to take wine or any fermented drink.” (Jud 13:4; Lk 1:15)
Besides the miracle of two barren women bearing a child on the basis of God’s promise, these two readings should also lead us to reflect of our own barrenness regardless of our gender. To fully understand that we could also be barren, we need to go and find the meaning of what being barren is.
In essence, being barren is the inability to produce life. A person who is barren is unproductive, infertile, infecund and or, ineffectual and fruitless. As these two readings spoke of the barrenness of the wife of Manoah and Elizabeth but whom God favored by making them fertile, we are being urged to also look into our own lives and see if we too are barren, unproductive and or ineffectual.
The exact opposite of barren is the ability to produce life and as Christian disciples, our calling is for us to give birth to life from within ourselves and to transfuse to others this life that has been born in us. Principally, this is what the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ means for he comes to share his life with us. He comes to give birth to life and he who will come will remove our barrenness and turn us into a fertile ground so others may see the image of Christ in us.
Indeed, not all of us have this gift of giving birth to life. Our lives may be barren and we may not even know it. It is possible that we may have become unproductive and ineffectual when we have become bigger than God, dwelling in our beliefs and self-righteousness. But such can be reversed if we can gather the courage, like Zechariah and Manoah, to come to God in prayer.
And in coming to God, we need to be still and quiet before him so we can listen to his voice as he speaks to us and reveals his Word to us. In this Third Week of the Advent Season as we approach with joyful expectation the coming of Our Savior, we need to intensify our prayer lives and surrender to Our Lord the areas of our lives that have become barren.
The key is for us to stand before God, admit our being barren and it is when we gather the courage and the boldness to abandon our human will to his divine providence that we will discover that our barrenness will be transformed into a productive and fruitful life for it is only by his Grace that we can be set apart as did Samson and John the Baptist.
The calamity that struck Compostela Valley in Mindanao gives us an opportunity to give birth to life by coming to the aid of the victims of the devastation wrought by Typhoon Pablo. That such tragedy comes as we await the coming of Our Lord also provides us with a time to reflect on our relationship with God.
And we can all rise up from our barrenness and be a vessel that would give birth to life by contributing whatever we can give for the hapless victims of this tragedy. Let the image and likeness of God that lies hidden in us be seen that others may believe that there is a God like no other.
1st Reading: Judg 13:2-7, 24-25
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 71:3-6, 16-17 “My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory!”
GOSPEL: LK 1:5-25
Key Verse: “For he will be great in the sight of the Lord.” (v.15)
As we step into the final week of preparation for the coming of the Messiah those of you who may be inspired to read through the Gospel readings instead of just listening to it during the Novena Masses will find that the circumstances surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ was similar in some respects to that of John the Baptist.
What you will also find interesting was the role the angels played in relaying the plan of God to Mary (Lk 1:26-38) and then to Joseph who was comforted in his grief upon learning that Mary was pregnant (Mt 1:18-25) and now we again find an angel revealing to Zechariah that his prayers had been answered and that his wife Elizabeth who has been barren for many years will bear a child (v.13).
And in the First Reading we read about Manoah whose wife was barren but gave birth to a son who was named Samson and, in the Gospel passage we are struck with the case of Elizabeth, who was also barren but whom God favored as she bore a son who grew up to be the forerunner of the Messiah.
These two exactly similar biblical scenarios should once and for all demolish all arguments on whether God indeed answers prayers as these two situations establish the fact that God fulfills all his promises no matter how long the wait and will rain down favors on those who will remain in Him. To remain in him is to not just hear his Word spoken but to really listen to his Word. To listen is to abide by his Word which means we need to be loyal and faithful to him if we want to be favored by him from whom all Graces flow.
What God did to Manoah’s wife and to Elizabeth also proves that “nothing is impossible with God” (Lk 1:37). These two biblical events were to show the people that faithfulness has its corresponding rewards and that God can make possible what is impossible with men if we will only remain faithful to him.
Let me also encourage everyone to read Judges 13 in its entirety to grasp the beautiful exchange between Manoah and his wife and the angel whom the Lord sent to instruct Manoah on how to raise up the child who was to be born but this was not after Manoah prayed for guidance from the Lord.
In the same way, Zechariah the husband of Elizabeth also prayed at the inner court of the Temple and it was there that God gave him the assurance that Elizabeth will bear a child. It was important for Zechariah to have a child because every Jew in those days was expected to bear a child and childlessness could be a ground for divorce.
These two situations also show us that God talked to Manoah and Zechariah when they prayed and this should give us a concrete idea that prayer is an avenue through which God can talk to us and vice versa.
The similarity with these two situations doesn’t end with the birth of Samson and John the Baptist. Even in the way they were to be raised was similar as God instructed Manoah and Zechariah that their children “are not to take wine or any fermented drink.” (Jud 13:4; Lk 1:15)
Besides the miracle of two barren women bearing a child on the basis of God’s promise, these two readings should also lead us to reflect of our own barrenness regardless of our gender. To fully understand that we could also be barren, we need to go and find the meaning of what being barren is.
In essence, being barren is the inability to produce life. A person who is barren is unproductive, infertile, infecund and or, ineffectual and fruitless. As these two readings spoke of the barrenness of the wife of Manoah and Elizabeth but whom God favored by making them fertile, we are being urged to also look into our own lives and see if we too are barren, unproductive and or ineffectual.
The exact opposite of barren is the ability to produce life and as Christian disciples, our calling is for us to give birth to life from within ourselves and to transfuse to others this life that has been born in us. Principally, this is what the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ means for he comes to share his life with us. He comes to give birth to life and he who will come will remove our barrenness and turn us into a fertile ground so others may see the image of Christ in us.
Indeed, not all of us have this gift of giving birth to life. Our lives may be barren and we may not even know it. It is possible that we may have become unproductive and ineffectual when we have become bigger than God, dwelling in our beliefs and self-righteousness. But such can be reversed if we can gather the courage, like Zechariah and Manoah, to come to God in prayer.
And in coming to God, we need to be still and quiet before him so we can listen to his voice as he speaks to us and reveals his Word to us. In this Third Week of the Advent Season as we approach with joyful expectation the coming of Our Savior, we need to intensify our prayer lives and surrender to Our Lord the areas of our lives that have become barren.
The key is for us to stand before God, admit our being barren and it is when we gather the courage and the boldness to abandon our human will to his divine providence that we will discover that our barrenness will be transformed into a productive and fruitful life for it is only by his Grace that we can be set apart as did Samson and John the Baptist.
The calamity that struck Compostela Valley in Mindanao gives us an opportunity to give birth to life by coming to the aid of the victims of the devastation wrought by Typhoon Pablo. That such tragedy comes as we await the coming of Our Lord also provides us with a time to reflect on our relationship with God.
And we can all rise up from our barrenness and be a vessel that would give birth to life by contributing whatever we can give for the hapless victims of this tragedy. Let the image and likeness of God that lies hidden in us be seen that others may believe that there is a God like no other.
OBEDIENCE BEGETS BLESSINGS
DEC. 18, 2012: 3rd WEEK OF ADVENT
1st Reading: Jer 23:5-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 72:1-2, 12-13, 18-19 “Justice shall flourish in his time and fullness of peace for ever.”
Gospel: Matt 1:18-25
Key Verse: “and he will be called Immanuel.” (v.23)
There have been many instances when weddings were cancelled for a number of reasons such as when one of the parties to the wedding suddenly realized he/she was not prepared for a life-long commitment, or when one fell ill, or to a certain extreme when one was found to have been unfaithful to the other.
This could have been the case in today’s Gospel passage had not God sent an angel to relay to Joseph that Mary’s conception was the plan of God and that the child in her womb was conceived by the Holy Spirit and that Joseph and Mary are to name him Immanuel which means God is with us as was prophesied by Isaiah (Isa 7:14).
This revelation by the angel carries with it the important truth that Jesus is fully divine and fully human. The exegesis of this scenario was that God made full use of the limitations of the human being so that his Son could live and die for the salvation of those to whom he was sent.
It was in living as a man that Jesus understood “our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin.” (Heb 4:15). And because he is God he also has the power to save us from our sinful nature and make us alive in him as he forgives us all our sins (Col 2:13).
This is what his nature means because Jesus means the Lord saves and Jesus came to save us for the simple reason that we are unable to save ourselves from eternal damnation. Regardless of how good a man is, there is just no way you will not give in to sinful tendencies no matter how irrelevant or minute it may be because of the sinful nature of man resulting from the sin that came into the world through the first Adam.
And Jesus did not come to help us save ourselves. The truth is Jesus came to save us from the wages of sin which is death. It is when we realize this truth, embrace it and allow Christ through the Holy Spirit to take control of our lives that transformation takes place. Conversion is manifested when we become aware of the presence of the Lord in us.
The manner by which Joseph responded to the news brought by the angel should provide us with an overview of how we too should respond to the Word of God. It helped that Joseph was a God-fearing man who did not wish to embarrass or punish Mary his espoused wife when he discovered that she was pregnant.
Even if from all appearances that Mary had broken their solemn pledge to be faithful and chaste to one another, Joseph must have took this problem to God in prayer. What we can see from Joseph’s actions was not only the righteousness of his behavior but his being sensitive and discreet in his ways.
Joseph was not hasty to judge or to react with hurt and anger and God rewarded him not only with guidance and consolation, but with the divine assurance that he had indeed called Joseph to be the husband of Mary and to assume a mission that would require the extreme faith, confidence and, complete trust in God.
The rest was history and like Mary who said “be it done unto me according to your Word” Joseph also was a model of faith for us. He became a faithful witness and servant of God's unfolding plan of redemption.
The question now is are we ready to believe in God’s promise of salvation even when we are faced with confusing circumstances and what may seem like overwhelming problems? What we must all realize is that God did not leave us orphans after he created us but he sent us his only begotten Son Jesus Christ to become our Lord and Savior.
As Christian disciples we can all draw inspiration from Joseph whose actions in this Gospel passage showed the qualities of his godly nature. He was clothed with unparalleled righteousness when he chose not to embarrass Mary by breaking off the engagement quietly (v.19). In our case, do we resolve our differences quietly so as not to embarrass the aggrieved person or do we go to town and broadcast the imperfections of the person with whom we are in disagreement?
When Joseph acceded to the message of the angel he also displayed his responsiveness to God (v.24) and this is where we come to grips with our own nature. As a believer, do we listen to the Word of God in the way we relate to God and our neighbor? Do we allow God to not only move in our lives but to give him full control of our nature? In other words, do we have a spirit that is yielded to God’s Will?
Joseph also showed an admirable level of discipline in his life (v.25) as Mary remained a virgin until her son was born and Joseph named him Jesus as the angel had instructed. How about us? How disciplined are our lives? Do we recite the Shema when the sun rises and when we go in for the night? Do we honor God by honoring our parents or spouses? How far can we go to show our love for God and our neighbor? How Joseph conducted himself should give us an idea of how we too should live and relate to God and to others and like Joseph, our obedience to God will beget bountiful blessings that we may not even have enough room for it.
Let us thus await the birth of Jesus Christ with joyful expectations and let this be an opportunity for us to renew our faith and hope in God and in his redeeming work.
1st Reading: Jer 23:5-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 72:1-2, 12-13, 18-19 “Justice shall flourish in his time and fullness of peace for ever.”
Gospel: Matt 1:18-25
Key Verse: “and he will be called Immanuel.” (v.23)
There have been many instances when weddings were cancelled for a number of reasons such as when one of the parties to the wedding suddenly realized he/she was not prepared for a life-long commitment, or when one fell ill, or to a certain extreme when one was found to have been unfaithful to the other.
This could have been the case in today’s Gospel passage had not God sent an angel to relay to Joseph that Mary’s conception was the plan of God and that the child in her womb was conceived by the Holy Spirit and that Joseph and Mary are to name him Immanuel which means God is with us as was prophesied by Isaiah (Isa 7:14).
This revelation by the angel carries with it the important truth that Jesus is fully divine and fully human. The exegesis of this scenario was that God made full use of the limitations of the human being so that his Son could live and die for the salvation of those to whom he was sent.
It was in living as a man that Jesus understood “our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin.” (Heb 4:15). And because he is God he also has the power to save us from our sinful nature and make us alive in him as he forgives us all our sins (Col 2:13).
This is what his nature means because Jesus means the Lord saves and Jesus came to save us for the simple reason that we are unable to save ourselves from eternal damnation. Regardless of how good a man is, there is just no way you will not give in to sinful tendencies no matter how irrelevant or minute it may be because of the sinful nature of man resulting from the sin that came into the world through the first Adam.
And Jesus did not come to help us save ourselves. The truth is Jesus came to save us from the wages of sin which is death. It is when we realize this truth, embrace it and allow Christ through the Holy Spirit to take control of our lives that transformation takes place. Conversion is manifested when we become aware of the presence of the Lord in us.
The manner by which Joseph responded to the news brought by the angel should provide us with an overview of how we too should respond to the Word of God. It helped that Joseph was a God-fearing man who did not wish to embarrass or punish Mary his espoused wife when he discovered that she was pregnant.
Even if from all appearances that Mary had broken their solemn pledge to be faithful and chaste to one another, Joseph must have took this problem to God in prayer. What we can see from Joseph’s actions was not only the righteousness of his behavior but his being sensitive and discreet in his ways.
Joseph was not hasty to judge or to react with hurt and anger and God rewarded him not only with guidance and consolation, but with the divine assurance that he had indeed called Joseph to be the husband of Mary and to assume a mission that would require the extreme faith, confidence and, complete trust in God.
The rest was history and like Mary who said “be it done unto me according to your Word” Joseph also was a model of faith for us. He became a faithful witness and servant of God's unfolding plan of redemption.
The question now is are we ready to believe in God’s promise of salvation even when we are faced with confusing circumstances and what may seem like overwhelming problems? What we must all realize is that God did not leave us orphans after he created us but he sent us his only begotten Son Jesus Christ to become our Lord and Savior.
As Christian disciples we can all draw inspiration from Joseph whose actions in this Gospel passage showed the qualities of his godly nature. He was clothed with unparalleled righteousness when he chose not to embarrass Mary by breaking off the engagement quietly (v.19). In our case, do we resolve our differences quietly so as not to embarrass the aggrieved person or do we go to town and broadcast the imperfections of the person with whom we are in disagreement?
When Joseph acceded to the message of the angel he also displayed his responsiveness to God (v.24) and this is where we come to grips with our own nature. As a believer, do we listen to the Word of God in the way we relate to God and our neighbor? Do we allow God to not only move in our lives but to give him full control of our nature? In other words, do we have a spirit that is yielded to God’s Will?
Joseph also showed an admirable level of discipline in his life (v.25) as Mary remained a virgin until her son was born and Joseph named him Jesus as the angel had instructed. How about us? How disciplined are our lives? Do we recite the Shema when the sun rises and when we go in for the night? Do we honor God by honoring our parents or spouses? How far can we go to show our love for God and our neighbor? How Joseph conducted himself should give us an idea of how we too should live and relate to God and to others and like Joseph, our obedience to God will beget bountiful blessings that we may not even have enough room for it.
Let us thus await the birth of Jesus Christ with joyful expectations and let this be an opportunity for us to renew our faith and hope in God and in his redeeming work.
OUR ROYAL HERITAGE
DEC. 17, 2011: 2nd NOVENA MASS
1st Reading: Gen 49:2, 8-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 72:1-4, 7-8, 17 “Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace forever.”
GOSPEL: MATT 1:1-17
Key Verse: “Jesus Christ the son of David,
the son of Abraham.” (v.1)
Why go through the Family Tree or what is referred to as the genealogy of Jesus Christ. What is its significance? Why is it important for us to at least know something about the family history of Jesus?
Beginning his Gospel with the genealogy of Jesus Christ might surprise many who will read Matthew’s gospel account and even those attending the second day of the nine-day Novena Mass before Christmas.
The question in your minds perhaps is of what use was the genealogy of Jesus. Matthew, however, had a valid reason for coming out with the lineage of Christ. One was that the Gospel of Matthew was principally directed towards the Jews who as a people were particularly interested in genealogies.
By presenting the family lineage of Jesus, Matthew’s objective was to convince the Jewish people that Jesus indeed was the Messiah that they have been waiting for and this was the reason why the genealogy of Jesus as presented by Matthew was divided into three sections – 1) Man bore the image and likeness of God and this first section ended with David who unified Israel as a nation; 2) This second group of Jesus’ ancestors started with Solomon and ended with the Jews losing their greatness and going into exile in Babylon and there started the long wait for a Messiah, and; 3) The third grouping began from the return of the Jews from exile and regaining their greatness and all the way up to Jacob, the father of Joseph, husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.
With this genealogy, Matthew was telling the Jews that Jesus was the fulfillment of the prophecy that Jesus was the true Messiah having descended from both Abraham (Gen 22:18) and David (Isa 11:1-2). This genealogy also erased all doubts about the origin of Jesus because his claim as a descendant of the throne of David was both legal by virtue of his adoption by Joseph who was a descendant of Solomon and natural on account of his birth by Mary, a descendant of Nathan.
How then can this genealogy of Jesus Christ be useful to us in this age. What we all can deduce from the beginning of Matthew’s Gospel is the assurance that God always keeps his promises. Throughout the Scriptures, we read of God’s promises and what is remarkable was that God always keeps his word.
Notwithstanding the tragedy and disasters that struck the Jews, they never got tired of waiting and with expectant hope they knew that a descendant from the throne of David will come and lead them to the glory that they firmly believed to be theirs by right and inheritance.
With this genealogy, you will see that Jesus was indeed the fulfillment of God’s promise to send a Messiah that we may all be saved. The Scriptures also assures us that Jesus was not only the hope of the people of the Old Covenant but more so our hope in today’s post-modern world that is wracked by perversion and sin. The recent passage on second reading of the RH Bill by the Philippine House of Representatives was a case in point.
The most significant aspect of the coming of Christ is that he brings with him the Grace from heaven that will restore us into the fullness of his glory when “he will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Rev 21:4)
But this Grace that Christ will apportion to us must be met with a corresponding response. It cannot be that we will just be a receiving people because salvation is a two-way process. God will definitely keep his promise and grant us eternal salvation but this is contingent on our response that is anchored on our doing his Will.
With this genealogy, Our Lord Jesus Christ invites us to a deeper realization that we too are somehow grafted into the family tree of Jesus by virtue of our adoption as sons and daughters of God. “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” (2 Cor 6:18)
Thus, this Christmas Season should not just remind us of the coming of salvation into the world but it should continually remind us of God’s mercy and kindness as well as his assurance that in whatever state we are in, God will keep his promise to us as he did in his promise to Abraham.
Our adoption by God and our being made a continuation of Christ’s genealogy is because God himself had declared that we are: “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness and into his wonderful light.” (2 Pet 9)
As we prepare for the coming of Our Lord who is the manifestation of God’s love for us, let us remove any doubt we may be entertaining in our minds as to our heavenly inheritance. There shouldn’t be any question that we have all been created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26) and this was further confirmed by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who in our baptism also infused in us the three Theological Virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity. This presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives is what makes us partakers of his divine nature (2 Pet 1:4).
1st Reading: Gen 49:2, 8-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 72:1-4, 7-8, 17 “Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace forever.”
GOSPEL: MATT 1:1-17
Key Verse: “Jesus Christ the son of David,
the son of Abraham.” (v.1)
Why go through the Family Tree or what is referred to as the genealogy of Jesus Christ. What is its significance? Why is it important for us to at least know something about the family history of Jesus?
Beginning his Gospel with the genealogy of Jesus Christ might surprise many who will read Matthew’s gospel account and even those attending the second day of the nine-day Novena Mass before Christmas.
The question in your minds perhaps is of what use was the genealogy of Jesus. Matthew, however, had a valid reason for coming out with the lineage of Christ. One was that the Gospel of Matthew was principally directed towards the Jews who as a people were particularly interested in genealogies.
By presenting the family lineage of Jesus, Matthew’s objective was to convince the Jewish people that Jesus indeed was the Messiah that they have been waiting for and this was the reason why the genealogy of Jesus as presented by Matthew was divided into three sections – 1) Man bore the image and likeness of God and this first section ended with David who unified Israel as a nation; 2) This second group of Jesus’ ancestors started with Solomon and ended with the Jews losing their greatness and going into exile in Babylon and there started the long wait for a Messiah, and; 3) The third grouping began from the return of the Jews from exile and regaining their greatness and all the way up to Jacob, the father of Joseph, husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.
With this genealogy, Matthew was telling the Jews that Jesus was the fulfillment of the prophecy that Jesus was the true Messiah having descended from both Abraham (Gen 22:18) and David (Isa 11:1-2). This genealogy also erased all doubts about the origin of Jesus because his claim as a descendant of the throne of David was both legal by virtue of his adoption by Joseph who was a descendant of Solomon and natural on account of his birth by Mary, a descendant of Nathan.
How then can this genealogy of Jesus Christ be useful to us in this age. What we all can deduce from the beginning of Matthew’s Gospel is the assurance that God always keeps his promises. Throughout the Scriptures, we read of God’s promises and what is remarkable was that God always keeps his word.
Notwithstanding the tragedy and disasters that struck the Jews, they never got tired of waiting and with expectant hope they knew that a descendant from the throne of David will come and lead them to the glory that they firmly believed to be theirs by right and inheritance.
With this genealogy, you will see that Jesus was indeed the fulfillment of God’s promise to send a Messiah that we may all be saved. The Scriptures also assures us that Jesus was not only the hope of the people of the Old Covenant but more so our hope in today’s post-modern world that is wracked by perversion and sin. The recent passage on second reading of the RH Bill by the Philippine House of Representatives was a case in point.
The most significant aspect of the coming of Christ is that he brings with him the Grace from heaven that will restore us into the fullness of his glory when “he will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Rev 21:4)
But this Grace that Christ will apportion to us must be met with a corresponding response. It cannot be that we will just be a receiving people because salvation is a two-way process. God will definitely keep his promise and grant us eternal salvation but this is contingent on our response that is anchored on our doing his Will.
With this genealogy, Our Lord Jesus Christ invites us to a deeper realization that we too are somehow grafted into the family tree of Jesus by virtue of our adoption as sons and daughters of God. “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” (2 Cor 6:18)
Thus, this Christmas Season should not just remind us of the coming of salvation into the world but it should continually remind us of God’s mercy and kindness as well as his assurance that in whatever state we are in, God will keep his promise to us as he did in his promise to Abraham.
Our adoption by God and our being made a continuation of Christ’s genealogy is because God himself had declared that we are: “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness and into his wonderful light.” (2 Pet 9)
As we prepare for the coming of Our Lord who is the manifestation of God’s love for us, let us remove any doubt we may be entertaining in our minds as to our heavenly inheritance. There shouldn’t be any question that we have all been created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26) and this was further confirmed by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who in our baptism also infused in us the three Theological Virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity. This presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives is what makes us partakers of his divine nature (2 Pet 1:4).
GAUDETE SUNDAY MEANS OUR JOY IS NEAR
DEC. 16, 2012: THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT
1st Reading: Zep 3:14-18
Responsorial Psalm: Isa 12:2-6 “Cry out with joy and gladness, for among you is the great and holy one of Israel.”
2nd Reading: Phi 4:4-7
GOSPEL: Lk 3:10-18
Key Verse: “Make straight the way for the Lord.” (v.23)
I still could not forget the time when Roxas Boulevard that stretched from Manila to Paranaque was not as wide as it is now and for a major thoroughfare that affords one a view of the famed Manila Bay sunset, Roxas Boulevard then was not as paved the way it is now.
About three months before the 8th Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) scheduled on Nov. 25, 1996 was held, the then Ramos Administration which was hosting the annual event went to work. The entire stretch of Roxas Boulevard was widened, a fresh coat of asphalt overlay was laid out, lamp posts were repaired, repainted and lighted, the islands in the middle were spruced up including the Rizal Park as well as the Philippine International Convention Center.
In other words, extensive preparation was made because some 18 heads of state have confirmed their attendance to the event which was the first time that such an important event was to be held and hosted by the Philippines.
What happened in 1996 was what also happened when John the Baptist urged the people in his time to prepare for the coming of the Messiah. And today, we are also being called to prepare for the coming of Our Lord by turning away from our sinful ways and put our lives in order because the very source of life and light is coming.
Today being the Third Sunday of the Advent Season the pink candle that stands in the middle of the Advent wreath by is lit and our Church refers to this day as Gaudete Sunday or which is commonly known among us Catholics as “Rejoice Sunday.”
As we get into the middle of the Advent Season our spiritual environment somewhat relaxes into a joyous atmosphere in contrast to the urgency with which we were called to repentance and renewal at the beginning of the season.
On this Third Sunday of Advent we are being invited to rejoice because the source of True Joy is coming and we await his coming not only with joyful expectancy but we also are filled with the assurance that the sin and perversity to which this world has sunk will soon be replaced by the deep joy that will last forever.
The prophet Zephaniah in the first reading (Zeph 3:17-18) says that the Lord’s favor has come upon the Israelites. In fact, this favor according to prophet has been accompanied by the coming of the Lord, the King of Israel who will take great delight on the people and have removed from them their sorrows for they have become a burden and a reproach to them.
But in line with the observance of the Jewish tradition of having forerunners announce the arrival of very prominent officials or individuals, God will also send a herald to make straight the way for the Lord.
And this was what John the Baptist said when the people asked him who he was: “I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” (v.18) To understand the meaning of what John said we have to go back in history to give us an idea of what he said.
We need also to realize that the roads in those days were unpaved and in some instances are mere tracks. They are what we may call as dirt roads and it didn’t matter actually because the form of transport at that time was usually on horseback, camels, or with a caravan with wagons and carts pulled by oxen. And it was customary that these roads are smoothen out and paved to prepare for the coming of a dignitary or a king who was to visit his domain.
In calling on the people to straighten their ways what John the Baptist was actually saying was that the hearts of men could be likened to the unpaved roads with their corrupt behavior and which they need to smoothen to prepare for the coming of the Lord. What John was also saying was that “I am a nobody, don’t look at me. Look at the king who is to come and whose coming I am preparing the way.”
In essence, we who embrace the Christian faith have also been appointed as heralds and by the spiritual laws of succession we also inherited the role of John the Baptist and our mandate is to serve as messengers to prepare the way for the coming of Christ.
But central to this role are the pathways within us for we cannot go out into the world to proclaim the coming of the King if we ourselves have not seen him. This is where the Baptism of Repentance that John the Baptist preached becomes a reality because our baptism in the Spirit should move us to repent of our sins and surrender our sinful nature to Our Lord the Christ. As we do, we also die to our old selves and are born anew into a new life (2 Cor 5:17).
Last year I attended the celebration of Gaudete Sunday that was presided by Fr. Joel Vernon Alano, Spiritual Director and one of the Formators of the San Pablo Seminary in Baguio City who said in his homily that there are three things we need to remember on Gaudete Sunday – that (1) we are to be a LIGHT though we must remember that this light in us must reflect the True Light which is Christ. He said Gaudete Sunday is a call to holiness and we can do this by being connected to the source of light. As we cannot light ourselves, our connectedness to the True Light which is Christ assures us of the flow of Grace that should fill our lives before we can go on mission.
Our lives, according to Fr. Alano, must (2) also SHINE if we are to be like a candle. We shine by the kind of love that we have for one another. We shine by being a forgiving person. We shine by being humble like John. As we have been gifted with talents and skills, Fr. Alano suggests that we are to use these gifts for the community but we must not lose track of the fact that we should shine to give glory to God.
Finally as a candle that shines, our lives must (3) continually BURN. As we are living on borrowed time, our lives also melt like the lit candle but the question is do we burn and shine like John who led others to Christ or do we become a block to others from receiving Christ. As baptized Christians, Fr. Alano urged the lay faithful to shine and to keep the light entrusted to us to burn brightly.
His homily also reminded me of the Pastoral Exhortation given by our Global Spiritual Director Archbishop Angel Lagdameo. In his exhortation, Archbishop Lagdameo reminded us to use this Advent Season to remain connected to Christ and to find a balance between our functions on one hand and spirituality on the other.
His Grace urged all the leaders of the community to use the Grace of Office that they have received to serve the church while maintaining our connectedness to the source of all power and Grace. Similarly, the responsibility to bring the light to others especially the unchurched should not rest on leaders alone but on every individual who has received Christ in their hearts.
1st Reading: Zep 3:14-18
Responsorial Psalm: Isa 12:2-6 “Cry out with joy and gladness, for among you is the great and holy one of Israel.”
2nd Reading: Phi 4:4-7
GOSPEL: Lk 3:10-18
Key Verse: “Make straight the way for the Lord.” (v.23)
I still could not forget the time when Roxas Boulevard that stretched from Manila to Paranaque was not as wide as it is now and for a major thoroughfare that affords one a view of the famed Manila Bay sunset, Roxas Boulevard then was not as paved the way it is now.
About three months before the 8th Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) scheduled on Nov. 25, 1996 was held, the then Ramos Administration which was hosting the annual event went to work. The entire stretch of Roxas Boulevard was widened, a fresh coat of asphalt overlay was laid out, lamp posts were repaired, repainted and lighted, the islands in the middle were spruced up including the Rizal Park as well as the Philippine International Convention Center.
In other words, extensive preparation was made because some 18 heads of state have confirmed their attendance to the event which was the first time that such an important event was to be held and hosted by the Philippines.
What happened in 1996 was what also happened when John the Baptist urged the people in his time to prepare for the coming of the Messiah. And today, we are also being called to prepare for the coming of Our Lord by turning away from our sinful ways and put our lives in order because the very source of life and light is coming.
Today being the Third Sunday of the Advent Season the pink candle that stands in the middle of the Advent wreath by is lit and our Church refers to this day as Gaudete Sunday or which is commonly known among us Catholics as “Rejoice Sunday.”
As we get into the middle of the Advent Season our spiritual environment somewhat relaxes into a joyous atmosphere in contrast to the urgency with which we were called to repentance and renewal at the beginning of the season.
On this Third Sunday of Advent we are being invited to rejoice because the source of True Joy is coming and we await his coming not only with joyful expectancy but we also are filled with the assurance that the sin and perversity to which this world has sunk will soon be replaced by the deep joy that will last forever.
The prophet Zephaniah in the first reading (Zeph 3:17-18) says that the Lord’s favor has come upon the Israelites. In fact, this favor according to prophet has been accompanied by the coming of the Lord, the King of Israel who will take great delight on the people and have removed from them their sorrows for they have become a burden and a reproach to them.
But in line with the observance of the Jewish tradition of having forerunners announce the arrival of very prominent officials or individuals, God will also send a herald to make straight the way for the Lord.
And this was what John the Baptist said when the people asked him who he was: “I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” (v.18) To understand the meaning of what John said we have to go back in history to give us an idea of what he said.
We need also to realize that the roads in those days were unpaved and in some instances are mere tracks. They are what we may call as dirt roads and it didn’t matter actually because the form of transport at that time was usually on horseback, camels, or with a caravan with wagons and carts pulled by oxen. And it was customary that these roads are smoothen out and paved to prepare for the coming of a dignitary or a king who was to visit his domain.
In calling on the people to straighten their ways what John the Baptist was actually saying was that the hearts of men could be likened to the unpaved roads with their corrupt behavior and which they need to smoothen to prepare for the coming of the Lord. What John was also saying was that “I am a nobody, don’t look at me. Look at the king who is to come and whose coming I am preparing the way.”
In essence, we who embrace the Christian faith have also been appointed as heralds and by the spiritual laws of succession we also inherited the role of John the Baptist and our mandate is to serve as messengers to prepare the way for the coming of Christ.
But central to this role are the pathways within us for we cannot go out into the world to proclaim the coming of the King if we ourselves have not seen him. This is where the Baptism of Repentance that John the Baptist preached becomes a reality because our baptism in the Spirit should move us to repent of our sins and surrender our sinful nature to Our Lord the Christ. As we do, we also die to our old selves and are born anew into a new life (2 Cor 5:17).
Last year I attended the celebration of Gaudete Sunday that was presided by Fr. Joel Vernon Alano, Spiritual Director and one of the Formators of the San Pablo Seminary in Baguio City who said in his homily that there are three things we need to remember on Gaudete Sunday – that (1) we are to be a LIGHT though we must remember that this light in us must reflect the True Light which is Christ. He said Gaudete Sunday is a call to holiness and we can do this by being connected to the source of light. As we cannot light ourselves, our connectedness to the True Light which is Christ assures us of the flow of Grace that should fill our lives before we can go on mission.
Our lives, according to Fr. Alano, must (2) also SHINE if we are to be like a candle. We shine by the kind of love that we have for one another. We shine by being a forgiving person. We shine by being humble like John. As we have been gifted with talents and skills, Fr. Alano suggests that we are to use these gifts for the community but we must not lose track of the fact that we should shine to give glory to God.
Finally as a candle that shines, our lives must (3) continually BURN. As we are living on borrowed time, our lives also melt like the lit candle but the question is do we burn and shine like John who led others to Christ or do we become a block to others from receiving Christ. As baptized Christians, Fr. Alano urged the lay faithful to shine and to keep the light entrusted to us to burn brightly.
His homily also reminded me of the Pastoral Exhortation given by our Global Spiritual Director Archbishop Angel Lagdameo. In his exhortation, Archbishop Lagdameo reminded us to use this Advent Season to remain connected to Christ and to find a balance between our functions on one hand and spirituality on the other.
His Grace urged all the leaders of the community to use the Grace of Office that they have received to serve the church while maintaining our connectedness to the source of all power and Grace. Similarly, the responsibility to bring the light to others especially the unchurched should not rest on leaders alone but on every individual who has received Christ in their hearts.
LIKE JOHN, WE ARE MERE MESSENGERS
LIKE JOHN THE BAPTIST WE MUST ALSO POINT TO CHRIST
DEC. 15: 2ND WEEK OF ADVENT
1ST Reading: Sir 48:1-4, 9-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19 “Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face, and we shall be saved.”
GOSPEL: Matt 17:9-13
Key Verse: “Elijah comes and will restore all things.” (v.11)
We often hear people say in the midst of some disagreement especially in the way plans and programs are to be carried out in the church or community that God is a God of order and indeed he is. And if there was one thing that you would really love in the way Our Lord goes about in establishing his kingdom here on earth was the orderliness in the way he has programmed his mission from the time of his coming to the day of redemption on the cross.
The orderliness in the way the coming of the Messiah was prophesied was designed to open the eyes of the world that his coming was to save the world from its sin and perversity and God gives us signs to show us what he was going to do. Even the coming of John the Baptist was foretold in when the Lord said: “See I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me” (Mal 3:1).
The Jews knew that a Messiah will come because the great prophet Isaiah also prophesied his coming (Isa 7) and that Elijah would appear to announce the coming of the Savior. This was probably one of the few surprises that the Jews were faced with because instead of Elijah, it was John the Baptist who appeared preaching a baptism of repentance and renewal.
As the Jews waited for the coming of the Messiah, they believed in their hearts that Elijah would return to restore everything before the Savior comes in order to make a world fit for the coming of the king. The idea of Elijah restoring the disordered environment was engraved in their hearts and minds of the Old Testament people.
And the coming of John the Baptist was something they did not expect. What the Jews did not know then was that John the Baptist took the form of Elijah to restore all things in preparation for the coming of Jesus Christ through his call for the people to repentance.
In effect, the coming of John the Baptist was a fulfillment of the prophesy except that he came on behalf of Elijah but which the Jews failed to grasp. And John pursued his role as a forerunner of the Messiah and this role finds a parallelism in the culture and tradition of the Jews when they celebrate a wedding feast.
In those days, the day and the hour when the bridegroom will arrive to exercise his right as husband to the bride was unknown and this was the reason why the ten virgins with their lamps had to wait for the bridegroom to arrive.
It was also the tradition then that the coming of the bridegroom was preceded by a messenger or what you may call a barker because the role of the messenger was to announce the arrival of the groom to all the people living on the streets where the bridegroom would pass.
This was the role played by John the Baptist because he came into the world to announce the coming of Jesus Christ, not pointing to himself but instead he prepared the way for the coming of the Messiah. As the Jews were again thinking in terms of the Messianic conquest, they waited for Elijah whose coming was expected to bring order.
What they didn’t recognize was that the baptism of repentance and renewal that John preached was meant to put order into the lives of the Jews by restoring the strained relationship between God and the people.
As with John the Baptist, we who have been chosen to take over where the Apostles left off must prepare the way for the coming of the Lord again by turning away from sin and everything that separate us from the love of God.
As servants who have been deigned to proclaim the Good News especially in this Year of Faith, we, too must prepare for the Lord's coming again by turning away from sin and from everything that would hinder us from pursuing his Will and pleasure.
There will be mountains (the seven capital sins - pride, envy, gluttony, sloth, lust, avarice and wrath) we will need to climb to see the dawning of a new day and valleys (spiritual dryness due to an impaired relationship with God) that we need to tread that would lead us back to the path of righteousness. There will be sufferings we will need to endure but the eternal reward would be worth all the pain and sacrifices that we will put in along the way.
Having done that, we as faithful servants must in all humility announce his coming and point to Jesus Christ as the King who is going to take possession of his Throne of Grace – our hearts that have been rid of sin and the indifference to which we have wallowed in.
We need to die to ourselves, take up our cross and follow him which means that we need to dispossess ourselves of our sinful tendencies and our attachment to the world before we can take our place in his Kingdom which has no end.
Such is necessary because before we could preach Christ, we must know who and what Christ was and to know Our Lord in a personal way we need to embrace not only his message of salvation, his call for us to humble ourselves like a little child, but also to be obedient and subservient to his will. What is sad are the instances when we see messengers who move and act as if they are bigger than the Christ whom they are to proclaim.
Repentance and transformation are the two pillars of evangelization and renewal and we need to go through this purification process and not just pay lip service to it before we can go out and make disciples of all nations. We need to be baptized and be born anew because being born to a new life is anchored on our dying to our old nature. Our task then is to announce the coming of Our Lord and point to him as the source of everything that we are and will ever be.
Notwithstanding the praises and salutation we may receive along the way, we should not forget the source of our gifts and what should be engraved in our hearts and minds is that we are not the Christ but we are mere messengers and are unworthy of untying the straps in his sandals. The question we now need to ask ourselves is are we ready to do everything that he wills and are we prepared to meet the Lord Jesus when he comes?
1ST Reading: Sir 48:1-4, 9-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19 “Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face, and we shall be saved.”
GOSPEL: Matt 17:9-13
Key Verse: “Elijah comes and will restore all things.” (v.11)
We often hear people say in the midst of some disagreement especially in the way plans and programs are to be carried out in the church or community that God is a God of order and indeed he is. And if there was one thing that you would really love in the way Our Lord goes about in establishing his kingdom here on earth was the orderliness in the way he has programmed his mission from the time of his coming to the day of redemption on the cross.
The orderliness in the way the coming of the Messiah was prophesied was designed to open the eyes of the world that his coming was to save the world from its sin and perversity and God gives us signs to show us what he was going to do. Even the coming of John the Baptist was foretold in when the Lord said: “See I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me” (Mal 3:1).
The Jews knew that a Messiah will come because the great prophet Isaiah also prophesied his coming (Isa 7) and that Elijah would appear to announce the coming of the Savior. This was probably one of the few surprises that the Jews were faced with because instead of Elijah, it was John the Baptist who appeared preaching a baptism of repentance and renewal.
As the Jews waited for the coming of the Messiah, they believed in their hearts that Elijah would return to restore everything before the Savior comes in order to make a world fit for the coming of the king. The idea of Elijah restoring the disordered environment was engraved in their hearts and minds of the Old Testament people.
And the coming of John the Baptist was something they did not expect. What the Jews did not know then was that John the Baptist took the form of Elijah to restore all things in preparation for the coming of Jesus Christ through his call for the people to repentance.
In effect, the coming of John the Baptist was a fulfillment of the prophesy except that he came on behalf of Elijah but which the Jews failed to grasp. And John pursued his role as a forerunner of the Messiah and this role finds a parallelism in the culture and tradition of the Jews when they celebrate a wedding feast.
In those days, the day and the hour when the bridegroom will arrive to exercise his right as husband to the bride was unknown and this was the reason why the ten virgins with their lamps had to wait for the bridegroom to arrive.
It was also the tradition then that the coming of the bridegroom was preceded by a messenger or what you may call a barker because the role of the messenger was to announce the arrival of the groom to all the people living on the streets where the bridegroom would pass.
This was the role played by John the Baptist because he came into the world to announce the coming of Jesus Christ, not pointing to himself but instead he prepared the way for the coming of the Messiah. As the Jews were again thinking in terms of the Messianic conquest, they waited for Elijah whose coming was expected to bring order.
What they didn’t recognize was that the baptism of repentance and renewal that John preached was meant to put order into the lives of the Jews by restoring the strained relationship between God and the people.
As with John the Baptist, we who have been chosen to take over where the Apostles left off must prepare the way for the coming of the Lord again by turning away from sin and everything that separate us from the love of God.
As servants who have been deigned to proclaim the Good News especially in this Year of Faith, we, too must prepare for the Lord's coming again by turning away from sin and from everything that would hinder us from pursuing his Will and pleasure.
There will be mountains (the seven capital sins - pride, envy, gluttony, sloth, lust, avarice and wrath) we will need to climb to see the dawning of a new day and valleys (spiritual dryness due to an impaired relationship with God) that we need to tread that would lead us back to the path of righteousness. There will be sufferings we will need to endure but the eternal reward would be worth all the pain and sacrifices that we will put in along the way.
Having done that, we as faithful servants must in all humility announce his coming and point to Jesus Christ as the King who is going to take possession of his Throne of Grace – our hearts that have been rid of sin and the indifference to which we have wallowed in.
We need to die to ourselves, take up our cross and follow him which means that we need to dispossess ourselves of our sinful tendencies and our attachment to the world before we can take our place in his Kingdom which has no end.
Such is necessary because before we could preach Christ, we must know who and what Christ was and to know Our Lord in a personal way we need to embrace not only his message of salvation, his call for us to humble ourselves like a little child, but also to be obedient and subservient to his will. What is sad are the instances when we see messengers who move and act as if they are bigger than the Christ whom they are to proclaim.
Repentance and transformation are the two pillars of evangelization and renewal and we need to go through this purification process and not just pay lip service to it before we can go out and make disciples of all nations. We need to be baptized and be born anew because being born to a new life is anchored on our dying to our old nature. Our task then is to announce the coming of Our Lord and point to him as the source of everything that we are and will ever be.
Notwithstanding the praises and salutation we may receive along the way, we should not forget the source of our gifts and what should be engraved in our hearts and minds is that we are not the Christ but we are mere messengers and are unworthy of untying the straps in his sandals. The question we now need to ask ourselves is are we ready to do everything that he wills and are we prepared to meet the Lord Jesus when he comes?
WHERE IS FAITH? JESUS ASKS
DEC. 14, 2012: ST. JOHN OF THE CROSS, Priest and Doctor
1st Reading: Isa 48:17-19
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 1: 1-4, 6 “ Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.”
GOSPEL: Matt 11:16-19
Key Verse: “But wisdom is proved right by her action.” (v.19)
There are two things that happen to people when things are not well in their lives. For some they will continue to draw on their faith that life is like a wheel and there is no way it won’t get better. But for some they may likely lose whatever faith they have altogether.
While it isn’t natural that we should lose something that has been infused in us by the One who created us, losing your faith can also be as natural as losing your possession especially when you look at faith as a payback mechanism and some people leave their faith behind when their prayers are not answered.
Today Jesus must be wrapped in thought at his throne where he now reigns, probably musing at whether his death on the cross was all worth the sacrifice what with all the human perversity and indifference that he sees in the world today.
The Gospel passage today speak of the cynicism and skepticism of those who oppose his teachings that challenged the comfortable and secure lives of the religious leaders.
Looking at the world as a marketplace, Jesus likened those who refuse to listen to his teachings to a group of children who invite others to play at weddings that conjure a festive atmosphere but when the others said no, and when the first group of children suggested that they play at funerals where the environment was one of sorrow and grief, still they said no.
What Jesus was trying to illustrate in this parable was that the generation to which he was preaching was a period when there was nothing that could satisfy the whims and caprices of the people particularly the religious leaders.
Today this scenario is being repeated as nothing appears to please this generation anymore as men move from one extreme to another. There was never a time in our lives as the only nation in Asia with a strong Catholic presence that aborting the flow of life was talked about much less institutionalizing it as what the proponents of the RH Bill want to do.
These days the social and political environment has been divided into pro-life and pro-choice groups but little do the people belonging to either group know that these are one and the same because pro-choice is not about the right to choose when to have a child or to limit the number of children that couples can have. Pro-choice should be about choosing to give life and it would be a grievous error and miscalculation if people will presume that they have the right to transgress what from the beginning is a prerogative that rests only in God.
Whence before the sanctity of marriage was preserved with the union of man and a woman as spelled out in the Scriptures, today the world is experimenting not only with same-sex unions but pre-marital sex has become common and abortion has been legalized in several countries. And now Philippine legislators would like to treat contraceptives as over the counter drugs giving it a legal twang by inserting parental consent to it.
Living a wholesome and clean life has been thrown out the window with the young openly sniffing rugby, engaging in pot sessions and finally methamphetamine. In some cases, men go against the grain of morality by living an immoral life by getting involved in extra-marital affairs and single men and women falling into the trap of indecent sexual behavior.
John the Baptist came into the world mired in sinful tendencies and he withdrew to the desert and lived on locusts and honey and cut himself off from the human pleasures that his age was into and the people labeled him as a mad man and when he emerged from his solitude John called on the people to repent and turn their lives around as an offering for the coming of the Messiah.
And Jesus comes and pursued a life that was the exact opposite of what John did by immersing himself with the society he was in, going to weddings, dining with tax-collectors, raising the dead to life, forgiving the sins of those who are sick as only God can, and the religious leaders referred to him as someone who was empowered by Beelzebul.
In other words what Jesus is telling us in this Gospel passage is for us to be aware of a situation when we will find ourselves caught in a society that has been ensnared by recusance or the non-observance of good manners and right-conduct and a scenario in which everything that we do is being contradicted, where we no longer know what is right or what is wrong, a time when people have become selective in their listening.
The Pharisees have frustrated the messianic plan of God by influencing the people to close their hearts to the message of John and Jesus and we could be falling into the same trap because too often we rationalize the inconsistencies in the way we live our lives because listening to God would require a transformation in the way we live.
To persist in our sinful pursuits and justify these we normally find an excuse for turning our back on the truth of the Gospel. At times, we criticize the Church itself even if we are aware of the righteousness that it preaches. Most often we swim against the moral current that invites us to live a good and moral life.
As in this Gospel passage, Jesus was simply showing us that even grown-ups can become like children who will refuse to play regardless of what kind of game they are being invited to. In other words, there are times when we can become a discordant note if we will not be aware of the purpose for which we have been created.
This passage thus is a convenient platform for us to reflect during this Season of Advent which is actually also a “little Lent” because of the need to prepare ourselves for the coming of our Savior. In this season, we may need to review our tendency to go against the tide that leads to the Throne of Grace because of our prejudices, biases and perverse behavior such as supporting the murderous RH Bill.
Jesus is inviting us to humble ourselves and to express our gratitude to those who have brought us nearer to God even if their methods do not fit into our concept of salvation. And Jesus assures us that if we pay attention to his commands, our peace would be like a river and our righteousness like the waves of the sea (Isa 48:19).
In other words, we simply have to give thanks that our names are written in the palm of God’s hands and that all we need is for us to clothe ourselves with the spirit of humility because this is the only way we can find joy and favor in God’s grace. And we can do this by keeping our faith in God alive.
1st Reading: Isa 48:17-19
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 1: 1-4, 6 “ Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.”
GOSPEL: Matt 11:16-19
Key Verse: “But wisdom is proved right by her action.” (v.19)
There are two things that happen to people when things are not well in their lives. For some they will continue to draw on their faith that life is like a wheel and there is no way it won’t get better. But for some they may likely lose whatever faith they have altogether.
While it isn’t natural that we should lose something that has been infused in us by the One who created us, losing your faith can also be as natural as losing your possession especially when you look at faith as a payback mechanism and some people leave their faith behind when their prayers are not answered.
Today Jesus must be wrapped in thought at his throne where he now reigns, probably musing at whether his death on the cross was all worth the sacrifice what with all the human perversity and indifference that he sees in the world today.
The Gospel passage today speak of the cynicism and skepticism of those who oppose his teachings that challenged the comfortable and secure lives of the religious leaders.
Looking at the world as a marketplace, Jesus likened those who refuse to listen to his teachings to a group of children who invite others to play at weddings that conjure a festive atmosphere but when the others said no, and when the first group of children suggested that they play at funerals where the environment was one of sorrow and grief, still they said no.
What Jesus was trying to illustrate in this parable was that the generation to which he was preaching was a period when there was nothing that could satisfy the whims and caprices of the people particularly the religious leaders.
Today this scenario is being repeated as nothing appears to please this generation anymore as men move from one extreme to another. There was never a time in our lives as the only nation in Asia with a strong Catholic presence that aborting the flow of life was talked about much less institutionalizing it as what the proponents of the RH Bill want to do.
These days the social and political environment has been divided into pro-life and pro-choice groups but little do the people belonging to either group know that these are one and the same because pro-choice is not about the right to choose when to have a child or to limit the number of children that couples can have. Pro-choice should be about choosing to give life and it would be a grievous error and miscalculation if people will presume that they have the right to transgress what from the beginning is a prerogative that rests only in God.
Whence before the sanctity of marriage was preserved with the union of man and a woman as spelled out in the Scriptures, today the world is experimenting not only with same-sex unions but pre-marital sex has become common and abortion has been legalized in several countries. And now Philippine legislators would like to treat contraceptives as over the counter drugs giving it a legal twang by inserting parental consent to it.
Living a wholesome and clean life has been thrown out the window with the young openly sniffing rugby, engaging in pot sessions and finally methamphetamine. In some cases, men go against the grain of morality by living an immoral life by getting involved in extra-marital affairs and single men and women falling into the trap of indecent sexual behavior.
John the Baptist came into the world mired in sinful tendencies and he withdrew to the desert and lived on locusts and honey and cut himself off from the human pleasures that his age was into and the people labeled him as a mad man and when he emerged from his solitude John called on the people to repent and turn their lives around as an offering for the coming of the Messiah.
And Jesus comes and pursued a life that was the exact opposite of what John did by immersing himself with the society he was in, going to weddings, dining with tax-collectors, raising the dead to life, forgiving the sins of those who are sick as only God can, and the religious leaders referred to him as someone who was empowered by Beelzebul.
In other words what Jesus is telling us in this Gospel passage is for us to be aware of a situation when we will find ourselves caught in a society that has been ensnared by recusance or the non-observance of good manners and right-conduct and a scenario in which everything that we do is being contradicted, where we no longer know what is right or what is wrong, a time when people have become selective in their listening.
The Pharisees have frustrated the messianic plan of God by influencing the people to close their hearts to the message of John and Jesus and we could be falling into the same trap because too often we rationalize the inconsistencies in the way we live our lives because listening to God would require a transformation in the way we live.
To persist in our sinful pursuits and justify these we normally find an excuse for turning our back on the truth of the Gospel. At times, we criticize the Church itself even if we are aware of the righteousness that it preaches. Most often we swim against the moral current that invites us to live a good and moral life.
As in this Gospel passage, Jesus was simply showing us that even grown-ups can become like children who will refuse to play regardless of what kind of game they are being invited to. In other words, there are times when we can become a discordant note if we will not be aware of the purpose for which we have been created.
This passage thus is a convenient platform for us to reflect during this Season of Advent which is actually also a “little Lent” because of the need to prepare ourselves for the coming of our Savior. In this season, we may need to review our tendency to go against the tide that leads to the Throne of Grace because of our prejudices, biases and perverse behavior such as supporting the murderous RH Bill.
Jesus is inviting us to humble ourselves and to express our gratitude to those who have brought us nearer to God even if their methods do not fit into our concept of salvation. And Jesus assures us that if we pay attention to his commands, our peace would be like a river and our righteousness like the waves of the sea (Isa 48:19).
In other words, we simply have to give thanks that our names are written in the palm of God’s hands and that all we need is for us to clothe ourselves with the spirit of humility because this is the only way we can find joy and favor in God’s grace. And we can do this by keeping our faith in God alive.
IN JESUS, WITH JESUS, FOR JESUS EVEN IN ADVERSITY
ST. LUCY, MARTYRED FOR HER FAITH.
DEC. 13, 2012: St. Lucy, Virgin and Martyr
1st Reading: Isa 41:13-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 145:1-13 “The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.”
Gospel: Matt 11:11-15
Key Verse: “He who has ears, let him hear.” (v.15)
When Our Lord Jesus Christ repeats a phrase in the course of his preaching, it was to stress a point and or to call the attention of those listening to him to the importance and or significance of what he was saying.
And if we are going to go by the progression of his discourses and teachings what he said in v.15 “He who has ears, let him hear” was probably the first time he said it but which Jesus repeated in Matt 13:9. It only shows how important listening is. In fact, Matt 13:9 was written in the Life Application Study Bible version in a more emphatic way” “Anyone who is willing to hear should listen and understand.”
What Jesus was actually saying when he said this in v.15 which he repeated to cap the parable of the four types of soils in Matt 13 was that hearing the Word of God spoken was just the first step towards gaining entry into the Kingdom of God. Hearing must be followed by a more definitive action in that we must also listen in order for us to fully understand the deeper message that marked his coming into the world.
However, there appears to be a contradiction at the beginning of this passage when Jesus said “Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist..” (v.11) but Jesus immediately followed this up with “yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”
And so the question you might ask is why would Jesus commend John the Baptist for being the greatest and yet say even the least is greater than he. No there was no contradiction in what Jesus said for Our Lord will never contradict himself not was this just a play of words. What Jesus was referring to was the two scenarios in which John was present in one and those who have witnessed his finished work of redemption on the cross in the other.
In other words, Jesus was giving credence to John the Baptist as the greatest and the last of the prophets who fulfilled their task of preparing the way for the coming of the Messiah. And in terms of importance, John the Baptist actually was the one who bridged the prophecies contained in the Old Testament that was fulfilled in the New Testament.
Odd as it may be, Jesus himself admitted that his coming was not without tumult and violence “from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.” (v.12) What Jesus meant in saying this was in reference to the violence that accompanied the preaching of John the Baptist who called on the people to baptism and repentance. John’s uncompromising stance on the immoral behavior of Herod the tetrarch eventually led to his beheading. Or it could be that Jesus had the violent objections of the Sanhedrin and the Pharisees to his teachings as it opened the eyes of the people to the excesses of the religious leaders at the time.
Translated into present-day realities, what Jesus wants to emphasize in this Gospel passage was that those who have their sights fixed on entering the Kingdom of God need to muster all the courage they have because the path towards the heavenly kingdom would require unwavering faith, determination and endurance and such opposition has been there since Jesus began his ministry and started attracting large number of disciples.
Conversely, Jesus is calling on those who heard and listened to his gospel of salvation to a life of martyrdom in defense of our faith especially during this Year of Faith in which we all urged to proclaim the Gospel in this era of evangelization in the post-modern world that is marked with the marginalization of the Christian faith.
Today we also celebrate the Feast of St. Lucy who was a devout Christian during the oppressive regime of Emperor Diocletian (284-305) who persecuted the early Church. Rather than accept the hand in marriage of a lover who desired her for the sake of her beautiful eyes, she plucked them out, and sent them to him with this message: "Here hast thou what thou so much desirest; and for the rest, I beseech thee, leave me now in peace!" As the legend says, her sight was restored to her the next day. Her martyrdom was instigated by her rejected lover and was stabbed with a dagger into her neck in AD 303.
Like St. Lucy, God is also calling on us to become martyrs for our faith and we can do this by giving witness to the joy of the Gospel of Christ even in the face of the trials and challenges we will face, the contradictions and adversities that we will certainly experience.
A little farther down in this same Chapter we hear Jesus saying: “Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (v.29) In simpler terms, Christ expects us to learn from him and to do what John the Baptist and the other prophets did and that is to point others to him. But in carrying out our tasks as heralds, Christ wants us to do everything out of love because the only way the unchurched, the doubters, and skeptics can be attracted to Christ is when they see the love we have in the way we relate to our neighbor, the pain and sufferings that we endure in times of adversity, when we become more forgiving of those who may have hurt us and, when we show compassion to those who are in need.
And Jesus is telling us in this Gospel passage that yes the road to the heavenly kingdom will be strewn with pebbles of rejection and suffering but there is nothing to fear for he will be with us to the very end of the age (Mt 28:20). Jesus is telling us today that like St. Lucy he will also fill us with Grace and strength that we may weather any form of adversity.
1st Reading: Isa 41:13-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 145:1-13 “The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.”
Gospel: Matt 11:11-15
Key Verse: “He who has ears, let him hear.” (v.15)
When Our Lord Jesus Christ repeats a phrase in the course of his preaching, it was to stress a point and or to call the attention of those listening to him to the importance and or significance of what he was saying.
And if we are going to go by the progression of his discourses and teachings what he said in v.15 “He who has ears, let him hear” was probably the first time he said it but which Jesus repeated in Matt 13:9. It only shows how important listening is. In fact, Matt 13:9 was written in the Life Application Study Bible version in a more emphatic way” “Anyone who is willing to hear should listen and understand.”
What Jesus was actually saying when he said this in v.15 which he repeated to cap the parable of the four types of soils in Matt 13 was that hearing the Word of God spoken was just the first step towards gaining entry into the Kingdom of God. Hearing must be followed by a more definitive action in that we must also listen in order for us to fully understand the deeper message that marked his coming into the world.
However, there appears to be a contradiction at the beginning of this passage when Jesus said “Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist..” (v.11) but Jesus immediately followed this up with “yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”
And so the question you might ask is why would Jesus commend John the Baptist for being the greatest and yet say even the least is greater than he. No there was no contradiction in what Jesus said for Our Lord will never contradict himself not was this just a play of words. What Jesus was referring to was the two scenarios in which John was present in one and those who have witnessed his finished work of redemption on the cross in the other.
In other words, Jesus was giving credence to John the Baptist as the greatest and the last of the prophets who fulfilled their task of preparing the way for the coming of the Messiah. And in terms of importance, John the Baptist actually was the one who bridged the prophecies contained in the Old Testament that was fulfilled in the New Testament.
Odd as it may be, Jesus himself admitted that his coming was not without tumult and violence “from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.” (v.12) What Jesus meant in saying this was in reference to the violence that accompanied the preaching of John the Baptist who called on the people to baptism and repentance. John’s uncompromising stance on the immoral behavior of Herod the tetrarch eventually led to his beheading. Or it could be that Jesus had the violent objections of the Sanhedrin and the Pharisees to his teachings as it opened the eyes of the people to the excesses of the religious leaders at the time.
Translated into present-day realities, what Jesus wants to emphasize in this Gospel passage was that those who have their sights fixed on entering the Kingdom of God need to muster all the courage they have because the path towards the heavenly kingdom would require unwavering faith, determination and endurance and such opposition has been there since Jesus began his ministry and started attracting large number of disciples.
Conversely, Jesus is calling on those who heard and listened to his gospel of salvation to a life of martyrdom in defense of our faith especially during this Year of Faith in which we all urged to proclaim the Gospel in this era of evangelization in the post-modern world that is marked with the marginalization of the Christian faith.
Today we also celebrate the Feast of St. Lucy who was a devout Christian during the oppressive regime of Emperor Diocletian (284-305) who persecuted the early Church. Rather than accept the hand in marriage of a lover who desired her for the sake of her beautiful eyes, she plucked them out, and sent them to him with this message: "Here hast thou what thou so much desirest; and for the rest, I beseech thee, leave me now in peace!" As the legend says, her sight was restored to her the next day. Her martyrdom was instigated by her rejected lover and was stabbed with a dagger into her neck in AD 303.
Like St. Lucy, God is also calling on us to become martyrs for our faith and we can do this by giving witness to the joy of the Gospel of Christ even in the face of the trials and challenges we will face, the contradictions and adversities that we will certainly experience.
A little farther down in this same Chapter we hear Jesus saying: “Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (v.29) In simpler terms, Christ expects us to learn from him and to do what John the Baptist and the other prophets did and that is to point others to him. But in carrying out our tasks as heralds, Christ wants us to do everything out of love because the only way the unchurched, the doubters, and skeptics can be attracted to Christ is when they see the love we have in the way we relate to our neighbor, the pain and sufferings that we endure in times of adversity, when we become more forgiving of those who may have hurt us and, when we show compassion to those who are in need.
And Jesus is telling us in this Gospel passage that yes the road to the heavenly kingdom will be strewn with pebbles of rejection and suffering but there is nothing to fear for he will be with us to the very end of the age (Mt 28:20). Jesus is telling us today that like St. Lucy he will also fill us with Grace and strength that we may weather any form of adversity.
IN JESUS WE FIND REST
DEC. 12, 2012: OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE
1st Reading: Isa 40: 25-31
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 103: 1-4, 8, 10 “O bless the Lord, my soul.”
GOSPEL: Matt 11:28-30
Key Verse: “For my yoke is easy and my burden light.” (v.30)
Has it ever occurred to you that Jesus in this Gospel passage had equated his yoke in reference to himself as easy and described his burden as light because he may have actually made the best yokes in Galilee?
In fact there was a legend saying that Jesus being a carpenter made the best yokes in all of Galilee and that men from all over the region came to him to buy the best yokes that one could find. It was even pointed out that there was a sign at the door of Joseph’s carpentry shop in Nazareth that says “My yokes fit well.”
As with the other narratives in Matthew’s Gospel, the evangelist quotes Jesus using parables when teaching to the Jews and, in this particular passage he spoke of his yoke that he described as easy and the burdens coming from his teachings as light. As we are not present when he gave this teaching, we need to dig into our historical briefs so that we can get a clearer picture of what he meant with this passage.
Firstly, the burden that Jesus was referring to in this passage pertains to the rules and regulations that the Scribes and the Pharisees have imposed on the Jews in those days that were not only hard to bear but which keep the people from worshiping and having a relationship with God. The religious leaders have expanded the Ten Commandments so that if you look at these Decalogue principles in the modern technological sense it would look like a computer file folder that you can collapse that would open or lead you to different other files.
Jesus took sides with the people who have been burdened by the seemingly endless demands of the Law made by the religious leaders of his time. Take for example the laws that govern the observance of the Sabbath that forbade Jews from even tying their animals or even in the preparation of food or the intricate ritual in the washing of the hands before every meal.
And Jesus invites those listening to him to take his yoke which he termed as easy and his burden light. Again, we need to understand what a yoke is and why Jesus used this as a reference. It was because the Jews are familiar with what the yoke was and how it works.
During the time of Jesus, yokes are made of wood and are fitted to neck of the ox and no two yokes are the same. This means that the oxen are brought to a carpenter who then measures the yoke to be made. The oxen are then brought back to fit the yoke, make the necessary adjustments so that it would fit well and not make it difficult for the ox to carry. In other words, the yoke was tailor fit to the ox.
As we leave this Biblical scene and fast-forward into our present-day realities, we will find that there are many around us who find themselves in a similar situation in which they carry so much burden that prevent them from entering into a relationship with God. Thus it becomes necessary that we need to know what could be the yoke that is causing so much burden in our lives.
This burden could either be our ignorance of who God is or simply our refusal to place ourselves under an unseen force preferring to rely on our instincts moved by our exercise of free will that God himself gave us. Or it could be our anxiety, depression, fear and doubt, lack of inner peace and perhaps we are overwhelmed by our sins and transgressions that separate us from God (Isa 59:1-2).
At some point in time when all our chips are down, we will come to realize that we need divine assistance to reverse whatever situation we are in and by God’s own design he will seek us and when he finds us he will also invite us to come to him, take his yoke and learn from him.
When Jesus said his “yoke is easy” it simply meant that he already has measured the size of our neck and shoulders so that his yoke will fit well. This means that whatever tasks that God gives us are measured in accordance with our abilities which is why he gave us the Gifts of the Holy Spirit to equip and empower us in our journey to his Kingdom.
Jesus also said “my burden is light.” It doesn’t mean he will make our burdens light but he will make it light on account of the love that goes with it. When we do others a favor. When we go to the mission field. When we bring the Good News to others. When we minister to those who are hurting and sick. When we shepherd others. When we give alms. All these will become light when these are done in love.
Do you still remember the song “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” by Neil Diamond and Glen Campbell? It tells of a story about a boy who was carrying on his shoulders a smaller boy and a man they met on the road remarked “that’s a heavy burden for you to carry.” And the boy said “that’s no burden, he’s my brother.” Any burden carried in love will always be light.
Jesus used the yoke as an illustration to show us how we can be relieved from the burden of sin, despair and disobedience and replace these with the yoke that will lead us to deliverance from bondages and into a glorious life and eternal joy.
“Learn from me” (v.29), he said, because it is only through him that we will learn how to live in grace, power, freedom and to live in love, peace and joy by the power of his Word on which we can stand firm (Lk 6:46-49). In his mercy and compassion, Christ himself will provide us the strength (Phi 4:13) so that his yoke will be easy and his burden light.
In this Advent Season, God invites us to put all our trust in him because it is only in doing so that we can receive the blessings of his kingdom and those “who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isa 40:31).
Allow me to also remind you that today is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patron Saint of the Philippines. Please don’t forget to hear Mass and if you have the time try to also go to Confession so you can avoid the rush at the Kumpisalang Bayan.
1st Reading: Isa 40: 25-31
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 103: 1-4, 8, 10 “O bless the Lord, my soul.”
GOSPEL: Matt 11:28-30
Key Verse: “For my yoke is easy and my burden light.” (v.30)
Has it ever occurred to you that Jesus in this Gospel passage had equated his yoke in reference to himself as easy and described his burden as light because he may have actually made the best yokes in Galilee?
In fact there was a legend saying that Jesus being a carpenter made the best yokes in all of Galilee and that men from all over the region came to him to buy the best yokes that one could find. It was even pointed out that there was a sign at the door of Joseph’s carpentry shop in Nazareth that says “My yokes fit well.”
As with the other narratives in Matthew’s Gospel, the evangelist quotes Jesus using parables when teaching to the Jews and, in this particular passage he spoke of his yoke that he described as easy and the burdens coming from his teachings as light. As we are not present when he gave this teaching, we need to dig into our historical briefs so that we can get a clearer picture of what he meant with this passage.
Firstly, the burden that Jesus was referring to in this passage pertains to the rules and regulations that the Scribes and the Pharisees have imposed on the Jews in those days that were not only hard to bear but which keep the people from worshiping and having a relationship with God. The religious leaders have expanded the Ten Commandments so that if you look at these Decalogue principles in the modern technological sense it would look like a computer file folder that you can collapse that would open or lead you to different other files.
Jesus took sides with the people who have been burdened by the seemingly endless demands of the Law made by the religious leaders of his time. Take for example the laws that govern the observance of the Sabbath that forbade Jews from even tying their animals or even in the preparation of food or the intricate ritual in the washing of the hands before every meal.
And Jesus invites those listening to him to take his yoke which he termed as easy and his burden light. Again, we need to understand what a yoke is and why Jesus used this as a reference. It was because the Jews are familiar with what the yoke was and how it works.
During the time of Jesus, yokes are made of wood and are fitted to neck of the ox and no two yokes are the same. This means that the oxen are brought to a carpenter who then measures the yoke to be made. The oxen are then brought back to fit the yoke, make the necessary adjustments so that it would fit well and not make it difficult for the ox to carry. In other words, the yoke was tailor fit to the ox.
As we leave this Biblical scene and fast-forward into our present-day realities, we will find that there are many around us who find themselves in a similar situation in which they carry so much burden that prevent them from entering into a relationship with God. Thus it becomes necessary that we need to know what could be the yoke that is causing so much burden in our lives.
This burden could either be our ignorance of who God is or simply our refusal to place ourselves under an unseen force preferring to rely on our instincts moved by our exercise of free will that God himself gave us. Or it could be our anxiety, depression, fear and doubt, lack of inner peace and perhaps we are overwhelmed by our sins and transgressions that separate us from God (Isa 59:1-2).
At some point in time when all our chips are down, we will come to realize that we need divine assistance to reverse whatever situation we are in and by God’s own design he will seek us and when he finds us he will also invite us to come to him, take his yoke and learn from him.
When Jesus said his “yoke is easy” it simply meant that he already has measured the size of our neck and shoulders so that his yoke will fit well. This means that whatever tasks that God gives us are measured in accordance with our abilities which is why he gave us the Gifts of the Holy Spirit to equip and empower us in our journey to his Kingdom.
Jesus also said “my burden is light.” It doesn’t mean he will make our burdens light but he will make it light on account of the love that goes with it. When we do others a favor. When we go to the mission field. When we bring the Good News to others. When we minister to those who are hurting and sick. When we shepherd others. When we give alms. All these will become light when these are done in love.
Do you still remember the song “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” by Neil Diamond and Glen Campbell? It tells of a story about a boy who was carrying on his shoulders a smaller boy and a man they met on the road remarked “that’s a heavy burden for you to carry.” And the boy said “that’s no burden, he’s my brother.” Any burden carried in love will always be light.
Jesus used the yoke as an illustration to show us how we can be relieved from the burden of sin, despair and disobedience and replace these with the yoke that will lead us to deliverance from bondages and into a glorious life and eternal joy.
“Learn from me” (v.29), he said, because it is only through him that we will learn how to live in grace, power, freedom and to live in love, peace and joy by the power of his Word on which we can stand firm (Lk 6:46-49). In his mercy and compassion, Christ himself will provide us the strength (Phi 4:13) so that his yoke will be easy and his burden light.
In this Advent Season, God invites us to put all our trust in him because it is only in doing so that we can receive the blessings of his kingdom and those “who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isa 40:31).
Allow me to also remind you that today is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patron Saint of the Philippines. Please don’t forget to hear Mass and if you have the time try to also go to Confession so you can avoid the rush at the Kumpisalang Bayan.
GOD DOES NOT LEAVE ANYONE BEHIND
A SHEPHERD TAKES GREAT RISK TO FIND A LOST SHEEP.
DEC. 11, 2012: 2ND WEEK OF ADVENT
1st Reading: Isa 40:1-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 96:1-3, 10-13 “The Lord Our God comes with power.”
GOSPEL: MATT 18:12-14
Key Verse: “… your Father in heaven is not willing that any
of these little ones should be lost.” (v.14)
The United States Marine Corps has a standing policy that mandates marines on the field to not leave any wounded comrade behind and would only leave someone’s who’s already dead under extreme circumstances.
In a way this principle might have been inspired by the promise of God when he said: “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Heb 13:5)
This principle of not leaving anyone behind rings clear in this Gospel passage as Jesus teaches his disciples about the parable of the lost sheep which was a familiar scene among the Jews. If you will deeply reflect on this passage today you will realize that this is also analogous to our primary duty as Christian disciples because we too must do what shepherds do and that is to look for the lost sheep.
Everyone reading this Gospel passage should read all of Matthew’s Chapter 18 because the entire chapter is devoted to raising our awareness about Christian ethics and our relationships to one another and more importantly our personal dispositions. And to be able to fully appreciate this parable of the lost sheep, it would be ideal if you will read the whole of Matt 18.
Today’s Gospel passage should help us realize that God cares for each one of us and we are mandated to also do the same to others. Even if Jesus was teaching among large crowds, there have been times when he addresses the needs of an individual in the crowd, e.g., the hemorrhaging woman, the paralytic, the blind and the deaf, and the dead boy who was being buried that Jesus passed along the way and raised back to life.
There is no one who is not important in the eyes of God and he will not allow anyone to go astray or to get lost in the world. And for us Christians who have received the gift of a new life, we should look at others as important too who, if lost, must be found. This love for others is what should motivate us to put more dynamism when we evangelize.
If our Church and or Community is suffering from lukewarmness or dwindling attendance in the Prayer Meetings, Bible Reflections and other activities, it is probably because we have taken for granted our roles as Shepherds and certainly we came up short in our duty to look for the lost sheep contrary to the spirit of today’s parable.
This was also the primary reason why God sent his only Son into the world to save those who may have lost their bearings, those whom the Synod of Bishops said drifted from the practice of their faith, those who have gone adrift into the sea of uncertainties, the lost, the disoriented, the hopeless, those who are asleep (dead in their faith) and we can find comfort in the Scriptures that assures us that God will not rest until we all find our way back to the safety and security of his Kingdom.
The parable of the lost sheep provides us with a clear idea of what a true shepherd should be and the joy of a community that is reunited with members who have stayed away for sometime.
Again, we have to understand the custom in the time of Jesus to be able to understand this parable. In those days it was customary to have at least two to three shepherds tending to their herd in what is generally known as communal flocks. This allows a shepherd to leave his flock to the other shepherds so he can look for a lost sheep. Similarly, the message for us this Advent Season is that we must start looking for the lost sheep to bring them back into the flock.
The charismatic experience should move us to bring everyone into the Church and not keep anyone out. As shepherds are faced with tremendous odds and sacrifice to protect his sheep, so we too must be prepared to go against the wolves and lions (sin and temptation in the world), surmount dangerous terrains and storms (discrimination, intimidation, prejudices, biases, judgments, selfish interests) to protect our flock.
To look for the lost sheep simply requires that shepherds must be moved by their love and care for their flock and not by rules and standards that became the bane of the Pharisees and the Scribes who expanded the Ten Commandments into thousands of rules and regulations that prevented the people from worshipping God.
But the main message of this parable is that it shows us that the love of God is patient. When some of our brethren go astray or move away the most common reaction we hear is “Let them be. It’s their own accountability anyway.” But God is not like that. While some of our brothers and sisters may be like the lost sheep, God loves even those who may be lost and will not rest until all are accounted for.
God’s love can be described as a seeking love as the shepherd is not content to simply wait for the sheep to come back. The shepherd will go out to search for the lost sheep sacrificing his own safety. Jesus came to seek those who wander away no matter the cost. So must we.
God’s love is a rejoicing kind of love. There are no recriminations. No grudges. None that is superior over the one who is found. At times, we seek and find the lost but we give them a moral lecture and make him look at himself with contempt. But while we are accustomed to storing the wrongs done to us which is humanly natural, God puts our sins behind his back and when he finds us, it is all pure joy that exists.
God’s love is a protecting love, a love that seeks and saves. There can be a love that ruins, a love that manipulates, a love that controls. But God protects and saves man so he can be of service to others which is the ultimate objective of our existence and of our having been found. When God found us, he made us wiser, stronger, and freed from sin and death. It is now our duty and responsibility to bring this same light to others.
As Jesus came on a rescue mission to save us from the forces of evil, we who have been saved must also do the same and seek those whom we ourselves have driven away from our midst by our pride, indifference, poor witnessing and, insensitivity and there will be rejoicing in heaven when they are found and restored to a relationship with God and the Church.
1st Reading: Isa 40:1-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 96:1-3, 10-13 “The Lord Our God comes with power.”
GOSPEL: MATT 18:12-14
Key Verse: “… your Father in heaven is not willing that any
of these little ones should be lost.” (v.14)
The United States Marine Corps has a standing policy that mandates marines on the field to not leave any wounded comrade behind and would only leave someone’s who’s already dead under extreme circumstances.
In a way this principle might have been inspired by the promise of God when he said: “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Heb 13:5)
This principle of not leaving anyone behind rings clear in this Gospel passage as Jesus teaches his disciples about the parable of the lost sheep which was a familiar scene among the Jews. If you will deeply reflect on this passage today you will realize that this is also analogous to our primary duty as Christian disciples because we too must do what shepherds do and that is to look for the lost sheep.
Everyone reading this Gospel passage should read all of Matthew’s Chapter 18 because the entire chapter is devoted to raising our awareness about Christian ethics and our relationships to one another and more importantly our personal dispositions. And to be able to fully appreciate this parable of the lost sheep, it would be ideal if you will read the whole of Matt 18.
Today’s Gospel passage should help us realize that God cares for each one of us and we are mandated to also do the same to others. Even if Jesus was teaching among large crowds, there have been times when he addresses the needs of an individual in the crowd, e.g., the hemorrhaging woman, the paralytic, the blind and the deaf, and the dead boy who was being buried that Jesus passed along the way and raised back to life.
There is no one who is not important in the eyes of God and he will not allow anyone to go astray or to get lost in the world. And for us Christians who have received the gift of a new life, we should look at others as important too who, if lost, must be found. This love for others is what should motivate us to put more dynamism when we evangelize.
If our Church and or Community is suffering from lukewarmness or dwindling attendance in the Prayer Meetings, Bible Reflections and other activities, it is probably because we have taken for granted our roles as Shepherds and certainly we came up short in our duty to look for the lost sheep contrary to the spirit of today’s parable.
This was also the primary reason why God sent his only Son into the world to save those who may have lost their bearings, those whom the Synod of Bishops said drifted from the practice of their faith, those who have gone adrift into the sea of uncertainties, the lost, the disoriented, the hopeless, those who are asleep (dead in their faith) and we can find comfort in the Scriptures that assures us that God will not rest until we all find our way back to the safety and security of his Kingdom.
The parable of the lost sheep provides us with a clear idea of what a true shepherd should be and the joy of a community that is reunited with members who have stayed away for sometime.
Again, we have to understand the custom in the time of Jesus to be able to understand this parable. In those days it was customary to have at least two to three shepherds tending to their herd in what is generally known as communal flocks. This allows a shepherd to leave his flock to the other shepherds so he can look for a lost sheep. Similarly, the message for us this Advent Season is that we must start looking for the lost sheep to bring them back into the flock.
The charismatic experience should move us to bring everyone into the Church and not keep anyone out. As shepherds are faced with tremendous odds and sacrifice to protect his sheep, so we too must be prepared to go against the wolves and lions (sin and temptation in the world), surmount dangerous terrains and storms (discrimination, intimidation, prejudices, biases, judgments, selfish interests) to protect our flock.
To look for the lost sheep simply requires that shepherds must be moved by their love and care for their flock and not by rules and standards that became the bane of the Pharisees and the Scribes who expanded the Ten Commandments into thousands of rules and regulations that prevented the people from worshipping God.
But the main message of this parable is that it shows us that the love of God is patient. When some of our brethren go astray or move away the most common reaction we hear is “Let them be. It’s their own accountability anyway.” But God is not like that. While some of our brothers and sisters may be like the lost sheep, God loves even those who may be lost and will not rest until all are accounted for.
God’s love can be described as a seeking love as the shepherd is not content to simply wait for the sheep to come back. The shepherd will go out to search for the lost sheep sacrificing his own safety. Jesus came to seek those who wander away no matter the cost. So must we.
God’s love is a rejoicing kind of love. There are no recriminations. No grudges. None that is superior over the one who is found. At times, we seek and find the lost but we give them a moral lecture and make him look at himself with contempt. But while we are accustomed to storing the wrongs done to us which is humanly natural, God puts our sins behind his back and when he finds us, it is all pure joy that exists.
God’s love is a protecting love, a love that seeks and saves. There can be a love that ruins, a love that manipulates, a love that controls. But God protects and saves man so he can be of service to others which is the ultimate objective of our existence and of our having been found. When God found us, he made us wiser, stronger, and freed from sin and death. It is now our duty and responsibility to bring this same light to others.
As Jesus came on a rescue mission to save us from the forces of evil, we who have been saved must also do the same and seek those whom we ourselves have driven away from our midst by our pride, indifference, poor witnessing and, insensitivity and there will be rejoicing in heaven when they are found and restored to a relationship with God and the Church.
HEALED THROUGH FORGIVENESS
DEC. 10, 2012: SECOND WEEK OF ADVENT
1st Reading: Isa 35:1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 85:9-14 “Our God will come to save us!”
GOSPEL: Lk 5:17-26
Key Verse: “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” (v.20)
The priest in one of the advent recollection I attended last week said that identity crisis is one of the reasons why some people commit sin and he went on to explain that sinners often struggle with finding their own identity because they don’t know who they are or the purpose for which they were created.
Identity and integrity go together, he said, and the integrity of a person takes a nosedive when that person is having problems with his identity. Integrity is to harmonize a person’s private life with his public life and these two settings must be synonymous to each other.
A person cannot live a dichotomous life which is why it is relatively important for people to know who they are and this will bring us back to the Word of God at the beginning of the Scriptures which to me is the foundation of our personhood. “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness,” (Gen 1:26). In other words every human being who are born to see the light of day have the image and likeness of God in their nature and this reality should give man every reason to either resist or avoid all occasions of sin.
But man is likely to commit sin because he is sinful by nature on account of the stain of the original sin but God out of his mercy and love will not tire in drawing his created beings to Himself and forgive them of their sins. And to be forgiven of sins man has committed against God must lead to one thing and one thing alone – his conversion from his human nature to his divine image which is his original nature.
When Moses went up to Mt. Sinai and got a glimpse of God in the burning bush he came out of that experience a transformed man. When Jesus passed by Levi who was a tax collector and told him to follow him, he did and became one of the Apostles. When Zacchaeus met Jesus he too was transformed as he repented and made restitutions for his sins.
They and many others were transformed when they met Jesus yet there were many who also refused to accept him as the Son of God. Is it possible then that God will come into our midst and yet not see him? This Gospel passage for today shows us how man could have a mind of his own and exercise his own free will.
The prophets especially Isaiah have prophesied that when the Messiah appears to establish the Kingdom of God, the blind will see, the deaf will hear and, the lame can walk (Isa 35:5-6) but the stubbornness and the self-righteousness of the Scribes prevented them from seeing that the Messiah they have been waiting for was already in their midst.
And as Jesus was teaching, a paralyzed man was lowered from the roof by his friends and he said: “Friend your sins are forgiven.” (v.20) This scenario was too much for the religious leaders to accept because to them only God can forgive sins and they considered this as blasphemy and under Jewish law, blasphemy was punishable by death. This self-righteousness on the part of the religious leaders was not without reason.
Clearly, Jesus and the Scribes were operating on different planes. Jesus knew very well that he was the One who was sent to redeem the Jews and then the Gentiles while the religious leaders who believed that the Jews were the chosen ones have a different concept of what a Messiah looked like.
And so from the time the Jews returned from exile in Babylon in 440 B.C. they turned the Ten Commandments that are supposed to be principles for life into a series of rules and regulations including the prohibition to work on the Day of the Sabbath.
To these religious leaders healing was not only a violation of the Sabbath but it was to them the height of blasphemy as only God can forgive sins. It was ironic that when the prophet Isaiah said the blind will see when the Messiah comes, the religious leaders persisted in their blindness as they remained impervious to the presence of Jesus because he did not conform to their image of what a Messiah would be like.
Jesus, however, was not bound by time as human need for mercy and grace supersedes whatever rules and regulations made by men. His love for the marginalized was such that he did not get irritated when his teaching was interrupted when four men opened the thatched roof to lower the paralytic to where Jesus stood.
And Jesus saw the faith of the friends of the paralyzed man and since he was also well aware of the Jewish belief that sickness and sin are intertwined he told the paralyzed man “your sins are forgiven” (v.20). Without forgiveness, the paralyzed man would not have been healed.
When Jesus comes into our midst, he brings not only physical healing but also the healing of our minds, hearts and souls as well. Jesus came that “we may have life, life to the full” (Jn 10:10) and when we accept him as our personal Lord and Savior we are readily transformed and “the old is gone and the new has come” (2 Cor 5:17).
This new life and transformation, however, can be stifled by unbelief, indifference, and pride. We may not be aware of it but we can be blinded by our self-righteousness especially when we cast judgment on others or when we make forgiveness contingent on conditions that we alone have created.
In this Advent Season let us ponder on this Gospel. It was not the faith of the blind man that impressed Jesus but the faith of his friends. This is also the same with us as our own faith affect others. While we may not be able to attract others to Christ, we can do much by the words we speak, our actions and our love that we give to unbelievers so they too may respond to God’s invitation.
What we see in others including our friends is their physical appearance that God gave them for us to be identifiable to one another in terms of our human vision. But what we see is merely the physical appearance but it is not the real them. The real person lies hidden beneath their physical appearance and that real person is God who rests in the souls of people that he has created.
In this Year of Faith, the Church is calling on us to lead others to the realization that God through the Holy Spirit rests in them and to reach out and bring back the baptized Christians who have drifted away so that the God of light will shine in them and lead them to seek forgiveness of their sin which is the work of darkness that holds them in eternal bondage.
Jesus showed that he indeed was the Son of God when he healed the paralytic by delivering him from his burden of sin and guilt and restored him to wholeness and
our Lord Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow and he will give us healing of our body, mind, heart and soul but this is contingent on our faith in him who is the One True God. This Season of Advent is an opportune time for all of us to work in increasing our faith for it is only through faith that we can be saved from eternal damnation.
1st Reading: Isa 35:1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 85:9-14 “Our God will come to save us!”
GOSPEL: Lk 5:17-26
Key Verse: “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” (v.20)
The priest in one of the advent recollection I attended last week said that identity crisis is one of the reasons why some people commit sin and he went on to explain that sinners often struggle with finding their own identity because they don’t know who they are or the purpose for which they were created.
Identity and integrity go together, he said, and the integrity of a person takes a nosedive when that person is having problems with his identity. Integrity is to harmonize a person’s private life with his public life and these two settings must be synonymous to each other.
A person cannot live a dichotomous life which is why it is relatively important for people to know who they are and this will bring us back to the Word of God at the beginning of the Scriptures which to me is the foundation of our personhood. “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness,” (Gen 1:26). In other words every human being who are born to see the light of day have the image and likeness of God in their nature and this reality should give man every reason to either resist or avoid all occasions of sin.
But man is likely to commit sin because he is sinful by nature on account of the stain of the original sin but God out of his mercy and love will not tire in drawing his created beings to Himself and forgive them of their sins. And to be forgiven of sins man has committed against God must lead to one thing and one thing alone – his conversion from his human nature to his divine image which is his original nature.
When Moses went up to Mt. Sinai and got a glimpse of God in the burning bush he came out of that experience a transformed man. When Jesus passed by Levi who was a tax collector and told him to follow him, he did and became one of the Apostles. When Zacchaeus met Jesus he too was transformed as he repented and made restitutions for his sins.
They and many others were transformed when they met Jesus yet there were many who also refused to accept him as the Son of God. Is it possible then that God will come into our midst and yet not see him? This Gospel passage for today shows us how man could have a mind of his own and exercise his own free will.
The prophets especially Isaiah have prophesied that when the Messiah appears to establish the Kingdom of God, the blind will see, the deaf will hear and, the lame can walk (Isa 35:5-6) but the stubbornness and the self-righteousness of the Scribes prevented them from seeing that the Messiah they have been waiting for was already in their midst.
And as Jesus was teaching, a paralyzed man was lowered from the roof by his friends and he said: “Friend your sins are forgiven.” (v.20) This scenario was too much for the religious leaders to accept because to them only God can forgive sins and they considered this as blasphemy and under Jewish law, blasphemy was punishable by death. This self-righteousness on the part of the religious leaders was not without reason.
Clearly, Jesus and the Scribes were operating on different planes. Jesus knew very well that he was the One who was sent to redeem the Jews and then the Gentiles while the religious leaders who believed that the Jews were the chosen ones have a different concept of what a Messiah looked like.
And so from the time the Jews returned from exile in Babylon in 440 B.C. they turned the Ten Commandments that are supposed to be principles for life into a series of rules and regulations including the prohibition to work on the Day of the Sabbath.
To these religious leaders healing was not only a violation of the Sabbath but it was to them the height of blasphemy as only God can forgive sins. It was ironic that when the prophet Isaiah said the blind will see when the Messiah comes, the religious leaders persisted in their blindness as they remained impervious to the presence of Jesus because he did not conform to their image of what a Messiah would be like.
Jesus, however, was not bound by time as human need for mercy and grace supersedes whatever rules and regulations made by men. His love for the marginalized was such that he did not get irritated when his teaching was interrupted when four men opened the thatched roof to lower the paralytic to where Jesus stood.
And Jesus saw the faith of the friends of the paralyzed man and since he was also well aware of the Jewish belief that sickness and sin are intertwined he told the paralyzed man “your sins are forgiven” (v.20). Without forgiveness, the paralyzed man would not have been healed.
When Jesus comes into our midst, he brings not only physical healing but also the healing of our minds, hearts and souls as well. Jesus came that “we may have life, life to the full” (Jn 10:10) and when we accept him as our personal Lord and Savior we are readily transformed and “the old is gone and the new has come” (2 Cor 5:17).
This new life and transformation, however, can be stifled by unbelief, indifference, and pride. We may not be aware of it but we can be blinded by our self-righteousness especially when we cast judgment on others or when we make forgiveness contingent on conditions that we alone have created.
In this Advent Season let us ponder on this Gospel. It was not the faith of the blind man that impressed Jesus but the faith of his friends. This is also the same with us as our own faith affect others. While we may not be able to attract others to Christ, we can do much by the words we speak, our actions and our love that we give to unbelievers so they too may respond to God’s invitation.
What we see in others including our friends is their physical appearance that God gave them for us to be identifiable to one another in terms of our human vision. But what we see is merely the physical appearance but it is not the real them. The real person lies hidden beneath their physical appearance and that real person is God who rests in the souls of people that he has created.
In this Year of Faith, the Church is calling on us to lead others to the realization that God through the Holy Spirit rests in them and to reach out and bring back the baptized Christians who have drifted away so that the God of light will shine in them and lead them to seek forgiveness of their sin which is the work of darkness that holds them in eternal bondage.
Jesus showed that he indeed was the Son of God when he healed the paralytic by delivering him from his burden of sin and guilt and restored him to wholeness and
our Lord Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow and he will give us healing of our body, mind, heart and soul but this is contingent on our faith in him who is the One True God. This Season of Advent is an opportune time for all of us to work in increasing our faith for it is only through faith that we can be saved from eternal damnation.
KEEP THIS IN MIND - WE ARE MERE MESSENGERS
DEC. 9, 2012: SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT
1st Reading: Bar 5:1-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 126:1-6 “The Lord has done great things for us, we are filled with joy.”
2nd Reading: Phi 1:4-6, 8-11
GOSPEL: Lk 3:1-6
Key Verse: “Prepare the way for the Lord.” (v.4)
There are two very important words that John the Baptist preached that has a bearing on how we are to live as Christians. These are baptism and repentance and it is just as timely as we get deeper into the Advent Season that we are confronted with John the Baptist preaching to us about the correlation between baptism and repentance.
We all should take note that this Gospel of Luke was written by the Evangelist for non-Jewish audiences and we see this in vv.4-6 that the gospel writer quoted from the Prophet Isaiah (Isa 40:3-5; 52:10) to show that salvation is for all – Jews and Gentiles alike.
Today’s Gospel passage becomes doubly significant because it points us not only to the deeper reality of baptism and repentance but also to constantly remind us that we are merely messengers or couriers who, like John the Baptist, our main preoccupation is to simply lead others to Christ.
Like most Jews for his age John the Baptist knew about the Scriptures and we can also surmise that as he was the son of Zechariah he must have been introduced to a life of prayer and the Word of God even at an early age and it is our of this devotion that God chose John and led him into the wilderness where God prepared him for his ministry to proclaim the coming of salvation into the world. Luke tells us in v.2 it was in the wilderness when “the Word of God came to John.”
This connectedness with God gave John the Baptist the complete picture of his role and that never for a moment did he arrogate unto himself the title of a Messiah and we see this in Mk 1:7-8 “After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
But why did John the Baptist preached about the need for the people to repent and be baptized? The Catechism of the Catholic Church gives credence to what John the Baptist said in Mk 1:8 and this is where these two types of baptism differ. The baptism of John with water is for repentance (Mt 3:11) but the baptism of Christ is of a different nature as it has a transforming power for it washes away sin and confers the gift of the Holy Spirit. To be baptized is also to be admitted into the presence of God.
The Church has so arranged the readings in the different liturgical seasons of the year in such a way that the Scriptures can help us come to grips with our identity and like John the Baptist we must also look for our own wilderness away from the maddening crowd for it is in the solitude of our heart and mind that the Word of God will come upon us.
So the question now is how can we prepare for the coming of Jesus Christ and his everlasting kingdom of righteousness, peace and joy? (Rom 1:17) John the Baptist tells us that the first step is conversion and repentance (v.7) by turning our hearts and minds away from sin, indifference, and unbelief towards a sincere trust in God and complete abandonment to his Word.
By turning away from sin and being baptized in Christ, the Holy Spirit will restore us to the same “divine likeness” that we had when God created us which is a prefigurement of the image and likeness of God that we originally had.
To prepare us for the coming of the Messiah into our lives, we must take heed of John the Baptist’s call for repentance by turning away from sin and taking on a new way of life according to God's word. Our baptism in Jesus Christ by water and the Spirit results in a new birth and entry into God's kingdom as his beloved sons and daughters.
It is when we become one with Jesus that he gives us the fire of his Spirit so that we may exude the joy and truth of the Gospel of Christ to a world in desperate need of God's light and truth. But we should not even for a moment lose sight that it is His Word that has the power to change and transform lives and that we are merely the lamp stands that light the path that will point others to Christ.
In a nutshell, our purpose in life is to be like John the Baptist. Translated into present-day realities it’s like you are being hired to become a tourist guide. And in guiding the tourists you follow a certain route and you explain the history of each cultural site that you pass by.
And you reserve for the final stop the climax of the tour. It’s either a sumptuous dinner spiced up with a cultural presentation or you end up with the grandest of all the sites and scenery there is to show. Through all this, the tourist guide draws the attention of the tourists to the historical and or cultural background of the places visited but the tour guide never makes himself as the main attraction.
Or you can probably go back in time when analog communication devices were still in vogue when you need to pass through a telephone operator to contact someone. You lift up the phone and give the operator the number to call and the operator will say “I’ll connect you now.” And as soon as the connection is made, the operator fades into the background.
In essence, this is what heralds or messengers do. As messengers we do not point others to ourselves but we point others to one who is coming who is bigger and greater than us. And if we are going to look at the life of John the Baptist, his life was fueled by one burning passion and that was to point others to Jesus Christ and the coming of his Kingdom.
As we prepare for the coming of our soon coming King, the Gospel of Luke will provide us with an overview of what this Season of Advent means. Quoting from Isaiah, Luke the Evangelist wrote in v.4, 6 “Prepare a pathway for the Lord’s coming. Make a straight road for him!.. and the all people will see the salvation sent from God.”
And the focal point of the preaching of John the Baptist who was to “make straight paths for him” (v.4) was to remind us of the need to give up on our selfish ways, renounce our sins, seek God’s forgiveness and, enter into a submissive relationship with God by believing in the Word of God and the teachings of our Catholic faith.
While the Jews are familiar with baptism, John drew the attention of the Jews that baptism must be accompanied by repentance which also must be preceded with confession of our sins to ourselves, to those whom we may have wronged and, to God. As confession and repentance symbolize humility, these also put an end to pride which is the beginning of forgiveness. It is when a man says “I have sinned” that God will say “I forgive.”
John became effective in his ministry because he lived his message in utter humility and simplicity. John was not exactly poor. His father was Zechariah, a priest in the temple of Jerusalem but John lived in the wilderness where he was filled with the Holy Spirit to prepare him as a herald but one who admits of his unworthiness.
How many of us would admit to our unworthiness even in the face of the One true source of all that we have and possess. Weren’t there times when we fell victim to false humility when we flaunt our abilities, talents, achievements, possessions, titles and attribute these as blessings from God?
John was effective because he pointed to someone else and did not draw people to himself. This should remind us as heralds, disciples and shepherds of the need to accept we are insignificant compared to the One who is coming. We are merely to prepare the way but we are not the way. Our roles as disciples and shepherds are to initiate the conversion of others but it will be Jesus who is going to fulfill this conversion through the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
1st Reading: Bar 5:1-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 126:1-6 “The Lord has done great things for us, we are filled with joy.”
2nd Reading: Phi 1:4-6, 8-11
GOSPEL: Lk 3:1-6
Key Verse: “Prepare the way for the Lord.” (v.4)
There are two very important words that John the Baptist preached that has a bearing on how we are to live as Christians. These are baptism and repentance and it is just as timely as we get deeper into the Advent Season that we are confronted with John the Baptist preaching to us about the correlation between baptism and repentance.
We all should take note that this Gospel of Luke was written by the Evangelist for non-Jewish audiences and we see this in vv.4-6 that the gospel writer quoted from the Prophet Isaiah (Isa 40:3-5; 52:10) to show that salvation is for all – Jews and Gentiles alike.
Today’s Gospel passage becomes doubly significant because it points us not only to the deeper reality of baptism and repentance but also to constantly remind us that we are merely messengers or couriers who, like John the Baptist, our main preoccupation is to simply lead others to Christ.
Like most Jews for his age John the Baptist knew about the Scriptures and we can also surmise that as he was the son of Zechariah he must have been introduced to a life of prayer and the Word of God even at an early age and it is our of this devotion that God chose John and led him into the wilderness where God prepared him for his ministry to proclaim the coming of salvation into the world. Luke tells us in v.2 it was in the wilderness when “the Word of God came to John.”
This connectedness with God gave John the Baptist the complete picture of his role and that never for a moment did he arrogate unto himself the title of a Messiah and we see this in Mk 1:7-8 “After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
But why did John the Baptist preached about the need for the people to repent and be baptized? The Catechism of the Catholic Church gives credence to what John the Baptist said in Mk 1:8 and this is where these two types of baptism differ. The baptism of John with water is for repentance (Mt 3:11) but the baptism of Christ is of a different nature as it has a transforming power for it washes away sin and confers the gift of the Holy Spirit. To be baptized is also to be admitted into the presence of God.
The Church has so arranged the readings in the different liturgical seasons of the year in such a way that the Scriptures can help us come to grips with our identity and like John the Baptist we must also look for our own wilderness away from the maddening crowd for it is in the solitude of our heart and mind that the Word of God will come upon us.
So the question now is how can we prepare for the coming of Jesus Christ and his everlasting kingdom of righteousness, peace and joy? (Rom 1:17) John the Baptist tells us that the first step is conversion and repentance (v.7) by turning our hearts and minds away from sin, indifference, and unbelief towards a sincere trust in God and complete abandonment to his Word.
By turning away from sin and being baptized in Christ, the Holy Spirit will restore us to the same “divine likeness” that we had when God created us which is a prefigurement of the image and likeness of God that we originally had.
To prepare us for the coming of the Messiah into our lives, we must take heed of John the Baptist’s call for repentance by turning away from sin and taking on a new way of life according to God's word. Our baptism in Jesus Christ by water and the Spirit results in a new birth and entry into God's kingdom as his beloved sons and daughters.
It is when we become one with Jesus that he gives us the fire of his Spirit so that we may exude the joy and truth of the Gospel of Christ to a world in desperate need of God's light and truth. But we should not even for a moment lose sight that it is His Word that has the power to change and transform lives and that we are merely the lamp stands that light the path that will point others to Christ.
In a nutshell, our purpose in life is to be like John the Baptist. Translated into present-day realities it’s like you are being hired to become a tourist guide. And in guiding the tourists you follow a certain route and you explain the history of each cultural site that you pass by.
And you reserve for the final stop the climax of the tour. It’s either a sumptuous dinner spiced up with a cultural presentation or you end up with the grandest of all the sites and scenery there is to show. Through all this, the tourist guide draws the attention of the tourists to the historical and or cultural background of the places visited but the tour guide never makes himself as the main attraction.
Or you can probably go back in time when analog communication devices were still in vogue when you need to pass through a telephone operator to contact someone. You lift up the phone and give the operator the number to call and the operator will say “I’ll connect you now.” And as soon as the connection is made, the operator fades into the background.
In essence, this is what heralds or messengers do. As messengers we do not point others to ourselves but we point others to one who is coming who is bigger and greater than us. And if we are going to look at the life of John the Baptist, his life was fueled by one burning passion and that was to point others to Jesus Christ and the coming of his Kingdom.
As we prepare for the coming of our soon coming King, the Gospel of Luke will provide us with an overview of what this Season of Advent means. Quoting from Isaiah, Luke the Evangelist wrote in v.4, 6 “Prepare a pathway for the Lord’s coming. Make a straight road for him!.. and the all people will see the salvation sent from God.”
And the focal point of the preaching of John the Baptist who was to “make straight paths for him” (v.4) was to remind us of the need to give up on our selfish ways, renounce our sins, seek God’s forgiveness and, enter into a submissive relationship with God by believing in the Word of God and the teachings of our Catholic faith.
While the Jews are familiar with baptism, John drew the attention of the Jews that baptism must be accompanied by repentance which also must be preceded with confession of our sins to ourselves, to those whom we may have wronged and, to God. As confession and repentance symbolize humility, these also put an end to pride which is the beginning of forgiveness. It is when a man says “I have sinned” that God will say “I forgive.”
John became effective in his ministry because he lived his message in utter humility and simplicity. John was not exactly poor. His father was Zechariah, a priest in the temple of Jerusalem but John lived in the wilderness where he was filled with the Holy Spirit to prepare him as a herald but one who admits of his unworthiness.
How many of us would admit to our unworthiness even in the face of the One true source of all that we have and possess. Weren’t there times when we fell victim to false humility when we flaunt our abilities, talents, achievements, possessions, titles and attribute these as blessings from God?
John was effective because he pointed to someone else and did not draw people to himself. This should remind us as heralds, disciples and shepherds of the need to accept we are insignificant compared to the One who is coming. We are merely to prepare the way but we are not the way. Our roles as disciples and shepherds are to initiate the conversion of others but it will be Jesus who is going to fulfill this conversion through the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
MARY: IMMACULATELY CONCEIVED
BE IT DONE UNTO ME ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD
DEC. 8, 2012: FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
1st Reading: Gen 3:9-15, 20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:1-4 “Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.”
2nd Reading: Eph 1:3-6, 11-12
GOSPEL: Lk 1:26-38
Key Verse: “May it be to me as you have said.” (v.38)
The dogma of the Immaculate Conception is certainly one of the most hotly-contested topics of any debate and rightly so because the Gospels give little information pertaining to the life of Our Blessed Mother and most of what we learn about Mary comes from the revelations of the saints.
For centuries this debate raged until Pope Pius IX proclaimed on December 8, 1854 that: "The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin."
To preserve the infallibility of the Pope on matters of faith and morals, Pope Pius IX at that time sounded off the Bishops of the world to ascertain the feeling of Christians at large regarding the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. As most of the responses approved of the proposed doctrine, it was thus solemnly defined as a matter of faith.
This consensus of the Bishops who were living apart at the time was deemed infallible because the Holy Spirit was not confined by limitations of place. On the basis of this doctrine, the Catechism of the Catholic Church also decreed in Par. 491 that: “Through the centuries the Church has become ever more aware that Mary, 'full of grace' through God (Luke 1:28) was redeemed from the moment of her conception. That is what the dogma of the Immaculate Conception confesses, as Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1854.”
Significantly in the first reading, the liturgy recalls the figure of Eve, the mother of all the living. The Father’s of the Church saw in Mary, the new Eve that unties the knot bound by the first woman. The knot of disobedience tied by Eve, was untied by the obedience of Mary. As Eve was created in purity and integrity, also the new Eve was miraculously preserved from the contamination of original sin because she had to give humanity the Word, who was incarnated for our ransom.
If the official proclamation of the dogma was relatively recent, the profession of faith by Christians and the liturgy is very ancient in this regard. Furthermore, four years later the same Virgin Mary, appearing in Lourdes to St Bernadette, confirmed the truth of the doctrine by presenting herself with the title ‘I am the Immaculate Conception’.
Mary’s predestination to this singular grace—consistent with the suspension of the universal degree by which every man, from the moment of his conception is contaminated with original sin—leads us to ponder in the deepest depths the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity’s salvific plan.
God, One and Triune had foreseen from the very beginning the future incarnation of the Word cumulating in the redemption of human nature that had fallen into sin. He therefore predestined pure Mary, so that He could draw from her uncontaminated humanity, which the Son could adopt in order to re-establish in Himself the original purity of creation and reorient it to eternal glory.
For this reason, in the second reading of today’s liturgy, St Paul reminds us that God wants to see us holy and immaculate before Him. The purity of our origins seamed to be irredeemably lost. However, in Immaculate Mary, God found the perfect solution to reverse the disaster made from the misuse of our liberty, and returned humanity to the original purity that seamed hopelessly lost.
Mary was Immaculate because she had to be the Mother of God. She, herself has received the original grace of purity and the final state of the blessed life that we also, by collaborating with Divine Grace, hope one day to receive.
Immaculate Mary is full of grace. She is not only Christ’s disciple, that with the help of grace has overcome the chains of sin, but she is totius Trinitatis nobile triclinium, the noble resting place of the Holy Trinity (St Thomas Aquinas, Exposito Salutatioris Angelicae, I). The Immaculate, full of grace will always be Mother and Queen for that elect part of the Church that we hope one day to join, that will one day will joyfully sing in front of the Almighty. (Some parts of the foregoing paragraphs were taken from an article on the Immaculate Conception prepared by the Congregation for the Clergy at the Holy See.)
Devotion to Mary is also an excellent means of attaining sanctity not only here on earth but in the eternal kingdom hereafter. No one can escape the filial devotion of all the saints towards the Mother of God. Among the most prominent were St. Bernard and St. Alphonsus Liguori.
To the saints, Mary is the gate to heaven, the ladder connecting heaven and earth by which the Lord came down to us and by which we may ascend up to God. St. Alphonsus declared it to be his persuasion that hell cannot boast of containing one single soul that ever had a true and heartfelt devotion to Mary.
St. Bernard asserts that those who honor her daily will assuredly be saved. And St. Francis Borgia always feared for the salvation of the soul that has little or no devotion for the Mother of God. Indeed, God will give us the necessary grace when we also respond with the same willingness, obedience and heartfelt trust as Mary did.
But to this day, Mary remains to be the subject of endless debates especially when it comes to the question of why we Catholics honor Mary. Personally, I see no other person in the New Testament who was with Jesus during his earthly ministry.
Mary carried Jesus in her womb for nine months. She gave birth to Jesus at midnight in piercing cold and held him in her arms. Mary reared her until he was six years old before Joseph took him under his tutelage as was the Jewish tradition. It can be surmised that there were times Mary joined the group of disciples who followed Jesus. Definitely Mary was with the group when the Eucharist was institutionalized at the Last Supper. Mary was at the foot of the cross. She was there too when Jesus rose from the dead and Mary was with the other disciples when the Holy Spirit indwelt in them at the upper room. So the question that need be asked is not why do we honor Mary but why not?
When we respond to God’s command to follow him just as Mary did, He will also give us the grace, strength and the means to respond. With our own free will also operating in us, we can choose to yield to his Grace and abandon ourselves to the divine providence or we can go our own way and risk being left out when the door to the kingdom is shut.
1st Reading: Gen 3:9-15, 20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:1-4 “Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.”
2nd Reading: Eph 1:3-6, 11-12
GOSPEL: Lk 1:26-38
Key Verse: “May it be to me as you have said.” (v.38)
The dogma of the Immaculate Conception is certainly one of the most hotly-contested topics of any debate and rightly so because the Gospels give little information pertaining to the life of Our Blessed Mother and most of what we learn about Mary comes from the revelations of the saints.
For centuries this debate raged until Pope Pius IX proclaimed on December 8, 1854 that: "The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin."
To preserve the infallibility of the Pope on matters of faith and morals, Pope Pius IX at that time sounded off the Bishops of the world to ascertain the feeling of Christians at large regarding the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. As most of the responses approved of the proposed doctrine, it was thus solemnly defined as a matter of faith.
This consensus of the Bishops who were living apart at the time was deemed infallible because the Holy Spirit was not confined by limitations of place. On the basis of this doctrine, the Catechism of the Catholic Church also decreed in Par. 491 that: “Through the centuries the Church has become ever more aware that Mary, 'full of grace' through God (Luke 1:28) was redeemed from the moment of her conception. That is what the dogma of the Immaculate Conception confesses, as Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1854.”
Significantly in the first reading, the liturgy recalls the figure of Eve, the mother of all the living. The Father’s of the Church saw in Mary, the new Eve that unties the knot bound by the first woman. The knot of disobedience tied by Eve, was untied by the obedience of Mary. As Eve was created in purity and integrity, also the new Eve was miraculously preserved from the contamination of original sin because she had to give humanity the Word, who was incarnated for our ransom.
If the official proclamation of the dogma was relatively recent, the profession of faith by Christians and the liturgy is very ancient in this regard. Furthermore, four years later the same Virgin Mary, appearing in Lourdes to St Bernadette, confirmed the truth of the doctrine by presenting herself with the title ‘I am the Immaculate Conception’.
Mary’s predestination to this singular grace—consistent with the suspension of the universal degree by which every man, from the moment of his conception is contaminated with original sin—leads us to ponder in the deepest depths the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity’s salvific plan.
God, One and Triune had foreseen from the very beginning the future incarnation of the Word cumulating in the redemption of human nature that had fallen into sin. He therefore predestined pure Mary, so that He could draw from her uncontaminated humanity, which the Son could adopt in order to re-establish in Himself the original purity of creation and reorient it to eternal glory.
For this reason, in the second reading of today’s liturgy, St Paul reminds us that God wants to see us holy and immaculate before Him. The purity of our origins seamed to be irredeemably lost. However, in Immaculate Mary, God found the perfect solution to reverse the disaster made from the misuse of our liberty, and returned humanity to the original purity that seamed hopelessly lost.
Mary was Immaculate because she had to be the Mother of God. She, herself has received the original grace of purity and the final state of the blessed life that we also, by collaborating with Divine Grace, hope one day to receive.
Immaculate Mary is full of grace. She is not only Christ’s disciple, that with the help of grace has overcome the chains of sin, but she is totius Trinitatis nobile triclinium, the noble resting place of the Holy Trinity (St Thomas Aquinas, Exposito Salutatioris Angelicae, I). The Immaculate, full of grace will always be Mother and Queen for that elect part of the Church that we hope one day to join, that will one day will joyfully sing in front of the Almighty. (Some parts of the foregoing paragraphs were taken from an article on the Immaculate Conception prepared by the Congregation for the Clergy at the Holy See.)
Devotion to Mary is also an excellent means of attaining sanctity not only here on earth but in the eternal kingdom hereafter. No one can escape the filial devotion of all the saints towards the Mother of God. Among the most prominent were St. Bernard and St. Alphonsus Liguori.
To the saints, Mary is the gate to heaven, the ladder connecting heaven and earth by which the Lord came down to us and by which we may ascend up to God. St. Alphonsus declared it to be his persuasion that hell cannot boast of containing one single soul that ever had a true and heartfelt devotion to Mary.
St. Bernard asserts that those who honor her daily will assuredly be saved. And St. Francis Borgia always feared for the salvation of the soul that has little or no devotion for the Mother of God. Indeed, God will give us the necessary grace when we also respond with the same willingness, obedience and heartfelt trust as Mary did.
But to this day, Mary remains to be the subject of endless debates especially when it comes to the question of why we Catholics honor Mary. Personally, I see no other person in the New Testament who was with Jesus during his earthly ministry.
Mary carried Jesus in her womb for nine months. She gave birth to Jesus at midnight in piercing cold and held him in her arms. Mary reared her until he was six years old before Joseph took him under his tutelage as was the Jewish tradition. It can be surmised that there were times Mary joined the group of disciples who followed Jesus. Definitely Mary was with the group when the Eucharist was institutionalized at the Last Supper. Mary was at the foot of the cross. She was there too when Jesus rose from the dead and Mary was with the other disciples when the Holy Spirit indwelt in them at the upper room. So the question that need be asked is not why do we honor Mary but why not?
When we respond to God’s command to follow him just as Mary did, He will also give us the grace, strength and the means to respond. With our own free will also operating in us, we can choose to yield to his Grace and abandon ourselves to the divine providence or we can go our own way and risk being left out when the door to the kingdom is shut.
FAITH BRINGS HEALING
DEC. 7, 2012: ST. AMBROSE, Bishop and Doctor
1st Reading: Isa 29:17-24
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 27:1, 4, 13-14 “The Lord is my light and my salvation.”
GOSPEL: MATT 9:27-31
Key Verse: “According to your faith, it will be done to you.” (v.29)
Many times vehicular accidents happen when motorists drive into a an unfamiliar corner and fail to notice the incoming traffic. There are times too when you trip and drop whatever you are holding in your hands because you didn’t notice the pool of water on the floor. In basketball, a player at times loses the ball when a player from the other team rushes from behind and swipes away the ball from his hands.
These are what we sometimes call tough luck but these things also happen because of the blind spots that catch us by surprise. In life, we also are confronted with blind spots that keep us from recognizing the power and mercy of God. At times we even create these blind spots so that we can continue dancing with the world oblivious of the fact that patronizing Satan compromises our heavenly inheritance.
In the time of Jesus there were at least two types of blindness that were common. One was the spiritual blindness of the religious leaders who rejected Jesus and the other was physical which was what Matthew wrote about in today’s Gospel reading. And since sunglasses or what the yuppies today call shades were unheard of during the time of Jesus, physical blindness was a common disease in those days and this malady was caused primarily by the sun’s glare on the eyes. Besides leaving their eyes unprotected, the matter of hygiene also contributed to the high incidence of blindness among the Jews.
But there were times, however, when people also suffer from blindness though not in a physical sense. This happens when people become blind and cannot see the truth that is before them and would rather live and patronize the lies permeating in the world around them.
The two characters in this Gospel passage are physically blind who were probably told that Jesus was passing by on the street where they must have been a fixture. Though blind, they knew if it was Jesus who was passing by as there was always a commotion when Jesus walks on the street as it was normal for Rabbis to talk or preach to their disciples while they are on the road.
And the two blind men knew exactly how to get the attention of Jesus amidst the commotion. They shouted “have pity on us, you Son of David.” (v.27) But instead of responding as he usually does, Jesus went into the house where the two blind men followed him. It was here that Jesus asked “do you believe that I am able to this?” “Yes Lord,” was the reply (v.28). And Jesus touched their eyes saying: “According to your faith it will be done to you.” (v.29)
These dialogue between Jesus and the two blind men will show why Jesus held back from responding immediately to the request of the two blind men on the street. It was when they followed him to the house that he asked if they believed because Jesus wanted to be sure the two blind men were sincere in their pleading and knew in their hearts what Jesus could do for them.
The two blind men showed their true faith when they followed Jesus into the house and it was this kind of faith that moved Jesus especially when they shouted “Son of David” as this placed Jesus in the position of the Messiah that the Jews have been waiting for centuries to emerge from the line of David.
It was in this figure of a Messiah that the two blind men thought of Jesus as they saw in him the figure of someone who could not only restore their eye sights but one who would lead the people to freedom. Besides the faith exhibited by the two blind men it was also probable that their use of the title “Son of David” was what moved Jesus to heal them.
It is the same with most of us who are saddled with blind spots in our lives that we cannot see the beauty of God’s creation as we fill our senses and our hearts with happiness that is fleeting and it is when everything don’t seem to work anymore that we think of Jesus.
To reclaim our position as someone created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26) we need to reenergize our faith in the One True God because only faith will open the way for us to see the Kingdom of God and experience his healing presence in our lives.
But for us to experience the mercy and healing love of Jesus we need to recognize him for who he is. Like the two blind men, we also need to acknowledge Jesus as our Savior in whom we can place our complete trust and confidence.
We can all use this Advent Season as a time for examining our lives, where we stand in relation to our faith and where we want to go from here. Life is always made up of choices and our future is determined by the choices that we make. We can either remain in the world and all the destruction that it brings to our spiritual lives or we can hope for God’s mercy and love to heal us of all our physical and spiritual infirmities through the forgiveness of our sins.
God’s mercy and healing is readily available to anyone but we must have faith because it is only through faith that we can recognize our imperfection and need for forgiveness and healing. And faith is the power that will allow us to know God in a personal way, understand his truth that will allow us the privilege of living in the power of his love.
And for faith to be effective, it must stand on our complete trust and obedience to God. This means submitting to God and being equipped with the disposition to subordinate our human will to the Will of God and do whatever he commands us to do.
When Jesus asked the two blind men if they believed he could heal them, he was not trying to hold back on his response but he merely wanted to test their faith. It is the same with us because Jesus wants us to live with expectant faith that he will fulfill his promises and bring us to the fullness of his kingdom, “a kingdom of God that is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Rom 14:17)
And when Jesus told the two blind men not to tell anyone, they still went around to spread the news. Why? Because of the joy that was in them. And it must be so for us who have received God’s mercy and love and it is out of this abundance that we cannot contain that should propel us to tell of God’s Kingdom to everyone around us.
1st Reading: Isa 29:17-24
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 27:1, 4, 13-14 “The Lord is my light and my salvation.”
GOSPEL: MATT 9:27-31
Key Verse: “According to your faith, it will be done to you.” (v.29)
Many times vehicular accidents happen when motorists drive into a an unfamiliar corner and fail to notice the incoming traffic. There are times too when you trip and drop whatever you are holding in your hands because you didn’t notice the pool of water on the floor. In basketball, a player at times loses the ball when a player from the other team rushes from behind and swipes away the ball from his hands.
These are what we sometimes call tough luck but these things also happen because of the blind spots that catch us by surprise. In life, we also are confronted with blind spots that keep us from recognizing the power and mercy of God. At times we even create these blind spots so that we can continue dancing with the world oblivious of the fact that patronizing Satan compromises our heavenly inheritance.
In the time of Jesus there were at least two types of blindness that were common. One was the spiritual blindness of the religious leaders who rejected Jesus and the other was physical which was what Matthew wrote about in today’s Gospel reading. And since sunglasses or what the yuppies today call shades were unheard of during the time of Jesus, physical blindness was a common disease in those days and this malady was caused primarily by the sun’s glare on the eyes. Besides leaving their eyes unprotected, the matter of hygiene also contributed to the high incidence of blindness among the Jews.
But there were times, however, when people also suffer from blindness though not in a physical sense. This happens when people become blind and cannot see the truth that is before them and would rather live and patronize the lies permeating in the world around them.
The two characters in this Gospel passage are physically blind who were probably told that Jesus was passing by on the street where they must have been a fixture. Though blind, they knew if it was Jesus who was passing by as there was always a commotion when Jesus walks on the street as it was normal for Rabbis to talk or preach to their disciples while they are on the road.
And the two blind men knew exactly how to get the attention of Jesus amidst the commotion. They shouted “have pity on us, you Son of David.” (v.27) But instead of responding as he usually does, Jesus went into the house where the two blind men followed him. It was here that Jesus asked “do you believe that I am able to this?” “Yes Lord,” was the reply (v.28). And Jesus touched their eyes saying: “According to your faith it will be done to you.” (v.29)
These dialogue between Jesus and the two blind men will show why Jesus held back from responding immediately to the request of the two blind men on the street. It was when they followed him to the house that he asked if they believed because Jesus wanted to be sure the two blind men were sincere in their pleading and knew in their hearts what Jesus could do for them.
The two blind men showed their true faith when they followed Jesus into the house and it was this kind of faith that moved Jesus especially when they shouted “Son of David” as this placed Jesus in the position of the Messiah that the Jews have been waiting for centuries to emerge from the line of David.
It was in this figure of a Messiah that the two blind men thought of Jesus as they saw in him the figure of someone who could not only restore their eye sights but one who would lead the people to freedom. Besides the faith exhibited by the two blind men it was also probable that their use of the title “Son of David” was what moved Jesus to heal them.
It is the same with most of us who are saddled with blind spots in our lives that we cannot see the beauty of God’s creation as we fill our senses and our hearts with happiness that is fleeting and it is when everything don’t seem to work anymore that we think of Jesus.
To reclaim our position as someone created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26) we need to reenergize our faith in the One True God because only faith will open the way for us to see the Kingdom of God and experience his healing presence in our lives.
But for us to experience the mercy and healing love of Jesus we need to recognize him for who he is. Like the two blind men, we also need to acknowledge Jesus as our Savior in whom we can place our complete trust and confidence.
We can all use this Advent Season as a time for examining our lives, where we stand in relation to our faith and where we want to go from here. Life is always made up of choices and our future is determined by the choices that we make. We can either remain in the world and all the destruction that it brings to our spiritual lives or we can hope for God’s mercy and love to heal us of all our physical and spiritual infirmities through the forgiveness of our sins.
God’s mercy and healing is readily available to anyone but we must have faith because it is only through faith that we can recognize our imperfection and need for forgiveness and healing. And faith is the power that will allow us to know God in a personal way, understand his truth that will allow us the privilege of living in the power of his love.
And for faith to be effective, it must stand on our complete trust and obedience to God. This means submitting to God and being equipped with the disposition to subordinate our human will to the Will of God and do whatever he commands us to do.
When Jesus asked the two blind men if they believed he could heal them, he was not trying to hold back on his response but he merely wanted to test their faith. It is the same with us because Jesus wants us to live with expectant faith that he will fulfill his promises and bring us to the fullness of his kingdom, “a kingdom of God that is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Rom 14:17)
And when Jesus told the two blind men not to tell anyone, they still went around to spread the news. Why? Because of the joy that was in them. And it must be so for us who have received God’s mercy and love and it is out of this abundance that we cannot contain that should propel us to tell of God’s Kingdom to everyone around us.
BEING WISE BETTER THAN A FOOL
A SHALLOW FAITH LIKE A HOUSE BUILT ON SAND IS HEADED FOR DESTRUCTION.
DEC. 6, 2012: FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT
1st Reading: Isa 26:1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 118:8-9, 19-21, 25-27
“Blessed is he who comes
in the Name of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: Matt 7:21, 24-27
Key Verse: “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (v.24)
I once worked as a sports columnist for a widely-circulated weekly sports magazine in the mid-70s and I admired my Editor-in-Chief whom I regarded as a walking basketball encyclopedia for he would not just regale us greenhorns in the field with an exact recollection of how the games were played and ended but he even has this uncanny ability to even remember the names and scores of players who were in a particular game especially a championship game.
But that’s as far as he goes because there was one important thing he couldn’t do and that was to tell us about his athletic skills because he actually did not play basketball. This was not an isolated case as there are actually some self-proclaimed athletes who can mesmerize you with how a great game was played but they cannot talk to you about their own athletic abilities because they had none.
This is the message behind this particular Gospel passage that form part of our Advent preparation for the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ and there is not just one but two messages encapsulated in this passage. The first was the warning of Jesus that: “Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the Will of my Father who is in heaven.” (v.21)
There was a reason for this so as to distinguish the proclamations and miracles being performed by false prophets and exorcists that abound in those days with the teachings and healing miracles that were attributed to Jesus and his disciples. In fact, there were many instances also when such healings were being performed in the name of God by those who are outside of the circle of Jesus. But many of those who could do these things were doing it to gain fame and fortune and this was what Jesus was referring to in this particular verse.
For Jesus there was only one way to prove the sincerity of those doing these things and that was by practice. What Jesus was simply saying was that not everyone who talks about heaven belongs to the Kingdom of God. Jesus was more concerned about walking rather than talking. What he wants was for his disciples to do what was right and not just say what was right. And this is also what he wants from us.
Fine words can never be a substitute for fine deeds. As love has something to do with teaching and also with healing or as we do it in the Community with praying over those in need of prayers, proof of that love is obedience to the Word of God.
Our character is revealed in the choices we make and as popular Catholic evangelist Mark Nimo would say – we need to define ourselves or others will which means that we need to show our true nature that is hidden in God. I remember Mark saying that our hidden life must be the same as our public life. What lies beneath this particular verse is the idea of judgment. No matter how you reflect upon v.21, the day of reckoning is written all over it.
What Jesus was saying was that while man may succeed at times to camouflage his real self with what may appear as good deeds, there will still come a time when such pretensions will be exposed. We probably can deceive men with words but Our God cannot be mocked (Gal 6:7) because man sees what is before him but God sees what is in our hearts.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus also reminds us not to place our security on the ephemeral but on what will withstand the test of time and will last forever. As with these vv.24-27, many are wondering why Jesus defers to the use of parables to shed light on his teachings. This was because many of these parables are akin to the Jews and it would be easier for them to understand what Jesus was saying because they are familiar with the parables which are illustrations of actual life situations.
Again, in those days the Jews think of security in terms of fortresses, encampments, a house built on a strong foundation and Jesus equated the need to hear and listen (obey) the Word of God with the strong foundations that can withstand the forces of nature (trials, frustrations, challenges and persecution that come our way).
What Jesus was also pointing out in this Gospel for today was that on judgment day, only our relationship with God will matter. Many think and believe that if they appear to be good and say religious things, they are assured of eternal life. On the contrary, only faith in Christ that is rooted in obedience will count on the day of reckoning.
The Scriptures itself warns that destruction will surely come to those who place their security and their spiritual future on mundane things rather than on the Grace of God. The prophet Isaiah refers to God as the “rock eternal” (Isa 26:4) and the Psalmist adds in Psa 118:8 “it is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.” These very words of Scriptures should serve as a fitting reminder that Our God is the rock upon which we should build our house (v.24) because it is only the Word of God that can provide us protection from the storms of life.
Many of our brethren out there are also headed for destruction not only because they built their house on sand (v.26) but because of indifference. As membership in the Kingdom of God is a privilege it also carries with it a responsibility to also help others think where their lives are headed. More importantly, we are to help and guide others to the consequences of ignoring the message of Christ. St. Paul reminds us in 1 Cor 10:33 “for I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.”
We can only do this if we ourselves stand on a strong foundation because others are led to Christ by what they see. Jesus in today’s Gospel demands that we should listen and he is also urging us to do what we heard. Knowledge only becomes relevant when it is translated into action. Theory must lead to practice and theology must become our lifestyle and not just as a headgear.
Jesus assures us today that those who built their life’s foundation on his Word need not fear when the storms come because we can always take refuge in God who is our eternal rock. The question now is have we built our lives on his Word made flesh as if our lives depend on it?
1st Reading: Isa 26:1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 118:8-9, 19-21, 25-27
“Blessed is he who comes
in the Name of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: Matt 7:21, 24-27
Key Verse: “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (v.24)
I once worked as a sports columnist for a widely-circulated weekly sports magazine in the mid-70s and I admired my Editor-in-Chief whom I regarded as a walking basketball encyclopedia for he would not just regale us greenhorns in the field with an exact recollection of how the games were played and ended but he even has this uncanny ability to even remember the names and scores of players who were in a particular game especially a championship game.
But that’s as far as he goes because there was one important thing he couldn’t do and that was to tell us about his athletic skills because he actually did not play basketball. This was not an isolated case as there are actually some self-proclaimed athletes who can mesmerize you with how a great game was played but they cannot talk to you about their own athletic abilities because they had none.
This is the message behind this particular Gospel passage that form part of our Advent preparation for the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ and there is not just one but two messages encapsulated in this passage. The first was the warning of Jesus that: “Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the Will of my Father who is in heaven.” (v.21)
There was a reason for this so as to distinguish the proclamations and miracles being performed by false prophets and exorcists that abound in those days with the teachings and healing miracles that were attributed to Jesus and his disciples. In fact, there were many instances also when such healings were being performed in the name of God by those who are outside of the circle of Jesus. But many of those who could do these things were doing it to gain fame and fortune and this was what Jesus was referring to in this particular verse.
For Jesus there was only one way to prove the sincerity of those doing these things and that was by practice. What Jesus was simply saying was that not everyone who talks about heaven belongs to the Kingdom of God. Jesus was more concerned about walking rather than talking. What he wants was for his disciples to do what was right and not just say what was right. And this is also what he wants from us.
Fine words can never be a substitute for fine deeds. As love has something to do with teaching and also with healing or as we do it in the Community with praying over those in need of prayers, proof of that love is obedience to the Word of God.
Our character is revealed in the choices we make and as popular Catholic evangelist Mark Nimo would say – we need to define ourselves or others will which means that we need to show our true nature that is hidden in God. I remember Mark saying that our hidden life must be the same as our public life. What lies beneath this particular verse is the idea of judgment. No matter how you reflect upon v.21, the day of reckoning is written all over it.
What Jesus was saying was that while man may succeed at times to camouflage his real self with what may appear as good deeds, there will still come a time when such pretensions will be exposed. We probably can deceive men with words but Our God cannot be mocked (Gal 6:7) because man sees what is before him but God sees what is in our hearts.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus also reminds us not to place our security on the ephemeral but on what will withstand the test of time and will last forever. As with these vv.24-27, many are wondering why Jesus defers to the use of parables to shed light on his teachings. This was because many of these parables are akin to the Jews and it would be easier for them to understand what Jesus was saying because they are familiar with the parables which are illustrations of actual life situations.
Again, in those days the Jews think of security in terms of fortresses, encampments, a house built on a strong foundation and Jesus equated the need to hear and listen (obey) the Word of God with the strong foundations that can withstand the forces of nature (trials, frustrations, challenges and persecution that come our way).
What Jesus was also pointing out in this Gospel for today was that on judgment day, only our relationship with God will matter. Many think and believe that if they appear to be good and say religious things, they are assured of eternal life. On the contrary, only faith in Christ that is rooted in obedience will count on the day of reckoning.
The Scriptures itself warns that destruction will surely come to those who place their security and their spiritual future on mundane things rather than on the Grace of God. The prophet Isaiah refers to God as the “rock eternal” (Isa 26:4) and the Psalmist adds in Psa 118:8 “it is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.” These very words of Scriptures should serve as a fitting reminder that Our God is the rock upon which we should build our house (v.24) because it is only the Word of God that can provide us protection from the storms of life.
Many of our brethren out there are also headed for destruction not only because they built their house on sand (v.26) but because of indifference. As membership in the Kingdom of God is a privilege it also carries with it a responsibility to also help others think where their lives are headed. More importantly, we are to help and guide others to the consequences of ignoring the message of Christ. St. Paul reminds us in 1 Cor 10:33 “for I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.”
We can only do this if we ourselves stand on a strong foundation because others are led to Christ by what they see. Jesus in today’s Gospel demands that we should listen and he is also urging us to do what we heard. Knowledge only becomes relevant when it is translated into action. Theory must lead to practice and theology must become our lifestyle and not just as a headgear.
Jesus assures us today that those who built their life’s foundation on his Word need not fear when the storms come because we can always take refuge in God who is our eternal rock. The question now is have we built our lives on his Word made flesh as if our lives depend on it?
CHRIST'S INCOMPARABLE COMPASSION
DEC. 5, 2012: FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT
1st Reading: Isa 25:6-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 23:1-6 “I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.”
GOSPEL: Mt 15:29-37
Key Verse: “I have compassion for these people.” (v.32)
The event depicted in today’s Gospel reading should be distinguished from the more popular feeding of the 5,000 when Jesus miraculously multiplied the five barley loaves of bread and two small pieces of fish (Matt 14:13-21).
This time around the vast crowd who has been following him swelled to 4,000 as they brought to him the lame, blind, crippled, mute, and many others with physical disabilities and they laid them before Jesus. And Jesus healed them all (v.30). Again, the disciples of Jesus were overwhelmed and they asked “and where would we get enough food out here in he wilderness for all of them to eat?”(v.33)
This comes as a surprise because the disciples of Jesus only days ago were witnesses to one of the greatest biblical event when Jesus multiplied the five loaves and two small fish to feed the 5,000 men in addition to the women and children.
Just like the disciples, we too at times forget the blessings that God has poured out on us in the past, the answers we have received to our prayers, the times we managed to wiggle out of difficult situations by the Grace of God and, how we easily give up and allow despair to get the better of us when we find ourselves in a crisis situation.
What we should be mindful of is that God is faithful regardless of the circumstances and if he cared for us in the past we can expect that he will still care for us today. And for him to once again show his compassion as he did in this gospel passage we only have to place our lives in the palm of his hands as a sign of our complete trust and confidence in him.
This miracle event which was the second time that Jesus fed the crowd who have been following him shows the kind of God that Jesus was and there is no doubt that Jesus remains to be the compassionate God that he is today and forever.
That he was sent down from heaven to be with the chosen people of God can no longer be denied nor doubted. And here in this passage Jesus gave the people another opportunity to get a glimpse of what God was like for there was no one who could do what he has been doing.
If you have been faithfully reading and reflecting on the Gospel readings you will certainly note the daily routine of Jesus. Despite the rejection he experienced in his own hometown, Jesus left and preached in all the villages that he went into and the people were amazed for he taught and spoke with authority.
Many times on the way, he debated on several occasions with the Scribes and Pharisees over the traditions that the Jews were obliged to observe and follow such as eating without washing their hands as the disciples did. And Jesus surprised the Pharisees and the people when he said that nothing outside can make a man unclean but what comes out of a man was what makes him unclean.
These debates and arguments probably took its toll on Jesus which was why he and his disciples went to the region of Tyre and Sidon with the intention of spending time to rest but his fame preceded him as crowds of people even in Gentile territory sought him out wherever he went.
And a very beautiful recording of what followed next is found in this Gospel passage today when Jesus said: “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they will collapse on the way.” (v.32)
This passage sums up not only what Jesus felt at the time but it provides us with a picture of the true nature and character of Christ. “I have compassion for these people;” meant that empathy for the people was written all over his entire being that there was nothing in his heart that did not translate to concern, love and compassion.
Jesus could have driven away the crowd but he did not. Instead he gave the people what they needed and he also healed all those who were sick and, he ministered to the people by feeding them from what his Apostles had with them – seven loaves of bread and a few small fish. (v.34)
What Jesus also did was he showed his Apostles the important role they will play and to a certain degree the role that we now too will play. To serve the needs of the 4,000 who were there, Jesus had to rely on his Apostles and other disciples to help feed the people. And this is the reality that we also face today. In order for the Good News to reach the ends of the world, Jesus has to use us especially those who have committed their lives to the Lord because it was through the Apostles and now through us that the truth can be proclaimed.
What we also see in this miracle was not just the multiplication of the seven loaves and a few small fish but the miracle of the dependence of the people on God. Notwithstanding their hunger and thirst as they have been with Jesus for three days, they did not complain but they simply waited for whatever provision that Jesus will give them.
Here we also see what we saw Jesus did when he fed the five thousand on another occasion. “When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks…” (v.36) In everything that he had done, Jesus never did it on his own. He always prayed to God the Father to bless him by the power of the Holy Spirit and this was the kind of discipline that Jesus wants us to also observe and follow.
More than anything else, Jesus showed that anything is possible when done in love. Love conquers all things and in this Gospel passage, Jesus gave the Apostles and his disciples a lesson of what love and compassion meant. The plight of the people was always in the heart of Jesus. Similarly, Jesus is telling us now to also have compassion for the poor and Jesus showed that love could transform us into becoming generous to others.
This is the same attitude that Jesus is asking of anyone who will follow him. We are to share this same love that we received from Jesus so that others may also be blessed. In times when we may feel that what we give may not be enough, this miracle of the seven loaves and a few small fish assures us that whatever we give to others in love will be multiplied.
To sum it up, Jesus in this passage shows us the kind of character that every servant must have. A servant must be filled with love and compassion when serving others.
But more importantly, Jesus shows us that the food that will last is for all. As the feeding of the 5,000 in Matt 14 was for the Jews, this particular event refers to the feeding of the 4,000 who were mostly Gentiles. This means that the food that comes from God arguably is for all – Jews and Gentiles alike.
1st Reading: Isa 25:6-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 23:1-6 “I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.”
GOSPEL: Mt 15:29-37
Key Verse: “I have compassion for these people.” (v.32)
The event depicted in today’s Gospel reading should be distinguished from the more popular feeding of the 5,000 when Jesus miraculously multiplied the five barley loaves of bread and two small pieces of fish (Matt 14:13-21).
This time around the vast crowd who has been following him swelled to 4,000 as they brought to him the lame, blind, crippled, mute, and many others with physical disabilities and they laid them before Jesus. And Jesus healed them all (v.30). Again, the disciples of Jesus were overwhelmed and they asked “and where would we get enough food out here in he wilderness for all of them to eat?”(v.33)
This comes as a surprise because the disciples of Jesus only days ago were witnesses to one of the greatest biblical event when Jesus multiplied the five loaves and two small fish to feed the 5,000 men in addition to the women and children.
Just like the disciples, we too at times forget the blessings that God has poured out on us in the past, the answers we have received to our prayers, the times we managed to wiggle out of difficult situations by the Grace of God and, how we easily give up and allow despair to get the better of us when we find ourselves in a crisis situation.
What we should be mindful of is that God is faithful regardless of the circumstances and if he cared for us in the past we can expect that he will still care for us today. And for him to once again show his compassion as he did in this gospel passage we only have to place our lives in the palm of his hands as a sign of our complete trust and confidence in him.
This miracle event which was the second time that Jesus fed the crowd who have been following him shows the kind of God that Jesus was and there is no doubt that Jesus remains to be the compassionate God that he is today and forever.
That he was sent down from heaven to be with the chosen people of God can no longer be denied nor doubted. And here in this passage Jesus gave the people another opportunity to get a glimpse of what God was like for there was no one who could do what he has been doing.
If you have been faithfully reading and reflecting on the Gospel readings you will certainly note the daily routine of Jesus. Despite the rejection he experienced in his own hometown, Jesus left and preached in all the villages that he went into and the people were amazed for he taught and spoke with authority.
Many times on the way, he debated on several occasions with the Scribes and Pharisees over the traditions that the Jews were obliged to observe and follow such as eating without washing their hands as the disciples did. And Jesus surprised the Pharisees and the people when he said that nothing outside can make a man unclean but what comes out of a man was what makes him unclean.
These debates and arguments probably took its toll on Jesus which was why he and his disciples went to the region of Tyre and Sidon with the intention of spending time to rest but his fame preceded him as crowds of people even in Gentile territory sought him out wherever he went.
And a very beautiful recording of what followed next is found in this Gospel passage today when Jesus said: “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they will collapse on the way.” (v.32)
This passage sums up not only what Jesus felt at the time but it provides us with a picture of the true nature and character of Christ. “I have compassion for these people;” meant that empathy for the people was written all over his entire being that there was nothing in his heart that did not translate to concern, love and compassion.
Jesus could have driven away the crowd but he did not. Instead he gave the people what they needed and he also healed all those who were sick and, he ministered to the people by feeding them from what his Apostles had with them – seven loaves of bread and a few small fish. (v.34)
What Jesus also did was he showed his Apostles the important role they will play and to a certain degree the role that we now too will play. To serve the needs of the 4,000 who were there, Jesus had to rely on his Apostles and other disciples to help feed the people. And this is the reality that we also face today. In order for the Good News to reach the ends of the world, Jesus has to use us especially those who have committed their lives to the Lord because it was through the Apostles and now through us that the truth can be proclaimed.
What we also see in this miracle was not just the multiplication of the seven loaves and a few small fish but the miracle of the dependence of the people on God. Notwithstanding their hunger and thirst as they have been with Jesus for three days, they did not complain but they simply waited for whatever provision that Jesus will give them.
Here we also see what we saw Jesus did when he fed the five thousand on another occasion. “When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks…” (v.36) In everything that he had done, Jesus never did it on his own. He always prayed to God the Father to bless him by the power of the Holy Spirit and this was the kind of discipline that Jesus wants us to also observe and follow.
More than anything else, Jesus showed that anything is possible when done in love. Love conquers all things and in this Gospel passage, Jesus gave the Apostles and his disciples a lesson of what love and compassion meant. The plight of the people was always in the heart of Jesus. Similarly, Jesus is telling us now to also have compassion for the poor and Jesus showed that love could transform us into becoming generous to others.
This is the same attitude that Jesus is asking of anyone who will follow him. We are to share this same love that we received from Jesus so that others may also be blessed. In times when we may feel that what we give may not be enough, this miracle of the seven loaves and a few small fish assures us that whatever we give to others in love will be multiplied.
To sum it up, Jesus in this passage shows us the kind of character that every servant must have. A servant must be filled with love and compassion when serving others.
But more importantly, Jesus shows us that the food that will last is for all. As the feeding of the 5,000 in Matt 14 was for the Jews, this particular event refers to the feeding of the 4,000 who were mostly Gentiles. This means that the food that comes from God arguably is for all – Jews and Gentiles alike.
BE CHILDLIKE AND SEE GOD
... and revealed them to little children (Lk 10:21)
DEC. 4, 2012: FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT
1st Reading: Isa 11:1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17 “Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace forever.”
GOSPEL: Lk 10:21-24
Key Verse: “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.” (v.23)
Anyone reading this Gospel passage would probably ask what Jesus meant when, at the beginning of this passage, he thanked God for hiding the spiritual truths from the wise and the learned (v.21) and the question you would ask is why would Jesus do that?
Aren’t these spiritual truths for everyone? Wasn’t this the reason why Jesus came into the world so that everyone – Jew and Gentiles alike – will be reconciled to God the Father? But Our Lord had every reason to do what he did and this stemmed from the inability and or failure of the religious leaders to grasp the message that lies behind the Word of God that was accepted and ingested by the ordinary people.
In this world we live in, much of life’s rewards go to those who are intelligent, those who were accorded the opportunity of a good education to hone their talents, those who are rich and have access to capital, the powerful who can influence the workplace they are in.
Sadly, however, those who belong to this societal class are those who have a hard time subordinating their will to the Will of God and because they have to operate in a system dictated by worldly values, they try to find a spiritual balance that will allow them to live in both worlds.
God’s spiritual truths are available to everyone regardless of titles and positions and Jesus desires that all men come face to face with the truths revealed by the Father with childlike trust and not because of their intelligence and or positions in life. What Jesus requires for membership in the Kingdom of God is not our impressive resume’ or portfolio but our complete trust in the Grace of God that is freely given.
As he thanked God for making the Kingdom of God available to all, he also warned of pride that can close the mind of the wise and the clever from accepting God’s truth and wisdom and contrasting this to the bare simplicity by which ordinary men seek the greatest good – God Himself.
Simplicity of heart is founded on the humility of ordinary men who like children are possessed with hearts that are inclined to receiving Grace and truth. Just as pride is the root of every evil, humility is the good soil in which the Grace of God will take root. “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (Jam 4:6)
The other remarkable thing that will certainly catch your attention was the kind of relationship that Jesus has with God that is clearly evident in v.22 when Jesus said: “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
This filial bond gives credence to the person of Jesus as the second person of Our Trinitarian God as he and the Father are one (Jn 10:30) and there can be no doubting the presence of God in Jesus because whoever has seen him has also seen the Father (Jn 14:9).
What Jesus was saying in this passage was that anyone of us who wishes to know God have to simply look at him who is the exact revelation of who God is. In saying this in v.22, Jesus was telling his disciples and he is telling us now that our knowledge of God is not limited to knowing about God but that we have the opportunity to personally know God as our Father and be united with him in a relationship founded on love and trust.
And Jesus makes it possible for us to not only know God but to enjoy the love and freedom that has been available to all of us. Through Jesus we are given the opportunity to experience love in its perfection, a love that found its fulfillment on the cross.
Notwithstanding the teachings, the healing miracles including the dead who were raised back to life, his claim of being the Messiah sent by God, many of the people and even from among the ranks of his disciples took Jesus for granted. Some 2,000 years later and amidst the legacy of the Church, the availability of the Scriptures, the presence of Priests and Pastors who deliver good sermons and talks and yet we also take these for granted.
We listen to them but we don’t take to heart the message imparted. We open the Scriptures but we either can’t see God and the messages that are in them or worse, we refuse to accept the truthfulness of what the Scriptures say. Even when Jesus walked the earth and claimed he was the One whom the prophets and kings desired to see but did not see, many of us today are falling into the same trap of being oblivious to the presence of God.
The opportunities that have been made available for us to know God through Christ is a privilege given to us but with privilege comes responsibility. And the key to knowing and seeing God is right there at the beginning of this passage in v.21 when Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit the third person in the Holy Trinity and this brings us to another significant part of this Gospel passage.
Isaiah in the First Reading prophesied that the Messiah who is to come will be filled with the gifts of the Spirit (Isa 11:2) and establish a Kingdom that is based on his atoning sacrifice on the cross that redeemed all the nations of the earth and made us citizens and co-heirs of the Heavenly Kingdom.
To see the things that God has placed before us which prophets and kings desired but did not see, we need to be filled with the Holy Spirit because when we receive and accept the Holy Spirit, we have God Himself abiding in us, giving us life and working in and through us.
With the Spirit in us, we will not only have a foretaste of what heaven is like but we can clearly see God in all the things that he has created especially our neighbor. It is also by the power of the Holy Spirit who will impel us to know God and enter into a deeper relationship with Him.
1st Reading: Isa 11:1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17 “Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace forever.”
GOSPEL: Lk 10:21-24
Key Verse: “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.” (v.23)
Anyone reading this Gospel passage would probably ask what Jesus meant when, at the beginning of this passage, he thanked God for hiding the spiritual truths from the wise and the learned (v.21) and the question you would ask is why would Jesus do that?
Aren’t these spiritual truths for everyone? Wasn’t this the reason why Jesus came into the world so that everyone – Jew and Gentiles alike – will be reconciled to God the Father? But Our Lord had every reason to do what he did and this stemmed from the inability and or failure of the religious leaders to grasp the message that lies behind the Word of God that was accepted and ingested by the ordinary people.
In this world we live in, much of life’s rewards go to those who are intelligent, those who were accorded the opportunity of a good education to hone their talents, those who are rich and have access to capital, the powerful who can influence the workplace they are in.
Sadly, however, those who belong to this societal class are those who have a hard time subordinating their will to the Will of God and because they have to operate in a system dictated by worldly values, they try to find a spiritual balance that will allow them to live in both worlds.
God’s spiritual truths are available to everyone regardless of titles and positions and Jesus desires that all men come face to face with the truths revealed by the Father with childlike trust and not because of their intelligence and or positions in life. What Jesus requires for membership in the Kingdom of God is not our impressive resume’ or portfolio but our complete trust in the Grace of God that is freely given.
As he thanked God for making the Kingdom of God available to all, he also warned of pride that can close the mind of the wise and the clever from accepting God’s truth and wisdom and contrasting this to the bare simplicity by which ordinary men seek the greatest good – God Himself.
Simplicity of heart is founded on the humility of ordinary men who like children are possessed with hearts that are inclined to receiving Grace and truth. Just as pride is the root of every evil, humility is the good soil in which the Grace of God will take root. “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (Jam 4:6)
The other remarkable thing that will certainly catch your attention was the kind of relationship that Jesus has with God that is clearly evident in v.22 when Jesus said: “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
This filial bond gives credence to the person of Jesus as the second person of Our Trinitarian God as he and the Father are one (Jn 10:30) and there can be no doubting the presence of God in Jesus because whoever has seen him has also seen the Father (Jn 14:9).
What Jesus was saying in this passage was that anyone of us who wishes to know God have to simply look at him who is the exact revelation of who God is. In saying this in v.22, Jesus was telling his disciples and he is telling us now that our knowledge of God is not limited to knowing about God but that we have the opportunity to personally know God as our Father and be united with him in a relationship founded on love and trust.
And Jesus makes it possible for us to not only know God but to enjoy the love and freedom that has been available to all of us. Through Jesus we are given the opportunity to experience love in its perfection, a love that found its fulfillment on the cross.
Notwithstanding the teachings, the healing miracles including the dead who were raised back to life, his claim of being the Messiah sent by God, many of the people and even from among the ranks of his disciples took Jesus for granted. Some 2,000 years later and amidst the legacy of the Church, the availability of the Scriptures, the presence of Priests and Pastors who deliver good sermons and talks and yet we also take these for granted.
We listen to them but we don’t take to heart the message imparted. We open the Scriptures but we either can’t see God and the messages that are in them or worse, we refuse to accept the truthfulness of what the Scriptures say. Even when Jesus walked the earth and claimed he was the One whom the prophets and kings desired to see but did not see, many of us today are falling into the same trap of being oblivious to the presence of God.
The opportunities that have been made available for us to know God through Christ is a privilege given to us but with privilege comes responsibility. And the key to knowing and seeing God is right there at the beginning of this passage in v.21 when Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit the third person in the Holy Trinity and this brings us to another significant part of this Gospel passage.
Isaiah in the First Reading prophesied that the Messiah who is to come will be filled with the gifts of the Spirit (Isa 11:2) and establish a Kingdom that is based on his atoning sacrifice on the cross that redeemed all the nations of the earth and made us citizens and co-heirs of the Heavenly Kingdom.
To see the things that God has placed before us which prophets and kings desired but did not see, we need to be filled with the Holy Spirit because when we receive and accept the Holy Spirit, we have God Himself abiding in us, giving us life and working in and through us.
With the Spirit in us, we will not only have a foretaste of what heaven is like but we can clearly see God in all the things that he has created especially our neighbor. It is also by the power of the Holy Spirit who will impel us to know God and enter into a deeper relationship with Him.
FAITH WILL GET YOU TO HEAVEN
DEC. 3, 2012: FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT
1st Reading: Isa 2:1-5
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 122:1-9 “Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: MATT 8:5-11
Key Verse: “I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.” (v.10)
The faith of the Jews in God is something that cannot be doubted because their lives are governed by a set of rules which they believed were decreed by God and were passed on to them by their religious leaders beginning from Moses who put all these laws into the Torah.
But for a foreigner and a Gentile to be virtuous was something that will come as a surprise especially for a man of authority such as the Roman Centurion in this Gospel passage that even Jesus was amazed for he had never seen anyone in Israel with the kind of character that the Centurion showed.
What aroused the interest of Jesus was the humility, compassion and faith of the Centurion that was quite exceptional for a man of his stature because a Roman Centurion was actually a man of great resolve for he belongs to an elite group that served as the backbone of the Roman army.
A Roman legion normally consists of 6,000 men and this was divided into 60 centuries, each counting 100 men and in command of each century was a Centurion. They were well trained and they were held responsible for the discipline of their men as the morale of the Roman army depended on them. Centurions show great courage in action and were reliable. They do not rush into a fight but when pressed, they are ready to hold their ground and die on their posts. The Centurions were the finest specimens in the Roman army.
It is probably in this regard that Centurions were mentioned in the Scriptures with honor and respect. We remember the Centurion who recognized Jesus on the cross as the Son of God. We also have been introduced to Cornelius who was the first Gentile who converted to the Christian Church. And there was the Centurion who, after learning that Paul was a Roman citizen, helped and rescued him.
Another Centurion saved Paul from the Jews on his journey between Jerusalem and Caesarea. And there was the Centurion who treated Paul with courtesy on their way to Rome and who deferred to Paul’s guidance when a storm struck the ship they were on board.
For a man of great courage and authority, this Centurion went to Jesus in all humility. Aware of his situation as a Gentile who was discriminated by the Jews, this Centurion humbled himself and asked Jesus for help.
What caught the attention of Jesus was the attitude of the Centurion towards his servant who probably was a slave but the Centurion was concerned that his servant was paralyzed and in terrible suffering. This attitude was the reverse of the normal practice in those days between a master and a slave.
In fact, slaves in those days have no legal rights and were regarded as inconsequential. But this Centurion was different because he showed compassion for his servant and this love which covers a multitude of sins was probably the one thing that moved Jesus to say: “I will go and heal him.” (v.7)
Again the Centurion showed he was a man of great faith. Knowing that the Mishnah (a book of instruction from which parts of the Talmud were based) prevent Jews from coming to the house of a Gentile that is deemed unclean, the Centurion simply said: “But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.” (v.8)
At which Jesus said: “I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.” (v.10) And here Jesus used an imagery of which Jews were quite familiar – the picture of a great banquet when the Messiah will come. The Jews looked forward to this event but Jesus also said that while many will come to the banquet from the east and the west, many too would be thrown out into the outer darkness.
What Jesus meant was that being a Jew doesn’t give them a mandatory invitation to the great banquet unless they have faith. In the same way, belonging to a Church, Community, Ministry or Apostolate doesn’t assure us of eternal salvation. While the Jews believed that he belongs to the chosen race, Jesus preached that the only way to the Kingdom of God is by way of faith.
In this Season of Advent, we as Christian disciples are being asked to look at our own lives. Perhaps we should begin to ask ourselves the question as to whether we have the same degree of humility to suffer ridicule in the practice of our faith. Do we feel genuine compassion for the lowly and the marginalized and not propelled by personal motives other than an authentic desire to help the poor? And when pressed, do we have the courage and boldness to come to Jesus with extraordinary faith as that of the Roman Centurion?
There is also no such thing as blind faith and in this season of preparation for the coming of Jesus, it would do us good to ask if we have been relying too much on our own competence or are we aware of our strength and weaknesses? Do we respond to people in terms of facts, or are we sensitive to the feelings of others as well as our own? Do we meet and work with people on their terms or do we demand that people come to us and play by our rules or condition? Are we enamored by positions of being in charge, or do we submit to authority? In whom and in what do we place our faith?
This Advent Season, Our Lord Jesus Christ wants us to seek him and the coming of his kingdom because only those with extraordinary faith in him will be invited to the great feast. This is the reward that awaits those who will put their trust in Jesus. We can all probably emulate the kind of faith the Roman Centurion had because at the end of the day when he comes, Jesus will unite all things to himself Jew and Gentile alike (Eph 1:10).
In this Year of Faith, we can close the gap in our relationship with God by coming to an understanding of what faith is. Faith is a gift of God since the power to believe can only be attainted through the Grace of God. Paul reminds us that: “By Grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is a gift of God.” (Eph 2:8) Thus, we all need to deepen our faith because it is a requisite to eternal salvation.
Faith is like the root of the tree, without which it cannot exist. It is also the first step on the road to the Kingdom of God, it is the key which opens the treasure house of all the virtues. But faith alone is not sufficient for salvation. It must be a living faith which means we must add to it good works and we must be prepared to confess it openly.
Just like the Centurion who showed he has compassion for his servant, a living faith is one that produces works pleasing to God. In this Advent Season, God expects us to approach Jesus with such great faith emboldened by the expectation that he will grant us his mercy and Grace.
1st Reading: Isa 2:1-5
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 122:1-9 “Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: MATT 8:5-11
Key Verse: “I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.” (v.10)
The faith of the Jews in God is something that cannot be doubted because their lives are governed by a set of rules which they believed were decreed by God and were passed on to them by their religious leaders beginning from Moses who put all these laws into the Torah.
But for a foreigner and a Gentile to be virtuous was something that will come as a surprise especially for a man of authority such as the Roman Centurion in this Gospel passage that even Jesus was amazed for he had never seen anyone in Israel with the kind of character that the Centurion showed.
What aroused the interest of Jesus was the humility, compassion and faith of the Centurion that was quite exceptional for a man of his stature because a Roman Centurion was actually a man of great resolve for he belongs to an elite group that served as the backbone of the Roman army.
A Roman legion normally consists of 6,000 men and this was divided into 60 centuries, each counting 100 men and in command of each century was a Centurion. They were well trained and they were held responsible for the discipline of their men as the morale of the Roman army depended on them. Centurions show great courage in action and were reliable. They do not rush into a fight but when pressed, they are ready to hold their ground and die on their posts. The Centurions were the finest specimens in the Roman army.
It is probably in this regard that Centurions were mentioned in the Scriptures with honor and respect. We remember the Centurion who recognized Jesus on the cross as the Son of God. We also have been introduced to Cornelius who was the first Gentile who converted to the Christian Church. And there was the Centurion who, after learning that Paul was a Roman citizen, helped and rescued him.
Another Centurion saved Paul from the Jews on his journey between Jerusalem and Caesarea. And there was the Centurion who treated Paul with courtesy on their way to Rome and who deferred to Paul’s guidance when a storm struck the ship they were on board.
For a man of great courage and authority, this Centurion went to Jesus in all humility. Aware of his situation as a Gentile who was discriminated by the Jews, this Centurion humbled himself and asked Jesus for help.
What caught the attention of Jesus was the attitude of the Centurion towards his servant who probably was a slave but the Centurion was concerned that his servant was paralyzed and in terrible suffering. This attitude was the reverse of the normal practice in those days between a master and a slave.
In fact, slaves in those days have no legal rights and were regarded as inconsequential. But this Centurion was different because he showed compassion for his servant and this love which covers a multitude of sins was probably the one thing that moved Jesus to say: “I will go and heal him.” (v.7)
Again the Centurion showed he was a man of great faith. Knowing that the Mishnah (a book of instruction from which parts of the Talmud were based) prevent Jews from coming to the house of a Gentile that is deemed unclean, the Centurion simply said: “But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.” (v.8)
At which Jesus said: “I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.” (v.10) And here Jesus used an imagery of which Jews were quite familiar – the picture of a great banquet when the Messiah will come. The Jews looked forward to this event but Jesus also said that while many will come to the banquet from the east and the west, many too would be thrown out into the outer darkness.
What Jesus meant was that being a Jew doesn’t give them a mandatory invitation to the great banquet unless they have faith. In the same way, belonging to a Church, Community, Ministry or Apostolate doesn’t assure us of eternal salvation. While the Jews believed that he belongs to the chosen race, Jesus preached that the only way to the Kingdom of God is by way of faith.
In this Season of Advent, we as Christian disciples are being asked to look at our own lives. Perhaps we should begin to ask ourselves the question as to whether we have the same degree of humility to suffer ridicule in the practice of our faith. Do we feel genuine compassion for the lowly and the marginalized and not propelled by personal motives other than an authentic desire to help the poor? And when pressed, do we have the courage and boldness to come to Jesus with extraordinary faith as that of the Roman Centurion?
There is also no such thing as blind faith and in this season of preparation for the coming of Jesus, it would do us good to ask if we have been relying too much on our own competence or are we aware of our strength and weaknesses? Do we respond to people in terms of facts, or are we sensitive to the feelings of others as well as our own? Do we meet and work with people on their terms or do we demand that people come to us and play by our rules or condition? Are we enamored by positions of being in charge, or do we submit to authority? In whom and in what do we place our faith?
This Advent Season, Our Lord Jesus Christ wants us to seek him and the coming of his kingdom because only those with extraordinary faith in him will be invited to the great feast. This is the reward that awaits those who will put their trust in Jesus. We can all probably emulate the kind of faith the Roman Centurion had because at the end of the day when he comes, Jesus will unite all things to himself Jew and Gentile alike (Eph 1:10).
In this Year of Faith, we can close the gap in our relationship with God by coming to an understanding of what faith is. Faith is a gift of God since the power to believe can only be attainted through the Grace of God. Paul reminds us that: “By Grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is a gift of God.” (Eph 2:8) Thus, we all need to deepen our faith because it is a requisite to eternal salvation.
Faith is like the root of the tree, without which it cannot exist. It is also the first step on the road to the Kingdom of God, it is the key which opens the treasure house of all the virtues. But faith alone is not sufficient for salvation. It must be a living faith which means we must add to it good works and we must be prepared to confess it openly.
Just like the Centurion who showed he has compassion for his servant, a living faith is one that produces works pleasing to God. In this Advent Season, God expects us to approach Jesus with such great faith emboldened by the expectation that he will grant us his mercy and Grace.
LIVE PRAY LOVE
DEC. 2, 2012: FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT (Violet)
1st Reading: Jer 33:14-16
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 25:4-5, 8-10, 14 “To you O, Lord, I lift my soul.”
2nd Reading: 1 Thes 3:12-4:2
GOSPEL: Lk 21:25-28, 34-36
Key Verse: “Be always on the watch,” (v.36)
There are many churches in the world today that celebrate special seasons in their liturgical calendar to mark the foundation of their faith. One of these is the Advent Season that we celebrate to symbolize our calling in union with the patriarchs of the Old Testament as we await the coming of the Redeemer or the Messiah.
The first Sunday of Advent which we are celebrating today (Dec. 2, 2012) also marks the beginning of the ecclesiastical year and which will be followed by three principal feasts – Christmas when the birth of Christ is celebrated; Easter which pertains to His resurrection; and Pentecost when the coming of the Holy Spirit is commemorated.
In effect, the ecclesiastical year brings to fore the glory of the Trinity that is founded on the love of the Father who sent His only begotten Son into the world, the incomparable love of Jesus who died as a ransom for us and, the unending love of the Holy Spirit who descended from heaven to live and abide in us.
The four weeks of Advent represent the four thousand years that the Jews spent in waiting for the promised Messiah. Within the season is incorporated the Feast of the Immaculate Conception because it was when Jesus was born that the Sun of Justice rose upon the world that illumined the darkness of sin and, Mary whom God chose to be the bearer of the light for the world was likened by the church into an aurora that heralded the coming day (Cant vi.9).
The church also celebrates the Advent season to remind us that we belong to what is referred to as a pilgrim church which means that we are in a journey towards our final destination our true home where we will live in the company of angels and all the saints who have been obedient to God’s Will. To get there, we await with joyful hope the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ at the end of the age.
Like the multitude we probably will ask when will Our Lord Jesus Christ come again? No one knows but the Father in heaven. What is certain though is the fact that we are living in the end times which is actually the close of this present age.
Based on the teachings of the church, the end times will begin with the first coming of Jesus Christ (his Incarnation which we celebrate at Christmas and Epiphany) and will culminate when he finally returns on the Day of Judgment.
And Jesus warns us in this Gospel reading that his coming will be preceded by signs and that those who will be able to stand before the Son of Man (v.36) are those who will see and read the signs, mend their ways, repent of their sins and turn back to God. In effect, we must all know how to read the signs of the times. Most importantly is we must be humble enough to take heed of the signs when we see and feel them.
So this Season of Advent provides us with the opportunity to prepare for the coming of Our Lord and Master even if we do not know the day or the hour.
What most people may not be aware of, however, is that the Advent Season has two dimensions. While we do await with great expectation the first coming of Jesus Christ, Advent is also a period of waiting for his second coming. The Catechism of the Catholic Church 524 says: “When the Church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year, she makes present this ancient expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing in the long preparation of the Savior’s first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for his second coming. (Rev 22:17) By celebrating the precursor’s birth and martyrdom, the Church unites herself to his desire: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (Jn 3:30)
And in this period of preparation, we the lay faithful are asked to intensify our prayer life and to fast as we wait for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. For emphasis let me paraphrase the title of a move to Live, Pray, Love. In this period of anticipation, these are the three conditions that we should find ourselves in while waiting for the coming of our Savior. We must live to pray and we pray to love. The fact that the Church strongly urges us to fast and pray also turns the Advent Season into a “semi-lenten” season.
In the Gospel passage today, Jesus told a story that the Jews are familiar with because they are familiar with the prophesy on the coming of the Messiah and all through those 4,000 years they have been looking for a sign of his coming.
Unfortunately, when he did come to fulfill the Father’s Will Jesus made sure that the people will see the signs – the healing of the paralytic and the lepers, the blind man who was able to see, the raising back to life of boy and the daughter of the synagogue official, the feeding of the 5,000 and many more – but the people rejected him and even ascribed these manifestations to the evil one.
Worst, they missed the most important sign and reason for his coming as the Messiah they have been waiting for. His death on the cross which was the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world and his triumphant victory over death and Satan when he rose on the third day was the sign and yet even today there remain many skeptics who continue to doubt the greatest event in the history of mankind.
The fact that Jesus said that we do not know the day or the hour of his second coming means that we must stay alert by praying, reading the Word of God and live by its instructions, doing spiritual and corporal works of mercy, alms-giving, going to Mass as frequently as possible if not on a daily basis, hearing confession and receiving the Holy Eucharist often.
Our marching orders as disciples of Christ is to believe and obey the Gospel and watch for the greatest event that is to come – the coming of our Savior and his return when he comes again in glory at the end of age. Because we do not know the day or the hour, Our Lord wants us to prepare and watch because those who will have enough oil in their lamps when he comes will be rewarded.
The Lord not only wants us to remain vigilant but he wants us to have an active prayer life and we can begin today as we celebrate the First Sunday of Advent. When we can pray with utmost sincerity this verse from the Lord’s Prayer: “Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be Done on Earth as it is in Heaven” (Matt 6:10) it means that we are prepared and more than ready to subordinate our own human will to his Holy Will. Then and only then will we be ready to stand before the Son of Man when he comes.
1st Reading: Jer 33:14-16
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 25:4-5, 8-10, 14 “To you O, Lord, I lift my soul.”
2nd Reading: 1 Thes 3:12-4:2
GOSPEL: Lk 21:25-28, 34-36
Key Verse: “Be always on the watch,” (v.36)
There are many churches in the world today that celebrate special seasons in their liturgical calendar to mark the foundation of their faith. One of these is the Advent Season that we celebrate to symbolize our calling in union with the patriarchs of the Old Testament as we await the coming of the Redeemer or the Messiah.
The first Sunday of Advent which we are celebrating today (Dec. 2, 2012) also marks the beginning of the ecclesiastical year and which will be followed by three principal feasts – Christmas when the birth of Christ is celebrated; Easter which pertains to His resurrection; and Pentecost when the coming of the Holy Spirit is commemorated.
In effect, the ecclesiastical year brings to fore the glory of the Trinity that is founded on the love of the Father who sent His only begotten Son into the world, the incomparable love of Jesus who died as a ransom for us and, the unending love of the Holy Spirit who descended from heaven to live and abide in us.
The four weeks of Advent represent the four thousand years that the Jews spent in waiting for the promised Messiah. Within the season is incorporated the Feast of the Immaculate Conception because it was when Jesus was born that the Sun of Justice rose upon the world that illumined the darkness of sin and, Mary whom God chose to be the bearer of the light for the world was likened by the church into an aurora that heralded the coming day (Cant vi.9).
The church also celebrates the Advent season to remind us that we belong to what is referred to as a pilgrim church which means that we are in a journey towards our final destination our true home where we will live in the company of angels and all the saints who have been obedient to God’s Will. To get there, we await with joyful hope the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ at the end of the age.
Like the multitude we probably will ask when will Our Lord Jesus Christ come again? No one knows but the Father in heaven. What is certain though is the fact that we are living in the end times which is actually the close of this present age.
Based on the teachings of the church, the end times will begin with the first coming of Jesus Christ (his Incarnation which we celebrate at Christmas and Epiphany) and will culminate when he finally returns on the Day of Judgment.
And Jesus warns us in this Gospel reading that his coming will be preceded by signs and that those who will be able to stand before the Son of Man (v.36) are those who will see and read the signs, mend their ways, repent of their sins and turn back to God. In effect, we must all know how to read the signs of the times. Most importantly is we must be humble enough to take heed of the signs when we see and feel them.
So this Season of Advent provides us with the opportunity to prepare for the coming of Our Lord and Master even if we do not know the day or the hour.
What most people may not be aware of, however, is that the Advent Season has two dimensions. While we do await with great expectation the first coming of Jesus Christ, Advent is also a period of waiting for his second coming. The Catechism of the Catholic Church 524 says: “When the Church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year, she makes present this ancient expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing in the long preparation of the Savior’s first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for his second coming. (Rev 22:17) By celebrating the precursor’s birth and martyrdom, the Church unites herself to his desire: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (Jn 3:30)
And in this period of preparation, we the lay faithful are asked to intensify our prayer life and to fast as we wait for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. For emphasis let me paraphrase the title of a move to Live, Pray, Love. In this period of anticipation, these are the three conditions that we should find ourselves in while waiting for the coming of our Savior. We must live to pray and we pray to love. The fact that the Church strongly urges us to fast and pray also turns the Advent Season into a “semi-lenten” season.
In the Gospel passage today, Jesus told a story that the Jews are familiar with because they are familiar with the prophesy on the coming of the Messiah and all through those 4,000 years they have been looking for a sign of his coming.
Unfortunately, when he did come to fulfill the Father’s Will Jesus made sure that the people will see the signs – the healing of the paralytic and the lepers, the blind man who was able to see, the raising back to life of boy and the daughter of the synagogue official, the feeding of the 5,000 and many more – but the people rejected him and even ascribed these manifestations to the evil one.
Worst, they missed the most important sign and reason for his coming as the Messiah they have been waiting for. His death on the cross which was the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world and his triumphant victory over death and Satan when he rose on the third day was the sign and yet even today there remain many skeptics who continue to doubt the greatest event in the history of mankind.
The fact that Jesus said that we do not know the day or the hour of his second coming means that we must stay alert by praying, reading the Word of God and live by its instructions, doing spiritual and corporal works of mercy, alms-giving, going to Mass as frequently as possible if not on a daily basis, hearing confession and receiving the Holy Eucharist often.
Our marching orders as disciples of Christ is to believe and obey the Gospel and watch for the greatest event that is to come – the coming of our Savior and his return when he comes again in glory at the end of age. Because we do not know the day or the hour, Our Lord wants us to prepare and watch because those who will have enough oil in their lamps when he comes will be rewarded.
The Lord not only wants us to remain vigilant but he wants us to have an active prayer life and we can begin today as we celebrate the First Sunday of Advent. When we can pray with utmost sincerity this verse from the Lord’s Prayer: “Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be Done on Earth as it is in Heaven” (Matt 6:10) it means that we are prepared and more than ready to subordinate our own human will to his Holy Will. Then and only then will we be ready to stand before the Son of Man when he comes.
PRAYER, WORKS OF MERCY: YOUR SURVIVAL KIT
Dec. 1, 2012: 34th WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Rev 22:1-7
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 95:1-7 “Maranatha come, Lord Jesus.”
GOSPEL: Lk 21:34-36
Key Verse: “Be always on the watch” (v.36)
As we come to the end of the liturgical season, it would be of immense spiritual benefit to us if we will take stock of not only how we lived our lives and where we now stand before the Lord Our God but also how to survive the day of judgment will close in unexpectedly like a trap (v.34).
Short this passage may be but it carries with it the centrality of the message contained in the Sacred Scriptures which God has designed to be a means for us to clearly understand that our salvation rests not only in knowing who God is but in having a relationship with God.
This is because God does not simply want that we be saved from sin (Rom 3:23), but he wants us to establish a real relationship with Him so that He might be able to restore us to the same image and likeness to which he originally created us to be but which became distorted when sin infected the world.
Today’s Gospel passage is actually a fitting reminder for us that we should not be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life (v.34) and should “be always on the watch, and pray that we may all be able to escape all that is about to happen,” (v.36).
But what was it that Jesus was talking about in this passage and if judgment day will come, how are we going to survive the tribulations that are to come and how can we stand before the Son of Man when he comes?
This brings us to how are we to prepare for this day of wrath that has been prophesied in the Scriptures? What is the first thing that we should prepare? Do we need a survival kit? If so, what should we include in the survival kit so that we will survive this day that will close on us unexpectedly (v.34).
Those who are familiar with and who regularly spend their weekends to climb mountains, trekking, or go hiking normally bring a survival kit in their backpacks. The survival kit would normally include the following: waterproof matches, compass, sterile surgical steel blade, signal mirror, pencil and paper, glass magnifier, about four meters of paracord, whistle, mini hacksaw, snare wire, nylon, needle, safety pins, duct tape, jungle-training cards which could be optional, dynamo-powered flashlight, among others.
These are just samples of what go into a survival kit but what about the survival kit we will need on our way to the Kingdom of God. What do we need to put in so that we will survive when judgment day come. We begin by realizing that in this life, we need to know only two things.
One is that God brought us into this world so that we may help establish, sustain, maintain and strengthen his kingdom here on earth and to do this he laid out a plan for us – “I have come that you may have life, life to the full.” (Jn 10:10) This is God’s plan. That through him we will have the capacity to live abundant lives, meaning a life in which the fruits of the Holy Spirit are visible.
The other thing we need to be aware of is that in this life, we can be distracted and weighed down by a lot of things that will keep our minds away from the purpose for which we have all been created (v.34). Without us knowing it, we can become a slave to the seven deadly sins or what I call the PEG’S LAW that will separate us from the love of God – pride, envy, gluttony, sloth or laziness, lust, avarice and wrath.
As we bring to a close the liturgical readings in the Ordinary Time it would help if we do a recollection of the readings we read and reflected upon because Jesus himself had warned us of the dangers of being inattentive to the Word of God. With the use of parables, Jesus warned us of the need to have enough oil (good deeds) in our lamps (heart) so that the doors of the Kingdom of God will not be shut when the bridegroom comes.
He also advised us to turn our hearts into a fertile soil to allow the Word of God to grow. He also gave us enough time to rend our garments in time for the wedding feast. He taught us everything we need to know and we should have taken all these to heart by now.
Jesus warned us of the temptation to doze off spiritually, to fall asleep spiritually in the way death is described by the Jews (the Jews at times equate death with falling asleep), to be caught up in a maze of anxiety and concerns of daily living, to get fixated on the accumulation of wealth, possessions and even positions, to be enamored by self-exaltation, to be weighed down with dissipation and, drunkenness.
Indeed, there are so many things that can build a wall between us and the Kingdom of God and we may not even be aware of it. Worst is when we equate these worldly distractions as part of God’s plan in our lives and believe that it is. As pride is the opposite of humility, it can become the avenue through which all other sinful tendencies can come in.
I remember hearing one time when a former elder of a Christian community I went to said “this community will not survive without me” and it really kept me wondering as I thought isn’t God who should be at the core of every church and or community hereabouts.
But God knows our weaknesses. He knows where we have fallen short in our spiritual lives. He knows what areas in our lives are we struggling in. And he will come to our rescue and give us the support we need to overcome temptation and the strength to resist all occasions of sin but this will largely depend on how pliant we are to his promptings.
As Christians, we should live our lives in lively expectation of the good things that are yet to come and if there is one thing that Our Lord cannot and will not tolerate it is the sin of indifference or an uncaring attitude especially when it comes to listening to the Word of God.
This was what he warned his disciples of when he walked this earth and it cannot be said that he did not warn the people of the Day of the Lord when judgment will come and to those who listened he called to stand on his right and those who were indifferent he made them stand on his left.
This passage reminds us that we need to be “always on the watch, and pray” (v.36) avail of the Sacrament of Confession, regularly receive the Holy Eucharist, and perform both the Spiritual and Corporal works of mercy. These are not an air-tight assurance that we will be saved but it will greatly help us escape all that is about to happen and that will allow us to stand before the Son of Man.
The Spiritual Works of Mercy are charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our neighbor in spiritual necessities (CCC #2447), those being focused on getting a soul to Heaven. The seven Spiritual Works of Mercy are: Admonish the sinner; Instruct the ignorant; Counsel the doubtful; Comfort the sorrowful; Bear wrongs patiently; Forgive all injuries; Pray for the living and the dead.
The Corporal Works of Mercy, on the other hand, are charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our neighbor in bodily necessities (CCC #2447). The Corporal Works of Mercy are: Feed the hungry; Give drink to the thirsty; Clothe the naked; Visit the imprisoned; Shelter the homeless; Visit the sick; Bury the dead.
Prayer, Confession, Holy Eucharist, the Seven Spiritual Works of Mercy and, the Corporal Works of Mercy are what we should put into our survival kit. These will help us survive when that day will close on us unexpectedly and it will help us stand before the Son of God when that day comes (v.36).
1st Reading: Rev 22:1-7
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 95:1-7 “Maranatha come, Lord Jesus.”
GOSPEL: Lk 21:34-36
Key Verse: “Be always on the watch” (v.36)
As we come to the end of the liturgical season, it would be of immense spiritual benefit to us if we will take stock of not only how we lived our lives and where we now stand before the Lord Our God but also how to survive the day of judgment will close in unexpectedly like a trap (v.34).
Short this passage may be but it carries with it the centrality of the message contained in the Sacred Scriptures which God has designed to be a means for us to clearly understand that our salvation rests not only in knowing who God is but in having a relationship with God.
This is because God does not simply want that we be saved from sin (Rom 3:23), but he wants us to establish a real relationship with Him so that He might be able to restore us to the same image and likeness to which he originally created us to be but which became distorted when sin infected the world.
Today’s Gospel passage is actually a fitting reminder for us that we should not be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life (v.34) and should “be always on the watch, and pray that we may all be able to escape all that is about to happen,” (v.36).
But what was it that Jesus was talking about in this passage and if judgment day will come, how are we going to survive the tribulations that are to come and how can we stand before the Son of Man when he comes?
This brings us to how are we to prepare for this day of wrath that has been prophesied in the Scriptures? What is the first thing that we should prepare? Do we need a survival kit? If so, what should we include in the survival kit so that we will survive this day that will close on us unexpectedly (v.34).
Those who are familiar with and who regularly spend their weekends to climb mountains, trekking, or go hiking normally bring a survival kit in their backpacks. The survival kit would normally include the following: waterproof matches, compass, sterile surgical steel blade, signal mirror, pencil and paper, glass magnifier, about four meters of paracord, whistle, mini hacksaw, snare wire, nylon, needle, safety pins, duct tape, jungle-training cards which could be optional, dynamo-powered flashlight, among others.
These are just samples of what go into a survival kit but what about the survival kit we will need on our way to the Kingdom of God. What do we need to put in so that we will survive when judgment day come. We begin by realizing that in this life, we need to know only two things.
One is that God brought us into this world so that we may help establish, sustain, maintain and strengthen his kingdom here on earth and to do this he laid out a plan for us – “I have come that you may have life, life to the full.” (Jn 10:10) This is God’s plan. That through him we will have the capacity to live abundant lives, meaning a life in which the fruits of the Holy Spirit are visible.
The other thing we need to be aware of is that in this life, we can be distracted and weighed down by a lot of things that will keep our minds away from the purpose for which we have all been created (v.34). Without us knowing it, we can become a slave to the seven deadly sins or what I call the PEG’S LAW that will separate us from the love of God – pride, envy, gluttony, sloth or laziness, lust, avarice and wrath.
As we bring to a close the liturgical readings in the Ordinary Time it would help if we do a recollection of the readings we read and reflected upon because Jesus himself had warned us of the dangers of being inattentive to the Word of God. With the use of parables, Jesus warned us of the need to have enough oil (good deeds) in our lamps (heart) so that the doors of the Kingdom of God will not be shut when the bridegroom comes.
He also advised us to turn our hearts into a fertile soil to allow the Word of God to grow. He also gave us enough time to rend our garments in time for the wedding feast. He taught us everything we need to know and we should have taken all these to heart by now.
Jesus warned us of the temptation to doze off spiritually, to fall asleep spiritually in the way death is described by the Jews (the Jews at times equate death with falling asleep), to be caught up in a maze of anxiety and concerns of daily living, to get fixated on the accumulation of wealth, possessions and even positions, to be enamored by self-exaltation, to be weighed down with dissipation and, drunkenness.
Indeed, there are so many things that can build a wall between us and the Kingdom of God and we may not even be aware of it. Worst is when we equate these worldly distractions as part of God’s plan in our lives and believe that it is. As pride is the opposite of humility, it can become the avenue through which all other sinful tendencies can come in.
I remember hearing one time when a former elder of a Christian community I went to said “this community will not survive without me” and it really kept me wondering as I thought isn’t God who should be at the core of every church and or community hereabouts.
But God knows our weaknesses. He knows where we have fallen short in our spiritual lives. He knows what areas in our lives are we struggling in. And he will come to our rescue and give us the support we need to overcome temptation and the strength to resist all occasions of sin but this will largely depend on how pliant we are to his promptings.
As Christians, we should live our lives in lively expectation of the good things that are yet to come and if there is one thing that Our Lord cannot and will not tolerate it is the sin of indifference or an uncaring attitude especially when it comes to listening to the Word of God.
This was what he warned his disciples of when he walked this earth and it cannot be said that he did not warn the people of the Day of the Lord when judgment will come and to those who listened he called to stand on his right and those who were indifferent he made them stand on his left.
This passage reminds us that we need to be “always on the watch, and pray” (v.36) avail of the Sacrament of Confession, regularly receive the Holy Eucharist, and perform both the Spiritual and Corporal works of mercy. These are not an air-tight assurance that we will be saved but it will greatly help us escape all that is about to happen and that will allow us to stand before the Son of Man.
The Spiritual Works of Mercy are charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our neighbor in spiritual necessities (CCC #2447), those being focused on getting a soul to Heaven. The seven Spiritual Works of Mercy are: Admonish the sinner; Instruct the ignorant; Counsel the doubtful; Comfort the sorrowful; Bear wrongs patiently; Forgive all injuries; Pray for the living and the dead.
The Corporal Works of Mercy, on the other hand, are charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our neighbor in bodily necessities (CCC #2447). The Corporal Works of Mercy are: Feed the hungry; Give drink to the thirsty; Clothe the naked; Visit the imprisoned; Shelter the homeless; Visit the sick; Bury the dead.
Prayer, Confession, Holy Eucharist, the Seven Spiritual Works of Mercy and, the Corporal Works of Mercy are what we should put into our survival kit. These will help us survive when that day will close on us unexpectedly and it will help us stand before the Son of God when that day comes (v.36).
LEAP OF FAITH
PETER, ANDREW, JAMES AND JOHN LEFT EVERYTHING TO FOLLOW JESUS
NOV. 30, 2012: FEAST OF ST. ANDREW, Apostle (Red)
1st Reading: Rom 10:9-18
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 19:8-11 “The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.”
GOSPEL: Matt 4:18-22
Key Verse: “Immediately they left their boat
and their father and followed him.” (v.22)
Supposing our nation’s security has been compromised and you are now being invaded by enemy forces and all alert levels have been raised and you suddenly found yourself being called to serve and defend the motherland, what will you do? Since a call requires a response how would you respond under such circumstances?
Even for the adventurous, stepping into an uncharted territory is something that we probably won’t jump in readily. For most of us, we definitely want to avoid surprises and at the very least we probably would ask the one who is calling us to follow him to know where we are going.
But this was not the case with the first disciples who would later on become the Apostles who will help establish the Church that has conquered the world. And today we remember St. Andrew who together with his brother Peter, James and John formed the core of the first disciples of Jesus. The scene in this passage was the Sea of Galilee which was actually not a sea but more of a lake.
In the time of Jesus, the shoreline of the Sea of Galilee was a beehive of activity and Jesus probably thought that this was the best place to go and recruit disciples. As he walked by the lakeside, Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James and John. It was not like it was their first time to see Jesus since most of them have already heard of him through John the Baptist (Jn 1:35).
But this time the first four disciples that includes Andrew took a leap of faith and stepped into the unknown when “they immediately left their boat and their father and followed him” (v.22). Even the Scriptures itself has no explanation for this extraordinary behavior. As Jews, it was unexpected for Peter, Andrew, James and John would just leave a profitable business and enter a world what was uncertain but they did.
The only plausible explanation probably was that the first four disciples must have been titillated by the prospect of doing something else. They probably have been fishing for a long time since they were young and the lure of “fishing for men” (v.19) was something that they could not pass up.
Peter, Andrew, James and John were not scholars nor did they have influence or wealth. They were not fishing magnates but they were no poor either. They were just simple fishermen living along the Sea of Galilee with no other future except to fish the sea because fishing was the only thing they knew. But it was probably this character they have which Jesus saw that he could use for the ministry that he will establish.
They may not have the titles and positions to their names, but these early disciples were endowed with the patience to wait for the fish to take the bait. In the same way, we need to exercise patience when we bring the Good News to others especially the raw unbelieving and doubting minds. They were persevering and they have the character to endure hardships in fishing and Jesus also expects us to be like them and know how to endure the difficulties in the mission fields but persevering because of the joy in serving God.
The first disciples were equipped with the courage to take risks even in the face of storms that are usual in the Sea of Galilee. They can grasp the truth when it comes at the right time. As fishermen, they knew how to use different types of bait for different types of fish. With the formation that we have received as disciples, we too must know how to adopt different means of bringing the Gospel to others and also adapt to situations and conditions that would bring the best results especially in the pursuit of the New Evangelization in this Year of Faith.
Fishermen know how to keep still and keep themselves out of sight because the fish normally will not bite when it sees even the shadow of the fisherman. This simply means that as evangelizers we are to keep ourselves out of sight but lead others to Jesus Christ. It means that we are to present Christ and not ourselves to others.
They may be uneducated, unscholarly, ordinary people with no political influence whatsoever but Jesus chose them because he saw in them something that he can transform and use. And so it is with us when Jesus found us and brought us to the renewal because he saw something in us that he can make use of.
Today, the same call of Jesus still reverberates in our midst but for us to catch men we need to allow the light of Jesus to shine through us. This light should illumine the way we live, speak and witness to the joy of the Gospel. What this means is that Jesus can only use us if we place our lives in his hands.
The Baptism in the Holy Spirit which is at the heart of the renewal movement should lead us and give us the courage to experience death on the cross because it is only in dying that we can be resurrected to a new life. Jesus did not merely called Peter, Andrew, James and John to just follow him but he also called them to a life of discipleship.
In the same way, Jesus also did not just call us to watch from the sidelines but he called us to the renewal to involve us in his mission to catch men and bring them to become partakers of the Kingdom of God.
As with the early disciples we too are required to (a) follow him, (b) spend time with him through our faithful reading, study, sharing and living the Word of God in our lives, and (c) carry on his work. Thus, to be a disciple is to yield our lives to Jesus and give him the authority to do with us as he wills so that we could become the new Christ to the world around us.
There’s a story about Socrates who one time was approached by an ordinary man called Aeschines who told Socrates “I am a poor man, I have nothing else but I give you myself.” Socrates told Aeschines “do you not see that you are giving me the most precious thing of all?”
This is actually the only thing that Jesus desires and nothing else. He wants us to follow him and serve him without pretense or ambition. He wants us to leave everything behind us in the way Peter, Andrew, James and John left their boat and their father and followed him. This is our calling because our citizenship after all is in heaven (Phi 3:20).
1st Reading: Rom 10:9-18
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 19:8-11 “The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.”
GOSPEL: Matt 4:18-22
Key Verse: “Immediately they left their boat
and their father and followed him.” (v.22)
Supposing our nation’s security has been compromised and you are now being invaded by enemy forces and all alert levels have been raised and you suddenly found yourself being called to serve and defend the motherland, what will you do? Since a call requires a response how would you respond under such circumstances?
Even for the adventurous, stepping into an uncharted territory is something that we probably won’t jump in readily. For most of us, we definitely want to avoid surprises and at the very least we probably would ask the one who is calling us to follow him to know where we are going.
But this was not the case with the first disciples who would later on become the Apostles who will help establish the Church that has conquered the world. And today we remember St. Andrew who together with his brother Peter, James and John formed the core of the first disciples of Jesus. The scene in this passage was the Sea of Galilee which was actually not a sea but more of a lake.
In the time of Jesus, the shoreline of the Sea of Galilee was a beehive of activity and Jesus probably thought that this was the best place to go and recruit disciples. As he walked by the lakeside, Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James and John. It was not like it was their first time to see Jesus since most of them have already heard of him through John the Baptist (Jn 1:35).
But this time the first four disciples that includes Andrew took a leap of faith and stepped into the unknown when “they immediately left their boat and their father and followed him” (v.22). Even the Scriptures itself has no explanation for this extraordinary behavior. As Jews, it was unexpected for Peter, Andrew, James and John would just leave a profitable business and enter a world what was uncertain but they did.
The only plausible explanation probably was that the first four disciples must have been titillated by the prospect of doing something else. They probably have been fishing for a long time since they were young and the lure of “fishing for men” (v.19) was something that they could not pass up.
Peter, Andrew, James and John were not scholars nor did they have influence or wealth. They were not fishing magnates but they were no poor either. They were just simple fishermen living along the Sea of Galilee with no other future except to fish the sea because fishing was the only thing they knew. But it was probably this character they have which Jesus saw that he could use for the ministry that he will establish.
They may not have the titles and positions to their names, but these early disciples were endowed with the patience to wait for the fish to take the bait. In the same way, we need to exercise patience when we bring the Good News to others especially the raw unbelieving and doubting minds. They were persevering and they have the character to endure hardships in fishing and Jesus also expects us to be like them and know how to endure the difficulties in the mission fields but persevering because of the joy in serving God.
The first disciples were equipped with the courage to take risks even in the face of storms that are usual in the Sea of Galilee. They can grasp the truth when it comes at the right time. As fishermen, they knew how to use different types of bait for different types of fish. With the formation that we have received as disciples, we too must know how to adopt different means of bringing the Gospel to others and also adapt to situations and conditions that would bring the best results especially in the pursuit of the New Evangelization in this Year of Faith.
Fishermen know how to keep still and keep themselves out of sight because the fish normally will not bite when it sees even the shadow of the fisherman. This simply means that as evangelizers we are to keep ourselves out of sight but lead others to Jesus Christ. It means that we are to present Christ and not ourselves to others.
They may be uneducated, unscholarly, ordinary people with no political influence whatsoever but Jesus chose them because he saw in them something that he can transform and use. And so it is with us when Jesus found us and brought us to the renewal because he saw something in us that he can make use of.
Today, the same call of Jesus still reverberates in our midst but for us to catch men we need to allow the light of Jesus to shine through us. This light should illumine the way we live, speak and witness to the joy of the Gospel. What this means is that Jesus can only use us if we place our lives in his hands.
The Baptism in the Holy Spirit which is at the heart of the renewal movement should lead us and give us the courage to experience death on the cross because it is only in dying that we can be resurrected to a new life. Jesus did not merely called Peter, Andrew, James and John to just follow him but he also called them to a life of discipleship.
In the same way, Jesus also did not just call us to watch from the sidelines but he called us to the renewal to involve us in his mission to catch men and bring them to become partakers of the Kingdom of God.
As with the early disciples we too are required to (a) follow him, (b) spend time with him through our faithful reading, study, sharing and living the Word of God in our lives, and (c) carry on his work. Thus, to be a disciple is to yield our lives to Jesus and give him the authority to do with us as he wills so that we could become the new Christ to the world around us.
There’s a story about Socrates who one time was approached by an ordinary man called Aeschines who told Socrates “I am a poor man, I have nothing else but I give you myself.” Socrates told Aeschines “do you not see that you are giving me the most precious thing of all?”
This is actually the only thing that Jesus desires and nothing else. He wants us to follow him and serve him without pretense or ambition. He wants us to leave everything behind us in the way Peter, Andrew, James and John left their boat and their father and followed him. This is our calling because our citizenship after all is in heaven (Phi 3:20).
TRIBULATIONS HERALDS SALVATION
TEMPLE OF JERUSALEM DESTROYED BY THE ROMANS IN 70 A.D.
NOV. 29, 2012: 34th WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Rev 18:1-2, 21-23; 19:1-3, 9
Resp Psalm: Psa 100:1-5 “Blessed are they who are called to the
wedding feast of the lamb.”
GOSPEL: Lk 21:20-28
Key Verse: “… for your salvation is near.” (v.28)
The holocaust during World War II may not exactly be the first event of such nature because the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus who lived between 37 A.D. to around 100 A.D. and who witnessed the growth of Christianity had written that about 1,100,000 people perished when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and 97,000 more were taken into captivity.
It would be interesting to know that as Christianity was beginning to take root in Jerusalem around 66 A.D. and many were being added to its ranks Josephus wrote that “the people of the church in Jerusalem had been commanded by a revelation given to approved men before its destruction, to leave the city and to dwell in a certain town of Perea called Pella.” As a result of the teachings of Jesus and the revelation they received, the Christian community left the city and was preserved.
But those who rejected the teachings of Jesus, who ignored the prophesy of Jesus and who remained in the city what they experienced was described in the annals of history as horrific. “For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that is written. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” (vv.22-24)
This prediction shocked his disciples and the people listening to him not that they know nothing of the prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem as this has already been foretold many years before the time of Jesus, but what they found revolting was the manner by which the Holy City will be destroyed by the enemies of Israel.
The way Jesus described the destruction of Jerusalem (vv. 23-24) must have sent chills down the spine of the Jews who were listening to him even if he warned there will be those in Judea and in the city who will survive if they will flee to the mountains (v.21).
The destruction of Jerusalem finally came in 70 A.D. when a Roman general named Titus razed the Holy City to the ground four years after he laid siege on Jerusalem and historians claim that up to more than 1,000,000 Jews perished. It was also said that the destruction of Jerusalem was brought about by the indifference of the Jews who rejected the “visitation” of the Lord and their refusal to heed God’s offer of Grace and salvation (Lk 19:44).
While there has been no attempt to establish a connection between God’s judgment on Jerusalem in 70 A.D. and the Holocaust that would happen more than 1,900 years after Jerusalem was destroyed the similarity is so striking that it leads us to think that this is the consequence if we remain indifferent to the gift of salvation being offered by God through Christ.
On January 30, 1933 or more than 1,900 years after Jerusalem was obliterated, a rising political leader in Germany named Adolf Hitler took over as Chancellor and soon after he launched a program known as the “Final Solution” which was aimed at annihilating the Jewish population from the countries invaded and controlled by Germany.
This infamous extermination of the Jews known as the Holocaust resulted in the death of 6,000,000 Jews. This figure represents about two-thirds of the Jews in Europe and 1/3 of the Jews around the world at the time. Of this figure, 1,500,000 were children and more would have lost their lives had not the war ended in 1945.
As with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. which was precipitated by the revolution of the Jews against the Roman empire, the extermination of the Jews over a period of 12 years (1933-1945) was a deliberate and systemic attempt to annihilate the entire Jewish population of Europe. The similarity also doesn’t end here. Thousands of Jews survived when they fled the Holy City before the Romans built a wall to encircle Jerusalem beginning in 66 A.D. A German named Oskar Schindler who had compassion for the Jews helped saved more than 2,500 Jews from imminent death by employing them as factory workers.
In both cases, the prophesy of Jesus became a reality when the Gentiles trampled upon Jerusalem (v.24). But the Israelites believe in their hearts that they are the chosen race and amidst the adversities they face, they remain hopeful of the coming of the Messiah as prophesied in the Scriptures when he will come in a cloud with power and great glory (v.27).
His coming will be marked by signs (v.25) of a terrifying scenario for those who will remain indifferent and or who will take for granted the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. But those who have enough oil for their lamps and those who are dressed in fine linen when they come to the wedding banquet, they are the ones who will stand like sheep on the right hand of God on judgment day.
As with the Jews who equate these terrible times with the coming of the Messiah, so we too must not be terrified by the trials and tribulations that happen in our lives. Instead, we should confidently await the coming of Christ to bring justice and restoration to his people.
Jesus told his disciples and he is telling us now what it would cost to follow him. The Saints and Martyrs who came before us experienced great suffering and torment but they remained confident in the saving presence of Christ who offers us comfort and security when we are faced with threats to destroy the Temple of the Holy Spirit that is within us.
This is also what happens to us when we commit sin. We can look at sin as the Gentiles whose preoccupation is to invade our souls and spirits which is our own Temple of Jerusalem. When we allow sin to take control of our lives, we are actually giving permission to Satan to trample on the Temple of the Holy Spirit.
As Christians we should not be complacent or settled. We must live life with great expectation. While Christ himself said that to follow him will not be easy and will entail much suffering, the Christian life nevertheless can become an exciting experience because of the assurance of Christ’s return to establish justice and righteousness and this will be preceded by signs of wonder and awe for those who will remain faithful to him but it will be terrifying for those who are unprepared. (vv.25-28)
As we enter into the Season of Advent, we must make full use of the eschatological passages in the Scriptures to prepare us for his coming so that when we are faced with persecution and suffering, we will be armed with the hope “to stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (v.28)
1st Reading: Rev 18:1-2, 21-23; 19:1-3, 9
Resp Psalm: Psa 100:1-5 “Blessed are they who are called to the
wedding feast of the lamb.”
GOSPEL: Lk 21:20-28
Key Verse: “… for your salvation is near.” (v.28)
The holocaust during World War II may not exactly be the first event of such nature because the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus who lived between 37 A.D. to around 100 A.D. and who witnessed the growth of Christianity had written that about 1,100,000 people perished when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and 97,000 more were taken into captivity.
It would be interesting to know that as Christianity was beginning to take root in Jerusalem around 66 A.D. and many were being added to its ranks Josephus wrote that “the people of the church in Jerusalem had been commanded by a revelation given to approved men before its destruction, to leave the city and to dwell in a certain town of Perea called Pella.” As a result of the teachings of Jesus and the revelation they received, the Christian community left the city and was preserved.
But those who rejected the teachings of Jesus, who ignored the prophesy of Jesus and who remained in the city what they experienced was described in the annals of history as horrific. “For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that is written. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” (vv.22-24)
This prediction shocked his disciples and the people listening to him not that they know nothing of the prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem as this has already been foretold many years before the time of Jesus, but what they found revolting was the manner by which the Holy City will be destroyed by the enemies of Israel.
The way Jesus described the destruction of Jerusalem (vv. 23-24) must have sent chills down the spine of the Jews who were listening to him even if he warned there will be those in Judea and in the city who will survive if they will flee to the mountains (v.21).
The destruction of Jerusalem finally came in 70 A.D. when a Roman general named Titus razed the Holy City to the ground four years after he laid siege on Jerusalem and historians claim that up to more than 1,000,000 Jews perished. It was also said that the destruction of Jerusalem was brought about by the indifference of the Jews who rejected the “visitation” of the Lord and their refusal to heed God’s offer of Grace and salvation (Lk 19:44).
While there has been no attempt to establish a connection between God’s judgment on Jerusalem in 70 A.D. and the Holocaust that would happen more than 1,900 years after Jerusalem was destroyed the similarity is so striking that it leads us to think that this is the consequence if we remain indifferent to the gift of salvation being offered by God through Christ.
On January 30, 1933 or more than 1,900 years after Jerusalem was obliterated, a rising political leader in Germany named Adolf Hitler took over as Chancellor and soon after he launched a program known as the “Final Solution” which was aimed at annihilating the Jewish population from the countries invaded and controlled by Germany.
This infamous extermination of the Jews known as the Holocaust resulted in the death of 6,000,000 Jews. This figure represents about two-thirds of the Jews in Europe and 1/3 of the Jews around the world at the time. Of this figure, 1,500,000 were children and more would have lost their lives had not the war ended in 1945.
As with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. which was precipitated by the revolution of the Jews against the Roman empire, the extermination of the Jews over a period of 12 years (1933-1945) was a deliberate and systemic attempt to annihilate the entire Jewish population of Europe. The similarity also doesn’t end here. Thousands of Jews survived when they fled the Holy City before the Romans built a wall to encircle Jerusalem beginning in 66 A.D. A German named Oskar Schindler who had compassion for the Jews helped saved more than 2,500 Jews from imminent death by employing them as factory workers.
In both cases, the prophesy of Jesus became a reality when the Gentiles trampled upon Jerusalem (v.24). But the Israelites believe in their hearts that they are the chosen race and amidst the adversities they face, they remain hopeful of the coming of the Messiah as prophesied in the Scriptures when he will come in a cloud with power and great glory (v.27).
His coming will be marked by signs (v.25) of a terrifying scenario for those who will remain indifferent and or who will take for granted the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. But those who have enough oil for their lamps and those who are dressed in fine linen when they come to the wedding banquet, they are the ones who will stand like sheep on the right hand of God on judgment day.
As with the Jews who equate these terrible times with the coming of the Messiah, so we too must not be terrified by the trials and tribulations that happen in our lives. Instead, we should confidently await the coming of Christ to bring justice and restoration to his people.
Jesus told his disciples and he is telling us now what it would cost to follow him. The Saints and Martyrs who came before us experienced great suffering and torment but they remained confident in the saving presence of Christ who offers us comfort and security when we are faced with threats to destroy the Temple of the Holy Spirit that is within us.
This is also what happens to us when we commit sin. We can look at sin as the Gentiles whose preoccupation is to invade our souls and spirits which is our own Temple of Jerusalem. When we allow sin to take control of our lives, we are actually giving permission to Satan to trample on the Temple of the Holy Spirit.
As Christians we should not be complacent or settled. We must live life with great expectation. While Christ himself said that to follow him will not be easy and will entail much suffering, the Christian life nevertheless can become an exciting experience because of the assurance of Christ’s return to establish justice and righteousness and this will be preceded by signs of wonder and awe for those who will remain faithful to him but it will be terrifying for those who are unprepared. (vv.25-28)
As we enter into the Season of Advent, we must make full use of the eschatological passages in the Scriptures to prepare us for his coming so that when we are faced with persecution and suffering, we will be armed with the hope “to stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (v.28)
ARE YOU IN FOR THE LONG HAUL?
EARLY CHRISTIANS FACE PERSECUTION
NOV. 28, 2012: 34th WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Rev 15:1-4
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:1-3, 7-9 “Great and wonderful are all your works, Lord, mighty God!”
GOSPEL: Lk 21:12-19
Key Verse: “But not a hair of your head will perish.” (v.18)
For many of you who are diligently reading and reflecting on the Sacred Scriptures especially those who are religiously following the readings for the day, you probably have been wanting to ask why the “evangel” if is really the Good News would be regarded by others with contempt and even resort to violence to stop its proclamation.
Wasn’t the Scriptures particularly the Gospel written to bring peace in the hearts of all men? Wasn’t it inspired by God that men might understand the purpose for which they have been created? Didn’t God intend the Scriptures to be a means for men to know God – and knowing Him that we may also come to praise and worship Him?
So the question you might want to ask is why should we face persecution if what we bring is the Good News? Why would people react violently if it is the Good News that they hear? And if you knew you are going to face persecution and might even die for your religious conviction, would you still follow Christ?
Persecution is something we cannot run away from because to follow Jesus and embrace his values will ultimately separate us from the mainstream of the society we live in. This is what holiness is all about because to be holy requires us to stand aright and turn away from the world and pursue a life of obedience, poverty and chastity as “nothing can separate us from the love Christ. Trial or distress, or persecution, or hunger, nakedness, or danger, or the sword?... For your sake we are being slain all the day long; we are looked upon as sheep to be slaughtered. Yet in all these we are more than conquerors because of him who loved us.” (Rom 8:35-37)
As with the readings the past few days this Gospel passage today also has an eschatological twist in it and although Luke speaks of the end times as an event that is yet to come he also took note of the seeming delay in the parousia or the coming of the Messiah.
And in the interregnum between now and the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ we all are being reminded of the need to stand firm in our faith in order for us to reclaim our life (v.19). And as Jesus endured the sufferings he went through that ended up at the cross, we too are being called to a life of martyrdom as Christianity is a religion reserved only for martyrs.
True Christians will definitely wade through persecution not only from their previous peer group from whom they have separated once they decided to follow Jesus but such is the only way by which authentic Christians can show their solidarity with Our Lord who “freed us from our sins by his blood” (Rev. 1:5).
This should remind us of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German pastor and theologian who preached and joined the resistance against Adolf Hitler and Nazism. He was later arrested, jailed and hanged just two days before the Americans liberated Germany.
In one of his memorable quotes while serving time in prison, Bonhoeffer said: “The blood of the martyrs might once again be demanded, but this blood, if we really have the courage and loyalty to shed it, will not be innocent, shining like that of the first witnesses for the faith. On our blood lies heavy guilt, the guilt of the unprofitable servant who is cast into outer darkness.” And when he was being led out into the prison court to be hanged, he said: “This is the end – for me the beginning of life.”
The martyrdom that Bonhoeffer displayed was no different from the Christians in the second century who sang as they went out to die, a scenario that so affected and touched Tertullian, a lawyer at the time who would later convert to Christianity and become one of the Early Fathers of our Church.
There will be terrible times ahead for Christians or those who will elect to follow Christ as he warned of persecution that will bring out an opportunity for us to stand as a witness to our faith. In so doing, Our Lord encourages us not to fear because he himself will provide us the wisdom necessary that will stand out amidst the decay permeating in the world around us.
There is an ocean of difference between Christianity which calls us to a life of martyrdom and the devil that attracts us with the disguised comfort and glitter of the material world around us. The devil will destroy our faith through fear of death and will distract us from pursuing a life of spiritual poverty.
Christ, on the other hand, will offer us eternal life but which is founded on a life of struggle, trials and tribulations but there will be those who are not prone to living the life of a martyr would rather drift away from the Church than submit to a life of obedience and humility which is taboo for them.
Live and enjoy life while there is still time. Life is short – others will tell you. Some would actually do that oblivious of the fact that they have already cast judgment upon themselves when they do.
As opposed to the easy life that the world offers, Christ is calling us to be martyrs who will bear testimony to the joy of the Gospel that exists side by side with the trials, temptations and adversities in life. And the joy that is in those who are in the world but are not of the world is what will attract others to live a life in Christ, with Christ and for Christ.
To love our enemies, joyful in suffering, overcoming adversity in peace, forgiving those who wronged us, giving comfort to the downtrodden, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and those in prison, feeding the hungry and giving drink to those who are thirsty – these are the antidotes to the temptation of the devil and our Lord Jesus Christ who shed his blood on the cross will give us sufficient Grace and wisdom to overcome any type of adversity.
As Christians we need not fear persecution and death because Christ not only ransomed us from the evil one but he purchased us at a high price and it is his own blood that flows through us such that by the power of the Holy Spirit we too are given the supernatural gift of endurance to witness for Christ.
And it is when people see us treat our enemies with compassion, being joyful in suffering, exercising patient endurance in adversity, a forgiving heart, and showing comfort and compassion to the least of our brethren that they too are drawn to God. Jesus tells us that we do not need to fear the persecution we will face as we witness in his behalf because God Himself will give us the Grace, strength and, wisdom to face any trial that we will face.
To live life as a Christian won’t be easy but we have Christ’s assurance that for anyone who will walk with him “not a hair of your head will perish” (v.18) and “the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 6:23b) So now we ask - are you ready to lay down your life for Christ and to bear witness to the Good News?
1st Reading: Rev 15:1-4
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 98:1-3, 7-9 “Great and wonderful are all your works, Lord, mighty God!”
GOSPEL: Lk 21:12-19
Key Verse: “But not a hair of your head will perish.” (v.18)
For many of you who are diligently reading and reflecting on the Sacred Scriptures especially those who are religiously following the readings for the day, you probably have been wanting to ask why the “evangel” if is really the Good News would be regarded by others with contempt and even resort to violence to stop its proclamation.
Wasn’t the Scriptures particularly the Gospel written to bring peace in the hearts of all men? Wasn’t it inspired by God that men might understand the purpose for which they have been created? Didn’t God intend the Scriptures to be a means for men to know God – and knowing Him that we may also come to praise and worship Him?
So the question you might want to ask is why should we face persecution if what we bring is the Good News? Why would people react violently if it is the Good News that they hear? And if you knew you are going to face persecution and might even die for your religious conviction, would you still follow Christ?
Persecution is something we cannot run away from because to follow Jesus and embrace his values will ultimately separate us from the mainstream of the society we live in. This is what holiness is all about because to be holy requires us to stand aright and turn away from the world and pursue a life of obedience, poverty and chastity as “nothing can separate us from the love Christ. Trial or distress, or persecution, or hunger, nakedness, or danger, or the sword?... For your sake we are being slain all the day long; we are looked upon as sheep to be slaughtered. Yet in all these we are more than conquerors because of him who loved us.” (Rom 8:35-37)
As with the readings the past few days this Gospel passage today also has an eschatological twist in it and although Luke speaks of the end times as an event that is yet to come he also took note of the seeming delay in the parousia or the coming of the Messiah.
And in the interregnum between now and the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ we all are being reminded of the need to stand firm in our faith in order for us to reclaim our life (v.19). And as Jesus endured the sufferings he went through that ended up at the cross, we too are being called to a life of martyrdom as Christianity is a religion reserved only for martyrs.
True Christians will definitely wade through persecution not only from their previous peer group from whom they have separated once they decided to follow Jesus but such is the only way by which authentic Christians can show their solidarity with Our Lord who “freed us from our sins by his blood” (Rev. 1:5).
This should remind us of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German pastor and theologian who preached and joined the resistance against Adolf Hitler and Nazism. He was later arrested, jailed and hanged just two days before the Americans liberated Germany.
In one of his memorable quotes while serving time in prison, Bonhoeffer said: “The blood of the martyrs might once again be demanded, but this blood, if we really have the courage and loyalty to shed it, will not be innocent, shining like that of the first witnesses for the faith. On our blood lies heavy guilt, the guilt of the unprofitable servant who is cast into outer darkness.” And when he was being led out into the prison court to be hanged, he said: “This is the end – for me the beginning of life.”
The martyrdom that Bonhoeffer displayed was no different from the Christians in the second century who sang as they went out to die, a scenario that so affected and touched Tertullian, a lawyer at the time who would later convert to Christianity and become one of the Early Fathers of our Church.
There will be terrible times ahead for Christians or those who will elect to follow Christ as he warned of persecution that will bring out an opportunity for us to stand as a witness to our faith. In so doing, Our Lord encourages us not to fear because he himself will provide us the wisdom necessary that will stand out amidst the decay permeating in the world around us.
There is an ocean of difference between Christianity which calls us to a life of martyrdom and the devil that attracts us with the disguised comfort and glitter of the material world around us. The devil will destroy our faith through fear of death and will distract us from pursuing a life of spiritual poverty.
Christ, on the other hand, will offer us eternal life but which is founded on a life of struggle, trials and tribulations but there will be those who are not prone to living the life of a martyr would rather drift away from the Church than submit to a life of obedience and humility which is taboo for them.
Live and enjoy life while there is still time. Life is short – others will tell you. Some would actually do that oblivious of the fact that they have already cast judgment upon themselves when they do.
As opposed to the easy life that the world offers, Christ is calling us to be martyrs who will bear testimony to the joy of the Gospel that exists side by side with the trials, temptations and adversities in life. And the joy that is in those who are in the world but are not of the world is what will attract others to live a life in Christ, with Christ and for Christ.
To love our enemies, joyful in suffering, overcoming adversity in peace, forgiving those who wronged us, giving comfort to the downtrodden, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and those in prison, feeding the hungry and giving drink to those who are thirsty – these are the antidotes to the temptation of the devil and our Lord Jesus Christ who shed his blood on the cross will give us sufficient Grace and wisdom to overcome any type of adversity.
As Christians we need not fear persecution and death because Christ not only ransomed us from the evil one but he purchased us at a high price and it is his own blood that flows through us such that by the power of the Holy Spirit we too are given the supernatural gift of endurance to witness for Christ.
And it is when people see us treat our enemies with compassion, being joyful in suffering, exercising patient endurance in adversity, a forgiving heart, and showing comfort and compassion to the least of our brethren that they too are drawn to God. Jesus tells us that we do not need to fear the persecution we will face as we witness in his behalf because God Himself will give us the Grace, strength and, wisdom to face any trial that we will face.
To live life as a Christian won’t be easy but we have Christ’s assurance that for anyone who will walk with him “not a hair of your head will perish” (v.18) and “the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 6:23b) So now we ask - are you ready to lay down your life for Christ and to bear witness to the Good News?
THE WORLD WILL END FOR THOSE...
NOV. 27, 2012: 34TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Rev 14:14-19
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 96:10-13 “The Lord comes to judge the earth.”
GOSPEL: Lk 21:5-11
Key Verse: “Watch out that you are not deceived.” (v.8)
Last year, a California-based TV evangelist by the name of Harold Camping had predicted that the world would end on May 21, 2011. Many believed him and they gathered at Times Square in New York but as the clock struck 6p.m. and nothing happened, Camping disappeared but not after issuing a statement he would go back to the Bible and recalculate.
These days, there is once again talk of the world ending just after 9 p.m. on December, 2012 and the doomsayers point to the Mayan calendar as their basis. This is the reason why so many people are planning to hold weddings, parties and family dinners on this date. The question is are these predictions true.
Scientifically, this is what the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) says on the subject: Question (Q): Are there any threats to the Earth in 2012? Many Internet websites say the world will end in December 2012. Answer (A): The world will not end in 2012. Our planet has been getting along just fine for more than 4 billion years, and credible scientists worldwide know of no threat associated with 2012.
Q: What is the origin of the prediction that the world will end in 2012? A: The story started with claims that Nibiru, a supposed planet discovered by the Sumerians, is headed toward Earth. This catastrophe was initially predicted for May 2003, but when nothing happened the doomsday date was moved forward to December 2012 and linked to the end of one of the cycles in the ancient Mayan calendar at the winter solstice in 2012 -- hence the predicted doomsday date of December 21, 2012.
Q: Does the Mayan calendar end in December 2012? A: Just as the calendar you have on your kitchen wall does not cease to exist after December 31, the Mayan calendar does not cease to exist on December 21, 2012. This date is the end of the Mayan long-count period but then -- just as your calendar begins again on January 1 -- another long-count period begins for the Mayan calendar.
People’s lives from the beginning of time to today have been marked with signs, prophecies and predictions. In the past and even today there are some who still depend largely on signs especially farmers who have an uncanny ability to tell the time of the day just by looking at the position of the sun. They can also foretell what the weather would be just by observing the cloud formation or the direction of the wind. Fishermen who are out sea also know if there is an oncoming storm. They have no choice but to be good in reading the signs because their entire livelihood depended on it.
This was also the same scenario in this Gospel passage when the disciples asked Jesus for a sign as to when the destruction of the Temple that he prophesied would take place as the Jews just couldn’t believe that their Temple would be destroyed.
The Temple Jesus was referring was not the Temple they were admiring (v.5) a Temple that Solomon built because this was destroyed by the Babylonians in the Sixth Century B.C. What Jesus was eferring to was the Temple in Jerusalem that was built by Ezra but was desecrated by the Seleucids in the Second Century B.C. and was reconsecrated by the Maccabees and was expanded and adorned during the time of Herod the Great.
What lay hidden from the minds of the Jews at the time was that Jesus was not only prophesying about the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem that will happen 70 years later but he was also referring to his own body as the Temple of worship that would also be destroyed at the cross and will be rebuilt in three days when he resurrects from the dead.
In this Gospel passage Jesus explicitly told his disciples to prepare for the difficult years ahead as he warned them about false messiahs, wars, insurrection, natural disasters, earthquakes, famines and epidemics and, persecutions but he also assured them that he would be with them to protect them and make his Kingdom known. But amidst these terrifying times, Jesus assured his followers that there will be a great miraculous sign in the heavens. (vv.7-11)
In the same way, we also need to be aware of signs that would befall church organizations, ministries, apostolates, religious and Christian communities and splits, dissolution and or divisions probably could have been avoided had the people in it relied only on the one sign that they need – Jesus Christ.
There is nothing as painful as to see Christian organizations wracked by division and disunity especially when these come from the work of human hands that could be avoided if only the people who belong to these organizations will focus in building the kingdom of God in their hearts.
There are times also when people who make up the church or community look for signs to guide their actions, programs or projects. Some even pray imploring God to give them a sign of the things to come oblivious of the time and opportunities they missed during the period of waiting.
As with his disciples, we too at times are enamored by signs that we equate with what happen in our lives. And in this passage, Jesus shows he could read the signs of events that are yet to come. While his disciples are unaware of the things to come, Jesus saw of terrible things that are coming which only proves that he comes from above.
Many of us have experienced earthquakes in our lives in the form of the pain and frustration we experienced that jolted us. We have experienced famine when we deprive ourselves of the Word of God which is the food that nourishes our souls. And the pestilence such as sickness, diseases, loss of job, loss of income, persecution that we suffer from.
From these experiences those who remain faithful to God are given the Grace to rise from their pains and suffering and this is actually what this passage says that there will be persecution, suffering and difficulties that we will face but he also assures us of our salvation if we will only fix our eyes on him.
What God is saying in this Gospel of today is for us to make use of our faith and hope of his second coming to equip us in resisting all occasions of sin. As Jesus warned his disciples and he is warning us now that false messiahs would come after him, of natural disasters and persecutions but we can count on him for protection as we anticipate his return in glory.
Many times, we remain indifferent to the decadence that has permeated our culture. Abortion, divorce, same-sex marriage, immorality have invaded our church and we at times don’t recognize there is now within us a moral crisis. The United States has now recognized there is a need for them to revive their educational system in both the home and in the institutions from where the right values and cultures emanate.
We must accept, however, that we too must go back to the Gospel values if we want to be spared the trials and tribulations that Jesus spoke of in this passage. Many will come as prophets, teachers and as messiahs and they are already in our midst and it is only through the Gospel that we can be clothed with the Grace to overcome these falsities.
In this coming Season of Advent, we can all take possession of his Grace and mercy by awaiting the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ with great anticipation because it is on the day of his birth that light comes into the world. And by believing in him as the Son of God, we are brought out darkness into the marvelous light of his Kingdom. The end of the world? Only God actually knows when. However, the end of the world comes to whose who keep God out of their lives because they deprive themselves of the joy of life.
1st Reading: Rev 14:14-19
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 96:10-13 “The Lord comes to judge the earth.”
GOSPEL: Lk 21:5-11
Key Verse: “Watch out that you are not deceived.” (v.8)
Last year, a California-based TV evangelist by the name of Harold Camping had predicted that the world would end on May 21, 2011. Many believed him and they gathered at Times Square in New York but as the clock struck 6p.m. and nothing happened, Camping disappeared but not after issuing a statement he would go back to the Bible and recalculate.
These days, there is once again talk of the world ending just after 9 p.m. on December, 2012 and the doomsayers point to the Mayan calendar as their basis. This is the reason why so many people are planning to hold weddings, parties and family dinners on this date. The question is are these predictions true.
Scientifically, this is what the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) says on the subject: Question (Q): Are there any threats to the Earth in 2012? Many Internet websites say the world will end in December 2012. Answer (A): The world will not end in 2012. Our planet has been getting along just fine for more than 4 billion years, and credible scientists worldwide know of no threat associated with 2012.
Q: What is the origin of the prediction that the world will end in 2012? A: The story started with claims that Nibiru, a supposed planet discovered by the Sumerians, is headed toward Earth. This catastrophe was initially predicted for May 2003, but when nothing happened the doomsday date was moved forward to December 2012 and linked to the end of one of the cycles in the ancient Mayan calendar at the winter solstice in 2012 -- hence the predicted doomsday date of December 21, 2012.
Q: Does the Mayan calendar end in December 2012? A: Just as the calendar you have on your kitchen wall does not cease to exist after December 31, the Mayan calendar does not cease to exist on December 21, 2012. This date is the end of the Mayan long-count period but then -- just as your calendar begins again on January 1 -- another long-count period begins for the Mayan calendar.
People’s lives from the beginning of time to today have been marked with signs, prophecies and predictions. In the past and even today there are some who still depend largely on signs especially farmers who have an uncanny ability to tell the time of the day just by looking at the position of the sun. They can also foretell what the weather would be just by observing the cloud formation or the direction of the wind. Fishermen who are out sea also know if there is an oncoming storm. They have no choice but to be good in reading the signs because their entire livelihood depended on it.
This was also the same scenario in this Gospel passage when the disciples asked Jesus for a sign as to when the destruction of the Temple that he prophesied would take place as the Jews just couldn’t believe that their Temple would be destroyed.
The Temple Jesus was referring was not the Temple they were admiring (v.5) a Temple that Solomon built because this was destroyed by the Babylonians in the Sixth Century B.C. What Jesus was eferring to was the Temple in Jerusalem that was built by Ezra but was desecrated by the Seleucids in the Second Century B.C. and was reconsecrated by the Maccabees and was expanded and adorned during the time of Herod the Great.
What lay hidden from the minds of the Jews at the time was that Jesus was not only prophesying about the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem that will happen 70 years later but he was also referring to his own body as the Temple of worship that would also be destroyed at the cross and will be rebuilt in three days when he resurrects from the dead.
In this Gospel passage Jesus explicitly told his disciples to prepare for the difficult years ahead as he warned them about false messiahs, wars, insurrection, natural disasters, earthquakes, famines and epidemics and, persecutions but he also assured them that he would be with them to protect them and make his Kingdom known. But amidst these terrifying times, Jesus assured his followers that there will be a great miraculous sign in the heavens. (vv.7-11)
In the same way, we also need to be aware of signs that would befall church organizations, ministries, apostolates, religious and Christian communities and splits, dissolution and or divisions probably could have been avoided had the people in it relied only on the one sign that they need – Jesus Christ.
There is nothing as painful as to see Christian organizations wracked by division and disunity especially when these come from the work of human hands that could be avoided if only the people who belong to these organizations will focus in building the kingdom of God in their hearts.
There are times also when people who make up the church or community look for signs to guide their actions, programs or projects. Some even pray imploring God to give them a sign of the things to come oblivious of the time and opportunities they missed during the period of waiting.
As with his disciples, we too at times are enamored by signs that we equate with what happen in our lives. And in this passage, Jesus shows he could read the signs of events that are yet to come. While his disciples are unaware of the things to come, Jesus saw of terrible things that are coming which only proves that he comes from above.
Many of us have experienced earthquakes in our lives in the form of the pain and frustration we experienced that jolted us. We have experienced famine when we deprive ourselves of the Word of God which is the food that nourishes our souls. And the pestilence such as sickness, diseases, loss of job, loss of income, persecution that we suffer from.
From these experiences those who remain faithful to God are given the Grace to rise from their pains and suffering and this is actually what this passage says that there will be persecution, suffering and difficulties that we will face but he also assures us of our salvation if we will only fix our eyes on him.
What God is saying in this Gospel of today is for us to make use of our faith and hope of his second coming to equip us in resisting all occasions of sin. As Jesus warned his disciples and he is warning us now that false messiahs would come after him, of natural disasters and persecutions but we can count on him for protection as we anticipate his return in glory.
Many times, we remain indifferent to the decadence that has permeated our culture. Abortion, divorce, same-sex marriage, immorality have invaded our church and we at times don’t recognize there is now within us a moral crisis. The United States has now recognized there is a need for them to revive their educational system in both the home and in the institutions from where the right values and cultures emanate.
We must accept, however, that we too must go back to the Gospel values if we want to be spared the trials and tribulations that Jesus spoke of in this passage. Many will come as prophets, teachers and as messiahs and they are already in our midst and it is only through the Gospel that we can be clothed with the Grace to overcome these falsities.
In this coming Season of Advent, we can all take possession of his Grace and mercy by awaiting the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ with great anticipation because it is on the day of his birth that light comes into the world. And by believing in him as the Son of God, we are brought out darkness into the marvelous light of his Kingdom. The end of the world? Only God actually knows when. However, the end of the world comes to whose who keep God out of their lives because they deprive themselves of the joy of life.
GIVE ALL THAT YOU HAVE
NOV. 26, 2012: 34TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Rev 14:1-5
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 24:16 “Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.”
GOSPEL: Lk 21:1-4
Key Verse: “..she put in all she had to live on.” (v.4)
The lesson that Jesus wants us to learn today is that real giving is sacrificial and one that is founded on faith. The widow depicted in this Gospel passage gave two small coins called the lepton which was not only the smallest coin that was in circulation in those days but it had the least value among the coins that were used as a medium of exchange.
Luke the Gospel writer did not describe which collection box the widow dropped the two coins because it was customary for temple officials at that time to place at least thirteen collection boxes known as trumpets because they were shaped like trumpets with the narrow opening on top and a wider bottom.
Each of these trumpets are assigned to offerings for specific purposes such as for wood that are to be used to burn the sacrifice. Another collection box was for the incense to be used at the altar, another was for the maintenance of the vessels used during worship and, so on and so on.
It was near one of these collection boxes that Jesus sat down apparently to rest with his head resting on the cup of his hands following a tiring exchange that he had with the Sanhedrin and the Sadducees and as he looked up he saw may people throwing their offerings into the different trumpets and then came a poor widow and put in two pieces of lepton.
When Jesus saw this, he said: “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put in more than all the others.” (v.3) The lepton which means the “thin one” was equivalent to 1/128 of one denarius which was the minimum wage for a day’s work so the lepton was nowhere near the value of the denarius.
The fact that the widow put in a lepton would indicate that she was indeed poor as most widows at that time were. Again, it was the culture in the time of Jesus that widows were largely ignored and have practically lost their identities unless they are taken cared of by their relatives and or if they come from wealthy families.
But when Jesus saw this, he said: “All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on.” (v.4) In other words, the widow poor she may be did not withhold her offering to God and it could be surmised that she did so because of her abiding faith in God. She probably knew the Jewish “Shema” by heart and she knew that God will not abandon her and will supply all her needs.
In fact, Jesus could have stopped her from putting everything that she had or the widow could have put in just one lepta and kept the other for her needs for she was destitute but Jesus did not and his heart swelled with pride for this poor widow. Jesus let her give because if he stopped her, he would have deprived her of the blessing of giving to God.
You actually don't win extra points with God when you give sacrificially because giving is not a contest. But everyone should know that when you make sacrifices for God, he is watching. It doesn't matter if no one else sees or knows. The truth is it is much better that no one sees. But you can count on the fact that God sees and knows your giving and Jesus promises: “Your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Mt 6:4)
There are two things that determine the value of the gift you give. One is the spirit in which the gift is given. A gift that is grudgingly given and or given for self-display and self-aggrandizement immediately loses the value of the gift. The authentic gift is that which is given from an outpouring of an agape kind of love.
The other is the sacrifice involved in giving. In some versions of the Scriptures, it said the rich were “flinging” their offerings into the trumpets which means that what they gave was of no concern to them and was probably apportioned out of their surplus. Giving only becomes real when you give until it hurts. An offering that is given out of the sacrifice you make such as when you fast is what the Our Lord sees as when Jesus saw the poor widow’s offering that no one else in the Temple noticed.
Contrast this sacrifice with some wealthy people who tend to see their “large” tithes and offerings as significant and use them as leverage for power. In fact, today there are instances when wealthy members use their money to control the Church. Wealthy donors like these are just like the Pharisees who give and pray in order to be seen by others and they can taint the purity of the Church of Jesus Christ.
Lest you be mistaken wealthy benefactors can also be a great blessing to the Church and to others if they will give out of the right motives. If they give sacrificially they please God. If they give out of love, they also please God and, if they give in proportion to their income, they please God.
But you should not even for once think that the value of your gift is greater than the poor widow's two coins because if that is how you feel then you misunderstand the principles of the Kingdom of God. God actually does not need you or me to keep the viability of his Kingdom. He does not owe us a debt of gratitude. He does not need your money because “the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” (Psa 24:1)
You don't offer your tithes and love offerings because God needs these, but you give simply to honor him with the blessings that you have received from him. It doesn’t really matter how much you give for as long as it is proportionate to your resources but what you must remember is that you give because giving is worshiping God.
What you must also keep in mind is that you might think of your gift as inconsequential and thus withhold your gift, because regardless of what and how much you give God looks at your heart. Like the poor widow, God expects you to give all that you have and that means your time, talent and resources.
1st Reading: Rev 14:1-5
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 24:16 “Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.”
GOSPEL: Lk 21:1-4
Key Verse: “..she put in all she had to live on.” (v.4)
The lesson that Jesus wants us to learn today is that real giving is sacrificial and one that is founded on faith. The widow depicted in this Gospel passage gave two small coins called the lepton which was not only the smallest coin that was in circulation in those days but it had the least value among the coins that were used as a medium of exchange.
Luke the Gospel writer did not describe which collection box the widow dropped the two coins because it was customary for temple officials at that time to place at least thirteen collection boxes known as trumpets because they were shaped like trumpets with the narrow opening on top and a wider bottom.
Each of these trumpets are assigned to offerings for specific purposes such as for wood that are to be used to burn the sacrifice. Another collection box was for the incense to be used at the altar, another was for the maintenance of the vessels used during worship and, so on and so on.
It was near one of these collection boxes that Jesus sat down apparently to rest with his head resting on the cup of his hands following a tiring exchange that he had with the Sanhedrin and the Sadducees and as he looked up he saw may people throwing their offerings into the different trumpets and then came a poor widow and put in two pieces of lepton.
When Jesus saw this, he said: “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put in more than all the others.” (v.3) The lepton which means the “thin one” was equivalent to 1/128 of one denarius which was the minimum wage for a day’s work so the lepton was nowhere near the value of the denarius.
The fact that the widow put in a lepton would indicate that she was indeed poor as most widows at that time were. Again, it was the culture in the time of Jesus that widows were largely ignored and have practically lost their identities unless they are taken cared of by their relatives and or if they come from wealthy families.
But when Jesus saw this, he said: “All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on.” (v.4) In other words, the widow poor she may be did not withhold her offering to God and it could be surmised that she did so because of her abiding faith in God. She probably knew the Jewish “Shema” by heart and she knew that God will not abandon her and will supply all her needs.
In fact, Jesus could have stopped her from putting everything that she had or the widow could have put in just one lepta and kept the other for her needs for she was destitute but Jesus did not and his heart swelled with pride for this poor widow. Jesus let her give because if he stopped her, he would have deprived her of the blessing of giving to God.
You actually don't win extra points with God when you give sacrificially because giving is not a contest. But everyone should know that when you make sacrifices for God, he is watching. It doesn't matter if no one else sees or knows. The truth is it is much better that no one sees. But you can count on the fact that God sees and knows your giving and Jesus promises: “Your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Mt 6:4)
There are two things that determine the value of the gift you give. One is the spirit in which the gift is given. A gift that is grudgingly given and or given for self-display and self-aggrandizement immediately loses the value of the gift. The authentic gift is that which is given from an outpouring of an agape kind of love.
The other is the sacrifice involved in giving. In some versions of the Scriptures, it said the rich were “flinging” their offerings into the trumpets which means that what they gave was of no concern to them and was probably apportioned out of their surplus. Giving only becomes real when you give until it hurts. An offering that is given out of the sacrifice you make such as when you fast is what the Our Lord sees as when Jesus saw the poor widow’s offering that no one else in the Temple noticed.
Contrast this sacrifice with some wealthy people who tend to see their “large” tithes and offerings as significant and use them as leverage for power. In fact, today there are instances when wealthy members use their money to control the Church. Wealthy donors like these are just like the Pharisees who give and pray in order to be seen by others and they can taint the purity of the Church of Jesus Christ.
Lest you be mistaken wealthy benefactors can also be a great blessing to the Church and to others if they will give out of the right motives. If they give sacrificially they please God. If they give out of love, they also please God and, if they give in proportion to their income, they please God.
But you should not even for once think that the value of your gift is greater than the poor widow's two coins because if that is how you feel then you misunderstand the principles of the Kingdom of God. God actually does not need you or me to keep the viability of his Kingdom. He does not owe us a debt of gratitude. He does not need your money because “the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” (Psa 24:1)
You don't offer your tithes and love offerings because God needs these, but you give simply to honor him with the blessings that you have received from him. It doesn’t really matter how much you give for as long as it is proportionate to your resources but what you must remember is that you give because giving is worshiping God.
What you must also keep in mind is that you might think of your gift as inconsequential and thus withhold your gift, because regardless of what and how much you give God looks at your heart. Like the poor widow, God expects you to give all that you have and that means your time, talent and resources.
CHRIST IS KING AND THERE IS NO OTHER
NOV. 25, 2012: SOLEMNITY OF CHRIST THE KING
1st Reading: Dan 7:13-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 93:1-2, 5 “The Lord is King, he is robed in majesty.”
2nd Reading: Rev 1:5-8
GOSPEL: Jn 18:33-37
Key Verse: “…for this I came into the world,
to testify to the truth.” (v.37)
In addition to this particular Gospel reading in which the Kingship of Jesus was revealed during his verbal exchange with Pilate, there is also another passage in the Scriptures that will help us understand that there is no other besides Our Lord the Christ who can claim to be King.
And we can find this in Matthew’s Gospel where Jesus said: “All power and authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of time.” (Matt 28:18-20)
Very simply, only Jesus was given by God all the power and authority in heaven and on earth and only a King can issue orders to his disciples in the way that he did when he commanded them to go to the ends of the earth to replicate what he himself did to his Apostles and the other disciples. There have been many kings who ruled parts of the earth but they all passed away in time. And only a great King like Jesus can assure his disciples of his eternal presence till the end of time.
As we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King, it would be interesting to know that this Gospel passage actually presents us with a choice – are we going to take that leap of faith and step into the Kingdom of Light or will we choose to remain in the kingdom of darkness and bring ourselves to eternal damnation.
This is a choice that only we ourselves can make. No one can make that decision for us and these two choices are as clear as day such that we shouldn’t have a difficult time making it regardless of how costly it would be for us.
Throughout the Scriptures, Jesus has laid down what these two choices are and there is nothing in between. It’s either we accept the eternal salvation he is offering us or we risk being thrown into Gehenna where there will be endless wailing and gnashing of teeth. The choice then is ours to make.
Rev. Fr. Dave Concepcion, Rector of the Holy Apostles Late Vocation Seminary of the Archdiocese of Manila, yesterday conducted the Advent Recollection for the BLD Manila District that was held at the Veritas Hall of the Ateneo Law School at Rockwell in Makati and his talk zeroed in on three major points – that in order for us to get to heaven we need to (1) stay focused, (2) know our priorities, (3) live a balanced life and be prepared to (4) make a painful decision.
To stay focused means we need to acquire the capacity to be able to live in the world but not being tainted by the values of the world. As we are commanded to be holy and blameless, we are to separate or set ourselves apart from the sinful activities that the world espouses. In other words we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Rom 12:2) and redirect our energies and attitude to becoming Christ-like in our ways.
Fr. Concepcion also stressed that for those who would like to go to heaven they must be prepared to make a painful decision which means that we must have the determination to turn away from sinful tendencies that will compromise our Christian values and principles. Painful it may be, we are to have the boldness to make that 180-degree turn and learn how we can love Christ more than anything else.
And as we usher in the Season of Advent with this Feast of Christ the King, let us ask ourselves which kingdom do we serve – the world that will definitely pass away or God's kingdom which will endure for all time. As we focus on reaching our goal and are able to make that painful decision to give up on the values of the world to follow Christ, the question we need to ask is what are we willing to do for God.
As Jesus asked the blind beggar in Lk 18:35-43 “What do you want me to do for you?” Christ our King now also wants to know what is it that we want and what is it that we can do for God for us to merit the eternal salvation that he has promised.
I look at life as an educational system that we all need to go through and there are the preliminary exams we have to face (trials, challenges, frustrations, persecution, loss of jobs) and, the mid-term exams (sickness, loss of loved ones, failed relationships, spiritual dryness, indiscretions, among others), and I also know that there will be a final exam that we need to hurdle and it is not as easy as it may seem to be.
The good thing with this final exam that will determine how we will be graded by Our Lord is that we already know what are in the questionnaire and we also know that we will pass this final exam by simply doing what is being asked of us. Granting that we may have missed some of these opportunities, Our Lord who is the final arbiter will provide us with the time we need to reorient our priorities in life and align it with the terms specified in our final exams. There is no time to procrastinate because we do not know the hour the thief will come.
The choice is right here before us. God's Kingdom will remain forever because it is built on the foundation of God's eternal love and justice. To accept Jesus Christ by believing that he is Lord and King assures us of our citizenship in heaven where righteousness, peace, truth, and love reign. So now we ask are we yielded to the Lordship of Jesus Christ which is the prerequisite in order for us to get to heaven? The choice is yours.
1st Reading: Dan 7:13-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 93:1-2, 5 “The Lord is King, he is robed in majesty.”
2nd Reading: Rev 1:5-8
GOSPEL: Jn 18:33-37
Key Verse: “…for this I came into the world,
to testify to the truth.” (v.37)
In addition to this particular Gospel reading in which the Kingship of Jesus was revealed during his verbal exchange with Pilate, there is also another passage in the Scriptures that will help us understand that there is no other besides Our Lord the Christ who can claim to be King.
And we can find this in Matthew’s Gospel where Jesus said: “All power and authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of time.” (Matt 28:18-20)
Very simply, only Jesus was given by God all the power and authority in heaven and on earth and only a King can issue orders to his disciples in the way that he did when he commanded them to go to the ends of the earth to replicate what he himself did to his Apostles and the other disciples. There have been many kings who ruled parts of the earth but they all passed away in time. And only a great King like Jesus can assure his disciples of his eternal presence till the end of time.
As we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King, it would be interesting to know that this Gospel passage actually presents us with a choice – are we going to take that leap of faith and step into the Kingdom of Light or will we choose to remain in the kingdom of darkness and bring ourselves to eternal damnation.
This is a choice that only we ourselves can make. No one can make that decision for us and these two choices are as clear as day such that we shouldn’t have a difficult time making it regardless of how costly it would be for us.
Throughout the Scriptures, Jesus has laid down what these two choices are and there is nothing in between. It’s either we accept the eternal salvation he is offering us or we risk being thrown into Gehenna where there will be endless wailing and gnashing of teeth. The choice then is ours to make.
Rev. Fr. Dave Concepcion, Rector of the Holy Apostles Late Vocation Seminary of the Archdiocese of Manila, yesterday conducted the Advent Recollection for the BLD Manila District that was held at the Veritas Hall of the Ateneo Law School at Rockwell in Makati and his talk zeroed in on three major points – that in order for us to get to heaven we need to (1) stay focused, (2) know our priorities, (3) live a balanced life and be prepared to (4) make a painful decision.
To stay focused means we need to acquire the capacity to be able to live in the world but not being tainted by the values of the world. As we are commanded to be holy and blameless, we are to separate or set ourselves apart from the sinful activities that the world espouses. In other words we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Rom 12:2) and redirect our energies and attitude to becoming Christ-like in our ways.
Fr. Concepcion also stressed that for those who would like to go to heaven they must be prepared to make a painful decision which means that we must have the determination to turn away from sinful tendencies that will compromise our Christian values and principles. Painful it may be, we are to have the boldness to make that 180-degree turn and learn how we can love Christ more than anything else.
And as we usher in the Season of Advent with this Feast of Christ the King, let us ask ourselves which kingdom do we serve – the world that will definitely pass away or God's kingdom which will endure for all time. As we focus on reaching our goal and are able to make that painful decision to give up on the values of the world to follow Christ, the question we need to ask is what are we willing to do for God.
As Jesus asked the blind beggar in Lk 18:35-43 “What do you want me to do for you?” Christ our King now also wants to know what is it that we want and what is it that we can do for God for us to merit the eternal salvation that he has promised.
I look at life as an educational system that we all need to go through and there are the preliminary exams we have to face (trials, challenges, frustrations, persecution, loss of jobs) and, the mid-term exams (sickness, loss of loved ones, failed relationships, spiritual dryness, indiscretions, among others), and I also know that there will be a final exam that we need to hurdle and it is not as easy as it may seem to be.
The good thing with this final exam that will determine how we will be graded by Our Lord is that we already know what are in the questionnaire and we also know that we will pass this final exam by simply doing what is being asked of us. Granting that we may have missed some of these opportunities, Our Lord who is the final arbiter will provide us with the time we need to reorient our priorities in life and align it with the terms specified in our final exams. There is no time to procrastinate because we do not know the hour the thief will come.
The choice is right here before us. God's Kingdom will remain forever because it is built on the foundation of God's eternal love and justice. To accept Jesus Christ by believing that he is Lord and King assures us of our citizenship in heaven where righteousness, peace, truth, and love reign. So now we ask are we yielded to the Lordship of Jesus Christ which is the prerequisite in order for us to get to heaven? The choice is yours.
OUR RESURRECTION IS NOW
JESUS TALKS TO UNBELIEVING SADDUCEES
NOV. 24, 2012: 33rd WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Rev 11:4-12
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 144:1, 2, 9-10 “Blessed be the Lord, my rock!”
GOSPEL: Lk 20:27-40
Key Verse: “He is not the God of the dead, but of the living,
for to him all are alive.” (v.38)
To be able to understand this Gospel reading, we must go back a few verses and we will see that this was a follow-through to the exchange that Jesus had with some Sanhedrin who tried to trap him about the legality of paying taxes to Caesar. Unable to do so, the Sanhedrin were even astonished at how well Jesus addressed the question and they became silent (Lk 20:26).
It was at this point when the Sadducees, a group of philosophers, joined in the discussion and posed the tricky question about marriage and resurrection. Again, to understand where the Sadducees are coming from it would be interesting to know that they do not believe in the resurrection because to believe in the after-life requires faith rather than logic and the Sadducees believe only in what they can see. This was what differentiates them from the Pharisees who believe in life after death.
The Sadducees who are mostly aristocratic are said to have emerged as followers of Zadok a high priest during the time of David and Solomon and who are known to be righteous. However, the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection and or after-life and have aligned themselves with the Roman rulers.
The Pharisees, on the other hand, was a strictly religious organization whose name was derived from “perusim” or separated ones and or from the Hebrew term “parosim” or the specifier as the Pharisees are known to strictly adhere to the Mosaic law and are known as hypocritically self-righteous. But the Pharisees believed in life after death unlike the Sadducees who do not believe in immortality nor in spirits.
The Pharisees who have no political ambition also believed in the coming of the Messiah and in angels and spirits. The Sadducees believed otherwise and are inclined to keep the status quo because the coming of the Messiah would alter the privileges they enjoyed. The Pharisees believed in fate and that a man’s life was planned and ordered by God. The Sadducees believed in unrestricted free-will.
But while both are poles apart in their beliefs, the Pharisees and the Sadducees have a similar hatred of Jesus who has succeeded in opening the hearts and minds of the people on the deviations and wrong interpretation of the Mosaic law that governed the religious life of the people at the time.
To sustain their non-belief in life after death, the Sadducees came up with this tricky question in this passage about who would be the husband of a woman who has been married to seven different men in the event the woman goes to heaven if ever there was a heaven. This query was based on the Jewish levitate law of marriage (Deut 25:5) and although this provision was no longer practiced in Jesus’ time the Sadducees still considered it as binding.
And Jesus demolished their non-belief in the resurrection when he cited Exo 3:1-6 with Moses saying: “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” With this response, Jesus simply showed that God could not have been the God of the dead and that meant that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob must still be alive.
And the Scribes who gained expertise in the Mosaic law by going through years of special study of the Scriptures normally starting from the age of 14 until they reach 40 remarked: “Well said, teacher!” (v.40) And no one dared to ask him any more question. There are some manuscripts that said the Scribe who asked Jesus this question later became his disciple.
What then is the message of this passage for us? Basically it tells us not to be concerned with where we are going because where we are going depends on where we will be coming from. It presupposes then that heaven which is our final should begin from where we are now because heaven is a continuation of our present life.
This will bring us back to the two greatest commandments that Jesus preached – love of God and neighbor (Matt 22:37-39) because “all the laws and the prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matt 22:40) This means that all of us can experience heaven in the here and now if we will only abide by these two commandments because love is the foundation of all those who now live in eternity with God.
There also shouldn’t be any doubt on our final leg as pilgrims because “the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who lives in you.” (Rom 8:11)
Again, everyone of us can experience our own resurrection even from where we now stand because we die to our sinfulness we can all be restored to life through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit that is in us although this will all be dependent on our belief and faith.
And John gives us proof of this when he said in: “I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.” (Jn 5:25)
It may be difficult for some to full grasp the truth about God’s promise of an eternal life we must remember that we also can draw on the power of the Holy Spirit to help us believe in Jesus who tells us: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (Jn 11:25)
Indeed, while resurrection is something we can look forward to, we also have a choice to run away from it and go on with our lives. However, we must also realize that if we live with the hope of an eternal life then we have to believe in faith that the Word of God is true and that when the time comes we will be resurrected and will be transformed from glory to glory through Jesus Christ.
But for those who will die without professing their faith and belief in Jesus Christ, then there is nothing to hope for and those who will reject God’s offer of salvation through Christ will have to prepare for the eternal suffering that awaits them in Gehenna where there will wailing and gnashing of teeth.
The lesson in this Gospel is simple. If you cannot believe in the resurrection and or life after death then you do not believe in God. That’s all there is to it because if there was no resurrection then it means that God did not conquer sin and death. It also means that if we don’t believe in the resurrection then we also do not believe that Christ rose from the dead and if that is so then we do not believe that we are saved.
The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is actually a great mystery and it will take a deep kind of faith to believe in it. To believe and have faith is easier said than done because belief and faith must go along with action (Jam 2:18-19) and that’s when our resurrection starts.
1st Reading: Rev 11:4-12
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 144:1, 2, 9-10 “Blessed be the Lord, my rock!”
GOSPEL: Lk 20:27-40
Key Verse: “He is not the God of the dead, but of the living,
for to him all are alive.” (v.38)
To be able to understand this Gospel reading, we must go back a few verses and we will see that this was a follow-through to the exchange that Jesus had with some Sanhedrin who tried to trap him about the legality of paying taxes to Caesar. Unable to do so, the Sanhedrin were even astonished at how well Jesus addressed the question and they became silent (Lk 20:26).
It was at this point when the Sadducees, a group of philosophers, joined in the discussion and posed the tricky question about marriage and resurrection. Again, to understand where the Sadducees are coming from it would be interesting to know that they do not believe in the resurrection because to believe in the after-life requires faith rather than logic and the Sadducees believe only in what they can see. This was what differentiates them from the Pharisees who believe in life after death.
The Sadducees who are mostly aristocratic are said to have emerged as followers of Zadok a high priest during the time of David and Solomon and who are known to be righteous. However, the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection and or after-life and have aligned themselves with the Roman rulers.
The Pharisees, on the other hand, was a strictly religious organization whose name was derived from “perusim” or separated ones and or from the Hebrew term “parosim” or the specifier as the Pharisees are known to strictly adhere to the Mosaic law and are known as hypocritically self-righteous. But the Pharisees believed in life after death unlike the Sadducees who do not believe in immortality nor in spirits.
The Pharisees who have no political ambition also believed in the coming of the Messiah and in angels and spirits. The Sadducees believed otherwise and are inclined to keep the status quo because the coming of the Messiah would alter the privileges they enjoyed. The Pharisees believed in fate and that a man’s life was planned and ordered by God. The Sadducees believed in unrestricted free-will.
But while both are poles apart in their beliefs, the Pharisees and the Sadducees have a similar hatred of Jesus who has succeeded in opening the hearts and minds of the people on the deviations and wrong interpretation of the Mosaic law that governed the religious life of the people at the time.
To sustain their non-belief in life after death, the Sadducees came up with this tricky question in this passage about who would be the husband of a woman who has been married to seven different men in the event the woman goes to heaven if ever there was a heaven. This query was based on the Jewish levitate law of marriage (Deut 25:5) and although this provision was no longer practiced in Jesus’ time the Sadducees still considered it as binding.
And Jesus demolished their non-belief in the resurrection when he cited Exo 3:1-6 with Moses saying: “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” With this response, Jesus simply showed that God could not have been the God of the dead and that meant that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob must still be alive.
And the Scribes who gained expertise in the Mosaic law by going through years of special study of the Scriptures normally starting from the age of 14 until they reach 40 remarked: “Well said, teacher!” (v.40) And no one dared to ask him any more question. There are some manuscripts that said the Scribe who asked Jesus this question later became his disciple.
What then is the message of this passage for us? Basically it tells us not to be concerned with where we are going because where we are going depends on where we will be coming from. It presupposes then that heaven which is our final should begin from where we are now because heaven is a continuation of our present life.
This will bring us back to the two greatest commandments that Jesus preached – love of God and neighbor (Matt 22:37-39) because “all the laws and the prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matt 22:40) This means that all of us can experience heaven in the here and now if we will only abide by these two commandments because love is the foundation of all those who now live in eternity with God.
There also shouldn’t be any doubt on our final leg as pilgrims because “the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who lives in you.” (Rom 8:11)
Again, everyone of us can experience our own resurrection even from where we now stand because we die to our sinfulness we can all be restored to life through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit that is in us although this will all be dependent on our belief and faith.
And John gives us proof of this when he said in: “I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.” (Jn 5:25)
It may be difficult for some to full grasp the truth about God’s promise of an eternal life we must remember that we also can draw on the power of the Holy Spirit to help us believe in Jesus who tells us: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (Jn 11:25)
Indeed, while resurrection is something we can look forward to, we also have a choice to run away from it and go on with our lives. However, we must also realize that if we live with the hope of an eternal life then we have to believe in faith that the Word of God is true and that when the time comes we will be resurrected and will be transformed from glory to glory through Jesus Christ.
But for those who will die without professing their faith and belief in Jesus Christ, then there is nothing to hope for and those who will reject God’s offer of salvation through Christ will have to prepare for the eternal suffering that awaits them in Gehenna where there will wailing and gnashing of teeth.
The lesson in this Gospel is simple. If you cannot believe in the resurrection and or life after death then you do not believe in God. That’s all there is to it because if there was no resurrection then it means that God did not conquer sin and death. It also means that if we don’t believe in the resurrection then we also do not believe that Christ rose from the dead and if that is so then we do not believe that we are saved.
The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is actually a great mystery and it will take a deep kind of faith to believe in it. To believe and have faith is easier said than done because belief and faith must go along with action (Jam 2:18-19) and that’s when our resurrection starts.
SIN DESECRATES OUR TEMPLE
NOV. 23, 2012: 33rd FRIDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Rev 10:8-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 119:14, 24, 72, 103, 11, 131 “How sweet to my taste is your promise!”
GOSPEL: Lk 19:45-48
Key Verse: “My house will be a house of prayer,..” (v.46)
If you have been following up on the Gospel readings the past few days you can’t help but notice the eschatological or the end-time nature of the scenarios depicted in the passages. Yesterday, we saw Jesus weeping not only at the destruction of Jerusalem but the persistence of the people to wallow in their unbelief.
Notwithstanding the eschatological dimension of the liturgical readings for the past several days, there is I believe a high degree of indifference from non-believers and believers alike on God’s judgment buoyed perhaps by the thought of a God who is always ready to forgive.
But today we see Jesus to be unforgiving but we also must look at why Our Lord acted that way and the reason is simply because the merchants and the traders have desecrated the Temple area which was a place or worship and not a marketplace.
This is actually what judgment means in terms of our relationship with God. St. Paul tells us in 1 Cor 6:19-20 that our bodies are the Temple of the Holy Spirit. As such, we have a duty to preserve our bodies and our nature to conform to the image and likeness of God who created us. To allow sin and its attributes to permeate and reside in our bodies is like turning our Temples into a marketplace.
In our lifetime, we may have allowed the merchants of sin that comes disguised as pride, envy, gluttony, sloth, lust, avarice and wrath to have made its dwelling in our Temples and when that happens expect Jesus to come and drive these merchants out of our Temples. The process will definitely be painful and we will certainly struggle with it because we have become so attached to some of these but at the end of the day, the objective of Jesus is to restore our Temples into a place of worship once again. This is what renewal is all about.
We may presume that we have a forgiving God and there is no doubt about that. It is also a fact that God has predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ (Eph 1:5), but we – both the living and the dead – still have to stand before the judgment seat before Jesus and render an accounting of what we have done in our lives (Rom 14:10, 2 Tim 4:1, 1 Pet 4:5).
And in this Gospel we see Jesus letting off his justified anger at the people who have made the Temple in Jerusalem into a den of robbers (v.46). It was not actually the presence of the merchants who were given permits to trade at the Temple courts by no less than Annas the high priest but the business practice of the merchants who overpriced the prices of the animals to be used as offering at the altar during the Passover and the way the money changers undervalued the currencies that were being exchanged for shekels which was the official currency for the Temple tax.
It was this legalized robbery that made Jesus angry as he drove the merchants away from the Temple courts. Jesus considered these immoral and unethical transactions as a form of sacrilege as it desecrated the Temple which Jesus described as a “house of prayer.” (v.46)
What Jesus was actually saying and which the religious leaders and the people did not understand at the time was that it was their bodies as the Temple of God that was being desecrated. When he said “my house will be a house of prayer” Jesus was referring to him as the Temple where we can all come to God in prayer through Christ because “no one comes to the Father except through me.” (Jn 14:6)
When this Temple (his body) was destroyed on the Cross, it was rebuilt in three days when he resurrected from the dead. And as Jesus ascended to heaven, he left with us the Holy Spirit and it is this indwelling of the Spirit of God that has transformed our bodies into the Temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19-20) that is why we too must allow Jesus to come in to drive away sin from us and allow him to turn our bodies the Temple of the Holy Spirit into a house of prayer.
Again, the consequences for us is unimaginable as St. Paul writes to the Colossians “put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature, sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.” (Col 3:5-6)
We should not, however, refuse being disciplined by Our Lord because it only shows that such discipline are as a result of his love for us and it is out of love that Our Lord wants to restore us to the path of righteousness “that we may share in his holiness.” (Heb 12:10)
What we may find remarkable in this passage was the audacity of Jesus who taught daily at the Temple in Jerusalem. When he drove away the merchants from the Temple Courts, Jesus became a marked man. The Pharisees probably wanted to place him under arrest at that time but they could as the people intently listened to his teachings and they “hung upon every word he said.” (v.48)
And this is the question that we should ask ourselves. Do we have the audacity to tell the world who we are, what God has done for us, and who is the God that we serve? If we call ourselves Christian disciples, we must have the same audacity and boldness of Jesus Christ. Do we hung upon his word meaning do we listen to what he is telling us?
We cannot remain indifferent while the devil is making a mockery of our Catholic Christian faith. We are supposed to be the only Christian country in Asia where 85% of the population are predominantly Catholics. And for us to allow an onslaught against our Catholic faith like – the RH Bill, same-sex marriage, legalized abortion, drug abuse which has remained unchecked, graft and corruption which is turning into a culture, crimes against life and property, immoral behavior such as illicit relationship – is to turn our Temples into a den of robbers.
The Temple that is within us must become and remain as a house of prayer which means that we are not only to take care of our bodies as the Temple of the Holy Spirit but we are to honor God with our body (1 Cor 6:20) After all, we are not our own for we have been purchased at a price and so God owns us and it’s only incumbent that we are to be accountable to our owner.
When Our Lord Jesus found me in 1989 and brought me to the Catholic Charismatic renewal movement, I had to turn my back on the world that separated me from God and I have no regrets because now I am not only reconciled with God but he has given me a foretaste of what heaven is like – an indescribable peace and joy of basking in his presence.
1st Reading: Rev 10:8-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 119:14, 24, 72, 103, 11, 131 “How sweet to my taste is your promise!”
GOSPEL: Lk 19:45-48
Key Verse: “My house will be a house of prayer,..” (v.46)
If you have been following up on the Gospel readings the past few days you can’t help but notice the eschatological or the end-time nature of the scenarios depicted in the passages. Yesterday, we saw Jesus weeping not only at the destruction of Jerusalem but the persistence of the people to wallow in their unbelief.
Notwithstanding the eschatological dimension of the liturgical readings for the past several days, there is I believe a high degree of indifference from non-believers and believers alike on God’s judgment buoyed perhaps by the thought of a God who is always ready to forgive.
But today we see Jesus to be unforgiving but we also must look at why Our Lord acted that way and the reason is simply because the merchants and the traders have desecrated the Temple area which was a place or worship and not a marketplace.
This is actually what judgment means in terms of our relationship with God. St. Paul tells us in 1 Cor 6:19-20 that our bodies are the Temple of the Holy Spirit. As such, we have a duty to preserve our bodies and our nature to conform to the image and likeness of God who created us. To allow sin and its attributes to permeate and reside in our bodies is like turning our Temples into a marketplace.
In our lifetime, we may have allowed the merchants of sin that comes disguised as pride, envy, gluttony, sloth, lust, avarice and wrath to have made its dwelling in our Temples and when that happens expect Jesus to come and drive these merchants out of our Temples. The process will definitely be painful and we will certainly struggle with it because we have become so attached to some of these but at the end of the day, the objective of Jesus is to restore our Temples into a place of worship once again. This is what renewal is all about.
We may presume that we have a forgiving God and there is no doubt about that. It is also a fact that God has predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ (Eph 1:5), but we – both the living and the dead – still have to stand before the judgment seat before Jesus and render an accounting of what we have done in our lives (Rom 14:10, 2 Tim 4:1, 1 Pet 4:5).
And in this Gospel we see Jesus letting off his justified anger at the people who have made the Temple in Jerusalem into a den of robbers (v.46). It was not actually the presence of the merchants who were given permits to trade at the Temple courts by no less than Annas the high priest but the business practice of the merchants who overpriced the prices of the animals to be used as offering at the altar during the Passover and the way the money changers undervalued the currencies that were being exchanged for shekels which was the official currency for the Temple tax.
It was this legalized robbery that made Jesus angry as he drove the merchants away from the Temple courts. Jesus considered these immoral and unethical transactions as a form of sacrilege as it desecrated the Temple which Jesus described as a “house of prayer.” (v.46)
What Jesus was actually saying and which the religious leaders and the people did not understand at the time was that it was their bodies as the Temple of God that was being desecrated. When he said “my house will be a house of prayer” Jesus was referring to him as the Temple where we can all come to God in prayer through Christ because “no one comes to the Father except through me.” (Jn 14:6)
When this Temple (his body) was destroyed on the Cross, it was rebuilt in three days when he resurrected from the dead. And as Jesus ascended to heaven, he left with us the Holy Spirit and it is this indwelling of the Spirit of God that has transformed our bodies into the Temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19-20) that is why we too must allow Jesus to come in to drive away sin from us and allow him to turn our bodies the Temple of the Holy Spirit into a house of prayer.
Again, the consequences for us is unimaginable as St. Paul writes to the Colossians “put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature, sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.” (Col 3:5-6)
We should not, however, refuse being disciplined by Our Lord because it only shows that such discipline are as a result of his love for us and it is out of love that Our Lord wants to restore us to the path of righteousness “that we may share in his holiness.” (Heb 12:10)
What we may find remarkable in this passage was the audacity of Jesus who taught daily at the Temple in Jerusalem. When he drove away the merchants from the Temple Courts, Jesus became a marked man. The Pharisees probably wanted to place him under arrest at that time but they could as the people intently listened to his teachings and they “hung upon every word he said.” (v.48)
And this is the question that we should ask ourselves. Do we have the audacity to tell the world who we are, what God has done for us, and who is the God that we serve? If we call ourselves Christian disciples, we must have the same audacity and boldness of Jesus Christ. Do we hung upon his word meaning do we listen to what he is telling us?
We cannot remain indifferent while the devil is making a mockery of our Catholic Christian faith. We are supposed to be the only Christian country in Asia where 85% of the population are predominantly Catholics. And for us to allow an onslaught against our Catholic faith like – the RH Bill, same-sex marriage, legalized abortion, drug abuse which has remained unchecked, graft and corruption which is turning into a culture, crimes against life and property, immoral behavior such as illicit relationship – is to turn our Temples into a den of robbers.
The Temple that is within us must become and remain as a house of prayer which means that we are not only to take care of our bodies as the Temple of the Holy Spirit but we are to honor God with our body (1 Cor 6:20) After all, we are not our own for we have been purchased at a price and so God owns us and it’s only incumbent that we are to be accountable to our owner.
When Our Lord Jesus found me in 1989 and brought me to the Catholic Charismatic renewal movement, I had to turn my back on the world that separated me from God and I have no regrets because now I am not only reconciled with God but he has given me a foretaste of what heaven is like – an indescribable peace and joy of basking in his presence.
NOTHING BUT PITY
NOV. 22, 2012: St. Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr
1st Reading: Rev 5:1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 149:1-, 9 “The lamb has made us a kingdom of priests to serve our God.”
GOSPEL: Lk 19: 41-44
Key Verse: “… but now it is hidden from your eyes.” (v.42)
There can be no doubt that God is compassionate and that he has nothing but mercy for the people that he created and that includes every human being from the beginning of time to our present time. But has anyone seen God weep? He may feel pity for those who may have strayed away from their Baptismal faith but will he weep for them.
Well, at least in this Gospel passage we are ushered into a rare privilege of seeing Jesus weep “as he approached and saw the city of Jerusalem” (v.41) and the question we probably will ask ourselves is why would Jesus weep for the people who have rejected him and who will send him to his own death on the cross.
This passage actually has two parts – one speaks of the compassion of Jesus Christ even for those who reject him (vv.41-44) and his anger upon seeing the Temple turned into a market place (vv.45-48) which is the Gospel reading for tomorrow.
At this point, it would be interesting to note that Jesus has crossed his Rubicon and there is no more turning back. He knew what will happen the moment he sets foot in Jerusalem but Jesus has an obligation to fulfill as his earthly ministry was about to reach its culmination.
The feast of the Passover couldn’t be the reason for his going to Jerusalem because the Passover can be observed and celebrated in any synagogue not necessarily in Jerusalem. But he needed to go because The Temple in Jerusalem serves as a reminder of God’s presence among the Jewish nation. He also had to go because this was probably the last time he would set foot at the Temple.
The name Jerusalem came from the word “salem” which meant peace and it was ironic that the peace he brought and offered was rejected by the people of Jerusalem. The view of Jerusalem from Mt. Olives was magnificent and as Jesus looked at the city, he wept (v.41) and said: “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace – but now it is hidden from your eyes.” (v.42)
There are at least three things that we can picture from this short passage. The first was the ignorance of the Jews of the coming of God (v.44) and their ignorance of what makes peace (v.42). In some Bible versions, the word ‘visitation’ was used instead of coming. The second was the terrible consequence of their action that would result in Jerusalem being destroyed and leveled to the ground including the Temple (vv.43, 44). The third was Jesus wept (v. 41) upon seeing what awaits the people of Jerusalem because of their refusal to recognize the coming of God and the peace that he brings.
In the Old Testament times, “visitation” meant the coming of God either to judge (Isa 29:5) or to save (Gen 50:24). And in v.44, it was clear that the coming of God or visitation was to save the people through Jesus Christ but whom the people rejected and did not recognize as they could not believe that God would come in the flesh as a son of a carpenter from Nazareth.
This scenario should also serve as a clear reminder for us of our prejudice and judgment on those who do not fit into our own set of standards. How many times have we looked down on others because they are nowhere near our standard? Hypocrisy is not limited to the material but even in the way we flaunt our talents and skills.
Jesus wept because he knew he did not withhold anything in telling the people who he was. On several occasions (Lk 11:20; 13:34; 17:20), Jesus showed who he was and what he can do and the peace that he brings but still the religious leaders and the people rejected him. The sin of the people was not that they have not heard of the kind of peace that God offered them but the way they suppressed the truth through their unrighteous way (Rom 1:18).
And what he saw happened 70 years following his death on the cross and resurrection when Titus, son of the Roman emperor Vespasian, led Roman soldiers to stave off the rebellion of the Jews and burned the city to the ground leveling off the Temple and left 600,000 Jews dead.
Transposed into our current situation, this Gospel should serve as a reminder for us that we can also avoid the terrible judgment that fell on the Jews in 70 A.D. if we will accept the offer of peace that Jesus brings. But as with similar peace agreements reached between governments and rebellious elements, we are obliged to put something on the table of peace as a sign of goodwill.
While we may view the destruction of Jerusalem and the people in the physical sense as it happened in 70 A.D. for which Jesus wept, this Gospel passage should also be taken in the context of our own destruction if we will persist in living in sin and we can see Jesus weeping for he did not come to see us destroy ourselves by our sinful nature but to extend to us the terms of a peaceful and eternal life in heaven.
Jesus comes to offer us peace that consists of eternal joy and salvation and the privilege to be readmitted as co-heirs of the kingdom of God. In return, we must lay down our arms consisting of our Pride, Envy, Gluttony, Sloth or Laziness, Lust, Avarice and Wrath or what we refer to as PEG’S LAW. Needless to say, the terms of peace that Jesus offers us should move us to surrender the temporal things that we have acquired that have tainted our souls such as bitterness, resentments, unforgiveness, arrogance and pride.
From the time the universe was created, God has constantly visited the people that he created and loved. God visited the Jews through his Son but they didn’t see him or refused to see him when he passed by them. Even now, God never tires in visiting us and in his mercy he gives us time to turn away from our sin of rebellion and come to the table of peace and Grace.
And this time is right now because if we procrastinate and put on hold our decision to reconcile with God, the consequence is Grace may pass us by as in the case of the five virgins who did not have enough oil for their lamps and the bridegroom arrived and shut the door behind him. I would not want to find myself in a position when I will have to bang at the door and hear the bridegroom say: “I do not know you.” (Matt 25:12)
We all need to take stock of our lives and review our priorities. Are titles, position, fame and fortune more important than our salvation? Think again as there may not be enough time left.
1st Reading: Rev 5:1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 149:1-, 9 “The lamb has made us a kingdom of priests to serve our God.”
GOSPEL: Lk 19: 41-44
Key Verse: “… but now it is hidden from your eyes.” (v.42)
There can be no doubt that God is compassionate and that he has nothing but mercy for the people that he created and that includes every human being from the beginning of time to our present time. But has anyone seen God weep? He may feel pity for those who may have strayed away from their Baptismal faith but will he weep for them.
Well, at least in this Gospel passage we are ushered into a rare privilege of seeing Jesus weep “as he approached and saw the city of Jerusalem” (v.41) and the question we probably will ask ourselves is why would Jesus weep for the people who have rejected him and who will send him to his own death on the cross.
This passage actually has two parts – one speaks of the compassion of Jesus Christ even for those who reject him (vv.41-44) and his anger upon seeing the Temple turned into a market place (vv.45-48) which is the Gospel reading for tomorrow.
At this point, it would be interesting to note that Jesus has crossed his Rubicon and there is no more turning back. He knew what will happen the moment he sets foot in Jerusalem but Jesus has an obligation to fulfill as his earthly ministry was about to reach its culmination.
The feast of the Passover couldn’t be the reason for his going to Jerusalem because the Passover can be observed and celebrated in any synagogue not necessarily in Jerusalem. But he needed to go because The Temple in Jerusalem serves as a reminder of God’s presence among the Jewish nation. He also had to go because this was probably the last time he would set foot at the Temple.
The name Jerusalem came from the word “salem” which meant peace and it was ironic that the peace he brought and offered was rejected by the people of Jerusalem. The view of Jerusalem from Mt. Olives was magnificent and as Jesus looked at the city, he wept (v.41) and said: “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace – but now it is hidden from your eyes.” (v.42)
There are at least three things that we can picture from this short passage. The first was the ignorance of the Jews of the coming of God (v.44) and their ignorance of what makes peace (v.42). In some Bible versions, the word ‘visitation’ was used instead of coming. The second was the terrible consequence of their action that would result in Jerusalem being destroyed and leveled to the ground including the Temple (vv.43, 44). The third was Jesus wept (v. 41) upon seeing what awaits the people of Jerusalem because of their refusal to recognize the coming of God and the peace that he brings.
In the Old Testament times, “visitation” meant the coming of God either to judge (Isa 29:5) or to save (Gen 50:24). And in v.44, it was clear that the coming of God or visitation was to save the people through Jesus Christ but whom the people rejected and did not recognize as they could not believe that God would come in the flesh as a son of a carpenter from Nazareth.
This scenario should also serve as a clear reminder for us of our prejudice and judgment on those who do not fit into our own set of standards. How many times have we looked down on others because they are nowhere near our standard? Hypocrisy is not limited to the material but even in the way we flaunt our talents and skills.
Jesus wept because he knew he did not withhold anything in telling the people who he was. On several occasions (Lk 11:20; 13:34; 17:20), Jesus showed who he was and what he can do and the peace that he brings but still the religious leaders and the people rejected him. The sin of the people was not that they have not heard of the kind of peace that God offered them but the way they suppressed the truth through their unrighteous way (Rom 1:18).
And what he saw happened 70 years following his death on the cross and resurrection when Titus, son of the Roman emperor Vespasian, led Roman soldiers to stave off the rebellion of the Jews and burned the city to the ground leveling off the Temple and left 600,000 Jews dead.
Transposed into our current situation, this Gospel should serve as a reminder for us that we can also avoid the terrible judgment that fell on the Jews in 70 A.D. if we will accept the offer of peace that Jesus brings. But as with similar peace agreements reached between governments and rebellious elements, we are obliged to put something on the table of peace as a sign of goodwill.
While we may view the destruction of Jerusalem and the people in the physical sense as it happened in 70 A.D. for which Jesus wept, this Gospel passage should also be taken in the context of our own destruction if we will persist in living in sin and we can see Jesus weeping for he did not come to see us destroy ourselves by our sinful nature but to extend to us the terms of a peaceful and eternal life in heaven.
Jesus comes to offer us peace that consists of eternal joy and salvation and the privilege to be readmitted as co-heirs of the kingdom of God. In return, we must lay down our arms consisting of our Pride, Envy, Gluttony, Sloth or Laziness, Lust, Avarice and Wrath or what we refer to as PEG’S LAW. Needless to say, the terms of peace that Jesus offers us should move us to surrender the temporal things that we have acquired that have tainted our souls such as bitterness, resentments, unforgiveness, arrogance and pride.
From the time the universe was created, God has constantly visited the people that he created and loved. God visited the Jews through his Son but they didn’t see him or refused to see him when he passed by them. Even now, God never tires in visiting us and in his mercy he gives us time to turn away from our sin of rebellion and come to the table of peace and Grace.
And this time is right now because if we procrastinate and put on hold our decision to reconcile with God, the consequence is Grace may pass us by as in the case of the five virgins who did not have enough oil for their lamps and the bridegroom arrived and shut the door behind him. I would not want to find myself in a position when I will have to bang at the door and hear the bridegroom say: “I do not know you.” (Matt 25:12)
We all need to take stock of our lives and review our priorities. Are titles, position, fame and fortune more important than our salvation? Think again as there may not be enough time left.
KINSHIP WITH JESUS IS WHAT MATTERS
NOV. 21, 2012: The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
1st Reading: Zec 2:14-17
Responsorial Psalm: Lk 1:46-55 “The Almighty has done great things for me, and Holy is His Name.”
GOSPEL: Matt 12:46-50
Key Verse: “For whoever does the will of my Father in
Heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (v.50)
It’s always a good exercise to look at family pictures especially those during your childhood days, when you stepped into your teens, as a young adult and to adulthood where you probably are now. And as you are doing this try reliving the happy memories that you shared with your siblings and other family members.
What was it like in your family? Of course there were fights, fits of jealousy, and sibling rivalry. But what I’m sure of was that there never was a time you were ashamed of any member of your family regardless of the situation. Family is family and you definitely will stand for one another.
Fast forward it to the scenario in today’s Gospel and as we hear Jesus ask: “Who is my mother and who are my brothers?” we might be swayed into thinking that Jesus Christ has been carried away by his earthly ministry that he has turned his back on his mother and family as he has been busy teaching, healing the sick and raising the dead back to life.
Some may also inject a reason for this uncanny behavior of Jesus that it may lead us into thinking that Jesus was getting back at his family for trying to restrain him from pursuing his ministry. In fact, some members of his family did not only try to stop him but they even said: “He is out of his mind.” (Mk 3:21)
As a son born into a Jewish family, Jesus was expected to take up the profession of his father as this was customary during the time of Jesus. For Jesus to deviate from this Jewish tradition was clearly out of the ordinary. Such that when he embarked on his ministry in fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecy, even “his own brothers did not believe in him.” (Jn 7:5)
Under these circumstances, it would be natural for Jesus to resent the intrusion of his family into his plan to bring the Good News of salvation to the people of Israel who have long been held in bondage by the burdens experienced by the people.
But this was not what this may seem to be for Jesus did not exactly reject his family but he was showing the people present at the time that while his love for his mother and brothers should not be doubted, relationships go beyond flesh and blood as he emphasized to his disciples that God is the true source of relationships.
The way of a Christian especially for those who embrace Catholicism was not easy especially in the early days because to depart from tradition would lead to hostility from even family members who are steeped in their religious beliefs. This was the reason why one of the early martyrs of the Church once said that: “the Christian’s only relatives are the Saints.”
One of the most prominent converts to Catholicism was former British Prime Minister Tony Blair who converted on Dec. 22, 2007 after he stepped down as Prime Minister of Britain. Mr. Blair who now spends most of his time in the Holy Land and in the Holy City once wrote Jerusalem as his home when he filled up the guest book at the British Embassy in Washington, DC on Jan. 14, 2009. For Mr. Blair, the Holy City “is a good place to reflect on religion, a source of so much inspiration and, an excuse for so much evil.” In the course of his decision to convert to Catholicism, Mr. Blair labored when he took this leap of faith because it wasn’t easy.
What Jesus was actually showing in this Gospel was that there are more to precepts, doctrines and commandments in being a Christian that should be anchored on a higher degree of relationship that is founded on trust, compassion, kindness, faithfulness, mercy, loyalty, commitment that should bind persons who share the same faith in a mutual bond of love.
And this bond of love should be rooted in a genuine relationship with God who is the source of love. As God became an incarnate being as a symbol of his infinite love, we too have been incarnated to God who made his dwelling in us (Jn 1:14). It is this indwelling of God in the person of the Holy Spirit that makes man a supernatural being.
This is also the reason why man’s relationship with his natural family is only as good as his relationship with God. And Christ tells his disciples in this passage that their filial relationships would be reordered because their relationship with God will bring them to a new a concept of family relationship.
While it may be true that blood is a tie that binds, it is also true that one will find fulfillment with those with whom they share the same faith experiences. “In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ” (Eph 1:5) and it is through this adoption that Our God will bring us to a new family circle whose members are those who “do the Will of the Father in heaven” (v.50) and they who shall become our brother, sister and mother.
This was the new paradigm that Jesus established in this Gospel which is a shift in the way we relate to one another, a relationship that should precede from our relationship with God that is bound in love.
Today we also mark the Feast of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary which was first celebrated in the 6th century in Jerusalem but it was only in the 16th century that it became a feast in the universal church. This presentation is based on the apocryphal account in which Joachim and Anna, Mary’s parents, offered her at the Temple when she was three years old. This Presentation of Mary at the Temple had an impact in the celebration of the Feasts of the Immaculate Conception and the Birth of Mary as it highlights that the holiness conferred on Mary from the beginning of her life continued through her childhood and beyond.
1st Reading: Zec 2:14-17
Responsorial Psalm: Lk 1:46-55 “The Almighty has done great things for me, and Holy is His Name.”
GOSPEL: Matt 12:46-50
Key Verse: “For whoever does the will of my Father in
Heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (v.50)
It’s always a good exercise to look at family pictures especially those during your childhood days, when you stepped into your teens, as a young adult and to adulthood where you probably are now. And as you are doing this try reliving the happy memories that you shared with your siblings and other family members.
What was it like in your family? Of course there were fights, fits of jealousy, and sibling rivalry. But what I’m sure of was that there never was a time you were ashamed of any member of your family regardless of the situation. Family is family and you definitely will stand for one another.
Fast forward it to the scenario in today’s Gospel and as we hear Jesus ask: “Who is my mother and who are my brothers?” we might be swayed into thinking that Jesus Christ has been carried away by his earthly ministry that he has turned his back on his mother and family as he has been busy teaching, healing the sick and raising the dead back to life.
Some may also inject a reason for this uncanny behavior of Jesus that it may lead us into thinking that Jesus was getting back at his family for trying to restrain him from pursuing his ministry. In fact, some members of his family did not only try to stop him but they even said: “He is out of his mind.” (Mk 3:21)
As a son born into a Jewish family, Jesus was expected to take up the profession of his father as this was customary during the time of Jesus. For Jesus to deviate from this Jewish tradition was clearly out of the ordinary. Such that when he embarked on his ministry in fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecy, even “his own brothers did not believe in him.” (Jn 7:5)
Under these circumstances, it would be natural for Jesus to resent the intrusion of his family into his plan to bring the Good News of salvation to the people of Israel who have long been held in bondage by the burdens experienced by the people.
But this was not what this may seem to be for Jesus did not exactly reject his family but he was showing the people present at the time that while his love for his mother and brothers should not be doubted, relationships go beyond flesh and blood as he emphasized to his disciples that God is the true source of relationships.
The way of a Christian especially for those who embrace Catholicism was not easy especially in the early days because to depart from tradition would lead to hostility from even family members who are steeped in their religious beliefs. This was the reason why one of the early martyrs of the Church once said that: “the Christian’s only relatives are the Saints.”
One of the most prominent converts to Catholicism was former British Prime Minister Tony Blair who converted on Dec. 22, 2007 after he stepped down as Prime Minister of Britain. Mr. Blair who now spends most of his time in the Holy Land and in the Holy City once wrote Jerusalem as his home when he filled up the guest book at the British Embassy in Washington, DC on Jan. 14, 2009. For Mr. Blair, the Holy City “is a good place to reflect on religion, a source of so much inspiration and, an excuse for so much evil.” In the course of his decision to convert to Catholicism, Mr. Blair labored when he took this leap of faith because it wasn’t easy.
What Jesus was actually showing in this Gospel was that there are more to precepts, doctrines and commandments in being a Christian that should be anchored on a higher degree of relationship that is founded on trust, compassion, kindness, faithfulness, mercy, loyalty, commitment that should bind persons who share the same faith in a mutual bond of love.
And this bond of love should be rooted in a genuine relationship with God who is the source of love. As God became an incarnate being as a symbol of his infinite love, we too have been incarnated to God who made his dwelling in us (Jn 1:14). It is this indwelling of God in the person of the Holy Spirit that makes man a supernatural being.
This is also the reason why man’s relationship with his natural family is only as good as his relationship with God. And Christ tells his disciples in this passage that their filial relationships would be reordered because their relationship with God will bring them to a new a concept of family relationship.
While it may be true that blood is a tie that binds, it is also true that one will find fulfillment with those with whom they share the same faith experiences. “In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ” (Eph 1:5) and it is through this adoption that Our God will bring us to a new family circle whose members are those who “do the Will of the Father in heaven” (v.50) and they who shall become our brother, sister and mother.
This was the new paradigm that Jesus established in this Gospel which is a shift in the way we relate to one another, a relationship that should precede from our relationship with God that is bound in love.
Today we also mark the Feast of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary which was first celebrated in the 6th century in Jerusalem but it was only in the 16th century that it became a feast in the universal church. This presentation is based on the apocryphal account in which Joachim and Anna, Mary’s parents, offered her at the Temple when she was three years old. This Presentation of Mary at the Temple had an impact in the celebration of the Feasts of the Immaculate Conception and the Birth of Mary as it highlights that the holiness conferred on Mary from the beginning of her life continued through her childhood and beyond.
JESUS COMES TO LIVE IN US
NOV. 20, 2012: 33rd WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Rev 3:1-6, 14-22
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 15:2-5 “I will seat the victor beside me on my throne.”
GOSPEL: LK 19: 1-10
Key Verse: “Today salvation has come to this house.” (v.9)
The world moves and with it also the way we live. From the modern world that we left behind a decade ago, we now come to grips with the post-modern world in which relativism has become a sort of fad. With the decline in the quality of education in many institutes of learning, the young steps into the new world with practically no knowledge of who God is.
There is no doubt the advent of communications and new technologies have made life easier and convenient but as technologies progressed so are those who use them. Having the latest gadgets has become the in thing and at times people also have to do a complete makeover in order to belong. People nowadays have become so enamored by the way they want to be perceived by others such that they try to live their lives in the way they want to be portrayed.
We choose our friends and the people we go out with. They have to be in the same standard as we are. But worst, we try to create our own standards and live in it. Hypocrisy has become a trait such that many among us have contracted spiritual amnesia and have drifted away from the practice of our baptismal faith.
This may be the case for some of us but this is not so for Jesus who also have to live with the hypocrisy that abound during his time when people are also classified eithers as clean or unclean. And this was the situation that Zacchaeus had to contend with.
Who would want to have dinner with Zacchaeus? Not the Pharisees and not even the people of Jericho who hated him and treated him with contempt. Zacchaeus was a tax collector employed by the Romans and thus was considered a traitor or an unclean person.
In exchange for their loyalty to the Roman empire, tax collectors like Zacchaeus were allowed to levy and collect taxes that are more than what was prescribed. And Zacchaeus was a crooked tax collector because he helped himself from the taxes that he collect from the people and this was the reason the people treat him with utmost contempt. To them, Zacchaeus was not only a traitor but a sinner of the first degree as well.
This was the reason why it came as a big surprise when Jesus stopped and looked at Zacchaeus, who perched on a sycamore-fig tree to get a glimpse of Jesus, and said: “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” (v.5) We could imagine the murmuring and protestation that followed the scenario when Zacchaeus came down and led Jesus to his house.
And for Zacchaeus who merely wanted to see Jesus for he had already heard of his uncompromising brand of preaching and healing, what Jesus said was not only a surprise but it provided him with the opportunity to recover even a little of his reputation that was lost on account of his profession.
As a tax collector who keeps the excess of the prescribed tax that he collects, Zacchaeus was considered wealthy by Jewish standards but he was not happy. Deep inside he was probably remorseful at the things he had done in his life. We surely don’t know what was running inside Zacchaeus’ head at the time but nothing would stop him.
He was short in appearance and so he had to climb a sycamore-fig tree and the rest is history. In any society, there are certain groups of people who move and act with irritating misdemeanor. They are those whom people know to be corrupt and immoral but who nevertheless advance in their lives in terms of wealth and position.
But should we envy them or hate them as the Pharisees did. We shouldn’t because we really don’t know what’s going on in their lives. Like Zacchaeus they may also be restless and unhappy notwithstanding the seeming comfort they are enjoying.
What Jesus did in inviting Zacchaeus to come down from the tree was to show that love should be encompassing and that even sinners are entitled to hear the Good News. Despite his wealth, Zacchaeus probably was no longer happy with the kind of hate that he had to live with and he needed to see Jesus.
And when he finally came down and met Jesus, Zacchaeus got more than what he asked for. He merely wanted to see Jesus but now he walks in the company of a distinguished prophet and preacher who has raised the dead to life, given sight to the blind, made the lame walk, and cast out evil spirits from those possessed by the demon.
Although the Scriptures did not describe the scenario, Zacchaeus was probably grinning from ear to ear because he must have felt that all his bad reputation have become a thing of the past as he led Jesus towards his house to have dinner with him. By tradition, only friends are invited by household owners to have dinner with them. But this scenario actually has a two-fold dimension to it. Zacchaeus may have been hosting Jesus to dinner but Our Lord, on the other hand, was hosting the tax collector to his table of Grace when he called on Zacchaeus to come down.
Overwhelmed by the presence of Jesus in his house, Zacchaeus did what for most of the people was unthinkable. He did not only have a change of heart but he showed his true repentance by giving half of his wealth to the poor and the other half to make payments and restitution for the corruption that he perpetrated. This went far beyond what was legally necessary in those days and this change had a lasting effect on how the people perceived him.
“Salvation has come to this house” (v.9) and what followed was a shocker to the Pharisees when Jesus said “this man too is the son of Abraham.” Despite the protests as the Pharisees would not want to admit that a corrupt tax collector was a son of Abraham, Jesus merely showed that heritage was not an assurance that one can be saved but faith was what will bring back the lost and be forgiven and made new.
Like Zacchaeus, there is a need for us to find our own sycamore-fig tree on which we could climb to see Jesus for there are times when we could not see Jesus from the cares and concerns of the world around us. To climb a tree just to get a glimpse of Jesus was a sign of humility especially for a wealthy man like Zacchaeus. And who among us would do the same. What we should not forget is that we are also sinners like Zacchaeus and at some point in time, we all need to find our way to see Jesus as the despised tax collector did.
Perhaps our own story will end in the same way as Zacchaeus did for “the Son of Man came to seek and save what was lost.” (v.10) We are lost when we wander away from God even with so-called menial sins but Our Lord is there to make his home in us and we need to make room for him in our hearts.
1st Reading: Rev 3:1-6, 14-22
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 15:2-5 “I will seat the victor beside me on my throne.”
GOSPEL: LK 19: 1-10
Key Verse: “Today salvation has come to this house.” (v.9)
The world moves and with it also the way we live. From the modern world that we left behind a decade ago, we now come to grips with the post-modern world in which relativism has become a sort of fad. With the decline in the quality of education in many institutes of learning, the young steps into the new world with practically no knowledge of who God is.
There is no doubt the advent of communications and new technologies have made life easier and convenient but as technologies progressed so are those who use them. Having the latest gadgets has become the in thing and at times people also have to do a complete makeover in order to belong. People nowadays have become so enamored by the way they want to be perceived by others such that they try to live their lives in the way they want to be portrayed.
We choose our friends and the people we go out with. They have to be in the same standard as we are. But worst, we try to create our own standards and live in it. Hypocrisy has become a trait such that many among us have contracted spiritual amnesia and have drifted away from the practice of our baptismal faith.
This may be the case for some of us but this is not so for Jesus who also have to live with the hypocrisy that abound during his time when people are also classified eithers as clean or unclean. And this was the situation that Zacchaeus had to contend with.
Who would want to have dinner with Zacchaeus? Not the Pharisees and not even the people of Jericho who hated him and treated him with contempt. Zacchaeus was a tax collector employed by the Romans and thus was considered a traitor or an unclean person.
In exchange for their loyalty to the Roman empire, tax collectors like Zacchaeus were allowed to levy and collect taxes that are more than what was prescribed. And Zacchaeus was a crooked tax collector because he helped himself from the taxes that he collect from the people and this was the reason the people treat him with utmost contempt. To them, Zacchaeus was not only a traitor but a sinner of the first degree as well.
This was the reason why it came as a big surprise when Jesus stopped and looked at Zacchaeus, who perched on a sycamore-fig tree to get a glimpse of Jesus, and said: “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” (v.5) We could imagine the murmuring and protestation that followed the scenario when Zacchaeus came down and led Jesus to his house.
And for Zacchaeus who merely wanted to see Jesus for he had already heard of his uncompromising brand of preaching and healing, what Jesus said was not only a surprise but it provided him with the opportunity to recover even a little of his reputation that was lost on account of his profession.
As a tax collector who keeps the excess of the prescribed tax that he collects, Zacchaeus was considered wealthy by Jewish standards but he was not happy. Deep inside he was probably remorseful at the things he had done in his life. We surely don’t know what was running inside Zacchaeus’ head at the time but nothing would stop him.
He was short in appearance and so he had to climb a sycamore-fig tree and the rest is history. In any society, there are certain groups of people who move and act with irritating misdemeanor. They are those whom people know to be corrupt and immoral but who nevertheless advance in their lives in terms of wealth and position.
But should we envy them or hate them as the Pharisees did. We shouldn’t because we really don’t know what’s going on in their lives. Like Zacchaeus they may also be restless and unhappy notwithstanding the seeming comfort they are enjoying.
What Jesus did in inviting Zacchaeus to come down from the tree was to show that love should be encompassing and that even sinners are entitled to hear the Good News. Despite his wealth, Zacchaeus probably was no longer happy with the kind of hate that he had to live with and he needed to see Jesus.
And when he finally came down and met Jesus, Zacchaeus got more than what he asked for. He merely wanted to see Jesus but now he walks in the company of a distinguished prophet and preacher who has raised the dead to life, given sight to the blind, made the lame walk, and cast out evil spirits from those possessed by the demon.
Although the Scriptures did not describe the scenario, Zacchaeus was probably grinning from ear to ear because he must have felt that all his bad reputation have become a thing of the past as he led Jesus towards his house to have dinner with him. By tradition, only friends are invited by household owners to have dinner with them. But this scenario actually has a two-fold dimension to it. Zacchaeus may have been hosting Jesus to dinner but Our Lord, on the other hand, was hosting the tax collector to his table of Grace when he called on Zacchaeus to come down.
Overwhelmed by the presence of Jesus in his house, Zacchaeus did what for most of the people was unthinkable. He did not only have a change of heart but he showed his true repentance by giving half of his wealth to the poor and the other half to make payments and restitution for the corruption that he perpetrated. This went far beyond what was legally necessary in those days and this change had a lasting effect on how the people perceived him.
“Salvation has come to this house” (v.9) and what followed was a shocker to the Pharisees when Jesus said “this man too is the son of Abraham.” Despite the protests as the Pharisees would not want to admit that a corrupt tax collector was a son of Abraham, Jesus merely showed that heritage was not an assurance that one can be saved but faith was what will bring back the lost and be forgiven and made new.
Like Zacchaeus, there is a need for us to find our own sycamore-fig tree on which we could climb to see Jesus for there are times when we could not see Jesus from the cares and concerns of the world around us. To climb a tree just to get a glimpse of Jesus was a sign of humility especially for a wealthy man like Zacchaeus. And who among us would do the same. What we should not forget is that we are also sinners like Zacchaeus and at some point in time, we all need to find our way to see Jesus as the despised tax collector did.
Perhaps our own story will end in the same way as Zacchaeus did for “the Son of Man came to seek and save what was lost.” (v.10) We are lost when we wander away from God even with so-called menial sins but Our Lord is there to make his home in us and we need to make room for him in our hearts.
COMPASSION NONPAREIL
NOV. 19, 2012: 33rd WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Rev. 1:1-4; 2:1-5
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 1:1-4, 6 “Those who are victorious I will feed from the tree of life.”
GOSPEL: LK 18:35-43
Key Verse: “What do you want me to do for you.” (v.41)
Have you ever experienced a time when you stepped into a room with people whom you believe are your friends and those who know you and no one even greeted you? At most they nodded at you but you could feel there was no warmth as they did that. And they will be civil enough to talk to you but you will have to make the first move. It was like you are in the room but it was as if you are but a shadow.
If you ever felt that way at some point in time, be of good cheer because this event provides us with a moving story that brings us inside the heart of Jesus and it exposes us to the kind of compassion of Our Lord towards those who feel they are non-entities.
The widows, poor, lepers, beggars especially those who are lame and blind were ostracized by the society they were in during the time of Jesus. In fact, we could say they live in a society but they are ignored. It was like they do not exist except when you have faithful friends such as the man who was lowered from the roof.
They are defenseless and have no way of getting into the mainstream of life and this story of the blind man in today’s Gospel is no different from situations that may be happening in our own lives when there are opportunities that we simply could not pass up or ignore. For the job-seeker, there is that job in an established company that you have long wanted and you will do anything just to get that job.
Those who have not gone abroad yet will probably be attracted by the promotional rates being advertised by budget airlines and you find yourselves scooping up your savings so as not to miss the opportunity to travel. Or the pricey bag you have been ogling for quite sometime and which suddenly came up in a yearend sale and you just had to grab the opportunity to buy yourself a bag that has fascinated you.
Or some who may be suffering from different forms of afflictions and who lie in wait until they hear news of a prominent healing priest who will be conducting healing services in their parish and their immediate reaction is to gather all their energies to go to the healing mass with the hope they can find there the healing that they seek.
In other words, there are opportunities that we cannot allow to pass or miss and this is the situation of the blind man in this Gospel passage who heard from the commotion that was building up on the road where he was sitting that Jesus would be passing by.
Beggars especially a blind one during the time of Jesus are considered irrelevant and are normally ignored and they would sit along the road because this is the only place where they can expect to earn a living from alms. What stands out in this passage is the persistence of the blind man to be noticed and be healed by Jesus.
As it was customary for a Rabbi to preach while walking it was only natural that the crowd was building up as Jesus passed by but even amid the commotion, the blind man managed to shout “Jesus, Son of David have mercy on me.” (v.38)
The crowd and even the disciples of Jesus who didn’t want to miss every word that Jesus was saying stopped the blind man who shouted all the more “Son of David, have mercy on me.” (v.39) When Jesus heard the man, he turned because to be called the “Son of David” is a salutary honor for someone who comes from the lineage of David. This was also a title given to the Messiah (Isa 11:1-3) which means that the blind man saw in faith that Jesus was the Messiah that has been prophesied.
When Jesus heard this, he turned around and he asked the blind man “What do you want me to do for you?” (v. 41) Jesus knew the man was blind but he still asked and perhaps the reason was that Jesus wanted the blind man to verbalize his faith. And this is the same with us when we come to Jesus to verbalize our faith through prayer.
And salvation comes to those who have faith as in the case of the blind man who was able to see when Jesus said: “Receive your sight, your faith has healed you.” (v.42) And immediately after he regained his sight the blind man praised God and became a disciple of Jesus. The crowd too praised God for the healing that took place.
There are at least two things that we need to dwell into to savor the beauty of this passage. One is the determination of the blind man who despite being rebuffed by the disciples of Jesus and the crowd would not be stopped from letting this one-time opportunity pass. As with the persistent widow, the persistence of the blind man paid off which should also teach us that not only do we have to be persistent in our prayers but we should also not allow any opportunity to pass by without praying.
The other thing that stood out in this Gospel was the way Jesus reacted upon hearing the cry of the blind man. He stopped and turned around and ministered to the blind man. Here we see Jesus walking the talk. Jesus was simply showing that deeds are more important than words. While it was important for him to preach, it was far more important for him to put meaning into his words by ministering to the blind man.
This scenario could be likened to people on a boat shouting to someone who went overboard “we’ll throw you a line and hang on to it.” Jesus did not only threw a line but he dived into the water and rescued the blind man from the sea of darkness.
This Gospel should serve as a reminder for all of us that regardless of the situation we are in, Jesus will come to our aid whenever we call out to him with a persistent faith. Just as when Jesus asked the blind man what he wants, we too must come to Jesus with specifics as it pleases him to always listen to our prayers.
Prayer is our lifeline to God and the blind man gives us a lesson that when an opportunity comes we must hang on to it and not let go until we receive what we are asking from. But the blind man also showed us how we must respond. As soon as he regained his sight, the blind man not only praised God but he followed Jesus and became one of his disciples.
What would please God all the more is when we follow him even if we still have to receive answers to our prayers. In other words, we should follow Jesus not because of the benefits that we can derive from it but because our obedience and loyalty are driven by our love for God.
1st Reading: Rev. 1:1-4; 2:1-5
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 1:1-4, 6 “Those who are victorious I will feed from the tree of life.”
GOSPEL: LK 18:35-43
Key Verse: “What do you want me to do for you.” (v.41)
Have you ever experienced a time when you stepped into a room with people whom you believe are your friends and those who know you and no one even greeted you? At most they nodded at you but you could feel there was no warmth as they did that. And they will be civil enough to talk to you but you will have to make the first move. It was like you are in the room but it was as if you are but a shadow.
If you ever felt that way at some point in time, be of good cheer because this event provides us with a moving story that brings us inside the heart of Jesus and it exposes us to the kind of compassion of Our Lord towards those who feel they are non-entities.
The widows, poor, lepers, beggars especially those who are lame and blind were ostracized by the society they were in during the time of Jesus. In fact, we could say they live in a society but they are ignored. It was like they do not exist except when you have faithful friends such as the man who was lowered from the roof.
They are defenseless and have no way of getting into the mainstream of life and this story of the blind man in today’s Gospel is no different from situations that may be happening in our own lives when there are opportunities that we simply could not pass up or ignore. For the job-seeker, there is that job in an established company that you have long wanted and you will do anything just to get that job.
Those who have not gone abroad yet will probably be attracted by the promotional rates being advertised by budget airlines and you find yourselves scooping up your savings so as not to miss the opportunity to travel. Or the pricey bag you have been ogling for quite sometime and which suddenly came up in a yearend sale and you just had to grab the opportunity to buy yourself a bag that has fascinated you.
Or some who may be suffering from different forms of afflictions and who lie in wait until they hear news of a prominent healing priest who will be conducting healing services in their parish and their immediate reaction is to gather all their energies to go to the healing mass with the hope they can find there the healing that they seek.
In other words, there are opportunities that we cannot allow to pass or miss and this is the situation of the blind man in this Gospel passage who heard from the commotion that was building up on the road where he was sitting that Jesus would be passing by.
Beggars especially a blind one during the time of Jesus are considered irrelevant and are normally ignored and they would sit along the road because this is the only place where they can expect to earn a living from alms. What stands out in this passage is the persistence of the blind man to be noticed and be healed by Jesus.
As it was customary for a Rabbi to preach while walking it was only natural that the crowd was building up as Jesus passed by but even amid the commotion, the blind man managed to shout “Jesus, Son of David have mercy on me.” (v.38)
The crowd and even the disciples of Jesus who didn’t want to miss every word that Jesus was saying stopped the blind man who shouted all the more “Son of David, have mercy on me.” (v.39) When Jesus heard the man, he turned because to be called the “Son of David” is a salutary honor for someone who comes from the lineage of David. This was also a title given to the Messiah (Isa 11:1-3) which means that the blind man saw in faith that Jesus was the Messiah that has been prophesied.
When Jesus heard this, he turned around and he asked the blind man “What do you want me to do for you?” (v. 41) Jesus knew the man was blind but he still asked and perhaps the reason was that Jesus wanted the blind man to verbalize his faith. And this is the same with us when we come to Jesus to verbalize our faith through prayer.
And salvation comes to those who have faith as in the case of the blind man who was able to see when Jesus said: “Receive your sight, your faith has healed you.” (v.42) And immediately after he regained his sight the blind man praised God and became a disciple of Jesus. The crowd too praised God for the healing that took place.
There are at least two things that we need to dwell into to savor the beauty of this passage. One is the determination of the blind man who despite being rebuffed by the disciples of Jesus and the crowd would not be stopped from letting this one-time opportunity pass. As with the persistent widow, the persistence of the blind man paid off which should also teach us that not only do we have to be persistent in our prayers but we should also not allow any opportunity to pass by without praying.
The other thing that stood out in this Gospel was the way Jesus reacted upon hearing the cry of the blind man. He stopped and turned around and ministered to the blind man. Here we see Jesus walking the talk. Jesus was simply showing that deeds are more important than words. While it was important for him to preach, it was far more important for him to put meaning into his words by ministering to the blind man.
This scenario could be likened to people on a boat shouting to someone who went overboard “we’ll throw you a line and hang on to it.” Jesus did not only threw a line but he dived into the water and rescued the blind man from the sea of darkness.
This Gospel should serve as a reminder for all of us that regardless of the situation we are in, Jesus will come to our aid whenever we call out to him with a persistent faith. Just as when Jesus asked the blind man what he wants, we too must come to Jesus with specifics as it pleases him to always listen to our prayers.
Prayer is our lifeline to God and the blind man gives us a lesson that when an opportunity comes we must hang on to it and not let go until we receive what we are asking from. But the blind man also showed us how we must respond. As soon as he regained his sight, the blind man not only praised God but he followed Jesus and became one of his disciples.
What would please God all the more is when we follow him even if we still have to receive answers to our prayers. In other words, we should follow Jesus not because of the benefits that we can derive from it but because our obedience and loyalty are driven by our love for God.
JESUS WILL COME NO DOUBT
ANGELS WILL BE SENT OUT TO PREPARE FOR THE COMING OF JESUS
NOV. 18, 2012: 33RD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Dan 12:1-3
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 16:5, 8-11 “You are my inheritance, O, Lord.”
2nd Reading: Heb 10:11-14, 18
GOSPEL: Mk 13:24-32
Key Verse: “… they will see the Son of Man coming...” (v.27)
Could Jesus be talking about the end times when everything will come to a complete stop? Was it the end of the world that Jesus was referring to here? Certainly he was not talking about the destruction of Jerusalem since the collapse of the holy city has already been prophesied years before Jesus was born. But the way Jesus described the end times must have sent shock waves down the spine of his disciples.
Transposed to the current realities in the world today, is this end time that Jesus talked about happening now? We only have to see what is happening in our midst today and anxiety readily fills our being.
Following the ethnic cleansing in Bosnia and Chechnya, the mass killing of those who comprise the minority in Angola, Uganda and Ethiopia, we are now witnessing what has become known as the Arab Spring. China is modernizing its armed forces claiming its for defense purposes. Iran is close to developing a nuclear weapon. Economies of even the most stable countries in the world have collapsed. Europe, United States, Japan are on survival mode. China is now experiencing a dramatic downward spin of its once bustling economy.
Are these the indelible signs of a world that is coming to an end? The elders of the Church who gathered for the Synodal Assembly at the Vatican have, in fact, expressed alarm over the dramatic decline in the morality of even those who have been baptized into the Christian faith.
Divorce, same-sex marriage, use of contraceptives and abortion are openly being promoted not just by organizations but even by governments. Could these be the signs that will accompany the second coming of the Son of God? Signs provide us with the direction we need to take so we will arrive at our destination but how good are you in reading signs?
The people in the time of Jesus expected that the coming of the Messiah will be accompanied by signs and wonders and this actually happened but they did not recognize Jesus and on a number of occasions he prophesied that he would return again at the end of the world to finish the work he came to accomplish through his death and resurrection.
The Jews were well aware of the vision of the prophet Daniel who foretold of a human king sitting in God's throne and since then the Jews kept looking for signs as they waited for a Messianic king who would deliver them from bondage and Jesus reinforces this belief when he assured his disciples and the Jews that when he returns he will establish a universal kingdom of peace, righteousness, and justice for all.
Today Jesus speaks once again of the second coming that will definitely take place because the Bible says so. This coming will be marked by signs that all will be able to see. Such signs will strike terror for those who are not prepared to meet the Lord. But the promise was what makes it all the more rewarding because Jesus assures us that when he returns he will establish justice and righteousness and he will vindicate all who have been faithful to him and his judgment will be the sign of hope for those who trust in him.
The question we are moved to ask then is why Jesus included the parable of the fig tree in this Gospel passage. In those days, the fig tree was a common and important source of food for the Jews and the prophet Joel equates the fruit-bearing fig tree as a sign of favor from the Lord (Joel 2:22).
What Jesus was trying to emphasize, however, was that the “budding” of God's kingdom is first established in the hearts of those who have made it a habit to listen to God's word and those who trust in God's word will bear the fruits of his kingdom. St. Paul writes to the Romans that the “Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Rom 14:17).
Jesus is also telling us now that even if the earth shall pass away, the truth of his words will never change nor will it be abolished. How true indeed for it is only in God and his Word that we can find the stability we need to guide us in this unstable environment we live in.
Our Lord Jesus promised his disciples and he is also assuring us now that “heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (v.31). While it is certain that chastisement will fall on those who reject the Kingdom of God, it will be a day of rejoicing for those who have prepared well for the coming of God’s kingdom.
As there are terrible signs for those who will refuse to recognize Jesus’s primacy in our lives, those who trust the Lord and who await his coming with great anticipation are the ones who will bear the fruits of his Kingdom especially if we abide by his Word.
Between his first coming when Christ was born to a human family and his second coming, Jesus has actually been coming to us and has been inviting us to a life in him, with him and for him. In fact, he left with us the Holy Spirit to be our paraclete, comforter, healer and, teacher to ensure that we will properly be guided on the road to righteousness and peace as we await the coming of the Kingdom of God.
Jesus is thus asking us to persevere and remain as a people of God until he comes again because all who believe and accept him and “if we endure, we will also reign with him.” (2 Tim 2:12)
As Christians we should not be complacent or passive. We must live our lives with great enthusiasm and expectation. While Christ himself said that to follow him will not be easy and will entail much suffering, the Christian life nevertheless can become an exciting experience because of the assurance of Christ’s return to establish justice and righteousness.
As the Advent Season is just around the corner, we must make full use of the eschatological passages in the Scriptures to prepare us for his coming so that when we are faced with persecution and suffering, we will be armed with the hope “to stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (v.28)
1st Reading: Dan 12:1-3
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 16:5, 8-11 “You are my inheritance, O, Lord.”
2nd Reading: Heb 10:11-14, 18
GOSPEL: Mk 13:24-32
Key Verse: “… they will see the Son of Man coming...” (v.27)
Could Jesus be talking about the end times when everything will come to a complete stop? Was it the end of the world that Jesus was referring to here? Certainly he was not talking about the destruction of Jerusalem since the collapse of the holy city has already been prophesied years before Jesus was born. But the way Jesus described the end times must have sent shock waves down the spine of his disciples.
Transposed to the current realities in the world today, is this end time that Jesus talked about happening now? We only have to see what is happening in our midst today and anxiety readily fills our being.
Following the ethnic cleansing in Bosnia and Chechnya, the mass killing of those who comprise the minority in Angola, Uganda and Ethiopia, we are now witnessing what has become known as the Arab Spring. China is modernizing its armed forces claiming its for defense purposes. Iran is close to developing a nuclear weapon. Economies of even the most stable countries in the world have collapsed. Europe, United States, Japan are on survival mode. China is now experiencing a dramatic downward spin of its once bustling economy.
Are these the indelible signs of a world that is coming to an end? The elders of the Church who gathered for the Synodal Assembly at the Vatican have, in fact, expressed alarm over the dramatic decline in the morality of even those who have been baptized into the Christian faith.
Divorce, same-sex marriage, use of contraceptives and abortion are openly being promoted not just by organizations but even by governments. Could these be the signs that will accompany the second coming of the Son of God? Signs provide us with the direction we need to take so we will arrive at our destination but how good are you in reading signs?
The people in the time of Jesus expected that the coming of the Messiah will be accompanied by signs and wonders and this actually happened but they did not recognize Jesus and on a number of occasions he prophesied that he would return again at the end of the world to finish the work he came to accomplish through his death and resurrection.
The Jews were well aware of the vision of the prophet Daniel who foretold of a human king sitting in God's throne and since then the Jews kept looking for signs as they waited for a Messianic king who would deliver them from bondage and Jesus reinforces this belief when he assured his disciples and the Jews that when he returns he will establish a universal kingdom of peace, righteousness, and justice for all.
Today Jesus speaks once again of the second coming that will definitely take place because the Bible says so. This coming will be marked by signs that all will be able to see. Such signs will strike terror for those who are not prepared to meet the Lord. But the promise was what makes it all the more rewarding because Jesus assures us that when he returns he will establish justice and righteousness and he will vindicate all who have been faithful to him and his judgment will be the sign of hope for those who trust in him.
The question we are moved to ask then is why Jesus included the parable of the fig tree in this Gospel passage. In those days, the fig tree was a common and important source of food for the Jews and the prophet Joel equates the fruit-bearing fig tree as a sign of favor from the Lord (Joel 2:22).
What Jesus was trying to emphasize, however, was that the “budding” of God's kingdom is first established in the hearts of those who have made it a habit to listen to God's word and those who trust in God's word will bear the fruits of his kingdom. St. Paul writes to the Romans that the “Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Rom 14:17).
Jesus is also telling us now that even if the earth shall pass away, the truth of his words will never change nor will it be abolished. How true indeed for it is only in God and his Word that we can find the stability we need to guide us in this unstable environment we live in.
Our Lord Jesus promised his disciples and he is also assuring us now that “heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (v.31). While it is certain that chastisement will fall on those who reject the Kingdom of God, it will be a day of rejoicing for those who have prepared well for the coming of God’s kingdom.
As there are terrible signs for those who will refuse to recognize Jesus’s primacy in our lives, those who trust the Lord and who await his coming with great anticipation are the ones who will bear the fruits of his Kingdom especially if we abide by his Word.
Between his first coming when Christ was born to a human family and his second coming, Jesus has actually been coming to us and has been inviting us to a life in him, with him and for him. In fact, he left with us the Holy Spirit to be our paraclete, comforter, healer and, teacher to ensure that we will properly be guided on the road to righteousness and peace as we await the coming of the Kingdom of God.
Jesus is thus asking us to persevere and remain as a people of God until he comes again because all who believe and accept him and “if we endure, we will also reign with him.” (2 Tim 2:12)
As Christians we should not be complacent or passive. We must live our lives with great enthusiasm and expectation. While Christ himself said that to follow him will not be easy and will entail much suffering, the Christian life nevertheless can become an exciting experience because of the assurance of Christ’s return to establish justice and righteousness.
As the Advent Season is just around the corner, we must make full use of the eschatological passages in the Scriptures to prepare us for his coming so that when we are faced with persecution and suffering, we will be armed with the hope “to stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (v.28)
PERSISTENCE HELPS
NOV. 17, 2012: 32nd WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 3 Jn 5-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 112:1-6 “Blessed the man who fears the Lord.”
GOSPEL: Lk 18:1-8
Key Verse: “…he will see to it that they get justice, and quickly.” (v.8)
The contrasting dispositions of the two main characters in this Gospel passage – the unjust judge and the impoverished but persistent widow – is what makes this Gospel of Luke interesting and the lesson we can learn from this passage is how persistence could turn into an advantage especially when you have already lost hope.
In this passage Jesus described the judge in this parable as someone “who neither feared God nor cared about men.” (v.2) In other words, the judge was someone who was not only made of a firm resolve but who was indifferent and one who was oblivious to the plight of even the poor.
Based on existing Jewish law at the time, differences and or disagreements among the Jews are normally brought before the elders of the community and when a case was brought before the attention of the elders, it was the tradition during that time that at least three elders and or arbitrators are to sit in judgment, one to be chosen by the complaining party, the other by the defendant in a dispute and, the third was someone who was independent of either party.
Because some Bible translations point to the judge as an unjust judge, it was assumed that the judge in question was notorious or known to be a corrupt judge who accepts bribes in exchange for the settlement of cases that can go either way depending on who puts up the bigger bribe.
On the other hand, we can safely say that the widow was poor and it was on account of her poverty that she had no other choice but to keep coming back to implore the judge to decide in her favor. Otherwise, she could have done what others do and that was to bribe the judge to earn for her a favorable decision.
And while the widow neither had the money to bribe the judge nor the political influence to force the judge to decide in her favor, the widow was armed with a weapon more powerful than anything else. That weapon was persistence and the judge finally said to himself: “I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!” (v.5)
Translated into our current life situation, persistence is a virtue that sits well with God. “Pray continually” St. Paul tells the people of Thessalonica because he knew that this was the Will of God not only for the Thessalonians but also for us.
While God may not always give whatever we pray for, God will nevertheless grant our prayers based on what God wills for us. This means that while we can draw on our ability to call on God in prayer especially for those to whom God has revealed himself, the day and time as to when our prayers will be granted is for God to decide.
It is also possible that God may withhold answering our prayers to test our faith that was why he asked in v.8 “However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” God raised this question because of the many who have fallen on the wayside and have turned their backs on their faith when they failed to get answers to their prayers.
This is true even today. How many among us even went as far as to question God for whatever misfortune we may have experienced in life. How many blamed God for not lending an ear and took God to task for taking a long time to come to their aid. Aren’t we one of these? Wasn’t there a time when we too asked God why our prayers are not being answered?
If we will only open our eyes, we will see that God has already answered our prayers although not in the manner that we wanted or expected. If suppose we pray that God change a person whom we don’t like but instead of changing that person God changed us instead and gave us a heart to know and understand the person’s nature as he is. Won’t we consider this as an answered prayer?
This is why Our Lord Jesus Christ would probably also ask if he will find faith on earth when he comes (v.8) as there have been many instances of people turning their backs on their faith rather than persist in their prayers especially when they don’t get answers to their prayers. But what those who turned their backs on God didn’t know was that God looks kindly when people persist in their prayers especially if they will add what the Saints found to be the perfect prayer when they learned to say “your will be done.” (Matt 6:10)
Perhaps this is what we lack in our prayers. Regardless of whether God’s answer to our prayers may be late in coming, we all must learn how to accept his Will and say not my will Lord but your Will be done.
1st Reading: 3 Jn 5-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 112:1-6 “Blessed the man who fears the Lord.”
GOSPEL: Lk 18:1-8
Key Verse: “…he will see to it that they get justice, and quickly.” (v.8)
The contrasting dispositions of the two main characters in this Gospel passage – the unjust judge and the impoverished but persistent widow – is what makes this Gospel of Luke interesting and the lesson we can learn from this passage is how persistence could turn into an advantage especially when you have already lost hope.
In this passage Jesus described the judge in this parable as someone “who neither feared God nor cared about men.” (v.2) In other words, the judge was someone who was not only made of a firm resolve but who was indifferent and one who was oblivious to the plight of even the poor.
Based on existing Jewish law at the time, differences and or disagreements among the Jews are normally brought before the elders of the community and when a case was brought before the attention of the elders, it was the tradition during that time that at least three elders and or arbitrators are to sit in judgment, one to be chosen by the complaining party, the other by the defendant in a dispute and, the third was someone who was independent of either party.
Because some Bible translations point to the judge as an unjust judge, it was assumed that the judge in question was notorious or known to be a corrupt judge who accepts bribes in exchange for the settlement of cases that can go either way depending on who puts up the bigger bribe.
On the other hand, we can safely say that the widow was poor and it was on account of her poverty that she had no other choice but to keep coming back to implore the judge to decide in her favor. Otherwise, she could have done what others do and that was to bribe the judge to earn for her a favorable decision.
And while the widow neither had the money to bribe the judge nor the political influence to force the judge to decide in her favor, the widow was armed with a weapon more powerful than anything else. That weapon was persistence and the judge finally said to himself: “I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!” (v.5)
Translated into our current life situation, persistence is a virtue that sits well with God. “Pray continually” St. Paul tells the people of Thessalonica because he knew that this was the Will of God not only for the Thessalonians but also for us.
While God may not always give whatever we pray for, God will nevertheless grant our prayers based on what God wills for us. This means that while we can draw on our ability to call on God in prayer especially for those to whom God has revealed himself, the day and time as to when our prayers will be granted is for God to decide.
It is also possible that God may withhold answering our prayers to test our faith that was why he asked in v.8 “However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” God raised this question because of the many who have fallen on the wayside and have turned their backs on their faith when they failed to get answers to their prayers.
This is true even today. How many among us even went as far as to question God for whatever misfortune we may have experienced in life. How many blamed God for not lending an ear and took God to task for taking a long time to come to their aid. Aren’t we one of these? Wasn’t there a time when we too asked God why our prayers are not being answered?
If we will only open our eyes, we will see that God has already answered our prayers although not in the manner that we wanted or expected. If suppose we pray that God change a person whom we don’t like but instead of changing that person God changed us instead and gave us a heart to know and understand the person’s nature as he is. Won’t we consider this as an answered prayer?
This is why Our Lord Jesus Christ would probably also ask if he will find faith on earth when he comes (v.8) as there have been many instances of people turning their backs on their faith rather than persist in their prayers especially when they don’t get answers to their prayers. But what those who turned their backs on God didn’t know was that God looks kindly when people persist in their prayers especially if they will add what the Saints found to be the perfect prayer when they learned to say “your will be done.” (Matt 6:10)
Perhaps this is what we lack in our prayers. Regardless of whether God’s answer to our prayers may be late in coming, we all must learn how to accept his Will and say not my will Lord but your Will be done.
STAY AWAKE, THE LORD IS COMING
LOT'S FAMILY FLEES SODOM
NOV. 16, 2012: 32ND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 2 Jn 4-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 119:1-2, 10-11, 17-18 “Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: LK 17:26-37
Key Verse: “… one will be taken and the other left.” (v. 34)
If you have been following up on the Gospel readings these past few days, you will note that some of the teachings of Jesus have become eschatological in their content and emphasis has been made on the need for everyone to account for the gifts that have been entrusted to us. But in this passage today, Jesus for the first time spoke in no uncertain terms that there will indeed be a day of judgment that will await us.
While we know from Scriptures that Our Lord will definitely come a second time, the day and the hour remains unknown. This was the reason why Jesus has been urging his disciples and the people who come to listen to his preaching to prepare and not to be caught off-guard when he comes as what happened to the five foolish virgins.
The day of judgment remains unknown to us although certain signs are being revealed which may be an indication of his coming as Christ himself said in Matt 24:36 “of that day and hour no one knows, no not the angels of heaven, but the Father alone.” Which is why St. Augustine is also urging us to do now what we ought to do as if tomorrow were to be the last day.
In this Gospel passage, Jesus reminded his disciples of what happened during the time of Noah and Lot. In citing the parallelism of these two Old Testament events, the “people were eating, drinking marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.” (v.27)
Similarly, the same fate befell the people of Sodom and Gomorrah who were so immersed in sinful desires. Lot’s wife could have been spared the fire and sulfur that rained down from heaven had she followed the Lord’s instruction not to look back.
In reminding his disciples of these two tragic events, Jesus was trying to drive home the point that while the judgment of the Lord will come unexpectedly there is still time for the people to change and amend their ways.
The lesson for us is that we should all be aware that there is indeed a day of judgment or atonement. When that day comes, we will definitely stand before the judgment seat and account for how well or how bad we took care of our bodies which are the Temple of the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor 3:16)
And Christ out of his generosity and love for us gave a hint in Matt 24:3 of what we are to watch out for so that we will have the confidence to live in accordance with the Grace that we have received. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says these signs include:
1. The Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Matt 24:14) This is happening now with the ongoing revival in the Church and efforts to catechize the unchurched and those who have been baptized but have drifted away from the Church.
2. A large part of humankind will be without faith and immersed in things of the world (Lk 17:26) as in the days of Noah (Matt 24:38). Genocide in Bosnia, Angola, Sudan, Chechnya, Ethiopia. Murders committed by youths in the school systems in the US and elsewhere. Perversions, same-sex marriage, abortions, divorce, drug addiction, HIV/AIDS, and corporate greed. The proposed RH Bill now pending in the Philippine Congress. All these symbolize the utter lack of faith of people including those who have been baptized.
3. An anti-Christ will appear but Our Lord will destroy him “with the breath of his mouth and the splendor of his coming on the Last Day.” (2 Thes 2:8)
4. Elijah will return and preach penance. “See I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.” (Mal 4:5-6)
5. Dreadful signs will appear in the heavens and great tribulations will come upon mankind (Matt 24:29; War, pestilence and famine will erupt as during the siege of Jerusalem (Matt 24:7); and, men shall wither with fear and from expectation of the things that will come upon the earth (Lk 21:26).
And what Jesus said in v.34 “one will be taken and one will be left” should serve as a reminder for us that God would judge us on an individual basis in accord with how we have lived our lives and how we made use of the Grace we have received. This means that our salvation cannot be by proxy or association with the goodwill that others have built.
There is reason to rejoice, however, because God himself will grant us the necessary Grace and refuge to those who will seek him in faith and with contrite hearts. He gives us the Grace to know him personally and to accept his lordship as we do when we were baptized in the Spirit. And he gives us the power of the Holy Spirit to live each day for his kingdom, and the readiness to receive him when he returns.
Thus, God's judgment is good news for those who have prepared for his coming because their reward is God himself who is the source of all truth, love and eternal life. Let us prepare then and not play with our lives because the alternative is unimaginable.
1st Reading: 2 Jn 4-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 119:1-2, 10-11, 17-18 “Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: LK 17:26-37
Key Verse: “… one will be taken and the other left.” (v. 34)
If you have been following up on the Gospel readings these past few days, you will note that some of the teachings of Jesus have become eschatological in their content and emphasis has been made on the need for everyone to account for the gifts that have been entrusted to us. But in this passage today, Jesus for the first time spoke in no uncertain terms that there will indeed be a day of judgment that will await us.
While we know from Scriptures that Our Lord will definitely come a second time, the day and the hour remains unknown. This was the reason why Jesus has been urging his disciples and the people who come to listen to his preaching to prepare and not to be caught off-guard when he comes as what happened to the five foolish virgins.
The day of judgment remains unknown to us although certain signs are being revealed which may be an indication of his coming as Christ himself said in Matt 24:36 “of that day and hour no one knows, no not the angels of heaven, but the Father alone.” Which is why St. Augustine is also urging us to do now what we ought to do as if tomorrow were to be the last day.
In this Gospel passage, Jesus reminded his disciples of what happened during the time of Noah and Lot. In citing the parallelism of these two Old Testament events, the “people were eating, drinking marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.” (v.27)
Similarly, the same fate befell the people of Sodom and Gomorrah who were so immersed in sinful desires. Lot’s wife could have been spared the fire and sulfur that rained down from heaven had she followed the Lord’s instruction not to look back.
In reminding his disciples of these two tragic events, Jesus was trying to drive home the point that while the judgment of the Lord will come unexpectedly there is still time for the people to change and amend their ways.
The lesson for us is that we should all be aware that there is indeed a day of judgment or atonement. When that day comes, we will definitely stand before the judgment seat and account for how well or how bad we took care of our bodies which are the Temple of the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor 3:16)
And Christ out of his generosity and love for us gave a hint in Matt 24:3 of what we are to watch out for so that we will have the confidence to live in accordance with the Grace that we have received. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says these signs include:
1. The Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Matt 24:14) This is happening now with the ongoing revival in the Church and efforts to catechize the unchurched and those who have been baptized but have drifted away from the Church.
2. A large part of humankind will be without faith and immersed in things of the world (Lk 17:26) as in the days of Noah (Matt 24:38). Genocide in Bosnia, Angola, Sudan, Chechnya, Ethiopia. Murders committed by youths in the school systems in the US and elsewhere. Perversions, same-sex marriage, abortions, divorce, drug addiction, HIV/AIDS, and corporate greed. The proposed RH Bill now pending in the Philippine Congress. All these symbolize the utter lack of faith of people including those who have been baptized.
3. An anti-Christ will appear but Our Lord will destroy him “with the breath of his mouth and the splendor of his coming on the Last Day.” (2 Thes 2:8)
4. Elijah will return and preach penance. “See I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.” (Mal 4:5-6)
5. Dreadful signs will appear in the heavens and great tribulations will come upon mankind (Matt 24:29; War, pestilence and famine will erupt as during the siege of Jerusalem (Matt 24:7); and, men shall wither with fear and from expectation of the things that will come upon the earth (Lk 21:26).
And what Jesus said in v.34 “one will be taken and one will be left” should serve as a reminder for us that God would judge us on an individual basis in accord with how we have lived our lives and how we made use of the Grace we have received. This means that our salvation cannot be by proxy or association with the goodwill that others have built.
There is reason to rejoice, however, because God himself will grant us the necessary Grace and refuge to those who will seek him in faith and with contrite hearts. He gives us the Grace to know him personally and to accept his lordship as we do when we were baptized in the Spirit. And he gives us the power of the Holy Spirit to live each day for his kingdom, and the readiness to receive him when he returns.
Thus, God's judgment is good news for those who have prepared for his coming because their reward is God himself who is the source of all truth, love and eternal life. Let us prepare then and not play with our lives because the alternative is unimaginable.
THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS AMONG US
NOV. 15, 201: ST. ALBERT THE GREAT, Bishop and Doctor
1st Reading: Phi 7:20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 146:7-10 “Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob.”
GOSPEL: LK 17:20-25
Key Verse: “The Kingdom of God is within you.” (v.21)
Wasn’t it rather odd for the Pharisees to ask Jesus as to when the Kingdom of God would come (v.20) and the first thought that comes to us was that the Pharisees believed that the Kingdom of God would come when the promised Messiah comes not knowing that the Messiah they have been waiting for was already in their midst.
Instead of giving the Pharisees a categorical answer, Jesus corrected what they believed in because this was what was written in the Old Testament that “God Himself will give you a sign” (Isa 7:14) but the problem of the Jews was that they have already created in their minds the concept of a warrior king who will deliver them from the Romans who have occupied their land. And because of the mindsets they have, the Pharisees failed to equate the teachings of Jesus who taught with authority and the many instances of healing that could only be attributed to the power of God and so it is for some of us.
Churches, communities and organizations that have seen a dramatic decline in their membership and attendance spend endless hours, days and nights trying to figure out what could have gone wrong. And the likely culprit is the organizational structure and again, precious time is spent searching for that ideal structure that would revive their church, community and or organization for that matter.
Why is this so? Because it is much easier to look at the organizational structure as flawed instead of looking at the attitudinal structure of those who comprise the church, community or organization. It is more convenient to blame the structure than the people who make up the church or community. And this was also the same predicament that the Church had when the recently-concluded Synodal Assembly was held in Rome in October.
Under the direction of Pope Benedict XVI, the more than 280 Bishops of the Church met, discussed, debated and finally discerned what could be the reason for the declining interest and increasing secularization of the Catholic lay faithful in today’s post-modern world.
At the end of the Synod, there was an agreement that there was nothing wrong in the structure per se as it remains sound but what went wrong was that we as the new disciples of Christ have failed to come to terms and adjust to the speed with which the world grew. In other words, the manner by which we proclaim the Gospel of Christ became obsolete in the face of the changing times and advent of the new media.
What then is the kingdom of God like? And when will the kingdom of God come? At some point in time, some of us who have been praying The Lord’s Prayer would most probably seek an answer to these questions. It shouldn’t be taken as a loss of faith on the part of the one searching for answers but a question such as these require a response especially if we are to find meaning in the words we utter in prayer.
At times we need to look back to be able to see what is before us and we can probably draw some reference to the attitude of the Pharisees in this Gospel passage who asked Jesus when the kingdom of God would come. And the greatest error the Pharisees committed was their failure or refusal to see and acknowledge that they were already standing face-to-face with the kingdom of God personified in Jesus who was born of human parents from the line of David.
The scene at the Baptism of Jesus should have been enough to send a message to the Pharisees that Jesus indeed was the Son of God sent down from above. The teachings, miracles and healings that took place should have sufficed but the Pharisees remained unconvinced. They still wanted a sign, a visible sign.
From all indications, however, the Pharisees may have lost all sense of reason for even up to this point no event nor words can convince them of the reality that the kingdom of God was already in their midst. Knowing that he has to operate in this kind of an environment, Jesus used a different approach saying in vv.20-21 “the kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say ‘here it is’ or ‘there it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.”
Still the Pharisees were unmoved and couldn’t grasp the substance of what he was saying so Jesus turned to his disciples and said: “For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other. But he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.” (v.25)
Both Jesus and the religious leaders of his time were faced with difficulty at two levels. Jesus was having difficulty trying to convince the Pharisees of his nature and, the Pharisees were faced with the difficulty to accept an amplification of their religious belief as they were unprepared for that since their faith was primarily based on rules and regulations.
This was also the reason why Jesus warned of false prophets who will come and he cautioned his disciples not to follow them and he used lightning as an illustration of the coming of the kingdom of God because as with lightning the kingdom of God will come like a powerful surge of energy that will transform an unbeliever and the doubtful into a disciple.
In effect this was what happened to most of us who placed our lives at the foot of the cross and allowed the Holy Spirit to move in us to transform our lives and clothed our sinful nature with the righteousness of Christ. As Jesus breathe his last on the cross, a powerful surge of lightning struck and the energy it created reverberated throughout the world that he has conquered with his death on the cross.
This was what this Gospel passage is all about. His coming to become the Son of Man has assured us of our divinity as “the Word of God was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God at the beginning.” (Jn 1:1-2) And we can see the connection of our humanity with the divine if we can see ourselves as an incarnation of the Word “the Word became flesh and made its dwelling among us.” (Jn 1:14)
But we can only be aware that the kingdom of God has come upon us in fulfillment of his promise when we recognize his ownership over us on account of our having been purchased at a high cost. The kingdom of God among us is not defined by geographical or territorial boundaries but it begins when the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit are made manifest in our lives and in our relationship with God and our neighbor.
In so doing, we must resist the temptation to look at institutions, programs and projects for evidence of how the kingdom of God is progressing but we should instead focus on how the Holy Spirit is moving to transform our hearts that we may see Jesus present among us in so many ways.
He is in the Word that we read. He is in those with whom we share our lives with, our family, relatives, friend and those whom we don’t know but whom we meet everyday on the street. In other words Jesus is everywhere and He is present in the Eucharist that we receive and makes us also divine by our reception of his soul and divinity.
In Jesus we see the power and glory of God’s kingdom and by his death on the cross, his overpowering presence was passed on to us such that the kingdom of God is now among us and the world will know we are truly his disciples when we have love for one another. That is when the kingdom of God is really present because love is the air that we breathe in God’s kingdom.
No doubt Christ will return but like the bridegroom we know neither the day nor the hour of his coming. But regardless of when that will be we need to be morally and spiritually ready. To do this, we all must live as if Jesus will be coming today.
1st Reading: Phi 7:20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 146:7-10 “Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob.”
GOSPEL: LK 17:20-25
Key Verse: “The Kingdom of God is within you.” (v.21)
Wasn’t it rather odd for the Pharisees to ask Jesus as to when the Kingdom of God would come (v.20) and the first thought that comes to us was that the Pharisees believed that the Kingdom of God would come when the promised Messiah comes not knowing that the Messiah they have been waiting for was already in their midst.
Instead of giving the Pharisees a categorical answer, Jesus corrected what they believed in because this was what was written in the Old Testament that “God Himself will give you a sign” (Isa 7:14) but the problem of the Jews was that they have already created in their minds the concept of a warrior king who will deliver them from the Romans who have occupied their land. And because of the mindsets they have, the Pharisees failed to equate the teachings of Jesus who taught with authority and the many instances of healing that could only be attributed to the power of God and so it is for some of us.
Churches, communities and organizations that have seen a dramatic decline in their membership and attendance spend endless hours, days and nights trying to figure out what could have gone wrong. And the likely culprit is the organizational structure and again, precious time is spent searching for that ideal structure that would revive their church, community and or organization for that matter.
Why is this so? Because it is much easier to look at the organizational structure as flawed instead of looking at the attitudinal structure of those who comprise the church, community or organization. It is more convenient to blame the structure than the people who make up the church or community. And this was also the same predicament that the Church had when the recently-concluded Synodal Assembly was held in Rome in October.
Under the direction of Pope Benedict XVI, the more than 280 Bishops of the Church met, discussed, debated and finally discerned what could be the reason for the declining interest and increasing secularization of the Catholic lay faithful in today’s post-modern world.
At the end of the Synod, there was an agreement that there was nothing wrong in the structure per se as it remains sound but what went wrong was that we as the new disciples of Christ have failed to come to terms and adjust to the speed with which the world grew. In other words, the manner by which we proclaim the Gospel of Christ became obsolete in the face of the changing times and advent of the new media.
What then is the kingdom of God like? And when will the kingdom of God come? At some point in time, some of us who have been praying The Lord’s Prayer would most probably seek an answer to these questions. It shouldn’t be taken as a loss of faith on the part of the one searching for answers but a question such as these require a response especially if we are to find meaning in the words we utter in prayer.
At times we need to look back to be able to see what is before us and we can probably draw some reference to the attitude of the Pharisees in this Gospel passage who asked Jesus when the kingdom of God would come. And the greatest error the Pharisees committed was their failure or refusal to see and acknowledge that they were already standing face-to-face with the kingdom of God personified in Jesus who was born of human parents from the line of David.
The scene at the Baptism of Jesus should have been enough to send a message to the Pharisees that Jesus indeed was the Son of God sent down from above. The teachings, miracles and healings that took place should have sufficed but the Pharisees remained unconvinced. They still wanted a sign, a visible sign.
From all indications, however, the Pharisees may have lost all sense of reason for even up to this point no event nor words can convince them of the reality that the kingdom of God was already in their midst. Knowing that he has to operate in this kind of an environment, Jesus used a different approach saying in vv.20-21 “the kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say ‘here it is’ or ‘there it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.”
Still the Pharisees were unmoved and couldn’t grasp the substance of what he was saying so Jesus turned to his disciples and said: “For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other. But he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.” (v.25)
Both Jesus and the religious leaders of his time were faced with difficulty at two levels. Jesus was having difficulty trying to convince the Pharisees of his nature and, the Pharisees were faced with the difficulty to accept an amplification of their religious belief as they were unprepared for that since their faith was primarily based on rules and regulations.
This was also the reason why Jesus warned of false prophets who will come and he cautioned his disciples not to follow them and he used lightning as an illustration of the coming of the kingdom of God because as with lightning the kingdom of God will come like a powerful surge of energy that will transform an unbeliever and the doubtful into a disciple.
In effect this was what happened to most of us who placed our lives at the foot of the cross and allowed the Holy Spirit to move in us to transform our lives and clothed our sinful nature with the righteousness of Christ. As Jesus breathe his last on the cross, a powerful surge of lightning struck and the energy it created reverberated throughout the world that he has conquered with his death on the cross.
This was what this Gospel passage is all about. His coming to become the Son of Man has assured us of our divinity as “the Word of God was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God at the beginning.” (Jn 1:1-2) And we can see the connection of our humanity with the divine if we can see ourselves as an incarnation of the Word “the Word became flesh and made its dwelling among us.” (Jn 1:14)
But we can only be aware that the kingdom of God has come upon us in fulfillment of his promise when we recognize his ownership over us on account of our having been purchased at a high cost. The kingdom of God among us is not defined by geographical or territorial boundaries but it begins when the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit are made manifest in our lives and in our relationship with God and our neighbor.
In so doing, we must resist the temptation to look at institutions, programs and projects for evidence of how the kingdom of God is progressing but we should instead focus on how the Holy Spirit is moving to transform our hearts that we may see Jesus present among us in so many ways.
He is in the Word that we read. He is in those with whom we share our lives with, our family, relatives, friend and those whom we don’t know but whom we meet everyday on the street. In other words Jesus is everywhere and He is present in the Eucharist that we receive and makes us also divine by our reception of his soul and divinity.
In Jesus we see the power and glory of God’s kingdom and by his death on the cross, his overpowering presence was passed on to us such that the kingdom of God is now among us and the world will know we are truly his disciples when we have love for one another. That is when the kingdom of God is really present because love is the air that we breathe in God’s kingdom.
No doubt Christ will return but like the bridegroom we know neither the day nor the hour of his coming. But regardless of when that will be we need to be morally and spiritually ready. To do this, we all must live as if Jesus will be coming today.
ETERNALLY GRATEFUL
JESUS HEALED TEN LEPERS, BUT ONLY ONE SAID THANK YOU.
NOV. 14, 2012: 32ND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Tit 3:1-7
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 23:1-6 “The Lord is my Shepherd, there is nothing I shall want.”
GOSPEL: Lk 17:11-19
Key Verse: “your faith has made you well.” (v.19)
What we have today is a moving story that should remind us of our attitude towards God. It teaches us to be always grateful for the blessings we have received especially those that God has poured out on us even if we didn’t ask for it.
God sent his only begotten Son so that whomsoever believe in him will not perish but will have eternal life (Jn 3:16). God need not send his Son but he did and Jesus had to suffer and die on the cross for us – to ransom us from our sinfulness.
We all know the story. We have heard it many times. Jn 3:16 after all is what is largely known as everybody’s text and we have practically heard countless homilies, sermons and reflections on this but the question is – have we expressed our gratitude to God for all he’s done for us. Do we wake up in the morning and say “Good morning Lord, thank you for this brand new day you’ve given me.” Many of us actually don’t even offer grace before meals anymore.
Such ingratitude to God probably has its roots in the environment we grew up with which is the reason why many of us became adults without realizing there is so much to thank God for in our lives. In fact, even the lives we now have are on account of God’s generosity and we should always consider it a blessing that we still woke up knowing God has given us another day.
Going back to the Gospel passage today, we most certainly will be moved to ask about the nine of the ten lepers in this story. We see Jesus who was practically amazed at the ingratitude of the nine lepers as he asked: “But the other nine, where are they?” (v.17). And so to distinguish the one leper who returned Jesus continued asking: “Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” (v.18).
To get right inside this Gospel passage which does not appear in any of the other gospels, we see Jesus moving on the road between Galilee and Samaria and he was met by ten lepers who stayed at a distance – about 50 yards away – because lepers are considered as unclean and are prohibited by Jewish law to stand at a distance from a clean or healthy person.
We also see in this story that in time of great need even those who are separated by racial prejudice forget that they were Jews and Samaritan and what they only know was that they were in need. In fact, even in this post-modern era one of the factors that draw people together is their common need for God.
What comes as a surprise was that the ten lepers actually did not ask for healing but what they did ask was “pity” as they cried out from a distance: “Jesus, Master, have pity on us.” (v.13) And moved with pity and compassion and without telling them they were healed, Jesus told them to show themselves to the priest (v.14). And you might ask why? It’s because the priests are the one who are to declare them clean and free of leprosy. As they went, they were cleansed.
It is at this point that the drama begins because of the ten lepers only one returned to thank Jesus who called the leper a foreigner (v.18) because he was a Samaritan and that meant that he and Jesus were divided by tradition and cultural differences.
Jesus knew he would again incur the ire of the Pharisees because it was unlawful in those days for a Jew to associate with a Samaritan but Jesus effectively tore down the barrier separating the two tribes when he gave credence to the public confession of gratitude by the Samaritan and rewarding him when he said: “Rise and go, your faith has made you well.” (v.19)
The question now is do we find anything significant in this passage? Aren’t we being reminded of the times we failed to express our gratitude to those who have helped us get over our need in the past? Are we like those who never came back when they got what they wanted?
How about our relationship with our parents? In our growing up years we were totally dependent on our parents for almost everything we need yet there are instances when aging parents have become a nuisance in the lives of many people.
Don’t we also have a debt to pay to friends who may have sympathized with us when we are at the low point of our lives? Perhaps to our teacher who unselfishly imparted his wisdom to us that ensured our future. Or maybe even a priest who has offered us valuable counsel in times we may have reached a dead end.
Aren’t we also ungrateful to God whom we remember and pray to with great intensity during the rainy days in our lives and whom we tend to forget when the dark clouds passed us by. God gave us his only Son and we’ve never even said thank you Lord.
Today, God is reminding us to do what the Samaritan did. He came back and prostrated himself at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. For all the bountiful blessings we have received, God expects us to be grateful and one of the ways we can thank God for what he’s done is for us to start looking for those whom God has richly blessed but who have not even dared look back much less return.
In this Year of Faith, we have a duty to bring back to God those who are no longer practicing their faith as baptized Catholic Christians. In the words of Pope Benedict XVI: “It was urgent to make Christ known again “where the fire of God” has become mere “embers that need to be rekindled so it can again be a lively flame that gives light and warmth to the entire house.”
Following the Synodal Assembly, the Church is also telling us that the work of the new evangelization consists in presenting once more the beauty and perennial newness of the encounter with Christ to the often distracted and confused heart and mind of the men and women of our time, above all to ourselves.
And in today’s Gospel passage, the Church invites us all to contemplate the face of the Lord Jesus Christ, to enter the mystery of his existence given for us on the cross, reconfirmed in his resurrection from the dead as the Father's gift and imparted to us through the Spirit. In the person of Jesus, the mystery of God the Father's love for the entire human family is revealed. So we must return to the source of all Grace and give him thanks.
1st Reading: Tit 3:1-7
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 23:1-6 “The Lord is my Shepherd, there is nothing I shall want.”
GOSPEL: Lk 17:11-19
Key Verse: “your faith has made you well.” (v.19)
What we have today is a moving story that should remind us of our attitude towards God. It teaches us to be always grateful for the blessings we have received especially those that God has poured out on us even if we didn’t ask for it.
God sent his only begotten Son so that whomsoever believe in him will not perish but will have eternal life (Jn 3:16). God need not send his Son but he did and Jesus had to suffer and die on the cross for us – to ransom us from our sinfulness.
We all know the story. We have heard it many times. Jn 3:16 after all is what is largely known as everybody’s text and we have practically heard countless homilies, sermons and reflections on this but the question is – have we expressed our gratitude to God for all he’s done for us. Do we wake up in the morning and say “Good morning Lord, thank you for this brand new day you’ve given me.” Many of us actually don’t even offer grace before meals anymore.
Such ingratitude to God probably has its roots in the environment we grew up with which is the reason why many of us became adults without realizing there is so much to thank God for in our lives. In fact, even the lives we now have are on account of God’s generosity and we should always consider it a blessing that we still woke up knowing God has given us another day.
Going back to the Gospel passage today, we most certainly will be moved to ask about the nine of the ten lepers in this story. We see Jesus who was practically amazed at the ingratitude of the nine lepers as he asked: “But the other nine, where are they?” (v.17). And so to distinguish the one leper who returned Jesus continued asking: “Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” (v.18).
To get right inside this Gospel passage which does not appear in any of the other gospels, we see Jesus moving on the road between Galilee and Samaria and he was met by ten lepers who stayed at a distance – about 50 yards away – because lepers are considered as unclean and are prohibited by Jewish law to stand at a distance from a clean or healthy person.
We also see in this story that in time of great need even those who are separated by racial prejudice forget that they were Jews and Samaritan and what they only know was that they were in need. In fact, even in this post-modern era one of the factors that draw people together is their common need for God.
What comes as a surprise was that the ten lepers actually did not ask for healing but what they did ask was “pity” as they cried out from a distance: “Jesus, Master, have pity on us.” (v.13) And moved with pity and compassion and without telling them they were healed, Jesus told them to show themselves to the priest (v.14). And you might ask why? It’s because the priests are the one who are to declare them clean and free of leprosy. As they went, they were cleansed.
It is at this point that the drama begins because of the ten lepers only one returned to thank Jesus who called the leper a foreigner (v.18) because he was a Samaritan and that meant that he and Jesus were divided by tradition and cultural differences.
Jesus knew he would again incur the ire of the Pharisees because it was unlawful in those days for a Jew to associate with a Samaritan but Jesus effectively tore down the barrier separating the two tribes when he gave credence to the public confession of gratitude by the Samaritan and rewarding him when he said: “Rise and go, your faith has made you well.” (v.19)
The question now is do we find anything significant in this passage? Aren’t we being reminded of the times we failed to express our gratitude to those who have helped us get over our need in the past? Are we like those who never came back when they got what they wanted?
How about our relationship with our parents? In our growing up years we were totally dependent on our parents for almost everything we need yet there are instances when aging parents have become a nuisance in the lives of many people.
Don’t we also have a debt to pay to friends who may have sympathized with us when we are at the low point of our lives? Perhaps to our teacher who unselfishly imparted his wisdom to us that ensured our future. Or maybe even a priest who has offered us valuable counsel in times we may have reached a dead end.
Aren’t we also ungrateful to God whom we remember and pray to with great intensity during the rainy days in our lives and whom we tend to forget when the dark clouds passed us by. God gave us his only Son and we’ve never even said thank you Lord.
Today, God is reminding us to do what the Samaritan did. He came back and prostrated himself at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. For all the bountiful blessings we have received, God expects us to be grateful and one of the ways we can thank God for what he’s done is for us to start looking for those whom God has richly blessed but who have not even dared look back much less return.
In this Year of Faith, we have a duty to bring back to God those who are no longer practicing their faith as baptized Catholic Christians. In the words of Pope Benedict XVI: “It was urgent to make Christ known again “where the fire of God” has become mere “embers that need to be rekindled so it can again be a lively flame that gives light and warmth to the entire house.”
Following the Synodal Assembly, the Church is also telling us that the work of the new evangelization consists in presenting once more the beauty and perennial newness of the encounter with Christ to the often distracted and confused heart and mind of the men and women of our time, above all to ourselves.
And in today’s Gospel passage, the Church invites us all to contemplate the face of the Lord Jesus Christ, to enter the mystery of his existence given for us on the cross, reconfirmed in his resurrection from the dead as the Father's gift and imparted to us through the Spirit. In the person of Jesus, the mystery of God the Father's love for the entire human family is revealed. So we must return to the source of all Grace and give him thanks.
TO SERVE GOD IS AN HONOR
SERVING GOD IS NOT A RIGHT, BUT A RESPONSIBILITY
NOV. 13, 2012: 32nd WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading” Tit 2:1-8, 11-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 37:3-4, 8, 23, 27, 29 “The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.”
GOSPEL: LK 17:7-10
Key Verse: “We are unfaithful servants;” (v.10)
There is in this short Gospel passage a message that tells us about the kind of service that we are to render not only for others but for God as well. But what Jesus was saying in this parable contradicts not only a common practice in today’s contemporary setting as it runs counter to what has become a tradition in the workplace.
The Holiday Season is just around the corner and we can now feel the cool and soothing breeze brushing our cheeks. And in the corporate world, this season is highly anticipated because this is the time when mandated yearend benefits and bonuses are apportioned to the rank and file.
To give out bonuses based on performance is not unusual and there are many companies especially the ones that monopolize certain industries are known to hand out fat bonuses just to keep their top executives from looking elsewhere.
In other words, expecting rewards for a job well done has become a practice not only in the corporate world but even in the most ordinary setting as supermarkets where tips are given to salaried bagmen, waiters, taxi-drivers, hotel doormen, bellboys, utility boys, or even in farmlands where farmhands are rewarded for a good harvest. You name it, just about everybody nowadays are and are expecting a reward for the amount of work they have put in.
But Jesus in this parable is telling us that to perform our tasks in obedience to what we are supposed to do is our duty and that we actually haven’t done anything yet. Which is why there are some cultures where people are very particular to time. If say their work an eight-hour shift, expect them to pack up after faithfully giving out an eight-hour workload.
This is why Filipino workers for some reason are preferred especially overseas because they stand out as Filipinos are known to be industrious and diligent as they also work even beyond the required eight-hour shift sans the extra pay.
And as dutiful servants we cannot obligate God to reward us for the amount of work that we put in in pursuit of our profession. Translated into our lives in the Church and or in the Community if ever we are involved in serving in a ministry or apostolate it means serving in relation to the gifts that we have received is our duty and that we should not think that God owes us. This is why we must practice our calling to serve in the Church relative to the gift we have received if it inconveniences us.
To serve God by serving others in the Church and or Community is our response in praise and worship to him who ransomed us from our slavery to sin. Just as God came not be served but to serve (Mk 10:45) so we too must toil in his vineyard because it is not only a privilege for those who are called but a sacred duty as well.
And in everything that we do as professionals and or in Church ministry, we must not forget God in what we do because it is God himself who calls each one of us to our vocation and God gives everyone the graces necessary to our calling.
As our vocation comes from God, in the end it is God whom we serve especially when it is done out of love flowing from our hearts. At some point in time, we leave god to serve God which happens when we turn away from things that we idolize in our lives to serve him by serving others.
But lest it not be said, our work also obtains for us both a temporal and an eternal recompense because the kind of work that we put in as a response to our calling or station in life is a symbol of divine worship. The temporal reward is contentment and earthly happiness but the eternal recompense still awaits us when we are finally invited to the feast.
If you will notice, most of the readings for the past several days now are eschatological in nature. Where before I wonder why these readings are arranged this way. Now I realize that these readings are meant to remind us of the need to reorient our priorities in life and hew it closely to our calling.
In this parable, Jesus is reminding us that we should not expect an extra credit for serving God through others because obedience to our calling should not be treated as something extra out of what we do but it is our duty.
Nor is he suggesting that our service is meaningless because God is pleased at anything that we do that is done for the glory of God as St. Paul reminds us in 1 Cor 10:31 “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
What should remain etched in our minds and hearts is the fact that God doesn’t owe us anything and we have no claim in him but his love should compel us to give him the best that we can give.
Paul also tells us in 1 Thes 5:17 “pray continually.” As pilgrims who are in a journey, we must accustom ourselves in uttering ejaculatory prayers in everything that we do and we can do well by adopting as our personal theme “Ora et Labora” which means work and pray and while putting our hands to work, we need to raise our hearts to God in prayer. This is what makes our work pleasing to God by the love we express out of the work of our hands.
1st Reading” Tit 2:1-8, 11-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 37:3-4, 8, 23, 27, 29 “The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.”
GOSPEL: LK 17:7-10
Key Verse: “We are unfaithful servants;” (v.10)
There is in this short Gospel passage a message that tells us about the kind of service that we are to render not only for others but for God as well. But what Jesus was saying in this parable contradicts not only a common practice in today’s contemporary setting as it runs counter to what has become a tradition in the workplace.
The Holiday Season is just around the corner and we can now feel the cool and soothing breeze brushing our cheeks. And in the corporate world, this season is highly anticipated because this is the time when mandated yearend benefits and bonuses are apportioned to the rank and file.
To give out bonuses based on performance is not unusual and there are many companies especially the ones that monopolize certain industries are known to hand out fat bonuses just to keep their top executives from looking elsewhere.
In other words, expecting rewards for a job well done has become a practice not only in the corporate world but even in the most ordinary setting as supermarkets where tips are given to salaried bagmen, waiters, taxi-drivers, hotel doormen, bellboys, utility boys, or even in farmlands where farmhands are rewarded for a good harvest. You name it, just about everybody nowadays are and are expecting a reward for the amount of work they have put in.
But Jesus in this parable is telling us that to perform our tasks in obedience to what we are supposed to do is our duty and that we actually haven’t done anything yet. Which is why there are some cultures where people are very particular to time. If say their work an eight-hour shift, expect them to pack up after faithfully giving out an eight-hour workload.
This is why Filipino workers for some reason are preferred especially overseas because they stand out as Filipinos are known to be industrious and diligent as they also work even beyond the required eight-hour shift sans the extra pay.
And as dutiful servants we cannot obligate God to reward us for the amount of work that we put in in pursuit of our profession. Translated into our lives in the Church and or in the Community if ever we are involved in serving in a ministry or apostolate it means serving in relation to the gifts that we have received is our duty and that we should not think that God owes us. This is why we must practice our calling to serve in the Church relative to the gift we have received if it inconveniences us.
To serve God by serving others in the Church and or Community is our response in praise and worship to him who ransomed us from our slavery to sin. Just as God came not be served but to serve (Mk 10:45) so we too must toil in his vineyard because it is not only a privilege for those who are called but a sacred duty as well.
And in everything that we do as professionals and or in Church ministry, we must not forget God in what we do because it is God himself who calls each one of us to our vocation and God gives everyone the graces necessary to our calling.
As our vocation comes from God, in the end it is God whom we serve especially when it is done out of love flowing from our hearts. At some point in time, we leave god to serve God which happens when we turn away from things that we idolize in our lives to serve him by serving others.
But lest it not be said, our work also obtains for us both a temporal and an eternal recompense because the kind of work that we put in as a response to our calling or station in life is a symbol of divine worship. The temporal reward is contentment and earthly happiness but the eternal recompense still awaits us when we are finally invited to the feast.
If you will notice, most of the readings for the past several days now are eschatological in nature. Where before I wonder why these readings are arranged this way. Now I realize that these readings are meant to remind us of the need to reorient our priorities in life and hew it closely to our calling.
In this parable, Jesus is reminding us that we should not expect an extra credit for serving God through others because obedience to our calling should not be treated as something extra out of what we do but it is our duty.
Nor is he suggesting that our service is meaningless because God is pleased at anything that we do that is done for the glory of God as St. Paul reminds us in 1 Cor 10:31 “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
What should remain etched in our minds and hearts is the fact that God doesn’t owe us anything and we have no claim in him but his love should compel us to give him the best that we can give.
Paul also tells us in 1 Thes 5:17 “pray continually.” As pilgrims who are in a journey, we must accustom ourselves in uttering ejaculatory prayers in everything that we do and we can do well by adopting as our personal theme “Ora et Labora” which means work and pray and while putting our hands to work, we need to raise our hearts to God in prayer. This is what makes our work pleasing to God by the love we express out of the work of our hands.
FAITH IN GOD HELPS
WE CANNOT REACH HEAVEN WITHOUT FAITH
NOV. 12, 2012: 32nd WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Tit 1:1-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 24:1-6 “Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.”
GOSPEL: LK 17:1-6
Key verse: “So watch yourselves.” (v.3)
If at some point you may be wondering why there are some Gospel passages that contain a succession of lessons that are at times disconnected, it only shows that Jesus was in a hurry to do as much as he can knowing that he only has a short three years to complete his earthly mission before he suffers his passion, death and resurrection.
This Gospel passage today is typical of such disjunctive teachings but from which we can derive at least three lessons nonetheless that will be of tremendous help to us in our own journey of faith. Though these three lessons in this passage may appear to be disconnected, they are in fact linked as all three scenarios lead us to a disposition that we as Christians must have.
And here Jesus provides us with three examples of powers that are operative in us that we need to be aware of. Jesus starts by warning us of the power of temptation that confront us as we go through life. We are tempted by many things and most common is the internal desire to seek self-glorification, sex, alcohol, drugs, inordinate desire for wealth, power and position.
But there are also times when temptations come from external sources such as from a person who leads us to sin without our even knowing it. Such temptations can come from disguised intentions such as a conversation that is directed towards certain individuals and situations that cloud our perceptions and leads us to become prejudicial towards these individuals and or situations.
In whatever form it may come, what Jesus is warning us about is how Our Lord looks at those who cause others to sin. It is interesting to note that while Verse 1 may have been directed at the Pharisees who teach the people to follow their hypocritical ways, this particular admonition also concerns those of us who cause others to sin and we incur a stinging rebuke from Jesus. And the corresponding punishment that Jesus spoke of in Verse 2 should serve as a grim reminder for us to be more circumspect in the way we relate and or lead others.
This responsibility is greater for those who teach or preach because Our God will not look the other way if we lead others to the wrong way. This is, however, premised if the one who leads others to sin will remain oblivious to the sin he has committed because Jesus also prescribes a mechanism through which those who sin can be restored to fellowship with God and this is through the power of forgiveness.
As Christians, we are told to forgive seven times. To forgive is to release the offender from any moral obligation or consequence. Perhaps the words of Jesus in Lk 6:27-28 “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” Regardless of the wrong or sin that may have been done to us, this should remind us of what we need to do in situations when we are struggling on whether to forgive or not.
All things considered, we as Christians can overcome whatever temptation we may face and whether we need to forgive or not through the power of faith in Our Lord in whom we can draw an example as when Jesus overcame his own temptation in the desert (Lk 4:1-13) and when he forgave his persecutors and executioners (Lk 23:34) as he hung on the cross.
What then is faith? Why is it necessary? Why, because faith is a gift of God since the power to believe can only be attained through the Grace of God who bestows the knowledge of the truth and the gift of faith on those who strive after it with perseverance, who live a God-fearing life and, who pray that they may find the truth.
Although St. Paul tells us that “by Grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves” (Eph 2:8) and we, as Catholics, still have to believe in the doctrines of our Catholic faith because the absence of such is like a home without a foundation.
And just like when a church bell with a crack loses its value or when one disjointed note destroys the harmony of a melody, so the rejection by a person of even one of the doctrines of the Church makes faith impossible. Take for example the controversial RH Bill. How could a person who has been baptized into the Catholic faith support this proposed legislation the ultimate end of which is to destroy life?
Faith is like the root of a tree. A tree cannot exist without it. We too cannot exist nor hope to reach heaven without faith which is the key that opens the treasure-chest of all virtues. Faith is the lamp that will guide us in our journey towards our final destination.
But faith alone is not sufficient. Our faith must be a living faith which means that we must add to it good works and we must confess it openly to others for “not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matt 7:21).
The five foolish virgins in Matt 25:1-13 who were locked out had faith but no works. Faith without works is like a tree without fruit or a lamp with no oil. But lest we deviate from that which is necessary, good works can only be performed by someone who is clothed with sanctifying Grace and who loves God in his heart. And one of the ways to practice our faith is by serving in a ministry or apostolate in our Church or Community especially in the difficult outreach missions where our faith is put to a test.
As we are commanded to also confess our faith by standing as a witness as to how we have been saved by Our God who created us, by Our Lord Jesus Christ who redeemed us from eternal damnation and, by Our Lord the Holy Spirit who continues to sanctify the work of our hands.
1st Reading: Tit 1:1-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 24:1-6 “Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.”
GOSPEL: LK 17:1-6
Key verse: “So watch yourselves.” (v.3)
If at some point you may be wondering why there are some Gospel passages that contain a succession of lessons that are at times disconnected, it only shows that Jesus was in a hurry to do as much as he can knowing that he only has a short three years to complete his earthly mission before he suffers his passion, death and resurrection.
This Gospel passage today is typical of such disjunctive teachings but from which we can derive at least three lessons nonetheless that will be of tremendous help to us in our own journey of faith. Though these three lessons in this passage may appear to be disconnected, they are in fact linked as all three scenarios lead us to a disposition that we as Christians must have.
And here Jesus provides us with three examples of powers that are operative in us that we need to be aware of. Jesus starts by warning us of the power of temptation that confront us as we go through life. We are tempted by many things and most common is the internal desire to seek self-glorification, sex, alcohol, drugs, inordinate desire for wealth, power and position.
But there are also times when temptations come from external sources such as from a person who leads us to sin without our even knowing it. Such temptations can come from disguised intentions such as a conversation that is directed towards certain individuals and situations that cloud our perceptions and leads us to become prejudicial towards these individuals and or situations.
In whatever form it may come, what Jesus is warning us about is how Our Lord looks at those who cause others to sin. It is interesting to note that while Verse 1 may have been directed at the Pharisees who teach the people to follow their hypocritical ways, this particular admonition also concerns those of us who cause others to sin and we incur a stinging rebuke from Jesus. And the corresponding punishment that Jesus spoke of in Verse 2 should serve as a grim reminder for us to be more circumspect in the way we relate and or lead others.
This responsibility is greater for those who teach or preach because Our God will not look the other way if we lead others to the wrong way. This is, however, premised if the one who leads others to sin will remain oblivious to the sin he has committed because Jesus also prescribes a mechanism through which those who sin can be restored to fellowship with God and this is through the power of forgiveness.
As Christians, we are told to forgive seven times. To forgive is to release the offender from any moral obligation or consequence. Perhaps the words of Jesus in Lk 6:27-28 “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” Regardless of the wrong or sin that may have been done to us, this should remind us of what we need to do in situations when we are struggling on whether to forgive or not.
All things considered, we as Christians can overcome whatever temptation we may face and whether we need to forgive or not through the power of faith in Our Lord in whom we can draw an example as when Jesus overcame his own temptation in the desert (Lk 4:1-13) and when he forgave his persecutors and executioners (Lk 23:34) as he hung on the cross.
What then is faith? Why is it necessary? Why, because faith is a gift of God since the power to believe can only be attained through the Grace of God who bestows the knowledge of the truth and the gift of faith on those who strive after it with perseverance, who live a God-fearing life and, who pray that they may find the truth.
Although St. Paul tells us that “by Grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves” (Eph 2:8) and we, as Catholics, still have to believe in the doctrines of our Catholic faith because the absence of such is like a home without a foundation.
And just like when a church bell with a crack loses its value or when one disjointed note destroys the harmony of a melody, so the rejection by a person of even one of the doctrines of the Church makes faith impossible. Take for example the controversial RH Bill. How could a person who has been baptized into the Catholic faith support this proposed legislation the ultimate end of which is to destroy life?
Faith is like the root of a tree. A tree cannot exist without it. We too cannot exist nor hope to reach heaven without faith which is the key that opens the treasure-chest of all virtues. Faith is the lamp that will guide us in our journey towards our final destination.
But faith alone is not sufficient. Our faith must be a living faith which means that we must add to it good works and we must confess it openly to others for “not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matt 7:21).
The five foolish virgins in Matt 25:1-13 who were locked out had faith but no works. Faith without works is like a tree without fruit or a lamp with no oil. But lest we deviate from that which is necessary, good works can only be performed by someone who is clothed with sanctifying Grace and who loves God in his heart. And one of the ways to practice our faith is by serving in a ministry or apostolate in our Church or Community especially in the difficult outreach missions where our faith is put to a test.
As we are commanded to also confess our faith by standing as a witness as to how we have been saved by Our God who created us, by Our Lord Jesus Christ who redeemed us from eternal damnation and, by Our Lord the Holy Spirit who continues to sanctify the work of our hands.
HEAVEN IS FOR THE HUMBLE
NOV. 11, 2012: 32ND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 1 Kgs 17:10-16
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 146:7-10 “Praise the Lord, my soul.”
2nd Reading: Heb 9:24-28
GOSPEL: MK 12:38-44
Key Verse: “out of her poverty, she put in everything..” (v.44)
The Gospel reading for this 32nd Sunday in Ordinary time presents us with two learning curves but both are directed towards the same goal, that is – for us to clothe ourselves with humility after God for only the humble can enter the Kingdom of God.
There are actually two contrasting lessons in today’s Gospel passage as Jesus highlights the arrogance of the religious leaders who use their position for personal gain and the humility of the widow who gave everything she had to the Temple treasury.
To understand the purpose for which the Scriptures was written we should try to look back when Jesus preached some 2,000 years ago. At that time, he tried to reorient the social biases that were in vogue and was violently criticized for doing so. Because the values of God’s Kingdom from where he came from was opposed to the prevailing values at the time, the teachings of Jesus were rejected by the Pharisees and the teachers of the law.
Because the Gospel written by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John is called the Evangel or the Good News we must approach the Gospel of Christ without any bias but with an open mind and an open heart. The Gospels are what it says it is – the Good News – which means that everything written in it are for our own good and benefit. The Gospels tell us everything we need to know about Christ and what he did and this should serve as our manual of operation that would eventually lead us to God’s Kingdom.
And today’s society is no different from the environment that Jesus was confronted with in this passage. Today, we also live in a society that rewards accomplishments and achievements. And we often see this in the corporate sector where new graduates from exclusive institutions with honors tucked under their belt having more chances of landing a job with a lucrative starting pay than the average applicant armed with a so-so transcript of records.
People today love to be recognized, appreciated, honored and praised and it’s perfectly normal especially for people who are propelled by success that drives them to aim for more honors. Accomplished athletes are like that and they don’t normally rest until they have broken all the records in their field.
In my younger days, I worked for a large TV network that has a policy of giving monetary rewards for exclusive stories or what was commonly referred to as a “scoop.” As I gained prominence success got into my head and I became arrogant and indifferent. I became discourteous even to my superiors.
One day, the general manager of the network called me to his office and told me of an infraction I committed. I knew I was wrong but I was arrogant and proud and instead of apologizing I stood up and said I will resign and move to another network.
As I headed for the door, the general manager said: “Ed if you step out of that door there will be 10 others who will be scrambling to get your job. You can go on leave for 15 days without pay and come back.” I was taken aback and it put me back into my senses and I said: “Yes Sir, I’ll take the leave. I’m sorry Sir.” I emerged from that encounter a better person and I didn’t even looked at it as an humiliation but a jolt that I needed to remind me that no one was indispensable no matter how good I was then.
In this Gospel passage we see Jesus directing the attention of the crowd who were listening to him on the hypocrisy of the religious leaders who were making it hard for the people to know God as a loving God. While Jesus was telling the people to respect the Scribes and Pharisees who sit on Moses’s seat he was also telling the people to refrain from doing what the Pharisees are doing.
In effect, what Jesus was saying was that many of the Pharisees only have a head knowledge of the Scriptures but they do not do what they teach and this is the same with many of us. Knowledge is not enough and at times pure knowledge can be disastrous as we may be drawing too much on our human wisdom instead of God’s wisdom.
Knowledge must be accompanied by obedience which is one of the two pillars of a fulfilled Christian life – the other being humility which Christ also teaches at the end of this passage. Jesus never taught what he had not done or experienced. If for example you took up law or engineering, it follows that you can teach law or engineering but not chemistry or English. In the Church, we cannot teach about obedience if we ourselves are not. We must have a first-hand knowledge of how it is to be obedient and this is basic.
In my lifetime, I have seen many who have fallen into this error. Desire for positions of leadership in business and in the Church is common. But it becomes a dangerous proposition when love for position becomes stronger than love for God.
This brings us to the second part of today’s Gospel as Jesus gives us a teaching on humility as he directed the attention of his disciples to the old widow who gave everything that she had to the collection box at the Temple.
The lesson that Jesus wants us to learn today is that real giving is sacrificial. The widow could have kept one coin but “she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.” (v.44) Today we live in a culture in which we don't give unless we get something back. At times we give to be in control. But in this passage Jesus is telling us that real giving must come from the heart. A gift that is given out of love, with a spirit of generosity and sacrifice, such as what the widow did is invaluable.
Let us remember that what we have to offer may look very small and not worth much, but if we put all we have at the Lord's disposal, no matter how insignificant it may seem, then God can do with it and with us what is beyond our reckoning. This is the joy and freedom of giving liberally to God and to neighbor in gratitude and with love. (Ed M. Malay)
1st Reading: 1 Kgs 17:10-16
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 146:7-10 “Praise the Lord, my soul.”
2nd Reading: Heb 9:24-28
GOSPEL: MK 12:38-44
Key Verse: “out of her poverty, she put in everything..” (v.44)
The Gospel reading for this 32nd Sunday in Ordinary time presents us with two learning curves but both are directed towards the same goal, that is – for us to clothe ourselves with humility after God for only the humble can enter the Kingdom of God.
There are actually two contrasting lessons in today’s Gospel passage as Jesus highlights the arrogance of the religious leaders who use their position for personal gain and the humility of the widow who gave everything she had to the Temple treasury.
To understand the purpose for which the Scriptures was written we should try to look back when Jesus preached some 2,000 years ago. At that time, he tried to reorient the social biases that were in vogue and was violently criticized for doing so. Because the values of God’s Kingdom from where he came from was opposed to the prevailing values at the time, the teachings of Jesus were rejected by the Pharisees and the teachers of the law.
Because the Gospel written by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John is called the Evangel or the Good News we must approach the Gospel of Christ without any bias but with an open mind and an open heart. The Gospels are what it says it is – the Good News – which means that everything written in it are for our own good and benefit. The Gospels tell us everything we need to know about Christ and what he did and this should serve as our manual of operation that would eventually lead us to God’s Kingdom.
And today’s society is no different from the environment that Jesus was confronted with in this passage. Today, we also live in a society that rewards accomplishments and achievements. And we often see this in the corporate sector where new graduates from exclusive institutions with honors tucked under their belt having more chances of landing a job with a lucrative starting pay than the average applicant armed with a so-so transcript of records.
People today love to be recognized, appreciated, honored and praised and it’s perfectly normal especially for people who are propelled by success that drives them to aim for more honors. Accomplished athletes are like that and they don’t normally rest until they have broken all the records in their field.
In my younger days, I worked for a large TV network that has a policy of giving monetary rewards for exclusive stories or what was commonly referred to as a “scoop.” As I gained prominence success got into my head and I became arrogant and indifferent. I became discourteous even to my superiors.
One day, the general manager of the network called me to his office and told me of an infraction I committed. I knew I was wrong but I was arrogant and proud and instead of apologizing I stood up and said I will resign and move to another network.
As I headed for the door, the general manager said: “Ed if you step out of that door there will be 10 others who will be scrambling to get your job. You can go on leave for 15 days without pay and come back.” I was taken aback and it put me back into my senses and I said: “Yes Sir, I’ll take the leave. I’m sorry Sir.” I emerged from that encounter a better person and I didn’t even looked at it as an humiliation but a jolt that I needed to remind me that no one was indispensable no matter how good I was then.
In this Gospel passage we see Jesus directing the attention of the crowd who were listening to him on the hypocrisy of the religious leaders who were making it hard for the people to know God as a loving God. While Jesus was telling the people to respect the Scribes and Pharisees who sit on Moses’s seat he was also telling the people to refrain from doing what the Pharisees are doing.
In effect, what Jesus was saying was that many of the Pharisees only have a head knowledge of the Scriptures but they do not do what they teach and this is the same with many of us. Knowledge is not enough and at times pure knowledge can be disastrous as we may be drawing too much on our human wisdom instead of God’s wisdom.
Knowledge must be accompanied by obedience which is one of the two pillars of a fulfilled Christian life – the other being humility which Christ also teaches at the end of this passage. Jesus never taught what he had not done or experienced. If for example you took up law or engineering, it follows that you can teach law or engineering but not chemistry or English. In the Church, we cannot teach about obedience if we ourselves are not. We must have a first-hand knowledge of how it is to be obedient and this is basic.
In my lifetime, I have seen many who have fallen into this error. Desire for positions of leadership in business and in the Church is common. But it becomes a dangerous proposition when love for position becomes stronger than love for God.
This brings us to the second part of today’s Gospel as Jesus gives us a teaching on humility as he directed the attention of his disciples to the old widow who gave everything that she had to the collection box at the Temple.
The lesson that Jesus wants us to learn today is that real giving is sacrificial. The widow could have kept one coin but “she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.” (v.44) Today we live in a culture in which we don't give unless we get something back. At times we give to be in control. But in this passage Jesus is telling us that real giving must come from the heart. A gift that is given out of love, with a spirit of generosity and sacrifice, such as what the widow did is invaluable.
Let us remember that what we have to offer may look very small and not worth much, but if we put all we have at the Lord's disposal, no matter how insignificant it may seem, then God can do with it and with us what is beyond our reckoning. This is the joy and freedom of giving liberally to God and to neighbor in gratitude and with love. (Ed M. Malay)
WE CAN'T SERVE TWO MASTERS
IMAGE THROUGH THE COURTESY OF PICKLELOAF.COM
NOV. 10, 2012: ST. LEO THE GREAT, Pope and Doctor
1st Phi 4:10-19
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 112:1-2, 5-6, 8-9 “Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
GOSPEL: LK 16: 9-15
Key Verse: “…What is highly valued among men
is detestable in God’s sight.” (v.15)
Jesus once again rebuked the Pharisees and this time he gave them an illustration that will clearly define their attitude towards God and their love for wealth and power. In a way this passage is also for us because in our own journey of faith, we will have to choose between God and money and there is nothing in between and there are no gray areas either.
It’s either we choose to be on the side of God or to remain imprisoned in the world. Jesus, however, qualified that money is not evil and it can also be used for meaningful purposes.
In a continuation of the preceding passage, Jesus shows that money can be used not as an investment to bribe God and earn for us a place in heaven, but to help other people find their way to God. Without thinking of the rewards, our helping the needful especially those whom we can lead to Christ through the financial resources that we have will reap for us eternal benefits.
The Jews firmly believe that charity given to the poor would be credited to the giver in the world to come. And commenting on the rich fool who built bigger barns to store his harvest, St. Ambrose said “the bosoms of the poor, the house of widows, the mouths of children are the barns which last forever.”
Money can be used for selfish purposes or it can be used to make life easier for others. As God has been merciful to us during the times when we are in need, so we too are being asked to follow the shrewd steward who used his position to make friends whom he expect will help him at some future time. Generous giving is related to alms-giving and those to whom we give become our friends and they will ultimately see Christ through us. In time, our generosity will lead us to eternity as St. Ambrose commented.
The opposite of generosity is greed or the excessive desire for wealth and power. And greed doesn’t only refer to the accumulation of material possessions but also to the insatiable desire for power and position. Generosity nurtures the soul while greed blocks the flow of Grace in a person.
This parable teaches us of the need to manage the resources that God has entrusted to us. Once again, we are faced with the reality that we have been put in charge of things that are not ours. While these resources have their present-day use and after-life benefit, still we cannot take these resources with us when we finally meet our maker. In other words, we are merely stewards and our place in heaven will largely depend on how wise we manage these resources that were lent to us.
These resources include our talent, skills, positions, the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit and as we go through life we need to constantly account for our actions and be an exemplar for honesty and integrity even on small matters. No one becomes chief operating officer of a company in an instant unless you own the company. COOs and CEOs advance in their corporate paths but they all started from scratch.
It gives me tremendous joy whenever I look back at my work in the media sector for the past 47 years when I started as a Radio DJ and moving up the ladder of success until I became a Station Manager. When I moved to the Print Media, I again started as a Beat Reporter until I moved up to become an Assistant Business Editor of a major daily.
Along the way, I met, helped and trained numerous Announcers and Writers who have become successful in their own right. I rubbed elbows with ordinary military, police officers, politicians and upstart businessmen who would later become generals, congressmen, senators and top corporate officials, respectively. And this association and linkages I have established proved beneficial at some point in time. A general even became President of the Philippines and with whom I am still associated with up to today.
Indeed money, wealth and power can corrupt but it also brings benefits to the person with such. As money and greed have the power to ease out God in our lives, it can ultimately become our master and this is what Jesus is warning us in this parable. A master is one who rules our lives and in this life there is a tendency we can be ruled by love of money and possessions, power of position, the glamor associated with wealth and prestige. These can control not only our thoughts but even our desires and values.
Money can be a deceptive master. It may offer power and prestige but there is no permanency in these. We have witnessed how the fortunes of the high and mighty changed overnight and no amount of money can give us health, true joy and eternal life. On the other side is God who offers us peace of mind and a place in his heavenly kingdom where we will reign in glory in the company of his angels and his saints.
Which is why Jesus demands that we choose between God and mammon because we cannot dwell in God and immerse ourselves in the cares of this world. And there shouldn’t be any doubt or vacillation in the way we make our choice. To take the side of God assures us of our eternal inheritance in heaven. To remain in the world would lead us to the fiery furnace where there will be gnashing and grinding of teeth.
There is only one Master and that is Our God who created us, Jesus Christ who redeemed us and freed us from our slavery to sinful desires and greed and, the Holy Spirit who sanctifies the work of our hands.
Let me end with my favorite line – there was somebody who said I will follow the Lord one of these days. He never did because he never saw and lived one of these days. Brothers and Sisters, let us not put off our response to God’s call. There is only one Master and that is Jesus Christ who is the door to eternity.
1st Phi 4:10-19
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 112:1-2, 5-6, 8-9 “Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
GOSPEL: LK 16: 9-15
Key Verse: “…What is highly valued among men
is detestable in God’s sight.” (v.15)
Jesus once again rebuked the Pharisees and this time he gave them an illustration that will clearly define their attitude towards God and their love for wealth and power. In a way this passage is also for us because in our own journey of faith, we will have to choose between God and money and there is nothing in between and there are no gray areas either.
It’s either we choose to be on the side of God or to remain imprisoned in the world. Jesus, however, qualified that money is not evil and it can also be used for meaningful purposes.
In a continuation of the preceding passage, Jesus shows that money can be used not as an investment to bribe God and earn for us a place in heaven, but to help other people find their way to God. Without thinking of the rewards, our helping the needful especially those whom we can lead to Christ through the financial resources that we have will reap for us eternal benefits.
The Jews firmly believe that charity given to the poor would be credited to the giver in the world to come. And commenting on the rich fool who built bigger barns to store his harvest, St. Ambrose said “the bosoms of the poor, the house of widows, the mouths of children are the barns which last forever.”
Money can be used for selfish purposes or it can be used to make life easier for others. As God has been merciful to us during the times when we are in need, so we too are being asked to follow the shrewd steward who used his position to make friends whom he expect will help him at some future time. Generous giving is related to alms-giving and those to whom we give become our friends and they will ultimately see Christ through us. In time, our generosity will lead us to eternity as St. Ambrose commented.
The opposite of generosity is greed or the excessive desire for wealth and power. And greed doesn’t only refer to the accumulation of material possessions but also to the insatiable desire for power and position. Generosity nurtures the soul while greed blocks the flow of Grace in a person.
This parable teaches us of the need to manage the resources that God has entrusted to us. Once again, we are faced with the reality that we have been put in charge of things that are not ours. While these resources have their present-day use and after-life benefit, still we cannot take these resources with us when we finally meet our maker. In other words, we are merely stewards and our place in heaven will largely depend on how wise we manage these resources that were lent to us.
These resources include our talent, skills, positions, the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit and as we go through life we need to constantly account for our actions and be an exemplar for honesty and integrity even on small matters. No one becomes chief operating officer of a company in an instant unless you own the company. COOs and CEOs advance in their corporate paths but they all started from scratch.
It gives me tremendous joy whenever I look back at my work in the media sector for the past 47 years when I started as a Radio DJ and moving up the ladder of success until I became a Station Manager. When I moved to the Print Media, I again started as a Beat Reporter until I moved up to become an Assistant Business Editor of a major daily.
Along the way, I met, helped and trained numerous Announcers and Writers who have become successful in their own right. I rubbed elbows with ordinary military, police officers, politicians and upstart businessmen who would later become generals, congressmen, senators and top corporate officials, respectively. And this association and linkages I have established proved beneficial at some point in time. A general even became President of the Philippines and with whom I am still associated with up to today.
Indeed money, wealth and power can corrupt but it also brings benefits to the person with such. As money and greed have the power to ease out God in our lives, it can ultimately become our master and this is what Jesus is warning us in this parable. A master is one who rules our lives and in this life there is a tendency we can be ruled by love of money and possessions, power of position, the glamor associated with wealth and prestige. These can control not only our thoughts but even our desires and values.
Money can be a deceptive master. It may offer power and prestige but there is no permanency in these. We have witnessed how the fortunes of the high and mighty changed overnight and no amount of money can give us health, true joy and eternal life. On the other side is God who offers us peace of mind and a place in his heavenly kingdom where we will reign in glory in the company of his angels and his saints.
Which is why Jesus demands that we choose between God and mammon because we cannot dwell in God and immerse ourselves in the cares of this world. And there shouldn’t be any doubt or vacillation in the way we make our choice. To take the side of God assures us of our eternal inheritance in heaven. To remain in the world would lead us to the fiery furnace where there will be gnashing and grinding of teeth.
There is only one Master and that is Our God who created us, Jesus Christ who redeemed us and freed us from our slavery to sinful desires and greed and, the Holy Spirit who sanctifies the work of our hands.
Let me end with my favorite line – there was somebody who said I will follow the Lord one of these days. He never did because he never saw and lived one of these days. Brothers and Sisters, let us not put off our response to God’s call. There is only one Master and that is Jesus Christ who is the door to eternity.
INCURRING THE IRE OF JESUS
NOV. 9, 2012: Feast of the Dedication of St. John Lateran Basilica
1st Reading: EXE 47:1-2, 8-9, 12
Responsorial Psalm: PSA 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9 “The waters of the river gladden the city of God, the holy dwelling of the Most High.”
2nd Reading: 1 COR 3:9-11, 16-17
GOSPEL: JN 2:13-22
Key Verse: “Destroy this temple and I will
raise it again in three days.” (v.19)
In what could be the only instance when Jesus really showed his anger was when he arrived at the temple and saw that it has been turned into a marketplace (v.14) or as what Jesus described as a den of robbers (Mk 11:17).
The illustration of Jesus holding a whip made out of cords must have been a terrifying scene as he drove away the sheep and cattle and overturned the tables of money changers thereby scattering all the coins and monies.
All these happened during the Passover which was and still is considered as the most memorable feasts of the Jewish nation and by law and tradition, all adult male Jew are bound to go to the temple to celebrate the feast of the Passover.
The Temple was always crowded during the Passover Feast (Exo 12) which normally lasts a day while the Festival of the Unleavened Bread (Lev 23:6) lasts for the rest of the week. These two festivals are celebrated by the Jews starting on the 14th day of the first month which is the Passover Feast while the Festival of the Unleavened Bread starts on the 15th day of the same month.
The religious leaders, however, allowed money changers and merchants to set up trading booths at the Temple that made it difficult for the people to worship which was the main purpose of the Jews for visiting the Temple. What the religious leaders forgot was that God’s Temple was a place of worship and not for profit. And this apparent desecration was what made Jesus really angry.
And the religious leaders asked for a sign as proof of his authority and Jesus replied by saying “destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days.” (v.19) And they failed to grasp the meaning of what he said because they were on different planes with Jesus talking of his coming passion, death and resurrection while the religious leaders could only see what was before them which was why they asked for a sign.
What Jesus was actually referring to was it was his own body which was the Temple that needed to be destroyed through his passion and death and raised again on the third day. What Jesus was also saying in this passage was that there would be no need anymore for sacrificial offering because he himself will be the sacrifice at the altar on which a new Temple will rise.
But while we may have done away with animal sacrifice in today’s world, we may have replaced this unknowingly with paraphernalia that we try to pass on as part of our worship to God as we build beautiful edifices, innovated our liturgical and worship celebrations, designed programs and projects that we believe edify Our God but which in reality are taking away our attention to what worship should be.
What then is the relevance of this passage to the practice of our faith in the here and now? Contrary to what the Pharisees believe, we have to acknowledge that Jesus was the Temple that had to be destroyed so that through his death on the cross he can bridge the gap between God and man by offering himself as a ransom for many.
It is through his death that reconciles us with God and he fills us with his Holy Spirit that makes us now the new temples (1 Cor 6:19-20). Where the Temple was supposed to be the place of worship of the Jews in the olden times, Jesus has changed all that as we can now worship God anywhere we are or in whatever situation we find ourselves in because Jesus who is the personification of the Temple of God is now present in all of us who believe.
It presupposes that whoever lives in a state of grace is a living temple which means that our souls must live in the closest possible union with God. Every temple has a priest, an altar and a tabernacle. These elements are also present in a Christian who is in a state of grace because the Christian disciple himself is the priest and we are called upon to fulfill our priestly ministry by turning our whole life into a spiritual Mass.
The altar is our hearts united with God and on it we sacrifice and lay upon everything that separates us from God – our anxiety, irritations, bitterness, resentments, unforgiveness, failure and frustrations, etc. And finally, the tabernacle is our own soul where our Trinitarian God dwells.
It is when we see ourselves as the Temple of God that we can now see God not only in us but in others as well. This paradigm shift in our attitude towards worship will allow us to give due respect and reverence to our neighbor and it is also this realization of our true worth that we can perform good works accompanied by prayer and fasting, alms-giving and regular reception of the Sacraments and attendance in Prayer Meetings.
And it is when we put into motion this grace that moves us to love God and our neighbor that our lives are sanctified. As St. John Chrysostom says: “He who enters into a state of Grace is like a man bowed down with infirmities and age who, by a miracle, has been transformed into a beautiful youth dressed in purple and carrying a scepter.”
1st Reading: EXE 47:1-2, 8-9, 12
Responsorial Psalm: PSA 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9 “The waters of the river gladden the city of God, the holy dwelling of the Most High.”
2nd Reading: 1 COR 3:9-11, 16-17
GOSPEL: JN 2:13-22
Key Verse: “Destroy this temple and I will
raise it again in three days.” (v.19)
In what could be the only instance when Jesus really showed his anger was when he arrived at the temple and saw that it has been turned into a marketplace (v.14) or as what Jesus described as a den of robbers (Mk 11:17).
The illustration of Jesus holding a whip made out of cords must have been a terrifying scene as he drove away the sheep and cattle and overturned the tables of money changers thereby scattering all the coins and monies.
All these happened during the Passover which was and still is considered as the most memorable feasts of the Jewish nation and by law and tradition, all adult male Jew are bound to go to the temple to celebrate the feast of the Passover.
The Temple was always crowded during the Passover Feast (Exo 12) which normally lasts a day while the Festival of the Unleavened Bread (Lev 23:6) lasts for the rest of the week. These two festivals are celebrated by the Jews starting on the 14th day of the first month which is the Passover Feast while the Festival of the Unleavened Bread starts on the 15th day of the same month.
The religious leaders, however, allowed money changers and merchants to set up trading booths at the Temple that made it difficult for the people to worship which was the main purpose of the Jews for visiting the Temple. What the religious leaders forgot was that God’s Temple was a place of worship and not for profit. And this apparent desecration was what made Jesus really angry.
And the religious leaders asked for a sign as proof of his authority and Jesus replied by saying “destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days.” (v.19) And they failed to grasp the meaning of what he said because they were on different planes with Jesus talking of his coming passion, death and resurrection while the religious leaders could only see what was before them which was why they asked for a sign.
What Jesus was actually referring to was it was his own body which was the Temple that needed to be destroyed through his passion and death and raised again on the third day. What Jesus was also saying in this passage was that there would be no need anymore for sacrificial offering because he himself will be the sacrifice at the altar on which a new Temple will rise.
But while we may have done away with animal sacrifice in today’s world, we may have replaced this unknowingly with paraphernalia that we try to pass on as part of our worship to God as we build beautiful edifices, innovated our liturgical and worship celebrations, designed programs and projects that we believe edify Our God but which in reality are taking away our attention to what worship should be.
What then is the relevance of this passage to the practice of our faith in the here and now? Contrary to what the Pharisees believe, we have to acknowledge that Jesus was the Temple that had to be destroyed so that through his death on the cross he can bridge the gap between God and man by offering himself as a ransom for many.
It is through his death that reconciles us with God and he fills us with his Holy Spirit that makes us now the new temples (1 Cor 6:19-20). Where the Temple was supposed to be the place of worship of the Jews in the olden times, Jesus has changed all that as we can now worship God anywhere we are or in whatever situation we find ourselves in because Jesus who is the personification of the Temple of God is now present in all of us who believe.
It presupposes that whoever lives in a state of grace is a living temple which means that our souls must live in the closest possible union with God. Every temple has a priest, an altar and a tabernacle. These elements are also present in a Christian who is in a state of grace because the Christian disciple himself is the priest and we are called upon to fulfill our priestly ministry by turning our whole life into a spiritual Mass.
The altar is our hearts united with God and on it we sacrifice and lay upon everything that separates us from God – our anxiety, irritations, bitterness, resentments, unforgiveness, failure and frustrations, etc. And finally, the tabernacle is our own soul where our Trinitarian God dwells.
It is when we see ourselves as the Temple of God that we can now see God not only in us but in others as well. This paradigm shift in our attitude towards worship will allow us to give due respect and reverence to our neighbor and it is also this realization of our true worth that we can perform good works accompanied by prayer and fasting, alms-giving and regular reception of the Sacraments and attendance in Prayer Meetings.
And it is when we put into motion this grace that moves us to love God and our neighbor that our lives are sanctified. As St. John Chrysostom says: “He who enters into a state of Grace is like a man bowed down with infirmities and age who, by a miracle, has been transformed into a beautiful youth dressed in purple and carrying a scepter.”
GOD REJOICES WHEN HE FINDS US
NOV. 8, 2012: 31st WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Phi 3:3-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 105:2-7 “Let hearts rejoice who search for the Lord.”
GOSPEL: Lk 15:1-10
Key Verse: “… there will be more rejoicing in heaven
over one sinner who repents..” (v.7)
Was there a point in your life when you were still a child that you got lost in a park or a mall perhaps? And when you were found how did your parents react? I’m sure they were filled with pure joy although there are some instances today when I see parents scolding their children who wandered and got lost.
Or were there times when you lost something very valuable to you and you sometimes spent days looking for it. What was your reaction when you found it? For sure you must have jumped at the sheer happiness of having found something you treasured so much.
The two parables presented in today’s Gospel passage can be summed up in two words – compassion and rejoicing – and to some extent there appears to be more emphasis on the rejoicing that transpired when the lost sheep and the lost coin were found. There were actually more words that were written in this Gospel passage to describe the celebration than the sheep and or the coin getting lost.
What Jesus was trying to present in these two parables was the contrasting character of God and that of the Pharisee and teachers of the law. We have heard these two parables many times in the past and I’m sure that many of you may have already interpreted these parables in many different ways but ending up with the same conclusion – that God is a merciful God who will stop at nothing to search and bring back a sinner to the kingdom of heaven.
These two parables are not new because these are actual life situations that Jesus used to deliver a spiritual message to his audience in this Gospel passage which was a commingling of the ultra-religious Pharisees and tax collectors and sinners.
Imagine the tense atmosphere prevailing at the time since these two groups if given a choice will not even dare stand side-by-side on the same spot. This was a big no-no. The Pharisees cannot risk being stained or become unclean by mingling with tax-collectors and sinners. But they had no choice. They were all there, Pharisees, tax collectors and sinners, because they all want to listen to Jesus. But the Pharisees will not let this situation pass unnoticed and they complained and reminded Jesus of the sanctions on Jews especially for teachers who associate themselves with tax collectors and sinners.
Though Jesus could have rebuked the Pharisees as he had done in the past, he instead narrated two parables that the Jews were familiar with. He began with the parable related to a shepherd who has a herd of about 100 sheep and finding one to be missing left the ninety nine and thoroughly searched for the lost sheep until he found it, brought it home and called his neighbors and they rejoiced because they found the lost sheep.
Then Jesus followed this up with another parable about a woman who lost one of her ten silver coins. The woman was apparently poor because she placed so much value on the missing coin. She even had to light a lamp because it was nighttime and most homes at that time only had one small window and to look for a coin in a poor Jewish home that has a floor of hardened soil is like looking for a needle in a haystack. When she found it the woman called her friends and neighbors to share her joy.
These two situations remind us that at some point in time we were like the shepherd who lost one sheep and or the woman who lost her valuable coin? Don’t we also rejoice when we find something of value that we lost? Isn’t that our first reaction when we find what we lost was to tell our relatives and friends? I believe this is how God feels when he finds a sinner who repents and humbly submits himself to God anew.
Jesus told his listeners that “there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (v.10) What these two parables also symbolize are the persistence of the shepherd and the woman who diligently searched until they found what they were looking for.
Our God acts in the same way. God will keep searching and persist until we, aided by his Grace, are confronted with the truth that God did not create us to wallow in sin and mediocrity. We were created in God’s image and likeness and were given the authority to rule over the fish of the sea and birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground (Gen 1:28). This is who we really are. We may have lost our way but God will never abandon us who have been predestined according to his plan (Eph 1:11).
In the same vein, we must try to draw a parallelism between the content of these parables with the way we move in the Church and or Community. Now is the time for us to leave the 99 behind albeit temporarily so that we can go out and search for our brothers and sisters whom we have not seen for quite sometime. It is time for us to light a lamp and look for that lost coin, those whom we don’t see anymore.
Aren’t we alarmed when our parishioners and members have stopped attending the Eucharistic celebration and or Prayer Meeting? Are they sick? Did they move to another place? Did someone offend them which was why they distanced themselves from the Church? We will never know for sure until we search for them.
God is a God of mercy and compassion and he will not stop until all who are lost are found. This was the reason why Jesus was sent “for the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” (LK 19:10) As Jesus searches on we must join him in this search and rescue operation to save those who are lost. Time is of the essence and today the world has changed radically as our faith is now being challenged and we need to look for and help those who are lost and couldn’t find their way.
As disciples of Christ, this task of looking out for the lost also falls squarely on our shoulders because as disciples we must share in the mission of Christ to search for those who are lost and lead them “to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow to attain to the resurrection of the dead.” (Phi 3:10-11)
1st Reading: Phi 3:3-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 105:2-7 “Let hearts rejoice who search for the Lord.”
GOSPEL: Lk 15:1-10
Key Verse: “… there will be more rejoicing in heaven
over one sinner who repents..” (v.7)
Was there a point in your life when you were still a child that you got lost in a park or a mall perhaps? And when you were found how did your parents react? I’m sure they were filled with pure joy although there are some instances today when I see parents scolding their children who wandered and got lost.
Or were there times when you lost something very valuable to you and you sometimes spent days looking for it. What was your reaction when you found it? For sure you must have jumped at the sheer happiness of having found something you treasured so much.
The two parables presented in today’s Gospel passage can be summed up in two words – compassion and rejoicing – and to some extent there appears to be more emphasis on the rejoicing that transpired when the lost sheep and the lost coin were found. There were actually more words that were written in this Gospel passage to describe the celebration than the sheep and or the coin getting lost.
What Jesus was trying to present in these two parables was the contrasting character of God and that of the Pharisee and teachers of the law. We have heard these two parables many times in the past and I’m sure that many of you may have already interpreted these parables in many different ways but ending up with the same conclusion – that God is a merciful God who will stop at nothing to search and bring back a sinner to the kingdom of heaven.
These two parables are not new because these are actual life situations that Jesus used to deliver a spiritual message to his audience in this Gospel passage which was a commingling of the ultra-religious Pharisees and tax collectors and sinners.
Imagine the tense atmosphere prevailing at the time since these two groups if given a choice will not even dare stand side-by-side on the same spot. This was a big no-no. The Pharisees cannot risk being stained or become unclean by mingling with tax-collectors and sinners. But they had no choice. They were all there, Pharisees, tax collectors and sinners, because they all want to listen to Jesus. But the Pharisees will not let this situation pass unnoticed and they complained and reminded Jesus of the sanctions on Jews especially for teachers who associate themselves with tax collectors and sinners.
Though Jesus could have rebuked the Pharisees as he had done in the past, he instead narrated two parables that the Jews were familiar with. He began with the parable related to a shepherd who has a herd of about 100 sheep and finding one to be missing left the ninety nine and thoroughly searched for the lost sheep until he found it, brought it home and called his neighbors and they rejoiced because they found the lost sheep.
Then Jesus followed this up with another parable about a woman who lost one of her ten silver coins. The woman was apparently poor because she placed so much value on the missing coin. She even had to light a lamp because it was nighttime and most homes at that time only had one small window and to look for a coin in a poor Jewish home that has a floor of hardened soil is like looking for a needle in a haystack. When she found it the woman called her friends and neighbors to share her joy.
These two situations remind us that at some point in time we were like the shepherd who lost one sheep and or the woman who lost her valuable coin? Don’t we also rejoice when we find something of value that we lost? Isn’t that our first reaction when we find what we lost was to tell our relatives and friends? I believe this is how God feels when he finds a sinner who repents and humbly submits himself to God anew.
Jesus told his listeners that “there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (v.10) What these two parables also symbolize are the persistence of the shepherd and the woman who diligently searched until they found what they were looking for.
Our God acts in the same way. God will keep searching and persist until we, aided by his Grace, are confronted with the truth that God did not create us to wallow in sin and mediocrity. We were created in God’s image and likeness and were given the authority to rule over the fish of the sea and birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground (Gen 1:28). This is who we really are. We may have lost our way but God will never abandon us who have been predestined according to his plan (Eph 1:11).
In the same vein, we must try to draw a parallelism between the content of these parables with the way we move in the Church and or Community. Now is the time for us to leave the 99 behind albeit temporarily so that we can go out and search for our brothers and sisters whom we have not seen for quite sometime. It is time for us to light a lamp and look for that lost coin, those whom we don’t see anymore.
Aren’t we alarmed when our parishioners and members have stopped attending the Eucharistic celebration and or Prayer Meeting? Are they sick? Did they move to another place? Did someone offend them which was why they distanced themselves from the Church? We will never know for sure until we search for them.
God is a God of mercy and compassion and he will not stop until all who are lost are found. This was the reason why Jesus was sent “for the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” (LK 19:10) As Jesus searches on we must join him in this search and rescue operation to save those who are lost. Time is of the essence and today the world has changed radically as our faith is now being challenged and we need to look for and help those who are lost and couldn’t find their way.
As disciples of Christ, this task of looking out for the lost also falls squarely on our shoulders because as disciples we must share in the mission of Christ to search for those who are lost and lead them “to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow to attain to the resurrection of the dead.” (Phi 3:10-11)
JESUS MUST TAKE PRECEDENCE
WE MUST MAKE HIS CROSS OUR CROSS.
NOV. 7, 2012: 31ST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Phi 2:12-18
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 27: 1-4, 13-14 “The Lord is my light and my salvation.”
GOSPEL: Lk 14:25-33
Key Verse: “Anyone who does not carry his cross
and follow me cannot be my disciple.” (v.27)
To take this Gospel passage today in its literal form might move us to actually hate even our most immediate relatives in exchange for following Jesus. Literally it may take it to mean that we may have to hate our families, those who are dear to us and probably even ourselves and love no one else but Our Lord.
But this was not what Jesus really meant and again we will need to dig a little bit into the intricacies of the Jewish language to be able to get into the meat of what Jesus was saying. Among the Jews the word “hate” simply meant “less preferred” or lower in the degree of importance.
The next question we might ask is why did Jesus used a rather strong language as he was giving a teaching to the crowd who were traveling with him and the only rationale could be that this was a sequel to the previous Gospel passage in which Jesus narrated the story of the guests who ignored the invitation of the owner of a house who prepared a great banquet for them. At the end of that parable, Jesus said: “Not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.” (v.24)
This time, Jesus may have wanted to drive home the point that love of God should occupy a higher priority than anything else. At this point in time, Jesus already knew what awaits him and he knew that his subservience to His Father’s Will must take precedence over anything else.
As Jesus said yes to his Father’s Will and counted the cost of suffering and death on the cross as a ransom for God’s chosen people, we too are obliged to count the cost and be ready to follow Jesus and share with Our Lord the way of the cross if we want to share in his glory and victory.
What then you might ask is the way of the cross for us. This could be the crossroads in which we find ourselves entangled in. It may be that our careers and or business enterprise was not going anywhere and we are faced with decision in our hands that has an impact in the lives of others.
It could also be personal conflicts that we need to address, our relationship in our family perhaps and to some extent even in the spiritual realm and we are laboring on the kind of decision we need to make.
When we do find ourselves in situations such as these we cannot avoid that our human biases and preferences will come in conflict with God's Will and our own way of the cross begins when we cannot discern the way we need to take – follow our own human will or follow God’s Will.
To follow God’s Will is to embrace and follow the way of the cross because such will involve sacrifice since God’s Will is not necessarily easy and comfortable. It becomes a cross for us when we need to put to death our worldly nature and put on the nature of Christ that is clothed in meekness and humility.
Following Jesus has its privileges but the cost to us far outweigh the benefits in terms of rewards because there wouldn’t be any. Which is why we need to count the cost so that we will be able to complete the tower of faith, hope and love that we will build in order to follow Jesus.
As a disciple who want to follow Jesus we will probably find ourselves dispossessed of our social status and wealth because to follow Jesus is to serve him since he is more important than our own personal relations (v.26). We are commanded to subordinate our own interests and make the interests of Christ our own and at some point we may have to surrender control of our money, time or career (v.27).
To follow Jesus we need to be in touch with the reality that our gifts and talents are not our own but were given to us by the Grace of God who poured on us such manifold gifts that we will need so we can proclaim the Word of God and make disciples of all nations. We need these gifts to equip and empower us because we will certainly be hated and separated from our own families in the pursuit of an higher order – that all may be saved through Jesus Christ Our Lord.
Following Christ doesn’t mean a trouble-free life but our way of the cross is made easier by the love of God that has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Rom 5:5). And what Jesus is telling us when we experience our own way of the cross is that we can avoid the pitfalls of an unsuccessful construction of a building and or a king who is planning to go to war.
On both occasions, Jesus wants us to count the cost of discipleship if we want to succeed and finish the race. True we may have to give up a lot to follow Jesus but it’s a kind of decision that is worth the cost because what Jesus is offering us in return is a life that is lived to the full (Jn 10:10). We also need to count the cost so that we will not find ourselves wavering when the going gets tough.
Our lives were bought at such a cost and for that alone we must also be willing to give up everything to follow Jesus. In the mid-80s and well into the 90s I gained prominence and notoriety as one of the biggest brokers of debt instruments and I used my position in the media to nail down a transaction even if the circumstances were irregular at times.
But the time came when God impressed upon me my sinful nature and God led me to turn my back from the world I was in. It was painful because I was turning away from a life that gave me luxury and comfort. I was holding office at the lobbies of five-star hotels and on the golf course and it was not an easy choice.
And when I made the choice to detach from the world and follow Christ, that choice separated me from my peers in the Media and in the financial business I was in, but God also gave me the means to carry my cross. Now I have set aside my affinity to things that shine and I no longer do what I like, but what Christ wills.
When Christ calls, there can be no room for compromises with God. It’s either we yield our lives over to him totally or not. St. Paul says: “We are not our own. We were bought with a price” (1 Cor 6:19). That price was blood of Jesus Christ that was shed for us on the cross to ransom us from sin and death. Jesus is challenging us now to examine whom we love first. The choice is ours, but the Lord does not leave us alone if we choose to follow him.
I have died a dozen, a hundred times when Jesus polished the rough edges in my nature especially the parts that did not subscribe to His Will. But I also know that I will also resurrect with Him when Christ who is hidden in my life appears in all His glory. Now I have found the way to live a life that is worth living and that is to serve Him by serving in our community and in the larger church. This is the choice that I made hard as it was but a choice that I know you too can make and I assure you that you will not regret it. For a life in Jesus is a life on a roll.
1st Reading: Phi 2:12-18
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 27: 1-4, 13-14 “The Lord is my light and my salvation.”
GOSPEL: Lk 14:25-33
Key Verse: “Anyone who does not carry his cross
and follow me cannot be my disciple.” (v.27)
To take this Gospel passage today in its literal form might move us to actually hate even our most immediate relatives in exchange for following Jesus. Literally it may take it to mean that we may have to hate our families, those who are dear to us and probably even ourselves and love no one else but Our Lord.
But this was not what Jesus really meant and again we will need to dig a little bit into the intricacies of the Jewish language to be able to get into the meat of what Jesus was saying. Among the Jews the word “hate” simply meant “less preferred” or lower in the degree of importance.
The next question we might ask is why did Jesus used a rather strong language as he was giving a teaching to the crowd who were traveling with him and the only rationale could be that this was a sequel to the previous Gospel passage in which Jesus narrated the story of the guests who ignored the invitation of the owner of a house who prepared a great banquet for them. At the end of that parable, Jesus said: “Not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.” (v.24)
This time, Jesus may have wanted to drive home the point that love of God should occupy a higher priority than anything else. At this point in time, Jesus already knew what awaits him and he knew that his subservience to His Father’s Will must take precedence over anything else.
As Jesus said yes to his Father’s Will and counted the cost of suffering and death on the cross as a ransom for God’s chosen people, we too are obliged to count the cost and be ready to follow Jesus and share with Our Lord the way of the cross if we want to share in his glory and victory.
What then you might ask is the way of the cross for us. This could be the crossroads in which we find ourselves entangled in. It may be that our careers and or business enterprise was not going anywhere and we are faced with decision in our hands that has an impact in the lives of others.
It could also be personal conflicts that we need to address, our relationship in our family perhaps and to some extent even in the spiritual realm and we are laboring on the kind of decision we need to make.
When we do find ourselves in situations such as these we cannot avoid that our human biases and preferences will come in conflict with God's Will and our own way of the cross begins when we cannot discern the way we need to take – follow our own human will or follow God’s Will.
To follow God’s Will is to embrace and follow the way of the cross because such will involve sacrifice since God’s Will is not necessarily easy and comfortable. It becomes a cross for us when we need to put to death our worldly nature and put on the nature of Christ that is clothed in meekness and humility.
Following Jesus has its privileges but the cost to us far outweigh the benefits in terms of rewards because there wouldn’t be any. Which is why we need to count the cost so that we will be able to complete the tower of faith, hope and love that we will build in order to follow Jesus.
As a disciple who want to follow Jesus we will probably find ourselves dispossessed of our social status and wealth because to follow Jesus is to serve him since he is more important than our own personal relations (v.26). We are commanded to subordinate our own interests and make the interests of Christ our own and at some point we may have to surrender control of our money, time or career (v.27).
To follow Jesus we need to be in touch with the reality that our gifts and talents are not our own but were given to us by the Grace of God who poured on us such manifold gifts that we will need so we can proclaim the Word of God and make disciples of all nations. We need these gifts to equip and empower us because we will certainly be hated and separated from our own families in the pursuit of an higher order – that all may be saved through Jesus Christ Our Lord.
Following Christ doesn’t mean a trouble-free life but our way of the cross is made easier by the love of God that has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Rom 5:5). And what Jesus is telling us when we experience our own way of the cross is that we can avoid the pitfalls of an unsuccessful construction of a building and or a king who is planning to go to war.
On both occasions, Jesus wants us to count the cost of discipleship if we want to succeed and finish the race. True we may have to give up a lot to follow Jesus but it’s a kind of decision that is worth the cost because what Jesus is offering us in return is a life that is lived to the full (Jn 10:10). We also need to count the cost so that we will not find ourselves wavering when the going gets tough.
Our lives were bought at such a cost and for that alone we must also be willing to give up everything to follow Jesus. In the mid-80s and well into the 90s I gained prominence and notoriety as one of the biggest brokers of debt instruments and I used my position in the media to nail down a transaction even if the circumstances were irregular at times.
But the time came when God impressed upon me my sinful nature and God led me to turn my back from the world I was in. It was painful because I was turning away from a life that gave me luxury and comfort. I was holding office at the lobbies of five-star hotels and on the golf course and it was not an easy choice.
And when I made the choice to detach from the world and follow Christ, that choice separated me from my peers in the Media and in the financial business I was in, but God also gave me the means to carry my cross. Now I have set aside my affinity to things that shine and I no longer do what I like, but what Christ wills.
When Christ calls, there can be no room for compromises with God. It’s either we yield our lives over to him totally or not. St. Paul says: “We are not our own. We were bought with a price” (1 Cor 6:19). That price was blood of Jesus Christ that was shed for us on the cross to ransom us from sin and death. Jesus is challenging us now to examine whom we love first. The choice is ours, but the Lord does not leave us alone if we choose to follow him.
I have died a dozen, a hundred times when Jesus polished the rough edges in my nature especially the parts that did not subscribe to His Will. But I also know that I will also resurrect with Him when Christ who is hidden in my life appears in all His glory. Now I have found the way to live a life that is worth living and that is to serve Him by serving in our community and in the larger church. This is the choice that I made hard as it was but a choice that I know you too can make and I assure you that you will not regret it. For a life in Jesus is a life on a roll.
ALL ARE INVITED
NOV. 6, 2012: 31ST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Phi 2:5-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 22:26-32 “I will praise you Lord, in the assembly of your people.”
GOSPEL: Lk 14:15-24
Key Verse: “Not one of those men who were invited
will get a taste of my banquet.” (v.24)
This is truly a beautiful parable because even if it shows what awaits those who will ignore the Lord’s invitation (v.24), it also provides us a window of opportunity to allow us to amend our ways and prepare just in case we receive our invitation to come to the great banquet (v.16).
To fully understand this Gospel passage today, we need to at least take a look back at how a banquet was prepared during the time of Jesus to be able to understand why the Master was enraged when his invitation was ignored by those he invited.
There was a reason for his anger because the tradition in those days call for invitations to be sent ahead of the date of the banquet. This was intended to give those invited enough time to also prepare what they needed to wear and usually they wear garments made of the finest linen that is seamless.
The host of the banquet who in this case was described as a Master which could only mean that he was wealthy also prepare the animals to be slaughtered for the banquet and when the time of the feast comes, the Master sent his servants to remind those invited to come to the banquet (v.17). Actually, there were even times in the when a barker walks ahead of the servants to announce that the banquet was ready if it was a wedding feast.
All told there were three invitations and two types of judgments in this parable. There was the invitation to one who simply made excuses and ignored the Master’s invitation (v.18). Another said he had to take care of an oxen that he bought and so could not go (v.19). Still, a third one said he just got married and also could not go (v.20). Different situations, different excuses. And so the owner of the house though angry decided to invited everyone – the poor, cripple, blind and the lame (v.21).
The beauty of this parable is that we can start looking into our own selves and equate ourselves with the three persons who ignored the invitation to the banquet and see what areas of our lives we may have fallen short of what Our God expects of us. This parable gives us the chance to check the kind of excuses we made just so we can skip attending the Celebration of the Holy Eucharist especially on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation.
In today’s parable we see that everyone is invited. Not just some people. Not just supposedly holy people or those appearing to be holy. But even we who are sinners are invited! Everyone and absolutely no one is left out. What this Gospel passage teaches us is that when we reject God’s invitation to participate in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist especially on Sundays and Holy Days of obligation, we are actually rejecting God.
And this parable should be reflected on particularly by those who are quite active in the Church and or a spiritual community for that matter because salvation is not measured by what we do or don’t do but salvation rests entirely on our response to God’s invitation for us to go and make disciples of all nations.
We have heard that many times but we qualify it. We interpret the Gospel into our own words and actions. Instead of proclaiming the Gospel of Christ to the world especially the unchurched and build the house of the Lord in the hearts of men, we went out and build physical structures claiming we are doing it for the poor.
We rationalize and supplant what God’s Word is saying by expanding it to accommodate our own desires. But the Word and his instructions are clear as day but we simply shot down what the Gospel of Christ is telling us and would rather listen to our own gospel. Instead of pondering on God’s Word, we give more time to logging on to internet sites and spend our day texting through our cellular phones.
It was a good thing that the Synodal Assembly of Bishops went back to the original intent of Jesus Christ which was to bring the world to a closer relationship with God and in the words of Archbishop Pierre-Marie Carre, Archbishop of the southern French City of Montpellier, who was the Synod’s special secretary: “Structural changes were not needed. Believers can bring about change through their faith, a well-structured faith,” he said.
This parable should remind all of us that we are the poor, the cripple, the blind and the lame mentioned here (v.21). We are those who are now being invited after those whom God originally invited rejected Him.
Let us not look at ourselves as second-fiddle but we must feel honored that despite the poverty of our spirits, our handicap that we use as an excuse to attend the Mass and or Prayer Meetings, our blindness and not seeing the hand of God in our everyday life, God has kept open the gates of heaven for us as Christ Himself takes our poverty, our infirmities as he enlightens us and heals every area of our lives that prevent us from accepting his invitation.
I heard an international Catholic evangelist Mark Nimo once say that there are two important dates in our lives. The date when we were born and the date when we found the plan of God for us. For some, they may have found the plan of God in the encounter programs (Marriage Encounter, Singles Encounter, Solo Parents Encounter) and or in the Life in the Spirit Seminar.
Whatever, what is important is that we must all come to an awareness that when this plan was revealed to us by God, it should serve as the invitation for us to the feast that will come at a later date just as what the parable says.
The date when we were born is equally important because God brought us into the world clothed with the purity and splendor of his love. Tainted by the sins of the world, God’s plan was revealed to us when he established his Church to give us the opportunity to prepare our souls by not conforming to the pattern of this world but allowing ourselves to be transformed by the Holy Spirit by the renewal of our minds so that we can offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God.
What this parable is telling us is that when the date of the feast comes – when we stand face to face with God – we must give back to Our God our souls with the same purity that our souls had when he first brought us into the world.
And we can all begin by preparing our hearts and minds as we come to the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, Corporate Worship or Prayer Meetings, Word Sharing Circles and or, Teachings by settling down and dissociating ourselves from the cares and concerns of daily living because it is when we worship the Lord not just with our lips but with our hearts that the Lord moves and turns the encounter into a joyful celebration.
1st Reading: Phi 2:5-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 22:26-32 “I will praise you Lord, in the assembly of your people.”
GOSPEL: Lk 14:15-24
Key Verse: “Not one of those men who were invited
will get a taste of my banquet.” (v.24)
This is truly a beautiful parable because even if it shows what awaits those who will ignore the Lord’s invitation (v.24), it also provides us a window of opportunity to allow us to amend our ways and prepare just in case we receive our invitation to come to the great banquet (v.16).
To fully understand this Gospel passage today, we need to at least take a look back at how a banquet was prepared during the time of Jesus to be able to understand why the Master was enraged when his invitation was ignored by those he invited.
There was a reason for his anger because the tradition in those days call for invitations to be sent ahead of the date of the banquet. This was intended to give those invited enough time to also prepare what they needed to wear and usually they wear garments made of the finest linen that is seamless.
The host of the banquet who in this case was described as a Master which could only mean that he was wealthy also prepare the animals to be slaughtered for the banquet and when the time of the feast comes, the Master sent his servants to remind those invited to come to the banquet (v.17). Actually, there were even times in the when a barker walks ahead of the servants to announce that the banquet was ready if it was a wedding feast.
All told there were three invitations and two types of judgments in this parable. There was the invitation to one who simply made excuses and ignored the Master’s invitation (v.18). Another said he had to take care of an oxen that he bought and so could not go (v.19). Still, a third one said he just got married and also could not go (v.20). Different situations, different excuses. And so the owner of the house though angry decided to invited everyone – the poor, cripple, blind and the lame (v.21).
The beauty of this parable is that we can start looking into our own selves and equate ourselves with the three persons who ignored the invitation to the banquet and see what areas of our lives we may have fallen short of what Our God expects of us. This parable gives us the chance to check the kind of excuses we made just so we can skip attending the Celebration of the Holy Eucharist especially on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation.
In today’s parable we see that everyone is invited. Not just some people. Not just supposedly holy people or those appearing to be holy. But even we who are sinners are invited! Everyone and absolutely no one is left out. What this Gospel passage teaches us is that when we reject God’s invitation to participate in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist especially on Sundays and Holy Days of obligation, we are actually rejecting God.
And this parable should be reflected on particularly by those who are quite active in the Church and or a spiritual community for that matter because salvation is not measured by what we do or don’t do but salvation rests entirely on our response to God’s invitation for us to go and make disciples of all nations.
We have heard that many times but we qualify it. We interpret the Gospel into our own words and actions. Instead of proclaiming the Gospel of Christ to the world especially the unchurched and build the house of the Lord in the hearts of men, we went out and build physical structures claiming we are doing it for the poor.
We rationalize and supplant what God’s Word is saying by expanding it to accommodate our own desires. But the Word and his instructions are clear as day but we simply shot down what the Gospel of Christ is telling us and would rather listen to our own gospel. Instead of pondering on God’s Word, we give more time to logging on to internet sites and spend our day texting through our cellular phones.
It was a good thing that the Synodal Assembly of Bishops went back to the original intent of Jesus Christ which was to bring the world to a closer relationship with God and in the words of Archbishop Pierre-Marie Carre, Archbishop of the southern French City of Montpellier, who was the Synod’s special secretary: “Structural changes were not needed. Believers can bring about change through their faith, a well-structured faith,” he said.
This parable should remind all of us that we are the poor, the cripple, the blind and the lame mentioned here (v.21). We are those who are now being invited after those whom God originally invited rejected Him.
Let us not look at ourselves as second-fiddle but we must feel honored that despite the poverty of our spirits, our handicap that we use as an excuse to attend the Mass and or Prayer Meetings, our blindness and not seeing the hand of God in our everyday life, God has kept open the gates of heaven for us as Christ Himself takes our poverty, our infirmities as he enlightens us and heals every area of our lives that prevent us from accepting his invitation.
I heard an international Catholic evangelist Mark Nimo once say that there are two important dates in our lives. The date when we were born and the date when we found the plan of God for us. For some, they may have found the plan of God in the encounter programs (Marriage Encounter, Singles Encounter, Solo Parents Encounter) and or in the Life in the Spirit Seminar.
Whatever, what is important is that we must all come to an awareness that when this plan was revealed to us by God, it should serve as the invitation for us to the feast that will come at a later date just as what the parable says.
The date when we were born is equally important because God brought us into the world clothed with the purity and splendor of his love. Tainted by the sins of the world, God’s plan was revealed to us when he established his Church to give us the opportunity to prepare our souls by not conforming to the pattern of this world but allowing ourselves to be transformed by the Holy Spirit by the renewal of our minds so that we can offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God.
What this parable is telling us is that when the date of the feast comes – when we stand face to face with God – we must give back to Our God our souls with the same purity that our souls had when he first brought us into the world.
And we can all begin by preparing our hearts and minds as we come to the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, Corporate Worship or Prayer Meetings, Word Sharing Circles and or, Teachings by settling down and dissociating ourselves from the cares and concerns of daily living because it is when we worship the Lord not just with our lips but with our hearts that the Lord moves and turns the encounter into a joyful celebration.
GIVING IN LOVE
NOV. 5, 2012: 31ST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Phi 2:1-4
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 131:1-3 “In you, O Lord, I have found my peace.”
GOSPEL: LK 14:12-14
Key Verse: “…invite the poor, ..and you will be blessed.” (vv.13-14)
Yesterday, Jesus laid down the foundation of how to be a Christian in the truest sense of the word. From a long list of laws and regulations that the Scribes have written down from the days of Moses, Jesus reduced it to only two.
One was the Shema which is the most important prayer of the Jews because it is a pledge of their individual faith to God. The other commandment was to love our neighbor and these two commandments are inseparable because no one can practice one of these two precepts without the other. In simple terms, there is just no way we can possibly love our neighbor without loving God and we cannot love God without loving our neighbor in whose soul God resides.
And one of the ways we can show our love for others is when we give gifts, alms, or any form of assistance to someone in need and the most common phrase we often hear when such circumstances arise that – it’s better to give than to receive.. It may seem secular to some but this expression is very biblical with no less than St. Paul saying it: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Ac 20:35)
Though we as a people regardless of race, color and creed are basically helpful to those in need, the motives behind our being generous differ. Giving may be innate to some but this is not always the case.
Some of us give out of a sense of duty, others are moved to give because it gives them a feeling of being superior while others are motivated by self-interest. Whatever our motives are, we must spend some time to dwell on what moves us to give because to give or to extend help to those in need especially the poor must be borne out of love flowing from our hearts.
Christian generosity must be premised on the condition of our hearts that feel mercy and compassion for the poor driven only by the thought that our generosity is our response to the Grace of God who loved us first and who by his passion, death and resurrection gave us a perfect example of what it takes to give.
Some of us balk when there is talk of dipping into our pockets to finance an outreach project, a soup kitchen, or a medical-dental mission. Others simply look elsewhere when the love offering baskets are being passed around in the church.
And Jesus tired from the day spent in preaching and healing will never refuse an invitation to dinner but in this Gospel passage he lectures his host on who he should or should not invite to dinner the next time around. In very particular terms, Jesus is reminding us not to invite those with the capacity to repay but to invite “the poor, the cripple, the lame and the blind, and you will be blessed.” (v.13-14)
In other words, we should not expect any reward or recompense in exchange for what we give. This reminder from Jesus is not without basis because what we give is not ours in the first place because we own nothing of what we have and possess.
The Lord tells us in Psa 24:1 “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world, and all who live in it.” Again he says in Psa 50:12 “for the world is mine, and all that is in it.” This shows that we are mere trustees or stewards. We were created simply to manage what God has entrusted us with.
As stewards, Lk 12:46 should serve as a reminder for those of us who abuse the authority entrusted to us. On the other hand, Mt 25:19-23 should provide us with an inspiration on how Our God deals with those who are faithful to him.
There was a time in my early years in the renewal that I give a check instead of cash to our community’s projects and or encounter programs. Why? Not because of the need to account for the money disbursed but because I want the recipients to see my name on the check. I give because I wanted to be recognized for my generosity and I haven’t the slightest idea I was only making a fool of myself in God’s eyes.
We cannot buy spiritual favors from God. In the same way, we cannot pay our way to heaven which means that the Grace we receive is an initiative of God and not because of our generosity towards others no matter the good these may bring. Without our asking for it, God gave his only begotten Son to be the ransom for many and because of this action, God practically made us into his prized possession (Ti 2:14) and from whom we continue to receive everything that we need in life (Neh 9:20).
Jesus tells us “to invite the poor, the cripple, the lame and the blind.” In other words, we are to give to those who cannot reciprocate our generosity. Since Christian generosity is a reflection of the character of Our Lord in us, we are thus mandated to give on account of God’s love that dwells in us.
And Jesus assures us that when we give without expecting any reward or recompense, our reward will come at the proper time when we receive our invitation to the wedding feast.
As we cannot apportion our salvation by our own effort and thus are dependent on God’s generosity, we must go through life with utmost confidence that Our God will reward those who give as an expression of God’s Will for us to be clothed ourselves with the image of Christ in us.
The Catholic Church doesn’t teach Tithing per se. What the Church recommends is seen in CCC 2043 which says “the faithful also have the duty of providing for the material needs of the Church, each according to his own abilities.”
And the Church’s Code of Canon Law No. 222 states that: “The Christian faithful are obliged to assist with the needs of the Church so that the Church has what is necessary for divine worship, for apostolic works and works of charity and for the decent sustenance of ministers. They are also obliged to promote social justice and, mindful of the precept of the Lord, to assist the poor from their own resources.”
As we reflect on the teachings of the Church, we will readily appreciate the reason why our Church doesn’t teach about Tithing and it is because our giving cannot and should not be measured in percentages. In fact, if we are to digest what the CCC says “according their own abilities” and what the Canon Law 222 referred to as “from their own resources” these simply mean that we are to give back to God what is God’s.
Very simply, this Gospel passage is teaching us to be honest with ourselves and if we believe that everything here on earth is owned by Our God, then it presupposes that we can give back to him what is His in the first place. And payback time is not here and now but when we are finally made to account how well we have managed what God has entrusted to us.
1st Reading: Phi 2:1-4
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 131:1-3 “In you, O Lord, I have found my peace.”
GOSPEL: LK 14:12-14
Key Verse: “…invite the poor, ..and you will be blessed.” (vv.13-14)
Yesterday, Jesus laid down the foundation of how to be a Christian in the truest sense of the word. From a long list of laws and regulations that the Scribes have written down from the days of Moses, Jesus reduced it to only two.
One was the Shema which is the most important prayer of the Jews because it is a pledge of their individual faith to God. The other commandment was to love our neighbor and these two commandments are inseparable because no one can practice one of these two precepts without the other. In simple terms, there is just no way we can possibly love our neighbor without loving God and we cannot love God without loving our neighbor in whose soul God resides.
And one of the ways we can show our love for others is when we give gifts, alms, or any form of assistance to someone in need and the most common phrase we often hear when such circumstances arise that – it’s better to give than to receive.. It may seem secular to some but this expression is very biblical with no less than St. Paul saying it: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Ac 20:35)
Though we as a people regardless of race, color and creed are basically helpful to those in need, the motives behind our being generous differ. Giving may be innate to some but this is not always the case.
Some of us give out of a sense of duty, others are moved to give because it gives them a feeling of being superior while others are motivated by self-interest. Whatever our motives are, we must spend some time to dwell on what moves us to give because to give or to extend help to those in need especially the poor must be borne out of love flowing from our hearts.
Christian generosity must be premised on the condition of our hearts that feel mercy and compassion for the poor driven only by the thought that our generosity is our response to the Grace of God who loved us first and who by his passion, death and resurrection gave us a perfect example of what it takes to give.
Some of us balk when there is talk of dipping into our pockets to finance an outreach project, a soup kitchen, or a medical-dental mission. Others simply look elsewhere when the love offering baskets are being passed around in the church.
And Jesus tired from the day spent in preaching and healing will never refuse an invitation to dinner but in this Gospel passage he lectures his host on who he should or should not invite to dinner the next time around. In very particular terms, Jesus is reminding us not to invite those with the capacity to repay but to invite “the poor, the cripple, the lame and the blind, and you will be blessed.” (v.13-14)
In other words, we should not expect any reward or recompense in exchange for what we give. This reminder from Jesus is not without basis because what we give is not ours in the first place because we own nothing of what we have and possess.
The Lord tells us in Psa 24:1 “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world, and all who live in it.” Again he says in Psa 50:12 “for the world is mine, and all that is in it.” This shows that we are mere trustees or stewards. We were created simply to manage what God has entrusted us with.
As stewards, Lk 12:46 should serve as a reminder for those of us who abuse the authority entrusted to us. On the other hand, Mt 25:19-23 should provide us with an inspiration on how Our God deals with those who are faithful to him.
There was a time in my early years in the renewal that I give a check instead of cash to our community’s projects and or encounter programs. Why? Not because of the need to account for the money disbursed but because I want the recipients to see my name on the check. I give because I wanted to be recognized for my generosity and I haven’t the slightest idea I was only making a fool of myself in God’s eyes.
We cannot buy spiritual favors from God. In the same way, we cannot pay our way to heaven which means that the Grace we receive is an initiative of God and not because of our generosity towards others no matter the good these may bring. Without our asking for it, God gave his only begotten Son to be the ransom for many and because of this action, God practically made us into his prized possession (Ti 2:14) and from whom we continue to receive everything that we need in life (Neh 9:20).
Jesus tells us “to invite the poor, the cripple, the lame and the blind.” In other words, we are to give to those who cannot reciprocate our generosity. Since Christian generosity is a reflection of the character of Our Lord in us, we are thus mandated to give on account of God’s love that dwells in us.
And Jesus assures us that when we give without expecting any reward or recompense, our reward will come at the proper time when we receive our invitation to the wedding feast.
As we cannot apportion our salvation by our own effort and thus are dependent on God’s generosity, we must go through life with utmost confidence that Our God will reward those who give as an expression of God’s Will for us to be clothed ourselves with the image of Christ in us.
The Catholic Church doesn’t teach Tithing per se. What the Church recommends is seen in CCC 2043 which says “the faithful also have the duty of providing for the material needs of the Church, each according to his own abilities.”
And the Church’s Code of Canon Law No. 222 states that: “The Christian faithful are obliged to assist with the needs of the Church so that the Church has what is necessary for divine worship, for apostolic works and works of charity and for the decent sustenance of ministers. They are also obliged to promote social justice and, mindful of the precept of the Lord, to assist the poor from their own resources.”
As we reflect on the teachings of the Church, we will readily appreciate the reason why our Church doesn’t teach about Tithing and it is because our giving cannot and should not be measured in percentages. In fact, if we are to digest what the CCC says “according their own abilities” and what the Canon Law 222 referred to as “from their own resources” these simply mean that we are to give back to God what is God’s.
Very simply, this Gospel passage is teaching us to be honest with ourselves and if we believe that everything here on earth is owned by Our God, then it presupposes that we can give back to him what is His in the first place. And payback time is not here and now but when we are finally made to account how well we have managed what God has entrusted to us.
MARK OF THE TRUE CHRISTIAN
THE GOOD SAMARITAN EXEMPLIFIES WHAT LOVE IS.
NOV. 4, 2012: 31ST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Deut 6:2-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 18:2-4, 47, 51 “I love you Lord, my strength.”
2nd Reading: Heb 7:23-28
GOSPEL: MK 12:28-34
Key Verse: “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” (v.34)
Gilbert Keith Chesterton who is better known as G.K. Chesterton, a world-renowned literary artist and spiritual writer once said that the really great lesson of the story of “Beauty and the Beast” is that a thing must be loved before it is loveable. A person must be loved before that person can be loveable.
In my lifetime, I have known some people who fall in the category of an unlovely person but whom I would learn later that they acted that way because they thought that nobody loved them. The truth of the matter is that unless and until we feel loved ourselves it would be difficult for us to love.
Theologians will tell you that this is not only a principle of theology but of psychology as well. If are into social science studies you will have learned that abused children grow up also abusing their children while loved children similarly will grow up to love their own children. Persons who are loved are able to love and unloved persons can not because they have never felt what love is.
The Gospel passage for today the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time speaks of Jesus reducing the hundreds of laws that the religious leaders have crafted over the years that serve as guides in the practice of their faith. The intent apparently was to bridge the great divide and bring the people closer to God.
But this was not meant to be as the laws written by the Scribes based on the Mosaic prescriptions became burdensome that moved the people to simply go through the motions of worship but never really getting into an intimate relationship with God.
And the great kings and prophets may have seen the difficulty of having such a large number of religious precepts which was why in the course of time David reduced this to 11 (Psa 15). Then the prophet Isaiah trimmed it down to six (Isa 33:15). Again, Micah brought this down to three (Mic 6:8) and Isaiah again reduced it to just two (Isa 56:1) until the prophet Habakkuk reduced them to just one (Hab 2:4).
Actually it comes as a surprise why the religious leaders still asked Jesus the question as to which of the commandments was the most important because they knew their Old Testament Scripture and love God who is their one Lord (Deut 6:4-9, 11:13-21, Num 15:37-41) was their creed or Shema and these three passages of the Shema are written in the phylacteries that devout Jews wore on their forehead and wrists when in prayer. As religious leaders they also knew what love of neighbor was all about because this was one of the laws of Moses (Lev 19:18).
It was, however, probable that they asked asked Jesus the question as to which of the commandments was the most important (v.28) because they knew that he was someone who spoke with authority (Mk 1:21-28) and possibly they want him to guide them as to which of the divergent positions they were arguing was correct.
Up to that time when Jesus answered, no other prophet or teacher before him had ever spoken who put these two commandments together and made them one “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself.” (vv.30-31) His response simply meant that religion was all about loving God and loving men and that a man can only prove that he loves God if he also has love for his neighbor.
But these are easier said than done and today we see nations saddled with hunger and famine, tribal wars, internal conflicts that have caused thousands of casualties. Even the religious sector have not been spared as divisions have crept into some churches and communities and all these may be due to our lack of love for God and for our neighbor or perhaps our ignorance to what these two commandments represent.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that these two commandments are actually a representation of the Ten Commandments with love of God encapsulated in the first four of the commandments and love of neighbor covers the remaining six commandments.
As deigned by God who gave us the Ten Commandments, the first is all about worship and fidelity; the second, respect; the third, service; and the fourth – respect for his representatives on earth. The other six commandments show out duty to our neighbor forbidding us to injure our neighbor in the fifth; honor his purity in the sixth; his property in the seventh; preserving and respecting his honor in the eighth; respecting his family in the ninth and tenth.
And the Apostle John put it in a more simpler way “Anyone who does not love remains in death.” (1 Jn 3:14) In other words, to love God is of great advantage and benefit to us because through it we are united to God here on earth with our minds enlightened, our will strengthened and, we obtain pardon for our sins and are assured of God’s presence in our lives: “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him and we will come to him and make our home with him.” (Jn 14:23) These are not just powerful words but it provides us with the inspiration to look towards the eternal reward that God has promised us.
The CCC also says that without the love of God and of our neighbor no man can be saved. St. Augustine said that as we require two feet to walk, so must we have the love of God and of our neighbor if we want to reach heaven. As the bird cannot fly without two wings, so must we also be borne aloft upon these two pinions if we want to soar up to heaven.
As the Saints in heaven loved God and one another, so must we also do the same here on earth if we desire to be in their company in heaven. We should, however, remember that by ourselves we are incapable of loving God and our neighbor and we can only do so through the gift of sanctifying Grace that is given to us if we will allow the Holy Spirit to take possession of our souls and spirits.
And for this Grace to become operative in our lives, we need to detach from our human nature by dying on the cross with Christ so that we can be resurrected into a new life in him and with him that will be reflective of the image and likeness to which we have all been created. This means that since we have all been created from the same source, it follows that we are to love that which God has also created in his image and likeness.
Perhaps we may ask who is our neighbor. The CCC decrees that every human being is our neighbor without distinction of religion, race, age, sex or of occupation. Hence, the love of one’s neighbor is the distinctive mark of the true Christian. “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me.” (Matt 25:40)
Our love of our neighbor therefore is the best test of our love of God. “By this all men will know that you are truly my disciples, if you love one another.” (Jn 13:35) And love of our neighbor is manifested in our desiring the good for our neighbor, abstaining from hurting him and in doing him good. It means rejoicing with him in his prosperity and grieving with him in his adversity.
1st Reading: Deut 6:2-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 18:2-4, 47, 51 “I love you Lord, my strength.”
2nd Reading: Heb 7:23-28
GOSPEL: MK 12:28-34
Key Verse: “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” (v.34)
Gilbert Keith Chesterton who is better known as G.K. Chesterton, a world-renowned literary artist and spiritual writer once said that the really great lesson of the story of “Beauty and the Beast” is that a thing must be loved before it is loveable. A person must be loved before that person can be loveable.
In my lifetime, I have known some people who fall in the category of an unlovely person but whom I would learn later that they acted that way because they thought that nobody loved them. The truth of the matter is that unless and until we feel loved ourselves it would be difficult for us to love.
Theologians will tell you that this is not only a principle of theology but of psychology as well. If are into social science studies you will have learned that abused children grow up also abusing their children while loved children similarly will grow up to love their own children. Persons who are loved are able to love and unloved persons can not because they have never felt what love is.
The Gospel passage for today the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time speaks of Jesus reducing the hundreds of laws that the religious leaders have crafted over the years that serve as guides in the practice of their faith. The intent apparently was to bridge the great divide and bring the people closer to God.
But this was not meant to be as the laws written by the Scribes based on the Mosaic prescriptions became burdensome that moved the people to simply go through the motions of worship but never really getting into an intimate relationship with God.
And the great kings and prophets may have seen the difficulty of having such a large number of religious precepts which was why in the course of time David reduced this to 11 (Psa 15). Then the prophet Isaiah trimmed it down to six (Isa 33:15). Again, Micah brought this down to three (Mic 6:8) and Isaiah again reduced it to just two (Isa 56:1) until the prophet Habakkuk reduced them to just one (Hab 2:4).
Actually it comes as a surprise why the religious leaders still asked Jesus the question as to which of the commandments was the most important because they knew their Old Testament Scripture and love God who is their one Lord (Deut 6:4-9, 11:13-21, Num 15:37-41) was their creed or Shema and these three passages of the Shema are written in the phylacteries that devout Jews wore on their forehead and wrists when in prayer. As religious leaders they also knew what love of neighbor was all about because this was one of the laws of Moses (Lev 19:18).
It was, however, probable that they asked asked Jesus the question as to which of the commandments was the most important (v.28) because they knew that he was someone who spoke with authority (Mk 1:21-28) and possibly they want him to guide them as to which of the divergent positions they were arguing was correct.
Up to that time when Jesus answered, no other prophet or teacher before him had ever spoken who put these two commandments together and made them one “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself.” (vv.30-31) His response simply meant that religion was all about loving God and loving men and that a man can only prove that he loves God if he also has love for his neighbor.
But these are easier said than done and today we see nations saddled with hunger and famine, tribal wars, internal conflicts that have caused thousands of casualties. Even the religious sector have not been spared as divisions have crept into some churches and communities and all these may be due to our lack of love for God and for our neighbor or perhaps our ignorance to what these two commandments represent.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that these two commandments are actually a representation of the Ten Commandments with love of God encapsulated in the first four of the commandments and love of neighbor covers the remaining six commandments.
As deigned by God who gave us the Ten Commandments, the first is all about worship and fidelity; the second, respect; the third, service; and the fourth – respect for his representatives on earth. The other six commandments show out duty to our neighbor forbidding us to injure our neighbor in the fifth; honor his purity in the sixth; his property in the seventh; preserving and respecting his honor in the eighth; respecting his family in the ninth and tenth.
And the Apostle John put it in a more simpler way “Anyone who does not love remains in death.” (1 Jn 3:14) In other words, to love God is of great advantage and benefit to us because through it we are united to God here on earth with our minds enlightened, our will strengthened and, we obtain pardon for our sins and are assured of God’s presence in our lives: “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him and we will come to him and make our home with him.” (Jn 14:23) These are not just powerful words but it provides us with the inspiration to look towards the eternal reward that God has promised us.
The CCC also says that without the love of God and of our neighbor no man can be saved. St. Augustine said that as we require two feet to walk, so must we have the love of God and of our neighbor if we want to reach heaven. As the bird cannot fly without two wings, so must we also be borne aloft upon these two pinions if we want to soar up to heaven.
As the Saints in heaven loved God and one another, so must we also do the same here on earth if we desire to be in their company in heaven. We should, however, remember that by ourselves we are incapable of loving God and our neighbor and we can only do so through the gift of sanctifying Grace that is given to us if we will allow the Holy Spirit to take possession of our souls and spirits.
And for this Grace to become operative in our lives, we need to detach from our human nature by dying on the cross with Christ so that we can be resurrected into a new life in him and with him that will be reflective of the image and likeness to which we have all been created. This means that since we have all been created from the same source, it follows that we are to love that which God has also created in his image and likeness.
Perhaps we may ask who is our neighbor. The CCC decrees that every human being is our neighbor without distinction of religion, race, age, sex or of occupation. Hence, the love of one’s neighbor is the distinctive mark of the true Christian. “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me.” (Matt 25:40)
Our love of our neighbor therefore is the best test of our love of God. “By this all men will know that you are truly my disciples, if you love one another.” (Jn 13:35) And love of our neighbor is manifested in our desiring the good for our neighbor, abstaining from hurting him and in doing him good. It means rejoicing with him in his prosperity and grieving with him in his adversity.
HUMILITY IS THE KEY
RICH OR POOR - THEY END UP THE SAME.
NOV. 3, 2012: 30TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Phi 1:18-26
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 42: 2-5 “My soul is thirsting for the living God.”
GOSPEL: LK 14: 1, 7-11
Key Verse: “...he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (v.11)
While watching an exciting basketball championship game, have you ever found yourself in a situation when you were asked to vacate the seat you are seated in because the seat you sat on was reserved for someone more prominent than you.
How would you feel if you were invited to a dinner and everyone in the house was watching every move you make. If this would happen to me I probably would have been embarrassed and probably would lose my appetite no matter how sumptuous the food may be.
In fact, this happened to me once when I was still working as a Business Reporter for a major daily and I was invited to a dinner that was hosted by the then Central Bank for a group of foreign investors and bankers. It was a very formal dinner and there were three sets of utensils and cutlery on the left and right of my plate and honestly I really couldn’t figure out how to use these things. The Central Bank Deputy Governor who was seated beside me came to my rescue and whispered to me “just follow which of these I will pick up and use and you’ll be alright.”
But this was not the case for Jesus because he already knew what their intention was when they invited him to dinner. They want to see if he would again violate the Sabbath upon learning that he did so in some instance.
The Jews revere the Sabbath. It was a holy day of obligation and no one was supposed to exert any physical effort that would constitute work. In other words, the Sabbath is a day of rest, an opportunity for each Jew to remember and celebrate the goodness of God.
But as we have seen and heard from Jesus, the Sabbath should not hinder the flow of God’s Grace which means that love of God and love of neighbor should weigh more than the observance of the Sabbath which was merely a law created by man and Jesus has expounded on this in Mk 2:27 “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”
Instead of allowing himself to be pinned down by the legalism of the Pharisees, Jesus lets out a parable that probably made his listeners shudder particularly the Pharisees who have turned themselves into mini-gods in the way they have been pursuing their brand of faithfulness to God that has become burdensome for the people.
There was no doubt that Jesus can speak about humility with authority because he had experienced it. St. Paul tells us in Phi 2:6 that Jesus “who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God as something to be grasped.” Born in a lowly manger, Jesus grew up without the trappings of a comfortable life associated with the royalty even if he comes from the line of David.
And here in this Gospel, Jesus also has a message for all of us as he advises us not to concern ourselves with the best places when invited to a feast. While we may deny it, there are times when we want to sit in places of honor. This positioning on how guests are to be seated is actually prevalent nowadays especially when event planners are involved though not necessarily their fault as it is also the host/s who qualify the guests who are placed in numbered tables in the order of their importance and or degree of relations.
Everyone wants to be honored. This is natural and there’s nothing wrong with that except if and when it goes to your head. This also happened to me in my past life. It prides me when I am acknowledged for what I have contributed and did. Wealth brings power and prestige. God probably allowed me to enjoy these things to see how I would manage it. And I was back to the reality of my humanity when I lost everything except the roof on my head.
And God impressed upon me what humility was when I was jolted to my senses one time when I angrily told a person I was arguing with “don’t you know me? I’m from the Office of the President!” I was expecting he would cower in fear but he didn’t. And the guy simply answered back “so what!” I could’ve overpowered the guy but you know what? I turned away and left and I really was laughing at that stupidity. This was one scenario that I have kept in my mind and heart to remind me always of the need to humble myself in every situation.
Today, many of our brothers and sisters especially those who still live in the material world are fixated with raising their life status. They want to be with the right people in their social or business circles. They dress in accord with their status and drive the right car.
But the question is who are we trying to impress because at the end of the day, all these have no value when we stand face-to-face with Our God who not only created us but who is the source of all that we have and will have. Psa 24:1 says “the earth is the Lord’s, everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.”
Humility is not about feeling bad nor of having a low opinion of ourselves or of thinking of ourselves as inferior to others. No. True humility is seeing ourselves in the way God sees us. A humble person is one who sees himself without the pretense or illusion for something that he is not.
In other words, be what God made you to be. There’s nothing wrong with admiring someone but we can’t just idolize someone who breathes the same air and or drinks the same water as we do. If we are going to admire or idolize someone, that someone has to be one who is greater than us and he is none other than God Himself.
Genuine humility is one of the two pillars of Christian living (the other is obedience) because humility allows us to view and correctly judge circumstances around us the way God would judge these. Instead of aiming for honor and prestige, true humility should move us to look for ways to serve God by serving others through the Church and or Community.
If God desires that we serve on a higher level such as a leadership position in the Church, then God himself will make it possible. At the end of the day, it’s all about placing ourselves in subservience to His Will. As a Christian, we must see ourselves as unworthy servants when we place ourselves in comparison with the radiance and magnificence of God.
When we can do this, it will lead us to die to our pride and self-exaltation. Admitting that we are nothing will give us the courage to remove our masks, our pretenses and, most of all our prejudices towards others. The Catechism of the Catholic Church 2554 says it clearly “the baptized person combats evil through goodwill, humility and abandonment to divine providence.”
1st Reading: Phi 1:18-26
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 42: 2-5 “My soul is thirsting for the living God.”
GOSPEL: LK 14: 1, 7-11
Key Verse: “...he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (v.11)
While watching an exciting basketball championship game, have you ever found yourself in a situation when you were asked to vacate the seat you are seated in because the seat you sat on was reserved for someone more prominent than you.
How would you feel if you were invited to a dinner and everyone in the house was watching every move you make. If this would happen to me I probably would have been embarrassed and probably would lose my appetite no matter how sumptuous the food may be.
In fact, this happened to me once when I was still working as a Business Reporter for a major daily and I was invited to a dinner that was hosted by the then Central Bank for a group of foreign investors and bankers. It was a very formal dinner and there were three sets of utensils and cutlery on the left and right of my plate and honestly I really couldn’t figure out how to use these things. The Central Bank Deputy Governor who was seated beside me came to my rescue and whispered to me “just follow which of these I will pick up and use and you’ll be alright.”
But this was not the case for Jesus because he already knew what their intention was when they invited him to dinner. They want to see if he would again violate the Sabbath upon learning that he did so in some instance.
The Jews revere the Sabbath. It was a holy day of obligation and no one was supposed to exert any physical effort that would constitute work. In other words, the Sabbath is a day of rest, an opportunity for each Jew to remember and celebrate the goodness of God.
But as we have seen and heard from Jesus, the Sabbath should not hinder the flow of God’s Grace which means that love of God and love of neighbor should weigh more than the observance of the Sabbath which was merely a law created by man and Jesus has expounded on this in Mk 2:27 “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”
Instead of allowing himself to be pinned down by the legalism of the Pharisees, Jesus lets out a parable that probably made his listeners shudder particularly the Pharisees who have turned themselves into mini-gods in the way they have been pursuing their brand of faithfulness to God that has become burdensome for the people.
There was no doubt that Jesus can speak about humility with authority because he had experienced it. St. Paul tells us in Phi 2:6 that Jesus “who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God as something to be grasped.” Born in a lowly manger, Jesus grew up without the trappings of a comfortable life associated with the royalty even if he comes from the line of David.
And here in this Gospel, Jesus also has a message for all of us as he advises us not to concern ourselves with the best places when invited to a feast. While we may deny it, there are times when we want to sit in places of honor. This positioning on how guests are to be seated is actually prevalent nowadays especially when event planners are involved though not necessarily their fault as it is also the host/s who qualify the guests who are placed in numbered tables in the order of their importance and or degree of relations.
Everyone wants to be honored. This is natural and there’s nothing wrong with that except if and when it goes to your head. This also happened to me in my past life. It prides me when I am acknowledged for what I have contributed and did. Wealth brings power and prestige. God probably allowed me to enjoy these things to see how I would manage it. And I was back to the reality of my humanity when I lost everything except the roof on my head.
And God impressed upon me what humility was when I was jolted to my senses one time when I angrily told a person I was arguing with “don’t you know me? I’m from the Office of the President!” I was expecting he would cower in fear but he didn’t. And the guy simply answered back “so what!” I could’ve overpowered the guy but you know what? I turned away and left and I really was laughing at that stupidity. This was one scenario that I have kept in my mind and heart to remind me always of the need to humble myself in every situation.
Today, many of our brothers and sisters especially those who still live in the material world are fixated with raising their life status. They want to be with the right people in their social or business circles. They dress in accord with their status and drive the right car.
But the question is who are we trying to impress because at the end of the day, all these have no value when we stand face-to-face with Our God who not only created us but who is the source of all that we have and will have. Psa 24:1 says “the earth is the Lord’s, everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.”
Humility is not about feeling bad nor of having a low opinion of ourselves or of thinking of ourselves as inferior to others. No. True humility is seeing ourselves in the way God sees us. A humble person is one who sees himself without the pretense or illusion for something that he is not.
In other words, be what God made you to be. There’s nothing wrong with admiring someone but we can’t just idolize someone who breathes the same air and or drinks the same water as we do. If we are going to admire or idolize someone, that someone has to be one who is greater than us and he is none other than God Himself.
Genuine humility is one of the two pillars of Christian living (the other is obedience) because humility allows us to view and correctly judge circumstances around us the way God would judge these. Instead of aiming for honor and prestige, true humility should move us to look for ways to serve God by serving others through the Church and or Community.
If God desires that we serve on a higher level such as a leadership position in the Church, then God himself will make it possible. At the end of the day, it’s all about placing ourselves in subservience to His Will. As a Christian, we must see ourselves as unworthy servants when we place ourselves in comparison with the radiance and magnificence of God.
When we can do this, it will lead us to die to our pride and self-exaltation. Admitting that we are nothing will give us the courage to remove our masks, our pretenses and, most of all our prejudices towards others. The Catechism of the Catholic Church 2554 says it clearly “the baptized person combats evil through goodwill, humility and abandonment to divine providence.”
ARE YOU READY FOR THE FINALS?
NOV. 2, 2012: Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed
1st Reading: Wis 3:1-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 23:1-6 “The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want”
2nd Reading: Rom 6:3-9
GOSPEL: MATT 25:31-46
Key Verse: “…but the righteous to eternal life.” (v.46)
If by chance you are transported in a time capsule to the time when you were back in college and looked forward to your graduation and the future that lies ahead. Many of you I’m sure were already creating mental images of what you want to become – a top notch executive with all the perks that come with it, cars, housing packages, foreign travel, fat mid-year and yearend bonuses, stock options or you may be thinking of ending up as a successful entrepreneur perhaps.
Except that before all these could turn to reality you needed to go through the final exams which as you all know is not a walk in the park. Most often, the final exams in the life of college students are the most difficult because it is a compendium of practically everything that you have learned in school. And the school makes it hard because they also want to know if you learned anything or if you are good enough to do battle with the real world that you will step into.
How would you prepare for the final test if you were in that kind of a situation? When what stands between you and the future that lies ahead is the final examination. Life is also like that. What we go through right now can be likened to our education and training. And in this Gospel passage today, there are two distinct choices we need to fully comprehend because these are the only two choices we have that will spell damnation and or salvation for us.
One is punishment which is associated with chastisement, retribution, torture, suffer, beating, flogging, scourging, and judgment referring providential punishment. The other is the term righteous which refers to those who are virtuous and godly. Those who are virtuous act with moral rectitude, saintliness, godliness, right-minded. They can also be described as good persons, respectable, pillar of the church and society. Godly persons are those possessing purity of heart, spiritual-minded, good-natured, and unworldly.
It is important for us to know these so that we may be able to prepare for the final examination in our life while there is still time. We need to prepare well so we can be clothed with the righteousness that God requires so we can avoid the punishment that awaits those who will fail in their final exams.
I look at life as an educational system that I go through and as I go through the preliminary exams (trials, challenges, frustrations, persecution, loss of jobs) and, the mid-term exams (sickness, loss of loved ones, failed relationships, spiritual dryness, indiscretions, among others), I know that there is a final exam that I need to hurdle and it is not as easy as it may seem to be.
The good thing with this final exam that will determine how we will be graded by Our Lord is that we already know what are in the questionnaire and we also know that we will pass this final exam by simply doing what are being asked of us. Granting that we may have missed these opportunities, Our Lord who is the final arbiter provides us with the time we need to reorient our priorities in life and align it with the terms specified in our final exams.
This final exams has only six questions and these are: 1) Did you feed me when I was hungry? (2) Did you give me a drink when I was thirsty? (3) Did you welcome me when I appeared as a stranger? (4) Did you give me clothing when I had nothing to wear? (5) Did you take care of me when I was sick? And, (6) Did you visit me when I was in prison? What is amazing with this exam is that we can bring home the questionnaire and ponder on it as well as the answers that Our Lord Himself has already provided and all we have to do is to be honest with our answers.
On the other hand, granting that we come up short of the answers required in the questionnaire, Our Lord Jesus Christ out of the generosity of his heart still gives us the opportunity to work on it so that when he comes we will have completed the answers to the questionnaire.
This Gospel passage should ring clear in our ears in that there is no doubt there is a day of judgment when we will be classified either as goats or as sheep. The Lord used this example and this may have shocked his listeners because to the Jews any referral to goats represent evil and Our Lord will judge us not only for the wrong we have done but even for the things we failed to do.
In reading this parable, it would be good for us to again read the previous parables on the wedding feast, soil, sower, vineyard workers, and talents among others, because these will show that there is indeed a time when we will be judged and made to atone for how well we lived our lives in accordance with the two greatest commandments that Our Lord had specified – love of God and love of neighbor.
There shouldn’t be any doubt that we will be judged when the time comes. The only variable that still isn’t clear is whether we will be made to stand on the right hand of God as sheep and inherit the Kingdom prepared for us or on his left as goats and be left out. But God is merciful and we should be able to take advantage of his love for us that should compel us to address the six scenarios specified in the questionnaire.
These acts that we may also term as corporal acts of mercy are things that we can do everyday and such acts are not dependent on wealth, talent or intelligence as these are actions that we can give for others to receive. These are acts that are exclusive to us and we are responsible for these and should not pass on the responsibility to either the government or the church because the men running these two institutions also have their own set of questionnaire.
To treat others and or our neighbor as if they are Jesus Himself is not easy because we have our own human biases to contend with. But this parable today requires that we rise above our prejudices and use our spiritual eyes to be able to see Jesus in those around us especially the hungry, thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick and those in prison.
There is no time to vacillate because we do not know the hour the thief will come. To refuse help to the least of our brothers and sisters will incur for us eternal punishment and there is no doubt about it. But the righteous will go into eternal life and there’s also no doubt about it. (v.46)
1st Reading: Wis 3:1-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 23:1-6 “The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want”
2nd Reading: Rom 6:3-9
GOSPEL: MATT 25:31-46
Key Verse: “…but the righteous to eternal life.” (v.46)
If by chance you are transported in a time capsule to the time when you were back in college and looked forward to your graduation and the future that lies ahead. Many of you I’m sure were already creating mental images of what you want to become – a top notch executive with all the perks that come with it, cars, housing packages, foreign travel, fat mid-year and yearend bonuses, stock options or you may be thinking of ending up as a successful entrepreneur perhaps.
Except that before all these could turn to reality you needed to go through the final exams which as you all know is not a walk in the park. Most often, the final exams in the life of college students are the most difficult because it is a compendium of practically everything that you have learned in school. And the school makes it hard because they also want to know if you learned anything or if you are good enough to do battle with the real world that you will step into.
How would you prepare for the final test if you were in that kind of a situation? When what stands between you and the future that lies ahead is the final examination. Life is also like that. What we go through right now can be likened to our education and training. And in this Gospel passage today, there are two distinct choices we need to fully comprehend because these are the only two choices we have that will spell damnation and or salvation for us.
One is punishment which is associated with chastisement, retribution, torture, suffer, beating, flogging, scourging, and judgment referring providential punishment. The other is the term righteous which refers to those who are virtuous and godly. Those who are virtuous act with moral rectitude, saintliness, godliness, right-minded. They can also be described as good persons, respectable, pillar of the church and society. Godly persons are those possessing purity of heart, spiritual-minded, good-natured, and unworldly.
It is important for us to know these so that we may be able to prepare for the final examination in our life while there is still time. We need to prepare well so we can be clothed with the righteousness that God requires so we can avoid the punishment that awaits those who will fail in their final exams.
I look at life as an educational system that I go through and as I go through the preliminary exams (trials, challenges, frustrations, persecution, loss of jobs) and, the mid-term exams (sickness, loss of loved ones, failed relationships, spiritual dryness, indiscretions, among others), I know that there is a final exam that I need to hurdle and it is not as easy as it may seem to be.
The good thing with this final exam that will determine how we will be graded by Our Lord is that we already know what are in the questionnaire and we also know that we will pass this final exam by simply doing what are being asked of us. Granting that we may have missed these opportunities, Our Lord who is the final arbiter provides us with the time we need to reorient our priorities in life and align it with the terms specified in our final exams.
This final exams has only six questions and these are: 1) Did you feed me when I was hungry? (2) Did you give me a drink when I was thirsty? (3) Did you welcome me when I appeared as a stranger? (4) Did you give me clothing when I had nothing to wear? (5) Did you take care of me when I was sick? And, (6) Did you visit me when I was in prison? What is amazing with this exam is that we can bring home the questionnaire and ponder on it as well as the answers that Our Lord Himself has already provided and all we have to do is to be honest with our answers.
On the other hand, granting that we come up short of the answers required in the questionnaire, Our Lord Jesus Christ out of the generosity of his heart still gives us the opportunity to work on it so that when he comes we will have completed the answers to the questionnaire.
This Gospel passage should ring clear in our ears in that there is no doubt there is a day of judgment when we will be classified either as goats or as sheep. The Lord used this example and this may have shocked his listeners because to the Jews any referral to goats represent evil and Our Lord will judge us not only for the wrong we have done but even for the things we failed to do.
In reading this parable, it would be good for us to again read the previous parables on the wedding feast, soil, sower, vineyard workers, and talents among others, because these will show that there is indeed a time when we will be judged and made to atone for how well we lived our lives in accordance with the two greatest commandments that Our Lord had specified – love of God and love of neighbor.
There shouldn’t be any doubt that we will be judged when the time comes. The only variable that still isn’t clear is whether we will be made to stand on the right hand of God as sheep and inherit the Kingdom prepared for us or on his left as goats and be left out. But God is merciful and we should be able to take advantage of his love for us that should compel us to address the six scenarios specified in the questionnaire.
These acts that we may also term as corporal acts of mercy are things that we can do everyday and such acts are not dependent on wealth, talent or intelligence as these are actions that we can give for others to receive. These are acts that are exclusive to us and we are responsible for these and should not pass on the responsibility to either the government or the church because the men running these two institutions also have their own set of questionnaire.
To treat others and or our neighbor as if they are Jesus Himself is not easy because we have our own human biases to contend with. But this parable today requires that we rise above our prejudices and use our spiritual eyes to be able to see Jesus in those around us especially the hungry, thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick and those in prison.
There is no time to vacillate because we do not know the hour the thief will come. To refuse help to the least of our brothers and sisters will incur for us eternal punishment and there is no doubt about it. But the righteous will go into eternal life and there’s also no doubt about it. (v.46)
THE UNSURPASSED JOY
NOV. 1, 2012: SOLEMNITY OF ALL SAINTS
1st Reading: REV 7:2-4, 9-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 24:1-6 “Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face”
2nd Reading: 1 JN 3:1-3
GOSPEL: MATT 5:1-12
Key Verse: “…great is your reward in heaven.” (v.12)
As we commemorate the Solemnity of all Saints, we also remember the dead especially those who are dear to us and who have passed on to the next life.
Remembering the lives of the Saints and how they lives and in the way our parents, relatives and friends lived and who created a positive impact in our lives is what Pope Benedict XVI stressed on in his homily at the close of the Synod of Bishops over the weekend.
In his homily, the Holy Father said: “The real protagonists of the new evangelism are the saints. The example of their lives and their charitable work is a language that is understood by all.” The Church needs a new “missionary dynamic” of lay people and must pay “particular attention to baptized people who do not live according to the requirements of the baptism.”
Today is an opportune time to put our own lives in a diorama and see how we have lived our lives and when we read through the Sermon on the Mount or the Beatitudes which is our Gospel reading for today, we should not look at it as just one of those sermons or teachings of Jesus but we should look at the Beatitudes as a benchmark for our own lives.
The Catholic Church views the Beatitudes with utmost importance as it declared in the Catechism of the Catholic Church 1716 that: “The Beatitudes are at the heart of Jesus’ preaching. They take up the promises made to the chosen people since Abraham, the Beatitudes fulfill the promises by ordering them no longer merely to the possession of a territory, but to the Kingdom of heaven.”
The Sermon on the Mount, in fact, is seen as a summary of all the teachings of Jesus as “it reveals the goal of human existence” (CCC 1719) since the Beatitudes is our “response to the natural desire for happiness. This desire is of divine origin. God has placed it in the human heart in order to draw man to the One who alone can fulfill it.” (CCC 1718)
Our search for happiness in our lifetime is innate in us all. Everybody wants to be happy which to some of us is the ultimate purpose of why we exist. And Jesus addresses this need for happiness by placing it in our hearts but this desire for happiness must lead us to the reason for our existence which is the appropriation of eternal happiness that only God can supply.
But for us to fully appreciate the relevance of the Beatitudes to our lives we must look at these pronouncements in the here and now and not as a state of happiness into the future. As some Bible scholars put it, the Beatitudes which actually means happiness or blessedness is not something to which the Christian will enter but, it is something to which the Christian has already entered.
The Catechism also explains that those “who scrupulously keep God’s commandments are happy even on earth” and it is in this context that Jesus pronounced the Beatitudes or which has been largely accepted as the Sermon on the Mount.
The assumption that the Beatitudes is a present-day state of happiness has also been explained by these same Biblical scholars who believe that the use of the word “blessed” should not be read as a simple statement but are in fact exclamations that depict the present condition the people must find themselves to be at the time the Sermon on the Mount was made. While it may be true that a promised reward in heaven awaits those who live out the Beatitudes in their lives (v.12), such is contingent on the Beatitudes being present in our lives now.
Don Schwager of the Sword of the Spirit wrote that “Jesus' beatitudes also confront us with decisive choices concerning the life we pursue here on earth and the use we make of the goods he puts at our disposal and that God alone satisfies,” and he suggests that we must continually prod ourselves to seek the highest good, the total good which is above all else.
The Beatitudes, according to Don Schwager, may confuse some of us as these contradict the world's understanding of what happiness and joy is for how can one possibly find happiness in poverty, hunger, mourning, and persecution? And Don wrote “poverty of spirit finds ample room and joy in possessing God as the greatest treasure possible. Hunger of the spirit seeks nourishment and strength in God's word and Spirit.”
What this means is that even amidst our wealth, dignity, health, educational status, titles, honors and accomplishments, those who will experience a foretaste of eternal happiness and attain happiness now are those who will acknowledge that all of these temporal riches are valueless in God’s sight.
Blessed are those who can withstand adversity and who are not provoked to anger notwithstanding the wrong done to them. Blessed are they who do not brood over the loss of earthly things. Blessed are those who strive for justice and moral perfection. Blessed are they who help their neighbor in need. Blessed are those who do not allow worldly things to block their view of God. Blessed are they who offer sacrifices for the sake of peace. And blessed are they who suffer for the sake of their faith.
And the question we might ask is how do we attain beatitude or happiness in our present-day lives. The Catechism of the Catholic Church addresses this question in CCC 1716 which says: “We attain beatitude by virtue of the grace of Christ which makes us participants in the divine life. Christ in the Gospel points out to his followers the way that leads to eternal happiness: the beatitudes. The grace of Christ also is operative in every person who, following a correct conscience, seeks and loves the true and the good and avoids evil.”
The world definitely has its own standards and most of the time these are opposed to the banner of Christ to which we all must stand firm. But a summary of CCC 1720-1729 show us that: “It is the vision of God in eternal life in which we are fully “partakers of the divine nature” (2 PET 1:4), of the glory of Christ and of the joy of the Trinitarian life. This happiness surpasses human capabilities. It is a supernatural and gratuitous gift of God just as is the Grace that leads to it. This promised happiness confronts us with decisive moral choices concerning earthly goods and urges us to love God above all things.”
Let me end by praying for all the poor souls in purgatory especially those nearest to heaven right now, all the unborn children, the souls of those whom no one is praying for, those who are no longer remembered, may you grant their souls a merciful judgment and bring them to everlasting rest, peace and joy in your Heavenly Kingdom, in the Name of Jesus, we pray…AMEN!
1st Reading: REV 7:2-4, 9-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 24:1-6 “Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face”
2nd Reading: 1 JN 3:1-3
GOSPEL: MATT 5:1-12
Key Verse: “…great is your reward in heaven.” (v.12)
As we commemorate the Solemnity of all Saints, we also remember the dead especially those who are dear to us and who have passed on to the next life.
Remembering the lives of the Saints and how they lives and in the way our parents, relatives and friends lived and who created a positive impact in our lives is what Pope Benedict XVI stressed on in his homily at the close of the Synod of Bishops over the weekend.
In his homily, the Holy Father said: “The real protagonists of the new evangelism are the saints. The example of their lives and their charitable work is a language that is understood by all.” The Church needs a new “missionary dynamic” of lay people and must pay “particular attention to baptized people who do not live according to the requirements of the baptism.”
Today is an opportune time to put our own lives in a diorama and see how we have lived our lives and when we read through the Sermon on the Mount or the Beatitudes which is our Gospel reading for today, we should not look at it as just one of those sermons or teachings of Jesus but we should look at the Beatitudes as a benchmark for our own lives.
The Catholic Church views the Beatitudes with utmost importance as it declared in the Catechism of the Catholic Church 1716 that: “The Beatitudes are at the heart of Jesus’ preaching. They take up the promises made to the chosen people since Abraham, the Beatitudes fulfill the promises by ordering them no longer merely to the possession of a territory, but to the Kingdom of heaven.”
The Sermon on the Mount, in fact, is seen as a summary of all the teachings of Jesus as “it reveals the goal of human existence” (CCC 1719) since the Beatitudes is our “response to the natural desire for happiness. This desire is of divine origin. God has placed it in the human heart in order to draw man to the One who alone can fulfill it.” (CCC 1718)
Our search for happiness in our lifetime is innate in us all. Everybody wants to be happy which to some of us is the ultimate purpose of why we exist. And Jesus addresses this need for happiness by placing it in our hearts but this desire for happiness must lead us to the reason for our existence which is the appropriation of eternal happiness that only God can supply.
But for us to fully appreciate the relevance of the Beatitudes to our lives we must look at these pronouncements in the here and now and not as a state of happiness into the future. As some Bible scholars put it, the Beatitudes which actually means happiness or blessedness is not something to which the Christian will enter but, it is something to which the Christian has already entered.
The Catechism also explains that those “who scrupulously keep God’s commandments are happy even on earth” and it is in this context that Jesus pronounced the Beatitudes or which has been largely accepted as the Sermon on the Mount.
The assumption that the Beatitudes is a present-day state of happiness has also been explained by these same Biblical scholars who believe that the use of the word “blessed” should not be read as a simple statement but are in fact exclamations that depict the present condition the people must find themselves to be at the time the Sermon on the Mount was made. While it may be true that a promised reward in heaven awaits those who live out the Beatitudes in their lives (v.12), such is contingent on the Beatitudes being present in our lives now.
Don Schwager of the Sword of the Spirit wrote that “Jesus' beatitudes also confront us with decisive choices concerning the life we pursue here on earth and the use we make of the goods he puts at our disposal and that God alone satisfies,” and he suggests that we must continually prod ourselves to seek the highest good, the total good which is above all else.
The Beatitudes, according to Don Schwager, may confuse some of us as these contradict the world's understanding of what happiness and joy is for how can one possibly find happiness in poverty, hunger, mourning, and persecution? And Don wrote “poverty of spirit finds ample room and joy in possessing God as the greatest treasure possible. Hunger of the spirit seeks nourishment and strength in God's word and Spirit.”
What this means is that even amidst our wealth, dignity, health, educational status, titles, honors and accomplishments, those who will experience a foretaste of eternal happiness and attain happiness now are those who will acknowledge that all of these temporal riches are valueless in God’s sight.
Blessed are those who can withstand adversity and who are not provoked to anger notwithstanding the wrong done to them. Blessed are they who do not brood over the loss of earthly things. Blessed are those who strive for justice and moral perfection. Blessed are they who help their neighbor in need. Blessed are those who do not allow worldly things to block their view of God. Blessed are they who offer sacrifices for the sake of peace. And blessed are they who suffer for the sake of their faith.
And the question we might ask is how do we attain beatitude or happiness in our present-day lives. The Catechism of the Catholic Church addresses this question in CCC 1716 which says: “We attain beatitude by virtue of the grace of Christ which makes us participants in the divine life. Christ in the Gospel points out to his followers the way that leads to eternal happiness: the beatitudes. The grace of Christ also is operative in every person who, following a correct conscience, seeks and loves the true and the good and avoids evil.”
The world definitely has its own standards and most of the time these are opposed to the banner of Christ to which we all must stand firm. But a summary of CCC 1720-1729 show us that: “It is the vision of God in eternal life in which we are fully “partakers of the divine nature” (2 PET 1:4), of the glory of Christ and of the joy of the Trinitarian life. This happiness surpasses human capabilities. It is a supernatural and gratuitous gift of God just as is the Grace that leads to it. This promised happiness confronts us with decisive moral choices concerning earthly goods and urges us to love God above all things.”
Let me end by praying for all the poor souls in purgatory especially those nearest to heaven right now, all the unborn children, the souls of those whom no one is praying for, those who are no longer remembered, may you grant their souls a merciful judgment and bring them to everlasting rest, peace and joy in your Heavenly Kingdom, in the Name of Jesus, we pray…AMEN!
WHO SAID IT'D BE EASY?
OCT. 31, 2012: 30TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Eph 6:1-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 145:10-14 “The Lord is faithful in all his Words.”
GOSPEL: LK 13:22-30
Key Verse: “Strive to enter through the narrow gate..” (v.24)
Who said entering the Kingdom of God would be easy? This question and the answer to it was probably the main reason why many have drifted from their faith notwithstanding their having been baptized into the Catholic faith.
And now it’s time to bring back into the mainstream of the faith those who have lapsed into a spiritual coma. In his homily at the closing of the Synod of Bishops, Pope Benedict XVI called on Bishops from around the world to revive the Christian faith among those who have forgotten or abandoned it.
The Church needs a new “missionary dynamic” of lay people and must pay “particular attention to baptized people who do not live according to the requirements of the baptism,” the Holy Father said.
There is an urgency to make Christ known again “where the fire of God” has become mere “embers that need to be rekindled so it can again be a lively flame that gives light and warmth to the entire house,” Pope Benedict XVI added.
In today’s post-modern world, belief in God is no longer the be all and the end all of the Christian faith and simply believing does not give a person an automatic entry into the Kingdom of God. Conversely, not even a signed covenant qualifies a person to a membership in God’s kingdom because a man though he lives in a Christian setting is not necessarily a Christian.
This was what Christ was emphasizing in this passage in which Our Lord gave a clear indication of what we all need to do to enter the Kingdom of Heaven as he also declared in very clear terms that not all will be saved.
For all intents and purposes, this passage points to the Kingdom of God as an exclusive enclave that is open only to those who will be given their titles to their heavenly inheritance the right that they earned by sharing in the suffering of Christ
But Jesus, kind as he was, provided the man who asked how many will be saved with the word or disposition that man can use to unlock the mystery of the kingdom of Heaven. And the secret, he said, is for everyone to “Strive” (v.24). The way this word was used in this passage refers to the struggle that an athlete has to contend with to win the prize.
In other words, we are to treat our lives and our desire to claim our inheritance as an athletic competition in which our eyes are set on fighting a good fight and running the race to win. Paul tells us in 2 Tim 4:7 “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.”
Lest our focus be deviated we all need to remember that life is a struggle against the lures of the material world that we live in. From the rising to the setting of the sun, our faith is constantly being put to a test when we face temptation, loss of loved ones, sickness, loss of jobs and income opportunities, family relationships rocked by division. There are a lot of challenges and trials we face and how we manage these will determine our reward.
I grew up in a big house in a ritzy part of the town, a house that my parents shared with the relatives of my mother. But we were poor compared to our neighbors as we don’t have the amenities that our neighbors had like a car or a telephone and I equated comfort with wealth and power and I strove to have these.
That opportunity came when I became a feared media practitioner and soon I found my pockets oozing with cash unmindful of the means by which these were sourced. What was important was the wealth and power I had. I thought I had everything. What I didn’t know then was that this wasn’t the plan of God for me and God found me at a time when business reversals almost put me back to where I was before.
God led me to rediscover my faith and he impressed upon me the need to repent of my sins and allow the Holy Spirit to transform my life and I am just glad that God found me at the right time. In this passage, Jesus spoke of the Heavenly kingdom as a narrow gate and indeed it is because the door becomes narrow when we persist in our sinfulness and refuse to repent and change.
Many times we want to claim our eternal inheritance as if we are entitled to it but without paying the cost of faith and obedience. We are fond of compromising our faith as I did in my past life. I went to a Catholic school in my youth and I went to Mass every Sunday and understood it was a day of obligation. I ate and drank with Jesus and I heard him speak but as I was to find out after the Lord found me that this was not enough.
This passage has an eschatological dimension to it in that the door will be shut and there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth in apparent reference to those who will be left out of the kingdom of Heaven. Certainly this is something that we all don’t want to happen to us. So the question that we need to ask is why take the risk?
The main message of this Gospel is for us to repent so that we can enter through the door while there is still time. Jesus is the door, “I am the gate, whoever enters through me will be saved.” (Jn 10:9) There is no other way through which we can gain admission to the Kingdom of God but through Jesus. To enter in, we have to deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow him. This means a life of struggle but a life that is shared with Christ.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that to be called to suffering in this life is to be called into the mystery of Christ’s passion and to cooperate in the redemption of mankind. And suffering can be redemptive especially when we offer our trials and tribulations as our gift to Jesus to express our love through a costly way.
And today, the Church is also calling us to a New Evangelization For the Proclamation of the Christian Faith which is a means to stem the hemorrhaging of the faithful. The just-concluded Synodal Assembly notes that the Church is suffering desertions from its practicing flock in former strongholds in Europe, North America and Latin America due to sex abuse scandals, increasing secularism, rival faiths and open dissent against Church teachings on homosexuality and its ban on a female priesthood.
Though the Holy Father did not name any new methods in proclaiming the faith, the 1.2 billion member Church has increasingly turned to the Internet and social media to spread its message. In fact, this was one of the 58 proposals made by the Bishops at the end of the Synod and that is for Catholic leaders to be better trained in the use of electronic communications.
Indeed the road towards the Kingdom of Heaven is narrow and strewn with pebbles of trials and difficulties. In contrast, many are drawn to the increasingly secularized and materialized world and this is what the Church needs to reverse. Jesus said “strive” and this is the mandate that the Church is calling us to and we need to tell others not to be disheartened by the narrow gate leading to the Kingdom but be filled with expectant faith of the eternal joy that awaits those who will pass through it.
1st Reading: Eph 6:1-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 145:10-14 “The Lord is faithful in all his Words.”
GOSPEL: LK 13:22-30
Key Verse: “Strive to enter through the narrow gate..” (v.24)
Who said entering the Kingdom of God would be easy? This question and the answer to it was probably the main reason why many have drifted from their faith notwithstanding their having been baptized into the Catholic faith.
And now it’s time to bring back into the mainstream of the faith those who have lapsed into a spiritual coma. In his homily at the closing of the Synod of Bishops, Pope Benedict XVI called on Bishops from around the world to revive the Christian faith among those who have forgotten or abandoned it.
The Church needs a new “missionary dynamic” of lay people and must pay “particular attention to baptized people who do not live according to the requirements of the baptism,” the Holy Father said.
There is an urgency to make Christ known again “where the fire of God” has become mere “embers that need to be rekindled so it can again be a lively flame that gives light and warmth to the entire house,” Pope Benedict XVI added.
In today’s post-modern world, belief in God is no longer the be all and the end all of the Christian faith and simply believing does not give a person an automatic entry into the Kingdom of God. Conversely, not even a signed covenant qualifies a person to a membership in God’s kingdom because a man though he lives in a Christian setting is not necessarily a Christian.
This was what Christ was emphasizing in this passage in which Our Lord gave a clear indication of what we all need to do to enter the Kingdom of Heaven as he also declared in very clear terms that not all will be saved.
For all intents and purposes, this passage points to the Kingdom of God as an exclusive enclave that is open only to those who will be given their titles to their heavenly inheritance the right that they earned by sharing in the suffering of Christ
But Jesus, kind as he was, provided the man who asked how many will be saved with the word or disposition that man can use to unlock the mystery of the kingdom of Heaven. And the secret, he said, is for everyone to “Strive” (v.24). The way this word was used in this passage refers to the struggle that an athlete has to contend with to win the prize.
In other words, we are to treat our lives and our desire to claim our inheritance as an athletic competition in which our eyes are set on fighting a good fight and running the race to win. Paul tells us in 2 Tim 4:7 “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.”
Lest our focus be deviated we all need to remember that life is a struggle against the lures of the material world that we live in. From the rising to the setting of the sun, our faith is constantly being put to a test when we face temptation, loss of loved ones, sickness, loss of jobs and income opportunities, family relationships rocked by division. There are a lot of challenges and trials we face and how we manage these will determine our reward.
I grew up in a big house in a ritzy part of the town, a house that my parents shared with the relatives of my mother. But we were poor compared to our neighbors as we don’t have the amenities that our neighbors had like a car or a telephone and I equated comfort with wealth and power and I strove to have these.
That opportunity came when I became a feared media practitioner and soon I found my pockets oozing with cash unmindful of the means by which these were sourced. What was important was the wealth and power I had. I thought I had everything. What I didn’t know then was that this wasn’t the plan of God for me and God found me at a time when business reversals almost put me back to where I was before.
God led me to rediscover my faith and he impressed upon me the need to repent of my sins and allow the Holy Spirit to transform my life and I am just glad that God found me at the right time. In this passage, Jesus spoke of the Heavenly kingdom as a narrow gate and indeed it is because the door becomes narrow when we persist in our sinfulness and refuse to repent and change.
Many times we want to claim our eternal inheritance as if we are entitled to it but without paying the cost of faith and obedience. We are fond of compromising our faith as I did in my past life. I went to a Catholic school in my youth and I went to Mass every Sunday and understood it was a day of obligation. I ate and drank with Jesus and I heard him speak but as I was to find out after the Lord found me that this was not enough.
This passage has an eschatological dimension to it in that the door will be shut and there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth in apparent reference to those who will be left out of the kingdom of Heaven. Certainly this is something that we all don’t want to happen to us. So the question that we need to ask is why take the risk?
The main message of this Gospel is for us to repent so that we can enter through the door while there is still time. Jesus is the door, “I am the gate, whoever enters through me will be saved.” (Jn 10:9) There is no other way through which we can gain admission to the Kingdom of God but through Jesus. To enter in, we have to deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow him. This means a life of struggle but a life that is shared with Christ.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that to be called to suffering in this life is to be called into the mystery of Christ’s passion and to cooperate in the redemption of mankind. And suffering can be redemptive especially when we offer our trials and tribulations as our gift to Jesus to express our love through a costly way.
And today, the Church is also calling us to a New Evangelization For the Proclamation of the Christian Faith which is a means to stem the hemorrhaging of the faithful. The just-concluded Synodal Assembly notes that the Church is suffering desertions from its practicing flock in former strongholds in Europe, North America and Latin America due to sex abuse scandals, increasing secularism, rival faiths and open dissent against Church teachings on homosexuality and its ban on a female priesthood.
Though the Holy Father did not name any new methods in proclaiming the faith, the 1.2 billion member Church has increasingly turned to the Internet and social media to spread its message. In fact, this was one of the 58 proposals made by the Bishops at the end of the Synod and that is for Catholic leaders to be better trained in the use of electronic communications.
Indeed the road towards the Kingdom of Heaven is narrow and strewn with pebbles of trials and difficulties. In contrast, many are drawn to the increasingly secularized and materialized world and this is what the Church needs to reverse. Jesus said “strive” and this is the mandate that the Church is calling us to and we need to tell others not to be disheartened by the narrow gate leading to the Kingdom but be filled with expectant faith of the eternal joy that awaits those who will pass through it.
THE KINGDOM OF GOD? IT'S BEYOND COMPARE!
JESUS TEACHES ABOUT THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
OCT. 30, 2012: 30TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Eph 5:21-33
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 128:1-5 “Blessed are those who fear the Lord.”
GOSPEL: LK 13:18-21
Key Verse: “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to?” (v.18)
It is in our nature that we are impressed by the bigness of things before us and at times we measure either the significance and or importance of things by whether it’s bigger than the rest. And we sometimes miss noticing the impact that little things can do such as a tiny speck that could hurt your eye, or the small piece of broken glass that hurt your foot.
Translated into human experience, we sometimes ignore those whom we don’t regard as equal to our life’s standard. Even in the Church or Community for that matter we at times could feel there is an invisible line that separate the haves and the have nots, the biggies and the inconsequential ones how we deal with others is dictated by the degree of our perception and appreciation of the bigness or the smallness of the person before us.
But what if we are talking of a kingdom? How can we measure if a kingdom is big or not? This was the predicament of the Jews because the general expectation among the people at that time was that the Messiah would come as a great king who will liberate Israel and restore its former glory.
In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus tries to lead the Jews from their common understanding of the bigness of the kingdom that was to come to a kingdom that was to start small and quietly without the pageantry that attends the entry of a conquering king. Here, Jesus describes the kingdom as well as faith to start small but which will ultimately have a big effect not only in Israel but for the world.
What the Jews have not seen was that following his temptation in the desert, Jesus left Nazareth and moved to Capernaum and began to preach and he started organizing his ministry by inviting ordinary men and simply telling them: “Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men” (Matt 4:19). It was from this small group of men who didn’t know where they will be going that the now Catholic Church rose to become what it is now.
Indeed big things start small and I can speak from our experience in the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community which came into being in 1985 as a prayer group that conducts Marriage Encounter Weekends for married couples in the Catholic Church. It grew from there and onto the Life in the Spirit Seminars and the rest is history and the BLD now has 51 Districts in the Philippines, HK, USA and Canada and currently maintains outreach programs at the National Bilibid Prisons, Correctional Institute for Women, Philippine General Hospital and in several parishes throughout the country.
Similarly, other lay organizations started from just being a prayer group until they all became national organizations with global presence. Prominent among these is the Couples for Christ that has chapters and so-called households in the US, Canada and other countries as well.
Officially-recognized Catholic Church organizations also saw their beginnings from a simple seed that was planted by dedicated lay leaders if not the religious mostly in Italy and Spain and these apostolic movements have since expanded and are present in every Archdiocese and Dioceses and Parishes not only in the Philippines but elsewhere.
The Basic Ecclesial Community or BEC which is also referred at times as Basic Christian Communities, Small Christian Communities is a a case in point. The BEC took off from the Liberation Theology that spread in Latin America. Soon, the creation of the BEC provided new meaning to the communitarian model of the Church (as Communion and as People of God) that was promoted by the Second Vatican Council.
The BECs made it possible for ordinary Catholics or the lay faithful to experience the Church as a community and to actively participate in the life and mission of the Church. This vision of a renewed Church arose as a post-Vatican II event and its objectives are contained in at least two conciliar documents Lumen Gentium and Gaudium et Spes that became the inspiration for the BECs.
Thus, in many parts of the world, BECs are referred to as prophetic (evangelizing), priestly (worshipping) and kingly (serving) communities that replicates Vatican II's vision of the Universal Church as People of God. In his encyclical Redemptoris Missio, Pope John Paul II affirmed that "BECs are centers for Christian formation and missionary outreach. They are a sign of vitality within the Church, an instrument of formation and evangelization, a solid starting point for a new society based on a civilization of love… They become a leaven of Christian life, care for the poor, and commitment to the transformation of society... They are a means of evangelization and of initial proclamation of the Gospel - a source of new ministries. They are a true expression of communion and a means for the construction of a more profound communion. They are a cause for great hope for the life of the Church." (RM 51).
And in this Gospel today, Christ talks of the mustard seed that grew into a tree on which the birds perched on its branches. The Jews often regard a mighty tree as a symbol of a great empire. Christ also talked about the dough that changes when mixed with leaven and this was how God’s kingdom was established in the hearts of men.
In both parables, the underlying message was that the kingdom of God can be likened into a tree on which the people of God can take shelter in and like a leaven (Word of God) that fills a man who grows to become a leaven to others. And the cycle goes on and on until the Light of Christ fills the world and we the lay faithful are now being challenged to become a leaven to the unchurched, the marginal Catholics and the laity who have not heard of Jesus Christ.
The just-ended Synod of Bishops in its closing message chose for its theme “The Church is Called to Something New” which is actually a compendium of proposals that the Church need to pursue to give more meaning to the celebration of the Year of the Faith and the New Evangelization in the Transmission of the Faith.
To summarize the closing message, it is a call for the Catholic lay faithful to become a leaven to others and to lead others to an encounter with Jesus that will bring about conversion and transformation. The Church is prodding us not to be impressed by power, success, or super-achievement, but to offer a little sacrifice, little effort, little contribution because in these little things lie the ultimate significance of God's Kingdom. It is in these little things that we can actually see the bigness of the Kingdom of God.
1st Reading: Eph 5:21-33
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 128:1-5 “Blessed are those who fear the Lord.”
GOSPEL: LK 13:18-21
Key Verse: “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to?” (v.18)
It is in our nature that we are impressed by the bigness of things before us and at times we measure either the significance and or importance of things by whether it’s bigger than the rest. And we sometimes miss noticing the impact that little things can do such as a tiny speck that could hurt your eye, or the small piece of broken glass that hurt your foot.
Translated into human experience, we sometimes ignore those whom we don’t regard as equal to our life’s standard. Even in the Church or Community for that matter we at times could feel there is an invisible line that separate the haves and the have nots, the biggies and the inconsequential ones how we deal with others is dictated by the degree of our perception and appreciation of the bigness or the smallness of the person before us.
But what if we are talking of a kingdom? How can we measure if a kingdom is big or not? This was the predicament of the Jews because the general expectation among the people at that time was that the Messiah would come as a great king who will liberate Israel and restore its former glory.
In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus tries to lead the Jews from their common understanding of the bigness of the kingdom that was to come to a kingdom that was to start small and quietly without the pageantry that attends the entry of a conquering king. Here, Jesus describes the kingdom as well as faith to start small but which will ultimately have a big effect not only in Israel but for the world.
What the Jews have not seen was that following his temptation in the desert, Jesus left Nazareth and moved to Capernaum and began to preach and he started organizing his ministry by inviting ordinary men and simply telling them: “Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men” (Matt 4:19). It was from this small group of men who didn’t know where they will be going that the now Catholic Church rose to become what it is now.
Indeed big things start small and I can speak from our experience in the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community which came into being in 1985 as a prayer group that conducts Marriage Encounter Weekends for married couples in the Catholic Church. It grew from there and onto the Life in the Spirit Seminars and the rest is history and the BLD now has 51 Districts in the Philippines, HK, USA and Canada and currently maintains outreach programs at the National Bilibid Prisons, Correctional Institute for Women, Philippine General Hospital and in several parishes throughout the country.
Similarly, other lay organizations started from just being a prayer group until they all became national organizations with global presence. Prominent among these is the Couples for Christ that has chapters and so-called households in the US, Canada and other countries as well.
Officially-recognized Catholic Church organizations also saw their beginnings from a simple seed that was planted by dedicated lay leaders if not the religious mostly in Italy and Spain and these apostolic movements have since expanded and are present in every Archdiocese and Dioceses and Parishes not only in the Philippines but elsewhere.
The Basic Ecclesial Community or BEC which is also referred at times as Basic Christian Communities, Small Christian Communities is a a case in point. The BEC took off from the Liberation Theology that spread in Latin America. Soon, the creation of the BEC provided new meaning to the communitarian model of the Church (as Communion and as People of God) that was promoted by the Second Vatican Council.
The BECs made it possible for ordinary Catholics or the lay faithful to experience the Church as a community and to actively participate in the life and mission of the Church. This vision of a renewed Church arose as a post-Vatican II event and its objectives are contained in at least two conciliar documents Lumen Gentium and Gaudium et Spes that became the inspiration for the BECs.
Thus, in many parts of the world, BECs are referred to as prophetic (evangelizing), priestly (worshipping) and kingly (serving) communities that replicates Vatican II's vision of the Universal Church as People of God. In his encyclical Redemptoris Missio, Pope John Paul II affirmed that "BECs are centers for Christian formation and missionary outreach. They are a sign of vitality within the Church, an instrument of formation and evangelization, a solid starting point for a new society based on a civilization of love… They become a leaven of Christian life, care for the poor, and commitment to the transformation of society... They are a means of evangelization and of initial proclamation of the Gospel - a source of new ministries. They are a true expression of communion and a means for the construction of a more profound communion. They are a cause for great hope for the life of the Church." (RM 51).
And in this Gospel today, Christ talks of the mustard seed that grew into a tree on which the birds perched on its branches. The Jews often regard a mighty tree as a symbol of a great empire. Christ also talked about the dough that changes when mixed with leaven and this was how God’s kingdom was established in the hearts of men.
In both parables, the underlying message was that the kingdom of God can be likened into a tree on which the people of God can take shelter in and like a leaven (Word of God) that fills a man who grows to become a leaven to others. And the cycle goes on and on until the Light of Christ fills the world and we the lay faithful are now being challenged to become a leaven to the unchurched, the marginal Catholics and the laity who have not heard of Jesus Christ.
The just-ended Synod of Bishops in its closing message chose for its theme “The Church is Called to Something New” which is actually a compendium of proposals that the Church need to pursue to give more meaning to the celebration of the Year of the Faith and the New Evangelization in the Transmission of the Faith.
To summarize the closing message, it is a call for the Catholic lay faithful to become a leaven to others and to lead others to an encounter with Jesus that will bring about conversion and transformation. The Church is prodding us not to be impressed by power, success, or super-achievement, but to offer a little sacrifice, little effort, little contribution because in these little things lie the ultimate significance of God's Kingdom. It is in these little things that we can actually see the bigness of the Kingdom of God.
UNENDING SOURCE OF GRACE
OCT. 29, 2012: 30TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Eph 4:32-5:8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 1:1-4, 6 “Behave like God as his very dear children.”
GOSPEL: LK 13:10-17
Key Verse: “…you are set free from your infirmity.” (v.12)
Why did the leader of the synagogue chastised Jesus when he healed a woman who had been crippled for 18 years and could not stand up straight? Because it was the Sabbath. It was a day when the Jews are barred from even lifting their hands and much more if they work and the Jews considered healing as part of a doctor’s profession.
Jesus, however, rebuked the leader of the synagogue and the other Rabbis present for their legalistic behavior and he used the word ‘hypocrite’ to let everyone present at the time to see the dichotomous attitude of the religious leaders in those days when their outward appearance of piety camouflage their unrighteousness precepts.
What Jesus was saying in today’s Gospel was that an act of charity cannot be regulated as what the Pharisees were doing. And in using a very strong word against the head of the synagogue – “You hypocrites!” (v.15) Jesus used a term that the Jews normally would only use at a person they would not want to be associated with since the word refers to those who are merely acting out or those who are pretending to be someone they are not. It points to a person who wears a mask to cover their feelings and emotions.
This was a terrible tag because it exposed the disordered rules and regulations the Pharisees have imposed relative to the practice of the faith that burdened the people and kept their attention from that which to Jesus was more important, for the people to know God and have a relationship with Him.
In this Gospel we see Jesus teaching in one of the synagogues and he took notice of a woman whose body was bent and who had been crippled by a spirit for 18 years. Filled with compassion, Jesus called the woman and simply said to her: “Woman, you are free from your infirmity” (v.12). When he put his hands around the woman, she straightened up and praised God.
The leader of the synagogue was vexed because it was the Sabbath and the way Jesus retorted showed his irritability at the seeming arrogance of the head of the synagogue. In the time of Jesus, synagogues are run and managed by someone who was not necessarily a Rabbi. The head of the synagogue supervises the activities in the synagogue and manages its upkeep and maintenance.
As with his previous encounters with the Pharisees, Jesus again cited the law of the Rabbis who allow the people to untie an ox or donkey out of their stall and lead the animals out to give it water. And we see Jesus at his best when he raised the issue of double standard in the way the Pharisees implement the law.
Jesus harped on the fact that if the people are permitted to untie an ox or a donkey even on a Sabbath because they abhor cruelty to animals, then healing a woman of an infirmity which has become a burden to her for 18 years was an act of compassion especially in the case of the woman whose affliction was caused by an evil spirit that kept her bound. What this Gospel is telling us is that God’s compassion is not bound by time. God doesn't choose the time and or day when healing should take place because Our God will heal anyone according to his Will.
And the lesson from this narrative is that like Jesus, we should not procrastinate or put off for another day what we can do now. This means that if anyone comes to us and asks that we pray over them, we must jump at the opportunity because it means that God wants to use us at that particular time and to say no or defer it may be costly.
I knew of someone many years ago who was suffering from severe depression arising from a business deal that went sour. I made it a point to talk to the person everyday speaking words of encouragement and keep his spirits up. But there was one time I wasn’t able to talk to him when I went to the province to take care of some personal business.
I came home quite late and I immediately called up the person first thing the next morning. But I was told that my friend had committed suicide. I was shocked and grief struck me and the thought that I may have been remiss in my duties as a Christian also filled my mind.
In this Gospel, Jesus shows us that we must seize the opportunity to extend mercy to anyone in need even in the busyness of our lives. Jesus interrupted his teaching to heal the woman. This is what he is trying to impress upon us now and God demands that we spring into action to respond to the needs of anyone at any given time.
Under Paragraph No. 10 of the Closing Message from the Synodal Assembly that ended yesterday at the Vatican and with the heading: “The Gospel in dialogue with human culture and experience and with religions” the Synod of Bishops said that the New Evangelization is centered on Christ and on the care for the human person in order to give life to a real encounter with him.
The synod’s Closing Message added that the Gospel illuminates the suffering brought about by disease as it urges that all Christians must help the sick feel that the Church is near to persons with illness or with disabilities. Christians are urged to also thank all who take care of the sick professionally and humanely.
As God’s mercy knows no bounds, we too should not be bound by formalities when confronted with similar situations. As Christians are expected to be equipped with the gift of prayer and God commands us to make use of this gift at every opportunity.
This is also what happens when we come to Jesus and place ourselves in submission to his Will. Those who believe in him are assured not only of eternal life but Jesus will heal those who are afflicted with various forms of sickness and diseases irrespective of the time and place.
Jesus healed on the Sabbath to drive home the message that God doesn’t rest. That we have a God who doesn't take a day off and who is on call 24/7, a God in Whom we can depend on in times of need.
And for us Christians who want to come after him and who want to enter the kingdom of God, this much is expected of us - that we must be available to anyone who is in need whenever and wherever.
1st Reading: Eph 4:32-5:8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 1:1-4, 6 “Behave like God as his very dear children.”
GOSPEL: LK 13:10-17
Key Verse: “…you are set free from your infirmity.” (v.12)
Why did the leader of the synagogue chastised Jesus when he healed a woman who had been crippled for 18 years and could not stand up straight? Because it was the Sabbath. It was a day when the Jews are barred from even lifting their hands and much more if they work and the Jews considered healing as part of a doctor’s profession.
Jesus, however, rebuked the leader of the synagogue and the other Rabbis present for their legalistic behavior and he used the word ‘hypocrite’ to let everyone present at the time to see the dichotomous attitude of the religious leaders in those days when their outward appearance of piety camouflage their unrighteousness precepts.
What Jesus was saying in today’s Gospel was that an act of charity cannot be regulated as what the Pharisees were doing. And in using a very strong word against the head of the synagogue – “You hypocrites!” (v.15) Jesus used a term that the Jews normally would only use at a person they would not want to be associated with since the word refers to those who are merely acting out or those who are pretending to be someone they are not. It points to a person who wears a mask to cover their feelings and emotions.
This was a terrible tag because it exposed the disordered rules and regulations the Pharisees have imposed relative to the practice of the faith that burdened the people and kept their attention from that which to Jesus was more important, for the people to know God and have a relationship with Him.
In this Gospel we see Jesus teaching in one of the synagogues and he took notice of a woman whose body was bent and who had been crippled by a spirit for 18 years. Filled with compassion, Jesus called the woman and simply said to her: “Woman, you are free from your infirmity” (v.12). When he put his hands around the woman, she straightened up and praised God.
The leader of the synagogue was vexed because it was the Sabbath and the way Jesus retorted showed his irritability at the seeming arrogance of the head of the synagogue. In the time of Jesus, synagogues are run and managed by someone who was not necessarily a Rabbi. The head of the synagogue supervises the activities in the synagogue and manages its upkeep and maintenance.
As with his previous encounters with the Pharisees, Jesus again cited the law of the Rabbis who allow the people to untie an ox or donkey out of their stall and lead the animals out to give it water. And we see Jesus at his best when he raised the issue of double standard in the way the Pharisees implement the law.
Jesus harped on the fact that if the people are permitted to untie an ox or a donkey even on a Sabbath because they abhor cruelty to animals, then healing a woman of an infirmity which has become a burden to her for 18 years was an act of compassion especially in the case of the woman whose affliction was caused by an evil spirit that kept her bound. What this Gospel is telling us is that God’s compassion is not bound by time. God doesn't choose the time and or day when healing should take place because Our God will heal anyone according to his Will.
And the lesson from this narrative is that like Jesus, we should not procrastinate or put off for another day what we can do now. This means that if anyone comes to us and asks that we pray over them, we must jump at the opportunity because it means that God wants to use us at that particular time and to say no or defer it may be costly.
I knew of someone many years ago who was suffering from severe depression arising from a business deal that went sour. I made it a point to talk to the person everyday speaking words of encouragement and keep his spirits up. But there was one time I wasn’t able to talk to him when I went to the province to take care of some personal business.
I came home quite late and I immediately called up the person first thing the next morning. But I was told that my friend had committed suicide. I was shocked and grief struck me and the thought that I may have been remiss in my duties as a Christian also filled my mind.
In this Gospel, Jesus shows us that we must seize the opportunity to extend mercy to anyone in need even in the busyness of our lives. Jesus interrupted his teaching to heal the woman. This is what he is trying to impress upon us now and God demands that we spring into action to respond to the needs of anyone at any given time.
Under Paragraph No. 10 of the Closing Message from the Synodal Assembly that ended yesterday at the Vatican and with the heading: “The Gospel in dialogue with human culture and experience and with religions” the Synod of Bishops said that the New Evangelization is centered on Christ and on the care for the human person in order to give life to a real encounter with him.
The synod’s Closing Message added that the Gospel illuminates the suffering brought about by disease as it urges that all Christians must help the sick feel that the Church is near to persons with illness or with disabilities. Christians are urged to also thank all who take care of the sick professionally and humanely.
As God’s mercy knows no bounds, we too should not be bound by formalities when confronted with similar situations. As Christians are expected to be equipped with the gift of prayer and God commands us to make use of this gift at every opportunity.
This is also what happens when we come to Jesus and place ourselves in submission to his Will. Those who believe in him are assured not only of eternal life but Jesus will heal those who are afflicted with various forms of sickness and diseases irrespective of the time and place.
Jesus healed on the Sabbath to drive home the message that God doesn’t rest. That we have a God who doesn't take a day off and who is on call 24/7, a God in Whom we can depend on in times of need.
And for us Christians who want to come after him and who want to enter the kingdom of God, this much is expected of us - that we must be available to anyone who is in need whenever and wherever.
READY WHEN THERE'S A NEED
OCT. 28, 2012: 30TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Jer 31:7-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 126:1-6 “The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.”
2nd Reading” Heb 5:1-6
GOSPEL: MK 10:46-52
Key Verse: “What do you want me to do for you.” (v.51)
Was there a time in your life when you faced a once in a life-time opportunity that you knew you must not pass up? In today’s post-modern world there are times when we pass up opportunities because of the speed by which new opportunities are offered.
Take for instance the matter of electronic gadgets such as computers, peripherals, mobile cellular phones. Even before you can make up your mind on what to and what not to buy some new versions and models just sprout in the market.
Or was there a time when you needed to go for a medical check up and postponed it because you just could not turn your back from the profits you will rake in from a bullish market that would expand and enlarge your bank account until it was too late.
Such a moment came for a blind and destitute man, named Bartimaeus. The only difference was that he was determined to get near the one person who could meet his need and he just could not let this one-time opportunity slip by.
He knew who Jesus was and he had heard of his fame for healing, but until now he just had no means of making contact with the Son of David, a clear reference and title for the Messiah. It took a lot of "guts" and persistence for Bartimaeus to get the attention of Jesus over the din of a noisy throng who crowded around Jesus as he made his way out of town.
And we ask why was the crowd annoyed with the blind man's persistent shouts? Simply because Bartimaeus was disturbing their peace and interrupting Jesus' discourse. It was common for a rabbi to teach as he walked with others. Jesus was on his way to celebrate the Passover in Jerusalem and a band of pilgrims followed him. When the crowd tried to silence the blind man he overpowered them with his emotional outburst “Son of David, have mercy on me” (v.48) that caught the attention of Jesus.
This incident reveals something important about how God interacts with us. The blind man was determined to get Jesus' attention and he was persistent in the face of opposition. Jesus could have ignored or rebuffed him because he was disturbing his talk and his audience. Jesus showed that doing was more important than talking. This man was in desperate need and Jesus was ready, not only to empathize with his suffering, but to relieve it as well. A great speaker can command attention and respect, but people have more love for a man or woman with a helping hand and a big heart.
If you would only sit in a quiet place and reflect on the 14 statements contained in the closing message of the Synod of Bishops that will formally end today (Oct. 28, 2012) in Rome, this scenario involving the healing of Bartimaeus is what the Church now plans to do in support of the New Evangelization program of the Church as it recognizes the growing secularism of society in the post-modern world.
The Synod of Bishops hopes that a new Church will emerge from the opportunities that are currently available that she cannot allow to pass or miss as with Jesus who did not allow the opportunity to let the grace of healing flow on Bartimaeus.
And when we digest the closing message drawn up by the Synod of Bishops what we see is an effort by the Church to cure the blindness of an highly-secularized society through The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith that is primarily rooted in a renewed encounter with the person of Jesus Christ through the Words in the Sacred Scriptures which is similar to the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well.
When Jesus heard Bartimaeus cry out “Son of David, have mercy on me.” (v.48) he turned around and he asked the blind man “What do you want me to do for you?” (v. 51) Jesus knew the man was blind but he still asked and perhaps the reason was that Jesus wanted the blind man to verbalize his faith. And this is the same with us and this is what the Church now wants the lay faithful to do especially those who have drifted away from the mainstream of their faith.
What the Church is telling us now is that we all have an obligation to proclaim the Gospel of Christ to the world around us. To move from hereon, we need not invent new strategies as if the Gospel were a product to be placed in the market of religions. What the Church is saying is that we need to rediscover the ways in which Jesus approached persons and called them, in order to put them into practice in today's circumstances.
And salvation as what happened to the blind man in the Gospel today comes to those who have faith. When Jesus said: “Receive your sight, your faith has healed you.” (v.52) the blind man regained his sight and he praised God and became a disciple of Jesus. The crowd too praised God for the healing that took place. This event in essence is analogous to the kind of conversion that the Synod of Bishops said must take place in order for the Church to be renewed since the call to evangelization is a call to conversion.
There are at least three things that we need to dwell to savor the beauty of this Gospel passage. These are: persistence, faith and gratitude. Jesus turned and responded not just because Bartimaeus recognized that Jesus was the Son of David but because he had persistence. He also had faith. And when he was healed, he expressed his gratitude by following Jesus and becoming his disciple.
Today even in the midst of the maddening crowd, there exists a one-time opportunity to encounter Christ. As with the persistent widow, the persistence of the blind man paid off and this should teach us that not only do we have to be persistent in our prayers but we should also not allow any opportunity to pass by without praying.
The other thing that stood out in this Gospel was how Jesus reacted. He stopped and turned around and ministered to the blind man. Here we see Jesus walking the talk. Jesus was simply showing that deeds are more important than words. While it was important for him to preach, it was far more important for him to put meaning into his words by ministering to the blind man.
This scenario could be likened to people on a boat shouting to someone who went overboard “we’ll throw you a line and hang on to it.” Jesus did not only threw a line but he dived into the water and rescued the blind man from the sea of darkness.
This Gospel should serve as a reminder for all of us that regardless of the situation we are in, Jesus will come to our aid whenever we call out to him with a persistent faith and what would please God all the more is when we follow him even if we still have to receive answers to our prayers. In other words, we should follow Jesus not because of the benefits that we can derive from him but because our obedience and loyalty are driven by our love for God.
1st Reading: Jer 31:7-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 126:1-6 “The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.”
2nd Reading” Heb 5:1-6
GOSPEL: MK 10:46-52
Key Verse: “What do you want me to do for you.” (v.51)
Was there a time in your life when you faced a once in a life-time opportunity that you knew you must not pass up? In today’s post-modern world there are times when we pass up opportunities because of the speed by which new opportunities are offered.
Take for instance the matter of electronic gadgets such as computers, peripherals, mobile cellular phones. Even before you can make up your mind on what to and what not to buy some new versions and models just sprout in the market.
Or was there a time when you needed to go for a medical check up and postponed it because you just could not turn your back from the profits you will rake in from a bullish market that would expand and enlarge your bank account until it was too late.
Such a moment came for a blind and destitute man, named Bartimaeus. The only difference was that he was determined to get near the one person who could meet his need and he just could not let this one-time opportunity slip by.
He knew who Jesus was and he had heard of his fame for healing, but until now he just had no means of making contact with the Son of David, a clear reference and title for the Messiah. It took a lot of "guts" and persistence for Bartimaeus to get the attention of Jesus over the din of a noisy throng who crowded around Jesus as he made his way out of town.
And we ask why was the crowd annoyed with the blind man's persistent shouts? Simply because Bartimaeus was disturbing their peace and interrupting Jesus' discourse. It was common for a rabbi to teach as he walked with others. Jesus was on his way to celebrate the Passover in Jerusalem and a band of pilgrims followed him. When the crowd tried to silence the blind man he overpowered them with his emotional outburst “Son of David, have mercy on me” (v.48) that caught the attention of Jesus.
This incident reveals something important about how God interacts with us. The blind man was determined to get Jesus' attention and he was persistent in the face of opposition. Jesus could have ignored or rebuffed him because he was disturbing his talk and his audience. Jesus showed that doing was more important than talking. This man was in desperate need and Jesus was ready, not only to empathize with his suffering, but to relieve it as well. A great speaker can command attention and respect, but people have more love for a man or woman with a helping hand and a big heart.
If you would only sit in a quiet place and reflect on the 14 statements contained in the closing message of the Synod of Bishops that will formally end today (Oct. 28, 2012) in Rome, this scenario involving the healing of Bartimaeus is what the Church now plans to do in support of the New Evangelization program of the Church as it recognizes the growing secularism of society in the post-modern world.
The Synod of Bishops hopes that a new Church will emerge from the opportunities that are currently available that she cannot allow to pass or miss as with Jesus who did not allow the opportunity to let the grace of healing flow on Bartimaeus.
And when we digest the closing message drawn up by the Synod of Bishops what we see is an effort by the Church to cure the blindness of an highly-secularized society through The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith that is primarily rooted in a renewed encounter with the person of Jesus Christ through the Words in the Sacred Scriptures which is similar to the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well.
When Jesus heard Bartimaeus cry out “Son of David, have mercy on me.” (v.48) he turned around and he asked the blind man “What do you want me to do for you?” (v. 51) Jesus knew the man was blind but he still asked and perhaps the reason was that Jesus wanted the blind man to verbalize his faith. And this is the same with us and this is what the Church now wants the lay faithful to do especially those who have drifted away from the mainstream of their faith.
What the Church is telling us now is that we all have an obligation to proclaim the Gospel of Christ to the world around us. To move from hereon, we need not invent new strategies as if the Gospel were a product to be placed in the market of religions. What the Church is saying is that we need to rediscover the ways in which Jesus approached persons and called them, in order to put them into practice in today's circumstances.
And salvation as what happened to the blind man in the Gospel today comes to those who have faith. When Jesus said: “Receive your sight, your faith has healed you.” (v.52) the blind man regained his sight and he praised God and became a disciple of Jesus. The crowd too praised God for the healing that took place. This event in essence is analogous to the kind of conversion that the Synod of Bishops said must take place in order for the Church to be renewed since the call to evangelization is a call to conversion.
There are at least three things that we need to dwell to savor the beauty of this Gospel passage. These are: persistence, faith and gratitude. Jesus turned and responded not just because Bartimaeus recognized that Jesus was the Son of David but because he had persistence. He also had faith. And when he was healed, he expressed his gratitude by following Jesus and becoming his disciple.
Today even in the midst of the maddening crowd, there exists a one-time opportunity to encounter Christ. As with the persistent widow, the persistence of the blind man paid off and this should teach us that not only do we have to be persistent in our prayers but we should also not allow any opportunity to pass by without praying.
The other thing that stood out in this Gospel was how Jesus reacted. He stopped and turned around and ministered to the blind man. Here we see Jesus walking the talk. Jesus was simply showing that deeds are more important than words. While it was important for him to preach, it was far more important for him to put meaning into his words by ministering to the blind man.
This scenario could be likened to people on a boat shouting to someone who went overboard “we’ll throw you a line and hang on to it.” Jesus did not only threw a line but he dived into the water and rescued the blind man from the sea of darkness.
This Gospel should serve as a reminder for all of us that regardless of the situation we are in, Jesus will come to our aid whenever we call out to him with a persistent faith and what would please God all the more is when we follow him even if we still have to receive answers to our prayers. In other words, we should follow Jesus not because of the benefits that we can derive from him but because our obedience and loyalty are driven by our love for God.
REPENTANCE IS GRACE
OCT. 27, 2012: 29TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Eph 4:7-16
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 122:1-5 “Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: LK 13:1-9
Key Verse: “unless you repent, you too will perish.” (v.3)
It has been customary for the Jews in ancient times to associate sin with suffering, calamitous events and unrighteous death. Inversely, the Jews also believe that sin can cause suffering, and even natural calamities.
But Jesus in today’s Gospel presented to the people a view that was entirely new and was opposed to their traditional beliefs. Instead, Jesus preached about the need to repent as a condition that could spare man the judgment of God and the chastisement and suffering experienced by those who sinned.
The massacre of the Galileans on orders of Pilate and the 18 who were killed when the Tower of Siloam fell on them fall on this category in that the Jews would link these events with the sin of those who perished in these incidents.
But Jesus corrected this assumption by asking his listeners if those who perished in those two events were worse sinners than the other Galileans and, Jesus went on to say that this was not the case as the people can be spared from similar suffering if they will repent.
However, these Jewish beliefs that drew a correlation between sin and calamities are still relevant today as it were in the olden times. I remember the claims made by some modern-day prophets who in 1990 said the earthquake that caused the death of thousands in Baguio City, Cabanatuan City and, Dagupan City was as a result of the sins of the people. There was a basis for that because at that time you would not know if it was Lent the people of Baguio were celebrating as the environment was filled with festivities, carousing, carnival rides and even the casino remained open at the Hyatt Terraces Hotel that was reduced to a rubble.
As natural calamities since then have been occurring with increasing regularity, these disasters were tagged as acts of God and when such calamities became an almost regular phenomenon, the people begun to accept this as part of climate change and somehow we all forgot about blaming sin as the cause of these misfortunes.
While Jesus said those Galileans who were massacred by the Romans and the 18 on whom the Tower of Siloam fell were in no way worse sinners than the rest of the Galileans, these events must be viewed as a sign for us to take positive action with regards our sinful nature.
In the previous chapter we heard Jesus talking of the need to properly discern the signs that would lead us back to God and in this Gospel today Jesus once again used the two tragic events (vv. 2-4) as a sign that should remind us that God’s judgment should be viewed as a mechanism in which God is providing us with the opportunity to make things right by repenting of our sins.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church 1432 has a beautiful description of what repentance is all about and it says: “Interior repentance is a radical reorientation of our whole life, a return, a conversion to God with all our heart, an end of sin, a turning away from evil, with repugnance toward the evil actions we have committed. At the same time, it entails the desire and resolution to change one’s life, with hope in God’s mercy and trust in the help of his Grace. This conversion of heart is accompanied by a salutary pain and sadness which the Fathers called animi cruciatus (affliction of the spirit) and compunctio cordis (repentance of the heart).
In a way, repentance is what is needed in order for us to bear fruit and not risk being cut down like the fig tree that doesn’t bear fruit. The man who planted an unproductive fig tree in his vineyard but told his worker to give it another year was a sign that we should spend our time between now and the time when we will be judged to repent of our sins, work on our own transformation so that we can change our fate.
An unfruitful fig tree was looked upon as a sign of disobedience on the part of the Israelites and Jeremiah compared rotten fig trees to those who commit evil deeds. This parable on the unproductive fig tree shows that God is patient with the people he has created but it doesn’t mean that we tarry.
Patient though he may, we should remember that Jesus had also warned us of the thief who will come without any warning. Again, these are signs that Jesus gives us to afford us the opportunity to turn away from the world but we should not presume that we could take our time.
Jesus was never more emphatic than in this Gospel as he drives home the need for us to really repent and be productive. The parable of the unproductive fig tree shows that God will not tolerate our not using the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit that he has so generously made available to us. Repentance and penace are gifts and graces that have been made available to us so that we can find the way back to God.
The need to attain penance for our sins was also highlighted by US Cardinal Timothy Dolan towards the penultimate stage of the Synod of Bishops that will formally end on Sunday (Oct. 28, 2012). In his paper, Cardinal Dolan reminded the Synod that Jesus' first words to his disciples were 'Come, follow me' and that his last words were 'Go into all the world and preach the Good News to all creation'.
Those two simple commands, 'Come' and 'Go' are really at the heart of all the hotly debated topics that have been taking place, both in the Synod hall and behind the closed doors of the 'Circoli Minores' or small language groups. From these two commands comes the responsibility of each and every Christian to share the story of our faith and to witness to God's love through our daily lives.
This responsibility to come and go is founded on 'the inalienable right of each person to hear the Christian Gospel', as well as the right to full religious freedom and the right to convert to a different religion. As the Synod comes to a close, the Bishops are coming out with a ‘closing message’ that will be crafted into a final document that Pope Benedict XVI will sign within 12 to 18 months at a venue that is yet to be disclosed. The closing message which carries 14 foundational thrusts will provide the substance to the “New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Faith” contained in the Lineamenta issued by the Holy Father.
And in today’s Gospel, God sets the tone as he gives us the chance to transform ourselves into a productive being that he can use, we must keep in mind the terrible consequence of being cut down if we persist in our sinfulness.
For those who will heed his warning and will see the signs and act on it, God assures us in Jn 3:16 that “whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” To believe is to accept him who created us in his image and likeness. To believe is to change our hearts. To believe is to repent. And to believe is to make sure that the fire will remain lit at the altar of Grace (Lev 6:13) And the time to start believing is NOW!
1st Reading: Eph 4:7-16
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 122:1-5 “Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: LK 13:1-9
Key Verse: “unless you repent, you too will perish.” (v.3)
It has been customary for the Jews in ancient times to associate sin with suffering, calamitous events and unrighteous death. Inversely, the Jews also believe that sin can cause suffering, and even natural calamities.
But Jesus in today’s Gospel presented to the people a view that was entirely new and was opposed to their traditional beliefs. Instead, Jesus preached about the need to repent as a condition that could spare man the judgment of God and the chastisement and suffering experienced by those who sinned.
The massacre of the Galileans on orders of Pilate and the 18 who were killed when the Tower of Siloam fell on them fall on this category in that the Jews would link these events with the sin of those who perished in these incidents.
But Jesus corrected this assumption by asking his listeners if those who perished in those two events were worse sinners than the other Galileans and, Jesus went on to say that this was not the case as the people can be spared from similar suffering if they will repent.
However, these Jewish beliefs that drew a correlation between sin and calamities are still relevant today as it were in the olden times. I remember the claims made by some modern-day prophets who in 1990 said the earthquake that caused the death of thousands in Baguio City, Cabanatuan City and, Dagupan City was as a result of the sins of the people. There was a basis for that because at that time you would not know if it was Lent the people of Baguio were celebrating as the environment was filled with festivities, carousing, carnival rides and even the casino remained open at the Hyatt Terraces Hotel that was reduced to a rubble.
As natural calamities since then have been occurring with increasing regularity, these disasters were tagged as acts of God and when such calamities became an almost regular phenomenon, the people begun to accept this as part of climate change and somehow we all forgot about blaming sin as the cause of these misfortunes.
While Jesus said those Galileans who were massacred by the Romans and the 18 on whom the Tower of Siloam fell were in no way worse sinners than the rest of the Galileans, these events must be viewed as a sign for us to take positive action with regards our sinful nature.
In the previous chapter we heard Jesus talking of the need to properly discern the signs that would lead us back to God and in this Gospel today Jesus once again used the two tragic events (vv. 2-4) as a sign that should remind us that God’s judgment should be viewed as a mechanism in which God is providing us with the opportunity to make things right by repenting of our sins.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church 1432 has a beautiful description of what repentance is all about and it says: “Interior repentance is a radical reorientation of our whole life, a return, a conversion to God with all our heart, an end of sin, a turning away from evil, with repugnance toward the evil actions we have committed. At the same time, it entails the desire and resolution to change one’s life, with hope in God’s mercy and trust in the help of his Grace. This conversion of heart is accompanied by a salutary pain and sadness which the Fathers called animi cruciatus (affliction of the spirit) and compunctio cordis (repentance of the heart).
In a way, repentance is what is needed in order for us to bear fruit and not risk being cut down like the fig tree that doesn’t bear fruit. The man who planted an unproductive fig tree in his vineyard but told his worker to give it another year was a sign that we should spend our time between now and the time when we will be judged to repent of our sins, work on our own transformation so that we can change our fate.
An unfruitful fig tree was looked upon as a sign of disobedience on the part of the Israelites and Jeremiah compared rotten fig trees to those who commit evil deeds. This parable on the unproductive fig tree shows that God is patient with the people he has created but it doesn’t mean that we tarry.
Patient though he may, we should remember that Jesus had also warned us of the thief who will come without any warning. Again, these are signs that Jesus gives us to afford us the opportunity to turn away from the world but we should not presume that we could take our time.
Jesus was never more emphatic than in this Gospel as he drives home the need for us to really repent and be productive. The parable of the unproductive fig tree shows that God will not tolerate our not using the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit that he has so generously made available to us. Repentance and penace are gifts and graces that have been made available to us so that we can find the way back to God.
The need to attain penance for our sins was also highlighted by US Cardinal Timothy Dolan towards the penultimate stage of the Synod of Bishops that will formally end on Sunday (Oct. 28, 2012). In his paper, Cardinal Dolan reminded the Synod that Jesus' first words to his disciples were 'Come, follow me' and that his last words were 'Go into all the world and preach the Good News to all creation'.
Those two simple commands, 'Come' and 'Go' are really at the heart of all the hotly debated topics that have been taking place, both in the Synod hall and behind the closed doors of the 'Circoli Minores' or small language groups. From these two commands comes the responsibility of each and every Christian to share the story of our faith and to witness to God's love through our daily lives.
This responsibility to come and go is founded on 'the inalienable right of each person to hear the Christian Gospel', as well as the right to full religious freedom and the right to convert to a different religion. As the Synod comes to a close, the Bishops are coming out with a ‘closing message’ that will be crafted into a final document that Pope Benedict XVI will sign within 12 to 18 months at a venue that is yet to be disclosed. The closing message which carries 14 foundational thrusts will provide the substance to the “New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Faith” contained in the Lineamenta issued by the Holy Father.
And in today’s Gospel, God sets the tone as he gives us the chance to transform ourselves into a productive being that he can use, we must keep in mind the terrible consequence of being cut down if we persist in our sinfulness.
For those who will heed his warning and will see the signs and act on it, God assures us in Jn 3:16 that “whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” To believe is to accept him who created us in his image and likeness. To believe is to change our hearts. To believe is to repent. And to believe is to make sure that the fire will remain lit at the altar of Grace (Lev 6:13) And the time to start believing is NOW!
THE ONLY SIGN THERE IS
THE JEWS ARE WEATHER-WISE AND ARE GUIDED BY SIGNS.
OCT. 26, 2012: 29th WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Eph 4:1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 24:1-6 “Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.”
GOSPEL: LK 12:54-59
Key Verse: “..but you can’t interpret these present times.” (v.56)
By nature the Jews in the time of Jesus were weather-wise which means that they can accurately predict the weather just by looking at cloud formation and the direction of the wind. Sadly, however, many of the Jews who were so wise to read the signs of the sky could not or would not want to look at the sign that was before them.
This was what Jesus was pointing out in this Gospel passage today because if the Jews then really looked at the signs pertaining to the numerous healings and miracles that Jesus did not to mention the times when he preached with authority, they would have seen that the Kingdom of God they were waiting for was already in their midst.
Since the ancient times and even up to today, signs have become an integral part of life especially in terms of its relevance in our search for directions. We look for signs and symbols to avoid getting lost when we are in an uncharted territory or places that we are visiting for the first time.
People living in the rural areas especially those who are engaged in tilling the earth have an uncanny ability to accurately tell the time of the day just by looking at the position of the sun. They can also foretell what the weather would be just by observing the cloud formation or the direction of the wind. Fishermen also know if there is an oncoming storm. They have no choice but to be good at it because their entire livelihood depended on it.
Today, modern gadgets have been developed to help weather forecasters observe and read not only the weather but other natural disturbances as well such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and the accuracy of their forecasts have helped save lives on many instances.
When I first came to the United States way back in 1982 the first thing that I got was a map as it was customary for travellers in those days to be equipped with a map to get you to where you are going. When I came back in 2012 and rented a car in Los Angeles it came equipped with a GPS or Global Positioning System and all I had to do was key in the location and voila!... it brings me to where I am going.
As of late, however, the flash floods that have inundated many parts of the world – Europe, the East Coast, Asia and more recently Thailand and us here in the Mega Manila area (Mega Manila includes Bulacan, Laguna and Cavite) showed that even such modern gadgets are of no match to nature’s wrath.
And translated into the spiritual realm, there is a need for us to update ourselves with the necessary skill to spot the numerous spiritual manholes in view of the way the world around us is progressing. One such instance is what is happening in many places where the sanctity of marriage as specified in the Scriptures is being challenged and mocked.
Religion and even fear of God has been thrown out of the window that everything now has become relative when people do what they believe is right without regard to what is morally right. It is sad that governments itself who are bound by their respective Constitutions to protect life are at the forefront of the campaign to institutionalize abortion, same-sex marriage, divorce all of which will cut into the moral fiber of society.
In this Gospel passage today, we see Jesus expressing his irritation at the way people have prioritized their penchant for signs rather than on the Word of God. While Jesus was generally regarded as the Messiah, the people were looking for signs that would picture Jesus as the conquering Messiah, a picture that they have formed in their minds. Conversely, churches and spiritual communities collapse when programs and projects are prioritized over the need to ingrain the Word of God in our hearts.
Notwithstanding the sign of his coming, the world didn’t yet accept him till the day he died, rose on the third day and ascended into heaven. This was the ultimate sign and proof that Jesus indeed is the Son of God and those who believe in him were made co-heirs of his Kingdom.
And one of the means by which we can make right what may be wrong in our lives that hinders our relationship with God is to be reconciled with those with whom we are differing with which means that we also need to reconcile with God himself if we find our lives to be bereft of the joy and peace that comes only from God who is the source of all good.
In view of the perversion that punctuate our world today, there is an urgent need for us to reconcile with God, subordinate our will to his Will and, allow the Holy Spirit to take control of our lives that we may be completely transformed into the image and likeness to which we have been created.
For some, transformation comes in an instant at the moment of their Baptism in the Spirit in the Life in the Spirit Seminar. Some take a much longer time before they realize the plan of God in their lives and in my case, the series of formation programs that I attended following my Baptism in the Spirit was what opened my conscience and my heart to the plan of God for me. And the pruning that followed was painful and was not easy as I had to give up a lot of things – vices, love of money, arrogance and pride, indiscretion, dishonesty in my business transactions – but which I needed to give up because these things are what hinder the flow of Grace in my life.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church 1776 says: “Deep within his conscience man discovers a law which he has not laid upon himself but which he must obey. Its voice, ever calling him to love and to do what is good and to avoid evil, sounds in his heart at the right moment…For man has in his heart a law inscribe by God…His conscience is man’s most secret core and his sanctuary. There he is alone with God whose voice echoes in his depths.”
Thus, we should rely on our consciences to point to us the signs that would lead us back to God. Jesus gave us many signs in which he revealed himself in different ways and we see and hear him through the Scriptures. We feel his physical presence in the Celebration of the Holy Eucharist and in everyone whom we meet because they too have the image of Christ in them.
Today, there are those who look at the church as a corporate entity and or as a social gathering yet are unaware of God’s global work and purposes. The Catholic Bishops throughout the world are currently meeting in Rome and the focal point of the conferences and fora is how to substantiate and put more energy and meaning to the New Evangelization thrust of the Catholic Church in the post-modern world.
Jesus gave us the only sign that should forever be etched in our conscience – his passion, death and resurrection. We need nothing more. Let me thus invite you to what St. Theresa of Avila wrote in her journal: “Let nothing disturb you, let nothing frighten you; All things pass: God never changes. Patience achieves all it strives for. Whoever has God lacks nothing, God alone suffices.”
1st Reading: Eph 4:1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 24:1-6 “Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.”
GOSPEL: LK 12:54-59
Key Verse: “..but you can’t interpret these present times.” (v.56)
By nature the Jews in the time of Jesus were weather-wise which means that they can accurately predict the weather just by looking at cloud formation and the direction of the wind. Sadly, however, many of the Jews who were so wise to read the signs of the sky could not or would not want to look at the sign that was before them.
This was what Jesus was pointing out in this Gospel passage today because if the Jews then really looked at the signs pertaining to the numerous healings and miracles that Jesus did not to mention the times when he preached with authority, they would have seen that the Kingdom of God they were waiting for was already in their midst.
Since the ancient times and even up to today, signs have become an integral part of life especially in terms of its relevance in our search for directions. We look for signs and symbols to avoid getting lost when we are in an uncharted territory or places that we are visiting for the first time.
People living in the rural areas especially those who are engaged in tilling the earth have an uncanny ability to accurately tell the time of the day just by looking at the position of the sun. They can also foretell what the weather would be just by observing the cloud formation or the direction of the wind. Fishermen also know if there is an oncoming storm. They have no choice but to be good at it because their entire livelihood depended on it.
Today, modern gadgets have been developed to help weather forecasters observe and read not only the weather but other natural disturbances as well such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and the accuracy of their forecasts have helped save lives on many instances.
When I first came to the United States way back in 1982 the first thing that I got was a map as it was customary for travellers in those days to be equipped with a map to get you to where you are going. When I came back in 2012 and rented a car in Los Angeles it came equipped with a GPS or Global Positioning System and all I had to do was key in the location and voila!... it brings me to where I am going.
As of late, however, the flash floods that have inundated many parts of the world – Europe, the East Coast, Asia and more recently Thailand and us here in the Mega Manila area (Mega Manila includes Bulacan, Laguna and Cavite) showed that even such modern gadgets are of no match to nature’s wrath.
And translated into the spiritual realm, there is a need for us to update ourselves with the necessary skill to spot the numerous spiritual manholes in view of the way the world around us is progressing. One such instance is what is happening in many places where the sanctity of marriage as specified in the Scriptures is being challenged and mocked.
Religion and even fear of God has been thrown out of the window that everything now has become relative when people do what they believe is right without regard to what is morally right. It is sad that governments itself who are bound by their respective Constitutions to protect life are at the forefront of the campaign to institutionalize abortion, same-sex marriage, divorce all of which will cut into the moral fiber of society.
In this Gospel passage today, we see Jesus expressing his irritation at the way people have prioritized their penchant for signs rather than on the Word of God. While Jesus was generally regarded as the Messiah, the people were looking for signs that would picture Jesus as the conquering Messiah, a picture that they have formed in their minds. Conversely, churches and spiritual communities collapse when programs and projects are prioritized over the need to ingrain the Word of God in our hearts.
Notwithstanding the sign of his coming, the world didn’t yet accept him till the day he died, rose on the third day and ascended into heaven. This was the ultimate sign and proof that Jesus indeed is the Son of God and those who believe in him were made co-heirs of his Kingdom.
And one of the means by which we can make right what may be wrong in our lives that hinders our relationship with God is to be reconciled with those with whom we are differing with which means that we also need to reconcile with God himself if we find our lives to be bereft of the joy and peace that comes only from God who is the source of all good.
In view of the perversion that punctuate our world today, there is an urgent need for us to reconcile with God, subordinate our will to his Will and, allow the Holy Spirit to take control of our lives that we may be completely transformed into the image and likeness to which we have been created.
For some, transformation comes in an instant at the moment of their Baptism in the Spirit in the Life in the Spirit Seminar. Some take a much longer time before they realize the plan of God in their lives and in my case, the series of formation programs that I attended following my Baptism in the Spirit was what opened my conscience and my heart to the plan of God for me. And the pruning that followed was painful and was not easy as I had to give up a lot of things – vices, love of money, arrogance and pride, indiscretion, dishonesty in my business transactions – but which I needed to give up because these things are what hinder the flow of Grace in my life.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church 1776 says: “Deep within his conscience man discovers a law which he has not laid upon himself but which he must obey. Its voice, ever calling him to love and to do what is good and to avoid evil, sounds in his heart at the right moment…For man has in his heart a law inscribe by God…His conscience is man’s most secret core and his sanctuary. There he is alone with God whose voice echoes in his depths.”
Thus, we should rely on our consciences to point to us the signs that would lead us back to God. Jesus gave us many signs in which he revealed himself in different ways and we see and hear him through the Scriptures. We feel his physical presence in the Celebration of the Holy Eucharist and in everyone whom we meet because they too have the image of Christ in them.
Today, there are those who look at the church as a corporate entity and or as a social gathering yet are unaware of God’s global work and purposes. The Catholic Bishops throughout the world are currently meeting in Rome and the focal point of the conferences and fora is how to substantiate and put more energy and meaning to the New Evangelization thrust of the Catholic Church in the post-modern world.
Jesus gave us the only sign that should forever be etched in our conscience – his passion, death and resurrection. We need nothing more. Let me thus invite you to what St. Theresa of Avila wrote in her journal: “Let nothing disturb you, let nothing frighten you; All things pass: God never changes. Patience achieves all it strives for. Whoever has God lacks nothing, God alone suffices.”
THE BIG CHALLENGE
IMAGE COURTESY OF HEARTLIGHT
OCT. 25, 2012: 29TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Eph 3:14-21
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 33:1-2, 4-5, 11-12, 18-19 “The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: Lk 12:49-53
Key Verse: “I have come to bring fire on the earth, ...” (v.49)
There are several forms of approaches in Bible study and in the Basic Bible Seminar that some communities such as the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Catholic Charismatic Community are offering, its members are introduced to the so-called “contextual” and “thematic” approaches. These two types of study, however, are introductory as it simply provides readers with extracting the contexts and themes pertaining to the Scripture passages they are reading.
There are other comprehensive ways and these include the “deductive” type which is the most common and the “inductive” method which moves the reader to interpret and applies them but this should not depart from the meaning of the text.
For a truly meaningful and satisfying Bible study experience, many students of Scriptures use the exegetical analysis method which is to break down phrases, verses, words and analyze them through a systematic research and putting them all together for better illumination. In exegesis, both the deductive and inductive approaches come into play as these methods enhances the exegesis or critical examination and interpretation of the text.
This analytical study of Scriptures as what is being applied in using the Joy of Discovery program can be useful in examining and interpreting the Scripture such as the Gospel passage that we have for today (Oct. 25, 2012) which can be interpreted in two ways. It could either refer to the coming of Jesus when he was born of a woman or to his second coming.
If we are to regard this passage as an aftermath of the passion, death and resurrection of Christ when Jesus talks of his second coming, then this Gospel appears to be directed specifically to those who belong to a Parish or to a Renewal Community as it speaks of his coming as a day of judgment when Jesus will scrutinize all our works and how we used our gifts, how we invested the talents entrusted to us, how well we loved our neighbor, and whether our lives bore fruit.
On the other hand, if we are to look at this passage in terms of a pre-crucifixion scenario, then we see Jesus giving his disciples the reason and the purpose for why he was sent into the world: “I have come to bring fire on the earth…” (v.49) Again, this passage is like a double-edged sword in that Jesus came not only to cast judgment on the people which was probably how the Jews associated it since fire in the olden times was regarded as a symbol of judgment. But it could also mean to be a future event that would happen on the day of Pentecost.
Prior to the advent of the New Testament, God has been sending prophets to bring the people closer to God. But the people’s faith in those days wasn’t what God had expected and this was what Jesus pointed out when he said: “and how I wish it were already kindled.” The fact that Jesus talked of “a baptism that he had to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed!” (v.50) meant that this passage was a pre-crucifixion scenario in which he was talking of his passion, death and resurrection which to him was a baptism that he had to undergo in obedience to the Will of the Father.
A deeper reflection of vv.49-50 will reveal the pain and frustration that Jesus feels and the following verses will show in the strongest possible terms what his coming would create – a division not only within the family but also among the people.
His words in this Gospel was actually a warning to the people that they should expect and be prepared to make a decision that will have a bearing on their future in the Heavenly kingdom. Indeed Jesus was not only giving his disciples and his listeners a preview of what his coming meant but he was actually demanding a response not only from the people who listened to him preach and those who were healed but he also wants us now to draw the line between the world and eternal salvation.
I’m sure many of those who have committed their lives to serve God through their respective parishes or in their communities such as the Bukas Loob sa Diyos may not have noticed it but our commitment has separated us from the previous circle we used to socialize.
In my case, even my choice of music has shifted from standards to praise songs. I have also stopped going out with my friends from the past, albeit unintentionally, as I am now preoccupied with assignments to teach in the community and in parishes and to stand as a sharer in the Marriage Encounter Weekend and or in the Life in the Spirit Seminar whenever and wherever my spouse and I are invited.
But Christianity should not be viewed as divisive which was probably the reason why the Roman government hated Christianity because it divided families. But Christianity should be looked into as a unifying force because its true intention is to bring everyone to believe, to have faith and to love God.
And Jesus also warns us to be wary of those who teach false doctrines which was what Paul told Timothy: “If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.” (1 Tim 6:3-5)
Most often people think of false doctrines along doctrinal lines but this isn’t always the case. We could be espousing a false doctrine when we promote our own agenda on top of the established programs of the church and or community and or worst when we lead others astray and distract their focus on God. A very simple example of such is when a leader incites disciples to stop attending teachings offered by the church or community.
What Jesus was trying to picture in this Gospel was that loyalty to Him must be the priority over anything else. For those who have accepted Christ as his Savior, we must do what Paul says in Phi 3:8 “I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”
Because at the end of the day, neither our good works, titles or positions we occupy and, or material possessions can compensate for that which Our Lord deems as the most important which he will look for in each one of us when he finally comes – our loyalty to Our God who created us in His image and likeness.
And to those who will confess their loyalty to Christ, he will give them the power of the Holy Spirit: “and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Ac 1:8). The great prophet Isaiah also reminds us: “You are my witnesses, declares the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.” (Isa 43:10)
To witness for Christ is our primary responsibility and this must be rooted in our loyalty to him who chose us and loved us and a true disciple is one who will forsake everything to love God with all their minds, hearts and soul and, to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. These two commandments are the fire that will kindle and turn our hearts as our burnt offering when he comes in glory.
1st Reading: Eph 3:14-21
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 33:1-2, 4-5, 11-12, 18-19 “The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: Lk 12:49-53
Key Verse: “I have come to bring fire on the earth, ...” (v.49)
There are several forms of approaches in Bible study and in the Basic Bible Seminar that some communities such as the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Catholic Charismatic Community are offering, its members are introduced to the so-called “contextual” and “thematic” approaches. These two types of study, however, are introductory as it simply provides readers with extracting the contexts and themes pertaining to the Scripture passages they are reading.
There are other comprehensive ways and these include the “deductive” type which is the most common and the “inductive” method which moves the reader to interpret and applies them but this should not depart from the meaning of the text.
For a truly meaningful and satisfying Bible study experience, many students of Scriptures use the exegetical analysis method which is to break down phrases, verses, words and analyze them through a systematic research and putting them all together for better illumination. In exegesis, both the deductive and inductive approaches come into play as these methods enhances the exegesis or critical examination and interpretation of the text.
This analytical study of Scriptures as what is being applied in using the Joy of Discovery program can be useful in examining and interpreting the Scripture such as the Gospel passage that we have for today (Oct. 25, 2012) which can be interpreted in two ways. It could either refer to the coming of Jesus when he was born of a woman or to his second coming.
If we are to regard this passage as an aftermath of the passion, death and resurrection of Christ when Jesus talks of his second coming, then this Gospel appears to be directed specifically to those who belong to a Parish or to a Renewal Community as it speaks of his coming as a day of judgment when Jesus will scrutinize all our works and how we used our gifts, how we invested the talents entrusted to us, how well we loved our neighbor, and whether our lives bore fruit.
On the other hand, if we are to look at this passage in terms of a pre-crucifixion scenario, then we see Jesus giving his disciples the reason and the purpose for why he was sent into the world: “I have come to bring fire on the earth…” (v.49) Again, this passage is like a double-edged sword in that Jesus came not only to cast judgment on the people which was probably how the Jews associated it since fire in the olden times was regarded as a symbol of judgment. But it could also mean to be a future event that would happen on the day of Pentecost.
Prior to the advent of the New Testament, God has been sending prophets to bring the people closer to God. But the people’s faith in those days wasn’t what God had expected and this was what Jesus pointed out when he said: “and how I wish it were already kindled.” The fact that Jesus talked of “a baptism that he had to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed!” (v.50) meant that this passage was a pre-crucifixion scenario in which he was talking of his passion, death and resurrection which to him was a baptism that he had to undergo in obedience to the Will of the Father.
A deeper reflection of vv.49-50 will reveal the pain and frustration that Jesus feels and the following verses will show in the strongest possible terms what his coming would create – a division not only within the family but also among the people.
His words in this Gospel was actually a warning to the people that they should expect and be prepared to make a decision that will have a bearing on their future in the Heavenly kingdom. Indeed Jesus was not only giving his disciples and his listeners a preview of what his coming meant but he was actually demanding a response not only from the people who listened to him preach and those who were healed but he also wants us now to draw the line between the world and eternal salvation.
I’m sure many of those who have committed their lives to serve God through their respective parishes or in their communities such as the Bukas Loob sa Diyos may not have noticed it but our commitment has separated us from the previous circle we used to socialize.
In my case, even my choice of music has shifted from standards to praise songs. I have also stopped going out with my friends from the past, albeit unintentionally, as I am now preoccupied with assignments to teach in the community and in parishes and to stand as a sharer in the Marriage Encounter Weekend and or in the Life in the Spirit Seminar whenever and wherever my spouse and I are invited.
But Christianity should not be viewed as divisive which was probably the reason why the Roman government hated Christianity because it divided families. But Christianity should be looked into as a unifying force because its true intention is to bring everyone to believe, to have faith and to love God.
And Jesus also warns us to be wary of those who teach false doctrines which was what Paul told Timothy: “If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.” (1 Tim 6:3-5)
Most often people think of false doctrines along doctrinal lines but this isn’t always the case. We could be espousing a false doctrine when we promote our own agenda on top of the established programs of the church and or community and or worst when we lead others astray and distract their focus on God. A very simple example of such is when a leader incites disciples to stop attending teachings offered by the church or community.
What Jesus was trying to picture in this Gospel was that loyalty to Him must be the priority over anything else. For those who have accepted Christ as his Savior, we must do what Paul says in Phi 3:8 “I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”
Because at the end of the day, neither our good works, titles or positions we occupy and, or material possessions can compensate for that which Our Lord deems as the most important which he will look for in each one of us when he finally comes – our loyalty to Our God who created us in His image and likeness.
And to those who will confess their loyalty to Christ, he will give them the power of the Holy Spirit: “and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Ac 1:8). The great prophet Isaiah also reminds us: “You are my witnesses, declares the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.” (Isa 43:10)
To witness for Christ is our primary responsibility and this must be rooted in our loyalty to him who chose us and loved us and a true disciple is one who will forsake everything to love God with all their minds, hearts and soul and, to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. These two commandments are the fire that will kindle and turn our hearts as our burnt offering when he comes in glory.
FAITHFULNESS IS ALL WE NEED
OCT. 24, 2012: 29TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Eph 3:2-12
Responsorial Psalm: Isa 12:2-6 “You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.”
GOSPEL: LK 12:39-48
Key Verse: “…much more will be asked.” (v.48)
This Gospel passage today can be viewed in two ways although the underlying message remains the same – God requires that we either work on how to increase our faith in him and more importantly to remain faithful to him.
The interregnum between what seemed to be the prolonged absence of the household owner in this parable and the day of his return can be interpreted as the period of waiting for the second coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ and or, the time when we will finally receive our invitation for the wedding feast.
Regardless of how we interpret it, there was only one message that this parable represents – that we all need to remain faithful to Our Lord so that he will not catch us off-guard when he returns. This period of waiting is actually a privilege that Our Lord has given us since this is an opportunity for us to work on our relationship with God.
Many times in the Gospel as presented by the four Gospel writers, Jesus warned that he was leaving and would be returning at some point in time but he did not give the day or time of his return.
And to prepare us for either his return or when we are finally summoned to stand face-to-face with him, Jesus provided us with the Gifts of the Holy Spirit (please refer to Rom 12:6-8; 1 Cor 12:4-11, 28-31; Eph 4:7-13 and 1 Pet 4:10). These gifts should enable every Christian disciple to bear fruit (Gal 5:22-23) that will make us pleasing in the eyes of God.
In addition, Jesus left us with the two greatest commandments (Mt 22:36-40) as he exhorts us to love our God with all our heart, mind and soul and, to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. So that we will not be orphaned by his absence, Jesus also was gracious enough to leave us His Holy Spirit to be our Paraclete, advocate, guide, comforter, teacher and healer.
As such, it by our submission to the promptings of the Holy Spirit that we can see these gifts and fruits manifesting in us the fruition of which will ultimately lead us to abide by the two greatest commandment. This pendency of his return is actually an opportunity that Jesus provides us in order for us to find our way to follow him. In effect, what I am saying is that Jesus as the household owner is in fact delaying his return to give us time to come to our senses that we may realize that we after all belong to him as we were all created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26).
This is so stated in 2 Pet 3:9 which says: “The Lord is slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” This means that we need to recognize that as “the Lord has made all things for Himself” (Prov 16:4), we exist in order that we may glorify God and, to win for ourselves eternal happiness.
Thus, we are not here on earth to accumulate earthly treasures, to attain earthly honors, to eat and to drink or, to enjoy earthly pleasures because we are actually not made for this world but we are made for the kingdom of Heaven because we are created primarily for a life beyond the grave.
In this life we have now, we are like a stranger, a wanderer and a pilgrim. Heb 13:14 tells us that we are here on earth because we are exiles but our country of origin and to which we are going is the Heavenly Kingdom.
This parable commands us not to live compartmentalized lives in which there are times when we think of God only in times of trouble and, at other times we forget all about him because of the pleasures the world bring that clouds the image of God in us.
What then is the kind of faith that we need to have to prepare for the return of the household owner? We all must remember that faith comes from believing and believing comes from knowing and the knowledge of God is the first thing we need to have. The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes “knowledge of God” as the knowledge of his perfection, his works, his Will and, the means of Grace instituted by Him as what St. Paul says in Col 1:10 “growing in the knowledge of God.”
Faith that comes from our knowledge of God is important for without it there can be no happiness on earth or a well-ordered life. Such knowledge of God is the food for our souls because without it the soul feels hungry and we become discontented.
In this Gospel passage Jesus promises a reward for those who will remain faithful to him until he returns but we must watch out for the times when we are distracted by our possessions that remove our focus on him. These earthly rewards will disappear at some point in time (Mk 8:36) which is why we all must look forward to the heavenly rewards which Our God promises to be greater than what we can imagine.
There is no doubt that God rewards those who will remain faithful when he finally returns. But our possession of the gifts and Graces he has bestowed on us carries with it an awesome responsibility because the more he gives, the more is required of us to bear fruit.
And there is always that temptation to procrastinate, to postpone to some other day what we can do today. At the end of the day need to ask ourselves how faithful are we and, are we ready to render an accounting when he comes? WIJTM (What Is Jesus Telling Me)?
Again, let us be reminded of the man who said “I will obey the Lord one of these days.” Sadly, that “one of these days” never came because the Lord returned at a time the man never expected.
1st Reading: Eph 3:2-12
Responsorial Psalm: Isa 12:2-6 “You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.”
GOSPEL: LK 12:39-48
Key Verse: “…much more will be asked.” (v.48)
This Gospel passage today can be viewed in two ways although the underlying message remains the same – God requires that we either work on how to increase our faith in him and more importantly to remain faithful to him.
The interregnum between what seemed to be the prolonged absence of the household owner in this parable and the day of his return can be interpreted as the period of waiting for the second coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ and or, the time when we will finally receive our invitation for the wedding feast.
Regardless of how we interpret it, there was only one message that this parable represents – that we all need to remain faithful to Our Lord so that he will not catch us off-guard when he returns. This period of waiting is actually a privilege that Our Lord has given us since this is an opportunity for us to work on our relationship with God.
Many times in the Gospel as presented by the four Gospel writers, Jesus warned that he was leaving and would be returning at some point in time but he did not give the day or time of his return.
And to prepare us for either his return or when we are finally summoned to stand face-to-face with him, Jesus provided us with the Gifts of the Holy Spirit (please refer to Rom 12:6-8; 1 Cor 12:4-11, 28-31; Eph 4:7-13 and 1 Pet 4:10). These gifts should enable every Christian disciple to bear fruit (Gal 5:22-23) that will make us pleasing in the eyes of God.
In addition, Jesus left us with the two greatest commandments (Mt 22:36-40) as he exhorts us to love our God with all our heart, mind and soul and, to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. So that we will not be orphaned by his absence, Jesus also was gracious enough to leave us His Holy Spirit to be our Paraclete, advocate, guide, comforter, teacher and healer.
As such, it by our submission to the promptings of the Holy Spirit that we can see these gifts and fruits manifesting in us the fruition of which will ultimately lead us to abide by the two greatest commandment. This pendency of his return is actually an opportunity that Jesus provides us in order for us to find our way to follow him. In effect, what I am saying is that Jesus as the household owner is in fact delaying his return to give us time to come to our senses that we may realize that we after all belong to him as we were all created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26).
This is so stated in 2 Pet 3:9 which says: “The Lord is slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” This means that we need to recognize that as “the Lord has made all things for Himself” (Prov 16:4), we exist in order that we may glorify God and, to win for ourselves eternal happiness.
Thus, we are not here on earth to accumulate earthly treasures, to attain earthly honors, to eat and to drink or, to enjoy earthly pleasures because we are actually not made for this world but we are made for the kingdom of Heaven because we are created primarily for a life beyond the grave.
In this life we have now, we are like a stranger, a wanderer and a pilgrim. Heb 13:14 tells us that we are here on earth because we are exiles but our country of origin and to which we are going is the Heavenly Kingdom.
This parable commands us not to live compartmentalized lives in which there are times when we think of God only in times of trouble and, at other times we forget all about him because of the pleasures the world bring that clouds the image of God in us.
What then is the kind of faith that we need to have to prepare for the return of the household owner? We all must remember that faith comes from believing and believing comes from knowing and the knowledge of God is the first thing we need to have. The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes “knowledge of God” as the knowledge of his perfection, his works, his Will and, the means of Grace instituted by Him as what St. Paul says in Col 1:10 “growing in the knowledge of God.”
Faith that comes from our knowledge of God is important for without it there can be no happiness on earth or a well-ordered life. Such knowledge of God is the food for our souls because without it the soul feels hungry and we become discontented.
In this Gospel passage Jesus promises a reward for those who will remain faithful to him until he returns but we must watch out for the times when we are distracted by our possessions that remove our focus on him. These earthly rewards will disappear at some point in time (Mk 8:36) which is why we all must look forward to the heavenly rewards which Our God promises to be greater than what we can imagine.
There is no doubt that God rewards those who will remain faithful when he finally returns. But our possession of the gifts and Graces he has bestowed on us carries with it an awesome responsibility because the more he gives, the more is required of us to bear fruit.
And there is always that temptation to procrastinate, to postpone to some other day what we can do today. At the end of the day need to ask ourselves how faithful are we and, are we ready to render an accounting when he comes? WIJTM (What Is Jesus Telling Me)?
Again, let us be reminded of the man who said “I will obey the Lord one of these days.” Sadly, that “one of these days” never came because the Lord returned at a time the man never expected.
REMAIN VIGILANT
VIGILANCE IS TO BE PREPARED 24/7.
OCT. 23, 2012: 29TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Eph 2:12-22
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 85:9-14 “The Lord speaks of peace to his people.”
GOSPEL: Lk 12:35-38
Key Verse: “…keep your lamps burning.” (v.35)
The central message of today’s Gospel speak of salvation and the need to remain vigilant for the second coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ and this comes at a very opportune time because there are many of us including those who are already in the renewal who don’t take seriously the teachings of Jesus who has shown us the path to eternal life.
Reason for this could be our being overly-confident that Our God is a forgiving God and that He will definitely forgive those who will seek His forgiveness and repent of their sins. Another reason is a disordered appreciation of our primary purpose in life which is to evangelize and make disciples of all nations.
And in the pursuit of the Great Commission (Mt 28:18-20) confusion at times sets in as there are instances when programs and projects have been prioritized over evangelization and discipleship. This brings to mind the case of a particular community whose members no longer attend the teachings and formation made available to them because one of their leaders told them they are getting fat attending teachings and that they should instead go on mission. And this was what they did and end even today very few of its members attend their teachings. Worst, cliques and groupings sprouted that literally destroyed this community. Why? Because without discipleship, no mission will ever last and so the question of which should come first – formation or mission – will always remain to be a contentious issue.
There are also times when we vacillate on our decision to commit ourselves to God as we hang-on to the material comforts, albeit fleeting, that the world offers. And we stretch God’s patience with us to the limit and we think of God when we can no longer find satisfaction with the world, when we find ourselves longing for joy that doesn’t disappear and, when the world we have built collapses and pins us down in the pit of depression and spiritual malaise.
Lest we set ourselves apart from those in the world, even those to whom God has already revealed Himself can still be living in their own world by dichotomizing the lives they live. On one side is the part wherein he worships God and on the other side is his human side that believes God will tolerate his imperfection.
What this Gospel for today is telling us is that our entire lives should be lived in interminable preparation for the second coming of Jesus because the expeditious manner by which he will come will not allow for any last-minute repentance. Where Jesus will find us when he comes will determine our eternal salvation. Towards this end, each one of us must be aware of the fact that taking for granted the warning contained in this Gospel is inviting disaster insofar as the salvation of our souls is concerned.
I grew up in a deeply religious setting and my parents sent me to a Catholic school where my faith was firmly established. But the world to which I ventured in my growing up years clouded my faith although I did not exactly lose my belief in God.
Abounding in mercy and love, God found me and led me to the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community through the Marriage Encounter and later to the Life in the Spirit Seminar. In the course of my discipleship training by way of the formation program of the BLD and even while I was still active as a Media practitioner I have witnessed so many deaths – violent ones such as armed encounters I covered, fatal road accidents and, deaths through natural causes. And the thought that always ran through my mind was that were these people ready when God sent for them. Am I prepared to meet my Creator?
The Church and or every Community like the BLD must have their own formation programs that parishioners and members can avail of. These formation programs such as the Christian Discipleship Formation Program (CDFP) of the BLD are designed to enkindle the virtues of Faith, Hope and Love that have been infused in us during our Baptism and bring these to completion by leading us to a commitment to serve God.
These formation programs, either in the Church or in the Community, serve their purpose in preparing the lay faithful for the second coming of Our Lord Jesus the Christ. This is why Christian disciples must be formed first before they are sent in the same way that the Apostles were subjected to intense on-the-job training for three years before they were finally fielded. And if there was one thing that stood out in the days of Jesus, it was that evangelization begins with prayer. How we will respond to this invitation will determine our eternal destiny.
God desires that all men must be saved. Hence, God Himself provides us the time to prepare ourselves for His coming and the Catechism of the Catholic Church 1058 assures us: “The Church prays that no one should be lost: ‘Lord, let me never be parted from you.' If it is true that no one can save himself, it is also true that God ‘desires all men to be saved' (1 Tim 2:4), and that for him ‘all things are possible' (Mt 19:26).”
The reward for heeding the call of Jesus to be watchful is so great that we cannot take it for granted and play around with our souls. In us is the divine nature that God shared with us when we were born into the world. Thus, it means that we must be aware of the fact that we all share in the divinity of Christ (2 Pet 1:4) and that our preoccupation is to live our lives in God and with God.
To prepare is to remain vigilant which means we have to take care of our body, soul and spirit and we need to spend our time taking care of others in the Church and or Community and even those who have yet to believe in God. This is the best way to prepare for the second coming of Jesus.
And after everything has been said the question we should ask ourselves is: Do I want to be saved? If you think you can put God’s invitation into your pigeonhole and let it remain there for sometime while you step into the world and enjoy its glitter, the fame and fortune that you acquire using the gifts God has given you and, the perks that come with it – try reading and reflecting on the Gospel today and then – THINK AGAIN – because I don’t think you would ever want to be with those who spend their time weeping and gnashing their teeth which is what awaits those who will disregard God’s invitation.
1st Reading: Eph 2:12-22
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 85:9-14 “The Lord speaks of peace to his people.”
GOSPEL: Lk 12:35-38
Key Verse: “…keep your lamps burning.” (v.35)
The central message of today’s Gospel speak of salvation and the need to remain vigilant for the second coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ and this comes at a very opportune time because there are many of us including those who are already in the renewal who don’t take seriously the teachings of Jesus who has shown us the path to eternal life.
Reason for this could be our being overly-confident that Our God is a forgiving God and that He will definitely forgive those who will seek His forgiveness and repent of their sins. Another reason is a disordered appreciation of our primary purpose in life which is to evangelize and make disciples of all nations.
And in the pursuit of the Great Commission (Mt 28:18-20) confusion at times sets in as there are instances when programs and projects have been prioritized over evangelization and discipleship. This brings to mind the case of a particular community whose members no longer attend the teachings and formation made available to them because one of their leaders told them they are getting fat attending teachings and that they should instead go on mission. And this was what they did and end even today very few of its members attend their teachings. Worst, cliques and groupings sprouted that literally destroyed this community. Why? Because without discipleship, no mission will ever last and so the question of which should come first – formation or mission – will always remain to be a contentious issue.
There are also times when we vacillate on our decision to commit ourselves to God as we hang-on to the material comforts, albeit fleeting, that the world offers. And we stretch God’s patience with us to the limit and we think of God when we can no longer find satisfaction with the world, when we find ourselves longing for joy that doesn’t disappear and, when the world we have built collapses and pins us down in the pit of depression and spiritual malaise.
Lest we set ourselves apart from those in the world, even those to whom God has already revealed Himself can still be living in their own world by dichotomizing the lives they live. On one side is the part wherein he worships God and on the other side is his human side that believes God will tolerate his imperfection.
What this Gospel for today is telling us is that our entire lives should be lived in interminable preparation for the second coming of Jesus because the expeditious manner by which he will come will not allow for any last-minute repentance. Where Jesus will find us when he comes will determine our eternal salvation. Towards this end, each one of us must be aware of the fact that taking for granted the warning contained in this Gospel is inviting disaster insofar as the salvation of our souls is concerned.
I grew up in a deeply religious setting and my parents sent me to a Catholic school where my faith was firmly established. But the world to which I ventured in my growing up years clouded my faith although I did not exactly lose my belief in God.
Abounding in mercy and love, God found me and led me to the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community through the Marriage Encounter and later to the Life in the Spirit Seminar. In the course of my discipleship training by way of the formation program of the BLD and even while I was still active as a Media practitioner I have witnessed so many deaths – violent ones such as armed encounters I covered, fatal road accidents and, deaths through natural causes. And the thought that always ran through my mind was that were these people ready when God sent for them. Am I prepared to meet my Creator?
The Church and or every Community like the BLD must have their own formation programs that parishioners and members can avail of. These formation programs such as the Christian Discipleship Formation Program (CDFP) of the BLD are designed to enkindle the virtues of Faith, Hope and Love that have been infused in us during our Baptism and bring these to completion by leading us to a commitment to serve God.
These formation programs, either in the Church or in the Community, serve their purpose in preparing the lay faithful for the second coming of Our Lord Jesus the Christ. This is why Christian disciples must be formed first before they are sent in the same way that the Apostles were subjected to intense on-the-job training for three years before they were finally fielded. And if there was one thing that stood out in the days of Jesus, it was that evangelization begins with prayer. How we will respond to this invitation will determine our eternal destiny.
God desires that all men must be saved. Hence, God Himself provides us the time to prepare ourselves for His coming and the Catechism of the Catholic Church 1058 assures us: “The Church prays that no one should be lost: ‘Lord, let me never be parted from you.' If it is true that no one can save himself, it is also true that God ‘desires all men to be saved' (1 Tim 2:4), and that for him ‘all things are possible' (Mt 19:26).”
The reward for heeding the call of Jesus to be watchful is so great that we cannot take it for granted and play around with our souls. In us is the divine nature that God shared with us when we were born into the world. Thus, it means that we must be aware of the fact that we all share in the divinity of Christ (2 Pet 1:4) and that our preoccupation is to live our lives in God and with God.
To prepare is to remain vigilant which means we have to take care of our body, soul and spirit and we need to spend our time taking care of others in the Church and or Community and even those who have yet to believe in God. This is the best way to prepare for the second coming of Jesus.
And after everything has been said the question we should ask ourselves is: Do I want to be saved? If you think you can put God’s invitation into your pigeonhole and let it remain there for sometime while you step into the world and enjoy its glitter, the fame and fortune that you acquire using the gifts God has given you and, the perks that come with it – try reading and reflecting on the Gospel today and then – THINK AGAIN – because I don’t think you would ever want to be with those who spend their time weeping and gnashing their teeth which is what awaits those who will disregard God’s invitation.
WEALTH COULD BE A DISTRACTION
THE RICH MAN IN THE PARABLE.
OCT. 22, 2012: 29TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Eph 2:1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 100:1-5 “The Lord made us, we belong to him.”
GOSPEL: LK 12: 13-21
Key Verse: “Be on your guard against all kinds of greed” (v.15)
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that someone came to Jesus with a problem about his father’s inheritance because in those days problems such as these are normally brought to the attention of Rabbis for them to settle.
Note that this Gospel passage was a continuation of Jesus’ teaching before a large crowd in which he branded the Pharisees as hypocrites and warned the people of the unforgiveable sin referring to the time when some of the Pharisees equated his miracles to the work of the devil.
While Luke did not describe how Jesus felt when someone called out to him and said: “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” (v.13) was probable that Jesus may have been irritated at the interruption and we can understand that. We who have been teaching ourselves know how it is when the flow of our thoughts is disrupted by a question or a reaction that has nothing to do with the topic of the teaching.
Here Jesus was just wrapping up his discourse on the unforgiveable sin when somebody from the crowd shouted. It was bad enough that he had interrupted the teaching but what was worst was that the tone of the man’s voice appeared to be telling Jesus what to do instead of simply asking him to arbitrate his dispute with his brother over their inheritance.
Not that he did not have the wisdom to settle the dispute as what Rabbis do but Jesus deflected the matter to redirect the attention of the man and the crowd to what was more important as he said: “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (v.15) With his response, we also see that Jesus remain grounded on his mission which was to preach the Kingdom of Heaven and not to act as an arbitrator for those disputing their inheritance.
And so instead of acquiescing to the man’s request for arbitration Jesus told the crowd another parable – the story of a landowner who was expecting a good crop season and not having a space to store his grain. So the landowner decided to tear down his barns and build bigger ones to accommodate his bumper harvest.
The point that Jesus wanted to make in the parable as well as his warning against greed was that life could not be measured in the abundance of possessions. Jesus must have seen how the man was consumed by his share in their inheritance and Jesus was concerned that the man did not look at his supposed inheritance as a blessing but with a greedy attitude that threatens his spiritual inheritance which was his eternal destiny.
And it was not just simple greed that Jesus had in mind in relating this parable to the concern of the man but all types of greed or excessive desire and for all intents and purposes greed does not refer only to material things but even to other matters such as positions, titles, fame, honor and admiration. And greed happens when man covets or has an excessive desire for these.
But in general, money will always be a prime motivator for greed and we always see this when the people rush to the Lotto betting stations to bet especially when the jackpot prize reaches the eight-figure or nine-figure mark.
And Jesus was saying: "a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions" (v.15). This means that those who consider themselves as Christian disciples must replace their desire to accumulate wealth by stacking up on pious investments that will earn for them a place in the Kingdom of Heaven. Life is more than material possessions and more important is our relationship with God.
Another point that Jesus raised in this parable was that riches or wealth could not provide us with security for the future as what we often hear from those who have been breaking their backs to save on their future. And if people in today’s post-modern world lose their focus on God it is because of the kind of world we live in. Today, advertisers spend millions to induce people to equate happiness and comfort with possessions. How we respond to such enticements determines our perception of what is important to us.
And Jesus emphasizes this point when he said: “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” (v.20) which means that no amount of possessions whether these are abundant or not can prevent the wheel of life from turning and we don’t know the hour when the thief would come.
What Jesus was actually saying was that instead of desiring to accumulate more wealth, it would be better if we will store up heavenly treasures and focus on our journey of faith conscious of the presence of the Holy Spirit in us.
Thus it should be for each one of us to see what the rich man could not see. The man’s covetousness for his share in the inheritance filled his entire being which will be of no use when his life is demanded of him.
The challenge for us then is to ask ourselves: What is our view of the inheritance coming to us in this world we live in? Or are we like the man in the parable who made a life out of the abundance of his possessions? Every now and then, it would probably do us good to always go back and reflect on vv.20-21 for at the end of the day no amount of wealth can substitute for what God offers.
1st Reading: Eph 2:1-10
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 100:1-5 “The Lord made us, we belong to him.”
GOSPEL: LK 12: 13-21
Key Verse: “Be on your guard against all kinds of greed” (v.15)
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that someone came to Jesus with a problem about his father’s inheritance because in those days problems such as these are normally brought to the attention of Rabbis for them to settle.
Note that this Gospel passage was a continuation of Jesus’ teaching before a large crowd in which he branded the Pharisees as hypocrites and warned the people of the unforgiveable sin referring to the time when some of the Pharisees equated his miracles to the work of the devil.
While Luke did not describe how Jesus felt when someone called out to him and said: “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” (v.13) was probable that Jesus may have been irritated at the interruption and we can understand that. We who have been teaching ourselves know how it is when the flow of our thoughts is disrupted by a question or a reaction that has nothing to do with the topic of the teaching.
Here Jesus was just wrapping up his discourse on the unforgiveable sin when somebody from the crowd shouted. It was bad enough that he had interrupted the teaching but what was worst was that the tone of the man’s voice appeared to be telling Jesus what to do instead of simply asking him to arbitrate his dispute with his brother over their inheritance.
Not that he did not have the wisdom to settle the dispute as what Rabbis do but Jesus deflected the matter to redirect the attention of the man and the crowd to what was more important as he said: “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (v.15) With his response, we also see that Jesus remain grounded on his mission which was to preach the Kingdom of Heaven and not to act as an arbitrator for those disputing their inheritance.
And so instead of acquiescing to the man’s request for arbitration Jesus told the crowd another parable – the story of a landowner who was expecting a good crop season and not having a space to store his grain. So the landowner decided to tear down his barns and build bigger ones to accommodate his bumper harvest.
The point that Jesus wanted to make in the parable as well as his warning against greed was that life could not be measured in the abundance of possessions. Jesus must have seen how the man was consumed by his share in their inheritance and Jesus was concerned that the man did not look at his supposed inheritance as a blessing but with a greedy attitude that threatens his spiritual inheritance which was his eternal destiny.
And it was not just simple greed that Jesus had in mind in relating this parable to the concern of the man but all types of greed or excessive desire and for all intents and purposes greed does not refer only to material things but even to other matters such as positions, titles, fame, honor and admiration. And greed happens when man covets or has an excessive desire for these.
But in general, money will always be a prime motivator for greed and we always see this when the people rush to the Lotto betting stations to bet especially when the jackpot prize reaches the eight-figure or nine-figure mark.
And Jesus was saying: "a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions" (v.15). This means that those who consider themselves as Christian disciples must replace their desire to accumulate wealth by stacking up on pious investments that will earn for them a place in the Kingdom of Heaven. Life is more than material possessions and more important is our relationship with God.
Another point that Jesus raised in this parable was that riches or wealth could not provide us with security for the future as what we often hear from those who have been breaking their backs to save on their future. And if people in today’s post-modern world lose their focus on God it is because of the kind of world we live in. Today, advertisers spend millions to induce people to equate happiness and comfort with possessions. How we respond to such enticements determines our perception of what is important to us.
And Jesus emphasizes this point when he said: “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” (v.20) which means that no amount of possessions whether these are abundant or not can prevent the wheel of life from turning and we don’t know the hour when the thief would come.
What Jesus was actually saying was that instead of desiring to accumulate more wealth, it would be better if we will store up heavenly treasures and focus on our journey of faith conscious of the presence of the Holy Spirit in us.
Thus it should be for each one of us to see what the rich man could not see. The man’s covetousness for his share in the inheritance filled his entire being which will be of no use when his life is demanded of him.
The challenge for us then is to ask ourselves: What is our view of the inheritance coming to us in this world we live in? Or are we like the man in the parable who made a life out of the abundance of his possessions? Every now and then, it would probably do us good to always go back and reflect on vv.20-21 for at the end of the day no amount of wealth can substitute for what God offers.
NEW PARADIGM FOR CHRISTIANS
SALOME WANTS HONOR FOR HER SONS JAMES AND JOHN.
OCT. 21, 2012: WORLD MISSION SUNDAY
1st Reading: Isa 53:10-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22 “Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.”
2nd Reading: Heb 4:14-16
Gospel: Mk 10:35-45
Key Verse: “...but to serve, and to give his life
as a ransom for many.” (v.45)
As we step deeper into the life of Jesus, we are ushered into an intriguing part of his life and that of his Apostles and this Gospel reading gives us an insight into the true character of Our Lord Jesus Christ. But before we can truly grasp the full meaning of this Gospel passage, let us first draw the predicate leading to this incident.
Before this happened, Jesus has already been preaching about the events that are yet to unfold, his own passion, death and resurrection. And even the Apostles have been with him for quite sometime listening to his discourses on love, his Apostles at this time may have still been looking at Jesus as the conquering king who will lead them out of their being held captive by the Roman empire.
It was probably out of fear that the organization that Jesus has established will be left orphaned if his prophetic words will turn to reality that drove the mother of James and John to talk to Jesus and tried to make him agree to place her sons to his right and to his left.
And before we unsheathe our swords and aim it at James and John, we must remember that it was not they who went to Jesus but it was their mother whom Mark identified as Salome, a sister of Mary the mother of Jesus, and this gives us a picture of the concern of mothers for the welfare of their children.
Her being a relation to Jesus must have impelled her to have the boldness to ask what she taught was just right that Jesus should pass on the mantle of leadership to since James and John who are his close relatives.
On the other hand, even if it was the mother who went to Jesus, it was probable that Salome did so after consulting with both James and John who also entertained the idea of sitting in a place of honor and so did not stop their mother from raising the matter with Jesus.
Here we find a parallelism with the attitude of members in many Christian congregations or even in civic and social organizations. There are those who would go to great lengths just to sit in places of honor.
They would do everything and even pretend to be a person they are not just so they could become chairman, president of their organizations and or as an elder of their congregation that has become their lifelong quest and desire. There are those who would hang on to positions of honor forgetting that the true value of leadership is when a leader can reproduce other leaders from among those that he serves.
Even charismatic communities have had their own share of such experiences with members who are materially endowed pushing their weight around. At times there are those who go to great lengths just so they could manipulate situations by using their influence to gain a leverage to promote their own agenda.
And the response of Jesus to this scenario sets the tone for the kind of paradigm that his ministry will pursue. This was a paradigm that is set on the daily struggle, heart-breaks, disappointments, frustrations, life-long obedience and faithfulness, sacrificial and humble service that everyone must embrace if we want to follow Christ wherever he may lead us and to be like him in any life situation that we may find ourselves to be in.
And this passage shows us how we too must address the situations in our lives when confronted with incidents and or even persons who may be irritating, irrational, and or impertinent. Jesus is telling us not to lose our composure and patience and that we must respond with sincerity and honesty.
On this 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time which has been marked as World Mission Sunday, the Gospel passage should reminds us that to be great in the eyes of God is to be humble in the eyes of men and this is the kind of revolution that Jesus launched but which the people and the Pharisees at that time found difficult to grasp. This attitude of serving others without counting the cost is what will lead us to the Kingdom of God.
Mark the Evangelist who wrote this Gospel ends this passage with a summation of what it is to lead. As with Jesus who provides us with a new perspective of leadership, he showed us by example that a leader must be prepared to give his life away. Instead of using people, we are to serve them. This should remind us of the martyrdom of St. James the Apostle who was the first among the Apostles to have been martyred in the service of God and men.
There also was Toyohiko Kagawa, a Japanese who came from a well-to-do family but who served the poor in the Tokyo slums by living with them. In one of his books he wrote: “God dwells among the lowliest of men. He sits on the dust heap among the prison convicts. He stands with the juvenile delinquents, He is there with the beggars. He is among the sick, he stands with the unemployed. Therefore let him who would meet God visit the prison cell before going to the temple. Before he goes to Church let him visit the hospital. Before he reads the Bible let him help the beggar.”
This is the kind of greatness that God seeks. The world may have its own standard of greatness – intellectual standing, academic prominence, the number of committees and or ministries where one is a member, the number of outreaches that one may have organized in well-appointed communities and or homes, bank balances and material possessions – but these things are irrelevant because in assessing a person Jesus simply asks: “How many people have you helped?”
Sure we may be serving in our parishes and community activities but almost of all these are held in comfortable venues. Have we gathered the courage to really ask ourselves if this is what Jesus would do if he were here with us. Wouldn’t Jesus want us to be like Toyohiko Kagawa who served the poor by living with them. Or like St. James who faced death in the service of the Church.
What we all should realize is that Jesus summed up his whole life in just one phrase and this should be written in the hearts of all men especially those in leadership: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to his life as a ransom for many.” (v.45)
Jesus came not as a conqueror who will occupy a throne, but he came to occupy a cross. The Jews looked for a king who will smash their enemies to pieces but Jesus came as a broken King who hung on the cross. But his death that ransomed us from the slavery of sin is the epitome of the sacrificial love that Jesus also wants us to possess.
Our Lord gave everything to lead sinners like us back to God and this is the kind of life that he wants us to live. We must walk in his steps and be prepared to give up our lives to love and serve our neighbors for it is only by loving and dying for our neighbors that we can find the way to God. (Ed Malay)
1st Reading: Isa 53:10-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22 “Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.”
2nd Reading: Heb 4:14-16
Gospel: Mk 10:35-45
Key Verse: “...but to serve, and to give his life
as a ransom for many.” (v.45)
As we step deeper into the life of Jesus, we are ushered into an intriguing part of his life and that of his Apostles and this Gospel reading gives us an insight into the true character of Our Lord Jesus Christ. But before we can truly grasp the full meaning of this Gospel passage, let us first draw the predicate leading to this incident.
Before this happened, Jesus has already been preaching about the events that are yet to unfold, his own passion, death and resurrection. And even the Apostles have been with him for quite sometime listening to his discourses on love, his Apostles at this time may have still been looking at Jesus as the conquering king who will lead them out of their being held captive by the Roman empire.
It was probably out of fear that the organization that Jesus has established will be left orphaned if his prophetic words will turn to reality that drove the mother of James and John to talk to Jesus and tried to make him agree to place her sons to his right and to his left.
And before we unsheathe our swords and aim it at James and John, we must remember that it was not they who went to Jesus but it was their mother whom Mark identified as Salome, a sister of Mary the mother of Jesus, and this gives us a picture of the concern of mothers for the welfare of their children.
Her being a relation to Jesus must have impelled her to have the boldness to ask what she taught was just right that Jesus should pass on the mantle of leadership to since James and John who are his close relatives.
On the other hand, even if it was the mother who went to Jesus, it was probable that Salome did so after consulting with both James and John who also entertained the idea of sitting in a place of honor and so did not stop their mother from raising the matter with Jesus.
Here we find a parallelism with the attitude of members in many Christian congregations or even in civic and social organizations. There are those who would go to great lengths just to sit in places of honor.
They would do everything and even pretend to be a person they are not just so they could become chairman, president of their organizations and or as an elder of their congregation that has become their lifelong quest and desire. There are those who would hang on to positions of honor forgetting that the true value of leadership is when a leader can reproduce other leaders from among those that he serves.
Even charismatic communities have had their own share of such experiences with members who are materially endowed pushing their weight around. At times there are those who go to great lengths just so they could manipulate situations by using their influence to gain a leverage to promote their own agenda.
And the response of Jesus to this scenario sets the tone for the kind of paradigm that his ministry will pursue. This was a paradigm that is set on the daily struggle, heart-breaks, disappointments, frustrations, life-long obedience and faithfulness, sacrificial and humble service that everyone must embrace if we want to follow Christ wherever he may lead us and to be like him in any life situation that we may find ourselves to be in.
And this passage shows us how we too must address the situations in our lives when confronted with incidents and or even persons who may be irritating, irrational, and or impertinent. Jesus is telling us not to lose our composure and patience and that we must respond with sincerity and honesty.
On this 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time which has been marked as World Mission Sunday, the Gospel passage should reminds us that to be great in the eyes of God is to be humble in the eyes of men and this is the kind of revolution that Jesus launched but which the people and the Pharisees at that time found difficult to grasp. This attitude of serving others without counting the cost is what will lead us to the Kingdom of God.
Mark the Evangelist who wrote this Gospel ends this passage with a summation of what it is to lead. As with Jesus who provides us with a new perspective of leadership, he showed us by example that a leader must be prepared to give his life away. Instead of using people, we are to serve them. This should remind us of the martyrdom of St. James the Apostle who was the first among the Apostles to have been martyred in the service of God and men.
There also was Toyohiko Kagawa, a Japanese who came from a well-to-do family but who served the poor in the Tokyo slums by living with them. In one of his books he wrote: “God dwells among the lowliest of men. He sits on the dust heap among the prison convicts. He stands with the juvenile delinquents, He is there with the beggars. He is among the sick, he stands with the unemployed. Therefore let him who would meet God visit the prison cell before going to the temple. Before he goes to Church let him visit the hospital. Before he reads the Bible let him help the beggar.”
This is the kind of greatness that God seeks. The world may have its own standard of greatness – intellectual standing, academic prominence, the number of committees and or ministries where one is a member, the number of outreaches that one may have organized in well-appointed communities and or homes, bank balances and material possessions – but these things are irrelevant because in assessing a person Jesus simply asks: “How many people have you helped?”
Sure we may be serving in our parishes and community activities but almost of all these are held in comfortable venues. Have we gathered the courage to really ask ourselves if this is what Jesus would do if he were here with us. Wouldn’t Jesus want us to be like Toyohiko Kagawa who served the poor by living with them. Or like St. James who faced death in the service of the Church.
What we all should realize is that Jesus summed up his whole life in just one phrase and this should be written in the hearts of all men especially those in leadership: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to his life as a ransom for many.” (v.45)
Jesus came not as a conqueror who will occupy a throne, but he came to occupy a cross. The Jews looked for a king who will smash their enemies to pieces but Jesus came as a broken King who hung on the cross. But his death that ransomed us from the slavery of sin is the epitome of the sacrificial love that Jesus also wants us to possess.
Our Lord gave everything to lead sinners like us back to God and this is the kind of life that he wants us to live. We must walk in his steps and be prepared to give up our lives to love and serve our neighbors for it is only by loving and dying for our neighbors that we can find the way to God. (Ed Malay)
BLASPHEMY: AN UNFORGIVEABLE SIN
OCT. 20, 2012: 28TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Eph 1:15-23
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 8:2-7 “You have given your son rule over the works of your hands.”
GOSPEL: LK 12:8-12
Key Verse: “but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit
will not be forgiven.” (v.10)
When my spouse and I came into the Charismatic Renewal Community in 1989 we often hear from the teachings that we attended the words unforgiveable sin and grieving the Holy Spirit, but there was not enough explanation of what constitutes this type of sin and how does a person fall into such error.
In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus warns us of the unforgiveable sin and many might fall into eternal damnation without their even knowing it if they are not aware of what Our Lord considers as an unforgiveable sin.
It may also confuse us at times when we read that Our Lord can forgive anything we may say against him but not if we speak irreverently or blasphemes the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. But in the preceding verse, he also tells us that those who disown him will be disowned before the angels of God.
For proper understanding we need to dig into our church documents and find out what it says about this particular sin. Blasphemy is actually included as among the sins that violates the Second Commandment of God (“Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord Thy God in vain.”) because a person commits blasphemy when he reviles God and his Saints and or even speak contemptuously of objects connected with His worship.
Blasphemy is essentially a diabolical sin and one that is described as a grave transgression. St. Bernardin says that blasphemy may be called a sin peculiar to devils and reprobates for as the Holy Spirit speaks through the mouth of someone who is good, the devil speaks through the mouth of a blasphemer.
It becomes an unforgiveable sin when a person attributes to Satan the work of the Holy Spirit (Mt 12:31-32; Mk 3:28-29). In the same way, a person who deliberately and persistently reject the Holy Spirit’s presence and work and even of God Himself is far from God and totally unaware of any sin at all.
Someone who slanders the Holy Spirit as the Pharisees have done (Mt 12:24) suffers from spiritual blindness or a perversion of his moral nature that puts him beyond hope and repentance and, hence, beyond forgiveness. It also exposes a spiritual cancer that is in an advanced stage that it is beyond any hope of healing and forgiveness.
What may confuse believers is the fact that the blood of Jesus did pay for all the sins in the world (Jn 1:29) but there shouldn’t be any confusion with what Jesus was saying in this Gospel because the focal point of the message is the right attitude that we need to bring when we are in the presence of God. And this warning should not be viewed as a situation prevailing in the time of Jesus because this is very much in vogue even now that many have fallen into apostasy and are relying more and more on themselves and not on God.
Apostasy happens when we either lose faith in God because of doubt and disbelief or when we find the Will of God to be incompatible with our worldly pursuits. God says love your neighbor but how can that be if our neighbor wronged us. Our neighbor could be a business partner who absconded with the company’s finances leaving us with a trail of debts to pay. He could be a friend who may have swindled you. Or he could be anyone who may have humiliated you or me.
This happened to me some years back when two of my business partners ran away with my share in a big transaction that I arranged and I looked forward to my share that I needed to pay my debts. I seethed in anger and I could have manhandled those two wise guys had I seen them but they were nowhere to be found. I really thought I could not forgive but time changed all that. I was also blessed because I was already in the renewal when it happened and I was able to put it behind me. Eventually, my two partners and I had a good laugh from the experience when we bumped into each other. And what a relief it was when the sin of unforgiveness was uprooted from my heart.
But blaspheming the Holy Spirit is something that God cannot put behind him. It becomes unforgiveable when we speak against God and refuses to acknowledge our sinfulness and repent of this sin towards God. A sin against the Holy Spirit becomes unforgiveable when repentance is no longer present or when this process is not availed of by a person who persists in his refusal to recognize God’s presence especially when a person falls into serious error by accepting evil as good.
This is the kind of hypocrisy that Jesus talked about when he spoke against the practice of the Pharisees whom he not only accused of greed and wickedness but whom he also called hypocrites. Worst, the Pharisees equated the miracles of Jesus as the work of the devil.
In a way, this condition is also what the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI branded as relativism when the people in today’s post-modern world justifies as right the general behavior of men even if it goes against the grain of what is right. In other words, we can commit unforgiveable sin if we refuse to recognize God and believe it is right because we live in an environment where God has become an historical event and close the door to repentance.
Even in this stage, reconciliation with God is still possible if we will only recognize the primacy of his mercy and Grace and the salvation that God offers through the Holy Spirit. We can all begin by recognizing that God sent his only Son to suffer death on the cross to redeem us from our sins. His death on the cross should lead us all to a true repentance of our sins and placing our sinful nature at the foot of the cross.
And this can be made possible if we will seek the help of the Holy Spirit whom God sent to be our Paraclete – or the one who mediates or stands in the gap between us and God. At the end of the day, regardless of the sin we may have committed, reconciliation with God is possible through repentance and allowing the Holy Spirit to indwell in us.
1st Reading: Eph 1:15-23
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 8:2-7 “You have given your son rule over the works of your hands.”
GOSPEL: LK 12:8-12
Key Verse: “but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit
will not be forgiven.” (v.10)
When my spouse and I came into the Charismatic Renewal Community in 1989 we often hear from the teachings that we attended the words unforgiveable sin and grieving the Holy Spirit, but there was not enough explanation of what constitutes this type of sin and how does a person fall into such error.
In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus warns us of the unforgiveable sin and many might fall into eternal damnation without their even knowing it if they are not aware of what Our Lord considers as an unforgiveable sin.
It may also confuse us at times when we read that Our Lord can forgive anything we may say against him but not if we speak irreverently or blasphemes the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. But in the preceding verse, he also tells us that those who disown him will be disowned before the angels of God.
For proper understanding we need to dig into our church documents and find out what it says about this particular sin. Blasphemy is actually included as among the sins that violates the Second Commandment of God (“Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord Thy God in vain.”) because a person commits blasphemy when he reviles God and his Saints and or even speak contemptuously of objects connected with His worship.
Blasphemy is essentially a diabolical sin and one that is described as a grave transgression. St. Bernardin says that blasphemy may be called a sin peculiar to devils and reprobates for as the Holy Spirit speaks through the mouth of someone who is good, the devil speaks through the mouth of a blasphemer.
It becomes an unforgiveable sin when a person attributes to Satan the work of the Holy Spirit (Mt 12:31-32; Mk 3:28-29). In the same way, a person who deliberately and persistently reject the Holy Spirit’s presence and work and even of God Himself is far from God and totally unaware of any sin at all.
Someone who slanders the Holy Spirit as the Pharisees have done (Mt 12:24) suffers from spiritual blindness or a perversion of his moral nature that puts him beyond hope and repentance and, hence, beyond forgiveness. It also exposes a spiritual cancer that is in an advanced stage that it is beyond any hope of healing and forgiveness.
What may confuse believers is the fact that the blood of Jesus did pay for all the sins in the world (Jn 1:29) but there shouldn’t be any confusion with what Jesus was saying in this Gospel because the focal point of the message is the right attitude that we need to bring when we are in the presence of God. And this warning should not be viewed as a situation prevailing in the time of Jesus because this is very much in vogue even now that many have fallen into apostasy and are relying more and more on themselves and not on God.
Apostasy happens when we either lose faith in God because of doubt and disbelief or when we find the Will of God to be incompatible with our worldly pursuits. God says love your neighbor but how can that be if our neighbor wronged us. Our neighbor could be a business partner who absconded with the company’s finances leaving us with a trail of debts to pay. He could be a friend who may have swindled you. Or he could be anyone who may have humiliated you or me.
This happened to me some years back when two of my business partners ran away with my share in a big transaction that I arranged and I looked forward to my share that I needed to pay my debts. I seethed in anger and I could have manhandled those two wise guys had I seen them but they were nowhere to be found. I really thought I could not forgive but time changed all that. I was also blessed because I was already in the renewal when it happened and I was able to put it behind me. Eventually, my two partners and I had a good laugh from the experience when we bumped into each other. And what a relief it was when the sin of unforgiveness was uprooted from my heart.
But blaspheming the Holy Spirit is something that God cannot put behind him. It becomes unforgiveable when we speak against God and refuses to acknowledge our sinfulness and repent of this sin towards God. A sin against the Holy Spirit becomes unforgiveable when repentance is no longer present or when this process is not availed of by a person who persists in his refusal to recognize God’s presence especially when a person falls into serious error by accepting evil as good.
This is the kind of hypocrisy that Jesus talked about when he spoke against the practice of the Pharisees whom he not only accused of greed and wickedness but whom he also called hypocrites. Worst, the Pharisees equated the miracles of Jesus as the work of the devil.
In a way, this condition is also what the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI branded as relativism when the people in today’s post-modern world justifies as right the general behavior of men even if it goes against the grain of what is right. In other words, we can commit unforgiveable sin if we refuse to recognize God and believe it is right because we live in an environment where God has become an historical event and close the door to repentance.
Even in this stage, reconciliation with God is still possible if we will only recognize the primacy of his mercy and Grace and the salvation that God offers through the Holy Spirit. We can all begin by recognizing that God sent his only Son to suffer death on the cross to redeem us from our sins. His death on the cross should lead us all to a true repentance of our sins and placing our sinful nature at the foot of the cross.
And this can be made possible if we will seek the help of the Holy Spirit whom God sent to be our Paraclete – or the one who mediates or stands in the gap between us and God. At the end of the day, regardless of the sin we may have committed, reconciliation with God is possible through repentance and allowing the Holy Spirit to indwell in us.
LIVING WITHOUT FEAR
OCT. 19, 2012: 28th WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Eph 1:11-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 33:1-2, 4-5, 12-13 “Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.”
GOSPEL: LK 12: 1-7
Key Verse: “… you are worth more than many sparrows” (v.7)
Worry, anxiety, depression, aggression, boredom, pride, arrogance, humility and oftentimes fear, these are some of the attributes that define man’s character and at times these have been referred to in our Christian faith as sinful tendencies that separate us from the source of Grace who is God.
Sometimes you may ask how these characteristics were acquired by man if we are to look at man in the context of Genesis 1 wherein we know of God being pleased at what he had created. This is where our Christian formation on original sin will come in but man will always be by nature a unit that consists of body, soul and spirit.
Among these attributes, Jesus in today’s Gospel reading talked of fear in reference to the misguided instructions on worship that were being passed on by the Pharisees which instead of bringing the people closer to God have created a burden that men have literally lost their lifeline to God.
As Jesus gained prominence as a preacher and we can see this right at the beginning in Lk 12:1 when the Evangelist wrote that a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another as Jesus began to speak first to his disciples.
This opening verse is significant in that notwithstanding the multitude that came to listen to him, Jesus addressed his disciples first and what he said must have publicly embarrassed the Pharisees. Jesus looks at his disciples as his friends and as such they are privileged to first hear what he had to say.
And Jesus began with a warning, (v.1) “Be on your guard against the leaven of the Pharisees which is hypocrisy.” In Lk 11:39, Jesus used the words greed and wickedness in criticizing the Pharisees and in this narrative the mere mention of the yeast in reference to the hypocrisy of the Pharisees must have caused a lot of undercurrents among the religious leaders at the time.
This was because the Jews consider the leaven as a symbol of evil. The leaven is a piece of dough from left-over bread which if left exposed to the elements gets rotten and if not disposed properly will infect other food that it gets in contact with. For Jesus to use leaven as an example only shows how Jesus regards the Pharisees.
The mere fact that he accused the Pharisees of hypocrisy shows that Jesus regard the Pharisees as nothing but mere actors who makes a good appearance and outward display of their religiosity but keeping from the public eye what they don’t want the people to see.
But hypocrisy as what Jesus was referring to was not exclusive to the Pharisees in the time of Jesus because even today there exists the same kind of leaven that Jesus warned his disciples against and this is one of the reasons why churches, religious organizations and or communities divide and scatter.
Indeed like leaven, hypocrites normally lie hidden and cannot easily be identified especially in a democratic setting. Their agenda and influence are known only to them. But as time passes, they begin to infect and corrupt the whole environment political, social or otherwise. And this also happens in a religious setting especially if programs and agenda replace the more important objective of evangelism which is to lead others to Christ.
Jesus assures us, however, that (v.2) “nothing concealed that will not be revealed” and that he will provide us with his Grace to empower us to deal with any form of leaven that we will come in contact with. But Our Lord also requires that when his Grace has been revealed to us, we have a duty to proclaim his message of salvation to others. This means that we have to get involved in evangelizing the world around us. It is not enough that we dip into our pockets and give to the poor without telling the poor he has an opportunity to rise up from his poverty.
As Jesus likened the distorted teachings of the Pharisees to a leaven that brings spiritual death to the people, he now tells his disciples and the people (v.4) “do not be afraid” and that fear of losing one’s life can be overcome by a holy fear of God.
Many times in our lives we allow fear to dominate our senses and emotions. There are many things that we are fearful about. We fear losing our possessions. We fear about our image and what others say about us. We also fear being exposed for the times we may have lied about certain things.
Fear is a powerful force that could lead us to doing things irrationally. But fear of God puts us to an advantage as it brings us into a position that prepares us to receive the Grace of God because fear of God leads to spiritual maturity.
Fear of God will provide us the kind of wisdom that helps us discern the spiritual deception we may be faced with and it also breaks the chains of sinful pride that we may have acquired from the world.
The fact that he began by saying “I tell you my friends” gave away what was inside the heart of Jesus and I consider this to be the most significant part of this Gospel today because Jesus not only referred to his disciples as friends but as he also speaks to us now we too are among those he calls “my friends.” This personal salutation brings us to the very heart of Jesus because Jesus only treats as friends those who believe and trusts in him.
How he values us can be seen in v.7 “don’t be afraid, you are worth more than many sparrows.” Indeed, we all have nothing to fear because God considers us as his friends and we are blessed in having Christ not only as our friend but a friend on whom we can depend on.
In the meantime, let us all get down on our knees and pray for the Synod that is ongoing at the Vatican as the Catholic Church hierarchy discerns on how to give meaning to the New Evangelization protocol that the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI has espoused.
1st Reading: Eph 1:11-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 33:1-2, 4-5, 12-13 “Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.”
GOSPEL: LK 12: 1-7
Key Verse: “… you are worth more than many sparrows” (v.7)
Worry, anxiety, depression, aggression, boredom, pride, arrogance, humility and oftentimes fear, these are some of the attributes that define man’s character and at times these have been referred to in our Christian faith as sinful tendencies that separate us from the source of Grace who is God.
Sometimes you may ask how these characteristics were acquired by man if we are to look at man in the context of Genesis 1 wherein we know of God being pleased at what he had created. This is where our Christian formation on original sin will come in but man will always be by nature a unit that consists of body, soul and spirit.
Among these attributes, Jesus in today’s Gospel reading talked of fear in reference to the misguided instructions on worship that were being passed on by the Pharisees which instead of bringing the people closer to God have created a burden that men have literally lost their lifeline to God.
As Jesus gained prominence as a preacher and we can see this right at the beginning in Lk 12:1 when the Evangelist wrote that a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another as Jesus began to speak first to his disciples.
This opening verse is significant in that notwithstanding the multitude that came to listen to him, Jesus addressed his disciples first and what he said must have publicly embarrassed the Pharisees. Jesus looks at his disciples as his friends and as such they are privileged to first hear what he had to say.
And Jesus began with a warning, (v.1) “Be on your guard against the leaven of the Pharisees which is hypocrisy.” In Lk 11:39, Jesus used the words greed and wickedness in criticizing the Pharisees and in this narrative the mere mention of the yeast in reference to the hypocrisy of the Pharisees must have caused a lot of undercurrents among the religious leaders at the time.
This was because the Jews consider the leaven as a symbol of evil. The leaven is a piece of dough from left-over bread which if left exposed to the elements gets rotten and if not disposed properly will infect other food that it gets in contact with. For Jesus to use leaven as an example only shows how Jesus regards the Pharisees.
The mere fact that he accused the Pharisees of hypocrisy shows that Jesus regard the Pharisees as nothing but mere actors who makes a good appearance and outward display of their religiosity but keeping from the public eye what they don’t want the people to see.
But hypocrisy as what Jesus was referring to was not exclusive to the Pharisees in the time of Jesus because even today there exists the same kind of leaven that Jesus warned his disciples against and this is one of the reasons why churches, religious organizations and or communities divide and scatter.
Indeed like leaven, hypocrites normally lie hidden and cannot easily be identified especially in a democratic setting. Their agenda and influence are known only to them. But as time passes, they begin to infect and corrupt the whole environment political, social or otherwise. And this also happens in a religious setting especially if programs and agenda replace the more important objective of evangelism which is to lead others to Christ.
Jesus assures us, however, that (v.2) “nothing concealed that will not be revealed” and that he will provide us with his Grace to empower us to deal with any form of leaven that we will come in contact with. But Our Lord also requires that when his Grace has been revealed to us, we have a duty to proclaim his message of salvation to others. This means that we have to get involved in evangelizing the world around us. It is not enough that we dip into our pockets and give to the poor without telling the poor he has an opportunity to rise up from his poverty.
As Jesus likened the distorted teachings of the Pharisees to a leaven that brings spiritual death to the people, he now tells his disciples and the people (v.4) “do not be afraid” and that fear of losing one’s life can be overcome by a holy fear of God.
Many times in our lives we allow fear to dominate our senses and emotions. There are many things that we are fearful about. We fear losing our possessions. We fear about our image and what others say about us. We also fear being exposed for the times we may have lied about certain things.
Fear is a powerful force that could lead us to doing things irrationally. But fear of God puts us to an advantage as it brings us into a position that prepares us to receive the Grace of God because fear of God leads to spiritual maturity.
Fear of God will provide us the kind of wisdom that helps us discern the spiritual deception we may be faced with and it also breaks the chains of sinful pride that we may have acquired from the world.
The fact that he began by saying “I tell you my friends” gave away what was inside the heart of Jesus and I consider this to be the most significant part of this Gospel today because Jesus not only referred to his disciples as friends but as he also speaks to us now we too are among those he calls “my friends.” This personal salutation brings us to the very heart of Jesus because Jesus only treats as friends those who believe and trusts in him.
How he values us can be seen in v.7 “don’t be afraid, you are worth more than many sparrows.” Indeed, we all have nothing to fear because God considers us as his friends and we are blessed in having Christ not only as our friend but a friend on whom we can depend on.
In the meantime, let us all get down on our knees and pray for the Synod that is ongoing at the Vatican as the Catholic Church hierarchy discerns on how to give meaning to the New Evangelization protocol that the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI has espoused.
IT'S HARD BUT GO JUST THE SAME
ST. LUKE, THE EVANGELIST
OCT. 18, 2012: FEAST OF ST. LUKE THE EVANGELIST
1st Reading: 2 TIM 4:10-17
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 145:10-3, 17-18 “Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom.”
GOSPEL: LK 10:1-9
Key Verse: ‘The kingdom of God is near you.’ (v.9)
Translated into current realities, the Gospel of today speaks of the same two things as when this happened more than 2,000 years ago. Like Jesus we are to look at the world around us today as a field of great harvest to draw all men to the Kingdom of God.
It also speaks of how we need to delegate the work needed to get the harvest done in the same way that Jesus delegated the work that he could have done but needed to for that is what evangelization is all about. And for those who exercise authority over others, to delegate at times is a hard thing to do and I experienced this.
Not that I am a perfectionist but I struggled with this in my professional life as I’d rather do the job myself as I want to get things done in the way that I want it done. Little did I know that God has so graciously gifted each individual with talent, wisdom and knowledge such that we can have even a multitude of people of diverse background working to achieve the same purpose and objective.
Jesus certainly had more reason that any of us to avoid delegating his work to others especially when it came to proclaiming the Kingdom of God for he definitely knew whereof he speak. Yet he still sent out the 72 disciples who were divided into 36 teams with the full authority to preach and heal the sick on his behalf (v.1).
When Jesus did that, he merely affirmed the often heard but not practiced idea of the development of the human potential as the most important task of a person in authority. Jesus could easily achieve the purpose for which he came and he doesn’t need these 72 neophytes to help him but he nevertheless harnessed them because he knew they will only grow if they are clothed with responsibility and authority.
When he commissioned the 72, he gave them a vision of a great harvest for the kingdom of God. During his ministry, Jesus frequently used the image of a harvest to foretell the coming of God’s reign on earth. In doing so, Jesus makes it known that the harvest is the fruit of labor and growth – beginning with the sowing of seeds, then planting and weeding, growing, and finally fruit for the harvest.
In like manner, we are to endeavor with the same instructions that Jesus gave to the 72 disciples and sow and plant the Word of God in the hearts of receptive men and women who submit to God and honor him as their Lord and King. The harvest that Jesus had in mind was not only the Jews but all the people of the world for “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (Jn 3:16).
As before, we too are like lambs being sent in the midst of wolves as the world around us has greatly changed from the time of Jesus and during the great revival of the Christian faith in Europe and most parts of the world. While Isaiah has foretold of a time when wolves and lambs will dwell in peace (Isa 11:6, 65:25), we who are now being sent out must expect opposition and persecution from those who oppose the Gospel of Christ. Just as Jesus came to be our sacrificial lamb to atone for the sin of the world we too must be willing to sacrifice our lives in humble service of our Lord and Master.
In our commission as the ambassadors for Christ in the post-modern world, the instructions remain the same as it were when the 72 were sent out. Jesus gave them instructions on how they were to carry out their ministry. We must go and serve as men without guile, full of charity and peace, and simplicity. We must give their full attention to the proclamation of God’s kingdom and not be diverted by other lesser things.
We must travel light and only take what is essential and leave behind all forms of distractions in order to concentrate on the task of proclaiming the Word of the God. We must do our work not for what we can get out of it, but for what we can freely give to others, without expecting special privileges or reward.
Such poverty of spirit is what will deliver us from greed and preoccupation with possessions that gives ample room for God’s own provision because the Lord wants us to be dependent on him and not on ourselves.
What we all must remember is that when God gives us his Word we all are obliged to respond as there is no middle ground with respect to our commission. It’s either we are for or against God who gives us his Word that we may have life in him. God wills to work through and in each of us for his glory. God shares his Word with us and he commissions us to speak it boldly and simply to others.
In our lives us Sharers for the Marriage Encounter Weekend and the Life in the Spirit Seminars and, as facilitators of teachings in parishes and other charismatic communities, my spouse Malou and I have practically experienced both extremes from first-class accommodations to places that have limited or no facilities at all. But as emissaries of Christ who is the epitome of what humility is, workers in the vineyard of the Lord should not complain or grumble. For Malou and me, we have learned to be content whatever the circumstances (Phi 4:11).
And today as we celebrate the Feast of St. Luke the Evangelist, Jesus is showing us from where our mission is to begin. It should begin with prayer: “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest and ask him to send more workers into the fields” (v.2).
Remember too that the 72 disciples whom Jesus sent in pairs are not better educated than the people they will be trying to draw. They also are not better situated as do the people to whom they will bring the message of salvation. What they had was the training and equipping they received from Jesus Himself. In other words, all that they had to stand on was the empowerment that Jesus gave to them and the vision they had to bring people to the kingdom of God.
This is the same with us who are now being sent to be the good news to others and to succeed we all must fill our lives with prayer as Jesus did.
This Gospel also represents the two most important rules that Jesus wants his disciples to observe. These are (1) to eat what is put before us and not seek better and more comfortable accommodations which is to accept hospitality without being picky or choosy (v.8) and, (2) to heal the sick because healings draw the attention of the people to the presence of God (v.9).
To bring to others and stand witness to the Word of God is a tremendous privilege. Still, greater responsibility rests on those who will hear the Word of God because they will ultimately be judged according to the measure of their actions in relation to what they heard.
And we whom Christ have called to minister to the world around us need to do what we are told to do and this Gospel reminds us to go without counting the cost. We can all begin by asking ourselves have we witnessed to our own passion, death and resurrection in Christ to those around us? Because at the end of the day, the world will look not just at us but whether Christ is indeed present in us. That’s the bottom line.
1st Reading: 2 TIM 4:10-17
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 145:10-3, 17-18 “Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom.”
GOSPEL: LK 10:1-9
Key Verse: ‘The kingdom of God is near you.’ (v.9)
Translated into current realities, the Gospel of today speaks of the same two things as when this happened more than 2,000 years ago. Like Jesus we are to look at the world around us today as a field of great harvest to draw all men to the Kingdom of God.
It also speaks of how we need to delegate the work needed to get the harvest done in the same way that Jesus delegated the work that he could have done but needed to for that is what evangelization is all about. And for those who exercise authority over others, to delegate at times is a hard thing to do and I experienced this.
Not that I am a perfectionist but I struggled with this in my professional life as I’d rather do the job myself as I want to get things done in the way that I want it done. Little did I know that God has so graciously gifted each individual with talent, wisdom and knowledge such that we can have even a multitude of people of diverse background working to achieve the same purpose and objective.
Jesus certainly had more reason that any of us to avoid delegating his work to others especially when it came to proclaiming the Kingdom of God for he definitely knew whereof he speak. Yet he still sent out the 72 disciples who were divided into 36 teams with the full authority to preach and heal the sick on his behalf (v.1).
When Jesus did that, he merely affirmed the often heard but not practiced idea of the development of the human potential as the most important task of a person in authority. Jesus could easily achieve the purpose for which he came and he doesn’t need these 72 neophytes to help him but he nevertheless harnessed them because he knew they will only grow if they are clothed with responsibility and authority.
When he commissioned the 72, he gave them a vision of a great harvest for the kingdom of God. During his ministry, Jesus frequently used the image of a harvest to foretell the coming of God’s reign on earth. In doing so, Jesus makes it known that the harvest is the fruit of labor and growth – beginning with the sowing of seeds, then planting and weeding, growing, and finally fruit for the harvest.
In like manner, we are to endeavor with the same instructions that Jesus gave to the 72 disciples and sow and plant the Word of God in the hearts of receptive men and women who submit to God and honor him as their Lord and King. The harvest that Jesus had in mind was not only the Jews but all the people of the world for “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (Jn 3:16).
As before, we too are like lambs being sent in the midst of wolves as the world around us has greatly changed from the time of Jesus and during the great revival of the Christian faith in Europe and most parts of the world. While Isaiah has foretold of a time when wolves and lambs will dwell in peace (Isa 11:6, 65:25), we who are now being sent out must expect opposition and persecution from those who oppose the Gospel of Christ. Just as Jesus came to be our sacrificial lamb to atone for the sin of the world we too must be willing to sacrifice our lives in humble service of our Lord and Master.
In our commission as the ambassadors for Christ in the post-modern world, the instructions remain the same as it were when the 72 were sent out. Jesus gave them instructions on how they were to carry out their ministry. We must go and serve as men without guile, full of charity and peace, and simplicity. We must give their full attention to the proclamation of God’s kingdom and not be diverted by other lesser things.
We must travel light and only take what is essential and leave behind all forms of distractions in order to concentrate on the task of proclaiming the Word of the God. We must do our work not for what we can get out of it, but for what we can freely give to others, without expecting special privileges or reward.
Such poverty of spirit is what will deliver us from greed and preoccupation with possessions that gives ample room for God’s own provision because the Lord wants us to be dependent on him and not on ourselves.
What we all must remember is that when God gives us his Word we all are obliged to respond as there is no middle ground with respect to our commission. It’s either we are for or against God who gives us his Word that we may have life in him. God wills to work through and in each of us for his glory. God shares his Word with us and he commissions us to speak it boldly and simply to others.
In our lives us Sharers for the Marriage Encounter Weekend and the Life in the Spirit Seminars and, as facilitators of teachings in parishes and other charismatic communities, my spouse Malou and I have practically experienced both extremes from first-class accommodations to places that have limited or no facilities at all. But as emissaries of Christ who is the epitome of what humility is, workers in the vineyard of the Lord should not complain or grumble. For Malou and me, we have learned to be content whatever the circumstances (Phi 4:11).
And today as we celebrate the Feast of St. Luke the Evangelist, Jesus is showing us from where our mission is to begin. It should begin with prayer: “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest and ask him to send more workers into the fields” (v.2).
Remember too that the 72 disciples whom Jesus sent in pairs are not better educated than the people they will be trying to draw. They also are not better situated as do the people to whom they will bring the message of salvation. What they had was the training and equipping they received from Jesus Himself. In other words, all that they had to stand on was the empowerment that Jesus gave to them and the vision they had to bring people to the kingdom of God.
This is the same with us who are now being sent to be the good news to others and to succeed we all must fill our lives with prayer as Jesus did.
This Gospel also represents the two most important rules that Jesus wants his disciples to observe. These are (1) to eat what is put before us and not seek better and more comfortable accommodations which is to accept hospitality without being picky or choosy (v.8) and, (2) to heal the sick because healings draw the attention of the people to the presence of God (v.9).
To bring to others and stand witness to the Word of God is a tremendous privilege. Still, greater responsibility rests on those who will hear the Word of God because they will ultimately be judged according to the measure of their actions in relation to what they heard.
And we whom Christ have called to minister to the world around us need to do what we are told to do and this Gospel reminds us to go without counting the cost. We can all begin by asking ourselves have we witnessed to our own passion, death and resurrection in Christ to those around us? Because at the end of the day, the world will look not just at us but whether Christ is indeed present in us. That’s the bottom line.
LOVE MORE IMPORTANT THAN TITHES
LOVE OF NEIGHBOR IS TO CARRY
EACH OTHER'S BURDENS.
OCT. 17, 2012: ST. IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH, Bishop and Martyr
1ST Reading: Gal 5:18-25
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 1:1-4, 6 “Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.”
GOSPEL: LK 11:42-46
Key Verse: “... but you neglect justice and the love of God.” (v.42)
If and when you are invited to a dinner or a social gathering as the case may be and find something inappropriate that the host did or you find the preparations not to your liking and, or you don’t feel some of the guests should not have been there, will you berate or insult the host?
Of course not and I don’t really think anyone of us can be so brazen as to dishonor the guest who so graciously invited us. But this was what Jesus did and there was a reason for putting the Pharisee who invited him on a spot. Why? Because the influence of the Pharisees and the Scribes has created more harm as the laws they have prescribed have become a burden rather than bring the people to a closer relationship with God.
While tithing is also a form of worship, the Pharisees expanded the law on giving to cover almost the entire livelihood of the people such that the people have all forgotten about helping the needy. To some of the Jews then, they placed a premium on tithing and rationalized their not helping others (Lk 10:25-37).
The importance of tithing in the life of a church or a community cannot be discounted nor ignored but if there are those who believe that to give a tithe is enough and can supplant love of God and neighbor, then you are not only being overfamiliar with God but imprudent as well because our compassion should not stop in the giving of tithes. Where we can help, we are obliged to help.
This is the comparison that Jesus was trying to raise in his continuing discussion with the Pharisee who invited him to dinner at his home. And the Pharisee must have fallen flat on his face because Jesus minced no words in telling him pointblank that they “are like unmarked graves, which men walk over without knowing it.” (v.44)
In fact, the Pharisee did react saying “Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us also.” (v.45) And for a better understanding of the dispute between Jesus and the Pharisees, it was not the observance of the Laws of Moses that Jesus was against but the amendments and revisions the Pharisees inserted into the law that created additional burdens to the Jewish people.
How blessed we are in the Community when all that is asked of us is just 10% of our income because the Pharisees wanted the people to give not just a tithe but to comply with at least three different tithes that the people in those days were asked to observe. These are:
1) The first fruits of seven types of produce that are to be offered at the Temple, e.g., fig-trees, olives, honey, wheat, vines, barley and pomegranates; (2) The Terumah which was the first fruits of all things growing that are owned or grown by the Jews of which 1/50th of the gross yield was given for the sustenance of the priests, and; (3) the Tithe itself which is 1/10th of all things that are cultivated which was given to the Levites who then pays a tithe to the priests.
These additional burdens are what Jesus was opposed to because it diverted the minds and hearts of the people to what Jesus felt was far more important than these outward expressions of faith and that is the - love of God and love of neighbor as well.
Jesus made mention of “unmarked graves” to draw the attention of those listening to him to the Jewish tradition that contact with a grave made a person unclean for seven days. His referral to the Pharisees as “unmarked graves” was because of their teachings that defiled the people who did not recognize the spiritual decay that lay in the false doctrines preached by the Pharisees.
The point that Jesus was trying to make in this Gospel was that the commandments of God should not translate into a compendium of laws that will make it hard for the people to observe but should instead lead us to an understanding that love of God and love of neighbor should precede everything else.
Translated into our present-day reality as Christian disciples it simply means that while tithing is important in the maintenance of our Community’s day-to-day operations, such cannot find favor with God if we are to ignore love of God and love of our neighbor.
This means that it is only our love of God that will help transform us from within that will keep us connected with the source of all that we are, all that we have and all that we will ever be. In the same way, our love for our neighbor is what will enable us to carry the burdens of others. And this is what community is all about.
Community is all about love of God and love of neighbor. One cannot exist without the other. These two principles are what I refer to as the two pillars of our Christian faith and both are equally important if we want to grow as Christian disciples. (CCC, Part 3, Sections 1 and 2)
As such even the programs and or projects that communities have in their pipelines should precede from our love for God and love for our neighbor. Outside of these, it will just take the form of programs that will titillate our egos and pride.
Love is sacrificial which is why our love of God is a great sacrifice on our part because it must lead us to die to our sinful nature and to metanoia or the transformation of our inner selves so that “it is no longer I who lives but Christ who lives in me” (Gal 2:20).
And our love of our neighbor should lead us to “carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal 6:2).
For those who are in a church organization or in a community of disciples, charismatic or otherwise, it would help if you will not focus so much on the mundane concerns of the organization you belong to. What you must constantly remind yourself is that an authentic Christian life is anchored on your relationship with God that is propelled by your love of God and love of neighbor.
For love to authentic it must emphatize with the burdens of your neighbor. St. Paul reminds us that "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given us" (Rom 5:5). As we reflect on this Gospel passage today, we can probably ask have we helped our neighbors carry their burdens lately?
God gave each one of us sufficient grace each day to love as he loves and to lift the burdens of others who like us were also created in the image and likeness of Christ. This is why regardless of how much we give or to whom, Matt 23:23 stipulates that our first priority is to ensure that justice becomes the foundation of our lives, that we also show compassion to our neighbors, and that we practice our faith and not just talk about it.
At the end of the day, obedience to God’s Will that will help increase our faith.
1ST Reading: Gal 5:18-25
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 1:1-4, 6 “Those who follow you, Lord, will have the light of life.”
GOSPEL: LK 11:42-46
Key Verse: “... but you neglect justice and the love of God.” (v.42)
If and when you are invited to a dinner or a social gathering as the case may be and find something inappropriate that the host did or you find the preparations not to your liking and, or you don’t feel some of the guests should not have been there, will you berate or insult the host?
Of course not and I don’t really think anyone of us can be so brazen as to dishonor the guest who so graciously invited us. But this was what Jesus did and there was a reason for putting the Pharisee who invited him on a spot. Why? Because the influence of the Pharisees and the Scribes has created more harm as the laws they have prescribed have become a burden rather than bring the people to a closer relationship with God.
While tithing is also a form of worship, the Pharisees expanded the law on giving to cover almost the entire livelihood of the people such that the people have all forgotten about helping the needy. To some of the Jews then, they placed a premium on tithing and rationalized their not helping others (Lk 10:25-37).
The importance of tithing in the life of a church or a community cannot be discounted nor ignored but if there are those who believe that to give a tithe is enough and can supplant love of God and neighbor, then you are not only being overfamiliar with God but imprudent as well because our compassion should not stop in the giving of tithes. Where we can help, we are obliged to help.
This is the comparison that Jesus was trying to raise in his continuing discussion with the Pharisee who invited him to dinner at his home. And the Pharisee must have fallen flat on his face because Jesus minced no words in telling him pointblank that they “are like unmarked graves, which men walk over without knowing it.” (v.44)
In fact, the Pharisee did react saying “Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us also.” (v.45) And for a better understanding of the dispute between Jesus and the Pharisees, it was not the observance of the Laws of Moses that Jesus was against but the amendments and revisions the Pharisees inserted into the law that created additional burdens to the Jewish people.
How blessed we are in the Community when all that is asked of us is just 10% of our income because the Pharisees wanted the people to give not just a tithe but to comply with at least three different tithes that the people in those days were asked to observe. These are:
1) The first fruits of seven types of produce that are to be offered at the Temple, e.g., fig-trees, olives, honey, wheat, vines, barley and pomegranates; (2) The Terumah which was the first fruits of all things growing that are owned or grown by the Jews of which 1/50th of the gross yield was given for the sustenance of the priests, and; (3) the Tithe itself which is 1/10th of all things that are cultivated which was given to the Levites who then pays a tithe to the priests.
These additional burdens are what Jesus was opposed to because it diverted the minds and hearts of the people to what Jesus felt was far more important than these outward expressions of faith and that is the - love of God and love of neighbor as well.
Jesus made mention of “unmarked graves” to draw the attention of those listening to him to the Jewish tradition that contact with a grave made a person unclean for seven days. His referral to the Pharisees as “unmarked graves” was because of their teachings that defiled the people who did not recognize the spiritual decay that lay in the false doctrines preached by the Pharisees.
The point that Jesus was trying to make in this Gospel was that the commandments of God should not translate into a compendium of laws that will make it hard for the people to observe but should instead lead us to an understanding that love of God and love of neighbor should precede everything else.
Translated into our present-day reality as Christian disciples it simply means that while tithing is important in the maintenance of our Community’s day-to-day operations, such cannot find favor with God if we are to ignore love of God and love of our neighbor.
This means that it is only our love of God that will help transform us from within that will keep us connected with the source of all that we are, all that we have and all that we will ever be. In the same way, our love for our neighbor is what will enable us to carry the burdens of others. And this is what community is all about.
Community is all about love of God and love of neighbor. One cannot exist without the other. These two principles are what I refer to as the two pillars of our Christian faith and both are equally important if we want to grow as Christian disciples. (CCC, Part 3, Sections 1 and 2)
As such even the programs and or projects that communities have in their pipelines should precede from our love for God and love for our neighbor. Outside of these, it will just take the form of programs that will titillate our egos and pride.
Love is sacrificial which is why our love of God is a great sacrifice on our part because it must lead us to die to our sinful nature and to metanoia or the transformation of our inner selves so that “it is no longer I who lives but Christ who lives in me” (Gal 2:20).
And our love of our neighbor should lead us to “carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal 6:2).
For those who are in a church organization or in a community of disciples, charismatic or otherwise, it would help if you will not focus so much on the mundane concerns of the organization you belong to. What you must constantly remind yourself is that an authentic Christian life is anchored on your relationship with God that is propelled by your love of God and love of neighbor.
For love to authentic it must emphatize with the burdens of your neighbor. St. Paul reminds us that "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given us" (Rom 5:5). As we reflect on this Gospel passage today, we can probably ask have we helped our neighbors carry their burdens lately?
God gave each one of us sufficient grace each day to love as he loves and to lift the burdens of others who like us were also created in the image and likeness of Christ. This is why regardless of how much we give or to whom, Matt 23:23 stipulates that our first priority is to ensure that justice becomes the foundation of our lives, that we also show compassion to our neighbors, and that we practice our faith and not just talk about it.
At the end of the day, obedience to God’s Will that will help increase our faith.
GOD SEES WHAT'S INSIDE
THE CEREMONIAL WASHING OF THE HANDS.
OCT. 16, 2012: 28TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Gal 5:1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 119:41, 43-45, 47-48 “Let your mercy come to me, O Lord.”
GOSPEL: LK 11:37-41
Key Verse: “… give what is inside the dish to the poor,
and everything will be clean for you.” (v.41)
This was one of the several instances when Jesus had to stand firm and confront what to him was a mere display of external rituals that do not in any way add to the holiness that God requires from his people. And if Jesus were preaching today in North America, he would definitely fit into the mold of those who do not hold their punches when dealing with something that is not right.
A man like that is one who will bring it to you “in your face.” This is not an expression but a type of situation that puts you in a position to say what you feel about another person without pulling your punches. It means that you can tell someone what is wrong with him, his faults, his misdemeanor and, not giving an inch from where you stand. There is actually another word for it – brutally frank.
And in this Gospel we see Jesus telling the Pharisees to their faces what was wrong with them “You Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.” (v.39) And he even followed this up with “You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also?” (v.40)
These are indeed strong words that could only come from Jesus because he knows whereof he stands. It may sound unkind but Jesus may have felt he has no other choice but to stop the Pharisees from institutionalizing their wrong beliefs and interpretation of the Mosaic laws that only confuse the people at that time.
This face-off came about when a Pharisee decided to invite Jesus to dinner in his home after listening to his preaching perhaps to hear more from the kind of wisdom that Jesus had that no one else had spoken before.
But as they were to start eating their meal, Jesus did something that was out of the ordinary or to a certain extent a violation of the existing tradition for Jewish priests to perform the ceremonial washing of the hands before a meal. It is also possible that Jesus did it on purpose because he wants to deliver a message to the Pharisees.
This was probably the opening that Jesus was waiting for as he blatantly told the Pharisees that what was important was not the externals but what was inside. It was like Jesus telling the Pharisees and those listening to him of what could be more important, clean hands or a clean heart?
And Jesus went on to say why the Pharisees fill their hearts with greed, arrogance, pride that he likened to the outside of the cup instead of filling the inside or their hearts with love and compassion that will keep out such negative spirits in a person.
Today this challenge remains and the question that we need to ask is how far have we allowed Jesus to transform us. Did we put our old self at the foot of the cross when we were baptized in the Spirit? Or do we still allow our old self to dominate our persona? Have we put our pride and arrogance in the back-burner or are we still dominated by our habit of self-exaltation?
In this Gospel, Jesus is inviting us to look into the deepest recesses of our hearts and to gather the courage to remove from our midst the evil spirit that compass us about – greed which provides the window for all the other negative spirits to enter into our hearts. And greed doesn’t just refer to our insatiable appetite to accumulate material wealth but anything that we crave for regardless of the means by which we acquire it and this could be positions in the workplace, social organization or even in the church for that matter.
To some extent, greed even refers to the way we behave and relate to others by imposing our beliefs, views and, positions that we want others to embrace. In other words, throwing our weight around and thinking highly only of ourselves is a form of greed. This was what Jesus wanted to point out because the ceremonial washing of the hands was a practice reserved only for priests in the olden times and need not be observed by the people and Jesus brought to fore the case of the Pharisees who filled themselves with rules and regulations but have no heart for the needs of the poor.
Again, we can see ourselves in this category as Jesus implores us to take stock of ourselves and see what areas in our lives do we need to change that we may not become Pharisaic. Perhaps we can begin by asking ourselves how we used the resources that God has entrusted to us may these be the materials blessings we have received or the gifts of the Holy Spirit that was poured on us in our baptism in the Holy Spirit or the virtues infused in us when we were confirmed.
More than our diligence in the performance of our functions and responsibilities in our careers, in the social organization or church to which we belong, Jesus puts more importance on how we relate to the poor because the purity of our hearts is measured by our generosity towards those who are poor materially and poor in spirit. Jesus ends saying “Give what is inside the dish to the poor and, everything will be clean for you.” (v.41) At the end of the day, we will all be measured not by our speech but by our deeds which should mirror what we say.
1st Reading: Gal 5:1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 119:41, 43-45, 47-48 “Let your mercy come to me, O Lord.”
GOSPEL: LK 11:37-41
Key Verse: “… give what is inside the dish to the poor,
and everything will be clean for you.” (v.41)
This was one of the several instances when Jesus had to stand firm and confront what to him was a mere display of external rituals that do not in any way add to the holiness that God requires from his people. And if Jesus were preaching today in North America, he would definitely fit into the mold of those who do not hold their punches when dealing with something that is not right.
A man like that is one who will bring it to you “in your face.” This is not an expression but a type of situation that puts you in a position to say what you feel about another person without pulling your punches. It means that you can tell someone what is wrong with him, his faults, his misdemeanor and, not giving an inch from where you stand. There is actually another word for it – brutally frank.
And in this Gospel we see Jesus telling the Pharisees to their faces what was wrong with them “You Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.” (v.39) And he even followed this up with “You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also?” (v.40)
These are indeed strong words that could only come from Jesus because he knows whereof he stands. It may sound unkind but Jesus may have felt he has no other choice but to stop the Pharisees from institutionalizing their wrong beliefs and interpretation of the Mosaic laws that only confuse the people at that time.
This face-off came about when a Pharisee decided to invite Jesus to dinner in his home after listening to his preaching perhaps to hear more from the kind of wisdom that Jesus had that no one else had spoken before.
But as they were to start eating their meal, Jesus did something that was out of the ordinary or to a certain extent a violation of the existing tradition for Jewish priests to perform the ceremonial washing of the hands before a meal. It is also possible that Jesus did it on purpose because he wants to deliver a message to the Pharisees.
This was probably the opening that Jesus was waiting for as he blatantly told the Pharisees that what was important was not the externals but what was inside. It was like Jesus telling the Pharisees and those listening to him of what could be more important, clean hands or a clean heart?
And Jesus went on to say why the Pharisees fill their hearts with greed, arrogance, pride that he likened to the outside of the cup instead of filling the inside or their hearts with love and compassion that will keep out such negative spirits in a person.
Today this challenge remains and the question that we need to ask is how far have we allowed Jesus to transform us. Did we put our old self at the foot of the cross when we were baptized in the Spirit? Or do we still allow our old self to dominate our persona? Have we put our pride and arrogance in the back-burner or are we still dominated by our habit of self-exaltation?
In this Gospel, Jesus is inviting us to look into the deepest recesses of our hearts and to gather the courage to remove from our midst the evil spirit that compass us about – greed which provides the window for all the other negative spirits to enter into our hearts. And greed doesn’t just refer to our insatiable appetite to accumulate material wealth but anything that we crave for regardless of the means by which we acquire it and this could be positions in the workplace, social organization or even in the church for that matter.
To some extent, greed even refers to the way we behave and relate to others by imposing our beliefs, views and, positions that we want others to embrace. In other words, throwing our weight around and thinking highly only of ourselves is a form of greed. This was what Jesus wanted to point out because the ceremonial washing of the hands was a practice reserved only for priests in the olden times and need not be observed by the people and Jesus brought to fore the case of the Pharisees who filled themselves with rules and regulations but have no heart for the needs of the poor.
Again, we can see ourselves in this category as Jesus implores us to take stock of ourselves and see what areas in our lives do we need to change that we may not become Pharisaic. Perhaps we can begin by asking ourselves how we used the resources that God has entrusted to us may these be the materials blessings we have received or the gifts of the Holy Spirit that was poured on us in our baptism in the Holy Spirit or the virtues infused in us when we were confirmed.
More than our diligence in the performance of our functions and responsibilities in our careers, in the social organization or church to which we belong, Jesus puts more importance on how we relate to the poor because the purity of our hearts is measured by our generosity towards those who are poor materially and poor in spirit. Jesus ends saying “Give what is inside the dish to the poor and, everything will be clean for you.” (v.41) At the end of the day, we will all be measured not by our speech but by our deeds which should mirror what we say.
JESUS IS THE SIGN
JONAH PREACHING AT NINEVEH
OCT. 15, 2012: ST. TERESA OF JESUS, virgin and doctor
1st Reading: Gal 4:22-24, 26-27, 31-5:1
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 113:1-7 “Blessed be the name of the Lord forever.”
GOSPEL: LK 11:29-32
Key Verse: “This is a wicked generation, it asks for a sign…” (v.29)
Today’s Gospel reading follows through the skepticism that Jesus was subjected to as he was driving out a demon from a man who was mute (Lk 11:14-15) and those in the crowd at the time “tested him by asking a sign from heaven.” (Lk 11:16).
“As the crowds increased, Jesus said, 'This is a wicked generation. It asks for a miraculous sign.' " (11:29a-b) And in this perverse world that we live in which even what was before immoral has become a pervading culture it has become common for us to say, “Prove it to me!”
With the advent of feng shui many people rely on signs and even the position of the sun and planets and the weather as determining factors to guide their business and personal decisions. Doors, windows and even the kind of furniture that you bring into your abode must conform to what feng shui principles say in order to harness positive energies that bring luck and fortune.
Today, many motorists, travellers, hikers, trekkers, mountaineers, or those who step out of the safe confines of their homes to go to an appointment, meeting, or workplace have also made it a habit to look for signs such as road signs to guide them to where they are headed. When we go on out-of-town jaunts I normally look for signs so that I won’t get lost on the way.
Specifically, we need to pay careful attention especially to warning signs as fatal accidents could be avoided if people only paid attention to such signs especially in Metro Manila where an average of three fatal accidents involving motorcyclists are recorded in the metropolis almost everyday.
Signs are important in the life of the Jew and we see in this Gospel passage that the religious leaders were demanding a sign from Jesus who in turn gave them a serious warning to avert spiritual disaster. It was the culture of the Jews to ask for a sign as a way of verifying the authenticity of those claiming to be messengers from God and when the religious leaders asked Jesus for signs he simply responded by saying that he was God's sign and that they need no further evidence from heaven than his own person.
With the many instances of healings, of the dead rising again and, of people freed from demon-possession it comes as a surprise why the religious leaders and some of the Jews kept pressing on Jesus to give them a sign to support his claim that he was indeed the Son of God.
And this unbelief was what moved Jesus to say what a wicked generation it was (v.29) that the Jews kept asking for a sign that hides their real intent which was they just couldn’t accept that Jesus to be the Son of God because the Jews were expecting someone more than just a carpenter’s son to save and liberate them.
But instead of providing them with a sign which was yet to come and which was going to be biggest sign the world will ever see (the cross), Jesus recalled the events of the past when the people of Nineveh repented after they heard Jonah preached to them (v.30) even if Jonah resented it for he was biased against the Ninevites.
What Jesus also wanted the religious leaders to believe was that the healings, the miracles and deliverance from demon-possession were enough signs of someone greater than Jonah or the wisdom of Solomon but which the religious leaders refuse to acknowledge.
In effect what Jesus was saying in this Gospel was that: “I have given you everything. You have seen what I can do. What sign do you still need for you to believe that I am the Messiah?” What he was trying to stress was that the Jews stand to be condemned because they had more privileges than the people of Nineveh or the Queen of Sheba who both repented after they heard the Word of God spoken to them.
And what Jesus is telling us now is that we have everything at our disposal to find the time to dwell on his Word and abide by his statutes and yet there are still many in today’s generation who appear to be waiting for a sign before they turn away from their sinfulness. If we will await for a sign there are none that are forthcoming because it has already come 2,000 years ago. Very simply, Jesus is the sign and the only sign there is.
We have all seen the signs that should make us accept Jesus as the Son of God. The more than 2,000 years following his passion, death and resurrection were filled with accounts of those who were witness to his ministry, to the greatest sign on Calvary, the Pentecost event. All these have been captured in the Scriptures. There were the messages of Fatima, apparitions in Naju, Akita and Medjugorje that call on the world to be faithful to God.
What more signs do we need to make us believe and live the kind of life that God wants us to live – a life that is predisposed to serving Him by serving our neighbor.
Today, the Holy Scriptures is available to anyone who would devote time to know God – who He is and what He did and what He continues to do for us. No other book in history has survived the test of time, translated into practically all the languages of the world and, used as reference for millions of books that has been printed ever since.
Accounts of healing and even incidents of those who have been pronounced as clinically dead but who miraculously rose and lived, of the many prayers that have been answered, these are signs that are available to us so we can believe that Jesus is Lord. Our faith is even sustained with the help of new technologies as the Word of God is also now on cyberspace especially on social networks.
With these privileges to know more of God and what he has given us including the material comforts that we now enjoy – jobs, homes, clothes, cars, jewelries and, food on our table – we are now being called to be responsible for what God has provided us and we can begin by acknowledging him as the source of all we have for “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything on it.” (1 Cor 10:26, Psa 24:1)
Out of what Our Lord has made available to us, we as Christian disciples must respond to the Lord with complete devotion setting aside whatever doubt or unbelief we have because “to all who received him, to those who believed in his name he gave the right to become children of God” (Jn 1:12)
And condemnation awaits those who shall persist in their refusal to accept him as Lord and Savior. This Gospel reading urges us to look inwardly and see who we are and what we have become and let us not miss the opportunity to meet, know and be faithful to someone greater than Jonah or Solomon for there are only two choices in life – it’s either we are for Him or against him. Jesus on the cross is the only sign we need to see as it reminds us that someone paid the price for our sins. So don’t play with your lives, it’s the only life we’ve got.
1st Reading: Gal 4:22-24, 26-27, 31-5:1
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 113:1-7 “Blessed be the name of the Lord forever.”
GOSPEL: LK 11:29-32
Key Verse: “This is a wicked generation, it asks for a sign…” (v.29)
Today’s Gospel reading follows through the skepticism that Jesus was subjected to as he was driving out a demon from a man who was mute (Lk 11:14-15) and those in the crowd at the time “tested him by asking a sign from heaven.” (Lk 11:16).
“As the crowds increased, Jesus said, 'This is a wicked generation. It asks for a miraculous sign.' " (11:29a-b) And in this perverse world that we live in which even what was before immoral has become a pervading culture it has become common for us to say, “Prove it to me!”
With the advent of feng shui many people rely on signs and even the position of the sun and planets and the weather as determining factors to guide their business and personal decisions. Doors, windows and even the kind of furniture that you bring into your abode must conform to what feng shui principles say in order to harness positive energies that bring luck and fortune.
Today, many motorists, travellers, hikers, trekkers, mountaineers, or those who step out of the safe confines of their homes to go to an appointment, meeting, or workplace have also made it a habit to look for signs such as road signs to guide them to where they are headed. When we go on out-of-town jaunts I normally look for signs so that I won’t get lost on the way.
Specifically, we need to pay careful attention especially to warning signs as fatal accidents could be avoided if people only paid attention to such signs especially in Metro Manila where an average of three fatal accidents involving motorcyclists are recorded in the metropolis almost everyday.
Signs are important in the life of the Jew and we see in this Gospel passage that the religious leaders were demanding a sign from Jesus who in turn gave them a serious warning to avert spiritual disaster. It was the culture of the Jews to ask for a sign as a way of verifying the authenticity of those claiming to be messengers from God and when the religious leaders asked Jesus for signs he simply responded by saying that he was God's sign and that they need no further evidence from heaven than his own person.
With the many instances of healings, of the dead rising again and, of people freed from demon-possession it comes as a surprise why the religious leaders and some of the Jews kept pressing on Jesus to give them a sign to support his claim that he was indeed the Son of God.
And this unbelief was what moved Jesus to say what a wicked generation it was (v.29) that the Jews kept asking for a sign that hides their real intent which was they just couldn’t accept that Jesus to be the Son of God because the Jews were expecting someone more than just a carpenter’s son to save and liberate them.
But instead of providing them with a sign which was yet to come and which was going to be biggest sign the world will ever see (the cross), Jesus recalled the events of the past when the people of Nineveh repented after they heard Jonah preached to them (v.30) even if Jonah resented it for he was biased against the Ninevites.
What Jesus also wanted the religious leaders to believe was that the healings, the miracles and deliverance from demon-possession were enough signs of someone greater than Jonah or the wisdom of Solomon but which the religious leaders refuse to acknowledge.
In effect what Jesus was saying in this Gospel was that: “I have given you everything. You have seen what I can do. What sign do you still need for you to believe that I am the Messiah?” What he was trying to stress was that the Jews stand to be condemned because they had more privileges than the people of Nineveh or the Queen of Sheba who both repented after they heard the Word of God spoken to them.
And what Jesus is telling us now is that we have everything at our disposal to find the time to dwell on his Word and abide by his statutes and yet there are still many in today’s generation who appear to be waiting for a sign before they turn away from their sinfulness. If we will await for a sign there are none that are forthcoming because it has already come 2,000 years ago. Very simply, Jesus is the sign and the only sign there is.
We have all seen the signs that should make us accept Jesus as the Son of God. The more than 2,000 years following his passion, death and resurrection were filled with accounts of those who were witness to his ministry, to the greatest sign on Calvary, the Pentecost event. All these have been captured in the Scriptures. There were the messages of Fatima, apparitions in Naju, Akita and Medjugorje that call on the world to be faithful to God.
What more signs do we need to make us believe and live the kind of life that God wants us to live – a life that is predisposed to serving Him by serving our neighbor.
Today, the Holy Scriptures is available to anyone who would devote time to know God – who He is and what He did and what He continues to do for us. No other book in history has survived the test of time, translated into practically all the languages of the world and, used as reference for millions of books that has been printed ever since.
Accounts of healing and even incidents of those who have been pronounced as clinically dead but who miraculously rose and lived, of the many prayers that have been answered, these are signs that are available to us so we can believe that Jesus is Lord. Our faith is even sustained with the help of new technologies as the Word of God is also now on cyberspace especially on social networks.
With these privileges to know more of God and what he has given us including the material comforts that we now enjoy – jobs, homes, clothes, cars, jewelries and, food on our table – we are now being called to be responsible for what God has provided us and we can begin by acknowledging him as the source of all we have for “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything on it.” (1 Cor 10:26, Psa 24:1)
Out of what Our Lord has made available to us, we as Christian disciples must respond to the Lord with complete devotion setting aside whatever doubt or unbelief we have because “to all who received him, to those who believed in his name he gave the right to become children of God” (Jn 1:12)
And condemnation awaits those who shall persist in their refusal to accept him as Lord and Savior. This Gospel reading urges us to look inwardly and see who we are and what we have become and let us not miss the opportunity to meet, know and be faithful to someone greater than Jonah or Solomon for there are only two choices in life – it’s either we are for Him or against him. Jesus on the cross is the only sign we need to see as it reminds us that someone paid the price for our sins. So don’t play with your lives, it’s the only life we’ve got.
HEAVEN IS REAL AFTER ALL
OCT. 14, 2012: 28TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Wis 7:7-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 90:12-17 “Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy.”
2nd Reading: Heb 4:12-13
GOSPEL: MK 10:17-30
Key Verse: “You will have great treasure in heaven.” (v.21)
For this Sunday, I’d like to begin by making mention of a Dr. Eben Alexander who has taught at Harvard Medical School and who has earned a reputation as a neurosurgeon. And while Dr. Alexander says he's long called himself a Christian, he never held deeply religious beliefs or a pronounced faith in the afterlife.
This is his story: After a week in a coma during the fall of 2008, during which his neocortex ceased to function, Alexander claims he experienced a life-changing visit to the afterlife, specifically heaven.
"According to current medical understanding of the brain and mind, there is absolutely no way that I could have experienced even a dim and limited consciousness during my time in the coma, much less the hyper-vivid and completely coherent odyssey I underwent," Alexander writes in the cover story of this week's edition of Newsweek
So what exactly does heaven look like?
Dr. Alexander says he first found himself floating above the clouds before witnessing a "transparent, shimmering beings arced across the sky, leaving long, streamer like lines behind them."
He claims to have been escorted by an unknown female companion and says he communicated with these beings through a method of correspondence that transcended language. Alexander says the messages he received from those beings loosely translated as:
"You are loved and cherished, dearly, forever."
"You have nothing to fear."
"There is nothing you can do wrong."
From there, Dr. Alexander claims to have traveled to "an immense void, completely dark, infinite in size, yet also infinitely comforting." He believes this void was the home of God.
After recovering from his meningitis-induced coma, Dr. Alexander says he was reluctant to share his experience with his colleagues but found comfort inside the walls of his church. He's chronicled his experience in a new book, "Proof of Heaven: A neurosurgeon's journey into the afterlife," which will be published in late October.
"I'm still a doctor, and still a man of science every bit as much as I was before I had my experience," Alexander writes. "But on a deep level I'm very different from the person I was before, because I've caught a glimpse of this emerging picture of reality. And you can believe me when I tell you that it will be worth every bit of the work it will take us, and those who come after us, to get it right."
As a media practitioner I don’t see any reason to doubt the story of Dr. Alexander. What to me is important is his testimony that heaven does exist and there is more to this Gospel reading than what Jesus said to the rich young man: “And Jesus looking upon him loved him, and said to him, "You lack one thing; go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” (v.21)
What Jesus said turned off the rich young man depicted in this passage that he left downcast. Jesus, however, is telling us now that it’s not that easy to enter heaven. And it’s not easy either to just give up something we have worked for in our life. For many of us in the here and now, the purpose of education is to eke out a living not only for us but also for our family.
We look at having a good education as an insurance towards a flourishing career, a business perhaps and out of these will come the fruits such as a house, cars, travel, branded clothes, jewelries and all the perks of what a good life is.
And we are no different from the young man in this Gospel passage. He was apparently young, well-mannered and educated and seemingly well-off for he was portrayed as a rich young man. There was no doubt he was honest and above reproach because he told Jesus: “Teacher, I have observed all the commandments from my youth. I have not killed anyone, I have not committed adultery, I have not stolen from anyone, nor did I bear false witness against anyone. I have also honored my father and mother.” (vv.19-20)
He was a man who had everything but there was something he was looking for. There was something he hungered for. And in today’s post-modern world we see young people shuttling to and from tourist destinations whenever they get the chance. Spas are filled on weekends with young junior executives who just want to relax after the hustle and bustle of the week as competition had become so fierce that it puts pressure on these young people. And the question is “are they happy?”
We will most certainly draw varied responses if we dare ask that question. Some will say they are happy and some will definitely say they are not fulfilled. And somewhere down the line, there will be some who may have accomplished what they have worked and yet will remain in search of that joy that will never end just as this young man did.
So we should view this Gospel passage as an advisory that should serve as a guide for us to reach heaven. Having the means to enjoy life will give us momentary happiness but as we long for that eternal joy we will realize that even our wealth is not enough to acquire eternity and at some point in time we will also ask “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (v.17)
And Jesus’s response will still be the same – there’s nothing you can do as only God can give eternal life (v.27). There are many rich young men today and many have also acquired sizeable assets. As with this rich young man in the Gospel, Jesus challenges us to detach from our possessions and make God our one true possession and treasure. As God Himself is the greatest treasure we can ever have, Jesus wants us now to give up everything in our hearts and replace it with God who should be the only treasure in our hearts.
Selling all that we have could mean letting go of our attachments especially if these are opposed to Christian values – anything that might stand in the way of our loving God first and foremost in our lives and giving him the best we can with our time, resources, gifts, and service.
“And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” (v.23) and his disciples were amazed because he reversed the common Jewish belief that prosperity was a symbol of a good man because God rewards good with prosperity. What Jesus meant was that men who are attached to their wealth and possession tend to fix their interests to this world as it makes them think of everything in terms of price and costs and not in terms of value.
In what is yet another great paradox, Jesus is telling us in this Gospel today that we can lose what we keep and we gain what we give away. Generosity will be amply repaid, both in this life and in eternity (Prov 3:9-10, Lk 6:38) and what Jesus is offering us in today’s Gospel is an incomparable treasure in exchange for our generosity in surrendering and giving up all our possessions that do not have any value in God’s Kingdom.
What should ring clear in today’s Gospel is that the man who trusts in himself and in his possessions can never be saved as it is only the man who trusts in the saving power and redeeming love of God who can enter the Kingdom of God and enjoy the eternity that comes from putting God at the center of our lives.
(Note: The story of Dr. Eben Alexander was picked up from an account that was carried by Yahoo News of Oct. 13, 2012.)
1st Reading: Wis 7:7-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 90:12-17 “Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy.”
2nd Reading: Heb 4:12-13
GOSPEL: MK 10:17-30
Key Verse: “You will have great treasure in heaven.” (v.21)
For this Sunday, I’d like to begin by making mention of a Dr. Eben Alexander who has taught at Harvard Medical School and who has earned a reputation as a neurosurgeon. And while Dr. Alexander says he's long called himself a Christian, he never held deeply religious beliefs or a pronounced faith in the afterlife.
This is his story: After a week in a coma during the fall of 2008, during which his neocortex ceased to function, Alexander claims he experienced a life-changing visit to the afterlife, specifically heaven.
"According to current medical understanding of the brain and mind, there is absolutely no way that I could have experienced even a dim and limited consciousness during my time in the coma, much less the hyper-vivid and completely coherent odyssey I underwent," Alexander writes in the cover story of this week's edition of Newsweek
So what exactly does heaven look like?
Dr. Alexander says he first found himself floating above the clouds before witnessing a "transparent, shimmering beings arced across the sky, leaving long, streamer like lines behind them."
He claims to have been escorted by an unknown female companion and says he communicated with these beings through a method of correspondence that transcended language. Alexander says the messages he received from those beings loosely translated as:
"You are loved and cherished, dearly, forever."
"You have nothing to fear."
"There is nothing you can do wrong."
From there, Dr. Alexander claims to have traveled to "an immense void, completely dark, infinite in size, yet also infinitely comforting." He believes this void was the home of God.
After recovering from his meningitis-induced coma, Dr. Alexander says he was reluctant to share his experience with his colleagues but found comfort inside the walls of his church. He's chronicled his experience in a new book, "Proof of Heaven: A neurosurgeon's journey into the afterlife," which will be published in late October.
"I'm still a doctor, and still a man of science every bit as much as I was before I had my experience," Alexander writes. "But on a deep level I'm very different from the person I was before, because I've caught a glimpse of this emerging picture of reality. And you can believe me when I tell you that it will be worth every bit of the work it will take us, and those who come after us, to get it right."
As a media practitioner I don’t see any reason to doubt the story of Dr. Alexander. What to me is important is his testimony that heaven does exist and there is more to this Gospel reading than what Jesus said to the rich young man: “And Jesus looking upon him loved him, and said to him, "You lack one thing; go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” (v.21)
What Jesus said turned off the rich young man depicted in this passage that he left downcast. Jesus, however, is telling us now that it’s not that easy to enter heaven. And it’s not easy either to just give up something we have worked for in our life. For many of us in the here and now, the purpose of education is to eke out a living not only for us but also for our family.
We look at having a good education as an insurance towards a flourishing career, a business perhaps and out of these will come the fruits such as a house, cars, travel, branded clothes, jewelries and all the perks of what a good life is.
And we are no different from the young man in this Gospel passage. He was apparently young, well-mannered and educated and seemingly well-off for he was portrayed as a rich young man. There was no doubt he was honest and above reproach because he told Jesus: “Teacher, I have observed all the commandments from my youth. I have not killed anyone, I have not committed adultery, I have not stolen from anyone, nor did I bear false witness against anyone. I have also honored my father and mother.” (vv.19-20)
He was a man who had everything but there was something he was looking for. There was something he hungered for. And in today’s post-modern world we see young people shuttling to and from tourist destinations whenever they get the chance. Spas are filled on weekends with young junior executives who just want to relax after the hustle and bustle of the week as competition had become so fierce that it puts pressure on these young people. And the question is “are they happy?”
We will most certainly draw varied responses if we dare ask that question. Some will say they are happy and some will definitely say they are not fulfilled. And somewhere down the line, there will be some who may have accomplished what they have worked and yet will remain in search of that joy that will never end just as this young man did.
So we should view this Gospel passage as an advisory that should serve as a guide for us to reach heaven. Having the means to enjoy life will give us momentary happiness but as we long for that eternal joy we will realize that even our wealth is not enough to acquire eternity and at some point in time we will also ask “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (v.17)
And Jesus’s response will still be the same – there’s nothing you can do as only God can give eternal life (v.27). There are many rich young men today and many have also acquired sizeable assets. As with this rich young man in the Gospel, Jesus challenges us to detach from our possessions and make God our one true possession and treasure. As God Himself is the greatest treasure we can ever have, Jesus wants us now to give up everything in our hearts and replace it with God who should be the only treasure in our hearts.
Selling all that we have could mean letting go of our attachments especially if these are opposed to Christian values – anything that might stand in the way of our loving God first and foremost in our lives and giving him the best we can with our time, resources, gifts, and service.
“And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” (v.23) and his disciples were amazed because he reversed the common Jewish belief that prosperity was a symbol of a good man because God rewards good with prosperity. What Jesus meant was that men who are attached to their wealth and possession tend to fix their interests to this world as it makes them think of everything in terms of price and costs and not in terms of value.
In what is yet another great paradox, Jesus is telling us in this Gospel today that we can lose what we keep and we gain what we give away. Generosity will be amply repaid, both in this life and in eternity (Prov 3:9-10, Lk 6:38) and what Jesus is offering us in today’s Gospel is an incomparable treasure in exchange for our generosity in surrendering and giving up all our possessions that do not have any value in God’s Kingdom.
What should ring clear in today’s Gospel is that the man who trusts in himself and in his possessions can never be saved as it is only the man who trusts in the saving power and redeeming love of God who can enter the Kingdom of God and enjoy the eternity that comes from putting God at the center of our lives.
(Note: The story of Dr. Eben Alexander was picked up from an account that was carried by Yahoo News of Oct. 13, 2012.)
OBEDIENCE HAS ITS REWARD
OCT. 13, 2012: 27TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Gal 3:22-29
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 105:2-7 “The Lord remembers his covenant forever.
GOSPEL: LK 11:27-28
Key Verse: “Blessed are those who hear the Word of God
and obey it.” (v.28)
In the post-modern world that we now live in, it has become common for people to obey their own instincts and or their gut feel as the culture of independence has become the current of today especially among the members of Post-Modern Generation.
Nowadays we see long lines of yuppies with backpacks in the check-in counters of budget airlines as the business process outsource industry has opened up a new wave of junior executives who have the means to travel to neighboring countries something which the youth of yesteryears did not have.
While this new trend has made the youth of today more independent and reliant on their own strengths, there is also a downside to it as the fast-paced environment in which they are operating in has somewhat affected their moral foundation with many of these youths moving out of the confines of their homes where they may have been reared in the Christian setting.
Today we here of illicit affairs among call center employees especially those in the night shift. Live-ins have become common among the young and the culture of graft and corruption is no longer confined to the public sector but even in the private sector as well.
In this Gospel reading that we have for today that serves as a backdrop to the current state of the church, we see Jesus explaining to the crowd that men have to fill their hearts with all that is good to keep the evil spirits at bay and out of nowhere a woman from among the crowd blurted out: “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.” (v.27)
If this happened to us and somebody tells us how good our mother is, the natural tendency is for us to accept the compliment and feel elated that someone recognizes what our mother did for us. Perhaps we will keep such compliment with us because it is reflective of what we have become on account of our mother’s labor and the more we become appreciative of the toil our mother have to experience to raise us.
But Jesus was not drawn to such praises even if it was directed towards his own mother and his response was something that we need to ponder on in relation to the teaching that lie hidden in the parable in the yesterday’s Gospel passage.
His response has all the makings of an admonition for all of us because it gives us a purview of what we can expect if we are to follow not only his teachings but more so the very Word of God (v.28). Because as far as Jesus was concerned he regards obedience as a virtue with a higher value than anything else and this was evident in his response: “Blessed rather are those who hear the Word of God and obey it.” (v.28)
What Jesus was saying was he already knew his mother was blessed but not because of the way she raised him up but because of her obedience to what the Lord tells her. “I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as you have said.” (Lk 1:38)
True there are many of us whose lifestyles do not exactly conform to the standards of Christian disciples but God will never withhold his abundant blessings from us if only we can find our way back to the path of God’s righteousness and the key to our being blessed is the level of obedience that we have in relation to how the Word of God rests in our ears. Hence, it can be said that if we hear the Word of God being spoken to us and not do anything about it, we can expect nothing from our God.
Like Mary his mother, Jesus is telling us now in this Gospel passage, short it may be, that we too stand to be blessed by God if we will only listen and obey what God wills. Obeying the Word of God also assures us of living in the light and truth of God and will provide us with the means to remain righteous in our ways.
As with the other gifts that God gives his people, to be blessed is premised on our disposition to share this same blessing to others. Mary obeyed when she heard the Word of God being said to her by the angel Gabriel and she responded positively and obeyed and she was blessed with the opportunity to carry in her womb the Lamb of God who will become the Savior of the world.
Mary was blessed and in turn she shared this blessing to others and not for once did Mary held back. She could have but she didn’t because she knew that this was part of the plan of God to bless the world.
Jesus in this Gospel is telling us that we have no choice but to listen and obey God through his written Word of God because we were created to be united with God. Our Lord is actually telling us that those who follow Jesus Christ and whose lives conform to the Will of God become part of God’s own family. This is the blessing that we will receive that we also are required to share with others.
On Thursday night (Oct. 11, 2012), I was invited to lead the Prayer Meeting of the Most Holy Redeemer Parish Prayer Group at Araneta Avenue in Quezon City. There were about 60 to 70 parishioners who attended the prayer meeting including some religious and their Parish Priest Monsignor Alfonso Bugaoan Jr.
The participants belong to different parish mandated organizations and have yet to take their Life in the Spirit Seminar that is being scheduled sometime next year but I was blessed to be witness to their enthusiasm and openness in responding to the call of God for them to serve in the vineyard of the Lord. I may not have the Gift of Prophecy but I could foresee a spiritual revival in the Most Holy Redeemer Parish with Monsignor Bugaoan leading the way.
In essence, this is what discipleship is all about and for us to really experience the presence of God in our lives we simply have to open up our hearts to the movement of the Holy Spirit and obey whatever we are commanded to do by Our Lord. As Monsignor Bugaoan said in his brief exhortation, there are at least three things that Catholic Christians should do especially in our observance of the Year of the Faith and these are: Know our Faith, Live our Faith, and Share our Faith. To do this, he said we can all begin by prayerfully reading the Creed, reflecting on it and applying it to our lives.
The best way to avoid evil in coping with the post-modern world is to do good. Our faith will not grow if we do nothing, thus we can never become good by not doing anything but we can become good by filling our lives with things that are pleasing in the eyes of God.
1st Reading: Gal 3:22-29
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 105:2-7 “The Lord remembers his covenant forever.
GOSPEL: LK 11:27-28
Key Verse: “Blessed are those who hear the Word of God
and obey it.” (v.28)
In the post-modern world that we now live in, it has become common for people to obey their own instincts and or their gut feel as the culture of independence has become the current of today especially among the members of Post-Modern Generation.
Nowadays we see long lines of yuppies with backpacks in the check-in counters of budget airlines as the business process outsource industry has opened up a new wave of junior executives who have the means to travel to neighboring countries something which the youth of yesteryears did not have.
While this new trend has made the youth of today more independent and reliant on their own strengths, there is also a downside to it as the fast-paced environment in which they are operating in has somewhat affected their moral foundation with many of these youths moving out of the confines of their homes where they may have been reared in the Christian setting.
Today we here of illicit affairs among call center employees especially those in the night shift. Live-ins have become common among the young and the culture of graft and corruption is no longer confined to the public sector but even in the private sector as well.
In this Gospel reading that we have for today that serves as a backdrop to the current state of the church, we see Jesus explaining to the crowd that men have to fill their hearts with all that is good to keep the evil spirits at bay and out of nowhere a woman from among the crowd blurted out: “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.” (v.27)
If this happened to us and somebody tells us how good our mother is, the natural tendency is for us to accept the compliment and feel elated that someone recognizes what our mother did for us. Perhaps we will keep such compliment with us because it is reflective of what we have become on account of our mother’s labor and the more we become appreciative of the toil our mother have to experience to raise us.
But Jesus was not drawn to such praises even if it was directed towards his own mother and his response was something that we need to ponder on in relation to the teaching that lie hidden in the parable in the yesterday’s Gospel passage.
His response has all the makings of an admonition for all of us because it gives us a purview of what we can expect if we are to follow not only his teachings but more so the very Word of God (v.28). Because as far as Jesus was concerned he regards obedience as a virtue with a higher value than anything else and this was evident in his response: “Blessed rather are those who hear the Word of God and obey it.” (v.28)
What Jesus was saying was he already knew his mother was blessed but not because of the way she raised him up but because of her obedience to what the Lord tells her. “I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as you have said.” (Lk 1:38)
True there are many of us whose lifestyles do not exactly conform to the standards of Christian disciples but God will never withhold his abundant blessings from us if only we can find our way back to the path of God’s righteousness and the key to our being blessed is the level of obedience that we have in relation to how the Word of God rests in our ears. Hence, it can be said that if we hear the Word of God being spoken to us and not do anything about it, we can expect nothing from our God.
Like Mary his mother, Jesus is telling us now in this Gospel passage, short it may be, that we too stand to be blessed by God if we will only listen and obey what God wills. Obeying the Word of God also assures us of living in the light and truth of God and will provide us with the means to remain righteous in our ways.
As with the other gifts that God gives his people, to be blessed is premised on our disposition to share this same blessing to others. Mary obeyed when she heard the Word of God being said to her by the angel Gabriel and she responded positively and obeyed and she was blessed with the opportunity to carry in her womb the Lamb of God who will become the Savior of the world.
Mary was blessed and in turn she shared this blessing to others and not for once did Mary held back. She could have but she didn’t because she knew that this was part of the plan of God to bless the world.
Jesus in this Gospel is telling us that we have no choice but to listen and obey God through his written Word of God because we were created to be united with God. Our Lord is actually telling us that those who follow Jesus Christ and whose lives conform to the Will of God become part of God’s own family. This is the blessing that we will receive that we also are required to share with others.
On Thursday night (Oct. 11, 2012), I was invited to lead the Prayer Meeting of the Most Holy Redeemer Parish Prayer Group at Araneta Avenue in Quezon City. There were about 60 to 70 parishioners who attended the prayer meeting including some religious and their Parish Priest Monsignor Alfonso Bugaoan Jr.
The participants belong to different parish mandated organizations and have yet to take their Life in the Spirit Seminar that is being scheduled sometime next year but I was blessed to be witness to their enthusiasm and openness in responding to the call of God for them to serve in the vineyard of the Lord. I may not have the Gift of Prophecy but I could foresee a spiritual revival in the Most Holy Redeemer Parish with Monsignor Bugaoan leading the way.
In essence, this is what discipleship is all about and for us to really experience the presence of God in our lives we simply have to open up our hearts to the movement of the Holy Spirit and obey whatever we are commanded to do by Our Lord. As Monsignor Bugaoan said in his brief exhortation, there are at least three things that Catholic Christians should do especially in our observance of the Year of the Faith and these are: Know our Faith, Live our Faith, and Share our Faith. To do this, he said we can all begin by prayerfully reading the Creed, reflecting on it and applying it to our lives.
The best way to avoid evil in coping with the post-modern world is to do good. Our faith will not grow if we do nothing, thus we can never become good by not doing anything but we can become good by filling our lives with things that are pleasing in the eyes of God.
THE UNFORGIVEABLE SIN
OCT. 12, 2012: 27TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Gal 3:7-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 111:1-6 “The Lord will remember his covenant forever.”
GOSPEL: LK 11:15-26
Key Verse: “He who is not with me is against me,” (v.23)
Like the Pharisees of old, we could be committing the so-called unforgiveable sin when we dishonor God not only by our actions that are incompatible with the Christian standard but also out of the blasphemous words that come out of our lips.And we will most certainly ask how come there is an unforgiveable sin when God is known to be a forgiving God.
The truth is there exists an unforgiveable sin and the Pharisees may have committed it without their knowing it when they attributed the healing miracles of Jesus to Beelzebub, the prince of demons (v.15-16). A similar event reported by Mark quoted Jesus describing this claim of the Pharisees as blaspheming the Holy Spirit (Mk 3:29).
To blaspheme is "to speak reproachfully, revile, calumniate, cuss, and or use foul language." Thus, to speak ill of the Holy Spirit who empowers Jesus to heal the mute (v.14) was a grievous sin because it was tantamount to calling the Holy Spirit a demon. Hence, when the Pharisees ascribed the miracles of Jesus to the prince of demon, they denied that Jesus was truly from God thus divesting themselves of any hope of forgiveness that comes only through Jesus.
Today’s Gospel reading shows how desperate the Pharisees were and in their driven desire to discredit Jesus they went as far as equating the miracles of Jesus to the work of the devil. This was, however, not the first time because the Pharisees also subjected John the Baptist to the same treatment (Matt 11:18).
And when they accused him to be in alliance with the devil, Jesus turned the tables on the Pharisees by pointing out that exorcists who were prevalent at that time were also driving out demons from those possessed by them and would the Pharisees also say these were the works of the devil.
What Jesus did was to show his disciples and which he is also showing to us now that there is a time when critics are to be treated with compassion and there comes a time when these are to be dealt with in the strongest possible terms.
This was just what Jesus did when he told the Pharisees: “If I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your followers drive them out?” (v.19) At this the Pharisees seem to have chickened out especially when Jesus said (v.22) that a strong person can only be defeated by someone stronger which is tantamount to saying if indeed his works are from the devil it presupposes that Satan himself was casting out his own kind.
The Pharisees were particularly silenced when Jesus brought back the “finger of God” event in apparent reference to the historic confrontation (Exo 8:16-19) between the magicians employed by the Pharaoh and Moses who forced the magicians to finally accept their powerlessness against God and publicly admitting “this is the finger of God.” (v.20)
Jesus then seized the situation by saying that what was important was not just to drive away the demons or the evil spirits but for a person to immediately fill the void in his soul that was created when the demons were driven out because an empty soul becomes an attractive target for the devil to return with as much force than when he left
Here Jesus was saying that as an insurance against possession by evil spirits, we need to fill our hearts with God because we will be in a worse state than we were in before and Jesus wants to fill our entire being with his Word and love.
This was the same situation as when Jesus was casting out demons from people possessed by evil spirits. When we accepted Jesus and confessed him to be our personal Lord and Savior, our old selves died and by the power of the Holy Spirit who dwelt in us during our Baptism in the Spirit, we became new in Christ (2 Cor 5:17).
When Jesus told the Pharisees: “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters” (v.23) Jesus was simply making it clear and he is also telling us now that we cannot be neutral in our ways. It’s either we are on the side of Jesus or we are not, it’s as simple as that because there are only two choices we have. Do we want to enter the kingdom of God or do we want to remain in the kingdom of darkness. There are no ifs and buts when it comes to our salvation.
As we celebrate the Year of the Faith (Oct. 2012 – Nov. 2013), let us make it a habit to spend a few moments reading the Holy Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church and God Himself assures us that it will be a time well spent.
We should look at the Bible as our personal manual of operations that teaches us how to remain on the road leading to the kingdom of God. To disobey these sacred instructions from God, we open ourselves to the influence of the evil one whose main objective is to separate us from the Grace of God. This is why Jesus must fill our souls and he will provide us the strength to resist the evil one.
What then is the best protection that brings lasting security to our lives? Scripture tells us that true peace and security come to those who trust in God and obey his Word. "Obey my voice and walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you" (Jer 7:23). The struggle between choosing to do good or evil, yielding to our will or God's will, God's way or our way, cannot be won by human strength or will-power alone.
Our enemy conspires with the world and our flesh to lead us into sinful desires. Peter the Apostle tells us that the devil prowls the earth seeking the ruin of souls (1 Peter 5:8-9). In this light, God Himself offers us Grace and protection if we are willing to obey his Word and resist the devil. “Because you have made the Lord your refuge, the Most High your habitation, no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent. For he will give his angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways.” (Psalm 91:9-11)
1st Reading: Gal 3:7-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 111:1-6 “The Lord will remember his covenant forever.”
GOSPEL: LK 11:15-26
Key Verse: “He who is not with me is against me,” (v.23)
Like the Pharisees of old, we could be committing the so-called unforgiveable sin when we dishonor God not only by our actions that are incompatible with the Christian standard but also out of the blasphemous words that come out of our lips.And we will most certainly ask how come there is an unforgiveable sin when God is known to be a forgiving God.
The truth is there exists an unforgiveable sin and the Pharisees may have committed it without their knowing it when they attributed the healing miracles of Jesus to Beelzebub, the prince of demons (v.15-16). A similar event reported by Mark quoted Jesus describing this claim of the Pharisees as blaspheming the Holy Spirit (Mk 3:29).
To blaspheme is "to speak reproachfully, revile, calumniate, cuss, and or use foul language." Thus, to speak ill of the Holy Spirit who empowers Jesus to heal the mute (v.14) was a grievous sin because it was tantamount to calling the Holy Spirit a demon. Hence, when the Pharisees ascribed the miracles of Jesus to the prince of demon, they denied that Jesus was truly from God thus divesting themselves of any hope of forgiveness that comes only through Jesus.
Today’s Gospel reading shows how desperate the Pharisees were and in their driven desire to discredit Jesus they went as far as equating the miracles of Jesus to the work of the devil. This was, however, not the first time because the Pharisees also subjected John the Baptist to the same treatment (Matt 11:18).
And when they accused him to be in alliance with the devil, Jesus turned the tables on the Pharisees by pointing out that exorcists who were prevalent at that time were also driving out demons from those possessed by them and would the Pharisees also say these were the works of the devil.
What Jesus did was to show his disciples and which he is also showing to us now that there is a time when critics are to be treated with compassion and there comes a time when these are to be dealt with in the strongest possible terms.
This was just what Jesus did when he told the Pharisees: “If I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your followers drive them out?” (v.19) At this the Pharisees seem to have chickened out especially when Jesus said (v.22) that a strong person can only be defeated by someone stronger which is tantamount to saying if indeed his works are from the devil it presupposes that Satan himself was casting out his own kind.
The Pharisees were particularly silenced when Jesus brought back the “finger of God” event in apparent reference to the historic confrontation (Exo 8:16-19) between the magicians employed by the Pharaoh and Moses who forced the magicians to finally accept their powerlessness against God and publicly admitting “this is the finger of God.” (v.20)
Jesus then seized the situation by saying that what was important was not just to drive away the demons or the evil spirits but for a person to immediately fill the void in his soul that was created when the demons were driven out because an empty soul becomes an attractive target for the devil to return with as much force than when he left
Here Jesus was saying that as an insurance against possession by evil spirits, we need to fill our hearts with God because we will be in a worse state than we were in before and Jesus wants to fill our entire being with his Word and love.
This was the same situation as when Jesus was casting out demons from people possessed by evil spirits. When we accepted Jesus and confessed him to be our personal Lord and Savior, our old selves died and by the power of the Holy Spirit who dwelt in us during our Baptism in the Spirit, we became new in Christ (2 Cor 5:17).
When Jesus told the Pharisees: “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters” (v.23) Jesus was simply making it clear and he is also telling us now that we cannot be neutral in our ways. It’s either we are on the side of Jesus or we are not, it’s as simple as that because there are only two choices we have. Do we want to enter the kingdom of God or do we want to remain in the kingdom of darkness. There are no ifs and buts when it comes to our salvation.
As we celebrate the Year of the Faith (Oct. 2012 – Nov. 2013), let us make it a habit to spend a few moments reading the Holy Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church and God Himself assures us that it will be a time well spent.
We should look at the Bible as our personal manual of operations that teaches us how to remain on the road leading to the kingdom of God. To disobey these sacred instructions from God, we open ourselves to the influence of the evil one whose main objective is to separate us from the Grace of God. This is why Jesus must fill our souls and he will provide us the strength to resist the evil one.
What then is the best protection that brings lasting security to our lives? Scripture tells us that true peace and security come to those who trust in God and obey his Word. "Obey my voice and walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you" (Jer 7:23). The struggle between choosing to do good or evil, yielding to our will or God's will, God's way or our way, cannot be won by human strength or will-power alone.
Our enemy conspires with the world and our flesh to lead us into sinful desires. Peter the Apostle tells us that the devil prowls the earth seeking the ruin of souls (1 Peter 5:8-9). In this light, God Himself offers us Grace and protection if we are willing to obey his Word and resist the devil. “Because you have made the Lord your refuge, the Most High your habitation, no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent. For he will give his angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways.” (Psalm 91:9-11)
REWARD OF PERSISTENCE
OCT. 11, 2012: 27TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Gal 3:1-5
Responsorial Psalm: Lk 1:69-75 “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, he has come to his people.”
GOSPEL: LK 11:5-13
Key Verse: “how much more will your Father in heaven give
the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Persistence as what we see in the Gospel today is defined in the dictionary as perseverance, constancy, staying power, pertinacity, tenacity, tenaciousness, doggedness, indefatigability, boldness and relentless. There are other words that describe what persistence is but what are enumerated here more or less provides us an idea of what it means.
Of these words, what I like in particular are the words tenaciousness, doggedness, boldness and relentless since these words aptly describe the action of the man in this parable who went to his friend and neighbor to ask for bread in the middle of the night because a friend of his who was on a journey stopped over his house and he was caught unprepared.
Again, to understand the circumstances related to this parable, we need to gloss on the culture of the people at the time so that we can grasp the scenario depicted here. Many travelers in those days travel at night to avoid the day’s hot temperature and this particular traveler went to the man’s house because the man was his friend and he knew perfectly well that he would not be refused.
The man was embarrassed because he had ran out of bread and so he, in turn, mustered all the tenacity that he could to knock and wake up his neighbor to ask for bread. Tradition has it that bread which was the primary staple of the Jews in those days was baked at home but households would normally bake just enough for the needs of the family for the day.
The family of the neighbor was already asleep and he didn’t want to open his door lest the commotion wake up his family but there were two compelling reasons why he did open his door and give the man the bread he was asking for.
One was because of the “shameless persistence” (v.8) of the man. The other reason was that hospitality was a sacred duty at that time and to refuse to give bread to a neighbor in need would bring shame because it was a sign of inhospitality and the neighbor couldn’t risk being labeled as inhospitable especially to a friend who had a valid reason for waking him up even in the dead of the night.
Which is why this parable is not just about persistent prayer which maybe our common understanding of this parable but this Gospel is also about us particularly in the way we relate to our neighbor and we might again ask “who is my neighbor?” Well, anyone who is in need is our neighbor and in this parable the man who was traveling and who dropped in unannounced definitely fell into the category of what a neighbor was.
I am sure that there are some of you who was like the neighbor who at first refused to get up and open his door. There were times before in my life when I also acted in the same way when I refused to help even a friend who would pop out from nowhere and especially if they would come when I am in a bad mood.
What this parable is telling us is that generosity knows no bounds and, similar to the tradition of the Jews we are obliged to be hospitable and help our friends and neighbors when they come to us for help even if they come at a most inopportune time which means we are not to refuse anyone who will ask us for help. In other words, we are to be ready to help 24/7 because that is what a Christian should be.
Such generosity on our part finds a model in the magnanimity of Our Lord Jesus Christ who “if we believe you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” (Matt 21:22) And in this parable, Jesus provides us with three types of cause and effect when he said: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (v.9)
Ask, seek and knock are the causes which means these are the three things that we need to do to find answers to our prayers. And Jesus assures us he will grant whatever we ask in faith and in this parable he shows us the effect or the result when he said: it will be given us if we ask, we will find if we will only seek, and the door will be opened and all we have to do is knock.
This parable shows that if the boldness of the man could propel his neighbor “to get up and give him as much as he needs,” (v.8) how much more hospitable can God be who is sure to give us what we need.
But such generosity on the part of God is conditioned on the level of trust and confidence that we have in God. And in this parable, God raised the bar even higher because what he is prepared to give us is none other than the Holy Spirit who will not only shower us with his many different gifts but will “…help us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will" Romans 8:26-27 (NIV)
The Holy Spirit is the Father's very best gift. It is the gift of Himself to dwell with us and within us forever. The Catechism of the Catholic Church also states in CCC2652 that “The Holy Spirit is the living water welling up to eternal life in the heart that prays. It is he who teaches us to accept it at its source: Christ. Indeed in the Christian life there are several wellsprings where Christ awaits us to enable us to drink of the Holy Spirit.”
CCC733-734 summarizes the gift that we have received: "God is Love" and love is his first gift, containing all others. "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” And “because we are dead or at least wounded through sin, the first effect of the gift of love is the forgiveness of our sins. The communion of the Holy Spirit in the Church restores to the baptized the divine likeness lost through sin.”
1st Reading: Gal 3:1-5
Responsorial Psalm: Lk 1:69-75 “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, he has come to his people.”
GOSPEL: LK 11:5-13
Key Verse: “how much more will your Father in heaven give
the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Persistence as what we see in the Gospel today is defined in the dictionary as perseverance, constancy, staying power, pertinacity, tenacity, tenaciousness, doggedness, indefatigability, boldness and relentless. There are other words that describe what persistence is but what are enumerated here more or less provides us an idea of what it means.
Of these words, what I like in particular are the words tenaciousness, doggedness, boldness and relentless since these words aptly describe the action of the man in this parable who went to his friend and neighbor to ask for bread in the middle of the night because a friend of his who was on a journey stopped over his house and he was caught unprepared.
Again, to understand the circumstances related to this parable, we need to gloss on the culture of the people at the time so that we can grasp the scenario depicted here. Many travelers in those days travel at night to avoid the day’s hot temperature and this particular traveler went to the man’s house because the man was his friend and he knew perfectly well that he would not be refused.
The man was embarrassed because he had ran out of bread and so he, in turn, mustered all the tenacity that he could to knock and wake up his neighbor to ask for bread. Tradition has it that bread which was the primary staple of the Jews in those days was baked at home but households would normally bake just enough for the needs of the family for the day.
The family of the neighbor was already asleep and he didn’t want to open his door lest the commotion wake up his family but there were two compelling reasons why he did open his door and give the man the bread he was asking for.
One was because of the “shameless persistence” (v.8) of the man. The other reason was that hospitality was a sacred duty at that time and to refuse to give bread to a neighbor in need would bring shame because it was a sign of inhospitality and the neighbor couldn’t risk being labeled as inhospitable especially to a friend who had a valid reason for waking him up even in the dead of the night.
Which is why this parable is not just about persistent prayer which maybe our common understanding of this parable but this Gospel is also about us particularly in the way we relate to our neighbor and we might again ask “who is my neighbor?” Well, anyone who is in need is our neighbor and in this parable the man who was traveling and who dropped in unannounced definitely fell into the category of what a neighbor was.
I am sure that there are some of you who was like the neighbor who at first refused to get up and open his door. There were times before in my life when I also acted in the same way when I refused to help even a friend who would pop out from nowhere and especially if they would come when I am in a bad mood.
What this parable is telling us is that generosity knows no bounds and, similar to the tradition of the Jews we are obliged to be hospitable and help our friends and neighbors when they come to us for help even if they come at a most inopportune time which means we are not to refuse anyone who will ask us for help. In other words, we are to be ready to help 24/7 because that is what a Christian should be.
Such generosity on our part finds a model in the magnanimity of Our Lord Jesus Christ who “if we believe you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” (Matt 21:22) And in this parable, Jesus provides us with three types of cause and effect when he said: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (v.9)
Ask, seek and knock are the causes which means these are the three things that we need to do to find answers to our prayers. And Jesus assures us he will grant whatever we ask in faith and in this parable he shows us the effect or the result when he said: it will be given us if we ask, we will find if we will only seek, and the door will be opened and all we have to do is knock.
This parable shows that if the boldness of the man could propel his neighbor “to get up and give him as much as he needs,” (v.8) how much more hospitable can God be who is sure to give us what we need.
But such generosity on the part of God is conditioned on the level of trust and confidence that we have in God. And in this parable, God raised the bar even higher because what he is prepared to give us is none other than the Holy Spirit who will not only shower us with his many different gifts but will “…help us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will" Romans 8:26-27 (NIV)
The Holy Spirit is the Father's very best gift. It is the gift of Himself to dwell with us and within us forever. The Catechism of the Catholic Church also states in CCC2652 that “The Holy Spirit is the living water welling up to eternal life in the heart that prays. It is he who teaches us to accept it at its source: Christ. Indeed in the Christian life there are several wellsprings where Christ awaits us to enable us to drink of the Holy Spirit.”
CCC733-734 summarizes the gift that we have received: "God is Love" and love is his first gift, containing all others. "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” And “because we are dead or at least wounded through sin, the first effect of the gift of love is the forgiveness of our sins. The communion of the Holy Spirit in the Church restores to the baptized the divine likeness lost through sin.”
PRAYER IS THE KEY
OCT. 10, 2012: 27TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Gal 2:1-2, 7-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 117:1-2 “Go out to all the world, and tell the good news.”
GOSPEL: LK 11:1-4
Key Verse: “Lord, teach us to pray” (v.1)
In reading through the Gospel passage today, it is best that you be honest with yourself and ask: Have you really ever longed to learn to pray – really pray in the way Jesus taught his first disciples? Was there a time that you longed and hungered for a prayer relationship with God? Have you ever found yourself asking God to teach you to pray because you just don’t know where to begin and what to pray for?
And if you do pray, perhaps you may also want to examine yourself where you are now in your prayer relationship with God. How is your prayer life? How often do you go to God in prayer? Do you feel the presence of God when you pray? Amidst the distractions in the world today, do you persevere in prayer?
Today’s Gospel is a short four-verse teaching of Jesus on prayer but its importance cannot be overemphasized as prayer can be likened to a key that unlocks the heart of God.
People can actually spend a lifetime talking about prayer and not see the end of it. Why? Because prayer is at the heart of every Christian and no disciple can ever expect to go through life without prayer. As Mary found the “one thing that is needed” (Lk 10:42) when she sat at the feet of Jesus, prayer is also the “one thing” that we will all need to get connected with Our God.
In today’s Gospel Jesus was again praying in a certain place as he normally does after a hectic day and before he rests for the night wherever that might be. When Jesus and his disciples spend the night before reaching the next town, he would always try to look for a secluded place where he could pray. If he happened to be in whatever town he was teaching, Jesus would always find a place to pray.
And in this instance when he stopped praying, one of his disciples said to Jesus: “Lord teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.” (v.1) This disciple definitely knew what he was saying because it was customary for Rabbis to teach their disciples even a simple prayer and John the Baptist had done this for his disciples.
But this time, the disciple did not just want to know how to pray because his request to Jesus was interpreted by many religious scholars as a desire to pray like Jesus because the disciples see a connectedness to God in the way Jesus prays.
This is the whole point of this Gospel today because prayer is our lifeline to God. Prayer establishes a connection with God and it’s like there is an imaginary path that we can tread leading to the Kingdom of God. Prayer is in fact entering into a conversation with God.
As when we are in a conversation with someone, like a relative, a good friend and, a love one for that matter, there is in us a tendency to forget everything else as we seem oblivious to what is going on around us and this is what we should do when we talk to God.
As prayer is an elevation of our hearts to God, we must find a way that will allow us to direct all the powers of our souls to God. The mere thought of God is not a prayer because the devil also think of God but they do not pray to Him. So when we pray, we must use our understanding because we must think of Him in prayer. We must use our memory because we must forget our worldly concerns and, we are to use our affections because we must take delight in Him when we pray.
Though Luke has a shorter version of the Lord’s Prayer compared to that in Matt 6:9-13, it is by no means insignificant as we should not be so concerned as to which of the two versions is right r more appropriate. The Lord’s Prayer (Our Father) has been described by the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC2761) as the “summary of the whole Gospel.”
In today’s Gospel, Jesus said: “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.” (v.2) And CCC2787 also says that: “when we say ‘Our Father’ we recognize first that all his promises of love announced by the prophets are fulfilled in the new and eternal covenant in his Christ: we have become “his” people and he is henceforth “our” God. This new relationship is the purely gratuitous gift of belonging to each other: we are to respond to “grace and truth” given us in Jesus Christ with love and faithfulness.”
Thus, St. John Chrysostom said that “to be permitted to talk with his Creator and hold familiar intercourse with Him, is the greatest honor and privilege mortal man can enjoy.”
While there is also no doubt that we can obtain all things from God through prayer, we must also be resigned to God’s will: “Not my will, but yours be done.” (Lk 22:42) We must all remember that our prayers are never in vain but the time and manner of its fulfillment lie in the hands of God which means that everything depends upon the will of God.
And when Jesus taught his disciples how to pray, he made forgiveness as the cornerstone of their relationship with God. As God has forgiven our sins, we too are also obliged to forgive those who may have wronged us without conditions. To persist in unforgiveness only shows that we do not understand that we ourselves need to be forgiven.
It is by means of prayer that sinners are justified because prayer earns for sinners the graces of contrition and amendment and, prayer enables the just to continue in a state of grace because prayer is a safeguard against temptation and sin. Prayer is actually an antidote to the poison of temptation.
As St. Alphonsus once said: “The souls in heaven are there because they have prayed well; the condemned are in hell because they have not prayed.” Thus, failure to pray is the first step to unbelief and, eventually to hell. St. John Chrysostom also stresses: “Prayer is the one thing that men have in common with angels” and prayer unites the created with His Creator.
The Lord’s Prayer which Jesus taught to his disciples is the simplest of all prayers yet rich in meaning. It is so simple that a child’s lips can recite it with devotion and yet, theologians have never stopped searching for the depth of its meaning since time immemorial.
The Lord’s Prayer also unites all men because it is a prayer that can be availed of by all regardless of race, color or creed. In it we ask for all things that we need for our soul and body as it teaches us what we need to ask and the proper way of asking them.
CCC2761 says the Lord’s Prayer is the foundation on which all other desires of the heart is rooted. Such is the importance and significance of this prayer and we can only thank Our Lord Jesus Christ for teaching us how to pray this prayer.
1st Reading: Gal 2:1-2, 7-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 117:1-2 “Go out to all the world, and tell the good news.”
GOSPEL: LK 11:1-4
Key Verse: “Lord, teach us to pray” (v.1)
In reading through the Gospel passage today, it is best that you be honest with yourself and ask: Have you really ever longed to learn to pray – really pray in the way Jesus taught his first disciples? Was there a time that you longed and hungered for a prayer relationship with God? Have you ever found yourself asking God to teach you to pray because you just don’t know where to begin and what to pray for?
And if you do pray, perhaps you may also want to examine yourself where you are now in your prayer relationship with God. How is your prayer life? How often do you go to God in prayer? Do you feel the presence of God when you pray? Amidst the distractions in the world today, do you persevere in prayer?
Today’s Gospel is a short four-verse teaching of Jesus on prayer but its importance cannot be overemphasized as prayer can be likened to a key that unlocks the heart of God.
People can actually spend a lifetime talking about prayer and not see the end of it. Why? Because prayer is at the heart of every Christian and no disciple can ever expect to go through life without prayer. As Mary found the “one thing that is needed” (Lk 10:42) when she sat at the feet of Jesus, prayer is also the “one thing” that we will all need to get connected with Our God.
In today’s Gospel Jesus was again praying in a certain place as he normally does after a hectic day and before he rests for the night wherever that might be. When Jesus and his disciples spend the night before reaching the next town, he would always try to look for a secluded place where he could pray. If he happened to be in whatever town he was teaching, Jesus would always find a place to pray.
And in this instance when he stopped praying, one of his disciples said to Jesus: “Lord teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.” (v.1) This disciple definitely knew what he was saying because it was customary for Rabbis to teach their disciples even a simple prayer and John the Baptist had done this for his disciples.
But this time, the disciple did not just want to know how to pray because his request to Jesus was interpreted by many religious scholars as a desire to pray like Jesus because the disciples see a connectedness to God in the way Jesus prays.
This is the whole point of this Gospel today because prayer is our lifeline to God. Prayer establishes a connection with God and it’s like there is an imaginary path that we can tread leading to the Kingdom of God. Prayer is in fact entering into a conversation with God.
As when we are in a conversation with someone, like a relative, a good friend and, a love one for that matter, there is in us a tendency to forget everything else as we seem oblivious to what is going on around us and this is what we should do when we talk to God.
As prayer is an elevation of our hearts to God, we must find a way that will allow us to direct all the powers of our souls to God. The mere thought of God is not a prayer because the devil also think of God but they do not pray to Him. So when we pray, we must use our understanding because we must think of Him in prayer. We must use our memory because we must forget our worldly concerns and, we are to use our affections because we must take delight in Him when we pray.
Though Luke has a shorter version of the Lord’s Prayer compared to that in Matt 6:9-13, it is by no means insignificant as we should not be so concerned as to which of the two versions is right r more appropriate. The Lord’s Prayer (Our Father) has been described by the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC2761) as the “summary of the whole Gospel.”
In today’s Gospel, Jesus said: “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.” (v.2) And CCC2787 also says that: “when we say ‘Our Father’ we recognize first that all his promises of love announced by the prophets are fulfilled in the new and eternal covenant in his Christ: we have become “his” people and he is henceforth “our” God. This new relationship is the purely gratuitous gift of belonging to each other: we are to respond to “grace and truth” given us in Jesus Christ with love and faithfulness.”
Thus, St. John Chrysostom said that “to be permitted to talk with his Creator and hold familiar intercourse with Him, is the greatest honor and privilege mortal man can enjoy.”
While there is also no doubt that we can obtain all things from God through prayer, we must also be resigned to God’s will: “Not my will, but yours be done.” (Lk 22:42) We must all remember that our prayers are never in vain but the time and manner of its fulfillment lie in the hands of God which means that everything depends upon the will of God.
And when Jesus taught his disciples how to pray, he made forgiveness as the cornerstone of their relationship with God. As God has forgiven our sins, we too are also obliged to forgive those who may have wronged us without conditions. To persist in unforgiveness only shows that we do not understand that we ourselves need to be forgiven.
It is by means of prayer that sinners are justified because prayer earns for sinners the graces of contrition and amendment and, prayer enables the just to continue in a state of grace because prayer is a safeguard against temptation and sin. Prayer is actually an antidote to the poison of temptation.
As St. Alphonsus once said: “The souls in heaven are there because they have prayed well; the condemned are in hell because they have not prayed.” Thus, failure to pray is the first step to unbelief and, eventually to hell. St. John Chrysostom also stresses: “Prayer is the one thing that men have in common with angels” and prayer unites the created with His Creator.
The Lord’s Prayer which Jesus taught to his disciples is the simplest of all prayers yet rich in meaning. It is so simple that a child’s lips can recite it with devotion and yet, theologians have never stopped searching for the depth of its meaning since time immemorial.
The Lord’s Prayer also unites all men because it is a prayer that can be availed of by all regardless of race, color or creed. In it we ask for all things that we need for our soul and body as it teaches us what we need to ask and the proper way of asking them.
CCC2761 says the Lord’s Prayer is the foundation on which all other desires of the heart is rooted. Such is the importance and significance of this prayer and we can only thank Our Lord Jesus Christ for teaching us how to pray this prayer.
IN LIFE, ONLY ONE THING IS NEEDED
OCT. 9, 2012: Martha and Mary
1st Reading: Gal 1:13-24
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 139:1-3, 13-15 “Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.”
GOSPEL: LK 10:38-42
Key Verse: “but only one thing is needed.” (v.42)
In life there are things that we set out to do and the underlying motivation is normally the advancement of self, to gather all the necessary knowledge and skills that will ensure for us a bright future not only for ourself but for the family that will come at some point in time.
There will, however, come a point that everything we have achieved will no longer suffice and we will begin to crave for that one thing that will give us pure joy, the peace of mind that wealth, fame and power cannot give, the satisfaction of knowing that we have a purpose in life and just like everyone else before us, we will find that one thing at the feet of Jesus Christ.
This was what Mary found when she sat on the floor at the feet of Jesus Christ and was accorded the rare opportunity of entering into the very heart of Our Lord. This encounter was what makes this Gospel reading an interesting narrative and the fact that it appears only in the Gospel of Luke has evoked a lot of discussion of what was it that Luke wanted to point out in highlighting the difference in the way Martha and Mary played hosts to Jesus as he passed by the town of Bethany.
Located some two miles from Jerusalem, Bethany was a favorite stopover of Jesus probably because of his friendship with Lazarus who was the brother of Martha and Mary. And on this particular day, Jesus passed by Bethany and Martha opened up her home for him.
Based on Jewish custom, to open up a home is not only to welcome a guest but to entertain that guest and the fact that Martha opened up her home to Jesus shows the degree of her respect for Jesus. Not only was Jesus a good friend of her brother but Martha knew she was welcoming an important person into her home, someone who has become popular with the people on account of his teachings and the many healing miracles that he has performed.
And this was not going to be an ordinary day because Jesus doesn’t travel alone as he usually moves with his disciples in tow such that he always has to find a home that will welcome them when they move from town to town as staying in an inn was out of the question.
With the way this narrative was weaved we might be led into thinking that Mary was more spiritual than Martha which is of course wrong as Martha despite her being a busybody can also be regarded as a disciple as she opened up her home which means that she was supportive of the cause that Jesus was espousing.
As the story goes, Martha kept herself busy preparing the dinner table and what Jesus and the other disciples were to eat while Mary sat at the feet of Jesus listening to his teaching. By doing so, Mary also made herself a disciple of Jesus because “to sit at his feet” was a figurative way of describing a disciple in those days and we also see this in Paul who proudly claimed to have sat “at the feet of Gamaliel.”
This scene was also significant because when Mary sat at the feet of Jesus to listen to his teachings as the other disciples did, it effectively removed the distinction between men and women with respect to discipleship because women during the time of Jesus were not only exempted from the study of the law but were also discouraged from doing so.
But as Mary listened to Jesus, Martha must have been rushing in her preparations that she was moved to ask Jesus “tell her to help me.” (v.40) Some may view this as a sign of disrespect as it partook of a command to Jesus to tell Mary to help her.
Jesus’ response may also be seen as a rebuke but this was probably not the case because Jesus was a close friend of the family and thus it would also have been inappropriate for him to speak sternly to Martha who was hosting him such that his response was probably spoken with understanding and love.
“Martha, Martha you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” (vv.41-42)
This was what Luke wanted to point out in this Gospel in that Mary has rightfully discerned that listening to Jesus and learning from the Master was far more important than anything else. Here, Mary simply showed that listening to Jesus was the highest form of respect as sitting at his feet was to give Jesus the honor that he deserves. It also provides us with the thought that we need to shift our priorities in order to listen and follow Our Lord.
Many times in our lives we are caught up with the mundane concerns of housekeeping. Others lose themselves in the maze of life as they try to find their place in the sun searching for the gold at the end of the rainbow. In this Gospel we see two contrasting situations with Martha offering her labor to Jesus while Mary offers her time to listen to him.
And so we turn to our own self and ask how about us? What is it that we have or are doing that we can offer to Jesus? Do we use the talent and gifts that he gave us? Do we render faithful service that is compatible with our position in the Church or Community?
A deeper study of this Gospel will reveal that Jesus passed by the house of Martha and Mary to find a quiet place to rest. With the cross before him, his inner self must have been filled with tension and Jesus probably looked forward to having a rest and this was what Mary gave.
When Jesus said: “but only one thing is needed.” (v.42) he probably was telling Martha “don’t trouble yourself, just one course, the simplest meal is all I want.” We at times are like Martha. We want to be kind to people but in our own way and at times we are offended because we feel we are not appreciated.
This Gospel provides us a lesson in that when we try to be kind to someone the first thing we need to do is to get into the heart of the person we are helping and then forget everything we plan to do and think only of what the person needs.
To sit at his feet and listen was to obey and this is what Jesus wants from us that we need to spend time listening to him. This is the “one thing” that Mary found and it cannot be taken away from her because it is only at his feet that we can find peace and joy. In this story, Jesus is telling us to keep our minds off the world around us and spend a few moments listening to him. It’s like Jesus is telling us “hold on for a few minutes, dinner can wait. What I am telling you now is more important.”
The question we need to ask ourselves now is can we be like Mary who found “the only thing that is needed.”
1st Reading: Gal 1:13-24
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 139:1-3, 13-15 “Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.”
GOSPEL: LK 10:38-42
Key Verse: “but only one thing is needed.” (v.42)
In life there are things that we set out to do and the underlying motivation is normally the advancement of self, to gather all the necessary knowledge and skills that will ensure for us a bright future not only for ourself but for the family that will come at some point in time.
There will, however, come a point that everything we have achieved will no longer suffice and we will begin to crave for that one thing that will give us pure joy, the peace of mind that wealth, fame and power cannot give, the satisfaction of knowing that we have a purpose in life and just like everyone else before us, we will find that one thing at the feet of Jesus Christ.
This was what Mary found when she sat on the floor at the feet of Jesus Christ and was accorded the rare opportunity of entering into the very heart of Our Lord. This encounter was what makes this Gospel reading an interesting narrative and the fact that it appears only in the Gospel of Luke has evoked a lot of discussion of what was it that Luke wanted to point out in highlighting the difference in the way Martha and Mary played hosts to Jesus as he passed by the town of Bethany.
Located some two miles from Jerusalem, Bethany was a favorite stopover of Jesus probably because of his friendship with Lazarus who was the brother of Martha and Mary. And on this particular day, Jesus passed by Bethany and Martha opened up her home for him.
Based on Jewish custom, to open up a home is not only to welcome a guest but to entertain that guest and the fact that Martha opened up her home to Jesus shows the degree of her respect for Jesus. Not only was Jesus a good friend of her brother but Martha knew she was welcoming an important person into her home, someone who has become popular with the people on account of his teachings and the many healing miracles that he has performed.
And this was not going to be an ordinary day because Jesus doesn’t travel alone as he usually moves with his disciples in tow such that he always has to find a home that will welcome them when they move from town to town as staying in an inn was out of the question.
With the way this narrative was weaved we might be led into thinking that Mary was more spiritual than Martha which is of course wrong as Martha despite her being a busybody can also be regarded as a disciple as she opened up her home which means that she was supportive of the cause that Jesus was espousing.
As the story goes, Martha kept herself busy preparing the dinner table and what Jesus and the other disciples were to eat while Mary sat at the feet of Jesus listening to his teaching. By doing so, Mary also made herself a disciple of Jesus because “to sit at his feet” was a figurative way of describing a disciple in those days and we also see this in Paul who proudly claimed to have sat “at the feet of Gamaliel.”
This scene was also significant because when Mary sat at the feet of Jesus to listen to his teachings as the other disciples did, it effectively removed the distinction between men and women with respect to discipleship because women during the time of Jesus were not only exempted from the study of the law but were also discouraged from doing so.
But as Mary listened to Jesus, Martha must have been rushing in her preparations that she was moved to ask Jesus “tell her to help me.” (v.40) Some may view this as a sign of disrespect as it partook of a command to Jesus to tell Mary to help her.
Jesus’ response may also be seen as a rebuke but this was probably not the case because Jesus was a close friend of the family and thus it would also have been inappropriate for him to speak sternly to Martha who was hosting him such that his response was probably spoken with understanding and love.
“Martha, Martha you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” (vv.41-42)
This was what Luke wanted to point out in this Gospel in that Mary has rightfully discerned that listening to Jesus and learning from the Master was far more important than anything else. Here, Mary simply showed that listening to Jesus was the highest form of respect as sitting at his feet was to give Jesus the honor that he deserves. It also provides us with the thought that we need to shift our priorities in order to listen and follow Our Lord.
Many times in our lives we are caught up with the mundane concerns of housekeeping. Others lose themselves in the maze of life as they try to find their place in the sun searching for the gold at the end of the rainbow. In this Gospel we see two contrasting situations with Martha offering her labor to Jesus while Mary offers her time to listen to him.
And so we turn to our own self and ask how about us? What is it that we have or are doing that we can offer to Jesus? Do we use the talent and gifts that he gave us? Do we render faithful service that is compatible with our position in the Church or Community?
A deeper study of this Gospel will reveal that Jesus passed by the house of Martha and Mary to find a quiet place to rest. With the cross before him, his inner self must have been filled with tension and Jesus probably looked forward to having a rest and this was what Mary gave.
When Jesus said: “but only one thing is needed.” (v.42) he probably was telling Martha “don’t trouble yourself, just one course, the simplest meal is all I want.” We at times are like Martha. We want to be kind to people but in our own way and at times we are offended because we feel we are not appreciated.
This Gospel provides us a lesson in that when we try to be kind to someone the first thing we need to do is to get into the heart of the person we are helping and then forget everything we plan to do and think only of what the person needs.
To sit at his feet and listen was to obey and this is what Jesus wants from us that we need to spend time listening to him. This is the “one thing” that Mary found and it cannot be taken away from her because it is only at his feet that we can find peace and joy. In this story, Jesus is telling us to keep our minds off the world around us and spend a few moments listening to him. It’s like Jesus is telling us “hold on for a few minutes, dinner can wait. What I am telling you now is more important.”
The question we need to ask ourselves now is can we be like Mary who found “the only thing that is needed.”
LOVE IS USELESS SANS ACTION
OCT. 8, 2012: 27th WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Gal 1:16-12
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 111:2, -10 “The Lord will remember his covenant forever.”
GOSPEL: LK 10:25-37
Key Verse: “…. Go and do likewise.” (Lk 10:37)
The Gospel today is something that is close to the heart of every Filipino especially those who were reared under the traditions of the olden days when the people in this part of the world were the epitome of kindness and generosity such that the land is often called the Pearl of the Orient.
To be held in such precious esteem was probably due to the land being endowed with rich natural resources that has become the envy of the neighboring nations or, it may probably be on account of the unbridled hospitality of the Filipino people known the world over.
But times have changed and the influence of the ultra-modern culture has created a new mindset among the populace and the once leisurely pace of life gave way to a radical change in the way of life and in the character of the people especially during these times when mundane concerns seem to have upstaged the good-natured spirit behind the “bayanihan” spirit for which Filipinos are known for.
And this parable on the Good Samaritan comes as a timely reminder for all of us to reacquire the spirit of good neighborly relations that springs from our innate love for our God before this “bayanihan” spirit is forever lost to us.
Here in today’s Gospel, Jesus once again emphasizes the means by which we can enjoy eternal life. Tested by an expert in the Torah or the Laws of Moses, Jesus was asked: “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Lk 10:25) Instead of answering, Jesus threw back the question by asking: “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” (v.26)
In this way, Jesus wanted the legal expert to find out for himself what the Scriptures and he obliged by quoting from Deut 6:5 and Lev 19:18 saying: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and, Love your neighbor as yourself.”
And Jesus said: “You have answered correctly. Do this and you will live.” (v.28) What Jesus was emphasizing in this verse was not just the two greatest commandment that anyone desiring eternal life should know but the most important thing is not what you know but what you do.
In other words, anyone who comes across these two verses can memorize it without any effort at all but it will not give us eternal life. It is only when we take this to heart and put it into action that eternal life becomes a reality.
But the Jews have a different view as they refer only to fellow Jews as their neighbor and Jesus once again tore down this argument by narrating a parable about how a Jew was beaten and robbed on the road to Jericho which was a dangerous place to be as it teemed with thieves and bandits.
As the Jew lay wounded on the road, a priest and a Levite passed by one after the other but ignored the man as they went by the other side of the road. Then came a Samaritan who belongs to a tribe that was so hated by the Jews but he stopped and cared for the wounded Jew. The rest is history as they say.
Here Jesus did not give an exact definition of who might our neighbor be but what he showed by way of this parable was that anyone who is in need regardless of race, color and creed is our neighbor. In this parable, Jesus shows that to love our neighbor can be costly as was in the case of the Samaritan who used his own logistics to help the wounded Jew. But this is precisely what love is for what good are our material possessions if we will not help a brother in need and still say that we love God? (1 Jn 3:17).
When the legal expert himself said the one who showed mercy was the neighbor to the wounded Jew, Jesus told him and is now telling us to go and do what the Samaritan did for only in doing so can we find eternal life.
In the face of life’s myriad challenges today, we need to examine ourselves and ask if this parable is still relevant to our present time. How much of my person has been invaded by my selfishness, looking only after my own interests and, in believing “why should I help the poor who are poor because they chose to be poor.”
We as disciples of Jesus must ask ourselves how much of the world has dimmed the gift of mercy that Jesus has planted in our hearts. We may be riding on the chariots of success in our careers and business but which is my priority when put on the same spot as the Samaritan. Will we be like the priest and the Levite? Or will we choose to be a Samaritan?
As a Christian and a disciple, we must take heed of the command of Jesus to “go and do likewise.” (v.37) This means that we must prioritize acts of mercy (CCC 2447-2448) over our personal comfort and convenience. And it is only in doing that we can gain eternal life.
The priest and the Levite definitely felt pity for the wounded Jew but they did nothing. For love to be real, it must be accompanied by action for love is useless if it is not accompanied by action. For the rest of the day, it would be wise to ponder on this Gospel reading for today. What does this parable mean to you personally? Were there times we refused to help a brother or sister in need? Have we spoken ill of another? What have we done to improve the lot of the marginalized?
1st Reading: Gal 1:16-12
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 111:2, -10 “The Lord will remember his covenant forever.”
GOSPEL: LK 10:25-37
Key Verse: “…. Go and do likewise.” (Lk 10:37)
The Gospel today is something that is close to the heart of every Filipino especially those who were reared under the traditions of the olden days when the people in this part of the world were the epitome of kindness and generosity such that the land is often called the Pearl of the Orient.
To be held in such precious esteem was probably due to the land being endowed with rich natural resources that has become the envy of the neighboring nations or, it may probably be on account of the unbridled hospitality of the Filipino people known the world over.
But times have changed and the influence of the ultra-modern culture has created a new mindset among the populace and the once leisurely pace of life gave way to a radical change in the way of life and in the character of the people especially during these times when mundane concerns seem to have upstaged the good-natured spirit behind the “bayanihan” spirit for which Filipinos are known for.
And this parable on the Good Samaritan comes as a timely reminder for all of us to reacquire the spirit of good neighborly relations that springs from our innate love for our God before this “bayanihan” spirit is forever lost to us.
Here in today’s Gospel, Jesus once again emphasizes the means by which we can enjoy eternal life. Tested by an expert in the Torah or the Laws of Moses, Jesus was asked: “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Lk 10:25) Instead of answering, Jesus threw back the question by asking: “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” (v.26)
In this way, Jesus wanted the legal expert to find out for himself what the Scriptures and he obliged by quoting from Deut 6:5 and Lev 19:18 saying: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and, Love your neighbor as yourself.”
And Jesus said: “You have answered correctly. Do this and you will live.” (v.28) What Jesus was emphasizing in this verse was not just the two greatest commandment that anyone desiring eternal life should know but the most important thing is not what you know but what you do.
In other words, anyone who comes across these two verses can memorize it without any effort at all but it will not give us eternal life. It is only when we take this to heart and put it into action that eternal life becomes a reality.
But the Jews have a different view as they refer only to fellow Jews as their neighbor and Jesus once again tore down this argument by narrating a parable about how a Jew was beaten and robbed on the road to Jericho which was a dangerous place to be as it teemed with thieves and bandits.
As the Jew lay wounded on the road, a priest and a Levite passed by one after the other but ignored the man as they went by the other side of the road. Then came a Samaritan who belongs to a tribe that was so hated by the Jews but he stopped and cared for the wounded Jew. The rest is history as they say.
Here Jesus did not give an exact definition of who might our neighbor be but what he showed by way of this parable was that anyone who is in need regardless of race, color and creed is our neighbor. In this parable, Jesus shows that to love our neighbor can be costly as was in the case of the Samaritan who used his own logistics to help the wounded Jew. But this is precisely what love is for what good are our material possessions if we will not help a brother in need and still say that we love God? (1 Jn 3:17).
When the legal expert himself said the one who showed mercy was the neighbor to the wounded Jew, Jesus told him and is now telling us to go and do what the Samaritan did for only in doing so can we find eternal life.
In the face of life’s myriad challenges today, we need to examine ourselves and ask if this parable is still relevant to our present time. How much of my person has been invaded by my selfishness, looking only after my own interests and, in believing “why should I help the poor who are poor because they chose to be poor.”
We as disciples of Jesus must ask ourselves how much of the world has dimmed the gift of mercy that Jesus has planted in our hearts. We may be riding on the chariots of success in our careers and business but which is my priority when put on the same spot as the Samaritan. Will we be like the priest and the Levite? Or will we choose to be a Samaritan?
As a Christian and a disciple, we must take heed of the command of Jesus to “go and do likewise.” (v.37) This means that we must prioritize acts of mercy (CCC 2447-2448) over our personal comfort and convenience. And it is only in doing that we can gain eternal life.
The priest and the Levite definitely felt pity for the wounded Jew but they did nothing. For love to be real, it must be accompanied by action for love is useless if it is not accompanied by action. For the rest of the day, it would be wise to ponder on this Gospel reading for today. What does this parable mean to you personally? Were there times we refused to help a brother or sister in need? Have we spoken ill of another? What have we done to improve the lot of the marginalized?
THE DIVINITY OF MATRIMONY
OCT. 7, 2012: 27TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Gen 2:18-24
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 128:1-6 “May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives.”
GOSPEL: Mk 10:2-10
Key Verse: “..and the two will become one flesh.” (v.8)
Today’s Gospel reading should remind us of the sacredness of the Sacrament of Matrimony. This has become necessary because of the radical shift in the way the people of today regard marriage. In fact, the marital union itself is in danger of being cut off in the event the controversial RH Bill is passed and signed into law.
The Christian faith faces an acid test in the Philippines amid ongoing debates over the proposed legislation that the Catholic Church fears will institutionalize divorce and same-sex marriage. Today is an opportune time to look at the consequences experienced by couples and even nations where the sanctity of the marriage bond has been transgressed.
In this passage, it was evident that the Pharisees were trying to involve Jesus in a controversial issue that would place him in a trap that would justify their intention to finally place him under arrest and perhaps suffer the same fate as that of his kin John the Baptist.
The trap was very simple. It was a question about divorce. “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause?” (v.2) Jesus knew the motive behind the question because even if the Jews have a very strict standard when it comes to the marriage bond they remain divided as to the issue of divorce.
There are two schools of thought on this issue insofar as the Jews are concerned. One was a stricter rule that divorce was applicable only when fornication or indecency was involved. The other was a more relaxed rule that divorce can also be secured if a man no longer finds favor in his wife and it was this laxer rule that many Jews took advantage of.
This division among the Jews stemmed from what Moses decreed in Deut 24:1 but Jesus countered that what was referred to in Deuteronomy was not a law but more of a concession to the fallen human nature to address the need at the time Moses said it.
Rather than spend our time looking at the legality and getting embroiled on the issue of divorce, we should instead focus on the key message in vv. 4-6 of the Gospel to be able to get into the heart of Jesus’ own view of marriage.
Since the Scriptures is also at the heart of all the teachings of the Catholic Church it is best that we look at what Mark and Luke said about this issue. While Matthew included fornication and or indecency as basis for divorce, Mark and Luke wrote that divorce was prohibited and that whoever divorces his wife and marries another has committed adultery.
These interpretations of Mark and Luke was what Jesus had in mind when he said in v.9 “therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” This is also the principle behind the Theology of the Sacrament of Marriage in which the Church states: “The well being of the individual person and of both human and Christian society is closely bound up with the healthy state of conjugal and family life.”
The Code of Canon Law also summarizes the essence of marriage: The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a communion of the whole life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament.
We can also draw from what Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen said about marriage: “It is because they symbolize the unbreakable, eternal union of Our Lord and the Church. When the Son of God came to earth and took upon Himself a human nature, which flowered into His Mystical Body, the Church, He did not take it for three years or for 33 years, but for all eternity. So, too, when a husband takes a wife, he takes that wife as Christ took the Church. He takes that wife until death does him part! And in order to symbolize that enduring union of the espousals of Christ and His Church, they are to love one another until death separates them.”
Archbishop Sheen adds: “How beautiful marriage is in the Church! Fidelity is an engagement with the future, and when that future is eternity, when the soul knows that it cannot be saved unless it is faithful to the spouse, it remains faithful, even in the midst of trial. That God’s love is never withdrawn from His Church, so too, the love of husband and wife are never withdrawn one from another. It is made in the full consciousness that their love is a proclamation to the world of another marriage—the marriage which gives joy and happiness—the beautiful union of Christ and His Bride, the Church!”
This sanctity of the bond of marriage which even the Jews actually observe regardless of the Mosaic decree on divorce was what led God to say in Mal 2:6 “I hate divorce” and it was said that even during the time of the Jews that the very altar on which marriage was solemnized wept when a man divorced the wife of his youth.
The proclamation of the Word in Genesis “The two shall be one in flesh.” (Gen 2:24) and what God said in Mal 2:6 were probably the basis the church used in instituting the indissolubility of the Sacrament of Marriage which literally means that the marital bond between the man and a woman which has been sacramentally entered into under the auspices of the Catholic church can only be broken by the death of either of the contracting parties.
The prohibition on divorce that Jesus emphasized highlights the indissolubility of the union between man and a woman and this is what the Church teaches up to the present time. That the Catholic Church regard Matrimony as divine is primarily because it also views matrimony as inherent to humanity as food is to the individual.
Allow me to end with another quote from Archbishop Sheen: “Your marriage will become like a tuning fork to the song of the angels. It will be like a river that runs into the sea where the romance and the marriage fuse into one; or since God is boundless eternal love, it will take that eternal chase to sound its depths; that in one and the same moment, a limitless receptivity and a boundless gift. This is what you marry for: for love—and love leads you to God.”
This is the same with us. The Church to which we all belong is the bride that remains grafted to the bridegroom who is Jesus the Christ unto whom we remain united in a bond of sacrificial love.
1st Reading: Gen 2:18-24
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 128:1-6 “May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives.”
GOSPEL: Mk 10:2-10
Key Verse: “..and the two will become one flesh.” (v.8)
Today’s Gospel reading should remind us of the sacredness of the Sacrament of Matrimony. This has become necessary because of the radical shift in the way the people of today regard marriage. In fact, the marital union itself is in danger of being cut off in the event the controversial RH Bill is passed and signed into law.
The Christian faith faces an acid test in the Philippines amid ongoing debates over the proposed legislation that the Catholic Church fears will institutionalize divorce and same-sex marriage. Today is an opportune time to look at the consequences experienced by couples and even nations where the sanctity of the marriage bond has been transgressed.
In this passage, it was evident that the Pharisees were trying to involve Jesus in a controversial issue that would place him in a trap that would justify their intention to finally place him under arrest and perhaps suffer the same fate as that of his kin John the Baptist.
The trap was very simple. It was a question about divorce. “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause?” (v.2) Jesus knew the motive behind the question because even if the Jews have a very strict standard when it comes to the marriage bond they remain divided as to the issue of divorce.
There are two schools of thought on this issue insofar as the Jews are concerned. One was a stricter rule that divorce was applicable only when fornication or indecency was involved. The other was a more relaxed rule that divorce can also be secured if a man no longer finds favor in his wife and it was this laxer rule that many Jews took advantage of.
This division among the Jews stemmed from what Moses decreed in Deut 24:1 but Jesus countered that what was referred to in Deuteronomy was not a law but more of a concession to the fallen human nature to address the need at the time Moses said it.
Rather than spend our time looking at the legality and getting embroiled on the issue of divorce, we should instead focus on the key message in vv. 4-6 of the Gospel to be able to get into the heart of Jesus’ own view of marriage.
Since the Scriptures is also at the heart of all the teachings of the Catholic Church it is best that we look at what Mark and Luke said about this issue. While Matthew included fornication and or indecency as basis for divorce, Mark and Luke wrote that divorce was prohibited and that whoever divorces his wife and marries another has committed adultery.
These interpretations of Mark and Luke was what Jesus had in mind when he said in v.9 “therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” This is also the principle behind the Theology of the Sacrament of Marriage in which the Church states: “The well being of the individual person and of both human and Christian society is closely bound up with the healthy state of conjugal and family life.”
The Code of Canon Law also summarizes the essence of marriage: The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a communion of the whole life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament.
We can also draw from what Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen said about marriage: “It is because they symbolize the unbreakable, eternal union of Our Lord and the Church. When the Son of God came to earth and took upon Himself a human nature, which flowered into His Mystical Body, the Church, He did not take it for three years or for 33 years, but for all eternity. So, too, when a husband takes a wife, he takes that wife as Christ took the Church. He takes that wife until death does him part! And in order to symbolize that enduring union of the espousals of Christ and His Church, they are to love one another until death separates them.”
Archbishop Sheen adds: “How beautiful marriage is in the Church! Fidelity is an engagement with the future, and when that future is eternity, when the soul knows that it cannot be saved unless it is faithful to the spouse, it remains faithful, even in the midst of trial. That God’s love is never withdrawn from His Church, so too, the love of husband and wife are never withdrawn one from another. It is made in the full consciousness that their love is a proclamation to the world of another marriage—the marriage which gives joy and happiness—the beautiful union of Christ and His Bride, the Church!”
This sanctity of the bond of marriage which even the Jews actually observe regardless of the Mosaic decree on divorce was what led God to say in Mal 2:6 “I hate divorce” and it was said that even during the time of the Jews that the very altar on which marriage was solemnized wept when a man divorced the wife of his youth.
The proclamation of the Word in Genesis “The two shall be one in flesh.” (Gen 2:24) and what God said in Mal 2:6 were probably the basis the church used in instituting the indissolubility of the Sacrament of Marriage which literally means that the marital bond between the man and a woman which has been sacramentally entered into under the auspices of the Catholic church can only be broken by the death of either of the contracting parties.
The prohibition on divorce that Jesus emphasized highlights the indissolubility of the union between man and a woman and this is what the Church teaches up to the present time. That the Catholic Church regard Matrimony as divine is primarily because it also views matrimony as inherent to humanity as food is to the individual.
Allow me to end with another quote from Archbishop Sheen: “Your marriage will become like a tuning fork to the song of the angels. It will be like a river that runs into the sea where the romance and the marriage fuse into one; or since God is boundless eternal love, it will take that eternal chase to sound its depths; that in one and the same moment, a limitless receptivity and a boundless gift. This is what you marry for: for love—and love leads you to God.”
This is the same with us. The Church to which we all belong is the bride that remains grafted to the bridegroom who is Jesus the Christ unto whom we remain united in a bond of sacrificial love.
IN JESUS, WE SEE GOD
OCT. 6, 2012: 26TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Job 42:1-3, 5-6, 12-17
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 119:66, 71, 75, 91, 125, 130 “Lord, let your face shine on me.”
GOSPEL: LK 10:17-24
Key Verse (v.20): “…but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
It is in the nature of man to be proud of what he has achieved, of what he has accomplished and there is a tendency albeit unintentional that man expresses his elation and or euphoria over his successes may it be in his studies, career, sporting events, projects or activities he is involved in the church or community and, there is that urge to arrogate unto himself the credit for these accomplishments.
There is actually nothing wrong with it because it means that you are alive and happy at the way your life and fortune turned out especially with regards to your achievements and this is part of human nature. But as the disciples returned with joy at the way they were able to cast out demons in persons, Jesus tells them (v.19) “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.”
This may have befuddled the minds of the disciples and this I’m sure will have moved many of us to also ponder on this but what Jesus simply meant by this was that we are not to rest on our laurels and on our skills and talents. That phrase was some sort of a reminder of what happened to the chief of angels who rebelled against God and who was cast down from heaven.
What Jesus warns was that we must give credit where credit is due which means that we must take great care that we do not become slaves to sinful pride that will not only keep us from the love and knowledge of God and which will make us ignorant and unmindful of the things of God.
When Jesus said he saw Satan fall from heaven, he was actually referring to the reason why Satan was cast out from the presence of God and this was because of sinful pride. Unless we remain clothed with an active awareness of God, we can fall victim to sinful pride arising from inordinate self-centeredness that closes our minds to the truths and wisdom of God.
What Jesus told his disciples and what he is telling us now is anyone who will follow him will need to be filled with humility that, to Jesus, is the only true remedy against pride as humility will lead us to a genuine recognition of who we are in the eyes of God and of our confession of our complete dependence on the provisions of Our Lord.
Just as pride leads us to persist in our self-centeredness, humility is the good soil in which the Grace of God will take root and grow and will bring us to a right attitude in and with God “who opposes the proud but gives Grace to the humble.” (Jam 4:6)
Jesus assures us as he assured his disciples that he has power over the evil that permeates in the world that he has the power to drive out the prince of this world (Jn 12:31) and as his disciples we too have been given this same authority to overcome the works of evil not only in the world but much more in our own selves and that we should not be joyful in our sinful pride but joyful in knowing “your names are written in heaven.” (v.20)
The message that Jesus wants to impart to us in this Gospel is for us to bank on the virtue of humility because that alone will clothe us with God’s wisdom and as our names are written in heaven, it presupposes that God has already established a link that will help lead us to yield to our knowledge of God in a personal way.
And in v.22 Jesus unlocks the key that will pave the way for us to know God when he said: “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
In effect what Jesus was saying here was simply this: “If you want to know who God is, look at me.” We who are in the renewal are blessed indeed for we have seen the Lord and have known him in a personal way. “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but he did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” (vv.23-24)
And the key to all these is the virtue of humility that we all need to acquire because it is only through humility that we can see the wisdom of God and hear his truths and not his truths that we have perverted to suit our own desires and only humility will lead us to a total dependence on God to give us strength and the boldness to follow him.
To depend wholly on God is what Pope Benedict XVI espouses in his Lineamenta which defines the parameters of the New Evangelization program of the Church. In it, the Holy Father wishes that all Catholics be made aware of the virtue of gratuitousness in which we express not just our complete dependence on God but that everything that we have and possess are on account of Divine Providence.
In totality, today’s Gospel reading teaches us that our search for God should lead us to Jesus as vv.23-24 emphasizes that Jesus is the consummation of history. Our Lord is the peak of history and if we all believe in the evolution, Jesus is the end and climax of the evolutionary process because in Him man meets God. In Him we see the perfection of man and the fullness of God.
Our Gospel for today is actually an invitation for us to: “Come follow me,” These were the same words he said to Peter, Andrew, James, John Matthew and the rest of the Apostles and the other disciples and they remained with him and proclaimed the Kingdom of God even against tremendous odds. Would we do the same? We have this weekend to ponder on this.
1st Reading: Job 42:1-3, 5-6, 12-17
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 119:66, 71, 75, 91, 125, 130 “Lord, let your face shine on me.”
GOSPEL: LK 10:17-24
Key Verse (v.20): “…but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
It is in the nature of man to be proud of what he has achieved, of what he has accomplished and there is a tendency albeit unintentional that man expresses his elation and or euphoria over his successes may it be in his studies, career, sporting events, projects or activities he is involved in the church or community and, there is that urge to arrogate unto himself the credit for these accomplishments.
There is actually nothing wrong with it because it means that you are alive and happy at the way your life and fortune turned out especially with regards to your achievements and this is part of human nature. But as the disciples returned with joy at the way they were able to cast out demons in persons, Jesus tells them (v.19) “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.”
This may have befuddled the minds of the disciples and this I’m sure will have moved many of us to also ponder on this but what Jesus simply meant by this was that we are not to rest on our laurels and on our skills and talents. That phrase was some sort of a reminder of what happened to the chief of angels who rebelled against God and who was cast down from heaven.
What Jesus warns was that we must give credit where credit is due which means that we must take great care that we do not become slaves to sinful pride that will not only keep us from the love and knowledge of God and which will make us ignorant and unmindful of the things of God.
When Jesus said he saw Satan fall from heaven, he was actually referring to the reason why Satan was cast out from the presence of God and this was because of sinful pride. Unless we remain clothed with an active awareness of God, we can fall victim to sinful pride arising from inordinate self-centeredness that closes our minds to the truths and wisdom of God.
What Jesus told his disciples and what he is telling us now is anyone who will follow him will need to be filled with humility that, to Jesus, is the only true remedy against pride as humility will lead us to a genuine recognition of who we are in the eyes of God and of our confession of our complete dependence on the provisions of Our Lord.
Just as pride leads us to persist in our self-centeredness, humility is the good soil in which the Grace of God will take root and grow and will bring us to a right attitude in and with God “who opposes the proud but gives Grace to the humble.” (Jam 4:6)
Jesus assures us as he assured his disciples that he has power over the evil that permeates in the world that he has the power to drive out the prince of this world (Jn 12:31) and as his disciples we too have been given this same authority to overcome the works of evil not only in the world but much more in our own selves and that we should not be joyful in our sinful pride but joyful in knowing “your names are written in heaven.” (v.20)
The message that Jesus wants to impart to us in this Gospel is for us to bank on the virtue of humility because that alone will clothe us with God’s wisdom and as our names are written in heaven, it presupposes that God has already established a link that will help lead us to yield to our knowledge of God in a personal way.
And in v.22 Jesus unlocks the key that will pave the way for us to know God when he said: “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
In effect what Jesus was saying here was simply this: “If you want to know who God is, look at me.” We who are in the renewal are blessed indeed for we have seen the Lord and have known him in a personal way. “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but he did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” (vv.23-24)
And the key to all these is the virtue of humility that we all need to acquire because it is only through humility that we can see the wisdom of God and hear his truths and not his truths that we have perverted to suit our own desires and only humility will lead us to a total dependence on God to give us strength and the boldness to follow him.
To depend wholly on God is what Pope Benedict XVI espouses in his Lineamenta which defines the parameters of the New Evangelization program of the Church. In it, the Holy Father wishes that all Catholics be made aware of the virtue of gratuitousness in which we express not just our complete dependence on God but that everything that we have and possess are on account of Divine Providence.
In totality, today’s Gospel reading teaches us that our search for God should lead us to Jesus as vv.23-24 emphasizes that Jesus is the consummation of history. Our Lord is the peak of history and if we all believe in the evolution, Jesus is the end and climax of the evolutionary process because in Him man meets God. In Him we see the perfection of man and the fullness of God.
Our Gospel for today is actually an invitation for us to: “Come follow me,” These were the same words he said to Peter, Andrew, James, John Matthew and the rest of the Apostles and the other disciples and they remained with him and proclaimed the Kingdom of God even against tremendous odds. Would we do the same? We have this weekend to ponder on this.
INDIFFERENCE GRIEVES JESUS
OCT. 5, 2012: 26TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Job 38:1, 12-21; 40:3-5
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 139:1-3, 7-10, 13-14 “Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.”
GOSPEL: LK 10:13-16
Key verse: “…but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me.” (v.16)
The use of the word ‘woe’ makes this Gospel reading for today an interesting and useful passage for the simple reason that we can dwell on what Jesus meant when he said this word and thus grab the opportunity to restructure our way of living to avoid condemnation as that experienced by the people of Chorazin and Bethsaida.
At the same time, the use of the word ‘woe’ in this passage while strikingly similar as when Jesus also said it in Lk 6:24-26, a closer look at both passages will show that the situations and or scenarios in Lk 6 and Lk 10 are different and the Jews always have a play of words to use that suit the situation in which such words are to be spoken or used.
And this was one of those situations because many of us who will be reading this Gospel passage for the first time will likely interpret this as a reflection of the anger of Jesus towards the people of Chorazin and Bethsaida because of the use of the word “woe.”
Woe is in fact a very strong word that can be interpreted as a curse or as an expression of anger by a person towards a wrong done to his persona. But the word woe that Jesus used in this Gospel was one that carries with it sorrow and pity for a people who will never have a chance to enter the Kingdom of God.
This passage also comes as a surprise especially since there was no record of what Jesus did in either of these two cities except for some references implying that Jesus did mighty works there. It was also probable that Chorazin and Bethsaida were simply dragged along with the people of Capernaum who were actually the object of the anger of Jesus and, again, to understand this we must look back at the ministry of Jesus.
Rejected by the people in his own hometown, Jesus often traveled to Capernaum which was a bustling city but where the people’s customs and traditions were being influenced by the corruption foisted by the presence of a Roman garrison in the area.
Jesus wanted the people of Capernaum who have sunk to the depths of sinfulness to embrace his message of salvation and deliverance but the majority of the people remained unresponsive to the Good News that he brings.
What actually added to the sorrow of Jesus was not the rejection he met but the indifference of the people to his message. Unlike the Pharisees who were always plotting and looking at every opportunity to either prove Jesus wrong or to silence him by arresting him on trumped-up charges, the people of Capernaum simply disregarded him and this was what really got the goat of Jesus because to be ignored and disregarded are probably much worse than being criminally persecuted and executed.
At the end of the day, Jesus denounced the people of Capernaum “and you Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths.” (v.15) History shows us that Capernaum was destroyed during the Jewish-Roman war in 66-70A.D. and although it was rebuilt to become a center of Judaism, the city of Capernaum was finally destroyed and occupied by the Arabs in the 7th Century.
What this Gospel tells us is that we too will suffer the same fate as the people of Capernaum, Chorazin and Bethsaida if we will choose to become indifferent and ignore the message of salvation that Christ brings.
Many of us may be in violation of our covenants with God. We may be running away from our assignments in our respective ministries. We may be dodging assignments to shepherd those who are in need of spiritual direction or our attendance in our Prayer Meetings, Bible Study Groups and celebration of the Holy Eucharist have become infrequent.
But the greatest sin that we as baptized Catholic Christians can ever commit is to be indifferent by ignoring the presence of Christ and His Word of Salvation and Deliverance. Not only were the people of Capernaum, Chorazin and Bethsaida indifferent but they were unrepentant as well and Jesus stresses that it would have been better if he brought his message to Tyre and Sidon instead.
Capernaum, Chorazin and Bethsaida could have been spared the wrath of God had they repented and accepted the Good News and Jesus is showing us that what happened to the people of these three cities will also happen to us if we will persist in ignoring His call. Repentance brings a change of heart and way of life and in love Jesus is calling us to walk in his way of truth, love and holiness and the question we need to ask ourselves now is are we embracing His Word with genuine faith and obedience? Because the other alternative is unbearable.
As I have written in one of my earlier reflections there was a man who kept holding off his decision to become a Christian saying “I will follow Christ one of these days.” Unfortunately, he never saw “one of these days” because God called him in “one of those days.”
We should not play with our lives since time is a luxury that we don’t have. It’s either we live in and with God or we don’t. If we choose to be in and with Christ, then eternal salvation is within our reach. If we choose to reject, ignore and disregard Christ, then it is no different from putting a millstone tied around our necks and be thrown to the depths of the sea.
To be in and with Christ is to move out of our comfort zones. I heard Mark Nimo, an international Catholic evangelist from Chicago, who once said in a leadership training seminar I attended at the Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio that renewed Christians must be a people on the move. He said the time for talking is over. We are now in a time that requires action.
The New Evangelization program contained in the Lineamenta issued by Pope Benedict XVI encourages us Catholics to forge new paths to proclaim the Gospel of Salvation to the world around us. Many around us do not believe in the Christ or do not believe in themselves that they are being called.
“But how can they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how can they hear unless someone preaches to them?” (Rom 10:14) Our calling as Christian disciples is to preach the Word of God and to ignore this call is a sign of indifference and certainly you will not want Jesus to say ‘woe’ to you. Definitely not! Not to bring the Gospel of Christ to others is to reject Christ and thus reject the One who sent Him.
1st Reading: Job 38:1, 12-21; 40:3-5
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 139:1-3, 7-10, 13-14 “Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.”
GOSPEL: LK 10:13-16
Key verse: “…but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me.” (v.16)
The use of the word ‘woe’ makes this Gospel reading for today an interesting and useful passage for the simple reason that we can dwell on what Jesus meant when he said this word and thus grab the opportunity to restructure our way of living to avoid condemnation as that experienced by the people of Chorazin and Bethsaida.
At the same time, the use of the word ‘woe’ in this passage while strikingly similar as when Jesus also said it in Lk 6:24-26, a closer look at both passages will show that the situations and or scenarios in Lk 6 and Lk 10 are different and the Jews always have a play of words to use that suit the situation in which such words are to be spoken or used.
And this was one of those situations because many of us who will be reading this Gospel passage for the first time will likely interpret this as a reflection of the anger of Jesus towards the people of Chorazin and Bethsaida because of the use of the word “woe.”
Woe is in fact a very strong word that can be interpreted as a curse or as an expression of anger by a person towards a wrong done to his persona. But the word woe that Jesus used in this Gospel was one that carries with it sorrow and pity for a people who will never have a chance to enter the Kingdom of God.
This passage also comes as a surprise especially since there was no record of what Jesus did in either of these two cities except for some references implying that Jesus did mighty works there. It was also probable that Chorazin and Bethsaida were simply dragged along with the people of Capernaum who were actually the object of the anger of Jesus and, again, to understand this we must look back at the ministry of Jesus.
Rejected by the people in his own hometown, Jesus often traveled to Capernaum which was a bustling city but where the people’s customs and traditions were being influenced by the corruption foisted by the presence of a Roman garrison in the area.
Jesus wanted the people of Capernaum who have sunk to the depths of sinfulness to embrace his message of salvation and deliverance but the majority of the people remained unresponsive to the Good News that he brings.
What actually added to the sorrow of Jesus was not the rejection he met but the indifference of the people to his message. Unlike the Pharisees who were always plotting and looking at every opportunity to either prove Jesus wrong or to silence him by arresting him on trumped-up charges, the people of Capernaum simply disregarded him and this was what really got the goat of Jesus because to be ignored and disregarded are probably much worse than being criminally persecuted and executed.
At the end of the day, Jesus denounced the people of Capernaum “and you Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths.” (v.15) History shows us that Capernaum was destroyed during the Jewish-Roman war in 66-70A.D. and although it was rebuilt to become a center of Judaism, the city of Capernaum was finally destroyed and occupied by the Arabs in the 7th Century.
What this Gospel tells us is that we too will suffer the same fate as the people of Capernaum, Chorazin and Bethsaida if we will choose to become indifferent and ignore the message of salvation that Christ brings.
Many of us may be in violation of our covenants with God. We may be running away from our assignments in our respective ministries. We may be dodging assignments to shepherd those who are in need of spiritual direction or our attendance in our Prayer Meetings, Bible Study Groups and celebration of the Holy Eucharist have become infrequent.
But the greatest sin that we as baptized Catholic Christians can ever commit is to be indifferent by ignoring the presence of Christ and His Word of Salvation and Deliverance. Not only were the people of Capernaum, Chorazin and Bethsaida indifferent but they were unrepentant as well and Jesus stresses that it would have been better if he brought his message to Tyre and Sidon instead.
Capernaum, Chorazin and Bethsaida could have been spared the wrath of God had they repented and accepted the Good News and Jesus is showing us that what happened to the people of these three cities will also happen to us if we will persist in ignoring His call. Repentance brings a change of heart and way of life and in love Jesus is calling us to walk in his way of truth, love and holiness and the question we need to ask ourselves now is are we embracing His Word with genuine faith and obedience? Because the other alternative is unbearable.
As I have written in one of my earlier reflections there was a man who kept holding off his decision to become a Christian saying “I will follow Christ one of these days.” Unfortunately, he never saw “one of these days” because God called him in “one of those days.”
We should not play with our lives since time is a luxury that we don’t have. It’s either we live in and with God or we don’t. If we choose to be in and with Christ, then eternal salvation is within our reach. If we choose to reject, ignore and disregard Christ, then it is no different from putting a millstone tied around our necks and be thrown to the depths of the sea.
To be in and with Christ is to move out of our comfort zones. I heard Mark Nimo, an international Catholic evangelist from Chicago, who once said in a leadership training seminar I attended at the Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio that renewed Christians must be a people on the move. He said the time for talking is over. We are now in a time that requires action.
The New Evangelization program contained in the Lineamenta issued by Pope Benedict XVI encourages us Catholics to forge new paths to proclaim the Gospel of Salvation to the world around us. Many around us do not believe in the Christ or do not believe in themselves that they are being called.
“But how can they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how can they hear unless someone preaches to them?” (Rom 10:14) Our calling as Christian disciples is to preach the Word of God and to ignore this call is a sign of indifference and certainly you will not want Jesus to say ‘woe’ to you. Definitely not! Not to bring the Gospel of Christ to others is to reject Christ and thus reject the One who sent Him.
JUST DO IT!
OCT. 4, 2012: ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI
1st Reading: Job 19:21-27
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 27:8-9, 13-14 “I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.”
GOSPEL: LK 10:1-12
Key Verse: “I am sending you out like lambs
among wolves.” (v.3)
Today we have a beautiful Gospel reading that defines our roles in relation to our journey towards the Kingdom of God as it tells us of the right attitude that we should have as we go and be the evangel to others.
And Jesus in this passage equated this role with the image of harvest time to help his disciples and the people visualize the coming of the Kingdom of God because harvest represents the fruit of labor and growth and the entire process requires a lot of workers or laborers.
As a rice farmer myself, I am quite familiar with the process employed during the planting season from the sourcing of the seeds, preparing both the field and the seeds, watering and plowing the field, weeding and winnowing, fertilizing and when the rice grain is ripe, then the harvest begins.
This farming process of sowing and harvesting is what we do as messengers in which the Word of God is likened to a seed that is sown in the hearts of men where it is winnowed by norms and values of the faith, fertilized by the Sacraments until the man matures and sent out to repeat the same process.
There was, however, another analogy that Jesus used in this particular Gospel passage when he said: “ Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.” (v.3) While Luke did not elaborate, Jesus could be referring to the prophecy in Isa 11:6 who said that there will come a time when wolves and lambs will dwell in peace.
Bible scholars view this to be the second coming of Christ when everyone will be united under the Lordship of Jesus after he has established the reign of God in the heavens and in the earth. But while we are still going through our journey of faith, we are to expect opposition and persecution from those who reject the Gospel. But when we are confronted by those opposed to the Gospel, Christ is telling us to face such aggression in love and peace.
The point of this Gospel is that as Jesus came as the sacrificial lamb who atoned for our sins, we whom he has purchased at a great cost must also sacrifice our lives to serve our Lord and King. Here, we see Jesus sending out his 72 disciples in pairs to a two-fold task which was “to heal the sick and tell them the Kingdom of God is at hand” (v.9) and he instructed them to go and serve without counting the cost. “Do not greet anyone on the road” (v.4). “Eat and drink whatever they give you.. Do not move from house to house” (v.7).
These may look like stringent guidelines that some may find unsettling but what Jesus is telling us is if we are to proclaim the Word of God we must give our full attention to the proclamation of God’s kingdom and not be diverted by other lesser things. We must travel light and only bring what is necessary and leave behind any paraphernalia that would distract us from our goal which is to sow the Word of God in men.
We must work and serve the Lord not for what we can get out of it, but for what we can give freely to others, without expecting special privileges or reward and it is this poverty of spirit that frees us from greed and attachment to possessions and make ample room for God’s provision because the Lord wants his disciples to be dependent on him and not on themselves.
In our lives us Sharers for the Marriage Encounter Weekend and in the Life in the Spirit Seminars and when we go to facilitate teachings in parishes and charismatic communities, my spouse and I have practically experienced both extremes from first-class accommodations to places that have limited or no facilities at all. But as emissaries of Christ we who work in the vineyard of the Lord should not complain or grumble. Thus, we have “learned to be content whatever the circumstances” (Phi 4:11).
This was the mission that Jesus had entrusted to his disciples and which he is entrusting to us now. And in this Gospel Jesus is showing us where our mission should begin. It begins with prayer: “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest and ask him to send more workers into the fields” (v.2).
This Gospel actually represents the two most important rules that Jesus wants his disciples to observe. These are (1) to eat what is put before us and not seek better and more comfortable accommodations which is to accept hospitality without being picky or choosy (v.8) and, (2) to heal the sick because healings draw the attention of the people to the presence of God (v.9).
It is human nature for people to want and be better than everyone else. At times people are drawn to material things. They want a big house, branded clothes, a 3-carat diamond to wear. If life is a game, no one goes to the game to lose. But to be the best and win the prize requires endurance, stamina, dedication and determination. The question is why do we see people living as if they have already lost the game in life?
It's because people don't care anymore how their relationship with God is progressing. Many have been reduced to apathy. Others are content in living mediocre lives. They have forgotten about the ultimate goal. Being a Christian is a lifetime commitment. It's a journey in which we need to have a full-time relationship with the Lord. Some people say they want to follow God, but they are so busy they do all sorts of things except follow God as other priorities get in the way.
The truth of the matter is life is like a salad in a buffet bar. You put in your plate what you feel and believe will satisfy your palate. At times you leave the bitter herbs even if you know these are nutritious. But life is actually a combination of all these, and the dressing enhances the taste of the salad.
Likened to life, we are confronted with the sweetness and good tasting joy and successes in our lives and also the bitter herbs of sorrows and failures that we face. But the dressing which is our desire to follow God is what makes it different. If you will only stop for a moment and look at where you are now, your journey will be more satisfying when you know that life has a purpose and it can only be enhanced by giving our time, talent and treasure to make the journey worthwhile.
To bring to others and stand witness to the Word of God is a tremendous privilege. Still, greater responsibility rests on those who will hear the Word of God because they will ultimately be judged according to the measure of their actions in relation to what they heard.
Jesus reminds us: “When you enter a house, first say, Peace to this house. If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you.” (vv.5-6) This is actually a warning from Jesus which means that it would be a terrible thing to reject the invitation of God that comes when the Word of God is spoken.
We whom Christ have called to minister to the world around us need to do what we are told to do and this Gospel reminds us to go without counting the cost. And we can all begin by asking ourselves - Have we witnessed to our own passion, death and resurrection in Christ to those around us?
Because at the end of the day, the world will look not just at us but whether Christ is indeed present in us. Just do it, as the famous commercial says, regardless of the circumstances. In other words, don’t avoid or run away from the cross. That’s the bottom line of evangelization.
1st Reading: Job 19:21-27
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 27:8-9, 13-14 “I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.”
GOSPEL: LK 10:1-12
Key Verse: “I am sending you out like lambs
among wolves.” (v.3)
Today we have a beautiful Gospel reading that defines our roles in relation to our journey towards the Kingdom of God as it tells us of the right attitude that we should have as we go and be the evangel to others.
And Jesus in this passage equated this role with the image of harvest time to help his disciples and the people visualize the coming of the Kingdom of God because harvest represents the fruit of labor and growth and the entire process requires a lot of workers or laborers.
As a rice farmer myself, I am quite familiar with the process employed during the planting season from the sourcing of the seeds, preparing both the field and the seeds, watering and plowing the field, weeding and winnowing, fertilizing and when the rice grain is ripe, then the harvest begins.
This farming process of sowing and harvesting is what we do as messengers in which the Word of God is likened to a seed that is sown in the hearts of men where it is winnowed by norms and values of the faith, fertilized by the Sacraments until the man matures and sent out to repeat the same process.
There was, however, another analogy that Jesus used in this particular Gospel passage when he said: “ Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.” (v.3) While Luke did not elaborate, Jesus could be referring to the prophecy in Isa 11:6 who said that there will come a time when wolves and lambs will dwell in peace.
Bible scholars view this to be the second coming of Christ when everyone will be united under the Lordship of Jesus after he has established the reign of God in the heavens and in the earth. But while we are still going through our journey of faith, we are to expect opposition and persecution from those who reject the Gospel. But when we are confronted by those opposed to the Gospel, Christ is telling us to face such aggression in love and peace.
The point of this Gospel is that as Jesus came as the sacrificial lamb who atoned for our sins, we whom he has purchased at a great cost must also sacrifice our lives to serve our Lord and King. Here, we see Jesus sending out his 72 disciples in pairs to a two-fold task which was “to heal the sick and tell them the Kingdom of God is at hand” (v.9) and he instructed them to go and serve without counting the cost. “Do not greet anyone on the road” (v.4). “Eat and drink whatever they give you.. Do not move from house to house” (v.7).
These may look like stringent guidelines that some may find unsettling but what Jesus is telling us is if we are to proclaim the Word of God we must give our full attention to the proclamation of God’s kingdom and not be diverted by other lesser things. We must travel light and only bring what is necessary and leave behind any paraphernalia that would distract us from our goal which is to sow the Word of God in men.
We must work and serve the Lord not for what we can get out of it, but for what we can give freely to others, without expecting special privileges or reward and it is this poverty of spirit that frees us from greed and attachment to possessions and make ample room for God’s provision because the Lord wants his disciples to be dependent on him and not on themselves.
In our lives us Sharers for the Marriage Encounter Weekend and in the Life in the Spirit Seminars and when we go to facilitate teachings in parishes and charismatic communities, my spouse and I have practically experienced both extremes from first-class accommodations to places that have limited or no facilities at all. But as emissaries of Christ we who work in the vineyard of the Lord should not complain or grumble. Thus, we have “learned to be content whatever the circumstances” (Phi 4:11).
This was the mission that Jesus had entrusted to his disciples and which he is entrusting to us now. And in this Gospel Jesus is showing us where our mission should begin. It begins with prayer: “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest and ask him to send more workers into the fields” (v.2).
This Gospel actually represents the two most important rules that Jesus wants his disciples to observe. These are (1) to eat what is put before us and not seek better and more comfortable accommodations which is to accept hospitality without being picky or choosy (v.8) and, (2) to heal the sick because healings draw the attention of the people to the presence of God (v.9).
It is human nature for people to want and be better than everyone else. At times people are drawn to material things. They want a big house, branded clothes, a 3-carat diamond to wear. If life is a game, no one goes to the game to lose. But to be the best and win the prize requires endurance, stamina, dedication and determination. The question is why do we see people living as if they have already lost the game in life?
It's because people don't care anymore how their relationship with God is progressing. Many have been reduced to apathy. Others are content in living mediocre lives. They have forgotten about the ultimate goal. Being a Christian is a lifetime commitment. It's a journey in which we need to have a full-time relationship with the Lord. Some people say they want to follow God, but they are so busy they do all sorts of things except follow God as other priorities get in the way.
The truth of the matter is life is like a salad in a buffet bar. You put in your plate what you feel and believe will satisfy your palate. At times you leave the bitter herbs even if you know these are nutritious. But life is actually a combination of all these, and the dressing enhances the taste of the salad.
Likened to life, we are confronted with the sweetness and good tasting joy and successes in our lives and also the bitter herbs of sorrows and failures that we face. But the dressing which is our desire to follow God is what makes it different. If you will only stop for a moment and look at where you are now, your journey will be more satisfying when you know that life has a purpose and it can only be enhanced by giving our time, talent and treasure to make the journey worthwhile.
To bring to others and stand witness to the Word of God is a tremendous privilege. Still, greater responsibility rests on those who will hear the Word of God because they will ultimately be judged according to the measure of their actions in relation to what they heard.
Jesus reminds us: “When you enter a house, first say, Peace to this house. If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you.” (vv.5-6) This is actually a warning from Jesus which means that it would be a terrible thing to reject the invitation of God that comes when the Word of God is spoken.
We whom Christ have called to minister to the world around us need to do what we are told to do and this Gospel reminds us to go without counting the cost. And we can all begin by asking ourselves - Have we witnessed to our own passion, death and resurrection in Christ to those around us?
Because at the end of the day, the world will look not just at us but whether Christ is indeed present in us. Just do it, as the famous commercial says, regardless of the circumstances. In other words, don’t avoid or run away from the cross. That’s the bottom line of evangelization.
NOT EASY TO FOLLOW JESUS
OCT. 3, 2012: 26TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Job 9:1-2, 14-16
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 88:10-15 “Let my prayers come before you, Lord.”
GOSPEL: Lk 9:57-62
Key Verse: “but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” (v.58)
In order for his listeners to capture what he says, Jesus Christ uses three different styles in the way that he teaches or preaches as the case may be. At times we see him standing in the synagogue but we also find Jesus sitting when he wants to discuss something at length as during the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5).
And today we see Jesus making use of every opportunity to deliver his message as he preaches while walking with some of his disciples on their way from Galilee to Jerusalem and today we hear Jesus laying down the parameters of discipleship to three of his disciples who were walking alongside him.
And to all three who professed their desire to follow him and as this teaching is also directed towards us we who regard ourselves as Christian disciples in the post-modern world, Jesus gave three “must haves” for anyone who will want to follow him. (1) We must be prepared to venture into the unknown and uncharted territory. (2) Instantaneous action is needed which means we have to act immediately and not tomorrow or at some future time. (3) Jesus demands from us to leave everything behind, look ahead and move forward.
By far these are not mouth-watering conditions that anyone can readily grab but these provide us with something to ponder on especially in relation to the covenants that we have entered into as disciples of covenanted communities and, even among those who have committed their lives to serve God through the church.
I do believe that this Lucan version on the cost of discipleship as compared to that in Matt 8:18-22 should be reflected upon by everyone who is in a renewal community regardless of how they are classified. In the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community, there are actually three sets of members – one is a regular member who simply attends the Community’s Corporate Worship (Prayer Meeting); a Committed Disciple who commits to attend the Formation Program leading to covenanting, and; a Covenanted Disciple who has completed the three-and-a-half year discipleship formation program and has signed his or her covenant, a document professing his/ her allegiance, a life of service and subservience to God.
In this Gospel, Jesus is telling us what he told the first would-be disciple “but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” (v.58) which means that those who will follow him must not remain stationary but must become a people on the move. Jesus is actually telling us to draw on our faith to go and step into the unknown as what Abraham did when he was commanded by God to go and he “obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.” (Heb 11:8).
And this is what disciples are supposed to do because the grace of the renewal compels us to move out and not remain stationary and become stagnant in our faith. And this is especially true not just for disciple-members of a Church or Community but more so for leaders.
To the second would-be disciple, Jesus says “let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the Kingdom of God.” (v.60) This may seem harsh but Jesus also recognizes our duties to our love ones and when he said this he knew that what the man meant was that he will follow after his father dies since, for all intents and purposes, the father of man was not dead yet because he has no business hanging around with Jesus if his father just died and waiting to be buried.
What Jesus wants from his disciples is immediate action. We need not physically leave our families but like Jesus we are to make use of every opportunity to evangelize and proclaim the Kingdom of God. Jesus requires an instant decision on our part because when we put-off making such a decision for tomorrow there is a tendency we will never make that decision at all. Procrastination is akin to human nature and to become a disciple, our desires must be translated into action.
Finally, Jesus advises us to leave everything behind – our past, our sinful nature, our tendency to dilly-dally, our penchant for grandstanding, our self-centeredness, our bitterness and unforgiveness – because “no one who puts his hand on the plow and looks back is fit for service in the Kingdom of God.” (v.62)
Farmers normally put an imaginary point at the end of the field and he guides the animal and his plow towards that point on a straight path. It doesn’t mean we are not to look back but what Jesus is stressing is that we need to look forward once we have began to plow the field.
This reminds me of the need for every organization to review their mission fields because the element of success must always be the focal point of the mission that the church and or community undertakes. Take for example the countless Life in the Spirit Seminars in parishes that we in the BLD have conducted and which are all gone now with no trace of even our being there. Some did not progress as intended to be because of certain factors one of which is the formation program that was put in place.
It also means that we need to go and serve even in places with Spartan accommodations. We all must be convicted by the thought that Jesus Christ was constantly on the move and at times would let the night pass in some solitary place and simply lie on a clearing. Translated into present-day realities, it means we need not expect five-star treatment in the mission to which we are being sent.
Every program that the church and or community will put in place should be likened to a field that is being plowed. As we put our hands on the plow, we should put an imaginary point at the end of the field to which we are to direct the plow. What this means is that there is a need to determine the progress of every program that you will undertake. And many times too, projects and programs fail because these are not aligned to the charisms that are spelled out in the vision and mission of the church organization.
To be a disciple of Christ, we must all be pro-active because Jesus is not going to accept any form of lukewarm service. As Jesus also sees what is in our hearts, our Lord requires total dedication and not half-hearted commitment. We have to accept the cross and not just aim for the crown and we need to focus on Jesus and not allow ourselves to be distracted along the way especially when we have put our hands on the plow.
1st Reading: Job 9:1-2, 14-16
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 88:10-15 “Let my prayers come before you, Lord.”
GOSPEL: Lk 9:57-62
Key Verse: “but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” (v.58)
In order for his listeners to capture what he says, Jesus Christ uses three different styles in the way that he teaches or preaches as the case may be. At times we see him standing in the synagogue but we also find Jesus sitting when he wants to discuss something at length as during the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5).
And today we see Jesus making use of every opportunity to deliver his message as he preaches while walking with some of his disciples on their way from Galilee to Jerusalem and today we hear Jesus laying down the parameters of discipleship to three of his disciples who were walking alongside him.
And to all three who professed their desire to follow him and as this teaching is also directed towards us we who regard ourselves as Christian disciples in the post-modern world, Jesus gave three “must haves” for anyone who will want to follow him. (1) We must be prepared to venture into the unknown and uncharted territory. (2) Instantaneous action is needed which means we have to act immediately and not tomorrow or at some future time. (3) Jesus demands from us to leave everything behind, look ahead and move forward.
By far these are not mouth-watering conditions that anyone can readily grab but these provide us with something to ponder on especially in relation to the covenants that we have entered into as disciples of covenanted communities and, even among those who have committed their lives to serve God through the church.
I do believe that this Lucan version on the cost of discipleship as compared to that in Matt 8:18-22 should be reflected upon by everyone who is in a renewal community regardless of how they are classified. In the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community, there are actually three sets of members – one is a regular member who simply attends the Community’s Corporate Worship (Prayer Meeting); a Committed Disciple who commits to attend the Formation Program leading to covenanting, and; a Covenanted Disciple who has completed the three-and-a-half year discipleship formation program and has signed his or her covenant, a document professing his/ her allegiance, a life of service and subservience to God.
In this Gospel, Jesus is telling us what he told the first would-be disciple “but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” (v.58) which means that those who will follow him must not remain stationary but must become a people on the move. Jesus is actually telling us to draw on our faith to go and step into the unknown as what Abraham did when he was commanded by God to go and he “obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.” (Heb 11:8).
And this is what disciples are supposed to do because the grace of the renewal compels us to move out and not remain stationary and become stagnant in our faith. And this is especially true not just for disciple-members of a Church or Community but more so for leaders.
To the second would-be disciple, Jesus says “let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the Kingdom of God.” (v.60) This may seem harsh but Jesus also recognizes our duties to our love ones and when he said this he knew that what the man meant was that he will follow after his father dies since, for all intents and purposes, the father of man was not dead yet because he has no business hanging around with Jesus if his father just died and waiting to be buried.
What Jesus wants from his disciples is immediate action. We need not physically leave our families but like Jesus we are to make use of every opportunity to evangelize and proclaim the Kingdom of God. Jesus requires an instant decision on our part because when we put-off making such a decision for tomorrow there is a tendency we will never make that decision at all. Procrastination is akin to human nature and to become a disciple, our desires must be translated into action.
Finally, Jesus advises us to leave everything behind – our past, our sinful nature, our tendency to dilly-dally, our penchant for grandstanding, our self-centeredness, our bitterness and unforgiveness – because “no one who puts his hand on the plow and looks back is fit for service in the Kingdom of God.” (v.62)
Farmers normally put an imaginary point at the end of the field and he guides the animal and his plow towards that point on a straight path. It doesn’t mean we are not to look back but what Jesus is stressing is that we need to look forward once we have began to plow the field.
This reminds me of the need for every organization to review their mission fields because the element of success must always be the focal point of the mission that the church and or community undertakes. Take for example the countless Life in the Spirit Seminars in parishes that we in the BLD have conducted and which are all gone now with no trace of even our being there. Some did not progress as intended to be because of certain factors one of which is the formation program that was put in place.
It also means that we need to go and serve even in places with Spartan accommodations. We all must be convicted by the thought that Jesus Christ was constantly on the move and at times would let the night pass in some solitary place and simply lie on a clearing. Translated into present-day realities, it means we need not expect five-star treatment in the mission to which we are being sent.
Every program that the church and or community will put in place should be likened to a field that is being plowed. As we put our hands on the plow, we should put an imaginary point at the end of the field to which we are to direct the plow. What this means is that there is a need to determine the progress of every program that you will undertake. And many times too, projects and programs fail because these are not aligned to the charisms that are spelled out in the vision and mission of the church organization.
To be a disciple of Christ, we must all be pro-active because Jesus is not going to accept any form of lukewarm service. As Jesus also sees what is in our hearts, our Lord requires total dedication and not half-hearted commitment. We have to accept the cross and not just aim for the crown and we need to focus on Jesus and not allow ourselves to be distracted along the way especially when we have put our hands on the plow.
SURE WAY TO ETERNITY
OCT. 2, 2012: HOLY GUARDIAN ANGELS
1st Reading: Exo 23:20-23
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 91:1-6, 10-11 “The Lord has put angels in charge of you, to guard you in all your ways.”
GOSPEL: Matt 18:1-5, 10 (Alternative Reading: Lk 9:51-56)
Key Verse: “…whoever humbles himself like this child,
is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.” (v.4)
The disciples in this Gospel passage were probably expecting that Jesus would patronize them as they have been with Jesus for quite sometime and they must have been stunned when the Son of Man came up with a picturesque response by taking a child saying in vv. 3-4: “unless you turn and become as children, you will not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Whoever humbles himself as this little child, he is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.”
Jesus used a child to describe a citizen of the Heavenly Kingdom because the child is clothed with the characteristics of anyone who will want to enter and live in God’s Kingdom. First and foremost of these qualities is the humility of a child that Jesus referred to as the model for Christian behavior.
A child is also utterly dependent on those who are raising him up and shall have developed in his lifetime a complete trust on his parents. These two virtues – dependence and trust – are the attitudes that each Christian must have in his relationship to God.
Jesus used the example of a little child to also break down the misconception of his disciples towards the kind of Kingdom that he has come to establish on earth. Up to this time, his disciples were still thinking of the worldly realm when Jesus will finally take his place as the Messiah and Jesus had to stop them on their tracks without stifling their enthusiasm. Hence, he equated the inhabitants of heaven to the character of a child.
There could also be another interpretation on why Jesus used the child as a metaphor to bring across his message and in this second version, it was possible that Jesus was referring to a young adult and or even men who are undergoing study and training in righteousness and this was borne by the fact that the Jews sometimes apply a double meaning to certain words.
In those days, the word child was no different which to the Jews could mean a little child and or someone who was known to be a disciple or follower who was normally labeled as a son or child of a teacher. Thus, Jesus may also have been referring to a person who was still under the tutelage of his teacher.
Regardless of which of these interpretations is accurate, what we should bear in mind is the tremendous responsibility that Jesus passed on to us which is to teach children not only to develop their child-like faith but to eventually lead them to live a Godly life.
Today is also the Feast of the Holy Guardian Angels and in some parts of the world the church uses Chapter 9:51-56 from the Gospel of Luke as an alternative gospel reading. And to be able to understand this passage we need to go back in time and know the kind of enmity that existed between the Jews and the Samaritans.
And this apathy was not without reason and Scriptures tell us that the Israelites themselves brought this culture of hatred upon them. In 2 Kgs 17:24-41 it describes how God allowed other nations to invade Israel because of the sins of the people at that time.
The Israelites were exiled to Assyria and the Assyrian king brought his people to settle in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. In time, mixed marriages gave birth to a mixed race that were labeled as Samaritans and the Jews hated these so-called half-breeds and the Samaritans in turn also hated the Jews.
But to go from Galilee to Jerusalem, the Jews needed to pass through Samaria being the shortest route but because of the dispute, the Jews have to go around Samaria which was the longer route. This will explain why Jesus had to send an advance party to Samaria to seek their blessing. In effect, what Jesus did was an offer of reconciliation but this was refused and this was why James and John tried to seek divine intervention to retaliate against the Samaritans.
The rejection that Jesus and his disciples suffered is no different from our situation today as there are many in the world today who still aren’t prepared to meet Jesus. They will simply reject him because of their unbelief and or because they are not ready yet to give up the influence of the world in their own lives.
That Jesus had to go around to go to Jerusalem is what some of us also do when we meet someone we don’t exactly like. We either take a different path to avoid the person and or simply ignore the person as if he doesn’t exist. What we don’t know is that this kind of apathy and unforgiveness that we harbor in our hearts are also a form of rejection that was similar to that which Jesus suffered in Samaria.
In refusing to forgive we are actually rejecting Christ because our response as Christians shouldn't be anger and hostility as these attitudes destroy our divine nature (2 Pet 1:4). Instead, our response should be to do good when and where we can, and when we are rejected we move on to the next open door as what Jesus and his disciples did because there will come a time when that closed door will open and many will also come to know Jesus as what happened to the Samaritans (Jn 4; Ac 8).
As Jesus remained focused on his mission and that not even this rejection by the Samaritans nor by the Pharisees will stop him from going through his passion and death, Our Lord is also asking us to do the same – that we too by sharing in his suffering will also rise in glory with him.
What James and John learned and what we also must also learn is that we must not be afraid of going to our own Jerusalem because to follow Jesus is to simply model our lives after him. If we shall so decide to return evil for evil as what James and John wanted to do or, surround ourselves with luxury in the face of human need that is around us we will definitely lose our life. We can only save our life if we follow Jesus Christ on the road to Calvary onto the Cross.
In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus teaches us about humility and trust while in Luke we are taught to be tolerant which is a virtue that has long been lost as the people of today have become so hard on themselves because of the pressures that the world bring. And intolerance at times moves us to a conviction that our beliefs and methods alone are correct and unknown to us this attitude has become the cause of so much distress and dissension in the church.
As no man has a monopoly of the truth of God, the kind of tolerance that Jesus was showing us in Luke’s Gospel must not be based on indifference but on love which means that we have to look at others with love. Many times we abuse the word fraternal correction and we tend to focus on the word “treat him as a Gentile or a tax-collector” when the process fails.
But even that passage was not what it seems because what Jesus really meant was that there is hope even for a Gentile and a tax-collector to enter the Kingdom of God (Matt 21:31) and fraternal correction merely tells us not to lose hope but be tolerant of others by looking at them with love.
What these two Gospels (Matt 18:1-5, 10; Lk 9:51-56) show is that as Christian disciples, we need to clothe ourselves with the humility and trust of a little child that will allow us to be tolerant and oblivious to the influences of the world around us. This is the only way we can focus on our journey towards eternal life and humility, trust and tolerance are the virtues that will shield us from the pains and suffering of our own Calvary.
1st Reading: Exo 23:20-23
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 91:1-6, 10-11 “The Lord has put angels in charge of you, to guard you in all your ways.”
GOSPEL: Matt 18:1-5, 10 (Alternative Reading: Lk 9:51-56)
Key Verse: “…whoever humbles himself like this child,
is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.” (v.4)
The disciples in this Gospel passage were probably expecting that Jesus would patronize them as they have been with Jesus for quite sometime and they must have been stunned when the Son of Man came up with a picturesque response by taking a child saying in vv. 3-4: “unless you turn and become as children, you will not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Whoever humbles himself as this little child, he is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.”
Jesus used a child to describe a citizen of the Heavenly Kingdom because the child is clothed with the characteristics of anyone who will want to enter and live in God’s Kingdom. First and foremost of these qualities is the humility of a child that Jesus referred to as the model for Christian behavior.
A child is also utterly dependent on those who are raising him up and shall have developed in his lifetime a complete trust on his parents. These two virtues – dependence and trust – are the attitudes that each Christian must have in his relationship to God.
Jesus used the example of a little child to also break down the misconception of his disciples towards the kind of Kingdom that he has come to establish on earth. Up to this time, his disciples were still thinking of the worldly realm when Jesus will finally take his place as the Messiah and Jesus had to stop them on their tracks without stifling their enthusiasm. Hence, he equated the inhabitants of heaven to the character of a child.
There could also be another interpretation on why Jesus used the child as a metaphor to bring across his message and in this second version, it was possible that Jesus was referring to a young adult and or even men who are undergoing study and training in righteousness and this was borne by the fact that the Jews sometimes apply a double meaning to certain words.
In those days, the word child was no different which to the Jews could mean a little child and or someone who was known to be a disciple or follower who was normally labeled as a son or child of a teacher. Thus, Jesus may also have been referring to a person who was still under the tutelage of his teacher.
Regardless of which of these interpretations is accurate, what we should bear in mind is the tremendous responsibility that Jesus passed on to us which is to teach children not only to develop their child-like faith but to eventually lead them to live a Godly life.
Today is also the Feast of the Holy Guardian Angels and in some parts of the world the church uses Chapter 9:51-56 from the Gospel of Luke as an alternative gospel reading. And to be able to understand this passage we need to go back in time and know the kind of enmity that existed between the Jews and the Samaritans.
And this apathy was not without reason and Scriptures tell us that the Israelites themselves brought this culture of hatred upon them. In 2 Kgs 17:24-41 it describes how God allowed other nations to invade Israel because of the sins of the people at that time.
The Israelites were exiled to Assyria and the Assyrian king brought his people to settle in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. In time, mixed marriages gave birth to a mixed race that were labeled as Samaritans and the Jews hated these so-called half-breeds and the Samaritans in turn also hated the Jews.
But to go from Galilee to Jerusalem, the Jews needed to pass through Samaria being the shortest route but because of the dispute, the Jews have to go around Samaria which was the longer route. This will explain why Jesus had to send an advance party to Samaria to seek their blessing. In effect, what Jesus did was an offer of reconciliation but this was refused and this was why James and John tried to seek divine intervention to retaliate against the Samaritans.
The rejection that Jesus and his disciples suffered is no different from our situation today as there are many in the world today who still aren’t prepared to meet Jesus. They will simply reject him because of their unbelief and or because they are not ready yet to give up the influence of the world in their own lives.
That Jesus had to go around to go to Jerusalem is what some of us also do when we meet someone we don’t exactly like. We either take a different path to avoid the person and or simply ignore the person as if he doesn’t exist. What we don’t know is that this kind of apathy and unforgiveness that we harbor in our hearts are also a form of rejection that was similar to that which Jesus suffered in Samaria.
In refusing to forgive we are actually rejecting Christ because our response as Christians shouldn't be anger and hostility as these attitudes destroy our divine nature (2 Pet 1:4). Instead, our response should be to do good when and where we can, and when we are rejected we move on to the next open door as what Jesus and his disciples did because there will come a time when that closed door will open and many will also come to know Jesus as what happened to the Samaritans (Jn 4; Ac 8).
As Jesus remained focused on his mission and that not even this rejection by the Samaritans nor by the Pharisees will stop him from going through his passion and death, Our Lord is also asking us to do the same – that we too by sharing in his suffering will also rise in glory with him.
What James and John learned and what we also must also learn is that we must not be afraid of going to our own Jerusalem because to follow Jesus is to simply model our lives after him. If we shall so decide to return evil for evil as what James and John wanted to do or, surround ourselves with luxury in the face of human need that is around us we will definitely lose our life. We can only save our life if we follow Jesus Christ on the road to Calvary onto the Cross.
In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus teaches us about humility and trust while in Luke we are taught to be tolerant which is a virtue that has long been lost as the people of today have become so hard on themselves because of the pressures that the world bring. And intolerance at times moves us to a conviction that our beliefs and methods alone are correct and unknown to us this attitude has become the cause of so much distress and dissension in the church.
As no man has a monopoly of the truth of God, the kind of tolerance that Jesus was showing us in Luke’s Gospel must not be based on indifference but on love which means that we have to look at others with love. Many times we abuse the word fraternal correction and we tend to focus on the word “treat him as a Gentile or a tax-collector” when the process fails.
But even that passage was not what it seems because what Jesus really meant was that there is hope even for a Gentile and a tax-collector to enter the Kingdom of God (Matt 21:31) and fraternal correction merely tells us not to lose hope but be tolerant of others by looking at them with love.
What these two Gospels (Matt 18:1-5, 10; Lk 9:51-56) show is that as Christian disciples, we need to clothe ourselves with the humility and trust of a little child that will allow us to be tolerant and oblivious to the influences of the world around us. This is the only way we can focus on our journey towards eternal life and humility, trust and tolerance are the virtues that will shield us from the pains and suffering of our own Calvary.
THE LEAST IS THE GREATEST
OCT. 1, 2012: ST. THERESE OF THE CHILD JESUS
1st Reading: Job 1:6-22
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 17:1-3, 6-7 “Incline your ear to me and hear my word.”
GOSPEL: LK 9:46-50
Key Verse: “he who is least … he is the greatest.” (v.48)
Of the 12 Apostles whom Jesus chose from among the initial batch of 72 disciples, three – Peter, James and his brother John – formed what may be called as his inner circle. The three were also the only ones whom Jesus brought along to the Mount of Transfiguration.
Still looking at Jesus as an earthly king the disciples ignored his admonitions about his suffering and death on the cross and probably thinking that Peter, James and John curried favor from Jesus and will occupy a lofty position in the earthly kingdom that they are imagining, the other disciples began to argue as to who of them should be the greatest.
The disciples should not be faulted if they argued about who was to sit on the left and right of Jesus because there is in every man a natural tendency to aspire for greatness and the world is full of them which ironically include even those in the Church and or even Christian organizations.
And the reason is simply linked to the perceived honor that comes from being great especially in the temporal world that we are in. And this is what separates us from Our Lord Jesus Christ “who being in very nature, God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped at.” (Phi 2:6)
Though man may have been created in the image and likeness of God, there is that human desire to aspire for prestige. Archibald Joseph Cronin (1896-1981) a Scottish physician who was also a novelist (author of The Stars Look Down, The Citadel, The Keys of the Kingdom) whose novels combined reality with social criticism narrated a story about a nurse that he encountered in the course of his medical practice.
The nurse as Cronin recounted served a very large district and who was on call 24/7 but there never was any trace of irritation nor impatience in her that led Cronin to ask her “why don’t you make them pay you more? God knows you are worth it.” And the nurse simply said: “if God knows I’m worth it that’s all that matters to me.”
The message is that when we work in God’s vineyard, the desire for prestige should be the last thing on our minds because even our best is not good enough for him. This also reminds me of an incident about two years ago when I attended a convention of Catholic organizations and as I went to the Bishop who was in charge of the convention and introduced myself I was floored at his response when he said – ah, so you’re with the BLD the one of ______?, and he mentioned the name of the person. And I felt I needed to make a rejoinder and I said: “I’m sorry Bishop I’m from the BLD that was founded not by the person you mentioned but by the Holy Spirit who used the late Sonny delos Reyes and others and the person you mentioned was not even one of the founders.”
There is also in us a desire to sit in places of honor and prominence. Dissension at times creep into a church organization when appointees to certain functions regard their designation as an honor that they deserve rather than a responsibility they needed to assume.
To put his disciples in their proper frame of mind with regards to what being great is, Jesus placed a child on his right side. This was a significant message because it was customary for the Jews to seat the guest of honor at the right side of the host. And Jesus went on to say that the one who is humble of heart like a little child is the greatest in God's kingdom? Jesus, himself, is our model of what it is to be great for He came not to be served, but to serve (Matt 20:28).
If we want our lives to be filled with the Grace of God, then we need to detach ourselves from things that stand in the way like pride, self-seeking glory, vanity, self-centeredness. God wants us to empty ourselves so he can fill us with his own glory (2 Cor. 4:7).
There are many among us who are drawn to service and at times generosity but whose aim is to be noticed and praised. And the disciples went through this realization when they complained to Jesus that there was someone who did not belong to their group but was casting out demons in the name of Jesus and he rebuked them saying: “don’t stop him, for he who is not against you is for you.” (v.50)
This is what happens when our pride is hurt when someone else succeeds where we have failed. You may not believe this but throughout my life I never felt insecure in any of the positions and situations to which Our Lord has brought me into in the past and in the present and where he will still lead me in the future.
This is because I am very much aware of the fact that each one of us have different gifts and these gifts are personal to us such that I am very much comfortable with the gifts that I have and which I keep nurturing with the Grace of God. And so must you.
What Jesus was saying in this Gospel is that there is no room for jealousy in his vineyard because we are engaged in spiritual warfare every moment of our lives and we need to be constantly aware that there is only who is great and He is the One who created everything from nothing. And God will measure not our greatness but our worth by the measure with which we have cared for others especially the helpless and the needy – those who aren’t in a position to reciprocate.
Let me end this reflection with a quote from Margot Asquith, Countess of Oxford and Asquith and a noted Scottish author, who said: “The first element of greatness is fundamental humbleness (this should not be confused with servility); the second is freedom from self; the third is intrepid courage, which, taken in its widest interpretation, generally goes with truth, and the fourth – the power to love – although I have put it last, is the rarest.”
Indeed, as Jesus commanded us to “love one another” (Jn 13:34) and that “all will know that you are my disciples by the love you have for one another.” (Jn 13:35). To love is to forgive and to forgive is to love. This is the cycle of life that we all need to blend with. Because to love and to forgive without sans any condition is to be great in the eyes of God.
Have a blessed week ahead of you! God bless everyone!
1st Reading: Job 1:6-22
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 17:1-3, 6-7 “Incline your ear to me and hear my word.”
GOSPEL: LK 9:46-50
Key Verse: “he who is least … he is the greatest.” (v.48)
Of the 12 Apostles whom Jesus chose from among the initial batch of 72 disciples, three – Peter, James and his brother John – formed what may be called as his inner circle. The three were also the only ones whom Jesus brought along to the Mount of Transfiguration.
Still looking at Jesus as an earthly king the disciples ignored his admonitions about his suffering and death on the cross and probably thinking that Peter, James and John curried favor from Jesus and will occupy a lofty position in the earthly kingdom that they are imagining, the other disciples began to argue as to who of them should be the greatest.
The disciples should not be faulted if they argued about who was to sit on the left and right of Jesus because there is in every man a natural tendency to aspire for greatness and the world is full of them which ironically include even those in the Church and or even Christian organizations.
And the reason is simply linked to the perceived honor that comes from being great especially in the temporal world that we are in. And this is what separates us from Our Lord Jesus Christ “who being in very nature, God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped at.” (Phi 2:6)
Though man may have been created in the image and likeness of God, there is that human desire to aspire for prestige. Archibald Joseph Cronin (1896-1981) a Scottish physician who was also a novelist (author of The Stars Look Down, The Citadel, The Keys of the Kingdom) whose novels combined reality with social criticism narrated a story about a nurse that he encountered in the course of his medical practice.
The nurse as Cronin recounted served a very large district and who was on call 24/7 but there never was any trace of irritation nor impatience in her that led Cronin to ask her “why don’t you make them pay you more? God knows you are worth it.” And the nurse simply said: “if God knows I’m worth it that’s all that matters to me.”
The message is that when we work in God’s vineyard, the desire for prestige should be the last thing on our minds because even our best is not good enough for him. This also reminds me of an incident about two years ago when I attended a convention of Catholic organizations and as I went to the Bishop who was in charge of the convention and introduced myself I was floored at his response when he said – ah, so you’re with the BLD the one of ______?, and he mentioned the name of the person. And I felt I needed to make a rejoinder and I said: “I’m sorry Bishop I’m from the BLD that was founded not by the person you mentioned but by the Holy Spirit who used the late Sonny delos Reyes and others and the person you mentioned was not even one of the founders.”
There is also in us a desire to sit in places of honor and prominence. Dissension at times creep into a church organization when appointees to certain functions regard their designation as an honor that they deserve rather than a responsibility they needed to assume.
To put his disciples in their proper frame of mind with regards to what being great is, Jesus placed a child on his right side. This was a significant message because it was customary for the Jews to seat the guest of honor at the right side of the host. And Jesus went on to say that the one who is humble of heart like a little child is the greatest in God's kingdom? Jesus, himself, is our model of what it is to be great for He came not to be served, but to serve (Matt 20:28).
If we want our lives to be filled with the Grace of God, then we need to detach ourselves from things that stand in the way like pride, self-seeking glory, vanity, self-centeredness. God wants us to empty ourselves so he can fill us with his own glory (2 Cor. 4:7).
There are many among us who are drawn to service and at times generosity but whose aim is to be noticed and praised. And the disciples went through this realization when they complained to Jesus that there was someone who did not belong to their group but was casting out demons in the name of Jesus and he rebuked them saying: “don’t stop him, for he who is not against you is for you.” (v.50)
This is what happens when our pride is hurt when someone else succeeds where we have failed. You may not believe this but throughout my life I never felt insecure in any of the positions and situations to which Our Lord has brought me into in the past and in the present and where he will still lead me in the future.
This is because I am very much aware of the fact that each one of us have different gifts and these gifts are personal to us such that I am very much comfortable with the gifts that I have and which I keep nurturing with the Grace of God. And so must you.
What Jesus was saying in this Gospel is that there is no room for jealousy in his vineyard because we are engaged in spiritual warfare every moment of our lives and we need to be constantly aware that there is only who is great and He is the One who created everything from nothing. And God will measure not our greatness but our worth by the measure with which we have cared for others especially the helpless and the needy – those who aren’t in a position to reciprocate.
Let me end this reflection with a quote from Margot Asquith, Countess of Oxford and Asquith and a noted Scottish author, who said: “The first element of greatness is fundamental humbleness (this should not be confused with servility); the second is freedom from self; the third is intrepid courage, which, taken in its widest interpretation, generally goes with truth, and the fourth – the power to love – although I have put it last, is the rarest.”
Indeed, as Jesus commanded us to “love one another” (Jn 13:34) and that “all will know that you are my disciples by the love you have for one another.” (Jn 13:35). To love is to forgive and to forgive is to love. This is the cycle of life that we all need to blend with. Because to love and to forgive without sans any condition is to be great in the eyes of God.
Have a blessed week ahead of you! God bless everyone!
CARE FOR ONE ANOTHER
SEPT. 30, 2012: 26TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Num 11:25-29
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 19:8, 10, 12-13, 14 “The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.”
2nd Reading: Jam 5:1-6
GOSPEL: MK 9:38-43, 45, 47-48
Key Verse: “..whoever is not against is for us.” (v.40)
Most of the Jews during the time of Jesus believed in demons and it was the pervading sentiment at the time that both mental and physical illness are caused by the influence of evil spirits. And Jews also believed in a rather uncanny way of exorcising demons and that is to call on a more powerful spirit to command the evil demon to come out of a person. This is the kind of picture that Jesus painted in this Gospel passage because He knew how the Jews behaved at the time with respect to their beliefs.
John saw a man using the Name of Jesus to defeat the demons and he tried to stop him because he was not one of the disciples who followed Jesus. And look at how Jesus admonished John saying no man who could do a mighty work in His Name can be His enemy. And this was where Jesus laid down the great principle that “he who is not against us is for us.” (v.40)
This Gospel passage was a lesson in tolerance that Jesus wanted to impart not only to His disciples but also to the modern-day Christians who want to follow in His footsteps such that:
- Each man has a right to his own thoughts. He has a right to think of what he may want to entertain in his mind until he himself comes to a conclusion and his own belief and that is a right we should all respect. There are many instances in our lives that we are quick to condemn that which we do not understand. What we must all remember is that there is only one way to the God’s Kingdom and that is through Jesus Christ.
- It is necessary to remember that truth is always bigger than any man’s grasp of it. No man can possibly grasp all truth. The basis of tolerance is not just the acceptance of anything but tolerance means reverence for all the possibilities of truth. Opposed to this, intolerance is a sign of arrogance and ignorance, for it is a sign that a man believes that there is no truth beyond the truth he sees.
- We must not only concede to every man the right to his own thinking but also the right of man to his speech. The only limitation is when a man speaks of doctrines designed to destroy the morality of a civilized Christian society. Everyone must also remember that any doctrine or belief must finally be judged by the kind of people it produces. The question that must always be asked is not how is a church and or community governed? But what kind of people does a church or community produce?
This Gospel passage also teaches that any kindness shown to the people of Christ will not lose its reward (v.41). The reason for helping is that the person in need belongs to Christ. Note also how simple the help is. The help is a cup of cold water. Many times we are not asked to do great things for others but we are asked to give simple things that any man can give.
To help another man in need is to win the eternal reward. To cause the downfall of a weaker brother is to win the eternal punishment. These are the only two things that await those who are in Christ. The millstone described here is the millstone that is pulled by an animal to grind grains. The literal meaning is to be cast into the sea with a millstone in your neck means there is no hope of return. And Jesus used this scenario to paint a picture of what eternal damnation is all about in the language that the Jews will understand, in the way that we too will understand.
We must also ask ourselves how could the man cast out demons if he was not filled with the Holy Spirit. It is not everyone who can cast out demons. In Matt 17:19, we read that some of the disciples of Jesus were unsuccessful in casting a demon out of a boy. In Ac 19:13-17, we read of the seven sons of a high priest named Sceva who tried to exorcise an evil spirit. They were overpowered by the evil spirit.
From this, it can be concluded that unless one lives by the teachings of Jesus, not some of them, but all of them, in the Spirit of Truth, he cannot do the work of the Lord Jesus, nor be of the Body of Christ. Jesus said, “Whoever is not against us is for us.” (v.40) These Sacred Words shine in perfect unity. There is no division. All are of the same faith. When the two men prophesied, they did so for the people of God, not for the pagans in the surrounding nations. When the man casted out a demon in the Name of Jesus, he did so according to the teachings of Jesus, not the teachings of the Jewish people or of those who adored idols. These men were in perfect unity with the Divine Will of God.
When the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church says that the fullness of salvation can only be obtained through the Mother Church that enjoys the fullness of revelation, that is exactly what it meant! For how can one enter the Kingdom of God if he has not been baptized and, consequently not having received the new creation that qualifies him as a member of the invisible Body of Christ?
How can one have salvation if he has not and does not regularly receive the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, the Living Bread that gives life to the soul? How can one obtain the forgiveness of sins if he rejects Jesus' command for the priests to forgive sins as the ministers of the Church? How can one say that he belongs to the true Church where there is one Body, one Spirit, one hope of our calling, one Lord, one faith, and one baptism (Eph. 4:4-5) How can one say that he belongs to the true Church where the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church is the only Church that has been instituted by Jesus Christ. Is it not the only Church that has persisted for two thousand years in the purity of its teachings and traditions?
The Catholic Church can be compared to a cake. Many religions possess a cake but only the Catholic Church has sweet icing on the cake. Without the Sacraments, there is no life that leads to salvation in a religion or a Church.
The man who cast out the demons was filled with the Holy Spirit. In the Second Reading from the Letter of James, we heard that the rich people should weep and wail for the miseries that are coming to them. They spend their lives accumulating wealth.
When one becomes obsessed with money, he cuts corners. If he is a contractor, he will build with low grade material. If he is a retailer, he will pay minimum wages to his employees. If he is dishonest, he will cheat them of their wages. When he files his annual income tax, he will omit some of his revenues. Through these means, he grows in fame, luxury, human knowledge of investments and all the goodies that come with wealth. But in the end, he will have nothing!
Everyone must be reminded that a forgiving heart is innate to a disciple of Christ. This simply means that if we cannot forgive those who have sinned the Lord God will not forgive us on judgment day. It means that if we reject sinners from the Body of Christ on earth, the Lord God shall reject those souls from the eternal Body of Christ in Heaven.
Given the extent of the scandal in the Church and in Christian communities today and the negative position of many Catholics, unless there is a drastic change, many of these Catholics shall be lost forever. Brothers and sisters, we cannot serve two masters. We will love one more than the other!
1st Reading: Num 11:25-29
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 19:8, 10, 12-13, 14 “The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.”
2nd Reading: Jam 5:1-6
GOSPEL: MK 9:38-43, 45, 47-48
Key Verse: “..whoever is not against is for us.” (v.40)
Most of the Jews during the time of Jesus believed in demons and it was the pervading sentiment at the time that both mental and physical illness are caused by the influence of evil spirits. And Jews also believed in a rather uncanny way of exorcising demons and that is to call on a more powerful spirit to command the evil demon to come out of a person. This is the kind of picture that Jesus painted in this Gospel passage because He knew how the Jews behaved at the time with respect to their beliefs.
John saw a man using the Name of Jesus to defeat the demons and he tried to stop him because he was not one of the disciples who followed Jesus. And look at how Jesus admonished John saying no man who could do a mighty work in His Name can be His enemy. And this was where Jesus laid down the great principle that “he who is not against us is for us.” (v.40)
This Gospel passage was a lesson in tolerance that Jesus wanted to impart not only to His disciples but also to the modern-day Christians who want to follow in His footsteps such that:
- Each man has a right to his own thoughts. He has a right to think of what he may want to entertain in his mind until he himself comes to a conclusion and his own belief and that is a right we should all respect. There are many instances in our lives that we are quick to condemn that which we do not understand. What we must all remember is that there is only one way to the God’s Kingdom and that is through Jesus Christ.
- It is necessary to remember that truth is always bigger than any man’s grasp of it. No man can possibly grasp all truth. The basis of tolerance is not just the acceptance of anything but tolerance means reverence for all the possibilities of truth. Opposed to this, intolerance is a sign of arrogance and ignorance, for it is a sign that a man believes that there is no truth beyond the truth he sees.
- We must not only concede to every man the right to his own thinking but also the right of man to his speech. The only limitation is when a man speaks of doctrines designed to destroy the morality of a civilized Christian society. Everyone must also remember that any doctrine or belief must finally be judged by the kind of people it produces. The question that must always be asked is not how is a church and or community governed? But what kind of people does a church or community produce?
This Gospel passage also teaches that any kindness shown to the people of Christ will not lose its reward (v.41). The reason for helping is that the person in need belongs to Christ. Note also how simple the help is. The help is a cup of cold water. Many times we are not asked to do great things for others but we are asked to give simple things that any man can give.
To help another man in need is to win the eternal reward. To cause the downfall of a weaker brother is to win the eternal punishment. These are the only two things that await those who are in Christ. The millstone described here is the millstone that is pulled by an animal to grind grains. The literal meaning is to be cast into the sea with a millstone in your neck means there is no hope of return. And Jesus used this scenario to paint a picture of what eternal damnation is all about in the language that the Jews will understand, in the way that we too will understand.
We must also ask ourselves how could the man cast out demons if he was not filled with the Holy Spirit. It is not everyone who can cast out demons. In Matt 17:19, we read that some of the disciples of Jesus were unsuccessful in casting a demon out of a boy. In Ac 19:13-17, we read of the seven sons of a high priest named Sceva who tried to exorcise an evil spirit. They were overpowered by the evil spirit.
From this, it can be concluded that unless one lives by the teachings of Jesus, not some of them, but all of them, in the Spirit of Truth, he cannot do the work of the Lord Jesus, nor be of the Body of Christ. Jesus said, “Whoever is not against us is for us.” (v.40) These Sacred Words shine in perfect unity. There is no division. All are of the same faith. When the two men prophesied, they did so for the people of God, not for the pagans in the surrounding nations. When the man casted out a demon in the Name of Jesus, he did so according to the teachings of Jesus, not the teachings of the Jewish people or of those who adored idols. These men were in perfect unity with the Divine Will of God.
When the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church says that the fullness of salvation can only be obtained through the Mother Church that enjoys the fullness of revelation, that is exactly what it meant! For how can one enter the Kingdom of God if he has not been baptized and, consequently not having received the new creation that qualifies him as a member of the invisible Body of Christ?
How can one have salvation if he has not and does not regularly receive the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, the Living Bread that gives life to the soul? How can one obtain the forgiveness of sins if he rejects Jesus' command for the priests to forgive sins as the ministers of the Church? How can one say that he belongs to the true Church where there is one Body, one Spirit, one hope of our calling, one Lord, one faith, and one baptism (Eph. 4:4-5) How can one say that he belongs to the true Church where the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church is the only Church that has been instituted by Jesus Christ. Is it not the only Church that has persisted for two thousand years in the purity of its teachings and traditions?
The Catholic Church can be compared to a cake. Many religions possess a cake but only the Catholic Church has sweet icing on the cake. Without the Sacraments, there is no life that leads to salvation in a religion or a Church.
The man who cast out the demons was filled with the Holy Spirit. In the Second Reading from the Letter of James, we heard that the rich people should weep and wail for the miseries that are coming to them. They spend their lives accumulating wealth.
When one becomes obsessed with money, he cuts corners. If he is a contractor, he will build with low grade material. If he is a retailer, he will pay minimum wages to his employees. If he is dishonest, he will cheat them of their wages. When he files his annual income tax, he will omit some of his revenues. Through these means, he grows in fame, luxury, human knowledge of investments and all the goodies that come with wealth. But in the end, he will have nothing!
Everyone must be reminded that a forgiving heart is innate to a disciple of Christ. This simply means that if we cannot forgive those who have sinned the Lord God will not forgive us on judgment day. It means that if we reject sinners from the Body of Christ on earth, the Lord God shall reject those souls from the eternal Body of Christ in Heaven.
Given the extent of the scandal in the Church and in Christian communities today and the negative position of many Catholics, unless there is a drastic change, many of these Catholics shall be lost forever. Brothers and sisters, we cannot serve two masters. We will love one more than the other!
IN JESUS, WE ARE A BETHEL
SEPT. 29, 2012: STS. MICHAEL, GABRIEL and RAPHAEL
1st Reading: REV. 12:7 – 12ab or DAN 7:9-10, 13-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 138:1-5 “In the sight of the angels I will sng to your praises, Lord.”
GOSPEL: JN 1:47-51
Key Verse: “… you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God
ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” (Jn 1:51)
The Scriptures record at least two known skeptics among the followers of Jesus. There was Nathanael who wondered: “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” (Jn 1:46) The other doubter is of course Thomas whom everybody knew as the one who wanted a physical evidence of Jesus before he would believe that Jesus indeed rose from the dead.
And the Apostle John writes that Nathanael went with Philip to see for himself who was this man whom Philip referred to as the one that Moses wrote about and, when Jesus saw Nathanael approaching Jesus said: “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.” (v.47)
The key that unlocked the doubt in Nathanael’s mind was when Jesus told him “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree…” (v.48) and Nathanael responded by saying “Rabbi you are the Son of God: you are the King of Israel.” (v.49) and there is reason for this because for the Jews the fig tree which is shady is a symbol of peace when a man can sit under its branches and there remain unruffled by the cares of the world.
Nathanael’s conversion became complete when Jesus said: “…you shall see greater things than that.” (v.50) and he added: “I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” (v.51)
This particular verse is actually known to practically all the Jews at the time because it tells of the story of Jacob who ran away and left home because his brother Esau wanted to kill him. This Old Testament story (Gen 28:12) goes on to say that Jacob who spent the night in a town called Bethel thought that God remained in his home when he left but was surprised to see in his dream a ladder that connects heaven to earth where angels were going up and down.
Since then the Jews have developed the notion that wherever God or his representatives are present, that place becomes a Bethel or a sacred place and they built altars in these places in honor of God who visited these places.
Aware of Nathanael’s honesty notwithstanding his initial doubt of Jesus having come from Nazareth, Jesus told Nathanael he shall see heaven open (v.51) and this brought a new configuration to the Old Testament beliefs of the Jews because what Jesus was telling Nathanael was that not only places can become sacred when visited by God but even persons.
And we can see this in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor 6:19) “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own.”
Because God is in us and with us, everywhere we as disciples go to minister becomes a sacred place such as the outreaches to where we bring the Gospel of Christ such as the NBP, CIW, Villa Paraiso, PGH, and the outreaches of our BLD Districts in the Philippines, HK, US and Canada.
It follows that when we bring the same Gospel to others especially to unbelievers and doubters and where there is conversion that person also becomes a sacred person because they now have Christ in them.
In this narrative, Jesus also shows us the transition from the Old Testament beliefs in Jacob’s ladder to the New Testament theology of Christ becoming the ladder upon whom we can connect with Our God and Father in heaven.
"I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (Jn 14:6) To transpose this narrative to the practice of our faith, it simply means that Jesus should not only be viewed as the ladder to whom we remain connected with God but the One that we should all put our trust on.
This is actually the message of this Gospel and the reality that we should all acknowledge is that we can also become the Bethel or a sacred place if we will keep Christ in our hearts.
Today we celebrate the Feast of Sts. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael.
Michael appears in Daniel's vision as "the great prince" who defends Israel against its enemies; in the Book of Revelation, he leads God's armies to final victory over the forces of evil. Devotion to Michael is the oldest angelic devotion, rising in the East in the fourth century. The Church in the West began to observe a feast honoring Michael and the angels in the fifth century.
Gabriel also makes an appearance in Daniel's visions, announcing Michael's role in God's plan. His best-known appearance is an encounter with a young Jewish girl named Mary, who consents to bear the Messiah.
Raphael's activity is confined to the Old Testament story of Tobit. There he appears to guide Tobit's son Tobiah through a series of fantastic adventures which lead to a threefold happy ending: Tobiah's marriage to Sarah, the healing of Tobit's blindness and the restoration of the family fortune.
The memorials of Gabriel (March 24) and Raphael (October 24) were added to the Roman calendar in 1921. But in a 1970 revision of the calendar, the Church joined their feasts to that of Michael's which now fall on Sept. 29.
1st Reading: REV. 12:7 – 12ab or DAN 7:9-10, 13-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 138:1-5 “In the sight of the angels I will sng to your praises, Lord.”
GOSPEL: JN 1:47-51
Key Verse: “… you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God
ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” (Jn 1:51)
The Scriptures record at least two known skeptics among the followers of Jesus. There was Nathanael who wondered: “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” (Jn 1:46) The other doubter is of course Thomas whom everybody knew as the one who wanted a physical evidence of Jesus before he would believe that Jesus indeed rose from the dead.
And the Apostle John writes that Nathanael went with Philip to see for himself who was this man whom Philip referred to as the one that Moses wrote about and, when Jesus saw Nathanael approaching Jesus said: “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.” (v.47)
The key that unlocked the doubt in Nathanael’s mind was when Jesus told him “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree…” (v.48) and Nathanael responded by saying “Rabbi you are the Son of God: you are the King of Israel.” (v.49) and there is reason for this because for the Jews the fig tree which is shady is a symbol of peace when a man can sit under its branches and there remain unruffled by the cares of the world.
Nathanael’s conversion became complete when Jesus said: “…you shall see greater things than that.” (v.50) and he added: “I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” (v.51)
This particular verse is actually known to practically all the Jews at the time because it tells of the story of Jacob who ran away and left home because his brother Esau wanted to kill him. This Old Testament story (Gen 28:12) goes on to say that Jacob who spent the night in a town called Bethel thought that God remained in his home when he left but was surprised to see in his dream a ladder that connects heaven to earth where angels were going up and down.
Since then the Jews have developed the notion that wherever God or his representatives are present, that place becomes a Bethel or a sacred place and they built altars in these places in honor of God who visited these places.
Aware of Nathanael’s honesty notwithstanding his initial doubt of Jesus having come from Nazareth, Jesus told Nathanael he shall see heaven open (v.51) and this brought a new configuration to the Old Testament beliefs of the Jews because what Jesus was telling Nathanael was that not only places can become sacred when visited by God but even persons.
And we can see this in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor 6:19) “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own.”
Because God is in us and with us, everywhere we as disciples go to minister becomes a sacred place such as the outreaches to where we bring the Gospel of Christ such as the NBP, CIW, Villa Paraiso, PGH, and the outreaches of our BLD Districts in the Philippines, HK, US and Canada.
It follows that when we bring the same Gospel to others especially to unbelievers and doubters and where there is conversion that person also becomes a sacred person because they now have Christ in them.
In this narrative, Jesus also shows us the transition from the Old Testament beliefs in Jacob’s ladder to the New Testament theology of Christ becoming the ladder upon whom we can connect with Our God and Father in heaven.
"I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (Jn 14:6) To transpose this narrative to the practice of our faith, it simply means that Jesus should not only be viewed as the ladder to whom we remain connected with God but the One that we should all put our trust on.
This is actually the message of this Gospel and the reality that we should all acknowledge is that we can also become the Bethel or a sacred place if we will keep Christ in our hearts.
Today we celebrate the Feast of Sts. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael.
Michael appears in Daniel's vision as "the great prince" who defends Israel against its enemies; in the Book of Revelation, he leads God's armies to final victory over the forces of evil. Devotion to Michael is the oldest angelic devotion, rising in the East in the fourth century. The Church in the West began to observe a feast honoring Michael and the angels in the fifth century.
Gabriel also makes an appearance in Daniel's visions, announcing Michael's role in God's plan. His best-known appearance is an encounter with a young Jewish girl named Mary, who consents to bear the Messiah.
Raphael's activity is confined to the Old Testament story of Tobit. There he appears to guide Tobit's son Tobiah through a series of fantastic adventures which lead to a threefold happy ending: Tobiah's marriage to Sarah, the healing of Tobit's blindness and the restoration of the family fortune.
The memorials of Gabriel (March 24) and Raphael (October 24) were added to the Roman calendar in 1921. But in a 1970 revision of the calendar, the Church joined their feasts to that of Michael's which now fall on Sept. 29.
DO WE REALLY KNOW HIM?
SEPT. 28, 2012: ST. LORENZO RUIZ and Companions
1st Reading: Eccl 3:1-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 144:1-4 “Blessed be the Lord, my Rock.”
GOSPEL: LK 9:18-22
Key Verse: “Who do you say I am?” (v.20)
The first lesson in the Catholic Lay Evangelization (CLAYE) program is the participants are asked that if they were to meet Jesus in a dark alley and he will ask: “Who do you say that I am?” How will they respond? This is followed by an even deeper question which says: “Imagine, if you were to die tonight, you stood before God and He asked you, “why should I give you the gift of eternal life?” Again, how would you answer God?
Whenever mention of the CLAYE program is made, I could not help but be reminded of Lito Urgino, one of the pillars of the Couples for Christ before who was instrumental in designing the CLAYE program which is still being used as an evangelization tool in Catholic churches today. Lito is now retired and is based in the United States where he co-founded the Families in Christ Jesus Community.
This is the same scenario in the Gospel reading we have today and Luke narrates that if Jesus were to stand before you now and asks the same question he asked of Peter: “What about you, who do you say I am?” (v.20) How would you respond?
How about the so-called covenanted disciples of covenanted communities? What about those who turn a deaf ear to God’s call for them to serve? How about those who hold positions of leadership in church organizations?
While we all can draw from the availability of new media tools to provide us with the means to know who God is, it may actually be a disadvantage because there is also the probability that we can get stuck and get mired in just acquiring a head knowledge of God rather than knowing God in a more personal way and his great plan for us.
This is a very interesting Gospel passage because here we see Jesus beginning to get worried that his teachings might not have taken root among his disciples amidst the very little time left in his earthly ministry and so he decides to make a headcount who among his disciples know him.
That Jesus chose to go to Caesarea Philippi is also packed with reason. To be able to determine what his disciples know of him, their subconscious must be at peace and this region is outside the jurisdiction of Herod Antipas. Caesarea Philippi is also a non-Jewish region where there are numerous temples or places of worship that do not exactly conform to the religious standards that Jesus was trying to establish among the Jews but which are of historical value. It is against this temporal backdrop that Jesus wanted to know from his disciples if they really know him and the setting he chose should provide his disciples with a comparative view of the world and its religions and the divinity of Jesus himself.
But when Jesus first posed the question: “What do people say about me?” (v.18) Jesus received divergent points of views as some said he was John the Baptist, others say Elijah and others Jeremiah. Again, there was a reason for these differences of opinion borne out of the refusal of the Jews to acknowledge him as coming from God. While many Jews were amazed at his teachings, Jesus was not received as the Messiah but placed him in the category of prophets who merely herald the coming of the Messiah.
After listening to the different interpretations as to how he was perceived to be by the people, Jesus now turns to his disciples probably to make sure that his disciples have absorbed everything that he has said and seen what he has done because if they have not understood, then it will reduce to waste everything that he has done so far.
As in the feeding of the 5,000 which Jesus could not have done so by himself, he needs his disciples to continue his mission of spreading the Good News to the world. Today, he also needs us to keep the Church alive. Which is why Jesus had to ask Peter and he is also asking us now: “But who do you say that I am?” (v.20)
From wanting to know what others know about him, Jesus now turns to his own flock to make sure they “know” him. In both the Hebrew and Greek language, to “know” a person is not just to know about his persona, his family lineage, his ethnicity or his profession. To “know” is to get into the person himself, to empathize with him, to get to know his feelings.
In other words, to “know” is to be one with the person. This is the rationale behind the question that Jesus asked of his disciples. And this is the same question that Jesus is asking all of us. Do we really “know” him? Do we “know” what is in his heart? Do we “know” his thoughts, his emotions, his goals and mission, the Words he spoke and which were handed down to us from generations to generations?
This is important because it would be pointless for us to join in this crusade of spreading the Good News if we do not know the person we are trying to introduce to the world. Like Peter who, blessed by the Father in heaven, made the great discovery that Jesus “You are the Messiah, sent from God.” (v.20) we, too, must on our own accord discover what Peter discovered.
This should now become the foundation of our faith because Christianity is not just about knowing about Jesus but it is rooted in being one with Jesus because this is the only way that we can let others get into the heart of Jesus. God’s revelation moved Jesus to designate Peter as the rock who will help build the Church that Christ will establish but there shouldn’t be any debate at all that Jesus is the rock himself.
What I deem to be important in this passage is the matter of suffering and death that Jesus had to face. These phrase (v.22) in a sense describes the fate that awaits Jesus in the hands of the Sanhedrin but which he stressed out when he said: “The Son of Man must suffer many things…and he must be killed…” (v.22) The word “must” is a key ingredient in understanding the destiny that Jesus had to fulfill from which he did not run away from. Many times Jesus used this word to emphasize his mission: “I must be in my Father’s house.” (Lk 2:49); I must preach the Kingdom,” (Lk 4:43); “I must go on my way…” (Lk 13:33). In many other times Jesus told his disciples he “must” go to His Cross (Lk 9:22; 17:25; 24:7) He knew his destiny. He knew what God’s Will was and he “must” fulfill it.
This same responsibility is what has also been passed on to us today. Leaders and members of church organizations are always being asked to make responsible decisions that impact the Church as a whole. One of these is to make sure that we all live in peace with one another, not insisting on the righteousness of one’s actions against the other but communal living in which we all recognize the strengths and weaknesses of one another.
Life in the Church is not about imposing our ideas, thoughts, perceptions, feelings and our will on the other be it in an apostolate or ministry, but in living as one thoroughly accepting the fact that while one is different from the other we have all been predestined to be God’s adopted sons through Jesus Christ. This is the reason why we need to constantly examine our motivation for we may be veering away from what God wants and giving in to what we want. We can all begin by our response to his question: “Who do you say that I am?”
1st Reading: Eccl 3:1-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 144:1-4 “Blessed be the Lord, my Rock.”
GOSPEL: LK 9:18-22
Key Verse: “Who do you say I am?” (v.20)
The first lesson in the Catholic Lay Evangelization (CLAYE) program is the participants are asked that if they were to meet Jesus in a dark alley and he will ask: “Who do you say that I am?” How will they respond? This is followed by an even deeper question which says: “Imagine, if you were to die tonight, you stood before God and He asked you, “why should I give you the gift of eternal life?” Again, how would you answer God?
Whenever mention of the CLAYE program is made, I could not help but be reminded of Lito Urgino, one of the pillars of the Couples for Christ before who was instrumental in designing the CLAYE program which is still being used as an evangelization tool in Catholic churches today. Lito is now retired and is based in the United States where he co-founded the Families in Christ Jesus Community.
This is the same scenario in the Gospel reading we have today and Luke narrates that if Jesus were to stand before you now and asks the same question he asked of Peter: “What about you, who do you say I am?” (v.20) How would you respond?
How about the so-called covenanted disciples of covenanted communities? What about those who turn a deaf ear to God’s call for them to serve? How about those who hold positions of leadership in church organizations?
While we all can draw from the availability of new media tools to provide us with the means to know who God is, it may actually be a disadvantage because there is also the probability that we can get stuck and get mired in just acquiring a head knowledge of God rather than knowing God in a more personal way and his great plan for us.
This is a very interesting Gospel passage because here we see Jesus beginning to get worried that his teachings might not have taken root among his disciples amidst the very little time left in his earthly ministry and so he decides to make a headcount who among his disciples know him.
That Jesus chose to go to Caesarea Philippi is also packed with reason. To be able to determine what his disciples know of him, their subconscious must be at peace and this region is outside the jurisdiction of Herod Antipas. Caesarea Philippi is also a non-Jewish region where there are numerous temples or places of worship that do not exactly conform to the religious standards that Jesus was trying to establish among the Jews but which are of historical value. It is against this temporal backdrop that Jesus wanted to know from his disciples if they really know him and the setting he chose should provide his disciples with a comparative view of the world and its religions and the divinity of Jesus himself.
But when Jesus first posed the question: “What do people say about me?” (v.18) Jesus received divergent points of views as some said he was John the Baptist, others say Elijah and others Jeremiah. Again, there was a reason for these differences of opinion borne out of the refusal of the Jews to acknowledge him as coming from God. While many Jews were amazed at his teachings, Jesus was not received as the Messiah but placed him in the category of prophets who merely herald the coming of the Messiah.
After listening to the different interpretations as to how he was perceived to be by the people, Jesus now turns to his disciples probably to make sure that his disciples have absorbed everything that he has said and seen what he has done because if they have not understood, then it will reduce to waste everything that he has done so far.
As in the feeding of the 5,000 which Jesus could not have done so by himself, he needs his disciples to continue his mission of spreading the Good News to the world. Today, he also needs us to keep the Church alive. Which is why Jesus had to ask Peter and he is also asking us now: “But who do you say that I am?” (v.20)
From wanting to know what others know about him, Jesus now turns to his own flock to make sure they “know” him. In both the Hebrew and Greek language, to “know” a person is not just to know about his persona, his family lineage, his ethnicity or his profession. To “know” is to get into the person himself, to empathize with him, to get to know his feelings.
In other words, to “know” is to be one with the person. This is the rationale behind the question that Jesus asked of his disciples. And this is the same question that Jesus is asking all of us. Do we really “know” him? Do we “know” what is in his heart? Do we “know” his thoughts, his emotions, his goals and mission, the Words he spoke and which were handed down to us from generations to generations?
This is important because it would be pointless for us to join in this crusade of spreading the Good News if we do not know the person we are trying to introduce to the world. Like Peter who, blessed by the Father in heaven, made the great discovery that Jesus “You are the Messiah, sent from God.” (v.20) we, too, must on our own accord discover what Peter discovered.
This should now become the foundation of our faith because Christianity is not just about knowing about Jesus but it is rooted in being one with Jesus because this is the only way that we can let others get into the heart of Jesus. God’s revelation moved Jesus to designate Peter as the rock who will help build the Church that Christ will establish but there shouldn’t be any debate at all that Jesus is the rock himself.
What I deem to be important in this passage is the matter of suffering and death that Jesus had to face. These phrase (v.22) in a sense describes the fate that awaits Jesus in the hands of the Sanhedrin but which he stressed out when he said: “The Son of Man must suffer many things…and he must be killed…” (v.22) The word “must” is a key ingredient in understanding the destiny that Jesus had to fulfill from which he did not run away from. Many times Jesus used this word to emphasize his mission: “I must be in my Father’s house.” (Lk 2:49); I must preach the Kingdom,” (Lk 4:43); “I must go on my way…” (Lk 13:33). In many other times Jesus told his disciples he “must” go to His Cross (Lk 9:22; 17:25; 24:7) He knew his destiny. He knew what God’s Will was and he “must” fulfill it.
This same responsibility is what has also been passed on to us today. Leaders and members of church organizations are always being asked to make responsible decisions that impact the Church as a whole. One of these is to make sure that we all live in peace with one another, not insisting on the righteousness of one’s actions against the other but communal living in which we all recognize the strengths and weaknesses of one another.
Life in the Church is not about imposing our ideas, thoughts, perceptions, feelings and our will on the other be it in an apostolate or ministry, but in living as one thoroughly accepting the fact that while one is different from the other we have all been predestined to be God’s adopted sons through Jesus Christ. This is the reason why we need to constantly examine our motivation for we may be veering away from what God wants and giving in to what we want. We can all begin by our response to his question: “Who do you say that I am?”
WHO IS JESUS TO YOU?
SEPT. 27, 2012: SR. VINCENT DE PAUL, Priest
1st Reading: Eccl 1:2-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 90:3-5, 12-14, 17 “In every age, O Lord, you have been my refuge.”
GOSPEL: LK 9:7-9
Key Verse: “And he tried to see him.” (v.9)
The last verse (v.9) in this short Gospel passage of today tells us that Herod Antipas tried to see Jesus who was with his disciples traveling throughout Galilee preaching and healing at the same time. Herod was also known as the Tetrarch meaning the fourth part as he was made the ruler of the regions of Galilee and Perea.
The interest of Herod was in some way similar to the interest of Herod the Great at the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem but this time the interest of Herod Antipas was not so much out of fear but of curiosity and, probably out of guilt for the beheading of John the Baptist the cousin of Jesus.
This anxiety of Herod was also borne out of the conflicting claims on the identity of Jesus that he heard. Some news that Herod received said Jesus was perhaps Elijah (v.8) whom the Jews have also been waiting for to announce the coming of their savior. As a Jew, Herod knew of the prophecy that if Elijah appears, the Messiah would not be far behind.
But what must have troubled Herod was the news that Jesus could be John the Baptist who “rose from the dead” (v.7) and what was perplexing for Herod was that he himself ordered the beheading of John the Baptist.
It was probably this guilt that Herod had in his consciousness that he wanted to see Jesus. This is also true for many people who are haunted by their guilt and most often the guilt that they carry affects the way they relate to others.
Herod loved to listen to the prophetic words spoken by John the Baptist and the only thing that he didn’t like was when the prophet started speaking against his illicit relationship with Herodias who was previously married to his brother Philip.
This time, Herod also wanted to see Jesus and listen to his teachings because news of the way he preached and the healing miracles of Jesus has already reached the ears of Herod and he probably wanted to know for himself if Jesus was indeed a resurrected John the Baptist or the great prophet Elijah.
Herod, however, was not able to see Jesus at this time and they only met much later when Jesus was sent to Herod by Pilate and we can read this in Lk 23:6-8 “Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. When he learned that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod who was also in Jerusalem at that time. When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him…”
Besides the interest of Herod in Jesus that was borne out of his guilt in beheading John the Baptist, another significant point in this Gospel was the difficulty the Jews had in accepting Jesus as the Son of God and this was the reason why the Jews came out with conflicting versions as to the identity of Jesus.
Some said he was John the Baptist who has resurrected and some said he was Elijah who did not die but who “went up to heaven in a whirlwind” (2 Kgs 2:11). Except for Peter who accepted and confessed to the true identity of Jesus (Matt 16:16) “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” the Jews particularly the Chief Priests and the Pharisees never accepted Jesus for what he was.
There was a reason for it because if they were to do so, they would have to give up many of their religious beliefs as well as the laws they have drawn which, according to Jesus, had only stifled the relationship between God and the chosen people.
For many people today, there is still some difficulty in accepting Jesus as fully human born of the Virgin Mary and as the divine Son of God. Like the Pharisees, there are still many people in the world today who cannot accept Jesus because of the duality in their lives.
As there are no ifs and buts when it comes to salvation we all must make a decision to know who Jesus is and what he is to us. And many times, we run into a wall in our relationship with Christ even if we know that he is the door through which we have to pass to get to the Kingdom of Heaven and this is because of our misplaced priorities in life.
What we should keep ingrained in our hearts is that it’s either we are in and with Jesus or we are not. And we need to step out and take that leap of faith and be filled with the Grace of God that will free us from the tyranny of fear and sin that will enable us to reject what is wrong and choose what is good.
For it is only when we are filled with Grace that we can truly recognize who Jesus is. “Grace builds upon nature” is a theological statement which simply means that while Grace is given to all without prejudice, we will only benefit from it if we will allow our nature – our own entire being – to subordinate our human will to the Will of God.
And this is founded on Christ’s command in Jn 13:34-35 for us to “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” This is actually a question we need ask ourselves. Who is Jesus to you? Is he the God you run to when there's no one left to ask for help? Or is he the God to whom you have yielded your life? Only you can answer that.
1st Reading: Eccl 1:2-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 90:3-5, 12-14, 17 “In every age, O Lord, you have been my refuge.”
GOSPEL: LK 9:7-9
Key Verse: “And he tried to see him.” (v.9)
The last verse (v.9) in this short Gospel passage of today tells us that Herod Antipas tried to see Jesus who was with his disciples traveling throughout Galilee preaching and healing at the same time. Herod was also known as the Tetrarch meaning the fourth part as he was made the ruler of the regions of Galilee and Perea.
The interest of Herod was in some way similar to the interest of Herod the Great at the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem but this time the interest of Herod Antipas was not so much out of fear but of curiosity and, probably out of guilt for the beheading of John the Baptist the cousin of Jesus.
This anxiety of Herod was also borne out of the conflicting claims on the identity of Jesus that he heard. Some news that Herod received said Jesus was perhaps Elijah (v.8) whom the Jews have also been waiting for to announce the coming of their savior. As a Jew, Herod knew of the prophecy that if Elijah appears, the Messiah would not be far behind.
But what must have troubled Herod was the news that Jesus could be John the Baptist who “rose from the dead” (v.7) and what was perplexing for Herod was that he himself ordered the beheading of John the Baptist.
It was probably this guilt that Herod had in his consciousness that he wanted to see Jesus. This is also true for many people who are haunted by their guilt and most often the guilt that they carry affects the way they relate to others.
Herod loved to listen to the prophetic words spoken by John the Baptist and the only thing that he didn’t like was when the prophet started speaking against his illicit relationship with Herodias who was previously married to his brother Philip.
This time, Herod also wanted to see Jesus and listen to his teachings because news of the way he preached and the healing miracles of Jesus has already reached the ears of Herod and he probably wanted to know for himself if Jesus was indeed a resurrected John the Baptist or the great prophet Elijah.
Herod, however, was not able to see Jesus at this time and they only met much later when Jesus was sent to Herod by Pilate and we can read this in Lk 23:6-8 “Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. When he learned that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod who was also in Jerusalem at that time. When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him…”
Besides the interest of Herod in Jesus that was borne out of his guilt in beheading John the Baptist, another significant point in this Gospel was the difficulty the Jews had in accepting Jesus as the Son of God and this was the reason why the Jews came out with conflicting versions as to the identity of Jesus.
Some said he was John the Baptist who has resurrected and some said he was Elijah who did not die but who “went up to heaven in a whirlwind” (2 Kgs 2:11). Except for Peter who accepted and confessed to the true identity of Jesus (Matt 16:16) “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” the Jews particularly the Chief Priests and the Pharisees never accepted Jesus for what he was.
There was a reason for it because if they were to do so, they would have to give up many of their religious beliefs as well as the laws they have drawn which, according to Jesus, had only stifled the relationship between God and the chosen people.
For many people today, there is still some difficulty in accepting Jesus as fully human born of the Virgin Mary and as the divine Son of God. Like the Pharisees, there are still many people in the world today who cannot accept Jesus because of the duality in their lives.
As there are no ifs and buts when it comes to salvation we all must make a decision to know who Jesus is and what he is to us. And many times, we run into a wall in our relationship with Christ even if we know that he is the door through which we have to pass to get to the Kingdom of Heaven and this is because of our misplaced priorities in life.
What we should keep ingrained in our hearts is that it’s either we are in and with Jesus or we are not. And we need to step out and take that leap of faith and be filled with the Grace of God that will free us from the tyranny of fear and sin that will enable us to reject what is wrong and choose what is good.
For it is only when we are filled with Grace that we can truly recognize who Jesus is. “Grace builds upon nature” is a theological statement which simply means that while Grace is given to all without prejudice, we will only benefit from it if we will allow our nature – our own entire being – to subordinate our human will to the Will of God.
And this is founded on Christ’s command in Jn 13:34-35 for us to “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” This is actually a question we need ask ourselves. Who is Jesus to you? Is he the God you run to when there's no one left to ask for help? Or is he the God to whom you have yielded your life? Only you can answer that.
FAN THE FLAME
SEPT. 26, 2012: 25TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Pro 30:5-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 119:29, 72, 89, 101, 104, 163 “Your Word, O Lord, is a lamp for my feet.”
GOSPEL: LK 9:1-6
Key Verse: “…and healing people everywhere.” (v.6)
About two months ago, we read from Mark the Evangelist that Jesus had chosen his so-called A-Team, the 12 disciples from among the 72 who have been following him and whom he has elevated to become the Apostles who will help build the church that will be born on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit takes its place as the Advocate who will equip and empower the Church as we see it now.
Then, we also read that Jesus had issued what appears to be the mission orders for his Apostles and those who will come after them and these tasks include: (1) Heal the sick, (2) Raise the dead, (3) Cleanse the lepers, and (4) Cast out demons. But over and above all these is the need to proclaim the Kingdom of God to all who will hear and listen.
And in today’s Gospel, Jesus sends out his disciples in pairs and gave them the power and the authority to speak and to act in his name. He gave specific instructions to them to do the same works that he did – to heal, to free people from the power of the evil one, and to speak the word of God – the good news of the gospel that they received from Jesus.
When Jesus gave his disciples the power and authority to evangelize, he also meshed this power and authority with love and humility that they are to be clothed with. While the "world" and the "flesh" seek power for selfish gain, Jesus is teaching us to use it for the good of our neighbor.
Our Lord Jesus is actually giving us the members of his body today to serve as his ambassadors and missionaries – to bring the Good News to all peoples, lands, and nations as he freely pours out his Holy Spirit upon each one of us so that we may have the confidence and boldness to speak and act in his name wherever he places and sends us.
As he did with his Apostles and disciples, Jesus is also telling us the new breed of evangelists to "travel light" with as little provision or none at all and depend on what we will find in the mission field where we are to go. What Jesus is teaching is for us to embrace this poverty of spirit that will free us from greed and desire for possessions instead of God's provision.
What the Lord wants is for us to be dependent on him and not on ourselves. What these directives of Jesus represent is the pursuit of a radical kind of faith which simply means doing things that we are not used to. This also means getting out of our comfort zones and into the mission fields even if such will inconvenience us.
I am particularly saddened when I meet Christians who claim to have been renewed but who serve only where it is comfortable and conformable for them. While Jesus and his disciples make do with whatever is given them in the homes they go to, there are an new breed of Pharisaic disciples who expect that they be treated like a royalty.
To talk of radicalism in the way we practice our faith is to look at the way we conduct ourselves as disciples. There is an ocean of difference between talking about discipleship and actually doing it. Preaching the Gospel and living it is what the call of Jesus is all about.
All these translate to servanthood which means that in Christ’s schema, we lose our identity. We forget who we are and we go to the mission field to toil and to serve and not to issue orders because only Christ gives the order. While a leadership structure puts order even in a Christian setting, leaders are expected to become encouragers and not controllers who impose their will on others.
We should take to heart that the mission orders that Jesus gave to the Apostles are the same as what He has been doing during his earthly ministry and it presupposes that as we have seen what he has done Jesus also expects that we can replicate this in our own mission.
As with the Apostles, we are to do this in conjunction with the more important task of proclaiming the Kingdom of God. The Jews longed to have their own Kingdom and be freed from the oppression but they had a different mindset of the Messiah. And what Jesus was saying was that His coming into the world heralds the coming of the Kingdom of God.
This pronouncement rings true even today that the Kingdom of God is near. Jesus actually began his Kingdom in the hearts of his Apostles and his disciples and in us whom he has gathered from the dark valleys where we dwelt before Jesus found us. The time will come when this Kingdom will be fully realized and evil will be erased from the face of the earth and the people will live in peace with one another.
He is also telling us that the gift of life that we received has been freely given by Our God and that we are to also give this gift to others as a free gift. Translated into action, what Jesus is saying is that for all the many blessings that we have received, we are now called upon to give generously of our time, love and possessions.
To serve God without counting the cost is one of the things that we can do for Our Lord. We have all been purchased at a high price with the life that the Son of God offered for our redemption. Our calling then is to serve him faithfully at every opportunity.
A two-day Revival Conference called F.I.R.E. which stands for Fruitful – Inspired – Renewed – Empowered is being conducted by the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community in the Philippines the objective of which is to reignite the fire that Christian disciples have received when they were baptized in the Holy Spirit. And for the embers to keep on burning, we need to “fan into flame the gift of God” (2 Tim 1:6) and “this burnt offering is to remain on the altar throughout the night, till morning, and the fire must be kept burning on the altar.” (Lev. 6:9)
This simply means that the fire of the Holy Spirit must constantly be in the heart of every disciple, the heart being the altar of the Lord.
As with the Apostles, we too are commanded to simply shake off the dust on our feet – meaning leave when the person or people we bring the Good News to will not listen or will reject the Kingdom of God and proceed to a more fertile field where the Good News will be accepted with enthusiasm and delight.
1st Reading: Pro 30:5-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 119:29, 72, 89, 101, 104, 163 “Your Word, O Lord, is a lamp for my feet.”
GOSPEL: LK 9:1-6
Key Verse: “…and healing people everywhere.” (v.6)
About two months ago, we read from Mark the Evangelist that Jesus had chosen his so-called A-Team, the 12 disciples from among the 72 who have been following him and whom he has elevated to become the Apostles who will help build the church that will be born on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit takes its place as the Advocate who will equip and empower the Church as we see it now.
Then, we also read that Jesus had issued what appears to be the mission orders for his Apostles and those who will come after them and these tasks include: (1) Heal the sick, (2) Raise the dead, (3) Cleanse the lepers, and (4) Cast out demons. But over and above all these is the need to proclaim the Kingdom of God to all who will hear and listen.
And in today’s Gospel, Jesus sends out his disciples in pairs and gave them the power and the authority to speak and to act in his name. He gave specific instructions to them to do the same works that he did – to heal, to free people from the power of the evil one, and to speak the word of God – the good news of the gospel that they received from Jesus.
When Jesus gave his disciples the power and authority to evangelize, he also meshed this power and authority with love and humility that they are to be clothed with. While the "world" and the "flesh" seek power for selfish gain, Jesus is teaching us to use it for the good of our neighbor.
Our Lord Jesus is actually giving us the members of his body today to serve as his ambassadors and missionaries – to bring the Good News to all peoples, lands, and nations as he freely pours out his Holy Spirit upon each one of us so that we may have the confidence and boldness to speak and act in his name wherever he places and sends us.
As he did with his Apostles and disciples, Jesus is also telling us the new breed of evangelists to "travel light" with as little provision or none at all and depend on what we will find in the mission field where we are to go. What Jesus is teaching is for us to embrace this poverty of spirit that will free us from greed and desire for possessions instead of God's provision.
What the Lord wants is for us to be dependent on him and not on ourselves. What these directives of Jesus represent is the pursuit of a radical kind of faith which simply means doing things that we are not used to. This also means getting out of our comfort zones and into the mission fields even if such will inconvenience us.
I am particularly saddened when I meet Christians who claim to have been renewed but who serve only where it is comfortable and conformable for them. While Jesus and his disciples make do with whatever is given them in the homes they go to, there are an new breed of Pharisaic disciples who expect that they be treated like a royalty.
To talk of radicalism in the way we practice our faith is to look at the way we conduct ourselves as disciples. There is an ocean of difference between talking about discipleship and actually doing it. Preaching the Gospel and living it is what the call of Jesus is all about.
All these translate to servanthood which means that in Christ’s schema, we lose our identity. We forget who we are and we go to the mission field to toil and to serve and not to issue orders because only Christ gives the order. While a leadership structure puts order even in a Christian setting, leaders are expected to become encouragers and not controllers who impose their will on others.
We should take to heart that the mission orders that Jesus gave to the Apostles are the same as what He has been doing during his earthly ministry and it presupposes that as we have seen what he has done Jesus also expects that we can replicate this in our own mission.
As with the Apostles, we are to do this in conjunction with the more important task of proclaiming the Kingdom of God. The Jews longed to have their own Kingdom and be freed from the oppression but they had a different mindset of the Messiah. And what Jesus was saying was that His coming into the world heralds the coming of the Kingdom of God.
This pronouncement rings true even today that the Kingdom of God is near. Jesus actually began his Kingdom in the hearts of his Apostles and his disciples and in us whom he has gathered from the dark valleys where we dwelt before Jesus found us. The time will come when this Kingdom will be fully realized and evil will be erased from the face of the earth and the people will live in peace with one another.
He is also telling us that the gift of life that we received has been freely given by Our God and that we are to also give this gift to others as a free gift. Translated into action, what Jesus is saying is that for all the many blessings that we have received, we are now called upon to give generously of our time, love and possessions.
To serve God without counting the cost is one of the things that we can do for Our Lord. We have all been purchased at a high price with the life that the Son of God offered for our redemption. Our calling then is to serve him faithfully at every opportunity.
A two-day Revival Conference called F.I.R.E. which stands for Fruitful – Inspired – Renewed – Empowered is being conducted by the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community in the Philippines the objective of which is to reignite the fire that Christian disciples have received when they were baptized in the Holy Spirit. And for the embers to keep on burning, we need to “fan into flame the gift of God” (2 Tim 1:6) and “this burnt offering is to remain on the altar throughout the night, till morning, and the fire must be kept burning on the altar.” (Lev. 6:9)
This simply means that the fire of the Holy Spirit must constantly be in the heart of every disciple, the heart being the altar of the Lord.
As with the Apostles, we too are commanded to simply shake off the dust on our feet – meaning leave when the person or people we bring the Good News to will not listen or will reject the Kingdom of God and proceed to a more fertile field where the Good News will be accepted with enthusiasm and delight.
ARE WE KINSMEN OF JESUS?
SEPT. 25, 2012: 25th WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Pro 21:1-6, 10-13
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 119:1, 27, 30, 34-35, 44 “Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.”
GOSPEL: LK 8:19-21
Key Verse: "those who hear God's Word
and put it into practice." (v.21)
There is a need to read and reread the Gospel of today to fully understand its meaning because to just go through it for the sake of reading it might lead us to conclude that Jesus was disrespectful of his mother and his brothers.
This Gospel narrative must have taken place in a town near Nazareth because Mary his mother and his brothers came to see him but could not get near him because of the crowd who came to listen to his teaching and for the most part to seek healing from Jesus for their sickness and afflictions as word of his wisdom as a prophet and the many whom Jesus healed began to spread throughout Judea.
And when he was told that his mother and brothers came to see him, Jesus merely said in v.21: “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s Word and put it into practice.”
If we turn to Matt 12:48-50, Jesus was more descriptive as he said: “Who is my mother and who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the Will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
There have been so many variations in the way this Gospel has been interpreted in the past and it remains to be the subject of discussion among Bible students and even confusion at times owing to the question of who are the brothers of Jesus referred to in this narrative.
A closer scrutiny of this Gospel passage, however, will show that Jesus wasn’t disrespectful of his mother and what is clear in this Gospel was the fact that Jesus did not deny his mother nor did he deny his brothers who came to see him.
Jesus merely said “my mother and brothers are those who hear God’s Word and put it into practice.” (v.21) There was also a distinct possibility that Jesus was also surprised when his mother went to see him together with his brothers as it reminded him of the time when his brothers “went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.” (Mk 3:21)
And what Jesus did is similar to the relationship that some of us have with our friends with whom we have become closer even if they are not related to us but with whom we share many things in common. This is especially true for some of us who are the only child of our parents and have no siblings we can relate to. There are also those who by force of circumstance do not have relatives they can turn to and so they relate to and have become closer to their friends especially those with whom they grew up together.
Here Jesus points out that his mother and brothers are those “who hear God’s Word and put it into practice.” (Lk 8:21) What this simply means is that we all need to subordinate our will to the Will of God. We need to align our priorities with the priorities of God that must take precedence to what our human mind wills.
And for us to be considered as the brothers and sisters of Jesus we must yield our lives to God and give him full control of our lives and allow the Holy Spirit to fill us with “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law." (Gal 5:22-23)
When these nine virtues that are also the attributes of Christ Himself become operative in our lives, we too will bear the image of Christ in us and this is when we become the mother, brothers and sisters of Christ.
To allow these fruits of the Holy Spirit to grow in us, we need to take to heart the command of Jesus to “love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matt 22:39) because “by this all will know you are my disciples, if you have love for another.” (Jn 13:35)
It is when love fills our hearts that we can begin to look at one another as relatives and we can hear Jesus say “my mother and brothers are those who hear God’s Word and put it into practice.” (Lk 8:21) So the question we need to ask ourselves is: Do we consider ourselves as kinsmen of Jesus?
The answer to this question is right there in what the Gospel of Luke says in v.21. Do we listen to God’s Word, obey it and put it into practice? Or do we just hear and forget all about it? Many times there is dichotomy in the way we live and pursue our faith. We desire the eternity promised by God but not the inconveniences that go with it.
In other words, we want to be saved but we want God to do it for us without our cooperation and this is something that will just not happen. We need to cooperate with God if we want to be saved and we can do this by identifying ourselves as kinsmen of Jesus for it is only through that we can go to the Father in heaven.
1st Reading: Pro 21:1-6, 10-13
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 119:1, 27, 30, 34-35, 44 “Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.”
GOSPEL: LK 8:19-21
Key Verse: "those who hear God's Word
and put it into practice." (v.21)
There is a need to read and reread the Gospel of today to fully understand its meaning because to just go through it for the sake of reading it might lead us to conclude that Jesus was disrespectful of his mother and his brothers.
This Gospel narrative must have taken place in a town near Nazareth because Mary his mother and his brothers came to see him but could not get near him because of the crowd who came to listen to his teaching and for the most part to seek healing from Jesus for their sickness and afflictions as word of his wisdom as a prophet and the many whom Jesus healed began to spread throughout Judea.
And when he was told that his mother and brothers came to see him, Jesus merely said in v.21: “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s Word and put it into practice.”
If we turn to Matt 12:48-50, Jesus was more descriptive as he said: “Who is my mother and who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the Will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
There have been so many variations in the way this Gospel has been interpreted in the past and it remains to be the subject of discussion among Bible students and even confusion at times owing to the question of who are the brothers of Jesus referred to in this narrative.
A closer scrutiny of this Gospel passage, however, will show that Jesus wasn’t disrespectful of his mother and what is clear in this Gospel was the fact that Jesus did not deny his mother nor did he deny his brothers who came to see him.
Jesus merely said “my mother and brothers are those who hear God’s Word and put it into practice.” (v.21) There was also a distinct possibility that Jesus was also surprised when his mother went to see him together with his brothers as it reminded him of the time when his brothers “went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.” (Mk 3:21)
And what Jesus did is similar to the relationship that some of us have with our friends with whom we have become closer even if they are not related to us but with whom we share many things in common. This is especially true for some of us who are the only child of our parents and have no siblings we can relate to. There are also those who by force of circumstance do not have relatives they can turn to and so they relate to and have become closer to their friends especially those with whom they grew up together.
Here Jesus points out that his mother and brothers are those “who hear God’s Word and put it into practice.” (Lk 8:21) What this simply means is that we all need to subordinate our will to the Will of God. We need to align our priorities with the priorities of God that must take precedence to what our human mind wills.
And for us to be considered as the brothers and sisters of Jesus we must yield our lives to God and give him full control of our lives and allow the Holy Spirit to fill us with “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law." (Gal 5:22-23)
When these nine virtues that are also the attributes of Christ Himself become operative in our lives, we too will bear the image of Christ in us and this is when we become the mother, brothers and sisters of Christ.
To allow these fruits of the Holy Spirit to grow in us, we need to take to heart the command of Jesus to “love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matt 22:39) because “by this all will know you are my disciples, if you have love for another.” (Jn 13:35)
It is when love fills our hearts that we can begin to look at one another as relatives and we can hear Jesus say “my mother and brothers are those who hear God’s Word and put it into practice.” (Lk 8:21) So the question we need to ask ourselves is: Do we consider ourselves as kinsmen of Jesus?
The answer to this question is right there in what the Gospel of Luke says in v.21. Do we listen to God’s Word, obey it and put it into practice? Or do we just hear and forget all about it? Many times there is dichotomy in the way we live and pursue our faith. We desire the eternity promised by God but not the inconveniences that go with it.
In other words, we want to be saved but we want God to do it for us without our cooperation and this is something that will just not happen. We need to cooperate with God if we want to be saved and we can do this by identifying ourselves as kinsmen of Jesus for it is only through that we can go to the Father in heaven.
PROUD OF OUR FAITH
Jews use oil lamps to provide light.
SEPT. 24, 2012: 25th WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Pro 3:27-34
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 15:2-5 “The just one shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord.”
GOSPEL: LK 8:16-18
Key Verse: “…those who enter may see the light.” (v.16)
The Gospel passage we have today is probably one of the most significant passages in the Scriptures that have something to do with who we are and what it means for us.
Simply put this Gospel tells us to show to the world who and what we are. And again, we need to go back to the foundation of our nature that we are all created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26) and this is the nature that the world must see in us.
On Sunday, Sept. 23, 2012, the Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas (Council of the Laity of the Philippines) formally launched the 2012 National Laity Week in Cebu and in his homily, His Excellency Archbishop Jose Palma of the Archdiocese of Cebu enjoined the lay faithful to thank God for the faith that they have received and most importantly to practice their Catholic Christian faith as a response to the challenges of the New Evangelization.
The opening of the National Laity Week which was organized by the Sangguniang Laiko headed by its national president Atty. Aurora Santiago was coordinated by the Archdiocesan Council of the Laity of Cebu led by Atty. Paterno Acabodillo, president of the Cebu Council of the Laity who was ably assisted by Nida Ruiz, the national VP for Visayas of the Sangguniang Laiko who was also named co-chairman of the National Laity Week 2012 Committee.
The launching of the National Laity Week was tied in to the preparations for the canonization of the Blessed Pedro Calungsod on October 21, 2012 which will be held in Rome. Significantly, both San Lorenzo Ruiz and Blessed Pedro Calungsod come from the ranks of the laity and Archbishop Palma said this brings to light the important role and the great contributions of the Filipino laity in the propagation of the Catholic faith.
The Gospel today should serve as an inspiration for the lay faithful to follow in the footsteps of San Lorenzo Ruiz and Blessed Pedro Calungsod who stood by their Catholic faith even with death staring them in the eye. Soon to be Saint Pedro Calungsod died on April 2, 1672 from spears hurled at him by a Guamanian native who turned away from the Catholic faith. Historical accounts showed that he could have easily ran and escape death but he instead stood his ground and died in defense of his faith.
Jesus in today’s Gospel speak of the necessity for Christians to be proud of their faith. Difficult it may be, Jesus is calling on us all to not be ashamed to show who we are and the God whom we serve. In fact, if only every Christian and Catholics for that matter would be able to grasp the enormity of the faith that we have received, everyone will not look at the command for us to love God and our neighbor as well not as a duty but as an awesome privilege.
A Christian regardless of the state in life that he is in must never be ashamed to display his color. Unknown to man, there are at least three personages to whom we try to hide certain things including the practice of our faith foremost of which is our own self and this happens when we are on denial and keep our faith hidden even from our own selves.
We also have a tendency to keep our faith out of sight of our fellow men but what we will soon realize is that a man who keeps secrets is an unhappy person. The happy man is one who has nothing to hide. Worst, we even keep our faith hidden from the eyes of our very own God.
This brings me back to June 12, 1998 when the Philippines celebrated its Centennial and then President Fidel V. Ramos, through an Executive Order, enjoined the entire nation to display the Philippine flag in their homes, business establishments, vehicles, buildings, etc. Again after the 9-11 tragedy, we see American homes displaying the American flag in their porches, in their lawns and, wherever they can display it to express their solidarity as a nation.
In both instances, Filipinos and Americans took pride in their identities with the use of their respective national banners because those colors project our image of who we are. Our national banners speak of who we are as a nation and as a people and in fact we are taught in school to take pride in our flag because it carries with it the very history of our nation.
This is what today’s Gospel is all about as it simply means that our lives must take the form of a lamp that has been lighted up by the nature of Jesus contained in the Scriptures and empowered by the Holy Spirit such that we are to consider ourselves as a lampstand that will illumine not only our surroundings but more importantly those around us.
The Word of God who is Jesus personified must be operative in our lives which means that we who have seen the light must now become the lamps that should proclaim the message of the Kingdom of God “so that those who come in can see the light” (v.16) and again we are reminded of our great commission (Matt 28:18) and that we are not to “grieve the Holy Spirit with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Eph 4:30).
To be sealed in the Holy Spirit means that we who have received the Word of God are mandated to act on it, to proclaim it because this is our primary responsibility as a Christian and we are not to stifle its proclamation lest we grieve the Holy Spirit who can take away even the little that we have which could even mean this life that we now live.
What Jesus was emphasizing in this Gospel was that if we consider our lives as a lamp that has been lighted up by the Word of God then we must understand that we are not to hide and keep the light to ourselves but we must show to the world the light that is in us. Our being Christians must become the mark that we must be proud of. Our transformed lives must be like a banner that flutters proudly so that everyone can see not just the Christian in us but the Jesus in us who in reality is the True Light.
Today we are being reminded that the Word of God does not only light up our lives but it will help us grow as Christians. And it is our duty to shine so that others may also see the light. As we are commanded by Christ in Matt 28:18 to go, we need to become credible witnesses and bring this light that we have received to others as what Blessed Pedro Calungsod did and not just keep it to ourselves.
And those who will read this Gospel should be careful how they listen (v.18) because there are many deceptive messages in the world today that there is a danger that these deceptions is what we may hear and pass on to others. This should serve as a motivation for us to keep on learning, to keep on seeking the truth because what Jesus is saying in v.18 is that if we stop learning, if we don’t proclaim the Word of God, if we stop searching for the Kingdom of Heaven and, if we keep the light hidden from others even the little knowledge that we have will be taken away from us.
In closing, we should all ask ourselves are we proud of our Christian heritage? Are we proud of our faith that we have in Jesus that it impels us to proclaim the Word to others? Have our lives been transformed that we have become the light on a lampstand that others can come in and see the light? Like Blessed Pedro Calungsod, do we also take pride in displaying the Christian banner that reflects the presence of Christ in our lives?
1st Reading: Pro 3:27-34
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 15:2-5 “The just one shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord.”
GOSPEL: LK 8:16-18
Key Verse: “…those who enter may see the light.” (v.16)
The Gospel passage we have today is probably one of the most significant passages in the Scriptures that have something to do with who we are and what it means for us.
Simply put this Gospel tells us to show to the world who and what we are. And again, we need to go back to the foundation of our nature that we are all created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26) and this is the nature that the world must see in us.
On Sunday, Sept. 23, 2012, the Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas (Council of the Laity of the Philippines) formally launched the 2012 National Laity Week in Cebu and in his homily, His Excellency Archbishop Jose Palma of the Archdiocese of Cebu enjoined the lay faithful to thank God for the faith that they have received and most importantly to practice their Catholic Christian faith as a response to the challenges of the New Evangelization.
The opening of the National Laity Week which was organized by the Sangguniang Laiko headed by its national president Atty. Aurora Santiago was coordinated by the Archdiocesan Council of the Laity of Cebu led by Atty. Paterno Acabodillo, president of the Cebu Council of the Laity who was ably assisted by Nida Ruiz, the national VP for Visayas of the Sangguniang Laiko who was also named co-chairman of the National Laity Week 2012 Committee.
The launching of the National Laity Week was tied in to the preparations for the canonization of the Blessed Pedro Calungsod on October 21, 2012 which will be held in Rome. Significantly, both San Lorenzo Ruiz and Blessed Pedro Calungsod come from the ranks of the laity and Archbishop Palma said this brings to light the important role and the great contributions of the Filipino laity in the propagation of the Catholic faith.
The Gospel today should serve as an inspiration for the lay faithful to follow in the footsteps of San Lorenzo Ruiz and Blessed Pedro Calungsod who stood by their Catholic faith even with death staring them in the eye. Soon to be Saint Pedro Calungsod died on April 2, 1672 from spears hurled at him by a Guamanian native who turned away from the Catholic faith. Historical accounts showed that he could have easily ran and escape death but he instead stood his ground and died in defense of his faith.
Jesus in today’s Gospel speak of the necessity for Christians to be proud of their faith. Difficult it may be, Jesus is calling on us all to not be ashamed to show who we are and the God whom we serve. In fact, if only every Christian and Catholics for that matter would be able to grasp the enormity of the faith that we have received, everyone will not look at the command for us to love God and our neighbor as well not as a duty but as an awesome privilege.
A Christian regardless of the state in life that he is in must never be ashamed to display his color. Unknown to man, there are at least three personages to whom we try to hide certain things including the practice of our faith foremost of which is our own self and this happens when we are on denial and keep our faith hidden even from our own selves.
We also have a tendency to keep our faith out of sight of our fellow men but what we will soon realize is that a man who keeps secrets is an unhappy person. The happy man is one who has nothing to hide. Worst, we even keep our faith hidden from the eyes of our very own God.
This brings me back to June 12, 1998 when the Philippines celebrated its Centennial and then President Fidel V. Ramos, through an Executive Order, enjoined the entire nation to display the Philippine flag in their homes, business establishments, vehicles, buildings, etc. Again after the 9-11 tragedy, we see American homes displaying the American flag in their porches, in their lawns and, wherever they can display it to express their solidarity as a nation.
In both instances, Filipinos and Americans took pride in their identities with the use of their respective national banners because those colors project our image of who we are. Our national banners speak of who we are as a nation and as a people and in fact we are taught in school to take pride in our flag because it carries with it the very history of our nation.
This is what today’s Gospel is all about as it simply means that our lives must take the form of a lamp that has been lighted up by the nature of Jesus contained in the Scriptures and empowered by the Holy Spirit such that we are to consider ourselves as a lampstand that will illumine not only our surroundings but more importantly those around us.
The Word of God who is Jesus personified must be operative in our lives which means that we who have seen the light must now become the lamps that should proclaim the message of the Kingdom of God “so that those who come in can see the light” (v.16) and again we are reminded of our great commission (Matt 28:18) and that we are not to “grieve the Holy Spirit with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Eph 4:30).
To be sealed in the Holy Spirit means that we who have received the Word of God are mandated to act on it, to proclaim it because this is our primary responsibility as a Christian and we are not to stifle its proclamation lest we grieve the Holy Spirit who can take away even the little that we have which could even mean this life that we now live.
What Jesus was emphasizing in this Gospel was that if we consider our lives as a lamp that has been lighted up by the Word of God then we must understand that we are not to hide and keep the light to ourselves but we must show to the world the light that is in us. Our being Christians must become the mark that we must be proud of. Our transformed lives must be like a banner that flutters proudly so that everyone can see not just the Christian in us but the Jesus in us who in reality is the True Light.
Today we are being reminded that the Word of God does not only light up our lives but it will help us grow as Christians. And it is our duty to shine so that others may also see the light. As we are commanded by Christ in Matt 28:18 to go, we need to become credible witnesses and bring this light that we have received to others as what Blessed Pedro Calungsod did and not just keep it to ourselves.
And those who will read this Gospel should be careful how they listen (v.18) because there are many deceptive messages in the world today that there is a danger that these deceptions is what we may hear and pass on to others. This should serve as a motivation for us to keep on learning, to keep on seeking the truth because what Jesus is saying in v.18 is that if we stop learning, if we don’t proclaim the Word of God, if we stop searching for the Kingdom of Heaven and, if we keep the light hidden from others even the little knowledge that we have will be taken away from us.
In closing, we should all ask ourselves are we proud of our Christian heritage? Are we proud of our faith that we have in Jesus that it impels us to proclaim the Word to others? Have our lives been transformed that we have become the light on a lampstand that others can come in and see the light? Like Blessed Pedro Calungsod, do we also take pride in displaying the Christian banner that reflects the presence of Christ in our lives?
MADE BY GOD FOR GOD
SEPT. 23, 2012: 25TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Wis 2:12, 17-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 54:3-8 “The Lord upholds my life.”
2nd Reading: Jam 3:16-4:3
GOSPEL: MK 9:30-37
Key Verse: “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” (v.35)
Conscious of the time he has left, Jesus spent more time with his disciples to teach them that which they still don’t understand that he will suffer and die and resurrect on the third day (v.31) but his disciples didn’t understand and did not ask, wary perhaps of the time Jesus rebuked the spirit that was in Peter (Mk 8:33).
Jesus didn’t want anyone to know where they were because he needed to spend time with his disciples to teach them (vv.30-31). With the limited time left, Jesus knew he needed to equip and empower his disciples to carry on his mission when he is no longer around.
In a way, we should look at ourselves as the disciples of Jesus. As spiritual growth cannot be acquired in an instant, learning what Jesus was teaching his disciples and what he is saying to us now takes time to learn. Unlike the disciples who were afraid to ask him, we should gather all the boldness to ask questions and the beauty of it all is the answers are also right there in the Sacred Scriptures.
At times we can be like the disciples who don’t understand what Jesus is saying because we just refuse to do so since the human mind has the capability to qualify those things our minds absorb and we reject that which we do not want to see or understand.
In other words, everything has been made easy for us. We are given the opportunity to hear the Gospel of Christ each time we go to Mass, during retreats and recollections, in Christian seminars and workshops, on radio and television and we know that there is glory for those who will listen and put the Gospel into practice as well as the risks for rejecting it. Sadly, however, men have acquired this uncanny ability to accept that which will conform to their lifestyle and will reject the message that will inconvenience them.
I was at times like the disciples and I didn’t understand why God called me and brought me to the renewal movement. Learning was a painstaking process as real-life situations became my classroom as God taught me by way of actual events and experiences.
As this Gospel narrative for today speak of the kind of humility that Jesus requires, I too was schooled by Our Lord on humility. This happened sometime in 1992 when I cut off another motorist who was about to park on the same spot I wanted to park. The driver went down and angrily approached me and I shot back: “Don’t you know who I am?” The man said no and I said: “I’m from the Office of the President.”
The man spoke again and retorted: “So what!” I could’ve gotten off my car, pull out my gun and face the man but the Holy Spirit had other plans as He moved in me like lightning and prompted me to leave the place and look for another parking slot.
This scenario remained etched in my mind as it not only became a learning experience but it changed me forever. I no longer carry a gun that used to be my security as I am now secure in God’s arms and the Bible that I now carry has replaced the high capacity 9 mm. that was always tucked on my waist whenever I leave home before.
I was glad that the Holy Spirit impressed upon me the need to humble myself from that experience for how can I regard myself as more lofty than Jesus Christ “who did not consider equality with God something to be grasped but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in the human likeness” (Phi 2:7)
Which is why in my present state, I am obliged to give to Christ my trust and confidence propelled by obedience to God in all things including obedience to authority both in government and to those who exercise pastoral authority over me “for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.” (Rom 13:1-2) This has been so for me in my life in the Church and Community. Blind obedience they might say but I have learned to follow whatever the leaders tell me to do whoever they may be.
There is a beautiful and moving story in Greece about a Spartan named Paedaretos. During his time, 300 men were to be chosen to govern Sparta and Paedaretos was a candidate. When the final list of the 300 was announced, his name was not in it. One of his friends said “I am sorry that you were not elected. The people ought to have known what a wise officer of state you would have made.” Paederetos replied “I am glad that in Sparta there are 300 men better than I am.” Paedaretos was a man who became a legend because he was prepared to give to others the first place and to bear no ill will at all.
In life every conceivable problem can be solved if men would only live for what they can do for others and not for what they could get for themselves. Every political problem can be solved if the ambition of men was to serve the state and not to enhance their own prestige. It follows that the divisions and disputes which tear down the Church should never happen if the only desire of its members is to serve it regardless of the position they occupy. When Jesus said: “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” (v.35) he laid down one of the greatest practical truths that we as disciples need to embrace.
Then Jesus took a child in his arms and told his disciples that those who welcomes a child welcomes him (v.37). A child has no influence, wealth nor power and cannot do things for us. A child is powerless and relies only on those who will care for him.
What Jesus meant was that as disciples we are to seek those whom we can serve and not those who can do things for us for “whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me.” (Matt 25:40) And we are to teach even children since they also have to be taught about Jesus and must not be regarded as less important than adults. In other words, we were made by God and one of the means by which we can serve God is by serving others.
1st Reading: Wis 2:12, 17-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 54:3-8 “The Lord upholds my life.”
2nd Reading: Jam 3:16-4:3
GOSPEL: MK 9:30-37
Key Verse: “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” (v.35)
Conscious of the time he has left, Jesus spent more time with his disciples to teach them that which they still don’t understand that he will suffer and die and resurrect on the third day (v.31) but his disciples didn’t understand and did not ask, wary perhaps of the time Jesus rebuked the spirit that was in Peter (Mk 8:33).
Jesus didn’t want anyone to know where they were because he needed to spend time with his disciples to teach them (vv.30-31). With the limited time left, Jesus knew he needed to equip and empower his disciples to carry on his mission when he is no longer around.
In a way, we should look at ourselves as the disciples of Jesus. As spiritual growth cannot be acquired in an instant, learning what Jesus was teaching his disciples and what he is saying to us now takes time to learn. Unlike the disciples who were afraid to ask him, we should gather all the boldness to ask questions and the beauty of it all is the answers are also right there in the Sacred Scriptures.
At times we can be like the disciples who don’t understand what Jesus is saying because we just refuse to do so since the human mind has the capability to qualify those things our minds absorb and we reject that which we do not want to see or understand.
In other words, everything has been made easy for us. We are given the opportunity to hear the Gospel of Christ each time we go to Mass, during retreats and recollections, in Christian seminars and workshops, on radio and television and we know that there is glory for those who will listen and put the Gospel into practice as well as the risks for rejecting it. Sadly, however, men have acquired this uncanny ability to accept that which will conform to their lifestyle and will reject the message that will inconvenience them.
I was at times like the disciples and I didn’t understand why God called me and brought me to the renewal movement. Learning was a painstaking process as real-life situations became my classroom as God taught me by way of actual events and experiences.
As this Gospel narrative for today speak of the kind of humility that Jesus requires, I too was schooled by Our Lord on humility. This happened sometime in 1992 when I cut off another motorist who was about to park on the same spot I wanted to park. The driver went down and angrily approached me and I shot back: “Don’t you know who I am?” The man said no and I said: “I’m from the Office of the President.”
The man spoke again and retorted: “So what!” I could’ve gotten off my car, pull out my gun and face the man but the Holy Spirit had other plans as He moved in me like lightning and prompted me to leave the place and look for another parking slot.
This scenario remained etched in my mind as it not only became a learning experience but it changed me forever. I no longer carry a gun that used to be my security as I am now secure in God’s arms and the Bible that I now carry has replaced the high capacity 9 mm. that was always tucked on my waist whenever I leave home before.
I was glad that the Holy Spirit impressed upon me the need to humble myself from that experience for how can I regard myself as more lofty than Jesus Christ “who did not consider equality with God something to be grasped but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in the human likeness” (Phi 2:7)
Which is why in my present state, I am obliged to give to Christ my trust and confidence propelled by obedience to God in all things including obedience to authority both in government and to those who exercise pastoral authority over me “for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.” (Rom 13:1-2) This has been so for me in my life in the Church and Community. Blind obedience they might say but I have learned to follow whatever the leaders tell me to do whoever they may be.
There is a beautiful and moving story in Greece about a Spartan named Paedaretos. During his time, 300 men were to be chosen to govern Sparta and Paedaretos was a candidate. When the final list of the 300 was announced, his name was not in it. One of his friends said “I am sorry that you were not elected. The people ought to have known what a wise officer of state you would have made.” Paederetos replied “I am glad that in Sparta there are 300 men better than I am.” Paedaretos was a man who became a legend because he was prepared to give to others the first place and to bear no ill will at all.
In life every conceivable problem can be solved if men would only live for what they can do for others and not for what they could get for themselves. Every political problem can be solved if the ambition of men was to serve the state and not to enhance their own prestige. It follows that the divisions and disputes which tear down the Church should never happen if the only desire of its members is to serve it regardless of the position they occupy. When Jesus said: “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” (v.35) he laid down one of the greatest practical truths that we as disciples need to embrace.
Then Jesus took a child in his arms and told his disciples that those who welcomes a child welcomes him (v.37). A child has no influence, wealth nor power and cannot do things for us. A child is powerless and relies only on those who will care for him.
What Jesus meant was that as disciples we are to seek those whom we can serve and not those who can do things for us for “whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me.” (Matt 25:40) And we are to teach even children since they also have to be taught about Jesus and must not be regarded as less important than adults. In other words, we were made by God and one of the means by which we can serve God is by serving others.
OF SOIL AND SALVATION
SEPT. 22, 2012: 24TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 1 Cor 15:35-37, 42-49
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 56:10-14 “I will in the presence of God, in the light of the living.”
GOSPEL: LK 8:4-15
Key Verse: “But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble
and good heart.”
This is Luke’s version of the Parable of the Sower and which at times is also referred to as the Parable of the Soil and regardless of how this parable is called, the scenario depicted in this parable was something that the Jews are familiar with because this was what Jewish farmers normally go through in those days.
And Jesus used this scenario to identify and compare the four types of soil condition to the manner by which the Word of God was being received by the people to whom the Gospel was being proclaimed. And this same situation is still very much in operation even today because the world has brought so many distractions that compete with the proclamation of the Good News.
Pope Paul VI in Evangelii Nuntiandi Nos. 14-18 declared that “the Church exists in order to EVANGELIZE – the carrying forth of the Good News to every sector of the human race so that by its strength it may enter into the hearts of men and renew the human race.”
As it is our duty as Christian disciples to follow Christ, it is incumbent upon us all to proclaim the Good News and to make sure that we also succeed in our task to develop the soil that will be suitable for the seed which is the Word of God to grow to maturity.
But in this Gospel narrative, Jesus did not zero in on the seed or even on the sower although both are important when it comes to sowing a field because the focus of this parable was on the kind of soil on which the seed was to be planted. The seed is the Word of God and the types of soil in this parable refer to the manner by which we listen to the Word of God.
Here Jesus made mention of four types of soil on which the seed fell and we need to understand the farming methods in those days so that we can grasp the substance of this parable that will lead us to understand the problems we are faced today as purveyors of the Gospel.
Farmers during the time of Jesus normally employ two methods in sowing or planting. Its either they put a sack of seed on the back of an ox and they will put a hole on the sack and will make the animal walk up and down the strip of land until the seeds run out. Or the farmer will use the broadcast method and scatter the seed by hand.
In both methods, many of the seeds are blown away by the wind and some seed fell on the pathways that are like those on whom the Word will never take root because they have totally closed their minds to it and no matter what you do they will never open their ears and their hearts to what you are saying especially if it is about the Gospel.
Some seed fell on the shallow ground and this is similar to some of us who heard the Word, made a commitment to serve and follow Christ but when the hard grind comes and at the first sign of trouble or when they start experiencing pain, suffering and persecution they move away and leave the church/ community which is just like the seed that fell on the rocky and dry ground that dies because it lacked moisture.
There were seeds that fell on the ground full of thorns. These are the people who heard the Word just like those whom we see in the church/ community whose lives won’t bear much fruit because they are pinned down by the influence of the material world in their lives. These are the people who try lead double lives. They want eternity but they also seek the pleasures of the world at the same time.
But there will of course be a good ground among us, the soil that has been prepared well and ploughed and, well irrigated. This is the fertile ground on which the seed will grow to maturity until they are ripe for harvest. This is the kind of soil that Jesus wants us to be, for us to prepare and plough our hearts by repenting of our sins and surrendering to God our sinful nature.
What Jesus is telling us in this Gospel is that eternal salvation is for those who will hear and listen to the Word of God, keeps what he hears and, translates what he heard into action. This means that we are to tell others what we heard. We are to share with others the gift that we have received because salvation is for all but we must turn our lives into a fertile ground on which the Word of God will grow and bear fruit.
This Gospel also tells us that we need to be patient in the way we receive the Word of God and in the way we bring the Gospel to others. For us to become a fertile ground we need to exercise patience in preparing our hearts by our reception of the Sacraments especially the Holy Eucharist, by forgiving one another, by loving one another, by performing corporal works of mercy, fasting and prayer.
We also need to be patient when we share the Gospel with others because we need to be cognizant of their mindsets, culture and their spiritual temperature because evangelization is something that cannot be rushed. But in both instances, we are assured of a good harvest both for ourselves and for others if we cultivate our hearts to become the good soil on which the Word will grow.
“But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.” (Lk 8:15)
1st Reading: 1 Cor 15:35-37, 42-49
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 56:10-14 “I will in the presence of God, in the light of the living.”
GOSPEL: LK 8:4-15
Key Verse: “But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble
and good heart.”
This is Luke’s version of the Parable of the Sower and which at times is also referred to as the Parable of the Soil and regardless of how this parable is called, the scenario depicted in this parable was something that the Jews are familiar with because this was what Jewish farmers normally go through in those days.
And Jesus used this scenario to identify and compare the four types of soil condition to the manner by which the Word of God was being received by the people to whom the Gospel was being proclaimed. And this same situation is still very much in operation even today because the world has brought so many distractions that compete with the proclamation of the Good News.
Pope Paul VI in Evangelii Nuntiandi Nos. 14-18 declared that “the Church exists in order to EVANGELIZE – the carrying forth of the Good News to every sector of the human race so that by its strength it may enter into the hearts of men and renew the human race.”
As it is our duty as Christian disciples to follow Christ, it is incumbent upon us all to proclaim the Good News and to make sure that we also succeed in our task to develop the soil that will be suitable for the seed which is the Word of God to grow to maturity.
But in this Gospel narrative, Jesus did not zero in on the seed or even on the sower although both are important when it comes to sowing a field because the focus of this parable was on the kind of soil on which the seed was to be planted. The seed is the Word of God and the types of soil in this parable refer to the manner by which we listen to the Word of God.
Here Jesus made mention of four types of soil on which the seed fell and we need to understand the farming methods in those days so that we can grasp the substance of this parable that will lead us to understand the problems we are faced today as purveyors of the Gospel.
Farmers during the time of Jesus normally employ two methods in sowing or planting. Its either they put a sack of seed on the back of an ox and they will put a hole on the sack and will make the animal walk up and down the strip of land until the seeds run out. Or the farmer will use the broadcast method and scatter the seed by hand.
In both methods, many of the seeds are blown away by the wind and some seed fell on the pathways that are like those on whom the Word will never take root because they have totally closed their minds to it and no matter what you do they will never open their ears and their hearts to what you are saying especially if it is about the Gospel.
Some seed fell on the shallow ground and this is similar to some of us who heard the Word, made a commitment to serve and follow Christ but when the hard grind comes and at the first sign of trouble or when they start experiencing pain, suffering and persecution they move away and leave the church/ community which is just like the seed that fell on the rocky and dry ground that dies because it lacked moisture.
There were seeds that fell on the ground full of thorns. These are the people who heard the Word just like those whom we see in the church/ community whose lives won’t bear much fruit because they are pinned down by the influence of the material world in their lives. These are the people who try lead double lives. They want eternity but they also seek the pleasures of the world at the same time.
But there will of course be a good ground among us, the soil that has been prepared well and ploughed and, well irrigated. This is the fertile ground on which the seed will grow to maturity until they are ripe for harvest. This is the kind of soil that Jesus wants us to be, for us to prepare and plough our hearts by repenting of our sins and surrendering to God our sinful nature.
What Jesus is telling us in this Gospel is that eternal salvation is for those who will hear and listen to the Word of God, keeps what he hears and, translates what he heard into action. This means that we are to tell others what we heard. We are to share with others the gift that we have received because salvation is for all but we must turn our lives into a fertile ground on which the Word of God will grow and bear fruit.
This Gospel also tells us that we need to be patient in the way we receive the Word of God and in the way we bring the Gospel to others. For us to become a fertile ground we need to exercise patience in preparing our hearts by our reception of the Sacraments especially the Holy Eucharist, by forgiving one another, by loving one another, by performing corporal works of mercy, fasting and prayer.
We also need to be patient when we share the Gospel with others because we need to be cognizant of their mindsets, culture and their spiritual temperature because evangelization is something that cannot be rushed. But in both instances, we are assured of a good harvest both for ourselves and for others if we cultivate our hearts to become the good soil on which the Word will grow.
“But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.” (Lk 8:15)
HEAVEN ALSO FOR SINNERS
SEPT. 21, 2012: ST. MATTHEW, Apostle and Evangelist
1st Reading: Eph 4:1-7, 11-13
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 19:2-5 “Their message goes out through all the earth.”
GOSPEL: MATT 9:9-13
Key Verse: “I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (v.13)
For a man to be regarded as religious, he must be able to stretch out his hand to help a man who is in need. Otherwise, it would just be another form of outward piety and we see so many of these in the church or community where projects and programs have are prioritized over the proclamation of the Gospel.
The Gospel today speaks of what the inner disposition of man should be in terms of his relationship with others especially those who are in great need. This has become the subject of many of the teachings of Jesus and it could not be avoided that the attitude of the Scribes and Pharisees would become the benchmark to which man’s relationship with God and neighbor was to be compared with.
Today’s Gospel also presents us with the reality that the Kingdom of God is for saints and sinners alike and this reminds of a contrast in the plot of an 1987 movie made by Steven Spielberg entitled “Batteries Not Included.” It tells of a story of an elderly apartment block tenants who sought the aid of alien mechanical life-forms to save their building from being demolished to give way to a new multi-story condominium.
Our lives at times are no different from those characterized in Spielberg’s movies such as the elderly couple who sought help from mechanical aliens to save their home from being demolished. And today, many of us who are mired in what appear to be insurmountable problems and difficulties lose ourselves in search for solutions and finding none we end up kneeling before God and storming heaven with our prayers.
This was probably the case of Levi who was one of the most hated among men in Capernaum and who was regarded by the Jews as notoriously dishonest. What we actually don’t know was that Levi perfectly knew the sentiments of the Jews against him and that he probably was just waiting for the right opportunity to turn his life around.
That this account on the calling of Levi would be arranged in such a way that it comes on the heels of the healing of the demon-possessed men (Matt 9:28-34) and the paralytic (Matt 9:1-8) only shows that Jesus was indeed sent not just for a particular set of people but for all of creation. This can also be gleaned from the Words of Jesus in Jn 3:16 when he proclaimed that: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that anyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” Jesus was explicit that he came not just for you and me but for the world which means that no one would be left behind when the Son of God will come again.
As Jesus went on from healing the paralytic, he saw Levi at the tax collector’s booth, Jesus said: “Follow me” (v.9) and Levi got up and followed him. In the next few moments, try to imagine that you were one of those in the crowd. As an adult Jew you have received faith formation and religious studies since your childhood days from visiting Rabbis, Scribes and Pharisees.
Certainly you’d be surprised as the people at that time when Jesus called on Levi, who as a tax collector was hated by the Jews because his profession was to collect taxes and fees for the Roman government thus tax collectors were considered as traitors. They are also viewed as extortionists because they normally get a slice of the taxes that they collect.
As such, tax collectors are lumped together with sinners and harlots (Lk 15:1-2) and no Jew who was in his proper frame of mind would associate themselves with tax collectors. Except for Jesus no one in the crowd knew what was in the mind of Levi who must have heard of Jesus and it was possible that Levi was already overcome by guilt at his sinful ways and was planning to turn a new leaf and was just waiting for an opportune time.
This was the only plausible explanation why Levi stood up, left everything and followed Jesus (v.9). And if the Scribes were perplexed at the calling of Levi, they were even more scandalized when Levi hosted a feast for Jesus in his house that was attended by other tax collectors and sinners as well and the teachers of the law asked his disciples why Jesus eats with sinners (v.11).
What follows in vv.12-13 was the response of Jesus which reveals his mission on earth: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Jesus chose a sinner like Levi who would later be called Matthew because he knew that Levi (Matthew) was repentant and has what it takes to become a disciple as the former tax collector left everything and staked whatever he has left on Christ.
What Jesus requires of his disciples is the willingness to give up everything “deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Lk 9:23) This is also what Jesus requires from us in that we must be prepared to step out of our comfort zones and follow him wherever he leads us. What Jesus said to Levi was “follow me.” Jesus did not mean “I am calling you to become the Boss.” To follow Jesus is to do what he did. He led the disciples but only for the purpose of training them towards a life of humility and obedience.
In the church or community for that matter, it has become too common to see people stepping up to the plate but only to give orders “do this, do that” but you’ll never see them work up a sweat. What Jesus needs are workers and not bosses because on our way to eternity there is only one Master and that is Jesus.
The underlying message in this Gospel is that Jesus is not inviting people who believe that they are already good enough and have no need of help. What Jesus is pointing out here is that the first step in discipleship is to acknowledge our need for a savior and admit that we don’t have all the answers.
The true and authentic Christian life is to follow Christ by turning our backs from the world we are in. We will experience hardships, comfort, deprivation and, we will find ourselves poorer in terms of material possessions. Worldly ambitions are thrown out of the window but through it all, following Christ will bring joy and peace and the privilege to become co-heir to the Kingdom of Heaven.
To follow Christ as Matthew did, we are commanded to share the Gospel with the poor, immoral, the deprived and depraved, the outcasts of society and, not just the rich, popular and powerful. Heaven, after all, is also for sinners. “God doesn’t want burnt offerings; he wants our lifelong service” (Psa 40:6-8).
Thus if Jesus will pass by you at this very moment and will tell you: “Follow me.” How are you going to respond? Are you going to do what Matthew did and leave everything behind to follow Jesus? How you will respond will define who you truly are.
1st Reading: Eph 4:1-7, 11-13
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 19:2-5 “Their message goes out through all the earth.”
GOSPEL: MATT 9:9-13
Key Verse: “I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (v.13)
For a man to be regarded as religious, he must be able to stretch out his hand to help a man who is in need. Otherwise, it would just be another form of outward piety and we see so many of these in the church or community where projects and programs have are prioritized over the proclamation of the Gospel.
The Gospel today speaks of what the inner disposition of man should be in terms of his relationship with others especially those who are in great need. This has become the subject of many of the teachings of Jesus and it could not be avoided that the attitude of the Scribes and Pharisees would become the benchmark to which man’s relationship with God and neighbor was to be compared with.
Today’s Gospel also presents us with the reality that the Kingdom of God is for saints and sinners alike and this reminds of a contrast in the plot of an 1987 movie made by Steven Spielberg entitled “Batteries Not Included.” It tells of a story of an elderly apartment block tenants who sought the aid of alien mechanical life-forms to save their building from being demolished to give way to a new multi-story condominium.
Our lives at times are no different from those characterized in Spielberg’s movies such as the elderly couple who sought help from mechanical aliens to save their home from being demolished. And today, many of us who are mired in what appear to be insurmountable problems and difficulties lose ourselves in search for solutions and finding none we end up kneeling before God and storming heaven with our prayers.
This was probably the case of Levi who was one of the most hated among men in Capernaum and who was regarded by the Jews as notoriously dishonest. What we actually don’t know was that Levi perfectly knew the sentiments of the Jews against him and that he probably was just waiting for the right opportunity to turn his life around.
That this account on the calling of Levi would be arranged in such a way that it comes on the heels of the healing of the demon-possessed men (Matt 9:28-34) and the paralytic (Matt 9:1-8) only shows that Jesus was indeed sent not just for a particular set of people but for all of creation. This can also be gleaned from the Words of Jesus in Jn 3:16 when he proclaimed that: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that anyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” Jesus was explicit that he came not just for you and me but for the world which means that no one would be left behind when the Son of God will come again.
As Jesus went on from healing the paralytic, he saw Levi at the tax collector’s booth, Jesus said: “Follow me” (v.9) and Levi got up and followed him. In the next few moments, try to imagine that you were one of those in the crowd. As an adult Jew you have received faith formation and religious studies since your childhood days from visiting Rabbis, Scribes and Pharisees.
Certainly you’d be surprised as the people at that time when Jesus called on Levi, who as a tax collector was hated by the Jews because his profession was to collect taxes and fees for the Roman government thus tax collectors were considered as traitors. They are also viewed as extortionists because they normally get a slice of the taxes that they collect.
As such, tax collectors are lumped together with sinners and harlots (Lk 15:1-2) and no Jew who was in his proper frame of mind would associate themselves with tax collectors. Except for Jesus no one in the crowd knew what was in the mind of Levi who must have heard of Jesus and it was possible that Levi was already overcome by guilt at his sinful ways and was planning to turn a new leaf and was just waiting for an opportune time.
This was the only plausible explanation why Levi stood up, left everything and followed Jesus (v.9). And if the Scribes were perplexed at the calling of Levi, they were even more scandalized when Levi hosted a feast for Jesus in his house that was attended by other tax collectors and sinners as well and the teachers of the law asked his disciples why Jesus eats with sinners (v.11).
What follows in vv.12-13 was the response of Jesus which reveals his mission on earth: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Jesus chose a sinner like Levi who would later be called Matthew because he knew that Levi (Matthew) was repentant and has what it takes to become a disciple as the former tax collector left everything and staked whatever he has left on Christ.
What Jesus requires of his disciples is the willingness to give up everything “deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Lk 9:23) This is also what Jesus requires from us in that we must be prepared to step out of our comfort zones and follow him wherever he leads us. What Jesus said to Levi was “follow me.” Jesus did not mean “I am calling you to become the Boss.” To follow Jesus is to do what he did. He led the disciples but only for the purpose of training them towards a life of humility and obedience.
In the church or community for that matter, it has become too common to see people stepping up to the plate but only to give orders “do this, do that” but you’ll never see them work up a sweat. What Jesus needs are workers and not bosses because on our way to eternity there is only one Master and that is Jesus.
The underlying message in this Gospel is that Jesus is not inviting people who believe that they are already good enough and have no need of help. What Jesus is pointing out here is that the first step in discipleship is to acknowledge our need for a savior and admit that we don’t have all the answers.
The true and authentic Christian life is to follow Christ by turning our backs from the world we are in. We will experience hardships, comfort, deprivation and, we will find ourselves poorer in terms of material possessions. Worldly ambitions are thrown out of the window but through it all, following Christ will bring joy and peace and the privilege to become co-heir to the Kingdom of Heaven.
To follow Christ as Matthew did, we are commanded to share the Gospel with the poor, immoral, the deprived and depraved, the outcasts of society and, not just the rich, popular and powerful. Heaven, after all, is also for sinners. “God doesn’t want burnt offerings; he wants our lifelong service” (Psa 40:6-8).
Thus if Jesus will pass by you at this very moment and will tell you: “Follow me.” How are you going to respond? Are you going to do what Matthew did and leave everything behind to follow Jesus? How you will respond will define who you truly are.
LOVE CONQUERS SIN
SEPT. 20, 2012: 24TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 1 Cr 15:1-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 118:1-2, 16-17, 28
GOSPEL: LK 7:36-50
Key Verse: “Your faith has saved you…” (v.50)
When Jesus began his ministry of spreading the Gospel of salvation to the Jews and then to the Gentiles, the ordinary mass of people who marveled at his teaching and who were healed by him were naturally attracted to him.
On the other hand, those who were in positions of honor and authority who abused their privileges such as the religious leaders in those days were repelled by his presence for he exposed their extravagant demeanor and their misplaced religiosity.
In today’s Gospel we become witness to the seeming generosity of a Pharisee who invited Jesus to dinner but who did not give him the customary courtesies accorded to guests who were invited to a formal gathering.
In those days, when an honored guest was invited to a dinner in the home of an important person there are three things that are observed. The host places his hand on the shoulder of the guest and gives him a kiss of peace. As there were still no paved roads at the time, cool water was also poured over the feet of the invited guest and a drop of sweet-smelling perfume was dropped on the head of the guest. In this case, not one of this customary greeting was accorded to Jesus.
And the only plausible reason was that Simon had been an admirer of Jesus as not all Pharisees were his enemies but did not extend to him the usual courtesies as he would not want to be identified as someone who has compromised his position as a religious leader whose beliefs and principles were in contradiction to what Jesus preached.
As it was customary that almost anyone can come into the house where a Rabbi was invited to dinner which was usually held in the courtyard of the house, the host has no control over who will come to listen if ever the invited Rabbi will speak and this was the case when a woman of ill-repute such as the one depicted in today’s Gospel passage joined in the dinner celebration.
As the Pharisees shun the company of public sinners such that they frown on giving them the help they needed for them to reform their lives and find healing and wholeness Simon was moved to say: “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” (v.39) And this was what makes this Gospel passage interesting because we can relate the situation of the woman described in this scenario with our own relationship with Jesus.
Here we see the woman who had a bad reputation risking being ridiculed when she approached Jesus and anointed him with expensive oil and washed his feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. For a Jewish woman to appear in public with unbound hair was considered immodest but her action probably was motivated by one thing and that was love for Jesus and her gratitude for forgiveness.
This scenario presents us with contrasting attitudes of mind and heart. Simon was conscious of his position as a Pharisee who notwithstanding his invitation for Jesus to dine in his house felt no need to extend to him the usual courtesies and thus was devoid of love. It was like his actions was all for show to have a celebrity like Jesus in his house.
The woman apparently was conscious of nothing else but the forgiveness of her sins. She must have heard Jesus speak as she was behind the crowd and could not think of anything else but to extricate herself from the mire of sin she was in. The fact that she loosed her hair in public as she approached Jesus only shows that she was oblivious to her surroundings and was focused only on Jesus.
She also did something that only love can do as she took the precious perfume she had and poured it all on Jesus. Her love was not calculated but extravagant. In a spirit of humility and heart-felt repentance, she lavishly served the one who showed her the mercy and kindness of God.
And Jesus used the opportunity to draw a lesson from such an incident by narrating a parable about the case of two debtors and when Simon said the debtor who had more debt that was written off would love the creditor more Jesus drew a comparison between Simon and the woman. (vv. 44-48)
This is the same with us. At times we are like Simon who invites Jesus into our own home and not give him the courtesies that befit him as Lord and King. We allow him into our home because this is what is popular. In the same way, we join organizations in our parishes or communities for that matter because this is where our friends are but not really getting into the groove of why we are there in the first place – and that is to worship Our Lord and Savior in faith and deed.
We go through the process of listening to Jesus speak but not grasping the substance of his Word. People go through the motions of moving about in the church or community with the sole intent of manipulating the situations for their own benefit unaware of their actions that are influenced by the spirit of Jezebel.
The reality is that even in our church and or community today there are Simons among us who want to be identified with Jesus yet not listening to what he is saying and what he represents much more obey him and, there are among us like the woman in this Gospel reading who have received forgiveness and are overwhelmed by God’s love.
The woman's lavish expression of love was proof that she had found favor with God and the contrasting attitudes between Simon and the woman of ill-repute only shows how we can either accept or reject God's mercy.
Simon, who regarded himself as an upright Pharisee felt no need for love or mercy. His self-sufficiency kept him for acknowledging his need for God's grace and herein lies the difference of an authentic relationship with God. Self-sufficiency or the attitude that we can go through the motions of worshiping God without subordinating our human will to His Will is what actually separates us from God.
Thus, this passage presents us with a choice. How we will choose will determine our future.
1st Reading: 1 Cr 15:1-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 118:1-2, 16-17, 28
GOSPEL: LK 7:36-50
Key Verse: “Your faith has saved you…” (v.50)
When Jesus began his ministry of spreading the Gospel of salvation to the Jews and then to the Gentiles, the ordinary mass of people who marveled at his teaching and who were healed by him were naturally attracted to him.
On the other hand, those who were in positions of honor and authority who abused their privileges such as the religious leaders in those days were repelled by his presence for he exposed their extravagant demeanor and their misplaced religiosity.
In today’s Gospel we become witness to the seeming generosity of a Pharisee who invited Jesus to dinner but who did not give him the customary courtesies accorded to guests who were invited to a formal gathering.
In those days, when an honored guest was invited to a dinner in the home of an important person there are three things that are observed. The host places his hand on the shoulder of the guest and gives him a kiss of peace. As there were still no paved roads at the time, cool water was also poured over the feet of the invited guest and a drop of sweet-smelling perfume was dropped on the head of the guest. In this case, not one of this customary greeting was accorded to Jesus.
And the only plausible reason was that Simon had been an admirer of Jesus as not all Pharisees were his enemies but did not extend to him the usual courtesies as he would not want to be identified as someone who has compromised his position as a religious leader whose beliefs and principles were in contradiction to what Jesus preached.
As it was customary that almost anyone can come into the house where a Rabbi was invited to dinner which was usually held in the courtyard of the house, the host has no control over who will come to listen if ever the invited Rabbi will speak and this was the case when a woman of ill-repute such as the one depicted in today’s Gospel passage joined in the dinner celebration.
As the Pharisees shun the company of public sinners such that they frown on giving them the help they needed for them to reform their lives and find healing and wholeness Simon was moved to say: “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” (v.39) And this was what makes this Gospel passage interesting because we can relate the situation of the woman described in this scenario with our own relationship with Jesus.
Here we see the woman who had a bad reputation risking being ridiculed when she approached Jesus and anointed him with expensive oil and washed his feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. For a Jewish woman to appear in public with unbound hair was considered immodest but her action probably was motivated by one thing and that was love for Jesus and her gratitude for forgiveness.
This scenario presents us with contrasting attitudes of mind and heart. Simon was conscious of his position as a Pharisee who notwithstanding his invitation for Jesus to dine in his house felt no need to extend to him the usual courtesies and thus was devoid of love. It was like his actions was all for show to have a celebrity like Jesus in his house.
The woman apparently was conscious of nothing else but the forgiveness of her sins. She must have heard Jesus speak as she was behind the crowd and could not think of anything else but to extricate herself from the mire of sin she was in. The fact that she loosed her hair in public as she approached Jesus only shows that she was oblivious to her surroundings and was focused only on Jesus.
She also did something that only love can do as she took the precious perfume she had and poured it all on Jesus. Her love was not calculated but extravagant. In a spirit of humility and heart-felt repentance, she lavishly served the one who showed her the mercy and kindness of God.
And Jesus used the opportunity to draw a lesson from such an incident by narrating a parable about the case of two debtors and when Simon said the debtor who had more debt that was written off would love the creditor more Jesus drew a comparison between Simon and the woman. (vv. 44-48)
This is the same with us. At times we are like Simon who invites Jesus into our own home and not give him the courtesies that befit him as Lord and King. We allow him into our home because this is what is popular. In the same way, we join organizations in our parishes or communities for that matter because this is where our friends are but not really getting into the groove of why we are there in the first place – and that is to worship Our Lord and Savior in faith and deed.
We go through the process of listening to Jesus speak but not grasping the substance of his Word. People go through the motions of moving about in the church or community with the sole intent of manipulating the situations for their own benefit unaware of their actions that are influenced by the spirit of Jezebel.
The reality is that even in our church and or community today there are Simons among us who want to be identified with Jesus yet not listening to what he is saying and what he represents much more obey him and, there are among us like the woman in this Gospel reading who have received forgiveness and are overwhelmed by God’s love.
The woman's lavish expression of love was proof that she had found favor with God and the contrasting attitudes between Simon and the woman of ill-repute only shows how we can either accept or reject God's mercy.
Simon, who regarded himself as an upright Pharisee felt no need for love or mercy. His self-sufficiency kept him for acknowledging his need for God's grace and herein lies the difference of an authentic relationship with God. Self-sufficiency or the attitude that we can go through the motions of worshiping God without subordinating our human will to His Will is what actually separates us from God.
Thus, this passage presents us with a choice. How we will choose will determine our future.
LOVE CONQUERS DEATH
SEPT. 18, 2012: 24th WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 1 Cor 12:12-14, 27-31
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 100:1-5 “We are his people, the sheep of his flock."
GOSPEL: LK 7:11-17
Key Verse: “… I say to you, get up!” (v.14)
We normally refer to death in terms of somebody who died, a fatality in an accident, a person whose life has expired. However, a person who is very much alive can also be dead and we can see this in Paul’s letter to the Romans: “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.” (Rom 5:12)
Today, we have a Gospel passage in which we can easily identify ourselves with because a deeper reflection of the narrative depicted in this Gospel will ultimately lead us to a conclusion that there are many among us who may be alive or may look as if we are alive but who actually are dead and needs to be brought back to life.
This passage actually brings to life what salvation is. Just as the son of the widow in this passage was dead and so is the world that is also dead to sin (Eph 2:1) “As for you, you were dead in transgressions and sins” and there are no exceptions even among the ranks of the leaders of the Church and or Community. (Eph 2:4) “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved.”
This event was actually the first time that God through Jesus raised a dead person back to life took place as Jesus left Capernaum where he healed the servant of the Roman Centurion and was entering the town of Nain when they were met by a funeral procession in which the young son of a widow was being brought to his grave.
As is was customary for Jewish funerals there were a lot of weeping and crying from the group of professional mourners but beyond the grief that permeated the air in this burial procession, Jesus saw the grief that filled the mother of the dead man who was a widow.
Mention of the widow was particularly important because unlike today when widows can either be taken cared of by their relatives or can find work if they are able to, widows in the olden times have no future to look forward to unless they have other children or relatives to take care of them. And this widow had only one child – the son who was being buried and so she faced an uncertain future that was gloomy and desolate.
And Jesus who iss a Jew was very much aware of this scenario and his heart “went out to her.” (v.13). Other translations say “overflowed with compassion,” or “moved to the depths of his heart.” Nonetheless, what is evident is that Jesus was moved to so great a compassion that he said to the widow “don’t cry.”
As there were still no caskets during the time of Jesus the dead was usually placed in a bier that was made of wicker that could fit the mortal remains of the person to be buried. The dead was usually wrapped with burial cloth with only the head exposed and the men take turns in carrying the bier.
And as Jesus came near to the bier, He did not even ask that the bier be put down. What He did was he merely touched the bier saying (v.14) “young man, I say to you, get up” and the young man sat up, spoke and Jesus gave him back to his mother
What happened next is important (v.16) “They were all filled with awe and praised God.” The people did not praise Jesus but they praised God which is actually what we all should do and the people at that time knew this as they said “God has come to help his people.” The raising of the young man shows the power of prayer in the life of the believer.
Indeed God comes to the aid of those who pray earnestly as did the widow in this Gospel and the Scriptures is replete with many accounts of people whose prayers for help were granted. This Gospel also shows that God intervenes in the normal course of life if He wills it as Jesus did in this account of Luke.
There are times, however, when our prayers are not being answered and we should not blame God as some do but this should give us an opportunity to examine our own lives and see if the way we live fits into the standards of God for the “prayers of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” (Jam 5:16)
God is a God of compassion as Jesus showed in this Gospel and the only thing that God cannot do is not to love and Jesus is asking us to make it a habit to call on Our Father in prayer: “In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.” (Jn 16:26-27)
And for all intents and purposes, today’s Gospel passage also speaks about us for there are many among us who walk around as if we are wrapped in burial cloth with only our head exposed. We are wrapped with our pride and arrogance, self-exaltation, insatiable appetite for fame and fortune, immorality, jealousy, selfish ambition, hatred, discord, dissension, factions, envy, unforgiveness, impurity, idolatry (Gal 5:20-21) and these are the things that put our spirits to death.
But as with the dead man in this Gospel, we should remember that we can also be saved and raised back to life but this is “not from ourselves but a gift of God (Eph 2:8) and this is also contingent on our prostrating ourselves before the throne of Grace and pray that Jesus will meet us as He passes by during our journey of faith as “He is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” (Heb 7:25)
And when Jesus raises us back to life, we must not forget the mission that has been entrusted to us “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Eph 2:10) That mission is to proclaim that Jesus is Lord and to make disciples of all nations and Paul reminds us: “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” (2 Tim 1:6-7)
1st Reading: 1 Cor 12:12-14, 27-31
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 100:1-5 “We are his people, the sheep of his flock."
GOSPEL: LK 7:11-17
Key Verse: “… I say to you, get up!” (v.14)
We normally refer to death in terms of somebody who died, a fatality in an accident, a person whose life has expired. However, a person who is very much alive can also be dead and we can see this in Paul’s letter to the Romans: “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.” (Rom 5:12)
Today, we have a Gospel passage in which we can easily identify ourselves with because a deeper reflection of the narrative depicted in this Gospel will ultimately lead us to a conclusion that there are many among us who may be alive or may look as if we are alive but who actually are dead and needs to be brought back to life.
This passage actually brings to life what salvation is. Just as the son of the widow in this passage was dead and so is the world that is also dead to sin (Eph 2:1) “As for you, you were dead in transgressions and sins” and there are no exceptions even among the ranks of the leaders of the Church and or Community. (Eph 2:4) “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved.”
This event was actually the first time that God through Jesus raised a dead person back to life took place as Jesus left Capernaum where he healed the servant of the Roman Centurion and was entering the town of Nain when they were met by a funeral procession in which the young son of a widow was being brought to his grave.
As is was customary for Jewish funerals there were a lot of weeping and crying from the group of professional mourners but beyond the grief that permeated the air in this burial procession, Jesus saw the grief that filled the mother of the dead man who was a widow.
Mention of the widow was particularly important because unlike today when widows can either be taken cared of by their relatives or can find work if they are able to, widows in the olden times have no future to look forward to unless they have other children or relatives to take care of them. And this widow had only one child – the son who was being buried and so she faced an uncertain future that was gloomy and desolate.
And Jesus who iss a Jew was very much aware of this scenario and his heart “went out to her.” (v.13). Other translations say “overflowed with compassion,” or “moved to the depths of his heart.” Nonetheless, what is evident is that Jesus was moved to so great a compassion that he said to the widow “don’t cry.”
As there were still no caskets during the time of Jesus the dead was usually placed in a bier that was made of wicker that could fit the mortal remains of the person to be buried. The dead was usually wrapped with burial cloth with only the head exposed and the men take turns in carrying the bier.
And as Jesus came near to the bier, He did not even ask that the bier be put down. What He did was he merely touched the bier saying (v.14) “young man, I say to you, get up” and the young man sat up, spoke and Jesus gave him back to his mother
What happened next is important (v.16) “They were all filled with awe and praised God.” The people did not praise Jesus but they praised God which is actually what we all should do and the people at that time knew this as they said “God has come to help his people.” The raising of the young man shows the power of prayer in the life of the believer.
Indeed God comes to the aid of those who pray earnestly as did the widow in this Gospel and the Scriptures is replete with many accounts of people whose prayers for help were granted. This Gospel also shows that God intervenes in the normal course of life if He wills it as Jesus did in this account of Luke.
There are times, however, when our prayers are not being answered and we should not blame God as some do but this should give us an opportunity to examine our own lives and see if the way we live fits into the standards of God for the “prayers of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” (Jam 5:16)
God is a God of compassion as Jesus showed in this Gospel and the only thing that God cannot do is not to love and Jesus is asking us to make it a habit to call on Our Father in prayer: “In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.” (Jn 16:26-27)
And for all intents and purposes, today’s Gospel passage also speaks about us for there are many among us who walk around as if we are wrapped in burial cloth with only our head exposed. We are wrapped with our pride and arrogance, self-exaltation, insatiable appetite for fame and fortune, immorality, jealousy, selfish ambition, hatred, discord, dissension, factions, envy, unforgiveness, impurity, idolatry (Gal 5:20-21) and these are the things that put our spirits to death.
But as with the dead man in this Gospel, we should remember that we can also be saved and raised back to life but this is “not from ourselves but a gift of God (Eph 2:8) and this is also contingent on our prostrating ourselves before the throne of Grace and pray that Jesus will meet us as He passes by during our journey of faith as “He is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” (Heb 7:25)
And when Jesus raises us back to life, we must not forget the mission that has been entrusted to us “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Eph 2:10) That mission is to proclaim that Jesus is Lord and to make disciples of all nations and Paul reminds us: “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” (2 Tim 1:6-7)
FAITH THAT MOVES JESUS
SEPT. 17, 2012: 24th WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 1 Cor 11:17-26, 33
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 40:7-10, 17 “Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again.”
GOSPEL: LK 7:1-10
Key Verse: “I have not found such great faith…” (v.9)
Healing in whatever form be it physical, emotional or spiritual is contingent on two factors that need to be present in order for healing to take place. These are the Will of God and the faith of the person who is seeking to be healed. And from the accounts of the writers of the Synoptic Gospels, we are given the privilege to witness the different instances of healing that took place throughout the ministry of Jesus.
That healing is contingent on the Will of God can be read in Lk 5:13 when a man stricken with leprosy came rushing and knelt before Jesus saying: “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” And here we see Jesus’ response: “I am willing,” he said, “be clean!”
If we are to examine the healing of the servant of the Roman Centurion and compare it with preceding events that were recorded by Luke in his Gospel, we will see that the first instance of healing that Jesus did was when He drove out the evil spirit from a man possessed by the demon (Lk 4:33) at the synagogue in Capernaum where Jesus was preaching.
From the synagogue, Jesus proceeded to the home of Simon where He probably wanted to relax and be among His disciples but He had to heal the mother-in-law of Simon who was suffering from high fever and Jesus rebuked the fever and it left her (Lk 4:39) and she began to wait on them.
But the people in the area learned of the presence of Jesus and there were many who were stricken with various forms of illnesses came and Jesus laid hands on each one of them and he healed them as “demons came out of many people shouting, “You are the Son of God.” (Lk 4:41)
And we again see Jesus in Lk 5:24 telling a paralyzed man “I tell you, get up, take up your mat and go home.” But not after Jesus told the paralyzed man “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”
The reason why I am citing these healing events as recorded by Luke is because of the probability that the Roman Centurion may have already heard of the teachings and discourses that Jesus made in the synagogue and elsewhere and this could have been the reason why he decided to seek the help of Jesus to heal his servant whom the Centurion valued highly.
Some references reveal that the Centurion was a highly respected man who enjoyed an harmonious relationship with the Jewish leaders having initiated the construction of a synagogue in Capernaum. In other words, this Centurion was highly regarded in that city and was well aware of the nuances pertaining to the relationship between the Jews and non-Jews.
The Centurion probably also held Jesus in high esteem and regarded Jesus as a man of authority who could heal and drive evil spirits out of demon-possessed men which was why he acknowledged his unworthiness as a Gentile as he stopped Jesus from entering his house notwithstanding the fact that he too was also clothed with authority being the commander of the Roman camp in Capernaum as he simply told Jesus in v.7: “But say the word, and my servant will be healed.”
The response of Jesus was swift “I tell you I haven’t found such great faith even in Israel” and the servant became well.
This passage actually was not just about the healing of the servant but there was a greater truth that lie hidden in this account and that was the authority that Jesus had which the Centurion recognized when he said in v.8 “I myself is a man under authority.” The key word was “I myself” meaning that the Centurion did not only perceive the authority of Jesus but he knew perfectly well the authority of Jesus as the Son of God and it was on the basis of this authority that Jesus healed his servant without need for Jesus to come to his home.
This authority that Jesus had which the Centurion recognized is what is being passed on to us as his disciples who have been given the commission to continue His mission here on earth. Jesus in Matt 28:18 says: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations….”
This simply means that this same authority that Jesus had which He received from God the Father is now being given to us and, it is by this same authority that we are to step up in faith where the Apostles and the disciples have left off for us to proclaim the Good News.
Pope Benedict XVI says that “It is the duty of the Church to proclaim always and everywhere the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” In his encyclical Ad Gentes, Pope Paul VI also said that “The pilgrim Church is missionary by her very nature, since it is from the mission of the Son and the mission of the Holy Spirit that she draws her origin, in accordance with the decree of God the Father.”
And St. Paul also tells us in Rom 10:14-17 "How can they call to God for help if they have not believed? And how can they believe if they have not heard the message? And how can they hear if the message is not proclaimed? And how can the message be proclaimed if the messengers are not sent out? Faith, then, comes from hearing the message, and the message comes through preaching Christ."
This then is our primary duty as disciples – to proclaim the Good News that brings not only healing but will also take us to the path that leads to the Kingdom of Heaven because it is in the Good News that we can find the Way, the Truth and the Life (Jn 14:6).
1st Reading: 1 Cor 11:17-26, 33
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 40:7-10, 17 “Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again.”
GOSPEL: LK 7:1-10
Key Verse: “I have not found such great faith…” (v.9)
Healing in whatever form be it physical, emotional or spiritual is contingent on two factors that need to be present in order for healing to take place. These are the Will of God and the faith of the person who is seeking to be healed. And from the accounts of the writers of the Synoptic Gospels, we are given the privilege to witness the different instances of healing that took place throughout the ministry of Jesus.
That healing is contingent on the Will of God can be read in Lk 5:13 when a man stricken with leprosy came rushing and knelt before Jesus saying: “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” And here we see Jesus’ response: “I am willing,” he said, “be clean!”
If we are to examine the healing of the servant of the Roman Centurion and compare it with preceding events that were recorded by Luke in his Gospel, we will see that the first instance of healing that Jesus did was when He drove out the evil spirit from a man possessed by the demon (Lk 4:33) at the synagogue in Capernaum where Jesus was preaching.
From the synagogue, Jesus proceeded to the home of Simon where He probably wanted to relax and be among His disciples but He had to heal the mother-in-law of Simon who was suffering from high fever and Jesus rebuked the fever and it left her (Lk 4:39) and she began to wait on them.
But the people in the area learned of the presence of Jesus and there were many who were stricken with various forms of illnesses came and Jesus laid hands on each one of them and he healed them as “demons came out of many people shouting, “You are the Son of God.” (Lk 4:41)
And we again see Jesus in Lk 5:24 telling a paralyzed man “I tell you, get up, take up your mat and go home.” But not after Jesus told the paralyzed man “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”
The reason why I am citing these healing events as recorded by Luke is because of the probability that the Roman Centurion may have already heard of the teachings and discourses that Jesus made in the synagogue and elsewhere and this could have been the reason why he decided to seek the help of Jesus to heal his servant whom the Centurion valued highly.
Some references reveal that the Centurion was a highly respected man who enjoyed an harmonious relationship with the Jewish leaders having initiated the construction of a synagogue in Capernaum. In other words, this Centurion was highly regarded in that city and was well aware of the nuances pertaining to the relationship between the Jews and non-Jews.
The Centurion probably also held Jesus in high esteem and regarded Jesus as a man of authority who could heal and drive evil spirits out of demon-possessed men which was why he acknowledged his unworthiness as a Gentile as he stopped Jesus from entering his house notwithstanding the fact that he too was also clothed with authority being the commander of the Roman camp in Capernaum as he simply told Jesus in v.7: “But say the word, and my servant will be healed.”
The response of Jesus was swift “I tell you I haven’t found such great faith even in Israel” and the servant became well.
This passage actually was not just about the healing of the servant but there was a greater truth that lie hidden in this account and that was the authority that Jesus had which the Centurion recognized when he said in v.8 “I myself is a man under authority.” The key word was “I myself” meaning that the Centurion did not only perceive the authority of Jesus but he knew perfectly well the authority of Jesus as the Son of God and it was on the basis of this authority that Jesus healed his servant without need for Jesus to come to his home.
This authority that Jesus had which the Centurion recognized is what is being passed on to us as his disciples who have been given the commission to continue His mission here on earth. Jesus in Matt 28:18 says: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations….”
This simply means that this same authority that Jesus had which He received from God the Father is now being given to us and, it is by this same authority that we are to step up in faith where the Apostles and the disciples have left off for us to proclaim the Good News.
Pope Benedict XVI says that “It is the duty of the Church to proclaim always and everywhere the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” In his encyclical Ad Gentes, Pope Paul VI also said that “The pilgrim Church is missionary by her very nature, since it is from the mission of the Son and the mission of the Holy Spirit that she draws her origin, in accordance with the decree of God the Father.”
And St. Paul also tells us in Rom 10:14-17 "How can they call to God for help if they have not believed? And how can they believe if they have not heard the message? And how can they hear if the message is not proclaimed? And how can the message be proclaimed if the messengers are not sent out? Faith, then, comes from hearing the message, and the message comes through preaching Christ."
This then is our primary duty as disciples – to proclaim the Good News that brings not only healing but will also take us to the path that leads to the Kingdom of Heaven because it is in the Good News that we can find the Way, the Truth and the Life (Jn 14:6).
PROCESS OF CHANGE
SEPT. 16, 2012: 24TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Isa 50:4-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 116:1-6, 8-9 “I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.
2nd Reading: Jam 2:14-18
GOSPEL: MK 8:27-35
Key Verse: “… take up his cross and follow me.” (v.34)
What we have today for our Gospel reading is what the Jews call ‘charaz’ which means stringing beads. Used in preaching and or teaching in the Jewish synagogues, it consists mainly of stringing together different Old Testament and or Messianic scripture passages when a preacher wants to make a point.
This style came about when the Jewish Rabbis in the olden times required that preachers must not linger or stay too long on any topic or discourse but to move quickly from one topic to another to maintain interest. This is also the reason why Jewish preaching gives the impression of being disconnected as what our Gospel reading for today look like.
At first glance, it may seem that the Gospel reading today may appear to be disconnected as it is divided into three topics or sections but a careful and prayerful reading of this passage from Mark will show that these topics are actually interrelated and it provides us with at least three avenues to help us in our spiritual journey as a Christian.
The first was the question raised by Jesus as he and his disciples were on their way to Caesarea Philippi: “Who do people say I am?” (v.27) and there were different responses given by his disciples and so he turned to Peter and asked: “But what about you, who do you say I am?” and Peter answered, “You are the Christ.” (v.29)
This same question is also being asked of us now which is basic because we cannot possibly enter into the realm of Christian discipleship if we don’t know the person who called us into the renewal and whom we are supposed to follow. And the next question is something we need to ask ourselves – how well do we know Jesus the Christ.
Jesus needed to know what the people know of him and anxiety must have run through him when they gave different responses and so he turned to Peter. This was necessary because Jesus wanted to know if there was at least one who knew who he was and why he came because his coming and his salvific message would have been for naught had no one recognized him. With the answer given by Peter Jesus knew he had succeeded.
There also was a reason why he told Peter and the disciples not to tell anyone because for the time that he has left, Jesus needed to teach Peter and the other disciples and reorient their concept of him as the Messiah who will conquer evil through love and not as the conquering king that the Jews have ingrained in their minds.
This is the same with us for it is imperative that we know who Jesus is so we will merit his Grace and our salvation. To know is to hear and listen to him and his Word and to listen is to obey everything that he commands us to do. To know Jesus is to enter into his heart and remain there for only those who will remain in him will be saved.
What may surprise us was why Jesus sternly rebuked Peter saying: “Get behind me Satan!” (v.33) This passage maybe figurative because Satan means adversary and Jesus simply looked at Peter at that time as an adversary when he tried to stop Jesus from going through his Passion, Death and Resurrection.
This particular exchange between Jesus and Peter reveals the different positions from which each was coming from. Peter was thinking out of his human understanding but Jesus clearly was on a different level and what he understood to be the Will of God was too deep for Peter and the other disciples to understand.
Conversely, if we are to relate this passage to the world we are living in, Jesus may simply be asking us to also do the same – to look at vices, ungodly habits, sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, greed, anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy languages, abortion, same-sex marriage as adversaries that separate us from whom the Grace flows and we as the New Christ’s are obliged to also say what Jesus said: “Get behind me Satan.” In essence, what Jesus was saying here was that we have to put our trust and confidence in God to be able to understand the ways of God. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways.” (Isa 55:8)
And we now come to the center of Christian faith. This probably came as a shock to those around him when he said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and come follow me.” (v.34) What Jesus actually meant in associating the cross as a path to discipleship was that anyone who wish to follow him should without hesitation accept the pain, humiliation and persecution they will face because of their submission to the Will of God. It also means that we are to carry daily the cross that represents the hardships and difficulties we face in life and gladly endure the trials that come our way in serving God.
Applied to our present-day lives, the cross may come in the form of our being insulted, reviled, talked-about, reproached, corrected, sickness and afflictions, death in the family, failed relationships and many others. What we’re saying is that anything that happens to us in the circumstances of our daily life for which we suffer are our crosses and God will look at the way we carried our cross on our shoulders.
Finally Jesus lets out one of the great paradox of life – “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.” (vv.35) There is a saying that we often here that “life is how we make it” which means that what we become depends on how we live our lives and our decisions affect the kind of person that we become. And the kind of person that we are, our character, determines the kind of future we will have and live.
In life there are some who will succeed in everything they will aspire for and yet we will wake up one day finding that neither our successes nor possessions will help us gain the most important thing of all – an eternal life.
At the end of the day, Jesus will ask us for an accounting of how we lived our life. Did we deny ourselves the pleasure of our social and professional standing and went to serve the Lord in the mission field where we were inconvenienced? Did we take up our cross daily? What can we give in exchange for an eternal life?
To make it easier for us to decide, we should just remember that everything we have is an out-right gift from God. We owe him everything, including our very own lives. We can give God our money, but unless we know who he really is and surrender ourselves to him, everything we do is merely lip-service.
A true disciple is one who gladly gives up all that he has including his life and soul in exchange for an eternal life in heaven. At the end of our days, it is the cross of Christ that will lead us to victory and freedom from sin and death. After all “there is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved.” (Ac 4:12)
1st Reading: Isa 50:4-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 116:1-6, 8-9 “I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.
2nd Reading: Jam 2:14-18
GOSPEL: MK 8:27-35
Key Verse: “… take up his cross and follow me.” (v.34)
What we have today for our Gospel reading is what the Jews call ‘charaz’ which means stringing beads. Used in preaching and or teaching in the Jewish synagogues, it consists mainly of stringing together different Old Testament and or Messianic scripture passages when a preacher wants to make a point.
This style came about when the Jewish Rabbis in the olden times required that preachers must not linger or stay too long on any topic or discourse but to move quickly from one topic to another to maintain interest. This is also the reason why Jewish preaching gives the impression of being disconnected as what our Gospel reading for today look like.
At first glance, it may seem that the Gospel reading today may appear to be disconnected as it is divided into three topics or sections but a careful and prayerful reading of this passage from Mark will show that these topics are actually interrelated and it provides us with at least three avenues to help us in our spiritual journey as a Christian.
The first was the question raised by Jesus as he and his disciples were on their way to Caesarea Philippi: “Who do people say I am?” (v.27) and there were different responses given by his disciples and so he turned to Peter and asked: “But what about you, who do you say I am?” and Peter answered, “You are the Christ.” (v.29)
This same question is also being asked of us now which is basic because we cannot possibly enter into the realm of Christian discipleship if we don’t know the person who called us into the renewal and whom we are supposed to follow. And the next question is something we need to ask ourselves – how well do we know Jesus the Christ.
Jesus needed to know what the people know of him and anxiety must have run through him when they gave different responses and so he turned to Peter. This was necessary because Jesus wanted to know if there was at least one who knew who he was and why he came because his coming and his salvific message would have been for naught had no one recognized him. With the answer given by Peter Jesus knew he had succeeded.
There also was a reason why he told Peter and the disciples not to tell anyone because for the time that he has left, Jesus needed to teach Peter and the other disciples and reorient their concept of him as the Messiah who will conquer evil through love and not as the conquering king that the Jews have ingrained in their minds.
This is the same with us for it is imperative that we know who Jesus is so we will merit his Grace and our salvation. To know is to hear and listen to him and his Word and to listen is to obey everything that he commands us to do. To know Jesus is to enter into his heart and remain there for only those who will remain in him will be saved.
What may surprise us was why Jesus sternly rebuked Peter saying: “Get behind me Satan!” (v.33) This passage maybe figurative because Satan means adversary and Jesus simply looked at Peter at that time as an adversary when he tried to stop Jesus from going through his Passion, Death and Resurrection.
This particular exchange between Jesus and Peter reveals the different positions from which each was coming from. Peter was thinking out of his human understanding but Jesus clearly was on a different level and what he understood to be the Will of God was too deep for Peter and the other disciples to understand.
Conversely, if we are to relate this passage to the world we are living in, Jesus may simply be asking us to also do the same – to look at vices, ungodly habits, sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, greed, anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy languages, abortion, same-sex marriage as adversaries that separate us from whom the Grace flows and we as the New Christ’s are obliged to also say what Jesus said: “Get behind me Satan.” In essence, what Jesus was saying here was that we have to put our trust and confidence in God to be able to understand the ways of God. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways.” (Isa 55:8)
And we now come to the center of Christian faith. This probably came as a shock to those around him when he said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and come follow me.” (v.34) What Jesus actually meant in associating the cross as a path to discipleship was that anyone who wish to follow him should without hesitation accept the pain, humiliation and persecution they will face because of their submission to the Will of God. It also means that we are to carry daily the cross that represents the hardships and difficulties we face in life and gladly endure the trials that come our way in serving God.
Applied to our present-day lives, the cross may come in the form of our being insulted, reviled, talked-about, reproached, corrected, sickness and afflictions, death in the family, failed relationships and many others. What we’re saying is that anything that happens to us in the circumstances of our daily life for which we suffer are our crosses and God will look at the way we carried our cross on our shoulders.
Finally Jesus lets out one of the great paradox of life – “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.” (vv.35) There is a saying that we often here that “life is how we make it” which means that what we become depends on how we live our lives and our decisions affect the kind of person that we become. And the kind of person that we are, our character, determines the kind of future we will have and live.
In life there are some who will succeed in everything they will aspire for and yet we will wake up one day finding that neither our successes nor possessions will help us gain the most important thing of all – an eternal life.
At the end of the day, Jesus will ask us for an accounting of how we lived our life. Did we deny ourselves the pleasure of our social and professional standing and went to serve the Lord in the mission field where we were inconvenienced? Did we take up our cross daily? What can we give in exchange for an eternal life?
To make it easier for us to decide, we should just remember that everything we have is an out-right gift from God. We owe him everything, including our very own lives. We can give God our money, but unless we know who he really is and surrender ourselves to him, everything we do is merely lip-service.
A true disciple is one who gladly gives up all that he has including his life and soul in exchange for an eternal life in heaven. At the end of our days, it is the cross of Christ that will lead us to victory and freedom from sin and death. After all “there is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved.” (Ac 4:12)
LOVE FLOWS FROM THE CROSS
SEPT. 15, 2011: OUR LADY OF SORROWS
1st Reading: Heb 5:7-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 31:2-6, 15-16, 20 “Save me Lord, in your kindness”
GOSPEL: JN 19:25-27
Key Verse: “Behold your mother.” (v.27)
Today as we commemorate Our Lady of Sorrows, we are given the opportunity to share with the family of Jesus their sorrow as Our Lord hung on the cross. There at the foot of the cross on Calvary were his mother Mary, his mother’s sister who was not named here but was identified by Matthew and Mark as Salome, Mary the wife of Cleopas, Mary from Magdala and, of course, John the disciple whom He loved.
And the question most of us will ask is where were the disciples who walked with Jesus, ate with him, witnessed his miracles, who heard his preaching and most of all those who were healed by him? Where was Peter who was supposed to lead this group of disciples whom Jesus chose to spread the Gospel after he has ascended to heaven.
Except for John whose presence at the Crucifixion has been ordained because of the responsibility that God will place on him – that of taking care of Mary. At first glance, we might be led to think that Peter and the rest have abandoned him. To be able to understand why they were not there, we need to draw on our training that we received for those who have completed the Joy of Discovery teaching.
At the JOD we are taught the art of imagining. The skill to sink ourselves into the stories of the Bible that we read and to understand the prevailing atmosphere in those days when Jesus was hanging on the cross we need to be there.
We must remember that Jesus whom the Pharisees and the Sanhedrins identified as the biggest threat to their leadership was arrested, tortured and, now crucified. It follows that there is a probability that his disciples will suffer the same fate in order for the chief priests to erase whatever vestiges the teachings of Jesus may have had on the people.
The disciples were naturally fearful and this is the only probable explanation of why they were not there. In fact, they went their separate ways and didn’t know what to do when Jesus appeared to them after He has resurrected from the dead and told his disciples “but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” (Lk 24:49)
But this Gospel passage short it may be is replete with so much meaning that it clearly gives us an insight into what was in the heart of Jesus even when his body hung on the cross in fulfillment of the Scriptures.
This scenario shows us that even at the point of death, Jesus was still concerned with the people He loved not just his family and those who were close to him like Mary of Magdala and John but the world that he is about to leave and this includes us in the image of John whom he has entrusted to Mary. In this passage what we see is the great love of Jesus for the world that flows out from the cross, the same world that He redeemed by his death on the cross.
And again we need to go back in history to appreciate this tender and dramatic event. Widows during the time of Jesus become non-entities unless they have a family who will take care of them and Jesus was so concerned with the welfare of Mary that he has to find her a home. At the same time, Jesus also felt diffident as to the future of his ministry that now lay on the hands of his disciples including John who was there in Calvary.
So Jesus upon looking down at Mary said (Jn 19:26): “Dear woman, here is your son (referring to John) and, in (v.27) “Here is your mother.” What this scene depicts was that even in his agony, Jesus thought of his mother and the disciple whom He loved who also represented the other disciples and us also.
Transposed into the modern setting, we can be the John in this passage because it can be safely said that we took off from John and the early disciples and Mary represents our very own mothers in whom we find comfort.
We can all have different interpretations of this scenario on Calvary but what comes out was the compassion of Jesus for others even at a time when he was about to breathe his last. What this scene on the Cross shows us is that we must be clothed with the same overflowing love that Jesus had, a compassion for others including those we may not like because at the end of the day “all men will know we are truly His disciples, if we have love for one another.” (Jn 13:35)
This only means that we have to put behind us all the bitterness and resentments, anger and hatred we may have harbored against one another and “bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” (Col 3:13-14)
When we come down to it and reflect, there is no sin or infraction that our brother or sister could do to us that can be greater than our sin that Jesus erased and acquired by His death on the cross. Jesus who has no sin was nailed to the Cross because of our sin. It was us who put Him on the cross and yet He forgave us. Can there be any greater sin than our sin that Jesus carried with Him to his death on the cross.
Till the end, Jesus as this scenario shows only had compassion for his mother, his family and the people and the message is as clear as day in that we too must do the same for it is only love that can wipe away the sorrows that we bear.
1st Reading: Heb 5:7-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 31:2-6, 15-16, 20 “Save me Lord, in your kindness”
GOSPEL: JN 19:25-27
Key Verse: “Behold your mother.” (v.27)
Today as we commemorate Our Lady of Sorrows, we are given the opportunity to share with the family of Jesus their sorrow as Our Lord hung on the cross. There at the foot of the cross on Calvary were his mother Mary, his mother’s sister who was not named here but was identified by Matthew and Mark as Salome, Mary the wife of Cleopas, Mary from Magdala and, of course, John the disciple whom He loved.
And the question most of us will ask is where were the disciples who walked with Jesus, ate with him, witnessed his miracles, who heard his preaching and most of all those who were healed by him? Where was Peter who was supposed to lead this group of disciples whom Jesus chose to spread the Gospel after he has ascended to heaven.
Except for John whose presence at the Crucifixion has been ordained because of the responsibility that God will place on him – that of taking care of Mary. At first glance, we might be led to think that Peter and the rest have abandoned him. To be able to understand why they were not there, we need to draw on our training that we received for those who have completed the Joy of Discovery teaching.
At the JOD we are taught the art of imagining. The skill to sink ourselves into the stories of the Bible that we read and to understand the prevailing atmosphere in those days when Jesus was hanging on the cross we need to be there.
We must remember that Jesus whom the Pharisees and the Sanhedrins identified as the biggest threat to their leadership was arrested, tortured and, now crucified. It follows that there is a probability that his disciples will suffer the same fate in order for the chief priests to erase whatever vestiges the teachings of Jesus may have had on the people.
The disciples were naturally fearful and this is the only probable explanation of why they were not there. In fact, they went their separate ways and didn’t know what to do when Jesus appeared to them after He has resurrected from the dead and told his disciples “but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” (Lk 24:49)
But this Gospel passage short it may be is replete with so much meaning that it clearly gives us an insight into what was in the heart of Jesus even when his body hung on the cross in fulfillment of the Scriptures.
This scenario shows us that even at the point of death, Jesus was still concerned with the people He loved not just his family and those who were close to him like Mary of Magdala and John but the world that he is about to leave and this includes us in the image of John whom he has entrusted to Mary. In this passage what we see is the great love of Jesus for the world that flows out from the cross, the same world that He redeemed by his death on the cross.
And again we need to go back in history to appreciate this tender and dramatic event. Widows during the time of Jesus become non-entities unless they have a family who will take care of them and Jesus was so concerned with the welfare of Mary that he has to find her a home. At the same time, Jesus also felt diffident as to the future of his ministry that now lay on the hands of his disciples including John who was there in Calvary.
So Jesus upon looking down at Mary said (Jn 19:26): “Dear woman, here is your son (referring to John) and, in (v.27) “Here is your mother.” What this scene depicts was that even in his agony, Jesus thought of his mother and the disciple whom He loved who also represented the other disciples and us also.
Transposed into the modern setting, we can be the John in this passage because it can be safely said that we took off from John and the early disciples and Mary represents our very own mothers in whom we find comfort.
We can all have different interpretations of this scenario on Calvary but what comes out was the compassion of Jesus for others even at a time when he was about to breathe his last. What this scene on the Cross shows us is that we must be clothed with the same overflowing love that Jesus had, a compassion for others including those we may not like because at the end of the day “all men will know we are truly His disciples, if we have love for one another.” (Jn 13:35)
This only means that we have to put behind us all the bitterness and resentments, anger and hatred we may have harbored against one another and “bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” (Col 3:13-14)
When we come down to it and reflect, there is no sin or infraction that our brother or sister could do to us that can be greater than our sin that Jesus erased and acquired by His death on the cross. Jesus who has no sin was nailed to the Cross because of our sin. It was us who put Him on the cross and yet He forgave us. Can there be any greater sin than our sin that Jesus carried with Him to his death on the cross.
Till the end, Jesus as this scenario shows only had compassion for his mother, his family and the people and the message is as clear as day in that we too must do the same for it is only love that can wipe away the sorrows that we bear.
THERE IS VICTORY IN THE CROSS
SEPT. 14, 2011: THE EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS
1st Reading: Num 21:4-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 78:1-2, 34-38 “Do not forget the works of the Lord”
2nd Reading: Phi 2:6-11
GOSPEL: JN 3:13-17
Key Verse: “everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” (v.15)
The Liturgical Readings today at first glance may seem to contradict each other in relation to the practice of our faith particularly with reference to images, a serpent at that which Moses fashioned on the instruction of God Himself (Num 21:8-9).
To correct the misunderstanding of this Old Testament event, the Rabbis themselves explained that it was not the serpent that restored life but God. The serpent was only a symbol that the people who, because of their complaining attitude, were bitten by the snake and were made well if they turn their thoughts to God by looking up at the pole with the serpent on it.
And this is where we can draw a parallelism with our Christian faith because all we have to do to have our lives restored from the sinful world to which we have sunk ourselves in is to simply look up to the cross with the image of Christ nailed to it.
This is something that we Christians cannot overlook because to look at the Cross and share in the suffering of Jesus who is nailed to the Cross is inextricably linked to the eternal reward that God has promised those who will believe in Him because the Way of the Cross is the way to Glory.
God is so good that in our lifetime we are given the privilege to choose the way we want to go and sometimes we prefer the way of the world seeking fame and fortune, the comfort and convenience of the material world but losing the glory in the process because the path to eternal reward is strewn with suffering and pain.
No pain, no glory is a metaphoric phrase that we often hear of athletes who have to train hard in their pursuit of victory and this also rings true to the practice of our faith because if there is no cross, there can be no victory to hope for.
And the key that will unlock the way to the eternal reward that God has promised is founded on our believing in Him whom God has sent down from heaven to help us transform our lives so that we will be worthy of going into the Kingdom of Heaven.
To believe as mentioned in vv. 15-16 of the Gospel is not just a condition to accept that Jesus indeed is God but to believe in the language of the Jews and the Greeks is to completely put our trust and confidence in Jesus that He alone can save us and redeem us from our sinful nature.
To believe in Him is to trust His Words as reliable and credible and, to depend on Him who alone can provide us the power to transform ourselves so that we may be worthy enough to receive the eternal life as our reward for believing in Jesus the Christ.
Thus, to believe has three important elements in it. We must believe that God loves us, that he cares for us and that God wants nothing more than to forgive us of our sins. We also must believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that everything he says is true. And believing also means that we must obey whatever he commands us to do. We must rely on his Word such that all our actions are in done in unquestioning obedience to him.
The Cross with Jesus nailed on it is the only way to salvation, the only way to escape the condemnation that awaits all unbelievers at the last judgment and Jesus goes on to say in that “God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” (v.17) Sin fills our world and we are all guilty of sin and we cannot escape condemnation if we will remain in our sinful state and the only way to escape such condemnation is to believe in the Son of God, Himself.
Today is the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross and even among us Christians there are many who don’t understand the significance of the Cross in our lives. By making the sign of the Cross, we profess the most important mysteries of our Catholic faith – the doctrine of the Blessed Trinity and of the Incarnation of Our Lord Jesus Christ. By uniting all the three persons of the Trinity we profess our belief in God.
The sign of the Cross is not an empty ritual but it is in itself a blessing and a prayer for a blessing from God. The sign of the Cross drives away the devil and its temptations as with a dog who fears the whip with which it is beaten and so it is with the devil who dread the sign of the Cross because it reminds the evil one of his defeat on Calvary.
We should make the sign of the Cross when we wake up in the morning and before we sleep at night, before and after our prayers, before and after our meals, whenever we are tempted to sin and, when we have any important duty to perform and, at all times possible with holy water.
There was an old story that tells of a stag (deer) with a tag on its antlers saying “I belong to the emperor, hurt me not” and no hunter dared to shoot this deer. When we make the sign of the Cross, we also put a tag on our persona saying “I belong to Jesus Christ” and this will protect us from our enemy the devil.
And St. John Damascene says “the sign of the Cross is the seal at the sight of which the destroying angel passes on and does us no harm.” To end, please allow me to quote from the Catechism of the Catholic Church which says in CCC1257 “each time we make the sign of the cross we remember that we belong to Christ. The Christian begins his day, his prayers, and his activities with the sign of the cross: “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” The baptized person dedicates the day to the glory of God and calls on the Savior’s grace which lets him act in the Spirit as a child of the Father. The sign of the cross strengthens us in temptations and difficulties.”
1st Reading: Num 21:4-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 78:1-2, 34-38 “Do not forget the works of the Lord”
2nd Reading: Phi 2:6-11
GOSPEL: JN 3:13-17
Key Verse: “everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” (v.15)
The Liturgical Readings today at first glance may seem to contradict each other in relation to the practice of our faith particularly with reference to images, a serpent at that which Moses fashioned on the instruction of God Himself (Num 21:8-9).
To correct the misunderstanding of this Old Testament event, the Rabbis themselves explained that it was not the serpent that restored life but God. The serpent was only a symbol that the people who, because of their complaining attitude, were bitten by the snake and were made well if they turn their thoughts to God by looking up at the pole with the serpent on it.
And this is where we can draw a parallelism with our Christian faith because all we have to do to have our lives restored from the sinful world to which we have sunk ourselves in is to simply look up to the cross with the image of Christ nailed to it.
This is something that we Christians cannot overlook because to look at the Cross and share in the suffering of Jesus who is nailed to the Cross is inextricably linked to the eternal reward that God has promised those who will believe in Him because the Way of the Cross is the way to Glory.
God is so good that in our lifetime we are given the privilege to choose the way we want to go and sometimes we prefer the way of the world seeking fame and fortune, the comfort and convenience of the material world but losing the glory in the process because the path to eternal reward is strewn with suffering and pain.
No pain, no glory is a metaphoric phrase that we often hear of athletes who have to train hard in their pursuit of victory and this also rings true to the practice of our faith because if there is no cross, there can be no victory to hope for.
And the key that will unlock the way to the eternal reward that God has promised is founded on our believing in Him whom God has sent down from heaven to help us transform our lives so that we will be worthy of going into the Kingdom of Heaven.
To believe as mentioned in vv. 15-16 of the Gospel is not just a condition to accept that Jesus indeed is God but to believe in the language of the Jews and the Greeks is to completely put our trust and confidence in Jesus that He alone can save us and redeem us from our sinful nature.
To believe in Him is to trust His Words as reliable and credible and, to depend on Him who alone can provide us the power to transform ourselves so that we may be worthy enough to receive the eternal life as our reward for believing in Jesus the Christ.
Thus, to believe has three important elements in it. We must believe that God loves us, that he cares for us and that God wants nothing more than to forgive us of our sins. We also must believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that everything he says is true. And believing also means that we must obey whatever he commands us to do. We must rely on his Word such that all our actions are in done in unquestioning obedience to him.
The Cross with Jesus nailed on it is the only way to salvation, the only way to escape the condemnation that awaits all unbelievers at the last judgment and Jesus goes on to say in that “God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” (v.17) Sin fills our world and we are all guilty of sin and we cannot escape condemnation if we will remain in our sinful state and the only way to escape such condemnation is to believe in the Son of God, Himself.
Today is the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross and even among us Christians there are many who don’t understand the significance of the Cross in our lives. By making the sign of the Cross, we profess the most important mysteries of our Catholic faith – the doctrine of the Blessed Trinity and of the Incarnation of Our Lord Jesus Christ. By uniting all the three persons of the Trinity we profess our belief in God.
The sign of the Cross is not an empty ritual but it is in itself a blessing and a prayer for a blessing from God. The sign of the Cross drives away the devil and its temptations as with a dog who fears the whip with which it is beaten and so it is with the devil who dread the sign of the Cross because it reminds the evil one of his defeat on Calvary.
We should make the sign of the Cross when we wake up in the morning and before we sleep at night, before and after our prayers, before and after our meals, whenever we are tempted to sin and, when we have any important duty to perform and, at all times possible with holy water.
There was an old story that tells of a stag (deer) with a tag on its antlers saying “I belong to the emperor, hurt me not” and no hunter dared to shoot this deer. When we make the sign of the Cross, we also put a tag on our persona saying “I belong to Jesus Christ” and this will protect us from our enemy the devil.
And St. John Damascene says “the sign of the Cross is the seal at the sight of which the destroying angel passes on and does us no harm.” To end, please allow me to quote from the Catechism of the Catholic Church which says in CCC1257 “each time we make the sign of the cross we remember that we belong to Christ. The Christian begins his day, his prayers, and his activities with the sign of the cross: “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” The baptized person dedicates the day to the glory of God and calls on the Savior’s grace which lets him act in the Spirit as a child of the Father. The sign of the cross strengthens us in temptations and difficulties.”
GRACE IS ALL YOU NEED
ENEMIES NO MORE
SEPT. 13, 2012: ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM, Bishop and doctor
1st Reading: 1 Cor 8:1-7, 11-13
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 139:1-3, 13-14, 23-24 “Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.”
GOSPEL: LK 6:27-38
Key Verse: “Love your enemies…” (v.27)
Jesus is one person whom we know for his firm conviction in holding his ground when it comes to debating over traditions and practices that the Scribes and Pharisees carved from the Mosaic law but this Gospel passage today has become contentious as it became the subject of so much discussion and argument.
Why? Because it runs counter to the Jewish tradition of an “eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth” (Matt 5:38) and for us to understand what Jesus meant when he said: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” (vv.27-28) we will need to digest what Our Lord really meant when he used the word “love” because we need to discover what it means in order for us to obey what he is telling us to do.
As Greek was the universal language at the time, the word “love” usually referred to three types of feeling. One was “eran” which pertains to passionate love or the love of a man towards a woman. Another form of love was “philein” which refers to loving those within our family circle, a warm affection of the heart.
But what Jesus used in stressing his point in this passage was “agapan” which defines love as an active feeling of benevolence towards another person. It simply means that regardless of what another person does to us we will not allow ourselves to desire anything but the highest good of that person.
What this passage comes down to is the fact that it is easy or natural to say the least for us to love those who are dear to us – our parents, siblings, children, relatives and even close friends and to love them is something we cannot help doing.
But to love our enemies or to treat with benevolence those whom we are not friendly with is not only something that comes from our hearts but it is something that springs from our will which is impelled by the Grace of God that is at work in us.
This is what makes Christians different and what makes Christianity distinct from any other religion. As Christians we are filled with Grace which moves us to treat others, not as they deserve, but as God wishes to be treated – with loving-kindness and mercy.
God is good to the unjust as well as the just. His love embraces saint and sinner alike. God seeks our highest good and teaches us to seek the greatest good of others, even those who hate and abuse us. Our love for others, even those who are ungrateful and selfish towards us, must be marked by the same kindness and mercy which God has shown to us.
The Christian norm is and should always be on the positive side and it does not consist in not doing bad things but in doing what is good. We are all too familiar with the Golden Rule that tells us not to do to others what we don’t want others do to us.
This kind of ethic merely encourages us to refrain from doing bad to others. What Jesus is telling us in this Gospel today is the positive form of the Golden Rule which is to do good things to others. In fact the message of this passage is for us to bend backwards and do more than what is necessary, to go out of our way and serve the highest good of another person even at our own inconvenience.
Jesus commands us not only to avoid returning evil for evil but that we must seek the good of those who wish us ill. This means that we are to humble ourselves and accept insults, as Jesus did, with no resentment or malice. It also means doing more than what is expected of us. This means that we need to rise above the level of expectations when we are confronted with insults, intrigues, wrongdoing, and persecution and that we must respond with grace and cheerfulness.
When we are wronged the human tendency is always to get even. But what Jesus is telling us in this Gospel reading is to do good to those who wrong us. Our Lord commands us that we should not keep score of whatever wrongs done to us but to just love and forgive.
This reminds me of someone who accused me of wrongdoing and as I sat down to iron out our differences my accuser came out with a list of wrongdoings that I allegedly committed against him. The dialogue never led to a resolution as the person concerned would not accept anything beyond the mindset that he has already created for himself. Still, I humbled myself and asked for his forgiveness for whatever wrong I may have committed against him. But I never heard the person say he was accepting my apology. And the dialogue ended the way it started.
While we may think it to be hard and difficult to do, we are a supernatural being and we can rely on God to give us the strength to love as he does and instead of seeking vengeance, it would be a much better proposition if we can just pray for those who may have hurt us.
How we will respond to difficult situations such as when others wrong us or hurt us will define our character and this is what makes a Christian stand out in the crowd. When we are encountering difficulty in forgiving others, we only have to look at the cross of Jesus Christ and we will be freed of malice, hatred, revenge, and resentment and Christ Himself will give us the courage to return evil with good. It is this kind of love and grace which will give us the power to be healed of our hatred and bitterness that will eventually save us from our own destruction.
Let me end with this prayer: “Merciful and loving God, fill our hearts today with the graces of your Holy Spirit. May the fruits of the Holy Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control be manifest in our lives today. Teach us to love and grant us the grace to pray for those who have wronged us and hurt us. In times of adversity grant us the grace to be patient and in prosperity make us humble and we know that your plan for us is that we may live a fruitful and disciplined lives and become productive so that our lives will bear fruit as you have planned it to be. All these we pray in the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ and through the intercession of Virgin Mary, our blessed Mother, AMEN!
1st Reading: 1 Cor 8:1-7, 11-13
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 139:1-3, 13-14, 23-24 “Guide me, Lord, along the everlasting way.”
GOSPEL: LK 6:27-38
Key Verse: “Love your enemies…” (v.27)
Jesus is one person whom we know for his firm conviction in holding his ground when it comes to debating over traditions and practices that the Scribes and Pharisees carved from the Mosaic law but this Gospel passage today has become contentious as it became the subject of so much discussion and argument.
Why? Because it runs counter to the Jewish tradition of an “eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth” (Matt 5:38) and for us to understand what Jesus meant when he said: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” (vv.27-28) we will need to digest what Our Lord really meant when he used the word “love” because we need to discover what it means in order for us to obey what he is telling us to do.
As Greek was the universal language at the time, the word “love” usually referred to three types of feeling. One was “eran” which pertains to passionate love or the love of a man towards a woman. Another form of love was “philein” which refers to loving those within our family circle, a warm affection of the heart.
But what Jesus used in stressing his point in this passage was “agapan” which defines love as an active feeling of benevolence towards another person. It simply means that regardless of what another person does to us we will not allow ourselves to desire anything but the highest good of that person.
What this passage comes down to is the fact that it is easy or natural to say the least for us to love those who are dear to us – our parents, siblings, children, relatives and even close friends and to love them is something we cannot help doing.
But to love our enemies or to treat with benevolence those whom we are not friendly with is not only something that comes from our hearts but it is something that springs from our will which is impelled by the Grace of God that is at work in us.
This is what makes Christians different and what makes Christianity distinct from any other religion. As Christians we are filled with Grace which moves us to treat others, not as they deserve, but as God wishes to be treated – with loving-kindness and mercy.
God is good to the unjust as well as the just. His love embraces saint and sinner alike. God seeks our highest good and teaches us to seek the greatest good of others, even those who hate and abuse us. Our love for others, even those who are ungrateful and selfish towards us, must be marked by the same kindness and mercy which God has shown to us.
The Christian norm is and should always be on the positive side and it does not consist in not doing bad things but in doing what is good. We are all too familiar with the Golden Rule that tells us not to do to others what we don’t want others do to us.
This kind of ethic merely encourages us to refrain from doing bad to others. What Jesus is telling us in this Gospel today is the positive form of the Golden Rule which is to do good things to others. In fact the message of this passage is for us to bend backwards and do more than what is necessary, to go out of our way and serve the highest good of another person even at our own inconvenience.
Jesus commands us not only to avoid returning evil for evil but that we must seek the good of those who wish us ill. This means that we are to humble ourselves and accept insults, as Jesus did, with no resentment or malice. It also means doing more than what is expected of us. This means that we need to rise above the level of expectations when we are confronted with insults, intrigues, wrongdoing, and persecution and that we must respond with grace and cheerfulness.
When we are wronged the human tendency is always to get even. But what Jesus is telling us in this Gospel reading is to do good to those who wrong us. Our Lord commands us that we should not keep score of whatever wrongs done to us but to just love and forgive.
This reminds me of someone who accused me of wrongdoing and as I sat down to iron out our differences my accuser came out with a list of wrongdoings that I allegedly committed against him. The dialogue never led to a resolution as the person concerned would not accept anything beyond the mindset that he has already created for himself. Still, I humbled myself and asked for his forgiveness for whatever wrong I may have committed against him. But I never heard the person say he was accepting my apology. And the dialogue ended the way it started.
While we may think it to be hard and difficult to do, we are a supernatural being and we can rely on God to give us the strength to love as he does and instead of seeking vengeance, it would be a much better proposition if we can just pray for those who may have hurt us.
How we will respond to difficult situations such as when others wrong us or hurt us will define our character and this is what makes a Christian stand out in the crowd. When we are encountering difficulty in forgiving others, we only have to look at the cross of Jesus Christ and we will be freed of malice, hatred, revenge, and resentment and Christ Himself will give us the courage to return evil with good. It is this kind of love and grace which will give us the power to be healed of our hatred and bitterness that will eventually save us from our own destruction.
Let me end with this prayer: “Merciful and loving God, fill our hearts today with the graces of your Holy Spirit. May the fruits of the Holy Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control be manifest in our lives today. Teach us to love and grant us the grace to pray for those who have wronged us and hurt us. In times of adversity grant us the grace to be patient and in prosperity make us humble and we know that your plan for us is that we may live a fruitful and disciplined lives and become productive so that our lives will bear fruit as you have planned it to be. All these we pray in the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ and through the intercession of Virgin Mary, our blessed Mother, AMEN!
SALVATION OR THE WORLD?
SEPT. 12, 2012: 23rd WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 1 Cor 7:25-31
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 45:11-17 “Listen to me daughter, see and bend your ear.”
GOSPEL: LK 6:20-26
Key Verse: “because great is your reward in heaven.” (v.23)
We might be drawn to think that today’s Gospel written by Luke is the same as the Sermon on the Mount or what we normally refer to as the Beatitudes (Matt 5:3-12). There are differences and in a physical sense, Matthew wrote that Jesus gave this particular sermon on a mount or hillside while this narrative by Luke was made by Jesus on a plain which is the reason why this was sometimes referred to as the Sermon on the Plain.
This Gospel also differs from the Sermon on the Mount in that Luke’s account only carries four “blessings” and the Evangelist included four “woes” or what I might call as “encumbrances” which might prevent the soul of a person from entering the Kingdom of Heaven and avail of the eternal salvation that God promised.
Let us also not belabor ourselves with trying to read through the minds of Luke and Matthew relative to the differences in their account of the Beatitudes and it would be best to just appreciate what Jesus is trying to tell us in this Gospel written by Luke.
Actually, the word “woe” is a curse and perhaps this was the message that Jesus was trying to put across to the people who were listening at the time. What Jesus was presenting in this Lucan account are the contrasts between the blessings that we can expect if we follow the standards of Christ and what awaits us if we remain attached to the pattern of the world’s values.
In these contrasting scenarios, Jesus is reminding us now that our lives are constantly filled with making a choice or choices and it begins from the moment we acquire the capacity to understand what life is all about up to the time when we are called to our final destination.
And to better understand what Jesus was saying in this Lucan account, let us go back to what “blessed” and “woe” meant. As the Greek language was what was commonly used in those days, the Greek refers to a person who is blessed as someone who is filled with religious joy because he is aware that he has been saved whereas, woe is an expression of abomination to someone who has done wrong.
Here in today’s Gospel, Jesus presents his own standard of conduct that he expects from his disciples or anyone who has committed to follow Him and he also outlines what await those who will prefer to remain anchored on the values of the world. Jesus is actually giving us two choices and because he respects our independence the choice is actually left to us to make.
In the first verse alone (v.20) Jesus already set the tone when he extends His blessings to those who are poor contrasting this with (v.24) which was a curse to those who are rich. Not that being rich is bad or a sin but what Jesus was saying was that when we try to find fulfillment by seeking material wealth, indeed wealth is the only thing we will ever get. In contrast, the poor in spirit are those who are humble, those who have the spirit of a child.
What may have led Jesus to deliver this Gospel was premised on the presence of false prophets in the olden times who were praised by the kings and the Jews because they promised victory over the occupation of their land. And these false prophets were hugely popular in those days and Jesus was saying that popularity doesn’t guaranty the truthfulness of the message of these false prophets nor do their actions merit the approval of God.
Even in this modern day and age, there are still false prophets who are not only full of themselves but are inconsiderate and self-absorbed who are endowed with the “I’m right and no one else is” attitude and this contrasts with a Christian disciple who will run into all kinds of trouble, sacrifices, suffering and we may be led to think we are unhappy but Jesus assures those who will choose his values that their reward is still to come and it will bring eternal joy to those who will make the right choice.
What Jesus was trying to emphasize in this Gospel was that seeking the approval of men and or the world brings disaster especially when we place too much value on how favorable we are perceived by the world. What He is telling us now is that we must not seek the popularity or the approval of the world but to strive for faithfulness.
We also are not to make persecution as our objective in life but if persecution comes "because of the Son of Man," then that should be counted as a privilege rather than reject it and run away from it because the value system of every Christian disciple is based on love for and faithfulness to God, not the opinions of the Church, the Community or the world.
With this Gospel, Jesus assures the poor in spirit with admission to eternal felicity or blessedness as heaven belongs to those who will choose Christ over the world as the pearl belongs to the man who acquires it as well as to those who will renounce all earthly possessions as they have already.
An added understanding of this Gospel comes from Dr. Warren Wiersbe, one of the evangelical world’s most prominent proclaimers of the Word, who at one time wrote: “The people who followed Jesus were, for the most part, poor people who lived from hand to mouth, a day at a time. They envied the rich and longed to be like them. The Bible does not teach that poverty is a blessing, for it tells us to take care of the poor and the needy, but that poverty need not rob us of blessing. It has well been said that many people know the price of everything but the value of nothing. It is not a sin to be rich, but it is a sin to trust riches and think you are a special person in God’s sight because of your wealth. Character is the important thing, not possessions.”
This Gospel is actually directed to those who will commit to follow Christ as it speaks of what motivates us and what tempts us and Jesus assures us that blessings will pour out on us if we remain in Him because the alternative are the woes (curses) that await us if we do otherwise. As we reflect on this Gospel, let us ask ourselves WIJTM (What Is Jesus Telling Me?)
1st Reading: 1 Cor 7:25-31
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 45:11-17 “Listen to me daughter, see and bend your ear.”
GOSPEL: LK 6:20-26
Key Verse: “because great is your reward in heaven.” (v.23)
We might be drawn to think that today’s Gospel written by Luke is the same as the Sermon on the Mount or what we normally refer to as the Beatitudes (Matt 5:3-12). There are differences and in a physical sense, Matthew wrote that Jesus gave this particular sermon on a mount or hillside while this narrative by Luke was made by Jesus on a plain which is the reason why this was sometimes referred to as the Sermon on the Plain.
This Gospel also differs from the Sermon on the Mount in that Luke’s account only carries four “blessings” and the Evangelist included four “woes” or what I might call as “encumbrances” which might prevent the soul of a person from entering the Kingdom of Heaven and avail of the eternal salvation that God promised.
Let us also not belabor ourselves with trying to read through the minds of Luke and Matthew relative to the differences in their account of the Beatitudes and it would be best to just appreciate what Jesus is trying to tell us in this Gospel written by Luke.
Actually, the word “woe” is a curse and perhaps this was the message that Jesus was trying to put across to the people who were listening at the time. What Jesus was presenting in this Lucan account are the contrasts between the blessings that we can expect if we follow the standards of Christ and what awaits us if we remain attached to the pattern of the world’s values.
In these contrasting scenarios, Jesus is reminding us now that our lives are constantly filled with making a choice or choices and it begins from the moment we acquire the capacity to understand what life is all about up to the time when we are called to our final destination.
And to better understand what Jesus was saying in this Lucan account, let us go back to what “blessed” and “woe” meant. As the Greek language was what was commonly used in those days, the Greek refers to a person who is blessed as someone who is filled with religious joy because he is aware that he has been saved whereas, woe is an expression of abomination to someone who has done wrong.
Here in today’s Gospel, Jesus presents his own standard of conduct that he expects from his disciples or anyone who has committed to follow Him and he also outlines what await those who will prefer to remain anchored on the values of the world. Jesus is actually giving us two choices and because he respects our independence the choice is actually left to us to make.
In the first verse alone (v.20) Jesus already set the tone when he extends His blessings to those who are poor contrasting this with (v.24) which was a curse to those who are rich. Not that being rich is bad or a sin but what Jesus was saying was that when we try to find fulfillment by seeking material wealth, indeed wealth is the only thing we will ever get. In contrast, the poor in spirit are those who are humble, those who have the spirit of a child.
What may have led Jesus to deliver this Gospel was premised on the presence of false prophets in the olden times who were praised by the kings and the Jews because they promised victory over the occupation of their land. And these false prophets were hugely popular in those days and Jesus was saying that popularity doesn’t guaranty the truthfulness of the message of these false prophets nor do their actions merit the approval of God.
Even in this modern day and age, there are still false prophets who are not only full of themselves but are inconsiderate and self-absorbed who are endowed with the “I’m right and no one else is” attitude and this contrasts with a Christian disciple who will run into all kinds of trouble, sacrifices, suffering and we may be led to think we are unhappy but Jesus assures those who will choose his values that their reward is still to come and it will bring eternal joy to those who will make the right choice.
What Jesus was trying to emphasize in this Gospel was that seeking the approval of men and or the world brings disaster especially when we place too much value on how favorable we are perceived by the world. What He is telling us now is that we must not seek the popularity or the approval of the world but to strive for faithfulness.
We also are not to make persecution as our objective in life but if persecution comes "because of the Son of Man," then that should be counted as a privilege rather than reject it and run away from it because the value system of every Christian disciple is based on love for and faithfulness to God, not the opinions of the Church, the Community or the world.
With this Gospel, Jesus assures the poor in spirit with admission to eternal felicity or blessedness as heaven belongs to those who will choose Christ over the world as the pearl belongs to the man who acquires it as well as to those who will renounce all earthly possessions as they have already.
An added understanding of this Gospel comes from Dr. Warren Wiersbe, one of the evangelical world’s most prominent proclaimers of the Word, who at one time wrote: “The people who followed Jesus were, for the most part, poor people who lived from hand to mouth, a day at a time. They envied the rich and longed to be like them. The Bible does not teach that poverty is a blessing, for it tells us to take care of the poor and the needy, but that poverty need not rob us of blessing. It has well been said that many people know the price of everything but the value of nothing. It is not a sin to be rich, but it is a sin to trust riches and think you are a special person in God’s sight because of your wealth. Character is the important thing, not possessions.”
This Gospel is actually directed to those who will commit to follow Christ as it speaks of what motivates us and what tempts us and Jesus assures us that blessings will pour out on us if we remain in Him because the alternative are the woes (curses) that await us if we do otherwise. As we reflect on this Gospel, let us ask ourselves WIJTM (What Is Jesus Telling Me?)
CALLED, ACCEPT AND SENT
SEPT. 11, 2012: 23rd WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 1 Cor 6:1-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 149:1-6, 9 “The Lord takes delight in his people.”
GOSPEL: LK 6:12-19
Key Verse: “…all tried to touch him.” (v.19)
In our world today, everything comes in a jiffy. All kinds of information that one needs are readily available. The internet for one has become a rich source of information and there are books, pamphlets and brochures that will satisfy your personal concerns. And at times this has removed from us the joy and satisfaction of discovering and finding things that we need through our own effort and diligence.
Without our knowing it the modern age has turned us into becoming mechanical in our ways. The Resume’ for one which is an important piece of document for employment is no longer prepared by jobseekers since it can now be downloaded from the internet.
And some people may probably look at the Resume’ as just a piece of paper that serves as a requirement for employment but it is actually more than that. Why? Because the Resume’ is your credential. Your entire person is encapsulated in that piece of paper you call Resume’ as it shows your qualifications, what you can do and how you can contribute to the corporate objectives and or viability of a company.
Now the question is if the use of a Resume’ was in vogue in the time of Jesus, do you think Our Lord would have called the 12 men to whom the future Church is to be entrusted. Your guess is as good as mine.
Let’s take a look at the 12 men whom Jesus called: Simon (Peter), fisherman; Andrew (Simon’s brother), fisherman; James the Great (brother of John), sons of Zebedee, fisherman; John (brother of James the Great), fisherman from Capernaum; Philip from Bethsaida (townmate of Peter and Andrew); Bartholomew, from Cana in Galilee (a friend of Philip); Thomas (Didymus), fisherman; Matthew (Levi), a tax-collector; James the Less, farmer (brother to Judas Thaddeus); Judas Thaddeus, farmer (brother of James the Less); Simon, zealot or a revolutionary; Judas Iscariot, from Kerioth in Judah, and; Matthias who took over the place of Judas Iscariot.
There is no record even in the Scriptures that would show the parameters as to how Jesus chose the 12 Apostles and the only record of the credentials needed to be an Apostle comes from the conditions that Peter laid down when the remaining 11 Apostles and perhaps the other disciples were to choose a replacement for Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus.
Peter (Acts 1:21-22) said an Apostle must have three qualifications: He must be called; He must accept his calling, and; He must be sent. It is thus possible that Jesus may have used these three conditions when He chose the original 12 Apostles. What is important, however, is that after the 12 Apostles, 265 Popes including Pope Benedict XVI and, numerous Saints who have been canonized by our Church, Jesus is still calling men and women to pursue the mission that He left to the Church that he established through Peter.
Jesus knew very well that He only had a very short period of time left to deliver God’s message to the world and He chose the 12 Apostles and those who will come after them to proclaim this same message to the world. How He chose them and how Jesus now chooses those who will make disciples of all nations is known only to Him.
But in the gospel written by Mark it says that Jesus chose the 12 Apostles that “they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach.” (Mk 3:14) At that time, the term “to be with Him” meant to be associated with Him as his friends and Jesus still uses this relational principle to call those who will be sent. Simply said, we have to have a friendly relationship with Jesus if we feel we are called and sent, and before we go the mission field.
Roget defines “friend” as someone in “good terms, good footing, good graces, an acquaintance, intimate, a confidante, a bosom friend.” In other words, to be a disciple and a Christian, we need to be in good graces with Our Lord. We need to be in good footing with Jesus meaning we can stand before Him sans the bitterness, resentments, unforgiveness, self-righteousness and sinfulness that we may have picked up in the world around us.
A friend of Jesus is someone who follows, accepts and embraces His commission to spread the Good News. And to provide you with an overview of our calling as Christian disciples, the Catechism of the Catholic Church No. 84 states that: “The Apostles entrusted the "Sacred deposit" of the faith (the depositum fidei), contained in Sacred Scripture and Tradition, to the whole of the Church. By adhering to [this heritage] the entire holy people, united to its pastors, remains always faithful to the teaching of the apostles, to the brotherhood, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. So, in maintaining, practicing and professing the faith that has been handed on, there should be a remarkable harmony between the bishops and the faithful."
This only means that the Sacred Traditions of our Church has been handed down from the time of the Apostles and to us who now comprise the Church that Jesus established which means we are mandated to preserve this faith and traditions by making sure that these are passed on to others.
As Jesus chose ordinary men and a strange mixture at that to be His Apostles and so are we who come from diverse backgrounds and social standing and are now also being called to continue the mission of Christ.
And right at the beginning of this Gospel Jesus shows us the key that will ensure the success of our mission. “Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, spent the night praying to God.” (Lk 6:12) This is the foundation of his mission – prayer, forming his community of disciples and, proceeding with his ministry. And this is the reason why some of us fail as we sometimes do things in reverse and we only think of prayer when everything else have failed.
Jesus clearly shows us that evangelization doesn’t begin with programs and techniques but with prayer which brings fellowship not only with God but with others that will lead to the birth of an authentic community and it is only then that we can go to bring the Good News to the world.
Prayer is the most important component of ministry work because when we pray we are actually listening to the voice of God. When we make prayer a habit, it provides us the power to deal with success and failure, prosperity and poverty, health and sickness, life and death and, the times when we feel we are going through a storm and or desert in our life. The question now is What Is Jesus Telling Me (WIJTM) in this Gospel?
1st Reading: 1 Cor 6:1-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 149:1-6, 9 “The Lord takes delight in his people.”
GOSPEL: LK 6:12-19
Key Verse: “…all tried to touch him.” (v.19)
In our world today, everything comes in a jiffy. All kinds of information that one needs are readily available. The internet for one has become a rich source of information and there are books, pamphlets and brochures that will satisfy your personal concerns. And at times this has removed from us the joy and satisfaction of discovering and finding things that we need through our own effort and diligence.
Without our knowing it the modern age has turned us into becoming mechanical in our ways. The Resume’ for one which is an important piece of document for employment is no longer prepared by jobseekers since it can now be downloaded from the internet.
And some people may probably look at the Resume’ as just a piece of paper that serves as a requirement for employment but it is actually more than that. Why? Because the Resume’ is your credential. Your entire person is encapsulated in that piece of paper you call Resume’ as it shows your qualifications, what you can do and how you can contribute to the corporate objectives and or viability of a company.
Now the question is if the use of a Resume’ was in vogue in the time of Jesus, do you think Our Lord would have called the 12 men to whom the future Church is to be entrusted. Your guess is as good as mine.
Let’s take a look at the 12 men whom Jesus called: Simon (Peter), fisherman; Andrew (Simon’s brother), fisherman; James the Great (brother of John), sons of Zebedee, fisherman; John (brother of James the Great), fisherman from Capernaum; Philip from Bethsaida (townmate of Peter and Andrew); Bartholomew, from Cana in Galilee (a friend of Philip); Thomas (Didymus), fisherman; Matthew (Levi), a tax-collector; James the Less, farmer (brother to Judas Thaddeus); Judas Thaddeus, farmer (brother of James the Less); Simon, zealot or a revolutionary; Judas Iscariot, from Kerioth in Judah, and; Matthias who took over the place of Judas Iscariot.
There is no record even in the Scriptures that would show the parameters as to how Jesus chose the 12 Apostles and the only record of the credentials needed to be an Apostle comes from the conditions that Peter laid down when the remaining 11 Apostles and perhaps the other disciples were to choose a replacement for Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus.
Peter (Acts 1:21-22) said an Apostle must have three qualifications: He must be called; He must accept his calling, and; He must be sent. It is thus possible that Jesus may have used these three conditions when He chose the original 12 Apostles. What is important, however, is that after the 12 Apostles, 265 Popes including Pope Benedict XVI and, numerous Saints who have been canonized by our Church, Jesus is still calling men and women to pursue the mission that He left to the Church that he established through Peter.
Jesus knew very well that He only had a very short period of time left to deliver God’s message to the world and He chose the 12 Apostles and those who will come after them to proclaim this same message to the world. How He chose them and how Jesus now chooses those who will make disciples of all nations is known only to Him.
But in the gospel written by Mark it says that Jesus chose the 12 Apostles that “they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach.” (Mk 3:14) At that time, the term “to be with Him” meant to be associated with Him as his friends and Jesus still uses this relational principle to call those who will be sent. Simply said, we have to have a friendly relationship with Jesus if we feel we are called and sent, and before we go the mission field.
Roget defines “friend” as someone in “good terms, good footing, good graces, an acquaintance, intimate, a confidante, a bosom friend.” In other words, to be a disciple and a Christian, we need to be in good graces with Our Lord. We need to be in good footing with Jesus meaning we can stand before Him sans the bitterness, resentments, unforgiveness, self-righteousness and sinfulness that we may have picked up in the world around us.
A friend of Jesus is someone who follows, accepts and embraces His commission to spread the Good News. And to provide you with an overview of our calling as Christian disciples, the Catechism of the Catholic Church No. 84 states that: “The Apostles entrusted the "Sacred deposit" of the faith (the depositum fidei), contained in Sacred Scripture and Tradition, to the whole of the Church. By adhering to [this heritage] the entire holy people, united to its pastors, remains always faithful to the teaching of the apostles, to the brotherhood, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. So, in maintaining, practicing and professing the faith that has been handed on, there should be a remarkable harmony between the bishops and the faithful."
This only means that the Sacred Traditions of our Church has been handed down from the time of the Apostles and to us who now comprise the Church that Jesus established which means we are mandated to preserve this faith and traditions by making sure that these are passed on to others.
As Jesus chose ordinary men and a strange mixture at that to be His Apostles and so are we who come from diverse backgrounds and social standing and are now also being called to continue the mission of Christ.
And right at the beginning of this Gospel Jesus shows us the key that will ensure the success of our mission. “Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, spent the night praying to God.” (Lk 6:12) This is the foundation of his mission – prayer, forming his community of disciples and, proceeding with his ministry. And this is the reason why some of us fail as we sometimes do things in reverse and we only think of prayer when everything else have failed.
Jesus clearly shows us that evangelization doesn’t begin with programs and techniques but with prayer which brings fellowship not only with God but with others that will lead to the birth of an authentic community and it is only then that we can go to bring the Good News to the world.
Prayer is the most important component of ministry work because when we pray we are actually listening to the voice of God. When we make prayer a habit, it provides us the power to deal with success and failure, prosperity and poverty, health and sickness, life and death and, the times when we feel we are going through a storm and or desert in our life. The question now is What Is Jesus Telling Me (WIJTM) in this Gospel?
LOVE SUPERSEDES RULES
SEPT. 10, 2012: 23RD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 1 Cor 5:1-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 5:5-7, 12 “Lead me in your justice, Lord.”
GOSPEL: LK 6:6-11
Key Verse: “Stretch our your hand.” (v.10)
As with many organizations from within and outside the Church in which rules have become rigid that restricts the Holy Spirit to move like a winnowing fan, today we are again confronted with the subject of the law of the Mosaic law on the Sabbath observance but which in the course of time have been expanded by the Scribes or the teachers of the law into a never-ending litany of rules and regulations which have overshadowed the original intent of the Sabbath.
Just to fill you in on the kind of controversy that have caused division between Jesus and the Pharisees, the devout Jews will not lift their hands much more defend themselves even from attacks by their enemies if it falls on the Sabbath.
There was a story about Pompey the Roman general who when he laid siege on Jerusalem built a mound during the Sabbath day from where he can view the Temple where the Jews took refuge. Pompey knew that on the Sabbath the Jews would not lift even one hand to defend themselves even if they knew that by their inaction they were facing imminent death.
Growing up in a Jewish household afforded Jesus with a hands-on view of the rigidity in the way the Pharisees observe the rules of the Sabbath and it was probably his desire to awaken this kind of insensitivity to the needs of the people that led him to return to the synagogue.
Ignoring the protests and threats raised by the Pharisees who were jealous of the growing popularity of Jesus who not only spoke with authority during his preaching but who also brought healing and performed miracles that no eye has ever seen, Jesus confronted the Pharisees on their own terms as he exposed the inconsistency in the way the Pharisees were practicing their faith. This brought him into a collision course with the Pharisees who started looking for ways to eliminate him.
Just like on this day in the synagogue, a man with a withered hand was there and the Pharisees were watching Jesus if he would heal the man on the Sabbath. If he did they will add this to the issues they have raised against him but Jesus knew what they were thinking which was why he asked the question: “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” (v.9)
When the Pharisees couldn’t answer, Jesus “looked at them with anger and deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts,” he said to the man: “Stretch out your hand.” (v.10) and the man was healed.
What this Gospel passage is telling us is that we need to spend some time and go before the Lord to reflect if there is a trace of Pharisee in us especially at this time when we need to contend with the three levels of faith that pose a challenge to our lives as Christian disciples. In his inspirational message at the opening last weekend of the Planning Session of the Community Council of Servant Leaders of the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community, Archbishop Angel Lagdameo that today’s Christians need to strengthen their faith for them to struggle and live in our traditional society, the modern world and the post-modern world.
Without our knowing it there could be a chance we may have become Pharisaical in the way we have been practicing our faith especially for those who are in positions of leadership in the Church or in lay organizations such as a charismatic community. More so for those who are outside the ambit of the Church who, said Archbishop Lagdameo, have abandoned their Christian faith and who today find themselves unable to work their way back to the old metaphysics or religion. This is also the reason, His Grace said, why most of the youth today no longer share the religion of their elders.
As with the Pharisees some of us could be suffering from a hardening of our hearts that we may have picked from our ancestors dating back from the time of Cain and we will know if we are in this stage of our spiritual growth if we are experiencing not just spiritual dullness but when we refuse to see the truths that Jesus teaches. It would be calamitous for us if we will not confront this situation. (Pro 28:14)
Hard hearts result in hard thoughts and in our present situation this could be likened to our inability to see any good in those who maybe opposed to our ideas or positions. Such hard hearts and thoughts at times provoke us into engaging in a politics of personal destruction. And in our effort to stand firm on our position we begin to think ill of our neighbors, colleagues in the workplace and, even our brethren in the Church or community and this becomes evident in the way we treat others at times ignoring, maligning and or abusing those whom we don’t like.
Just like lies that become truth when repeated overtime, hard thoughts emanating from a hardened heart are likely to progress into deeds which means that our actions albeit irreligious are a consequence of our thoughts. In our quiet times, we can detach from the Pharisaical nature that may be in us by reigniting the fire in our relationship with God by remembering that we are weak and we need to forgive (Col 3:13). We can take that big leap of faith from our hardened hearts into having a compassionate heart by our conscious effort to turn ourselves into a good soil and by aligning our attitude with that of Christ (Phi 2:3-5).
This passage for all intents and purposes warns us not to fall into the trap to which the Pharisees and Herodians have fallen because we too could be plotting against Jesus by keeping him out of our lives. As he had purchased us at a great price, we all belong to him and as such we are mandated to pursue his mission and bring the Gospel to others.
As opposed to the Pharisees and Herodians whose mindsets were opposed to Jesus, we are being enjoined by Peter (1 Pet 3:8-12) to live in harmony with one another. The choice before us then is the eternal joy that awaits those who will choose to believe in Christ (Jn3:16) or our own condemnation if we persist in our unbelief in him who is the truth (Jn 3:18).
The Sabbath is thus not just a day of rest but it should be spent to express our gratitude for all that God has done for us. We should use the Sabbath as a means of purifying ourselves of the Pharisee in us by doing good to others. To keep the Sabbath holy is to serve God by serving man.
1st Reading: 1 Cor 5:1-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 5:5-7, 12 “Lead me in your justice, Lord.”
GOSPEL: LK 6:6-11
Key Verse: “Stretch our your hand.” (v.10)
As with many organizations from within and outside the Church in which rules have become rigid that restricts the Holy Spirit to move like a winnowing fan, today we are again confronted with the subject of the law of the Mosaic law on the Sabbath observance but which in the course of time have been expanded by the Scribes or the teachers of the law into a never-ending litany of rules and regulations which have overshadowed the original intent of the Sabbath.
Just to fill you in on the kind of controversy that have caused division between Jesus and the Pharisees, the devout Jews will not lift their hands much more defend themselves even from attacks by their enemies if it falls on the Sabbath.
There was a story about Pompey the Roman general who when he laid siege on Jerusalem built a mound during the Sabbath day from where he can view the Temple where the Jews took refuge. Pompey knew that on the Sabbath the Jews would not lift even one hand to defend themselves even if they knew that by their inaction they were facing imminent death.
Growing up in a Jewish household afforded Jesus with a hands-on view of the rigidity in the way the Pharisees observe the rules of the Sabbath and it was probably his desire to awaken this kind of insensitivity to the needs of the people that led him to return to the synagogue.
Ignoring the protests and threats raised by the Pharisees who were jealous of the growing popularity of Jesus who not only spoke with authority during his preaching but who also brought healing and performed miracles that no eye has ever seen, Jesus confronted the Pharisees on their own terms as he exposed the inconsistency in the way the Pharisees were practicing their faith. This brought him into a collision course with the Pharisees who started looking for ways to eliminate him.
Just like on this day in the synagogue, a man with a withered hand was there and the Pharisees were watching Jesus if he would heal the man on the Sabbath. If he did they will add this to the issues they have raised against him but Jesus knew what they were thinking which was why he asked the question: “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” (v.9)
When the Pharisees couldn’t answer, Jesus “looked at them with anger and deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts,” he said to the man: “Stretch out your hand.” (v.10) and the man was healed.
What this Gospel passage is telling us is that we need to spend some time and go before the Lord to reflect if there is a trace of Pharisee in us especially at this time when we need to contend with the three levels of faith that pose a challenge to our lives as Christian disciples. In his inspirational message at the opening last weekend of the Planning Session of the Community Council of Servant Leaders of the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community, Archbishop Angel Lagdameo that today’s Christians need to strengthen their faith for them to struggle and live in our traditional society, the modern world and the post-modern world.
Without our knowing it there could be a chance we may have become Pharisaical in the way we have been practicing our faith especially for those who are in positions of leadership in the Church or in lay organizations such as a charismatic community. More so for those who are outside the ambit of the Church who, said Archbishop Lagdameo, have abandoned their Christian faith and who today find themselves unable to work their way back to the old metaphysics or religion. This is also the reason, His Grace said, why most of the youth today no longer share the religion of their elders.
As with the Pharisees some of us could be suffering from a hardening of our hearts that we may have picked from our ancestors dating back from the time of Cain and we will know if we are in this stage of our spiritual growth if we are experiencing not just spiritual dullness but when we refuse to see the truths that Jesus teaches. It would be calamitous for us if we will not confront this situation. (Pro 28:14)
Hard hearts result in hard thoughts and in our present situation this could be likened to our inability to see any good in those who maybe opposed to our ideas or positions. Such hard hearts and thoughts at times provoke us into engaging in a politics of personal destruction. And in our effort to stand firm on our position we begin to think ill of our neighbors, colleagues in the workplace and, even our brethren in the Church or community and this becomes evident in the way we treat others at times ignoring, maligning and or abusing those whom we don’t like.
Just like lies that become truth when repeated overtime, hard thoughts emanating from a hardened heart are likely to progress into deeds which means that our actions albeit irreligious are a consequence of our thoughts. In our quiet times, we can detach from the Pharisaical nature that may be in us by reigniting the fire in our relationship with God by remembering that we are weak and we need to forgive (Col 3:13). We can take that big leap of faith from our hardened hearts into having a compassionate heart by our conscious effort to turn ourselves into a good soil and by aligning our attitude with that of Christ (Phi 2:3-5).
This passage for all intents and purposes warns us not to fall into the trap to which the Pharisees and Herodians have fallen because we too could be plotting against Jesus by keeping him out of our lives. As he had purchased us at a great price, we all belong to him and as such we are mandated to pursue his mission and bring the Gospel to others.
As opposed to the Pharisees and Herodians whose mindsets were opposed to Jesus, we are being enjoined by Peter (1 Pet 3:8-12) to live in harmony with one another. The choice before us then is the eternal joy that awaits those who will choose to believe in Christ (Jn3:16) or our own condemnation if we persist in our unbelief in him who is the truth (Jn 3:18).
The Sabbath is thus not just a day of rest but it should be spent to express our gratitude for all that God has done for us. We should use the Sabbath as a means of purifying ourselves of the Pharisee in us by doing good to others. To keep the Sabbath holy is to serve God by serving man.
JESUS MAKES US HEAR
SEPT. 9, 2012: 23RD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Isa 35:4-7
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 146:7-10 “Praise the Lord, my soul!”
2nd Reading: Jam 2:1-5
GOSPEL: MK 7:31-37
Key Verse: “Be opened.” (v.34)
For most of the week just passed, we heard how Jesus confronted and rebuked the laws and decrees the Pharisees have imposed that became more of a burden to the people rather than inspire them to enter into a deeper relationship with God.
But today, Jesus shows his compassion for the poor especially those who were in need of healing. And on this 23rd Sunday there are at least three situations that add mystery and color to the Gospel passage. Mystery? Yes because Mark who wrote this Gospel account did not offer any explanation why Jesus went to Sidon as he left Tyre on his way back “to the Sea of Galilee” (v.31).
Some bible scholars actually went as far as to question whether Mark knew his geography because it seemed illogical for Jesus and his disciples to go to Sidon which was north of Tyre on his way to the Sea of Galilee which was south of both Tyre and Sidon. In effect what happened was Jesus went up north to go south.
Mark was right because there was a mountain range between Tyre and Galilee and there was also no trade route between these two regions. There was, however, a trade route that connects Sidon to the Sea of Galilee which was why Jesus had to go north in order to go south.
How long this journey took was not explained. There were some views, however, that claim Jesus decided to take this longer route to give him quality time with his disciples to teach them and explain to them at length the deeper meaning of the parables he preached and, most importantly, to prepare them for the challenges that lie ahead that will culminate at the greatest event in the history of mankind.
The second situation was when a man who was deaf was brought to Jesus. Most often, persons who are deaf may also be suffering from some speech impediment that could cause embarrassment for them.
And Jesus knew what the deaf man felt and this was the reason why he took him aside, put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spat and touched the man’s tongue. Then he looked up to heaven with a deep sigh said to him Ephphatha! which means “Be opened.” (vv.33-34).
By taking the man aside away from the crowd, Jesus showed not only his compassion but he took into consideration the plight of the deaf man for whom life has become difficult to communicate with others as sign language was non-existent in those days.
Jesus looked at the deaf man with affection demonstrating the goodness and compassion of God in his actions. Then he puts his fingers into the deaf man's ears and touches the man's tongue with his own spittle and uttering a command “Ephphatha” the poor man's ears were opened, and his tongue loosened up and he spoke.
Gregory the Great, one of the Fathers of the Church in the 6th century explained this miracle saying: “The Spirit is called the finger of God. When the Lord puts his fingers into the ears of the deaf mute, he was opening the soul of man to faith through the gifts of the Holy Spirit.”
What was also significant was when Jesus looked up to heaven not just to implore the aid of God the Almighty Father but to also acknowledge that his power flows from the Father. When the deaf man spoke, the crowd could only sigh and with amazement and this brings us to the third situation as the people who witnessed the miracle said: “He has done all things well.” (v.37) This could actually be equated with the events related to the creation of the world in Genesis when God said: “Everything is good.”
The question we should now ask is have we been touched by the finger of God which is the Spirit of God. How have we been living our lives after we have been touched by the Holy Spirit? Can we say that we have been saved from our sins? (Mk 16:15). Can we also honestly say our souls are at rest? (Matt 11:28). Are we now at peace (Jn 14:27) or are we still in the world?
If we are still struggling with our relationship with God, perhaps we should look into our own selves and check the level of our faith. It is possible that we are laboring through the practice of our faith because our hearts and minds are being restricted by concerns other than developing a deeper relationship with our Creator.
Many times we are like the deaf man as we remain oblivious to the proclamation of the Gospel of Christ. We attend mass regularly but our minds wander and are far off and we often hear people grumbling that they don’t get anything from the mass and it is because they haven’t invested anything in it. Relatedly, can you withdraw money from the bank without making any deposit. This is the same with our spiritual lives. We need to invest our time, talent and treasure in order to enjoy the
blessings that come from the source of all good.
Nothing is too hard for the Lord (Gen 18:14) but it will all depend on how open we are and will be to the promptings of the Holy Spirit who showers us not only with his spiritual gifts but brings us to a new life in Christ (2 Cor 5:17).
Jesus has already shown us that like Peter we too can also walk on water but only if we have faith. Like Lazarus, our spirits and souls can be raised back to life if we will draw closer to him who is the source of life. As we have also been deaf and mute before, being touched by the finger of God will change everything. Now we can hear God’s Word and proclaim it to the world but only if we will only allow the Holy Spirit to move and take control of our lives.
Then and only then can we say that Jesus has done all things well in our lives as we stand ready to open our eyes to see the beauty of his salvation and proclaim the glory of His Kingdom to all.
1st Reading: Isa 35:4-7
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 146:7-10 “Praise the Lord, my soul!”
2nd Reading: Jam 2:1-5
GOSPEL: MK 7:31-37
Key Verse: “Be opened.” (v.34)
For most of the week just passed, we heard how Jesus confronted and rebuked the laws and decrees the Pharisees have imposed that became more of a burden to the people rather than inspire them to enter into a deeper relationship with God.
But today, Jesus shows his compassion for the poor especially those who were in need of healing. And on this 23rd Sunday there are at least three situations that add mystery and color to the Gospel passage. Mystery? Yes because Mark who wrote this Gospel account did not offer any explanation why Jesus went to Sidon as he left Tyre on his way back “to the Sea of Galilee” (v.31).
Some bible scholars actually went as far as to question whether Mark knew his geography because it seemed illogical for Jesus and his disciples to go to Sidon which was north of Tyre on his way to the Sea of Galilee which was south of both Tyre and Sidon. In effect what happened was Jesus went up north to go south.
Mark was right because there was a mountain range between Tyre and Galilee and there was also no trade route between these two regions. There was, however, a trade route that connects Sidon to the Sea of Galilee which was why Jesus had to go north in order to go south.
How long this journey took was not explained. There were some views, however, that claim Jesus decided to take this longer route to give him quality time with his disciples to teach them and explain to them at length the deeper meaning of the parables he preached and, most importantly, to prepare them for the challenges that lie ahead that will culminate at the greatest event in the history of mankind.
The second situation was when a man who was deaf was brought to Jesus. Most often, persons who are deaf may also be suffering from some speech impediment that could cause embarrassment for them.
And Jesus knew what the deaf man felt and this was the reason why he took him aside, put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spat and touched the man’s tongue. Then he looked up to heaven with a deep sigh said to him Ephphatha! which means “Be opened.” (vv.33-34).
By taking the man aside away from the crowd, Jesus showed not only his compassion but he took into consideration the plight of the deaf man for whom life has become difficult to communicate with others as sign language was non-existent in those days.
Jesus looked at the deaf man with affection demonstrating the goodness and compassion of God in his actions. Then he puts his fingers into the deaf man's ears and touches the man's tongue with his own spittle and uttering a command “Ephphatha” the poor man's ears were opened, and his tongue loosened up and he spoke.
Gregory the Great, one of the Fathers of the Church in the 6th century explained this miracle saying: “The Spirit is called the finger of God. When the Lord puts his fingers into the ears of the deaf mute, he was opening the soul of man to faith through the gifts of the Holy Spirit.”
What was also significant was when Jesus looked up to heaven not just to implore the aid of God the Almighty Father but to also acknowledge that his power flows from the Father. When the deaf man spoke, the crowd could only sigh and with amazement and this brings us to the third situation as the people who witnessed the miracle said: “He has done all things well.” (v.37) This could actually be equated with the events related to the creation of the world in Genesis when God said: “Everything is good.”
The question we should now ask is have we been touched by the finger of God which is the Spirit of God. How have we been living our lives after we have been touched by the Holy Spirit? Can we say that we have been saved from our sins? (Mk 16:15). Can we also honestly say our souls are at rest? (Matt 11:28). Are we now at peace (Jn 14:27) or are we still in the world?
If we are still struggling with our relationship with God, perhaps we should look into our own selves and check the level of our faith. It is possible that we are laboring through the practice of our faith because our hearts and minds are being restricted by concerns other than developing a deeper relationship with our Creator.
Many times we are like the deaf man as we remain oblivious to the proclamation of the Gospel of Christ. We attend mass regularly but our minds wander and are far off and we often hear people grumbling that they don’t get anything from the mass and it is because they haven’t invested anything in it. Relatedly, can you withdraw money from the bank without making any deposit. This is the same with our spiritual lives. We need to invest our time, talent and treasure in order to enjoy the
blessings that come from the source of all good.
Nothing is too hard for the Lord (Gen 18:14) but it will all depend on how open we are and will be to the promptings of the Holy Spirit who showers us not only with his spiritual gifts but brings us to a new life in Christ (2 Cor 5:17).
Jesus has already shown us that like Peter we too can also walk on water but only if we have faith. Like Lazarus, our spirits and souls can be raised back to life if we will draw closer to him who is the source of life. As we have also been deaf and mute before, being touched by the finger of God will change everything. Now we can hear God’s Word and proclaim it to the world but only if we will only allow the Holy Spirit to move and take control of our lives.
Then and only then can we say that Jesus has done all things well in our lives as we stand ready to open our eyes to see the beauty of his salvation and proclaim the glory of His Kingdom to all.
MARY, MOTHER OF GOD
SEPT. 8, 2012: BIRTH OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
1st Reading: Mic 5:1-4
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 13:6ab, 6c “With delight, I rejoice in the Lord.”
GOSPEL: MATT 1:1-16, 18-23
Key Verse: “A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham.” (v.1)
The question in our minds when we read today’s Gospel passage is of what use was the genealogy of Jesus. Why do we need to be presented with the family tree of Jesus when what we are celebrating today is the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Matthew, however, has a valid reason for coming out with the lineage of Christ. One was that the Gospel of Matthew was principally directed towards the Jews who as a people were particularly interested in genealogies.
By presenting the family lineage of Jesus, Matthew’s objective was to convince the Jewish people that Jesus indeed was the Messiah they have been waiting for and this was the reason why the genealogy of Jesus as presented by Matthew was divided into three sections – 1) Man bore the image and likeness of God and this first section ended with David who unified Israel as a nation; 2) This second group of Jesus’ ancestors started with Solomon and ended with the Jews losing their greatness and going into exile in Babylon and there started the long wait for a Messiah, and; 3) The third grouping began from the return of the Jews from exile and regaining their greatness and all the way up to Jacob, the father of Joseph, husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.
With this genealogy, Matthew was telling the Jews that Jesus was the fulfillment of the prophecy and Jesus was the true Messiah having descended from both Abraham (Gen 22:18) and David (Isa 11:1-2). This genealogy also erased all doubts about the origin of Jesus because his claim as a descendant to the throne of David was both legal by virtue of his adoption by Joseph who was a descendant of Solomon and natural on account of his birth by Mary, a descendant of Nathan.
How then can this genealogy of Jesus Christ be useful to us in this age. What we all can deduce from the beginning of Matthew’s Gospel is the assurance that God always keeps his promises. Throughout the Scriptures, we read of God’s promises and what is remarkable is that God always keeps his word.
Notwithstanding the tragedy and disasters that struck the Jews, they never tired of waiting and with expectant hope they knew that a descendant from the throne of David will come and lead them to the glory that they firmly believed to be theirs by right and inheritance.
With this genealogy, we will see that Jesus was indeed the fulfillment of God’s promise to send a Messiah that we may all be saved. The Scriptures also assures us that Jesus is not only the hope of the people of the Old Covenant but more so our hope in today’s modern world that is wracked by perversion and sin, relativism and secularism.
The most significant aspect of the coming of Christ is that he brings with him the Grace from heaven that will restore us into the fullness of his glory when “he will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Rev 21:4)
But this Grace that Christ will apportion to us must be met with a corresponding response. It cannot be that we will just be a receiving people because salvation is a two-way process. God will definitely keep his promise and grant us eternal salvation but this is contingent on our response that is anchored on our doing his Will even in this age when our faith is being marginalized.
With this genealogy, Our Lord Jesus Christ invites us to a deep realization that we too are grafted into the family tree of Jesus by virtue of our adoption as sons and daughters of God. “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” (2 Cor 6:18) Our adoption by God and our being part of Christ’s genealogy assures us this is so because our being a member of God’s family has transformed us into “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness and into his wonderful light.” (2 Pet 9)
And today we celebrate the dawning of our salvation, the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary whose birth has assured us of our salvation. As the genealogy of Jesus shows, Mary and Joseph both came from the line of David. We know that God had commanded Mary to assume in faith a burden of tremendous responsibility. It had never been heard of before that a child could be born without a natural father and Mary was asked to accept this miraculous exception to the laws of nature.
Such required faith and trust the only two things that Mary could rely on because she was taking a great risk as she was already engaged to Joseph and pre-marital pregnancy was not tolerated in those days but Mary believed and trusted in God's promises. Joseph, a just and God-fearing man also believed the message given to him to take Mary as his wife and to accept the child in her womb as the promised Messiah. Like Mary, Joseph was a model of faith for us. He was a faithful witness and servant of God's unfolding plan of redemption. And this brings us to the question of are we willing to trust and obey the Lord as Mary and Joseph did?
This bit of history about the participation of Mary should end all discussions of why we honor Mary. The question I believe is not why do we honor Mary but shouldn’t we? Salvation came into the world through Mary. She carried our salvation in her womb for nine months. She took care of Jesus and made sure Jesus will grow up to fulfill all of God's promises.
With the other women of Jerusalem, Mary walked where Jesus walked. She was present when the first Eucharist was celebrated during the Last Supper. She was there at the foot of the cross when Jesus was crucified. Mary was there when Jesus rose from the dead. She was there on the day of Pentecost. In other words, Mary was where Jesus was and it is only but fitting that we honor her for the role she played in the history of Salvation.
As modern society is fast turning into a faithless world as more and more people are looking for new kinds of faith, a world where we find religion being marginalized, we can draw strength and inspiration from Mary who in faith and her docility to the Holy Spirit had accepted in complete obedience God’s plan of salvation for her to become the Mother of God.
1st Reading: Mic 5:1-4
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 13:6ab, 6c “With delight, I rejoice in the Lord.”
GOSPEL: MATT 1:1-16, 18-23
Key Verse: “A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham.” (v.1)
The question in our minds when we read today’s Gospel passage is of what use was the genealogy of Jesus. Why do we need to be presented with the family tree of Jesus when what we are celebrating today is the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Matthew, however, has a valid reason for coming out with the lineage of Christ. One was that the Gospel of Matthew was principally directed towards the Jews who as a people were particularly interested in genealogies.
By presenting the family lineage of Jesus, Matthew’s objective was to convince the Jewish people that Jesus indeed was the Messiah they have been waiting for and this was the reason why the genealogy of Jesus as presented by Matthew was divided into three sections – 1) Man bore the image and likeness of God and this first section ended with David who unified Israel as a nation; 2) This second group of Jesus’ ancestors started with Solomon and ended with the Jews losing their greatness and going into exile in Babylon and there started the long wait for a Messiah, and; 3) The third grouping began from the return of the Jews from exile and regaining their greatness and all the way up to Jacob, the father of Joseph, husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.
With this genealogy, Matthew was telling the Jews that Jesus was the fulfillment of the prophecy and Jesus was the true Messiah having descended from both Abraham (Gen 22:18) and David (Isa 11:1-2). This genealogy also erased all doubts about the origin of Jesus because his claim as a descendant to the throne of David was both legal by virtue of his adoption by Joseph who was a descendant of Solomon and natural on account of his birth by Mary, a descendant of Nathan.
How then can this genealogy of Jesus Christ be useful to us in this age. What we all can deduce from the beginning of Matthew’s Gospel is the assurance that God always keeps his promises. Throughout the Scriptures, we read of God’s promises and what is remarkable is that God always keeps his word.
Notwithstanding the tragedy and disasters that struck the Jews, they never tired of waiting and with expectant hope they knew that a descendant from the throne of David will come and lead them to the glory that they firmly believed to be theirs by right and inheritance.
With this genealogy, we will see that Jesus was indeed the fulfillment of God’s promise to send a Messiah that we may all be saved. The Scriptures also assures us that Jesus is not only the hope of the people of the Old Covenant but more so our hope in today’s modern world that is wracked by perversion and sin, relativism and secularism.
The most significant aspect of the coming of Christ is that he brings with him the Grace from heaven that will restore us into the fullness of his glory when “he will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Rev 21:4)
But this Grace that Christ will apportion to us must be met with a corresponding response. It cannot be that we will just be a receiving people because salvation is a two-way process. God will definitely keep his promise and grant us eternal salvation but this is contingent on our response that is anchored on our doing his Will even in this age when our faith is being marginalized.
With this genealogy, Our Lord Jesus Christ invites us to a deep realization that we too are grafted into the family tree of Jesus by virtue of our adoption as sons and daughters of God. “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” (2 Cor 6:18) Our adoption by God and our being part of Christ’s genealogy assures us this is so because our being a member of God’s family has transformed us into “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness and into his wonderful light.” (2 Pet 9)
And today we celebrate the dawning of our salvation, the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary whose birth has assured us of our salvation. As the genealogy of Jesus shows, Mary and Joseph both came from the line of David. We know that God had commanded Mary to assume in faith a burden of tremendous responsibility. It had never been heard of before that a child could be born without a natural father and Mary was asked to accept this miraculous exception to the laws of nature.
Such required faith and trust the only two things that Mary could rely on because she was taking a great risk as she was already engaged to Joseph and pre-marital pregnancy was not tolerated in those days but Mary believed and trusted in God's promises. Joseph, a just and God-fearing man also believed the message given to him to take Mary as his wife and to accept the child in her womb as the promised Messiah. Like Mary, Joseph was a model of faith for us. He was a faithful witness and servant of God's unfolding plan of redemption. And this brings us to the question of are we willing to trust and obey the Lord as Mary and Joseph did?
This bit of history about the participation of Mary should end all discussions of why we honor Mary. The question I believe is not why do we honor Mary but shouldn’t we? Salvation came into the world through Mary. She carried our salvation in her womb for nine months. She took care of Jesus and made sure Jesus will grow up to fulfill all of God's promises.
With the other women of Jerusalem, Mary walked where Jesus walked. She was present when the first Eucharist was celebrated during the Last Supper. She was there at the foot of the cross when Jesus was crucified. Mary was there when Jesus rose from the dead. She was there on the day of Pentecost. In other words, Mary was where Jesus was and it is only but fitting that we honor her for the role she played in the history of Salvation.
As modern society is fast turning into a faithless world as more and more people are looking for new kinds of faith, a world where we find religion being marginalized, we can draw strength and inspiration from Mary who in faith and her docility to the Holy Spirit had accepted in complete obedience God’s plan of salvation for her to become the Mother of God.
CHANGE IS INEVITABLE, THE GRACE
OF THE RENEWAL MUST BE SHARED
SEPT. 7, 201: 22nd WEEK IN ORDRINARY TIME
1st Reading: 1 Cor 4:1-5
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 37:3-6, 27-28, 39-40
GOSPEL: LK 5:33-39
Key Verse: “No one pours new wine into old wineskins.” (v.37)
While Jesus was crucified when Israel was still under Roman rule, his worst enemies were not the Romans but the Pharisees and Scribes who hated him for his popularity and for bringing to light their teachings that became more of a burden to the Jews.
The differences separating Jesus from the Pharisees were not actually about Jesus being right or wrong about his preaching but it’s more because the ideas of Jesus did not sit well with the Pharisees and the other religious leaders at the time because these were new.
The Pharisees knew that Jesus was right but more often than not, they could not readily accept the teachings of Jesus because this would require them to change many of their practices which benefit them as most of these practices come in the form of requirements that turn the people to be subservient to the Pharisees rather than to God.
And Jesus saw through this deception and he sidestepped this resistance of the Pharisees by addressing His preaching to the people who were actually have begun to open their hearts and minds to acknowledge their sinfulness and have started turning to God. This is what the Pharisees did not want to happen because they would lose their only lifeline to make a living.
The stubbornness of the Pharisees to remain steadfast to their practices is what is stifling the spiritual growth of the people at the time and Jesus exposed many of these practices and this inevitably incurred the ire of the Pharisees who began to plot against him.
In some way, there is a Pharisee in some of us as we give more importance and priority to programs and projects rather than that which is more important – to bring others to Jesus and make disciples of all men (Matt 28:18). This is the great commission and this was the parting words of Jesus before He ascended to heaven.
In Redemptoris Missio, Blessed John Paul II stresses that: "Evangelization will always contain as the foundation, center and, at the same time, the summit of its dynamism -- a clear proclamation that, in Jesus Christ salvation is offered to all men, as a gift of God's grace and mercy." "The new evangelization," according to John Paul II, "is not a matter of merely passing on doctrine but rather of a personal and profound meeting with the Savior."
This new evangelization should not unnerve our Church and or our Community as what the Pharisees did when Jesus preached old doctrines to the people of his time that sounded like new. The new evangelization to which we all are being asked to participate is all about bringing others – our family, neighbor, relatives, friends, co-workers and the ordinary man on the street that we meet – to a personal and profound meeting with Jesus Christ our Savior.
Not that projects and programs are not good. They are also good. But these should not supplant evangelization per se as the primary function of disciples who want to follow Christ and evangelization doesn’t begin with techniques and programs but with prayer.
His Excellency Leon Joseph Cardinal Suenens at one time said: “Don’t keep the Grace for yourself. The soul of the renewal which is baptism in the Spirit is the Grace of Pentecost. A refreshment offered for all in the world.”
What Cardinal Suenens is actually saying was that we who are in the charismatic renewal movement have a treasure, but which we must share that treasure to and with others. In so doing, we are to be open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit which is the Grace of the renewal movement.
The new wine (Gifts of the Holy Spirit) that has been poured out upon us at our Baptism in the Spirit cannot be poured into our old self. We all must be renewed as we are baptized in the Spirit in order for us to receive the new wine that will be poured out to us.
As renewed Christians, we must not be anxious of going on an adventure especially when we come to think that it is the Spirit of God who is leading us and this is what the Pharisees could not accept. They have become so rigid that new ideas are rejected outright and they sacrificed the joy of knowing God in a more personal way.
This is what we as Christians should avoid because Christianity brings a never-ending process of change with new approaches, new traditions, new methodologies. Thus, our programs and techniques we use in our Community, ministries and apostolates should not be so structured that we leave no room for the Holy Spirit to move us into finding new things or ideas.
Churches and Communities at times have plateaued or have become stagnant, remaining on an “as-is, where-is” condition and could no longer draw new members. Even if it does, the attrition rate is so high that members leave the moment they got in and the culprit is the tendency of leaders to hang on to their old and outmoded principles.
The International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Service (ICCRS) has always held the view that the Grace of the renewal is to move out and has espoused the idea that charismatics are supposed to be a people on the move. As such, we must be careful that we don’t become as rigid as the Pharisees that would prevent us from learning new things from the Gospel of Christ.
We need to become pliant so we can always upgrade ourselves to accept the new wine that comes from the new message of Christ for us.
1st Reading: 1 Cor 4:1-5
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 37:3-6, 27-28, 39-40
GOSPEL: LK 5:33-39
Key Verse: “No one pours new wine into old wineskins.” (v.37)
While Jesus was crucified when Israel was still under Roman rule, his worst enemies were not the Romans but the Pharisees and Scribes who hated him for his popularity and for bringing to light their teachings that became more of a burden to the Jews.
The differences separating Jesus from the Pharisees were not actually about Jesus being right or wrong about his preaching but it’s more because the ideas of Jesus did not sit well with the Pharisees and the other religious leaders at the time because these were new.
The Pharisees knew that Jesus was right but more often than not, they could not readily accept the teachings of Jesus because this would require them to change many of their practices which benefit them as most of these practices come in the form of requirements that turn the people to be subservient to the Pharisees rather than to God.
And Jesus saw through this deception and he sidestepped this resistance of the Pharisees by addressing His preaching to the people who were actually have begun to open their hearts and minds to acknowledge their sinfulness and have started turning to God. This is what the Pharisees did not want to happen because they would lose their only lifeline to make a living.
The stubbornness of the Pharisees to remain steadfast to their practices is what is stifling the spiritual growth of the people at the time and Jesus exposed many of these practices and this inevitably incurred the ire of the Pharisees who began to plot against him.
In some way, there is a Pharisee in some of us as we give more importance and priority to programs and projects rather than that which is more important – to bring others to Jesus and make disciples of all men (Matt 28:18). This is the great commission and this was the parting words of Jesus before He ascended to heaven.
In Redemptoris Missio, Blessed John Paul II stresses that: "Evangelization will always contain as the foundation, center and, at the same time, the summit of its dynamism -- a clear proclamation that, in Jesus Christ salvation is offered to all men, as a gift of God's grace and mercy." "The new evangelization," according to John Paul II, "is not a matter of merely passing on doctrine but rather of a personal and profound meeting with the Savior."
This new evangelization should not unnerve our Church and or our Community as what the Pharisees did when Jesus preached old doctrines to the people of his time that sounded like new. The new evangelization to which we all are being asked to participate is all about bringing others – our family, neighbor, relatives, friends, co-workers and the ordinary man on the street that we meet – to a personal and profound meeting with Jesus Christ our Savior.
Not that projects and programs are not good. They are also good. But these should not supplant evangelization per se as the primary function of disciples who want to follow Christ and evangelization doesn’t begin with techniques and programs but with prayer.
His Excellency Leon Joseph Cardinal Suenens at one time said: “Don’t keep the Grace for yourself. The soul of the renewal which is baptism in the Spirit is the Grace of Pentecost. A refreshment offered for all in the world.”
What Cardinal Suenens is actually saying was that we who are in the charismatic renewal movement have a treasure, but which we must share that treasure to and with others. In so doing, we are to be open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit which is the Grace of the renewal movement.
The new wine (Gifts of the Holy Spirit) that has been poured out upon us at our Baptism in the Spirit cannot be poured into our old self. We all must be renewed as we are baptized in the Spirit in order for us to receive the new wine that will be poured out to us.
As renewed Christians, we must not be anxious of going on an adventure especially when we come to think that it is the Spirit of God who is leading us and this is what the Pharisees could not accept. They have become so rigid that new ideas are rejected outright and they sacrificed the joy of knowing God in a more personal way.
This is what we as Christians should avoid because Christianity brings a never-ending process of change with new approaches, new traditions, new methodologies. Thus, our programs and techniques we use in our Community, ministries and apostolates should not be so structured that we leave no room for the Holy Spirit to move us into finding new things or ideas.
Churches and Communities at times have plateaued or have become stagnant, remaining on an “as-is, where-is” condition and could no longer draw new members. Even if it does, the attrition rate is so high that members leave the moment they got in and the culprit is the tendency of leaders to hang on to their old and outmoded principles.
The International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Service (ICCRS) has always held the view that the Grace of the renewal is to move out and has espoused the idea that charismatics are supposed to be a people on the move. As such, we must be careful that we don’t become as rigid as the Pharisees that would prevent us from learning new things from the Gospel of Christ.
We need to become pliant so we can always upgrade ourselves to accept the new wine that comes from the new message of Christ for us.
SEPT. 6, 2012: 22nd WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 1 Cor 3:18-23
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 24:1-6 “To the Lord belongs the earth and all that fills it.”
GOSPEL: LK 5:1-11
Key Verse: “from now on you will be catching men.” (v.10)
CAREER CHANGE
We all are a people on the move. In school we move from one grade to another until we have acquired the necessary learning to go through life. We change our status when we begin to raise a family. At times we move from one abode to another until we find a permanent dwelling place.
In our work, we move to another company for several reasons primary of which is better pay and better opportunities for advancement or growth. For the adventurous, it is because maybe they are no longer happy in their present job and are looking for greater challenges.
I earned my spurs in the broadcast industry some years back and in those days, the media business was not as crowded as it is today such that we were moving from one media organization to another simply because we were offered bigger pay, better airtime slots, and wider reach.
But for Peter, James and John their second encounter with Jesus was the turning point in their lives. In this Gospel passage today we will see at the end of the narrative that they pulled their boats to the shore and decided there and there to leave everything – including their catch perhaps – and followed Jesus.
This was a major career change for the three would-be Apostles and at that point in time no one among them knew what the future lies for them. This was a great move for neither one of them knew where they were headed. All they knew was they have found someone in whom they can see light.
Beneath this Gospel today lies an important message for all of us – that we too are being called to take a leap of faith towards a major overhaul of our priorities in life. In other words if life is a career, the Lord is inviting us to leave behind everything that belongs to our past life that has separated us from the source of Grace and to plunge into a new life to which Jesus is calling us.
And we can draw inspiration from Peter who felt not only embarrassed but humbled at the miracle that he personally witnessed when they drew their nets that filled their boats with fish that they nearly sunk. It wasn’t like Peter and the rest weren’t good fishermen. It was their livelihood and they probably were familiar with the Sea of Galilee as they grew up in that place.
But what they couldn’t see, Jesus could see far beyond than what the human eye can see. He saw in Peter, James and John the qualities that he was looking for to be his disciples.
And Peter sets an example for all of us as he realized his nothingness at the mighty power who stood in front of him, Peter fell down on his knees and in utter humility acknowledged his sinfulness. As Christians we too, like Peter, can put our pride in our pocket and acknowledge our sinfulness before the Lord.
This is what besets many of us as we prefer to rationalize our actions instead of learning from them. We justify even that which we already know to be a sinful act rather than make amends to repair broken relationships.
Acknowledging our sinfulness is actually one of at least two things that we need to do when we come before the Lord. The other which I learned when I was already growing in the renewal movement through the Bukas Loob sa Diyos (Open in Spirit to God) Covenant Community is that I cannot do it alone.
I cannot change myself. I cannot become what Jesus want me to become. I cannot be a Christian by myself. I cannot possibly be the disciple I want to be. I cannot forgive. I cannot love God in the way that God wants to be loved. I cannot just love anyone, I cannot love my neighbor as God has commanded us to do. I cannot save myself. I need someone who is more powerful than I am in order for me to do these things. In other words, I need God who will help me change and be restored into the image and likeness of Him who created me.
Before calling Peter and his brother Andrew, James and John, Jesus has already been preaching in the synagogues and his popularity was growing and Peter, Andrew, James and John must have heard about him but are not yet convinced at who Jesus was.
The miracle they saw when Jesus asked them to lower their nets filling their boats in the process was the key that unlocked their doubt and especially when Jesus said to Peter: “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men. So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.” (v.10-11)
What happened to Peter, Andrew, James and John also happens to us and many times things happen for a reason. To Peter and the others, it opened their eyes and they followed Jesus. Remember too that they have been up all night but haven’t caught anything.
This is the same with us especially in the confines of the Church and or the Community. Some of us may be in a situation that may seem hopeless and the natural tendency is we wait for an opportune time before we take action. This is where we differ from Peter because if we wait for the proper time, that time may never come and we may never be able to start at all.
Peter dropped all his years of hands-on experience as a fisherman and he did what Jesus told him to do “put out into the deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” (v.4) The result was a miracle. This is the same with us. If we are able to gather the courage and the humility and rid ourselves of our baggage, arrogance and most of all pride and when we have emptied ourselves of our sinful nature, that is the time when God will fill us with his Grace that will give us the power to put out into the deep without fear and reservation.
We may be at the crossroad of our lives now and Jeus is telling us to go out into the deep and uncharted territory and to lower our nets. It means doing what we think we can’t do. If it means we need to humble ourselves, that is to lower our nets, to put our guards down, set aside our pride, turn around from our self-centeredness, then expect a miracle like what Jesus did to Peter but it will all depend when we are ready for a career change.
Remember too that there were no conditions when Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James and John and the rest of the Apostles. He simply said: Matt 4:18-22 “come follow me,” and they did. Aren’t we supposed to do the same?
1st Reading: 1 Cor 3:18-23
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 24:1-6 “To the Lord belongs the earth and all that fills it.”
GOSPEL: LK 5:1-11
Key Verse: “from now on you will be catching men.” (v.10)
CAREER CHANGE
We all are a people on the move. In school we move from one grade to another until we have acquired the necessary learning to go through life. We change our status when we begin to raise a family. At times we move from one abode to another until we find a permanent dwelling place.
In our work, we move to another company for several reasons primary of which is better pay and better opportunities for advancement or growth. For the adventurous, it is because maybe they are no longer happy in their present job and are looking for greater challenges.
I earned my spurs in the broadcast industry some years back and in those days, the media business was not as crowded as it is today such that we were moving from one media organization to another simply because we were offered bigger pay, better airtime slots, and wider reach.
But for Peter, James and John their second encounter with Jesus was the turning point in their lives. In this Gospel passage today we will see at the end of the narrative that they pulled their boats to the shore and decided there and there to leave everything – including their catch perhaps – and followed Jesus.
This was a major career change for the three would-be Apostles and at that point in time no one among them knew what the future lies for them. This was a great move for neither one of them knew where they were headed. All they knew was they have found someone in whom they can see light.
Beneath this Gospel today lies an important message for all of us – that we too are being called to take a leap of faith towards a major overhaul of our priorities in life. In other words if life is a career, the Lord is inviting us to leave behind everything that belongs to our past life that has separated us from the source of Grace and to plunge into a new life to which Jesus is calling us.
And we can draw inspiration from Peter who felt not only embarrassed but humbled at the miracle that he personally witnessed when they drew their nets that filled their boats with fish that they nearly sunk. It wasn’t like Peter and the rest weren’t good fishermen. It was their livelihood and they probably were familiar with the Sea of Galilee as they grew up in that place.
But what they couldn’t see, Jesus could see far beyond than what the human eye can see. He saw in Peter, James and John the qualities that he was looking for to be his disciples.
And Peter sets an example for all of us as he realized his nothingness at the mighty power who stood in front of him, Peter fell down on his knees and in utter humility acknowledged his sinfulness. As Christians we too, like Peter, can put our pride in our pocket and acknowledge our sinfulness before the Lord.
This is what besets many of us as we prefer to rationalize our actions instead of learning from them. We justify even that which we already know to be a sinful act rather than make amends to repair broken relationships.
Acknowledging our sinfulness is actually one of at least two things that we need to do when we come before the Lord. The other which I learned when I was already growing in the renewal movement through the Bukas Loob sa Diyos (Open in Spirit to God) Covenant Community is that I cannot do it alone.
I cannot change myself. I cannot become what Jesus want me to become. I cannot be a Christian by myself. I cannot possibly be the disciple I want to be. I cannot forgive. I cannot love God in the way that God wants to be loved. I cannot just love anyone, I cannot love my neighbor as God has commanded us to do. I cannot save myself. I need someone who is more powerful than I am in order for me to do these things. In other words, I need God who will help me change and be restored into the image and likeness of Him who created me.
Before calling Peter and his brother Andrew, James and John, Jesus has already been preaching in the synagogues and his popularity was growing and Peter, Andrew, James and John must have heard about him but are not yet convinced at who Jesus was.
The miracle they saw when Jesus asked them to lower their nets filling their boats in the process was the key that unlocked their doubt and especially when Jesus said to Peter: “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men. So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.” (v.10-11)
What happened to Peter, Andrew, James and John also happens to us and many times things happen for a reason. To Peter and the others, it opened their eyes and they followed Jesus. Remember too that they have been up all night but haven’t caught anything.
This is the same with us especially in the confines of the Church and or the Community. Some of us may be in a situation that may seem hopeless and the natural tendency is we wait for an opportune time before we take action. This is where we differ from Peter because if we wait for the proper time, that time may never come and we may never be able to start at all.
Peter dropped all his years of hands-on experience as a fisherman and he did what Jesus told him to do “put out into the deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” (v.4) The result was a miracle. This is the same with us. If we are able to gather the courage and the humility and rid ourselves of our baggage, arrogance and most of all pride and when we have emptied ourselves of our sinful nature, that is the time when God will fill us with his Grace that will give us the power to put out into the deep without fear and reservation.
We may be at the crossroad of our lives now and Jeus is telling us to go out into the deep and uncharted territory and to lower our nets. It means doing what we think we can’t do. If it means we need to humble ourselves, that is to lower our nets, to put our guards down, set aside our pride, turn around from our self-centeredness, then expect a miracle like what Jesus did to Peter but it will all depend when we are ready for a career change.
Remember too that there were no conditions when Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James and John and the rest of the Apostles. He simply said: Matt 4:18-22 “come follow me,” and they did. Aren’t we supposed to do the same?
SEPT. 5, 2012: 22ND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 1 Cor 3:1-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 33:12-15, 20-21 “Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to his own.”
GOSPEL: LK 4:38-44
Key Verse: “You are the Son of God.” (v.41)
WE ARE THE GOOD NEWS
Today’s Gospel narrative can be likened to a fruiting tree because it is so pregnant with meaning that it shows us three characteristics of Jesus that we can actually learn from as we set out on our way to bring glad tidings to the poor.
This Gospel passage which is a continuation from the previous passages should also provide us with the capacity to confront demons in both our own lives and others as well emboldened by the fact that demons recognize Jesus as the Son of God (v.41).
Here, we see Jesus showing his nature as the Messiah when he healed Peter’s mother-in-law whose health was restored that she immediately moved about to serve Jesus and his disciples and, towards the setting of the sun as the day of the Sabbath ends, Jesus healed everyone by laying hands on those who came with various forms of illnesses and sickness.
Not only do we see Jesus demonstrating with conclusive proof his divine power as he healed all forms of sickness and diseases (v.40) but it also brought to light His compassion for those who are in need. This should provide us with a clear image of our roles as disciples in terms of how we relate to those who are not as fortunate or blessed as we are.
Like Jesus, are we compassionate about helping those in need even if we are being inconvenienced especially when these circumstances come at a time when we are on our way to work, to a vacation, to attend a party or on our way to the mall. Or do we forego these opportunities to be a Christian by withholding our help to those who come to us.
At the house of Peter, Jesus demonstrated his heart that is predisposed to serving others. Remember that he just came from the synagogue where he also healed many who were sick and he may be looking forward to taking a rest he badly needed at the house of Peter, but did not have a chance to even grasp a deep breath as he went on to heal Peter’s mother-in-law and countless others who came after news of his healing power spread throughout the region like wildfire.
This only shows us that as disciples we no longer own our time. That if we are to follow Jesus we are to deny ourselves (Lk 9:23), we are to deny certain pleasures to come to the aid of others. We are to deny ourselves the luxuries that we enjoy in favor of the need of others. In other words, we all must have the heart of Jesus that is bent towards serving others.
There was a movie I once saw and one of the lines struck me and it goes like this: “When you are in love, you lose yourself as the love that you have for one another fills you and that love controls you.” This is actually what happens with us. The love of Jesus for us that is so great such that He gave his life for us should overpower and control us which means this same love should move us to help the sick, the beggar on the streets, the homeless, out-of-school youths and, the spiritually impoverished.
At His voice and command, Jesus demonstrated the second reality in this Gospel as the demons came out of the people who were at the house of Peter. As it was customary in those days to equate certain forms of illness to being possessed by evil spirits, Jesus healed everyone by laying hands on each one of them. He doesn’t have to but to be touched by someone in authority is a privilege and an honor and again, it shows the compassion of Jesus for he didn’t categorize the class of people who came to him to be healed as He healed them all.
Now we need to ask ourselves what are the demons in our lives. Could these be our vanities, judgments, criticality, prejudices, arrogance and pride, self-exaltation, wealth? Do our priorities stand in the way of our relationship with God? We may also be under the spell of the Jezebel spirit and yet be on denial.
As we stand face-to-face with Jesus at the Eucharistic Celebration and at our Prayer Meetings, these demons must come out in order for us to be healed. As Christians, Jesus must take the place of the demons in our lives. This is the abundant life (Jn 10:10) that He promised us.
At the end of the Gospel, it tells us that Jesus probably just had enough time to rest as he went out at daybreak to pray. This should be the same for us because evangelization which is our primary duty as Christians doesn’t start with programs or projects but with prayer.
For many of us, life continues to be a blur because we don’t spend enough time in prayer which is not only our link to God but prayer brings clarity and purpose to the busyness of our lives and the confusion in our world. Often we prioritize ministry work ahead of prayer but Jesus shows us that communion with God through prayer must precede everything else.
And finally Jesus gives us the primary reason why we were created when he stopped those who were looking for him by telling them: “I must preach the Good News…because this is why I was sent.” (v.43) This resolve came after Jesus prayed and this gives credence to what He said in Jn 5:19 “the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does." And He went on to preach throughout Judea because this is the reason why He was sent.
This is also our reason for being and that is to preach the Good News and this is the reason why we have to give up the demons in our lives and allow Jesus to enter and take His seat in our hearts because if we are to become the Good News we have to have the humility to allow the Holy Spirit to move in us, take control of our lives and change us. If not, we become bad news and we can’t preach that.
To be the disciples of Jesus that we hope to be, we must grasp the meaning of the Lord’s Prayer: “Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Unless we can do this, we will never be able to enjoy the freedom from slavery to sin and selfishness.
The CCC primarily states in Para 2818: “In the Lord's Prayer, "thy kingdom come" refers primarily to the final coming of the reign of God through Christ's return. But, far from distracting the Church from her mission in this present world, this desire commits her to it all the more strongly. Since Pentecost, the coming of that Reign is the work of the Spirit of the Lord who "complete[s] his work on earth and brings us the fullness of grace."
We, in fact, can experience the joy of living in the Kingdom of God by allowing the Holy Spirit to reside in our hearts and we can begin by allotting time for prayer, ministering to our marginalized brethren and, denying ourselves, take up His cross and follow Him (Lk 9:23-25) and be the Good News to others.
1st Reading: 1 Cor 3:1-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 33:12-15, 20-21 “Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to his own.”
GOSPEL: LK 4:38-44
Key Verse: “You are the Son of God.” (v.41)
WE ARE THE GOOD NEWS
Today’s Gospel narrative can be likened to a fruiting tree because it is so pregnant with meaning that it shows us three characteristics of Jesus that we can actually learn from as we set out on our way to bring glad tidings to the poor.
This Gospel passage which is a continuation from the previous passages should also provide us with the capacity to confront demons in both our own lives and others as well emboldened by the fact that demons recognize Jesus as the Son of God (v.41).
Here, we see Jesus showing his nature as the Messiah when he healed Peter’s mother-in-law whose health was restored that she immediately moved about to serve Jesus and his disciples and, towards the setting of the sun as the day of the Sabbath ends, Jesus healed everyone by laying hands on those who came with various forms of illnesses and sickness.
Not only do we see Jesus demonstrating with conclusive proof his divine power as he healed all forms of sickness and diseases (v.40) but it also brought to light His compassion for those who are in need. This should provide us with a clear image of our roles as disciples in terms of how we relate to those who are not as fortunate or blessed as we are.
Like Jesus, are we compassionate about helping those in need even if we are being inconvenienced especially when these circumstances come at a time when we are on our way to work, to a vacation, to attend a party or on our way to the mall. Or do we forego these opportunities to be a Christian by withholding our help to those who come to us.
At the house of Peter, Jesus demonstrated his heart that is predisposed to serving others. Remember that he just came from the synagogue where he also healed many who were sick and he may be looking forward to taking a rest he badly needed at the house of Peter, but did not have a chance to even grasp a deep breath as he went on to heal Peter’s mother-in-law and countless others who came after news of his healing power spread throughout the region like wildfire.
This only shows us that as disciples we no longer own our time. That if we are to follow Jesus we are to deny ourselves (Lk 9:23), we are to deny certain pleasures to come to the aid of others. We are to deny ourselves the luxuries that we enjoy in favor of the need of others. In other words, we all must have the heart of Jesus that is bent towards serving others.
There was a movie I once saw and one of the lines struck me and it goes like this: “When you are in love, you lose yourself as the love that you have for one another fills you and that love controls you.” This is actually what happens with us. The love of Jesus for us that is so great such that He gave his life for us should overpower and control us which means this same love should move us to help the sick, the beggar on the streets, the homeless, out-of-school youths and, the spiritually impoverished.
At His voice and command, Jesus demonstrated the second reality in this Gospel as the demons came out of the people who were at the house of Peter. As it was customary in those days to equate certain forms of illness to being possessed by evil spirits, Jesus healed everyone by laying hands on each one of them. He doesn’t have to but to be touched by someone in authority is a privilege and an honor and again, it shows the compassion of Jesus for he didn’t categorize the class of people who came to him to be healed as He healed them all.
Now we need to ask ourselves what are the demons in our lives. Could these be our vanities, judgments, criticality, prejudices, arrogance and pride, self-exaltation, wealth? Do our priorities stand in the way of our relationship with God? We may also be under the spell of the Jezebel spirit and yet be on denial.
As we stand face-to-face with Jesus at the Eucharistic Celebration and at our Prayer Meetings, these demons must come out in order for us to be healed. As Christians, Jesus must take the place of the demons in our lives. This is the abundant life (Jn 10:10) that He promised us.
At the end of the Gospel, it tells us that Jesus probably just had enough time to rest as he went out at daybreak to pray. This should be the same for us because evangelization which is our primary duty as Christians doesn’t start with programs or projects but with prayer.
For many of us, life continues to be a blur because we don’t spend enough time in prayer which is not only our link to God but prayer brings clarity and purpose to the busyness of our lives and the confusion in our world. Often we prioritize ministry work ahead of prayer but Jesus shows us that communion with God through prayer must precede everything else.
And finally Jesus gives us the primary reason why we were created when he stopped those who were looking for him by telling them: “I must preach the Good News…because this is why I was sent.” (v.43) This resolve came after Jesus prayed and this gives credence to what He said in Jn 5:19 “the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does." And He went on to preach throughout Judea because this is the reason why He was sent.
This is also our reason for being and that is to preach the Good News and this is the reason why we have to give up the demons in our lives and allow Jesus to enter and take His seat in our hearts because if we are to become the Good News we have to have the humility to allow the Holy Spirit to move in us, take control of our lives and change us. If not, we become bad news and we can’t preach that.
To be the disciples of Jesus that we hope to be, we must grasp the meaning of the Lord’s Prayer: “Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Unless we can do this, we will never be able to enjoy the freedom from slavery to sin and selfishness.
The CCC primarily states in Para 2818: “In the Lord's Prayer, "thy kingdom come" refers primarily to the final coming of the reign of God through Christ's return. But, far from distracting the Church from her mission in this present world, this desire commits her to it all the more strongly. Since Pentecost, the coming of that Reign is the work of the Spirit of the Lord who "complete[s] his work on earth and brings us the fullness of grace."
We, in fact, can experience the joy of living in the Kingdom of God by allowing the Holy Spirit to reside in our hearts and we can begin by allotting time for prayer, ministering to our marginalized brethren and, denying ourselves, take up His cross and follow Him (Lk 9:23-25) and be the Good News to others.
SEPT. 4, 2012: 22ND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 1 Cor 2:10-16
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 145:8-14 “The Lord is just in all his ways.”
GOSPEL: LK 4:31-37
DEMONS FLEE FROM JESUS
Rejected in his own hometown of Nazareth, Jesus and his disciples moved to Capernaum where he preached at the synagogue in this lakeside city almost every Sabbath day as it was customary in those days that Rabbis who are passing by are allowed to preach and teach in the synagogues.
And Luke wrote right at the beginning of this Gospel narrative what provided the Jews a view of who Jesus might be as he wrote: “they were amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority.” (v.32) Conversely, we also should move on when we suffer rejection and not dwell in our frustration but should instead proceed with vigor to bring the good news where it will be accepted and appreciated.
Compared to the other prophets and the Rabbis in those days who spoke quoting from the Words of God given to them and to some extent even us who are given the privilege to teach based on a delegated authority, Jesus separates Himself from the other proclaimers of the Word as He was the incarnated authority. He Himself was already the authority and his teachings are the evidence of this reality.
And to the amazement of the people in Capernaum, Jesus showed his authority even against the evil spirits that possessed a man who was in the synagogue at the time. Again this was something that we all need to ponder upon.
While demon-possession was also mentioned in Matt 8:16 and Mark 1:23-26, this was the first time that Luke wrote about demons and this was not without basis as it was the common belief in those days that some of the illnesses related to deafness, dumbness, fever that doesn’t go away, insanity were caused by possession of evil spirits.
And this man in v.33 shows us that even demons can make its way into places of worship and it would be foolish for us to think that the Church can provide us shelter from evil spirits as Satan can intrude into our presence wherever and whenever he can.
This is the reason why we as Christians especially disciples who are committed to following Jesus must always be aware of the environment that we are in even with the people that we deal with in both inside or outside of the Church or Community. We must develop in us the Gift of Discernment so that we can properly and adequately discern the presence of the evil spirits in our midst as they may come in every form and shape and they may even proclaim words of wisdom as do the false prophets.
Evil is something that we have to live with as it suffuses the world around us and unaware of how evil spirits operate, people become fearful and incapable to ward off the influence of the evil spirits in their lives and this evil spirit has a name – it is the Jezebel spirit. The devil who works through the Jezebel spirit hates the prophetic flow of God, because the prophetic ministry demands repentance and cuts away evil without compromise.
The prophet always speaks against Jezebel. Additionally, the prophetic words come with creative power, which renders the enemy helpless. There is such significance in the fact that Jezebel wanted to destroy Elijah. The Jezebel spirit hates the prophetic, uncompromising voice. It cannot accomplish its agenda with a prophet around. (Click on the Faith Formation tag to read more of the Jezebel spirit.)
And many Christians are not aware that they might be carriers of one demon or more. They can never imagine that whatever physical or psychological illness they suffer could be caused by evil spirits that made their home in them.
Many emotional disorders, neurosis, break downs, unfounded fears, anxieties, migraine headaches, asthma, allergies and other psychosomatic diseases very often are caused by a demon that has taken his abode in the soul and body of a person.
To begin and know if such spirit permeates our environment, we can start by reflecting on the circumstances in our own lives. How is our relationship with our family, with the Church or Community, with my colleagues in the workplace, with the ordinary people that we meet on the street.
What are the demons in our lives? As we have said, these can come in different forms or shapes and these can even come in a way that we may not be aware of as it can crawl and influence our lives without our knowing it such as harboring hatred, grudge, rancor or recrimination against someone. This is why there is always that possibility we may be carrying demons in our lives and not be aware of it.
We maybe considering ourselves loftier or superior than others. It is possible that our position and wealth influence the way we relate to others. Many times we find it difficult to forgive others. At some point, we also find it hard to respect authority not only in the Church or Community but even in the temporal world that we live in.
The important thing is we have the Word of God upon which we can rely on and as v.35 says “Come out of the man!’ and the demon threw the man to the floor as the crowd watched; then it left him without hurting him further.” This passage is significant because it tells us that not only did the evil spirit leave the man but the man was not even injured. This shows the extent of the authority of Jesus that it left the people at the synagogue so amazed that he came to be known throughout the while region of Galilee.
This shows the authority of Jesus in conquering evil and this also shows us that the first step to confront evil and the demons in our lives is to confess the power and authority of Jesus who has overcome evil and Satan himself.
Luke assures us that the authority of Jesus is much greater than Satan as Jesus also emboldens us in JN 16:33 “But take heart! I have overcome the world.” And what Luke is actually telling us is that where Jesus is present, demons cannot stay for long. (You can read more of the Jezebel spirit as written by Mrs. Vassula Ryden when you go to the Home Page and click on the tag which says Faith Formation. Thank you.)
1st Reading: 1 Cor 2:10-16
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 145:8-14 “The Lord is just in all his ways.”
GOSPEL: LK 4:31-37
DEMONS FLEE FROM JESUS
Rejected in his own hometown of Nazareth, Jesus and his disciples moved to Capernaum where he preached at the synagogue in this lakeside city almost every Sabbath day as it was customary in those days that Rabbis who are passing by are allowed to preach and teach in the synagogues.
And Luke wrote right at the beginning of this Gospel narrative what provided the Jews a view of who Jesus might be as he wrote: “they were amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority.” (v.32) Conversely, we also should move on when we suffer rejection and not dwell in our frustration but should instead proceed with vigor to bring the good news where it will be accepted and appreciated.
Compared to the other prophets and the Rabbis in those days who spoke quoting from the Words of God given to them and to some extent even us who are given the privilege to teach based on a delegated authority, Jesus separates Himself from the other proclaimers of the Word as He was the incarnated authority. He Himself was already the authority and his teachings are the evidence of this reality.
And to the amazement of the people in Capernaum, Jesus showed his authority even against the evil spirits that possessed a man who was in the synagogue at the time. Again this was something that we all need to ponder upon.
While demon-possession was also mentioned in Matt 8:16 and Mark 1:23-26, this was the first time that Luke wrote about demons and this was not without basis as it was the common belief in those days that some of the illnesses related to deafness, dumbness, fever that doesn’t go away, insanity were caused by possession of evil spirits.
And this man in v.33 shows us that even demons can make its way into places of worship and it would be foolish for us to think that the Church can provide us shelter from evil spirits as Satan can intrude into our presence wherever and whenever he can.
This is the reason why we as Christians especially disciples who are committed to following Jesus must always be aware of the environment that we are in even with the people that we deal with in both inside or outside of the Church or Community. We must develop in us the Gift of Discernment so that we can properly and adequately discern the presence of the evil spirits in our midst as they may come in every form and shape and they may even proclaim words of wisdom as do the false prophets.
Evil is something that we have to live with as it suffuses the world around us and unaware of how evil spirits operate, people become fearful and incapable to ward off the influence of the evil spirits in their lives and this evil spirit has a name – it is the Jezebel spirit. The devil who works through the Jezebel spirit hates the prophetic flow of God, because the prophetic ministry demands repentance and cuts away evil without compromise.
The prophet always speaks against Jezebel. Additionally, the prophetic words come with creative power, which renders the enemy helpless. There is such significance in the fact that Jezebel wanted to destroy Elijah. The Jezebel spirit hates the prophetic, uncompromising voice. It cannot accomplish its agenda with a prophet around. (Click on the Faith Formation tag to read more of the Jezebel spirit.)
And many Christians are not aware that they might be carriers of one demon or more. They can never imagine that whatever physical or psychological illness they suffer could be caused by evil spirits that made their home in them.
Many emotional disorders, neurosis, break downs, unfounded fears, anxieties, migraine headaches, asthma, allergies and other psychosomatic diseases very often are caused by a demon that has taken his abode in the soul and body of a person.
To begin and know if such spirit permeates our environment, we can start by reflecting on the circumstances in our own lives. How is our relationship with our family, with the Church or Community, with my colleagues in the workplace, with the ordinary people that we meet on the street.
What are the demons in our lives? As we have said, these can come in different forms or shapes and these can even come in a way that we may not be aware of as it can crawl and influence our lives without our knowing it such as harboring hatred, grudge, rancor or recrimination against someone. This is why there is always that possibility we may be carrying demons in our lives and not be aware of it.
We maybe considering ourselves loftier or superior than others. It is possible that our position and wealth influence the way we relate to others. Many times we find it difficult to forgive others. At some point, we also find it hard to respect authority not only in the Church or Community but even in the temporal world that we live in.
The important thing is we have the Word of God upon which we can rely on and as v.35 says “Come out of the man!’ and the demon threw the man to the floor as the crowd watched; then it left him without hurting him further.” This passage is significant because it tells us that not only did the evil spirit leave the man but the man was not even injured. This shows the extent of the authority of Jesus that it left the people at the synagogue so amazed that he came to be known throughout the while region of Galilee.
This shows the authority of Jesus in conquering evil and this also shows us that the first step to confront evil and the demons in our lives is to confess the power and authority of Jesus who has overcome evil and Satan himself.
Luke assures us that the authority of Jesus is much greater than Satan as Jesus also emboldens us in JN 16:33 “But take heart! I have overcome the world.” And what Luke is actually telling us is that where Jesus is present, demons cannot stay for long. (You can read more of the Jezebel spirit as written by Mrs. Vassula Ryden when you go to the Home Page and click on the tag which says Faith Formation. Thank you.)
SEPT. 3, 2012: ST. GREGORY THE GREAT
1st Reading: 1 Cor 2:1-5
Responsorial Psalm: Psa Psa 119:97-102 “Lord, I love your commands.”
GOSPEL: LK 4:16-30
Key Verse: “..no prophet is accepted in his own hometown.” (v.24)
STAND UP FOR TRUTH
To speak before your own kin or townsfolk from where you grew up is no easy task. There is always the prospect of being subjected to rejection when talking to a group of people who know everything about you.
Even people with success stories to tell are usually met with unbelief, scorn and indifference and oftentimes this is caused by envy over the good fortunes of a returning resident or kin who left with only the shirt on his back and came back with success tucked under his belt.
This is also what Jesus experienced when he returned to Nazareth and went to preach in the local synagogue. “No prophet is accepted in his own hometown.” Jesus told the people who were present at the synagogue of Nazareth in observance of the Sabbath. Being the God that he is, he perfectly knew the kind of reaction he would elicit at his teachings.
But what was remarkable not only in this Gospel passage but even in the other times that he was confronted with disbelief by the religious leaders and teachers of the law was that Jesus never wavered in his conviction that the Word of God must be proclaimed even at the risk of losing your own life.
The message rings clear that the Gospel must be proclaimed not just to one class of people but to all without fear or favor. What happened to Jesus may have happened to us and may still be happening. Those who are asked to teach or give a talk find themselves being contradicted and sneered at in their own Parishes or Community.
It would have been understandable if such rejection and or indifference come from the unlearned who haven’t heard of the Gospel in their lifetime. Most of the time, these negative reactions come from those who are schooled, the learned who looks highly at themselves and who has acquired the habit of looking down on others who may not be as learned as they are.
To some extent there was much more honesty on the part of the Pharisees who confronted and debated with Jesus on his face as against what is happening these days when present-day teachers and speakers are criticized behind their back and this stems from the sinful pride, indifference and unbelief that blocks the flow of Grace in a person for it is this Grace that opens the hearts and minds of a person to believe the Gospel when it is preached.
Even men of the cloth suffer from similar state when their homilies and or reflection do not sit well with their audiences and this brings to light the human tendency of selective listening. Most often we open our ears and our hearts to what we want to hear especially if it will subscribe to our own set of beliefs but which we reject as fast as we hear especially if these will expose our negative attributes.
This was the sin of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law as well as the people who may have been influenced by their ways as they did not only believe in what Jesus said and taught but their failure to seek healing and pardon was what became an abomination to God.
Today in this present age, the advent of modern communications today has made it more convenient and accessible for all to hear and listen to the Word of God and this has provided us the means to understand our need to be aware of and to appreciate the fact that it is God's Grace flowing through us that leads us to understand the purpose and meaning of life.
We read from Scriptures that "the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning" (Lam 3:22-23). This is an assurance that God readily gives Grace to those who will seek him with sincerity, expectant faith and a repentant heart who desire to be made whole and clean again.
When Jesus proclaimed the Gospel to his own people in Nazareth, he minced no words to confront the people of their sin of indifference and unbelief and he went to rebuke them saying that no prophet or servant of God can receive honor among his own people.
The Jews believed that they were truly the chosen ones and they were angered when Jesus said “there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed – only Naaman the Syrian.” (v.27) What Jesus was trying to impart was that God’s Grace also flows to both Jews and Gentiles alike and that God was not selective as to whom He will apportion is gift of salvation.
This blindness and indifference of the Pharisees to the new message that Jesus brought has now taken different forms and shapes and is no longer limited to the reception of the Word of God. Many of those in the Church and or Community for that matter have become Pharisaical in their ways especially those who exercise governance functions or those who believe the Church or Community is indebted to them.
Love of God and neighbor has either been relegated to the backseat in favor of policies and rules that govern the primary mission of the church and or community which is to proclaim the Word of God and or, the rules and policies have been disguised as in pursuit of love of God and neighbor.
There is nothing wrong with having policies and rules to put a structure and or order in the church and or community for that matter but such policies and rules should not be the be-all and the end-all of church and community life.
The goal of bringing others to reconcile with God should be premised on the love we have received that we also have to share in love. This means that we cannot convert an unbeliever, a marginalized Catholic, the unchurched and or bring light to those who live in darkness by reading to him such policies and rules but by the Gospel of salvation.
Conversion comes when people hear the Word of God being proclaimed to them. Thus, to proclaim the Gospel to the ends of the earth is the be-all and end-all of the purpose for which we have been created.
In this Gospel passage, Jesus shows that God gives healing and pardon to all who will humbly ask for his mercy and help and he will set us free from every sinful habit that makes us indifferent to our neighbor and God alone can restore our disfigured nature if we will allow him to cleanse us and heal us. To be free is to grow in love and holiness fueled by the Grace of God.
1st Reading: 1 Cor 2:1-5
Responsorial Psalm: Psa Psa 119:97-102 “Lord, I love your commands.”
GOSPEL: LK 4:16-30
Key Verse: “..no prophet is accepted in his own hometown.” (v.24)
STAND UP FOR TRUTH
To speak before your own kin or townsfolk from where you grew up is no easy task. There is always the prospect of being subjected to rejection when talking to a group of people who know everything about you.
Even people with success stories to tell are usually met with unbelief, scorn and indifference and oftentimes this is caused by envy over the good fortunes of a returning resident or kin who left with only the shirt on his back and came back with success tucked under his belt.
This is also what Jesus experienced when he returned to Nazareth and went to preach in the local synagogue. “No prophet is accepted in his own hometown.” Jesus told the people who were present at the synagogue of Nazareth in observance of the Sabbath. Being the God that he is, he perfectly knew the kind of reaction he would elicit at his teachings.
But what was remarkable not only in this Gospel passage but even in the other times that he was confronted with disbelief by the religious leaders and teachers of the law was that Jesus never wavered in his conviction that the Word of God must be proclaimed even at the risk of losing your own life.
The message rings clear that the Gospel must be proclaimed not just to one class of people but to all without fear or favor. What happened to Jesus may have happened to us and may still be happening. Those who are asked to teach or give a talk find themselves being contradicted and sneered at in their own Parishes or Community.
It would have been understandable if such rejection and or indifference come from the unlearned who haven’t heard of the Gospel in their lifetime. Most of the time, these negative reactions come from those who are schooled, the learned who looks highly at themselves and who has acquired the habit of looking down on others who may not be as learned as they are.
To some extent there was much more honesty on the part of the Pharisees who confronted and debated with Jesus on his face as against what is happening these days when present-day teachers and speakers are criticized behind their back and this stems from the sinful pride, indifference and unbelief that blocks the flow of Grace in a person for it is this Grace that opens the hearts and minds of a person to believe the Gospel when it is preached.
Even men of the cloth suffer from similar state when their homilies and or reflection do not sit well with their audiences and this brings to light the human tendency of selective listening. Most often we open our ears and our hearts to what we want to hear especially if it will subscribe to our own set of beliefs but which we reject as fast as we hear especially if these will expose our negative attributes.
This was the sin of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law as well as the people who may have been influenced by their ways as they did not only believe in what Jesus said and taught but their failure to seek healing and pardon was what became an abomination to God.
Today in this present age, the advent of modern communications today has made it more convenient and accessible for all to hear and listen to the Word of God and this has provided us the means to understand our need to be aware of and to appreciate the fact that it is God's Grace flowing through us that leads us to understand the purpose and meaning of life.
We read from Scriptures that "the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning" (Lam 3:22-23). This is an assurance that God readily gives Grace to those who will seek him with sincerity, expectant faith and a repentant heart who desire to be made whole and clean again.
When Jesus proclaimed the Gospel to his own people in Nazareth, he minced no words to confront the people of their sin of indifference and unbelief and he went to rebuke them saying that no prophet or servant of God can receive honor among his own people.
The Jews believed that they were truly the chosen ones and they were angered when Jesus said “there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed – only Naaman the Syrian.” (v.27) What Jesus was trying to impart was that God’s Grace also flows to both Jews and Gentiles alike and that God was not selective as to whom He will apportion is gift of salvation.
This blindness and indifference of the Pharisees to the new message that Jesus brought has now taken different forms and shapes and is no longer limited to the reception of the Word of God. Many of those in the Church and or Community for that matter have become Pharisaical in their ways especially those who exercise governance functions or those who believe the Church or Community is indebted to them.
Love of God and neighbor has either been relegated to the backseat in favor of policies and rules that govern the primary mission of the church and or community which is to proclaim the Word of God and or, the rules and policies have been disguised as in pursuit of love of God and neighbor.
There is nothing wrong with having policies and rules to put a structure and or order in the church and or community for that matter but such policies and rules should not be the be-all and the end-all of church and community life.
The goal of bringing others to reconcile with God should be premised on the love we have received that we also have to share in love. This means that we cannot convert an unbeliever, a marginalized Catholic, the unchurched and or bring light to those who live in darkness by reading to him such policies and rules but by the Gospel of salvation.
Conversion comes when people hear the Word of God being proclaimed to them. Thus, to proclaim the Gospel to the ends of the earth is the be-all and end-all of the purpose for which we have been created.
In this Gospel passage, Jesus shows that God gives healing and pardon to all who will humbly ask for his mercy and help and he will set us free from every sinful habit that makes us indifferent to our neighbor and God alone can restore our disfigured nature if we will allow him to cleanse us and heal us. To be free is to grow in love and holiness fueled by the Grace of God.
SEPT. 2, 2012: 22ND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: Deut 4:1-2, 6-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 15:2-5 “The one who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.”
2nd Reading: Jam 1:17-18, 21-22, 27
GOSPEL: MK 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
Key Verse: “but their hearts are far from me.” (v.6)
RULES KEEP GOD OUT
In any organization in the temporal world and or among congregations in the spiritual setting, rules are definitely needed to maintain order but rules do not a worship of God make. This means that while it is necessary for us to have rules and guidelines as the case may be, true worship is not bounded by rules but should spring forth from the heart that is in communion with God.
This divergence in the way the ancient religious traditions are observed became the subject of a heated debate between Jesus and the Scribes and Pharisees in this Gospel passage. You will recall that the religious leaders have already questioned Jesus when his disciples plucked the ears of the corn during the Sabbath (Mk 2:23) and now in this passage his disciples ate without going through the ritual of washing their hands (v.2).
For us to be able to understand what Jesus and the Pharisees are arguing about, we should go into what these rituals are. Part of these set of rules was the manner in which the hands are washed before eating and failure to observe this decree was not only bad manners but one was deemed unclean in the sight of God and hence an unclean person was subject to the attack of the evil one. To the Scribes, such rules and regulations are the essence of religion and to observe them was to please God and, to break them was to sin.
So when the Scribes criticized Jesus for allowing his disciples to eat with unclean hands, he responded by quoting from Isa 29:13 “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”
It was not that Jesus was against traditions but what he was against was the legalism that the Scribes kept on imposing on the people that are against the commands of God. In effect what Jesus was saying was that we must learn how to discern if traditions, rules and regulations come from the inspiration of the Holy Spirit or from uninspired men.
There is nothing wrong with Traditions because our Catholic Faith is guided by it and Pope Benedict XVI gave a beautiful catechesis on Catholic Tradition when he said it is the divine action of the Holy Spirit that makes Sacred Tradition different from human traditions. Through this same action of the Spirit, Catholic Tradition incorporates us into the Communion of the Saints. It ensures the connection "between the experience of the apostolic faith, lived in the original community of the disciples, and the present experience of Christ in his Church."
And Pope Benedict XVI concludes: ‘Tradition is the living river that unites us to the origins, the living river in which the origins are always present, the great river that leads us to the port of eternity. In this living river, the word of the Lord...: "And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age", is fulfilled again (Matt 28:20). Through Catholic Tradition, the Holy Spirit works to bring the Grace and truth of Christ into our own lives.
Traditions are not bad but we must know how to qualify traditions or rules. What we must guard against is when rules tend to replace the fruit of our hearts when worshiping God (v.6). We could also be lulled into vain worship if we commit the mistake of putting the rules on the same level as God’s commands (v.7). Such worship may appear to be impressive, but it is actually empty and worthless for the simple reason that these do not lead us to a communion with God (Col 2:22-23).
And in this passage today, Jesus shocked those listening to him when he said that they understood wrongly the instruction or tradition that has been handed down to them. The point of the matter was the contention of the religious leaders that man was defiled by the kind of food that he eats.
In this regard, the Jews are guided by a set of instruction from the Pentateuch that refers to what type of animal or living thing the people can eat without defiling their bodies. Certain types of birds cannot be eaten as well as fish without fins and or scales. This was the condition in which the Jews lived in those times as their lives were guided by what they can and can’t do, what they can and can’t eat.
We may look at these laws as irrelevant to the present times and age we live in but we can also look at these prohibitions in the context of what Jesus was saying in this passage today. What Jesus said was that he practically revised the law by saying all food is good because food is received by the body and removed also through the normal digestive process.
In effect, what Jesus was saying was that man can’t be defiled by the food that he eats but that which comes out of his heart which is the wellspring of life (Pro 4:23). Solomon in fact says that “the hearts of men are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live” (Ecc 9:3). And Jesus listed down some of the things that can defile man because these will have become the source of evil that men do and that was what will defile man.
And Jesus says: “For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man unclean.” (vv.21-23)
The fact that Jesus mentioned “evil thoughts” ahead of the other sins means that many of these sins actually begin and end from the evil thoughts that enter our minds are what defile us.
Many times we play around with temptation moved perhaps by the thought that we are in control of our lives and our faculties and we rationalize that we can remain in the temptation stage and not cross over to committing sin. But this is not what God wants. God wants us to move out and be separate from the world and stay away from all forms of sin and tempting situations.
And we are blessed because we have a God who is persistently faithful and will not abandon us to wallow in our struggles and sinful tendencies. Finding us in our sinful state, God will also give us the Grace and strength we need to resist and overcome sin.
Since God himself created us, Our Lord has sent his Holy Spirit to dwell in us so that we may avail of the strength and power to step out of the darkness we may have found ourselves in as a result of sin and into the marvelous light. This is why we have the Apostolic Traditions that have been handed down to us from generations past so that we will properly be guided as we go through our journey of faith. And one of the ways we can avoid sin is by remaining rooted in the Word of God and it begins now with Ac 2:38.
(Author's Note: Image provided through the courtesy of Visual Bible Alive Resource Center.)
1st Reading: Deut 4:1-2, 6-8
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 15:2-5 “The one who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.”
2nd Reading: Jam 1:17-18, 21-22, 27
GOSPEL: MK 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
Key Verse: “but their hearts are far from me.” (v.6)
RULES KEEP GOD OUT
In any organization in the temporal world and or among congregations in the spiritual setting, rules are definitely needed to maintain order but rules do not a worship of God make. This means that while it is necessary for us to have rules and guidelines as the case may be, true worship is not bounded by rules but should spring forth from the heart that is in communion with God.
This divergence in the way the ancient religious traditions are observed became the subject of a heated debate between Jesus and the Scribes and Pharisees in this Gospel passage. You will recall that the religious leaders have already questioned Jesus when his disciples plucked the ears of the corn during the Sabbath (Mk 2:23) and now in this passage his disciples ate without going through the ritual of washing their hands (v.2).
For us to be able to understand what Jesus and the Pharisees are arguing about, we should go into what these rituals are. Part of these set of rules was the manner in which the hands are washed before eating and failure to observe this decree was not only bad manners but one was deemed unclean in the sight of God and hence an unclean person was subject to the attack of the evil one. To the Scribes, such rules and regulations are the essence of religion and to observe them was to please God and, to break them was to sin.
So when the Scribes criticized Jesus for allowing his disciples to eat with unclean hands, he responded by quoting from Isa 29:13 “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”
It was not that Jesus was against traditions but what he was against was the legalism that the Scribes kept on imposing on the people that are against the commands of God. In effect what Jesus was saying was that we must learn how to discern if traditions, rules and regulations come from the inspiration of the Holy Spirit or from uninspired men.
There is nothing wrong with Traditions because our Catholic Faith is guided by it and Pope Benedict XVI gave a beautiful catechesis on Catholic Tradition when he said it is the divine action of the Holy Spirit that makes Sacred Tradition different from human traditions. Through this same action of the Spirit, Catholic Tradition incorporates us into the Communion of the Saints. It ensures the connection "between the experience of the apostolic faith, lived in the original community of the disciples, and the present experience of Christ in his Church."
And Pope Benedict XVI concludes: ‘Tradition is the living river that unites us to the origins, the living river in which the origins are always present, the great river that leads us to the port of eternity. In this living river, the word of the Lord...: "And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age", is fulfilled again (Matt 28:20). Through Catholic Tradition, the Holy Spirit works to bring the Grace and truth of Christ into our own lives.
Traditions are not bad but we must know how to qualify traditions or rules. What we must guard against is when rules tend to replace the fruit of our hearts when worshiping God (v.6). We could also be lulled into vain worship if we commit the mistake of putting the rules on the same level as God’s commands (v.7). Such worship may appear to be impressive, but it is actually empty and worthless for the simple reason that these do not lead us to a communion with God (Col 2:22-23).
And in this passage today, Jesus shocked those listening to him when he said that they understood wrongly the instruction or tradition that has been handed down to them. The point of the matter was the contention of the religious leaders that man was defiled by the kind of food that he eats.
In this regard, the Jews are guided by a set of instruction from the Pentateuch that refers to what type of animal or living thing the people can eat without defiling their bodies. Certain types of birds cannot be eaten as well as fish without fins and or scales. This was the condition in which the Jews lived in those times as their lives were guided by what they can and can’t do, what they can and can’t eat.
We may look at these laws as irrelevant to the present times and age we live in but we can also look at these prohibitions in the context of what Jesus was saying in this passage today. What Jesus said was that he practically revised the law by saying all food is good because food is received by the body and removed also through the normal digestive process.
In effect, what Jesus was saying was that man can’t be defiled by the food that he eats but that which comes out of his heart which is the wellspring of life (Pro 4:23). Solomon in fact says that “the hearts of men are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live” (Ecc 9:3). And Jesus listed down some of the things that can defile man because these will have become the source of evil that men do and that was what will defile man.
And Jesus says: “For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man unclean.” (vv.21-23)
The fact that Jesus mentioned “evil thoughts” ahead of the other sins means that many of these sins actually begin and end from the evil thoughts that enter our minds are what defile us.
Many times we play around with temptation moved perhaps by the thought that we are in control of our lives and our faculties and we rationalize that we can remain in the temptation stage and not cross over to committing sin. But this is not what God wants. God wants us to move out and be separate from the world and stay away from all forms of sin and tempting situations.
And we are blessed because we have a God who is persistently faithful and will not abandon us to wallow in our struggles and sinful tendencies. Finding us in our sinful state, God will also give us the Grace and strength we need to resist and overcome sin.
Since God himself created us, Our Lord has sent his Holy Spirit to dwell in us so that we may avail of the strength and power to step out of the darkness we may have found ourselves in as a result of sin and into the marvelous light. This is why we have the Apostolic Traditions that have been handed down to us from generations past so that we will properly be guided as we go through our journey of faith. And one of the ways we can avoid sin is by remaining rooted in the Word of God and it begins now with Ac 2:38.
(Author's Note: Image provided through the courtesy of Visual Bible Alive Resource Center.)
SEPT. 1, 2012: 21ST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 1 Cor 1:26-31
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 33:12-13, 18-19, 20-21 “Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.”
GOSPEL: MATT 25:14-30
Key Verse: “..everyone who has will be given more.” (v.29)
TALENTS ARE TO BE USED
For those who have been following the Gospels for the past few weeks you will notice that Jesus has been warning his disciples of the end times and how it would be for those who persist in their unbelief and who chose to remain in the world.
Most of the time, Jesus uses parables so that his disciples can visualize and understand the context of his message. This parable of the talents is also deemed significant because Jesus spoke of this parable two days before he was to enter Jerusalem and this was the first time he told his disciples that he would be away for a long time.
But this parable also shows us that the Master of the household returned to make an accounting of the talents he left with his servants which means that Jesus will also return at some point in time and will conduct an audit of how we lived our lives given the fact that he gifted us with talents and Jesus who is our Master will naturally want to know how we made use of our gifts.
Different versions of the Scriptures have different description of what was given to the servants. There are some versions that speak of bags of gold, but common to most versions tell of talents given to the servants. In those days, a talent is measured in terms of weight such that a talent is equal to 75 pounds or 34 kilograms. There were three types of metal element that were in use in the ancient times and these were copper, silver and gold with silver as the most common.
To one the Master left five talents. To the other he gave two talents and to the third servant one talent. Over the years, the talents that were given to the servants have been interpreted to mean the talents that each one of us possesses. Some turn out to be doctors, accountants, engineers, nurses, teachers, chefs, businessmen and if we are to equate ourselves with the third servant some may be doing what to us may be menial tasks such as laborers, peons, or street sweepers.
And this parable speak about stewardship for it shows us that we are merely managers and not owners of whatever has been entrusted to us and that our talents are to be used not only for our own benefit but for the benefit of others and not buried as what the third servant did.
In other words, the Master of our household expects us not only to make use of what he gave us but he expects us to be faithful in the way that we render our service. In our lifetime, we actually may not be as successful as others have in terms of wealth, fame, influence and fame but this is not as important as our faithfulness in serving God and our neighbor with what has been entrusted to us.
Our failure to present something of what did with what has been given to us would only indicate either laziness on our part or indifference and lack of respect to Our Lord to whom we should all be beholden and grateful for whatever state in life we are now and this is what is depicted in the servant who did not make use of his talent.
This parable is all about gifts the Lord gives and entrusts to us and in our Community we speak of gifts in terms of: Pneumatika or the 9 Power Gifts (1 Cor12: 8-10) Tongues, Interpretation of Tongues, Prophecy, Wisdom, Knowledge, Discernment, Faith, Healing, and Miracles. Rom 12:3-8 also speak of the Charismata or the 7 Ministry Gifts: Prophecy, Giving, Service, Leading, Teaching, Mercy and Exhortation. We also have what we call Diakonia or the 5 Office Gifts described in Eph 4:11-16 as Apostles, Pastors, Prophets, Teachers and Evangelists.
Differing gifts and or talents yes but these are inconsequential because what matters is how we make use of our talents and God does not demand from us the fruit of talents that we don’t have but God will require an accounting of what we did with the talents that we have. We may not all be equal in terms of talent given to us but we are all equal in terms of effort and this parable tells us that whatever talent we have must be used for the service of God.
The one who has prepared well by making use of his talent will be rewarded when Our Lord returns. The two servants who took risks were amply rewarded while the lazy servant who did not make use of his talent was punished because it would have been better if he had invested it and lost than to do nothing at all.
This is actually the lesson in this parable in that the only way we can progress in both our spiritual and temporal lives is to make use of our gifts and or talents but we must always remember that the fruitful exercise of these talents are not only meant for own edification but for the service of Our God and for the benefit of our neighbor.
To live a life that is on fire is to invest our talents in the service of our Church or Community and this is what will help us become disciples who are inspired by the Holy Spirit that we may, as we are transformed, become living witnesses so that others may also be transformed in Christ that we may help bring about a world of justice, human development and true peace.
1st Reading: 1 Cor 1:26-31
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 33:12-13, 18-19, 20-21 “Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.”
GOSPEL: MATT 25:14-30
Key Verse: “..everyone who has will be given more.” (v.29)
TALENTS ARE TO BE USED
For those who have been following the Gospels for the past few weeks you will notice that Jesus has been warning his disciples of the end times and how it would be for those who persist in their unbelief and who chose to remain in the world.
Most of the time, Jesus uses parables so that his disciples can visualize and understand the context of his message. This parable of the talents is also deemed significant because Jesus spoke of this parable two days before he was to enter Jerusalem and this was the first time he told his disciples that he would be away for a long time.
But this parable also shows us that the Master of the household returned to make an accounting of the talents he left with his servants which means that Jesus will also return at some point in time and will conduct an audit of how we lived our lives given the fact that he gifted us with talents and Jesus who is our Master will naturally want to know how we made use of our gifts.
Different versions of the Scriptures have different description of what was given to the servants. There are some versions that speak of bags of gold, but common to most versions tell of talents given to the servants. In those days, a talent is measured in terms of weight such that a talent is equal to 75 pounds or 34 kilograms. There were three types of metal element that were in use in the ancient times and these were copper, silver and gold with silver as the most common.
To one the Master left five talents. To the other he gave two talents and to the third servant one talent. Over the years, the talents that were given to the servants have been interpreted to mean the talents that each one of us possesses. Some turn out to be doctors, accountants, engineers, nurses, teachers, chefs, businessmen and if we are to equate ourselves with the third servant some may be doing what to us may be menial tasks such as laborers, peons, or street sweepers.
And this parable speak about stewardship for it shows us that we are merely managers and not owners of whatever has been entrusted to us and that our talents are to be used not only for our own benefit but for the benefit of others and not buried as what the third servant did.
In other words, the Master of our household expects us not only to make use of what he gave us but he expects us to be faithful in the way that we render our service. In our lifetime, we actually may not be as successful as others have in terms of wealth, fame, influence and fame but this is not as important as our faithfulness in serving God and our neighbor with what has been entrusted to us.
Our failure to present something of what did with what has been given to us would only indicate either laziness on our part or indifference and lack of respect to Our Lord to whom we should all be beholden and grateful for whatever state in life we are now and this is what is depicted in the servant who did not make use of his talent.
This parable is all about gifts the Lord gives and entrusts to us and in our Community we speak of gifts in terms of: Pneumatika or the 9 Power Gifts (1 Cor12: 8-10) Tongues, Interpretation of Tongues, Prophecy, Wisdom, Knowledge, Discernment, Faith, Healing, and Miracles. Rom 12:3-8 also speak of the Charismata or the 7 Ministry Gifts: Prophecy, Giving, Service, Leading, Teaching, Mercy and Exhortation. We also have what we call Diakonia or the 5 Office Gifts described in Eph 4:11-16 as Apostles, Pastors, Prophets, Teachers and Evangelists.
Differing gifts and or talents yes but these are inconsequential because what matters is how we make use of our talents and God does not demand from us the fruit of talents that we don’t have but God will require an accounting of what we did with the talents that we have. We may not all be equal in terms of talent given to us but we are all equal in terms of effort and this parable tells us that whatever talent we have must be used for the service of God.
The one who has prepared well by making use of his talent will be rewarded when Our Lord returns. The two servants who took risks were amply rewarded while the lazy servant who did not make use of his talent was punished because it would have been better if he had invested it and lost than to do nothing at all.
This is actually the lesson in this parable in that the only way we can progress in both our spiritual and temporal lives is to make use of our gifts and or talents but we must always remember that the fruitful exercise of these talents are not only meant for own edification but for the service of Our God and for the benefit of our neighbor.
To live a life that is on fire is to invest our talents in the service of our Church or Community and this is what will help us become disciples who are inspired by the Holy Spirit that we may, as we are transformed, become living witnesses so that others may also be transformed in Christ that we may help bring about a world of justice, human development and true peace.
AUG. 31, 2012: 21ST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 1 Cor 1:17-25
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 33:1-5, 10-11 “The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: MATT 25:1-13
Key Verse: “..you do not know the day or the hour.” (v.13)
DON’T GET CAUGHT NAPPING
The beauty of making it a habit to regularly read the Gospels especially the passages for the day is because you’re able to blend in the way the readings progress that serves as a guide to help the lay faithful progress in their faith.
The other day we read how John the Baptist stood for the truth that cost him his life and the truth of God’s Word is something we cannot compromise. Yesterday, Jesus told us to stay awake and not waste our time on worldly things as we may not have enough time to make things right in our lives.
Today, the Gospel tells us to be ready when the Lord comes meaning we to whom God has already revealed himself should have lived our lives worthy of our calling as the salt of the earth and light of the world. It simply means that when he comes, the Lord should find us burning like an oil lamp. It means that our lives are forever on fire. It means living a life yielded to his Will.
In our lifetime, there may have been times we arrived late for an appointment either for an interview, a business meeting or even to our class when we were still in school. There were those times when we ran late for an important seminar that we looked forward to or, to a show that we waited for ages to watch or, even to a Prayer Meeting or Eucharistic Celebration.
In most of these times, there is that feeling of frustration and dejection mainly because we missed the opportunity to be employed, to close a transaction and or, missed the most important part we wanted to hear from the speaker of the seminar or, to some extent the homily of the priest-celebrant.
Today’s Gospel speak of the consequences of being unprepared when Our God comes to bind us unto Himself as in a wedding feast. And to be able to fully grasp the message that lie beneath this parable we must try to understand the Jewish culture when it comes to wedding feasts.
The Jewish wedding feast normally lasts for about a week at which time the bride, her family, relatives and friends wait with joyful expectation for the arrival of the bridegroom. Nobody knows exactly when the bridegroom will arrive although he was usually preceded by a barker who announces his coming.
But the when is cloaked in mystery which was why everyone involved in the wedding feast are expected to wait at which time everyone should have prepared and or, are preparing for the arrival of the bridegroom.
The parable of the ten bridesmaids was a lesson for us in terms of what we are supposed to do while waiting for the coming of Our Lord Jesus the Christ. Unlike the five bridesmaids, we should not take our salvation for granted and or assume that Our Lord may be delayed. What if he comes tonight or tomorrow or this coming weekend and he finds us without oil in our lamps.
The fact is that we cannot take risks when it comes to our salvation such that God has actually given us all the time and space, the means and the venues to prepare ourselves for His coming and it is now up to us if we are going to keep a watchful attitude as we wait on the Lord or are we going to take our chance and suffer the tragedy that befell the Jews who did not prepare for the coming of Jesus Christ.
But this is precisely what many of us find ourselves in. Amidst the mundane concerns of the world around us, the pay that is no longer enough for our daily sustenance, the promotion that is long overdue, our children who have gone astray, family ties that are in a quandary, we are just so filled with problems that nag us from the rising to the setting of the sun and it is this busyness of our lives that prevents us from keeping enough oil to keep the fire in our lamps burning.
Minute as it may seem but the oil plays an important part in this parable because it is the oil that keeps the lamps burning and it is necessary that we keep as much oil for our lamps. Symbolically, the lamp is our heart and the fire is the love that comes from our hearts.
What keeps the fire going is the oil which in reality is the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives who keeps our hearts burning. We remain on fire through our faithful reception of the Holy Eucharist, regular attendance in Prayer Meetings, Bible Sharing Groups, personal and conjugal prayers accompanied by fasting, acts of charity such as alms-giving, visiting the sick and those in prison, and serving in the mission fields.
These are all personal to us which means that we yield control of our lives to the Holy Spirit who is the oil that keeps the fire in our lamps as we cannot borrow from the fire that others have and this is the same with our relationships either with God or with our loved one because whatever relationship we have is personal to us.
And the lesson for us is to prepare while there is still time and not wait until it’s too late. Solomon said in Eccl 9:10 “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might.”
William Shakespeare also once said: “Better three hours too soon than a minute too late.” Since I came to the renewal and committed to give myself in the service of Our God, I have always made it a point to be early by at least 15 minutes for the Celebration of the Holy Eucharist and at the Prayer Meetings. We all need to be careful that we don’t develop the habit of coming late to our community activities.
Attitude is something we cannot borrow from other people as with the oil to keep our hearts burning with love. We have to have the oil or the Holy Spirit in us to keep the fire burning for it is only in this way that we can be ready and prepared when Our Lord comes.
Let me end with the thought of somebody who said to himself “I will follow the Lord one of these days.” Sadly, that person never saw that day in his life when Our Lord Jesus called him before he could even see “one of these days.” This is the same with us, as we cannot stall for time in making our commitment to serve the Lord because time is something we don’t have. Time is with the Lord’s.
1st Reading: 1 Cor 1:17-25
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 33:1-5, 10-11 “The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.”
GOSPEL: MATT 25:1-13
Key Verse: “..you do not know the day or the hour.” (v.13)
DON’T GET CAUGHT NAPPING
The beauty of making it a habit to regularly read the Gospels especially the passages for the day is because you’re able to blend in the way the readings progress that serves as a guide to help the lay faithful progress in their faith.
The other day we read how John the Baptist stood for the truth that cost him his life and the truth of God’s Word is something we cannot compromise. Yesterday, Jesus told us to stay awake and not waste our time on worldly things as we may not have enough time to make things right in our lives.
Today, the Gospel tells us to be ready when the Lord comes meaning we to whom God has already revealed himself should have lived our lives worthy of our calling as the salt of the earth and light of the world. It simply means that when he comes, the Lord should find us burning like an oil lamp. It means that our lives are forever on fire. It means living a life yielded to his Will.
In our lifetime, there may have been times we arrived late for an appointment either for an interview, a business meeting or even to our class when we were still in school. There were those times when we ran late for an important seminar that we looked forward to or, to a show that we waited for ages to watch or, even to a Prayer Meeting or Eucharistic Celebration.
In most of these times, there is that feeling of frustration and dejection mainly because we missed the opportunity to be employed, to close a transaction and or, missed the most important part we wanted to hear from the speaker of the seminar or, to some extent the homily of the priest-celebrant.
Today’s Gospel speak of the consequences of being unprepared when Our God comes to bind us unto Himself as in a wedding feast. And to be able to fully grasp the message that lie beneath this parable we must try to understand the Jewish culture when it comes to wedding feasts.
The Jewish wedding feast normally lasts for about a week at which time the bride, her family, relatives and friends wait with joyful expectation for the arrival of the bridegroom. Nobody knows exactly when the bridegroom will arrive although he was usually preceded by a barker who announces his coming.
But the when is cloaked in mystery which was why everyone involved in the wedding feast are expected to wait at which time everyone should have prepared and or, are preparing for the arrival of the bridegroom.
The parable of the ten bridesmaids was a lesson for us in terms of what we are supposed to do while waiting for the coming of Our Lord Jesus the Christ. Unlike the five bridesmaids, we should not take our salvation for granted and or assume that Our Lord may be delayed. What if he comes tonight or tomorrow or this coming weekend and he finds us without oil in our lamps.
The fact is that we cannot take risks when it comes to our salvation such that God has actually given us all the time and space, the means and the venues to prepare ourselves for His coming and it is now up to us if we are going to keep a watchful attitude as we wait on the Lord or are we going to take our chance and suffer the tragedy that befell the Jews who did not prepare for the coming of Jesus Christ.
But this is precisely what many of us find ourselves in. Amidst the mundane concerns of the world around us, the pay that is no longer enough for our daily sustenance, the promotion that is long overdue, our children who have gone astray, family ties that are in a quandary, we are just so filled with problems that nag us from the rising to the setting of the sun and it is this busyness of our lives that prevents us from keeping enough oil to keep the fire in our lamps burning.
Minute as it may seem but the oil plays an important part in this parable because it is the oil that keeps the lamps burning and it is necessary that we keep as much oil for our lamps. Symbolically, the lamp is our heart and the fire is the love that comes from our hearts.
What keeps the fire going is the oil which in reality is the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives who keeps our hearts burning. We remain on fire through our faithful reception of the Holy Eucharist, regular attendance in Prayer Meetings, Bible Sharing Groups, personal and conjugal prayers accompanied by fasting, acts of charity such as alms-giving, visiting the sick and those in prison, and serving in the mission fields.
These are all personal to us which means that we yield control of our lives to the Holy Spirit who is the oil that keeps the fire in our lamps as we cannot borrow from the fire that others have and this is the same with our relationships either with God or with our loved one because whatever relationship we have is personal to us.
And the lesson for us is to prepare while there is still time and not wait until it’s too late. Solomon said in Eccl 9:10 “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might.”
William Shakespeare also once said: “Better three hours too soon than a minute too late.” Since I came to the renewal and committed to give myself in the service of Our God, I have always made it a point to be early by at least 15 minutes for the Celebration of the Holy Eucharist and at the Prayer Meetings. We all need to be careful that we don’t develop the habit of coming late to our community activities.
Attitude is something we cannot borrow from other people as with the oil to keep our hearts burning with love. We have to have the oil or the Holy Spirit in us to keep the fire burning for it is only in this way that we can be ready and prepared when Our Lord comes.
Let me end with the thought of somebody who said to himself “I will follow the Lord one of these days.” Sadly, that person never saw that day in his life when Our Lord Jesus called him before he could even see “one of these days.” This is the same with us, as we cannot stall for time in making our commitment to serve the Lord because time is something we don’t have. Time is with the Lord’s.
AUG. 30, 2012: 21ST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1st Reading: 1 Cor 1:1-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 145:2-7 “I will praise your name forever, Lord.”
GOSPEL: MATT 24:42-51
Key Verse: “So you also must be ready.” (v.44)
STAY AWAKE
To live your life in wild abandon without regard for your salvation will lead to disaster from which you may never have the time to recover and make things right in your life. The biggest mistake that a person can make in his life is to delude himself that there is still plenty of time.
You may not be aware of it but you are taking a great risk when you waste your life on worldly things and keep God out of your life. What is worst is you may be falling into a trap set up by Satan whose weapon is to deceive men into believing that you can bask in the pleasures of the world as there is no need for you to hurry in seeking God.
What probably is the most dangerous of all kinds of deceptions a man will experience in his life is when he learns that there is such a word as tomorrow because there are matters that cannot be put off or set aside as no man knows if tomorrow will ever come.
In many of the times that I have facilitated a teaching, this is one of the things that I have always stressed that when we hear and receive God’s invitation we must readily say yes. We cannot and should not even think of saying maybe tomorrow or some other time because chances are we may not even live to see tomorrow or that some other time.
The central message of today’s Gospel speak of salvation and the need to be prepared for the second coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ and this comes at a very opportune time because there are many of us including those who are already in the renewal who don’t take seriously the teachings of Jesus who has shown us the path to eternal life.
Reason for this could be our being overly-confident that Our God is a forgiving God and that He will definitely forgive those who will seek His forgiveness and repent of their sins. Which is why we sometimes vacillate on our decision to commit ourselves to God as we hang-on to the material comforts, albeit fleeting, that the world offers. And we stretch God’s patience with us to the limit and we think of God when we can no longer find satisfaction with the world, when we find ourselves longing for joy that doesn’t disappear and, when the world we have built collapses and pins us down in the pit of depression and spiritual malaise. Lest we set ourselves apart from those in the world, even those to whom God has already revealed Himself can still be living in their own world by dichotomizing the lives they live. On one side is the part wherein he worships God and on the other side is his human side that believes God will tolerate his imperfection.
What this Gospel is telling us is that our entire lives should be lived in interminable preparation for the second coming of Jesus because the expeditious manner by which he will come will not allow for any last-minute repentance. Where Jesus will find us when he comes will determine our eternal salvation. Towards this end, each one of us must be aware of the fact that taking for granted the warning contained in this Gospel is inviting disaster insofar as the salvation of our souls is concerned.
I grew up in a deeply religious setting and my parents sent me to a Catholic school where my faith was firmly established. But the world to which I ventured in my growing up years clouded my faith although I did not exactly lose my belief in God. Abounding in mercy and love, God found me and led me to attend a Marriage Encounter Seminar and thence to the Life in the Spirit Seminar. In the course of my discipleship training my life as a media practitioner flashed before me especially the times I witnessed so many deaths – violent ones such as those I covered, fatal road accidents and, deaths through natural causes. And the question that always ran through my mind was that were these people ready when God sent for them.
The Church and or every Community, I suppose, have their own formation programs that parishioners and members can avail of. These formation programs are designed to enkindle the virtues of Faith, Hope and Love that have been infused in us during our Baptism and bring these to completion by leading us to a commitment to serve God.
These formation programs, either in the Church or in the Community, serve their purpose in preparing the lay faithful for the second coming of Our Lord Jesus the Christ. How we will respond to this invitation will determine our eternal destiny.
God desires that all men must be saved. Hence, God Himself provides us the time to prepare ourselves for His coming and the Catechism of the Catholic Church in 1058 assures us: “The Church prays that no one should be lost: ‘Lord, let me never be parted from you.' If it is true that no one can save himself, it is also true that God ‘desires all men to be saved' (1 Tim 2:4), and that for him ‘all things are possible' (Mt 19:26).”
The reward for heeding the call of Jesus to be watchful is so great that we cannot take it for granted and play around with our souls. In us is the divine nature that God shared with us when we were born into the world. Thus, it means that we must be aware of the fact that we all share in the divinity of Christ and that our preoccupation is to live our lives in God and with God.
To prepare is to ever be watchful which means we have to take care of our body, soul and spirit and we need to spend our time taking care of others in the Church and or Community and even those who have yet to believe in God. This is the best way to prepare for the second coming of Jesus.
And after everything has been said the question we should ask ourselves is: “Do I want to be saved?” If you think you can put God’s invitation into your pigeonhole and let it remain there for sometime while you step into the world and enjoy its glitter, the fame and fortune that you acquire using the gifts God has given you and, the perks that come with it – try reading and reflecting on the Gospel today and then – THINK AGAIN – because I don’t think you would ever want to be with those who spend their time weeping and gnashing their teeth which is what awaits those who will disregard God’s invitation.
PRAYER: All powerful and ever-living God, at morning, noon and evening we pray: cast out from our hearts the darkness of sin and bring us to the light of your truth, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen!
1st Reading: 1 Cor 1:1-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 145:2-7 “I will praise your name forever, Lord.”
GOSPEL: MATT 24:42-51
Key Verse: “So you also must be ready.” (v.44)
STAY AWAKE
To live your life in wild abandon without regard for your salvation will lead to disaster from which you may never have the time to recover and make things right in your life. The biggest mistake that a person can make in his life is to delude himself that there is still plenty of time.
You may not be aware of it but you are taking a great risk when you waste your life on worldly things and keep God out of your life. What is worst is you may be falling into a trap set up by Satan whose weapon is to deceive men into believing that you can bask in the pleasures of the world as there is no need for you to hurry in seeking God.
What probably is the most dangerous of all kinds of deceptions a man will experience in his life is when he learns that there is such a word as tomorrow because there are matters that cannot be put off or set aside as no man knows if tomorrow will ever come.
In many of the times that I have facilitated a teaching, this is one of the things that I have always stressed that when we hear and receive God’s invitation we must readily say yes. We cannot and should not even think of saying maybe tomorrow or some other time because chances are we may not even live to see tomorrow or that some other time.
The central message of today’s Gospel speak of salvation and the need to be prepared for the second coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ and this comes at a very opportune time because there are many of us including those who are already in the renewal who don’t take seriously the teachings of Jesus who has shown us the path to eternal life.
Reason for this could be our being overly-confident that Our God is a forgiving God and that He will definitely forgive those who will seek His forgiveness and repent of their sins. Which is why we sometimes vacillate on our decision to commit ourselves to God as we hang-on to the material comforts, albeit fleeting, that the world offers. And we stretch God’s patience with us to the limit and we think of God when we can no longer find satisfaction with the world, when we find ourselves longing for joy that doesn’t disappear and, when the world we have built collapses and pins us down in the pit of depression and spiritual malaise. Lest we set ourselves apart from those in the world, even those to whom God has already revealed Himself can still be living in their own world by dichotomizing the lives they live. On one side is the part wherein he worships God and on the other side is his human side that believes God will tolerate his imperfection.
What this Gospel is telling us is that our entire lives should be lived in interminable preparation for the second coming of Jesus because the expeditious manner by which he will come will not allow for any last-minute repentance. Where Jesus will find us when he comes will determine our eternal salvation. Towards this end, each one of us must be aware of the fact that taking for granted the warning contained in this Gospel is inviting disaster insofar as the salvation of our souls is concerned.
I grew up in a deeply religious setting and my parents sent me to a Catholic school where my faith was firmly established. But the world to which I ventured in my growing up years clouded my faith although I did not exactly lose my belief in God. Abounding in mercy and love, God found me and led me to attend a Marriage Encounter Seminar and thence to the Life in the Spirit Seminar. In the course of my discipleship training my life as a media practitioner flashed before me especially the times I witnessed so many deaths – violent ones such as those I covered, fatal road accidents and, deaths through natural causes. And the question that always ran through my mind was that were these people ready when God sent for them.
The Church and or every Community, I suppose, have their own formation programs that parishioners and members can avail of. These formation programs are designed to enkindle the virtues of Faith, Hope and Love that have been infused in us during our Baptism and bring these to completion by leading us to a commitment to serve God.
These formation programs, either in the Church or in the Community, serve their purpose in preparing the lay faithful for the second coming of Our Lord Jesus the Christ. How we will respond to this invitation will determine our eternal destiny.
God desires that all men must be saved. Hence, God Himself provides us the time to prepare ourselves for His coming and the Catechism of the Catholic Church in 1058 assures us: “The Church prays that no one should be lost: ‘Lord, let me never be parted from you.' If it is true that no one can save himself, it is also true that God ‘desires all men to be saved' (1 Tim 2:4), and that for him ‘all things are possible' (Mt 19:26).”
The reward for heeding the call of Jesus to be watchful is so great that we cannot take it for granted and play around with our souls. In us is the divine nature that God shared with us when we were born into the world. Thus, it means that we must be aware of the fact that we all share in the divinity of Christ and that our preoccupation is to live our lives in God and with God.
To prepare is to ever be watchful which means we have to take care of our body, soul and spirit and we need to spend our time taking care of others in the Church and or Community and even those who have yet to believe in God. This is the best way to prepare for the second coming of Jesus.
And after everything has been said the question we should ask ourselves is: “Do I want to be saved?” If you think you can put God’s invitation into your pigeonhole and let it remain there for sometime while you step into the world and enjoy its glitter, the fame and fortune that you acquire using the gifts God has given you and, the perks that come with it – try reading and reflecting on the Gospel today and then – THINK AGAIN – because I don’t think you would ever want to be with those who spend their time weeping and gnashing their teeth which is what awaits those who will disregard God’s invitation.
PRAYER: All powerful and ever-living God, at morning, noon and evening we pray: cast out from our hearts the darkness of sin and bring us to the light of your truth, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen!
AUG. 29, 2012: THE BEHEADING OF JOHN THE BAPIST
1st Reading: JER 1:17-19
Responsorial Psalm: 71:1-6, 15, 17
GOSPEL: MK 6:17-29
Key Verse: “… yet he liked to listen to him.” (v.20)
TRUTH IS COSTLY
In order for us to clearly understand this Gospel narrative on the tragic beheading of John the Baptist, we should try to look at this passage on two angles. The first part tells of one of the main characters in this Gospel – Herod Antipas or Herod the Tetrarch who ruled part of the kingdom left by his father Herod the Great who was known to have ordered the massacre of the little children in Bethlehem.
The story speaks of Herod Antipas who feared John the Baptist because he spoke the truth about his adulterous relationship with Herodias. But he also respected John because he knew that he was a man of unquestionable integrity and that many people believe in the evangelist.
And this is where we can also draw some form of parallelism because this oddity in the character of Herod can also be found in many of us who unknowingly are treading on two parallel courses in our spiritual and temporal journey.
We may be faithful in our attendance in the Eucharistic Celebrations or the Mass and also in Prayer Meetings if we belong to a community or prayer group and we lift up our hands and say “yes Lord,” “Amen, Lord” but our temporal lives do not reflect any of the spirituality that we have when we are in the spiritual setting.
The sin of Herod was that he gave in to his impulsive nature when he failed to discern the request of Salome, the daughter of Herodias, for the head of John to be delivered on a plate. Such impulsiveness is also not new to us as there are times we also lose our sense of right judgment and we do things that we regret afterwards.
There was someone who once said there are quick decisions and there are good decisions but it is very seldom that a man will arrive at a good quick decision. There was no doubt that Herod made a bad quick decision but have we asked ourselves how many times we also made a quick decision that turned awry or bad.
Herod was drunk at the time and he failed to rein in his impulsive nature and this was what Paul warns: “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery (riotous living). Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit.” (Eph 5:18)
The second part of this Gospel is actually an instruction for us on how to go about our mission to make disciples of all nations (Matt 28:18) and this time, the model to which Mark is leading us was John the Baptist.
What Mark is telling us is that for anyone who would like to be a disciple of Jesus Christ and take over the mission he left behind following his Ascension to heaven, we all must have the courage and the boldness to speak the truth.
John had the courage to rebuke Herod for his adulterous relationship with Herodias who was previously married to his brother Herod Philip. Herodias herself was the daughter of Aristobulus, one of the half-brothers of Herod Antipas. In effect, Herodias was actually the niece of Herod Antipas. And this adulterous and incestuous relationship was what John spoke against which earned the ire of Herodias who plotted to eliminate John.
It was this character of John the Baptist who never minced any words to speak the truth that Mark is trying to show us that anyone who will want to take over where Jesus and the Apostles have left will have to do what John the Baptist did – to speak the truth to the point of death.
As evangelists or catechists whose primary duty is to bring the unbelievers and the doubters to Jesus Christ, this example of John was the model that Jesus is asking us to follow. Historical accounts claim that Herod Antipas had talked to John to soften his critique of the former’s relationship with Herodias but John stood his ground and placed his life on the line rather than compromise.
We who are now tasked to bring the Gospel of Christ to others can take the same path that John the Baptist took when he placed his life in the hands of God and the Catechism of the Catholic Church provide us an inspiration when it said in Para 2471:“Before Pilate, Christ proclaims that he "has come into the world, to bear witness to the truth." The Christian is not to "be ashamed then of testifying to our Lord." In situations that require witness to the faith, the Christian must profess it without equivocation, after the example of St. Paul before his judges. We must keep "a clear conscience toward God and toward men."
Like John the Baptist, we are to bear witness to the truth and as Christians we must not be ashamed of testifying to what the Lord has done in our lives. We are actually the gospel that we preach such that it is imperative that others must see Jesus present in our lives. This was what John the Baptist did. He spoke the truth. He was the conscience of God and he gave his life for the truth.
PRAYER: God our Father, you called John the Baptist to be the herald of your Son's birth and death. As he gave his life in witness to truth and justice, so may we strive to profess our faith in your Gospel. Grant this through Christ Our Lord, Amen!
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1st Reading: JER 1:17-19
Responsorial Psalm: 71:1-6, 15, 17
GOSPEL: MK 6:17-29
Key Verse: “… yet he liked to listen to him.” (v.20)
TRUTH IS COSTLY
In order for us to clearly understand this Gospel narrative on the tragic beheading of John the Baptist, we should try to look at this passage on two angles. The first part tells of one of the main characters in this Gospel – Herod Antipas or Herod the Tetrarch who ruled part of the kingdom left by his father Herod the Great who was known to have ordered the massacre of the little children in Bethlehem.
The story speaks of Herod Antipas who feared John the Baptist because he spoke the truth about his adulterous relationship with Herodias. But he also respected John because he knew that he was a man of unquestionable integrity and that many people believe in the evangelist.
And this is where we can also draw some form of parallelism because this oddity in the character of Herod can also be found in many of us who unknowingly are treading on two parallel courses in our spiritual and temporal journey.
We may be faithful in our attendance in the Eucharistic Celebrations or the Mass and also in Prayer Meetings if we belong to a community or prayer group and we lift up our hands and say “yes Lord,” “Amen, Lord” but our temporal lives do not reflect any of the spirituality that we have when we are in the spiritual setting.
The sin of Herod was that he gave in to his impulsive nature when he failed to discern the request of Salome, the daughter of Herodias, for the head of John to be delivered on a plate. Such impulsiveness is also not new to us as there are times we also lose our sense of right judgment and we do things that we regret afterwards.
There was someone who once said there are quick decisions and there are good decisions but it is very seldom that a man will arrive at a good quick decision. There was no doubt that Herod made a bad quick decision but have we asked ourselves how many times we also made a quick decision that turned awry or bad.
Herod was drunk at the time and he failed to rein in his impulsive nature and this was what Paul warns: “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery (riotous living). Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit.” (Eph 5:18)
The second part of this Gospel is actually an instruction for us on how to go about our mission to make disciples of all nations (Matt 28:18) and this time, the model to which Mark is leading us was John the Baptist.
What Mark is telling us is that for anyone who would like to be a disciple of Jesus Christ and take over the mission he left behind following his Ascension to heaven, we all must have the courage and the boldness to speak the truth.
John had the courage to rebuke Herod for his adulterous relationship with Herodias who was previously married to his brother Herod Philip. Herodias herself was the daughter of Aristobulus, one of the half-brothers of Herod Antipas. In effect, Herodias was actually the niece of Herod Antipas. And this adulterous and incestuous relationship was what John spoke against which earned the ire of Herodias who plotted to eliminate John.
It was this character of John the Baptist who never minced any words to speak the truth that Mark is trying to show us that anyone who will want to take over where Jesus and the Apostles have left will have to do what John the Baptist did – to speak the truth to the point of death.
As evangelists or catechists whose primary duty is to bring the unbelievers and the doubters to Jesus Christ, this example of John was the model that Jesus is asking us to follow. Historical accounts claim that Herod Antipas had talked to John to soften his critique of the former’s relationship with Herodias but John stood his ground and placed his life on the line rather than compromise.
We who are now tasked to bring the Gospel of Christ to others can take the same path that John the Baptist took when he placed his life in the hands of God and the Catechism of the Catholic Church provide us an inspiration when it said in Para 2471:“Before Pilate, Christ proclaims that he "has come into the world, to bear witness to the truth." The Christian is not to "be ashamed then of testifying to our Lord." In situations that require witness to the faith, the Christian must profess it without equivocation, after the example of St. Paul before his judges. We must keep "a clear conscience toward God and toward men."
Like John the Baptist, we are to bear witness to the truth and as Christians we must not be ashamed of testifying to what the Lord has done in our lives. We are actually the gospel that we preach such that it is imperative that others must see Jesus present in our lives. This was what John the Baptist did. He spoke the truth. He was the conscience of God and he gave his life for the truth.
PRAYER: God our Father, you called John the Baptist to be the herald of your Son's birth and death. As he gave his life in witness to truth and justice, so may we strive to profess our faith in your Gospel. Grant this through Christ Our Lord, Amen!
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AUG. 28, 2012: ST. AUGUSTINE, Bishop and doctor
1st Reading: 2 Thes 2:1-3, 14-17
Responsorial Psalm: Psa 96:10-13 “The Lord comes to judge the earth.”
GOSPEL: MATT 23:23-26
Key Verse: “… then the outside also will be clean.” (v.26)
NOTHING IS HIDDEN
“Our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” These are the famous words spoken by St. Augustine whose feast
we are celebrating today. Once blind and oblivious to the eternal joy that can only be found in God, St. Augustine realized that the life he pursued with wild abandon cannot give him the pleasure he sought and through the intercession of his mother St. Monica, he found himself resting in God.
What we have in today’s Gospel passage is a contrasting scenario with the Pharisees stubbornly clinging to their blindness to the Grace of God that was already present in their midst. And here we see Jesus coming to the end of his critique of the practices imposed by the Pharisees that have become burdensome for the Israelites to enter into a relationship with God.
In the same way, what Jesus is stressing here is that the injustices we perpetrate, our insincerity in dealing with our neighbors and, our failure to respond to calls for help from our marginalized and impoverished brethren cannot be offset or replaced by our giving of tithes and or our outward display of good works.
When reading the Scriptures, we should always remember that the Word of God especially the Gospels were written for specific audiences to address the needs at the time and, Jesus is still using these same words to talk to us and the beauty of it all is that with the advent of modern communication tools we are now in a better position to grasp the substance and meaning of the Gospel message than the people in the time of Jesus.
If some will persist in their ungodly ways, do not blame it on Jesus or on the message but on them who receive or hear the Word of God because even during the time of Jesus, even the religious leaders like the Pharisees who listened to his discourses but they lent a deaf ear to what he was saying. In fact, they rejected him and his teachings.
And this same scenario still exist today as there are among us who have dichotomize our lives with one half attached to Jesus and the other half remaining in the world and all its allurements. We know fully well that this cannot be and that at some point in time we have to choose between salvation and damnation.
There is nothing wrong with Tithing as mentioned in this and the previous passage because this is necessary to upbuild the Church and or the religious Community to which we belong but what is wrong is when we tithe, give love offerings and or, donate to projects to impress others or to compensate for our inability to get involved in the mission of the Church which is to evangelize or bring the message of salvation to others.
I know of several men who gave generously to the Church but the manner by which they lived their lives are opposed to the pious image they projected as patrons of the parishes to which they belong. And many times, we too are like the Pharisees. We religiously hear Mass regularly, attend weekly Prayer Meetings and serve in some of the programs of our Community, in the Life in the Spirit Seminars and we give generously at every opportunity.
But we also tend to forget that there is another world outside of our Church and or Community that is suffering from injustice, insincerity of the temporal leaders to deliver their promise to alleviate the plight of the poor and, the thousands who do not have food on their tables, those who are sick who have no means to seek medical attention, those who cannot read or write.
This is what Jesus was telling the Pharisees then and what he is telling us now in that there shouldn’t be any difference between such outward actions relative to our religion and our devotion to Our God. Both must complement each other in order for us to merit the favor of God.
Jesus ends today’s Gospel by equating the attitude of the Pharisees to an unclean vessel and a person who was considered as ceremonially unclean and who during his time was prohibited from entering the Synagogue and or prevented from worshipping God.
What Jesus is telling us here is that sin is what makes us unclean that bars us from entering the Kingdom of God and this is specifically stated in Para 1861 of the CCC: “Sin results in the loss of charity and the privation of sanctifying grace, that is, of the state of grace. If it is not redeemed by repentance and God's forgiveness, it causes exclusion from Christ's Kingdom and the eternal death of hell, for our freedom has the power to make choices for ever, with no turning back. However, although we can judge that an act is in itself a grave offense, we must entrust judgment of persons to the justice and mercy of God.”
Jesus condemned the Pharisees for outwardly appearing upright and holy but are full of corruption and greed on the inside. Similarly, to pretend to be like a Christian by putting up a mask for others to see is just like washing the outside of the cup but the inside is still unclean.
I remember asking an elderly man what is it that makes him look younger than his age and without any sign of hesitation he said it is what is inside of him that makes all the difference. When I pressed him to elaborate, he said he doesn’t think ill of anyone. He holds no grudge nor does he keep rancor and recrimination against anyone in his heart. He said he doesn’t turn his back on anyone and he helps those who are in need. He prays, goes to Church and receives the Eucharist daily.
In other words, this elderly man is simply trying to follow the two greatest commandments of Jesus and that is “to love God and to love our neighbor as well.” And this is what Jesus is telling us now because only those who are clean on the inside can enter the Kingdom of God.
"Lord, renew in your Church the spirit you gave St. Augustine. Filled with this spirit, may we thirst for you alone as the fountain of wisdom and seek you as the source of eternal love. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior and through the intercession of Mary our Mother, Amen!